Egg

I hast found this notebook, and hast decided to write our story within.

Yet as I write, I find myself questioning how this notebook might  feel.

It might  be enchafed with me as I override its identity with mine own.

And so my heart quivers as I  apologize, yet I shall continue to document this journey of mine.

For the sake of mine revenge.

-Excerpt from the recovered journal of Absalon Ramorski.

<        ^        >

The scenery rushes past, blurring together as the train speeds past. Trees dot the landscape, broken up periodically by houses. The blue sky stretches out above, the sun basking the world in its warm glow as it rises in the east.

“It's beautiful, if you go fast enough, everything merges, as if the entire world is one.” A soft voice echoes through the cart.

The low drumming of the train reverberates as I look up from my book towards the source of the voice.

In the previously vacant seat before me is a woman. A striking red dress adorns her body, with a black band wrapped tightly from her left elbow to her right waist, featuring red accents along its length. Black hair accentuates her dress, tied into a pony tail on her left side. Her hair blows in the breeze from the open window next to her.

“It reminds me of this idea somebody told me a long time ago.” The woman continues, ignoring my confusion. “This world is made for a singular purpose, for me to grow. I am everyone, each life at a different stage of growth… I find that thought comforting, I suppose."

“Um…” I try to intervene cautiously. Extreme caution is all I can think about, not just because she appeared out of nowhere, but because of what is lying in the seat next to her.

A scythe, roughly two meters tall, leans on the chair next to the woman. It's a dark silver; the snath is lined with a spiral descending it. The blade is ornamental, with long holes placed on the side of the blade, oddly forming what seemed to be a face of sorts. But the most striking detail is at the blades clamp to the synth, A skull, its jaw wide open with the blade coming out of it.

Edgy.

“Hm?” The woman looks towards me. “What do you think? Do you find that thought comforting?”

“... I don't want there to be any more me’s than there already is,” I reply.

“Heh, I agree.” The girl looks back out the window. “I suppose the idea puts a kind of pressure on you, after all, if you are everyone, then all their sins are yours.”

“... but if they are you, can you truly sin against them? All you do is make yourself the victim.”

“I suppose that's one way of looking at it. I don’t believe it myself, but I find myself wondering…” She pauses and turns back towards me. “The idea posits that this world was created by another, the only true other person in this world. So, if it's true… where is my other?”

Her eyes, a deep purple, stare at me.

“Are you that other?”

The world freezes for a moment. The low drumming of the train no longer reaches me. I simply stare back at the girl and eventually get out:

“Probably not.”

“Hah heheh.” Her eyes widen in shock for a moment, then she lets out a chuckle. “I see… Then let me ask what you think of the theory?”

“... I can’t disprove it, but… I would say there are at least 3 beings in this world for sure.”

…

“What a strange response…” The girl looks at me for a moment, she opens her mouth to say something, but-

Heeerk Heeerk

The train's horn goes off, signaling that it is nearing a station.

“AH! I got distracted! Nalls!” the woman suddenly stands up, grabbing the scyther beside her. “Ah, there was another reason I came to speak to you…”

The woman reaches into the sash around her chest and pulls out a piece of paper.

“Do you happen to know where to find this man?” She says, shoving it towards me.

The paper depicts an older-looking man wearing glasses. His hair is short, but well kept. His face looks serious, but no other identifiable features are depicted.

“I'm sorry, but no.” That's all I can reply.

“Nalls… I need to-” The girl brings her hand to her mouth and starts biting her nails.

Heeerk Heeerk

Once again the horn screeches out, signaling the train's entrance to the city.

“Ah! Well… I'm sure we will meet again. Ciao.” The Woman says, moving towards the open window. Then, faster than I can move, she jumps out.

“Wha!?” I quickly move to look, but no evidence of her hitting the ground exists. No blood, no scream. In the split second I have to look, I see nothing.

