I want to thank you all for reading my little story thus far! I've enjoyed the comments thoroughly and am glad that some of you enjoy this story as much as I do writing it.

As a heads up - this is chapter 23/28 that I've already finished writing. After chapter 28 is up the planned schedule for releases is around 1-2 times a week.

This is the beginning of the next arc and I've changed the style a bit to make it easier to read, such as; Parts in chapters to break them down and [brackets] for most things magic-related apart from chants.

Feedback is always greatly appreciated!

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Part 1 –

Across the vast lands of Colight’s Great Plains, and beyond the sovereignty of Di-lock, was a place where the sun brilliantly shone from a great distance. Sandwiched between the warmongers of the Endo region and the horrors of the Shallows, a small region flourished with Demi-human inhabitants.

From those with animal ears and some wielding giant scaly tails – this was the region of Cryo; the racelands of the benevolent demi-humans.

Benevolent to a select few kingdoms, however. In the eyes of the many kingdoms within Endo, predominantly Di-First; they were nothing but monsters. Incursions were common near its eastern borders, where mass pillaging of villages among other atrocities were a frequent sight.

It was why the major cities were built closer to the impenetrable wall of trees that formed the boundary of the Shallows. So long as no one ventured through, they were safe from whatever fate awaited within.

However – this wasn’t the case for a certain individual.

The black-attired woman let loose of an annoyed growl as she lurched over a shivering creature. The black barrel of the object held firmly in her grasp took aim for the twitching eye of the over-sized spider. All eight legs were gruesomely severed as it lay there, trembling at the sight of the woman’s devilish grin.

In the silence of the Shallows, the woman took pleasure in hearing the spider’s meek cries of mercy. It was lovely. Compared to the many adventures she had the pleasure of cutting down near Cryo’s borders, the spider let out a cry that surpassed their collective sincerity.

If it knew just who this woman was – it wouldn’t have ever dared to bare its fangs at her.

It wanted to live.

But the woman’s smile only grew more sinister when she sensed its fear and promptly pulled the trigger. Twice.

The powerful dry explosions caused the surrounding shrubs to tremor in fear. The spider screamed once more as its eye relentlessly flailed around in agony. Below, both of its pincers were entirely blown off by the might of her simple firearm.

Unlike the failure of a gun she demonstrated in the Captial, this was unmistakeably herweapon. Brought with her from the Colour Plane – it was a weapon beyond perfection. Not merely because it was a firearm, no –

But because it belonged to Black Melody, the ultimate tyrant of the Colour Plane.

With the spider’s final death throes, its eye shrivelled into its mangled mouth as silence returned to the luscious Shallows. Admiring her brutal piece of art, she peered at the green blood. The invisible dirt was brushed away from her militaristic attire, which in no way resembled any fashion of this world.

In the midst of a brief thought, a small girl dressed in ragged drapes slowly approached with cold eyes.

“Was there a point in leaving it to die like that?”

“I was letting it have its final moments before it died. Wouldn’t you hate to be killed without even realising it?” She made an obvious lie, but the girl failed to catch on and took it for what it was.

“I don’t understand, but I think you’re kind for letting the creature say its farewells.” The girl spoke, causing Black to ruffle her messy hair with a gloved hand.

“Is that how it seemed to you~?” She couldn’t help but to laugh as the pale-haired girl continued to stare at her with empty eyes. “Well, I guess you can’t help it, can you?”

“We incomplete Biomechs are only corporeal in nature.” The girl spoke in a monotone voice, devoid of any emotion.

It wasn’t the first time Black had spoken to these Biomech children, so what she said didn’t come as a surprise. Their flesh and external appearance mimicked the humans with uncanny resemblance, with only their innards being mostly composed of various gears.

It made no sense to Black. The anatomy and structure of a Biomech was beyond her knowledge, but she drew some uncertain similarities to her black weapon.

Boggled by the thought, she clicked her tongue and removed her hand from the little girl.

“Lead the way, little one. Just try not to get eaten.” She playfully warned.

The emotionless girl only responded with a blank stare before turning around to lead their perilous march through the Shallows. The girl was merely a machine with the body of a child – so speaking with her was akin to talking with a brick wall.

Black figured that the girl only approached her because of the deafening gunshots. After all, it was her way of making her presence known in this secluded forest.

Each step was never the same. From differing elevations, to pointy rocks and even prickly spines that poked out from the rugged ground. Because of Black’s height, her shadow would easily cast over them, resulting in the darts to mercilessly fire at her.

But the spines never made it remotely close to scathing her. The poisonous spines littered the forest floor with broken tips, none managing to slice even a single thread of her military garb.

