iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 31/07/2026

Fuck it, you get characters you probably haven’t seen before (that Brave has worked on lmaoo)

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/01/2026

Laque specifically because he doesn’t have fox ears anymore

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 26/01/2026

I feel like they’ve got a lot to talk about fashion wise

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 14/07/2025

Remembering Kirby's Epic Yarn exists has caused an Effect on my life

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/05/2025

I know I said I'd post some clips to this account, so I might as well hold myself to that statement. Photosensitivity Warning

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 16/04/2025

Today's the only day I can post this HAPPY LAQUE DAY!!!

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 16/04/2025

YAYYY YAYYY YIPPEEE WOOO YAYYY—

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 11/04/2025

OC Lore Train! Explain your OC's lore in the worst way possible! "DON'T FUCK WITH ME! I GOT THE POWER OF GOD AND ANIME ON MY SIDE!"

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 18/01/2025

So I figured out how to mod Survive the Internet

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

There's an entire chunk I plan to write later on—unsure of when. I'm going to take a decent-sized break to give myself a well deserved rest. The next update you'll see about this book will hopefully be a final product! Thanks for sticking around :^) - Dani

In the reflection of the tram’s glass, I noticed a white lily in place of my left eye.
- 30 -

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

The tea party with Caesar has been a scene I've bounced around in my mind since the middle of October. I think it's the greatest climax to add after practically meeting God, despite how tame the scene is.

At first, Caesar attempted to respond. However, he choked on his words at first before letting out a small cough. His eyes glazed for a moment before he wiped his face with the sleeve of his jacket.
“Caesar?”
“I’m fine! Don’t worry. Just swallowed my own spit, is all.”
“Hate when that happens. What were you going to say?”
“I was gonna tell you that your tea’s probably cooled off enough to drink!”
I brought the cup to my lips to test his claim. Unlike the strange meat days prior, the temperature was hot—yet tolerable. The heat added to its flavor, but it didn’t distract me from the overwhelming taste of water.
Once we finished our cups, we noticed the approaching airships. Our flare vanished moments ago, but that didn’t seem to matter to the pilots.
Everything else afterwards was pretty self-explanatory. We returned to Sol Invictus, showed him the flower, and got our audience with Goddess Fortuna.
I remember the grandiose nature of her throne room. Her ceiling was a hemisphere of glass held up by an assortment of pillars. To me, they were all randomly placed within the room, leaving her throne room to rest in the middle of it all. The only detail I could glance from their placement is the groupings of circles strewn across the room.
Nonetheless, she freed the prisoners of Temple Cross upon my request. In the moment, I felt a surge of power stating my request with authority. Of the two of us, I wasn’t the one wearing the brilliant golden armor. The silence afterward brought in second doubts of my delivery. However, after some thought, she agreed.
This was the end. My grand journey came to a close.
After spending hours reciting my memories off to Ozymandias, I lost track of the time. He seemed to be on the edge of his seat

throughout my entire spiel. Alongside, he didn’t have any questions to interrupt my story.
By the end, he sat up on the couch and clapped. “Way to go, Autumn!”
I was a little perplexed by his response at first. Once he finished his brief standing ovation, I returned his gratitudes with a question, “I thought it was pretty obvious that I was going to win in the end.”
“Well, not necessarily. You had me convinced you died during your encounter with Skymarcher.”
“I guess that could be a possibility.”
“You know.” Ozymandias scratches his chin. “Now that I mention it…”
“Hm?”
“If you didn’t die on your journey, how did you perish?”
“Oh, that’s…”
I trailed off for a moment. My final memories of life came back to me in a flash.
“Right, about that. Goddess Fortuna said she needed a task done to finish off the payment. She spoke of an unknown force in the center of the Grand Capital. When Caesar and I went off to investigate, we were completely ambushed.”
“Wait—in the center of the Grand Capital?”
“Yeah, I think somewhere around there.”
“Interesting, do continue.”
“We weren’t well-equipped for the task. I feel like Laque over prepared us during the quest for the lily, but didn’t equip us for Fortuna’s deal. It was completely invisible, and it bit my leg off before it fully sunk in. I didn’t want Caesar to fall under the same mistake, so I told him to run away and shut the doors behind him.”
Ozymandias remained silent.

“Honestly, it wasn’t my best move. It wasn’t as painless as you think it would be, but I do remember seeing Caesar fully escape right before the beast bit my head off.”
“That’s good to hear,” he squeaked, “That he escaped—not that you died.”
“I know what you’re talking about, don’t worry.”
“Good, I just wanted to make sure.”
Ozymandias pushed himself off the couch and dusted his pants off. As he brought his WRIST up to his face, he jolted his head back before continuing,
“It’s nearly three-thirty! I won’t keep you for long—go catch the train before it’s too late.”
“Oh, shoot, you’re right!”
I immediately checked my WRIST to confirm the time. It was 3:28 PM.
“Well, hope you enjoyed the story! See you in the Heartland!”
“Bye Autumn!” He called out as I booked it for the tram, “See you in the Heartland!”
I sprinted through the nexus, remembering the exact pathway out to the tram station below. By the time I bolted through a quarter of the nexus’ distance, I was nearly at the entrance.
My first sight upon entering the station was Miyana standing at the platform and the tram itself. I brought my WRIST up, 4:02 PM. I didn’t have the stamina to dash all the way to the station, but I made sure to run as much as I could.
I was tasting metal long before I arrived.
Miyana ushered me over with her hand. “Come on, Autumn! The tram’s gonna leave any minute now!”
I joined the swordswoman in her designated cart. The interior looked the same to me—same seating, same railings. It felt like she chose the same cart deliberately. Nonetheless, I sat down next to the window, opposite of Miyana.

Her lips were drawn back—I think she was concerned. It took her a moment to speak her mind, “Geez, kid, why were you in such a rush? Did you sleep through your alarm?”
I couldn’t respond to her right away. I was too focused on controlling my breathing. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out.
“Kid, are you gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I wheezed.
She didn’t seem to buy it.
I passed the time by checking through my Tabula. However, my mind stuck to the small tea party Caesar threw. Nothing particularly added up to me. I know how awkward he can be sometimes, but still.
I voiced my thoughts once I caught most of my composure, “This is gonna seem like a strange question, but…”
Even before I began, Miyana raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think it’s a little odd to say ‘there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now’ and then say your tea’s done?”
“What do you mean?” She leaned her head back slightly.
“Well, Caesar tried to ask me something after he poured us some tea." Then he got all teary-eyed and brushed it off. Is that normal?”
A smile broke upon Miyana’s face. She tried to cover it up with her mouth, yet the corners of her lips broke through.
“What’s that smile about?”
“Oh, nothing.” A soft chuckle escaped through her fingers. “It’s probably nothing, post-adventure nerves.”
“You sure?”
Her face snapped into a neutral expression. “Dead serious.”
“Well, if you say so…”
I turned away from Miyana to look out the window. It’s all the same rock and stone—as it was before. The occasional light passed by, blurring past from our speed. However, there was an odd detail which caught my attention.

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

Most of the scenes in the encounter with Skymarcher come from different projects/stories. With my whole philosophy of SCH being a standalone title, I thought it'd be nice to throw these in to add a bit of mystique/otherworldly-ness

$Yet, I remain curious. What irony is it to leave in full only to return in husk.” He moved his mask vertically. I can tell he’s scanning me down. “Nothing in this world can truly be forgotten. Mortality brings within itself a gift; death. Death is less than nothing. Death has no reference on which to base nothing on. An empty cup—which contains only air—exists in its boundary. “You can not kill Gods whole. To do so is to extract them from the public conscience. Their ideals spread like wildfire—their gift. You’ve escaped the Pantheon, yet you’ve left your impact among the cosmos. Do you know why you exist, Lady of the Lake?” I replied, uncertain, “No.” “You exist because of me. An indirect reference unto myself. Every fiber of your being—every part of your greater whole—exists in opposition, because I never forget. Because I am not mortal. You are none other than yourself.” The Avatar of Reality folds his arms inward. Both pairs of his hands clasp together, obscuring his chest in whole. “You are the Intruder. You are life. You shaped the shores of existence with your sea of dreams. In absolute you were everything I yearned to be, and I despised you. For once, I felt an emotion I had forgotten in ascension. Fear.” The Circle of Myths slowly begins to crack. The rigid lines the fractures carved grew branches which tore itself apart. “I keep you alive not out of spite, but of respect. May you attain your glories, Autumn Sforzando. May you forgive my trespasses, then and now.” He pulled his arms apart to extend them out to the sky. I watched as the eclipse behind him faltered. Cracks tore the moon asunder, bringing the shadowed sun through its tears. As the moon splits apart, scattering off into the cosmos, a decimating cry reverberates the$

lands. The tremors brought me to my knees; I could barely focus my eyes.
And then, there was nothing.
I woke up on the temple floor, back where I started. Caesar had already woken up. His worried gaze glanced down toward my laying body. Once I opened my eyes, he bent his knees and extended his arm.
I firmly gripped his hand to pull myself up. Standing up took a while to get used to. I wasn’t sure how long I was knocked out for, or how much of what I lived through was real. Skymarcher’s words bounced around in my mind—an immortalized memory impenetrable to degradation.
Caesar wrapped his arms around my body, encasing me in a tight hug. “Oh, Autumn, you’re awake! Thank Skymarcher.”
I let out a lighthearted chuckle. “Yeah, thank Skymarcher.”
“Here, I found the lily! It’s at the top of the temple!”
The sun shined upon the top of the temple as it stood at its apex. Upon a stone altar was a skeletal corpse—one with a flower in its eye socket. Surrounding the altar was a dais covered in violet flowers.
We carefully tread through the field of flowers, making sure not to step on them. Once we approached the lily, Caesar extended his hand out to cover my chest.
“Hold on.” The prophet rubbed his hands together. “I got this.”
As his hand made contact with the skeleton’s skull, he easily folded the material as if it were clay. Once the bone was separated from the lily, he nodded his head toward me.
I slowly lowered my right hand down to delicately pinch the lily’s stem. Once I had a solid grasp on the flower, I raised it out of the warped skull until it was fully disconnected.
Caesar quickly took his hands off the skeleton and reached into his supplies. Once he fished out a small box, he opened the container

to reveal a cushioned interior for the flower to rest in. Naturally, I placed it inside for safe keeping.
We left the temple soon after. I wasn’t looking forward to the arduous trip back, but Caesar’s spirits seemed to be unaffected by the notion. He reached into the cart of supplies to retrieve a strange gun bearing a solid color. Once he loaded a strange bullet with a similar color scheme, the prophet aimed the gun in the air and shot up toward the sun. A trail of particles stained the sky, a collection of colors streaked amongst the clouds.
Caesar placed the gun back in the cart and clasped his hands together. “Right! I’ve been told there’s a pair of watchmen nearby meant to retrieve us once we find the lily. They should be on their way. But, while we’re waiting, why don’t I treat us to some tea?”
“Tea?” I repeated, “I mean, why not? We have some time to kill.”
Hidden within the cart was a small box containing a set of materials. Caesar took a small pebble similar in composition to the sticky rocks and stuck it to a metal plate. As he placed the teapot on top of the remaining space, the rock gradually changed in color to take on a bright red hue. Before I could ask, he answered my question, “That’s a heating rock!”
He poured a small container of water into the teapot. After doing so, Caesar retrieved the lily’s black box alongside a mortar and pestle.
Almost immediately, I sprung up and tried to reach out for the box before it was too late. Caesar quickly reacted by extending his hand outward.
He saw the fear in my eyes afterward and brought out another similar black box. “The lily’s still in this box, see? I know which one’s which. Why don’t you grab the teacups while I’m preparing the bags.”
Without another word, I searched through the cart’s supplies for two teacups. As I pushed through the assortment of items, Caesar got to work crushing up the tea’s flower.

Once I re-emerged with the needed supplies, I handed one cup while keeping one for myself. Caesar placed two small bags in each of our cups afterward.
The teapot started hissing a few minutes later. After he knocked the heating stone off with a measuring stick, the prophet poured out the water into our cups. We both sat and watched the water mix with the contents of the teabags to form an opaque golden hue. However, as I looked at Caesar’s cup, his was a little darker than mine.
“I probably wasn’t perfect with the measurement,” he reassured me, “Nothing too serious.”
I’m not sure why I didn’t think of that before, but I nodded in response.
“Well, Autumn, how do you feel about this whole trip?”
It took me a moment to think of an answer. “I don’t know, I’m still processing the last hour or so.”
Caesar raised an eyebrow. “Why so?”
“I’ll talk to you about it later. I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Otherwise, I think it’s been pretty eventful.”
“Right! I think it’s been a pleasure to be with you for the last few months. Only one more day until we can save your mother.”
My mother—I’d forgotten about her. In retrospect, I didn’t have much time to even think about my mom. I’ve done nothing but train and work, it all practically distracted me.
“Don’t tell me you forgot…”
“Oh, no I didn’t forget! Just a little sentimental, is all.”
“Ah, I see.”
We both sat in silence for a moment. Neither of us drank our tea.
“Right, Autumn. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now.”
“Hm? What is it?”

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

I'm very glad I started early for this one. Once I woke up for my nap, I went straight to work writing. Safe to say, I've had a lot of fun writing this chapter.

swift flame which engulfed the structure whole. The embers hopped across the plot of land as it torched the pens, grass, and sheds alike. The homestead quickly fell victim to its influence. I watched it burn to the ground. No one fled from the scene. The stars above had long vanished, all that remained was a black expanse of nothingness.
The world tore apart at the seams. Chunks of land violently tore itself apart, separating the fire into various camps. Even if the ground gave way, I remained suspended above a deep purple void.
Once the world had vanished in full, a voice echoed from the depths. “I threw my life away. For what?”
Behind me was a tall, slender figure. His face was obscured by an orange fox mask—Skymarcher’s mask. Tattered clothes covered his body, revealing his many scratches and wounds. I couldn’t help but notice his sharp claws which took the place of his nails.
“I’ll never get them back,” he continued, “I’ll never find another soul who will understand me. My family, my friends, Cynthia—I lost them all, and for what?”
His golden eyes shined through the mask’s openings.
“What’s an eternity of Godhood without a soul to share it with?”
The figure reaches his hand up to press against his mask. A tear rolls out from under his mask as his eyes gradually cloud up.
“A burden. What a cruel fate.”
Soon after, he turns his gaze away from me. He walks off into the depths of the void, leaving me without guidance.
I tried to run after him. For every step I took, the distance between us only grew. Once he vanished past an invisible fog, a crimson red cityscape grew closer with each step. I escaped the shadows of its alleyways to find a small opening among the towering buildings.
The overhead streetlamps gave light to a group of figures around a mangled motorcycle. A lone paramedic—with bright red hair—stood above a figure similar in appearance to the previous men. A cloth

mask matching his blue robe laid astray near the group. Skymarcher’s mask was nowhere to be found.
He quickly pressed his hand against his mouth to cover his violent coughs. The figure’s voice was hoarse. After giving himself a moment to recollect, he shakily spoke to the paramedic, “Is she dead? Did we win?”
Another figure stood a fair distance behind the group. I could discern their hot pink hair from a mile away—Miyana. However, she didn’t seem to notice the dying figure.
The paramedic stumbled upon her words. She couldn’t muster a response while she laid eyes upon the dying figure.
Something within me urged myself to draw closer. Whether it be the volume of his voice or his injured state, I found myself kneeled down with my eyes locked to his.
The figure noticed my presence. He peeled his sights away from the paramedic. With his hand outstretched, his arm visibly trembled as he exerted his energy.
“Another husk.” He brought his band back to cover another cough. “Who is your soul?”
I attempted to reply, “I…”
“Do not ponder. Reconcile with yourself.”
A smile cracked upon his face. Despite his condition, he let out a small laugh before bursting into another cough.
Audible crackles filled the air as the world quickly blinked. At first, the pair stood in front of me. After a slight hiccup of time, they vanished. Small artifacts quickly gathered around my sight as it gradually swallowed my peripheral vision. Strings of slime spontaneously appeared where Miyana once stood, encasing a radiant being obscured by a bright block of light. Three wings extended out from the gatherance of squares, held still in fear of piercing through the slime.

