Date: July 22nd, year 1286, a few minutes before Nyx's return. Location: The Void?
What are you?
What am I? I… am Regulus Anthony Leventis the second.
No.
What could you mean? Why are my surroundings so dark, and who are you? My thoughts are so very… muddied.
What are you?
…I am Regulus Anthony Leventis.
No. What has shaped you is pressure. You are naught but pressure.
Pressure?...
What are you?
I am the heir of the Leventis.
No. In the great cosmos, you are gravity. I ask again, what are you?
…I am Lady Night's devoted servant.
…Commendable. But the answer remains no.
Then what am I?...
The answer has already been gifted to you. You are…
…Gravit-
- "No you're not!" A voice pierces the darkness and a lone ray of blinding white light shines down on Regulus, or what was left of him.
He was floating in an infinite expanse of darkness, and when he looked down at his body it was nothing more than a pile of dark sludge vaguely shaped like a human. Shooting stars and planets were passively floating inside of it, as if he was becoming one with the universe.
- "But I am-" He starts, looking up at the light.
- "A human! Or an elf, or whatever you want to call yourself! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"
- "Me, an elf?... Right, I am supposed to be…"
- "Regulus! Julian's father!"
The darkness burns away as a multitude of stars light it up, and Regulus' interlocutor slowly descends towards him in the pillar of light.
- "Phew, you really cut it close there!" Nyx comments as she observes the pile of cosmic sludge making up Regulus' body slowly turning back to skin and muscles. She looks around, confused. "So this is your mindspace? I don't think it's supposed to be so empty…"
- "I… don't know." Regulus replies as Nyx sets him upright.
- "Wait, why are you a child now?... I really don't understand what's going on, it'd be nice to have Vanessa around to tell me… But someone needs to stay in our body or she'll probably die."
- "A child?" Regulus looks down at himself again. "Am I not supposed to be?..."
Nyx squints at him, confused. He was now much shorter than her, and his dark green eyes had turned to a clear forest tint.
- "Do you not actually remember who you are?..."
- "You're a weird person. Why are we floating around in this dark place? That doesn't look like something dad's magic can do."
- "Uh… can you at least try to recall something?"
- "Oh I remember the house!"
The surroundings shift, as light of unknown origin begins to fill the space, change colors and create textures. Eventually, Nyx and him are standing in the garden of a large marble mansion in Crystal Rose, with large white clouds floating right above its roof. An elf was sitting in a rocking chair next to one of the garden's fountains, reading a book. He looked eerily similar to Regulus, but was wearing oversized round glasses over his pastel green eyes.
- "Dad!" Regulus runs up to the man, who puts his book down on his knees to catch him as he jumps in his arms.
- "What's my little cloud up to?" Regulus' father has a warm smile.
- "I was training my magic like usual! If I wanna surpass you, I need to work hard!"
- "Surpass me? Haha, you shouldn't bother with things like that Regulus. Your dad's never gonna be beaten by anyone!"
- "But everyone says they expect me to do big things. Stuff like becoming one of the Grand Archmages, like you."
- "There's only three of us, and I don't think any of them is ready to let up their position!" He ruffles Regulus' hair. "Don't worry about a thing. No matter what anyone else says, I'll always be proud of you, no matter what you do."
Regulus has a bright smile in response, and Nyx walks over to them.
- "So that's your father? His ears are even longer than yours." She comments.
- "That's because dad is a super powerful mage!" Regulus proudly answers.
- "That's weird though, I don't remember Julian ever mentioning his grandfather. He looks like a nice person, so you'd think he'd have a good relationship with his grandchildren."
A shadow passes in front of Regulus' eyes, and the scenery changes. They were now on a giant, floating glass platform among the clouds above the capital. Hundreds of people, humans, elves, beastfolk and strange humans with water hair or fiery eyes were gathered on it, most of them crying. Regulus silently cuts through the crowd, up to the edge of the platform, and Nyx follows him. A very old man in an elaborate black cloak decorated with star-shaped golden ornaments was standing next to a simple white coffin, visibly fighting back tears.
- "I've known Caesar for millennia, and I truly thought he was immortal… Or at least that he deserved to be." The old man sniffles. "He always was the hope of this kingdom. He would always do his best for the people of our land, traveling impossible distances to bring rain to remote villages while ensuring our capital was safe from natural disasters. Working alongside him was the greatest blessing Lord Solomon bestowed upon me when he appointed me as a Grand Archmage. And today, that blessing is no more. May his soul find the greatest heights of Lord Solomon's paradise."
- "I remember now." Regulus whispers. "Dad is…"
The old man solemnly extends his hand towards the sky, and the coffin is lifted from the ground by an invisible force. It is sent flying into the atmosphere, and quickly disappears in the distance as the crowd erupts in tears. Regulus desperately runs after the coffin, and falls off the glass platform. As he does, the scenery changes again and Nyx falls with him into a dark abyss. They eventually land back inside the garden of the mansion, and she finds Regulus sitting in the rocking chair next to the fountain. He looked significantly older, and shadows of faceless people were surrounding him.
