Soul's Requiem: B1 - 30. Blooming Shadows

1:  Samuel (A Shadow In The Background)

Soul's Requiem Index

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“So, this is where Paul was last seen, Samuel… Hmm. And right before the fifth Void Year. [data lost] Humph. Is this how it happened? I found McArthur’s diary; you can drop the act… I can’t believe how blind I was. The rapid increase in desire users…the troubles in everyone’s settlements…McArthur. The one denominator…is you, Samuel. What did you do… No. I already know. [data lost] Laugh all you want, but we both know how strong I am. [data lost] Am I stronger than McArthur? I guess we’re about to find out.” - Shane, Leader of the Last Hope Settlement, The Lost Diaries, Vol. IV

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In a large building near the center of Bloom City, a shadow moved through the empty halls in the dead of night. He rose to the top floor unbothered by its automatic security to enter an office space before sitting at a polished wooden desk.

Eyes closed yet sight unhindered, he picked up a picture and studied it with a smirk; he didn’t need to sleep, so these playful nighttime strolls eased his boredom.

The photo was taken from the old world. No one had entered this office in over twelve years, and the smiling white-haired family in the captured moment seemed to have enjoyed themselves in their summer vacation gathering at their private lake manor: the Emberfields wouldn’t have another like it.

Setting it back on the table, Samuel had to give it to the Western designers of this old headquarters of the previous world. There was hardly any dust, even when neglected for so many years. Humans were such scrappy creatures…he loved it.

His vision shifted to the robot sentinel remaining in hibernation in the corner of the room. It was designed to guard Clover’s father. The AI at that time was rudimentary compared to what existed today, yet with his support, it had reached new heights. In any case, the outdated model had done its duty in maintaining the place.

Not a true Emberfield by birth but a brilliant lower noble nonetheless that had been fairytaled into stardom, Mark had been a thorn in the rassi tribes’ sides when he was alive. Those first two and a half years were quite the battle for humanity with the initial invasion of the laughable fodder that had come out of the Void.

Samuel’s gaze drifted to the many photos of Clover that spotted the office. What would current Clover think of her father if she knew about all the ethical lines he’d crossed in those years? I can’t wait to see her discover each one…little by little as she descends into madness again, and this time…I won’t be denied the fruits of my labor.

Swiveling the chair to study the bustling jewel of the West, Samuel admired the activity of the humans below. Bloom City—no, the peaceful Western Skydream was a lovely place to raise chaos. He should be thanking that meddlesome woman for spitting Clover out here.

Only a few of the Order of Royals and a select others had access to this old building without setting off the tight robotic security system. It was not like that the Royals tended to visit the West that often after the Golden Void incident, and he’d made sure of it for good reason.

Humans…such complex emotions that hide behind their colorful masks. It filled him with a curiosity that nothing else could. The contrast between their sinful desire and positive ideals was something rassi could never understand, which stimulated him in ways he couldn’t explain. Humans were perfect.

Extracting an encrypted phone from his pocket, Samuel browsed the many reports he received from his spies across the globe. Even if it seemed to be old technology, it was far beyond anything on this side of the continent. There were those in the South that rivaled it, but nothing could be traced back to him; he’d given the basic framework of the technology to the SPU Southern Research Division in the first place.

A small smile touched his mouth as he parsed through the information feeds, pausing over the haughty still-image of Clover Emberfield at Steel Box Bastion. It had been taken not long after she’d absorbed the nanite. Now, that would be an interesting experiment that even he didn’t quite know the outcome of. He had his theories, though. In fact, maybe he should provide a little more of a push.

Things hadn’t progressed exactly how he’d envisioned, but it was well within his margin of error. He just needed to pluck a few more strings in the right direction. This could prove more fruitful than he’d dreamed if he pressed the right buttons; those foolish women thought they’d hampered his goal when playing right into the palm of his hand.

