Change, Oh deplorable Change

I sat upon the Throne of Eyes, gazing at the ten beings before me, each perched upon thrones of their own.

This was the final meeting. The moment they'd all come to regret their mistakes. Their mistakes in living, breathing, surviving in this cruel, indifferent world.

Change had begun. A requiem for those who would never escape it.

Before I could speak, a voice—a woman's, toneless and cold—cut through the silence. Mirror Girl. "I see you've called us together once again."

I turned to face her, sensing the shift in the room. The very air had thickened. Yes, now the place held true to its name.

A table emerged, its surface materializing from the very mist that veiled this world.

As if from nowhere, a figure stepped forward, placing a single cup down upon it.

Their presence seemed almost of another realm, as if this act itself belonged to the shadows.

"Yes," I replied, my voice carrying across the space. "I called you here, once more. Tell me, did you miss my knowledge?"

Mirror Girl's lips parted, but it was Blade Kid who spoke first, his voice sharp, desperate. "I want to know how to kill the one controlling the puppets. You know who I mean."

I nodded slowly, acknowledging the truth in his words. "Yes, the one behind the puppets cloaked in black."

Blade Kid's form shifted in his seat. "He has my sister. I need to find him—his true self, not some damned minion!"

I studied him, and then the others, their silence heavy in the air, like a shared burden. "You're too weak to hope to reach him," I said, my voice laced with a chilling certainty. "Tell me... do you know the horrors of this world?"

The silence that followed my words was deafening, thick as if nothing existed but the void between us.

I pressed on. "The horrors of life. The dread of death. Ignorance of them is the same as ignorance of strength."

Shattered Heart's voice rose, like a haunting melody. "Is that why you haven't called us before now?"

"The horrors are beyond even my reach," I said softly. "Their boundaries are lost to my sight."

Pawn of Fate's voice cracked, soaked with despair. "I've been fighting these damned puppets for so long… do you know how to defeat them or not?"

The pressure to respond pressed against me, but I remained still.

Crying Boy spoke then, his voice trembling. "The puppets are controlled by something unnatural. We need to connect, meet in the real world."

Everyone's gaze turned to me, expectant. But I shook my head, a bitter smile on my lips. "It would do no good. If you uncover my true identity, you will suffer blindness."

I rose from my throne, the movement deliberate, measured. "No. This is what must be done. Two pairs of two. You must find a partner here, within this place, and form an oath. A bond."

I took the cup I had placed upon the table and drank. This time, I did not leave any behind. This time, I remembered.

"The depths of life are veiled by pain," I said, my voice cold and final. "Blade Kid, you will die soon."

He sat up sharply, eyes wide, but the weight of the realm pushed him back down. "What? How? Why?"

I shook my head, the corner of my mouth twisting into a grim smile. "You are ignorant. I will be the one to kill you. And Crying Boy, you are a fool lost in your own tears. You will fall."

Blade Kid slammed his fist onto the armrest. "Kill me? What are you talking about?"

Before I could respond, Crying Boy's voice cracked with fear. "What are these prophecies?"

Mirror Girl and Shattered Heart both reached for the cup, taking a sip in unison. Their expressions shifted as clarity filled their eyes.

I turned to Crying Boy, my teeth bared in a predatory grin. "Your task is to kill me. Lay me to waste. Take my throne. Is that so difficult to understand?"

I paused, watching them all digest my words. "In doing so, I will live. And you will all be free."

Ash Kin's voice cut through the tension. "What are you saying? Do you really think anyone here can kill you? This is your inner sanctum, isn't it?"

I shook my head as she sipped from her cup. Once again, I felt it—her clarity. The veil lifted.

"No. This is not my sanctum. My sanctum is a dazzling garden. This place is simply a world I crafted to cultivate fools."

Pawn of Fate spoke again, his tone more measured after drinking. "What are the requirements?"

Blade Kid remained silent, his cup still untouched. He stared at it, confusion swirling in his eyes. "What's going on? What's in these cups?"

At that moment, the mist parted just enough to reveal the truth.

One by one, twisted, bloodied mouths appeared, speaking in unison, their voices a trance-like chorus: "Blade Kid, take a sip."

