𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐊𝐄𝐘 ;; 𝓈𝓁𝒶𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓃𝒸𝑒𝓈𝓈

.*•.¸♡ 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙌𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩 ♡¸.•*.

ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ꜰᴇᴇʟꜱ full. Have you accomplished what you desired? Do you know what you desired? Whatever the case, you feel at home. This is where you belong. You know it is, along with her, her, her, and all the rest of them. You are all one of the same and are all one of a kind.

Someone approaches you. You can recognize him this time.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: Flickering lights in empty cityscapes become pockets of vitality and movement. I am more than I was before.

Just as you can recognize him, you can recognize your voice mixed with the many others. It is not a surprise anymore. You know so much more than last time. Knowledge truly is a gift not many seem to appreciate.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Hello. I'm glad you can remember me this time. I was wondering if you were going to forget everything every time, but I see that isn't something I have to worry about.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: So, I've been thinking about our last conversation, and there are some things that I don't understand. Like always, I have some questions I want answered, but just in case, tell me if you can't answer anything, okay?

You feel confident in your ability to answer more questions than normal. You feel knowledge seeping into your brain, more than before. Even if you can't answer, someone else will. Your knowledge is theirs, and their knowledge is yours.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Let's start with the usual: How is this vessel treating you?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: This vessel does not know how to love. Hurting others and herself may be the only way she can show she cares, though she knows the effects are negative. The feeling of vulnerability unnerves her, causing her to always guard her true self. Yet, she wants to be comfortable with someone, to love them more than she could love anyone else. Do not mourn her—for she can finally open up.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: I see. Do you remember anything new?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: I remember the same as you do. Perhaps it is a little less, perhaps it is a little more.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: I'll take that as you don't remember anything new. You don't remember everything that happened before last time, right?

You can vaguely remember what he is asking of you. However, all your memories blur around the edges, with voices distorting and faces messing up. Your memories cannot be trusted.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Okay, I'll take your silence as your answer. Do you know how many times we've been through this? You and I being in the cabin, I mean.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: We have always been together no matter what. Wherever you go, I go as well. We will never be apart.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: How romantic. And creepy. Very creepy. Depending on the way you take it.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: I mean you no harm. I cannot make myself truly hurt the only thing, the only one, I know. Could you?

You don't know which one of you said that—was it her or her? Perhaps it was you—but you trust in those words.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: I, uhh... No? I'm not too sure what you're asking me right now...

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: The unknown contains multitudes many are not yet ready for. Patiency is your treasure, one you must protect at all costs.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Got it. Anyway, I haven't found anything new. It's just collecting you vessels for now. Do you know how I keep finding these vessels?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: Our own actions make us see what we want to. Have you seen me as dangerous? Have I seen you as weak? The options we let ourselves have are the ways we force ourselves to see the world.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Wordy as usual. I know I can't stay for long, so one last question for today: Are we close to the end?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: There is no end. One end is another beginning. We will always keep repeating and starting over.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: No, I mean...

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: I've been collecting vessels for you for a long time. I know you don't remember, and I know I don't know the exact amount of time, but I've been finding you vessels whether I want to or not. You keep asking for more, though. I don't know how many you want, so I feel like we're in an endless loop.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: You always seem to know everything about...everything. Last time was the first time something went differently in our talks. Something changed. I know you don't know what happened, so I'll try to find out. Somehow. But before that, does this change mean you'll be happy with the vessels I've given you?

Every part of you feels uncomfortable with that question. So do all of them. Do you know what to say? Do they know what to say? Someone has to take responsibility and answer him. Is it you who does?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: I don't know.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: Is... Is that it? No fancy words? Just "I don't know?"

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: Is it possible to know everything? There will be mysteries to me, to you, to all, and to none. You know what I don't, and I know what you don't.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: You sound...angrier than usual. Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry. I didn't know questions about how many vessels you need would be a...sensitive topic right now.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐅𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃: We will not remember this next time. This loop must go on for longer, for the best. For us.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓: What does that mean? How do you know that now? Where are you going? This might sound selfish, but don't I usually decide when we start over again? Wait—

Everything goes dark.

- - - -

𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 𝟿𝟺𝟿