Chapter Text
Warm greeted her even when her sight is still dark, no longer the cold of the hall of memories she had grown accustomed to. She can also feels the texture of grass under her body, the kind that makes her slightly nervous, worry if she would wake up there again.
.. 33 Million Cycles, 33 Million and more time she had repeated it over and over again for the sake of everyone elses to close the causality and keep Irontomb 'sealed', the Eternal Recurrences she had grown tired of.
(She's unsure of how many Eternal Recurrences more that she can bear, especially with how bad it became before he pushed her out of her own cycles finally. Running through the memories of each Eternal Recurrences just to reach that light at the end of the tunnel, one she's unsure if it leads back to the start of everything, or to her eventual freedom.)
(Flashes of memories in that cold, dark and long hall full of her own memories appear and she almost break if not for her friends lending a helping hand to reach that.. Hopeful tomorrow. From what she can faintly remember, at least.)
(She wondered if it had all been in vain.)
Open your eyes, she hear her own voice says in her head, you won't know unless you do, right? ♪
Taking a deep breath, she can feel herself nodd before opening her eyes. Flinched slightly from the sudden light, though she can see silhouette reminisce of a tree. Her hope crushed even more until she realized that she didn't woke up as a baby, nor her usual teenager self everytime she's back there again, and the tree is green instead of the usual yellow she had come to associate as home and one of the sign of her curse.
Blinking, she inhaled sharply as she force herself up, eyes wide in disbelieve as she's greeted with a sight of equally as green landscape instead of gold. There are no wheat field here, just grass and some trees, and she can see a village not so far from here. She bit her lip, looking around to confirm that she's, in fact, did not go back there again—eventually standing up to check out her surroundings further, though never really leaving the tree she's under.
"This.." she can feel tears in her eyes, all of those feelings she had bottled up for maybe aeons start to leak, "this is not Aedes Elysiae.."
She stood with one hand holding onto the tree as her legs suddenly feel so weak. She blinked fast, then wipe her teary eyes.
"Damn it." She cursed under her breath, "when was it since I get this emotional..?"
Hiccups left her lips as she slide down. She wipe her face as she took a deep breath, her runny nose doesn't help at all—but it's nice that she's finally able to breath this air of freedom.
Seems like the Ripple finally reached that tomorrow too, huh?
"Peach.." She whispers quietly, "PhiLia.. Demiurge.. guess we made it, huh?"
A weak laugh left her and she lifted her head to look at the sky, "or well, I made it. We are all, has always been 'Cyrene' after all."
She took another deep breath, then looked down to her feet again. When she see something blue at the corner of her eyes, she raise her head and found 'As I've Written' laying down beside her. She figured it probably the back up version considering she had given the real (main) one to the Trailblazer (everytime, and always at the end of every Eternal Recurrences).
Letting out a sigh, she reached for her book and took it to her lap. It feels heavy, much heavier then the original one. Maybe it because this one always stay by her side? Back up version meant it can be updated each time she reached the end of every Eternal Recurrences, quiet literally is her own bank of memories. Maybe.
She open the book, just to immediately close it again when she feels heavy, drained and frost creeping up her arms, her body. Yeah, this book is basically her own back up of memories, and seems to be rather chaotic. Which make sense, because it easier to keep smaller files. That is why she'd always has a new book to write down the sagas of each Eternal Recurrences.
"I'll sort through my own memories later." She—Cyrene says, yawning as she speak, "now though, I just want a nap.."
Her eyelids feel heavy, and her breath slowed. Eventually she found darkness again as her body rested. Mind now at ease knowing that she no longer has to go through those hell again.
(Deep in her mind, she still make her wishes:
"May this world never again need a Deliverer.")
( "May this world never again need an Endless Sacrifice." )
**
This world is indeed Amphoreus, a legit real one albeit Cyrene can still sees some leftover data in everything that exist, along with an abundant of underlying memoria. That's what happened when a world is so tied to a path or two it seems, both Rememberance and Erudition running through this world as some kind of a pillar. Beside those paths, Cyrene can also feel a faint energy of the Trailblaze, which always particularly strong in sites that resonates strongly with the coreflames—or the Coreflames data stored in her book (and the one coreflame that had grown and resided in her (Genesis)).
But.. There is this one thing that confuse her..