The scenery changes quickly, replaced by a stone wall. The train is passing through the city walls. Darkness covers the cart.

I'm left looking out the window, all I can see now is the reflection in the glass.

Looking back at me is a girl with short golden hair, a streak of blue passing through the bangs. A small red hair clip on the left side of her head. She’s cute, maybe even beautiful. Her eyes are sharp; they stare back with a tired expression, accentuating how intimidating they are. Their eyes each hold a different color, the left a deep blue, the color of deep waters. The other is a deep red similar to that of a polished ruby.

All I see is that girl staring back at me.

<        ^        >

Ksh-tung

The train doors open like floodgates. People rush out of the train onto the stone platform.

Exiting the train myself, I take in the station. The station has three lines, with three platforms. The main one is connected to a large building, with 2 others parallel to it. Each platform has a wooden roof. At the very end of each side of the platform is a set of metal stairs, leading to a walkway that extends over the lines.

The train I had just departed had entered on the middle track, and I had gotten off on the right side, meaning I was currently on the furthest platform from the main building.

“Step out of the way! Coming through!” Suddenly, a group of men wearing dark blue uniforms rushes down the track, parting the crowd like a martyr. The group is led by a younger looking man, his short bluish-silver hair rustling as he runs forward.

At the very back of the group is a man pulling a large box on a cart. He’s falling behind the rest significantly.

“We're too late!” The younger man yells.

Heeerk Heeerk

The group runs on the right side of the platform, next to a train that has just closed its doors. The sign above the train reads “Route to Delphoscere”.

“Nals, nals, nals, nals. Please don’t goooo.” The man with the silver hair screams as the train begins to move out of the station. “Nonononono!”

The crowd, which had paused to watch the men, began moving again.

I follow the crowd towards the stairs.

As they climb the stairs, people of all shapes and sizes appear. Anthropomorphic lizards, birds, dogs, cats. People with furry or scaled ears, elongated ears, and even horns all climb onto the catwalk.

This is the most variety of races I’ve ever seen…

The silver haired man continues to curse as I climb the stairs myself. The train station becomes fully visible to me once I step foot on the cat walk.

“Welcome to Lyscynal, City of Merchants and Wealth,” reads a massive sign on the large building.

The main building comes into full view. Stone builds up the walls until a third of the way up, then the building is made of wood, with marble pillars splitting the building into sections every dozen meters. Large windows allow light inside between the pillars. But the most captivating feature is the lines of light that line every wall.

Red to orange to yellow to green to blue to violet. Lines of light shift from each color. Along the railings of the platform, the sides of walls, even on the roofs.

“Veins?” I mutter under my breath.

Like veins, these lines of light line every surface of the station. Melding into the next color one after the other.

Red ,orange ,yellow, green to blue to violet.

The lines mesmerize me for a moment, without thinking, I pause walking along the rails to watch them. Red to orange to yellow to green to blue to violet to white.

“Huh?!”

Suddenly, the lines change. It does not “Shift” to white, but flashes.

Just for an instant, that's how long it had turned white for.

I’m no longer in the train station.

What surrounds me are buildings, still with the veins. The sky is still blue, and I don't feel any different. Concrete buildings painted blue, yellow, dark green line the sides of me. The alley is dusty, as if no one had occupied the space in a century.

“An Alley?!”

“Hey! Shall you not answer?” A voice rings out from a side route. I move towards the voice instinctively.

Turning the corner, I see another alley on the other end.

“Do you know where this is? Answer me!”

I reach the second corner and peek out into the alleyway.

“Hk.”

A large man is standing facing the wall. He appears to be about seven feet tall. A brown cloak is draped over his body, but it fails to hide the massive armor he’s wearing.

That or he’s got some impressive muscles.

The man looks like he's talking to the wall. It takes me a moment to realize, but eventually I spot who he’s speaking to.

