Dreams Blurring Reality

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Late night at the Arch, Adrain sat in the Alternate Reality Chamber. Ever since Melda had reported the disturbances, Adrain had been going over all the glyphs tediously and meticulously making certain there were no alterations. He didn't think it'd be possible since everything was carved and the room was maintained with great vigil. Yet the concerns were what he took seriously, thinking Melda had no reason to mislead and any chance had to be examined.

Of course time goes on and stamina wears thin and while going over one slab his flickering consciousness finally gives way to sleep whether he wanted it or not. It was at this point he fell into a sleep such that engaged the ARC, the faintly glowing runes illuminating the room triggered by his natural sleeping cycle. It was at this point his mind slips into a latent memory, long forgotten by the waking mind but dormant in the form of a dream, occasionally allowing the lucid mind a glimpse into another time.

Adrain would lay in a bed of the highest quality, the room a white marble accented with clear gems that held a dim light. He would appear younger, his hair short and flowing as his eyes glew faintly at all times. He laid back against a small wall of pillows, the extravagant silk covering his body of the sheet as he looked in the direction of the lavatory. In the dream, he called out in a certain tone of voice a little younger.

"Karina? Are you coming? We can do this another time perhaps if you are shy and changed your mind from your earlier amorous advance after you came back from training with Deidric. I still can't believe he cut off your arm for you to regenerate like that..."

To Adrain the image would always be that of the woman whom resembled another the waking version knew, but whoever would see them as themselves...

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Melda was anxious. She was starting as a teacher at the Arch, and she had no idea what she was doing. It was decently late when she decided she needed to speak with Adrain, talk to someone who knew how to handle students, and etiquette like that. She’d been a role model, a tutor even, but she’d never managed a class, and she’d never taught anything, than to be a good noble! Hoping Adrain could calm her down, Melda left the castle at an oddly late hour, and her travel time made it even later by the time she arrived.

She rushed through the school, making her way to the Chamber Adrain had recently shown her. She had dressed in a hurry when leaving her chambers, and thus wore a simple cloth dress of off green, the neckline loose around her collar bone. The hem of the dress rested on the ground, while the sleeves were open and shut, connected at her shoulder, open again, and once more connected at her forearm, opening back into a lovely hanging ruffle. It was incredibly simple, and very casual for Melda, but she was in a hurry, and didn’t want to waist time on corset lace, and petticoats. In addition, her hair was left alone, resting against her mid back, wavy and soft.

Once she entered the room, she stopped in her tracks, finding Adrain passed out in the middle of working. She couldn’t help but laugh softly, for he looked so strewn about. Melda approached quietly, waving her hand in front of his face to confirm his state of slumber. After a moment, she came upon a doubt, wondering if maybe, Adrain wasn’t sleeping, but actually interacting in the Dream State of the Chamber? Well its certainly and odd way to go about it… Melda thought to herself, moving to where she had positioned herself last time, laying on the floor. She closed her eyes and lulled herself into the state she needed to be in. If worst came to worse, he wouldn’t be in whatever setting she landed in, and she would just leave the Chamber.

Once Melda’s eyes opened again, she was in a lavatory. It was quite strange, but instantly, she felt a bit awkward about it. Looking up at herself in the mirror, she saw her own face staring back. After a moment of blinking, Melda heard a voice, and it was strange. She knew who it was, but it sounded off. Adrain? She called back, confused by his words. Karina? She hadn’t seen anyone else in the Chamber when she’d arrived, so who was he talking to? And Amorous advance? Now she felt even more awkward. 

Hesitantly, Melda poked her head out of the lavatory, and saw the room which Adrian resided. She stepped out into the room, and looked around in awe. The room itself was stunning, but then Melda’s indigo eyes caught sight of Adrain. He looked strange, almost… younger. And the state in which she’d found him was far from appropriate. Oh excuse me! Melda immediately turned her back to him, her face flushed. What on earth was going on here?

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At Melda's exclamation, Adrain rose a brow when he heard his fiancee shout 'excuse me'.