The force of my power, undeniable. Clarity is beautiful. When they drink my blood, they gain pieces of my knowledge—my memories, my hatred. They gain what I wish to convey.

They begin to understand. They see the plan of cultivation. They realize I am the fool, the lost, ignorant one—and they, the lights in this darkness.

How insane I am.

As Blade Kid finally took the sip, I heard Aubrey's voice echo through my mind. Filled with anger and disappointment.

"Shatter."

Once again, I sat upon the throne, the world resetting back to the moment I first summoned them. "Welcome to the start of a change."

They all seemed confused by my words. The first to speak was Mirror Girl, her voice soft yet almost sweet enough to make anyone jealous.

"What change are you talking about?" she asked, her tone laced with genuine confusion.

But how could she be confused? Wasn't it obvious?

"I pray you all have had regular meetings to discuss your findings and your growth."

They all shook their heads in unison, a silent agreement among them.

"Then it should be clear," I continued, my voice growing colder. "The very second I summoned you, a shift occurred, and with it, clarity was granted to me once again."

Mystery Queen's voice came from the shadows, her tone low, cautious. "Uh, what are you talking about? I didn't feel anything."

"You fools," I snapped, rising from my throne. "I mean a change in each of you. Everyone here now has a task. Once you complete it, you may return, but until then... never come back here."

I stood tall, the weight of my words pressing down on them. I started with Crying Boy, moving toward him slowly, my eyes cold.

"You have struggled with pain and sorrow," I said, my voice low and deliberate. "Thus, your mission is simple... cry."

And just like that, he vanished. Only his throne remained, empty and cold.

Next, I turned toward Mirror Girl. Her form trembled, eyes wide as she met my gaze. "You are baseless," I said, each word sharp. "You have no goal. Find one... and reflect."

She vanished, her throne the last trace of her presence.

Turning to Chained, I watched as his eyes flickered, though his body was still. "You are bound, shackled by your own fear," I said with cold finality. "Break those chains, or be consumed by them."

He vanished, the chains on his throne rattling as he disappeared.

Mystery Queen stood in the shadows, her face obscured. "What mystery do you hide, I wonder?" I asked, my voice dark with intent. "Unveil yourself, or remain a puzzle forever."

She vanished, leaving only the echoes of her last breath.

I turned my gaze to Shattered Heart, her face a mask of grief and silence. "Your heart lies in ruins," I said, my voice like a dagger. "Rebuild it, or remain broken."

She vanished, her throne left in pieces.

Pawn of Fate stood tall, his face unreadable. "You are a pawn in this grand game," I said. "But can you rise beyond that role? Defy fate itself."

He vanished, the throne now empty.

Ash Kin's fiery gaze met mine, her will unbroken. "You are fire," I said to her, "but what are you without it? Find your spark before the flame dies."

She vanished, her throne smoldering as she disappeared.

Finally, I walked toward Blade Kid. I stood before him, but said nothing. I simply stared into his eyes, waiting for something... anything.

But there was no task, no words to offer him, not yet.

"What, no mission for me?" His voice cut through the silence, sharp and defiant as he glared at me.

I raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Why the hostility? Don't you want to save your sister? You should listen well."

He shifted slightly, his posture tense. "How do I save her? I have two people who want to wait an entire day before going after her."

I smiled, my expression cold and calculating. "Well, didn't I tell you? I'm very graceful. Thus, I gave them tasks."

His eyes widened as I moved the mist, revealing his form, a flash of recognition flickering in his gaze.

"Daniel," I said, my voice steady. "I give you a mission. Save your sister before those two can stop you."

I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in.

He stood still for a moment, then looked at me, his eyes narrowing as if trying to gauge something about me.

"You won't figure out who I am," I continued, my tone almost a whisper. "But I'll say this: once you wake up, you'll have two minutes. I suggest you stop holding back your power, stop hiding your strength... and run."

He nodded, his expression unreadable, and vanished.

I stood alone in the hall, the silence thick around me.

It seems I might be going insane. Oh, change... oh, deplorable fucking change.