Synopsis: What God Illuminates

"Urgh..."

 

The cold floor and the night air of Clearmist blowing through the corridor caused the man to regain consciousness. Around him, disciples of the Eye of Mu lay lifeless.

 

"Clearmist... I must inform Clearmist... and Ethan..."

 

With all his strength, the survivor managed to move himself. 
He had to inform a trustworthy person about the current situation and what had happened within the Eye of Mu. 
He believed this was the reason he was the only one left alive. 
The quiet corridor echoed with nothing but his labored breathing. 
But then, the sound of footsteps resonating inharmoniously approached from the other side.

 

"Lopes... What on earth have you done... This is a sacred place..."

 

As the man spoke agitatedly, Lopes's cold voice cut through.

 

"Still breathing? You have outlived your usefulness. You are no longer needed."

 

Lopes crouched down to meet the survivor's gaze. 
He then lightly raised one hand and swirled it around, blending the surrounding mist with his own energy.

 

"Do you have any last words?"

 

With his last strength, the dying man drew a circle with his hands and murmured.

 

"We are the eyes through which God views the world..."

 

Mist gathered between his prayer-formed hands, creating a faint light.

 

"...We are beings in all the scenes God remembers..."

 

Overwhelmed by rapid breaths and the fear of not escaping from Lopes, he anticipated that this would be his end. 
With trembling lips, he gathered his remaining breath and shouted.

 

"What we witness is what God sees!"

 

Lopes, without even really listening to the man's words, ended his life. 
He then continued the man's unfinished story with his own low, cold voice.

 

"What God illuminates is... our path..."

 

The light in the mist gathered at the survivor's fingertips slowly faded. 
Between the dissipating mist and the starlight from Clearmist beyond the corridor, Lopes's eyes flickered with anger.

 

"What path do you see now?"

 

Lopes grabbed the collar of the dead man and asked.

 

"What future does your God show you?"

 

His hand, gripping the collar, trembled. Looking at the limp body, Lopes sneered and continued.

 

"Still, you are lucky. You won't have to witness the destruction of Seon by the very hand of your beloved God..."

 

After a brief silence, Lopes looked at those whose footsteps had accompanied him.

 

"You look angry for my disrespect towards your precious God, High Priest."

 

Ignoring Lopes's sarcasm, Cladis looked at the door at the end of the corridor.

 

"Beyond that door... is the House of Mu."

 

Following Cladis, Lopes paused in front of the massive door, reminiscing something.

 

'That voice...'

 

He didn't know the owner of the voice or what they looked like, 
but the low and clear voice from the briefest moment of connection was unforgettable.

 

'It would be good… to wield anew a powerful blade like you.'

 

A blood vessel stood out through the cross-shaped scar above one of Lopes's eyes.

 

"To wield the blade..."

 

Cladis asked in response to Lopes's muttering.

 

"Blade? What do you mean?"

 

Lopes took a deep breath and uttered cryptic words.

 

'We'll see who holds the hilt...'

 

Hesitating briefly, Cladis opened the once long-closed door. The decrepit stale air mixed with the cold of the recently disturbed corridor, enveloping the two. Slowly, Lopes stepped into the space beyond the door. The dark aura surrounding him began to seep into the pure white mist of the House of Mu.

 

"I will thoroughly exploit and oppose everything. This is just the beginning."

 

Burning Semiani

My flame was burning hot, just as it always had before.

 

"Now, if you wear this Mist Gear, it should be fine. Probably…"

 

A human, wearing glasses that did not seem to match his size, forced strange devices onto my neck and tail. 
Was his name Ethan? This human seems unaffected by the heat, doing such things so close to me.

 

"What’s with that rude expression? So, how is it?"

 

Thanks to this strange device, the flames that were spreading everywhere began to subside, their remnants faintly blending into the air. 
No matter how much I released, the flames that had been with me since birth flickered and vanished into the air. Flames that had been sustained by burning  myself as fuel. 
That was the first time I recognized myself as “me.”

 

In the Forest of Awakening, where the most important value was living together in harmony, my flames that consumed everything around me was always a subject of surveillance. 
Perhaps even to the point where it was treated as similarly as Malefic Energy. 
This power, harmful by its very existence, was a power that was never to be used. 
Or if it had to be, it would be done with restriction. 
If even that was impossible, though…

 

Agree with the deep-down thoughts that, perhaps, it would be better off to not exist at all…

 

"Krghhhh."

 

Perhaps it was an overreaction, but uncontrolled flames burst out along with my anger. 
At this rate, I could burn even this place down. 
Hey, watch out! I don't know what you're trying to do, but these flames are dangerous!

 

"…?"

 

But it seems my anger was indeed an overreaction. 
The human's face brightened.

 

"It’s working!"

 

The flames, which had been blazing in anger, began to flicker gently. 
Warm enough to blend in 
with anyone,
anywhere.

