Discordant Note | TBATE

Chapter 24: A Letter

Toren Daen

I settled myself in the protective embrace of a great Clarwood Tree, trusting that I wouldn't fall or be prey to an ambush. My arms burned with every move I made, mirroring bone-deep exhaustion that seeped from my pores.

I pulled off my mask, grateful to finally be rid of the metal clinging to my sweat-slick face. The cool breeze of the late autumn night was a welcome balm to my soul, weathering away the tension of the day.

I stared off into the sky through a light canopy of sheer white leaves, a layer of clouds obscuring the stars. A growing feeling welled in my chest, pushing away many of my other thoughts. But my vision quickly darkened as the Unseen engulfed my vision.

Lady Dawn was sitting on a branch not far from me, the purple-orange glow around her form casting everything in a dusky light. She looked contemplative, gazing up into the sky just as I was.

"Are the stars the same here as what you see in Epheotus?" I asked, genuinely curious. I knew the homeland of the asura was a pocket dimension of some sort, but how much was real, and how much was fake?

Lady Dawn was silent for a time. "Epheotus is an attempt at perfect beauty," she said at last. "But there is an imperfection in everything, even the stars in the cosmos." The was silent for a beat. "One would see an illusory aurora every night, stretching across the sky like a green-blue blanket, encompassing everything in flawless light," she said, nostalgia in her voice. "But there is a beauty in imperfection, one that Epheotus will never achieve because the land itself despises the concept."

The silence stretched between us comfortably, but I couldn't let it stay. "You know, in my previous world," I said, withholding a sigh, "One of the things that nearly every early culture of humans did was watch the stars." I sniffed slightly. "They did all sorts of amazing things. Made astrolabes, sundials, ways to navigate the world just by their alignment over your head." I gestured vaguely at the clouded sky. "It took amazing minds to do that. The best humanity had to offer, striving toward something better. Real creativity and ingenuity."

I thought of the path I had ahead, where so much of my new life would be fraught with danger, death, and battle. I barely made it out of this last scuffle alive, and my foes were nothing compared to what would stand in my way of simple freedom.

"And centuries later, humans became even more grand! The cosmos themselves was our final frontier," I said, staring at the gray darkness. It was cold tonight, probably near freezing. From my constant cycling of mana and endless physical activity, I hadn't even noticed until now.

"But... I'm not any of those things," I continued with a bitter laugh. "I'm not a brilliant mathemetician, able to predict the time of day by measuring the sun. I can't send a man into space through the power of rocketry. And I'm not some hyper genius with a sword and master of all four elemental affinities," I added self-deprecatingly, the true weight of my promises settling against my bones. "I barely made it out of that expedition alive. And that's the norm for this world."

How many more times will this world just hand me what I need? I thought despondently, remembering the strangely compliant Aban. How long can I get by retaining my morals? The principles that make me me?

In the slurry of chaos that pressed against my mind, the question of who I was lingered in the shadow of every thought. When I slowed down to think; took breaks between training or allowed my mind to wander, unanswerable questions coasted around the edges of my mind.

'Who are you?' The shades of thought whispered with sly grins and malevolent intent. 'Are you from Earth? Are you Alacryan? Which parts of you belong?'