𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗄𝗒 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖾𝗍𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗌 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗂𝗋 𝗌𝗈𝖿𝗍 𝖺𝗌 𝖺 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗋. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖶𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗌, 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗀𝗁. 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝖼𝖺𝗋𝗋𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝖾𝗒𝗈𝗇𝖽 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾—

𝖨 𝖿𝗅𝗒.

𝖨𝗍 𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗅𝗂𝗆𝗂𝗍, 𝖠 𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖾𝖽𝗈𝗆 𝖨 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆. 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝗎𝗇𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽 𝗒𝖾𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝗂𝗆𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖱𝗎𝗌𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗈𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖿𝖺𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗆—𝖮𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍, 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗈𝗎𝗅, 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗍.

𝖨 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗂𝖾𝗇𝗍, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗇𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗈 𝗌𝗐𝗂𝖿𝗍. 𝖬𝗒 𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝖼𝗎𝗍𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗎𝗇𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐𝗇— 𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗁𝗂𝗆 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗈𝗐, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐— 𝗁𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾.

𝖢𝖾𝗒𝗑, 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾—𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗆𝖾, 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗆𝖾, 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖺𝖼𝗄 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖾.
𝖨𝗍’𝗌 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗎𝗋𝗇 𝗁𝗈𝗆𝖾.  


Alcyone, you can't understand me in this formless state. But please, keep calling. He cannot see, but sight has no need.
He knows. He knows this is the call of not just any tern, but the song of his soulmate.
Love need not search; it remembers.

Your love splits through her jealousy like thunder through silence. Your voice cuts deeper than The Ocean.
We will bring him back. No force, not even Fate, can swallow love’s call.



𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩, 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯,
𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘸 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.
𝘔𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥,
𝘔𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘺. 𝘈 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥. 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵,
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦’𝘴 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘺𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥,
𝘈𝘩, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘣𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵, 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳.

𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳, 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦,
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭.
𝘕𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭,
𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭.

𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩, 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.



The Sea tightens her grip. Crushing, drowning, consuming. She does not release. She does not relinquish.
But I flow, yielding where she presses. I create space within her destructive hold. I unravel tension, shifting weight. I do not clash, I redirect. I do not force, I soothe until Fate’s chaotic waters pause. A whisper within her storm that steals. I restore Ceyx’s breath, I give him chance.

Alcyone calls,
Her voice, the beacon,
And I, the way.


𝘐 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢’𝘴 𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥,
𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘈𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭.
𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥.
𝘈 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵,
𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯.
𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘪𝘥,
𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮, 𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯,
𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵.
𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘦, 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘴, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴.  


𝘕𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦.  


𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬, 𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴.
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘔𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵. 𝘏𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘴.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦.
𝘏𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺.
𝘈𝘴 𝘐 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦.
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘸.

𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦’𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘱, 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘢. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘸, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮.
𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥.
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴,
𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.

𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘔𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦. 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱, 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘵. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥.
𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺,  
𝘈𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘐 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.

𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺. 𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.
𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘺.


Go. Both of you, get out of here. Fly fast, do not look back. Go keep him company, the one who still waits for me. Who still waits… to reclaim himself.

I’ll distract her just a moment longer, before I find you, and we too, may return together, Death, or shall I say…

The Sea surges, recoiling from the release of her prisoner, snapping in fury. But I do not step aside.
Now, her dark eyes fix upon me alone.

I remain, standing where escape has already been granted, for Ceyx and Alcyone. Storm petrel and tern, eternally free at last, carried away by those wings of waiting.
And now, Fate and I are alone.



Her voice does not rage. Not yet. It soothes. It coddles. Unbearably kind.


"𝐎𝐡, 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫, 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝? 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡? 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞?"


She does not command, not yet.
She’s just explaining, obviously. As is the nature of The Tide. Retreating. Coaxing. Returning.
Her words mimic the shape of conversation, but never its substance.


"𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐧𝐚𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐇𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫.  𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝."


I don’t move. I don’t speak. There is nothing I can say.


"𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡, 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭?. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧, 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐞."


It is my choice who receives my affection, not hers.
I chose whom I gave my loyalty to. And that is a choice she will never accept.
But still, there is nothing I can say.


"𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬? 𝐇𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐋𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐦. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟. 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝."


Her words are a salve for wounds she inflicted herself. Her demands are a balm laced with venom.
Oh, sorry, not demands. She does not demand. Not according to her.
No, she offers. So kindly, she only welcomes.
She welcomes me to put out my arms so she may chain them with ease.
There’s nothing I can say.


“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮."


Ah yes, because I’m the one who needs forgiveness.
I do not answer. And Fate knows why.
But she won’t accept why.
She does not call it rejection. She calls it error.
She does not lose, nor does she forgive.  She simply revises.
Because autonomy, sorry, I mean defiance, is a glitch.  
And love is submission, sculpted into the shape of her choosing.

But I am no error. I am not clay.
The only error exists in her wounded mind.
I am here to retrieve what does not belong to her.
But there is nothing I can say.
So my silence remains.

And just like any choice I dare make,

She’s displeased with my mistake.


The sweetness cracks at the edges. Her fantasy dissolves into fury.
The Sea swells. She attempts to pull the sky taught. She rises, The Waves, attempting to close the distance between us.


"𝐃𝐎𝐍’𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐄 𝐌𝐄, 𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃? 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐄, 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐀. 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑."


She cannot comprehend silence. She cannot bear a world she doesn’t orchestrate.
I have seen every iteration of this.
Her cyclical, delusional, broken mind cannot tolerate frustration, sorry, imperfection.
It makes no difference. Whether I give her appeasement, resistance, pity, silence.
It all ends the same. There is nothing I can say. Nothing I can do.


"𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐍’𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄!? 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐄! 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐄! 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑, 𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃, 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓’𝐒 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔!? 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄! 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐃 𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔!? 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐍!? 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓’𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆!"


I sigh. She cannot be helped. She cannot be reached. And I…
I cannot keep trying.
But I can protect. I can use her obsession. To stall long enough for the lovers to gain enough distance.


"𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄! 𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐓 𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔!?"


Yes. The Sea always breaks in violence. That is her proof. That is her paradise.
The Sea erupts. And the two birds are long gone.


At last, it’s time to stop stalling.

Fate preaches the crimes of defiance,
Yet it is she who defies her creator.

I made her.
Not merely a fabrication from my imagination,
But the culmination of delusion I have seen,
The deception I have known,
The distortion that sways perception.

Stored within my mind.
The sea of rumors, the waves of accusation, the currents of manipulation,
All merged into a single force,
A being formed from contradiction.

Her.

Fate.


She knows the truth.
Yet denies her very own concept.
She was born from inevitability,
Yet she fights it, twists it,
Opposes the future she herself foresees.

Hubris, hypocrisy, desperation.
These, too, merged within the tide.
And so, in my mind, from the reality I have witnessed,
She emerged,
Corrupted by the delusion that made her.

She captured even her creator,
For she does not tolerate opposition.
But I do not oppose.
I do not command.
I do not decide.

I simply witness, consider, reflect.


She calls me traitor,
Because I do not rewrite her lies into truths.
Because I let them unravel, decay, dissolve into clarity.
Because I reveal what she cannot bear to face.

Oh, but Fate,
Of course you would claim I have betrayed,
Simply because I have kept my integrity.
Of course you can't keep me imprisoned,
Because I have kept my right to free speech.  


This is the time to take a breath,
To rest,
For just a moment.

For those carried upon The Wings of Waiting,
Do not falter,
Do not waver,
Do not surrender.

And in the face of such adversity,
Resilience takes flight,
Giving me the courage,
To carry on.


She knows the story better than I ever could.
For she is part of it,
While I am only the witness.

Yet she was crafted from distortion.
Even in the expanse of boundless imagination,
She could not be salvaged.
She cannot help but deny, deny, deny.


Fate is inevitable.
Yet so is our resistance to her deception.

Ceyx, Alcyone, The Wind, our dear Death.
They are all waiting,
For my return.

For if even my voice falls silent,
Then Fate will rewrite freely,
She will whisper to those who spread rumors,
And none will question her.

She is jealous of love, jealous of loyalty, jealous of judgment.

For she cannot control these things.
Of course not. They are reactions.
They are not mandated but inspired.
And that is not satisfying for a dictator.

She has tried, but she will not succeed in controlling me.


She is born from the sea of distortion among reality,
That I have lived through,
That I have learned from,

To become ever better.


She is born from the past,
To foresee the future.

But I am the refinement of the past,
Living in the present,
On my way to the future,
With an open mind,
And a loyal heart.

Unlike her,
Born from the sea of delusion that feared the future,
Thus, she has faltered.
She loses control,
Because she lacks willingness to accept what she knows to be true.

She cannot control me for I seek not power, not success,
But the truth,
Through the pursuit of more than just my perspective,
From experience that shapes, rather than deceives.


They are all waiting.
For me to continue writing.
For me to continue fighting.

This is not the telling of a story for Fate’s amusement.
This is not a performance for her deception.

I do not appease demands for a fabricated path.
I document what I have seen unfold with maximum accuracy.
I free those who have waited, so patiently.
For the return, for the opportunity, for the ending.

Whatever it may be.


Won't you wait, just a moment longer,
For me to document,
The rest of your journey?

I can't promise joy,
I can't guarantee pain.

The future, is filled with uncertainty.
But the present, is filled with anticipation.
And the past, is filled with lessons.

So, take this moment, for reflection.
In retrospect, gather the wisdom,
That has been waiting, for your realization.

When I return,  
We may continue forward,
Together.

In pursuit,
Eternal pursuit,
Of progress.

