Pov Kurumi
' I don't know anything about this " being " except that it exists and that it is somehow connected to me. Looking at the information I have gathered so far , I suspect that I am connected to this " entity " through zafkiel or more precisely through my eye . And how do I even know about this " being " ? I know about it is because I felt its presence when I touched that cursed sephira crystal . It was also the moment when information about my future task was transmitted to my head. But I have a feeling that I felt the presence of this " being " even before I touched that crystal.
' Although at the time I was too shocked and absent-minded to notice, I definitely felt the presence of this " being " in that void where the still unawakened Kurumi and that huge clock held by chains were located . And if my suspicions are accurate then this " being " ...... is that clock . If this " being " realy is a clock or an entity that takes on the appearance of a clock , then the choice of Kurumi , whose existence was closely related to this theme , makes more sense . However, it doesn't really matter , what matters is that I am connected , to some " entity " '
Thinking about it a shiver runs down my spine . The awareness that something like this " being " can be connected to me is terrifying . Besides that , the memories of that void filled with perfect , at least in body , copies of me ........... No , I too am a copy of the original Kurumi Tokisaki . My identity , skills and even behavior are modeled on her. Which means I'm not even sure how much of me and how much of the original Kurumi is in me . This makes my situation even more frightening to me.
' Who am I ? Can I be myself at all ? I have three souls inside me ? Am I a combined consciousness of these souls , or one of them ? . Perhaps I am a completely new person ? Am I identical to other copies of the original Kurumi ? Are we all identical to each other ? Is the only difference between us our life experience ? '
' So far I've only met one Kurumi , with whom I haven't had a chance to talk about it , so I don't know . But , although I do not know the soul structure of other Kurumi , I can at least deduce from our appearance that we have at least the same fragments of the soul of the original Kurumi . However, the question is whether all these fragments are not just copies ? Or perhaps all these fragments are orginals ? Looking at the power of this " being " ........ I don't know myself anymore . '
Thinking about it I am aware that I don't really have any information . I only know about the mission given to me , the rest of the things are just my deductions and guesses that have formed from the few information I have had the opportunity to collect . Hence there are many things I don't understand about this situation . In fact, this situation in itself is hard to grasp . Understanding it , is another matter entirely . However, there is one thing that does not give me peace of mind and yet if solved will give me all the answers I need .
" Why is this " being " doing this ? "
Thinking aloud I clench my teeth in flustration .
' All these manipulations , lies , resurrections , gluing souls together . For some reason this " being " , helped and initiated the process , in which I, as well as other copies of the original Kurumi , were created . And this " being " , looking at the tasks given to me , still want this process to occur in other time lines . '
' Yes , it is supposed to happen and hapend in a different timelines . And it will be my job to make sure that happens in my . Each Kurumi created by this " being" will be given its own timeline with the task of preparing that timeline to branch out at some point to include a new Kurumi , who is actually the same Kurumi but from the past ? . Actually explaining it and understanding it is a completely different matter .'
Now thinking about it , I have to ask myself . From where this certainty , that this " being " helps in this process ?
' It is simple ........ I do not believe that anyone below the power of some divine " being " could independently manipulate three souls and place them in difren timer lines with the powers of Kurumi Tokisaki . '
Thinking about it I am sure that even the original Kurumi could not have done it . Even more so when looking at the scale of it all . Looking at the thousands of copies , which were in that void along with the clock . Thousands of copies of Kurumi in different timelines , all with the possibility of becoming in the future a person with the same power as the original Kurumi Tokisaki or perhaps even stronger than the original . And the original Kurumi Tokisaki despite the overt limitations on her power is monstrously powerful anyway .
' The very fact that she could go back in time is a divine ability . Even if orginal Kurumi couldn't do it non-stop , the ability to turn back time to avoid or prevent a certain event is a cheat in itself . Let's say I meet a very powerful person , which under normal circumstances I simply can not defeat because let's say he or she gained immortality and the ability to destroy planets with a blow .'
' If this person is not older than twenty years and this person was not so powerful from the moment of creation in the womb or birth . As long as this person's mother was not impossibly powerful , then I can simply kill him or her in the womb or kill this person's mother before she even became pregnant . Of course, this is a scenario that would be very much in Kurumi's favor . '
' But that doesn't change the fact that going back in time to manipulate things to my advantage is very helpful , not to mention the fact that this can be life-saving . And well let's be honest as long as someone doesn't have the power to control time , how exactly are they supposed to stop someone going back in time ? '
' The only thing that limited Kurumi's ability to go back in time was her own energy and the obvious butterfly effect and beyond that , nothing can stop her. From orginal Kurumi's memoirs I can clearly conclude that with enough energy , going back in time a thousand or two thousand years is not impossible . However, this increases the risk that the timeline completely colaps , and the worst thing that can happen because of this is to erase yourself or a loved one from the future by preventing that person or yourself from being born . '
' And that was just one of Kurumi's abilities . In addition to these skills, there is also shadow control , which was actually Kurumi's main skill . From here , I have confidence in Kurumi's power , which is powerful in many ways , but unfortunately is limited by the energy used to operate them . But still Kurumi's skills do not include any ability to manipulate souls . '
This thought was my main reason for assuming that the " being " controlling all this must surely exist and have a purpose in all this . But what is this purpose ? Why is this " being " doing this? ........ I am not sure , most likely it is to leave its mark , mark the timeline or secure it in some way . That at least is what I have deduced from years of thinking about it .
