"This has got to be it."
"Definitely."
Following the man's directions, they arrive at Moonlid Path. A large, twisted building painted purple stands amongst the normal buildings. A large telescope sticks out of the roof.
They approach the poorly made, painted-black door. Sirius and Korlin glance at each other. This feels stupid.
Sirius sighs and knocks on the door; it almost falls out of its socket.
"Is anyone there? Alzir?!" Korlin peeks through the cracks in the door.
Something collapses inside the building, producing a very loud noise. Footsteps boom around, followed by grunts and groans. This feels increasingly more stupid.
A figure approaches, and the flimsy door swings open, falling off its hinges and onto the ground.
It's a middle-aged man. And judging purely based on appearance, he is quite the character.
He dons black, unruly hair with excessive split ends. He holds a handsome complexion with a sharp jawline. Round, black-rimmed glasses fall over his dark eyes, wrapping around his pierced ears. The temples of his glasses are replaced with thin strings, making it appear like his lenses are floating. A long robe drapes over his lean body; it has an intricate design with many constellations covering it.
Sirius is taken aback by the sight of him, though he gets cool uncle vibes.
"Shit... I just repaired that too..." His voice is soothing, despite sulking. He would make a great narrator for a documentary. The man scratches the back of his neck with his ink-splattered hands, then glances towards the two boys. His eyes instantly widen in surprise. He points a deep purple finger at them. "Are you guys... human?"
-He's calling us humans? Not Witch Spawns?
"Y-Yes..." Korlin says without thinking. "We are-"
The man claps his hands together and laughs gleefully.
"Ha! I knew it!" He's ecstatic. "Here, come in, come in!" The man waves them inside with a contagious grin.
The boys look at each other for approval. Sirius shakes his head in defiance, but Korlin nods and heads inside regardless. Sirius sighs and follows, keeping his guard up.
"So... are you Alzir?" Korlin asks.
"I am!" Alzir places the door back on its hinges. "Ah man, I haven't seen a human in years! This is great!"
The interior is much nicer than the exterior. A maple-colored wood makes up almost everything in the large room. Drawings and notes are planted all over the walls. Strange objects that glow violet and blue are scattered across the tables and chairs. It's cluttered, but very cozy.
"You're... glad to see us?" Sirius questions.
"Of course! I'm always glad to meet a fellow human." Alzir runs around, tidying up the place.
"You're a human, too?" His bizarre appearance made Sirius assume he wasn't.
"You couldn't tell?" he teases. He finishes up by putting piles of paper into drawers. "Yep, I'm a Witch Spawn through and through. Though I'm not a big fan of that title."
"Tell me about it..." Korlin is touching all of the glowing objects he can. Alzir doesn't seem to mind.
"Unfortunately, most people here don't even know the word 'human', so I've been forced to get used to it." He looks like he's reminiscing about something. "So," Alzir sits on a now cleared counter, his face beaming with a wide smile. His mature features offer wisdom and warmth. Faded crow's feet stem from the edges of his eyes. His pupils appear tired, yet they shine with liveliness. "What brings you guys here?"
"Timekeeper told us to seek you," Korlin matches the man's energy.
"Timekeeper...?" He rubs his chin in thought. "Oh! Do you mean that guy with the watches?!"
"Yes!" Korlin seems to have found a kindred spirit.
"Ah man, I haven't seen him in ages! I used to call him names like that, too. I called him..." Alzir clears his throat. "The Second Sentry." He smirks and puffs his chest, full of pride.
Sirius isn't very impressed, but Korlin's expression displays the opposite. "You're so cool..."
"Ha, I don't know about that, but thank you. Is that geezer still all vague about everything?"
"Yes! He didn't even tell us how to get here... Or why to come here."
"Damn..." Alzir smiles in reminiscence. "How long have you guys been here? In this world, I mean."
Korlin struggles to count, so Sirius butts in.
"We've slept twice, so this is our third day."
"Huh, you guys came in on the same day? Interesting... Hm, so... Do you guys... know?" His tone shifts to one more gentle.
"About our memories?" Korlin asks somberly. "Yeah..."
Sirius stays quiet, a vague anxiety crawling into his brain. He's been suppressing the idea, denying it... He doesn't want to be told it's true again.
"I see... How are you handling it?" He directs the question to Sirius. Compassion hugs his words; he truly does seem to care.
"Huh-? Oh, I don't know... I don't... really believe it. Memories disappearing don't make much sense to me. It doesn't feel real, you know?" Sirius swallows. "I haven't seen any proof. And besides, even if it is real... there's nothing we can do, right? I shouldn't stress over something like that..."
His blatant lie makes him feel guilty. In truth, fear corrupts his thoughts. He doesn't want to believe it. He refuses to.
"...Denial, huh... You seem to be taking it better than others I've met," Alzir nods his head slowly.
