Oblivion, A Timeless Void

Chapter 1: To You, From the Shadow of Humanity

November 20th, 2044
'Dreams enshrined within my mortal heart,
I thus stepped forth to forge a new start.'

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

She had always believed that souls were the rawest form of life. Not that the body and mind weren't vital for being—she simply believed the soul mattered the most. It influences thoughts and decisions and clouds rationality and emotion alike. A tainted soul would mean a tainted being. That would be unfortunate, no?

"...cestis... Alcestis!"

The said girl snapped out of her trance as the voice calling her name repeatedly finally sank in her mind. She looked up at the blonde woman before her, wisteria eyes crinkling as she gave her a smile. "Yes, Master?"

The woman sighed at the girl's antics, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I told you not to call me that, Al."

The girl just laughed a little. "So, why'd you come to me today?"

The blonde woman was quiet for a few moments before she started pacing around the field of flowers they were in, Alcestis sitting before her, cross-legged. The sun's rays shone tenderly, making the woman appear like an angel. Her honeyed eyes shone brilliantly in the golden light.

It had been so many years since Alcestis had come to be her 'student'. Eleven years she'd known this woman, who had come to be a steadfast maternal presence in her life. Now twenty, Alcestis thought as she watched the woman pace about the field of blossoming flowers that she truly owed her too much.

"I need you to retrieve Glacies."

"I'm sorry?"

"Glacies. The Ice Geo."

Alcestis's brows furrowed in confusion, but she was still smiling at the woman. Her features embodied the serenity of the twilight sky before dawn. Hesitantly, she posed a question. "What's a Geo?"

At her inquiry, the woman's head tilted to the side a little as her footsteps came to a halt. "They never told you what a Geo was?"

Alcestis shook her head as if to say no. The woman's brows furrowed as well, mirroring Alcestis's confusion.

"Well... A Geo is a relic that can grant you a magical attribute so long as you have it on. It is usually in the form of an accessory, and it can only be granted by a holder of that attribute. It's the reason why the Elementals can do what they do."

Alcestis's smile abruptly dropped at her words. "You're asking me to go find my parents, huh? Touché."

The woman let loose another sigh as she watched the girl's change in demeanour. "Al... They're the only ones you can turn to right now. You're old enough to handle Glacies. That is my belief as its previous owner. I've long been gone... So, take care of it for me, okay?"

The girl did not give her an answer, instead opting to stay quiet. She merely stood to her feet with an indifferent expression, quietly burying her dissatisfaction. "Where do I find it?"

"Look through the basement. Al, please—try to be as discreet as you can. They can't find out about it."

Alcestis nodded, and the dreamscape dissipated with that final sentiment, taking the kind woman with it.

When the girl awakened once more, she was lying in her bed. A pounding headache washed over her the moment she opened her eyes—that always happened whenever she had those dreams. So, she had to stay put until it subsided a little in order to be able to get out of bed.

There wasn't much in her room. A few books lying around, some pictures from her childhood—that was all Alcestis had on display—all the attachment she held to this life.