Marble columns lined the edges of the massive courtroom. The floor beneath was covered in a beautiful linen that threatened to engulf Nox if he gazed too deeply.
A Constellation wearing a cracked wooden mask slightly raised a finger.
Elysia broke out from her shock, staring around her in amazement. Nox on the other hand, wore a solemn expression.
Among the seated constellations, there was one with a slightly raised seat. He instinctively felt that they were different from the other entities. The figure rose from the elevated chair.
"We will begin the sentence."
Suddenly, tens of voices bombarded through the room.
"Kill them."
"Why is he there?"
"Who's the child?"
"It's the descendent of the Mythmaker."
"Mythmaker…"
"Him!"
"It's him!"
"He's slain hundreds of us!"
"Interesting…"
"Punish him!"
"Punish!"
"Punish."
Nox felt a foreign force protecting him from the aura of the Constellations, without it, he would've fainted long ago.
"Silence." A sole voice echoed.
Instantly, the room became quiet. Every single Constellation stared down into the ground.
Even with the protection, he felt a sudden urge to bow down and prostrate himself in front of the golden figure.
"Plead your case, descendent of the Mythmakers."
With all eyes on him, the boy couldn't help but gulp.
"Uh… your majesty? I don't understand what crimes I've committed against the Constellations to even be here. I don't mean any disrespect but, I didn't ask for any of this. I don't even know the previous Mythmaker."
"Liar." The fairy interrupted.
"The boy has already absorbed the essence of another Constellation."
'Essence? The feather? Why is that even my fault?'
The golden Constellation spoke again, "Mythmaker, you have heard the juror. Your crime is the soul-annihilation of a fellow Constellation. I will not ask you again, plead your case."
Hushed whispers and violent gazes fill the air as the accusation settles in.
[The sixth Myth is being written…]
Amidst all of this, the boy felt a sympathetic gaze linger on them. Elysia leaned towards him with a concerned expression.
"Just admit you killed him, it'll save us the trouble, Nox."
He stared into her lifeless, cloudy eyes. Something about this felt off. Their speeches seemed rehearsed.
"SHUT UP!"
Taking a gamble, Nox growled.
"So much for godly entities. Do you hear yourselves? Bunching up and forcing all these orders on a random human. Now I'm the bad guy? Plead my case? I have no regrets and I certainly don't owe any of you anything."
The Mythmaker closed his eyes. If his guess was wrong, he would be destroyed.
There was one little lie in his outburst. He regretted not being able to spend more time with Elysia and Opal. Although they'd only known each other for a few days, he had grown attached to them.
Nox didn't have many friends as a child. No one wanted the burden of raising a violent kid from the outskirts. Even though most of their time was spent running and fighting off monsters… it felt fulfilling.
He heard a small chuckle. The boy opened his eyes. The entire room had frozen.
Suddenly, the golden Constellation disintegrated. Then, the fairy. The pillars started crumbling apart as Elysia fell over and shattered like a glass sculpture.
Soon, all that remained was a single Constellation. The real one.
[You have written the sixth Myth.]
[You have gained a slight resistance when facing illusions.]
[Constellation: Loki applauds your quick thinking.]
The masked figure from the beginning lept down from his chair, landing in front of him.
Cloaked in a thin grey mist, the Constellation gave off a sense of mysteriousness.
Nox stepped back, slightly unsure of what to do.
"So, this was all a test?"
A young voice replied, "Of course! You passed with flying colors, human."
Loki then appeared closer to him, centimeters away from his face.
"Although… that unique divinity of yours did spoil the fun. Mythmaker, was it?"
Teleporting back into his chair, he placed a finger on his chin with a thoughtful expression.
"Why exactly are you here?"
'What an unpredictable person. He doesn't seem to have any resentment against me, though.'
After giving it some thought, Nox responded.
"I'm here to find out the truth about this world."
"The truth? What do you mean?" The Constellation brushed it off.
"The truth about the meteors. Something tells me that Earth was intentionally forced into the cycle of the Otherworlds."
Loki revealed a sly grin, "So you do know something. I wonder, is the previous Mythmaker still inside you…?"
Inside the shrouded mist, an eye flashes red. Nox saw an everchanging monster start to emerge, taking the form of a dragon.
He felt a sense of danger. Struggle instantly activated as the hairs on his arms shot up. His senses were screaming at him, telling him to run.
"Just kidding."
The mist suddenly disappeared as if nothing had happened. Loki giggled, apparently enjoying his reaction.
"Well. The truth is, I don't exactly know myself. Most of the decisions are made by the higher-ups. Most of them went into a state of comatose to preserve their energy millennia ago."
"That means," The constellation placed his finger on the Mythmaker's forehead.
"You will likely die either from natural causes or by other Otherworlders before you ever find the truth."
Nox wasn't sure how to respond.
The masked figure slowly walked around him.
"Hesitant as you are, most Constellations won't go out of their way to bother you. Sure, one or two might cause you some trouble. The stories of the Mythmaker are a thing of the past. None of us matter in the grand scheme of things, anyways."
"So, that's it?" The boy hesitantly asked.
"Thats it."
"But before you leave, there's something I want to give you. A reward, of sorts."
The Mythmaker felt something pierce his soul. He stared down at his chest as he saw a hand plunge itself into him.
'I couldn't even react.'
[You have received ???]
He felt some sort of transparent essence drift inside him.
"I took a look at your fate, human. I don't usually take sides, but I'll make an exception for you since you've piqued my interest."
"Goodbye now. May we meet again."
Nox thanked him, still a little dazed. Before he knew it, he was tumbling through the cosmic tunnel once more. He tried to recall the recent events, but it all became blurry after the banquet.
'Speaking of… where was Elysia?'