Soon, all my senses gave way. A brilliant light blinded my vision before a collage of colors crept in, constantly changing in hue. A high-pitched ringing remained for hours. I couldn’t feel anything around me. Temperature had vanished in the presence of searing pain.
Everything gradually diminished away. My sight slowly returned to me, revealing the temple’s altar in front of me. I felt the humid air of the jungle return in tandem with my hearing. Insect cries returned to fill the atmosphere with noise. However, they were soon drowned out by the whistling wind outside.
I found Caesar next to my feet. He was passed out on the floor. My attempts to wake him up didn’t seem to work. I tried lightly tapping his ankle, shaking his arms, and slapping his face. In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have done the latter.
Upon stepping outside, I was met face to face with Skymarcher. His nebulous gown waved in the wind as He remained stationary above the air. The solar eclipse moved to sit just behind his wisped face to form a bright halo. As He floated around the temple, the eclipse stayed in place; anchored to His head.
“The Beast Who Dreams.” His voice bellowed within my mind.
Skymarcher crossed His bottom arms across his chest, obscuring His sash of Empyrean Runes. His remaining hands stretched skyward. Bright blue fissures cracked upon the night sky, forming a series of circles surrounding a point. It bore a resemblance to Caesar’s necklace—the Circle of Myths.
“I thought you fled this world in fear.” Skymarcher continued, “Why do you return, Invader? Why sow your seeds upon my lands once more?”
The winds howled in my ears. I felt like the only choice I had was to raise my voice in defiance, “I don’t know the person you’re referring to. I’m not the love you lost.”

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

DAY 29! This is it, the final day. While day 30 is technically the final day, I've decided to give myself the day off to relax (and focus on other work. The grind never ends). #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

Caesar and I ran out toward the temple’s porch with haste. We realized our travels took us to the top floor, giving us a view of the plane of trees covering our sights from horizon to horizon. A swarm of birds nearby took flight, rustling the leaves in their wake. The world had become restless—the cacophony of cries was immediate and evident.
The sky had gone black. The overhung sun had been eclipsed by an unfamiliar object.
Caesar was the first to try to unravel the mystery. He placed his array of supplies on the floor as he hurriedly looked through for a specific object. “This isn’t right. The moon was in its third quarter when we landed—how long were we in the jungle for?!”
Despite the situation, I was much calmer than the prophet. My tone remained neutral, “Three days, at least.”
I watched as Caesar’s hasty movements drew to a halt. His hands pressed down on an outstretched paper as he looked up at me.
Before he could speak, a bright dot revealed itself on the surface of the moon. It gradually grew in size as it streaked across the sky.
A visible spotlight raced across Caelitra as it brightly illuminated everything in its path. With its path, it was almost inevitable that it would cross upon the temple.
Caesar’s focus fixed on another detail—the spot.
“Since when has the moon had a hole in it?!” He exclaimed in terror.
It was Laque. I recall the spike that pierced thoroughly through the moon’s surface. I thought it would go unnoticed; unmentioned.
Once the spotlight engulfed the temple, it stationed itself in its spot. From my brief glimpse at the spot on the moon, it had fully formed into a perfect circle.
In the sun’s wake, the sky had returned back to its bright blue color. The distant insects called upon each other, cuing the sounds of night to echo from the jungle.

The prophet remained attentive amidst the rapidly shifting environment. As I absent-mindedly stared upon the dark shadow beyond the spotlight’s reach.
“We’re moving,” he exclaimed, “Autumn, we’re moving!”
The world slowly sunk beneath us. The edges of the horizon curved inwards, forming a small hill where the ground vanishes beyond our sights.
However, the world wasn’t falling. We were rising up in the sun’s tractor beam. As we picked up speed, I couldn’t balance to stand up. Our oxygen continued to thin out, causing us to pass out on the top floor of the temple.
I wasn’t expecting to wake up. The moment I could get back on my feet, I thought I reached the afterlife. A circular wall of rock reached up to the heavens, holding a crystal blue skylight at its apex. When I reached over to wake up Caesar, he was nowhere to be found. My first instinct was to call out his name,
“Caesar?” My voice echoed against the cavernous walls. “Hello? Where are you, Caesar?”
His items were still splayed across the floor. I left the outside of the temple for the inside altar. Using the path of rocks, I made my way through the brick labyrinth and back to the entrance.
I couldn’t find our cart outside the temple. Maybe he did leave, but why didn’t he wake me up? My sights tunneled in on the cart’s absence. I spent the next few minutes searching the nearby area for its whereabouts.
Eventually, I branched out. I kept the temple’s location in mind as I searched the jungle for its whereabouts. I searched around the towering trees for any clues, yet I came up empty handed. A symphony of chirping crickets filled the air, accompanied by a group of hooting owls. The nighttime birds sang their songs, piercing through the forest’s soundscape.

Despite the temple’s sunlight, all I could see was a bright night sky with its homogenous starscape. Each time I looked away, a selection of stars disappeared from the twilight. I wasn’t in the jungle anymore.
I acquainted myself with a beaten down path which led me farther away from the temple. In the distance, I could see the lantern lights of a far away barn. I couldn’t tell if I was still inside the moon, I’m not sure if I wanted to check for myself.
Approaching the barn led me to a clearing among the forest. To the right of the barn was a quaint homestead with its interior lights softly pouring out. I could still see the stars in the sky—the abundance of light barely made a dent with its pollution.
Outside the front porch of the homestead was a man, at first glance, who looked like Caesar. His blue jacket was nowhere to be seen. Rather, his shit was a solid shade of blue with a pair of overalls concealing the bottom portion of his shirt. They had a similar pair of eyes, as well; they were unmistakably golden in hue. His hair—which held a similar shade of brown—was scraggly and only reached toward the top of his neck. His hair covered his right eye too.
As he spoke to me, I realized his voice housed more depth than Caesar’s. His inflections seldom matched the prophets. In place was a monotone delivery.
“Where did you come from?” He questioned, “What business do you bring?”
Only now did I realize the Old World Firearm situated in his hands. He held a tight grip on the bottom of the shotgun’s barrel with his other hand resting on the handle.
To the right of his feet was a woman face down on the ground. She looked similar in appearance to Miyana—same pink hair, same physique. She quickly corroded into a pool of slime.
As I looked back toward the figure, I was quickly reacquainted with his unnerved scowl.

“I don’t know,” I replied, unsure, “I saw your lights. I came from the temple close by.”
He seemed to be content with that answer. The figure lowered the barrel’s opening toward the floor. With his attention placed to the sky, he continued, “I pray you’re not from the City in the Clouds. I’ve been told of their anomalies, their exploits.”
I landed my sights on the city overlooking the forest’s trees. Rings of clouds surrounded the towering behemoth, obscuring the structure in layers. It looked similar to the city found in the tapestry—skyscrapers and all.
The figure sighed. “I wish to live a normal life, Autumn. My family can’t compete against their rampant exports. We’ve been in debt for months.”
I froze in shock when he mentioned my name. My head snapped to face back toward the figure. Once I collected my thoughts.
“How do you know my name?!” I hissed.
He didn’t seem to react. “It’s an invasion to learn the names of men you don’t know.”
I blinked. A cluster of stars vanished from my peripherals.
“I must leave. Please do not destroy our farms. I must’ve woken up mother with my shotgun blast.”
The figure walked back to the homestead’s porch. As he rested the firearm on the porch’s railing, his parents swiftly opened the door and raced to encase him in a warm embrace.
I knew how dark it was outside. Even if they weren’t focused on the figure, the shadows hid me well from their sights. They soon sought refuge inside, leaving the forest empty of commotion.
Caesar was nowhere to be found. I attempted to retrace my steps back toward the temple. Maybe he wasn’t that far, I thought. Maybe he’s somewhere inside the temple.
Suddenly, I heard a faint shatter within the barn’s walls. After a few seconds, a pillar of smoke rose from the backside followed by a

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 30/11/2024

y'know what? Let's see how far I get with this

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 29/11/2024

Hopefully, y'all will like the last two entries when I write them. I plan for Chapter 10 to be the biggest (or to at least segment them somewhere in the middle).

“What? I was just reading what the runes say.”
“You weren’t supposed to read what the runes say!”
“What do you mean…”
His eyes scan the wall again. Caesar’s surprised expression dropped further into horror.
“Uh oh.”

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Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 29/11/2024

Personally, I think I'm going to have a lot of fun writing this chapter. I didn't intentionally save this chapter for last, but knowing I'm close to the finish line, why not motivate myself?

I stood with my arms crossed. I watched with malice in my eyes as he brought out a small sack with lots of bumps around its material.
Caesar reached into the bag to grab a small pebble. Once he threw it into the temple, it stuck to the ground upon impact. The pebble created a small amount of light which illuminated a sizable area around it.
“Sticky rocks,” he clarified, “they have a day’s worth of charge once they’re attached to a hard surface. There’s about five hundred inside this bag, so we should be okay.”
He continued to prepare by bringing out a large stretch of blank paper, a pencil, and an unmarked measuring stick. Caesar creates two lines in the top left portion of the paper. The distances he wrote on the paper are replicated on the stick.
Once he rolled up his map, he gave a small nod. “Okay! I’m good to go.”
Now, I’m starting to understand why Laque chose us to find the lily.
We ventured through a series of rooms which contained nothing more than unlit torches and various tapestries. It was hard to find any meaning among the maroon-bricked walls. I couldn’t imagine being a cultist living my life here.
If there was anyone who’d know, it would be Caesar. I passed the time by prodding him with questions. “So, do you know what exactly these cultists were worshipping? They seem to be less civilized and orderly than the church back home.”
I could tell that mentioning the cultist’s order garnered a reaction out of the prophet. Nonetheless, he replied without any change in tone, “Well, there’s different denominations and ways to worship Skymarcher.”
“Do tell. I’ve got nothing else to do.”
“I only know of three major forms. The first being communal worship. This is what Temple Coast and most other cities practice. We

gather once a week to remind ourselves of the teachings of Skymarcher while further devoting our lives and time to him both in and outside of our gatherings.”
“Right, makes sense.”
“The second one is Ampersandi worship. I’m not too keen on how they function, but they claim their form of worship is the closest to Skymarcher’s roots. They treat their lives as a game created by Him. Their main goal is to elevate their souls to a higher plane of existence through the completion of this game.”
“What type of game? Is it like a sport?”
“It’s more esoteric and individualized. Part of growing up as an Ampersandi requires you to understand what completing your game is about. Think of it as your life purpose.”
I nodded in understanding.
“The last method I know of is grounded more in sacrifice and exchange. There isn’t an umbrella word to describe these types of sacrifice since they differ from group to group. Temples like these exist as a place for worshippers to eat, sleep, and live in the teachings of Skymarcher. I think they’re called monks. At least, that’s what my dad called them.”
“That makes sense. Is there a reason for why they live their lives or does that also depend?”
“Well, yes. It depends. From what I’ve seen with the tapestry, these cultists focused on attempting to understand and locate Skymarcher. Usually, that’s a very tall order to achieve. Maybe they gave up and left.”
I took a moment to gaze upon the tapestries. The pebble’s lights were enough to make out the woven details.
The first tapestry had three separate segments. The topmost showed a cloud-like floor with the icon of Skymarcher’s mask. The second showed a variety of geographic landmarks like mountains and rivers. At the bottom is a collection of unknown landmarks all seen

swirling around. There’s a few figures depicted with their hands in the air alongside a litany of chains strung around.
The next tapestry showed a cylindrical structure separated into seven layers. As the height increases, the size and polish increased in tandem. Anchored at the bottom are small houses in disrepair. One story houses turned to multistory buildings. The layers at the top lose their borders in favor of towering skyscrapers.
Right next to the layered city is a tapestry of similar landscape with a large crater in the middle.
One room was covered in strange diamond symbols. They each held a random assortment of dots and differences which formed an even yet asynchronous row of tapestries. To me, they looked like chain-linked fences.
Three tapestries linked with each other in the form of a series of diamond symbols. Underneath these symbols are different symbols. The leftmost tapestry shows a lone geyser spilling out its contents into the sky above. Next in line was a tapestry showcasing a warrior surrounded in strange lines stringing together the floor and ceiling. The backdrop resembles that of a cityscape. Oddly, the right side of the tapestry has a chunk torn out. All that remains are two extruding wings. The third tapestry shows a random selection of shapes and colors. It’s hard to determine a definitive shape as random blocks of color overlap upon each other.
During my investigations, Caesar audibly gasped while pointing toward the ceiling. “Oh, Autumn! Look over there!”
Overseeing an altar was a pair of cloth woven together to form one big canvas. In the center of the tapestry was a humanoid body with four arms. The material had been replaced with a thinner material which allowed for the outside sun to fill the main body with radiance. A skirt made of nebulous particles wrapped around the figure's waist. On closer inspection, I made out nine tips resembling a canine tail interwoven in the gown. Their top right arm had been scorched

upon—sunlight hardly shined through its material. A large sash wrapped around their right shoulder and across their waist with a series of diamond symbols. On top of it all is a large wisp-like head covered by Skymarcher’s mask.
“Empyrean Runes,” Caesar mentioned, “It’s been a while since I’ve transcribed these. Let’s see if I’m still good at it! I… O…”
While he slowly read off the sash, I peered my head over toward a wall containing both Empyrean Runes and written text underneath. Each rune corresponded with a letter, forming out a full phrase, “We have succeeded, yet we have lost. Do not utter His name.”
“I think that’s a K?” Caesar scratches his head. “I’m sure that’s a K. O…”
I stood with my hands pressed against my sides. I spoke aloud to try and comprehend the message, “His name? Isn’t it Skymarcher?”
“Z… R! Oh! It spells ‘Iokoz’r’!”
The light inside the masked figure suddenly dims. It’s an instant switch between brilliant radiance to nothing. The walls shook briefly before stabilizing.
I watched Caesar’s expression go from satisfaction back to confusion. He scrunched his eyebrows while he raised one side of his lip.
“Did I solve it?” He asked, puzzled.
The sign’s warning now dawned on me. “I don’t think you were supposed to.”
“Why’s that?”
“Look over here, Caesar.”
The prophet turned his attention toward the warning sign behind me. His eyes scanned the text as he slowly read to himself. Caesar’s warped face straightened out as his eyes widened in realization.
The prophet softly spoke in a hushed tone, “Iokoz’r ack Mof-dh’lxi. The true name of Skymarcher.”
“Caesar!” I shouted.