The clothing wasn’t just for show. Its materials remained a mystery, even to the Biomech who failed to understand the strength of the woman. Like the scales of a dragon, her clothing wasn’t just an attire – it was part of her. It was just a shame that if it became damaged, there wouldn’t be a feasible way to repair it.

Unless of course, her original powers return.

“Were you worried about me?” Black hummed at the girl, who slowly turned her head to the front.

“I don’t know.” Her monotone response caused Black to click her tongue again.

Following the girl through the magical forest of enormous trees, she kept her mouth shut. The plethora of trees wore a thick armour of bark, some smooth and others rugged or infested with plump fungi. A faint mist concealed the vast expanse, and partly the towering canopy overhead.

The sun still managed to project a healthy amount of light into the forbidden forest. The Shallows was almost like another world. It teemed with life and flourishing nature in every direction. From the smallest multi-winged butterflies to the green dual-mouthed foxes that lay in thick vegetation in wait for an unsuspecting prey.

More of the spiders from earlier found themselves nested on webbed cities, high above the ground. Black watched from a distance with calm eyes, her weapon silently embraced. In the centre of their nest, a gallery of webbed silhouettes dangled. Some were motionless, while others squirmed.

And those that squirmed, were immediately rushed to by one of the giant spiders, which shallowly bit into their bodies and injected their numbing venom. Within mere moments, the victim remained limp and promptly abandoned by the spider.

Black pondered on the skull-like symbol embedded into many of their backs. She imagined that it was like a role identifier, since the spiders with webbed symbols seemed to work on expanding the nest.

Whatever it was – it was certainly intriguing.

Further into the flourishing forest, other marvellous sights befell the hearty Colour with utter awe. It wasn’t her first time traversing the Shallows with the aid of a Biomech, but the scenery was never the same.

The steaming lakes they passed were likely the culprits for the mist. Animals, mostly the smaller ones, gathered by the banks to feed. From one of the lakes, a pale serpent gracefully emerged and danced to their presence.

Danger wasn’t something Black worried about in the Shallows. So long as the Biomech was with her, they’d be left alone for the most part. Was it a symbiotic relationship with nature? If so, how? These thoughts only branched into more questions, never leading to a definitive answer.

Soon, a faint noise piqued Black’s focus. With a small grin, she eagerly kept her eyes glued to the distance ahead. It was a noise similar to the waves of the coastlines – crashing, yet calm and soothing.

The mist only increased as they grew closer to the source. The unsteady ground smoothened out as the trees made way for them. When they finally left the enclosed forest, they were met with a sight to behold.

A massive cliff-face hung over them, barely in the way of the sun as a torrent of water fell from high above. It was a waterfall – and a massive one at that. The sheer height brought Black to a smile as she admired its majesty.

Beyond them was the edge of a vast chasm, where the water ran off into yet another waterfall. The Biomech led Black towards a fallen tree, which bridged over the chasm to the strange, secluded island.

The sheer length of the fallen tree was more than enough to bridge the two landmasses together. As far as they were concerned – this was the only place that was sectioned off from the Shallows. It wasn’t grandeur, but it was still quite massive.

The Biomech hopped onto the edge of the tree, scaling the tall, circular walls with little trouble. At the top, she stood and stared down at Black, patiently waiting for her.

“One second. I don’t want to get my garbs dirty.” She held her gun proudly in front of her and grinned.

At merely a thought, the weapon noisily transformed into a thin, lengthy sword. The inner workings were just as mysterious as the Biomech – except she knew exactly how it worked.

After all – it was a detrimental part of her being.

This was the sword form of her weapon, ‘Night’s Melody’. It was but one of many other forms the weapon could take. However, she was limited to a select few due to her stiped powers.

The dark blade failed to shimmer beneath the sun. Only she was reflected in the face of the perfect blade. With a brief glance at her light-purple eyes, she embedded the sword into the tree trunk.

It sunk with utter ease.

She quickly flung herself up in front of the little girl as the blade swiftly turned back into a simple pistol. It made a metallic clink when it was done.

“Intrigued, little one?” She traced the girl’s eyes back to her pistol and weakly grinned.

“No. It’s just strange.” The Biomech turned away and began walking across the massive tree.

“Hm.”

The pistol found itself attached to her waist. With a faint sigh, she promptly followed the girl.

Beneath them was an agonisingly deep drop, where a deep river ran far below. They could make comfortable steps on the tree’s smooth bark, and even walk side by side without any qualms.