This Amphoreus doesn't look like her Amphoreus at all. The places and buildings looks like it might be the original form from the ruins in her (simulated) Amphoreus. The fact that the place meant to be Aedes Elysiae (somehow still protected by the Veil of Evernight (Time)) is still an empty savanna field meant that she might landed at times far from her own. Supported even more by the fact that she only found a handful of villages and all of them living in a style similar to the golden age often told in stories.
They are all nice people though, and very welcoming. They offer her food and some clothes for free, while the things they sell aren't so high in price. She had refused most of them, feeling bad that she might intrude and took too much—even when they insists, saying that stocks are abundance anyway.
Still, when she doesn't found any of her friends during her journey around this new Amphoreus, even Tribios, she decided to leave her world temporarily, using the memories she collected in order to pay a certain genius a visit.
Of course she took a short cut, being a Child of Anasrava gives her plenty of pros when it comes to mirror.
... Except she should've given them a warning first it seems, so she shouldn't have to dealt with an.. Electric blade on her throat. It's sharp edge pricked her skin, causing little bits of her golden blood to spill. Cyrene kept both hands raised as she stares at this.. Boy. White fluffy hair and dark skin, along with one visible purple eye and uniform that suggests security. His ID isn't so visible from how the boy hunched slightly from holding his blade (Claymore? Greatsword?) in place.
Cyrene glanced a little, and found that she is in fact in Herta's space station, exactly the same as what she had seen when she peaked into Stelle's memory, and exactly the same as when she was collecting the universe's memories to reweave it back from destruction. So she's at the right place at least.
"Who are you?" The boy ask, his voice slightly rasp but also a bit high. His eye moves quickly, analyzing her, "state your business."
Cyrene hummed, "my name's Cyrene, and I.. I want to ask Herta something. About Amphoreus."
The boy stays guarded, and she can see other officer coming, pointing their guns behind the boy, "and why is that?"
Cyrene shrugged, "Madam Herta helped defeating Irontomb and probably helped bringing Amphoreus to reality. I just wondered why I woke up so early in Amphoreus, even earlier then Tribios's birthday too, it seems."
There is a glint of confusion in the boy's eyes, his hold on his blade lightened slightly.
"What is your connection to Amphoreus exactly?" He asks, tone isn't as hostile this time. Cyrene smiles.
"Hm, was the original bearer of time," she admitted, "though currently is the bearer of 'Genesis'. A Demigod I suppose, or Titan. Either works, I guess."
The boy finally put his weapon down, though with the guards behind him still pointing their guns at her. Cyrene doesn't mind, at least she manage to get through one of them. She came in peace after all, even without warning.
"Asta, one of Amphoreus's Demigod came to visit, she say she wanted to ask Madam Herta something about Amphoreus." The boy clicked something around his ear and Cyrene can faintly hear a feminime voice replying, though not so clear.
"Hm? She said her name's Cyrene, original bearer of time and something about Genesis." The boy says again after a while, looking up at Cyrene as he gestured for his friends to lower their guns behind him, "Alright then, I'll inform her."
The communication device in his ears turned off, and the boy nodd, "Asta said you are one of Madam Herta's.. Companion. She also said that your request is in process."
Cyrene smiles, lowering her arms, "thank you."
The boy nodd, then bow slightly, "while it'd be better if you had informed us before hand, you are still a guest."
The boy stood back up and offer her his hand, "also, my name's Arlan. Welcome to the Space Station."
Cyrene took his hand, "it's nice to meet you too, Arlan. Sorry, I kinda forget reservation is a thing.."
The boy shook his head, parting their joined hand, "it's alright."
"Come, I'll bring you somewhere more comfortable," Arlan gestured her to follow, "somewhere that is not a storage."
Cyrene giggled, "of course."
**
"Amphoreus does in fact has finally made real," the Genius says, looking straight to the Aeon Titan Demigod girl's eyes, "but everyone are going to reality like every other new world: from the very beginning. The data provided will ensure the growth of your world to be similar to the old Amphoreus though, so you don't have to worry if of the possibility of losing your friends."
"There are some differences however," Herta speak again, "like how Titans no longer really exist, yet their influence stays as it was before the Black Tide. Well, unless if you're count as a 'Titan'."
".. How about the Golden Blood?" Cyrene ask.
"Nope. Not when the Destruction's influence no longer exist in Amphoreus." Herta replied, "even if they exist, their existance shouldn't be a sign of any upcoming calamity."