100

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 29/11/2024

It's nice to look back and see the progress I've made. However, while doing so, I realized I've been calling "Temple Coast" "Temple Cross" for the last few weeks or so. Oops!

Morning soon dawned upon us. Even as the sun found its way inside the confines of my tent, I remained inside my sleeping bag for another few minutes. The distant chirping of birds rattled around in my mind, keeping me from falling back asleep. However, the overwhelming smell of meat gave me the strength to get out of bed and check for its source.
Caesar had a small skillet sat above the fire pit. Two metal sticks kept it in place, freeing his hand to hold on to a small package. Now that I was outside, it made sense why I could only identify the smell as meat and not as anything specific.
Inside the skillet was a strange mixture of food. The pieces all clumped together in the middle as it took on a light brown shade. I’m not sure what it was, exactly. Even my sight was failing me.
“Oh, hello Autumn!” Caesar greeted, “I’m cooking up some of the rations they gave us in West Esechus. Apparently this gunk-thing is supposed to taste like a Heartland delicacy?”
I furrowed my eyebrows at the idea. “What do they feed them up there, slop?”
“Well, if you would call ‘bacon and eggs’ slop, I would say so!”
Caesar placed the contents of the skillet onto a small plate. Once he places it on top of the carriage, he rips open another package and spills the strange concoction on the pan.
“You can take my plate if you want,” he says while mixing around the meat on the pan, “I’m very intrigued on how this would even taste delicious.”
Hesitantly, I take the plate off the carriage and stare at the gruel. Steam faintly emanates from its surface, dissipating in the air above. I spent a moment poking at it with a fork I found within the cart. The more I stared at the plate, the less appetizing it seemed to be. Suddenly, I dig the fork within the meat and stab upon a large chunk from the plate.

At first, all I could taste was the heat. The meat burned my tongue. It didn’t matter what it tasted like now, my focus remained on the pain.
“Ow!” I exclaimed. “Hot hot hot hot hot…”
Caesar held a hand over his mouth to try and stifle his laughter.
I made sure to blow on each bite before placing it into my mouth afterwards. It didn’t take long to clear the rest of my plate. I couldn’t tell if it was supposed to taste like bacon and eggs—I’ve never had it before. Because of the burn prior, it all tasted like something chewy and nothing more.
Soon after, Caesar took a bite from his plate. He was smart enough to cool the food by blowing on it before placing it in his mouth. After a moment of contemplation, he’d raise an eyebrow while placing his sights on nowhere specific. After swallowing his bite, he came to a conclusion,
“That definitely tastes adjacent to bacon and eggs.”
“Adjacent?” I repeated, “What do you mean by that?”
“Well, if I never had bacon and eggs before, I’d enjoy this a lot better. It just tastes like some cheap knock-off.”
“I guess you’re right.”
I was ready to move on to another subject, but Caesar’s words stuck to me.
“Wait, you’ve had bacon and eggs before?”
“Yeah! My dad brought some home about seven years ago after his trip to the Heartland. He said the striped meat came from farms southwest of Fortuna’s Kingdom. Apparently they’re in high demand there.”
“Striped meat? Does it come from an animal?”
“It comes from a pig. At least, that’s what they call it. From what my dad says, it looked far different than the Pre-Sonatan accounts on farm animals.”
“Strange. I guess it’s the same way on why we still say birds.”

“Correct! New species, same name.”
We finished up our breakfast and packed our bags. Once we came across a nearby river, we cleaned off our plates and silverware to the best of our ability. Otherwise, we kept company by talking to ourselves.
It’s strange to think of how desolate the jungle is. Even if I can hear the chirping of birds and rustling of leaves, I’ve never seen anything that resembles friend or foe. For the next fourteen hours and two nights, it was just the two of us.
During our travels, I glanced at Caesar’s map to see how far we walked. A small pin resembling a stone temple sat in a seemingly random spot on the page. I could only assume the long dotted line heading toward the temple was us. Just from eyeballing the distance, we were approximately halfway to the temple. The sight alone made me groan.
Resting on the cart was more uncomfortable than I thought it would be. Given the cushion between me and the sack of supplies, it would’ve made for a great pillow to rest my head on. However, as I placed my head down, I could feel something sharp from within barely touching my neck.
I never got much sleep outside the night.
Laque never told us anything about the temple. All he gave were specific whereabouts and a direction. I asked Caesar about it as well, but he was about as empty handed as I was.
“I was told it used to hold some of Skymarcher’s cultists,” he explained, “Nothing about the specific temple. I hope it’s not too bad.”
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Not as bad? How bad can an abandoned temple get?”
“Skymarcher typically deals with our perceivable reality, right?”
“You’re the expert on the matter, yeah.”
“The possibilities are endless. We could probably be dealing with a portal to another realm on our hands.”

“So what? We can always find our way back.”
“We’re also dealing with the lily’s last position. Laque told me the lily only grows when the person dies after consumption. So whatever we’re dealing with might have killed the person.”
“Oh,” I quietly muttered.
“We don’t know if they died when the temple was active or abandoned, so it’s an entire wild card.”
I remained silent.
“I think we’ll be fine, hopefully.”
I spent the rest of the trip deep in thought about the lily and its temple. What would I have to deal with inside? Why is this the test Laque gave me? The most jarring question was the temple itself.
“Hey, Caesar?” I proposed my question, “Don’t you think it’s a little weird we’re going from Temple Coast to another temple?”
It didn’t take him long to find an answer. “Yes, and no. The city’s named after the location in relation to the head of Caelitra. This is a religious site used for worship.”
“Right, but we’re going from temple to temple.”
“I don’t see much to it. That’s just how life deals its cards.”
Once we arrived, we were greeted with a small clearing around the temple itself. Bricks upon bricks layered itself in a pyramid. Vertical walls jut out from the main shape with various windows and walkways nested underneath. Leaves and vines spiraled around the bricks, nesting themselves to form a garden within its structure.
After navigating around the perimeter, we located the entrance. In front of us was a hallway which stretched long into the darkness.
I was more than eager to walk in. I broke into a sprint to get a headstart. However, Caesar had other plans. He quickly reached over and grabbed my shoulder before I could step foot inside.
“Waiit!” He ordered. “We’re dealing with the unknown here. Let me set up my preparations first before you go sprinting in, at least.”

110

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 29/11/2024

DAY 28! It's dawning on me now that this is truly the homestretch. I think I'll be dedicating the next two days to do what I said I would last post; finish up the pre-death story. (That is, if I mentioned that last post) #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

Chapter 10
I entered the living room with a small ceramic mug held within my right hand. On the front of the mug was a red rectangle which took up a quarter of the cup’s circumference. Written in white lettering was the word RUIN. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it was the cup the robots served me moments prior.
Ozymandias returned to his usual position on the couch. He was busy writing words inside his Tabula. He quietly hummed to himself—I was unfamiliar with the tune. Even as I walked across the living room’s hardwood floor, he didn’t seem to notice.
“Ozymandias?” I attempted to grab his attention. “Mandy?”
It took me a few repeats for him to look up from his Tabula. Once he focused his attention on me, he closed the book with the gem faced toward the floor.
“Didn’t you want to hear the rest of my story before I left?” I questioned.
It took him a second to understand what I was talking about. Ozymandias snapped his fingers and promptly patted down the cushion to his right. “Oh, of course! Sit down, Autumn. I bet you have quite a lot to go through.”
“Well, it depends. Where do you want me to pick up from? I can start right where I left off, but nothing really happens until we leave West Esechus.”
“Right, West Esechus. Continue wherever you need to. I’m sure three hours is more than enough time.”
On our way toward the lily’s location, we set up camp deep in the Jungle Crossways. It’s been three days since we left the Kingdom of Sol. We left West Esechus the morning after we arrived.
Our supplies came in the form of a strange plough. We were given the rundown on how to push the cart. Once it came to a set of thick shrubbery, the blades in front tore through the fauna to create a

walkable pathway for us. The wheels were specifically built to be taken off-road, as well. A set of four large wheels positioned themselves on each end of the cart.
Given some of the kingdom’s advancements, I initially expected something a lot more advanced. Knowing Solis' scooter now, I’m not sure why they didn’t have a similar vehicle for us to use. Nonetheless, we made do with what we had.
Caesar set up his tent long before I started. As I finished my tent, he had already built a small fire pit with nearby rocks and wood. I don’t remember seeing him walk off, but I was deep in focus on keeping each of the strings up.
We didn’t have any chairs packed in our supplies, so we had to make do by sitting on a few nearby logs. Caesar wasn’t too keen on the idea given how mossy my log looked, so for a while he sat on the carriage.
The prophet takes out a rolled-up map stowed away within a burlap satchel. He fished out a small stick with a few notches made within the side. Out of the blue, he would speak with his head buried in the map, “How long have we been walking for?”
It was hard to tell. The only form of time I had was an analogue pocket watch left in my share of the supplies. “I think the small hand’s pointing closer toward the nine.”
“Closer to the nine? Where’s the big hand?”
“On five.”
“What time did we leave?”
“I think there was only one hand when I was given this thing.”
“Was it pointing toward the twelve or the six?”
“Twelve.”
“So we’ve been moving straight toward the lily for nine hours…”
Caesar trails off as he quietly murmurs to himself. I can hear the pencil scratch on the map twice.

“We have fourteen more hours of walking. It’s up to you whether you want to wake up early and knock it out in one day, or we can chunk it up in smaller days.”
“Fourteen hours?” I complained, “My legs are pulsing after nine!”
“That’s why I suggested multiple trips. Even that sounds a bit much to me.
“You know what? Stay on the cart for a moment.”
I sat up from my log and walked over toward the cart. Once I kicked out the small wooden blocks locking the wheels in place, I pushed the cart with Caesar on top. Surprisingly, it wasn’t any different with Caesar on top.
“We’ll take turns pushing each other. I really wish they had some sort of horse.”
“Horse?” Caesar questioned.
I placed the locks in front of the wheels to secure the cart. “Yeah, the Pre-Sonatans used them to travel through rough terrain.”
“I thought they always had some sort of engine to push these carts.”
“Those were the Sonatans.”
“Right, I see.”
We returned to our nightly routines. Aside from the insect cries, the night remained quiet. I pressed my hands against the back of my head with my feet propped up in front of me.
Caesar placed the map, pencil, and measuring stick back in his satchel. I could tell how exhausted he was from the trip. Every once in a while, his eyelids slowly closed as his head leaned forward. After his head lowered past a point, he swiftly jolted himself awake by jerking his head back.
I found the sight to be amusing, if anything. “You know, Caesar, we’re pretty much done for the day. You can go sleep in your tent if you want to.”

“I would if I could.” He replied. “I’m too scared to sleep alone in the Crossways. What if we’re sitting meat for some big predator?”
“Like what? Horses? We haven’t seen one in ages.”
“Well, you know the old folktale about Caelira’s creation, don’t you?”
“A little, remind me real quick.”
“Caelitra isn’t the same world the Pre-Sonatans lived in. Most of the accounts don’t match up, so we assume it’s the Corpse of Caeliter’s best attempt to fill space.”
“Uh-huh, I remember that.”
“It must’ve had a source—which we assume is what remains inside the monoverse.”
“Right, of course. What does this have to do with these ‘big predators’ you’re talking about?”
“You realize how far away we are from Temple Coast, don’t you, Autumn? We weren’t taught what lurks in the Crossways. We were only taught what the Pre-Sonatans had—like bears and tigers.”
“So what? If there was something to worry about, they would’ve told us by now.”
“But what if they—”
“Don’t worry about it,” I interrupted, “You know what? I’ll keep watch for the night if that’s okay with you. I’m not that tired anyway.”
“Are you sure? Sunrise isn’t for another seven hours, at least.”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Go rest.”
Caesar sputtered for a moment, attempting to respond.
“Like you said, we have a long day ahead of us.”
The rest of the night went by quickly. Once Caesar went to bed, I stayed up for another hour to keep watch of the camp. There wasn’t much outside to keep me company. The jungle’s canopy covered the night sky and its twinkling stars. All I had to keep myself company was the fire’s embers. Nonetheless, I waited.
Yet nothing came.

130

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 28/11/2024

man what the hell, sure.

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 28/11/2024

Did it work? I think so. The next three days will be spent concluding the little subplot going on. Admittedly, the two plots are wildly balanced on how complete they are. Hopefully I'll fix that soon.

heads side up. The ex-priest waved goodbye as he quickly vanished alongside the coin.
I was left alone again. It was almost comedic how often it happened. However, I didn’t have much time to dwell on the thought. I remembered how I got to the Parable in the first place—Solis. Hurriedly, I rushed out of the war room while calling out for him, “Wait, Solis! Wait for me!”

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 28/11/2024

Like all of my dialogue, they're more or less improv. This one's a little more nuanced in how I solved the issue while I wrote it down. Basically, what you're reading is my exact thought process given what's already established in the book on how to enter the castle.

“How about Eltis?” Ozymandias tapped his fingers in a wave-like motion. “Well, scratch that. I’m not sure if she’d be of any help.”
Kiryana pushed her iron mask against her face. “Well, shoot, if we’re talking about her, we might as well try and get Skymarcher’s help.”
The remaining council members slowly turn their heads to face Kiryana.
“I don’t like that look. He’s the biggest cheat card we have, and Ozzy-T over here could work his magic again.”
The ex-priest sighed. “First of all, don’t call me ‘Ozzy-T’. Second of all, that’d be extremely risky. We’d be making a deal with the devil.”
“Okay, let’s go through the list then. Sol Invictus.”
“The outcome’s too uncertain to rely on him.”
“Great. Fortuna?”
“Are you kidding?”
“You think so low of me. Paradeus?”
“I don’t think he’d be of any assistance.”
“I’ll give you that one, actually. We mentioned Eltis, what about the rest of the Headhunters?”
“Again, I don’t think they can help.”
“Spaceripper?”
“Kiryana.”
“Geez, okay maybe not. What about Voodoom?”
Ozymandias doesn’t respond.
“Okay, that’s neither a yes or a no.”
Solis lands on a page in the middle of his Tabula. “Voodoom could work, actually.”
Miyana draws out her response while nodding her head, “Yeah, Voodoom.”
“That sounds like a majority, should I contact him?”
I was a little skeptical. “If everyone else won’t help, how would Voodoom?

“We’re brothers, Autumn. He’s very ‘down to earth’, as some would say. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind giving us a helping hand.”
“Well, if you insist.”
Ozymandias quickly pulls his hands apart before slamming them into a clap. “Right! So we’ll have Voodoom’s assistance to aid us. Anything else to discuss? I presume entering the castle will be a little troublesome.”
The masked swordswoman lifts one of her hands up before replying, “And that’s why we can’t use Voodoom either! Guess we’ll have to take our chances with Skymarcher—”
“Now, hold on.” Miyana raises a finger to stop Kiryana’s thought. “I’m liking our plan so far. Who said we only need to rely on Voodoom?”
“Well,” Kiryana stammers, “No one did.”
“Right. Who here has the closest connection to Goddess Fortuna?”
Everyone remained still. I let out a small cough.
“I forgot she’s an isolated woman. What about diplomacy? Mandy could probably enter the castle on behalf of Skymarcher, even if he’s not currently serving him.”
“No, not really,” The ex-priest sheepishly corrects Miyana, “I don’t think I’d have any good reason to meet with Goddess Fortuna.”
“Oh, we’re kind of in a rough place then, aren’t we?”
“Here, why don’t we compromise? Half of the team sneaks into the castle through the Grand Capital while the other half waits for the rest outside.”
“Through the Grand Capital—”
“Yes, Miyana. If you really want to follow through with it, I’ll allow it. Just this once. Make sure you have your recall token on you.”
For the first time in a while, I saw a brief grin form on Miyana’s face.

