Chapter 12: Spiral Hunt

Chapter 12:
Spiral Hunt

 

TO BE IGNORANT was to be a fool.

To be fair, the world was full of things you were better off not knowing, and Gadhio figured this was one of them. What you didn’t know couldn’t hurt you.

“What’s wrong, Gaddy?” Tia looked up at her doting husband, her arm tightly intertwined with his.

She was so beautiful. Nothing short of perfection, as far as he was concerned. Their eyes met, and his cheeks grew warm at their proximity.

“People always called you a haughty man with a perpetual scowl, but you don’t seem like that to me at all,” she said.

“I hope you’re not making fun of me.”

“No, no, it’s a good thing! I’d be in a pretty tough spot if you turned into a ladies’ man before we finally met again!”

Tia was like the sun. Just having her by his side brought him unconditional warmth and happiness. Once he lost her, he was left with little else to do than focus on the blood-stained earth. With no sun left to illuminate the sky, his heart was plunged into darkness.

“But I guess I’m no perfect woman, either…”

“What makes you say that?”

“I mean, I don’t want to ever let you go back to Kleyna and little Hallom. I want you here, by my side, forever and ever.”

Possessiveness was a completely normal emotion. Any wife—anyone, really—might feel the same. It was, perhaps, a uniquely human trait.

Gadhio didn’t know whether he could truly tell the real from the fake after he had been without his sun for so long. But as long as it was still bright, warm, and provided him with the sustenance he needed, perhaps it didn’t matter if it was real or not.

“Tia…”

His goddess smiled and tilted her head quizzically.

“I love you.” His voice may have been barely above a whisper, but he spoke with absolute conviction.

Tia’s cheeks went a rosy pink. “I love you too, Gaddy.”

Perhaps ignorance was bliss. Knowledge, by its nature, robbed you of your freedom. Gadhio knew that all too well, which was why he prayed he could be left to his ignorance for just a while longer.

The two discussed nothing in particular as they walked arm-in-arm to the house Dafydd had given them. Tia glanced over, almost unconsciously, just in time to see Flum and the rest of the group enter the church.

 

***

 

Dafydd and Susy stopped in front of the church.

“All right, the lab entrance is just inside. While I may owe Flum and the others an explanation, I’m afraid I can’t be having any journalists coming in.”

“What? How am I any different from Milkit? Listen, it’s fine, I’m good at keeping secrets,” Welcy objected.

“Is there anything inside that Welcy can’t see?”

“Our research is still at a point where we can’t make any official announcements. This is simply a measure to minimize risks.”

It was clear Dafydd wasn’t going to yield on this point. Welcy frowned and let out a sigh in defeat.

“Well, I didn’t come here just to write up an article, so I guess it won’t do me much good to try to force you to let me in. You don’t mind if I look around the village, right?”

“Of course not; do as you like.”

Ink looked concerned. “Are you really going to be okay alone?”

“No problem. Besides, if something does come up, I’ll just ask Gadhio for help. Anyway, I guess I’ll be off!”

Welcy quickly made her exit, almost like she already had somewhere to check out in mind. Flum was worried about her, but all she could do was hope she was right about being able to count on Gadhio in a pinch.

“Well then, shall we get going?” Dafydd said.

With that, the group was off to the lab.

The inside of the church, or at least what they could see above ground, looked just like any other church back in the capital or a similar-sized town. The walls and ceiling were pure white. Tall stained-glass windows shattered the sunlight into rays of color that burned across the floor.

The party walked down a long, red carpet that cut through the center of the room. Long pews lined either side of the aisle. Up at the apse stood a statue of Origin and the faith’s symbol. Flum couldn’t spot anything that hinted at the building’s true purpose.

That all changed after they stepped through a door in the right-hand transept and made their way down a flight of stairs. Here, the floors and walls were made entirely of metal. Magic lanterns embedded in the ceiling bathed the room in harsh light—an impressive feat, considering how few there were for such a large space.

Flum and the rest of the group looked around with great interest, running their hands along the walls from the moment they entered the room. It was like nothing they’d ever seen before.

“This has been nagging at me for a while,” Eterna said. “Is the technology you use here any different from the research facilities elsewhere in the kingdom?”

“These were built using construction methods based around conventional and demonic earth affinity magic, as well as a number of the kingdom’s own, proprietary techniques.”

“The church has adopted demon techniques?”

“As with medicinal herbs,” said Eterna, “they’re okay with it as long as there’s no competition.”

“I can’t argue that point, sadly,” Dafydd said. “I do wish the church was willing to share such valuable information.”

Flum supposed he wasn’t to blame for their close-fistedness. The church might claim they existed to bring the people to salvation, but their true purpose was more to unify in thought the minds of those they wished to.

“Why don’t we start with this first room here?”

“I think I’d like to go back to my own bedroom for now.”

“Ah, yes, you should rest, Susy. I’m sure Flum and the others don’t mind, right?”

It wasn’t like they had any real say in the matter, anyway. Susy made her exit, and Dafydd began the tour.

“Ah, right, but first a warning. We are conducting research that involves cadavers, which may be shocking to some of you. If you have a problem with the sight of corpses, I recommend you don’t look.”

The first room he showed them was the morgue. It was cold and filled with dozens of transparent coffins, each preserving the body of a person awaiting revival.

“Waauh…” Milkit was the only member of the party taken aback by the sight. She ducked down slightly behind Flum but didn’t dare close her eyes for fear of being left behind.

The conditions of the bodies were varied, some consisting of little more than bones or gobbets of flesh—hardly recognizable as human at all. According to Dafydd, however, they could all be returned to their normal form with a Necromancy core.