"Excuse you for what, my lovely Suvari princess?" he coos as he then gets up and leaps over to 'Karina'. Melda would feel muscular, bare arms wrap around her waist in a firm yet careful grip as he leaned to the ear. At this point, Melda would see a mirror and that Adrain had naught but a pair of silk shorts on, his young muscular body not as scarred as the waking version had. Melda would see a shimmer of herself as a young woman who resembled Yuki but a fair bit less scrawny and with more muscle mass wearing a lingerie of royal quality before returning to her normal self.

He leans in and presses his lips against 'Karina's' neck before whispering into her ear. "You see more...busty than before. Did you change with your Mysu becoming more powerful after training with Deidric in the wilds for that stretch? It's not entirely unheard of, not that I'm complaining." he states softly to 'Karina's' ear, the hot breath pressing against the delicate skin.

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Melda was beyond confused. With her back turned to Adrain, she took a moment to collect her thoughts, thinking she would simply apologize for the intrusion, and leave the Chamber; clearly something else was happening that she didn’t mean to interrupt. As Melda stood there, preparing herself to speak again, Adrain had gotten up and was suddenly pressed against her back, causing her to gasp. Her body went tense for a moment, not sure what to do. She stared straight ahead, her eyes wide and her mouth open. It took a moment to realize she was staring back at her own reflection again, and that Adrain could no doubt see her face, should he look in the mirror as well.

Yet something strange occurred while she looked in the mirror. She was seeing herself, but for a brief moment, she looked nothing like herself… She looked like another woman entirely. A woman brave enough to be wearing something she wouldn’t be caught dead in since her husband died! Blinking, Melda took a deep breath, still looking into the mirror, but at Adrain now, taking in the fact that he indeed looked younger, and less scarred. The fact that he was in only his shorts is what caused her face to become red and tingly, but she tried to hold it together and piece together what could be happening. They were in the Chamber, and Adrain had no way of knowing she was coming… Perhaps he was legitimately dreaming? She had somehow interrupted a real dream state, in which her body took on the form of this woman, in the eyes of Adrain? That seemed more logical than Adrain screwing with her- if he was it had gone on too long and he would know that. Especially dressed the way she was. 

She felt him lean in, his lips on her neck sending goosebumps over her flesh. She hadn’t been touched like that in… in decades. Then he spoke again, and she figured her conclusion may have been right. He was seeing her, as this woman, yet parts of her didn’t change. Apparently like her bust size. Melda wasn’t sure what to do. Tell him what was going on? If this really was a dream state, this younger Adrain would have no idea what she was talking about… 

In a rushed state of “What do I do”, Melda turned around in his grip, her own arms coming up to rest on his shoulders. Maybe you just hadn’t fully appreciated them before- they haven’t changed at all. Melda blurted out, trying to keep her voice sounding calm and soothing the way his was. But it did sound a bit nervous, as this was territory she hadn’t stepped into, for so many years… Plus, what was she going to tell him when he woke up? Hopefully… he wouldn’t even remember. 

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Adrain chuckled as 'Karina' retorted the fact that they hadn't changed. His hands mildly caressed her sides where they contacted her as he responded. "Well I suppose I hadn't seen them in their full glory as of yet, I always valued your personality and soul before your lovely appearance and well would you really think highly of me if I were to simply stare at your finer lady bits in public?" he croons, then releasing his grasp on 'Karina's right side as a number of candles around the room would erupt as the crystal lights would dim, an incense of a floral scent not native to Nova or Teair would fill the room.

"I wanted tonight to be special, you know...I don't know whether it's embarrassing or romantic the fact that in a thousand years of life this is my first time as well as yours with this sort of thing. I suppose it follows the cliche of waiting for ones soul mate sort of deal, no?" he says as he then leans down and gently picks up 'Karina', walking with her towards the edge of the bed and laying her atop the sheets, Adrain leaning down and pressing his lips upon her shoulder.

