Futuristic Arterius Heart: Simulacrum

[pomme]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 52

ALLOCES

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The air prickled on Alloce's skin, dancing across it in a way worlds away from the air inside the lab. She desperately tried to search for something, anything like the landscape before her that'd she'd seen before, but her mind drew up nothing. The feeling quickly washed away any astonishment within her, her gut quickly giving way to a dim simmering of adrenaline. This new, wildly unfamiliar place... it was almost too much to take in. Alloces felt as if she had just been thrown into a completely different world itself: one that was almost more alarming than relaxing. She had no context, no basis, in which to store this new information. It simply stood out, seemingly without purpose. She felt the same piercing attentiveness that she had felt looking upon the dying heart of their Creator, but now it was traced with something much stronger.

Alloces suddenly felt as if she didn't know what to do with herself. Should she run? Ball up on the pale greenness beneath her? Could this place be... constructed? Like the lab? Alloces frowned at the thought. She wasn't sure why, but something deep within her immediately rebuked the thought. This place held a randomness that she'd never come across. But the towering building that broke through the horizon's serenity certainly wasn't natural. It jutted out of the rocky hills, breaking the messy pattern of the ragged cliff face. Though even as she scanned the ground before them, Alloces couldn't discern how it was accessible. The only thing that broke the grass and rocks was a winding river.

She let out a yelp as a drop of coldness smacked against her cheek. Her fingers hovered just above where it had hit, the droplet already falling down towards her jaw. Her brow furrowed and she wiped it off, ducking her head down. More and more pelted against the shoulders of her jacket, each one coming out in a different rhythm. Slowly, she held out her hand, watching as a drop caught the edge of her finger. She recoiled as if she expected it to burn, but it instead felt soothing on the girl's skin. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. As the tendrils of fright on her periphery faded, Alloces took a deep breath. Even if the rain didn't burn her, or if the land itself didn't swell up and swallow her whole, this place was complete in both mystery and danger. She wanted to approach it with clarity.

As she calmed, she thought she could hear another soft ambience behind the rain's routine pattering. It was somewhat similar to the rain's, but uninterrupted and smooth. A small smile lit her face as she realized the burbling was from the river. This place's mysteries are solvable, then. Looking upon the river, she spotted a bobbing spot of white and orange. She bit her lip. In her thoughts, she hadn't even felt Ipos leave the group. Perhaps the mystery-solving would need to take a backseat.

Her immediate impulse was to go after him—both to draw the simulacrum back towards them, and to investigate the novel river—but she still felt more drawn to the imposing building. The rain had nearly flattened her coat to her skin, sending a chasing cold across her neck and shoulders. It was beginning to get annoying, even if it did sound rather nice.

A sudden thought broke her deliberation. With all this open space, the sky that seemed to span an unimaginable length in every direction possible... it would be awfully easy to lose each other, wouldn't it? Such a concept instilled determination in the simulacrum. What was this if not another duty bestowed unto them from their Primogenitor? Alloces had little qualms with the new possibility for loss. If it was a responsibility she must bear, she would do it with pride. Whatever reasons for... well, that didn't matter much.

With that, she started across the plain towards Ipos and the river's bank. She shifted the book that was still tucked under her elbow, her eyes widening as she felt the weakness of the paper beneath her fingers. She quickly stuffed it underneath her coat, holding it in place by looping an arm under her chest. She reckoned it wouldn't be long before the already wet fabric started to aid the rain in its quest to muddy the pages.

Her pace hurried. Soon, the river looked almost within reach. She refocused on Ipos, her gaze catching on the oddly repetitive movements of his arm. Alloces only realized what it was when she saw a bright glint catch in the air before crashing into the river below. Before she could process it, Alloces had started into a run, closing the distance and clamping her hand around Ipos' wrist.

But she was too late. The last stone had already fallen from his hand, skidding across the water pitifully before slipping beneath the surface. It was quickly swept along in the river's current, disappearing downstream. "Ipos." Her voice was quiet, almost sounding hollow next to the burbling of the river. Alloces felt no anger towards to simulacrum, nor any particular curiosity towards whatever he'd been throwing into the river. For all that she knew, it was just stones; but regardless, she didn't understand. Her hand fell limply from around his wrist. She looked down for a moment, toeing at one of the remaining pebbles on the bank. She felt nothing from it. She gently pushed it back into place before looking stiffly back up at Ipos. "You should stay closer to the group." By now, the rain had soaked every inch of her, her hair hanging down in wet strands around her face. She pulled the book tighter to her stomach, feeling the coldness of it underneath her arm. She glanced back over to the building, her hope for shelter dimming when she still couldn't discern the path towards the obsidian behemoth.

She took a small breath and nodded towards his book. "We don't have much time before these things are ruined. As much as I would like to read mine now... it's not a good idea. It would only ruin the pages."

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 70

SEERE

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

In a blink of an eye, the world seemed to be swallowed whole by an unseen evil. Seere had gotten a glimpse of the raw beauty that laid untamed before them, before its glory had been robbed by a crawling dark curtain that hung itself almost maliciously overhead. Without the warmth of the sunlight, the chill that came from the droplets of water that followed were all the more unwelcome.

He shook his head in vain as he felt more drops pelting unrelentingly at his head, and was quick to dedicate his efforts into finding a way to avoid this clinging chill instead. His eyes roamed the horizons, and easily honed onto a strangely shaped construct at the top of a hill in the far, far distance, encircled and barricaded by ugly, and mighty rock formations entirely too formidable to overcome in a short amount of time.

"Do you suppose ... that's a tower?" He spoke out loud, pointing out to it. Although this world was a stranger to him, his heart was gleeful when he considered the possibility that it was: "Just like the one referenced in His last message? The Clocktower?"; something he could recognize, even if only in name.

Eager to share this (rather outlandish suggestion), he began to take his strides towards where Ipos and Alloces had wandered off to - unminding the wet droplets that had been tormenting him, even if they were now ruining his clothes, his hair and his first and only possession.

He made it just a little over halfway to the river, close enough to hear Alloces's concerns, when a deafening roar tore through above. It was no furious cry, nor fierce declaration, it came slowly, the way the spectre's song had crescendo'ed from quiet to a loud thrum, quiet at first, like an unnoticed heartbeat before it was a swinging hammer that one could not beg leave from, and somehow even with that gentle second of a warning, his bones rattled, quaking, and kept him in place as his eyes were seared by a piercing light.

 

[Khocolatte]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 66

KIMARIS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The wooden door, as it creaked open to allow for a blinding ray of natural light to seep through, held no promise to the idea of contentment or serenity upon the world that lay before the simulacrums' very eyes. The remaining stream of light that appeared to come from a distant, floating orb, soon became enveloped by darkness. A wave of clouds rolled by, covering the beams of the sun while forming an overcast of shadows upon the evening sky.

Kimaris frowned. Out of all environments she had been introduced to, this one seemed the most unsettling. To say the scenery was not beautiful, however, would be a lie to the unit with the indigo locks, although tragically so: the pervasive green patches of moss clung onto the soil and stone beneath it, even daring to hug the stone structures that awkwardly pierced through the greenery; the dark pillars seemed to be damaged with reckless abandon, its structure slowly ruined by years of erosion; and invasive wildflowers and weeds drooped with melancholy, wondering how much longer they would have to bear the stings of precipitation that would flood their roots and soil once more. The only tranquil feeling that the group would receive from nature was the soothing sloshing sounds that came from the river as it continued to flow with exuberance, with the exception of some small stones that laid in its path.

As if predicted by the weeping of the flowers, droplets of water came falling from the sky, quickly increasing its rate of contact with the ground before reaching a state of torrential downpour. The slightly stinging sensation of wet, which began to permeate her skin and clothes, urged Kimaris to gather her comrades to run and take cover from the pelting liquid... but where were they? It became difficult to distinguish certain items, some having been blurred by the intensity of the rain. It was only when Seere asked his noteworthy question that the purple-haired simulacrum had been able to determine the blond's location before he made careful strides towards Ipos and Alloces, who had been hanging by the river.

The simulacrum found it slightly harder to move as the rainfall continued to drench her body, causing for the fabrics to weigh down on her body while simultaneously sticking onto her skin. She turned her head towards the three who had traveled towards the riverbank before following suit, tugging on Barbatos' wet sleeve to signal her to come along. Then, a boisterous erupted from the sky, followed soon after by a bright flash of light which had struck the tree within the library, demanding their leave of the place.

