Malediction of the Depth – Silence in Judgement

Once again, Lea felt scammed by the system of Lacrosa. Without any identification, and with only the Steam Bat's vouch, she had to pay 4,000 Cee to have her card remade.

She only had a thousand Cee left on her card.

But she finally got back home, entering the mansion with the writhing tendrils and thorns welcoming her back. And they 'evolved', becoming more ethereal.

Lea found it kind of strange. When she got them, the Cursed Constructs were more ethereal, then they became solid, and now ethereal again.

Knock knock—

Someone knocked on her door.

With a command, she flung it open...

There, the Steam Bat - not the Merchant, but the biomechanical beast.

How did it knock so gently? Lea wondered.

It spat out a parcel... and it took off. Her gaze turned to those who hid from the beast, staring at her in disbelief. With a command, she closed her doors.

"What is it this time?"

She took the parcel and unwrapped it. Inside, there was a letter and... Mard Awalan the Plague Garden.

"Mm!!", the slime cheered, bouncing out of the box.

"Hello...?", she stared at the slime, then looked at the letter.

'Dear Demigod of Unconscious,

So, a lot has changed since the Ego of the World reclaimed its Authority. For one, people are turning into Horrors at an alarming rate...'

It has only been two days!!

'Secondly, 30% of the world population is gone, vanished from thin air. The Nation of the Forsaken alone lost 2,663 people; those who witnessed the vanishment said they "shattered like glass". The world is basically in chaos right now.'

With Mystery no longer ruling the world, everything it had been keeping at bay came out.

And... the fact that 30% of the population was gone. Lea called out the ring she had hidden in her hand; the three jewels stared back at her. This was the culprit for Sinclair's power of Veil, and without it, the lies she created cannot be maintained.

A chilling truth came to her.

30% of the world was fake...

People born from lies, without their master, return to falsehood.

Akasha Monodrama only has one real member, that being Sinclair Apocrypha. Everywhere and Nowhere, the Nowhere Girl.

This small ring in her hand had maintained an illusion spanning continents for such a long time, had created people convincing enough to live, love, die, and be mourned.

How many people did I meet who weren't real?

The thought made her sick in ways her sealed emotions couldn't fully suppress. That merchant in Kieran who'd given her gossip. That noble girl who'd hired her. The pirates she'd killed. The knights who'd severed her arm.

Were any of them real? Or just lies?

"Mm?", The Plague Garden squeaked. She could almost tell it was worrying about her.

"No... I'm fine.", all the time in the library was more than enough hazing to get over world-shattering shocks.

Lea continued to read the letter.

'And one last thing, I can't take care of Mard Awalan right now so let her stay with you for a bit. If you need any cleaning, just feed her, though treat her with utmost respect, or half of the universe will be your enemy.

The Golden Order.'

"Um... could you clean the garden for me? It's a little rundown.", she pointed outside of the window.

"Mm mn!!", the slime replied, crawling out of the box.

"After everything is done, you can rest wherever you are."

She also needed rest herself. With the Jester of Light's Veil deactivated, the world is too chaotic.

It will be about a month and a half before the new year, so she should build some more rapport until she acts.

"You guys, come out now."

The dark spirits came out, dancing around her.

"Do you guys want names?", she asked.

She sensed their intents; their whimsical nature was clear. They didn't need names; they had been dead for so long they'd forgotten who they were. Bound to the mansion and now to Lea.

"Alright, as you wish.", she nodded.

But when she was about to walk upstairs to finally rest...

Her doors burst open with a stream of fire.

What is it now?!

With a hand swipe, the Cursed Constructs blocked the attack. Never reaching her.

In an instant, Lea read the intention of this intruder. He was here to kill her, and by the look of it... someone from the Three Rings.

Great, now she was the target of a religious organization, her old faith at that. But that didn't deter her; it was the perfect time to test out her powers.

She created a Hex beneath her feet, applying her divinity at the Fifth Step it became something else.

"Sinking Rem."

Every creature in her mansion was put into deep sleep, sinking into her domain. It was her Dream Realm, localized inside this very mansion. Where she is a god.

"Do you know who you are facing?"

She appeared right next to him, her hand already taking the emblem he hid in his clothes. Though this was just a dream item, it was enough to startle him.

But the intruder kept silent.

"I command you to Speak."

Judgement forced his mouth to open, "There was... an Oracle... to kill False Gods and their Apostle..."

"Why do you think I am an Apostle?", she asked. All she did was look creepy and like an assassin.

"You... are not?", his eyes widened.

Lea decided to spin the story a bit, to make her legend more... chaotic, a neutral figure.

"The Faceless Twilight isn't what you think."

She vanished, appearing on top of the staircase.

"I hunt evil and devour them, the Ancient One who has just recently awakened."

Then she was on the ceiling, looking down.

"Those who oppose me are evil."

And finally, she appeared right in front of him. Startled, he unleashed a torrent of fire, burning her alive. But this was the Dream Realm, her Dream Realm. What he did was nothing but provocation to her.

