「Broken Compass」The Melting Compass

Chapter 22

Hoku collided with an invisible barrier.

The surface felt smoother than the dust-laden path beneath his hands. Pain coursed through his joints, eliciting a wince.

"Look at that! Hoku saved himself for once. You should thank Abel for that cool trick," Li taunted.

Hoku scowled at Li, whose indifferent gaze remained fixed ahead. 

With a curt motion, Li directed the group to proceed ahead. 

Abel paused and extended a hand to assist Hoku as he rose unsteadily.

As their boots made contact with the transparent path, a radiant gold emanated beneath them, spreading outward like liquid gold seeping across a canvas.

It forged a trail beneath their steps, illuminating a random path. 

Hoku peered at the spot where he had fallen. The same radiant hue lingered, gradually fading.

Catching up to the group, Hoku's eyes darted between the glowing path and his own hands.

"Abel, did you do this?" he inquired, confused.

Abel's lips curved into a subtle smile. "As much as I'd love to take credit, this is you."

Hoku's mouth parted in astonishment.

"Me? How? I didn't do anything."

"You were granted authority over my astrapie long ago," Abel explained, his voice steady. "A barrier probably erased the memory. It's the only explanation for why this golden path suddenly appeared."

"Golden…" Hoku mumbled, suddenly aware that all of the structures were white.

Abel hummed. "Each of us has a dominant internal color. Mine is black and white. Yours, judging by this, must be gold."

"Was Li aware of this beforehand?"

"Yes. Li probably knew before he pushed you," Abel said, rubbing the back of his head. "He has a bad habit of acting instead of asking for favors. He doesn't like relying on others openly."

Hoku exhaled, a contemplative expression settling on his face.

'At least he is self-aware. I still don't understand what I did to make him loathe me.'

No further words passed between them. As they walked, the space around them opened up. 

The golden path led them to a massive corridor.

As they strode further, the arching entrance loomed grander than the first, its thick pillars divided by slender gaps. 

Within, a pristine staircase emerged from the shadows, rousing a memory. 'The manor,' he recalled.

"Have you ever encountered a m—" Hoku began, turning to Abel, but Li, uncharacteristically, halted without prompt.

Mars raised a hand, signaling for a pause before they proceeded. He let out a quiet puff.

"Be cautious," Mars warned. "This corridor stabilizes external interference. Abel's elixir prevents intrusion into his astrapie because it's tied directly to his soul. No matter the means, any damage inflicted here will be countered by the elixir."

"Is that true for all elixirs?" Hoku inquired, leaning slightly toward him.

"Yes," Juno replied, stepping forward, "but only after sufficient rejuvenation."

"Then what exactly is this 'frame'? If it's dangerous, why is it connected to Abel?"

"It isn't harmful unless tampered with," Juno explained. "It stabilizes his astrapie by locking this doorway into a singular moment; pausing a time frame rather than letting it repeat."

Hoku's brow furrowed. "But you said this was his astrapie."

"It's what it appears to be," she clarified, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "The real one is above us." She gestured overhead.

Hoku's gaze followed her gesture, his eyes widening at the sight. 

What he had initially perceived as a mere projected map revealed something entirely different.

Mars pointed ahead. "That staircase will take us up. It's the only route out."

"Who wants to go in first?" Li clapped his hands, and the sound resonated through the corridor.

Mars frowned, then asked, "I thought you wanted to go ahead?"

"If I could, I would have reached our destination and left long ago."

"Surely, you would have even met the creator," Mars mocked.

Li's expression didn't change. "Surely."

"Then, let's continue."

Suppressing the doubt gnawing at his chest, Hoku stepped into the brightly lit corridor. 

Suddenly, a searing heat flared against his skin. 

With a sharp inhale, he recoiled, a startled yelp escaping him. 

Panic surged through his limbs as he instinctively reached into his robe, and grasped his fingers around the compass. 

The fabric sagged away from his body as he yanked it free.

"Th-the watch burned me," Hoku stammered, the heat still clinging to his skin.

Fleur frowned, then turned to Li. "Do you still have that cloth you cut from Hoku's sleeve?"

Li rolled his eyes but untied the darkened scrap from the hilt of his sword. Without a word, he tossed it toward Fleur.

"May I take it from your robe?" She asked

He nodded. Fleur layered the cloth over her hand, then carefully reached inside his robe, extracting the compass.

