Chapter 65: Space-Time Conundrum [Illustration]

When Mary "wakes" up, her eyes float to the night sky above. Flat against soft grass, she stares blankly at the bright gems above, her mind inevitably calming despite the change in location.

'Beautiful.'

When was the last time she saw stars this clear? It's a sad question to think about. Her days living in busy cities, both in London and Keystone, made it near impossible for the wonders of the universe to shine through.

She would have never paid much awareness to it before, but thanks to receiving Amy's history and knowledge, there's a newfound appreciation for this vast darkness, full of mystery.

Closing her eyes, she snorts. 'Except, I don't think this place is really enough to count.'

Indeed, the fact she's back in these grassy plains means the magical realm connected to Anne hadn't shattered; however, something has changed given it's nighttime.

'Anne has to be here too if it's anything like before.'

Breaking from the stars, Mary lifts to brush off the dirt and green from her naked form. Looking around, she's not far from one of the lakes; in fact, she seems to be in the same spot where she and Daniel watched Viviane disappear inside of Anne.

Luckily, Mary catches sight of the slime mother standing in front of the lake. Her back facing Mary is shadowed as light reflects off the waters in front of her.

Relieved, she calls out to her, "Hey, love-eek!"

However, her call is cut to a squeak. Reflecting in her eyes above the lake is a large tear in the sky, quaking with unknown letters spilling and fading out. It's a wonder how she didn't draw to something so obvious from the start.

If there were any doubts of this world being magical, such an anomaly in the sky would certainly clear them.

Swallowing her stupor, the ebony artist hurriedly joins the slime mother's side in front of the lake. From there, both watch the crack in the sky in silence while floating feelings of confusion, concern, and awe.

Eventually, Anne blinks before glancing to the artist by her side. Amid this particularity, she forces herself to relax with a wry smile. "Mary...I'm guessing it's just us two?"

Said artist hums, locked onto the tear as she absorbs the details of the letters. "It seems that way. We didn't carry Daniel this time, plus Viviane's not bound to this place anymore."

"Well, this has to be somewhat good, right? At least we know this world is still accessible through me."

Mary frowns. "Yeah, except it's dark and there's a fucking hole in the sky. If I recall, we saw something like this after Viviane slipped into you."

"That was much bigger, though, wasn't it? It felt like everything was collapsing before we all woke up."

"Maybe it did? I mean, it's nighttime. Has Viviane ever mentioned whether it turns dark?"

"Hrm..."

With no clear answers, they just watch the crack spill letters continuously. After a while, Anne clears her throat and looks at more normal parts of the sky.

"Aside from that, I recognize the star formations. Even if this place may not be real, it's definitely based on some place on Earth."

Mary widens her eyes, then trails the slime mother's scan. Catching a few known constellations, she has enough of Amy's knowledge in her to confirm such observations.

"What the...you're right! I see Virgo, Leo, Orion, and..."

Squinting, she comes back to her position in front of the tear in space. "I think what's being mostly covered by that hole is...Aquarius?"

"Yes!" Anne chirps, closing her eyes in a smile. "Mary, I'm so proud of you for knowing your star bodies!"

The artist raises a brow. "What's with that praise? This is obviously coming from Amy."

"Sure, you and I might've not learned it on our own, but this sort of knowledge is to be shared anyway, no?"

"True, but it feels sort-of cheating," Mary admits before cocking her head. "Come to think of it, Daniel should start becoming knowledgeable too now that he's synced with Viviane."

"I would hope so!" Anne growls. "He couldn't even follow my conversation with Rachel! Can you believe it?"

Mary smiles dryly. 'No, I think that's quite normal.'

Coughing, she returns the focus to the screaming anomaly that wants attention. "Well, miss astronomer, any theories to this space-time conundrum?"

"I'm broken."

"Same, love. Same."

Anne snorts. "But seriously, I was suggested that this place is my domain, and that's looking to be true. That also means my sister just blew a hole through me."

