[Insertion complete; Executing!]
The Homunculi collapsed to the ground simultaneously, unconscious, as if they had been switched off.
[If we hadn't been here, who knows what might have happened!] A different voice cut through the quiet. Looking to my left, I saw another figure standing—another pillar.
"Sorn?"
[Yes, Titan. Forgive our absence, oh great one.]
[So, the Pillar of Balance joins us. Your presence was dearly missed,] said Varan.
"It is forgiven. When did you awaken?"
[Moments before we completed the rewrite. We joined Varan to finalize the insertion.]
Returning to the matter at hand, I asked, "How did it go?"
[They are awakening.]
Now with the three of us standing together, we turned our attention back to the seventy or so Homunculi, who were beginning to rise. But instead of walking toward us again, they stood still, examining themselves with curiosity.
They were like children, despite their adult forms. Some quickly grasped the concept of modesty, hurriedly covering themselves. Varan, anticipating this, began distributing clothes we had taken from one of the hundred-vaults.
What followed, however, was unexpected. They burst into tears, overwhelmed by the realization of what had been done to them, and how long they had been trapped.
The one closest to me approached after putting on some clothes—a female Homunculus. She seemed curious, as if trying to understand what I was. Given that I stood nearly twice her height, I sat on the ground patiently as she neared. Gently, she touched my face, and after a few moments, she exhaled, her expression softening into one of peace.
She stepped back and knelt. The other Homunculi noticed this and, as if they shared a collective understanding, they too knelt. It became clear that they had been approaching me not out of malice, but because I was the instrument of their salvation.
"Can you speak?" I asked her, hoping we could communicate.
"I... believe I can," she replied, her voice filled with disbelief, as if confused by her own ability to speak. It was clear that basic knowledge had been implanted in their minds beforehand.
I watched as the female homunculus knelt before me, her expression shifting from fear and confusion to a sense of awe, perhaps gratitude. The others followed her lead, their eyes scanning the room with a mixture of curiosity and weariness. The silence was thick, broken only by the soft rustling of their newly donned clothes.
I wasn't sure what to feel—relief, perhaps? Or was it the burden of responsibility for what had just transpired? Either way, I knew this was only the beginning. These homunculi, with their terrifying abilities, were now bound to me. But what did that mean? And more importantly, what had they been meant for originally?
The female homunculus raised her head, her voice soft but steady. "You… freed us. Who are you?"
I glanced at Varan, searching for the right words. "I am called Titan," I replied. "And I suppose you could say I've saved you from a fate I don't fully understand myself."
Her brow furrowed, processing the response. The others shifted uneasily, whispering among themselves in low voices, as if trying to piece together their fragmented memories. "Why were we imprisoned?" she asked, her voice tinged with a deep sadness. "What were we supposed to be?"
I considered her question carefully. "You were created with extraordinary abilities—as is the nature of your race. Though, for what purpose, I remain in the shadows.
You all possess rather powerful abilities, though even fewer of you lot possess one or two, out of three powers; the ability collapse reality in a localized area, stop time in a specified area, and regenerate from almost any wound.
Though it seems three of you lot awakened 'time stop', and the other two key powers. I said looking at the female that had awoken first, and two more that looked infantile in stature, most certainly children.
Now while there are many possibilities as to why you were left down here; such as those who created you were killed before you were able to be released, or perhaps you were sealed here due to how unpredictable you all can be, or even just as experiments overall.
It doesn't change the fact that some of you can deal some real damage, overturn the natural order of things, hell in the records of some worlds, your very existence is a boon, maybe even in this one, for it is something that naturally shouldn't happen."
Her eyes widened as if she already knew, deep down, that they weren't ordinary beings, but hearing it aloud solidified the truth.
"You," she said slowly, "you hold authority over us now, don't you?"
I nodded. "In a way. But that doesn't mean I intend to keep you as prisoners. There is a lot I don't know, nor entirely understand, including where I am, what I am, and who I am; that much, we have in common"
The room seemed to shift at my words, the tension easing slightly as the homunculi digested the new reality they faced. I could feel the subtle connection between us, their minds linked to mine through the command Varan had embedded within them. It wasn't complete control—it was more like a bond of loyalty.
But it was only that, as I could discern from the shared mind between myself and the pillars, that Sorn had adjusted the commands to make the control 'absolute' only when necessary, to prevent misuse, as well as several contingencies in place. The name Vaal'dir Sorn, 'Pillar of Balance', was truly appropriate.
The female homunculus stood, her knees shaking slightly as she adjusted to her newfound freedom. "What do we do now, Titan?"
I sighed, rising to my feet. "For now, we leave this vault. There's still so much we don't know—about you, about me, and about what exactly this place was."
"Varan store everything here."
[It is done, Titan]
I nodded. "We keep moving."
The female homunculus—who seemed to have emerged as a natural leader among the group—stepped forward. "We'll follow you," she said, her tone firm. The others murmured their agreement, standing now with a quiet determination.
"Sorn. Varan."
There was an unspoken understanding by this point between myself and the pillars, as I had grown accustomed to the shared mind we had, and they understood what to do. A rumble running through the entirety of the vault, it was obvious it was beginning its collapse.
[**Understood!**]
In the next moment, myself and the 73 homunculi were on the surface. It was night time currently, and the sight was nothing short of beautiful, there were several moons in the sky, 5 in number and the plethora of colors in the sky was bewitching to gaze upon.
The homunculi were awed by the sight, as was I. The backdrop of the stars and moons, as the sky breaking white tree glowed and shimmered with the night sky was awe inspiring.
"It's beautiful!" The head of the homunculi said, her eyes teary. "Indeed..." It was my first night in this world, so I was just in as much awe as everyone else.
"You can get some rest for now, I'm not tired so I'll be doing some reading on the books I found down there."Informing her, I turned around, walking towards the foot of the giant tree.
"We are not tired as well, having slept for as long as we have, sleep is miles from what we need now." She was obviously looking for something more to do than sleep, and I couldn't find it in me to refuse.
"What's your name?"
"I am afraid I do not have one, none of us do... We are all newborns after all, despite our appearances." Her reasoning was valid, but hopefully that didn't mean I'd have to name them all, maybe she can name them instead, after I name her and those two children.
"How about Mayene? It might be a bit on the spot, but I do think its a beautiful name. You can come up with your last name yourselves"
"It's beautiful, I'm grateful." She gave me a bow filled with appreciation, my gaze shifting to the other two young ones who had all three homunculi innate traits. "And you two, how about we name you... Uriel, and Elara. "
Seeing as they were happy with their names, I would relegate the naming of the remaining homunculi to Sorn and Varan, I had neither the patience nor the creativity to begin naming them all.
"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, do you understand your abilities? Or something akin to an innate understanding?" Homunculi are usually born with this innate comprehension, and I was eager and hopeful that were the case here.
"Yes. I can demonstrate, if you'd like?"
"How about we don't do that, hmm?" I would like to not have this area imploding on itself. "If you understand your innate abilities, then that's good. It means your safety is not a matter of concern, as you all can defend yourselves if necessary."
I paused making sure she, as well as the entire lot of them, understood what I was getting at.
"Now, let's get some answers." I said as a plethora of books spawned seemingly out of nothing, the light from Læranõi shielding us for the darkness of night. We dove straight into the history of Verlan, and in turn the history of the world.