"Care for some herbal tea?" The Evernight Goddess asked, preparing a cup adorned with Deep Sleep Flowers for Alaric.
Alaric smiled, taking a sip. "It has a unique flavor. I bet it could bring sweet dreams."
Amanises smiled back, not denying it, and sipped her own tea. "I love dreams... not just because they're part of my authority, but because only in dreams can I see those who've passed."
Alaric met her gaze, unflinching. "If you wish to see your family, given our partnership, I can arrange a brief reunion. It might offer some comfort."
"Thank you," Amanises said, her smile warmer, less formal this time.
She set her cup down, her serene, night-like eyes fixed on Alaric. "But I doubt you came just to fulfill my wishes. Is there something you need me to do?"
Alaric chuckled, cutting to the chase. "Antigonus is in your hands. I'd like to borrow him."
Amanises paused, surprised by the request. "I don't believe Klein Moretti is ready to accommodate Uniqueness yet. Or has Bethel's corruption been resolved?"
In her mind, Alaric would need Antigonus for two reasons: to aid his friend's ascension or to prepare for Mr. Door's return as the Lord of Mysteries, both requiring Antigonus' Characteristics and Uniqueness.
Helping Antigonus himself become the Lord of Mysteries? She dismissed that... anyone could see the Demon Wolf wasn't up to it.
"I need Antigonus for personal reasons."
Personal reasons… Amanises's eyes flickered with thought. After a moment, she said, "Antigonus himself isn't critical, but the Fool's Uniqueness is."
Even if Mr. Door or Amon became the Lord of Mysteries, they'd need a Seer Characteristic and the Fool's Uniqueness. Other Seer Characteristics existed, but the Uniqueness was one of a kind.
Though Uniqueness was hard to corrupt or destroy, with Alaric involved, Amanises couldn't help but worry.
"I know my limits. I won't mess around," Alaric said, understanding her concern. "Don't forget, I'm the one who wants the Lord of Mysteries to rise most... whether it's Klein or Bethel, they're both dear friends. I want them to achieve their goals more than anyone."
Amanises seemed reassured, weighing the pros and cons before nodding. "Antigonus is sealed in a special place. You likely know where."
She flipped her hand, producing a newly formed key radiating her power. "This key, forged from my authority, will let you enter and exit freely. The coordinates are…" She handed it to Alaric, sharing the location of the Foggy Town.
"Thank you," Alaric said politely, then asked, "What's the price for this?"
"Nothing," Amanises shook her head. "You've already paid, haven't you?"
Alaric smiled, knowing she meant the offer to reunite her with her family.
Meanwhile, in the City of Silver and Moon City outpost, Sasrir, immersed in work, was abruptly pulled back to the past.
"What happened?" Sasrir wondered, puzzled. He guessed Alaric had canceled his summoning, likely needing someone else for a task.
"You're back? How did it go?" The Sun God, nearby, spoke gently. He'd been closely following the experiment's outcome, even taking on some of Sasrir's duties to stay close.
Sasrir realized that since Alaric only now canceled the summoning, his consciousness had lingered in the future, yet to inform his main body about the experiment's success or Alaric's rule-making proposal.
He quickly turned to the Sun God, recounting everything that happened.
Even the Sun God fell silent after hearing Sasrir's report. After a long pause, he said, "We should all be grateful he chose humanity."
What Sasrir saw, the Sun God saw even more clearly.
"I agree," Sasrir nodded, echoing his Lord's sentiment, adding, "This power is dangerous, but it's undeniably an opportunity."
"I know," The Sun God said, his golden eyes distant, as if recalling faded memories.
After a moment, he looked at Sasrir again. "Your choice was right. We need this power, but we must also restrain ourselves."
He fixed his gaze on Sasrir. "Don't overly trust Alaric's self-control. He doesn't want a stagnant world, but he wouldn't mind using this to observe us, to test humanity."
Sasrir's body stiffened, grasping the implication.
If Alaric were here, he'd likely be pleased... the Sun God understood him well. Alaric didn't want a lifeless world of rule-bound puppets, but if the Sun God or others failed to see the trap in this power and lost control, he wouldn't stop them.
He respected his friends' choices, even if he'd subtly nudged them toward those choices.
And with his ability to cancel rules at will, Alaric was fine with civilization briefly stalling. He'd gladly pay that price to observe the Sun God's fall or humanity's response... whether they'd choose quiet complacency or fight for freedom.
It was his soul's flaw, Nyarlathotep's instinct, something Alaric couldn't fully erase. He'd learned to resist it, but that restraint wasn't always ironclad. A push... like a good person's fall... could make him embrace it.
***
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