“We look up particularly tragic deaths that have occurred throughout the kingdom and then work with their families to obtain permission to bring back their loved one.”

Eterna fixed him with a pointed glare at the way he portrayed this as a project born purely of compassion. “What about my parents, then?”

After a brief moment of confusion, he finally caught on to what she was saying and hurried to explain himself.

“I’m truly sorry about that. I got it into my head that I needed to win you over somehow and took their bodies without permission.”

“But if you hadn’t told me, I’d never have known it was you.”

“As I explained earlier, after your encounter with the Children I began to fear that the top officials within the church would be in a hurry to weaponize our work. If that happened, I could no longer continue my research. I needed allies on short notice.”

So you only brought Satils back to keep your cash flow safe, then? thought Flum.

All he achieved was putting himself on the bad side of the one person who could destroy Origin cores. He hadn’t exactly invited her out to Sheol, anyway. Instead, he worked in the background, manipulating her friends.

“Well, let’s proceed.” Whether Dafydd noticed Flum’s adversarial stare, she couldn’t tell. He urged the group into Core Production, according to the sign by the door.

The room was lit only by a faint white glow coming from a dozen-odd clear tubes that lined the room. They were filled with liquid with lumps of greyish tissue suspended inside.

“Are…are those brains?” Flum tightened her grip on Milkit, who was hunkered down behind her.

“These devices are called Little Origins.”

“Little Origins…?”

As the words came out of her mouth, the edges of Flum’s vision blurred, and she could hear a faint hiss in the distance.

This is just like what happened with Satuhkie. What is this awful feeling? It’s like I’m getting déjà vu or something. Have I…have I seen this before? I…I must’ve just seen something similar in the facility back in Anichidey. That must be it.

“Little Origins tune into Origin’s energy and ramp it up to create the black crystals known as Origin cores.”

Just as Gadhio promised, Dafydd was answering all of their questions. However, Flum was taken aback at how ready he was to show them the process of making these cores.

The hiss in her head grew even louder as she looked on.

“Are you sure it’s okay to show this to us?” she asked. “I’m pretty sure this is top-secret church stuff.”

“Obviously, I’d be in hot water if the higher-ups knew about this. I felt this was the only way for me to really gain your trust.” He didn’t appear to be lying.

“In that case, I have a question. You said these tune into Origin’s energy, but what does that mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Origin’s body is located elsewhere, you see.”

“Where is this…body?”

“That I do not know. The church hasn’t revealed that to me. But I’m sure you have a guess, no?”

“The…Demon Lord’s castle?”

There was no reason for someone as weak and powerless as Flum to tag along on the great journey to slay the Demon Lord. And yet, she’d been “summoned” by Origin and taken from her hometown. Their destination was the Demon Lord’s castle…and the location of Origin’s body.

Whether by necessity or some ineffable plan, Origin seemed to want to bring Flum to it. Maybe it had learned she was the only human that could destroy Origin cores and wanted to see this wonder firsthand.

“But why try to get me all the way out there to kill Origin? Was it really worth the risk of failure?”

“No one but Origin can answer that question.”

Considering he didn’t even know Origin’s location, Dafydd obviously didn’t have an answer to her question. Regardless, it was clear this was something Origin was dearly invested in. Realizing this train of thought was going nowhere, Flum decided to put Origin’s goals aside for the moment and asked Dafydd several more questions about the room, each of which he readily answered.

Before ultimately becoming Origin cores, the black crystals were completely normal gems mined in the south. To embed a nearly perfect spiral within them, they needed to be as close to spherical as possible. The brains used by the Little Origins, meanwhile, were removed from criminals sentenced to death.

Dafydd was so upfront with the way he answered her questions that it actually made Flum even more suspicious, though even she had to admit this may have been too harsh. She was beginning to understand why Gadhio chose to trust this man.

“Well, then, shall we move on? There’s still much more to show you.”

Leaving Core Production, the group came upon a man in a white lab coat standing in front of the next stop on their tour. Behind him was a similarly dressed woman holding a young child.

“Ah, hello, Gorne.”

“Oh, are these the guests?”

Noticing the group was staring intently at the newcomer, Dafydd moved quickly to introductions. “This is Gorne Forgan, my assistant.”

“Hi.”

Gorne tilted his head forward in a casual greeting, which Flum returned in kind.

“Not only is he a talented researcher, but he’s also been a longtime friend of mine. Unfortunately, after the tragic passing of his beloved wife, Gorne went through a rough patch and developed a drinking problem that led to ballooning gambling debts.”

“Now, now, I don’t think we need to go into all that.”

“Hey, there’s no judgment here. Anyway, I told him about my Necromancy project, and now here he is, working as my research assistant together with his wife, Luluca.”

Luluca bowed her head.

Flum leaned in and looked closely at the child in her arms. “Was this baby born after Luluca was revived?”

“That’s correct. As I mentioned before, all the children born here are all healthy and growing normally.”

On some level, all living creatures shared a biological imperative to pass on some part of themselves. In that sense, you might say the fact that resurrected people were having children was convincing proof they were truly alive once more. It certainly seemed to serve as a great source of confidence for Dafydd. After all, Susy would soon be giving birth, as well. Assuming her child was also a completely normal human, that would further cement his beliefs.

Even Flum had to admit that the concept of those who were once dead giving life to children was an incredibly compelling argument for his camp.

“Sorry to bother you, Gorne.”

“Not at all. It sounds like this was important. Anyway, I should get going.”

Gorne made his exit with Luluca and their child in tow. The child stared intently at Flum as they walked past.

“The room up ahead is our research lab. This is where the real essence of our Necromancy research takes place.”

A large, imposing door stood in front of them.