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Melda arched an eyebrow. He seemed awfully familiar with this woman, very romantically, and yet they hadn’t seen each other yet? Melda laughed at the end of his semester, stunning by the bluntness of the man. She was not used to this side of the Headmaster. No, I do not suppose so. Melda chuckled, remembering to try and play the part- not that she even know what this womans personality was.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a warm light. She looked around, a smile on her face. The scent that filled her nose was beautifully foreign to her, but she loved it. Before she could speak on it, Adrain beat her to it. Melda’s smile was warm and soft, feeling the emotion behind Adrains words, despite them not really being directed towards her. Though she made a mental note to tease him if the moment ever arose: A thousand years? He waited a whole thousand years before reaching complete intimacy? It had been a long time for Melda, but not that long. Before she could speak again, Adrain picks her up in a sweeping motion, laying her back down on the amazingly soft bed.

Melda was flushed, not sure why she was letting this happen at all. Of course, she knew he wasn’t seeing or attracted to her body, but it felt nice none the less. As he lowered his lips to her shoulder, more goosebumps scattered across her flesh. Thats a nice thought to have. Melda mused lightly, thinking about it from her own perspective. This situation was so strange… A part of her kept worrying that he was be angry with her if he ever found out.

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"The safe, simple answer, hm?" Adrain teases in response to her likely flush and less thought out response regarding the night being special. "Or are you just trying to tell me to be quiet and get along with it?" he says with a soft chuckle as he presses his lips along 'Karina's' shoulder and then neck once more, his hands moving to slowly slide the straps of the lingerie down the arms of the young woman. If only the waking Adrain would ever be aware of this happening indeed.

Once lowered, Adrain would whisper softly to the ear of 'Karina'. "Just relax and do whatever you feel like you want to, there isn't a script for this sort of thing." he states, perhaps that line having some degree of relevance as well as he then moves to meet his lips with 'Karina's' in a deep kiss, a tight embrace with it along with a soothing caress starting at her bare, upper back and descending steadily.

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Melda blushed, realizing she may have play a more active role. Sorry, I’m just a bit nervous about it all myself. Melda said, remembering he had said this was the woman’s first time as well. Being nervous probably seemed normal. He began moving the straps of the ridiculous outfit down her arms, exposing more of her skin than she’d normally be comfortable about. But Melda stared down at him, noticing his soft features, compared to how the were on the version she knew. This Adrain seemed so happy and calm, whereas the one she knew, though calm, seemed far more calculated. It was nice seeing this side to him, and it made her smile. 

To some degree she knew she had a fondness of him, but the fact that she was letting this happen, made her realize perhaps she cared about him a little more than she had originally thought. But she didn’t want to think about that too much now, holding onto the thin hope that he wouldn’t know it was her. 

She felt him get closer to her ear, causing her shoulders to tense slightly as he whispered. It was almost as though his words were a double edged blade, holding two meanings in this situation. A shiver went down her spine, struck by the irony of it. Before she could speak, her lips were locked in a kiss with his, their bodies pressed together as he held her tightly, his hand lowering down her back. She was in awe of the kiss; for it had been her first one in… longer than she liked to calculate. Without using a specific number, it had been since her husband died. It sent a small shock down her body, and she eagerly went along with it, for once acting before she thought. Her arms went up to hold his back as well, far more engaged in this than she should be.

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For a time that would follow, the embrace of lovers' first experience (even if one was intersecting with an unintended element of a dream) would play out. Leaving the finer details to imagination and ambiguity, after a certain point in the dream however, Melda would feel the scene around her fade and be left in a void for a time before a voice she had heard but once would speak once more. A deep voice of power, echo and displacement.

"Company...for the first time in a thousand years. Even if the shapeshifter isn't here, I suppose that you will suffice. I assume there would be a conversation with you and her at a time of your own discretion. Or perhaps you will keep any information gained here for your own benefit. Either way it can only serve to move things in the right direction and time is not a factor."

