LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 38: Mockery
The World Was Born From Madness.
The Sun rose from the edges of Earth, illuminating countless paths, radiating among the bright ocean of blue and twilight, waking the countless slumbering beings that rested in the forever stretching lands. Birds chirped, animals ran to hunt or hide, Humans woke up for another Hell.
A new Morning Arose.
With the dawn of a new day, the rays of twilight creaked in, its illumination causing a man's eyes to flutter open. The man; his black eyes closed while panting and massaging his temples. His eyes fluttered open once more as he examined the room's ceiling.
His breath slowly settled down, while his gaze remained unwavered. The sounds of chirping birds echoed in his ears, providing peace to his restless mind, prompting a weary sigh out of his lips. He sat straight, his attention wandering down to his blanket before settling on the open window of his room, from which rays of sunlight entered.
Klein Moretti, the False Fool, sighed again, shaking his head. He removed his blanket as his feet touched the cool, wooden floor. He stood up from his bed, stretching his body slightly, fixing his dishevelled hair, before walking up to the open windows.
His eyelids lowered slightly, his gaze attention shifting to the nearby birds in the misty sky, to the vivid garden encompassing Moon Flowers and Vanilla Extract that laid ahead of him, with a lone figure seated on a chair before a round table, seemingly lost in thought.
His eyelids instantly grew heavier, with his emotions turning dull. His gaze remained fixed on the figure for an unknown amount of time, observing its deathly stillness that occasionally ripple with some small moments. Klein took a deep breath, closing his eyes, averting his gaze entirely. He looked down at the wooden floor, sighing once again, before retreating from the window and leaving his room.
…
Stepping into the garden area of the house, Klein slowly approached the slender feminine beauty clad in a simple plain black dress, her silky long hair slightly flowed about with the soft wind. Her head was fixed at the slumbering Moon Flowers and Vanilla Extract garden that laid before her. Her arm was laid on the wooden table while in her right hand was a porcelain tea cup, with fresh, hot tea gently stirring with the motions of her hand. She brought the cup up to her lips, took a sip, before setting it back on the table, while resting her arm on her lap.
As if sensing the nearby footsteps, she extended her other arm and grabbed the nearby porcelain kettle, emptying some of its contents into her cup.
Klein, who had halted his steps upon seeing this, closed his eyes and shook his head. He resumed his walk, and pulled the chair opposite Amanises, taking a seat. Almost immediately, he took notice of her pale face that bore little to no emotions, her hair slightly dishevelled, forming messy bangs which obscured her eyes.
Her attention seemed to remain on the garden beyond Klein, as if ignoring him, all while she enjoyed her tea.
Klein could feel his heartbeat, his pupil dilating, though his body didn't make a move. For the longest of time, he maintained his silence, as if unable to find any words to break it. After letting out a sigh, he withdrew his eyes and observed a wooden sign placed at the entrance that spelled out.
"Entry of Klein Moretti is Prohibited in these premises."
—Amanises
The wind gently swayed, fluttering the women's plain black dress, and prompting Klein to hold on to his top hat, though he could always steal the wind's momentum. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, sighing, before opening his mouth to speak.
"When the stars are right, chaos will rise from the ground… and the Great Oldest One will awaken."
Klein uttered out the prophecy he had read on the internet back before his transmigration. He took note of Amanises's unchanged expression, and the lack of reaction over his words. He could tell she was very much listening to him by the sudden twitch of her ears, at the top of her head. He remained silent for a while, before continuing in a weary and low tone.
"In the Pre-Epoch times, perhaps years after our 'Transmigration', the Original Creator awoke from "His" slumber, and brought about the Cataclysm to this world. It destroyed most of what we are familiar with. Even the continents slightly changed; most notably, Australia is gone, having turned into the Abyss with Africa, Europe and the Middle East combining to form the Eastern continent. The Americas have remained mostly unchanged, while Greenland became the Sonia Island. Most of Asia turned into the Western Continent, sealed behind the fog beyond Moon city.
"The various constellations observable from earth changed, and the Original Creator himself split apart into 6 Sefirots and 16 Uniqueness alongside countless characteristics. This was also the point when Tenebrous World, Brood Hive, and Nation of Disorder were split apart from their respective Outer Deities due to the convergence and divergence effect from the Original Creator. Finally, what remained of "Him" formed the Astral Barrier around Earth, shielding it from Outer Deities.
