The curtains of the memory closed as Iscario’s body disappeared. Frost stared at the frozen figure that sat in the grass, holding her knees. By her feet was the untouched lily given to her by Iscario, and cupped in her tiny palms was the lifeless body of the moth.

 

< “I’m sorry little moth. I didn’t mean for you to die. I just wanted to show my brother something. I wanted to be praised. It’s not because you’re ugly or pitiful.” >

 

The girl sobbed.

 

< “I’m sorry you couldn’t have two weeks to fly. After that you could’ve gone to heaven with all your moth friends who left you behind. I couldn’t leave you alone in that cocoon. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…” >

 

She returned to the base of the golden oak tree and dug with her bare hands. Filth was flung into her hair before she reached a small pocket where many small insects slept under the tree.

 

< “I hope you can sleep soundly as well. The roots of the tree go to many places. Some happy and some sad. Don’t worry. You’ll go to a place that’s better than heaven. Even if it’s not up there, this heaven is burrowing to somewhere with more sunshine than here.” >

 

She rubbed its squashed head, sobbing harder.

 

< “You… can sleep beside the fluffy spider.” >

 

Once buried, she brought her dirty hands to her face.

 

< “Why does everyone want to fight? Why does everyone have to go away? That’s not kindness at all… Mother… I want to see mother again…” >

 

Frost couldn’t just stand there and watch. It was like seeing the little Jury of the Black Forest again. She approached the girl with no ill intent like her brother.

And with open arms, she gave her something she had longed for.

A hug.

Her hands phased through the apparition. Small specks of gold fled from the girl’s body. Somehow, the girl’s whimpering softened. For a moment, Frost felt like she was holding the body of this tiny girl in her arms.

For once she wished it wasn’t a coincidence. She wished that she had helped stave away the tears.

“The worst thing about seeing this is wishing I was born a little earlier.” Frost whispered.

Suddenly, a figure replaced Frost. Familiar eyes that resembled the darkening skies stared up at the child as they lowered themselves to embrace them.

 

< “War, child, makes no difference what you or they think about it.” >

 

Frost stepped away, recognizing the voice.

This figure was Galia.

 

< “Lady… Colorless…?” >

 

< “War was always here like the roots of the sacred tree. War merely waited for man.” >

 

And in her hand was a golden apple.

 

< “The ultimate trade.” >

 

That apple was given to the weeping child.

 

< “Awaiting its perfect practitioner. It is no different from the pairing of the apple and man. So child…” >

 

Galia wiped the tears away from her eyes and lifted the apple to the girl’s face.

 

< “… Do you wish to go see your mother right now?” >

 

* * *

 

Frost didn’t realize how dark it had already become.

Her watch claimed that ten hours had passed since she reached the center of Paradise, but she felt like only an hour did. The anomaly was not something she would normally be alert about, but considering she did not use any of Jury’s time magic –

“Who’s there!?” Frost fired a bullet in the direction of an impenetrable shadow.

The visions of the past disappeared entirely. All apparitions spirited away as the ruins of Paradise glowed with enough light to block out the stars.

It was only this shadow that existed in paradise. A twisted, malevolent shadow that manifested over the burned remains of where the Advent of Judgement once resided.

 

< “You should not be here.” >

 

A hollow voice commanded.

The Interrogation Clock began to tick uncontrollably as if possessed. Frost was moments away from asking again who this thing was.

However, there was only one kind of entity that could have such an adverse effect on Jury’s Aspect of Technology.

“… Elysia…?”

 

< “F… st…!” >

 

“NAV!? What’s going on!? Can you hear me!?”

 

< Inter… omthing… rupting… CAREFUL! I… nnot… Trumpet anymore!” >

 

“Nav? NAAAAAAAV!?”

The static in Nav’s voice paired with the abhorrent ticking caused Frost to take an immediate defensive stance.

And rightfully so, because not a second later, something connected with her forearms, sending her skidding more than twenty meters backwards.

“Tch… What… DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING, ELYSIAAAAA!?”

 

< ??? >

 

< “How dare you call me by that accursed name.” >

 

< “That name should not even be known to you.” >

 

“What the hell are you talking about!?”

The figure in question took the form of a shadowy entity. At first Frost thought it was a Fractured Nilhim since the status didn’t appear straight away.

However, the status was not what gave it away.

 

 

//////// < WARNING > ////////

 

< Entering the Rewound for the First Time >

 

< Welcome to the Rewound >

 

The last time Frost received a similar message was when she entered the White Rabbit’s Escape. Nothing changed visually. However, what was supposed to be night had returned to day.

But rather than the pink clouds of dawn, Frost was greeted by the orange skies of sunset as the sun rose from where it usually set.

 

< “Intruders that barge into the passage of time, touching things that should be left untouched must be punished accordingly. Even if it’s ‘You’.” >

 

//////// < EXTREME WARNING > ////////

 

< ??? >

< ??? >

 

< The Arbiter’s Trumpet can no longer be heard in this place >

 

< “You’ve triggered something irreversible. Now that I can manifest myself…” >

 

A shooter similar to Frost emerged from the shadows. But the closer Frost studied the shadowy doppelganger, the more she realized that it was the Galia of the past who hoisted the pale Astra Inclinant over her shoulder.

She was dressed in nothing but black garbs fitting for a shooter. The inner garbs were fitted tightly and did not show a single ounce of her flesh, whilst her coat and mantle were loose, causing her silhouette to disappear behind it whenever a breeze passed by.

What’s more was that her eyes were dyed a brilliant gold, proof that this thing was not truly Galia, but a form possessed by an Aberration of Elysia.

 

 

< “… We can finally speak face to face. A pity that we could only meet through the backwards countdown of the clock.” >

 

Frost clutched the handle of her De Jure. The Galia-doppelganger was obviously weaker than her real counterpart. Whether this was the pre or post Beholder Galia was unknown.

“… So this is how it ends? With your kind intervening with me?”

Frost’s hair shifted to a white coloration as she manifested the One Thousand Eyed Bird as the Second State.

Nav, however, was not here to announce this.

“And for what? Because I’m curious? Because I want to know!? You… The Arbiter… everyone… WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO KEEP WITHOLDING ALL OF THIS AWAY FROM ME!?”

She knew that she wouldn’t be getting any answers from this thing and desperately wished to keep it all locked away.

Therefore, as gunfire broke loose, the two spoke with the smoking barrels of their guns.

---