“If you want to go alone, so be it. Just don’t endanger anyone if you bring them along, okay?”
“I’m bringing Autumn with me.”
Kiryana quickly shot up in her seat. “Hey! What about me?”
“Honey, I love you, but I do not want to risk losing you.”
“Hmph”. She slouched back in her chair and crossed her arms.
“I assume you’ll take care of her while I’m gone, Mandy?”
He gives a slight nod and a thumbs up.
“Good. I don’t think I need to bring you along, Solis. You’re already strapped to my wrist.”
“That is correct,” he replied.
“Great, I believe we have our game plan then.”
“Well,” Solis continues, “I do have one tiny concern.”
“And what would that be?”
“Once you find a way to let us into the castle, how do we remain in the castle without drawing any attention?”
“Oh, good idea. You know what? Go ask the Man in the Moon to make a few disguise kits for us all. As long as the budget isn’t unreasonable, I’m fine with whatever cost gets us the kits in time.”
The marionette nods. “I will budget accordingly.”
“Great! Meeting adjourned. Do what you can with Voodoom, and wait for my signal before you do anything. The tram to Calcine arrives at around four, so I’ll be around until about thirty minutes prior. Thank you everyone.”
The group simultaneously rose from their seats. Miyana and Kiryana joined together to leave the Parable together, while Solis walked alone.
All that remained were me and Ozymandias. We were both on opposite sides of the table. His usual jovial expression wasn’t present. In place was a solemn daze. I waved toward him with my hand close to my chest; no reaction. He would speak on his own with his head hung low,

“So, that’s it. Once we’ve taken care of Ravsangal, we’ll probably part ways.”
“Part ways?” I questioned, “What do you mean?”
“I know the d’Izunes plan to leave once Miyana gets her spot as the head guard. Solis plans to renovate this place to better suit his experimental needs. He hasn’t expressed a need for me, either. Maybe I’ll take up priesthood again, who knows.”
“Weren’t you all talking about going on more adventures?”
“This is our final one. I’d like to keep going on my own, but I don’t have a crew to my name after this.”
“Ah, I see.”
I lean forward to press the tips of my fingers against the roundtable.
“Well, I’ve got nothing after this, also. I still need to find out this whole ‘Azathoth’ thing. Would that be something you’d like to tag along for?”
Suddenly, Ozymandias glanced up toward me with light in his eyes. “Really?”
“Yes, really. We’ll talk about it later. If we’re going to split up after this, then I should probably wrap up that story I’ve been talking about, shouldn’t I?”
“Oh, if you want! I’ve got plenty of time. Do you want to meet up at the observatory?”
“Observatory? Yeah, sure. That works.”
“Great! I’ll meet you there once I’m ready. I have to go get some breakfast now. I kind of skipped out on it to make it to the meeting on time.”
“And you still had to wait.”
“Yep! I’ll see you in a bit!”
Ozymandias reached into his pocket to take out one of his recall tokens. With a quick flip, the coin rapidly spins in the air before plummeting toward the ground. After a few bounces, the coin lands on

100

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 28/11/2024

In my last project, I considered it a love letter to all my inspirations. Now, considering I've "completed" that project, I'm trying to balance how much is too much in terms of reusing settings and items. I'm sure the Parable is a very tongue-in-cheek way of exporting it from Sonata to SCH.

As I pondered the marionette’s senses, I remembered the conversation we had about my dream. Does Solis dream?
“You know, I meant to ask this earlier.” My voice drowned out our footsteps. “Do you have any dreams?”
For a brief moment, Solis turned back to me before returning back to face the front. “They’re comparable to dreams, yes. Humans dump their emotions out from the prior day. My processes work in a similar fashion. My short-term memory flushes out in one quick burst. With the stimuli of my nodal senses across the world, they mesh together to form an artificial broadcast.”
“Is this the condensed version or have you forgotten to dumb it down for me?”
“Oh, this is as layman as I can get. Make sure to charge and power down your WRIST every night, Autumn. Doing so benefits both of us.”
I was too immersed in conversation to notice the two-story building right in front of us.
“Here we are, Autumn. This is the Parable. The architecture of this design mimics that of the Pre-Sonatan’s Colonial Housing units found across the American Midlands. I’m quite fond of the roofing’s gray shingles. They give a nice contrast to the beige finish seen across the exterior.”
“I suppose you’re right. Do you even know what you’re talking about with colors?”
“I’d like to believe I do. The arts of man elude me.”
We walk up a set of stairs guarded by a thin white railing. Vase-shaped pillars separate the wooden flooring from the steep drop off ahead.
Solis swiftly walks toward the door with his hand outstretched. Once he makes contact with the brass doorknob, his fingers curl

around and twist it clockwise. Solis pushes against the door to reveal a vastly different exterior.
As I stood at an angle to the doorframe, I saw the difference in space Solis mentioned prior. The house’s kitchen extended far past what the exterior showed. Even as I peeked through the nearby window, the kitchen appeared to be closer than it spatially was.
It took a few minutes to get used to the interior. The living room was open from all sides save for the walls of the house. A set of stairs wind up near the border of the couch toward a second floor. Even with an open balcony hanging overhead, there was a visible set of stairs which led to a third floor. There was no third floor outside.
Solis snapped his fingers near my face, breaking my concentration. He led me toward an obsidian wall with a strange sigil placed in the middle. A set of nine yellow lines circle around the center of the door, forming a nonagon. Nested in the polygon is a set of teardrops with its tips touching in the center.
The marionette approached the door with his hand outstretched. Upon touch, the door separated itself into two equal halves to reveal a dimly lit hallway leading deeper inside the house.
“There used to be a set of nine puzzles around the house,” Solis explained, “However I’ve dismantled them in favor of a simple touch-based activation system. I’d hate to deal with the expansive highway found in the basement of the house.”
I flinched on the mention of the basement. “There’s a highway in this house?!”
“There is a highway in this house. Best not to dwell on the matter. Follow along.”
The long, obsidian corridor opened up to a larger room—one that rivaled the main house in space. A circular light hangs a few feet above a roundtable filled with various screens and panels. Miyana, Kiryana, and Ozymandias occupied three of the nine seats surrounding the table. Each chair had a back made of a solid gray

material with an arm rest which bends around the bottom cushion. Solis navigated around the table to take the vacant seat to Ozymandias' right.
The rest of the room was devoid of illumination. Most of the details fell within the shadows save for a few illuminated displays. The most information I could glean from was an active wall of snowy static.
Miyana leaned forward in her chair. “What took you so long? I circled around the highway like fifteen times over while you were gone!”
The marionette brought his wooden hand close to his chest. “I apologize, I wasn’t given the instruction to wake Autumn up from her slumber.”
“Well, I would assume that was implied by default.”
“Not to my understanding it doesn’t.”
Miyana reclines back in her chair with her hands folded together.
“Regardless, is there a reason why you summoned us here, Miyana?”
“There is, in fact, a reason,” The swordswoman replied in a sarcastic manner.
“Well, do you mind elaborating on such reason?”
“Since we’ve obtained a vial capable of disabling Ichor and utilized the last reserves of the Realizer’s Ambrosia to supe up Autumn, I believe we are officially past the gathering stage. All that’s left is to solidify a game plan and execute it.”
A small murmur sweeps the table. A collective hum of approval fills the air for a brief moment.
“The sooner we move the better. I’d like to head to the Heartland no later than tomorrow. Arriving by any conventional means may attract attention to ourselves.”
Ozymandias raises his hand. “Now, hold on a moment. Why not disguise ourselves and infiltrate there?”

“Good question!” Miyana snaps her fingers. “We need some sort of identification when traversing into the Heartland. Disguises won’t work unless Solis wants to fabricate a few false cards.”
“It’ll take a few days,” the marionette adds, “at least.”
“See? Impractical. I’m not paying you all to sit around until then, either.”
“You’re not paying me at all!” I interject.
“We’ve already discussed that, Autumn. Anyone else have any quips?”
The room falls silent.
“Good. Our convenient option is to sneak through the Grand Capital by entering from the cavern highways. I assume there has to be some sort of pulley system lowering them down to patrol the place. The problem here is the Historians.”
Kiryana leaned back in her seat to prop her feet on top of the roundtable. “Why don’t we just ask Sol Invictus to handle transportation? No one checks royalty. Simple.”
“And how do you think he’s going to interpret that?”
“Quite well, actually. We’re all on good terms with him, right?”
Solis lets out a canned cough.
“What’s worse, dealing with the Historians or dealing with some washed old man?”
“Well, it depends.” Ozymandias had his arms cross as he spoke. “You and Miyana wouldn’t be affected. Our concerns would be Solis and Autumn. I’m not sure how he would react to their presence.”
“Okay. Fine.” Kiryana huffs.
I watched Miyana pinch the bridge of her nose through my peripheral view. “We don’t have many options here. A handful of us are well-known individuals. Any other suggestions?”
Solis placed his Tabula on the table and flipped through the pages. “Do we have any external contacts we can involve? I’m not sure if the Man on the Moon has anything to assist us with.”

100

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 28/11/2024

DAY 27! I spent most of today on the road. The remainder I spent writing this chapter out. I think if doing my other work doesn't take as long as today's trip, I'll have a less last three days. #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

Chapter 9
I woke up on my own terms. The nightstand’s clock read 9:35 AM in blocked segments. After Miyana had left, I went about the rest of my evening, preparing for bed. Now, fully rested, I had no expectations for the day ahead of me.
The Tabula’s gem pulsed blue. The updated page held a string of text penned in perfect handwriting,
“NGC, meet at the Parable. Autumn, walk outside your room. -Solis”
Inscribed underneath was a pictogram of an abstract face with its tongue out. I watched as it faded away in broad strokes.
After I put on my clothes and fixed my messy bed hair, I did as the Tabula asked. Outside my door was the marionette Solis with his scooter and pods. I hardly extended my greetings. Without a word, I sat in an empty pod while adjusting my shirt buttons. The glass door in front of me slid shut. And then, we were off.
The first minute was silent. I poked away at the remnants of my dreams until I abstracted them into a short summary. As I recited the phrase into memory, a mess of noise ejected itself from the bulb’s speaker.
“Good morning, Autumn.” I could already identify the voice as Solis. “How did you sleep last night?”
I softly pressed my index finger against the speaker’s button. “Fine, good. Still processing my dreams.”
“Ah, I see you’re one who takes pride in their dreams. Elaborate, what was it about?”
“Well, I was in this cathedral. There was a long strip of carpet that extended out to an organ and its pipes.”
“I see, rather intriguing.”

“I couldn’t see who was playing, but I could hear some sort of melody. I think there were two figures in armored suits talking to each other. I’m already forgetting the major details.”
“That’s okay, it sounds interesting so far. Do you remember what they looked like?”
“One of them looked like Spaceripper, the other like Aurelian." I couldn’t make out the details, but I had a feeling it was them.”
“Aurelian? The suit of armor Aurelian?”
“Yes, them. Remind me again, how does the naming convention go with Aurelian and Goddess Fortuna?”
“Well, she has three names. Goddess Fortuna is used colloquially as the concept of herself or general figure. Aurelian is used as a specific detail; either the armor or the figure in the armor. Her name—which only the divine know and speak—refers to the figure in the armor and no one else.”
“That makes sense. You’re close to Sol Invictus, right?”
“That has been established, yes.”
“Do you know what Aurelian’s true name is?”
“I do, but I’m not at liberty to answer.”
I held my finger inches away from the button. The scooter’s quiet engine. Even if the nexus was devoid of any moving winds, the scooter’s brisk speed pushed the air against the pods, creating a faint yet audible whistle.
“In other news, Miyana has requested to meet within the Parable to debrief us about the Vantablack Plan. Since you’re now a temporary member of the New Galilean Council, your presence is required at the table for both input and understanding.”
“Sounds good with me, I have nothing else planned for the day.”
“I assumed your schedule follows such a routine.”
“Well, thanks. I think I already know what the meeting’s about, so you don’t have to give me the rundown.”

“That’s more than satisfactory to me. I was not given specific details or instructions on summarizing the meeting. Would you like to pass the time with some information about the meeting room?”
“Information about the meeting room?” Even if Solis couldn’t see my expressions, I raised an eyebrow.
“Correct. We decided to go with an unorthodox approach to constructing the nexus’ meeting room.”
“Well, you can only build a meeting room, can’t you?”
“You can, yes. However, we never built the room to begin with.”
The idea bounced in my head. I was too preoccupied in thought to respond.
“We found a strange house in the outskirts of Calcine. When we searched the place for information, we found the spacy interior mismatched with the compact exterior. Ozymandias brought the idea up of transporting the house as an extension to the nexus. Despite the significant differences between constructing a new room and transporting the house outside of Calcine, we were all convinced to spend the extra amount.to add some flair to our base of operations.”
“I can’t imagine how you all managed to cart a small house out through the tight caverns.”
“Oh, we just had to contract the Man in the Moon to close the distance enough for us to handle the rest. That’s where the extra costs went towards.”
“I see, did you gut out the interior and make it all fancy?”
“Surprisingly, we did not. We found a large set of double doors which housed a black war room. Through my thorough database of Sol Invictus’ studies, we stumbled upon one of the Nine Points of Perfection for ourselves.”
“Nine Points of Perfection?”
“I assume you repeat my words as an indirect query. In order for Sol Invictus to complete his ascension, he had to unify nine unique

variations of himself which combine to form a perfected version of himself, Paradeus.”
“Oh, the strange figure I met yesterday?”
“From what Ozymandias informed me, yes. While its importance has long run its course, the inclusion of the Parable—as referred to by Sol Invictus—is more of a trophy to us than any strategic advantage. Plus, it ties in well with the nexus’ recurring usage of icons and images of the Sonatan Gods.”
“Right, so it made sense?”
“Logically. Miyana wasn’t too happy with the budget, however the operation only took up two percent of her net worth.”
“Now or then?”
“Then. It would be approximately zero point two eight percent of her net worth today.”
Solis’ numbers held no ground as I attempted to understand them.
“We should be approaching the housing unit for the Parable. I suggest you take my guidance once we park outside the entrance.”
The scooter slowed to a halt outside a set of double doors. Its jagged teeth meshed together, leaving a row of triangles which race from floor to ceiling.
Solis approached a console placed to the right of the industrial doors. His fingers quickly pressed upon a set of symbols strewn across the panel. Once he lifted his hand away from the device, the doors slowly churned to life as a piercing hiss filled the air.
The interior was nothing special. Cylindrical pillars of concrete spread across a fixed distance, supporting the segmented roof and its hanging fluorescent lights. We walked across the reinforced concrete with the sound of our footsteps filling our ears. The room was noticeably colder than the nexus’ resting temperature. I wish Solis warned me beforehand to put on a jacket. I’m not sure if he can feel temperature to begin with.