' So far , because of the assumptions of the mission entrusted to me by this " being " , I assume that I am , some kind of anchor connecting this being to this timeline . Or simply a carrier of this " being's " will ........ Anyway I don't know myself anymore , maybe a being like this just got bored and decided it would be fun . '
Thinking about my situation I tighten my nose and try to hold back tears . In fact the only thing I can do in my situation is to cry . I am powerless . In fact I am already reconciled to it all , in the end there is nothing I can do .
" Everything was going so well for me , I had already seen and planned the future ! Why is all this happening to me ? Why me ? Why !!? "
Talking to myself I hit my temples with my fists out of flustration , helplessness and anger . Unable to hold it in I involuntarily begin to cry not knowing what is happening around me , all my worldview and sense have lost meaning. Getting up from the floor , with light steps I walk up to the waist-length wall located on the front edge of the roof .
Leaning my elbows on it , I lean forward so that my head leans over the edge of the roof .Looking at the street below me , I grab my hair right at the base and pull them hoping that the pain of pulling my hair will distract me from negative thoughts
' Everything was going so well ......... I found a home , I found friends , I built the foundations of my happiness . My life after years of despair on the street finally began to settle . But now ......... I know too much .......... Divine " being " manipulating my souls and fate exist , and I am nothing more than a creature of these " beings " , without my own fate or choice . I am a slave , a bird in a small cage thinking it has the whole world to explore .'
' This is all a lie , I am nothing more than a parasite to this world . I carry within me a " being " that is nothing more than a virus to this world . And my only purpose of existence when I grow up ........ Is to spread this " plague " further . I do not know on what scale all this is happening and whether I can at all refrain from taking part in it . Despite giving me a task I was not given information about the punishment for not completing it . '
' But looking at the fact that there are many Kurumi in different timelines there must be some way to control us . Perhaps something in our souls will make me drop dead after failing to complete a task or opposing its completion . Or just another Kurumi come to kill me or force me to work . '
' After all, one Kurumi has already controlled my entire life without my knowledge . From my encounter with her I can say with certainty that with my current strength , she could kill me instantly . And probably if I won and killed her , her place will be taken by the other more powerful Kurumi . So fighting it just doesn't make sense to me . '
' Escape ? How to escape from the being inside me ? Also, where to escape ? Even with the possibility of escaping to other timelines , what line should I go to without knowing in which line the other Kurumi are ? Besides, by escaping I will leave Neo and Emerald behind ........ And who knows what will happen to them ? '
Thinking about it I bang my head against the wall under me . My hands let go of my disheveled hair and grabbed the wall instead . Then my eyes focus on the street below me . My body unconsciously leaned harder towards the edge of the roof . My hands were ready to help me climb the wall in front of me . Only when my painful belly leaned against the wall , I realized what I wanted to do . And it did not worry me , because this is not the first time . In fact the first days were even more difficult .
" But if my supposition about the power of this " being " is true , even death will not save me ............ "
Thinking about it, I am fully aware that even if I jump nothing will change and I will probably be resurrected or replaced . Besides, it is not my style . Yes the situation is hopeless , but still a part of me wants to rebel . And I also can't forget Neo ......... This cursed world , I will not leave her alone in it . If my suspicion about the goals of this being is correct then there is no fucking option that I will leave anyone here . Emerald people from the pawn shop , even Lotus that old drugged up bastard .
" There is no escape from it right ? I am alone in this .......... I'm totally screwed right ? ..........Hahahaha hahahaha hahahaha "
While sobbing I asked myself a question that remained unanswered . However, I myself already knew the answer . So with all my impotence and lack of any other way to express myself ......... I began to laugh . With a damn joyful laugh filled with satire and the hopelessness of my existence . And that was it ......... I finally let go of that last screw in my head . Fuck it ........... Can't I even go a little crazy anymore ?
" Hahahaha HaHaHAhAhaHAha HaHaHAhAhaHAha........Fuck it all. "
With this last word I turned around and sat down on the ground again and leaning with my back against the wall I looked at the starry , clear sky and the shattered moon , which both in the memores of the original Kurumi and the young boy was all unshattered . And yet , somehow this shattered version of the moon seemed prettier to me . It simply fit more . Calming down I tapped the back of my head a few times on the wall behind me .
