「Broken Compass」The Chasm

Chapter 21

"I think he's waking up. Thanks for the help."

Hoku's consciousness stirred, the echo of a familiar voice barging through his senses.

As his eyes fluttered open, the sight of a stone archway greeted him, its ancient structure looming overhead like the rib of a colossal creature. 

He sat up, startled and his gaze landed on Juno, who knelt beside him with weariness in her features.

She raised a hand, rubbing her half-open eyes with a lazy motion. "What did I say about dreaming?" she muttered, her voice tinged with admonition. "Do you really wish to die this early?"

Hoku frowned, confusion knitting his brow. "What? Who was the one who passed out moments ago?" 

Juno let her arm drop over her knee and yawned. "At least I don't dream. We've mastered the art of manipulating the frequencies that amplify during sleep." She tilted her head, slightly amused by his expression toward her words.

Hoku blinked, "W-what?" His eyes darted around, noting the presence of the others; Mars, Fleur, and Abel were standing nearby, their expressions inscrutable, as if they were silently endorsing Juno's statement.

"How is that even possible? You're asleep! And if that's true, why assume I was 'dreaming'?" His head throbbed. 

Pressing his fingers into the powdery ground beneath him, he sought to steady his thoughts. A glance at Mars revealed his eye had returned to its normal state.

"I don't have those answers," Juno continued, her tone matter-of-fact. "But you mumbled both times you were unconscious. I'd say that's a clear sign of dreaming, wouldn't you?"

"Should I remind you this is Abel's astrapie?" Li interjected, his tone edged with impatience.

Juno exhaled, nodding in acknowledgment. "Lingering here could entangle us further with irrelevant epochs, ones we'll be obligated to close." She rose to her feet, brushing dust from her sleeve.

Hoku tilted his head, peering over the edge of the thick pillar beneath him. 'An astrapie?'

The vast expanse before him threatened to engulf his last thread of composure. 

Juno's hand entered his line of sight, extended in an offer of assistance.

For a moment, he hesitated before accepting it. Regardless of what transpired between them, he was undoubtedly concerned.

"You're okay now, right?" Hoku inquired, his voice softening.

She met his gaze briefly and nodded, before releasing his hand.

"Yu-ze will be fine," she added, her eyelids lowering with solemnity.

Hoku exhaled, as uncertainty laced his response. "Right... he said he'd return. That's all that matters, I suppose."

Seizing the moment, Abel spoke, his tone unnervingly casual. "You seem remarkably unfazed by your surroundings."

Pushing off the pillar he had been leaning against, a tinge of interest crossed his face.

Mars and Fleur straightened, and Hoku followed them down the short stone path. Their quiet steps stirred fine dust into the air.

Abel walked beside him, though his presence felt both comforting and disconcerting.

Hoku pressed a hand to his temple, exhaling slowly. "If I allowed myself to be any more shocked by this place, I'd lose my mind."

Abel chuckled, patting his shoulder with exaggerated sincerity. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad disappointed. I had hoped you'd be awestruck by the complexity of my being."

"Your being?"

Abel nodded, pride briefly appearing on his face as he surveyed the grand expanse of walls and floating pillars.

. . .

A subtle shift in the atmosphere tugged at Hoku's senses. 

As they continued to walk, he noticed that everything felt slower; not in a physical sense, but in a way he couldn't quite define.

He stole a glance at Mars and Fleur, searching for any sign they had noticed the change.

Reading his expression, Abel spoke before Hoku could voice his concern. "Our perception of time moves slower within our minds. When that distortion seeps into our surroundings, we begin to notice the changes. It's normal. You'll adapt after a few more experiences."

"That... makes sense, I guess," Hoku muttered, though suspicion lingered in his response.

The sound of movement abruptly ceased.

Everyone halted in unison.

Puzzled, Hoku turned to Abel.

Suddenly, Li addressed him, 'Hoku, please come here.'

He paused, casting a glance toward Abel, who responded with a slight nod, indicating the way forward.

Hoku drew a shallow breath, then stepped forward to join Li. The man's gaze remained fixed above, with an unreadable expression. 

After reaching Li's side, Hoku followed his gaze upward. His eyes widened as he took in the chaotic expanse beyond the pillars.

Thin beams crisscrossed high above, some straight as blades, others twisting into jagged spirals, appearing ready to collapse at any moment. Stone towers and scaffolds jutted out in all directions, seemingly suspended on nothing. 

The entire space felt like a mirrored projection of where they stood.

"This place is chaos," Hoku murmured. "How can one place defy so much logic yet clearly never had any to begin with?"

"All astrapies are random," Li said. "They mean nothing, yet somehow, they're meant to portray something sentimental to their beholder." He lowered his head slightly. "That's precisely why I despise them," he added. "They make the least sense out of everything in the Sequel."

Hoku leaned back onto his heels, frowning at the remark. "You seem to despise a lot of things," he noted.

It was undeniable that Li seemed the most disconnected of everyone present. It was as if his reality existed in a separate thread from theirs. 

His expressions were reserved for moments of disdain, most often directed at Hoku himself.

Hoku glanced at him again, just in time to see the faintest trace of a smile flicker across his lips. 

A slow breath left Li's lungs, and Hoku's finger twitched.

Li spread his hands slightly before speaking. "Yes, I do. But I loathe you most of all."

Hoku barely had a moment to react before Li's palm slammed into his back with brutal force. "Wait—"

His boots skidded against the precipice as his arms flailed, grasping for stability.

However, his shifted weight caused him to stumble forward abruptly.

The Memoir Chapter 18

Objective 12

Use the contract with Alice to depart the astrapie.

Rule 23

Astrapies are exclusive to one beholder. If they wish to bend its structure they can do so without encountering boundaries. However, a guest or visitor holds no authority over altering this 'continent' unless authority is imparted by the person in command of it. In this event, the beholder has relinquished their life from ever succeeding the Timestream, thus, leaving themselves trapped until the end.

Additionally, not all—but rather a few of them were given titles according to the remnants of documents that were salvaged from a fire. 'The Chasm' is the smallest in comparison with the ones that you will be present for in the near future.

-The Memoir Chapter 18 End-