“This door is sealed to all but myself and a few handpicked research staff.” Dafydd put his hand on a crystal embedded in the wall next to the door.

Though similar to the switches used to turn magic lanterns on and off, the technology behind it was something else entirely. The door would only unlock after checking that the user’s magical “resonance” matched that of one of the people recorded within it. Each and every person had a slightly different magical resonance, making this an incredibly secure—and incredibly expensive—system, implemented in only the most important of locations.

Whatever was behind the door was a vital state secret.

“And this here is the Central Control Room.”

Once Dafydd’s identity was confirmed, the door swung open to reveal an expansive chamber with a vaulted ceiling. The walls were covered in a maze of cabling. At the middle of the room was a black sphere about as big as a grown man.

“Is that…an Origin core, too?”

“I can see something swirling around inside it.”

“I don’t even want to think about how much energy is contained in that thing.”

“Doesn’t this excite you at least a little, Eterna? You must remember many of these.” Dafydd walked up to the massive core and ran his hand along the surface. “This is the Necromancy focal core. It’s necessary to suppress Origin’s influence over the cores implanted in the people living here in Sheol.”

“What would happen to them if it wasn’t here?”

“Well, they would no longer be able to maintain their living bodies and fall under the control of Origin.”

He spoke as if he’d seen it before.

“However, thanks to recent developments, it is now possible for them to survive in their current form for several days outside of Sheol’s limits. Eventually, the focal core will no longer be necessary.”

“But for now, they’ll turn into some kind of creature without it?” Flum said.

“So they’re not actually human. Is that what you’re attempting to imply?” Eterna said.

Flum nodded. If these revived undead were only a hair’s breadth away from such a tragic fate, they hardly seemed human to her.

“I’d posit that you’re biased by your belief that the people living here are merely monsters going through the motions of normal human life,” Dafydd said. “Those preconceived notions are distorting your perspective.”

“Preconceived notion…?” Flum said. “I’ve had countless encounters with Origin cores. I’ve seen Origin’s ‘influence’ up close. The Children and their supernatural abilities are a great example of that. Rotation, Connection, Replication… Honestly, I’d say it looks like this is just an extension of Origin’s replication abilities.”

Contorting, binding together, duplicating…these were the powers that Origin used to expand its power base. Flum was beginning to see the village as an enticing trap, a place that drew people to embed Origin cores in the dead of their own will.

“As you correctly pointed out, Origin cores certainly do have these characteristics. But they are, at the end of the day, merely characteristics, and…”

“Don’t they give away Origin’s desires?”

“Desires?”

“Origin has a will of its own. Whether it’s some shapeless, thinking force or it has a body of its own, I don’t really know. But whatever it is, it uses its power to corrupt and exert total control over people. No matter what way you go about it, the result will be the same: Origin will take advantage of man’s dreams to fulfill its own desires.”

Ink, for example, lost her sight to one of Mother’s operations. While she was still a bright and cheerful girl, the Origin core embedded within her took her body’s sense of its missing sight and physically manifested it as duplicating eyeballs.

“Hmm, I see. So you’re saying we are a part of that process, as well? But that’s what the focal core is here to prevent. There’s really nothing for you to worry about.”

Milkit timidly raised her hand. “But then…Origin would no longer have any reason to lend us its power, correct?”

Assuming Origin’s ultimate goal was to spread its influence, it had no reason to continue to cooperate in situations like this, where it was being prevented from exerting control.

Dafydd smiled confidently. “If Origin were capable of cutting off its power on such a granular level, then we wouldn’t have such an outpouring of power in the first place. I can’t speak to what form it’s currently taken, but taken in light of the human-demon wars and the effort expended to send a group of heroes off to the Demon Lord’s castle, I can only imagine there must be a very good reason why such bothersome measures have to be taken.”

“So you’re saying Origin is incomplete?” This explanation made a fair bit of sense to Ink. Even if Origin was incomplete, she’d still lived for nearly ten years with an Origin core serving as her heart. Thinking back on it now, the fact that she couldn’t hear “Papa’s voice” could easily have been because of its fragmented power.

“At present, it’s up to each individual’s ability to control the degree of Origin’s power and influence,” Dafydd said. “As you so wisely pointed out, it’s certainly dangerous, but it’s also worth taking advantage of. The sum of human knowledge comes from working with, and neutralizing, dangers to create new breakthroughs. The Origin cores are but one of those dangers.”

Flum fell into a thoughtful silence and gazed at the focal core. After a long pause, her shoulders finally slumped, and she let out a sigh in resignation.

Dafydd beamed. “I’m glad to see you’ve finally seen things from my point of view.”

“I give you my word that I won’t destroy the focal core…for now. You’ve exposed your greatest weakness to me; that has to mean something. But I’m not going home without Gadhio.”

“Well, that decision is entirely up to him.”

“Correct. So I’d like to ask that you let us stay here for the time being. Is that okay?”

“You want to spend the night?”

Flum noted a brief look of concern that flashed across his face. But Dafydd carried on cheerfully.

“That’s not a problem at all. In fact, perhaps this would also be a good chance for Eterna to spend some time with her parents.”

“I really don’t…”

Ink piped up. “I think that’s a great idea! Besides, I’d love to meet your parents.”

“All right, if you insist.”

“Will Master and I be given an accommodation in the village?”

“Actually, I’d like to stay in the lab.”

All eyes fell on Flum. Eterna, Ink, and Milkit looked at her in surprise, while Dafydd’s face tensed.

“Is there a problem?” Flum said.

“No, no. If that will help convince you, then I have no issue with it at all.”

She wanted to believe Dafydd, but she still had several very good reasons not to trust him.

