Taken Horizon Origin, volume 1, Duality

Episode 0 : incursik's greeting and farewell

[care package from 'Ink of Curses' has arrived!]

Staring up at the message in the air everything that happened to Cayde became clearer. Details about his death were still missing but I had the necessary information.

[care package has opened!]

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Contents:

1: a recorded message

2: an inheritance of shards

3: 10-day-access to friendly tutorial privilege
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Not knowing what else to do in this scenario and with a dire need for answers I said, "Play the message." My voice professing the dire tone I held.

[message is being played!]

Right in front of me, the purple figure of a man wearing a gown with a horrendous Afro ponytail appeared from thin air.

Feelings of pain that were foreign and far from my own began to well up inside me as I watched on.

"Hey, homunculus. I'm sorry to dump this all on you but as you've likely realized by now, you were created for a mission." His expression was cheery, not at all matching his bruised and bleeding figure.

Muttering aloud I called out to my father. "Incursik..."

"This is a recorded message I made right before Cayde and Thorn were sucked into the void crack and well... before I died." Bitterness covered Incursik's face while I dug my nails into my hands, "I'm not the best at goodbyes so I'm going to keep this short."

"Right as Cayde was thrown into the void crack and died, the <pilgrimage> began on Lawgii and I did a little something to attach Cayde's soul to your own. You are going to need his memories of you want a chance at survival on your own, homunculus."

The message warped for a second then it returned with Incursik looking tired and struggling to stand.

"homunculus or... whatever you've named yourself, your body is not simple. In fact, I filled it using whatever it was that nearly possessed Cayde in his last moments. That creature... it was not happy."

A conniving grin seeped up Incursik's face and the feeling of my heart being carved out ached in my chest.

"Your blood is unique as that creature was powerful in every sense of the word. Its power changed the foundation of your genetic code. That power nearly destroyed your body but I managed to use the fragments of Thorn's dragon body to repair you. You're a homunculus that's probably the first to be created in the way I did." Incursik's scheming smile fled his face as some blood dribbled down his cheek. "So... I think congratulations are in order."

Bzzzz!

"You're... already familiar with manipulating chaos with Cayde's memories. I just gave it a special name like 'attrium' so he wouldn't be so worried about it." Incursik coughed violently and fell to the floor in front of me, with tired and dead eyes burning me with his gaze the dying man said the last of what he could. "You should have found Thorn if you're watching this. Keep him safe until Cayde is resurrected."

Bzzz!

"You need to find a new way to use magic. Mana circuits will no longer work, get... creative. I've left multiple messages within that body... to help you when the time is right." Incursik outstretched his trembling hand placing a finger on my forehead. "Brother... Homunculus, you were created to construct a new body for Cayde and to return him to his allies on Laegii... I hope you'll honor a dying man's wish."

Biting my lip, seething hatred began to boil up as I trembled. "This isn't fair..."

"Good luck, homunculus. And sorry... For all I've cursed you to be... and to do." As my hand stretched out to try and embrace Incursik's projection, the purple figure vanished into the air turning into violet particles slowly floating about until they finally disappeared.