Moss, amongst other things grew on its study armour. It was aged from perhaps a time that predated many races and civilisations yet retained its strength as if it was only felled yesterday.

As a gentle breeze howled by, the scenery before them suddenly changed. No longer were they on a log – but a ruined bridge made of stone bricks. The seemingly empty island was now riddled with dilapidated monuments, which were coated thick with vegetation.

These were the reminders of an ancient race that once thrived in this place.

Or rather – a race that was entirely forgotten by the world.

They dodged dangerous pitfalls and broken sections of the bridge as they traversed. No matter how many times Black had passed through the ‘barrier’, she would always be engulfed with awe.

Steadfast in their journey, they eventually made it to the other side with relative safety. The ground was a mixture of spiny grass and old grey bricks. At a steady pace, they followed the massive trail into the flat island.

Large emerald trees sprouted from the sides, and some in between the bricked path. And as they delved deeper, the trees finally engulfed them as metal flowers blossomed in small patches. In a place where wildlife failed to exist, there could only be silence.

However – a violin played.

Black mellowed to the sight in the distance as her ears melted to the delightful song. Their footsteps became slow in fear that they would interrupt the entrancing melody. Even the little girl was unable to resist it.

Beneath the only oak tree, was a small gathering. Many tiny Biomech children crowded around comfortably, whether seated, prone or standing. But no matter what it was, they all had one thing in common –

An affection towards the woman’s voice.

She caressed the crystal violin with dazzling elegance as she sung a gentle song to the Biomech. Every stroke of the glistening bow was nothing but perfect, for her name was Melody.

Her luscious-emerald hair matched her fine dress and made an eye-catching contrast with her black leggings and shorts. And beyond her fair complexion, were the green eyes that landed on Black.

She smiled and continued the song for the Biomechs as the two slowly approached them. And when they were finally nearing them, Melody finished her song.

“Now – scatter, lovely Biomechs.” She spoke with authority, yet there was a hint of kindness with it.

In an instant, the children moved along, some humming the song she sang. They wandered around aimlessly, without reason or motivation. It brought about a bizarre sight, but the way they interacted with the environment was innocent and adorable.

“So, what brings you back here, Black Heart?” Melody, the green-haired girl, asked Black with deceptively calm eyes.

“Some important news you’ll love to hear.” Black sternly claimed as the little girl moved off to another figure behind the mystical woman.

“News? You didn’t come back here to try and fight me?” Melody was surprised with Black. “I thought you’d come back twice as strong. But I guess it’s impossible for you, since you’re limited in whatever that body is.”

Black’s eyes slightly narrowed.

“And who’s fault is that?” She spoke with some scorn, but not enough to feel threatening in any way.

“I dunno~ It could’ve been the Maiden of Realms for all I know.” The woman sarcastically perked her lips and playfully whistled.

Black didn’t respond with anything but a sigh.

“Look – do you want the news or not?” She tried to get Melody back on track, speaking sternly.

The woman suddenly became silent for a moment as she drilled her eyes into Black’s. There, she only saw an honest flame. It didn’t flicker in the soft breeze nor to her provoking tease.

Normally, Black would banter in return. But this time, she was rather reserved. Whatever news she beared – it must’ve been important.

The crystal instruments were promptly dropped onto a sudden tear in space. Where it went, was something only Melody knew. While the strange magic lasted for only a fleeting moment, the few Biomech who witnessed the phenomenon stared with blank fascination.

“Go ahead then.” Melody’s fine lips parted.

Black didn’t waste any time. She stared with the human Exrenity and their Frostbitten companions – as well as touching on their ultimate goal of defeating the Maidens of Six Point.

This brought about a small smile on the woman’s face, although she was sceptical. Melody didn’t exactly know what an Exrenity was, other than it was a tool for the Children of Balance.

It was also strange for the creators of Six Point’s Maidens to send a being to defeat them – let alone a human.

When she asked if it wasn’t in fact the Frostbitten who were the Exrenity, Black immediately affirmed this wasn’t the case with a regrettable demeanour.

“… odd…” The mused Melody turned to the seated figure behind her. “What do you make of this, Auga?”

An ancient Biomech calmly remained planted by the firm trunk of the oak tree. It sat there, staring at Black with silver eyes through the metallic veil of hair. She was different from all the other Biomechs, for she was the only ‘grown’ one.

Stark naked, she never shivered to the cold winds, for all her senses were drowned with nothing but loneliness. She didn’t smile, but there was a sombre gentleness that emanated from the ominous being.

“… a human… but why? Have her children gone mad from her absence?” The woman spoke with a near incomprehensible dialect due to her isolation over the countless years in this secluded island.