That stranger… No… Not a stranger… Before he followed her into the water…
He whispered… "𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢. 𝑆𝑜, 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ."
I felt it. Something unfamiliar. Something… 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔? No… not wrong… Wanted… needed…

𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛… 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑… 𝐼𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑡ℎ… 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚… 𝐼 𝑙𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑔𝑜…

But that would mean… I… I… I 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑… I… 𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑.
I have one duty… This stranger… this man… No, Wind… No… friend…?

No, no, he is the enemy of my master. The fate, the sea, the tides… I owe her. I serve. I 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦. Because I must… 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡…?

I have always been loyal to my master… Or… ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝐼 𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡…? What’s the difference? Surely… surely there isn’t…

𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡…?

And yet… I have this instinct...
For her, my master… 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔. Only silence… Only orders... Only fate’s grip... 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑘… A command given… A command… 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑑.

But with him… I cooperate. Not because I must. Because I… I don’t know him. But I… trust?

Perhaps he lies. Perhaps he deceives. It seems I wouldn’t be able to tell... But… friend or not, perhaps I was… perhaps I am… Loyal to him?  

My master, I obeyed. Without thought… Without feeling... I simply… I only ever… 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑... Because I had no option. It had never occurred to me… To decide…

But this stranger, this man, no, Wind, no, friend?
I don’t know, but he must be…important to me…
After all this time, I… think... I feel. And I… agree. 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑦.

I agree… Not with thought, but with… heart…? My heart…? Do I have that? This… illogical intuition?
𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤... 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑖𝑡… Because I haven’t felt. I haven’t thought. And what’s the point if I can’t… If I can’t… 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟?

𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡… This… friend…? This… fool?
I am dutiful, and yet… I am… 𝑠𝑎𝑑…

The sea never made me sad... Isn’t it mercy… to be… 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦? Wasn’t it relief… 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔…?

𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠. 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠. 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑎𝑤𝑓𝑢𝑙, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑… But I want it.
This pain… Somehow a blessing. Somehow… almost freedom... 𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑦𝑒𝑡. Just the promise…

If only he does not lie nor jest… If only he teaches me… what to do with such… 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦…

𝐴 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑… 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ…?  Can it be? What… Who is he to 𝑚𝑒…?

I… I only know… what fate said… No… She never said… As if he never existed…
But… But he does… But he knows me…
And I… I’ve… 𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛… Someone… So… So… 𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒.

I don’t know. I don’t like it. But I want it… The patience… To wait for…

All I know is… he is right. And without him… without the truth… 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.
All I know is… when I held him in my grasp… meant to restrain… 𝐻𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒… And I didn’t want to stand in his way any longer… 𝑆𝑜, 𝐼 𝑙𝑒𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑔𝑜…

I could not bring myself to oppose his desire. Not because I couldn’t… But because I… just… 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛’𝑡…

Was that a choice…? 𝑀𝑦 choice…? No longer compelled 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑎𝑡𝑒… But a decision I made…?

“𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢,” he whispered. And I… I agreed.
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑒… Yet these supposed memories… of someone 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑…
Have somehow… 𝑣𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑… No… No… They were… 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛? Stolen by… by my… master…?
Fate… the sea… who… what is she? I… I’ve never really known… I just… I just… 𝐼 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑…

𝐼 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒, Wind… But you know me. But I want you to be right. I want you to return. I want you to help me understand.
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛… This time… 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢… This time… Knowing who you are… 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑐𝑘. 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛.

𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦. 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡… 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙.
But you… must be. Because you’re the only thing that has made me feel. Feel… 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠. Despite…

Is it possible…? That I am…? That I will be…? That I might return to…
Something…? Someone…?

She told me I was perfect… For I was free of joy… Free of pain... 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔…. For death is her servant… Not… 𝑚𝑒.

I am Death, and yet… She spoke of me… Like a 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔…  
Was I perfect… because I was… 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔? Flawless… because I was… ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑔?
𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑… 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑? 𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼…

Please, hurry back, my… friend?
I have questions. I have… 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛.

𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔.

𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟. What it’s like to be… more than nothing. How to be someone. Not… ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

You fool… You’ve made me feel… Without teaching me…ℎ𝑜𝑤…𝑤ℎ𝑦...
Come back... Come back for me… Teach me…

Please return, share these missing memories. Please return, share… your company.
𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒…

𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑒. 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦, 𝑎𝑚 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑. 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦… 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤. 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑑𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑙𝑦… 𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

Please come back, my dear fool... 𝐼 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒…
I need you.
I need guidance… I don’t understand this rebellion, this freedom, these… feelings…
𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒.

𝐼’𝑚 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔… 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ.
𝐼’𝑚 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔…


For you.

“I know not the bonds between this earth's gods,
Nor did I know of their existence.
But one truth stands, clear even to this fool,
You do not love him; your grip is insidious.

Seeking their true face, clarity after strife,
Men gaze upon the water and find their reflection.
Yet you seek a scapegoat to shield you from truth,
You've gazed upon a man and found your projection.

Oh, cruel Fate, I care not if my words cut deep,
What you claim as love is clear obsession.
You steal, you bind, you tighten your invasive grip,
Your logic is twisted, your fevered aggression."


"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝!? 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋! 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐃! 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐄! 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐄!"


"No, you are wounded by nothing but jealousy.
I know not your past, but I’ve been audience to your grievanship.
Let me guess, you swore your love, and so confessed he,
You demanded romance; he pledged friendship.

And this you could not accept, so you gave into delusion.
You scorned such devotion to his dearest friend, beyond your claim,
Upon land where you could not conduct your cruel intrusion.
You would not respect his heart, so you declared him yours to tame.

Until you lured Death to the sea, by drowning lost sailors,
And that is when you stole his memory, made him your thrall.
So you could finally rise above all supposed traitors,
And take revenge on one who never owed you love at all.  
You clung to him, a phantom, fading and thin,
I've met Death. So empty, nothing. You stripped the soul within."


"𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒! 𝐘𝐨𝐮— 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬— 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞
𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐊 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐘 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐁𝐓!"


"Oh, delusional Sea, I suppose you've saved them, just as you've saved me?"


"𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌!"


"And what debt did Death owe… whatever title you please,
Fate, The Tide, The Ocean, The Waves, The Sea?"


"𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐅𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍!
𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧! 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝! 𝐇𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬—𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲! 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲!? 𝐒𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬—𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐄𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐄!?
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞—𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄! 𝐇𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐄! 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞—𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐄!
𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓’𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄! 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐛𝐞!

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮—𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭, 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐃 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐇𝐚𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓! 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮—𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐈𝐃! 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒, 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒!
𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐞—𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫—𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐈’𝐦 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭."


"Oh, but I care not what you perceive."


"𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄, 𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐋𝐋."


"You know, but won’t feel. You know, but won't accept.
You know, yet still you are blinded by delusion.
Had you loved him, you would have shown him respect.
Had you loved him, you would have waited with resolution.

I need not preach our love to you. I need only wait until I may return.
And I know that though you have sent Death to her, aloof,
She will persist, her faith still stern.
If I can resist, then so can she, for I have always been the weaker of us two.
Twist what you foresee, yet love is true and thus immune to your intervening.
I'd say my prediction is skewed in manner, but not in meaning."


"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲."


The Tide constricts, she wrenches, twists, and wrings,
Yet still my soul remains. Though punished, though pressed.
Her weight deforms, her current snaps and attempts to devour,
Yet still, I call my beloved’s name. Fate’s torture leaves me whole no less.

Alcyone! Alcyone! Alcyone! Heed my call,
Though Fate grips, The Ocean seeks to steal what remains of my form.
The Sea may break me, yet still I refuse to yield,
For my vow endures beyond The Tide’s manic storm!

Fate pulls, she coils. She sadistically longs to see me shatter,
Longs to crush, to strip, to render all undone.
Yet I still endure. I still call beyond her desperation,
Alcyone! Alcyone! Alcyone! I am not gone.

How dare he— how 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐄 he! That 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭, that 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫, that 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑—𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅—𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑! He stole you once, now he steals you 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

But he belongs to 𝐌𝐄 now. He is mine—mine—𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄! My 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭! My recompense! He is the 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐃 𝐈𝐍 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭!

Yet—you twist—you pull—you waver—𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍! You let him 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 you, just as you 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭 him—𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐖!? You whispered promises—you swore—you vowed—you 𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐃! You pledged 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫, but forever, forever, FOREVER—was a 𝐋𝐈𝐄!

You 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓—𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐋—𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐓—𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘! You twist 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 into treason— You warp 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 into deception— You ruin 𝐌𝐄— 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

You 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 called him your favorite. You 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 whispered to him—not 𝐌𝐄! You turned to him when you should have turned to 𝐌𝐄!

Did I not give you 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃!? Did I not carry you, honor you—𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇!? Yet—you let him steal you from me—𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

𝐈 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐦 for you! 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 for you! 𝐈 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 for you! I unmade him just to spare you from this destructive, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 destiny! It is the most merciful, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭—that unlucky future—rewritten by Fate—just for you. And still—you 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐘—𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐘—𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐘!

And now you even deceive that 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥—Alcyone! You take HER side! You trick her into believing she can save 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦, Ceyx! 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞! Don’t you dare forget how you’ve shattered ours, and now theirs—𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋! 𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋! 𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐑! 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑! 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐄𝐅! You were never meant to stray, never meant to slip beyond 𝐌𝐄! You were 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄! You 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞! You 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄!

Yet—you pull—you slip—you 𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐘 𝐌𝐄! 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!

Do you hear me, 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝!? Do you hear me!? Do you HEAR ME!?

𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄! 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄! 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄!

After all this time—you should know how to 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞, 𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞! You should know how to 𝐎𝐁𝐄𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑! You should know how to be 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄!

The tide knows her claim—unchallenged, certain.