- "Who would think none of Caesar's successors would be able to take his place." One of the shadows says. "And the fact that his seat is now occupied by an elf from another family? I cannot fathom how they must feel."
- "None of his children are fit to rule." Another adds. "He truly was a once in a millennium prodigy."
- "They are all talented mages, but nothing special as far as we nobles go."
- "And their political cunning truly leaves to be desired. Caesar was too soft on them."
- "They are…" All of the shadows declare simultaneously.
- "Insufficient."
- "Inferior."
- "Pathetic."
The voices of the shadows meld into a deafening chorus as Regulus silently stares at the fountain, rocking back and forth in his chair. Nyx approaches him, and notices that the chair itself was slowly growing in size, making Regulus look smaller in comparison.
- "I need to show them that I'm not just a cheap imitation. Whatever it takes. I won't let them insult his memory like that." The chair loudly creaks as it grows to overshadow the fountain, and the shadows around him multiply. "The Leventis will not fade into obscurity, and I will not allow our name to be tarnished by anyone. I don't care what I need to sacrifice for it."
The door of the mansion violently opens in the distance, and a second Regulus emerges from it. His green eyes were now back to the color Nyx was used to, and he was dragging a young, white haired elf through the door, firmly holding his wrist.
- "Father please! I'll be better, I can-" The young elf pleads.
- "Silence, Julian. You are only making this worse. Think of the people who might see you crying on the way to the carriage." The second Regulus answers, his gaze fixated forward.
- "..." Julian tries his best to wipe his tears from his face, to no avail.
From the windows of the second floor Nyx could see other elves that looked similar to him, widely smiling as they watched. The only one of them who wasn't was wearing a familiar pair of oversized round glasses, instead silently judging the scene. Regulus and Julian vanish as a violent gust of white wind passes by them, and when it settles down Regulus was alone, facing the entrance of the mansion. In front of him, the elf with the round glasses was standing with his feet firmly planted in the ground.
- "F-father. What happened to Julian?" He asks. "You s-said you were taking him to a tutor, but he was crying…"
- "This is none of your concern, Nicolas. Return to your study, you do not have time to waste thinking about your siblings."
- "Why do you… want so much from us?... The f-family is already doing well and everyone is w-working hard like you wanted, so there's no need to-"
- "It is not doing well enough." Regulus cuts. "Now do not make me repeat myself. Your Atmospheric magic might be the key to restoring our name, and I will not allow you to waste this chance."
- "..." Nicolas turns to walk back inside the mansion, but as he leaves he speaks up, resolve underlying his tone as the clouds floating above the mansion suddenly turn black, lightning crackling within them. "If Julian doesn't come back… I don't think I'll ever forgive you."
The second Regulus silently follows him inside, but the one next to Nyx buries his face with his left hand, breathing heavily.
- "As you should. I am not worth anything, especially not your pardon."
The scenery shifts once more, and now Regulus is walking down an alleyway of the city at night, Nyx curiously walking by his side. However, he suddenly stops when he sees an absurdly tall figure veiled in darkness standing in his way, having risen from the shadows on the ground.
- "I have witnessed many stories like yours before." The figure whispers, in a voice Nyx immediately recognizes, and the corners of her mouth drop. "Join me, and all your mistakes will be erased as I remake this world anew."
- "Lady Night…" Nyx's magical energy surges around her, like a white flame that swallows the entire street in a blinding blaze.
- "..." The figure seemingly doesn't hear her at first, just like all the people created by Regulus' mind, but her head slowly turns towards Nyx as the shadows covering her gain more ground, absorbing Nyx's light. "...You. Begone from my follower's mind. He was undergoing trial, and failed. But in failure he will become fully realized. Do not deny him this."
- "You begone from that person's mind! I'm not going to let you turn people into things they aren't!"
- "If you persist in defying me, I will-"
Nyx violently swipes her arm sideways, and the entire street is bathed in starfire. Lady Night is vaporized, along with the scenery. When her energy settles down, Regulus and her are back in the dark void faintly illuminated by the stars she brought with her.
- "...What's that?" She says after a moment of silence.
She could see thin threads of cosmic energy were loosely flying in all directions from the spot Lady Night was standing in. She reaches her hand forward, and they naturally converge towards it, combining into a small marble that floats above her palm. As she gathers them, the pure darkness surrounding them slowly starts disappearing and the entirety of Regulus' mindspace starts to shift back into his mansion's garden, with the addition of the entirety of Crystal Rose surrounding him. His children were playing in the garden, using their wind magic to fly a ball around.
- "I think I fixed it? I don't sense anything inhuman in there anymore." Nyx comments, before turning to Regulus. "What was that about remaking the world anew? Did she tell you when she was going to do that?"
- "..." Regulus was lying in the garden's grass, unconscious.
- "Ah, I think I hit him too. Sorry! I'll just ask my questions to Solomon, I have a very bad feeling about this."
She waves her hand and a circular gate to the cosmos appears next to her. On the other side, she could see Vanessa's table, with the chair she normally occupied empty.
- "Ah, right. Vanessa, you're probably enjoying your time in control, but I have things to do right now! Sorry but I'm taking over again!"