130

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 27/11/2024

I don't think anyone's caught up past the fourth chapter; anyone close to me, that is. I'm basically hoping I'm playing all my cards right. It's one big leap of faith.

"Oh, I'll have to go over the specifics with the team. Once Mandy's up, I'll talk over the plan with him and we'll have our game plan. Considering him, he'd want to hear your story before anything else.
"I guess you're right."
"Speaking of which, I need to sort out what we're doing for dinner. Mandy hasn't mentioned a word on what we're gonna eat."
"Oh, not so fast."
After Miyana scraped the legs of the chair against the grassy floor, she stopped in place with a look of bewilderment on her face.
"You spoke about how you don't have any friends, and yet you have the entire council potentially on your side to help settle some personal goal; including me. What's all the commotion about 'not having friends'?"
Her cheeks swiftly flushed red. "I'm paying them. There's a difference between a client and a friend."
"So then when's my payday?"
Suddenly, Miyana flicks her hand and flips the chair upward. As she storms out to the hallway, she raises her hand up with her palm faced toward the setting sun. I quickly fell on the ground as my chair collapsed underneath me. Heaps of slime stuck within my shirt before they were forcefully yanked out of its cotton. For a moment, I was scared my clothes would rip against my body.
"See you at the meeting, Autumn." She hissed.
And then, Miyana left.
I was left alone in the courtyard. Nature sung through its birds' calls, displaying its repeating melody among the flocks of fowls. Accompanying their imitations was an underlay of flapping. The sun sunk past the horizon, rescinding its luscious light in time for the evening.
I couldn't help but smile. As I stood up against the bushes with my hands clasped behind my back, I gazed upon the fleeting light.

Distant cities fell victim to the clutches of the night before retaliating with their own glow. I couldn't see the town's colors, but I found their place in the world through the concentrated dots of light.
I'm not sure how much a world can change without my influence. I'd like to believe the splendors of the plains kept their shape. Wherever Caesar is, I hope he's okay.

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 27/11/2024

So far, I'm 129 pages deep! Granted, the font-size is at 15 pt so I can fit the contents of the page in the alt text. I'm sure it's a lot less impressive in typical print.

I rested my elbows against the table with my head cradled in my hands.
Miyana sat on the opposite side of the table. Only up close did I notice her various blemishes and wrinkles. With the amount of stamina she possessed, I would've mistaken her as a teenager. Now, seeing the folds in her eyes, I wasn't sure how long of a life she'd live up until now.
"Say," she continued, "I know your life isn't my business, but I've always wondered. How badly do you miss your friends?"
"How badly do I miss my friends?" I repeated.
"That's what I said, yes. I'd imagine it isn't easy going from your established circles to whatever collection of hooligans this council is."
"Well, I wouldn't call you all hooligans."
"Look at us, Autumn. We're all washed up adults chasing the glory days of our youth. Don't you think that's a little too childish for our rotting bodies?"
I fix my gaze into a stare.
"Besides Kiryana."
"I was about to say, she doesn't look a day over twenty."
"You'd imagine. That's not important, though. Do you miss your friends?"
"Well, I don't know how to answer that. I wasn't really close with anyone in Temple Cross aside from Caesar, and it was just the two of us from the start of this whole adventure."
"So, Caesar. Do you miss him?"
"A little. I'm sure he's doing fine without me."
"What do you mean 'fine without you'?"
"He has a bunch of friends in Temple Cross. I'm sure he could go back to Sol Invictus for support."
"Autumn. Do you think your average guy travels halfway across the continent just so you can get your mother back?"
"Well, I would expect that, yes."

Miyana returned the silent gaze.
"What? Am I wrong? What's that gaze for?"
"Autumn."
"What are you implying?"
"I can barely get Mandy to run some errands with me."
I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion.
"I can bet you all that my company's worth that Caesar wouldn't be fine without you."
"Caesar doesn't know who I am in this world anymore. I'd be worrying myself over a hypothetical scenario."
Miyana pressed herself against the table with her elbows supporting her off the ground. Her voice settled into a hiss. "If my best friend in the whole world died, I'd do everything in my power to bring her back. Think of the grief, Autumn. What if Caesar died instead?"
The swordswoman returned to her seat with her fingers interlocked within each other. I had nothing to respond to her.
"Tough choice, isn't it?"
"It's a stupid question. Why do you even ask these sorts of things?"
Her head turns toward the setting sun. I've neglected the outside scenery for an embarrassingly long time. With the sun setting upon the horizon, I could safely view the scenic sky. Dark clouds danced haplessly across the warmly graded sky. Stained upon their underbellies were shades of purple rivaling that of Ambrosia.
After a drawn-out sigh, Miyana continued, "I didn't have many friends growing up, Autumn. I hung out with people, and that was it. Whatever they did, I did with them. I followed their trends with an eagerness that was, frankly, wasted on them. Want to guess what one of these rapid fads were?"
"I don't know." I replied without contemplation. "What was it?"
"Sword-fighting. It swept the town like mad. Everyone had their own wooden sword with their name carved on the blade’s hilt. I had to

beg my mother to get my own custom-made blade. It took them weeks. By the time I got my sword in time for the Festival of Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, everyone had moved on. It was all Pre-Sonatan cow wranglers. I'd say it's a safe bet to guess I was more than furious."
"I could assume so."
"I had no one to fight. Everyone was busy with something else. It felt like every kid in the world had their best friend, and I only had myself. The only person I could even call my best friend was my own mom—the lone widow of Izune. Messed up, isn't it?"
"Wait, everyone else was married?"
"Yeah. All of them. I can show you the town's census, but not a single citizen came in unwed. Whenever their partner died or divorced, they left the town. My mother never left. I wanted a new life away from that town, but she never did. I don't know what compelled her, Autumn. We can go visit her—I'm not kidding you."
"I fully believe you."
"Ever since that festival, I spent the rest of my waking hours training. I flailed that sword around until the blade was worn down to a stub. I devoted every thought to improvement. My mother noticed my newfound hobby and saved her money up for us to travel to nearby competitions within the Knuckle Ridges. I improved out of spite, I didn't have time for anyone else. Do you know what I would've done for a best friend like Caesar?"
"What?"
"I would've quit. I'd give up my efforts and settle down if that meant I found someone who understood me as well as I knew myself. That's all it took. Thirty odd years later, here I am. You saw the sparks; I can't lie to you. I'm a mercenary living under the salary of shelter and food. I'd give anything to sell my company off and live the rest of my days with the love of my life. Do you want to hear a cruel truth, Autumn?"

"I think I can already guess what you're going to say."
"Then say it."
I spoke with a uniform tone, mockingly, "Life isn't fair. Not everyone gets what they want. Be grateful for the things you have in life."
"Right on the money. I hate how oblivious you are. You'll turn a blind eye to how people see you, and yet you're smart enough to steal the words right out of my mouth. The closest friend I have is someone who knows me like the back of her hand and wants me six feet under. I bet she has nightmares about the sheer fact that I'm still out there."
"Who are you talking about? Kiryana?"
"No. Clair de Ravsangal. She's the head general of Fortuna's Army. If it wasn't for her random streak of luck, I'd have a legion of soldiers at my beck and call. She was the bottom of the barrel as far as champions go. It didn't matter if I pinned Goddess Fortuna to the ground, she would've won on bias. She hates how I live. She has everything in the world, except the one thing she desires; my talents."
"If Ravsangal was as weak as you've said, why don't you storm the palace and take matters into your own hands?"
"Great question, let me think about it."
The whistling winds blow against the parasol's canvas.
"Ravsangal has Goddess Fortuna's blessing. There's a clear rule stating that any head general may be surmounted if they're bested in combat, but if Ravsangal's sucking on the teat of bountiful luck, she'll win through her fumbling alone."
"Is that why we went looking for the vial and the Realizer?"
"Exactly. It has to be some sort of Ichor controlling her luck. I doubt Ambrosia has anything to do with it—that'd make no sense. I know I wanted to supe up the vial so I can instantly disarm her luck once I hit her. However, considering your skillset, I think we'll be fine."
Miyana's implications initially confused me. "What do you mean? Why am I more important than the vial?"

110

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 27/11/2024

DAY 26! Did y'all miss the 10-page entries? I've gotta practically work overtime to meet the end goal in a timely manner. I've got a long car ride ahead of me tomorrow. I think I know what I'll be doing for a majority of the ride. #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+

Embedded in Solis' cap were a pair of flowers. Of the two, I could only identify one flower as marigold. The other—shaded in purple—eluded my knowledge.
I raised my finger to try to draw attention to Solis' hat. I couldn't recall if these flowers were a new addition.
"I guess we all have our separate ways of living." I concluded the prior conversation. "On an unrelated note, are those flowers new?"
"Flowers?" Solis seemed to be confused by my observation.
"Yeah, there's two of them in your cap."
The marionette doll reaches his hand up to release his hat from his head. "Oh, you mean the marigold and gale flower?"
I nodded.
"Ah, they're gifts from a group long before the New Galilean Council. I found an old interview they gave fifty years after Caelitra was created. These flowers seem to aid me in sentimental ways."
Solis put his cap back on after finishing his explanation. I let the speakers' noise drown the conversation away in lieu of speech.
Eventually, I left. With the council occupied in their own activities, I was left alone. With the constant noise of Kiryana's movie, it was hard to hone into my own thoughts. I couldn't tell her to turn it off, nor did I have the gall to place the request on anyone else. With nothing to do, I left the living room.
Framed paintings lined the corridor ahead. Various illustrations of each of the council members and honorary members looked down upon me with varied expressions. Ozymandias' beaming smile hooked me first. His pearly white teeth endured the throes of art well. I could've sworn the overhead lights reflected off the teeth to give its shine.
Miyana's scorn mirrored Ozymandias' tone. With her painting across the hall. The portrait's style remained the same. Compared to her current figure, Miyana's hair was noticeably shorter. While it

reached past her chin, it all seemed to end a few inches above her shoulders.
Solis remained the same. With his portrait seated further down the hallway, he separated himself from the previous two members. His opposition was an illustration of The Bartender. Despite the image's balanced lighting, his eyes were stricken out by a hasty streak of black paint.
Further ahead was Kiryana's portrait. She possessed a cheerful gaze similar to Ozymandias'. Her pink eyes glared down upon me unobstructed by her metallic mask. Included in the picture was her weapon of choice—a sleek broadsword. Light bounced off the smoothened blade, giving the sword depth within the painting.
The rest of the paintings were small. With each image, the details slowly blurred together as a homogenous sea of ordinary people. I couldn't discern what their purpose was, or how they helped the team. I've never seen them around the nexus, nor has the council mentioned their names. However, among the sea, were two distinct busts.
One was a crimson red machine. A pair of golden horns protruded from his bullet-shaped head. Nested within his blackened sockets were two blood red lights. His jaw gave the illusion of a scruffy beard with the absence of the crimson red finish. Brandished above his right pec was a nameplate which read VOODOOM. The painting's cutoff point implied the figure's gargantuan girth below. The ends of his shoulders couldn't be contained in the frame's limits.
I've yet to encounter him. His inclusion among the paintings perplexed me. Even before my death, his appearance overlooked my journey in a collage of accounts which can barely be considered one big coincidence. His glare pierced through the confines of the painting—I swear I saw him move. I quickly searched to find a new target to examine to cleanse my mind of his presence.

The last figure to draw my attention is a man clad in a black tuxedo. A layer of chrome acts as the figure's skin. Upon the knot of his tie is a set of spindly fingers clasped around in a tight embrace. A jagged, obsidian visor shields his eyes. In place of his sight is a horizontal line which separates the accessory into opposite slopes. His hair bundled itself in the back with varied strands weighing down in the front.
The portrait was left unnamed. I couldn't find any useful information that clued me in on his identity. All I found was a small slip of paper taped on the bottom right side of the frame. The text inscribed labeled a series of numbers: 42-5-9-452-43353. My first instinct was to write the contents in my Tabula. Etched on the backside of the cover was my copy of the phrase.
Beyond the picture, the corridor continued out into the main chamber of the nexus. Just before that, however, was a stray path enveloped in sunlight. The rays formed a replica of the doorframe on the corridor floor. As I walked further away from the portraits, I could hear the distinct sound of metal clashing against each other.
The door led to the nexus' exterior. Etched within the mountainside were the sprawling hallways and chambers of the nexus. The exterior hid the exact dimensions through walls of marble and detailed pillars. The architecture of the nexus remained consistent outside, with the absence of the lines of stripes, pipes, and sleeved wires along the walls.
A solid wall of shrubbery encased the elevated courtyard inside its perimeter. Various light-colored flowers blossomed from the branches with the additional patches resting among the grass. A small pool of water encased within a stone bowl sits on the perimeter. Its support hides within the leaves, producing an illusion which makes the fountain seem weightless. A family of birds drift within the water up until they quickly take flight in panic. Seconds after, a stray blade swings parallel to the lip of the fountain

This was where Miyana went. She occupied herself through combat. Her opponent was a replication of herself. Every detail she possessed mirrored itself on their body, save for the color. A uniform shade of pink covered the clone from head to toe.
The two fought as if they were separate minds. With every mistake Miyana made, the clone attempted to capitalize on her blunder. The same applied in opposition. It was difficult to keep track of one side for long. For every swing, a series of particles and quick crackles of lightning formed opaque walls of smoke and clouds.
In the end, the dust cleared with Miyana's foot harshly pressed against the clone's cheek. Beads of sweat rolled down the fighters' faces. In the clone's case, the sweat was nothing but liquefied slime. Once they held their position for three seconds, the clone quickly disassembled into a blob of goop. Any sort of solidified structure vanished in seconds, and the excess puddle quickly receded into the pores of Miyana's exposed legs.
I could hear her breathe from the entrance. She took in heavy breaths through her nose and exhaled out from her mouth. Miyana takes a moment to compose herself before slightly panning her head to face me. "Oh, hey Autumn. Was the living room too loud?"
"More than a little," I replied.
The swordswoman extended her hand out with her fingers outstretched. A barrage of slime expulsed itself from her tips as it quickly formed a chair in mere seconds. She repeated the process to create a similar chair and a small, rounded table. The centerpiece of the hot pink furniture was a large umbrella which shaded the chairs in its reach.
"Come." Miyana gestured to the chairs. "Sit."
Despite my suspicions, the hardened slime held my weight well. Upon placing my hand on the armrests, there wasn't a hint of residue left behind. It was all solid material. After I concluded my experiments,

130

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 26/11/2024

DAY 25! Shout out to the tracker I've kept that projects how many words I need to write in a day to keep up to par. It's gradually building up, but I know I'll be able to knock it out once I'm back home for Thanksgiving Break. #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