-Denial... No... That's not what this is, is it? I still haven't seen any proof... Come to think of it, if the memory thing is real, and Alzir is human... Shouldn't that mean his memories are...
"...Besides, we still have a year, right? We have over three hundred days, so if it is true, we can figure something out..."
The man freezes. His empathetic face shuffles into one of sorrow.
"Alzir...? Something wrong?" Korlin asks.
The man rubs his eyes.
"Heh, that old geezer really didn't tell you anything..." Alzir hops off the counter. He walks over to a winding staircase in the back of the room. His footsteps thud up the hollow steps. "Follow me."
The boys share a look, fear creeping up their shoulders. Korlin heads up the staircase, followed by a stiff and silent Sirius.
The upstairs is blanketed by a large, black dome above. White dots are sprinkled across the makeshift sky, acting as stars to illuminate the room enough to see. Alzir stands at a desk lit by a lone candle. He opens a drawer and pulls out a strange, black glove. He slips it over his right hand and blows out the candle.
Alzir walks past the boys and shuts a hatch over the staircase. The room is swallowed in darkness, bringing the makeshift planetarium to life.
"Take a seat," Alzir's tone is mature, a departure from before.
"Oh shit- It's lore time." Korlin sits crisscrossed on the floor. He pulls out a bag of treats similar to popcorn and starts munching on it. No one knows where he got it from.
Sirius sits, leaning on one knee. He's weary of what's to come.
Alzir removes the lenses from his eyes, hanging them around his neck. On closer inspection, there aren't actually any lenses, only empty rims connected to string.
He raises his gloved hand and waves it towards the ceiling. The fingertips glow a pale blue, and the white dots on the ceiling begin to move. They streak across the dome, following Alzir's palm. It's a beautiful light show.
Korlin's mouth drops in awe. For some reason, Sirius feels cold.
"How much do you know of this place?" Alzir questions.
"Not much..." Sirius answers. "We can barely ask anyone anything without being called a Witch Spawn."
"I see," Alzir smiles. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be a scientist. An astronomer, at that."
"Astronomer? Like the study of space?"
"Indeed. I've studied the cosmos my entire life. It started back in my past life, and when I got here... I knew I had to continue and find out the secrets of this universe... Are you interested?"
"I'm more into geology myself, but I think it's fascinating."
Despite not really knowing why, and despite the hopes of his parents, Sirius had set down on the path of becoming a geologist. Of course, that trail was cut short the moment he died. And while knowing some obscure facts and basic information regarding the science, he still never committed to anything. He's uncertain if that's even what he really wanted to pursue.
He's never been good at making decisions. Or sticking to anything.
"Geology...? What's that...?"
Raw confusion crosses Alzir's face. A curiosity that is impossible to be ingenuine.
-What...? He's a scientist... He should know what...
A grim realization takes root inside Sirius's mind.
-Don't tell me... He doesn't know...
No...
He doesn't remember.
...
There it is.
The first, indisputable evidence of human memory loss.
Sirius's heart sinks, a crushing weight retraining him. He shivers. Everything feels colder. Heavier.
-No...
He attempts to convince himself otherwise, but fear takes hold of his mind.
Alzir, sensing the boy's dread, ceases his curiosity.
"Sorry... So, what do you guys know about the universe?"
Sirius swallows and tries to shake it off, repressing the thoughts.
-Bury it.
"...Um, not a lot, but all of my mom's side of the family is named after stars."
"Are you?" Korlin asks.
"Yeah... Sirius, the brightest star in the sky..." Sirius stares at the fake stars above. He's always hated his name, or more, its meaning.
He can't live up to that star. It's merely a reminder of the person he's not.
"Hmm, so nothing of value. What about you?" Alzir diverts his attention to Korlin.
"Not much... But-"
"Forget about it!" Alzir cuts the boy off. "Everything you think you know... It's wrong! Well, most of it." Excitement elevates his voice; he's been dying to talk about this. "According to legend, the universe was created by The Goddess, billions, if not trillions, of years ago. She's said to have been birthed from nothing, and as she slowly gained sentience, she rose to extreme power. Crafting the universe from that same nothing, spreading her divine self through the blankness in the form of dark matter, particles, atoms, and so on."
"Are you sure you're a scientist-?"
"Shush! Eventually, she birthed three children from her own self. The God of Manifest, the first of her children, formed the celestial bodies. He created the stars and planets to fill the void his mother created. He cultivated the lands throughout the universe and the eight realms, this world in particular being his masterpiece."
"Lore..." Korlin whispers under his breath.
"It's fascinating, the inhabitants of Mirgaia don't question the universe at all. They don't wonder how the planets, the stars, or anything came to be. Most all believe in these gods. Of course, there are some religions that differ in ideals and beliefs, but the majority all accept these same creators."