"For opposing me, you are evil.", she walked out of the fire, unharmed, "But as someone from a church, I will let you off lightly."

The Cursed Construct underneath him grew and bit down, tearing apart his lower half.

"Arrrggghhh!!!"

The pain was enough to wake him up, so Lea too returned to reality. Was it cruel? Yes, but she needed to make herself clear... and maybe a snack. Does this make her a cannibal in a metaphysical sense?

In reality, his lower half was spiritually destroyed; she could feel his panic and despair. He couldn't feel his lower half, so he crawled out of his mansion, never looking back. Exhausting more mental energy means she gets to eat more.

She can't quite tell what mental energy tastes like; it was like a syrup, mildly sweet and another taste depending on the emotions of the target.

And for Lea, despair tastes the best.

=0=0=

"Several Sagas gather in one place, and from them, stories unfold."

In a secluded alleyway, the Nowhere Girl walked back and forth; in her hand was the Tome of Light. Though lost all of its pages, the empty tome could still be filled, writing and creating new tales within it.

"Death is never the end. Only a stopping point in the ever-spinning cycle of existence."

She kicked over a trash bag, revealing several bones and decomposed flesh, crawling with bugs still feasting. The body was unrecognizable.

"But. But... the essence of defiance still persists. The Rainbow Light always remembers, and through stories forgotten by all, Miracles shall happen."

Then the remains began to glow; the Sagas resonated. And Sinclair threw in something, a purple locket that fell slower than one would expect.

"Hope is the brightest light of all, even brighter than the light of Judgement. And the one thing that brings hope to all..."

Reconstruction began, a body of prismatic crystal and light, radiating a pink glow.

"Salvation."

The power of miracles, fulfilling the wishes of the people. Through Salvation, even the Miracle of Resurrection can be fulfilled.

Sinclair added some spices.

"Vessel of the World;

Everywhere and All;

Cosmic Domination."

That locket was something very special.

"Durrey."

The Divine Domain of Space.

Long glowing pink hair, firlly dress made of crystal, and purple eyes emanating the power of something vast. And most important of all, cat ears.

The Magical Girl was reborn.

"Where... am I? Who... am I?", were her first words.

"You are a collection of stories, you are a Defender of Light, you are the Demigod of Space.", Sinclair smiled; it was twisted and ugly, "You were killed and now reborn through miracles."

"Your new name is Saga, so embody those stories that gave back your life."

She closed the Tome of Light, taking in the start of a story.

"Ah, what is it that Charlotte likes to say? Right..."

"Welcome to the Paean of the World."

=0=0=

"Okay... this is a problem."

Lea looked out of the window; the people who were observing her all fell to the ground, sleeping. Her passive consumption had increased; it didn't affect her, but still...

Can I split my power?

The answer was yes; she could scatter herself amongst the Cursed Construct. But that would lead to mental instability down the line, maybe creating split personalities...

She opened her closet, where the skeleton was still there. She doesn't know what to do with this thing...

"I know you can move, so let us make a Contract."

The dark spirits came behind her, forming some sort of halo. With her ascension, Lea knew she could control these creatures to a certain extent.

And now...

"The Faceless Twilight commands you.", she held her hand out, "Join me in my quest of vengeance and justice."

It still didn't budge.

So you want to play that game, huh...

The Cursed Constructs immediately grabbed hold of the skeleton, and for the first time, it shook in visible distress.

She injected half of the Divine Domain into the creature, forcibly making the creature her own. To survive in this endless cycle of pain and reward... ruthlessness is mercy upon herself, and for her enemy.

"Charlotte said speech is the most powerful tool in the universe. So, be the announcer to my arrival, the elegy of my foes."

She remembered an old story, a common story that was told to children to get them to sleep.

Once upon a time, there was a wanderer with hollow eyes and a smile white like a mirror. Who would knock on the windows of children's rooms, asking if they were awake.

If they respond truthfully, the wanderer would leave a white flower as a warning.

If they lie, the wanderer would leave. And at the end of the year, would sweep them up when the clock hit midnight, never to see the new year. A children's tale, one that struck fear in Lea's heart when she was a child. Krari Lendi, the Boogeyman.

And he is always depicted riding a black horse named...

"I name you Ouis Marei."

The skeleton shattered, then became translucent, condensing into a bluish gold deer skull necklace. Lea looped it around her right hand.

And applied Silence onto it, sealing a part of her power. But was this a good idea? For Lea, it is. She isn't a rational person anyway.

The sleepiness coming from her power would be reduced; this didn't affect her combat power as far as she can tell.

After all, when she sinks into the Dream Realm, she could see the affected people still observing her. Not knowing that they are in a dream at the moment. And when they wake up, only confusion would follow.

For now, she plans to spread the name of the Faceless Twilight using Empire's Edge, and to serve that purpose, she needs to write a story about how Krari Lendi is merely one of the identities she uses.

That she is an ancient god awakened, one before the Blackout. Who had regained their power recently.