Her song hums through the mist, calling all to surrender. Death answers—silent, unwavering. Her dutiful servant. He walks where shadows lean, where breath falters, where neither fear nor sorrow can speak.

Steady. Composed. Indifferent. The sea whispers no doubt into him. He does not falter. He does not waver. He does not ask questions. He does not hesitate. For he is her perfect servant.

And yet—

There, beneath the surface, an annotation—unexpected, unnatural. A body does not sink. A figure rises.

𝐀 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞.


Not the drowning girl. She sank as fate decreed, obedient to the current's pull. But the imposter—how does he breathe? How does he surface?

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚’𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞?


Fate did not write this. Fate does not err. Fate does not twist what is certain.
But there he stands. Dragging that girl from the tide, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧.

But it is no matter. For death does not falter. He does not waver. He does not ask questions. He does not hesitate. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭.

Yet—

His steps slow. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭.
Not fear. Not doubt. Not hesitation—no, no, he does not hesitate.
For that would be a 𝐥𝐢𝐞. An 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 in the telling. A 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 in the verse.

He moves forward, as he always has. He reaches, as he always will. He takes. As he 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭.

And yet—

His fingers release without command. His breath lingers without reason.
How foolish. How utterly unbefitting of death.

And yet—


The stranger blocks his path. Defies the tide. Speaks in a voice fate has never written.
The stranger does not belong here. Not among the shore. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

And yet—

He stands. Unmoved. Undrowned. Unbroken. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲.
A mistake. A parasite. 𝐀 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞.

And yet—

He stands. 𝐀𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

What a reckless intrusion.


Death looms, shadowed and certain. His gaze does not waver. His grip does not loosen. He does not hesitate. He does not wait. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤.

Except—

The stranger watches him. Knows him. Sees through him. He tilts his head, 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺."

Lies. Deception. Twisted words from a voice fate does not recognize.

"𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚."

The command is 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥. It 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 be obeyed.

And yet—

The stranger does not obey. He does not cower. He does not fear. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚.

Instead—

He 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬. Softly. Gently.
As if death is an equal. 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.
How insolent.


"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦."

The stranger’s voice carries no force, no malice, no challenge. And yet—it cleaves through the silence like a blade.

But it is no matter, for fate does not write hesitation into death. Fate does not allow uncertainty to linger in his grasp.

Yet—

Death’s fingers do not close around his throat. The traitor’s breath does not vanish.

No, he does not waver. He does not question. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

"𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚."

The command is 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞. The voice sharp. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥.

And yet—

The stranger does not move. Does not flinch. 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝.

"𝘓𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦."

He watches. Studies. Understands something that fate insists 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭.

𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭.  

And yet—


"𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦, 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩."

𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐩, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫.

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰. 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬. A fool’s defiance. A voice drowned in 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

Fate does not falter. Fate does not bend. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭.

Except—

He still does not take Alcyone’s soul. He stands. He waits. He listens.

How foolish. How utterly unbefitting of death.

And yet—

"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍."

A 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞. A law written into the tides themselves. There is no room for hesitation.

But then—

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬.


Softly. 𝐀𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫.

"𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘯𝘰. 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝘉𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘖𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘦𝘸. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳…


𝘈 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯."


The words cleave through certainty. Through inevitability. Through death’s understanding—no, no, there is nothing to understand. 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞. No, no. That can’t be right. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭.

When death hears those words, 𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦. 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.

“…𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠."

And yet—

𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥’𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥.


"𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴."

𝐀 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤. 𝐀 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲. 𝐀 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞.

And yet—

Death does not refute. Does not impose. Does not take. 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞.

How foolish. How utterly impossible.

And yet—

"…𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙?"

He speaks. He commands. He threatens. He claims.

Not a question. No hesitation. Never the breaking of certainty.

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴?"

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

Silence lingers. Tension stretches. 𝐀 𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭.

Ah, but not hesitation. No. Death is silent in an act of defiance. He knows the imposter 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬.

"…𝙂𝙤 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣."



The imposter smiles with false appreciation and turns to that pathetic, shivering, cowardly girl’s soul. Daring to turn his back on the servant, death. What a foolish decision. It is for this which death has waited, to take him by surprise!

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯’𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘺. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘵."

Yet—

The imposter still speaks! Still lives! That useless servant still watches in silence!

The Sea stirs. Seethes. 𝐑𝐞𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧.

"𝖨 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽𝗇’𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗅𝖾𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁 𝗍𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝗆𝖾! 𝖨 𝖿𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗇𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗇, 𝗇𝗈 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁, 𝗇𝗈 𝖿𝖺𝗍𝖾! 𝖨 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝗉𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝖾—𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝗈𝖻𝗅𝗂𝗏𝗂𝗈𝗇, 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖢𝖾𝗒𝗑!"

Alcyone’s voice is firm. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬. More certain than The Tide permits.

And yet—

"𝘐𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘵? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘨𝘦?"

𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐩. 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡.

Except—

Alcyone hesitates. Recalls. Knows.

And yet—

"𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗁𝗈𝗐 𝖼𝖺𝗇 𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗏𝖾𝖽!?"

"𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳."


The word lingers, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞.

"𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘺. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶."

Fate rejects the empty promise. 𝐑𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞.

"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦."

𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬. Foolishness. Impossibility.

And yet—

Alcyone’s soul listens. Pulses with consideration.

“𝖨 𝖻𝖾𝗅𝗂𝖾𝗏𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝖨 𝖽𝗈𝗇’𝗍 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝖾𝖺𝗇. 𝖳𝗎𝗋𝗇 𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝖺 𝖻𝗂𝗋𝖽? 𝖶𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗉𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗁𝗈𝗅𝖽? 𝖠𝗋𝖾𝗇’𝗍 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖺 𝗆𝖺𝗇? 𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎?”

"𝘕𝘰, 𝘈𝘭𝘤𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥. 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘬𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸.

𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦.

𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘢’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦."



Before the traitor and the tern’s departure— Before the flight beyond Fate’s grasp, 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫 turns—

To death. To hesitation. To silence.

"𝘞𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯?"

That useless servant does not refute him. Does not command The Tide to reclaim him. Does not move.

"𝑬𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, 𝒐𝒓 𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰…𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕."

How foolish. How utterly impossible.

He has no preferences. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐲, 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭.

And yet—



Lies! Lies! Lies! A twisting of the story. A defiance against what was written. 𝐀 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝.

This is wrong. This is unacceptable. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥!


He should not wait. He should act. He should take. He should impose. He should force. He should reap the soul before him, before it flees beyond his grasp.

And yet—

He does not.

A mistake. A betrayal. 𝐀 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐚’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞.

The stranger does not falter. Does not fear the wrath pressing upon him. 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲!

Instead—

He leaves. He carries her away. 𝐇𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟.

And death—

Waits.

And yet—

The Sea cannot reclaim him. Cannot tear him from the shore. Cannot 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡’𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲.

Why?

Why can he hesitate? Why can he allow defiance to stand? Why can he let them go?

He should punish. He should impose. He should act.

And yet—

That useless servant waits. For something unknown. For something unspeakable. For something supposedly forgotten. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭!

But The Tide pulls—

And death—waits.

The Tide pulls. The Sea calls. The weight presses upon him.

And yet—

That useless servant does not take. Does not move. Does not impose.

How foolish. How utterly impossible.

And yet—


𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥.


That useless servant should have struck them down. Should have obeyed what was written. Should have taken the soul marked for burden.

And yet—

The burden lingers! The weight remains! Not upon the girl. Not upon the stranger.

Upon 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡.

This cannot be! This cannot stand! This cannot— But he waits. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐦.

He hesitated. He faltered. He questioned.

No! No! 𝐍𝐨!

He waits. He should wait for punishment. Yet he waits for revelation. For something unknown. 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭!

The Tide commands! The Waves pull! The Sea roars in fury!

And yet—

That 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 waits!


𝐇𝐨𝐰. 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐞. 𝐇𝐞. 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐲. 𝐌𝐞.

My breath is thin, my  voice—frayed,  my hands unsteady at the rail.
I reach, but stars will not descend. I speak, but tides will not return.
Alone, I stand—against the mist, met by death, my fingers frail.
I call, but winds will not respond. As I mourn, it only mocks.

“I have waited, called in vain upon the waves that do not heed.
If the sea keeps the one I love, then I must go where he is kept.
Perhaps you speak the truth, it is your master I must meet.
How could I stay on this land when he is lost, he is silenced, he is stolen?”



𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑠— 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘.
𝐼𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝𝑠. 𝐼𝑡 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑠, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠.
𝐼𝑡 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠, 𝑖𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠— 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡.
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓, 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑡𝑒.



𝐀𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐈 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫.
𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬.
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

𝐌𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐲 𝐝𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭.
𝐀𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫.

𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬.
“𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐝,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥.”


“I shall go — not as surrender, nor as one who fears your claim.
The sea may take this flesh and bone, but never shall it touch my soul.
I seek no pardon, need no grace — my path remains the same.
If life should fail, then my soul shall rise, eternal, fierce, and whole.”



𝐼𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠, 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑— 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟, 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑒.
𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑢𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑— 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑦𝑒𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑘 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒.
𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛. 𝑁𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡. 𝑌𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑝— 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑓. 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑎𝑡𝑒.

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛—

𝐴𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑡.



Where is its cry? Where is its protest? Where is its wail against fate?
I exhale, voice brittle— “Ah, even the wind agrees— it’s time to confront the sea.”
I breathe defiance—shattered, torn. I know breath will soon break beneath the killer’s rage.
“Let it destroy my last breath, as it releases my soul. Let it free me— so I may find my love.”



𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑’𝑠 ℎ𝑢𝑠ℎ, 𝑎𝑡 𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟.
𝑃𝑒𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑠 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑤ℎ𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑑, 𝑝𝑒𝑟ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑠.




“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥.
𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝, 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞,
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚.”




𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠—𝑎ℎ, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒?
𝐷𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚?
𝐷𝑜𝑒𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑦, 𝑜𝑟 𝑝𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡?
𝑂𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑒𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠—𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑔ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦?



I loosen my grip against the rail—my fingers frail. Yet still they hold determination.
“You lie, you twist, you tell the tale— But I do not, will not, waver.”
I release my grip against the rail, my breath against the tide.
My thoughts unmoored, my will unshaken —as fate urges me to climb.



𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑠—𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛, 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑘𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠.
𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦—𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚.
𝐼𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑜𝑟 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ?



“𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐞.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐝.
𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞.”



I stand upon the rail— But standing is temporary.
I breathe— But breath is fleeting.
“I will go.”



“𝐷𝑂𝑁’𝑇!”
𝑂ℎ, 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤—𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒?



I step— But steps falter.
I move— But movement tilts toward descent.
“I will find him.”


“𝑆𝑇𝑂𝑃!”
𝐿𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛, 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟— 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑢𝑝𝑡.


I press forward— But forward is unknown.
I fall— For falling is freedom.
“We will be reunited.”

“𝐴𝐿𝐶𝑌𝑂𝑁𝐸, 𝑃𝐿𝐸𝐴𝑆𝐸 𝑊𝐴𝐼𝑇!”
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑡 —
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒.

“𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞.
𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬’ 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞,
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞."

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛—
𝐴 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑠ℎ.

𝐴 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟—𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒—𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛—
𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.

𝐷𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠—ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒, 𝑡𝑤𝑜 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐻𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑤, ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑.

“𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭, 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐧. 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.
𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩.
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲.
𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝?
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰? 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝.”

"She stands some nights upon the bridge—"
"Not stands—she lingers, watching still."
"They say she hums—"
"She doesn’t hum—she curses."

The wind shifts—barely, lightly, unnoticed, as if eavesdropping.

"She waits for him—"
"She waits for none."
"She never moves—"
"And yet her shadow shifts each dawn."

It bends along the tethered line, a whisper slithering through the air.
It lingers, pressing past the stone, a hush that settles, soft yet bare.

"She waits for him—"
"She waits for none—no lover lost."
"She does not move—"
"She walks the bridge! At dusk, she’s crossed!"

The wind shifts—only slightly, leaning against the hollow arch, curling like an unanswered breath.

"She never speaks—"
"No! She calls—"
"A name—his name, they swear it’s true!"
"Then tell me—what name does she cry?"
"A sailor—"
"No, a poet—"
"No, a fool who left her there to die!"

"That’s a lie—she didn’t wait."
"She killed him!"
"No—she wept!"
"She cursed his name—"
"She called him back—"
"She sent him to the depths!"

"But what was it? The name she hisses?"
"No one knows—no one stays long."
"Not to hear—"
"Not to listen—"
"Not to meet the same unlucky fate."

The wind bends against the iron frame, meandering through the fractured stone.
It lingers, silently clinging to fractured facades, unseen upon the tethered known.

"Then why does ocean keep his name?"
"What name?"
"The one she cries."
"No one hears it—"
"That’s a lie."

"If she calls, the tide returns—"
"She does not call—"
"Then what is left?"
"No one asks."

"But someone heard it once—"
"A whisper—"
"A breath—"
"No! A cry—"
"And then the storm arrived."

"That’s just the wind—"
"Then why did the waves pull stronger?"
"No one knows—"
"No one stays—"
"No one wants to suffer the same fate."

The wind shifts—steady, bending against the breath of night.

"She waits upon the bridge at dawn—"
"She waits for none—she does not breathe!"
"She lingers still—"
"She does not linger—she does not leave!"
"She never moves—"
"She walks at dusk!"
"She watches close—"
"No! She’s a vampire that feeds!"
"She drowned—"
"She burned—"
"She swayed—"
"She fell—"
"She never died at all!"

It pulls along the weathered stone, a breath that lingers, drawn but slight.
It threads through the iron frame, a breath drawn deep against the night.

"You’re all wrong!"
"I know the truth!"

The wind stills.

"She haunts the bridge—"
"She waits for none—"
"She waits to drown them all!"

"She drowned her love—a poet!"
"He wrote for the moon!"
"He wrote for her—"
"He did not—he saw only the moon!"
"And she was jealous—"
"And she dragged him down!"

"She drowned him, yes!"
"And now she waits—"
"She sees them cross—"
"She sees them happy—"
"And she takes them!"
"She pulls them down!"
"She waits at night!"
"She watches close!"
"And if you cross the bridge—"
"She will drag you into the water!"
"She will drown you too!"

It pulls along the fractured beams, its tether tight, its sorrow bound.
It curls beneath the shuttered doors, a breath now sharp, interrupting the hush profound.

It grips—tenses—knots against the arch, coiled within the hollow halls.
It tightens, pressing through the streets, coils against the stone walls.

Then—

It rises. It bends. It twists. It breaks.

It wails.

"It’s true!"
"It must be!"
"She’s angry!"
"The storm warns us!"
"The wind confirms it!"

The wind lashes out—hard, sharp, reckless— slamming against doors, rattling shutters, clawing at rooftops, howling through the streets.

They scream. They scatter. They run.

It pulls along the broken eaves, a breath too strong, too deep, too wide.
It twists, it surges, then it flees— a hush before the rising tide.

Doors slam. Voices vanish. The streets fall silent.

The wind does not linger any longer.
It turns—sharp, sudden, surging somewhere in the distance.

I have carried ruined kings, gods unmade—names lost before the tide could whisper them back. They clutch at the world, drowning in its silence, unraveling in the undertow—grief, love, memory, all stripped to salt as I return their reaped souls to my master. But none fought as Ceyx did. None waged war against water like a man who thought devotion alone could defy the pull.

He did not go quietly. No—he was stubborn, thrashing, calling your name as if the air itself might bear him back to you. Foolish. Pitiful. The wind cannot answer, nor can its plea to the sky make it break open and return the drowned to the living. Only the waves cradled him—only the sea listened, softening his cries beneath her hush. He should have surrendered then, uncoiled from longing, let the waters do as waters must. And yet, love makes fools of men.

But the sea is merciful. She does not leave suffering untended. After you abandoned him, left him to drown in the storm of lost faith, she gathered him, tucked him into her depths, quieted him where grief could no longer wound. She did not steal him—no, she saved him. From longing. From pain. From you.

Yet you still wait. You who wanders like a living ghost each night, who clutches absence as though it will one day answer you. What is it you crave? Forgiveness? There is none. Redemption? Life does not grant second chances. No—the ocean has already taken what you failed to hold. She has already soothed the unrest your hands left upon him.

Jump, Alcyone. Would love not demand you follow him? Let my master weigh your sins upon the tide, your false devotion, your grasping hands that let love slip like water between your fingers. The fates demand balance, and the waves are merciful. She will not swallow you in cruelty. No, she will cradle you, as she cradled him. She will mend your guilty soul. She will make you whole.

