Death, Devotion, Dissonance

Evin approached the two, and felt the need to at least greet the Aspect.

"Lady Twelve Jokes, thank you for your help."

"Call me, Twelve," the Aspect smiled. "I'd have loved to introduce the others, but they're a rather antisocial bunch."

"It was surprising, seeing all those people suddenly emerge beside me and start walking into house," Endra laughed. "I'm really grateful to Twelve here for staying behind and explaining everything to me."

Evin found Endra's way of speaking to the Aspect awfully dangerous, but both sides seemed to not care about it too much.

"The others?"

"Don't worry about them," the Aspect said.

Endra raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything else.

"Well, Twelve said she'll explain everything to you," Endra smiled. "I'll be off to learn the solution to our little problem."

Evin expected the Aspect to do everything for them, but apparently that was wrong. But seeing Endra's jolly attitude, he found himself smiling and nodding along. He'd worried endlessly of the moment of separation, but perhaps his mind finally accepted that he couldn't stay together with the voice-inside-his-head forever.

Endra grinned and nodded to Lady Twelve Jokes. Under her beck, the branch of the Soul Tree next to him reached out to his head. Endra unceremoniously passed out.

Lady Twelve Jokes, who was sitting nearby, moved her chair closer to Evin.

'What's going on?' Evin wanted to ask, but he decided to be patient.

Lady Twelve Jokes got herself comfortable and began explaining the situation to him.

"For the next few days, you can stay here and experience the memories attached to this Soul Tree."

"Memories?"

"Yes. Memories of that man's past," she said and nodded to Endra. "Down to the smallest details."

"Er," Evin was struggling understand the reasoning. "Why? If it's possible to explain," he added, feeling he was being a bit too rude.

"There's no grand reason. It is merely to satisfy your curiosity."

It would be a lie if Evin said he wasn't interested. But he was also suspicious. This wasn't in any shape or form, connected to the separation of souls. What was the point of him seeing Endra's past, then? What was he seeing then?

Evin nodded. "Can I ask what Endra's seeing?"

"A bit of history not quite known to the populace. In fact, I'd say only fourteen people know of it, including myself. Well, I suppose in a few moments, the number will be fifteen…" Twelve Jokes smiled to herself, seeming amused by the fact. "I suppose this would be considered a historical moment."

Evin was silent. He was not hearing the whole story at all.  And he was still suspicious of everything that was happening. He was also slightly annoyed, considering how everyone seemed to be doing whatever they wanted with him, not even considering what he wanted to do.

"To be honest, you seeing or not seeing it is inconsequential," Lady Twelve Jokes sighed in bittersweetly. "If you wish to, stay here and meditate your time away."

Evin reined his thoughts at the remark, wondering if his thoughts were being read somehow.

"It's not that," the Aspect, who took on the figure of a girl, said with a smile. "With age, comes a talent of guessing another's thoughts."

It was almost creepy, when a teen talk like an old woman. It was especially bad, considering how short and small her body was. Evin tried his best to hide the thought though, in fear of angering the Aspect any further.

"But even if you choose not to see the man's past, there's nothing for you to do. You can't go exploring the great outside, since you'll surely turn out dead or worse in the first few hours."

"Dead?" Evin frowned.

"A variety of invisible creatures roam the World of Souls. They can survive off the energy in the air, but they don't mind eating a few live souls here and there. Then there's also the problem of insanity. As any other World of Magic, the World of Souls also affects your psyche. The only thing keeping you safe now is my immediate presence," Lady Twelve Jokes smiled.

"Wait, wait… You mean to say this world's the same as the other Twelve Worlds of Magic?"

"Of course. I've been calling it the World of Souls since before, no?"

"But… Why does no one else know about it? I mean, if I offer it mana, will it give me Soul energy in return?"

"Not all Worlds must exist to serve mages, you know?" Lady Twelve Jokes hummed amusingly. "And not all Worlds must be known to them… But that's beside the point. Stay here if you don't mind the boredom, but do stay inside."

"I'll see Endra's past," he declared.

The old woman in the girl's body shrugged. The Soul Tree's branch reached out for Evin's head. It felt uncomfortable, but Evin was more concerned with how his eyelids were closing.

'Endra was right…' he thought. 'I am blacking out a lot more these days…'

Before he went out, Evin noticed a tinge of sadness in Lady Twelve Jokes's expression. Evin couldn't tell why she would look like that.

*****

Soon after the boy's soul was pulled into the vision, Twelve saw Four appearing from her room, scantily dressed as always. She was holding a chair in one hand, and a pipe in another. She put the chair down, lit the pipe and breathed in a lungful. The smoke that came out of her mouth was distorted, spreading through the air in unusual patterns. A feature of the World of Souls.

Four slouched into her chair, her long limbs going slack. "Why waste our time like this?" she asked. "He won't mind the methods. You've seen his memories."

"It's the best way for him. Ultimately," Twelve replied.

Four snorted. "And since when did you start caring so much for these two mortals?"

"It's also what's most convenient for the Empress. Ultimately."

She seemed to take that as an answer.

"Ah, of course. Well, you're the one who knows the future, so we'll do as you ask."

"Thanks for the Trees."

"Whatever's mine is yours, Mistress. Though, I do hope we'll be out of this shitter soon."

Four did not say anything else. She resumed smoking her from her pipe and when she was finished, she stood up and walked back into her room.

Twelve could only shrug. Her visions said that this was the best path forward, although it was rather boring and time-consuming. But what was some time to Twelve?

*****