It was monotone, robotic even – but still understandable to a certain degree.

“Auga~ speak clearer. You want to learn to sing, right? Try opening your mouth more.” Melody crouched in front of the woman and spoke with exaggeration as Black approached the two.

“… Like this?”

“Perfect~” Melody hummed and brushed the woman’s silver hair.

“Ahem. I still haven’t finished my report.” Black reminded them of her presence with a stern voice as she stared down at them with narrowed eyes. “Did you see the beam from three days ago?”

Melody slowly shook her head. “Nope. This place exists within a bubble. We can’t see the outside world and vice versa. Why, did the human Exrenity do something?”

“… Kind of. It’s… a bit complicated.” Black didn’t know how to go about telling them that they also carried the Fragment of Time.

She suspected that the light had something to do with it.

Auga blankly blinked as she pointed her nose at Black.

There was a curious smell coming from her.

As Black and Melody traded words with one another, the Biomech suddenly grasped onto Black’s hems and tugged her closer.

“What-!?”

“Gaia…?” Auga’s eyes suddenly swelled with tears as she finally remembered the scent. “Colour, did you meet with the Maiden of Time!?”

Her voice was crystal clear.

Black stood her ground, allowing the woman to grapple onto her garbs in desperation.

“This is what I mean by complicated, Melody.” She hummed as she stared into Auga’s silver eyes. “Tch. Look, I didn’t meet with the Maiden of Time- “

“You lie, Colour! No one would ever forget the scent of their creator!” The Biomech cried, the strain in her voice causing an ear-splitting static.

Black winced and prepared to shove the woman off her, but Melody was quick to intervene.

“My creator – please tell me she’s still here!”

“… it was the Exrenity I met, not your precious Maiden of Time.” Black scolded with clamped teeth and slit eyes.

“Don’t- “

“Let me finish! They also had the Fragment of Time! That human Exrenity is your Maiden of Time now!” She exploded in a fit of controlled rage as Auga slid back onto the tree with trembling eyes.

“Then… Gaia is… “

“… mm… I’m sorry, Auga. You’ve been waiting for her all alone… right here.” Melody softly whispered with sympathy and gently fell onto her.

Like a mother, she calmly comforted her with heavenly warmth as Auga, a Biomech, shed tears for the first time. The strange emotion wasn’t unknown to her, but after not having to experience it for so long – it was impossible to cope with.

Auga’s existence was nothing but a legend, for she was the Original – the mother of the only race that wasn’t born solely out of flesh; but with metal, magic and most importantly – the gears.

Created by the Maiden of Time eons ago, she remained on this small island with an ambiguous purpose. Gaia was her creator, her mother-

Her friend.

Through her teary lens, she saw the stares of her many children. Their emotionless faces, their lack of concern and lack of understanding riddled her heart with hopelessness.

Without the Maiden of Time, they were only composed of zeros and ones.

And the mere scent of the Maiden brought it all back. The eons of waiting returned with enough weight to crush one’s spirit.

But she was only corporal – and lacked a soul.

Yet Melody’s song touched her.

Black paced herself away with a small frown. Without turning back, she stood around and watched between the children and the mechanical flora. It was liberating for Auga, but Black wondered what would happen if she brought the real deal next time.

What would happen to the Biomech under the presence of the Maiden of Time?

She grinned at the thought, but not for the reasons one would expect. It was the [Biomechanical] magic Auga possessed that she was interested in. And so, she would strike a deal with her.

“Auga. If I bring the Maiden of Time here – what will you give me?”

“You’ll bring her here anyway, won’t you Black?” Melody spoke on Auga’s behalf, abruptly ceasing her song.

She wasn’t going to let Black take advantage of the Biomech she tasked herself to care for.

“That Exrenity and Maiden is your only chance at defeating me, you coward.” The scorn in her voice only brought Black to sadistically grin.

“They don’t have anything to lose, and what are you getting mad about Realm? It’s a win-win, isn’t it? You’ll be free from your Domain, they’ll please their Gods, and we won’t have to lose anything.”

She shrugged her shoulders and took slow steps away. “They have nothing to lose, Realm. Call me a fucking coward – but I have everything to lose trying to fight you myself.”

Her life, her existence – and the Colour Plane were all at risk of being untethered from reality.

It was the curse of the Maiden of Realms, where those who enter her Domain, wager their entire world.

“So do I, but I don’t care about it. My freedom will mean the instability of the realms. In the mere fraction it took for my grandmother to crown me as the next Maiden of Realms, many thousands of Otherworlders were accidentally brought into Six Point.”