Cyrene sigh, "I know, I know. Just wondering."
Herta roll her eyes, "uh huh, Titan."
Cyrene makes a face, "Titan?"
The genius huffed, "you are basically their god, an ex-Aeon too, technically. I'm surprised that you manage to get here at all."
Something cloud the pink haired girl's eyes at those words, something about her feels so heavy suddenly. Herta shuddered as she felt the room gets colder and the memoria surrounding the girl thicken. Cyrene just sigh, then nodd.
"Yeah, took a long while to get here," Cyrene huffed out a laugh, "well, even if I manage to land on a time frame in which none of my friends are even born yet."
Herta kicked her foot lightly, "don't be so gloomy, at least you got the answer you were looking for."
Cyrene smiles at that, "aww, madam, you care about me??"
"Of course," the genius says with such a tone, "I'm that great after all. I'm even as great as to offer you a place to crash on if the waiting gets too long for you."
The Aeon Demigod Titan roll her eyes, "thanks a lot. Might consider later even when I have a lot of patience in me."
Herta smirked, "you are quiet the yearner, figured you might goes crazy sometime during your waiting arc."
"Alright, fine." Cyrene rose both her hands, "you got me, oh great Genius. I am that kind of yearner who can absolutely goes apeshit at times."
"I know." Herta turn on her heals, her hologram flickered, "now go. Your world awaits you, Genesis."
"Kicking me out already?" Cyrene asks, acting all dramatic. Knowing full well the genius can already imagine her antic despite having her back turned on her, "we haven't even drink together! You know, for the victory against Irontomb?"
The Genius sigh, "maybe later, now I'm busy so get along now!"
And then she's gone. The projector turned off, leaving Cyrene alone in the meeting room. She sigh, then stood up to leave—this time going to that kind Lead Researcher and Arlan to bid her goodbye. To let them know that she's leaving.
(Quiet something isn't it? Almost never meet anyone (again) until it's time to say goodbye, and only that goodbye she can utter.)
**
Years gone by in a flash, thousand of years feels like just days for the Genesis Titan. She waits and waits, traveling from one place to another, switching identity every few centuries. Each time quicker then the last when she sees that human's life span gets shorter each time. Usually only by one to two years each every centuries, so not too drastic. Cyrene must admit that she has quiet the amount of fake graves from her faking death each time she changed identity.
She still took care of the cosmic politic though, and helping with things related to the government in Amphoreus with only some people who knows that she always stays the same each time. She's usually the one who talked to the Genius, specifically Herta and Screwllum, while also shooing the IPC off. Saying that the Genius Society is enough help as it is and that Amphoreus don't need to bother any other faction—which is great.
She's not as active in the government these days however, just coming if called.
(She kinda missed the time she gaslighted the IPC's people with her oracle cards. While the bad cards she pulled were legit, she kinda make it sound worst just to put those shitheads on the corner. Especially when they say they wanted to do something on one of the many sacred land in Amphoreus.)
Oh well, living without politics weighted heavily on her shoulder is definitely freeing. Especially when she get to live in this small village near Janus Temple with her own wheat field to tend, along with her own horse as a companion (and helper). Such a calm life with nice neighbors and wonderful income. Glad to know that the knowledge about farming, wheat and the general agriculture she learned from her time in Aedes Elysiae (and at the Grove, though brief) still works wonderfully in this new world.
She decided to finally settle down despite her own desire to travel more. Something in her guts told her that she will find something here, the same with her oracle cards. The Scholar and The Priestess; which means she will find 'it' in time—don't know what 'it' means, but she have a feelings that this 'it' might be a 'they', or in this case, just a 'she'.
(Deep inside, she's still waiting.)
For this noon, she had just came back from the woods nearby, cart fillled with freshly cut logs behind her as she rode on her horse, a black Hackney she named Neikos—definitely in the memory of him, even if she know that he will be reborn eventually—and park the cart next to her home.
She climbed down from Neikos as she rub his head and neck, whispering a thank you as she always does before removing the weight of the cart on him and lead him back to the stable.
Giving him one last pat once he's in, she left to cut the logs to put it in the woodshed.
"Hi miss!" A familiar young voice called, freezing Cyrene on her track, "your horse is so beautiful!"
Gulping, Cyrene turn. Putting on her best smile for good measures.
