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ASTERI'S POV
'What an oddity. Raiden, he's so different. It's almost like he's not a human to begin with. The way he thinks, acts, and Raiden himself is completely different from the others.'
'Nothing can be buried forever.'
Entares slams.
'This heaven forsaken thinks I'm worried about someone finding out about the underground floor? What a joke. I can not only replace the floor but make it an open laboratory where bystanders can see what's going on and I won't give a starfall about it. I never give a celestial damn about what others think. I'm just blending—'
Suddenly, my mind glitched.
(Starfall / damn.)
Not just anything mind but MY MIND, the timeless and spaceless domain inaccessible to anyone or anyone reacted.
Everything stopped. No sound, no vision, no darkness, just static. I don't know what's happening. I can't even think.
Wait—what—?
Somehow, I reacted without processing it.
'Enemy attack. Come to Mind!'
Enta suggested, but the transition was impossible. Said transition was as easy as breathing yet...
Wait, if I can't think so, how am I thinking?
It's like trying to see without vision, trying to think without a processing structure. It's beyond comprehension because comprehension itself is lose without a mind. So how?
'I'm holding onto you. You have to come in quickly.'
Entares urged, but I simply couldn't. I heard his call without any sense to comprehend what he said yet I did, but was completely irresponsible.
'Starfall, I can bring you in, but I'll be put to sleep. You'll have to deal with'em alone.'
A fight without Enta, can I really win? The last time I fought, Enta's powers did most of the job. Not to mention this is an enemy that forced his intervention and—
Before my mindless space could process this mysterious thought, I was forcibly pulled into my Mind, thanks to Enta.
'Sit on the throne, you'll—'
He stops mid-sentence, collapsing like a puppet undone. He wasn't affected by the attack, he fell because of the defensive mechanism Lady Elara implanted in me.
Due to what happened in the past, Entares shouldn't be allowed to take over at all costs. So this irresistible artificial slumber was set up to prevent that from happening.
I sat on the throne, and I could feel the pressure surrounding me. If I move away from this spot, I'll be caught up again.
'I couldn't see, I couldn't sense, I couldn't even think. This is too odd for——Wait, can't think?'
I repeated, the truth hitting harder then any blow.
'You mean someone's skill is affecting the Energy Fragment of Thought, Neosis?'
Never have I ever encountered such a foe. We're talking about a being with the power to manipulate the existential force that build and gives existence meaning.
'I've been waiting for you, Antares.'
A voice echoed, pierced straight through my secured Mind, clean and unstoppable.
'Waiting for me? No, Antares? Wait, talk about the culprit, he's not here.'
It was then I realised Antares wasn't present in Mind. Entares was, so he should.
I blinked and the answer to his disappearance became known. He never was.
This is Asteri's Mind not Antares's. The Antares I used to feel here was merely a reflection he crafted. Entares presence however wasn't a reflection. It was real.
He left Antares's Mind when Asteri was created. Not a fan of boredom so he tagged along. That's why he's here with me. But right now, I am all alone.
I was seated on Entares's mysterious throne, finding a way to tackle this threat.
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I searched the intrusion, tracing its signature. If it's that Dark Star—then it's already too late. Everything will fall. Maybe it already has. No one, literally nothing, not even the Omnis can resist this type of Time Stop.
'Neosis, one of the fundamental Fragments of Energy. It spark behind thought, awareness, and selfhood. It's what lets organisms with brains or any processing structure to think, reflect, and know themselves. Without it, even the most advanced species would be no more than machines, acting without knowing why.>>
Its reach isn't limited to the Physical Plane. On the Spiritual Plane, it flows through souls, spirits, and other beings, granting them personality, the ability to make choices, and self-reflection. Thats why beings or constructs without biological brains can still be intelligent and aware.
In essence, Neosis is the source of all conscious experiences. It threads through every Planes of Existence, Physical, Spiritual, even Conceptual. Invisible, untouchable, yet utterly essential.
'When such Fragments are subjected to Time Stop, the body will remain functional, such as breathing, blood flow, and the likes, because that's the work of another Fragment. However, the mind will go silent.
The person cannot think, feel, remember, or even realise they exist during the Time Stop, which is what makes it dangerous, and a Type I Time Stop. Damn it, I'm not prepared for this, but luckily, it's not a Dark Star feat.'
I immediately came to a conclusion. If a Dark Star has such a feat, the Star Realm would've been destroyed long ago. But still, the Omnis won't be idle and be defeated.
"What do you want?"
I asked calmly.
'Vengeance.'
It replied.
'I won't kill you like a coward, so come out and face me.'
"I'd be happy to grant you your wish. Just stay put."
The voice didn't respond. Good, so I began to think of a way to escape this Type I Time Stop.
To be continued...
:)
Chapter 4 Section 5/Star Tournament arc = 30k+ words🤧
See you in the next section/chapter.