Heeding to the word of the unknown malice, Kimaris attempted to find the tower that Seere had mentioned, brushing her bangs above her forehead to prevent them from dripping any more water into her squinting eyes. It was difficult for the building to remain unnoticed with its tall figure hanging above the land, even from a far off distance, like a beacon of light. She then cleared her throat to speak, not being used to giving orders.

"Seere's suggested for us to go over to that building over there," she pointed towards the tower like Seere once had, starting to shiver due to the temperature of the rain against her body. "He believes that it might be the Clocktower, and I think it's worth discovering, or at least taking shelter under... f-for now." At this point, her hair had been matted, her clothes were drenched in rainwater, and the book was likely to be of no use in its current state. It seemed the rest of the group was not doing much better. Desperately wanting to get out of the rain, Kimaris took her first steps past the group, careful not to break into a sprint in case she would trip from the slippery surface.

"Come on, let's hurry..." she said as she turned her head back towards the others, "We don't want to be stuck out here for too long. Be careful to watch your step."

 

[Arkangel]

END OF CHAPTER I. HOME

UPDATE LOG 1.

The simulacrum "Bael" was confirmed missing from their bed.
The five Salomonis Regis have been taken by the simulacrums, but the books seem incomplete.
They are currently within the continent of Paymonia, also known as the Continent of Primordial Solitude.
A mist foul of blood and malice awaits for their devotion.

ARTERIUS HEART: SIMULACRUM

 

[Khocolatte]

CHAPTER II. COURAGE

"the beast dreams the life of its prey."

ARTERIUS HEART: SIMULACRUM

ARTERIUS HEART - TRACK III - AN UNSETTLING BEAST

Credit: momokurianzu

DISCOVERY: "THE CROWNED BEAST"

Upon Seere's suggestion, the simulacrums cautiously made their way towards the tower, only to be stopped in their tracks by a strange force of nature. Its eerie composition caused for all to stand in place, petrified by the aura of its figure. Although hollow, to be met by a boundless void of darkness upon staring at it, the creature's nonexistent eyes bore an unshakeable fear into the core of their hearts. The artificial beings could do nothing but stare back, instilled by an overwhelming sense of dread.

As the simulacrums stood frozen in place, the beast would peer over at each individual's face, studying closely their facial structures and expressions. It remained seconds after, as if computing their existence into its database, before turning its attention away from the group as it walked off into the distance.

 

[Arkangel]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 8

BARBATOS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The sound of rain had came to an holt as the simulacrums stared back at the creature with an abyss for an eye, their bodies involuntarily stunned out of fear and trauma. The environment was muted for Barbatos, the only sound she could hear being the sounds of crunching leaves from the steps of the beast, its eyes absent but somehow, the simulacrum knew that it was staring into her consciousness, ceasing her soul immobile as it reached deep inside her mind.

What seemed to be a perpetual staring nightmare came to a quick end the moment the creature moved its attention back to the wilderness, allowing its shivering preys to remain traumatized, instead of becoming food for the beast. Its movements were slow, but highly disturbing. Its appearance was nothing to scoff at either—the obvious glowing halo being the most unsettling accessory, as if an angel had descended from the heavenly sky, but depraved by the evils of man.

It had taken Barbatos a few seconds until realizing she had held her breath for too long, losing oxygen quickly until she fell on her knees, gasping for air rapidly while trying to regain composure. The rain was no longer a bother to the simulacrum, as she had seen and felt something far worse than the tears of the skies. An angelic beast whose beauty had been warped into a creature without a face. She could still remember the darkness of what seemed to be an never ending hole in its face.

Barbatos supported herself back up with the help of her knees, still shivering as the creature's appearance haunted her very thoughts. "T-There... has to be something written about that creature in the books... it spared us for now, but we don't know when it'll return. Let's find a shelter quickly, we're going to have to discuss our plans to explore Paymonia." Barbatos announced to the group, before realizing her incompetence in checking on her brethrens who may have been doing worse than her in terms of mental health.

Though hesitant out of fear at first, Barbatos gathered the courage to check on the other simulacrums, hoping that they were able to keep their composure even after the horrifying meeting between the artificial souls and the unsettling beast.

 

[Larry]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 22

IPOS

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Ipos didn't so much as look in Barbatos' direction as she sought to check up on the other simulacrums. Or, it might be more rightly put, he saw right through her, such was the level of terror that he felt as a result of their encounter with the headless being that, almost out of thin air, appeared before them. It was upon Seere's suggestion that, given the climatic conditions of Paymonia at the current time, with the seemingly inexhaustible amounts of rain that were falling upon them, as well as through Alloces' exhorting to him to mind the condition of his tome, that they decided to make their way towards the tower. The simulacrum was glad to see that the tense atmosphere surrounding the group had dissipated, though, if the weather were perhaps a bit more permitting, he would have liked to continue flinging stones across the less turbulent river. Alas, such childish thoughts were probably best left for another time, if the mission the Maker left them were to allow for even a sliver of leisure, which, if Ipos was being honest with himself, wasn't remotely likely.

The thought of the Maker, as was his wont, seemed to bring Ipos' priorities into perspective.

Then, that 'thing' appeared, the impressionable simulacrum not knowing what better way to describe it. Though there were many features about the creature's physiology that unnerved the now-frightened simulacrum, the one thing that filled Ipos with consternation was that this creature lacked any face. And yet, it was the very fact that it surveyed the now thoroughly-trepidated simulacrums as though it possessed eyes, which caused Ipos to break out in an even greater sweat than the one he had before. As it slowly stirred it's lumbering body in the direction of the white-haired youth, pausing over him as it took in Ipos' terrified countenance. At that very moment, Ipos was a buzz of ambivalence: he felt equally liable to strike this thing and conversely, to run away in terror. Yet, at the pertinent moment, when he felt the adrenaline roaring throughout his body, the beast incredulously finished its observation of him and his companions, in a placid manner he thought impossible, before walking off into the distance. What in the Maker's name...? the simulacrum wondered to himself as, contrary to the rush of pugnacity he felt moments prior, his knees buckled underneath him and the frazzled youth found himself kneeling on the dew-tinged grass beneath their feet.

Ipos looked at his legs, still shaking, with as great a degree as anger as he possibly could muster. And, to compound whatever vexation he felt with himself even more, a single tear began to trail its way down his cheek, as though the joy of avoiding death at the hand of that creature was equivalent to the cessation of the Maker's heart. The simulacrum ground his teeth together at the thought, the squeamish sound audible enough to hear, and for the cowardice he felt in the face of that behemoth. How much longer will I have to feel this pathetic...?! Ipos thought to himself as he peered at his siblings, who were equally as shook up by the encounter as he was. Even Barbatos, despite her attempt to ameliorate their morale in the face of what had occured, was clearly startled and yet, even being so, attempted to put on a strong face lest Ipos, Seere, Kimaris and Alloces should lose their composure even more. That their excursion to the tower was so suddenly balked was another source of annoyance for the group. And even though the creature had left, the fact that they could so suddenly be set upon by another creature like that and be utterly defenceless was something that they would have to confront together.

Stirred by a sense of having avoided dread and a desire to encourage and protect his siblings, Ipos lifted himself off the ground, flashing a smile to the rest of them that was as every bit genuine as it was artifice.

"Maybe the tower wasn't exactly the best choice," he said garrulously, maybe inappropriately so, but all in a sense of trying to encourage his siblings.

"The main thing is that we're all alive and as long as we have each other, we'll overcome."

With that somewhat pithy phrase, Ipos went over and offered his arm to Alloces, who had so encouraged him earlier.

 

[pomme]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 52

ALLOCES

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The sight in front of the girl was, quite frankly, nightmarish.

Their start towards the tower had given a small bit of reprieve from the dreary weather, but the small little peace was clearly not meant to be. Alloces couldn't even recall how, in the past few seconds, the thing had appeared—it just was. Her senses seemed to sharpen down to a cruel whittling point around the thing: the rain had immediately seemed to louden, her breaths smoothing into a flowing slur. She blinked, and felt the moment of her eyelids meeting as an hour rather than a second. The darkness didn't dissipate.

Was that its face?

No, no no... she denied it so vehemently, but her dutifully stuck gaze cut down any hope of another reality. She did not wish to understand this thing. She did not wish to look at it, nor know it existed. There was, for the first time in her breathtakingly short existence, something that she felt no curiosity towards. Her arms felt leaden at her sides.