The scene would then shift. The area around Melda would appear as a shattered palace in a similar architectural style to the bedroom from the amorous occasion but broken stone and crumbled pillars strewn about. Behind Melda's dream avatar, she would see a massive figure sitting atop a stone and gold throne. Twice the height of Melda with a muscular frame and medium length golden hair, his red eyes stare seemingly into her soul. He was adorned in a silver and gold set of armor with a large, shattered piece in the center of the chest, dried blood visible on the outer bit of the armor. The colossal figure's form radiated power in a way that she would never have felt from even the most powerful mages or gods of Teair. The most striking thing though would be tens if not hundreds of ethreal, blue spiritual chains that would tether him to the area around this throne, seemingly the taut end going into oblivion and portals but leaving the figure still.

"Welcome, Melda, elf of Teair. I am God Emperor Kalonis of the former Ku-Deyu empire. I fear that my situation leaves less than hospitable surroundings but all the same it is a pleasure." Kalonis states, then leaning back and looking upon her with calm eyes.

"I can sense a latent worry...a fear that the amnesiac incarnation of my host will remember you playing a role in this dream that plays every so often, only by virtue of chance you displaced the empty memory in that role. He will not remember, and the flashes he could see would be of the deceased. All the same, I do not get a chance to speak directly, only gaze through the young one's eyes and observe with the subtlest of mention every so often. I am certainly open to discussion of any subject, I am sure you will have questions, and I will tell the truth. However I reserve the right to omit information if I see a reason to. Or you may simply dismiss this entire incident as a lone pleasurable experience and let it rest forgetting about this. It will be up to you." he says as his expression then shifts to that of bored amusement, waiting to see how the elf would react.

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Struck by the change in scenery, Melda needed a moment to gather her thoughts, as well as her breath, after the activities that had just taken place. The usually calm and collected Duchess, was flushed, her eyes wide and her lips feeling a bit swollen. All in all, she had no complaints. It was during this time that that voice played in her mind again. The voice Adrain assured her was her own dreams taking play in the Chamber, but she’d known he was wrong. 

She listened to the voice, having no idea who “the shapeshifter” was, but this wasn’t the first time it had asked for her. Melda looked around her, waiting and hoping for a face to appear with the voice, so she knew who it was speaking to her. Thankfully, she didn’t have to wait long as the scene shifted again. She took in her surroundings, turning slowly until she saw the large figure behind her. Upon laying eyes on him, the breath was knocked out of her, and her heart rate increased by the second. She gawked up at him, completely unsure what it was she was seeing. And then he spoke.

He knew her name; that made this dream a lot less dreamy, and Melda quickly had concern for her own psyche. The large man quickly dispelled her worry that Adrain would know of her inappropriate behaviour, apparently having been able to sense it himself; as much as a relief as that was, it was also worrisome; it meant he could read into her every emotion and possibly thought. 

He opened the floor up to her, stating to answer nearly any questions she could possibly have, to which Melda blinked at for a moment. From what she’d heard so far, this man, this… God, apparently… was living inside Adrain, and Adrain was acting as a host of sorts… that was a scary thought. I don’t understand. Ku-Deyu? I’ve never heard of such a place… How did you end up here? Melda asked first, putting aside her original question; “who was Karina”, as that was not nearly as relevant in this moment.

Now Melda, who normally would be holding herself tall, her icy gaze collected and smooth, was shaken up. She tried to maintain her stature, standing tall, but her body felt weak in the presence of this God, and thus her usual demeanour almost felt false, even to her. Her voice was still strong, but there was a clear undertone of uncertainty in it.

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Kalonis chuckles, the deep sound reverberating through the place they were at. His red gaze falls upon Melda, contemplating for a moment before answering.

"The Ku-Deyu are my people, Adrain's people. He is what you would call 'Fated', as silly a distinction that seems to me. To explain the Ku-Deyu completely would take quite some time, but to help you visualize it more quickly, the Ku-Deyu were a technologically advanced, magically gifted race that bears a few similarities with what you would call 'Kray'." he says, then taking a deep breath before speaking once more.