 

***

 

After the end of the tour, Eterna and Ink left Flum and Milkit behind in the lab. Though Eterna didn’t care for the idea of everyone going off on their own, she did want to see her parents again. She and Ink would have dinner with them and then return to the lab that evening to spend the night. The party would only be briefly separated. It seemed unlikely that Dafydd would have a sudden change of heart and attack Flum in that time.

Ink, on the other hand, shared none of Eterna’s concerns.

“I wonder what your parents are like. Maybe they’re a lot like you…”

“Not at all. We’re not related by blood, you know.”

“But…but…you lived together, right? So you probably talk the same and stuff like that.”

“I’m not sure about how we talk, but my mother definitely isn’t as eccentric as I am.”

“You think you’re eccentric?”

“How about…unique? But I’ve always been that way, ever since I was a kid. I’m not about to change anytime soon.”

“Well, I like you just the way you are, Eterna. It’s always easy for me to tell when you’re around!”

Eterna wasn’t entirely sure if that was because of her “uniqueness,” but before their conversation could go on any further, they arrived at the home of the Rinebows. Rather than head to the entrance, Eterna immediately changed direction towards a nearby park, where several children were playing as their parents watched.

Ink tugged at Eterna’s hand, noticing they’d stepped off the beaten path. “What happened? Aren’t we going to your parents’ house?”

“I need some time to get myself ready.”

“Oh? Huh. Well, why don’t we sit down?”

Eterna found a bench. A moment later, Ink hopped up onto her lap.

“Oomph!”

“Yeah!”

“Think again, kid.” Eterna lightly tapped the back of Ink’s head.

“What? There’s nothing wrong with this. I like being close!”

“I know. You always smile whenever I stroke your hair in your sleep.”

“R-really?” Ink flushed, not just at the thought of whatever goofy face she was making but at the knowledge that Eterna was brushing her hair as she slept.

Eterna felt the young girl warm slightly and wrapped her arms around her from behind.

“Th-this definitely isn’t like you, Eterna.”

“You said you like to be close, didn’t you?”

“Nnng… I mean, I didn’t expect to be this close!”

“If you don’t like it, let me know, and I’ll stop.”

“No, I love it. Please keep it up!”

“Heh, so polite all of a sudden. Fine, I got it.”

The two continued to sit there in silence for some time as Ink’s body grew warmer and warmer and her cheeks flushed brighter with each passing moment. She still wasn’t quite used to being hugged like that, nor was Eterna used to hugging another person. Even her own cheeks were taking on a pink hue.

“You smell really sweet, Ink.”

“Where did that come from all of a sudden?! Weirdo!”

“How rude.”

“Just sniffing people like that is pretty weird!”

“If you’re going to be that way, I guess I’ll just keep doing it.” Eterna buried her face in Ink’s hair and began to sniff loudly and theatrically.

“Th-that tickles!! Cut it out!!”

“Nope!”

“Start acting your age! You’re supposed to listen to kids!!”

“I hardly look much older than you.”

“You’re pretty spoiled for a fifty-year-old kid!”

“Fifty? More like sixty.”

“That’s even worse!”

Eterna continued to sniff Ink’s hair. She’d been joking around at first, but the more she kept doing it, the more at peace she felt. It was a unique aroma and one she’d started to look forward to every day, though she knew saying that aloud would only annoy Ink even more.

“Well, if this makes you feel better, I guess I can deal with it. Are you really that scared of seeing your parents?”

Ink seemed to catch on to what they were doing there. Voices could betray emotions even more readily than faces, and she picked up on the slight tension in Eterna’s instantaneously.

“I turned Dafydd’s offer down, but I was tempted,” Eterna said. “Honestly, I think it would have been best if we got this all out of the way without even meeting them, but I just couldn’t do that. No matter how many years may pass, I’m just too soft.”

“I think kind is a better word.”

“Now, now, I’m not that much of a narcissist.”

“Well then, I’ll say it. You’re a kind person. You always take care of me and stand by my side. I think you’re the nicest person in the whole wide world!”

“Ink…” Even though only a week had passed since they first met, Ink gave Eterna strength. She squeezed the young girl tightly in her arms.

“Too tight! I don’t think I’ll be able to breathe if you keep that up!”

“You ground me in reality, Ink. As long as you’re here with me, I know I won’t get dragged back into my past.”

“Huh…so you really don’t believe Dafydd, then?”

Here was the source of all of Eterna’s concerns.

“I want to believe him, sure. But my concerns have nothing to do with his character. There’s one other point that I can’t get past.”

“What’s that?”

Eterna’s grip lightened up slightly. “Can Origin cores really help people?”

The voices of children playing in the park echoed in the distance. Were some of them also alive only through the power of the cores?

“I think Flum’s picked up on it as well, but there’s a great source of evil lurking within the cores. Frankly speaking, I feel like Origin and its desires won’t hesitate to trample all over people and their dreams. Even with its power restricted, I have serious doubts that something like that would ever truly save people.”

Ink’s voice took on a sad tone. “I’m sorry, Eterna.”

“What do you have to apologize for?”

“I mean…I’m one of them. I was involved. But I don’t know anything about that.” If she’d been able to hear its voice, as the others had, perhaps she’d know more about Origin’s evil.

“That’s fine. It’s probably the only reason you were able to escape the Children with your life.”

“You think I’d be dead if I could hear it?”

“I doubt they would have considered letting you go.”

“I thought it was just because I was curious about some things…”

“If you were any slower making your move, I think things could have turned out very differently.”

It was nothing short of a miracle that Ink had run into Flum and Milkit. Further, the odds that she would then come into contact with Eterna, the one person that could save her life, were astronomical.