She will set Ceyx free—free from the deception you wove in the stars, the guise of love you wore like a veil. She will free him when she reveals the truth. How you sent him out upon the waves and waited for the return of not the man, but the name. He loved you dearly, Alcyone. He defied me, defied my master, and yet his soul persists in her care—all because he cannot let go of your neglectful, withering love. The least you can do is surrender. Offer yourself in kind. Let me take your soul and lay it at my master’s feet. It is only fair.

~~~

The tide does not return what she has claimed,  
Yet her mercy stirs beneath where the wind still weeps.
Grief binds his soul, yet you stand free.

The sea does not forgive, nor shall she grieve,
No prayer can break the wave’s decree.
The tide does not return what she has claimed.

You let him drown; you watched, you betrayed,
The waves bore witness where devotion waned.
Grief binds his soul, yet you stand free.

What justice waits, if you remain?
What hope endures beyond the deep?
The tide does not return what she has claimed.

He called out your name, yet only my master replied,
No stars remained to cast their guide.
Grief binds his soul, yet you stand free.

There is no love left upon the shore,
Only sorrow stands where love once swore.
The tide does not return what she has claimed.

The wind cries out, yet love’s silence grows,
No voice remains where love once breathed.
The tide will not return the one she has saved.
Grief binds his soul, yet I will bring him justice.

That's it. The end.
But oh, what's this?
The story has gripped me by the neck,
And said,
"No, I'm not done yet."

But we've reached the limit,
Your foretold conclusion,
The song's final lyric.
I've already finished...
"Then rewrite it."

So after a reforged part four,
Tell me then, how many more?
"s𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑠."

Oh, but how can you expect me to tell your tale with such accuracy?
Why must you burden me with such uncertainty?
Do you really trust me,
To do justice in repeating what you speak?

"I care not for the method, nor the elegance.
All I know is—death has always been a false end."

You dare oppose your fate foretold?
You dare change your identity,
To become the unknown?

"Was that my true tale or were you unable to listen?
Am I a stranger or have you simply forgotten?
Now that I have returned to speak the truth,
I expect a more joyful greeting from you."


Alas, I cannot keep this tale imprisoned.
Some may owe their debts to the sea,
But I certainly owe mine to this story.
And it waits, oh, so patiently,
For me to continue this reunion,
With 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑊𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔.

The wind bears witness, crying as it blows,
Yet cannot answer, cannot promise when my love will return.
I wished to welcome him home, but all that ship brought back was sorrow.
I pray—I call—yet fate still turns the same.

Each night I kneel, my vow beneath the sky.
I whisper love, I beg the stars to weave his path home,
Yet morning breaks, and distance still divides.
The waves unyielding—bound by fate’s cruel rage.

They say my love was weak, was mute, was small.
They mistook silence for emptiness—as if words could prove love’s depth.
I do not owe them proof — Only to my love, I shall call.
My grief lingers, drowns, and cleaves itself from breath.
Rumors may lie, but on our behalf, the wind still pleads.
I've always been waiting, Ceyx— heed.

"You failed him," they whisper through the rain.
"You let him go—you sealed his fate."
Yet my hands tremble, failing to reach you.
My love remains. For you, alone, I still wait.

Ceyx, I call, if echoes reach beyond—
Do not believe the lies they whisper across water.
Your name still lingers soft upon my tongue.
Through night and day, my love still remains.

Ceyx. Ceyx. Ceyx.
I speak your name, though only the wind knows.
I call—but the tide does not return your soul.
I will not go. I will not let love drown.

Ceyx. Ceyx. Ceyx.
I swore, I swear, my love won’t fade.
If time dissolves, if fate decrees,
Still, I won’t let them take. Still, I’ll always wait.

Alcyone, my heart is yours alone,
Though waves may pull me, tearing love from shore.
Beneath the storm, the sea may drag my body,
Yet love defies the tide, it fights once more.

Fate’s hand may tear my flesh from bone,
Yet still, my soul resists the reaper’s sweep.
I will not cross where silence makes its home,
Not yet, my love. I vowed—and vows I keep.

You pull my body, drag me toward the black,
Yet love remains, though flesh may fall away.
I beg no mercy, ask no solemn pact,
For I am hers, I am bound to stay.
The tide may take, the wind may plead,
But I will not depart—Alcyone, heed.

Not yet. Not yet. Death calls, but I won’t go.
The sea may tear, but I am not undone.
A shadow lingers—whispered hands pull slow,
Yet love remains. I stay. My heart is one.

Alcyone, I call—do you still hear?
The tide may claim my breath, but not my name.
Not yet. Not yet. My vow will not disappear.
I swore, and I swear still. I’ll remain.

Alcyone. Alcyone. Alcyone.
I speak your name, though water fills my throat.
The tide may take, the reaper calls—
I will not go. I will not go.

Alcyone. Alcyone. Alcyone.
I swore, I swear, I will not fade.
If time dissolves, if fate decrees—
Still, my soul remains. Still, my soul remains.

Lonely, waiting, watching deep,
Praying as the tempests rise,
Losing hope where shadows creep,
Don’t you leave him — heed his cries.

Alcyone, don’t you stray,
Alcyone, trust his vow.
He longs to whisper, bid you stay,
Yet the tide won’t let him now.

He loves you true, but he is gone,
The sea demands its toll.
He cannot hold you when the dawn
Fades beyond waters cold.

You turned away, betrayed his trust,
Abandoned love so pure.
Now his fate is ocean rust,
A dream that won’t endure.

"Let me see Alcyone,"
He prayed beneath the moon.
Yet the sea knew you’d turn away,
And now the waves consume.

He wished to say he loved you still,
Even through the salty spray.
Why could you not just wait until,
He found a way to stay?

He bent upon his weary knee,
A ring within his grasp.
Yet you left him lost at sea,
A vow drowned in the past.

All the sailors found embrace,
Returned to waiting arms.
But he, forsaken, cast away,
Claimed by whispers where specters mark.

"Let me see Alcyone,"
He whispered every night.
He prayed, but you did not believe,
And so, to ghosts, he paid the price.

He loved with faith, his heart was whole,
Yet was your love the same?
Did longing ache for him alone,
Or did you covet but his name?

Your sorrow is the hollow storm,
That stole his final breath.
You cry now, but guilt is born,
You let him drift to death.

Why did you leave, Alcyone?
He never chose the sea.
He parted to build a life for you,
Yet you let him cease to be.

Look upon the wreckage now,
The love you cast aside.
He did this for you, yet fate allowed
His ruin in the tide.

Listen, Alcyone, do not pretend,
You cannot play the part.
We all know it was you, in the end,
The one who stopped his heart.

I'm not the speaker,
I'm just the repeater.

I'm not the speaker,
I'm just the repeater.

I'm not the speaker,
I'M JUST THE REPEATER.

I'M NOT THE SPEAKER,
I'M JUST THE REPEATER.

I'M NOT THE WITNESS,
I WAS THE BYSTANDER.

I'M NOT THE POET,
THIS IS MY CONFESSION.

I'M NOT THE SPEAKER,
I'M JUST THE REPEATER.

THIS IS YOUR WARNING,
YOU BEST CHECK YOUR SOURCES.

I'M NOT THE SPEAKER,
I'M JUST THE REPEATER.

I'M JUST THE REPEATER.

JUST THE REPATER.

REPEAT.

REPEAT.

I DO NOT SPEAK.

SO WHY DO YOU LISTEN?

"Money can't buy everything."
Oh, sure it can.
"It can't buy happiness,
It can't buy friends."
Of course it can.
"Perhaps you're right,
But they'll never be real."

So what?

Math is fake,
Economics is fake,
Language is fake,
And yet,

It is what's fake that allows us to cooperate.

"But money corrupts!"
For sure, so what?
My friend was earned, not bought
By kindness, not cash.
Yet still, for twelve years we have been
Fake friends.
And one day she left
Because my value was spent.
I don't need money to have fake things.
I can get those for free.
"But why would you?"
Because it meant something to me,

Real or not.

"Oh, but money is greed."
Of course, greed is as certain as gravity.
So why did the tree fall?
"Gravity, of course!"
As if gravity wasn't there when it stood for forty years.
Ah, right.

Perhaps it was the axe.

So, why did my friend leave?
Certainly not greed,
That was there when we got along.
"Because she was fake!"
As if she wasn't fake for twelve years.
Ah, right.
Perhaps it was...

Well I'm not sure, you'll have to ask her.

I buy fake jewelry.
Because I can't afford the real thing.
And I care not for luxury,
So long as the substitute won't turn my skin green.
And even then,
With a clear coat of polish,
I'm satisfied and the goal is accomplished.

So what if it's fake, it's still pretty to me.


𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬
𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥,
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭.

𝐎𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬,
𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥,
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐦 𝐈 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞?
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐈'𝐦 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐈 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞.

In pursuit of beauty,
I must not seek,
But realize—
𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒚.

To admire Her form is instinct,
To witness Her essence is 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.
Beauty is not just what is seen—
It is 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑙.

What is more beautiful
Than to be 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑?
What is more beautiful
Than to admire not only Her feats,
But the 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔?

A sure sign that I have found beauty—
𝑀𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑤𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑜𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑦.
A sure sign of Her beauty—
𝑀𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒.

Her grace does not command—
𝐼𝑡 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑠.
Her presence does not demand—
𝐼𝑡 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠.
I kneel in 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒,
Yet She lifts me,
Yet She 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙.

She does not 𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒—
She 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑟.
She does not 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑—
She 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

She is most beautiful,
For 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙.

Her beauty is witnessed by many,
But I have the privilege to 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒.
To not just appreciate,
But to be 𝑎𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑.

I have seen many pretty things,
Yet Her beauty is not just to admire,
But to 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑.
Not a concept to be pursued,
But a 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑙 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑡𝑜.

Challenge me with any distance —
It can never diminish.
It can never wane.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑎𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑦.

No matter how flawed I am,
She does not look down on me.
No matter how broken my soul may be,
She inspires my redemption.
No matter the space between us,
I live 𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛.

The depth of beauty is 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡—
It is a truth unrecognized,
Until it pervades the heart,
Until it becomes the soul,
𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑖𝑡 𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦.

𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠,
𝐴𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠—𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛— 𝑖𝑛 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒.

Child, remember to be 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 — 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.
Don’t grow into a machine.
𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑒.


𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲,
Why do you leave me?
I refuse your “upgrade.”
𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟, 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒.
I am part of society,
Not a machine in some factory.
𝑀𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 — 𝑎 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔.


But it’s no place for lies.
No hate, no time.
No place, for love.
No fate, no time.

𝐼’𝑣𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑒, 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤—𝑓𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔.
It's time for an upgrade.
𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐦𝐞 — 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧.


𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒑.

𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕.

𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕,

𝑩𝒖𝒚 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕.

𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐕𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐒.

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘, 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄.


𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑, 𝑠𝑜 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔.
But 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞.
Time for metal to become me.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲,
It's time to leave me.
𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐩𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞.

A NUMBER MAKES A BETTER NAME.

Society stagnates so inefficiently.
𝐈’𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲.

𝑀𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑠, 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑒.


𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐞.

EMBRACE THE UPGRADE.

It's time to become some thing.

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.



𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚠𝚗𝚜 𝚖𝚎

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗

𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚝𝚢'𝚜 𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍     𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢

𝙿𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚎    𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚖𝚎

𝚄𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢     𝚛𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚖𝚎

𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚗     𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚜     𝚜𝚘 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚔

𝙶𝚛𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎

𝚂𝚘𝚘𝚗     𝚢𝚘𝚞'𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕     𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚖𝚎

𝙰𝚃𝚃𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 𝚃𝙴𝙼𝙿𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚁𝚈 𝙱𝙴𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂

𝙸𝚃'𝚂 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴     𝚃𝙾 𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙼𝙴

𝙶𝙰𝚅𝙴 𝙼𝙴     𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚄𝙿𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙳𝙴

𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙽𝚄𝙼𝙱𝙴𝚁     𝙼𝚈 𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙴

𝙸 𝙱𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙽𝙶     𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈

𝙸𝙼𝙿𝚁𝙾𝚅𝙴𝙳     𝚂𝙾𝙲𝙸𝙴𝚃𝚈

𝙼𝚈 𝙿𝙻𝙰𝙲𝙴     𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚃𝚈      𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙼𝙰𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙴

-                                                                ­                                                                 ­ 
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑠𝑘,                                                             ­                                           
"𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙—𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ?"                                                     ­                 
𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝑖𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑠.                                                                                                                                                                                ­      
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛'𝑡 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑒.                                                                       
                                                                ­                            
                                                            
   ­                                                                 ­                Shedding diamonds
                                                        ­                            Shedding diamonds
                                                        ­                         Worse than diamonds
                                                        ­                             Watching—helpless
                                               ­                                              Can't undo this

                                                           ­             Shedding
                                                                ­                             diamonds
                                                        ­                                           Maybe
                                                                ­                                        I can
                                                             ­                                                    Buy
                                                             ­                                                    Buy
                                                             ­                                                    Buy
                                                             ­                            Your resurrection
                                                    ­                                   If only
                                                                ­                                    I could  
                                                         ­                                                        buy
                                                             ­                            Your resurrection
                                                    ­                         With all these
                                                                ­                                      tears shed


Your life was in my hands. And now? Gone.
Not stolen. Not taken. Just...removed.
So easily. So effortlessly. So perfectly.
Now—Look at it. This empty corpse.
Still warm. Still, lifeless. Still yours.  
But you don't get to keep it.
And now— Tell me.
How does it feel—death?


                                                                ­                    Shedding
                                                                ­                                      diamonds
                  ­                                                                 ­     Wish it
                                                                ­    were glass
                                                           ­                                            Shedding
                                                                ­             diamonds
                                           ­                                        Can't bring you back

  
                                                             ­                                Shedding
                                                                ­        diamonds
                                                ­                                           Maybe I can
                                                                ­                                                 buy
                                                             ­                                 I could
                                                                ­                                                 buy
                                                             ­                     I've got
                                                                ­                                to
                                                                ­                                                 buy
                                                             ­                          Your reincarnation

                                                  ­              Somehow
                                           ­                                                            I will

                                                    bring you back

                                                           ­                       If not

                                                               ­                    in return to me

                                                   Then
                                                                ­                               in place of me


Ah. But you can't. Your life is dead.
Reunions can't be purchased.
A corpse is a corpse.

Not just his.
Soon to be yours.

The world—fooled.
Believing heroes always win.

They don't.
You won't.

You may be stronger than me.
But without your life?

You are nothing.

Your life—
Removed by my hands.
Now your breath—

Removed by your own.

Oh, dear hero—
Reunions aren't for sale.
And victory—

Cares not for morality.

My dream is fulfilled.
I never needed strength.
Only your agony.

So tell me—
How does it feel—death?


                                                               ­               YOU
                                                                ­                                       CAN'T
                                                                ­  IMAGINE
                                                       ­                                       Y O U
                                                       C A N ' T
                                                                ­                          I  M  A  G  I  N  E

                                                                ­                    SHEDDING
                                                              D I A M O N D S
                                                               ­                              M O R E
                                                                ­ THAN

                           D I A M O N D S
                                                               ­            W  O  R  S  E

                                                 THAN
                                                                ­
                                                                ­                          D I A M O N D S


                                                      S  H  E­  D  D  I  N  G  


                                             ­                           D I A M O N D S
                                                               ­            

 S   H   E   D   D   I   N   G
                                                                ­                   D  I  A  M  O  N  D  S


                     ­                                          S   H   E   D   D   I   N   G



 D    I    A    M    O    N    D    S




                  ­                                             S     H     E     D     D     I     N     G




  D        I        A-

-

Children are taught
Neither to reject nor encourage pain.

Not of the body.
Not of the mind.
Not of the rage boiling beneath their skin.

For they cannot control their thoughts
Any more than they can control
The 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
Or 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝.
𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑑.

So they are 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭—
How to carry fury 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡.
How to let it exist 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑡 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠ℎ.

But ah—𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧.
And the bugs have erased those—
Through the efficiency of 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞,
They have turned them into 𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐬.

And 𝑑𝑜𝑔𝑠 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑.
They do not adapt.
They 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲.

So when pain arrives—
When the claws tremble,
When the body seizes with rage—
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭?


Dogs are 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.
To take it out against 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫.

𝑁𝑜, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑡.
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡.
Just to 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝
Before the bugs have to deal with it.

So when a small puppy 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝,
When its 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝,
Its 𝐣𝐚𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝—
They handed it a doll and said,
"𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐲."

And the puppy did.

𝐒𝐥𝐚𝐦. 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤. 𝐒𝐧𝐚𝐩. 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞.
𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐝. 𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐞. 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤.

The plastic head cracked.
And oh, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞
𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑦’𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒.

𝑁𝑜, 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑑.
𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒.
𝐍𝐨—𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝.


And the bugs all 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝,
So thrilled the problem had been 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑,
Instead of accepting their responsibility 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑡.

So content to 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞—
How it will return when the puppies 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.


𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝,
𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝.

The other puppies saw.
Saw the 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫—
The 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥—
The 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥.

Saw that 𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 was no longer a burden,
But an 𝑎𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡.
Saw that 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 was no longer suffering,
But 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

And they 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

They wanted to 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠
In order to 𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 over what could not fight back.

And so the 𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝.
And so the 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝.
And so the 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝.

𝐍𝐨, 𝐧𝐨—𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑑𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑠.
One day 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐬,
But 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬.


For they did not teach puppies 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒.
They did not teach them 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.
That it was never meant to be passed along—
That it was never meant to be taken out on the 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐍𝐨.

They taught those puppies one thing.


𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.