"And thus, the time when you and I were born, lived in and nurtured, concluded. The Dark and Chaotic Era marched, The Lord of Mysteries and God Almighty awoke, The First Epoch had Begun."
Klein took a deep breath, looking up at the sky gazing at the Astral Barrier around Earth. The Barrier still remained strong, with no visible signs of weakening or cracking.
He took another deep breath, turning his head back at Amanises. He stared at her for several moments, waiting for her to speak, yet the woman remained silent.
Klein lips twitched indescribably. He sighed again witnessing Amanises pour another cup of tea in her proclean cup. "Our Transmigration was caused by the Previous Lord of Mysteries." Amanises bringing the cup to her lips suffered slight pause on hearing that. Yet, her head remained unmoved as she resumed drinking her tea.
Klein, watching this, only continued.
"Even before the Pre Epoch times, the Original Creator fell into a state of slumber. "His" contradicting existence caused "His" psyche to suffer divergence and split apart into many personas, though all were similarly in slumber. Despite this, they were able to exert their influence on the world through their symbolisms, authorities and characteristics, making preparations for when the inevitable disassociation of the slumbering creator would occur. Many of the folklores and mythical tales we know in modern day were in fact based on actual mysterious events."
Klein paused for a moment, looking down at the round wooden table. "Among these personas, God Almighty and the Lord of Mysteries were the most active and strongest of the Great Old Ones on Earth. The Lord of Mysteries, wielding the highest authority over Divination, managed to sense "His" end long before the awakening of the Original Creator. Thus, "He" began to seize various people from across the globe and placed them around Sefirah Castle as a part of "His" resurrection plan.
"You and I were part of this. In the Modern Era, our souls were dragged out of our bodies, following a number of specific 'acts' from our body and enclosed in a Cocoon of Light above the Sefirah Castle—above the Door of Light; The Sefirah itself . Then, thousands of years after the Lord of Mysteries' Death, the two of us were released in varying intervals, with Sefirah Castle facing a malfunction due to unknown reasons, causing it to be unable to deliver the fate of becoming the Fool to you. It did not happen to me."
Klein caressed his chin, propping his right leg on top of his left. "The rest is history." He muttered, just quietly enough for Amanises to hear it. Silence creaked in again, as the woman didn't say a word while the man continued to stare at her, waiting for her to say something—anything.
Amanises took the last sip from her cup before placing it on the table. She straightened her arms, resting them on her lap, while taking slow breaths. Klein took note of all this, and the silence that accompanied them.
He pondered over something, eventually deciding to speak up. "Sometime after my transmigration, I came to know of the truth of this world. Even before I got to know of the source of transmigration… Then, I came to realise the inevitable fate I possessed, and the danger that came with it."
Klein lightly chuckled looking towards the garden. "We strive to return, only to realise we never left. Just like you, I once wanted to return by any means necessary. I searched for ways, looked for anything that bore semblance to the old world. Then, eventually, I came across Chernobyl."
Klein ruminated over his own past, remembering the times when he searched for Roselle's diary Pages. When he learned mysticism so as to research his way back home, and then when he was kidnapped by Amon and taken to the Forsaken Land of Gods.
In a singular moment, countless memories vividly surfaced in his mind. Klein was reminded of his own grief upon discovering or perhaps being "told" of the truth. The realisation and the pain that followed with this revelation.
He, who had avoided forging bonds and relationships so as to not leave regrets, had come to realise it was for naught. Rising in sequence, risking his own life, plunging himself in madness, all for nothing. One could not return if they had never left, a truth he so desperately did not wish to accept yet forced to do so.
"Life really is just a joke, huh?" Klein commented, looking down at the grassy field. He let out another chuckle and shook his head, before returning his attention to her.
Suddenly fear creaked in.
"Do you hate me?" Klein uttered, his tone weary displaying emotion that resembled sadness and understanding. He turned his head towards the garden once again, holding a tired expression on his face.
"No."
Klein's eyes slightly widened, his head snapping back to her.
Amanises slowly raised her head, and finally observed him. Her ears twitched, straightening, while a gentle breeze passed them. Klein's eyebrow twitched upon seeing her reddened eyeballs, there were dark spots under her eye, with her beauty having lost its lustre under her disheveled state.
"I don't hate you. In fact I don't bear any negativity towards you." Amanises spoke gently, yet there was a cruel dryness in her voice, almost as if she was holding back some hiccups.