The thick door opened behind him, steam from the hydraulics releasing a soft hiss before swiftly snapping shut. Samuel didn’t look at the figure as he studied the city; the mega-metropolis acted like the apocalypse had never happened. Boom City was an art piece of complacency on the surface…and a house of cards stacked on a shaky table underneath, acting on borrowed time.

“So, it begins. Hmm-hmm. It took you long enough to get here... I was beginning to believe you were unable to break away from your scheduled meeting but look at you...ever the hypocrite but never the slouch,” Samuel mused.

He looked up at the moonlit heavens with the calamity on the orbiting sphere. Bloom City had one of the best views on the planet to observe the stars due to its newly activated Sky Matrix. It was a simple piece of technology that utilized MASS’ Spirit Pipeline. If only they knew what it was that they pulled from; well, some knew. 

“Are you listening? Hehe. Of course, I made you become what you hate most, and it’s not like you can take too many steps outside your design without losing all your power, being the pitiful stringed doll you are.”

Samuel ceased his one-sided conversation as the cloaked figure stopped by the window, face totally concealed. His deep voice held little of the charisma he used to portray. “You couldn’t pull Clover to our side? Your original plan was to use her to unite humanity. Will things change after the goddess took so many pieces away from you?”

“Mmh. Yes, that was quite the surprise, coming from the typically limp fish of a goddess Rosa is. Change things? Here and there. Sure... Hehe. However, Clover will be on our side in the end,” Samuel whispered, scanning further reports as he projected the placement of pieces on the imaginary board in his mind.

“Yet, she didn’t only throw them out of the Void this time… She created different timelines for them to progress through with Reflections to mirror each other. You can’t maneuver them to affect Clover now.”

“Oh, ye of little faith,” he sighed, pulling up three still images. “Our emotionless winged woman gave me exactly what I most wanted and couldn’t achieve.”

A secret photo taken of Leora and Clover together out on the town made him smile. It seemed Rosa was completely out of options to have considered this Parallel Worlds plot to counter him. This was a dangerous gamble she was playing, though…one that could spell doom for them both, and that was the more exciting part.

He glanced at the serpent-like visual imprinted on an x-ray—the Cardinal Beast, The Void Addar. Clover had actually managed to do it. She truly was Perfection, having absorbed the snake and made it a part of herself.

However, it was the third that truly stole his fascination. A hooded, doll-like human standing in front of Castro, taken by the jester himself. The bowing, petite girl he was with looked confused, unsure what she was or what she should do…massive, cyan-colored scissors and thread were held in her hands. She was more perfect than Samuel could have dreamed. The Void brought so many wonderful mysteries.

“Hmm. How should I force Rosa to break her rules and schedule next, I wonder?” He asked his prized creation, “because I quite liked this action she took… I like the unexpected. Our Reflections will be in the other worlds she sent our pieces to. I think…it’s fifty-fifty as to who they would side with in the end.”

His masterpiece grunted, and a shiver ran down his frame. “I can’t understand beings of absolute power...that’s why I need you.”

“Ho-ho. I’m sorry, I forgot you still worship that woman,” Samuel laughed, flipping the phone around his hand while turning back to the city. “She does currently have that ultimate power you seek in order to achieve your vision of saving humanity. Yet…so do I, which is why you are here. The real question is...can I make Shion get involved again? The Chronicler is not happy with her goddess, after all. Oh, what fun this will be!”

The cloaked figure didn’t respond to his excitement, and Samuel used his sight to peer beyond dimensional lines to observe his little side-projects Rosa had commandeered to halt him. The woman could only steal his own pieces, having no imagination to create her own. After all, she didn’t want to directly get involved, since using her power would only further strengthen the Void and drain her planet of its protective Spirit Force.

Rosa would be forced to play his game if he adapted to her plan, guiding his stolen champions into a web of his design to snatch them back. There was a way… Samuel dialed a recent addition to the game—one that was quickly becoming one of his favorites.

He’d make similar contact with the parallel shadows the goddess created to have consistency and follow the rules of the world. The goddess had surprised him, placing stress on the planet she was charged to maintain and direct; it was a risky play not suited to a puppet of Destiny, which meant he’d had an effect on her—he had affected her—and that said everything.

