The viewing was over, it was fairly short, all things considered. There wasn't much to watch to begin with.
Still, as the screen declared the end of the viewing, most of the rooms were filled with dark emotions. It was only natural, after all, they had just seen in a span of less than five minutes, a young man seeing his childhood efforts crumble to ash.
Unnecessary Blood.
At first, a lot of them had thought that it was a simple sob story about how the fateless one, the one who would disconnect from one of the greatest forces, would disconnect with his blood ties.
Instead, they got the recounting of how the Fateless One was broken even before walking the path of ascension.
Longing Room | Nephis POV
Nephis was feeling slithly overwhelmed. She was feeling sad, which she felt natural, if Sunny was in pain, the pain in her chest was only natural. Yet, the end of the viewing had also left a deep impression in her.
The venom in his voice. It was clearly anger.
Anger for what? She did not know, nor could she remember.
She wasn't even sure if he was angry at her for something she did or was about to do. And yet, she was almost sure he was angry AT her.
Sunny and she had only argued once.
As anything that left her life in chaos, the topic of the argument was the damned Nightmare Spell. She was determined to destroy it, while Sunny saw it as usefull.
The feeling of their argument had left her conflicted. She remembered being mad for not having his approval, on the other hand, she was so happy. After all, one of his main reasons to go against her was because he was concerned about her.
That concern had warmed her greatly.
And yet, what she had just seen was not just an argument. There was something going on between past Sunny and her past self, a great disagreement that could lead either one of them to make a terrible decision.
And the feeling rising from her gut. A sense of disappointment and anger, an echo of a past emotion resounding in her mind.
Was she disappointed and mad at herself for some reason? Or was she disappointed and mad because Sunny was not at her side?
'When did this interaction even happen?'
[You are allowed one question before voting for the next viewing]
Nephis looked around, seeing that no one had any questions, she decided to ask.
"When did this take place?"
[The recounting in the viewing happened during the events of [Volume 2: Demon of Change], due to being part of a future volume, that information cannot be revealed. As compensation, the Mask reveals that both Star of Ruin and -Unknown- are of the Dormant Rank.]
'So we were sleepers? Something in the Forgotten Shore—what could've led to an argument about saving people?'
On the screen, the cards for the other two viewings were revealed.
However, they were different. On the first one, [Black Mountain], an image of a snowy mountain could be seen, a caravan of slaves treading upon it.
On the second one, [Fated Encounters], the image depicted a young man and an older woman meeting. The man was in a bed, while the woman was... slapping him?
"Hum... Vote for [Black Mountain]."
Shadow Room | Rain POV
Rain didn't know how to feel.
'Just what was I expecting?'
She already knew it would end up like this. She already knew the entire story, so why was she feeling this way?
Perhaps because she had seen it.
Her brother, a Supreme, a being that had always seemed to hold an unattainable power, someone that felt like a strong anchor that allowed her to feel safe.
A warm hand in a cold winter.
Seeing that brother, that existence that felt undefeatable, completely break in front of her eyes because of her.
It felt awful.
She felt a hand on her shoulder.
It was Saint.
'Is she comforting me?'
The taciturn knight pointed towards the screen.
[You are allowed to ask a question.]
What was she even supposed to ask? What did she even want to know?
"After that day, when do we meet again?"
[Such information reveals spoilers for Volume 3: [Prince of Nothing], the only information that will be provided is that -Unknown- was 18+ when he met Promise of Distant Sky again.]
'More than a year then. Considering his age now... I really did forget twice, huh...'
[Please start voting...]
The two other viewings reveal themselves, this time with images to describe the viewing better.
'Is she slapping him?!'
Shadow Room's Vote: [Black Mountain]
Room of Nothing's Vote: [Black Mountain]
Nightmare Room's Vote: [Black Mountain]
Black Mountain Votes: ||||
Alter Room | Mundane Sunny POV
He couldn't believe it.
His parent's dying early.
No Saint.
Being separated from his sister.
And then what had just happened.
He felt Nephis and Cassie holding his hands, as if trying to comfort him. He felt the concerned gazes of the other people that made up their mundane section.
'Do I even need conforting?'
He shook his hands free, careful not to be too aggressive.
"I'm fine. He was right anyway, the way he was, he... I would only be a burden to Rain."
Cassie opened her mouth to retort, but Nephis shook her head, gesturing to leave it.
'Besides, without Mom, Dad, Saint, and Rain, then I would just rather die a quick death in a ditch somewhere.'
Mad Timeline Cassie POV
She looked expressionlessly toward the screen and then looked at the one beside her.
"Anything different from what you remember?"
"Aah, Torment, you already know that whatever difference there is between our realities is not so early on. Ah, but to see my little Rain so young again, she was quite pretty a shame that just like you, she became such an abomination when corrupted."
Whispering Calamity, or at least that was what humanity called her, a Corrupted Terror that accompanied the Mad Prince.
She was one of the commanders of his maddening legion. A being of hundreds of eyes and mouths, uttering true names as if they were normal words.
