Third Person PoV:

 

Location: Site-19, O5 Council Chamber

 

Site-19, one of the largest and one of the most crucial Foundation facilities in operation, accommodating hundreds of Safe- and Euclid-class anomalies, some situated in separate facilities apart from the main site.

 

It also had dedicated laboratories for processing and storing anomalous Items that didn't require their own Special Containment Procedures.

 

The security of the site was prioritized due to the increased risk of containment breaches resulting from the large number of anomalous objects contained in one location. Of course, Scranton reality anchors were present. Deep within the site a meeting was taking place.

 

The O5 Council gathered in the heart of Site-19, a clandestine chamber hidden beneath layers of reinforced concrete and secure checkpoints. Dim fluorescent lights cast long shadows across the room, revealing the austere surroundings of the council's meeting place.

 

Massive doors sealed the chamber. The chamber's walls were a blend of cold steel and muted gray. A large, circular table dominated the centre, illuminated by a pool of light from an overhead fixture.

 

Surrounding the table were high-backed chairs, each occupied by a shadowy figure, the identities of the O5 Council concealed leaving behind only silhouette’s.

 

“This 'Nightmare Disease' is spreading faster than anticipated. Even if it is slow compared to records of similar cases in the past," O5-1's voice echoed through the room.

 

"The method of transmission? Speak plainly," demanded O5-3.

 

"When infected individuals speak of their nightmares, it spreads. A memetic infection, it seems. At least that is what we have deduced based on observations so far," O5-2 explained, leaning forward, their features obscured in the darkness.

 

"And containment? We will follow standard procedures for handling cognito-hazards, yes?" inquired O5-4.

 

"Isolation is the immediate solution. Restrict social communication to prevent mass transmission. There was already an incident where a news reporter broke down during a broadcast and transmitted the disease.” O5-6 added.

 

“Any progress?”

 

“The broadcast was immediately shut down and mobile task forces were able to contain the scene. Amnestics were administered to individuals suspected of infection with more being tracked down as we speak,” O5-9 relayed.

 

“So is it safe to assume that we will be able to halt any progress that the cognito-hazard might have?”

 

“Not exactly. It seems that the cognito-hazard cannot be halted until we eliminate the source of the infection. Upon tracking down the source, the most likely possibility is this crimson butterfly” O5-10 displayed a hologram of a lone crimson butterfly flying over a town.

 

“Based on experiments we conducted using infected D-class personnel, we have found traces of power that hold remarkable similarity to SCP:9602 that caused a containment breach and escaped earlier. Another topic for today’s discussion.

 

Although, diluted and contaminated in potency from repeated spread. We are using the mutated SCP:9602-2 created during the first incident that SCP:9602 to create possible cures as well as uncovering how it works.

 

Perhaps all of this is just SCP:9602’s petty revenge plot.” O5-10 continued reporting.

 

“A temper tantrum, huh. If I remember correctly, SCP:9602 was a ‘child’ both physically and mentally, even by its race’s standards,” O5-3 pondered.

 

“Yes, you are right. That is a likely hypothesis if we consider the behavioural studies conducted during SCP:9602’s containment. Do we have any leads about SCP:9602’s current whereabouts?”O5-2 asked.

 

“MTF’s were able to secure this image of the containment breach using a thaumiel SCP.” An image of SCP:9602 holding hands with a humongous undead creature and a man in a suit were visible.

 

“But if SCP:9602’s accounts are anything to go by, neither of them hold any similarity to its parent, Tabula Smaragadina. It is best to proceed by assuming that they are entities of a similar level.”

 

There was a brief pause as the members thought about the implications of more unknown possible Apollyon class entities roaming around freely. All of these entities related to SCP:9602 seemed to belong to a faction of their own and SCP:9602 seemed to hold a rather high standing amongst the faction members.

 

“We used one of the SCP:1’s, the record, to try and quickly handle the situation, but our attempts always ended in failure. Attempts to inquire more information about this situation, dealing with SCP:9602 and its faction, summoning them to other locations all failed.

 

In worst cases, aberrations were caused similar to those when being corrupted. The most we got out of any tests was [@#@/?0/?] this. Whatever it is, seems to be stopping any direct interference with SCP:9602. Tests using other SCP’s also failed in a similar manner.” O5-1 spoke.

 

“Which means we will have to contain them in the old fashioned way by tracking SCP:9602 down. How is the research on SCP:9602’s unknown source of power going? Can it be put to use?”

 

“There is progress, but not so much to be of immediate use. As we can only use the SCP:9602-2’s of lower potency for experimentation, we have run into a multiple roadblocks But if it succeeds, we will have another valuable card in dealing with troublesome SCP’s” O5-5 answered.