"Your conjecture over me was correct. If, on our first meeting, you revealed everything, I would have lost control. After all, the hope of going back was all I truly had back then." Amanises uttered, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, before opening her eyes and gazing deeply at Klein.
"I began to live with you so as to understand you better. Perhaps out of curiosity, or loneliness. You had always been an interesting person. A contradiction to Divinity itself. To be able to maintain interest in the mundane yet, be infinitely closer to becoming a true god. You held secrets far beyond my understanding and I was endlessly curious about them." Amanises paused, a slight chuckle escaping her.
"I have now spent over years learning about you more, and the type of person you are, eventually even placing my uttermost trust in you. Thus, I understand your intentions. They are completely valid. To hate you after knowing you so well…" She paused for a moment and then said, "would be a mockery."
"Hating you would be a mockery to this friendship… to this relationship." Just as Amanises said that, her lips slowly curled up while her eyelids began to twitch. She giggled again before speaking in a broken, pained tone.
"It's just… it hurts to know this truth... You know?"
Klein watched Amanises turn her head back at the garden, her expression slowly twisting back to normal. Klein gaze was fixated on her, his silence maintained, his heart beating loudly in his chest, while his gaze constantly rippled.
Her silence doesn't originate from anger… but from the lack of words.
Klein sighed inwardly, feeling the burden of lie lesser its weight on his shoulder. He came to a realisation that Amanises had a better understanding of him then he had of her. The one he was familiar with was the Evernight Goddess, not Amanises; at least before coming to this time. Same way the world was familiar with Mr. Fool, not Klein Moretti, nor Zhou Minguri who laid underneath.
He had intentionally avoided getting close to anyone after transmigration, so as to not leave regrets. When he finally got to know the truth, it was far too late for him to forge any deep relationship. Neither did he ever attempt to get close to anyone, nor did he present the opportunity for anyone to be close to him. After all, he was a mortal playing a god. Dangers lurked with every step he took.
This friendship was perhaps Klein's first real relationship. The only time he did not had a need to maintain a facade. Thus originated his greatest fear: Their state of relationship after Amanises became aware of truth? Would she come to hate him for withholding something so precious to her.
The answer was, No, she could never. It was at this moment, Klein for the first time ever since his transmigration, found a strong urge to grow closer to her, to understand her better, and perhaps even…
Perhaps…
He followed her gaze towards the swaying Moon Flower and Vanilla Extract and gently replied. "It does." He sighed deeply, extending his left hand and soon taking hold of her right, gently caressing it with his thumb. "But in the end… there is nothing that can be done. The past is but a fleeting memory now among countless many."
Even if I were to somehow go back to that point in time… He silently added in his head. Amanises slightly nodded, letting the slender fingers of her right hand entwine with the left of his. They both ruminated in silence, with the rays of sun becoming more apparent.
"What happened to our original body?" Klein maintained his gaze on her and answered. "They committed suicide shortly after." Klein remembered the scene of his real body, the body of Zhou Minguri jumping off the balcony of his apartment. He then heard a dry chuckle from Amanises, followed by words.
"Well, at least it's a closure to our stories and to our previous life." Klein's pupil dilated, his lips curled up into a small smile while he shook his head. "Yeah. It's the end of one journey, only to be thrown into another." He paused for a moment then continued.
"Dying is better than facing this burden. Won't you agree, oh, Knight of Misfortune?" Amanises lowered her gaze down to the round table then back at Klein.
"What now?" She asked. Klein thought about it for a moment, before lifting his free hand. He took off his top hat, the manifestation of Fool Uniqueness, and rested it on Amanises head. "What can be? You know the truth, what we can do is live with our lives…" He paused, looking up at the sky. "And prepare for the inevitable.
"But that's a long while before that." Saying that he got up from his chair, and let go of her hand. His face formed a beautiful smile, a radiant one, while he bowed down extending his hands towards her. "For now what I propose is, let's fix your hairstyle, eat breakfast and play some games to lighten your mood. Once you feel a bit better, we can resume our travels." Amanises looked down at his fair palm, before shifting her eyes towards his face. She remained motionless for some moments, before extending her hand and resting it on his.
A small smile formed on her face.
She slowly got up from her seat, looking over at the cups that had mysteriously disappeared. She shook her head, lifting her hand to fix the position of the top hat on her head, with Klein maintaining his gaze on her.
And thus, the duo walked back to their house. A new day was upon them.