[The Apocrypha Stage.]
[This is the next stage after Eternity, and all I could piece together was the formation of the words.]
[The outright cumulative definition of it is: knowledge or power hidden from the known universe,] the system said, as Ryuk paused, taking a seat amongst the shattered rocks.
"Knowledge or power hidden from the known universe," he echoed.
"The known universe?" Ryuk murmured to himself, trying to piece things together.
"Could the known universe mean wild worlds like Endearth? Could it only be achieved if one escapes this known universe?"
"Or could there even be a concept of an unknown universe? Could that be the higher worlds Aster was talking about earlier?"
Ryuk whispered these words under his breath but quickly pushed them down and asked the system,
"What of the next two stages after the Apocrypha Stage?"
[After the Apocrypha Stage, there is the Exignis Stage.]
[Not much is also given by the database, except the origin of the word, as I can piece together.]
["Ex" = Beyond, and "Ignis" = Fire, or Light, or Soul.]
[So you could take it to mean: the birth of a new form—beyond soul, or beyond being?] the system explained, doubt flickering in its voice.
This time, Ryuk couldn’t quite grasp the meaning.
It was a concept too far abstract.
What did the stage mean—shedding one’s true body, or something else?
If one sheds their body, then what do they become?
Do they even still exist?
Existing without a body?
"And the last one?"
[The last is called the Nullity Stage.]
[Null, in the sense of end.]
"A stage of nullity? Where does one exist in the sense of an end? An end?"
"Does it mean they die? Or... cease to exist?"
"Like being neither dead nor alive?" he wondered aloud.
Then his gaze drifted into the distance, his thoughts trailing.
He stared silently for almost three hours before finally speaking again.
"Hey, system, you saw the memory panel, right? That memory of me... with my parents, I assume?"
[Yes.]
"That’Vorgath. That’s my father’s name. Thath’Vorgath..."
[Theth’Vorgath.]
[It’s a combination of three words.]
["That"—which means that which cannot be named, or beyond name.]
["Vor"—closest in meaning to devourer, or flames of annihilation.]
["Gath"—means genesis, or... womb?]
"So... The No-Name Devourer Genesis?" Ryuk murmured to himself, piecing the words together.
[Maybe, seems like something is incomplete though,] the system replied.
Ryuk furrowed his brows.
"In that memory, my mother said,
____
’But what would they say if they saw you now? What would they say about the strongest of them all?’"
____
"It’s like my father is the strongest of the Knulls. And by the way she said it, there wasn’t even the slightest doubt at all. It felt like an established law."
"But then she also said,
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’Oh, Theth’Vorgath... could I have made you softer... and doubted?’"
___
"And Theth’Vorgath also revealed that his council of elders had complained about that."
[It holds some sense, Ryuk. Many males grow softer after having a child. It’s a universal concept.]
"Perhaps that was what started the war? Perhaps growing softer made him lose his position as the strongest."
"Or did his council revolt against him for that?"
But then, when I awakened Aetheris, I got that memory too."
"The memory of a group of Knulls asking the dragons,"
____
’Oh, you dragons? Will you really all give away your immortal lives just for a single soul?’
____
"In that scenario, it was like the Knulls were chasing after me specifically. My mother is a dragon, and the last scene in that memory is that of the dragons going all out against the Knulls... for me."
"Things get complicated."
"Did Theth’Vorgath’s council revolt against him for becoming softer, as the strongest of the Knulls, and try to take me away from him?"
"In that sense, it would make sense for the dragons to fight back."
"But if all they wanted to do was punish Theth’Vorgath or try and force him to become his old self again, then ripping off my old body parts seems like going too far, especially if he was strong enough to slaughter them all."
"Or maybe he wasn’t."
"But then again, I’ve lost almost all of my body parts. It was like what they were after was me, myself."
"As if there was something special about my body?"
"Perhaps because I was a hybrid between a dragon and a Knull?"
"Things get complicated after that..." Ryuk mused silently, his hand clenching into a trembling fist.
[It’s okay, Ryuk. Everything that happened to you—every single piece of information—is present in your memory world. So long as you keep leveling up and growing your energy, you’ll unlock each of them one by one, and find more answers,] the system said reassuringly.
Ryuk rose to his feet. "You’re right. There’s hope."
"So long as I keep growing stronger... then it’s only a matter of time before the whole truth is unveiled."
He stood tall, ready to leave, but then—
"DRIIING!"
"DRIIING!"
The sound of his phone ringing rang out.
It appeared in his hand as he glanced at the screen, or specifically, the number on it, his brows pulling together when he couldn’t recognize it.
He picked it up anyway, sliding the call button before placing it to his ear.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Silence hung in the air before a trembling voice whispered:
"Ry... Ryuk?"
His bones turned cold, so cold he stopped moving entirely, as if paralyzed by the sound.
It felt too familiar, awakening memories that numbed him to silence, but he forced them all down, as he asked.
"Morgaine!?"
"Is i—"
"BEEP"
"BEEP"
"BEEP"
The sound of beeping rang out as Ryuk looked down at his device, noticing the call had been cut off before her next words could come through.
There was no doubt about that voice. It was Morgaine’s.
But then right after—
"DRIIING!"
"DRIIING!"
The sound of ringing echoed again as Ryuk turned to the device.
The number was different this time. He swiped to the side.
"Hello?"
"Ryuk, is that you?"
"Aster?" Ryuk asked, recognizing the voice as he heard a sharp inhale from the other side.
"Seems like you’re alive."
"Hey, you just ran off for two weeks all of a sudden, no texts, no calls, no visits. What’s up?" she asked.
Ryuk’s brows furrowed.
A coincidence?
No. Something was wrong.
"Hey Aster, can I ask how you suddenly got my number?"