The Escape heavily distorted. From above its lands were smeared in black. The rot was introduced by two distinct sources. The first was Frost, who contaminated the land as it warped to unrecognizable forms according to her psyche.

The Black Forest was the most prominent depiction and it further propagated even when she arrived at base of the Pillar of Light.

The Pillar of Light took the appearance of an inconceivably large oak tree. Its form illuminated the world and seemed to sit in the center of it. It was without a doubt a reflection of the one from the old world. The black sphere that contained the Captured Light was also present, kept within a cavity of the tree.

It was a black hole and it hollowed out the tree from the inside out. Splinters from the inner wood pointed towards it, as if being sucked into its limitless mass.

The second source of the rot came from two figures that could not be seen by the naked eye. But Frost could see all thanks to her Eyes of Judgement, revealing the things that could not be seen by normal people.

This included the Fractured Nilhim and the anomalies that were the Blue Moons.

Their presence could be felt nearby within the Black Forests. She followed the last shimmers of the blue star as she took in the familiar world around her, wondering if this was a recreation of her memories or if they belonged to the White Rabbit.

She picked her direction and disappeared without a trace, wearing a sinister look.

Elsewhere, a sole figure stood in the center of a rapidly decaying forest. The pale trunks turned black as a bizarre, golden glow emanated from everywhere at once from an unknown source.

Yet the figure did not seem to be concerned.

The figure was clouded in darkness, their form impossible to comprehend. Suddenly, it spoke with a masculine voice, cutting through the foreboding silence.

“The Shadow of a Blue Moon has followed this disciple of an aspiring Star.” He was amused, hardly intimidated by the presence of Azure who manifested before him as an equally enigmatic cloud of blackness.

“It’s a shame that this form prevents me from interacting with your kind.” Azure spoke haughtily, clicking her tongue in disappointment.

Her form walked free from the darkness. It was but a projection of herself, meaning she could not interact with the world. However, her CognitO Phantasm still functioned properly, causing the Disciple to clear his throat at the sight of what must have been his worst nightmare.

“It’s precisely that form that is most troublesome to us.” The Disciple’s eloquent tone grated Azure’s ears. She couldn’t stand bearing to speak with an entity she saw as inferior to herself. “Despicable. Blue Moons haven’t changed since Descarte’s attempt to imitate Nilhim.”

“An imitation that surpasses the original is an amelioration.” It was clear that Azure yearned to kill this entity by her own hands, and the Disciple reveled in his immunity. However, like him, Azure was also immune to his attacks.

She could only grin at whatever form he had shown her.

“It’s proof that Descartes understands the fulfilment of the mind better than a fraud that became upset at the thought of a shared utopia. We’re both old enough to remember the beginnings of CogitO.”

They shared a complex history. In fact, they knew each other at a personal level.

“Terrent. You followed a walking corpse like a stray dog.”

“Azure. You always were one to lick the boot of that outcast. No one is more of a stray dog than you Blue Moons. Know this: fear is instrumental. It controls and determines who can and who cannot. A person is reborn or killed from fear. Ego death or persistence. You were thrown a rope. Was that not the teachings of our masters’ master?”

“I’m as loyal as they come. What came from the broken maw of whoever taught Descartes means nothing to me if it did not come from their mouth. Descartes is my world. What are you? A Disciple of a washed up fool whose heart was snatched away by another twisted Heart? You aren’t even satisfied with what you are.” Azure spat, caring little for what he had to say. “It’s a shame that I will not be the one to squash you down to a puddle of liquid Nex.

“A shame indeed.” Terrent hummed, the shadows taking form of an androgenous man, whose face was a dark void.

Within was a glimmer of light. It was tiny, but it glowed like the embers of an unlit bonfire, yearning to be ignited. His body was deathly pale and hauntingly thin. The apparel he wore hinted at a much larger body underneath. It was nearly comical to Azure when she saw the giant forearms terminate at such tiny wrists.

“A Blue Moon could rise to greater heights than to remain as a mere blip in the sky. You could become like us, or even our Aspiring Stars brought together by the Brightest Star. Not the false Stars bounded to the Nexus.”

Suddenly, the Black Forest saw stars emerge not in the skies, but amongst the tree lines like fireflies.

“Let us aspire. Don’t be foolish like the Triplets who feed on an unreliable hand. That reminds me. How is that one? The daughter of the Blue Dahlia. I’m surprised. The Colorless Incandescent allowed her to live?”

Azure’s grin widened, causing Terrent’s invisible face to contort in understanding.

“… Don’t you find it unfair? Don’t you too wish to become complete? Like the stars of the old. They once brought gifts to this world when they fell from the skies.”

“I don’t know what you’re blabbering about. I’m content with where I am. The only thing unfair here is that I cannot kill you. But she can. In more way than you can fathom.” Azure taunted in a haunting voice, the emphatic light in the background snuffing out the false stars.

“Whom do you speak of?” He asked only once before the sound of felled trees reached them.

“The Amalgam. Who else?”

“The Amalgam… Tell me, Azure, do you know what lays beyond the veil at the end of our horizons? Nilhim will unveil those curtains, and we will see who will be left standing in the face of the ultimate terror. This may not work on you, but what about the Amalgam?”

Suddenly, his figure was enveloped by shadows once again before he disappeared without a trace, no doubt to face the Amalgam head on. Azure walked over to a tree, watching as it returned to its pallid color before a spark of blue light was ejected from her bare hands.

It rose to the air and shone like the only star in the world.

“Unfortunately for you, not even I could look too deeply into the Amalgam.” She fell into a revere, her tone shifting into one of mourning. “Even I can catch glimpses into the Beholders. You can’t steal anything and disappear this time. Your enemy is something that devours puny stars that you so aspire to become.”

She sighed, mulling on simpler times.

“I cannot think of a lonelier existence than that of a star. ‘What lays beyond the veil?’ Probably something equally as lonely and horrific than what’s here. Just like the ticking we’ve become so accustomed to in our heads.”

Another sigh left her as she lifted herself away from the tree and began roaming the White Forest like a ghost.

Suddenly, she was approached by something.

“A tiny Beholder Jury? What’s the matter, little thing?”

The tiny figure then pointed in the direction of a bellowing wind. There, dozens of trees were instantly felled as the sound of combat began.

“Run! Run! There’s a big scary monster in our forest!”

There, beyond the light, was a clearing where the sound of a harp could be heard. And there, she spotted two figures. One was a tall woman that was fused to the bark of a tree. In her hand was a children’s book of some kind. The other figure was a child that strongly resembled the Amalgam to a frightening degree.

The only difference was that this figure’s hair was colored white, and its eyes were a deep shade of red.