And the prelude to what Sunny was planning to do with his old cohort. To turn them back into their plague selves, not for any reason but to use them alongside Rain to guard his most precious treasure, that he would one day obtain, or so he believed.
Nephis.
"But, Torment, what will you ask the Mask, or rather, will you even have the opportunity to do ask?"
"The three questions we are allowed after three viewings are decided by the one with the biggest contribution to the challenge that will be issued at the end of the day."
She looked at him.
"And in this whole room, our section is the strongest, Sunny. I am pretty confident in our odds of getting some information."
The Mad Prince chuckled.
"Indeed, I suppose you are right, dear Torment. But you still haven't answered me. What will you ask?"
"You will see."
She then issued her vote for the next viewing, she caught Jet staring dazedly at the picture of [Fated Encounters].
'That's how they first met, if I remember correctly, she must be feeling conflicted.'
Detective Sunny POV
"How shitty. Is every version of me someone with a childhood made out of trash? I need a drink."
"Detective..."
Choosing to ignore Saint's frown, as even with it she was too strong for his heart, he remained thinking about what he just saw.
'While I was dealing with gangs, this kid was crawiling on the ground trying to reach his sister. We are not so different as I thought we'd be.'
He then issued his vote and stared at the next viewing options.
Regressed Sunny's version of Jet POV
'Well, that was concerning.'
She looked at Sunny, who was conforting Nephis who had ended up crying. It was rather cute how she imediatelly started crying when she saw the Sunny on screen beginning to pale in realization.
But there was something that was bothering Jet.
Sunny was not surprised at all during the viewing.
Not only that, when Nephis and himself appeared on screen together, he had covered her ears, shielding her from the angry tone his on screen self had used on the grown Nephis.
Also, in that universe they were of the same age, or close, and he didn't bat an eye.
And then there was the whole thing with his sister Rain.
The Sunny she knew had no family, much like herself, but he didn't even looked surprise by her appearence.
Much like every single Sunny in the room.
'I don't want to doubt Sunny, but there is something going on.'
Diverged Nephis POV
Watching that conversation again felt somewhat unconfortable to Nephis. After all, if something different happened that night, could Sunny have been saved?
'There is something more important to take care off, right now.'
She looked at Rain who was struggling to hold back her tears. The girl had been strucked hard by the truth of their separation.
Although Nephis had told her about how Sunny and her were related, she never disclosed this conversation.
Kai and Cassie were conforting the girl, but seemed to be having trouble to manage to make the girl hear their words.
"Excuse me."
A voice sounded behind Nephis, making her stiffen. She slowly turned around.
It was Sunny, or rather, the mundane Sunny who was previously with his version of Cassie and herself.
"Can I?"
He was pointing at Rain.
Nephis struggled to respond, not knowing what to say. She felt her body both heat up and growing cold. She used all of her effort to remain as expressionless as possible.
'Not your Sunny. Not your Sunny. Not your Sunny. Not your Sunny. Not your Sunny. Not your Sunny.'
"Yup, you can knock yourself out, Doofus."
Effie ended up answering on her behalf.
"Thanks, Effie."
He approached Rain and looked her in the eye.
"Rain..."
Rain stared at him for a few moments before lunging at him.
"Brother...."
"I am here, Rain. You can rest easy, I'm here."
He held her in a soft embrace.
Sunnyless Nephis POV
She was staring at the other versions of herself with curiosity. Either they were crying, comforting Sunless, or looking slightly aghast.
'Is that man really that important to so many versions of myself?'
She decided to ignore it and, with the rest of her section's approval, voted once again on the [Black Mountain].
Bygone Nephis POV
Once again there was nothing.
Seeing that familiar conversation, she did not feel nostalgic, nor did she feel the emotions she had felt at that moment, there was nothing.
For her, it was just what it was. Recalling a memory, that was all.
"[Black Mountain]"
Cassie issued their vote.
Sunny's First Nightmare.
'I wonder if it will make me feel something. After all, seeing it is different from hearing about it.'
Confronting Nephis POV
Nephis was displeased.
Not just because she had been dragged to a room full of versions of herself and... him.
Not just because she had to witness that Death Singer shout such embarrassing things about Sunny.
But now, she had been forced to watch as Death Singer was being comforted by him, since she had been emotionally damaged by his past.
'She is smirking, she is smirking while looking this way.'
She felt her eye twitch.
Cassie, who was beside her, sighed.
"Should we start voting?"
She asked.
"I suppose I suggest we go through the chronological order and proceed to [Black Mountain]... Hel, watch your hands!"
"Oops, sorry."
Nephis was getting mad.
"Let's go with [Black Mountain] then."
She didn't care, really.
'He is a traitor, yes, that's... that's what he is. Gods... Sunny...'
Could she really not control her own longing?
Soon all the rooms had finished their votes.
The result?
[Viewing Selected]
[Comencing...]
[Humble Beginnings | Black Mountain]
*******
Author's Note: And with this the first reaction is over, what do you think?
Check out my other novels and fanfics, leave your opinions in reviews and comments please.