Staring at the figure in surprise, Nox opened his mouth to say something.
But before he could, the old Mythmaker reached his hand across.
The boy greeted him as he extended his hand for a handshake.
"It's nice to meet you..?"
Only, the hand passed through the old man. Quickly whipping around, he found that there was someone behind him.
A young boy, not much older than him shook the hands of the old man. Just like Nox, he too possessed black hair and purple eyes.
'Just what is going on? Now there's three of us?'
Elysia seemed equally confused as she poked him from behind, "Um… do you- know these people?"
"I don't think so. But they feel familiar to me for some reason. As if I've met them before."
She stood in place for a moment, then hesitantly spoke.
"I'm not sure if this is right, but are you some descendent of a powerful being?"
"Because if you are…" the mage continued.
"This would explain it."
"Explain what exactly?" Nox questioned. He didn't know what she was talking about.
"The original Otherworlders all had powerful abilities. When they eventually formed contracts with Constellations to start a royal family… they needed a way to pass down their abilities."
The boy widened his eyes in realization, "So this means-"
"Yep." Elysia cut him off.
"Divinities aren't hereditary, so they can't be passed down through traditional means. Instead, they are slowly bestowed on their descendant by the individual. Sometimes, the royal families create challenges that the descendants have to go through. I think it's so that the Divinity gets passed down to someone who has the talent for it."
The mage pointed at the two other individuals talking. "One of the ways is to create fragments of experiences, that slowly give the descendants memories and power through completing them."
'That… makes sense. Perhaps my father was some great Otherworlder?'
As the duo conversed, the old man suddenly stood up. With a sigh of annoyance, he informed the younger man.
"The Constellations are here again, follow me."
Alarmed, the other figure followed him outside.
Back in the plains, something odd was happening. A patch of grass slowly started to sway unnaturally. The green blades stretched and twisted, forming the silhouette of a person.
Nearby, a few blackberries plucked themselves out of the bush; leaves started to cut themselves out of branches. The elements of nature all rushed into the transforming grass.
Not a moment later, an elegant woman created from the elements stood there.
A melodic voice hummed out of her grassy lips.
"Mythmaker, were you successful?"
The old man bowed down, reaching into his robe. Pulling out a small glass vial, he proudly informed the Constellation.
"Yes, madam. With the knowledge of the elves that you granted me, I managed to recreate the Elixir of Life with my student."
The old Mythmaker nudged the younger man with his shoulders as he too, quickly bowed down.
"Uh… I g-greet the great Constellation!" He shouted nervously.
A small chuckle escaped from the woman's mouth as a branch slowly extended out to receive the vial. Popping out the wooden cork, she examined the contents with her berry eyes.
"Excellent job, you will be rewarded generously," The Constellation commented.
The woman carefully drank the elixir, making sure to take in every last drop of the concoction.
During this, Nox and Elysia were carefully watching.
'I thought Constellations were evil…?'
Elegantly formed from the greenery around them, the Constellation seemed calm and benevolent. She treated humans with respect, unlike the stories he's usually heard about them.
Elysia on the other hand, watched in awe.
"I've always wanted to meet a Constellation in person…" She went closer to the woman, examining her body with great excitement.
When he shot her a weird look, she coughed and replied, "I'm just… examining the great craftsmanship of the body!"
Suddenly, a powerful wave of energy erupted from the Constellation. The two kneeling men were sent crashing away into the hut.
The old window shattered from the impact as the wooden walls shook, eager to break apart.
The leaves that made up the Constellations' body slowly turned a yellow hue, then orange and red. Now aging quickly, her once beautiful figure was now an ugly mess of black and brown.
A demonic laugh erupted from her rotting mouth as her wooden branches decayed. The elegant woman that appeared earlier disappeared in an instant.
"I've finally ascended! After centuries of being stuck at the initial stage!"
The old man hesitantly approached the woman, his robes tattered from the collision.
"Madam… are you okay…?
In a smooth motion, a whip made of black vines impaled the man, piercing through his body. Then, as the others watched in horror, the Mythmaker's life was slowly drained from him.
The body was tossed carelessly into the ground as the younger man screamed and ran towards him. Cradling him, the student pleaded to the gods above for something to save the old man. However, no one came. Soon, all that remained of the old man was a lifeless husk.
"Why… what did he do to you?" In a fit of rage, the young man pulled out a wooden blade, aiming to slice apart the Constellation.
"Idiot."
The poorly-made sword crumbled to dust upon touching her body.
Before the Constellation could finish him off, however, a streak of white light blasted her arm apart.
Nox felt the hairs on his arm rise. Even though he was unable to interact with the environment, he somehow felt the force behind the beam of light.
'What immense power…'
She hissed and fell back, "Seems like you live another day, insignificant creature. Take it as your reward for helping me ascend."
Another flash of light shot out of the sky, this time, much larger. The black figure decayed into dust, leaving behind no trace that they were ever there.
As the young man helplessly cried, the Mythmaker's corpse disintegrated, leaving behind a thin white blade.
Frantically grabbing it, he vowed as he shouted into the sky.
"How dare you claim to be gods… you're all nothing but frauds!"
White energy radiated from the blade as it seemed to vibrate at his words. He clenched it, repeating to himself.
"I will drag you down from your false thrones…"
The man's purple eyes flashed dangerously as the world around them started to disappear.
The memory fragment was shattering.
Nox was still in shock, trying to process what had just happened. Turns out, he was right. The Constellation had killed the old man after receiving a vial of sorts.
The boy looked over. The black-haired caster seemed to be having a mental breakdown.
"No… how can this be? She was so pretty-"
[You have completed the Memory Fragment.]
[Commencing teleportation back to the last location.]
Shortly after, the duo was dragged back into the colorful tunnel.
Nox gazed at a certain spot in the corner of the structure. The dark wound was no longer there.