 

"Anyway, locate and terminate the butterfly that is the source of the hazard first. Simultaneously, figure out SCP:9602 and its faction’s whereabouts. That will be our course of action for the immediate future.," O5-1 declared.

 

***

Lilith PoV:

 

Location: Lilith’s Room; Royal Suite; 9^th Floor of Nazarick

 

‘Hmm, the equilibrium is not favouring the products. I should increase mana input…’ I pondered while instructing Yuri Alpha to scribble down the necessary observations in a notebook.

 

I had a section of my huge chambers converted into an alchemy station temporarily. Ainz was preparing a proper alchemy laboratory for me.

 

A little more than a week had passed since my conversation with Ainz. After that day I approached him and said that I want study magic and alchemy. Surprisingly, he did not cause a fuss and I did not have to guide him towards my goal.

 

Most likely, it was a mix of feeling happy that I was enthusiastic about something and worry about the whole world travelling stuff. If I learned more magic I would certainly be safer. After that, I had Demiurge read me the jargon about magic which I absorbed like a sponge.

 

Of course, it was not all smooth sailing. According to Demiurge, for denizens of Nazarick, magic was something instinctual. An organism did not need to know how their body worked in depth in order to control it. This was something instinctual.

 

As such, they did not mould mana from scratch to use the magic but simply thought of the effect they desired to display it. The process as being entirely automated and coded into the very fibres of their existence.

 

It was very much the same as mine and Ainz’s situation. The difference being that according to their logic, since the supreme beings coded them to have only certain magical knowledge, that was all they required.

 

Logic like that did not sit entirely well with me. I was a scientist prior to my rebirth. The drive to understand more about the world was one of the reasons that led me to make this choice and so their thought process was contrary to mine. Regardless, I could understand it.

 

Anyway, I asked Demiurge for help because he was the most ‘scientifically inclined’ amongst them. I then went about conducting multiple experiments.

 

Of course, he was the one who physically conducted them and noted down the observations, most of the times. He was not present today. All I had to do was ask him to do so. At the end of the day, I was a feeble blind girl.

 

The underlying logic behind certain spells could be deduced pretty easily. For instance boosted magic was nothing more than an exponential multiplier on the original spell potency.

 

Anyway, I found out that I had a greater inclination for alchemy, which I honestly expected. I would be disappointed if that was not the case. It reminded me of chemistry and my hypothesis of it being a magic version of chemistry was correct.

 

Moreover, the title [Daughter of One of The Almighty Supreme Beings of Nazarick], gave me a greater affinity for alchemy. Tabula was known to be an alchemist and this seemed to give me a sort of buff in alchemy as his ‘daughter’.

 

Maybe this was another reason why Ainz was happy about me picking up alchemy? He might have had some sappy feelings about his friend’s daughter following his footsteps or something along those lines.

 

All that aside, I was currently working on reverse engineering a minor healing potion. I also had some notes that Nfirea took while working for Ainz.

 

The process was a lot like retro-synthesis, something I was familiar with. I had to use spells like [All Appraisal Magic Item] or other detection magic to analyse the potions composition, since there were no analytical techniques like spectroscopy present. This magic would have made my life so much easier back in my previous life.

 

Meanwhile, a somewhat transparent deep crimson tentacle that looked like it did not truly exist, was stirring the cauldron. This tentacle was actually a part of my true body that I voluntarily released into the physical world.

 

I didn’t really have to focus on what it was doing specifically as I was subconsciously controlling it. It was like any other limb to me.

 

Even if I did not face it, I could sense Narberal stroking the tentacle and trying to tickle it. I deliberately giggled a few times. It was totally intentional!

 

On the note of exploring my body, I also noticed that I seem to get vague concentric circles in my eyes if I tried to use reality sense for far too long. As I said earlier, reality sense causes the strain on my body to increase.

 

But overuse of reality sense, caused it to heighten for a brief period of time. I could vaguely glimpse shadows of figures beyond that I could not view before in this heightened state. Of course, my body overloaded when I tried to view further so that had to be put aside for now.

 

I can only hypothesize that those were higher eldritch beings. If there was a proper eldritch hierarchy, which there isn’t according to Lovecraftian myth, I would be somewhere in the middle. The structuring of eldritch horrors is unknown as is everything else about them.

 

That is how they exist in this multiverse. All that can be speculated is that outer deities rule at the top. That is precisely why I would rank somewhere in the middle. I have a decent amount of power but it is more due to the [Nyarlathotep’s Blessed] title.

 

The title elevates the value of my existence as a ‘prospective outer deity’. That is why the little cuties back in my containment cell were so eager to get close to me. They were creatures inherently lower to me and could only look at me in awe.