Chapter 8
After a long day of exploring, the council settled within the spacious living room within the nexus. An array of screens lined the top third of the walls. Marble statues uphold the supporting pillars of the room. Each figure held their hand high with their feet spread a shoulder width apart. Blue and purple stripes ran across the walls, dividing the light blue walls in horizontal slices.
Kiryana nested herself within the comforts of one of the living room's many reclinable chairs. She propped her feet up against the outstretched platform while her hands were occupied with a pair of remotes. As she pressed the various buttons found across the metal slate, the actions performed on screen synchronized in a litany of ways. Most obvious of these actions was how the centermost character moved relative to her left thumb.
My attention fixed on the screen long enough for me to lose track of time. After a few minutes of my trance-like state, I couldn't help but shoot a question out, "What's going on with the screen right now?"
I couldn't see Kiryana's expression, but she began her response with a scoff. "I'm playing a movie right now. Quiet down, Mandy said I can't turn up the speakers any louder."
The character's footsteps projected throughout the room through the help of the obsidian obelisks containing the screen. Their membrane heads fluctuated in place as they displaced the air with sharp vibrations. I could barely hear Kiryana talk at the speaker’s current setting. If anything, thinking about the speaker's limited power formed a pit in my stomach.
All screens—no matter their size—display color through a collection of miniscule squares. Even if the lights require a specific shock across the board, the outside pixels can be mixed in a way which displays a separate image. Molding a moving picture was akin

to filling a cast. I've learned from Laque on how to concentrate the specific image I desire from thought to reality..
Considering this information, I decided to shape the screen's output to hide the character in focus. Filling in the specific details required a bit of mental work on my end. With a careful glance, you could see a faint outline of the missing character. However, it seemed to be enough to fool Kiryana.
Her first reaction was to drop both her remotes on her chair. She sputtered out her attempts to speak before quickly grasping her thoughts in a shout, "Where did he go?!"
Even as I stifled my laughter, my mind clung to her reaction. With my influence on the screen released, the figure returns back to normal.
It took Kiryana a few moments to register this change. She wildly flailed her arms in some unknown language while hopelessly stammering. Eventually, she came to her senses and returned to the movie.
Ozymandias was fast asleep on the corner couch. I could understand his rule on the speaker with his slumber in mind. He took his gray coat off and used it as a blanket to cover himself. All I could see from the neck up were his bundles of brown hair.
Miyana slipped away moments prior with her sword by her side. I'm sure she went to train, but the placement of the sword could be a coincidence. She didn't say goodbye or wave. I watched her scan the room before nodding to herself. Miyana simply left.
All that remained was Solis. He wasn't occupied with any external task. He stood with his back against the wall with his eyes fixed on an unknown point. With his rigid form and still stance, I easily mistook him for a statue when I first entered the room.
I brought my WRIST to my chest with my arm parallel to the ground. With a few taps on the glass screen, Solis jumped to life with a few stammers.

"Right, right, I'm awake." His eyes flickered in brightness. "What do you need, what's the issue?"
I flicked my hand horizontally while spreading my fingers. Alongside, I subtly nodded my head. "Nothing's wrong, Solis. Just wanted to check up on you."
"That sounds reasonable enough. Isn't that my job, though?"
"It's a personal check, Mandy hasn't told me to check up on you."
"Oh, I am both flattered and disappointed."
I closed the distance between us after initializing the conversation. My arms remained crossed in front of my chest.
"Is something the matter, Autumn?" Solis loosened his shoulders in tandem.
"Not with me, no. I know I've mentioned Sol Invictus a lot in my stories. I'm just a little concerned how you're dealing with it considering the WRIST's microphone and your relations with him."
"Well, I'm fine currently. He's definitely a sore spot, but I don't mind the occasional mention. I wish to remain spatially distant from him."
"Right, I see. I never knew you developed a preference with specific people. I thought that was tied with emotion."
Solis kept silent. He slowly pulled his gaze away.
"Sorry, not that it's a bad thing. I don't know what you're capable of, you know?"
"Temple Cross wasn't very progressive where you came from, I understand that. My emotions are wired to a range of artificial variables which my speech and thoughts are hard-coded to. The various stimuli I experience in my lifetime create an individual input which fluctuates with my generalized reactions."
"Okay, well, I might need that toned down a little."
"I thought that was sufficient. Nonetheless, my emotions are compared against the developed average. I feel sad whenever the

conditions sway such emotion. Joy comes with an uplifted atmosphere."
"That makes some sense. I'll take it for now. Is that why you're constantly monitoring us?"
"Precisely. An unknown variable requires advanced computing—if at all. If life is unpredictable, then my emotions are ill-fit for this world."
"Well, that's life. The world keeps moving, and you've got to keep guessing."
"That's life to you. I've constructed a panopticon of paradise. I'm unsure how the Man in the Moon does it, but a barrage of predictions overwhelms me inconceivably."

070

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 25/11/2024

DAY 23+24! It's been a busy weekend. I'm honestly hoping I get more time once Thanksgiving Break hits soon. For now, I'm doing what I can. #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

On my last day of training, I started my day as usual. I didn’t know it was my last day until I met up with Laque to start my morning practice.
“Okay, Laque.” I opened the door up to the white-walled foyer. “I’m ready to get my training done for the day.”
The prince stood with his back turned toward the entrance. He hunched over the railing with his focus placed down on the lower level of the room. Once I finished speaking, he raised his head up slightly.
He kept his attention toward the distance. “Well, Autumn, today’s your lucky day. I’ve got nothing left for you.”
“Nothing left?” I repeated, “I thought we still had a few days left of training.”
“I must’ve misspoken. Don’t take this as an excuse to stop practicing, however. I’ve just taught you all I’ve needed to.”
“Well, this feels anticlimactic.”
“It is, yes.”
“Don’t you have some sort of test to show that I’ve improved? A written quiz? A battle?”
“Not necessarily. A fight against me wouldn’t bring any worthwhile results. However, I believe your journey to the lily will utilize all that we’ve learned over the course of these last two months.”
“Two months? That’s how long it’s been?”
“Time flies when you stick to a routine, Autumn.”
“As I’ve experienced.”

A moment of silence fills the air. Laque pushes himself off the railing and walks toward me. He stops once he's within a few meters of distance—far enough to where he can speak in a comfortable tone.
"I have no reason to doubt you and Caesar are well-equipped for the challenges ahead," he continues, "I think my lessons will apply themselves in time."
I was confused by what Laque was talking about. "I'm not sure how manipulating colors can help out in any way. That, and I don't think I'll be hiding myself often."
"Right, but have you forgotten one of our first lessons?"
Laque walks over to stand just behind my right shoulder. With one hand, he formed it in a way which resembled holding a gun.
"That BEL wasn't retooled for nothing. Form your hand like such."
As I repeat the shape of his hand through my own. A reticle hovers over my postured hand as a laser dot forms on the distant wall.
"I've gotten a little help from the Man on the Moon with this design. When you pull the imaginary trigger, a bolt of Ambrosia will shoot out in similar concentrations to a typical BEL. Only you can see the reticle, dot, and bullet."
"Right, I almost forgot about that."
"Have you been practicing out in the training grounds with it?"
"Not really, no. I kind of forgot to."
"Well, that explains it. At least I've reacquainted you."
My cheeks glow red in embarrassment.
"You have the rest of the day free to do whichever preparations you need to do. However, I must ask this out of curiosity. Do you remember the last time a mortal achieved eternal life?"
"I think so? You're talking about yourself, aren't you?"
"Well, not really. The person in question is a Laque."
It took me a moment to fully comprehend what he said.

"Oh, nevermind then. Look up the Saturn Scriptures if you're curious, they're in the library somewhere."
"I'll take a peek, thanks. Is there any reason why you mention this?"
"Well, threefold. First, because I think it's a fascinating tale. The only reason we know about what happened is through the remnants of a simulated world which collapsed. Secondly, there's an upheld adage about obtaining divinity."
"And that is?"
"The only known people who have crossed the threshold have surmounted the Gods in an act of skill. It depends on who you target. Skymarcher achieved his divinity by conquering The Elders' Game. Voodoom achieved divinity through Caeliter's death. I've achieved my status by surpassing Skymarcher in skill."
"He seems to be a popular target."
"Oh, people try. The only person who differed was Parabellum's chief scientist. Allegedly, he went after the Forgotten God Azathoth. This brings me to my third point. Your lack of knowledge on this topic was, admittedly, expected. If you ever wish to go down this route, know that the line is blurred. I confide this information with you in confidence."
I've never heard most of the names Laque spoke of. However, Caeliter was familiar. The tales of his death simply extended to people who have committed treason against Skymarcher. However, I never knew Voodoom was involved.
"Well, that's all I have to tell you. Any questions?"
"Yes—one. Who's Voodoom?"
"Ah, right. I forgot to explain who he is."
A chair flung itself from the depths of the room into Laque's possession. Once he had his grip on the handle, I realized he moved the chair with his energy. A yellow aura engulfed the object in a translucent finish.

"I'm sure you're aware of my three creations. If not now, you will discover the rest in due time. Voodoom was my first attempt at creating sentient life through steel and circuits. While he was a success in all accounts, I wasn't fully satisfied. It felt wrong to employ him without another option, so I set him free."
"Oh, that clears a few things up. If you freed him, then how did he return?"
"Sheer coincidence. The place I sent him to live the rest of his days in was the same place that was the cooking pot for my ascension. Call it luck, but he soon returned to my attention toward the climax."
"Right, makes sense. Oh, and one more question."
Laque raised an eyebrow.
"Do you consider yourself a God?"
His smile slowly eroded away. As Laque faced off toward the distance, his mouth straightened back to a line.
"I'd take that as a no?"
"It's the weight I have to bear for my sins."
"I'll take that as a no."
We soon parted ways. This wasn't the last time I'd meet Laque, but I knew it would be a while until we would find each other again.
I spent the rest of the day sitting around in the kingdom's many benches. As much as I wanted to practice, an overwhelming part of me yearned for peace. I wasn't sure why I considered the bustling streets part of my idea of a soothing atmosphere, but I found a small joy in watching the civilians and tourists alike pass by.
Families and groups bundled together in flocks. It was easy to spot the people walking alone. The spaces between each group varied greatly from the space within. It was fascinating to watch. Even the volume of people was a sight to behold.
Distant melodies echoed off the walls around me. I could tell there was a band nearby, but I couldn't pin where. The lack of clamors

1101

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 23/11/2024

also second voodoom mention in a row i am on a ROLL tonight chat

"It just sounds like you're assuming things about me that aren't true, you know?"
"Right, I'm sorry about that. Maybe I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I'm just more concerned about the wellbeing of my relatives than anything, you know? What's your stance on love, then?"
"It's a little finicky, why? This feels like another setup."
"Ah, not really. I'm no love expert. I haven't courted anyone in my lifetime. I've tried to replicate the miracles of life, and that hasn't aged well for me. If you wouldn't mind, can I say some wisdom?"
Reluctantly, Caesar nods.
"The greatest love you'll experience is knowing when to let go. Your feelings may go unnoticed. They may be realized long after your passing. There's nothing wrong about waiting—I don't have a perfect formula for you there. What I will tell you, however, is it's best to work in the shadows. Love isn't about selfish gain, Caesar."
"I've heard that plenty of times, Laque."
"Don't be afraid to break a few promises. Treat her out for some tea. You're young—your mind's still developing. Whatever you do now will be forgiven in the act of love. Take advantage of that, okay? I'm sure *Domi* wouldn't mind."
"Are you sure? I'm pretty sure Skymarcher wouldn't like it if I went against his gospel."
"Caesar. He's told me about his desires. You're forgetting he was once human too. I only know what words to say to you now because *Domi* said the same exact phrases to me years ago. He wouldn't mind."
Caesar remained silent. He clasped his hands together and lurched forward.
"Trust me, okay?"
After a moment of silence, Caesar reclined back in his chair. "I'll trust you."

"Good. You'll know what I'm talking about in due time. It'll all be too late if you squander this opportunity, I promise."
"You promise?"
"Voodoom's still kicking around, is he not?"
"Ah, right. Suppose he is."
That was all I cared for in the recording. I distinctly remember after Caesar had left, Laque briefly locked his attention toward the nearby camera. Soon after, he sat up and left the garden. I don't know why he felt the need to look at the camera. In the moment, it felt like I was suddenly perceived through my protective one-way glass.

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 23/11/2024

DAY 22! It's weird to think I have eight more days to go. This is it, basically. I'm in the home stretch. Granted, this is where I plan to slingshot toward my end goal. Most of the days going forward require me to write 3k words in a day. Oh boy. #writing #oc #Novelmber #Novelmber+ [ #Aureverse ]

It took me a second to process Ozymandias' request. While I was surprised, it was more in the surprise than the action itself.
"I mean, I still have plenty more to share," I replied, "Though, I want to get this question off my mind before I completely forget."
The ex-priest raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What would that be, exactly?"
"You have good connections to Skymarcher, right? Why was I revived in the first place?"
"That's a good question, actually. I don't think he went into the specifics of why. He just said you were brought back through passion. You know how reanimation works, right?"
"Generally. An equivalent exchange must be made to kickstart a body back to life. No one returns whole."
"Right, that's about the gist of it. Given the relative time you've spent dead and the encounter you've had with Skymarcher, I think you've involuntarily indebted yourself to him in return for your continued life."
"Well, that doesn't sound fair."
"That's how he works sometimes. I vaguely remember him saying you were brought back out of passion, but he could be gloating."
I watched as Miyana's hand slowly raised up in the air with her index finger extended upwards. Soon after, she slowly returned her hand to her side.
"We should get a move on, though. I'd like to end this little exploration trip before we get too out of hand."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Lead the way."
I occupied the air with a continuation of my past life. After catching everyone up to speed—especially Solis—I found myself at the next memorable event in my mind.
After the arduous weeks spent training with Sol Invictus, the days blurred together as they inhibited a repetitive schedule. Firstly, I

woke up without the indication of dawn. With the sun constantly overhead, it was hard to adjust my sleeping patterns to the restless kingdom.
After eating breakfast—which was always prepared by the castle's standby chefs—Laque mentored me in the laboratory as he refined and assessed my individual practices from the day prior. Lunch arrived around noon. Once I had my fill, I was tasked to apply most of the concepts learned throughout the day on my own time. Laque stated the benefits of practicing alone, but also mentioned the diplomatic duties he had to attend to.
The evenings—as bright as they were—held no important events or obligations. I had the remaining time to myself. Some days, I spent the time reading through the bedroom's small library. I'd often stroll around the city's streets just to take in the view. Sometimes, there was a theatrical performance or a festival of sorts. There wasn't a shortage of activities within the kingdom. If anything, I was impressed by the busy streets and festive spirit. However, as the weeks sped by, the upbeat nature of the kingdom overstayed its welcome. There had to be other ways to spend my time.
One night, I took the time to explore around the confines of Laque's underground facility. While the sterile walls and kingdom's symbols and designs extended throughout the basement floor, they were secondary in importance to the sheer abundance of technology. Various pipes, cables, displays, consoles, and storage units organized themselves among projects.
Most of Laque’s researchers leave around 8 PM. I've grown well-acquainted with them through my occupancy in the kingdom. They didn't mind leaving me alone in the facility. I didn't know if their suspicions weren't raised due to the rapport I built with them or the assumption that I would continue my independent practice well into the evening hours. Regardless, I was alone.

