Chapter 39

Upon wandering throughout the very cold, far and just overall empty fields of existence, Lady Death did not see a single thing. After all, is existence itself not fundamentally empty? Or, precisely because Lady Death does exist in this empty world, is the world filled? This is a question which can be easily answered with either “Yes” or “No”. Whether or not the answer is yes or no depends on yet another question though: Is oneself part of the world around them? Or are there two entities: The world and the person living within it?

The effective answer to this question which serves as an answer to yet another question is: It does not affect anything in any way. After all, such questions, like the question for the very purpose of life itself, is merely a fun way to spend time and never something actually meaningful.

Eventually, Lady Death arrives at the very tea party she has been invited to.

As she sits down on the table, the two other Protogoni are already awaiting her.

Purest Love, a boy dressed in pink clothes with a feminine face on the one side of their body, a girl dressed in purple clothes on the other side of their body. They are one and the same and yet they are two. The red hair connecting the two of them is closely intertwined.

The other person sitting at the table is Father Time. Father Time is a mature woman, wearing a monocle on the one eye and a clock instead of the second eye. She wears hypermodern clothes, showing off a bunch of pins, stickers and the like. She was wearing a priest's hat which glows in neon colors.

“There you finally are.” Father Time grins and throws a piece of gum into her mouth. She begins to blow a bubble due to the gum.

“Am I late? Or is everything late for you today as well?” Lady Death - she was wearing her white hair in the form of two twintails today, as well as wearing a modern school uniform,

“Well, well!” Father Time does not answer the question, but she does make her bubble pop by speaking.

“Is it not strange that, despite being the literal definition and personification of concepts, we are still not free of those very concepts? After all, time is an important part of our lives as well. Like being on time, for example.” The male part of Purest Love says.

“Of course, love is the most important. After all, each and every being needs to form connections. So do we. It is no random occurrence that we are talking, after all. And just like that, it is written in stone that only after killing us and thus being completely alone will Lady Death herself perish. After all, being lonely is the most terrifying thing there is.” The female part of Purest Love says.

“Oh, do you truly think so? After all, without Time, such a moment would not even be distinguishable from the moment we are sharing right now… Thus, without time, everything will lose its purpose.” Father Time swings her finger around.

“I do not think that anyone of those is more important than another. After all, all of us Protogoni are equal.” Lady Death sips some tea.

“Well, do you really think so? After all, is it not you who will survive all of us? And, in the same manner, is it not given that we will be slain in a certain order?”

Lady Death cannot answer this.

“Well? Have you ever thought about what the order will be like, huh?” Father Time smiles at her. Lady Death still does not say a word. She takes a small sip. Then she looks directly at them.

“I have not, for I do not believe there to be a certain meaning in the end itself. Not yet, that is. Upon approaching the end, everything suddenly changes.”

“Oh, I understand what you mean.” Both sides of Love say. “Everything changes once we approach the end. In the same way, won’t everything change right now, as the thirteen night approaches?”

Lady Death smiles. “Yes, indeed… However, the future is not given. Correct?”

Father Time is caught off-guard and nods. “Yup, correct! Though that is a question you better ask Sir Fate… well, you already did talk about him. But the future, past and present are barely different, are they?”

“Of course they are! Love that once was but stopped will never truly be again. That is the truth.” the man says.

“Well, but is love not able to forgive and thus start anew?” the woman says.

“Well, to forgive is never to forget.” the man says.

“The two of you should start a podcast.” Father time says.

“What is your opinion, Lady Death? Once love ends, will it be able to bloom once more?” They look at Lady Death. She keeps quiet for a while, then she answers.

“Now, now. There is no real answer to such a question. After all, the two of you cannot truly answer and define love either. Is it romance? Is it lust? Those debates will never end. In the same way, Father Time cannot truly answer what is the difference between past, present and future. Sir Fate cannot set the boundaries of what is chosen by fate and what isn’t and neither Little Light nor Endless Darkness can properly explain their presence without the other. Despite being the very personification of a concept, we ourselves can never properly understand the concept. This is not because we do not know of its properties: It is because in this world there is not one objective truth. What I say is not law. And thus, if you believe differently, then that is your truth. Such is the very nature of an empty world, only filled and given form by its inhabitants.”