Rosa was likely confused by her own actions, and he only needed a few more tugs to force her hand at the right places to weaken her influence. Samuel’s desires were an inevitability…they always were.

A cheery woman on the other end of the line answered. “Hello, this is Jean! Who am I speaking to?”

Samuel couldn’t constrain his laughter. “Castro, how goes the play... What did you title it: The Princess Smiles?”

The woman’s voice deepened as the former Knight Captain of Gallant Cadre’s Order of the Jester revealed his true voice. “My, my, my...if it isn’t Samuel, the Puppeteer of Mischief himself! I am quite enthralled by this cast and stage you have brought most masterfully together.

“Especially this new…puppet you have guided me to. I am bewildered as to what she is… Not human, not rassi, not transevil…but something else. I am preparing the next scene. To think one such as yourself would involve The Beasts is...marvelous! Though, you have promised My Love to be returned… Oh, how I’ve longed to see her smile!”

Samuel rose to his feet to stare across Bloom City Square, far below. “The princess awaits her jester,” he laughed. “My only desire is to see this boring world reveal its full potential that Rosa is blind to... Hmm. Perhaps you should send Clover the second half of her ‘gift’ early. Perhaps have the Duke Golem take the stage with her. I think you’ll be surprised by what you discover if what I’ve concluded turns out to be true.”

“Hmm? Ominous. Not make the appearance myself? Hmm. A new villain to the stage? Yes…yes, I can see it now. The Princess, the Knight, and the Doll… My Love anticipates her delight, so a smile compelled I am to ignite!”

A short chuckle shook through Samuel’s chest. “Ever the devoted for your beloved, Castro. I wish you luck on your quest for her smile…and her awakening to reveal the truth; I hope my suggestions prove useful.”

He hung up, forwarding a few sparse details to whet the jester’s appetite and draw him in the proper direction. Castro would burn every last brother-in-arms and comrade he had if it would make his princess show the smallest of expressions. In fact, he had. It was a boring and outdated stereotype. The predictable, obsessive, singular desire that came from being a rassi was monotonous and anything but droll, which was ironic for a jester.

His masterpiece moved to stand beside him, his dark cloak illuminated in the clear night sky, untainted by the Void. “How can we trust the Lunar Faction to go along with your plans if they’re led by insanity? I’m not sure if you could even predict that jester’s end design.”

“Do you think so little of me? They’re rassi… I know precisely, precisely what they’ll do. Now, Clover, and the other two, on the other hand, are where the anomalies begin. Let’s see how Clover reacts to Castro’s masquerade and deals with this troublesome shard of Desire Force within her… This is how villains are made, after all.”

The cloaked man pulled his cowl tighter over his head. “Is this…Just?”

Samuel’s grin grew. “The Spirit Force Rosa injected the Emberfields with are on the verge of being smothered before they fully take root; she made up for humanity’s failings…in using my puppets. However, Clover is the only one currently at risk of having her Spirit Force smothered…to become my puppet. That could change, though, given her indomitable desires.

“Will the Spirit Force she abandoned in grief reignite…or be tossed aside again to follow her previous path? I look forward to the grand finale, and I wonder if she’ll be able to escape the fate I’ve envisioned. Rosa and Shion...how much more can I divide the pair?”

The figure beside him left. “I don’t understand your motives in working against them instead of finding common ground with the keepers of this world, Samuel... We have to enact True Justice for humanity since they cannot do it themselves, and you could do it with a twitch of your finger, yet you continue to build up these false idols around Skyhaven and work against the Ultimate Light. I suppose I can’t understand someone like you.”

“Not yet, at least,” he snickered, shifting to watch him go; the pain made him restless. “I promised when this is over…you will. Once I grant you everything you desire, all will be revealed... Enjoy the path you’ve chosen. There is so much more to come.”

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Here is the end of Volume 1!  Hehe.  Thoughts?

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