I remember stumbling into what I assumed to be Laque's surveillance system. The room wasn't guarded by any means. All that existed as a warning was the simple label on top of the door frame.
Monitors lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Panels lined themselves up along the center of the room. I couldn't figure out how to modify the views or focus on a specific point of view. The room seemed to favor a point within the castle already.
Tucked away in the back gardens was a small porch. Trimmed shrubberies formed a small wall around a series of chairs surrounding a central table. Three candles sat within the confines of a metallic candelabra. At first, I could clearly see the wicks with clarity. As two shadowy figures approached the table, the stubs quickly lit aflame without any outside influence.
Entering from the left was Caesar. I could recognize his bright blue coat from a mile away. He dug his hands within his pockets while he walked. On the other side of the display was Laque. His golden hair was enough to clue me in on identifying him. Even then, I could hear his voice over the console speakers.
"Thanks for meeting with me tonight." Laque pulled a chair out from underneath the table for Caesar to sit in. "I know you've been busy with your religious reformations. This'll be quick, I promise."
The prophet sat in his designated seat. At first, he lifted his hands and briefly waved them in the air. "Oh, don't worry! It's not as bad as you think it is. I'm not changing much, just laying down some foundational work."
"You might have to clue me in on it once I'm done training Autumn! I'm sure you're a natural-born leader. Your parents say a lot about you, too."
"Aw, you don't have to shower me with compliments, you know?"
"Well, it's true! I wouldn't say it if it wasn't."
"Suppose you're right. Now remind me, what did you call me in for?"

"Ah, you know. I don't think there's going to be a good time to really break this in a digestible fashion. But, how do you feel about the natural law of authority? I know you're an upstanding citizen and all."
"I think it should be upheld. Plain and simple. Why do you ask? Feels like you're leading into something huge."
"You're correct, yes. I think there's a point in everyone's lives where their world view radically shifts, you know?"
"Not necessarily."
"If I may. There was a point in my life—around my twenty-fourth birthday—where everything suddenly made sense. I was raised upon exemplary conditions. I surrounded myself with influences which positively shaped my talents and perspectives. I feel like everyone experiences a point in their life when they first wake up. Not from a dream—no—but from their crafted reality."
"Right, I think I kind of get what you're saying. Though, I don't think that really applies to me."
"How so?"
"You know how I've been raised. I've been surrounded by Skymarcher's influence for as long as I can remember. If I didn't have a grounded grasp on what was real, I think my devotion to Skymarcher would be questioned in its entirety."
Laque grinned. No words escaped his mouth.
"What's that expression for?"
"Oh, nothing. You know my relationship with *Domi*. I wouldn't lead you astray."
"Right. As I was saying..."
"My mistake. As you were."
"Some people will come to this revelation, sure. But I don't think that'll happen with me. My parents raised me well. I wouldn't consider myself spoiled by any means—no offense."
"None taken."

130

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 22/11/2024

Even if I don't finish the novel this month, I'll still be satisfied with the output considering the pace I've taken so far.

Ozymandias quickly stood up from his spot on the picnic blanket with his hands firmly placed to his sides. "Okay! I think I'm all good with my early dinner. Surely you must be full from two meals in the span of three hours, right Miyana?"
"Ah, yeah, sure." She dusted the crumbs off her uniform. "I'm ready to go. Is it just a straight shot home?"
"I believe so. We need to extract some resources from the Grand Capital, but that's an entirely separate adventure we'll return to. Say, Autumn, why don't you entertain us with a story while we head home? How was the training with Sol Invictus?"

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 22/11/2024

DAY 21! Today was technically a rest day because of the anticipated concert today. However, since I was a few words behind par, I've decided to utilize this time to write. Conveniently, this was one week after the last established break.

"I'm not sure," The mannequin replies, "It seems you and Miyana seem to be just fine even as you're both nearing the latter end of your expected life span."
Ozymandias dryly chuckles. "Ah, that just makes me feel old. Usually adventurers like us reach their prime before our brains fully develop."
"Well, then why do you two continue? You could easily retire in luxury. Miyana accrued enough wealth from her business ventures to retire for nine lifetimes."
"If it was all about the money, then we would've shaped the Nexus as a beach resort some fifteen years ago."
"You may be correct. I know you're fully content with the life you live. Miyana, on the other hand..."
"Yeah, it's all vengeance. That's probably why she carries on. I just tag along for old times sake."
"Then there's your answer. Autumn has been awake for thirty-two seconds, by the way."
Ozymandias whips his head toward the center of the chamber. His curious gaze quickly shifted to soft satisfaction.
"I'm sure you two have much to discuss after her venture to the Realm of One Thousand Victories."
"Ah, welcome back, Autumn! I see you've returned all in one piece."
I felt a searing pain welcome itself within the back of my skull. With my hand firmly pressed against it, I sharply exhaled through my teeth. "Mostly, yeah. How does he know how long I've been awake and where I've been? I thought I was dreaming."
Solis' eyes lit up. I could only assume he waited for some poor soul to ask my question for years. With his palm faced toward the ceiling, he projects a faint diagram showcasing a few recognizable images. In the middle was a plane of trees and shrubbery. A patchwork of nighttime fabric rests above the plane. On the opposite

side is a soup of rocks and dust which spread across a series of islands surrounding a marble spire.
"Typically, we're only aware of three planes of existence. These are Heaven, Hell, and our prime plane, Reality. The first two are strictly guarded by the divine. Through our toils and troubles, we're rewarded through our devotion and achievements. It's undecided whether Hell is its own separate place, but the Cult of Skymarcher holds a set of sacred scriptures which segregate these two concepts."
I nodded, half interested. "Go on."
"I won't bore you with the details on the specifics, but all of these realms exist as an extension of reality. We colloquially call the culmination of our reality and its realms the Aureverse. Only one soul can inhabit one realm at a time, but it may have multiple bodies from where it can anchor to."
"You're kind of losing me here, Solis."
"The Realm of One Thousand Victories is a special realm hosted on the outer bounds of the Aureverse. Just as the Empyrean Peak is the homeland of Skymarcher, this place exists as the central resting grounds for the Paragon of Perfection, Paradeus."
Ozymandias snapped his fingers. "Paradeus! You met Paradeus?"
The name confused me. I knew who it referred to, yet the connection remained abstract. "Who is he?"
"You're familiar with Skymarcher's reach of power, yeah?" The ex-priest continued, "Skymarcher is a sentient representation of the universe as a whole."
"I think I've heard of it, yeah. It's been a while, but I get what you're saying."
"Well, Paradeus is the sentient representation of what happens inside the universe. Its thoughts are reality and what will become of it."
"That makes some amount of sense."

"Neither of them actively influence the world around us. Think of them as figureheads, mainly. They have no influence on what happens to their men, but they're actively involved in their affairs—whether it be for better or for worse."
"Okay, I kind of understand. So I've essentially met our past, present, and future?"
Solis chimes in, "In a way, yes. I wouldn't worry about the specifics too much. Here's some fun trivia: he relinquished the duties of a theorized deity called 'Azathoth' upon his canonization."
Miyana retracts her attention from her meal and toward the current conversation. "Caelitran Theology is an entire beast to explain. Everyone's sorted in classes. The Sonatan Gods are somehow a part of the current Pantheon despite all nine vanishing before Fortuna's rise to power. We classify Goddess Fortuna and Sol Invictus on the same ranks as Paradeus and Skymarcher although we can theoretically kill the former. Who came up with this system?"
"Unsure. I also share some frustrations. The connotation of Godhood has been quickly diminished when you consider I'm classified under the same status as Paradeus."
"It's because of your ties with Laque, isn't it?"
"Correct. There's nothing divine about me. My creation alongside the connotations of my sibling creations place me far beyond my capabilities."
"Divinity is a farce. I'd rather be Godless than endlessly confused by these archaic semantics."
Miyana and Solis both turned their attention toward Ozymandias, who had retreated in place.
"Right, sorry, Mandy. I forgot about your devotions."
"It's okay," He blankly replied.
"Well, now that I think about it. I wouldn't mind having at least one higher power. It'd make everything a lot less confusing. What do you think, Solis?"

"Ah, maybe." He reached his wooden hand up to scratch his chin in contemplation. "Depends on which deity it would be. I think ruling out any of the newer additions and the Sonatan Gods reveals a decent list of candidates for this theoretical position."
"Yeah, but think about it. Do we really want Spaceripper as our True God?"
"Despite my kindred connections with him, I'd have to agree."
"Skymarcher is kind of a nuisance. It's like we gave some insecure brat a position of power. Someone along the chain of command messed up."
"Can't agree or disagree with that."
I raised my hand. "I met Skymarcher after I died."
"Skymarcher? What did he look like?"
"He was an animated skeleton of some sort with tattered clothes."
Miyana interjected with a mouthful of her sandwich, "You didn't meet Skymarcher. You met the Corpse of Caeliter."
"Corpse of Caeliter?"
"Yeah. He's theologically distinct enough to be considered a separate deity. Right, Solis?"
"As of the last Metalogic Assembly last year," he stated, "the Corpse of Caeliter isn't Skymarcher."
"See what I mean? This is all too confusing! We need someone who isn't confusing to explain. Someone who isn't multiple people at once."
"I may know the person. Are you thinking what I'm processing?"
"You think too highly of me. On three."
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
They both replied in unison, "Voodoom!"

110

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 21/11/2024

DAY 20! I've recently been hit with a whole bunch of "Wow the end is a lot closer than I imagined it to be" with a bunch of projects I've taken on this month. Hopefully I'll be able to sort them all out in due time! #Novelmber #Novelmber+ #writing #oc [ #Aureverse ]

Chapter 7
Vermillion skies entombed me underneath their boundless stars. Waves of clouds obscured my horizons far beyond the glass shores. All I could hear were the cry of seagulls and crashing waves ahead. The crystalline seas perfectly mirrored the scene above.
Most of all, there was a line. Sat on the edge of the ocean's vanishing point was an abstract mural of countless branches. Contained within its design was a multitude of colors hidden behind the luminous streaks.
A gray void splayed itself across a series of branches. Its scar burdens the light in its overwhelming shape. In its shadow, the hues dance around the edges before fading to nothing inside the void.
I could see the sky beneath me. The sands weren't fully transparent, yet I could identify the figure of a moon resting between my feet. Its presence barely contends against the heavens above. It lays dormant, hiding.
A fleet of floating islands hang overhead. Their jagged peaks rest within the clouds as vines reach down for the ground. Among these islands was a rising mist obscuring a magenta waterfall.
Most wondrous of all was a small, glass flower. It had long blossomed, exposing its nested golden core. Despite the fauna's material, my thumb easily pushed against the petals, leaving a cold sensation upon my fingertip. The flower was absent of thorns. I held the stem sternly between my index and middle finger.
The sun abruptly jostled within its resting place. Its radiant shape slowly warped as the very land hushed in its presence. Titanic hands rose from the underworlds of the beach to form a structure around the waking sun. Its rocky fingers grasped around various islands above and its own forearms. What remained was a chassis supporting the world beyond. Intertwined in a pair of twisted hands was the gray void. All the lines surrounding it faded behind its arms.

The stars in the sky blinked asynchronously. They closed their divine gaze one by one as they cleansed the swirling cosmos of detail. The only light left came from the volatile sun. After a prolonged period of time, it engulfed the skies in a brilliant white before dissipating completely.
An ethereal voice carried its whispers along the beach's wind, "Why have you returned?"
My gaze locked upon an encroaching figure of light. Its golden locks fell victim to the harsh winds as they extended outwards. Purple robes obscured its body in intricate silk and embellished details. I could feel its eyes piercing right through his sole, even if it had no eyes to begin with.
"I thought you were scared," its voice wavered, "I thought you never loved me."
Its hands delicately wrapped themselves around a small, glass flower. Luminous rays filtered through the petals to form shadows of Ambrosia against the ground below.
Soon, its expression changed. Its warm glow withered away, revealing a layer of human skin. The details of its face were clear now—I could see its glossy eyes.
Its pillowed words filter through my body, "Why leave your corpse animate and alive? What good is it to depart with your mind and soul alone?"
The figure addressed my presence. It extended its hand outward as it stowed away the flower in tandem.
"You were never meant to deal with the affairs of the divine," it continued, "There's a world of hate and malice no mind can fathom. Why curse your legacy to bear your sins?
"This world has bent to my will. I've sacrificed all that makes me human in an attempt to quench my insatiable desire for acceptance. All guardians which cradle me grow distant, and all peers who seek me fall victim to grief."

The figure reached its hand up toward the heavens. With the sky in its fingertips, a wisp of clouds coiled around its hand and stuck to its body.
"You live in a future gated by chance. Every man who walks alongside you won an impossible lottery invisible to perception. I've severed the divine art of creation and sewn its victims tight. No mistake befalls me, and no blunder will find me.
"I've chiseled my mark upon this world as my own Blight. I am the Paragon of Perfection in all its glory. I've merged myself in the streams of time as oneself. I am without passion or soul. I am neither human nor alive. I am Paradeus."
A swirl of Ambrosian fireflies circles the figure's head as a crown of shifting flowers. The paragon turns itself around with its back against me. With the glass flower extended out to the heavens, strings of light slowly sift through the flower's petals and exit as a radiant rainbow.
Remnants of its voice echo against the heavens. His actions move quicker than his speech. "It's better to live a life wandering contently among your aspirations than to slave away for the satisfaction and appraisal of your fates. But you don't have this luxury, do you?"
After an existence of silence, I vocalized my thoughts in the empty valleys of the paragon's speech, "That's what Sol Invictus told me."
The paragon revealed its slight smile through a slight pan of its head. "I'm glad he's living the life I've long desired."
The world shifted around, rotating me around the paragon's figure until we met face to face once again. Every step it took engulfed the heavens in a deep tremor—all to close the distance between us. As the paragon stood a few feet in front of me, I was quickly introduced to his towering height. The figure kneeled before me with

its arm outstretched. Its hand wrapped around my shoulder, scorching my exposed skin with its divine light.
"Man has within itself a desire to serve." The paragon's voice softened, revealing an undertone of forgotten whispers. "They desire lights—guiding beacons. They are infallible to shepherds of purpose. Power poisons the mind as attainable dreams. Persuade the people of your divinity, and they'll seldom question your authority.
"Command them with conviction. Strike their ears with charm. The line between divinity and mortality erodes in the slipstreams of time. Steer your allies clear of the maddening truth of old. What separates the conmen from the leaders is the integrity of their soul. Do you understand?"
I nodded.
"This is the truth of One Thousand Victories. Speak as you are known and act as you are seen. Confidence is an iron veil. A blade dulls with every strike. As you were, Autumn Sforzando."
A distant bell tolls. The complex scenery fades around me as the paragon's smile sears itself into my receding vision. The Ambrosia's hug returned to me as my senses attune back to reality.
I found myself on the same platform as before. My aches intensify with every inch of consciousness that returns to me. It wasn't as bad as the coffin. I checked the WRIST for the time. 5:28 PM.
The council—minus Kiryana—convened near the platform with a small picnic basket in tow. They sat on a checkered fabric outstretched across the grotto's floor. Miyana occupied herself with the contents of the basket, while Ozymandias and Solis engaged in conversation.

040

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 20/11/2024

I think all of the updates outside of November will be kept as a secret until release. I'm not too worried about the logistics, but I'm not afraid to keep writing after November's over.