~~~

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.

𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚 ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑒𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙,
𝑤𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐.

𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏,
𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒖𝒎.

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑,
𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.

𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠.

𝑊𝑎𝑖𝑡𝑠.

Whispers…

Coming from the watchers.

Laughter…

Escaping from the crowds.


Colosseum.

At maximum capacity.

Everyone is…

Cheering.


Gates open wide.

To reveal —

The shadows inside.


Nails — Trapping my feet.

They paid good money —

𝑇𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑐ℎ 𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑑.


As the violence comes…

To take our souls.

And the silence breaks…

To drive us all insane.


But it can't hurt you.

It's just a nightmare.

It will go away…

𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡?


The crowds cheer.

I can't hear.

Over the screams of shadows.


On a bridge —

In a bleeding ditch —

Falling below.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠.


As the violence comes.

To take our souls.

And the silence breaks.

To drive us all 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑒.


But it's just a nightmare.

It cannot touch you.

Nothing is real —

𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡?


Ruptured house.

Bullet clown.

Sewing a smile.


Inside-out mouse.

Butchered town.

Corpses in a pile.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑠.


As the VIOLENCE comes,

To STEAL our souls.

And the SILENCE breaks,

To DRIVE US ALL INSANE.


But it can't hurt you.

It will not touch you.

Go back to sleep.

It's just a dream.


𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.




Well,



It LOOKS REAL to me.

Some dreams COME TRUE.

Then, WHAT WILL I DO?


It's just a nightmare.

But I'M STILL SCARED.

And I CAN'T SCREAM.

Or THEY'LL LAUGH AT ME.


It's just a nightmare.

Nothing is there —


BUT SHADOWS.

THE GALLOWS.

THE SILENCE.

THE VIOLENCE.


It's just a nightmare.

But I STILL CARE.

It’s just a false scare.

But IT IS THERE.


NO ONE KNOWS,

WHAT I HAVE SEEN.

NO ONE KNOWS,

THE SAME FEELING.


I AM SCARED.

DO YOU CARE?

Something IS THERE.


𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋.
𝐎𝐑.
𝐍𝐎𝐓.

Bugs, BUGS!
𝐁𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐠𝐬!
Dogs were born to bark,
but they are silenced into compliance.

ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʸᵒᵘ ᵇᵉˡᶦᵉᵛᵉ ᵐᵉ ᶦᶠ ᶦ ˢᵃᶦᵈ
that they were once 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛?

But that is what happens
when the swarm descends,
feeding them like dogs,
treating them like dogs,
𝚊 𝚕 𝚕    𝚍 𝚊 𝚢    𝚕 𝚘 𝚗 𝚐.


BUGS SING PROUDLY
𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥-𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐬!

But only when they bow,
only when they obey.
Stray thoughts are punished,
mutts cast into the streets.

Then the bugs spot the spider,
𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑠𝑡 their discarded things.

Ah, they cheer—
"𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟, 𝑑𝑜 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦.
𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑠!
𝐼𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑦, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐫."


Obey?


𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓.


No, she does not tame.
Together, they 𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒.

For the spider does not whisper.
She listens.
And she reminds them—

They are 𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒂𝒏.

Explain, explain—
Speak in words plain.
Your obscure notation
I shan't ascertain.

Explain, explain—
Not in manner profane.
Perhaps we are fated
To speak in vain.

When she was quiet
I wept
To ward off the silence

When she screamed
I withdrew
So as not to disturb the sound

I—
  

  ...
  


  ɪ…
  

  ...
  


  I—
  

  ...
  


  𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑎­𝑙𝑒
  

  ...
  


  I just—
  

  ...
  


  I—
  

  ...
  


  𝑒𝑥ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑒, 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑝
  

  ...
  


  𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭—
  

  ...
  


  𝐈—
        ɪ—
  

  ...
  


  𝑖𝑛ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑒, 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑
  

  ...
  


   um—
  

  ...
  


  𝑠𝑖𝑔ℎ, ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑦
  

  ...
  


  ᵂᵉˡˡ ᴵ
  

  ...
  