"Mirgaia...?" Sirius repeats.
"Huh? Oh yes, that is the name of this planet. It's named after the celestial warden on the far reaches of this solar system."
-Mirgaia...
"As a man of science, I find it hard to believe the existence of these beings. But there are people and accounts of those who've lived on since those times. I've even met some of them myself."
"People who've lived for billions of years?"
The thought strikes him as mindboggling. What does one do with so much time...?
...
"Yes, and many still roam the world today, or have transcended into a higher plane."
"Woah..." Korlin awes.
"Woah, indeed. Those elders have stories I can't even begin to comprehend. It makes it hard to believe them..." Alzir scratches the nape of his neck. "But what do I know? I've only lived a measly fifty-five years..."
Korlin immediately starts choking on his food.
"FIFTY-FIVE?! You look like you're twenty-seven!" Korlin continues to cough in his elbow, banging on his chest.
"Aha, you're too kind, more accurately..." Alzir prances over to his desk and pulls out an unreadable calendar. "I've lived nine thousand seven hundred and fifty-six days in this world. Converting that plus my nineteen initial years into Earth terms... I am 45 years old or so in Earth years."
"I'm telling you this guy is a wizard. A math wizard..." Korlin whispers in Sirius's ear.
"Does time... work differently in this world?" Sirius asks, brushing Korlin aside. He places his fingers over the watch in his pocket.
"Yes!" Alzir throws the calendar at the wall. "While this planet may have been created by gods, I have studied the mechanisms inside and out to determine how it works." Alzir waves his gloved hand around. The starry dome transforms into a diorama of the planet. Sirius only gets a quick glance before it zooms out further to his new planetary system. "Before my memories were essentially sucked into a black hole, I wrote down all the knowledge I could about Earth and its Solar System. Comparing those facts to Mirgaia is fascinating..."
Sirius and Korlin are entranced by the image. Seven planets all orbit a massive sun. Their colors burst with vibrancy unlike any from their old system. The planet they're on now, Mirgaia, catches his eye again.
"That's us, right?" Sirius points to the blue, cloudy planet.
"That's right."
"So, we're the second planet from the sun? Not the third, like Earth?"
"Yes! Although we are the second, this planet is still at the same relative distance from the Sun as Earth was. It is a little closer, but the cooler atmosphere and thick ozone layer here protect us just fine. I suspect some magic is involved, too, but I've yet to prove that. The oxygen percentage is actually lower on this planet, so the air is slightly thinner, but I doubt you've noticed. Trust me, when I realized all of this, I was shaken to my core!"
"Huh..."
"Sirius, this guy is lore dumping right now... It's awesome..." Korlin whispers.
"In truth, this planet used to be the third from the Sun. Apparently, and remember this is all from sources I'm not fully sure are credible, the original second planet was decimated by the God of Manifest. After realizing it disrupted the orbit and entangled with Earth and Mirgaia's realm, he wiped it from existence."
"Realm...?"
"Hey, what is that thing?" Korlin interrupts. He points to the right of the further-most planet. A massive, misshapen entity looms off to the side, barely in view.
"Ah..." Alzir swipes his finger and zooms into the body. "That would be the warden, Mirgaia, I mentioned. A cosmic horror overlooking our system..." Alzir swipes over to the closest planet to the sun.
"Aatli, Mirgaia, Bhaogun, Izheith, Kliobbar..." Alzir lists the names of the respective planets as he passes each of them. He swipes over an expansive asteroid belt before getting to the next planet. Sirius is no expert, but from what he remembers, this is not how the asteroid belt was placed in his solar system. "Voxirc, and the final, seventh planet Throlhirc...
All the planets are named after ancient cosmic beings. Some worship them as gods, though I've seen little to no imagery of them... Mirgaia, the only observable being, now overlooks the bodies, which are named after its fellow nightmares. No one knows its true intentions, or if it's even still alive."
"Wow..." Korlin marvels at the grotesque blob. All three of them become captivated by its appearance. Just looking at its image inflicts dread in their minds.
"Can you go back to Mirgaia, our planet?" Sirius asks.
"Certainly," Alzir waves his finger through the air and zooms in on Mirgaia. The planet differs greatly from Earth. Continents and their countries are all colored differently. Some are basic green, while others are yellow or mauve. Like Earth, the planet's surface is mainly made up of water. There are a lot of islands scattered across the globe, and even a massive, swirling vortex the size of a country.
One landmark, or rather, continent, catches his eye. The biggest chunk of land on the planet. An icy mammoth sitting right on the equator.
"What's that place?" Sirius points at the frozen landmass.
"Ah, ol' Aeonice... Did you know it takes up a whole seventh of Mirgaia's surface?"