“That’s why I think it’s best to just get this out of the way as soon as possible. The longer we wait, the deeper our wounds will be.”

This string of miracles wouldn’t last forever. Even if it did, she knew they wouldn’t be able to save everyone in the village. All they could do was ride this out and push back against Dafydd’s assertion that his attempts to bring back the dead were complete. She could think of few other options available to them.

Eterna lifted Ink up off her lap and set her down before she stood up. She felt recharged and ready. Hand in hand, the two walked back to the Rinebows’ home.

“How ironic. We turned our backs on the government’s research, and yet it’s that same research that has given us this chance to see you again.” Kindah and Claudia had tears in their eyes as they welcomed Eterna and Ink into their home.

“I have to admit, it’s good to see you again. I don’t suppose I can give you a hug?”

At long last, it was time for the family to reunite.

Claudia pulled Eterna into a tight embrace. Eterna relished her mother’s scent and the warmth of her body, but deep in her heart, she knew there was something cold and inhuman about her.

 

***

 

The room Dafydd brought Flum and Milkit to was quite large, apparently meant for other couples and families like Gorne to live in within the research facility.

“This place is so nice, it’s hard to believe we’re underground. There’s a bath, toilet—even a kitchen!” Milkit exclaimed.

“If it just had a window, I might mistake it for a ritzy hotel. It’s kinda hard to relax knowing we’re in a research facility, though.”

Flum dropped heavily onto the sofa, and Milkit sat down next to her. The two were so close that their shoulders touched. They naturally sought out each other’s hands and intertwined their fingers.

“Why did you want to stay here tonight, Master?”

“I just can’t fully accept what he says. I’ve been getting this really weird vibe ever since we got here.” Not only was Flum getting weird looks from everyone in the village, but there was just something off about the way the people acted and moved. “But destroying this place will just result in further sadness for everyone involved…”

“I’ve never really lost anyone important to me, so it’s hard to understand how they feel. But whenever I think about a day when my master would no longer be by my side, I feel a painful tightness in my chest,” Milkit said.

“I don’t think I could stand being without you either, Milkit. So I can definitely understand how Gadhio and Dafydd must have felt. But even if his story makes sense, there are just too many flaws in his logic to overlook.”

Though she hadn’t seen anything specific, Flum still had that niggling sense of something menacing lurking within the village.

“First off, if Dafydd was convinced his Necromancy method truly was perfect, then he should have had no qualms reaching out to me in the first place. I figure he must have concerns deep down that there are issues with the cores, and he was worried about having me come around and destroy all of his research.”

With Susy so close to giving birth, he was probably all the more on edge. If he was as confident as he acted, he should have had no reason to worry.

“Second, I think Dafydd is biased by the same ‘preconceived notions’ he accused me of having, just on the opposite end of the spectrum.”

“In a way, he has to believe that his own research is correct. Otherwise, he’d be rejecting Susy’s revival,” Milkit said.

“You think so, too?”

“Perhaps it’s because you and I feel much the same, but I got the impression that Dafydd is too quick to interpret everything about Origin in the most positive light.”

It wasn’t hard to imagine that on some unconscious level Dafydd felt that he needed to believe in the power that returned what he lost—with interest—no matter what.

“There are a lot of holes in his story. If those correspond to real flaws in his research…” Flum said.

“Then all that power could break free at any time.”

“Exactly, and we have no way of knowing when. I highly doubt it’ll happen while we’re staying here, but one way or another, we need to stop his research before it does.”

If Flum was going to do it, it had to be tomorrow…or even today.

She had to destroy the focal core.

Given a couple more years to enjoy their life here, she could easily imagine the village inhabitants clinging even tighter to their dreamlike existence. The longer it lasted, the more painful their eventual loss would be.

“It has to be destroyed.”

A voice broke through Flum’s thoughts. It didn’t belong to Milkit. She slowly turned to look toward the bed, where she found a young boy, sitting with his legs crossed confidently.

“Nekt?”

“Huh, I figured you’d be more surprised.”

“I kind of figured you’d come.”

Nekt pouted at this. “Heh, you’re really taking all the fun out of this.”

---

Chapter 13:
I Know Nothing About Myself

 

“YA KNOW, Flum, it wouldn’t hurt for you to take a page from bandage lady over there and look a little scared.”

Milkit ducked behind Flum. She hadn’t forgotten about her earlier kidnapping. She might have been more composed with time to prepare herself, but Nekt showing up with no warning made her react on instinct.

“It’s fine, Milkit. He’s not here to fight.”

“I…I understand that. I just… My body doesn’t seem to want to listen to me.”

“Oh? You guys are really underselling me.”

“If you’re so great, then what’re you doing out here? Trying to join forces again?”

“Nah, I’ve forgotten all about that. I figured since you’re going to fight the Necromancy group, I may as well tag along.”

Sounded like he was here to reap the profits while Flum did the actual work, but as long as he wasn’t up against her, she decided it didn’t matter.

“Hey, Nekt, so was what Eterna said about the third generation true?” she asked.

“And what if I don’t answer?”

“I’ll have no choice but to act under the assumption they exist.”

“Huh, I guess there’s really no benefit to keeping quiet, then. Anyway, just as the witch guessed, Mother’s hard at work on a so-called third-generation. No time for us anymore.”

“So now you’re worried you’ll be discarded like Ink was.”

He didn’t respond, but he didn’t deny it either.

“If we ask Eterna and we can find some heart donors, I’m sure that we could turn you back into normal humans just like Ink,” Flum said.

“What, and become like that defective creation?”

“Once the third generation is born, the rest of you Children are going to be treated the same way, you know.”

“In that case, then isn’t now the worst possible time to become a normal human?!”