But somewhere in that goddamned lack-of-face there must've been eyes, because the feeling that washed over her, however blended with crimson terror and crushingly dark despair, was the undeniable chill of being watched. She stared right back into the nonexistence, the vortex, positioned where thoughts should be. A quick glimpse passed through her mind's eye, less of a thought than a simple moment—could this thing have thoughts? Feelings? Anything of the like?—and then it was immediately gone, brushed away like those silly stones in the river.

The thing lumbered away. Alloces swayed slightly where she stood.

Her thoughts, then, were left with the breaking clarity that the creature had brought. All too many at once, really, the simulacrum thought idly, her quiet observation laid over a torrent of half-primal, half-logical screams. She wasn't drawn from it until a quiet, shuffling sound echoed from beyond the bounds of her mind. She turned to him, the speaker, her brother, ever so slowly. Her lips tensed as she looked over the simulacrums.

She couldn't even offer a nod as he finished, her quiet whisper an observation more to herself than the others. A reminder of her own humanity, because surely she could never be like such a thing. "If the Primogenitor put us here... he must've known. This has purpose." Her voice diminished, and she could no longer decipher the emotion it carried. All she knew was that she believed it, truly, wholly.

She turned fully, breaking the statuesque stillness she'd held for what could've been eons. In her time, it was. Eons of terror to mark the seconds of anything else. She felt almost two beings in one as she looked down at Ipos's outheld hand. Her own grip surprised her as she grabbed it, quickly softening from her initial strength. "I think we should continue on. This rain doesn't seem to want to let up. We shouldn't discard our only lead."

It was only as she looked back at the others that his last words seemed to reach her. The main thing is that we're all alive and as long as we have each other, we'll overcome. She tried to frown, but her expression fell flat instead. Fake blood, real fear, kinship somewhere in between.

She had a lot to learn.

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 70

SEERE

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Struck in place by an unseen authority, Seere found himself bereft of his senses as the disfigured maw, expressionless, silent, and grotesque, towered over the petrified party. Every breath that left his lungs were taken to replace the words that had long since departed from his mind and his tongue. Where rain and lightning, thunder and storm, had driven him to the point of distraction before, all that was left was an empty clarity, a weight of unknowing that settled and threatened to overwhelm what scraps of sanity that remained.

Even as it turned away, his words and thoughts remained out of reach. Slowly, though, the haze of terror would lift itself and morbid curiosity would bloom in wake of it. He wondered, frantically, perhaps hysterically, if the creature was meant to be judge, jury, or executioner? To those, much like themselves, who foolishly trespassed forgotten grounds, ruined places; to whom should they have submitted themselves to in order to announce their intentions?

Even now, as the other simulacrums moved, gathering themselves, Seere remained staring at the slow and steady march that carried the creature beyond them, and the nearly blinding halo that stood out in the dark rain. How could it possibly have been created, selected by the ring of light, what kind of world was this, where something so bright could choose an abomination devoid of its own light? Was it borrowed? Stolen? Or was this how reality ought to be, just like how Paymonia had been reaped of all that was good and beautiful, along with Heinrich Agrelius.

"Who would want to remember such a thing? Who would care to remind themselves of such a horror that graces this planet?" He pondered, swiping some of his hair out from his eyes. "...Sorry," he directed to Barbatos when she came to stand in front of him. "You're right, let's find somewhere dry. Even if we don't know where we want to go, at least we can rest for a while."

Tilting his head upwards, peering around them, he threw another suggestion out, although he was keenly aware of what his last suggestion had brought for them, "are those stairs, just off to the right?" He pointed out.

 

[Khocolatte]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 66

KIMARIS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

For once in her life, Kimaris had been able to understand the true meaning of fear, staring deep into the incomprehensible void that was its face. Desperately, she had wanted to turn away, to flee to the nearest building for safety... yet where would she run? There was nowhere to hide, aside from the tower that still stood kilometers away, which was blocked by the horrendous creature that stood in their path. It appeared to be a seemingly malleable skeleton of an undead creature, or perhaps multiple, with skinless wings protruding from its spine and a halo to indicate its holiness and purity, although the simulacrums had felt anything but that. Like a deer caught in headlights, she stood in place, overwhelmed with terror by the horrifying creature. She would find herself unable to move her body, not even a single joint from her fingers, as her entire being twitched and trembled while the ambiguous life form continued to study their shell-shocked figures.

This experience was nothing at all like the despair that Kimaris had felt when the Primogenitor's heart came to a sudden stop and ceased beating. Her feelings were much more intense this time around, amplified by about tenfold. This time, she had been aware that their lives were at stake, that at any moment, the ghastly, hollow monstrosity that served as a poor excuse of the remains of any lifeform could tear into their flesh and bone. She didn't know what would set the creature off, to trigger it, nor would she dare find out.

As her eyes remained locked on the unsettling creature, Kimaris could feel herself holding in a gasp, shutting herself up in the presence of danger. Her vision blurred slightly and her thoughts began to slip from the immediate vicinity of her consciousness, too scared to think of anything but the creature before her. Her muscles tightened, brain numbed, mouth dried, ears buzzed, throat and chest constricted, as she began to feel the sensation of ants crawling all over her body. It was an annoying feeling, but the feeling of being killed on the spot had strongly overpowered it. Slowly, she began to choke, and the pressure of her organs would continue to cave in on itself until the monster had finally crept away, disappearing into the shroud of foggy mist.

The moment of judgement had finally passed, and the indigo-haired simulacrum had at last been able to catch her breath—or so she believed. She was not aware of the after effects that would come crashing down on her upon their interaction with the monster. Even after its departure, the seconds that had been lost to time from their encounter with the unsightly sight was enough to drive Kimaris out of her mind. Her head pounded with compulsive, redundant, never-ending thoughts that were a mix of pleads for help and incomprehensible helplessness. With that, her stoic façade unwillingly faltered as her true emotions struggled to come out.

For once, she wanted to cry, to bawl her eyes out from witnessing the terrible beast, yet no tears would form from her eyes. She wanted to feel the embrace of another, to reassure her that everything would be alright, that she was fine, that she was safe, as childish as it may have been to want to bury herself against another. The painful high-pitched static still rang in her ears. A thought flashed across her mind for a split second, wondering if it had been trying to communicate to them and purposefully instill fear into their bodies, before dismissing the thought with another shiver. Whether or not the others were able to hear it as well, she was uncertain, but she was no longer able to concentrate on the words that came out of their mouths as her hearing became muffled and her sight became distorted.

She felt as if she were watching her own body through someone else's eyes, as if it were not truly her own, and cupped her hands over her ears in an attempt to quiet the high-pitched buzzing, as well as the fears that ran through her mind like the flow of rushing water. The whimpers that she had been trying so hard to control had slipped out of her mouth ever so quietly, but were left unheard by the conversation that drowned out her voice.

How much longer will we have to suffer like this? she cried in her head, noticing a pattern of events from their first moments of life. How much longer will we have our faith stripped away from us? First, we had to shut down the Creator's heart; second, we were introduced to a dreary land with only seconds to spare its glory; and now, we traveled to the place we thought would be safe, only for our lives to be threatened by some dreadful creature. What sort of sick coincidence is this?

Shortly after glossing over their findings, the simulacrum had realized a fault in her actions. While standing frozen in place by the monster that loomed over them, she had forgotten to consider the safety of her kin. Immediately, feelings of guilt and shame flooded into her. How could she think of betraying her family like that, to leave them in the clutches of the menacing malice just to ensure her own safety? She feared her selfishness, of ditching her comrades without a second thought if a similar situation were to arise in the near future. Then she began to feel a sudden coldness, both from the soaked fabric that clung onto her skin and from the idea of abandoning those in need.

 

[Arkangel]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 8

BARBATOS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

It seemed rather pathetic for the simulacrum to rest this early after just recently awakening from their slumber. But even she understood the reason behind their rapid exhaustion, for obvious reasons mixing with one another. Her physical body had not desired her to rest, but her screaming mentality was begging for her to find somewhere dry to process the beast that had just stared into the abyss that was her eyes.

It was enough of a reason to lead the group towards the tower, entering the mossed domicile that was the tower formerly suggested by Seere.

"I don't want to stay here for too long." Barbatos softly spoke to the fellow simulacrums. "That monster had no teeth, so I doubt it's carnivorous. But it'd be best to not stay close to it. I'd... rather not have any of us become a victim to its horror."

Barbatos was the first one to step her foot onto the stairs, gesturing the others to follow. They needed to find a comfortable place to sit and rest while reading the books that were provided to them by the ghost boy. If they were going to start adventuring, any idea of what's out there would've been helpful, even if the information is considered infinitesimal.

