"Haaa…"
Regret. A funny thing, really. A quagmire of hindsight and self-recrimination that never seems to arrive on ti.
For , it ca almost imdiately after I agreed to Narcissus' absurd proposition.
"Haaaaaaaa…"
I was now the "guest"—a term stretched to its thinnest aning—of this ragtag bastion filled with starry-eyed bastioneers and their dangerously sly leader. Narcissus, that young one, had, in one fell swoop, transford my structured if not monotonous existence into a whirlwind of chaos.
Just when I thought that it wouldn't get any more worse.
At first glance, she was just an ambitious upstart fairy. But as I spent more ti observing her, the layers began to peel back, revealing sothing far more dangerous.
Manipulative. Obsessive. Opportunistic.
And young.
It was the youth that disturbed the most. As a fairy who was known for their lack of urgency, Narcissus had achieved this level of influence—this almost terrifying ability to bend people to her will—despite her relative age in this world.
Actually, I believed that she was much younger than what I predicted. For one, she hadn't even gone through a Realization and manifested her magic as one of the fae kin.
And for soone of that approximate maturity, she showcased a great interest in mortals' activity.
I doubted that the aniphage was the cause of this behavior, especially since it didn't seem like it had been long since they were together.
"A fairy with ambition is dangerous, but a fairy with a sense of urgency is a threat to the entirety of Carcosa itself."
Narcissus gave these so-called Scripts these bastioneers carried, imbued with arcane influence, which amplified their loyalty to her in ways that felt unnatural. Add that to the ever-present charm of her psionic curse, and I could see the outline of a young fairy who would one day beco a nightmare to deal with.
"Urgh… this is far worse than I thought."
For now, though, I was stuck in her carefully constructed bastion.
While the Ordeal was transpiring outside, I had been given my own abode—an admittedly cozy structure, freshly built with a surprising amount of care.
It even ca with a furnished living room, plush seating, and a private bedroom. Even as of now, I reclined in one of the armchairs, running my fingers over the finely embroidered armrests made from the materials that were distinctively familiar with those of Calamity Objects.
This chair alone was an amazing craft on its own, and getting an entire abode was definitely not sothing within my list of expectations for this shabby bastion.
She even had that kilnalan to cast an anti-wet spell on the furnitures and a separate water-absorbing spell for the ground, ensuring that my water nymph' constitution won't damage these previously made mortal goods.
Hmmmm.
Perhaps Narcissus wasn't entirely as awful in retrospect to my own gain.
But then again, the bastioneers themselves seed almost painfully genuine.
Their curiosity about was palpable. I could feel their eyes on whenever I stepped outside, their whispered conversations buzzing with questions about my identity and role in this place. I had Narcissus to thank for that; her introduction of as so sort of 'precious kin' had left an indelible impression.
Albeit, I noticed that there were several insinuations that felt disgusting in my ears.
Despite the overwhelming attention, none of it was hostile. In fact, the bastioneers seed to regard —and by extension, Narcissus—with a reverence that bordered on worship. It wasn't entirely artificial either.
The Scripts played a role, certainly, amplifying their loyalty. But there was genuine affection, too—an odd, almost familial bond that tethered them to their leader.
I let out a sigh, leaning back into the chair as I stared at the ceiling. "What have I gotten myself into?"
That thought drifted through my mind when a strange sense of familiarity tugged at my mory.
Kuzunoha.
That fox-like crimson woman, who carried herself with such grace and nace, reminded of soone. It was like trying to recall a half-rembered dream—a sense of déjà vu that prickled the back of my neck.
And then it hit .
I knew her, I was inford of her before.
She possessed such a notoriety in the past.
"Ah, you finally rembered," ca a sly, lilting voice.
I nearly leapt from my seat as Kuzunoha appeared beside with her scarlet eyes gleaming with mischief.
She leaned casually against the armrest of the chair, her parasol resting on her shoulder like a predator's blade.
"Kuzunoha," I said, recovering quickly and narrowing my eyes. "Or should I call you by your old title?
"The Collector."
Her grin widened, sharp and predatory. "Oh, how delightful. It's been so long since soone called that."
The weight of her presence was suffocating, and for a mont, I was transported back millennia to when her na alone had struck fear into the hearts of mortals and fae alike.
"You were a legend," I murmured, unable to keep the bitterness from my voice. "A figure of notoriety, revered and reviled in equal asure. A figure with no sha, stealing treasures, artifacts, people… anything you deed worthy of your 'collection.'"
"And you say it with such disdain," Kuzunoha purred, twirling a strand of her crimson hair around her finger. "But don't pretend you weren't intrigued by back then."