 

“Perhaps you should rest for a while, young lady. It is not good to strain yourself by studying for so long,” Narberal spoke to me. I could sense the concern on both the maid’s faces. Well, it had been quite a while since I started today’s research.

 

Since everyone in Nazarick seemed to treat me like fragile glass that could shatter at the slightest touch, it was a wonder they did not speak out until now.

 

I mentally congratulated them for not saying anything for so long while I was playing around with alchemy. I would not be surprised if they felt that I would die if I played around for a while longer.

 

“~Ok. Can I have some chocolate?~”I was a bit tired of snacking on mortal fear and the withdrawal symptoms of not consuming sugar for a while were getting to me.

 

I will have to scold Nyx-chan like a responsible adult so that she won’t drag me into her shenanigans again. Well, I can still close one eye and reluctantly accept the whole sugar issue she created.

 

“I am afraid not, young lady. Lord Ainz has instructed us not to give you anything sweet without his consent.”

 

Wha-no how could you Ainz? I trusted you and you backstabbed me! Why are you, the mighty overlord of Nazarick, bullying a pitiful little girl like me? I haven’t eaten any sugar in 2 whole days!

 

They didn’t even relent if I acted cute. Just you wait Ainz. I will make sure to get my revenge for this but for now I could only swallow my frustration. I was not the absolute supreme being to override this command.

 

As I started walking with the maid’s around Nazarick, I thought about my last conversation with Ainz, which went something like:

 

“…Tabula? Who is that?” I tilted my head and questioned back when the topic of the conversation shifted to my ‘father’.

 

“Hmm, what do you mean who? It’s your father, of course.” Ainz replied slightly confused about what I was saying.

 

“…I don’t remember him. All I remember was that I was playing and then I woke up in that place with those evil people.”

 

“…” Ainz and the guardians present just silently stared at me, digesting what I had just said.

 

Now, there was obviously a reason for this whole conversation. I had long since displayed memory loss symptoms during my confinement in the SCP foundation. Everyone in Nazarick must have already expected something like this to an extent. They had the SCP files regarding me, after all.

 

This was all the more so considering that everything else in the file was true. I was ‘blind’, had relatively weak physique and now I had dumped the blame on Being-X.

 

The whole reason I engineered all of this was for this moment. Once the topic of some conversation inevitably shifted to Tabula or my 'past', I would have a reason to feign ignorance.

 

I truly knew nothing about YGGDRASIL, Ainz Ooal Gown, the future version of Earth Ainz is from or my ‘father’. Since all loose ends would be neatly tied up with the SCP foundation’s experimentation and Being-X’s curses, I wouldn’t have to worry about any abnormalities in behaviour at all.

 

It was not like Ainz could ‘cure’ my memory loss either as he had already tried and failed in curing me in any way. All of my act so far was prepared in advance, leaving sufficient gaps to manoeuvre in case of some issues that sprung up along the way.

 

Every lie so far worked hand in hand with another like cogs in a machine. My inner mindbender was somewhat pleased looking at the results so far. Best of all, everything went along perfectly with the character I was shaping for myself.

 

In a sense, I already had Nazarick wound around my palm. With every ‘bad news’ I gave, their worry and devotion to me could be seen rising visibly. But it was not yet enough. I had to ensure was that my act sticks and deepen the impression I have given so far.

 

The first step towards achieving my goals and never returning to that void again had been achieved. In the bright future I can now envision, they will have no choice but to give me the sweets I desire even if Ainz says no. Whether it’s out of pity or otherwise.

 

***

For those of you who don’t know: There are multiple recorded SCP-1’s. There is no such thing as ‘canon’ in SCP as they are all files created by multiple people. The in-universe reason is that many of them are fakes to hide the real SCP-1.

 

The O5 council are the top dogs of the SCP foundation other than the ‘Administrator’. Well, no one knows who they are.

 

As I said, there is no canon in SCP, so they can be anybody and I will be tailoring them to my needs and creating SCP’s that suit the story when I need them as well.

 

The SCP-1 mentioned in this chapter comes from [Kate McTriss’s Proposal]. It is a record.

 

The anomalous property of the record was for description and references of it to jump to the top of any numbered list, presumably to jump to the top of the billboard lists. And as it happens the SCP database is a numbered list. Since in universe, the scp-001 slot was open anyway, they just let it go to that slot.

 

The special thing about the record is that anything written in it comes true. So it’s like a reality warping object.

 

Amnestics are stuff that can wipe memories. There are multiple grades of amnestics depending on use, necessity, side effects, memories from which period of time to be erased etc. I don’t exactly remember every detail about them.

 

***

~Hope you enjoyed reading!~