The blizzard outside was a wall of white fury. The wind hammered the mountainside so hard that even the massive snow outside the cave were starting to fall against each other. The entire district they crossed earlier was gone under the blizzard, buried beneath a shroud of frost and silence. Inside the cave, though, there was a flicker of warmth.
A few lanterns hung from stone hooks, their golden glow painting shadows across the walls. Steam curled from a pot sitting over the fire. The group had taken refuge there after the chaos. The Null Handmaidens rested along the sides of the cavern. Naelle had taken off her gloves, flexing her long clawed fingers lazily. Esmodra was sharpening her daggers, glancing every few seconds toward the others. Iserra leaned against the stone wall, her arms crossed and eyes half-closed but her senses were never really off.
Deeper in the cave, Phaser sat cross-legged near the fire. His gaze was fixed on the woman sitting across from him. Next to him sat Haruno Nishikata, wrapped in her cloak, her eyes darting from Phaser to the priestess with curiosity. Phaser finally broke the silence.
"You've stayed quiet long enough. I think it's time you explain yourself."
The priestess exhaled softly, as if she had been expecting those words.
"My name is Toshiro Mizuhara, Priestess of the Blood Odachi. I serve as the blade's conduit and keeper."
Haruno's eyes widened in shock.
"Priestess of the Blood Odachi? What does that even mean? You serve a sword?"
Rika turned to her with the faintest smile.
"The Blood Odachi isn't just a weapon, Miss Nishikata. It's a Primal Synsiline Treasure."
Phaser frowned, his gaze flicking briefly toward Enheduanna.
"You seem to know a lot more than anyone else here about this treasure. Why is that?"
Mizuhara didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she turned her head slightly.
"Lady Enheduanna… you didn't tell your Master? I am sure you know about the Outers."
The Handmaiden's veil shifted slightly as she sighed.
"No. Not yet."
Phaser's eyes narrowed.
"Not yet? You've been quiet about a lot of things lately, Enheduanna. Mind explaining what exactly you didn't tell me this time?"
The Handmaiden turned toward him, the flicker of the fire dancing across the edge of her veil. Even without seeing her expression, the tired exhale told enough.
"It's not something that can be summarized in one sentence, Master. To understand what she means, you'll need to hear the story behind the Primal Synsiline Treasures themselves."
Haruno blinked, her curiosity flaring even brighter.
"Hold on before that, how do you two even know each other? And why does she," she pointed at Mizuhara, "know about Outers?"
"Because, Miss Nishikata, every Priest and Priestess knows about the Outers. It is part of our duty to recognize those not born of this world."
Haruno's jaw dropped slightly.
"Wait, so you actually know what we are?"
She inclined her head.
"I know enough. You and Master Phaser both carry the residue of foreign souls. Those who descend not by fate, but by rewriting it."
Phaser glanced at Enheduanna.
"You've known about this too. You were there when I received Neveolus."
Enheduanna nodded silently.
"I was. I've known since then. You, Haruno, and the others who crossed into this world, the Outers, aren't hidden from everyone. The Divine Priesthood keeps record of your existences. But outside of that, no one else knows, not even the higher circles of Fluxers."
Haruno frowned, confused.
"So… how many people actually know about Outers?"
Enheduanna's tone cleared. "Only Priests and Priestesses do. It's our role to identify what should not exist and to protect it until the Deities decide otherwise."
Phaser tapped his finger on his knee once, thinking.
"So that's what the priestess meant earlier when she said I shouldn't be told yet."
Enheduanna nodded.
"Yes. Because understanding the Primal Synsiline Treasures isn't a simple explanation."
"Alright then. I'm listening."
Mizuhara straightened, her hands folded neatly on her lap.
"Then I shall tell you the story of the Primal Synsiline Treasures, and why they exist at all. Long ago, before anyone even understood what Flux truly was, the world of Altera Earth was young and primitive."
Her tone was almost wistful. The flames flickered against her robes as she lifted a small, blood-red charm and let it sway between her fingers.
"When Flux entered the world in prehistoric times, it was a force without restraint. It was simply energy that seeped into certain humans and rewrote their essence. Those who could manipulate it came to be known as Fluxers. Those without it remained merely… Human."
She paused, looking into the fire as if she could see the ancient world forming in its glow.