Her breath hitched as she tries to put up her usual facade, emotions running wild when she sees a bundle of red head on a child so small. She remembered there were three of her, there used to be a thousand of her. Yet those thousand used to be just one, didn't they?
"Tri-" Noooo Cyrene, it'd be creepy if you already know this kid's name when you never met her before, "Ah, thank you. He's quite the charmer."
The kid's eyes sparkle, "he's soooo beautiful, and handsome! And also Maj- Ma.. Majestic! What his name miss?"
Cyrene smiles wider, happy with the her enthusiasm, "his name's Neikos. You want to take a closser look?"
The kid is even more excited now, jumping up and down as she squeled, "Yes please!-"
"Tribios!" A feminime voice called and the kid—Tribios—turn. Cyrene can see the nervousness, "Tribios, oh titans! You run quick don't you?"
The voice owner is a woman whom look so similar to older Tribios. Cyrene is pretty sure this woman is Tribios's mom, based on the memories of Amphoreus she collected before, and of what she had written.
The woman approached Tribios with a look of worry, speaking in a way a worried mother would. Maybe because Tribios wandered a bit too far, or-
"I'm sorry, I already told this little one here not to randomly goes to any of the stables here," the mom says instead, took a bit while for Cyrene to realize that she's talking to her, "she's just a curious rascal, I hope she hadn't give you any trouble?"
Cyrene kept her smiles, though her eyes definitely reflected her confusion as clear as day.
"But mom!!" Tribios whined, "Neikos is ma- maj- mahetic-"
"Majestic?" Cyrene says with a tilt of her head, and Tribios nodd with a firm hum.
"Yes!" The kid stares at her mother in the eye, "and we don't see horses often! Just Dromasses..."
Her mom sigh, then stares up at Cyrene again, "well, as she said. Tribios is just curious and has been intrested in horses ever since they were mentioned in her class just before we move here. Our previous place only has Dromasses and some sheep while the woods only has so many animals.."
Cyrene suddenly laugh, booming and free, so unlike her. But a girl (or woman) can be free from time to time, right? Beside, she's just a farmer and wood maker now. Still occasionally write but mostly farming if just for the sake of nostalgia.
Tribios and her mother look at her in confusion.
"Sorry, it's just-" Cyrene says once the laugh fade, "it's alright, no big deal at all! In fact, I do like the attention, and so does this big guy, yeah??"
Neikos let out a high neigh, and Tribios watch in awe. Cyrene giggled, then crouch down to be on eye level with the kid.
"You're curious about Neikos? I can definitely tell you more about it later," she says, ruffling the kid's hair after she take off her gloves full of wood splitters, "of course, if your mother allowed you to come by."
Tribios brightened up instantly, looking up at her mom together with Cyrene. Her mom sigh, then pat Tribios's head.
"Well, I suppose you can go back here tomorrow." She sigh, "thank you, miss.. Um.."
"Cyrene," Cyrene quickly tell her, "you can call me Cyrene."
The mother nodd, "and I am Mortis. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Mortis offered her hand, and Cyrene took it.
"Likewise," Cyrene says kindly, "and you've got quite the lovely daughter. She'll bound to make a lot of friends here, considering that you seems new around here?"
Mortis laugh, parting their hands, "yes we are. We originally lived in Janus Temple because I was the head priest. When I got married and have Tribios here, we left to a nearby village once the new Head Priest had been assigned."
"But this kid really like to see things she learned at school for herself, often getting herself in trouble for wandering too far in the woods—so we've been traveling around to satiate her wonder." Mortis says, rubbing on Tribios's round cheek.
"Well then welcome!" Cyrene says with an open hand, "I hope this village is to your liking, maybe you can even finally settling down here for good. I was also a traveler, after all."
"Of course," Mortis says with a nodd. Her smile and body language now warmer, "thank you Cyrene."
"No problem!" She replied with a smile, then looking back down to Tribios, rising her hand for a high five, "have fun kid, you don't get to be young forever after all."
(Or maybe she did, once upon a time in an era so far away.)
Tribios smilled up at her, so bright and oh so kind.
She can felt her heart clench, she definitely missed the heirs more then she what she thought, "thank you Miss Cyrene!"
"Well, now we gotta go," Mortis says again, "say goodbye to the nice lady?"
Tribios nodd, "of course! See you Tomorrow, Miss Reney!",
Before Mortis can comment on the nickname, Cyrene ruffled the kid's hair more. She can feel tears pooling in her eyes, she hadn't heard that phrase in so long, "See you tomorrow, Tribbie."