"Your latter two questions blend together. The full story once again would take quite some time to go into. History is written by the victor as they say. If you were to ask many of the era that succeeded mine, they would paint me as a villain without equal. I saw a great truth that few can truly comprehend, and while I am not prepared to go into depth on that to you, I chose to act in a grand campaign to attempt to save my people from a fate of nonexistence. The Gods of my world, Hyperia, were a petty, small minded lot. They turned our tribes against one another for sport, preventing us from ever becoming more than glorified mongrels. At the peak of it, I discovered a means through which to overcome them, and I slew them one by one, taking their power and freeing my people. It was at this point I united the Ku-Deyu tribes under a glorious empire, a worldwide banner. But to prevent my people from being wiped out, I need more power...more than you can understand. I took it upon myself to lead my people in a campaign against all gods across all worlds. Many mortals were in similar situations, many peoples. We removed these oppressors so that these peoples could choose their own fates, many joining us in our campaign. I and my closest guard consumed the latent power, trying to gain the strength to overcome the looming threat that would exterminate our people...but then the rebellion happened." he says, gesturing with one hand, the chains rattling as he moved his hand to the gash in his armor.

"There were those who believed what we were doing was wrong, and they acquired a relic which was used in the creation of our race which was my downfall. However...my soul would not fade into the ether. Adrain's father sought to contain my soul, himself having taken much of my strength with the relic to allow my mortal shell to die, but at first I resisted. For some time I would try to take over, for I felt my people were misguided under the new rule. But then a cowardly plan was devised..." he says, his face contorting to disgust, pausing to let Melda absorb and take in the whole bit first.

"Adrain's Grandfather, now the ruler of the world, ordered that when he the firstborn came about, he would become the host of Kalonis with a new seal, but the true motive, I could see in his soul, was to cause Adrain to die taking me with him into the nether. Many of the demands made of him in life were with that goal on a subtle level...his father was threatened to have both his mother and the son killed if he didn't comply, but a man more powerful than one making such a demand should have taken matters into his own hand..." he says, then pausing and being quiet until the next inquiry.

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

His laughter only made Melda more uneasy with the situation, and she chewed the inside of her lip to keep it from showing too much. When he begun speaking however, her surprise easily shone through. Adrain was Fated… She hadn’t known that; she was fairly certain nearly no one did. No one related to the court anyhow. The rest of the words that followed that sentence all made sense to some degree, but the fact that he was fated made it fit like a puzzle. No matter what he said, her answer for the most part, was there. 

Despite that, she listened carefully, liking to pick up on the small details. For example, Adrains father using him like an empty vessel; that didn’t seem right at all. Though it really only got worse, with his Grandfather out for his head. 

Once their surroundings were silent again, Melda took time to let this all sink in, still chewing the inside of her lip softly, her silver eyebrows furrowed down as she processed. Adrain's father had used his son to contain the soul of a god who was trying to keep his people from perishing, but his grandfather, the current (?) ruler of their land, had another plan for him and kept trying to get Adrain killed? And threatened his own son to make it happen? Wow that was convoluted as all hell. And Adrain doesn’t know about any of it… does he? Melda mused out loud, not meaning for it to be a full question, more of a confirmation. 

That’s quite the story… How long have you been trapped within him? I know very little about the Kray, so the comparison, though nice, doesn’t really help me in terms of the finer details like lifespan and what have you. Melda looked up at him, her mind so focused on figuring this stuff out, that she was naturally more relaxed, slowly calming back down into her Duchess demeanour. Also, I hate to take the conversation in this direction, but who is the woman he saw me as? Karina?

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"No. You see, Renzoff, the grandfather and ruler of the planet, he lacked the strength and charisma to bind people together from character and will alone. His son was more powerful because when he slew me using the relic, he absorbed a substantial chunk of my power. Renzoff was terrified at the potential of me reviving, using the son as a vessel because he knew that many of his now subjects would flock to my banner once more. He wanted me completely erased...thus his cowardly plan. It shouldn't be much surprise to you, you are a noblewoman are you not? Backstabbing is part of the trade for most, though from the glimpses I have seen, on both timelines, you have a touch more integrity than some." he states with a deep chuckle.