 

Unfortunate Fors

Believing in a vanished god is as unfortunate as it gets.

 

From the moment I was born, misfortune always followed me. 
Oh, I’m not trying to tell a tedious story about growing up in the worst conditions or being ignored by everyone. 
Everyone around me had their share of misfortune.

 

My life was like rolling a die that only had unlucky sides.

 

Always just rolling along with the circumstances, having to follow the number that came up; a life filled with anxiety. 
Rolling a die whose outcome was always predictable, always hoping for something less unfortunate to happen, but knowing that brightness would ever appear. 
Enduring, only to be forced into situations where I had to roll the die again, hoping for the lesser of evils.

 

Despite this, we still has some hope. 
We believed there was still one side of the die that was blank.
We hoped, time and time again, for this blank side to be rolled… 
That this side would be small but radiant… 
We prayed to our god…

 

Prayed…
Pray…

 

"......"

 

Oh, right. There was a reason I started this story. 
A story about the god who, despite some lingering faith in them, ultimately vanished. 
A god who made us think there was at least one side of the die that wasn't unlucky just by believing that they existence…. 
A goddess of beauty who was as plain as a daffodil, but so noble and beautiful that we couldn’t even dare look up at her.

 

Yes, I told you from the beginning. 
The die I rolled in my life wasn’t the complete worst. 
No matter what I face in the future, nothing could be more unfortunate than losing the god who sustained my life… 
Or having to believe in a god who vanished… 
There’s no misfortune worse than that.

 

Yes. I am a die, mistakenly rolled by the world from the very beginning.

 

What side will this die show now? 
Now, with not even a single side of hope, I just … 
pray it doesn’t get any worse.

 

 

Shining Diane and Mooth

Harmony: Thus is the foundation of the Seon. 
The Forest of Awakening is where harmony with Sacred Beasts first began.

 

Diane was born in a small village near the Forest of Awakening. 
Naturally, she became part of Ahreum and came to look over the Forest of Awakening.

 

Her first connection with a Sacred Beast was with Mooth. 
She spent her days flying through the skies with Mooth and maintaining the harmony of the Forest of Awakening as she harmonized with newly born Sacred Beasts.
Although she had no talent for music, Diane had exceptional talent in communicating with the Sacred Beasts, and with her bright and cheerful personality, she was close to many colleagues and was very satisfied with her life.

 

Until she met one person.

 

"I want to explore new places!"

 

After meeting that person, Diane realized how small the world she had experienced was.

 

"What kind of places might Gravity Falls and Sky of a Thousand Seas be?”
"Hmm, they must be places with different cultures from White Ocean and the Forest of Awakening, right?"
"I want to visit them!"
"I understand your feelings, but we have to nurture the harmony of the Forest of Awakening, Diane."

 

As time passed, this thought grew stronger. 
But the more Diane spoke about it, the more her colleagues’ expressions turned to worry. 
Even her best friend, Camilla, though sympathetic towards her actions, always emphasized the importance of other matters.

 

The main reason was that her absence could disrupt the harmony and order of the Forest of Awakening. 
Every time Diane was told this, she couldn’t understand it.

 

'I just want to experience various new places, so why does that go against the order? Like how?'

 

As this predicament continued, Diane began to feel more and more suffocated by her life in the Forest of Awakening. 
Everything she had enjoyed doing in the forest no longer brought her joy. 
Flying through the skies with Mooth only relieved her frustration for the briefest of moments.

 

"... How strange."

 

She began to question everything she had experienced until now.
So to did she begin to question her colleagues, who didn’t consider her actions important, 
and all those who accepted this standard as if it were something natural.

 

"...I just wanted to explore new places, but they say I can’t leave because of ‘harmony’ and ‘order’."

 

Feeling a headache, Diane flew into the sky with Mooth and absentmindedly gazed at the mist. Looking down at the Forest of Awakening, the beautiful forest suddenly seemed like a miniature garden surrounded by invisible iron bars. 
She saw her past self, now able to see the invisible chains that had shackled her while she had been enjoying her time with her companions.

 

And at that moment, Diane realized it. 
She had lived her life being swayed by incomprehensible standards, believing that such was right.

 

"...So that’s why no one could leave the Forest of Awakening."

 

All the liberty I thought I had enjoyed was a lie. 
...I was imprisoned. 

 

 

Brim of the Wrathful Mist  

On the outskirts of the Watcher's Village, Brim sat alone by the coast, deep in thought. 
Too many sacrifices had been made. 
Those who once led their everyday lives together had been consumed by Malefic Energy and turned into monsters, and the villagers who remained were sacrificed in attacks by those very monsters. 
Despite not giving up and overcoming this crisis together, those who were once lost could not return. 

 

Even though there was no time to indulge in emotions as the Malefic Energy situation was not fully resolved, reality was an overwhelming sadness for Brim, who had lost what felt like his entire life. After quite some time, the village chief, Berners, approached Brim.