Seere's observation of this tower being the one associated with their decision to destroy the world was unnerving to think about. But the further they had walked up the stone stairs, it was obvious that this architecture provided nothing but dust and broken walls. It would've been foolish for the creator to leave something of such importance to a tower that had little to no defense. And for it to be this easy... was simply not ideal. Surely, it would be much more difficult.

Having checked her behind every so often to inspect the others, Barbatos kept on leading the group until they had reached the floor just before the top, where a small room with a sturdy ceiling was available along with several chairs was waiting for them coincidentally as if they had known that this was the perfect place for them to sit down and relax.

"This seems like an adequate spot. Let's get an idea of the terrain around us before we find ourselves treading the land below. I... hope everyone is alright with that plan." Barbatos stuttered her last sentence, feeling improper about becoming the leader of the group, unintentionally. "I'd love to discuss our plans before we leave here tonight. Our creator wishes for us to explore the world first before we cast our first judgment, and to respect him, I'd like to at least honor that request. You all feel similarly, don't you?"

Before hearing their answers, Barbatos sat on one of the wooden stools provided by the tower near the window and took out her book in preparation.

 

[Larry]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 22

IPOS

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Me neither, thought the white-haired simulacrum, in conformance with Barbatos' opinion regarding the monster, his demeanour having softened now that the feelings associated experience with the creature had begun to elapse, through the sheer passage of time. It wasn't an encouraging start to their quest, as nascent as it had already been upon their exit from the library, but to feel so utterly powerless in the face of an entity none of them understood at all, the only appropriate feeling was a sense of doubt in themselves and in their ability to fulfull the Maker's final requests. Yet, Barbatos strode on, first to climb the stairs as they entered the tower that Seere had suggested they make their way towards. The excitable simulacrum was happy, perhaps even delighted, that Barbatos naturally assumed the role of leader. Ipos couldn't ever have thought himself in such a position, prone to shifts in mood as he was; yet, in analysing that thought, he came to an understanding that there comes a great deal of worry and planning in being a leader, to ensure that those who are placed in your charge are looked after and cared for.

Even though he cared for his siblings immensely, Ipos knew in himself, as much as it hurt to him to realise it, that his siblings would be worse off in being looked after by him.

For that, amongst a variety of other reasons, he appreciated how Barbatos looked out for them, and pounded up the stairs after her.

Their leader often looked back towards the rest of them, eliciting a smile from the white-haired simulacrum, who in turn, as almost a case of monkey-see, monkey-do, smiled back towards Kimaris, Seere and Alloces. Ipos felt a need to make up for his earlier sulking, a reminder being the wetted-feel of his tome, clasped to his side by a little contrivance that allowed for a book, of the size that they ended up happening upon in the library, to be fitted into it. Ipos had wondered what the leather, delicately-crafted object was for when he had woken up, but gave it no thought up until the quintet had made their way into the library. I'll have to try and restrain myself a bit more, for fear that I cause the others trouble or...something even worse, he mentally sought to affirm, a clenching of his right hand into a fist a visible sign of his tentative goal. For now, that would involve following what the others would suggest they do from here on out, as they deliberated and formed opinions that would, in due course, decide on which of the Maker's final requests they would fulfil.

Wresting his concentration from such thoughts, Ipos realised that their clambering up the stairs had finally led to a floor where a number of chairs were situated. Upon scanning the environment to see if anything could be noted as a threat, Barbatos, having found there to be no such thing, spoke to them as to what they could do here. "I-I agree with you Barbatos," Ipos said peppily, agreeing wholeheartedly with his leader's prudent course of action, "We wouldn't want to run into anything like that creature from earlier...especially if it were to be hostile this time around." He nodded along to Barbatos' statement about the Maker, and which of his wishes they were to bring to fruition sometime in the future, after having explored the world, owing to the injunction he had imposed on them. Thinking of the Maker was always a sure way to bring Ipos into a more contemplative mood and, seeking to depart on being more useful to his siblings, the white-haired simulacrum plopped himself into the chair nearest to the stairs, in order that he'd be able react quickest if something were to find them reading: whether it could consist in his causing a diversion or being a sacrifice, Ipos felt himself steeled to do it.

His siblings were the most important thing to him.

Much like Barbatos, the nonage-troubled simulacrum took out his tome, waving it excitedly for a moment to dry it out a bit more, awaiting his siblings to do the same.

 

[pomme]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 52

ALLOCES

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The river gurgled merrily, the grasses brushed up against the tower's edge, and leaves flittered about peacefully in the wake of the beast. Barbatos was talking. Alloces wasn't listening.

When the monster had turned, when Alloces had broken the hard cast around her and moved, the fear quickly seemed to slough off in waves. It disintegrated, falling off some ledge deep inside her, the only remnant of the encounter's emotions at all the deep concentration seizing her mind. The pearlescent sheen of the halo had reminded her of a past image: the faltering, the halting, of her Creator's heart.

The moment replayed constantly in her mind's eye, splintering into separate images, each displaying a uniquely cruel vivisection: the glistening of the heart as the intervals between its beats increased; the pooling of the last traces of the elixir at the bottom of the chamber; and finally, the wetness of the eyes of the companions around her. Just as the sight itself, the loop woke no new emotion in her. Rather, it felt like the beat of a hammer, driving a single message further and further into her skull. The Primogenitor was gone. He had left, and he had left them a gift, the paramount gift: purpose.

She glanced towards Barbatos, her words already having disappeared into the wind. Unbothered by this lapse, she followed steadily up the stairs, giving Ipos a curt nod when he cast her a smile. The encounter had renewed her faith in her mission, and by proxy, reminded her of the sanctity of the group's safety. It did not seem that the Primogenitor had wished for them to die—she had no reason to think so, at least.

Upon entering the sitting room, she gave it a thorough look, sitting down when she was satisfied with her inspection. She listened somewhat more attentively this time, nodding and smiling softly, though the farther reaches of her mind still sat alongside the Creator and the dying heart.

Seeing Barbatos and Ipos retrieve their books, Alloces followed suit, clasping her hands over the cover after she'd done her best to rid it of stray water. When she finally spoke, she took care to make sure her voice was even and calm. "However little we know, it'll be best to combine it. We do need a full picture before making such a grievous judgement, right?" With that she grinned slightly. "We don't have much other than the river, which will at the very least lead somewhere. I guess the more pressing issue then is the creatures." The s was not tacked on without regard: if the simulacrums themselves were a group instead of just one, she should think that this creature had its own band. "We need a plan for our next encounter. Do you reckon there might be anything useful in here? Either sharp or dull and flat. Whatever could protect us or—if needed—get rid of whatever we need protecting from."

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 70

SEERE

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Every step taken to ascend the stairs felt heavy. Where Barbatos had her eyes trained straight ahead, and her thoughts no doubt fixated on productive ideas, Seere couldn't help but to keep his head bowed, as if his own worries, haunted still by the visage of a faceless maw, were a hand whose grasp pressed unkindly upon his neck, forcing him to bow his head under its unforgiving grip. The smiles and glances directed his way went unnoticed, even if it was likely the one thing he quietly yearned for as dust coiled all around throughout the rather mundane climb up the tower. Dramatically, he thought the little crumbs crushed underneath his feet was much like his dwindling hopes; dread settled and despair declared that there was no answer or discovery that would await them in this crumbling, hollow tower.

There was nothing to be found here that would make up for the harrowing trip and encounter that he had brought to his siblings; nothing to serve as a balm for the horror that now carved itself a home in their ... in them.

When he seated himself, he did so gracelessly, allowing all of his weight to collapse into the chair, as concern and guilt met in an ugly collision. A horrible whisper had plagued him, as guilt curled about his fearful flighty heart: what was he without his siblings? What was he without the steadfast Barbatos whose unique authority had kept their spines straightened since their awakening? What was he without the natural curiosity of Ipos, whose attempts to make sense of the world far suppressed his own efforts? Or even the kind pragmatism that tempered Alloces, whose unwavering stature inspired him to keep on marching, contrasting the tranquil charm of Kimaris who never failed to cast her caring eyes upon him, reminding him to look back least he forget what remained behind.

If the creator had shaped them with these qualities to venture and realize the world that had disappointed him, Seere despaired that he may never find what the creator intended for him, and if no desirable quality had been used to shape his form. However, reprieve presented itself when Alloces began to speak up, and in her hands (in Ipos's and Barbatos's hands) he realized that the book would serve as a reminder that not all was lost, or beyond his reach and ability.

