"Excuse me, but what are you talking about? What is a Vessel of Thought?"
The strange creature beyond the mirror wall tilted its head, making it look even more frightening.
"Do you not know what you are? What a funny little creature." There was a pause, "I suppose I should explain then. I was hoping you would leave, silly me."
One of the slits on the fur opened, revealing a deep hole. From the hole, a body slipped out, it was covered in mucus and had no skin. Another slit opened and a gray hand proportional to the creature's body slipped out.
The hand held the body up, skillfully using its fingers to part the muscles and bones to reveal the inside where a glowing dim light was.
"All beings have souls, you know that much yes? Souls are the foundation of life and the key to unlocking it. No one knows why we have them but it makes existing easier, as having a foundation can do a lot compared to when you have none."
The creature then used the hand to pull out the small light.
"Along with the soul is a little thing called consciousness, every soul has it, but even so, the consciousness might only be minuscule. Think of a mountain, you might not know it but it is living, it has a soul and its own thoughts, but these thoughts may only form over a millennia. But you, my dear Vessel, are filled to the brim with consciousness and thought, the perfect form for it, if you didn't know."
The being discarded the corpse, and it disappeared in the black background. It then stated, "Everything is a shell that holds a soul. Potent souls with consciousness are what the world wants, or whatever you call what's pulling the strings, it has many names you know."
Cain's eyes sparked and asked, "Is it fate?"
She laughed, "No, no, that is only a concept, but many just call them laws, though concepts are far beyond laws. Laws are only a portion of what a concept truly is. Anyway, don't interrupt, hehe."
Cain went silent. He didn't dare speak up again, he had no idea what this creature was and if its words hid veiled threats.
The gray woman got back on point, "As I was saying, potent souls were too extreme for any current vessel back then, but the world wanted them. Over time, the world succeeded in birthing Vessels of Thought and you things came into being.
"This was not after many failed attempts of course. In this universe, I believe the failed vessels were those other races you Vessels of Thought don't like very much. I haven't been watching much since the first Perfect Vessel died, Manus was his name I think. Too bad he died before I could meet him, I heard from many mouths he was the most perfect Vessel to date, poor thing was born in the wrong Universe I say."
The voice laughed as she went off track.
"Oh, what was I saying? Oh right, the great trend and the creation of Vessels. Well, after you started spreading, all of Existence became lively, and many of you have done interesting things.
"However... there have been backlashes against nature itself, like your Universe! Manus died to its child, right? The awakened will? Those children are strange, to be born but also being their own parents? Ah, it's too confusing, I was born with a concept, but you don't need to know so much. I'm a failed one anyway."
Its voice became a bit quieter and sweeter, it was obvious it didn't like that it failed at being born.
All the while, Cain was having a panic attack.
'Vessel? Manus? Everything is so confusing, humans are vessels meant to bring out the full power of souls? We are what the world wants? What does this thing even mean?'
Deep inside Cain, another thought bubbled, it came from a young man sitting on a throne surrounded by blood.
'Ah, I get it. Beyond things like fate, there is still a higher order. From her tone, it sounds like she doesn't know what this order is, but it's easy to gather it wants humans. But is that a good thing?
More thoughts bubbled silently.
'Another thing, Manus died to the child of this universe? Is it the "One" perhaps? Is this thing in control of everything trying to accomplish something through humans, but the whole world is revolting? No no, it can't be that wide of a scale....'
Still confused, Cain's jaw unhinged as an enchanting voice came out, it was Cain's voice, yet his tone was so different you could only think of it as a different voice.
"Miss, if I may, what would you say is the best way to gain power? As a Vessel of Thought, I mean."
Through the mirror, the creature jolted, it did not expect this turn of events, but its voice held a curious tone, "Oh? Interesting. If I were to give you advice, it would be.... become unique."
She explained, "What makes you vessels so perfect is that you all contain the complexity of thought, you can be more different than the last. If you succeed then I will wish to meet you again, I haven't met such a successful Vessel yet, and that was why I wished to meet the First Perfected Vessel of this Universe. Hah, thinking back it's a pity."
Cain was no longer confused but surprised, he didn't know his other self was listening in, 'How long has he been here?!'
A Star Flame Butterfly came down from the ceiling and entered Cain's leg like a moth to a flame. All the while the being in the mirror said, "Enough talking. It's been fun but I must continue my exploration, this world is big and time is not to be wasted! Till we meet again!"
Cain blinked and found himself in space.
"What? When did we get back here?!" Besides Cain was Ren He.
'When did we...what a strange encounter.' Cain stared off into space. His confusion was clearing but he still had questions. 'Who was that other human, the corpse? Why are souls so important? Just who was that woman, creature...thing.'
He sighed, he didn't understand anything one bit.
"Let's head back, maybe after some time we will return, for now, let's just rest." Ren He was truly distraught, spending so much time only to get nothing.
Cain looked over to Ren He and smiled, "Indeed."
...
"Souls.... thought....it seems at the fundamental level, all beings are repressed to give way to humans, at least lower level beings. Since there are things not being repressed like this "One" and concepts like Fate, which are entirely different? What makes a law different from a concept?"
Leon heard his master mumble to himself. He too was frightened and confused by the strange creature in the asteroid. He had never experienced anything like it. 'This world is far wider than the Landfill, I'm afraid Master is only an ant. But why doesn't that bother me?'
In truth, that being Cain had met was only a failed product. The fundamentals of the world were concepts, and concepts can rise or fall at a moment's notice.
That creature was what was known as a Graychild. It was born from the failure of a new concept. They can be said to be the failed concept, but in truth, they are the child of it, their parent's death creating them.
Concepts are good for the world, they can add and take, they restrict each other and hold together laws while being much more. Of course, beings of thought who enter these ranks and were not born a concept tend to mess with the world, but the majority were still mindless concepts like Fate or Time that keep order for the world and its trends.
However, concepts could be anything, similar to Time, there were Concepts like the Past, Present, and Future. These three were very close, their strength wavering or surging with the passing of time.
But to unravel these secrets more deeply wasn't needed, what's important is the presence of the Graychild.
Throughout time, a Graychild signifies much, they may not be a being of concept but they are near immortal and hard to kill. They can only live in obscure realms and dimensions, which was why the Graychild in the asteroid could only speak through the mirror wall, it was its only way to see the world and communicate.
What a Graychild signified was something of great importance. It meant something was going to happen soon in the place it visited. For a Graychild, it is a herald of existence and the Greater being that created it.
Even if they know it or not, they are drawn to important events or people that will mold the course of history.
And this Graychild met Cain.