"At first, both sides coexisted at the time. But fear has always been the beginning of separation. Fluxers, gifted and feared, began to hide themselves from Humanity. And Humans, countless in number, began to see Fluxers as distortions of nature. They hunted what they didn't understand. Entire villages of Fluxers were erased from history before history even existed. In those times, Fluviums did not yet exist. Fluxers drew their power from instinct, not order. The world was raw and untamed. Every day was a struggle to survive, not only against beasts and the world, but against each other. Fluxers hunted Humans. Humans hunted Fluxers. It was a cycle of fear."
Her voice grew quiet.
"And the gods watched. Among them was one known only as the Hidden God of Chronology. He observed the wars, the slaughter, and the suffering of both Humanity and Fluxhood. He saw their hatred. He saw their weakness. And for reasons no being could understand, He took pity on them."
The fire dimmed for a second, as though the very air bowed at the mention of the deity's title.
"He decided that mortals needed anchors that could serve as guides, keys, and trials all at once. They needed treasures that could balance that power with mortal imperfection. Over the course of millennia, He forged thirty-six thousand of these treasures."
Haruno blinked in shock.
"Thirty-six thousand?"
Mizuhara nodded.
"Yes. They are called the Primal Synsiline Treasures. They are the first artifacts born of divine intention and infused with fragments of the world's strongest element, Synsiline. Each one reflected a concept. Strength, life, memory, blood, shadow, sound, flame, every principle that existed in creation. They were meant to unify both races and teach Humanity and Fluxhood to coexist through shared purpose."
She smiled faintly, though there was no joy in it.
"But mortals rarely understand gifts from gods. By the time, Fluxhood hid itself from Humanity for millennia. When the age we call Before Construction, that is when BC ended, the age of After Destruction began. That is known as AD. By then, civilization had taken form. Villages turned to kingdoms. Fluxers rose as rulers and Humans, desperate for power, began seeking the Treasures for themselves. And that's when the world burned."
She looked at the fire as she continued.
"Fluxers fought Fluxers. Humans massacred Humans. The Primal Synsiline Treasures became objects of greed. And as the Hidden God watched His creations drive themselves into ruin, His silence finally broke. He unleashed what history calls the Year of Destruction. The final year of 1 B.C. was the year before the calendar of existence reset itself. For that single year, every remaining Treasure awakened. They turned against their wielders. Armies were erased in seconds. Kingdoms sank into ash. The sky itself bled."
The cave grew utterly silent. Even the fire seemed afraid to crackle.
"The Hidden God of Chronology erased nearly all His own creations. Out of the thirty-six thousand, only thirteen survived. Those thirteen became the True Primal Synsiline Treasures."
Haruno's brows furrowed.
"Thirteen… so that means the Blood Odachi—"
"—is one of them," Mizuhara finished. "And it has endured for over two thousand years."
She shifted her position slightly, crossing her legs beneath her.
"When the Year of Destruction ended, the Hidden God gathered a few humans and Fluxers and decreed three new laws to preserve what was left."
Her fingers gestured as she elaborated the rules.
"First, only one soul may wield a Primal Synsiline Treasure. The moment two beings touch it, one must die. The treasure cannot serve divided loyalty. It is bound by one soul. Second, no Fluxer or Human can simply claim a Treasure. They must earn it through the Trial of the Hidden God, a test unique to each artifact. Those who fail are rejected by the treasure itself. Some lose their Flux entirely. Some lose their lives. And some…"
Her gaze flicked toward Phaser, almost knowingly.
"…lose their purpose."
He didn't respond.
"And third, to ensure that these Treasures never fall into corruption again, the Hidden God created an order of thirteen chosen beings known collectively as the Priesthood. Each one was bound eternally to a single Primal Synsiline Treasure."
Haruno tilted her head.
"You mean like you?"
"Yes. I am one of the Priesthood. I am the Priestess of the Blood Odachi. My existence is tied to it. My duty is to safeguard it, test those who seek it, and judge those who wield it. If a mortal passes the trial and proves worthy, the Priesthood must serve them. But we retain our divine right to refuse. Should the wielder fall from grace or become corrupted, we reclaim the treasure."
Phaser raised a brow.
"And what happens to the wielder then?"
Rika looked directly at him, her eyes still closed.
"The moment a Primal Synsiline Treasure is taken from its wielder, their soul disintegrates. The treasure is bound to it, fused from the moment of their acceptance. Taking it back is equivalent to erasing their existence. That is the cost of such power."
"So these thirteen Treasures are still out there."
Mizuhara's lips curved faintly.
"Yes. Some are hidden across realms and others scattered across the world. Some slumber. Some have masters. And some are waiting."