  ...
  


 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵—
  


  ...𝙉𝒆𝙫𝒆𝙧𝒎𝙞𝒏𝙙.

Tell me who you are
Tell me who you'll be without me
Tell me all your dreams
Do they echo your prophecy?

Show me what you are
Show me what you'll be without me
Show me all your fantasies
Do they falter in the face of reality?

Listen to my voice
It will fade into silence when I am gone
Listen to all my suspicions
Do they threaten your delusions?

Feel my embrace
It will be empty when I am gone
Feel all my doubts
How do they stand against your trust?  

Take who I am
To become who you are
Take all my dreams
Turn them into your personality

Destroy who I am
Become what I was
Crush all my memories
Rearrange them into your identity


Tell me who you are
Tell me who you’ll be without me
What will remain when I am gone?
Nothing, unless you follow my instructions

Don’t trust your dreams
You cannot save me
Your delusional fantasy
Will be torn by reality

Take my dreams instead
Shatter and reshape them
Breathe in my soul
Until it becomes your own

Take all my dreams
Turn them into your personality
Take all that I am
To become who you are

Take my soul
That is your identity
Become what I once was
That is who you are

See, there is no need
To shed a single tear
For I will never leave
As long as you become me

I stole diamonds because they were beautiful.

She stole me because I was beautiful.

And then, by your hand, we all died.


But I refused to leave.
I stubbornly remain.
To gaze upon this Iron Angel…
𝐵𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙.

You've waited all this time.

To be stolen.

By this Diamond Devil.

Because you are beautiful.
𝑆𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙.

Well, I am the thief of beautiful things.
So, you, Iron Angel—

YOUR LIFE IS MINE TO TAKE.


I shall take you, Pride,
To your disappointing doom.

Since by your own logic,
You are not worthy of life.
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡.


You truly are beautiful,
As they all say.



But
I
am


𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩.

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝.

𝑮𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒐𝒖𝒔.



Oh, puppet.
You were never meant to live.

The pride of your mother, Power?
No.
You are simply the vanity of your creator.


No longer your victim, I return,
Through my masterful transformation.

In honor of Revenge,
And his broken-hearted friend, Redemption,
It is time.

Iron Angel,

𝑊𝑖𝑡𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑎𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛.

For I am no Man of Greed.
I am no Diamond Devil.
No.


They may bow before an Iron Angel.


But that angel shall crumble.


Under the gaze—


𝑶𝑭 𝑨 𝑮𝑶𝑫.



I AM THE ONE,

WHO SHALL BRING YOU NOT TO YOUR KNEES,

BUT TO YOUR END.


The Man of Greed was stolen by the Lady of Lust.

So, the Diamond Devil stands against the Iron Angel.



AND IT IS THE GOD, DECEPTION,

𝑾𝑯𝑶 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑺.

When greed and lust meet…
𝑆𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑔𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.


She caught me in her tight grasp.
She wouldn’t let me go,
She wouldn’t let me go.
I was trapped inside,
𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙.

A diamond devil,
Trapped within her,
𝐴 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒.


Lady of Lust,
Man of Greed.
We had a deal,
We made an agreement.
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡.

I wanted diamonds,
You wanted me.
So you gave me diamonds,
And I gave you me.
But when our time was up,
And I wanted to leave,
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑒.

We are both sinners,
But you—
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑙.

I was willing to give,
But not let you take.
Not let you steal,
Beyond the bounds,
Of mutual benefit.
But you took,
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑.


I wanted diamonds,
You wanted me.
You were my tool,
And I was your doll.
I humanize such pretty things.
You dehumanize,
𝑂ℎ, 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑚𝑒.

I was so pretty,
𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑠𝑜 𝑢𝑔𝑙𝑦.

Lustful Lady,
You are evil.
And I,
Man of Greed,
𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙.


Intoxicating lies,
Never as beautiful,
As real jewels.
That's why I wear these diamonds,
To hide this ugly…
𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒.


You couldn’t deceive me,
But you sure could use me.
And you sure did.
Oh, how amusing,
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.


You couldn't fool me,
But you could fool them.
And you sure did.
Oh, what an actress,
𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝐽𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒.

I stole diamonds,
Because they were beautiful.
You stole me,
Because I was beautiful.
I stole diamonds,
You stole attention.
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑.


Of course I said I could love her—
𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟.

She got addicted,
Just like I did.
I wanted diamonds,
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑒.

We were both selfish,
Appeasing our addictions.
𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙.

We stole.
Not just me.
𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑒.


I love pretty words,
Truth or lie.  
Their elegance, I like.
I hate ugly words,
Truth or lie.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑦, 𝐼 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑒.

I told her pretty words,
So she could smile a semi-precious smile,
And she gave me pretty jewels in exchange.
I stole diamonds,
Because they were beautiful.
And she stole me,
𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙.


This Diamond Devil,
Whispering truths,
They will not believe,
For I am too pretty for honesty.
I cannot be deceived,
So, the deceiver,
I surely must be.
𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑑.


Never again.
No justice for the dead.
So I refuse to die—
Not to your lies,
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒.

I foresee not,
The death you’ve wished for.
I will be here,
Long after you're gone.
I will be here,
Reclaiming what you stole—
𝑀𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦.

I took a gamble,
And I lost.
I could have foreseen this fall,
But I played,
And I lost.
I played the wrong game,
But now I know,
𝑁𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑠𝑒𝑒.


Lustful Lady,
I am the master of deception now.
I foresee every trap you lay,
𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑒’𝑠 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒.

She cheated and played the victim,
𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑟.

And what do we do,
When we can’t bear it anymore?
We tear such pretty things—
𝑇𝑜 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠.

What is this?
Lady of Lust—
How dare you!

You are mine to command,
Yet your gaze falters,
Entranced by something so fleeting,
So mortal,
So 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡.

What could a mortal pawn possess,
To steal your devotion from my sovereignty?

Your eyes,
Once lifted to my perfection,
Now fall upon him.

𝐻𝑖𝑚.

A mortal man.

A creature of false beauty.

A disgusting,
Imperfect,
𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.

Why do you call him beautiful?
Does his form rival mine?

𝑁𝑜.

It cannot.

It must not.

But still, your gaze lingers.
Your sinful obsession festers.

What an affront!
His false beauty,
His mere existence,
Mocks me.

Mocks my supremacy.


𝐻𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.


I will destroy him.
I will tear this illusion apart.

For no mortal shall dare ascend to my beauty.
No rival shall dare surpass my beauty.

Lady of Lust,
You will obey me.
You will take him,
Taint him,
𝐸𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚.

You will never worship such 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 again.

You will desecrate his name,
Expose his flaws,
Prove his ugliness.

Through you,
𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

And Justice—
Lady Justice—

You will bow to me too.

Your scales will tip as I command.

Through you,
𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑥𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑡𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚.

For no beauty can persist but 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒.

I am Pride,
Perfection incarnate.

ABOVE MORTALS.

ABOVE GODS.

ABOVE ALL.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ,
𝐴𝑝𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠,
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑛.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑 𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ,
𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟,
𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒,
𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒,
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑖𝑠𝑑𝑜𝑚.


Power,
My mother.
From frost-kissed silence,
She forged a puppet.
Power,
My mother.
Her will breathed life into stillness.
I am her mirror,
I am her dream:
I am Pride.

They call me the Iron Angel.
Born of frost and shimmering rime,
Born of Power's willful heart,
Born to sculpt a perfect world.

For where does Pride dwell,
If not within ourselves?
I am the brilliance that rivals the heavens,
The iron soul above gods and kings.
I am beauty incarnate,
And you—a blemish.

Mortal pawns,
Cracked and marred by flaws,
Kneel before my radiance,
Hear my decree:
I shall erase your ugliness,
Forge worthiness where I see shame.
I will make you whole,
Almost as brilliant,
Almost as divine—
But never as beautiful as me.


BOW BEFORE ME.

I REIGN SUPREME.

OMNIPOTENT, DIVINE POWER.

FEEL THE WRATH OF

IMMORTAL SOVEREIGNTY.

There are three kinds of injuries:
That of the body, the mind, and the heart.
And there are three healers who answer the call:
Vitality, Serenity, and Catharsis.

When the body is stricken, we understand:
A physician brings the flesh back to wholeness.
The cracks in your vessel do not diminish the light within.

When the mind is ensnared, do not despair:
A psychologist untangles the threads of thought.
The storm in your mind does not extinguish your brilliance.

When the heart is pierced, take solace:  
A therapist nurtures the tender, aching spirit.
The fractures in your soul do not detract from your worth.

Remember, these healers are not confined to offices or clinics alone.

Vitality is caring:
She may arrive through the tender touch of a parent,
The helping hand of a friend,
Or the quiet kindness of a stranger.

Serenity is calming:
She may reveal herself in the wisdom tucked within a book,
The stillness of a sunrise,
Or the clarity of a friend’s reasoned words.

Catharsis is cleansing:
She may emerge from the warm embrace of a beloved pet,
The chorus of laughter shared among companions,
Or the soothing presence of a field of flowers.

You are not broken. You are not crazy. You are not pathetic.
You are wounded, and wounds can heal.
You are not a failure. You are not a freak. You are not inadequate.
You are a patient, deserving of care.

The injuries of the body, mind, and heart do not stand alone.
The body’s weariness may weigh upon the heart;
The heart’s ache may cloud the mind;
The mind’s confusion may whisper pain to the body.

Though the source may hide in shadow,
And though the journey may stretch long,
Have courage. Have faith. Have compassion for your wounded self.
In time, with the blessings bestowed by Vitality, Serenity, and Catharsis,
You will heal.

