Coalescence | Ch. II [SL]

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:48 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Atani didn't like leaving her patients feeling that all hope was lost, but she didn't like giving them false hope either. She informed the man that every day the scientists of Talaz Lagaar were looking into all that was going on in recent events, but there was no guarantee they could return what had been lost. After all, these were metaphysical phenomenon that went beyond what anyone had ever seen before. But then again, even lacrima technology was once considered revolutionary, so who knew.

But... despite it all, Atani would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the mystery that was the Fractured Sky. And not just in a purely intellectual sense. There was a part of her that honestly, despite her better judgement, wanted to visit the Fractured Sky for herself. It seemed to be the one thing that may possibly finally rid her family of its curse.

WC: 151 | 151/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:48 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

It was the only damned thing she could think of for the rest of her shift. None of her other patients for the rest of the day claimed to have visited the Fractured Sky-- just the one man-- so once she was finished with her job, she was left with the insatiable urge to find out more. But at this hour, she didn't imagine many libraries were open. The one she usually frequented, at least, she knew was definitely closed at this time.

She returned to the back of the clinic to change out of her scrubs and into the clothes she had originally arrived in. She then decided to just head home. With something like this, maybe it was best to sleep on it... See how she felt on the matter when the morning came, but the elf could already tell that the matter was not something she could just drop like that.

WC: 154 | 305/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:49 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Not when she was in Talaz Lagaar. Not when a potential solution to a plague of her own was at her fingertips. One that she had dealt with damn near her whole life, one that her family had been dealing with for generations. And that was generations of elves. Wood elves. This was hundreds of years old, and no one had even come close to breaking the curse, and Mórinna just kept getting stronger and stronger with each Tathvir life force she consumed. Atani wasn't going to let herself be next in line. She couldn't.

But then again... that's probably what everyone else said. That's probably what her mom had said right up until the moment she died.

Atani tried not to think about that, but it was hard not to. She could already feel her chest growing tight. The fear had her in a vise. Mórinna must have loved it.

WC: 151 | 456/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:49 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Even after returning home to her rented out room, she couldn't relax. She tried taking a hot shower. She put on comfortable clothes. She even tried an aromatherapy of sorts to calm her nerves-- an old Wood Elf remedy that usually worked quite well for her-- but nothing could quiet the thoughts that ran rampant in her mind. She lied awake for hours before finally succumbing to exhaustion, but even her state of sleep was not restful. Dreams-- nightmares really-- plagued her mind. She couldn't even remember what it was about by the time she woke up. She just knew it was bad, and that it involved Mórinna, her dead mother, and the Fractured Sky. Or at least the idea of the Fractured Sky, because Atani didn't even know what the thing looked like.

She rolled over in bed and looked at the clock on the wall. It was still early.

WC: 151 | 607/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:50 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Way too early, actually, to be heading for the library already as it was still closed. But she couldn't go back to sleep. Not after the nightmare. And besides, she was the type that when she woke, she was up, and she would have no problem staying up.

She dragged herself out of bed and started to brew a cup of herbal morning tea. Though she normally liked to start her day with the much more caffeinated beverage of coffee, she thought it was a bad idea when her anxiety was already as bad as it was. As she waited for the tea to brew and gather its flavor, Atani sat and took a look at the directory for Talaz Lagaar. She flipped through it, maybe hoping to spot something, until she landed on a page that caught her eye. Down the list was Origin Industries. It was a name she had seen before.

WC: 154 | 761/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

She had seen their advertisements before. She didn't know how popular they were in Talaz Lagaar before, but currently they made it known very well that they were doing all they could to remedy all the things that currently ailed the Mechanical City. And from what Atani could tell, they genuinely had good intentions with their mission, which was somewhat rare to find in corporations these days, especially in metropolitan areas such as this one. She wondered if they would be open to visitors, if maybe she could speak with someone from Origin Industries.

Atani fixed herself some breakfast and guzzled her tea. It wasn't long before she was finished and already out the door. She was certain that at least someone from Origin Industries was already at work. Honestly, it seemed like the city never slept, so there had to be someone active now... right? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

WC: 156 | 917/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Atani still didn't have an exact grasp on the layout of the Mechanical City, but she was getting more familiar with it as time went on. Fiore she knew like the back of her hand, especially when she was out in the open. It almost just came natural to most Wood Elves when it came to traversing the outdoors, but when it came to twisting, winding, man-made cities like these, she somewhat lost her touch. It didn't take her too long, however, to find the main building for Origin Industries. It honestly wasn't an impressive structure by any means, especially when one compared it to the much larger tech and medical companies of Talaz Lagaar. This one was but a small contributor to a much larger playing field, but they nonetheless still held a significant role in the grand scheme of it all.

Atani walked up to the double doors of the building.

WC: 153 | 1070/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

She reached her hand out for a moment, but then they opened automatically. She still wasn't quite used to that, as not many places in Fiore were built using the technology Talaz Lagaar had. Hesitantly, she walked on through and approached the front desk. A secretary was already seated there, which made Atani hopeful someone-- scientists, researchers, whoever-- were working already too.

