Words (II)

I was lost in thought, staring out into the distance, when suddenly I saw a figure moving towards me out of the corner of my eye. I turned to face them, she was a beautiful woman, with grey hair that was styled into a short, elegant bob.

Her eyes were a striking shade of silver, and they sparkled with intelligence and curiosity. As she approached me, I couldn't help but notice how poised and confident she looked. She exuded a quiet strength and determination that commanded respect.

"Well, well who do we have here? … if it wasn't for my granddaughter and her boyfriend." Granddaughter? ... Boyfriend? - wait no I like its sounding.

"How can someone I just met three days ago be my boyfriend, nanny?" makes sense to be honest.

"Eeeh? I married you grandfather three hours after we met for the first time. He said it was love at first sight" what a Chad couple.

"Huh? These are totally different topics … you know." she said, her tone softening.

then she tiptoed to my side, and checked on me from different angles.

"Approved." she said in a confident tone, then she shook my hands.

"I will leave her in your care, I trust you to be a good man." Said in an ironic tone.

"A-ah sure-" and that's how I was reduced to an oblivious NPC.

"By the way, I didn't ask for you name, boy"

"It's Gustang Lijk!" so that was her plan from the beginning breaking the ice, contrary to her formal appearance she's a cheerful kind woman, come to think of it, just like her … Clara.

"Oh my, what an unusual name and you're a human, did you get used to Chamenopolis?"

"Oh yes, it's great here" so far, I thought to myself "and Clara is showing me around, too"

"Mhm great … I'm sorry I have some work that needs to be done, see you around"

And as she was leaving, Clara stopped her.

"But we came all the way here to ask you something" then looked at me and nodded "what do you want to ask?"

I looked at the scholar, waiting for her approval.

And then she nodded "please make it short".

"I would like to discuss with you some symptoms that I have been experiencing."

"You can go the mystical healing department in the fifteenth floor, they are going to help you, I'm really busy"

"I have been experiencing a peculiar phenomenon where words and letters appear as hallucinations that only I can perceive. Although they sometimes appear to be helpful, I am unable to explain this phenomenon on my own."

"Oh, look how old I became! I think I didn't hear you correctly … seriously?"

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"After the vampire race was summoned to Chamenopolis, a series of interesting and unique cases emerged. I distinctly remember how captivated we all were by the peculiar nature of these cases. However, despite their initial intrigue, they were soon forgotten and relegated to the archives."

We were able to convince her, then we all headed to her office that was located in the fifth floor, she served in the draconic tower as a vice leader of the imaginary element department, her office was in a chaotic state, the walls were lined with shelves that are crammed with books, journals, and scientific papers. A large whiteboard dominates one wall, covered in equations and formulas scrawled in various colours of chalk.

Ophelia Silver a three-stars blessed with electricity affinity, her most dominant attribute is intelligence, the vice leader of the imaginary element department and Clara's grandmother.

Before we started getting into the topic, she served us cup of tea and cookies … I love you granny.

"The role of language within the imaginary element department has long been a topic of great interest, as it forms the fundamental building block upon which all other elements are based. Yet, for many years, the theory remained just that – a theory. We had no concrete evidence to support it, until a series of cases emerged around fifty years ago.

These cases involved people experiencing vivid hallucinations of words, letters, and symbols, and the effects were undeniable. At first, we were skeptical, chalking it up to simple mischief or a passing fad. But as the number of affected individuals grew, it became clear that something far more significant was at play."

"And what about those who experienced these hallucinations? Are they still around, and is there any way to reach out to them for personal consultation?" I inquired with a hopeful tone, eager to learn more about their experiences and understand the situation at hand.

"I'm afraid there is no need to get in contact with them," she said, her voice heavy with sadness. "In fact, there is no way to get in contact with them at all. They are all, sadly, deceased."

Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt a wave of emotions wash over me, but I didn't know how to react. I've always struggled with my reactions to situations, finding myself laughing uncontrollably at funerals and appearing sad or angry during happy moments.

In this instance, I was stunned into silence. My mind raced as I tried to process the weight of her words.

"How exactly is this related to their deaths?"

"I'm afraid I don't have all the information; I wasn't personally responsible for studying these cases."

"The one who did was …" As she continued, her voice grew softer, and I was able to see the pain etched on her face. "… my late husband Zephyr."

Clara reached out to comfort her, and she hugged her, her body wracked with sobs. "I'm sorry," she managed to say through her tears.

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Later that day, I left the research facility and returned to my residence, while Clara went home with her grandmother. However, before parting ways, she managed to calm down and provide me with more information on the cases that had been experiencing hallucinations with words.

According to her, all of the people who had experienced this phenomenon had met with tragic ends. One particularly disturbing case involved a man who was found burning alive, with ten ice users required to finally extinguish the inextinguishable primordial flame that had engulfed him.

Another case involved a person who was found dead in their room with their skull crushed and the walls covered in blood. Neighbours had reported hearing loud banging noises, suggesting a violent struggle had taken place. There were also reports of some people undergoing strange transmogrifications, while others simply lost consciousness until their body even though they were still breathing and their organs functioning.

The fact that these people had all experienced hallucinations of words, letters, and symbols was a worrying development, and I realized that I had stumbled upon something truly mysterious and disturbing.

As we were leaving, I asked her about the carving and who made it. She said that the faceless figure depicted in the carving is considered an avatar of knowledge and creativity, but there was no person like that in Chamenopolis. The one who carved it was Zephyr, and he used his advanced ability to control the "primordial winds" to create it with great enthusiasm.

Then it hit me, that all of this was familiar, the faceless entity, brook and the words … it is all related to me and my encounter with that Beyonder.

As I sat on the couch lost in thought, my eyes grew heavy and fatigue began to take over. I tried to fight it off, but my mind had other plans. It was as if a wave of drowsiness had washed over me, rendering me powerless to resist.

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The next morning, I woke up feeling energized and ready to tackle the challenges of the day. However, I noticed that the daily food ration had been lowered, just as Aeron had predicted. Despite this setback, I managed to do 80 push-ups and meditated for half an hour. However, it was difficult to find inner peace and relaxation when the letters on the walls seemed to be constantly jumping around me. It felt like being a schizophrenic trying to hold a conversation while constantly hearing voices in their head.

Although the world we were living in was bizarre and different from the old one relatively, it seemed like most people had become accustomed to it. I noticed that many people were leaving their residences to search for jobs or attend training camps to develop their skills and join teams that aligned with their affinities. However, for me, I decided to head to the library. Thanks to my newfound ability to read any language, I could explore the vast collection of books from all the different races in this world.

As I wandered through the shelves, I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer diversity of literature available to me. I could read books from the most obscure corners of this world and learn about cultures and perspectives that I had never even imagined before. Despite the strange and challenging circumstances, we found ourselves in, the library provided me with a sense of comfort and stability that I desperately needed.

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[The Guardian of Reality has bestowed upon you a twofold increase in intelligence and wisdom.]