"The worst part, Adrain is probably the first of what you would call the 'Fated', though he doesn't advertise that fact for reasons that are probably obvious to you. He manifested in this world twenty years before, wounded and near death as well as unable to remember who he was. His fate has been intertwined with this world of Nova one too many times in my opinion. The first attempt for him to meet his end was a clever scheme. You see...when I was alive, I ordered a gift to be given to Cain Noru of a different timeline, in truth it was a device meant to drain the power of the gods of this world to make way for our arrival, but he was a true genius. He found a way to manipulate that technology, however it was flawed and hundreds of years later it would erupt and consume the world into a neverending void.

Adrain's mother was a native of that world you see, and gifted in the magic of Time, which was passed along to Adrain. To avoid a paradox, he was sent to that time to disarm the threat, but his power potential was already sabotaged greatly by the fact he has to host my soul due to the seal. There was an...incident...on the trip through time and he lost his memory...through much effort he eventually recovered himself and his purpose, and while he ended up being successful in that effort despite great pain and bloodshed against him, there were substantial consequences as a result."

As Kalonis listened to Melda's inquiry about the race, his expression seemed contemplative. The first question of the length he was trapped in here made him chuckle.

"About one thousand, thirty years, give or take a few. I forget what Adrain's age is precisely in terms of Novian years. Partially by my own choice, I suppose at this point." he says a little more distantly. When the subject of asking once more what the Ku-Deyu were like, he had to gather his energy as his eyes glew.

After a moment, the chains rattled as he held a hand out as magic seeped from it, surrouning the area around them. Melda would see a pristine society, tall buildings of crystal and metal reached into the sky from the grounds as two suns shone upon the land. The planet outside the cities would be jungle-like, and the skies would be dotted with ships of sort, sleek and elegant in their design, powered by great magic as was everything else in that society. People would be dressed in fine fabrics augmented with magic, soldiers would be well armored with strange melee and ranged weapons and children used magic like others would toys.

"Under my banner, we put aside our clan differences and grew as a world. Our birthright, Mysu, the power that gives us our identity and strength, allowed us great advances cutting many hundreds of years from the normal cycle of evolution. It is that power that makes us immortal. At the peak of our power, even getting destroyed in flesh your spirit and Mysu would be recalled to a pylon and reconstituted. Now to answer your question of lifespan...well Adrain will not age and he will not die of natural causes just from what Mysu remains in this barren world. I suppose that benefit would be applied to whomever he might come to choose as a lover if he gave them a part of his Mysu Heart as per tradition, but that is such a wasted endeavor in my opinion."

When the subject shifted to Karina, he laughed loudly. After a few moments of chuckles he recomposed himself and then looked at Melda, more solemn in his expression.

"Karina was Adrain's nafiasu...or as you would call it, a fiance. Karina was a native noblewoman of lower rank in the kingdom that he met her in, but she was half Suvari...one of the Ku-Deyu clans. Her father, the lord of the Suvari clan had an...indiscretion in his youth and Karina was the result. At first, Adrain simply sensed her Mysu and introduced her to our ways as he was afraid that if Karina ever turned into her draconic self it would spell disaster for many.

However, you see, after his affections were rejected by another, he became closer to Karina and in time there was a typical love story out of it. As Karina ended up being a Suvari princess, there was a blessing since it would help with the political ties since Adrain had eschewed the idea of arranged marriage before to the Primal princess, Zahara. I have to admit, I question how worthwhile the pairing would have been. Karina was passive, submissive and would not have really been anything more meaningful, nobody who would have helped him as a person, at least in my own opinion. Unfortunately...it never got to that point...she was killed by Adrain's sister, Elena, whom was manipulated and deceived by a cowardly god of that world and gained the power to ultimately destroy my people..."