“Do you have any reason to hang onto this other than for your body?”

“We’re…we’re still Mother’s children. We can’t live without Mother.”

“There’s a lot to find out there in the world.”

“No, this is how we were raised! Nothing good would come from becoming a normal person. And besides, the church would hardly stand by and let it happen!”

Nekt felt completely powerless in the face of this choice—a feeling that went against his identity as an all-powerful being. Like a big fish in a tiny pond, he had no idea how vast the outside world really was.

“This world has no shortage of people willing to drag others down to make themselves feel superior and in control,” said Milkit. “The moment you accept that you can’t get away, you let them win.”

“And how could we survive in the outside world without Mother?”

“There are plenty of nice, caring people out there. I think you’ve just given up because you can’t see an easy way out.”

“You talk about it like you’ve been through this before.”

“I have. It’s thanks to Master that I was able to change. I’m a living example, you could say.”

Faced with living proof, there was little Nekt could say to object. Still, there was a great gulf of isolation separating their world from his. “Just because it worked for others doesn’t mean it’ll work for us, ya know.”

His back was to the wall—but that was only because he was stuck in the same modes of thought. Flum knew there was still a way out for him.

She stood up and walked over to the sullen boy.

“What do you want, lady? Trying to pick a fight?” Nekt lifted his head. He looked completely drained.

Flum leaned in and took a whiff.

“What the…?” Nekt eyed her suspiciously as Flum wrinkled her brow.

“Nekt, you smell.”

“What?”

“Do you bathe? Regularly? And your clothes, they’re filthy…”

“What’re you going on about all of a sudden??”

Of course, these were all petty details, but Flum realized that the more she tried to convince Nekt, the more firmly he’d dig his heels in. Now that she’d taken control of the conversation, she wanted to turn it in a more positive direction.

“No, no, that’s no good at all. A brand-new facility should have working baths, right? I mean, the church isn’t putting you up somewhere sub-par, are they?”

“Of course we have them! Mother just hasn’t given us permission to use them, is all.”

“You need permission to take a bath?”

He replied with absolute conviction. “Of course. That’s how baths work.”

Flum and Milkit stared back at him, wide-eyed.

“That’s…not what people normally do?”

“You mean that baths are completely off limits? No…”

“I…I see. I guess all I know is how Mother has told us to live.”

“Well, why don’t we take one together, then?”

Nekt practically shouted at the suggestion. “What?!”

Brat though he may have been, Nekt always maintained an impregnable shell of insouciance—and now it crumbled.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Baths are to be taken alone, not with other people! And besides, you can’t just show your naked body off to other people!!”

“An eight-year-old boy is no big deal, really. Do you mean to say Mother never gave you a bath, even when you were little?”

“That’s different. I’m old enough to take a bath on my own now, and besides, I can’t let anyone see me naked!”

Putting the bath issue aside for a moment, Flum was curious why he was so dead set against people seeing him naked. “Did Mother tell you that?”

“Oh, come on. Are you saying that normal people don’t feel that way?”

“No, most people don’t want to get undressed in front of strangers and only take baths with people they know.”

“See? So you’re the strange one here! I’m not taking a bath with you.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll just have to make you.”

“Are you listening to me?? Get away! I’m gonna use my Connection ability! You might be able to use Reversal, but you and I both know that you need to be in contact to use it! I can easily get away!”

Flum could tell he was all bluster. He wasn’t about to use his abilities against her.

She picked the young boy up and carried him over to the bath.

“No, stop! Unhand me! Let! Me! Goooooo!”

“All right, I’m gonna give him a quick scrub.”

“Good luck, Master!” Milkit threw her hands in the air to cheer her on.

Giving a quick thumbs up to Milkit, Flum disappeared into the changing room with Nekt.

“Finally, you put me down and…hyaugh! Cut it out! Don’t touch my clothes!”

“You could just teleport away if you hate it that much.”

“I mean, I could, but certainly not dressed like this!”

“If you’re not going to make a real effort to escape, then I guess you don’t really hate it.”

“Hey, what’re you looking at?! Eyes up here, lady! Look me in the eye! If this isn’t resisting, I don’t know what is!!”

“And next, the pants.”

“I told you to cut it out!! If you take off my… Dammit, how are you so strong for a girl?! You weren’t this strong the last time we met! Whoa, hey…stop! My paaaaaants!”

Despite the ruckus, Milkit, listening outside, thought it sounded like they were having a lot of fun in the changing room.

After yanking down his pants and underwear, Flum paused.

“Huh?”

“Gah, you stupid girl…”

“Hey, Nekt…I know this is going to come off as really rude, but can I ask you something?”

“Huh? What? Seems a little late for you to worry about being rude!” His face was red with annoyance.

“Nekt…you’re not a girl, are you?” Flum’s voice was flat and serious.

“What in the hell are you going on about?! There ain’t nothin’ girly about me! What makes you think I’m not a boy??”

“I mean, you’ve… Well, there’s nothing there.”

“What’s not there? I’m telling you, I’m a boy!”

And with that, it all made sense to Flum.

“What, cat got your tongue? Why so quiet?”

“It’s nothing. Now let’s get you in that bath.”

Flum decided to think about it after they got finished with the immediate task at hand.

 

***

 

After getting out of the bath, Flum gently dried Nekt’s hair with a towel.

“All right, I think there’s something important we need to talk about, Nekt.”

She’d given her a good scrubbing, which Nekt had been less than thrilled about, though her attempts to escape had been more of a gentle wrestling match than an earnest battle. Milkit had smiled as she listened to their voices coming from the other room, though she had to admit to herself that she was more than a bit jealous. But that was a conversation to be had another time.