 

"Brim. What are you doing here alone?"
"Oh... Chief. I was just... thinking alone."

 

Berners could instantly see the emotions in Brim's eyes. 
A profound and immense grief that might be too much for a boy, still very young, to bear.

 

"...Don't be so sad. The people of the village know how much you have accomplished."
"I... despite my vow to save the village, I failed to notice the cause of its ruin even though it was right before my eyes."
"...It was something unimaginable."
"Even those who turned into monsters... were all villagers."
"......"
"And it was none other than me who ended their lives."

 

Brim's tightly clenched fists were trembling pitifully.

 

"You don't need to say any more. There's no reason to bring up such painful memories. For now, just..."
"No, Chief. I want to finish this with my own hands."
"Brim..."

 

He could not forgive. 
The Malefic Energy that destroyed their ordinary lives. 
Those who had betrayed the precious value of trust. 
Most of all, he couldn't forgive himself for merely grieving over everything that had happened. 
Brim stood up with a determined expression.

 

"I should get ready to leave. The threat of Malefic Energy hasn’t gone yet.”
"...Alright. Be careful."
"...Yes. Don't worry."

 

Leaving behind Berners, who was concerned for him, Brim set off towards Clearmist. 

 

 

Cladis Behind the Curtains  

The child, whose entire world was covered in mist,
was always alongside the mist, and the mist was always alongside the child.

 

Whether it was intended or not, the child was hidden in it.
Thus no one saw the child, and the child saw no one.

 

Perhaps the child thought
living in this world was about enduring alone in the hazy mist.

 

Thus, the child's mist
became everything to the child, and everything became the mist.

 

He did not think about what his emotions should feel like.
They felt hazy, as if they were shrouded in fog.

 

"Curtains... Curtains indeed. No wonder it felt familiar."

 

The way he had lived his entire life was like living behind misty curtains. 
The mention of hiding behind a curtains made him chuckle despite himself. 
He looked at his faint reflection in the shimmering Border Ward.

 

He was afraid.
Afraid that Clearmist, which he wanted to protect, would learn of his deeds.

 

He was afraid.
Afraid that this choice would ultimately go against the will of the god he loved so.

 

He was afraid.
Afraid that someone would reach out through the curtains and hold him.

 

He was afraid.
Afraid that she might still say she believed in him.

 

He is afraid.
Afraid that he might end up giving up everything because of this.

 

-

 

Perhaps the child belatedly realized that living in this world 
was about finding a hand to hold in the hazy mist.

 

Even though...
It was already too late for everything.

 

 

Ethan, the Eye of Mu Follower 

Male / Late 40s

Eye of Mu Follower.

Leader of the "Linkers of Fingertips," an internal research organization within the Eye of Mu.

Despite his fierce appearance and wielding a mighty mace, he is known to dislike fighting with weapons. However, no one else seems to think so. 

He believes that relentless research and exploration are the only ways that can help the God of Mist and Seon. Thus, he imparted numerous research achievements regarding mist, gaining recognition even among scholars beyond White Ocean. 

Recently, he has been collaborating with Clearmist's Scholar Riki, appearing more often in the Scholar District than in the research labs of Asrahan.

 

 

Forest Messenger Camilla

Female / Early 20s

A member of Ahreum, she assists Ergon in the overall management of the Forest of Awakening. 

She believes it is her mission to maintain the harmony of Seon, and she has innate abilities in communing with and handling the forces of harmony. 

Her musical skills are exceptional, and she often imbues her performances with the power of harmony. 

It is said that whenever Camilla starts playing, young Sacred Beasts gather around her, creating a magnificent sight. 

Her responsible nature has earned her great trust from Ergon. 

To resolve a series of incidents related to the God of Mist, she received a jade jewel capable of controlling harmony from Ergon. Thus, she set off for Clearmist to act in his stead.

 

 

Hazel, Protector of Knowledge  

Female / Late teens

A keeper of the Archives, one of the most important areas in the Eye of Mu.

Although young and inexperienced, she possesses exceptional knowledge, even amongst the most learned in the Eye of Mu. 

Knowing well how to utilize her knowledge, she has been entrusted with management and organization of Archive materials alongside Ethan.

If she were not someone who made frequent mistakes, she would have been recommended as next in line for becoming the High Priest of the Eye of Mu, but alas, she was that type of person.

Her fondness for Mist Punk technology, leading her to applying it in all tasks, has also raised concerns that she might significantly alter existing rules.

Consequently, many lamented her wasted potential. 

But being aware of her reputation, she is known for having quoted Linklater, the founder of Asrahan's Archives, to persuade others.

 

"If we do not write truthfully, the past itself will become a lie! And we can’t let Mist Punk technology become a lie!"
- Quote from Hazel when she tried to convince other followers while pushing for automation through Mist Punk technology in all matters.