Melody sharply spoke as she held tightly onto Auga’s hand.

“And if I disappear from the Heart of the Realms – I lose my authority to govern them effectively.”

Summonings from other worlds or realms, let alone forming a connection, was impossible so long as the Maiden of Realms existed. The Domain was merely an amplifier for their powers, but also served as their eternal prison.

It was how balance was maintained in Eastern Six Point; where the Gods had barely any influence on this side of the continent, for they were trapped in their realms and limited to their regions.

Black snickered, “And you’re not concerned about it?”

With mellow eyes, Melody stared down at the weeping Auga and brushed a tear away with a thumb.

“No, not at all. I’m not a pacifist, you know?” The carefree Maiden loudly laughed.

Yet she tenderly mothered the lonely Biomech with heartfelt warmth.

The contrast left Black in perpetual ambiguity in relation to Melody’s personality. She was perhaps the only one other than White who she failed to properly gauge.

Melody, unlike her name, was untuned for the most part. At least in Black’s eyes. She simply raised a hand to signal her departure and never looked back, pondering on the [Biomechanical] magic.

The magic to create the Biomech.

And in the back of her mind, she wondered how she’d reveal all of this to White… amidst the thought, soft patters followed her.

It was the same little biomech girl.

* * *

Part 2 –

Likewise, White wondered how she’d reveal this to Black.

Above the cloudless sky, a small pack of demi-humans gathered around, fawning over the benevolent deck and the vibrant scenery beyond the short rails. Far ahead, was the golden city of Saicry – the Capital of the entirety of Cryo, for the region was untied under a single kingdom.

The calm winds and the gentle sun blessed the gigantic airship, which was no longer invisible.

White stared at the colourless fob watch, which worked more like a compass, as the black hand pointed straight ahead.

“Ahaha! You built all of this!?” An energetic voice erupted in front of her as she softly smiled.

The face of a yellow-haired girl slowly revealed itself as she dropped the watch into her pocket. Her long hair was messy and puffed like the mane of a lion, and it didn’t help that she had wolf-like ears atop her head.

She was a demi-human in every way, shape and form – even sporting a short, fuzzy tail that stuck out from her golden shorts.

This was without a doubt, Yellow; the girl they’ve been chasing ever since they left Truebirth. White managed to convince Black to allow her to continue the chase alone while she went off to attend ‘private’ affairs.

Whatever it was, she didn’t delve too deeply into it. After all, it worked out for her in the end. She was able to meet with Yellow without Black finding out about their prior relationship.

“Black mostly did, with the help of a few nice dwarves back in Pathfist.” White spoke with surprising kindness, even scratching the back of her head.

Who was this woman? Where was the original White? No – this was a White who had quenched her thirst for blood, and had eyes that were no longer crimson, but of an ocean-blue.

“And here I thought you were an airship from Di-Lock! Thank goodness it was just you!” She energetically lunged at White and embraced her, mashing her cheeks against hers. “But what’s the deal with all the weapons? I didn’t recognise your airship at all!”

“Again, that was Black’s idea.”

“You know I can’t do anything about far away targets!” Her brows furrowed suddenly as she pulled herself away. “Blue used to keep her distance away from me all the time whenever I came over to say hi.”

“C-calm down- “

“Even that bully Purple- “

“Yellow!” White cried as she squashed the woman’s face in between her palms. “Feeling better?” A softer voice followed.

“Sowwy.”

White sighed and released her. Yellow was like an animal – always unpredictable, headstrong and acted purely on instinct. If she was happy, then she’d undoubtably make that clear in any way, shape or form.

“I’m just glad you’re back to visit our city again!” She clapped her hands together in enthusiasm.

“Hold on – our city?” White couldn’t hide the confusion in her voice as she unintentionally blurted out.

“Of course! We’re loved around these parts! Even if you’re not a demi-human or whatever, you and Black are like heroes here!”

Despite the numerous times they’ve crossed paths, not once had Yellow ever mentioned something like this to her. White wondered if it was because of how many captured demi-humans they’ve rescued and brought back to the Saicry.

However, not all demi-humans we’re let go – the ones that showed promise and resilience were kept as crewmembers; a loyal force that surpassed the soldier of Pathfist.

They didn’t refuse any order they gave, no matter how morally dubious it was. They were fast, resourceful and unhesitating. Pathfist soldiers were perfect against enemies, but cowards to the innocent.

Even if White was more accepting and gentler now – those who partnered under the banner of an enemy were only liable to death.

Children were the future of the enemy.