Holding his book with both his hands, his thumb trailed the uneven texture of the leather cover, and he resolved to pluck anything he could from its pages; leaving nothing untouched or unseen.

"No arguments, there," he addressed to Barbatos belatedly, almost distractedly, and not entirely truthfully. While he was certain that he would carry out the wishes of the Primogenitor with the best and noblest of intentions, he was equally driven by his ever growing curiosity and hunger for answers. He simply wished to know more about the Primogenitor who had passed with but a few lines, so evidently worn, but unwilling to disclose what it was that had pushed him past the edge of no return.

As he tuned into Alloces's firm voice, he began to lightly drum his fingers on the cover of his book, and spoke up quickly right after her, "We've already walked up the entire tower and haven't -" he suddenly stopped his next breath short, because a sudden realization came forth, but he still had his reservations. Shaking his head he continued, "there's still the very top of this tower, but what if it isnt something sharp, or dull, or flat that we need?" Ceasing his fidgeting, the drumming of his fingers, he shook his book in one hand, "If we're going to make our plans by nightfall, we need to know everything, as close to everything as we can ... as fast as we can," he nodded, declaring his agreement with the others who had spoken up.

"It'd also be helpful if we could get our hands on a map somehow," he muttered offhandedly, peering up to the window that Barbatos had sat next to, and marveling at how even framed by the small window, the world seemed too vast to capture on a mere sheet of paper.

 

[Khocolatte]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 66

KIMARIS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The group leader's suggestion fell on deaf ears once more as Kimaris remained stuck in place by the pacing of her thoughts. Only when she sneezed from the cold of her soaked garments did she slowly begin to regain her physical senses and see the other simulacrums gain distance from her position, causing her to bring herself back down to earth. The same adrenaline that seeped out of her body made its way back into her nerves, instinctively carrying her legs in the direction that the rest of the group had been traveling, in fear that the abominable anomaly would make its way back to her after mindlessly wandering around the area.

Barbatos, Ipos, Alloces, and Seere were all a constant distance away from her—about 8 meters or so—causing their figures to become more indistinguishable by the second. WIth their backs facing her, Kimaris felt an unwelcoming loneliness and a slight sense of paranoia envelop her body, as if they had planned to leave her in the clutches of the mortifying, uncomfortably holy beast. Was this what it felt like to be abandoned? The thought caused a shiver to run down her spine, and quickly, she began to break off into a sprint towards the group until she was directly behind them. She could not bare to imagine having to survive in this intimidating world on her own, especially if it meant having to fend for herself from those... things.

Maybe this is some sort of retribution, for even thinking about leaving them, my family... my home, she sulked to herself, before coming to a sudden realization. How did she know what 'home' was, and why did the idea of it feel so bittersweet?

The indigo-haired simulacrum slowly felt guilt rising within her again as she slowly ascended the stairwell, and wondered if she was selfish for following them out of fear and her own protection if they had not wanted her so, but the guilt slipped away as quickly as it came. She could feel no hostility from the other members, even if she could not see their faces, save Ipos', with his soft and innocent child-like smile. That, along with Alloce's gentle, yet tenacious aura, and Seere's soothingly stern and gravely contemplative mind—not to mention Barbatos' increasingly reliable valiance—was enough to calm herself down.

On second thought... perhaps I've just been imagining things.

At the risk of almost having lost her brethren and herself, Kimaris bore a soft smile in gratitude for their presence. However, when responding prior to Ipos' own, the indigo-haired simulacrum assumed a poker face, only raising her eyebrows at him in response to his gleeful expression. A small feeling of warmth began to spread throughout her body, thawing the rigid ice she felt had formed within her chest. Even though the internal warmth had not been enough to rid of the coldness from her drenched clothes, she could feel her steps become a little bit lighter, her movements slightly less bound by the fabrics that clinged itself to her and caused her body to feel like lead.

Rather than to sit herself amongst the others by the time they came to the second to last floor of the tower, Kimaris paced about the room as she listened to the others talk, her body moving on its own. Reflexively, she rubbed her hands against her arms and cupped her hands to blow a warm breath inside before repeating her actions.

"The Primogenitor's wish," she whispered to herself, "How could I forget?" She reached out to grab the codex that had been tucked securely under her arm. Its pages were still wet and quite difficult to read, yet she felt that adding friction to the book's contents would only damage the frail object even further, causing her to frown. Kimaris continued to pace the room, looking around for anything worth taking note of while she continued to warm herself up. After carefully listening to the conversation, she waited for a few more seconds to make sure everyone had finished pitching in their ideas before she piped in with her own.

"Hmm, you all make some good points. If we want to find out everything we can as quickly as possible, perhaps we could take turns searching the area and reading whatever pages we still can.

"Even though this tower wasn't what we expected it to be, it still seems to have some items intact," Kimaris said, adding on to Alloce's suggestion. "I've already walked around the room a couple of times, but I haven't found anything worthy of inspection quite yet." The next part she muttered to herself. "Maybe I just haven't been looking in the right areas, or need to tamper with something first...Maybe there's a secret room or another hidden library around here," she joked quietly, before another idea came to mind.

"By the way, do any of you know how to dry a book? I think that sort of information would come plenty in handy."

 

[Arkangel]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 8

BARBATOS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The room fell in silence while Barbatos pondered what to do next. She nimbly flipped through the pages of the codex, hoping to find something, anything, that would let her know about their origins and whereabouts. To her disappointment, she was left with nothing—nothing that would serve of great importance anyway—as the damp pages remained full of blurred and incomprehensible text. With a small sigh, she shut the book.

Barbatos' eyes glanced all around the tattered room, unable to see anything out of the ordinary, dust gathering upon dust. With careful consideration of their situation, she carried out a new set of instructions after listening to the insights and suggestions provided, figuring it was the only solution she was able to come up with.

"Searching the tower is a good idea, but I would suggest we not go anywhere below this floor, in case we run into anything... unexpected," Barbatos advised in her usual docile tone, with a hint of concern. "Let's have everyone look around, then. It would be good to cover the area while we can."

"Seere," she called out, breaking him out of his trance. "Since you mentioned the top floor, why don't you go up there and see what you can find?" she asked, before catching onto the idea that she was beginning to sound quite demanding. "Um, I-I mean, if that's okay with you..." she stuttered again, still unsure of how to take the role as the group's unofficial leader. "If you decide to, you should take someone with you. It wouldn't be wise to go alone, after all. And I... I know that we're not going to be too far away from each other, but I just wanted to tell everyone to stay safe."

Unbeknownst to the simulacrums, there would lie an archaic map on a wooden table, littered with dust, at the very top of the tower. The map would showcase the current region of their whereabouts on Paymonia, titled 'Ruina Silva' and transcribed as 'The Forest of Lost Ideals' right below the text.

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 70

SEERE

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Seere perked up, hearing his name. In his hands was his opened book, though his attention had never quite managed to stay fixed upon it, not when the pages had been stuck together, half wet and half dry, making his every attempt to glean information from it troublesome. At some point, the world that laid beyond, still mysterious and still worrisome, captured his wonder once again. And so, who was he to argue when the opportunity to explore it - even if it was a simple floor above them - came forth.

Still, he made a show of contemplating the directions that came from Barbatos, made sure to show the others that he was not blinded yet again by eagerness and tempted by the unknown. Indulging in such emotions freely came with its own prices, and Seere knew better than to take comfort from them now. He would not foolishly string them into another ill-advised encounter, that he would make sure of. With a heavy nod, at last, and snapping his book closed with a certain degree of finality, he pushed himself off from his knees.

"An extra pair of eyes certainly wouldn't hurt," he allowed after an extra pause, and a raise of an eyebrow, pointedly ignoring the uncertainty that plagued Barbatos. It would have been easy to challenge her then, he knew, in between the bursts of hesitation and stutters, it would have been easy to cross his arms and dictate his own terms - had they not aligned so perfectly with Barbatos's directions to begin with; if they all weren't already so perfectly in tune with what it was they wanted to get done. It didn't feel much like submitting to Barbatos, thankfully.

His eyes quickly stopped at each of the simulacrums before he nodded at Alloces. "You mentioned finding something we could use, let's find it," he suggested, and despite having been devil's advocate at her earlier suggestion, Seere knew that bringing Alloces was the right decision since she already had the right motivation. Out of all of them, she would have the keenest eye for anything out of the ordinary, or particularly useful, if her earlier suggestions were anything to go by. Seere didn't bother waiting up for Alloces, knowing that they were racing against the hours left of the day.