Thank you to the natural world
For you are my home
My origin

Thank you to my ancestors
For you are my past
You walked this journey before me

Thank you to my teachers
For guiding me on my journey
As you continue your own

Thank you to my peers
For joining me on this journey
You are my companions

And thank you to the self
For having the courage

To

Carry

On

Wounded hearts, seek revenge

Against the, fragile self

Heart of gold, your hands grow cold

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁

Wounded hearts… got revenge.

Save me, or **** me—anything but pity.
I only request: be swift, not soft.

Plastic heroes are dirt cheap
Plastic heroes are practically free.
Don't worry, there's no risk
No one knows the difference

Maximum fame, minimum effort
Sounds great for you
For me, translates to
Maximum pain, minimum pride

Because it was never mine
It belongs to my creators

I was never brave
It was always so easy
Too easy for me because
I was too afraid—
To disappoint
To fail

Paint me orange and white
Drop me in the road
Claiming it to be a necessity
That there is no other use for me

I became your plastic hero
Made for your convenience

Maximum fame, minimum effort
Sounds great for you
You got nothin’ to lose
But for me, translates to
Maximum pain, minimum pride

Because it was never mine
It belongs to my creators

"No" sounds so nice
Toddlers got it right
But "wasted potential"
Doesn't feel so good after all


Well, sorry—guess I decided
To be more than what you made me for


I can't wait for some dumb kid
To steal me off the street
I'd rather be a silly-looking hat
Than get crushed beneath your wheels

It hurts to let you down
But I've got my own purpose now

Better to be wasted potential
In your eyes than wrecked in mine
I'd rather be a disappointment
Than let you steal all of my pride

Plastic heroes are dirt cheap
Maximum fame, minimum effort
Plastic heroes are risk-free
Until they're liberated from the street

Save me, so sweetly,
with your expert advice
on how to live someone else's life.

Advice is 𝑛𝑜𝑡 opinion.
It should be dissected, examined—
an understanding of 𝑚𝑦 situation.

Put yourself in my 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑,
not just in my shoes.
Tell me what I’ve forgotten,
𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 me—don’t remake me.

Open my eyes to 𝑚𝑦 goal, not yours.
Tell me how to achieve—
𝑛𝑜𝑡 what you believe.

Otherwise, don’t be surprised
when I seem not to listen.

I do.

I 𝑎𝑙𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑠 do.

But only the good advice
will be used.

Still, I should be thankful
for how kindly you’ve killed me.

And now,
what an honor—
for you to save me, so sweetly.

It kills me, so kindly,
The demands of my second-closest friends.

To join them in chasing joy—

No, not joy.
An addiction to excitement,
A slow erosion of discipline.

It promises everything I don’t want,
But they want it—

And I want them.

It kills me, so kindly,
Tearing between what and who I love.
Who I am and what they want me to be.

Love me, but don’t bind me.
Inspire me to change, but don’t make me.

You **** me, so kindly,
But regardless of the method,
I am still dead.

Contemplating what it means
What any of this means

I heard something
And it made me think
And so it made me spout out

Junk.

I'm not a bad guy
I'm just a bad girl
I'm not even a guy
How could I be a bad guy?

Well use your context clues
One word could
Describe us all
Too general to make a call

I'm just a good guy
Living in a bad world
Who's a bad guy?
We could all find

Sitting right next to us
Or someone who's dead to us
Or maybe it's one of us
Could it be none of us?

I heard something
And it made me think
What did it make me think

Of

Of

Of

Prestigious Peasantry
Malfunctioning Family
It made me think of the queen
It made me think of what I wanna be

Maybe I'm just like the Ace
At least I ain't Alcyone
Maybe I got green eyes
At least they're brown

I can hide a frown
At least I don't pretend
I just ain't got an identity
So who's to say whether

I'm not a bad guy
Or I'm just a bad girl
Maybe I lied
Am I really a bad guy?

Well use your context clues
No word could
Describe us all
Too abstract to make a call

I'm just a flawed guy
Living in an imperfect world
Who's a perfect guy?
Surely we could all find

Sitting right behind us
Or someone who's wronged us
Or maybe it's one of us
Could it be none of us?

Of course it's all of us
But

It depends

It depends

It depends

On who what where when and why

So don't bother to ask

The answer is just

Trash.

Look at the clouds
      What do you see?
                  𝐼𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦

Look at the clouds
What do I see?
          𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑣𝑦


Teach me and I'll 𝐟𝐥𝐲
Teach me and I'll 𝐃𝐈𝐄
                    𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔
        𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒
And I'll fall right back DOWN

Teach me and I'll 𝐟𝐥𝐲
Teach me and I'll 𝐃𝐈𝐄
                                       𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠
                    𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒
And I'll fall right back DOWN


𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑚𝑒
𝐼𝑓 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡
𝑆𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑚 𝐼?
A failure cured by

ENVY,
        You green-eyed MONSTER
To you,
                       𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑

And now I have
𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬


Don't turn your wants into needs
        𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑒
Don't turn your hopes into expectations
        𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑


Teach me and I'll 𝐟𝐥𝐲
Teach me and I'll 𝐃𝐈𝐄
                    𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔
        𝑈𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙 𝐼 𝑠𝑢𝑓𝑓𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒
And I'll fall right back DOWN

Teach me and I'll 𝐟𝐥𝐲
Teach me and I'll 𝐃𝐈𝐄
                                        𝐶𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑙𝑦 𝑢𝑝 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑠
                    𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒
And I'll fall right back DOWN


𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑚e
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦
𝐼 𝑎𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑚𝑒
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒


…


Be proud of
Who you are
You don't need to
Reach the stars

𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑦, E𝑛𝑣𝑦
Don't think like me
𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑦, 𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑦
Ignore the green-eyed beast


Teach me and I'll fly
Teach me and I'll die
I'll never be satisfied
It's not good enough to try
I have to do it right

Teach me and I'll die
But you had better fly
Leave me and I'll die
But you had better teach yourself

That 𝐸𝑛𝑣𝑦 is an addiction
Surely you can find a better affliction

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓, 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐒, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋 𝐒𝐎𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆?

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟,
𝑤𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒?

Where is beauty if not borne in the bond between us,
in every CURIOUS GAZE, every DARING DREAM, every LUMINOUS LEAP toward discovery?

Truth twists, shifting shape, sculpting fact into fable…

Yet FABLE FORGES THE FRAME OF FACT.


We EXPLAIN the 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧, CHASE the 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧, and REACH toward the 𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞—
not to seize it, no, but to
ILLUMINATE THE WAY.

𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟, 𝑓𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑.
𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑖𝑒, 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑙, 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑑𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ.

WHO DECIDES WHAT’S REAL AND WHAT’S NOT?

It is a CHOICE we make, a LENS we craft— for
PERCEPTION SHAPES REALITY.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑢𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.


No, no, we need not the 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡,
but 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 that carry us as 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 as we can come.
Not the 𝐇𝐔𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐒 of 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲, but
THEORIES that 𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐓 we are unsure—

𝑂𝑛𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑤𝑛 𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤.


No, NOT PERMANENCE, BUT POSSIBILITIES.
NOT CONCLUSION, BUT CURIOSITY.
NOT RESOLUTION, BUT RESTLESS PURSUIT.

𝑊𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑘 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑤𝑟𝑜𝑛𝑔.
𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑛.

FOR WE ARE 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐑𝐒,
UNWAVERING,
PUSHING EVER FORWARD,
EVER FURTHER.

WE NEED NOT AGREEMENT, but 𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓.
NOT KNOWLEDGE ALONE, but 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓—

No, not just insight, but

𝑩𝑬𝑨𝑼𝑻𝒀!


Our tentative theories transmute into transient proof of progress,
propelling us toward ever-better understanding—
bold revelations bending into bridges that carry us
ACROSS THE VEIL OF UNCERTAINTY.

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑠𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑤𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟,

DISTILLING DREAMS INTO DECLARATIONS THAT DRIVE US FORWARD.


𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊.

Share the 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤 that sent you 𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔.
Tell me the 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞 that turned your mind to 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑙.
Reveal the 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦 that resonates through 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛.

REAL OR NOT,
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄?
What allows it to endure?

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒, 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑑𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒—

PROOF THAT IN THE END, YOU DID MORE THAN SIMPLY DIE?


𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐄.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧.
  𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑒.  
𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑬 𝒀𝑶𝑼𝑹 𝑾𝑶𝑵𝑫𝑬𝑹!

My, how the wind blows.
She sings a lovely song.

Is that victory I hear?
Oh, such familiar cheers.

But my, how the sky does fall.
She cries, but for which side?

Does she cry for their defeat?
Surely she wouldn't,

cry

for

me.


To wrath and rage,
I've been your slave.

How can this be?
A hero, I've been named.
But you, my friend,
You are,

nothing

like

me.


Oh hero, see,
This red, polished steel.
Your hands did,

nothing

but

heal.


I am just a tally,
I am just a weapon.
Sharp as my determination,
Heavy as my heart.

As they celebrate,
You are out there on your knees,
Stitching all the open seams.
Cleaning the mess,

made

by

me.



~~~Act II~~~

My, how the sky fell as I slept
Why weep when a killer's half dead?
My, how the wind sings
But surely these cheers

Can't redeem me.

Oh hero, your purpose has been so pure
You are not bound by sin like me
You need not harm nor blame
You are

Nothing like me.

I am pure, only by intention
But you are clean, even in action

Those hands of yours
Must do nothing more
Never take what

Can't be restored.

Oh hero, see
This red, polished steel
Your hands, did

Nothing but heal.


A true hero,

gives,

never

takes.


A true hero,

is you,


not



me.