Mothers were the nurturers of the children.

Elders were the wells of knowledge for the children.

This was Black and White’s ideology as perfect weapons, untampered by hesitation or morals in the face of pure combat.

“Heroes, huh.” She wryly smiled. “I hope it won’t be too hard getting by the city with our fame there.”

“We can get free food and some delicious- “

“Don’t steal!” White scolded and squashed her face again.

“Stawp! I’m jawqwing!”

The yellow-haired girl had tears that swelled at the corners of her mushed face.

They were only a half-hour away from reaching the golden city of Seicry. Her plans were to continue garnering influence and strength, for this was a frontier that stood on the other side of their opposition. It would be advantageous to conduct a pincer attack of some sort, but also far too risky with how close it was to Endo.

With the Asian-like structures coming into full view, White sighed and wondered whether it was something the demi-humans naturally came up with – or was the result of a meddlesome Otherworlder sometime in the past.

* * *

Part 3 –

Exrite found herself in the strange dreamscape once again. The world above was like the ocean below – reflected with stunning perfection. Only the shallow ripples and gravity dispelled the illusion, for there wouldn’t be any other way to tell whether the sky was above or below.

She stood at the edge of the world, her eyes fixed on the countless gears that spun like the innards of a clock. From small clusters, to the gigantic cogs that sunk their teeth into the reflective sea.

It was lively, compared to the first time she arrived.

Seeing Exrite’s smile, the woman quietly hummed.

“Welcome back, Maiden of Time.”

Gaia didn’t move from her place, and neither did Exrite. When their eyes finally met, a soft voice left the juvenile Maiden.

“… did you bring me here?”

“Yes. Why, were you having fun?” She hummed.

Exrite didn’t know how to respond to that. For the one day that she was able to be the Maiden of Time, nothing really stood out to her, apart from her body’s anomalies.

“A bit, but I’m still confused about being the Maiden of Time. Sorry Gaia, but I have a lot of things I need to ask you.” Her face solidified with her voice, as Gaia’s gaze remained warm.

Exrite still carried a ravenous hatred towards her, despite how hard she tried to remain rational. But to be face to face with the one who began it all – her body instinctively hardened itself.

As if knowing this, Gaia’s eyes further mellowed.

“Please do. I won’t go anywhere. Not from here.” Her reassuring voice aided in removing some of Exrite’s tension.

Exrite, with a quiet sigh, began with the question of her soothing ‘ticking’ and the gears that ran through her veins. About why she was seeing the strange dreams and how the Eye was progressively devouring her. With every question asked, the woman only grew closer.

Gaia didn’t break away from her smile, nor did her eyes waver. The woman who had lived since the beginning of time knew no limits with patience, for she was time itself.

“The ‘ticking’ comes from your heart, Exrite.” She spoke and placed a hand onto Exrite’s chest. “As for why it’s soothing… I don’t know myself. It was always a mystery to me. It was just there, ever since I created that heart.”

“… you created this heart?” Exrite’s breath was suddenly stolen from her.

Gaia’s brown and blue eyes held nothing but honesty, no matter how hard disbelief struck the dumbfounded girl.

She was under the impression that Gaia was created by the Children of Balance, like all the other Maidens – so why was her heart a creation of her own?

There’s no end to these questions.

“It was created with a magic of my own, although…” Her eyes wandered off towards a stray gear as her smile weakened. “No. Nevermind… I can tell you about the gears and everything else – just not my heart.”

Her sombre words failed to match the woman’s pleasant face. For sure, she saw something in those gears.

Her explanation of the gears was that it was the product of her heart, and they were as important as blood to the Maiden. It was required to sustain the heart itself, as well as Exrite’s light-blue eye. However, it played a far greater role.

It allowed for the creation of the [Gears].

Gaia, who was no longer a Maiden, sat atop a slow-moving gear and stared down at Exrite with a bright smile. She couldn’t demonstrate what she meant by the ‘creation’, so she could only explain.

“They’re the embodiment of everything and nothing. When they turn – they turn with a purpose. Look around you, Exrite. These gears all turn with the purpose of regulating time. Time flows slower here than the outside world, but you won’t be able to tell until you see it for yourself.”

She stroked the strange surface of the silver gear as she spun with it.

“It might not make sense to you at all, but I want you to understand one thing – the gears can change everything. It’s just a matter of how you use them. Even the smallest gears play a role in the greatest works of creation.”

Exrite’s eyes followed the woman as she devoured every word that left her lips. The responsibility as a Maiden only grew with each passing second. The tiny gears that ran through her blood could be manifested into something powerful was a bewildering thought.

