A Nightly Meeting
Walking through dark halls full of shadows, a young man wearing pitch black robes and a head full of fluffy brown hair was walking a lonely walk. There was no one in sight in front or behind and the only sound that could be heard was each step he took.
Eventually his destination was reached and he pushed open the door, revealing a large room that was as large as several lecture halls put together. A vast array of shelves were stacked high in square formations ordered in a way unknown, and a single desk sat in the front of it all with one old man sitting on a chair behind it whilst slowly turning the pages of a book.
Stepping through the door, and by extension drawing the attention of the old man, a voice was directed towards the newcomer.
The voice that arrived was raspy and slow, the years he had lived obvious through his tone, "Another one? And at such an hour…well, welcome to the first level of my abode. An entire Academy's worth of knowledge is before your very eyes, all for a price of course. Come Quintus, tell me what you are looking for."
The Quintus, who was obviously Cyrus, walked forth and greeted the old man with small bow and said, "History, the history of the Empire as written on public accounts."
The old man nodded, pulling out an old-style quill and ink and wrote down a series of numbers and letters.
He flicked one of his fingers and the paper flew from his desk, arriving directly in front of Cyrus and then staying completely still so that he could grab it out of the air.
Looking at the paper Cyrus saw that it was the location of several books that met his requirements. With another respectful bow, he walked past the old man and used the metal signs on the side of the bookcases to slowly discover what he was looking for.
From behind him came the voice of the old man, rolling past his ears slowly despite the distance between the two, "Do know that you are charged Fidem per the hour you stay…but do enjoy."
Cyrus did not need to be told that though, for the money and time were the least of his worries. While he had maintained to bring himself together with the help of his other half before, his mind as still muddled and his heart confused.
Thus, he sought solace in another way that was not as destructive as drowning himself in wine: knowledge. And so he was here, in the grand library of the academy, searching for information that detailed the history of the land he found himself in.
Finding the first of the recommended books, Cyrus grabbed it and began to read it quickly trying to see if the book would be worth his time.
"You know, this is just a waste of time" said the dark half from within, "Any information you can learn here about the Empire will be the watered down version of events, not what truly happened. Instead you should be working on improving our survivability through magic, or you know, sleep."
"I cannot sleep, not with how I feel right now. The burning instability of my soul and my confused mind and heart…I need to take my mind off things."
A snicker ran out from within and a voice full of disdain followed, "Instability from what? Having your beliefs challenged? Who cares what the path you walk looks like or which path it is, all that matters in the end is that we remain alive and our enemies do not."
"I do not agree, for I believe that the path that is walked is just as important as the end we achieve. But…I was sure that I was correct, no, I feel that I am correct."
"So, just because you *feel* correct means that you must be? Did all your intelligence go to me as well?"
Cyrus simply started to ignore the voice in his head, despite the various colorful insults that began to flow his way from it once it realized that it was being ignored.
"The Empire was founded by two brother, Romulus and Remus, who were raised by wolves in the forest…" read Cyrus, skimming through the book.
Not satisfied with the extremely fluffed up and outright fiction looking claims of the book, he placed it back on the shelf and began looking for the next one.
Even the next book was equally disappointing alongside the next two as well.
Growing increasingly annoyed, Cyrus reached the last book and began to flip through that one as well hoping that he could find something engaging and interesting enough to quell his restless mind.
"Hoh, a familiar face. A student of mine…but such an advanced case, I wonder what could have happened since we last met" said a voice from behind Cyrus, one that sounded vaguely familiar.
Turning around to see who had snuck up on him, he saw the familiar visage of Sigmund Boyd looking upon him with shining eyes.
"What do you mean by 'advanced case?" asked Cyrus.
Sigmund did not answer at first, instead closing the distance between the two and examining Cyrus from up close, "Your mind of course and its slow descent into oblivion. I can tell that you are under great distress and that what you are doing here is not what you should be doing. Why not tell me of your worries child, your case has my interest."
There was no reason for Cyrus to agree to his request and there is no doubt that if it was the dark half that was in control there would have been no chance of him ever revealing anything personal, but he was not in control.
Completely willing to put a small amount of trust in a complete stranger, Cyrus decided to reveal some information, "My heart and mind are not in sync, I feel one way but reality shows me that the opposite is true. But…I do not want to accept the opposite under any circumstances for to me it is a grim and dark reality that I have no interest in."
"I do not know what these beliefs are, and I do not care. But what fascinates me so is that you are showing signs of complete an utter mental collapse but here you are, walking and talking just fine right in front of me. So I will give you the advice that you so desperately need, allow me to see first hand the result of my meddling" said Sigmund, speaking in confusing riddles.
"The world is the truest test for ourselves and our ideas. It is a cruel mistress that will destroy anything that is not strong enough to survive its scrutiny. This does not mean that everything that is destroyed is wrong, however, but simply that those who held the fallen beliefs were not strong enough in will and character to see it through. But that does not mean that any belief will be true in the deepest sense so long as the individual is powerful enough, oh how complicated life is. The balance between the strength of the individual and the reality around you, this balance is what you must find and constantly chase after as it tends to shift and change throughout time."
Listening to the words of Sigmund, that sounded complicated at first, eventually began to open the doors of Cyrus' mind that had been shut closed by forces unknown.
"I see that you have a high amount of ego contained within, which is only natural considering your age. Just like what I said in regards of how to truly think, you must cast aside this ego. Any ideal that does not take into account reality, how humans are social creatures that do not live in isolation, is doomed to fail no matter what. Not only that, but with the ego cast aside arrogance will be crushed as well…"
Sigmund said nothing after that, simply staring at Cyrus with curiosity and peering deeply at him as if we were penetrating into the soul of that which he looked at.
Cyrus was too busy to care, well the one in control of the body that is, for he was applying the advice he had just received in real time.
Finishing his adjustments, he focused on the world at large once more and met the gaze of Sigmund, "Thank you for the advice, it has helped show me the light."
"It was nothing. I have received far more than what I gave, an interesting spectacle to say the least."
Leaving behind such words, Sigmund turned around and began to slowly walk away with his hands behind his back.
"I know what I now must do" thought Cyrus, while putting the book back in its place and leaving the library.
"Oh? And what is it that you have suddenly discovered after getting some odd cryptic nonsense advice from that bag of bones, whom I might add has a gaze that gives me the creeps. If I didn't know any better I would say that he has some kind of special sight like Caligo, but I saw nothing that indicated that."
"You will find out tomorrow my other half, we have a busy day ahead of ourselves. It is high time that I begin to complete some of my other goals, a week of delay is enough. For now, however, we will head back to our room and get some much needed sleep."