' I have to be careful not to have these types of attacks around girls or anyone from the pawn shop . Better when they are not aware of anything . As for me , I know that my behavior is not normal , but.......... I am just tired . I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind from all this . It may not seem like it but , I am still just a homeless brat . From a thief and killer I have now become some kind of agent of a " divine being " . Instead of worrying about loan repayment , I worry about other timelines and " divine beings " winding up with souls . And in all this I am fully aware that there is nothing I can do . '
With these thoughts , I focus again on the same question . And what assumptions I have about the whole purpose of this .
' Why does this " being " need me and army of copy Kurumi ? From the information I have I can't conclude much . Of course I have my theory of an anchor to this reality . But why would such a being need this anchor ? I have only scraps of information , which I have transformed into several theories . But the main and most plausible theory is related to the need for energy '
this chapter was so dumb and useless
Out of pure curiosity . Why do you think so ?
@Elizjumgarden Its hard to put into words but what did we get out of this chapter?
if there was some conclusion to any of the questions it would seem allright, but lets get the points straight: she felt a "divine being". knows nothing about it but assumes its a bad thing,
kurumi alter helped her unlock zafkiel to save neo, again assumes its a bad thing.
I get how frustrating it could be to know someone is "manipulating" your time, but from another perspective what if its just future (this) kurumi protecting her own future self? timetravel is confusing on a good day.
but the main point is. so far there have been no point in the story where either this "being" or alters affected her majorly or in a bad way apart from the soul thing which she knows nothing about (again), each were her own choices they at best helped her fix a mistake. this was a 2-3k word chapter basically explaining she knows nothing yet for some reason without any evidence she thinks shes royally f*cked.
sidenote: take a shot for every "being" in the chapter
@Camobear
I'm sorry that I wrote so long, but I wanted to explain as briefly as possible what I thought while writing this chapter.
Well I was going to present Kurumi's paranoid and pessimistic approach to this matter . People are most afraid when they do not understand the situation they are in , and that situation in general becomes worse when we have a lot of time to think about it , because everyone knows well that often our imagination becomes wild .
Kurumi's life suddenly turned upside down without any warning . She suddenly found herself in a world she doesn't understand , and the only help she has are some memories . And even those don't help because , they don't even belong there . So ultimatelythey they only make her realize that she is some kind of monstrosity.
Let's say it suddenly turns out that aliens exist ....... I don't know what they look like or what their intentions are but their existence has been confirmed and their spaceships have been seen . Of course I panic because all my life aliens were shown to me often in movies as monsters . Of course this is not always the case but pessimists will think that way.
Even more so when the realization reaches you that you are some kind of spy , experiment of these aliens . In short your body belongs to a dead person , which aliens kidnapped and then created from this body a kind of magical stitched monster . And you are that monster . Of course, in addition to you there have thousands of spies like you and they are all copies of someone else . A whole army of powerful clones , something that at first glance resembles an army .
And what's worse you don't even know what is your role in all this. You have been entrusted with some kind of mission, the ultimate goal of which you can only guess. But suddenly you know that other timelines exist and for some reason these aliens deploy their spies there . Of course the situation is not yet clear. But you must remember that Kurumi's life was also fully manipulated ....... Her homeless , full of fear , hunger , cold , insecurity and lonely life .
This life was given to Kurumi by manipulation . And Kurumi does not have good memories or even a good first impression . It's like meeting a person , who all your life so far has made sure that you suffered as much as you could .
Yes , older Kurumi rescued Neo and helped our Kurumi awaken her powers . However , we can not forget that ,It was her mission to awaken Kurumi's powers . Besides the intentions of the older Kurumi do not reflect the intentions of this being . The fact that the elder Kurumi saved Neo can only be the sympathy of one victim of this being to the other victim.
Besides we know that the elder Kurumi has a romantic connection with her Neo . Therefore, the fact that the elder Kurumi saved our Neo means nothing in this situation because there are many reasons why she might have done so . And most importantly the main reason why Kurumi is so paranoid , will be presented in the next chapter .
This chapter was to preface only a few things that are certain . The existence of some kind of being, the existence of clones and that they are destined for a different time line in which each will have a mission. And most importantly the overall goal for the future for Kurumi . The goal which is to understand the world and the situation in which she finds herself . Besides, I also wanted to submit the beginning of changes in Kurumi's minde ( signs of mental breakdown , the slow collapse of her mental health and problems with her own identity caused by the awareness of being a copy of Kurumi Tokisaki , the existence of other clones and three souls as the composition of her soul . )
Well I hope this shows what I had in mind when I wrote this chapter .
@Elizjumgarden your explanation is very nice.
The amount of thought behind your writing is always nice so i am looking foward to future chapters