“Haah- Haah- Haah-”

Between the man and the wall is a petite girl with silver hair flowing to her shoulder. Her demeanor is stern and defiant. She looks at him like an ant. But her breathing is labored.

Should I get involved here? The girl seems confident… But…

“Haah-” The girl's breaths are shallow and quick.

“Hey! Art you gonna answer me?”

Should I wait and see if the man gives up? I can’t just-

“Help…” A small voice comes from behind the large man.

“Hey..!” I call out, stepping into the alley.

The large man begins to turn around.

“Hey!” A new voice chimes in, from the opposite end of the alley.

With light pouring in from behind him, a young man stands at the entrance to the alley.

All attention is moved to the young man. The girl only looks at him for a moment before looking at me.

I look at the man, he has short black hair and brown eyes. He's wearing light armor over a black undershirt. A white cloak covers his armor, and a distinct necklace adorns his neck. His hands rest over a sword at the side of his waist.

Wait…

“That's enough, get away from her!” the young man calls out towards the man.

“Mind your own damned business.” The gorilla-esque man responds. “Who the hell art you interlopers anyway?”

“I'm a hero!” The young man pronounces.

…

Todays just a lot.

“Keh, Keha, Kehahahahahahahah-” The large guy below's.

“You think now's the time to be laughing?” the “Hero” Asks.

“You- Haha- You just denoted thineself a hero- Kaha”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“It's funny when tikes say shit like that.” The man says, slowly recovering from his laughter.

“So you think I'm a kid?”

“What else would-ya be? Going on about heroes. The last of those died a long time ago.”

“If you think that, just watch, I’ll show you.”

“Haah, yeah? Then try me.”

Come on, dude, you're revving this guy up.

“Hk.” The sound of flesh hitting stone comes from behind the large man.

“Hey, Hey. You can't be leaving yet, you still haven't answered my question.” The man says to the girl who had started to sneak off.

“Leave her alone and get out of here before I make you,” the self-proclaimed hero says while walking into the alley.

I’ve been completely ignored. Well, the girl noticed me. Hm?.. That may work.

“you art gonna make me? Kehahaha, just try to.” The large man moves away from the wall and faces the “hero”.

“Fine.” The “hero” says as he reaches for his blade.

Time slows to a crawl. The two approach each other slowly. The air shakes as the two are ready to attack.

I look at the girl leaning against the wall. She hasn’t looked away from me.

Alright, let's hope this works.

“Kiru!” The “Hero” calls out as he draws his sword. He reveals a one sided curved blade, a katana. His sword flows straight towards the man.

“Still!” The man calls out as the sword flies toward him.

NOW.

“-” I open my mouth and think of what I want to happen. Then-

<         ^         >

The world is replaced with a void. Neither white nor black. Not a color or a shade. Everything and nothing.

“***************************” a voice calls out. It speaks no words, it sounds like water dropping on stone, fire burning in the wind. It feels like the rising sun, the setting moon.

“What do I want?”

“There’s only one thing I want, but you can’t give it to me, not yet.”

“So I'm here to ask for a small favor.”

I will not remember this. I do not remember this every time.

“*****************************”

“What I ask of you right now is-”

As I speak, my wish color is returned to the world. First white and Black. Next, purples and blues. Then greens and yellows. Then oranges and shades. Finally, the Reds return.

What I ask is for you to-

<        ^        >

““ENSAMBLE””

The dust lining the alley gathers between the large man and the hero’s sword, a ball forming.

The hero’s sword collides with the ball of dust and-

Pop!

Dust flies everywhere, covering the alley in a cloud.

“Gah!”

“Hah?”

Tung!

The sound of the sword colliding with something rings out as my vision is taken away.

“Huh?!” the girl suddenly cries out.

“Let’s go!” I say while grabbing her hand and pulling her up onto her feet. She resists for a moment before following.

“Oh no, you don’t!” The man calls out in vain. “Dammit!”

“Hya!” The Hero's shout echoes through the alley as the girl and I escape.