With how she explained it – Exrite couldn’t help but to think of them as ‘physical’ magic circles. Her proof came from the surrounding gears in the reflective dreamscape, where they spun, controlling time without any maintenance.

They didn’t require a chant, or continuous focus to keep them up. They were purely autonomous.

It was perplexing. There were still so many things she didn’t understand about the magic she apparently possessed and realised just how powerful it was. But of course, no power came without a cost of equal proportion.

“I’m warning you for your own sake, Exrite. If you ever manage to create a gear, never try it again without rest. Even a few small gears will cripple your mana reserves, and I dare say what would happen if you create a gear larger than the size of your palm.” Only now, were her eyes filled with concern.

No matter how ridiculous Exrite’s mana capacity was as a Maiden – Gaia made it clear that she could still suffer from a mana overload.

This was perhaps the only method of death she hadn’t personally experienced.

The powerful magic was useless in her normal body, and marginally less useless in this one. Exrite could only wryly smile at her inherent weakness. The power to even stand a chance against the Maidens was right before her eyes, but she was still far too small to reach for it.

Staring up at the warmly smiling Gaia, she softly sighed.

“How can you trust me with all of this?”

“I never trusted you – I believed in you, since the very beginning. Maybe I’ve grown senile, but my judgement remains unhampered.” Gaia’s eyes swelled pleasantly. “So please, believe in me as well.”

The weight of her words was enough to sway Exrite’s sense of reason aside. Her trust in the previous Maiden was immense, however, there was still one question that lingered within the depths of her heart.

“… then why won’t you tell me the reason I became the Maiden of Time?” She whispered.

Gaia didn’t respond. Instead, she stared into the distance with a wonderful face. Her legs interlocked and swung like pendulums from atop like a child, yet her eyes retained unparalleled wisdom.

Then, from the silence, she hummed.

“I’m sorry, Exrite.” Her sincere voice contained a hint of guilt. “In time, you’ll come to understand it all. It’s not something for me to tell you, but for you to experience yourself. After all – I didn’t give you my heart just to be the Maiden of Time.”

Ambiguous. Mysterious. Confusing…

Exrite understood that it was Gaia who planned to have her become the Exrenity, as well as the Maiden of Time – but what for? She didn’t have to regulate time, nor was she bounded by the Domain, for Gaia lived here with the gears.

She was only a Maiden who embodied the Will of the Children of Balance. But at the same time, she was just Exrite –

A normal human.

What exactly does she see in me?

The thought was food for her mind as she searched through the archives of her being, finding little that could justify Gaia’s decision.

But what did she know?

As Gaia flung herself onto a neighbouring gear, Exrite silently gazed at the palm of her hands. Her power was insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

She was but a cog.

Slowly, she tilted her head back and saw the feet of an enormous gear. Above, sat the dignified woman who smiled back at her warmly, her legs kicking like before.

It was breathtaking. The gear had to have been at least a few hundred meters in size. Yet Gaia’s figure seemingly dwarfed it entirely. She stared at the colossal gear with broadened eyes and drooped shoulders. The steepness of her gaze strained her neck as she quietly listened to Gaia.

The dreams she saw were both a mixture of the Eye of Despair and the Heart of Time. One would torment her with the faults of her character and grossly exaggerated memories of her past, while the other showed her dreams from someone else’s perspective.

“I’ve never seen it through their perspective. I was only ever a bystander to watch the events unfold in those dream.” Gaia explained when Exrite asked why she felt like she was in someone else’s body in her most recent dream. “But to see it through their eyes… I’m glad I chose you.”

“… what do you mean?” Exrite managed to ask after a brief silence.

Gaia tapped her brown eye and didn’t say anything more. She kept it ambiguous, almost like a bizarre riddle that Exrite failed to decipher. Gaia continued to answer other questions, like the concerns with the Eye of Despair.

She explained that it worked on a timer. The longer one lived with it, the worse the madness would become. However, it wasn’t linear. There were stages to the madness, and she only knew of the first two.

“Impaired judgement and anger were the first to manifest in the past Exrenitys.” She warned, concerned about her little Maiden. “The second is what I call the ‘Gaze of the Abyss’. The Eye shows you illusions, whether of the past, flaws or your greatest despairs. No one had ever made it past this stage, from what I’m aware of. Although… I’m sure you’ve heard Her voice at some point.”

“Despair?” Exrite gulped as she uttered the forbidden name.

Gaia softly nodded. “Yes, but I’m sure you’ve also heard Hope’s voice as well. Or maybe not yet – since she never gave you the Eye of Hope.”