At this point, Kalonis' expression dampens completely. The boastful mirth completely gone as the scene shifts more. The radiant city Melda saw was laid to ruins, undead Ku-Deyu destroying everything they can get their hands upon. Adrain was seen clad in a magical armor trying to fend off his sister's savage attacks, the appearance of his sister largely a blur and imperceptible to Melda. He tried to reason with her, to convince her to stop this madness but in a raw burst of power, a massive dragon claw halfway slashed him in half, causing his blood to spray along the ground with a grievous wound. As he started to heal, the sister came in again but the woman Karina intervened, leaping in between and being torn nearly in half by the blow. The sister would cackle and begin to walk away as Adrain tried in vain to undo the damage, the light fading from Karina's eyes rapidly..

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Melda Delsaran Vanya

Melda tried to follow along best she could, but she had the feeling she would never understand everything that happened, nor would she remember it all. It was best to try and get the gist of it all. However, the nobility aspect she understood. I thank you for that, but now i have to ask you… On both timelines? I exist elsewhere? Melda couldn’t even imagine what she was like in another time, it hurt her head too much to try and figure out.

As he went on, Melda rose her eyebrows. The Fated were a semi new development over this past year, but for Adrain it had been much longer- no wonder no one knew he was Fated. Aside from hiding it, no one would suspect him in the first place. The name Cain Noru caused Melda to blink in surprise- though she shouldn’t be overly so. If she existed in another time line, so would he. Overall it sounded like Adrain had been tasked with the impossible more than once. So this has happened to him before? Being lost and having lost his memory? Will that happen again? Melda wondered how much would change, should he remember again.

Her mouth fell open as he gave her a rough estimate on how many years. She hadn’t know he  had lived for so long. She was a child in comparison with her 207 years. Thats… absolutely insane… Elves live for hundreds of years, and even that pushes the limitations on ones brain… after seeing so much and loosing so many people… I can’t imagine a thousand… Melda took a deep breath, needing to process it all.

Thankfully he had visuals for his explanation this time around, making it easier for her to follow along. She nodded along as he spoke, not willing to interrupt him, though this time around she didn’t have questions anyhow. But learning Adrain was truly immortal… That was shocking. Though it made sense with that last bit of news. So, if he falls in love and they so wish it, they can both become essentially immortal? Given they aren’t stabbed to death or something of the sort of course. Melda processed aloud, wondering if Adrain was ever the type to go to that extreme.

When he laughed, Melda jumped, not expecting that reaction. She hadn’t meant for her question to come off as humorous, but she was curious as to who the woman she had just pretended to be, really was. Whomever played a part in Adrains past had no effect on her, though the fact that he still dreamt of her must mean something. So Adrain had been engaged once; she wondered if Karina was to Adrain, what her Lucas had been to her. As Melda listened, her heart went out to the female, as she was so clouded in darkness it seemed, though Adrain was as well… To watch your fiancé die by the hands of the sister who was trying to kill you… that was dark. That was barbaric really. Melda watched the images in front of her play out, her face a picture of mortificated sadness. He looked so young… Each time he was hit and nearly torn apart, Melda felt her heart pound harder in her chest. When Karina took the fall for him, a tear or two actually fell from the Duchess’s eyes, unable to deny such emotion. 

That… How did he survive that? I-I barely made it though my husband dying at war- and I wasn’t even there to witness his death… Had I been there, had I seen that with my own eyes… I don’t know what I would have done… Who I would have become- if I would have lived as long as I have! Despite whether they would have worked out or not, it is clear that he loved her, and having to witness that… its barbaric… During her little speech, more tears fell down her face, but she was too distracted to notice, and her voice didn’t waver, though there was clearly sadness in it. 

Why did you show me all of this? Was it out of lack of company, or is there some greater purpose for me knowing all this? Melda looked up at him, her eyes hard now, the tears stopped though their tracks were still visible on her face. Adrain didn’t know about any of this, how was she supposed to go back to life and hide it all?

