Death, Devotion, Dissonance

"I can help you meet Twelve Jokes," Kena continued. "Perhaps I can even convince her to help you... But I have a request for you in exchange."

"What is it?"

Endra did not say he'd do anything for it, but from the tone of his voice, Evin could infer the meaning.

'He'll really do anything for it…'

"I want you to talk to me about Earth."

"Earth?" Endra asked. "Why? You also mentioned it being a big name, didn't you? As far as I know, Earth has nothing special going for it."

"Nothing special?" Kena chuckled. "Earth's one of the biggest worlds conceived. Do you know how big is Alvox? In its entirety, I don't believe it amounts to twenty percent of Earth's surface. It's the Four countries sharing this small bit of land and that's it. That's not even considering the endless expanse of space surrounding it. Compared to our little bubble… it's infinity."

"The Edge of the World… so it's true?" Endra asked.

"Of course. We can only swim out so far, and we can only fly so high. Go beyond that limit, and you're subject to the poisonous space that keeps us isolated. No one survives it and nothing outlives it."

"I was thinking those otherworlders came through a spaceship of some kind."

"A spaceship? What's that?"

"A ship that can travel through space?"

"Is there something like that on Earth?" Kena asked.

"Yes, but we can't travel far with it. Perhaps we could, but not yet."

" 'Nothing much' you say… Heh, I'm also sure that Earth's the most advanced technologically by far."

"It's advanced technologically, sure, but those otherworlders had rather futuristic devices on them too. Cloaking devices, forcefields… Earth certainly doesn't have those."

"What these devices use," Kena pointed at the equipment that the otherworlders were using, "is an alternative form of mana. In this case, it's this thing called Orgone," Kena pulled out the flask again. "I don't know how exactly they function, but I imagine they work similarly to our own magical devices."

"Even then, wouldn't a World with magic be superior to Earth? I'd think much more of a world like Alvox which has magic and godlike beings in it."

"Indeed, but have you ever wondered why otherworlders never invade Earth? From your perspective, there's not much earthlings can do against mages such as myself, right?"

"Yes… Even I can wreak havoc there if I end up there again."

"Well, there are a couple reasons for that. The first one's rather basic. There's no mana on Earth, so a mage can only be as strong as the amount of lodestones they bring there. It's the same with any other energy source. Orgone, Elan Vital, Aether… all these different versions of mana that other Worlds have, they're also nonexistent on Earth."

"I mean, if they can get there, it shouldn't be hard to set up a supply line, no? They'll just need to set up a base and work from there. And if they want to, maybe they can even mount an all-out attack immediately."

'How can you talk so passionately with someone who just tried to kill you a minute ago?"

"Sure, but that's not possible due to the second reason. The Ruler of Earth. The Almighty Creator. 'He' and 'His' subjects who are responsible for keeping the otherworlders at bay are what protects Earth's safety."

Endra seemed baffled. But there was still, excitement in his voice. He never

"There really was a god back there somewhere?"

"I'd imagine. You mentioned a woman sending you here, right? She should've been his subject."

"Yes, but… it's still hard to imagine. To think I lived in a world with a literal god watching over it, but never knowing about it all…."

"Well, it's not so odd. Not many in Alvox know about us Aspects and what we do too. And if the Empress wished to, no one could've learned about her existence too.

"By that logic, I'm sure there is something akin to mana in your world," Kena said. "But since no human there can use it, I assume it all simply goes to the Ruler of Earth and his direct subjects? If they could keep all that power to themselves, then it's small wonder no one dares to mess with them. Despite being small, our World creates an enormous of amount of mana, you know? I can't imagine what a world of Earth's size produces."

"Huh… But is it okay for you to talk about all these things to us? It sounds like something only a select few know about."

"You're an otherworlder yourself and you've met others too. There's no point hiding these things from you. And it's not like the countries don't know," Kena shrugged. "I'm merely interested in Earth. These

"Which is why you want to learn more about Earth."

"Yes. Only about your technology and your religion."

'No, no, no.'

<We should wait a bit before deciding,> Evin said. <Mother and the others are safe so there's no reason for us to do this. And besides, there's no guarantee he'll help you afterwards, is there?>

Evin was just being desperate at this point and he knew it. But even so, he couldn't stop himself from saying these things. He wanted to take back control of his body, but he was too weak now. Perhaps a part of him knew that this was for the best. Endra wasn't someone who could stay with him forever.

"I'll tell you all I know," Endra said. "Don't expect me to know everything, though. I'm not even sure how accurate my memory would be."

<Endra!>

<Information about Earth is a cheap price for a chance at separation. And. Even if we separate, it'll only be in soul. I think I'll stick around you for some time after I get my own body… Hmm, I wonder what kind of body I'll get…>

<I guess you're right…> Evin murmured.

'I have no right to keep you with me. I should let you go.'

"Of course, I won't expect perfection from you," Kena continued. "But there's a solution for it. I can check them myself using the Soul Tree. It'll be much more accurate, and you'll also remember anything you might've forgotten too."

"Is that how it works?" Endra hummed. "But will that affect Evin too? I don't mind about my own privacy, but I wouldn't want to pull the boy into it, you know?"

"It'll only affect you. And you can choose to hide whatever you want from me if you want to… At least, that's how it's supposed to work. But I've never done this with someone with two souls, so I can't be sure."

"Please," Endra said. "Do what you need to do. I only hope you can convince Lady Twelve Jokes to help me after."

"Of course. Ah, but should Lady Twelve Jokes help you, she'll most likely demand your loyalty to the Empress. It's nothing too odd. You must swear your loyalty to the Empress. This means you can't betray Alvox, and it also means you must obey her every order."

"No problem," Endra's answer was immediate.

"Please give me a moment to prepare," Kena said. "In the meantime, you can rest inside the other room."

Endra nodded and dragged Evin's tired body across the messy room. Evin knew he had no choice in the matter. In fact, he should've been happy. And like Endra said, it wasn't like separating was the end of the story for them. They could still be together.

'There's a time for everything…'