"Aeonice... I think some merchants mentioned it before... Hm, anyway, how does that even work? It's frozen, right? Even on the equator?" Sirius's previous worries, at least for now, have been overrun by his natural curiosity.
"Perspective, are we?" Alzir's smile widens. "Despite making up a seventh of the world, and being a frozen wasteland smack dab right in the center of the world, not much is known about it. It's a mystery even to me. It is the coldest place in the world, averaging about three Kiln."
"Kiln?"
"Oh, right, ha... That's my own little temperature conversion I made... It's still a work in progress, but that would be around -30.7 Celsius in Earth terms. Some parts of Aeonice can even reach one Kiln, or just above -42 Celsius. I'm... Not fully sure on the science of it all..." Alzir rubs his eyes in quiet frustration.
"That's not as cold as I thought it'd be..."
"Yeah, it's confusing... It's like some sort of force is keeping it from getting too cold there, but just cold enough to ward off anyone who tries to enter. Even snowsquallers..." Alzir clearly wants to change the subject from temperature. So he does. "What I can tell you is that Mirgaia's planetary rotation is different from what you're probably accustomed to." He waves his hand and makes it so that only Mirgaia and the Sun remain above.
"So, days are different?" Korlin breaks out of his awed silence, trying to keep up with the conversation.
"Yes... But only barely."
Mirgaia begins to spin and orbit the sun.
"Man, my mind is imploding right now, real-life lore is so complicated..." Korlin holds his head.
"Ah, we've barely scratched the surface! But I'll keep my explanation as simple as possible."
"..." Korlin nods in thankfulness.
"Earth days are twenty-four hours, correct? If that old Timekeeper's watches are correct, then the days on Mirgaia aren't that different. Days are just slightly shorter, about twenty-three and a half hours. As you can see, Mirgaia orbits around the Sun at relatively the same speed as Earth does its own. But, the axis of Mirgaia is unstable and is angled slightly more compared to Earth, resulting in temperature fluctuations and day/night cycles getting mixed up..." Alzir needs to catch his breath.
Korlin leans back over to Sirius.
"He's speaking gibberish again..."
Sirius shushes him. He's all for this science lesson.
Alzir regains his drive and starts back up.
"The four seasons are off schedule typically, so they don't really abide by months. The inhabitants of Mirgaia don't seem to care particularly much, surprisingly. It can cause farmers to lose yield some years, and is an overall flawed system... They are always quick to blame us humans, though..." Alzir whispers that last part.
"How do months work?" Korlin raises his hand like he's in a classroom.
"Not too incredibly different. There are ten months, each averaging around twenty-seven days long."
Sirius's eyebrows knit.
-Did I hear that right...?
The spherical room grows quiet. The ominous sun above illuminates their faces.
"Hold on a minute..." Sirius struggles to get it out. "Ten months... Each twenty-seven days long?" His mind begins to waver between emotions.
"Huh? Yes... Why?"
"That would mean there are only two hundred and seventy days in a year, wouldn't it?"
"Well, it's actually two hundred and seventy-one, but... Yeah..." Alzir realizes what he's said.
A glacial chill drives goosebumps up Sirius's arms. Yet another whiplash... This time, he doesn't stumble. His feet remain rooted to the floorboards. He shuts his open lips and looks down at his fingertips. They feel numb.
There is no trembling, no lightheadedness, only numb fingers and deafeningly quiet thoughts.
-What is this...? Does this even make a difference? No... The memory thing isn't real. It's not... I can't do anything anyway... It's only less time... Whose to say he's even telling the truth...
Sirius turns to face Korlin.
He's silent. Quietly staring at the ground. Sirius senses no sadness from him, though his foot is tapping repeatedly. He's anxious...
-Less time for what? For these memories to pass...? They won't... Why... why do I care so much?
He clenches his fists, and the numbness fades.
"..."
"..."
"Hey..." Sirius murmurs.
"...Yes?"
Sirius grasps the beating clock and pulls it from his pocket.
"Can we... Stop here for a moment?"
"Mm," Alzir nods and slips the glove off his hand. The makeshift planetarium returns to a sky of forged stars. "We can step back downstairs..." His voice is wrapped in guilt.
Alzir walks by the two statues and lifts the hatch covering the stairs. Yellow candlelight floods the dark room. The two boys squint their eyes, adjusting to the light. Alzir jogs down the steps.
Sirius's blank, squinted stare points toward his fellow statue.
"...Are you alright?"
Korlin blinks like he's crushing bricks with his eyelids. He slows down and then turns his attention towards Sirius.
"Yeah, of course," the boy smiles. "It's only like... a hundred less days. Not that much less time." He hides his worry with an upbeat mask.
"..."
"Come on, let's go," Korlin makes his way downstairs.
Sirius observes his companion's struggle to maintain his facade.
...
-We are alike, aren't we?