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"Yes...you see, there was a brief encounter directly, the other bits were overheard or reputation." Kalonis states in reply to Melda's inquiry about another incarnation of herself. "There are differences, but the general idea remains the same." he states, conjuring an image of a younger, slightly different Melda being accosted by muggers in the First District of a time roughly a hundred years prior whilst Cain Noru was still a factor, reflected in the architecture of the time. A figure emerged from the shadows, moving as if a ghost, a white haired spectre with a metal mask covering his eyes, a purple glow luminescence as he seemed to move faster than his surroundings. A violent scuffle occurs where the three bandits would literally be manhandled, one thrown through a stone wall with brute strength, another frozen in a block of ice, while the third fled from a shadow creature that was attempting to consume it. The eyes of the spectre would meet with the young Melda's for one moment before disappearing once more into the shadows.

"Heroism is in his blood, even now he has saved people from a goddess, a mad child of a fallen mage, and even things as trivial as suicide. Granted...the first trip in time was meant to be a quick mission and not the larger ordeal it ended up being. As for whether it happens again...haha...I fear I don't have that sort of clairvoyance." he states with a slight laugh.

Another laughed escaped the chained one when Melda seemed to fixate on the age. "The fact our race is timeless mitigates that concern for the most part, but yes if he were to remain here long enough he would be confused as to why everyone he knew aged while he remained pristine. The means through which I describe is the sacred rite of life bonding...a pair of Ku-Deyu exchange a small part of their mysu heart such to solidify their bond. It works one way as well, I've seen at least two examples of such." he states, explaining the rite to the elf.

When Melda watched the scene unfold and began to unravel in emotion, Kalonis was somber.

"It was in that moment that Adrain decided he wasn't allowed to love. That it had done naught but cause him grief and those who try are doomed. It might have been an extreme emotional reaction, but you see...the younger Adrain fell in love with an assassin while he was amnesiac...however when he regained his memory and went to finish his mission, she was pitted against him, hired by one of the forces trying to stop him. She struck him and would normally have killed him but his Mysu Form awakened...you see, Ku-Deyu means children of the dragon. We all can be enveloped in the shell of Mysu energy, taking on mighty, draconic traits. But...it must be learned how to be controlled. The first time...they become consumed with the dragon's rage and must be subdued...in that enraged period, he slew her due to the self-preservation instincts of the beast within. The shock of this caused him to return to normal and in another horrified state, after he finished his original mission, he secluded himself for...about...eight hundred years on Hyperia, learning how to control magic to an incredibly fine level. Since the seal that keeps me contained draws the vast majority of his power, he was often ridiculed by his peers for having low mysu as a member of the Royal clan, Deva. Truth be told, if he was at his full potential, he could surpass even me or his father in power with the level of control. That is why he is talented in magic, even amnesiac his body remembers what the mind cannot. But back to the primary question of how does one survive that..." Kalonis states, pausing.

"...In the moment Karina died, something unusual happened. The walls began to be torn down around me as his willpower was calling all of his power to him. He had sworn off allowing anyone to be harmed by him or his family again and was preparing to utterly destroy his sister, even I would have lent my own strength to that cause...but then something interfered...the very same force that called him to this world. In that moment, one of his power sources exploded in his chest and while his body tried to hold together, that power had faded. Fortunately, he has regained at least that aspect to a much greater extent now." he says, then watching as Melda was consumed in sorrow for a few moments.

"Why I tell you...someone should understand the truth. Even Aria, the shapeshifter doesn't know nearly so much. My motive is for him to regain his strength, and to return to the timeline before my people were destroyed and stop the catastrophe. It was in the moment that Karina died he came to understand true sacrifice and where duty lies. He would have been a worthy successor to my own rule. Granted, if he were to return, there would be complications in paradox and such, but it is better than allowing my people to die from some mind controlled minion of a cowardly false god from a petty world!" he states, pure rage that shook his bindings and the building resonated for a moment. After a second, the emperor regained his composure.

"...You also seem to care to some extent but have wisdom most do not. This knowledge may be a burden now but could be advantageous in the future. Were I able to offer you a direct boon, I would but perhaps before you leave I can gift you with something. That said, if you have any more questions, you may wish to ask them now. You can only be here whilst he is truly asleep, and while he is living out the nightmare you just witnessed, it will run it's course before too much longer."