At the daunting, enormous, and withered tree in the middle of a black field. A dazzling ray of white light descended from the moon. The light gazed upon below and saw a dismembered figure floating in correspondence to the moonlight.
The light was clad in a regal white hooded cloak, two beaming glasses were located on where the head is positioned.
The light emanating from the figure suddenly dwindled down. Then, it shifted its head towards the tree, descending down slowly.
Butterflies of black hue were immediately pulverized and as if the darkness and the light clashed with one another, the entire landscape was lit up.
Upon landing in front of the withered tree, the figure held his palm on its trunk, shaking its entire existence - its physical and metaphysical body.
In an instant, a figure emerged from within the tree. It looked like a black cocoon, only that it was the size of a normal human.
The cocoon began to crumble and as if subjected to metamorphosis, a dark and disheveled hand broke through.
In a matter of a few seconds, the cocoon broke off and revealed a humanoid figure with jet-black wings belonging to that of a moth, a horrifying skin which resembled that of a centipede, a face protruding a wide smile - sharp teeth of an ant, and beetle-like mandibles.
The figure took its time to emerge from the cocoon, and after noticing the figure clad in white, it grinned with its sharp mouth.
"Cato, friend! or should I call you the Historian now? Give me a couple of seconds and I shall be out of this unsightly appearance..", it spoke with a hoarse voice.
The light emanating from the Historian's body dwindled, as if consumed by the being in front of him. With a serious tone, he replied:
"How are you here?"
"Is that really a way to greet a friend you haven't seen in a long time?~", with those words, the figure's mouth changed. Now resembling a human, it revealed a rosy color, gleaming along with the Historian's light.
"You shouldn't be here.. This place is not allowed for beings like you. You are not allowed to be here!"
The figure smiled with its rosy lips, its face changing by the second. Now it resembled a normal human's face akin to that of nobility. It displayed long-black hair, lengthed down to the figure's shoulders. Eyes revealing a sense of malice with its pitch black pupil and iris.
With one glance, it seems that the figure's eyes are adorned with intricate details similar to that of a bug's.
The figure's nose was sharp, and its face was as smooth as the desert sand. Then, its ears were perfectly average.
Its face looked as if it were of the highest human beauty standards. It was the pinnacle of feminine beauty.
It licked its lips and replied to the Historian with playful tone, contrary to that of its previous voice:
"Yet, I am here now, right?"
The Historian glared with its blinding lights, snapping his fingers simultaneously.
A loud clang echoed! As if two materials had clashed with each other at light speed!
The Historian clicked his tongue, staring at the perfectly-fine figure in front of him.
Seeing as a couple of seconds had already passed, the figure's bug-like appearance had changed to that of a woman's.
Wearing a dark regal dress belonging to that of a nobility, the figure held a contrary posture. It was designed with intricate details of gold and silver, and there was a pendant on the figure's neck - a diamond necklace of the highest status.
She stood barefoot on the tree's black and withered base.
A butterfly then made its way towards the figure's shoulders, landing ever-so softly at the finely made dress. However, the black fluid did not come out at all as the butterfly merely stood there in silence.
"After centuries of searching, we have finally found you.."
The Historian continued to glare at the beautiful figure in front of him. If one were to merely glance at the figure's appearance, then they would be ensnared by awe as its beauty was not of a human's standard.
She continued:
"Although it is quite hard to enter this place, you've really outdid yourself this time Cato.. It took me 4 years, 11 months, and 13 days to enter this space of yours! Great job!"
As if time is of no essence to her, the figure laughed hysterically.
"Now, I am here.. and I've come to claim my prize! - as a congratulations for my almost 5-year effort!"
The figure gazed up towards the light covered and dismembered figure of Cetas. She pointed her delicate and smooth hand with painted nails of black upwards.
"I want him.. or rather.. we want him.", she grinned, "and also we want you dead."
The Historian tilted his head slightly, and furrowed his brows.
"And if I don't agree?"
"Then, what other choice do I have? I'll kill you right now.. and if I manage to fail, then I will come back in the next 4 years, 11 months, and 13 days, and if I have failed by that time too, then I will return until you've finally succumbed to death."
"But after I've repelled you from here, I can merely move this place somewhere else, somewhere even more remote."
Suddenly, the figure clapped and laughed, "Hahaha! Then I will fly to the ends of the earth to find you! Nothing is ever perfect, no one can be the perfect person, and no such thing as a perfect circle exists! No one can find the perfect hiding spot. Eventually, you will be found, even if years have passed or centuries!"
Then, her laughter subsided, replaced by a face of utmost seriousness and grim.
Dread suddenly filled the Historian's heart, compelling him to let go of his identity and succumb to losing control - letting the Zeal take over his very being.
The figure stared at the Historian directly,
"It is only I, who is Perfect.."
She suddenly bared her fangs, but the Historian was quick to action! He snapped his fingers and warped away from the tree, appearing on top where the moon shone brightest.
Then, he cast an incantation in a language foreign to that of the surface-dwellers.
"Great Being of Knowledge.
The One Who Knows All!
Your Reverence and Intelligence Knows No Bound!
The All-Seeing Eye!
I Call Upon Thee, Omniscience!"
The Historian's figure glowed even brighter, emanating a radiance that removed the darkness of the fields. The figure below grinned upon seeing the Historian's true form.
"Calling upon your own Epithet is shameless Cato!"
Upon speaking those words, the beautiful figure below was struck with a large beam of light. It wasn't warm nor cold, but the light possessed an infinite amount of knowledge - one where a normal being would never be able to comprehend.
Even the black-haired figure wouldn't be able to recover after this!
As she succumbed to the white light, she gently whispered with a smile on her face, "See..you...in 4 years...."
Then, her entire figure disintegrated to dust, falling under the enormous tree.
The light then dwindled and vanished, returning the landscape back to its darkness..
Whispering under his breath, his face showed an expression of concern, "My, my.. This is quite the conundrum."
He gazed upon Cetas' figure, and sighed deeply..
"What does the Prophet of Perfection want with him..?"
*
Cetas woke up to a fragmented vision, his sight was blurry and his state of existence seemed faint.
Opening his eyes, he saw a lightless void with nothing in sight for distances. He felt a cold liquid wash through him and a heavy pressure pushed his body in every direction.
Although his memories were faint, his instincts knew where he was.
"The Depths.."
No one nor anything surrounded Cetas, only the lightless depths and a looming pressure.
There were no other depth-dwellers, no buildings, nothing..
Not even creatures from the Depths such as fishes, deep octopuses, and sharks were surrounding Cetas.
It seemed that he was somewhere remote, perhaps away from the civilization in the depths.
As much as he wanted to move his body, Cetas could not do so.. Instead, his head moved on its own and gazed upward.
Standing on the damp sand, Cetas wanted to know what was happening but it was to no avail. He merely stared above, feeling a longing deep within his heart.
Then, his mouth gradually opened and he let out a voice in the language of depth-dwellers.
"...Aegir."
The voice contained a liquifying tone, allowing its traversal underwater.
Suddenly, a gush of water came rushing at him, the currents shifted in the surroundings and went straight for Cetas' body.
He felt weak, his body succumbing to the great rush of water. He could do nothing but wait until it becomes faint. However, that scenario would never come.
Cetas was pushed west, then north, and then.. he was brought upwards.
Each direction, he moved kilometers perhaps even hundreds or thousands far! As he flowed upwards, he gradually lost consciousness, his body susceptible to the immediate change in pressure causing him to be exposed to excruciating pain.
It felt as if the water in every direction aimed to push his body.
And thus, he fell into a deep slumber.
A slumber where he will find himself in unknown lands.