"Hi, I was wondering if it would be possible to speak with someone who works here?" Atani asked.

"Do you have an appointment?" the secretary asked in return.

"Well no, but- "

"I'm sorry, our staff is very busy with the epidemic. Without an appointment, you won't be able to see anyone."

"Not anyone? Please, I work in the medical field and- "

"I'm sorry, no exceptions."

It seemed the secretary wouldn't budge. In a place like Talaz Lagaar, Atani couldn't use her reputation to pull some strings like she could in Fiore.

WC: 153 | 1223/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

"Of course... I understand. Thank you for your time."

Atani left the building and decided now would probably be a good time to hit the library. She checked out a few books on the history of Talaz Lagaar, ones that had mention of the Fractured Sky in the index, and headed to a café to do some reading. She hardly had time to drink from the spiced latte sitting in front of her (yes, caffeine, because she needed it at this point) before someone approached her table.

"Hey, weren't you just at Origin Industries this morning?"

Atani looked up to see a woman standing by her with a cup of to-go coffee in her hand.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Oh, I work there, and I noticed you uh... were trying to see someone?"

Atani nodded her head and briefly explained why she had visited there in the first place.

WC: 150 | 1373/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

It was Atani's hope that her story might draw another intellectual mind in, and it seemed to have worked.

"Well, I've still got some time left before my break is over... Mind if I sit?"

The elf's eyes lit up. She invited the scientist to sit with her and she began to elaborate a bit more on her inquiries, particularly on the woman's potential knowledge regarding the Fractured Sky. Although she prefaced the discussion by saying she was not at liberty to disclose any classified information, especially with respect to the content Atani wished to know, she did confirm one thing: the rumors were true. Or at least, they had a very sound foundation. Atani acted like the information was supposed to help her patient-- and in a way it perhaps did-- but she was really asking these questions for herself, to see if paying a visit to the Fractured Sky would really be worth it.

WC: 156 | 1529/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

From what she could gather, it was.

Atani thanked the woman for her time and went back to work researching the enigma that was the Fractured Sky. After exhausting the books she brought with her and finishing her drink, she took another to-go and headed back towards the library where she took a deeper dive, this time looking into sources that were almost exclusively about the Fractured Sky.

There were many theories presented about it, but from what she could gather, this thing was sort of a rift. Atani was not unfamiliar with rifts in the spacetime continuum. Fiore unfortunately had some difficulties with them and the demon realm, and Atani got to deal with it firsthand... Multiple times. But this rift, it was different. Rather than being a cause for discord, some called it a source of power. Good power. Power that fueled Talaz Lagaar itself that no one dared to tamper with.

WC: 154 | 1683/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

But in all her research, she couldn't find any reputable sources that talked about these 'sacrifices' people have heard so much about. She thought solid information could help her reach a logical conclusion for the best course of action to take from here, but there was nothing to go off of. Nothing that she could back up with facts at least. Without them, she couldn't reassure herself in a scientific way that going to the Fractured Sky would be the best thing for herself and her family, but still she somehow knew it would be. It had to be, right?

But what could she even ask the Fractured Sky, and what would be a suitable sacrifice? What would she even want to sacrifice, and how would the Sky know? Did she have to tell it? Would it just magically look into her heart and know? How could something as inorganic as a rift even do that?

WC: 156 | 1839/2000

**Atani** · Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:53 pm

Epithet :

The Sylvan Fay

Guild :

Rune Knight

Jewels :

8,605,250

Rank :

B-Rank

Race :

Athlas Elf

Experience :

248,375

Reputation :

10,900

Class :

Cleric

Aura :

Empress

Magic :

Yuan, the Goddess of the Mercy

Strength :

1

Speed :

31

Constitution :

121

Endurance :

11

Intelligence :

311

Mana :

4,175

Body :

Cape :

Ring :

Modification :

Atani didn't know the answer-- she hated not knowing the answer-- but if she was actually going to do this, she needed to be prepared. She couldn't risk something going wrong and having the Fractured Sky take something from her that she didn't want like the patient she treated just the day earlier who lost the use of one of his limbs. He didn't actually go into the Fractured Sky willing to sacrifice that. He came out thinking that somehow the damage could be reversed, but it couldn't. He thought he could outsmart this supposedly omniscient entity.

The sheer stupidity.

Whatever Atani sacrificed... it would have to be worth not just her life, but the lives of anyone else sharing her bloodline. For starters, she supposed she could gift the Sky all her physical knowledge. Everything she accrued over the years, the Sky could have it. Though it pained her to let it all go, she could rebuild it over time. But some things she couldn't, and that was the part that scared her. And the more she thought of it, the more it seemed like the Sky may think it was a worthy sacrifice.

To save her future, she would have to let go of her past.

WC: 208 | 2047/2000

Coalescence | Ch. II [SL]

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:48 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:48 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:49 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:49 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:50 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:51 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:52 pm

Tue Aug 22, 2023 4:53 pm

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