"I was wary of you," I snapped. "Not intrigued. And for good reason. You were a nace."
"Was?" she said, her grin unfaltering. "Darling, I still am. I've simply refined my thods."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, the beginnings of a headache forming. "What are you even doing here? A figure like you, serving under an oblivious yet ambitious fairy such as Narcissus? It doesn't add up."
Her smile faltered for just a mont, replaced by sothing more enigmatic. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong. Narcissus isn't rely young. She's sothing far more interesting."
"Interesting? That's what this is about?"
Kuzunoha's expression shifted into one of faux innocence. "What can I say? I've always had a soft spot for things of value. And Narcissus? She's invaluable."
I stared at her, a thousand questions swirling in my mind. "I don't understand. How can soone like you—soone who once defied gods themselves—find purpose in following her?"
"That is surprising, I thought we already know each other at the least shallow level."
"Oh please," I really want this person to be removed from my sight, but that was rely wishful thinking at this point. "You and I have no connection, let alone relationship with one another."
"Such hurtful words, even though who has fought alongside each other for the sa cause?" Kuzunoha frowned at her smile while maintaining such a fiery gaze at my direction.
"What are you even talking about…?" The headache kept on growing. "Who was in the right mind to willingly work together with you? I clearly rembered that I had no such contracts, so stop this farce in an instant."
"Are you sure?" Kuzunoha snickered. "The God-Killing Era." she said, her voice quieter now, almost wistful.
The words struck like a blow, stealing the breath from my lungs.
"You… you were there?"
"Oh, we both were," she said, her tone light once more, though her eyes betrayed a depth of mory. "You might not rember as I was back then. Different form, different denomination. But we worked together, in a way. Fighting the sa battles. Killing the sa gods~"
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words settling heavily on my chest. mories of that era—the chaos, the destruction, the blood-soaked skies—resurfaced like ghosts clawing at my consciousness.
That era was akin to a shaful past of mine.
It was an era where I had the most fun, and the most embarrassing monts now that I was reminded of it.
Urgh, to think that she even knew of the existence of the God-Killing Era, this alone was enough to prove that she was indeed part of the sa 'movent' that I also partake in.
"That was… a long ti ago," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.
"And yet, here we are," she said, her smile returning. "Two relics of a bygone age, with one of us still bound by ancient contracts and misplaced ideals."
I shook my head, trying to dispel the growing sense of unease. "What are you trying to imply?
"You have lost your charm," she said, her tone almost pitying. "You've grown weaker. Lazier. Complacent. And it shows."
"... Right."
Her words stung, but I couldn't argue with them.
I had grown weaker, my power dulled by centuries of stagnation and purposelessness.
It was also to the point that I could no longer overwhelm a single mortal who had rely tasted the surface of arcane sorcery, that's how awful the state I'm currently in.
"You're much more fierce and fiery back then," she teased. "I still rember that you pridefully kept the scars on your face as a symbol of accomplishnt. Now I saw none of them, not even on the skin that you're gracefully showcasing to a young fairy such as Narcissus."
"What do you want from ?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
"I want nothing," she said, her tone soothing yet disconcerting. "But perhaps you should ask yourself what you want, Viviane. Do you even know anymore?"
Her question hung in the air, a dagger poised to strike.
"I…" I hesitated, my thoughts a tangled ss. "I don't know. I haven't known since the God-Killing Era ended…
"What purpose could I possibly have now, still bound by this absurd contract, tethered to this role?"
Kuzunoha's smile returned, but it was softer this ti—almost kind. "Ah, purpose. Such a fickle thing, isn't it? But perhaps, dear Viviane, you've been looking in the wrong places."
"I know," I sighed. "Then again, I believe that it was no longer the case, now that I've beco part of this bastion."
"I thought you had agreed to be this bastion's hostage, not as one of the mber."
"Urgh, now I started to rember who you might be back in the God-Killing Era."
"Fufufu, glad that it jogs your mory."
I looked at her, searching her expression for answers I wasn't sure I wanted. "And what about you? Why are you here? What could soone like Narcissus possibly offer you?"
The Collector I rembered was soone who took no order nor will from anyone. It was riveting enough that the fae had lost nurous relics to her, but we were rely scratching the surface when it cos to the victim of her transgression.
Though, while it seed like this legendary figure had quite llowed over the millennium, it didn't change the fact that she was one of the most powerful and uncontrollable powerhouse that had been prying over Carcosa's planarity since the years that was consud by the 'All-Dreaming Beast'. Your adventure continues at empire
When Kuzunoha was right about to answer my question, her scarlet eyes glead with a light that sent a shiver down my soul.
"Do you know the tale of the King in Yellow?"
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