However, on his way out, he came to a pause, clapping a heavy hand on Ipos's shoulder. Seere found himself lost for words at that very moment - what was one supposed to say here? It wasn't farewell or good luck that he wanted to convey, but what was it? Stay safe? Take care? Keep an eye on them? Ipos knew to do all of these things already, choosing the least attractive seat of them all, so why would Seere feel compelled to bring it up to him again? Unwilling to linger for long, lest Allcoes get ahead of him (or leave him behind), he simply squeezed the other man's shoulder and passed a smile before exiting the room.


Much of the travel up was nothing new. However, Seere did bring himself to a stop when a sudden breeze tickled at his cheek and once again the drum of rain was heard so much more clearly than before. Ridding himself from the distractions with a quiet apology for his abrupt pause, he hurried on, quietly eager to see what exactly awaited them at the top of this crumbling tower. It was clear this tower was of no real import, but there was still some odd weight in his stomach at the idea of reaching the summit. Was is a hunger for accomplishment? Or a dreading, of trepidation, for disturbing things they weren't meant to touch, for intruding when they had been uninvited?

Upon taking his first steps onto landing of the top floor, Seere's eyes were immediately drawn to the growing puddle in the center of the room, rippling as rain drizzled endlessly into it, feeding it. Despite the hour of the day, and the horrid weather, there was still some degree of light from the outside, it did not rival the sunlight that had been present for all of ten seconds from their discovery of the plains, but it was providing just enough so that corners could be clearly perceived. The light peeking through the hole in the ceiling - Seere would like to think it was a hole made intentionally, and not another casualty of time and age - would reveal the lonesome table off to the side of the room.

It looked so out of place for some reason, but Seere knew it to be the missing piece that was meant to compliment the chairs from the floor below. No one should have a table without chairs, or chairs that did not tuck into tables. It brought into question then just who, or what, was last to make use of the chairs and table. Taking a few cautious steps toward the table, his confusion bloomed into elation when he realized it was not a throw that draped the table - but large unfurled sheet paper!

"Alloces, do you think anyone else has been here before us?" He couldn't help but to ask. "Are we the first to come upon this? As unlikely as it sounds?" He added, as his hand reached out to the dusty, almost moth-eaten, surface of the wooden table, carefully avoiding the paper, though his eyes trembled and tried to consume whatever colors had painted the diagram; all of it at once.

 

[pomme]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 52

ALLOCES

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

The room in the air lapped over her in welcome waves, somehow feeling clearer than that of outside. A warmth trailed her skin even where the rain had touched it prior. When Barbatos had uttered the words—however insignificant—Alloces smiled brightly. Something about them was different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but even as the girl tripped over her own tongue, doubted her own words as they left her mouth, Alloces felt like she was looking at someone with something they wanted. If only in the slightest of ways, she saw a reason for her actions, even if she couldn't put it into words or anything other than a slight feeling. She could only hope that one day she would be able to see it clearer, past the layers of clumsiness and weakness. Ambition was useful. She couldn't inspire ambition, or create it from nothing at all, but she could cup her hand around it and make sure it grew towards the sunlight. She was ready to.

She only looked up when the now acutely familiar sensation of eyes lit on her. Her brow quirked at Seere, peering up at him. He hurried off before she could get a grasp on him. She stood and left only her book behind, ready to hurry after him, but it took only a moment for him to stop at the edge of the room, hovering by Ipos' side. She had to draw closer to realize that he had a hand on his shoulder. She blinked and the seconds seemed to slow as she waited. Finally, he broke off without a word, leaving only a thickness in the air and a strange feeling Alloces felt she couldn't grasp. She looked towards the others and followed after him, hoping the look on her face hadn't been too sour.

Alloces was more than content to follow behind Seere; it allowed her to keep a steady pace, letting her eyes and hands roam without wondering if she was bothering him. Asides, it gave her a better view of the simulacrum himself. There was more than one thing she was hoping to observe. She had noticed immediately when he stopped so suddenly, yet didn't say anything other than a quiet murmur. She wished she knew why.

Only as the reached their destination did she step out beside him, gazing down at the puddle for less than a moment before she stepped forwards. Plink, plink. The rain gathered incessantly. Her wandering footsteps stopped when, after a quick survey of the other (essentially empty) corners of the room, she came upon the table. Seere approached it and she hurried after him.

There was something, a sheet of paper that she instinctively knew to be a map. Her eyes hungrily devoured the text within. The Forest of Lost Ideals. Reading the words made her want to laugh a childish, naive kind of laughter. Whatever she felt couldn't possibly be lost. Seere's words reached out to her and she turned, looking at his hand hovering so slightly above the parchment.

She placed her own down, running her fingers as lightly as possible across the surface, feeling the grit and grain beneath. She closed her eyes, taking a slight breath before she spoke. "I think..."

"I think if—I think if the map is up here, that means something got it here, but..." She turned and grasped shoulder the same way she had seen him do, even if the contact felt like it burned. "We can't really know, can we? Maybe a group just like us met here while we woke up. But this thing is here, so that has to mean it's meant for us." She turned back, pulling gently at the map's corners until it snapped off the table and rolled into a neat cylinder. "Let's get this back down there. I think I saw where we are."

This time she took the lead, her steps neither light or heavy but instead focused. She brandished the map up upon returning to the others, pulling it apart so that the aged drawing was visible. "You mentioned getting familiar with the terrain?"

 

[Larry]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 22

IPOS

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Ipos was surprised by Seere's gesture, upon the latter being tasked by Barbatos to explore the floor immediately above them. The simulacrum had his eyes firmly-glued to the stairs off to the left, quite insistent on his new role as a watchdog, or potential ragdoll, to the five of them. So, as one could imagine, being broken out of concentration as he was by Seere, especially through such an expected action, jolted the white-haired simulacrum's attention to the sensation of his sibling's hand upon his shoulder. If it had come from Kimaris, or Barbatos, maybe Ipos could have understood the thought behind the motion, but Seere? It didn't seem to sit proper with Ipos and, if he were to appear even less sympathetic, it seemed, ironically, artificial. It was only as he was about to say something that Seere lifted his grasp and smiled at him, before disappearing up the flight of stairs, with an unamused Alloces in tow. Maybe I'm just a bit jealous, Ipos thought to himself, slumping back into the chair, Seere and Alloces are so composed, so rational, while I wasted time sulking and being emotional. Still, as strange as it was to receive such a thing from his sober sibling, in a sense, perhaps not following logically from his thought process, he felt happy about it.

However, as the sound of Seere and Alloces clambering up the stairs sounded out, Ipos, apart from a brief glance towards Kimaris and Barbatos, who were busily swiping through the pages of their own codices, went back to having his eyes trained on the stairs. Even if this determination on his part seemed liked another one of his spontaneous mood-swings by the others, the white-haired simulacrum would continue to watch that entrance way like a hawk; after all, it was the least he could do. For if it weren't for his stone-throwing near the river, and the few minutes that the others wasted in fetching him from a self-imposed doldrum, they might have avoided encountering that...creature. Thinking back on the encounter, and his own trembling before that winged, haloed-beast, Ipos mentally chided himself and yet, in doing so, it only grew to make him more determined.

I won't be a burden to them anymore, he mentally affirmed, balling his hand into a first as an outward sign of newfound conviction.

After a time had passed, the sound of footsteps descending down the stairs behind him alerted Ipos to the return of his siblings. As Seere followed in their brown-haired sibling's stead, the white-haired simulacrum's face lit up in a mirthful smile as their eyes locked, with a sententious thumbs up in appreciation for his earlier gesture. And it seemed Barbatos' instructions were inspired, since Alloces walked out and unfurled a map, assumedly of their current location, for Kimaris, Barbatos and himself to see. An enthused "Woooooowwwww!" issued from Ipos' mouth and it was only after it had reverberated around the room that the white-haired simulacrum noticed how loud he had been, thusly blanketing his face in a reddish hue.

"Um...uh...d-did it you find anything out...from it?" he asked, a sense of curiosity and nervousness present in his voice.

 

[Khocolatte]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 66

KIMARIS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

While Alloces and Seere searched the top floor for clues that would help them understand the world better, Kimaris remained in the floor below, along with Ipos, who had been vigilantly keeping an eye by the doorway, and Barbatos, who had gotten up from her seat after delivering careful orders to the others to help search the room. At Kimaris' first glance, there really had not much to be found. The few shelves in the room were barren, save for a few intricate wood carvings of animals, a metallic globe, empty snack bags, and some CDs. She then moved over to rummage through the dust-filled boxes, coughing from the particles that filled the air as she opened its flaps.