Flum looked Nekt square in the eye, her expression serious. “You have a girl’s body, Nekt. There’s no doubt about it.”

“You’re still going on about that? I already told you, Mother told me I was a boy… A boy…”

Milkit’s words came flooding back to Nekt:

This world has no shortage of people willing to drag others down to make themselves feel superior and in control.

Nekt had seen a twisted family like that before. Mother, in fact, was just such a person. It was all beginning to come together.

“So that’s all this was…?”

Perhaps this, too, was one of Mother’s experiments. A way of seeing how the mental state of the Origin core’s host impacted what kind of effects it has on them. Or perhaps there was no special meaning behind it at all. Perhaps this was just another one of Mother’s ways to toy with the Children.

Regardless of the reasoning, it had to be a massive blow to this young child’s sense of identity.

“I’m…I’m a boy! C’mon, admit you’re joking, lady! Are you trying to tell me this was the reason Mother made me bathe alone? Told me to never let anyone see me naked?!”

Flum’s heart ached as she listened to the pain and sadness in Nekt’s voice. The happiness Mother offered them had been the happiness of a walled garden; as long as they accepted Mother’s word as absolute truth, they could believe they were loved. But eventually, those walls were bound to collapse. Eventually, the outside world would find them. Flum had just sped the process up slightly. Painful as it was, she felt sure it was better Nekt find out sooner, rather than later.

Nekt was still young, only eight years old. She was fully capable of choosing which path to take once she knew the truth.

“So…so that’s what this all was,” Nekt babbled. “Fwiss’s dependency on Mother, Mute and Luke ending up the way they are… This was all part of Mother’s plans?”

“I can’t say for sure if it was all calculated…”

“No, it really was. Lately, it’s been… Yeah, I had suspicions, but Mother really was like a mother to me, and I did everything I could to convince myself we were being cared for. But it was all for nothing. I knew it, too…”

“You know, I really think it would be best for you to leave Mother, Nekt,” Flum said. “We’ll support you any way we can. Do you want to try undergoing a heart transplant like Ink did?”

“I can’t run away. Not alone…”

It spoke to Nekt’s strength that, even now, she felt a sense of responsibility to the other Spiral Children—her siblings—as the oldest, the leader. That sense of responsibility was a double-edged sword. She could no longer ignore Mother’s abuse, but nor could she leave the only family she knew behind.

“All right then,” Flum said. “Why don’t you bring everyone here, and we can all talk about it together? It might be a bit tough to get them all on board, but I’m sure we can come to an understanding. After all, you came around.”

“I dunno if I can…”

“You can!”

“It’s never too late. Ink was in the same spot you’re in now, and she was able to turn her life around!”

“She and I are…different. But…” Nekt was still wavering but slowly moving in Flum’s direction.

They may have committed some awful acts in the past, but Flum didn’t feel it was right to hold these young children entirely responsible for what they’d done. Mother, on the other hand, was beyond forgiveness. For abusing the role of a caregiver to conduct countless inhuman experiments on these innocent children and destroying their lives in the process, Flum would make sure he paid.

The Spiral Children, however…

Nekt balled her hands up into fists.

“I…need some time to think. Connection!”

A spiral appeared in place of her face for a moment before she blinked away.

“Nekt, no!! Gah, she’s gone…”

“I can’t imagine she went very far,” Milkit said. “I’m sure she’ll come back once she’s made up her mind.”

“You’re probably right… I hope that’s the case.”

At the very least, her parting words had sounded a lot closer to a yes than a no. Milkit was probably right that she would be back soon. Flum could only hope her final answer was a positive one.

 

***

 

Nekt warped to the top of the roof of one of the many buildings out in Sheol. Several townsfolk seemed to notice her presence, though none paid her any particular attention. She leaned back and watched the setting sun.

A short time later, the owner of the house caught sight of her. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leaped high into the air and landed next to Nekt without so much as making a sound.

“I was wondering who it was before I saw your face, old man. You’re pretty nimble for your size, ya know.” Nekt shot an indifferent glance in Gadhio’s direction.

“I guess you could say that.” It was clear he didn’t consider Nekt a threat at the moment. Instead, he plopped himself down at her side.

“You’re unarmed. You underestimating me, old man? We were just trying to kill each other a while ago.”

“You didn’t look like you were in a fighting mood. What happened?”

“What, you wanna listen to my troubles now? Looks like that Flum lady keeps good company.”

“So you spoke with Flum?”

“Right. And thanks to her I learned something I would rather not have. I…I always thought I was a boy. But it turns out I’m really a girl, and Mother was just messing with my head to make me believe otherwise.”

“I see…”

Nekt chuckled darkly. “I guess it doesn’t seem like much to other people, but… Well, it’s all a pretty big shock to me.”

“I think anyone would feel that way if their identity was put into question.”

“So what happened to you, old man? Putting aside the fact that you’re gravely underestimating me, you seem like you lost your fighting spirit.”

“I feel like I’m about to lose sight of my very reason for being.”

“Same.”

“Guess I share the same troubles as an eight-year-old kid, then.”

“Don’t feel too proud of yourself. I’m still real smart, I’ll have you know. Even an adult like you is no match for me.”

“I see you’ve still got some of your childishness left.” Gadhio chuckled, inciting a cackle from Nekt.

“So you saw your dead wife?”

“Yep.”

“How was it? Did you sleep together?” Nekt shot a mischievous look at Gadhio.

“You’re trying to grow up way too fast. You just started questioning your own gender; I highly doubt you even know what that means.”

“Well, no…but that’s what you do with people you like, right? And hey, don’t dodge the question like that!”