The shattering of something deep within Exrite brought her heart into her throat as she tried to say something – anything. She thought that Hope’s magic was all she needed, but when met with the truth from Gaia – she didn’t know what to say.

Of course, she knew about this ever since the kings brought it up on their arrival in the Captial. However, she didn’t have any definitive proof until now.

“She’s a cunning child, isn’t she? Sorry about her, Exrite. I hope my Eye of Hope suffices for you.”

“… wait- Eye of Hope? This is the Eye of Hope!?” She immediately broke free from the invisible chains that strangled her throat.

A clawed hand hovered by her right eye as her face became riddled with nothing but confusion.

“It is. I’m sorry, for not letting you know sooner.”

“… no, it’s fine…” She didn’t question the legitimacy of her claim, hearing the sincerity in her voice. “But why did you have the Eye of Hope?”

The woman only smiled and slid a finger down her cheek.

“Creations often take on the image of their creators.”

Her voice was tantalisingly sweet. It was like the nectar of a forbidden flower. Exrite found herself staring in awe as she remembered something.

The Maidens were created by the Children of Balance. Her confusion slowly fizzled away as she dropped her head and sighed.

“So, what happens from here?”

“I’ve finished answering your questions, so I suppose it’s time that I tell you why I brought you here.” Gaia flung herself from the gear and fell in front of Exrite with surprising speed.

Before Exrite could even think of reacting, the woman landed before her with divine elegance. Only a small ripple formed beneath her bare feet.

“It’s about your bodies. The only way of changing between them is through the death of your male body.” Her eyes narrowed regrettably. “And as a Maiden – you’ll have to wait for as long as a few hours to days, depending on your injuries. Your body can only regenerate so quickly with that Eye.”

Exrite glanced over the side with curled fists as her body instinctively tensed. To hear that she needed to die in order to change was nothing but insulting. She didn’t want to blame Gaia, but a part of her couldn’t help it.

So, she shifted away slightly and looked off into the distance with a sharp grimace. Just when she thought her mortality had returned, and that she would have to learn to take care of herself – to be suddenly told that it didn’t matter was aggravating.

“I’m sorry- “

“Please, stop… don’t say anything...” Exrite muffledly growled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “… how much more do I need to die just to live?”

It was unacceptable. Even if it was a second chance – it was far too cruel. No matter how many times she’s been battered by death, she still wasn’t immune to its psychological consequences.

“… then how do I change back to my normal body?” She managed to ask as she tried to draw her eyes back onto the woman but to no avail.

“The Eye of Hope should allow for you to change back freely, after you body has fully regenerated.”

“And I can’t do that in my normal body?” Her voice, while less scornful, had a tinge of sadness.

“You’ll be destroyed in the process. Nothing, other than a Maiden, can retain my power.” Gaia gave Exrite some time to cool off as she softly stared at the girl with gentle eyes and a tiny smile.

She wasn’t as cold to not notice what Exrite was going though, and she knew well that she played a major role in her decade of misery. After all, if it weren’t for her – Exrite wouldn’t have had to suffer.

As the girl mellowed and cooled off sufficiently enough, Gaia spoke again.

“For every time you change bodies, expect to find yourself here in the Domain. But beware – your body will be entirely vulnerable until you’re conscious.”

“… how long will I be out for?”

“It’s proportionate to how much time you spend here. As I said before – time flows slower in this Domain relative to Corozin, especially in the body of the Maiden of Time. The outside world accelerates while we're in here.”

“Then – what’s happening outside!?” Exrite blurted as the pent anger was replaced with worry and concern.

“For the mere hour we spent here, two days have passed.” She revealed, tilting her head slightly.

“T-two days!? Gaia! Please, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but I need to leave!”

The woman had no qualms for Exrite departure. In fact, she only planned to keep her for a brief session. But with the introduction of the various questions – things were derailed until the end.

However, she didn’t mind the company. After all, Exrite was the only person she could talk with for the time being.

“Please come visit again, Exrite. Just don’t come back too soon.” She warmly smiled at Exrite, who managed to pleasantly return one.

She knew what she meant by that and thanked her from the bottom of her heart. As a light blue magical circle formed beneath her feet, Exrite said one last thing.

“I’m sorry, Gaia… and thank you for putting up with me.”

The woman shook her head and pat her frilled dress. “You don’t need to apologise. I understand everything, Exrite. Until we meet again, my Maiden of Time.”

In an abrupt flash of light, all her senses faded to a numbing black.

And then, amid the endless darkness, she heard a severely muffled voice.

“He’s back!”