Hmm, let's see what we've got here... Telescope parts, unlit candles, a lighter, health pamphlets, "A Simple Guide to Astronomy", and... some illustrated storybooks? I have a feeling that Ipos might like these.

The purple-haired simulacrum gathered up some graphic novels and was about to move over to check the contents of the next box, only to have been interrupted by a small 'clink' by her feet. She would have assumed it was a stone, given its shape, but it had not moved or sounded like one. It simply slid a few inches away for her, causing Kimaris to pick it up out of curiosity.

After taking a closer look at the thing, brushing some dust off and opening its lid, did she realize that she had gotten hold of a silver pocket compass. It seemed to work fine, from what Kimaris could tell, as the red needle wavered slightly while she turned around the room, but ultimately pointed in the same direction. Just in time, she thought, as the duo who had been sent to search the floor above descended the stairs.

If her attention had not been caught by their quick footsteps, it most certainly would have been by Ipos' outburst of astonishment. To her surprise, they had revealed a map of a small region in Paymonia, which Kimaris believed they would all presume to be the region they were currently at. It seemed their time spent searching the top floor was well-rewarded.

Taking in a small breath to prepare herself, Kimaris also shared what she'd found so far, even if most of what she had found had not been particularly helpful to their cause.

"I took a look in one of these boxes laying by the floor, and inside were some dismantled telescope parts, some books—here, Ipos, they're not very informational, though—and some candles if we need to stay here overnight. I also found this, uh, magnetic compass that might have fallen out of one of them. I think it could be quite useful with the map you two just found," she said with a slight smile on her face.

She then turned over to the leader, who seemed to be busy with her thoughts. When wasn't she?

"What about you, Barbatos? Did you find anything? Do you think we're in the clear to move on for now, or do you think it's still too dangerous outside?"

 

[Khocolatte]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 8

BARBATOS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

It had only been minutes from when she had risen from her seat, but Barbatos could already feel a wisp of exasperation creep through her body as her search with Kimaris thus far had not led to any significant findings in the slightest. Like all other emotions, though, she would put it to rest.

What had not been dust, pencil shavings, or discarded rubbish that showed signs of human presence was replaced with space, void of any object. At that moment, it felt as if the room had been enveloped in an icy, gloomy aura, as if time had moved on without them, rendering them stuck in a place without meaning. Thunder boomed and lighting followed shortly after, crackling away into the tense air and ushering another fleeting warning to move on, to which she did. In order to keep moving forward and fulfill the Creator's wish, she could not succumb to her mental exhaustions, if even only for a second.

As her brief search came to an end, Barbatos walked back to the middle of the room, right as Seere and Alloces returned from the floor above to announce their finding of a map. To her surprise, Kimaris had also found a compass useful for navigating them through the world of implications. She had not expected Ipos to discover anything, as his eyes were still fixated on the doorway to the floors beneath them. Her eyes trailed towards his direction for a few seconds, only to be interrupted from her temporary trance by Kimaris' questions.

"Ah, no, I still haven't found anything yet. Is this all you three have?" she asked as she gathered the items. "It's... not much, but it will be enough for now. Having a map and a compass is a good start if we want to know where we're going after all," she replied, before noticing a small glint upon Seere's jacket collar. Without notice, she reached for the item, which had revealed itself to be a fountain pen. "Was this on the top floor, too? We can use it to mark down our path as we-"

Before she could finish her sentence, another tempestuous thrash of thunder and lightning struck down against a nearby tree, causing it to snap in half and crash against the unstable tower. With wood clashing against stone, the building began to crack and rumble, to which Barbatos immediately alerted herself and the others to flee the building as quickly as possible in the loudest voice she could muster.

"... Go! Ack- This building's going to collapse, so let's leave now! There's no point in staying here any longer," she shouted as she began to head towards the roof. "As much as I'm not willing to run into that creature again, our chances of survival are much higher if we escape this tower together."

Whether or not the Primogenitor meant to haphazardly send the simulacrums into a world of danger, she did not know. Perhaps they had just been unfortunate with their series of encounters, but either way, Barbatos was determined to fulfill her life's purpose. However, in order to do that, she would have to make it out of the tower alive, preferably with her siblings as well.

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 70

SEERE

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

Seere was about to protest the casual theft that Barbatos had committed, but hearing her intentions to use the (stolen) pen alongside the rest of the tools they had plundered to map their journey, he could only nod, because in the next moment, the ground beneath their feet shook with an unmatched ferocity, and idle chatter and discussion was all but forgotten in favor of heeding the urgent directions from Barbatos.

With longer strides, Seere raced ahead of the rest of them, jumping unevenly up the steps even as the tower began to shake uncontrollably, jostling them and hindering their frantic progress to escape certain doom. It was only when he had reached the summit, again, that he realized their rather impossible odds. But he was determined to survive, and live. To see beyond the ruin that seemed all too present in their short awakening thus far - with the rest of his siblings.

"There's only one way out from up here," he turned his head around as the rest of the Simulacrums made their way up, his voice firm even as his thoughts were touched with hysteria, and his arm snapped out, reaching high above his head where the hole in the ceiling was; their only chance out of here "with the tower buckling over, the top will probably pop right off, and we can find the perfect opportunity to jump when-"

Suddenly, Seere was cut off when the world seemed to tilt over onto one side, bringing all of them flat onto the ground, and then right up against the walls. They were going to fall, and the walls were the solid surface their feet were to find purchase on now. Straining to keep his head from hitting any hard surfaces, Seere waved his arm frantically, still, "get up!" he urged them, as he too took a few stumbling starts to get onto his knees himself - before the top truly detached itself, and sent them into a free fall towards the unforgiving ground.

"We need to jump out before it hits the ground - we won't - we can't- " ah, and the poor man bit his lip in his desperation to relay his thoughts, but that didn't keep him from rising to his feet, from reaching out to Kimaris, and tugging her along, running on the walls now, towards the hole just as the top of the tower began to tip and fall over.

Falling at the lip of the hole, Seere cursed his trembling hands - it had sounded so simple, to just jump, but now that he was confronted with the necessity to throw himself out what determination had given him strength in his legs seemed to drain away.

"The tree!" He barked, suddenly, spying the large burly tree that had been responsible for their current circumstances, ironic that it would also prove to save their necks. "We can grab onto it," Or at the very least, he could, and then he could catch anyone that couldn't. And Ipos too!

Steadying his feet at the edge, Seere pushed himself off first - and all but crashed into a particularly large and sturdy branch, with its prickly, sharp broken bark scratching at his arm. "Jump!" He screamed at them, but it was more for the sake of his own nerves, as he was certain they were all on the same page - desperate for survival.

Besides, he couldn't afford to keep an eye on the rest of them when fear struck his heart again. If the imminent collapse of the tower, the fear of being buried under rock, debris and stone, had set his heart racing, the sight of a gargantuan, white beast unleashing a soundless wave of a pink and white at the remains of the tower stopped his heart entirely when it lumbered slowly, turning to face them, unminding of the casual destruction it had wrought onto the large tower, uncaring that their lives had nearly been collateral, and unknowing that it had seemed to open up an underground passage that had been hidden under the tower all this time.

 

[pomme]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 52

ALLOCES

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

Directly before the disaster, everything had seemed to slow; there was then a split-second of normalness, and then everything was thrown into a rapid whirlwind too fast to be processed.

"Go!" Barbato's voice was so loud it reverberated inside Alloce's head. She sprinted after the girl. Her feet made the way for her with no input from her ambling, disjointed thoughts. Stone against stone, crackling wood, protesting ground—each sound combined into a spiraling alarm. They were in the stairwell. On top of the tower. Together? She couldn't look around before—

she slammed against the floor and found herself balled up against a wall, and then suddenly on top of it. Colors swum before her. She didn't know Seere had spoken, yet the crux of his message sat across her vision in bold black text. Hole in the roof? It made no sense. She stood and felt the tower fall further and further, inch by inch beneath her feet. Whatever was holding them up at such an angle was giving out.

It took her much too long to recognize the blobs of color ahead as Seere and Kimaris. Her lips formed faulty words, stumbling over air and her tongue. He leaned out. No, stop - what? It didn't make sense, and then he jumped, he was were gone, and she was all alone and about to die.