“I didn’t. She’s Tia, of that much I’m certain. But she also isn’t.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Maybe I’m the only one who can see it. But even then, I know it’s true. When you feel in your gut that there’s something amiss, no matter how minute that feeling may be, it’s almost certainly an indication that something, somewhere, has gone wrong.”

Put another way, Gadhio was saying there was no such thing as absolute certainty of success. This was something life had drilled into him.

“Something amiss, huh…” Nekt mumbled the words as she stared up at the setting sun.

“At least, that’s how I intend to live my life. Of course, you don’t need to do the same.”

“This is stupid! Why are you sitting here giving advice to your enemy? You’re just like that Flum lady, trying to show me kindness like you expect something in return. Well, it ain’t comin’!”

“I just can’t leave things alone, I guess. Maybe I’m just one of those so-called nice guys? Flum probably feels something’s amiss too, which is why she’s acting the way she is. What about you, then? Are you happy with the life you’re leading? Or have you found another path that would be better suited to you?”

“I dunno…but in any case, I don’t need you preachin’ to me, okay?”

“The last time we met, you were far more arrogant. You don’t seem the kind to dither about.”

“Heh, I guess. I’ll think over what you said, old man.” With that, Nekt teleported out of the village.

Gadhio tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. “I can’t just let things be. You and Flum both have bright futures waiting for you.”

He was hardly old enough to think about leaving the future to the next, younger generation, but old age wasn’t the only force that drew warriors away from their chosen path.

Coming to the end of your dream, the loss of a place you wanted to protect, the death of a loved one…these tragedies could befall anyone, and he hoped to draw attention to them before they actually happened. It was too late for Gadhio now, but these young women still had potential.

He wanted to make sure they didn’t make the same mistakes he had.

 

***

 

Around seven hours had passed since Flum entered Sheol. As the orange light faded into deep purples, the surrounding forest grew dark, and the night things living within it began to stir.

“The forest really is beautiful, isn’t it? We don’t even need to sneak around out here.” Werner gazed out at Sheol through the gap in the trees. The rest of his soldiers stood watch elsewhere in the forest.

He’d had almost no interaction with Flum in the past and found the assignment largely an annoyance, but it wasn’t entirely without its perks.

“I’d love nothing more than to see this despicable research go entirely to waste, but I guess it all depends on the boss.” Just as the words left his mouth, a nearby bush began to stir.

A woman in a dress and high heels stepped out in front of him, her sweat running through her makeup to create rainbow-colored trails along her face. She looked entirely out of place in the forest.

She expended a great deal of energy as she pushed her way through the foliage in this attire, developing rips in her clothes and scrapes along her skin. The woman typically loathed anything and everything she considered filthy, and yet, she showed no signs of stopping as she angrily slapped branches and leaves out of her way.

“Ah, Satils Francois. So you did come.”

Though Werner had never invited her to come along, he also made no effort to stop her from coming to Sheol.

“Listen, whatever you choose to do has nothing to do with us, but stay out of sight, okay? If this goes well, the boss’ll really owe me one.”

Almost as if by a miracle, Satils was just out of sight when Ottilie showed up to speak with Werner.

“How are things going in your sector?”

“All peace and quiet here. It’s actually really boring, to be honest. Can’t we just go back to the capital, and…”

“We must not let Henriette down. We will hold our position until Flum leaves this village.”

Werner’s shoulders slumped. “I figured you’d say as much.”

Ottilie handed Werner a bright red fruit.

“What’s this? Animal bait?”

“It’s a gift, but I guess an unappreciative lug like yourself doesn’t need it.”

“No, no, I was just surprised to have something plucked from a tree shoved in my face all of a sudden. You a monkey or something?”

“Monkey?! Listen, if you don’t want it, I’ll happily eat it myself! They’re quite delicious, I’ll have you know, and something like this growing out here in nature is pretty rare! Besides, the bright red color reminds me of blood. Bright…red…blood. Now that I think about it, I suddenly want to see something bleed.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll eat it. Give it here!” Werner yanked the fruit from her hand and took a bite. “Let’s be real here; I know it might be rare, but that hardly means it’s going to be so sweet that…”

As he spoke, the pleasant aroma of the fruit and its sweet juices filled his mouth.

“Damn, this is amazing!”

“Which is exactly what I said.”

“No, I mean…really! I thought you were pulling some kind of prank.”

“Is there a reason I would try and pull a prank on you?”

“Me? The nicest, most honest man in the whole capital? Hardly.”

“You forgot shady and dubious. Now c’mon, are you really keeping watch? It sure doesn’t look that way.”

Werner’s response was quick and to the point. “What’s there to keep watch for? Nothing’s happening. I haven’t seen so much as a rat, much less a person.”

Ottilie couldn’t detect anything suspicious about the way he was acting, nor did his expression imply even a hint of deceit. She was operating under the assumption that they were allies, after all, so there was no reason why she would assume he was lying.

“Well, that’s good then. Anyway, keep up the good work.” With that, she was off to check in on the next soldier.

“Leave it all to me, I got this.”

Werner waved her off and watched Ottilie’s figure disappear into the trees. As soon as she was gone, he let out a loud, boisterous laugh.

“Heh, looks like I’ll have paid Echidna back and then some. Which means that the plan should be unfolding any moment now. Now where is that guy? He should…ah! Finally.”

A man carrying bags under his arms came running out of Sheol and drove through the bushes, much as Satils had moments before. The man was Gorne Forgan. Werner and Gorne had met multiple times in the past at a gambling hall back in the capital.

“You never change, d’ya? Betraying yet another friend for money, I see? Heh, not like I’m in any position to criticize.” Werner chuckled.

The sun was setting. Soon, the village would be plunged into darkness.