Mortis sigh, decided not to correct her child for the moment. She wave at Cyrene as she walk away, Tribios in hand, also waving.
Ah, the long awaited reunion finally happen, even if it actually a first meeting on Tribios's part.
Nevermind that, Cyrene got some logs to chop after all, and her mood is wonderful.
('See you Tomorrow' alright. A permanent farewell is never a thing for them, no matter how long the reunion will take to come.)
(She ended up crying herself to sleep on the ground of her backyard instead of getting any logs chopped. Oh well, this ancient Titan has been lonely for so long after all.)
**
"Aunt Reney?" Tribios called as she scrub the dirt off Neikos, "have you ever thought of.. Traveling?"
Cyrene hummed as she continues to sharpen her axe nearby. Logs sprawled all around her to be processed further once she got her axe back to it's prime condition, "you do know that I had been traveling before settling down here, kid. So of course I've thought about it, centuries ago."
Tribios huffed at her reply, "no, I mean, do you think of traveling.. Again? Even when you've finally settled here comfortably with a vast golden wheat field, Neikos and making extra money from lumbering?"
"Huh," Cyrene rose an eyebrow, eyes glancing at the red head, "well, I do want to.. find some people.. So I definitely had thought about traveling again—just not anytime soon. Why? You want to go traveling?"
Tribios smiles, hands splashing Neikos with water to wash off the soap, "yeah.. I want to see the world with my own eyes."
Cyrene stop polishing her axe, head now turned towards Tribios whom now giggling as Neikos headbutts her. Cyrene eyes Tribios more, now older then when she first met her, already turning 15 just last month. Cyrene once thought that perhaps Tribios will follow on the steps of her mother, to be a priest of this little village, yet something about the kid—her curiousity, her genius mind—make her think that maybe Tribios shouldn't be kept just in one place at all. The path of Passage, does entails to open a new path for others after all. Probably the only path beside Genesis that also simulate the path of the Trailblaze, though mostly supposed to be simulating Harmony as far as Cyrene knows.
... Cyrene wondered if the kid would've liked the Grove of Ephipany.
That place already becoming the best place to study once more after all, and what's the best place to travel to in order to sate one's curiosity beside the very place that offer the freedom to explore whatever you want to explore, even blasphemy as what Anaxagoras had done during the time of simulation—though he himself has yet to be born again in this world as far as Cyrene concerned. Beside, there are plenty of roads to reach the Grove of Epiphany. If Tribios wished so, Cyrene can bring them through the longest road and let the kid see and learn of the other city states, or of the forests.
Hm.
"Then go, embark on your own journey," Cyrene finally says after a while. Tribios quickly turned to the older woman, hands holding the black hackney's head gently. The kid's face turned surprised, yet confusion and uncertainty etched on her feature.
"I- I uh.." Tribios stutered, petting Neikos in order to calm herself, "I.. I don't think I can.. Not yet, at least. Don't want to leave my mom here alone and I don't think I have enough money to survive out there alone.."
"Who says you will be alone?" Cyrene huffed, "I can always come with you."
Tribios blinked, once, then twice. The kid took a sharp inhale as she rub a circle on Neikos's neck, "I- is it really okay..? How about mom?"
"Just tell her, I know Mortis knows you've long to have your own journey. You also can always come back here every few months or years, or just send back a letter along with some souvenir." Cyrene offered, standing up as she walk up to the kid, "or if you are not ready just yet, we can wait for a bit longer. Time is on our side, remember?"
Tribios fall silent at that, something in her eyes tells her that she's thinking it over, or she simply did not expect for Cyrene to offer such things so easily when the question only meant as a curious question. Cyrene waits beside her, taking off her gloves full of splinters.
".. I don't think I'm ready just yet.." Tribios finally says after a moment of silent, "but thank you."
Cyrene smiles at that, hands ruffling the Tribios's red head. Tribios laugh at that, though definitely a bit annoyed when she found her hair a mess.
"Tell me when you're ready," Cyrene tells her, "we can go together then."
Tribios nodd excitedly, her smiles oh-so-bright and Cyrene can't help but feels that tang of nostalgia once more. The red head then dive in for an embrace, hugging Cyrene tightly. Cyrene let out a chuckle as she hugs back just as tightly, quietly wishing for the world to be kind to them.