Her hands met the ridge, next to Kimaris, the rest of her body heaving to catch up. Seere hung onto a thick branch not far below. The tree was rooted deeply, securely in the ground, even though it looked like a crater had smashed into its missing upper half. In the breadth of a moment, the green ground rushed much closer to her face, and stone screamed. There wasn't any time.

She planted her palms down, propped her heel up on the ledge, bounced once, heard the tower giving way, and leapt into the air. Her eyes strained against the relentless wind, hands outstretched, reaching—and she slammed into the trunk. Her hands tore against the bark, but the split of a gnarled branch cradled her, and she looked down towards Seere. But Seere was the least concerning thing that met her vision.

The giant roared at the tower, something horrible spewing out at what remained standing. A sharpness took the space where fear should've been. "Now!" Her voice was hoarse and shrill. The destruction was horrific. Cheerful colors covered wreckage, and if they had been less lucky, their bodies would've been among it. She was furious. Her hands dropped the bark and she pushed herself off from her branch, finding another one below, and another. She continued making her way down until her hands found themselves grabbing air.

She had missed a branch. Her grasping hands were met with clumps of dirt and grass and the air was promptly knocked out of her. She rolled to one side, grasping at her stomach and groaning into the ground. The offending branch loomed teasingly above her vision, just taller than herself. "Hurry down!" She yelled, arching her neck in a futile attempt to see the monster. She would have to catch her breath first.

 

[Larry]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 22

IPOS

Location: RUINS OF PAYMONIA

It all started so suddenly; Ipos' attention was flickering between the stairway and his siblings, who had returned with a map, which had instilled a semblance of hope in the quintet. Then, as though the world felt fit to confound whatever momentary peace they found themselves in, the tower began to shake violently. A prompt injunction from Barbatos urged them to make their way to the top of the tower, her actions assaying the order, with Seere bounding up the stairs after her.

The white-haired simulacrum, discomfited for a moment, scrambled out of the chair onto the ground, as the floor began to tilt, partially dragging him in the direction of the descending flight of stairs. A quick glance upwards and he saw his siblings clamber their way up the stairs to his left, and, as though the floor were icy, he struggled to get to his feet, his hands failing to bound himself upwards. A shot of panic caused adrenaline to course through the simulacrum veins, which caused Ipos to speedily, if not a tad shakily, rouse himself into an upright position, giving chase to the four ahead of him.

Erratic breathing began to grip Ipos as he finally caught sight of his siblings, with Seere's attempted explanation balked by the sudden lurching forward that landed the five of them against the wall, the white-haired simulacrum colliding face first against concrete. Rightly dazed, Ipos tired to regain focus, a tentative hand moving towards his face, a gentle swiping motion relayed to the young man that blood was flowing out his nose. He bit his lip in agitation, but circumstances dictated that he worry about the reddish hue splashed about his upper lip later.

Scanning the vicinity, Ipos noticed that a hole had been cracked open in the roof, and if the furious gesturing of Seere was anything to go by, it seemed that his brother wished for them to jump through it. Regaining his balance, the white-haired simulacrum felt trepidation take over every nerve in his body. Jump? And fall to their deaths? He couldn't bring himself to move, his feet fixed firmly to the spot, his breathing becoming more and more discordant. I...I c-c-can't do it, Ipos thought to himself, a frightened countenance being evinced by the thought of leaping through the craggy hole.

Forlorn scenarios began to dot his mindscape, envisioning that his siblings would be better off without him in this instance; their encounter with that winged-creature was proof of how superfluous he was, his only weighty action being nearly killing the lot of them. Nearly resigning to his self-ordained fate, Seere's ringing command of "JUMP!" rang out snapped Ipos out of his thoughts, with the looming presence of a massive tree as the thing that could save them being squished against tarmac. The white-haired simulacrum grit his teeth, wiped away the steady stream of blood that had begun to drop down over his lip, and made a dart towards the hole. Where the sudden impulse came from, Ipos couldn't tell; it was almost as though something, or somebody else, was motivating and pushing his body forward. As he gripped the ridges of the opening, the white-haired simulacrum gulped, and, without nothing on his mind...leaped.

Only for his chest to slam against one of the out-stretched branches of the tree. Winded, Ipos frantically tried to maintain grip of the branch, his inhalation and exhalation slowly becoming more normalised. At the same time, the young man's eyes darted about to see where his siblings where, and, in much the same to him, collided against the tree and dropped to the ground. In much the same manner, Ipos tried to make his way down the tree, but with a loss of footing, the white-haired simulacrum began to fall, in a most languid-way, towards the ground, smashing against both the trunk of the tree and its various branches, lacerating the youth around numerous parts of his buddy. With a sickening THUD!., like a wounded beast, Ipos howled in pain as his battered figure landed at last. Tears effused from his eyes, his blue orbs imbrued with sable liquid. Struggling to a seated position, the white-haired simulacrum's eyes gaped open at the sight of another monster, letting out a beam of some kind, that struck the debris. Ipos sniffled, his cut-strewn hand wiping away a tear that threatened to display his weakness anew.

 

[voracity]

SIMULACRUM KEY UNIT 8

BARBATOS

Location: Ruins of Paymonia

Somehow, Barbatos found herself breathing a little easier as she watched Ipos make his jump up ahead of her. Even as the tremors beneath her feet grew, and the opportunity to make it out alive grew slimmer by seconds, she couldn't help but to feel accomplished. Her quiet pride would not allow herself to flee for safety before any one of her siblings; bringing up the rear, as she often did, was exactly where she knew she was meant to be, ensuring that no one was left behind, so that they could all move forward together.

Hearing fierce roars from afar, from the other simulacrums, Barbatos felt determination swelling from within. They were all waiting for her, and Barbatos had no intentions of ignoring their call.

Knowing that she would not have the luxury of readying herself for a leap of faith the way some of the others had, Barbatos clenched her jaw as she raced towards the hole, preparing her leading foot to push off against the very edge - only for another quake to thrum underneath the stones she ran across, throwing her momentum off, but it did not bring Barbatos to her knees like it had the first time. Stumbling awkwardly to the hole, Barbatos threw herself right out of it without even looking where it was she intended to land.

While mid-fall, she hysterically cheered, seeing that there was a pile and slab of debris that was perfectly positioned to break her fall early. Bracing herself, she groaned and felt her back burn when she landed sooner than she anticipated. Breathing heavily, trying to manage the pain that paralyzed her, she squinted around the sting and burn that seemed to cloud her eyes - but it hadn't been from the pain, there was something blinding that shone overhead.

When the light dissipated, Barbatos gasped out loud, seeing a shower of stone plummeting down towards her. Her arms pushed her up into a seated position as quickly as she possibly could, but when she tried to shuffle herself onto her feet, her knees gave out. Cursing her luck, her weakness, and her lack of foresight, Barbatos used the last of her strength to throw herself as far away from her current position, right off the pile of debris. She had no idea where she landed, or if any more stones were going to crush her, but she managed to find the one responsible for their misfortune.

And, as if to answer her contempt, the white beast reared its head, bringing a pink and white glow to gather at its snout no doubt for one more blast.

But this time, Barbatos took a moment to gather herself, and her surroundings. With no means to fight back, or find cover, she rolled herself right into the sizable crater that had been created when the bottom half of the tower had been atomized. To her surprise though, it was no mere crater, as she rolled over the edge of the dip, she found herself free falling once again, and landing on cold stone once again.

It was cold, the air was different, stale almost. There was no light, save for the sizable hole at the top that had been blown open by the monster above the surface, and while it made it hard to see what exactly occupied this underground room, there were dark shadows on the walls, the complete absence of light in some places indicated the position of objects in here. Turning her head over, Barbatos's jaw unhinged itself, seeing two white chests line up neatly against the wall. Although they were not bathed in light, like Barbatos herself was, it was clear that the chests were intact, untouched by the ravages of time. There was a spot of red, a thin layer of dust, that covered it, but they gave no indications of being ancient decorations. They filled her with a careless hope.

But then a shadow fell onto her face, and Barbatos's head returned to peer up at the hole above again, squinting, and seeing a human-shaped silhouette, but she could not make out who it was. Panic returned, and she couldn't help but to scold them, "what are you doing?! Run! It's not safe with that monster out there! I'll be fine," she lied, "there's - there's something in here that can probably fend it off - you guys need to find somewhere to hide, I have the map and compass, so I'll definitely find you, but you need to hide now, before more monsters show up!"