We reached the end of the cavern after another minute of walking. A domed interior covered in various wooden tables surrounded a circular platform. Ambrosia veins wrapped around the ceiling and scurried down a smoothened stalactite that pointed down toward the center.
The composition of the room looked eerily similar to the laboratory I saw after I died.
Miyana tapped the tip of the stalactite with her unsheathed sword. "So, what's this about? Doesn't look like something we can carry back."
"Not necessarily." Ozymandias clicked his tongue and shook his head. "According to Parabellum, this is a prototype of something they call 'The Realizer'."
"What a stupid name. Maybe I'm glad they're no longer around."
"The head engineer of Parabellum designed It after his involvement with a similar concept known as 'The Severer'. While the Severer removed a concept from existence, the Realizer would load any item or concept full of Eigenmagic. I'm not sure if they were talking about Ichor or Ambrosia here."
I pointed out the Ambrosia veins before replying, "It's definitely Ambrosia."
"Oh! Well, then we've found the right machine. Do you still have the vial on you, Miyana?"
She retrieved the vial from her pocket and placed it in the center of the platform. Afterward, Miyana stepped back and sheathed her blade back behind her.
"I believe Solis will arrive shortly after we activate the vial. Initially, this whole thing used to be connected up to the surface with the Blight. I think there's enough charge stored up to power up the vial and nothing else."
Miyana looked back to the handle of her sword before returning her gaze to the Realizer. After a moment of contemplation, she voiced

her thoughts, "Say, wouldn't there be a better use of this thing than a small vial?"
"Well, I'm not sure about that. The Realizer packs Ambrosia into its target assuming it can keep hold of it. Think of it like filling a gel-battery."
"I see. What if we blast my sword?"
"I don't think that'd do much? If you're thinking it'll turn your sword into a conduit, it'll do the exact opposite. If you channel Ichor into an Ambrosia-ridded blade, it'll nullify. The vial nullifies Ichor on affliction, remember?"
"Shoot, you're right."
Almost on cue, the two slowly turned their attention toward me.
"Hey, Autumn. You wouldn't mind getting hit with an unknown amount of Ambrosia, would you?"
The question initially perplexed me. It took me a moment to stammer out a response, "What do you mean 'unknown amount of Ambrosia'?"
"Say we hypothetically tie you up underneath the Realizer," Miyana continued, "What's the worst that could happen? You're already hopped up on Ambrosia."
"I'm not sure if I'd like that. What about your vial? Isn't that more important?"
"Well, yes. But I could always have you activate it yourself."
Miyana took the vial off the table and violently shook it. The gray substance quickly shined a violet hue before returning back to its gray base.
"Think about the science, Autumn. What if this makes you the strongest person in Caelitra? If you die again, you're already an expert on dealing with the afterlife!"
"I don't even know how I was revived to begin with."
"Ah, Skymarcher will bring you back. He's got an itch for tension."

Ozymandias stepped behind Miyana. He reached his hand over her shoulder and rested his palm against her.
"You don't have to listen to her, Autumn," he reassured me, "If you don't want to go through with this, you don't have to. I know how scary a choice like this can be, so there's no shame in saying no."
Miyana lifted Ozymandias' hand off of her shoulder and scoffed. "Oh, there's clearly shame. We won't know what'll happen to you!"
The ex-priest glared her down. Miyana seemed to notice through her peripheral vision, causing her to sigh in defeat.
"Or, you can say no."
Ozymandias' smile overruled his previous demeanor.
It took me a moment to process the decision. My eyes constantly darted between Miyana and the towering stalactite. I've heard the tales of her strength. The idea of surpassing her power—even if it was niche—was a little intoxicating.
"Ah, fine," I caved, "Don't say I didn't do this for you, though."
Ozymandias broke from the group to navigate the various electrical consoles. I watched him search around with my back laid against the Realizer's platform. Miyana barely contributed. She stood in place with her undivided attention on me. Suddenly, the ex-priest exclaimed, "Found it!"
His hand hovered over an inconspicuous display. I couldn't see what he found, but I knew it had to be the button which activated the Realizer.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Autumn?" Ozymandias continued, "It's not too late to back out now."
Miyana shook her head. "No, it's too late now. Look up and accept your fate. I'll see you on the other side, flower girl!"
Disregarding her sarcastic interjection, I nodded my head in confirmation.
The next few moments hit me in a blur. As I braced for the Realizer's potential, I faintly heard Ozymandias count down from five.

Miyana, on the opposite side of my vision, covered her mouth with her hands in glee. The stalactite itself increased in luminosity. The Ambrosian veins overpowered my sight as its low-rumbling hum drowned out the ambient noise around me. The marble's frigid touch gave way for a warm embrace which engulfed my body. I couldn't tell if I was standing up or laying down.
The Realizer didn't sting. It all felt like one giant hug. When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the same grotto.

000

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 20/11/2024

DAY 19! It's slowly dawning on me this will definitely need to be split up into two novels. That, or the length of the novel will go beyond 50k words. Maybe it'll be the latter rather than the former.

We retraced our steps inside the cavern highways. Miyana remained in the back of the line as I occupied myself between her and Ozymandias. I couldn't think of anything to kill the time. Counting the lanterns eventually grew tiring.
The recently retrieved vial came to mind. With a finger pressed against the earbud, I posed my question, "So, what's with the sword?"
"Don't press hard on the earbud," she warned, "It hurts the slime."
"Right, sorry."
"It was a common trend among my hometown. We were infatuated with a lot of media involving heroic swordsmen. Civilized Caelitra doesn't need any sort of protection, it was more of just a past-time."
"That makes sense."
"Once I won a few championships, it kind of felt like I found my calling. Problem was the lack of harder things to fight. You're stuck at the top with nowhere else to go but down. It's a niche skill."
"This place has to be crawling with some hostile monsters—anything, I would assume. Wouldn't it make sense for Ozymandias to bring you for protection?"
"No to the first question, yes to the second. Calcine is completely abandoned. Aside from my slime, I'm just about useless."
"Nothing? No feral dogs? Dwellers? There has to be some groupings of people who'd kill us for trespassing, at least."
"The Historians cleared the place up long ago. Plus, Calcine wouldn't have any of those things that you mentioned. Feral dogs? What are they gonna eat, moss?"
"I guess so. Not even goblins?"
"Goblins are about as made up as cats."
"Didn't the Pre-Sonatans have cats as pets?"
"According to the records, there's no proof."
I took a second to ponder Miyana's statement.

"Listen, I'm about as bummed out as you are that I can't do anything with my set of skills. I hate riding this janky scooter around for hours on end searching through meaningless junk for some minor advantage against someone doused in luck. I'd love to slice open a shambling corpse or seven. Heck, I'd like to give some Historians a run for their money."
"Well why don't you?"
"Mandy says that'll only anger Goddess Fortuna. They have a reason to harm us for trespassing, but we have no right to do the same back."
"That sounds unfair, if anything."
"It is! If I had the opportunity to fend off some Historians to investigate what they're hiding in the Grand Capital, I would've done it by now. Sword fighting's often seen as an act of defense than an act of power, which sucks. I spent a decade of my life climbing the ladders and for what?"
"For status?"
"I don't want status! If I wasn't hidden away from the world, I'd have to deal with an onslaught of rookies challenging me for my title. Do you know how tiring that gets? One minor slip up on their side and it's over—that's how unbalanced the matchup is. There's no challenge!"
The earbud replicates the noise of a cough.
"I could've joined the war effort in the Heartland, but that's the same problem. I've got nothing."
"Right, I get you."
It was hard to relate to Miyana. The most I could offer her were a few sympathizing words every now and again. Once she had nothing more to say, I prolonged my silence. The conversation left a lot to ponder on, so I found the time well spent.
We took an exit off the cavern highway off a rugged path. The tunnel opened up to an expansive shore with a never-ending sea.

Skylights of sunshine illuminated the beach's water. Every once in a while, a stalactite broke off from the ceiling and fell into the sea beneath.
The scooters handled the uneven terrain smoothly. We coasted along the thick blanket of pebbles. I couldn't see myself spending a vacation here.
Behind us was the Grand Capital. Its illuminant lights were barely a match for the sun's rays. I couldn't see much of a barricade gating the city from us. Was it all soldiers?
Ozymandias stuck his right hand out to point toward one of the skylights. "Look over there! Since we're directly underneath the Heartland, these skylights extend up to the surface. Unfortunately, the city above uses the opening as a trash chute."
Clumps of waste and trash fell from the heavens and into the murky waters. An island of trash made itself clear through the repeated breaking of glass and fragile objects and impacts of filled trash bags.
Only now did I hear the waves breaking upon the gravel shores. The waters' motions were muted over the waterfall of trash and the scooter's active hum.
We found refuge in a small grotto off the gravel shore. Our scooters remained near the lip of the cavern while we ventured forward. Loose scribblings of various pigments etched themselves among the wall. Various supports of both metal and wooden frames kept the cave from collapsing in on itself.
As we delved deeper into the grotto, the concentration of Ambrosia increased proportionally. At first, it appeared as nothing more than a few flakes. Over time, it would overwhelm the scribbles and posters on the wall.
Eventually, we encountered a web of Ambrosia sealing the rest of the chamber off. Miyana and Ozymandias continued forward. They

both ran into the wall of Ambrosia at the same time, causing the two of them to briefly retreat and rub their foreheads in reaction.
Miyana was the first to speak, "Force field!"
Ozymandias went to the wall to press his hand against the material. He ran his fingertips across the webs, smearing a thin layering of Ambrosia in the process. There was a solid layer which he wasn't able to push away.
"It has to be the work of Parabellum," he concluded, "I assume it's some machine that solidifies the air into a solid form for preservation. It'd be too time consuming for me to try and dig out."
Miyana clasped her hands together. "Well! Looks like we have no choice but to turn back."
I couldn't switch my sight to see the barricade without Ambrosia. When I closed my right eye, my vision was equivalent to nothing—a black expanse. Despite this fact, I walked up to the barricade with my outstretched hand. Once I pressed my fingertips against the solid material, I repelled the Ambrosia away from my hands in a concentration of energy.
The Ambrosia only repelled so far. It took me a few more attempts and a bit of maneuvering to create a gap wide enough to fit me through.
Miyana and Ozymandias were dumbfounded. They watched me step past the barrier after a performance rivaling that of a mime. Miyana raised a finger up as if she were to ask a question. However, she slowly lowered her hand after a moment of contemplation.
Ozymandias was the first to speak, "It's Ambrosia, isn't it?"
I nodded.
"I should've guessed that, honestly. Looks like we've got more to explore!"
Miyana let out an audible groan. After I dug my feet in a horizontal line to indicate the barrier's opening, they navigated through the entrance and led the way deeper into the grotto.

110

Dani 🌕 @paraurelian.me · 19/11/2024

I've been asking a bunch of my friends if they'd be willing to read it, but so far no dice. Honestly, I don't blame them. So far it's projected to take nearly 2 hours to read at its current state. Small trivia fact but I've now surpassed my first attempt to write a novel chapter-wise :^)

right, the Parabellum Archives. I forgot Laque saved a copy before the company crumbled."
The interior designed itself around the cavern's restrictions. A series of rooms continued forward with individual hallways separating different-sized openings. The first room contained a series of crates filled with supplies. White boards line the walls with a litany of unknown text. The most I'm able to glean from their neatly sorted display are a series of numbers and equations. I think I saw a matrix in the bottom right of one of the boards.
Miyana suddenly broke the settlement's silence with her own thoughts, "So, Mandy, give me a rundown. What was this place all about? What are we looking for here, exactly?"
Ozymandias took a moment for himself to reply. He began his explanation with a slight hum. "If I have my information correct, this is the research team tasked with finding a way to break through Spaceripper's armor."
"That explains all the weird symbols, like all these triangles and a bunch of x's."
"They weren't successful in finding a solution. Instead, their research led them to create a substance that can directly counter 'Eigenmagic'—what we call Ichor today."
"And how did they achieve it?"
"I don't know, actually! That's a great question, maybe Solis has a digestible answer."
"You know what? Forget it. I think I'll stay wondering."
"Suit yourself. This is mainly for your benefit, actually. Since the solution they found is a substance, they were able to apply it to a wide range of weapons. Old World Firearms, MEL weapons, and most importantly blades in the form of a thin coating."
"You have my attention."

"If you're able to land a decent hit on General Ravsangal, that'll allow the coating to enter her bloodstream and react with the Ichor to neutralize it. It'll even the playing field out by a significant amount."
Without another word, Miyana breaks out in a sprint further through the research lab.
"Seems like that satisfied her as a response."
I waited until Miyana was fully out of the conversation before questioning Ozymandias, "General Ravsangal? I swear I've heard that name before."
"Oh, you probably have," he reassured me, "Not a day goes by where Miyana doesn't mention her name."
"Is there some sort of feud between those two?"
"More than a feud, I think. They both applied for the Head General position in Fortuna's Army. Ravsangal won out due to some—and I'm paraphrasing from Miyana here—some outlandish prediction spewed out by Goddess Fortuna herself."
"So she lost because she was destined to?"
"Yep, right on the money."
"What was the exact wording of the prediction?"
"It's been a while. If I remember correctly, it's something like 'let the flowers guide you to your greatest desires', or something like that."
"Interesting."
"According to Miyana, she didn't fulfill the fortune and so she wasn't chosen."
"Well, that sounds kind of outlandish. Was she more qualified than Ravsangal?"
"Through her recounts, yes."
"So Goddess Fortuna turned her down because of reasons outside her control?"
"Sounds about right."
I furrowed my eyebrows in response.

"It's Goddess Fortuna. If she says you're unlucky, you can't really say anything against that."
"I get that. I mean, I guess I'd also be inconsolable if that were me."
"I would too. I'm not sure why she targets her anger on General Ravsangal, but she hasn't been the best in terms of leadership."
"Oh? How so?"
Suddenly, Miyana's voice bounced around the empty chambers of the laboratory, "Found it!"
Ozymandias and I both rushed through the opened doors toward Miyana's location. In her hand was a small glass vial with an opaque gray substance inside. A strip of tape runs across the top of the vial with a small string of text written on; AEM-2.
"Okay!" She cheerfully exclaimed, "We're all done here. Let's head back and grab some grub back at the dining hall!"
Ozymandias let out a small laugh. He reached his hand behind his head to rub the backside of his neck. "You seem pretty eager to get out of here. Did you forget we still need to investigate the settlement near the Gravel Beach?"
"Oh, come on. Do we have to?"
"Do you want more of an advantage against Ravsangal?"
Miyana remained silent.
"Here, I'll compromise. I'll have Solis deliver some food, and by the time we reach the Gravel Beach, he'll be there with some lunch. Sound good?"
"Ah, sure, whatever. How long's the trip over then?"
"A little more than an hour."
"Oh come on!"
"We can't take the main route through the Grand Capital since we'll run into some Historians on the way, so we have to navigate around their highway outposts."

There was a brief moment of silence before Miyana let out a small harumph.
"It won't take too long. Why don't you place an order now while I communicate with Solis?"
"Okay, Mandy," she sarcastically replied, "Whatever you say."
Miyana broke from the group with heavy footsteps accompanying her departure.
Before I'm able to put in my two cents, Ozymandias walks over and pats me on the shoulder twice. "Don't worry about her, Autumn. She gets angry whenever she's hungry."
Something wasn't adding up in my head. I've completely lost track of the time. I looked down toward my watch to see the centermost numbers read 1:05 PM. How much time have we spent on the road?

100