"Strange," she murmured. "Even through the cloth, I can feel the heat."

She lifted the object into her palm, presenting it toward him. Hoku leaned in and studied it closely.

Beneath the corridor, the argent surface gleamed, yet subtle distortions rippled beneath its polish, as if the metal shifting.

His pulse quickened. Narrowing his eyes, he focused more intently. 

He noticed the surface pulsed subtly, and a prickle crawled up his spine; something was amiss.

Fleur's fingers trembled, as beads of sweat formed at her temples.

"What's happening?" Hoku murmured, his gaze falling between the compass and Fleur's uneasy expression. 

He rubbed the tender spot where he'd been burned.

Alarm crept into his tone as he asked, "Is it... melting?" 

She remained silent, shaking her head with a puzzled expression. 

Then, Li let out a sharp tsk, drawing Hoku's attention.

Li inclined his head toward them, his face measured. "That doesn't bode well."

Hoku glanced back just in time to see a droplet of silver fall from the compass, landing softly on his boot.

The Memoir Chapter 19

The Third Quota

Hey dude, it's been a while since I last heard from you. 

I heard you lost a few of your folks, and I hope you're holding up alright. 

I don't mean to come off as inconsiderate, but I wanted to ask if you're still planning to check off the last few locations on our list. I put a lot of effort into compiling it, and I know that with us splitting the gains, it's not nearly enough to help you settle your father's hospital debt.

So, here's the deal: if we can hit just one more spot, I'll let you take seventy-five percent of the cash. 

However, we might have to navigate some obligations both inside and outside of this place, given that we're still unsure whether their security is simply discreet or genuinely non-existent.

You've likely already guessed the location I'm talking about. It's mentioned in some of the oldest records as one of the last remaining foundations in our century, and it has been continuously funded by numerous reputable businesses that don't even appear as stockholders. 

—They're simply showcasing their philanthropy by donating to a façade of a cause.

If we pull this off, you could walk away with a substantial sum, and I could finally escape this miserable foster home.

Please think about it, Hoku. If we can pull this off, we might just get back on our feet—and maybe we won't have to do this anymore. 

Just one last time.

Objective 13

We have yet to acquire the pages that follow after this. 

It seems the Abundant Creator deliberately concealed them, anticipating our access to the revision after 'Alice' destroyed The Stars of Chaos in the catastrophe inside Ward. 

It appears he intended to obscure these pages regardless, for The Memoir was in development long before we laid our hands on it. 

Yet, he could not have foreseen that the disruption would occur outside his own design.

I've been studying his newest creation, but I've only gathered that The memoir itself is an enigma.

For instance, it presents a peculiar structure where most of the narrative unfolds in the present tense, while the tone randomly alters within certain passages and reads like a retelling of events that have already happened in great detail. 

It's as if the deity who binds time within his own sanctuary wrestles with the concept of a temporal sequence.

I hesitate to critique a writer's work, as that is not my trade, but I must confess this is among the most perplexing texts I have ever attempted to decipher. 

For now, we cannot proceed, as his manipulation of the order breaks the narrative. 

Until you possess the physical artifact, The Memoir cannot resume its plot (though it is because the 'story' resumes at the point in which you receive a 'Stark white covered book.') 

Rest assured, I will foster it as if it were my child until you arrive at the Lune for your furball. 

However, you should understand that this delay means I cannot provide further interference until that moment. Deathpoints will be left in the outcomes of your decision-making.

If you arrive in time, you will be intrigued to discover that all your actions have already been chronicled within this Memoir.

I should remark, what a picky protagonist you are! I eagerly await the part when you receive the development you deserve—only then can I truly commend the author who shaped your origin.

I hope my insights have aided the editing process; these passages serve merely as a collection of hints and concepts embedded by the Abundant Creator into The Memoir.

See you in the past, dear friend, 

The Editor.

Rule 24

This is a personal request; tell Alice to stop writing those pieces of fiction. She has no shame confessing the hobby she has named for herself forging these pointless fantasies.

There aren't any consequences since this is neither a rule nor objective, but we still had a blank patch in the memoir so Salvatorre said I could attempt reaching you before you met her in the Recess.

-The Memoir Chapter 19 End-

Objective ? ? ?

Recover the story in The Memoir.