"Isn't it more like she took a piece away from you? After all, she turned blue from your mass."

"All technicalities," Anne dismisses, then narrows her eyes. "Should I sue her for property damage?"

Mary laughs. "I'll be the judge then."

While neither of them intended to joke around, they had little to go off. In particular, Anne knows she can't hide away from the meaning behind her existence. The change in her dream realm only hastens the need to understand.

Therefore...

"Mary," Anne begins, her gaze firming towards the rift. "Regarding your uncle and the book, you haven't told him about me and Viviane, right?"

"At least without giving away that you two exist in real life."

Anne hums. "If possible, we need to meet him."

The artist's eyes widen. "Anne...are you sure?"

"I know you hold some doubt, but at this point, Lecia is already onto us. We need to trust our feelings to some extent if we want to make any progress. The fact is, only your uncle and Lecia seem to know about these magics. If we're to trust one of them, I'd rather trust your family."

"I guess so, but Daniel will be-"

"Our son will understand," the slime mother cuts. "While he won't like exposing us, even he'll be concerned if he saw something like this."

Her lips thin as returns to the rift. "That said, it's oddly beautiful how this damage shows up in the stars, but it's frightening what it means to me."

Mary sighs. "I don't disagree, but...I wonder if Merlin predicted this as well."

Anne gasps before turning towards the artist. "Wait, that's right! Why don't we check your lake? If the wizard hid a message within you for Viviane, maybe he has a message for you?"

"Ah? Possibly. Is this one mine?" Mary asks, pointing at the glowing lake before them.

"Yes, I think so!"

Mary rubs her neck and shifts her lips to the side. "So...how do I activate it?"

"Um...I think Daniel told me that he just focused on the waters, and it eventually fades in, but it didn't work when I was there."

"Then how is it supposed to work if we're here!?"

"M-maybe just think about what you remembered?"

"How am I supposed to remember something I blacked out as a girl? The only thing I vaguely remember was noticing the book, and then..."

"Mary!"

Both freeze as Marlin's panicked voice reverberates out from the lake, shaking its waters. With a cool breath, they snap their head towards the surface, where they see a wavy image of Mary's perspective just after she opened the book.

The current Mary widens her eyes, her mouth hanging as she sees her uncle's hands shaking her old self. It's just as he described when she was in a frozen state.

However, while she doesn't remember seeing anything from the book, the playback in the water clearly shows text that burns into the page before her eyes.

"M-mary, t-the water!"

Anne's warning shakes the artist out of her shock to see bubbles building out of the surface, distorting the image. Steam rises and with it, the molecules pull together to form words in the air.

"Wha..."

The letters are just like those spilled from the hole in the sky; however, a deep, hoarse voice rings through Mary's head in English as she stares at the words forming for her.

To the bright artist, in the chance you also find a way to read these words outside of yourself, I give my apologies to you and your family. Although I don't know you, I have plunged you into a conflict that I'm unable to predict.Please.Do not let the goddess sway my lady.They are not the same.They are not one.The love for life must not be infinite.A mother's love cannot be infinite.Her self-imposed exile was the wrong solution knowing the future.But the risk to consuming others is too great.This is my failure.

"Mary, what's happening? What's wrong?"

Blinking, Mary swallows as Merlin's voice in her head ends. To hear such guilt and regret from a legend, her eyes strained with sadness. Daring not to cry as the emotions from the magic shake her core, she takes a shaky breath.

"I...heard him."

"Ah, what did he say? I heard nothing except the water sizzling."

Mary freezes before furrowing her brows at the slime. Pointing at the fading steam, she asks, "Did you not see the magic words form in the steam?"

Anne cocks her head. "Words?"

"No, wait...how about the burning letters on the pages I was reading?"

"I only saw a blank page?"

Mary's eyes swirl with disbelief. Although the sudden evaporation was witnessed, the slime mother didn't receive nor observe anything notable afterward.

Why?

'Did Merlin...not expect someone like Anne to exist?'