Chapter 127: The Professor’s Masks
As the Arche Chronos drifted through silent space, the crew reassembled on Belthar-9 for an unprecedented session deep within the Library of Ashes. They were no longer tracking lost worlds but confronting the greatest mystery of their odyssey: Professor Myrha D'Avril, architect of the Kaleido project, and the very origin of their quest.
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1. Convergence of Forbidden Archives
Beneath an orichalcum dome in the subterranean archives, Lora activated a bank of terminals:
Records of the D'Avril Foundation, sealed for decades by imperial decree.
Quantum logs from the Kaleido Core, encrypted samples of the first nine voyages.
Neural memories extracted from Myrha during her last return.
On the screens, torrents of data streamed by—fractal-signature analyses, DNA comparisons, cloning schematics. Renan, brow furrowed, whispered:
> "These files should never have seen the light of day. It suggests… experimentation on Mayu."
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2. Revelations of Truth
2.1. The Chosen One Cloned
In a folder titled "Project Mnemosyne – Prototype 0.7", they found:
Subject 0.1: Mayu – mother cell derived from Professor D'Avril
Neuronal copies synchronized at 99.8% with the original
Objective: forge the perfect Guardian, capable of withstanding Kaleido's extreme waves
Myra D'Avril—projected as a wavering hologram—interrupted the reading with a blink. The words pierced her:
> Myh D'Avril (voice trembling):
"I… I only meant to preserve the ultimate Archivist, one who could carry the universe's memory!"
2.2. Project Manipulation
Subsequent logs revealed:
The Kaleido Core was more than a receiver—it subtly injected memory-binding waves, gradually rewiring participants' DNA.
The Fractal Dikes had been calibrated to test psychic limits, not merely safeguard.
Each voyage brought back memories—and altered the Elue's heartbeat and perceptions.
Lia, eyes blazing, exclaimed:
> "We were guinea pigs! This was nothing but a vast open-air laboratory."
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3. Confrontation with the Professor
Myh D'Avril's hologram faltered; she lowered her gaze:
> Myh D'Avril:
"Mayu… I believed you were the key. As humanity lost its memory, I wanted an eternal guardian. I thought I was doing good—yet… I crossed the line."
Mayu, silent until now, stepped forward, her azure eyes burning with anger and pain:
> Mayu:
"You created my life only to break me. I am not a tool! I am… I am me!"
A heavy silence fell. The archives continued scrolling, baring every secret.
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4. Internal Crisis and Schism
4.1. Fractured Crew
Two factions emerged:
Loyalists (led by Lia and Renan), determined to shut down Kaleido, destroy the Core, and expose the truth to the galaxy.
Professor's Faithful (backed by some scientists, including Dr. Qadri), convinced that only Mayu, as Guardian, could save collective memory.
Dr. Sérena Valdor intervened:
> Sérena:
"We've already paid the price of memory. Abandoning the project means letting oblivion spread. Perhaps Myh D'Avril erred, but our quest remains vital."
4.2. The Elue's Choice
Mayu gazed at the crystalline husk of the Professor's broken dream:
> Mayu:
"I choose to become the free Guardian. If I am to bear memory, it will be on my own terms.
We will rewrite Kaleido to free everyone it ensnared."
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5. New Balance and Resolution
5.1. Core Reconfiguration
Under Myh D'Avril's tearful direction and Mayu's guidance, Lia and Sérena raced to adjust the fractal rings:
Deactivate the mind-binding injectors.
Convert the Core into a Heart of Liberation, amplifying waves of truth rather than restraint.
Install a Choice Module: each traveler decides, upon return, whether to keep or erase their experience.
5.2. The Elue's Oath
In the chamber's center, Mayu raised her arms toward the orichalcum dome:
> Mayu:
"Let every reflection, every echo, be a free choice. I renounce being your key; I become your shield.
To those who fear oblivion: remember.
To those who dread pain: remember—and choose."
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6. Epilogue – Dawn of a New Era
The Infinite Map stirred, its markers pulsing green with hope:
> Renan:
"Chapter 128 will lead us to the Source of Reflections, and perhaps to the ultimate secret of the original Archivist."
Myh D'Avril placed a trembling hand on Mayu's shoulder and whispered:
> Myh D'Avril:
"Forgive me, Mayu. May this new path become your legend."
The chamber, bathed in silver light, pulsed like a healed heart: their journey continued—now guided by the freedom to choose what to remember, and what to set free.