[Re:write] Episode 41: The Second Vessel and the Sage's Quest

—Rewrite despair.

[For first-time readers] To grasp the world-building,
here is the link to the beginning of the story, Episode 1
👉　Episode 1: The Observer Wakes in the Forest
For work information and summaries, click here
👉　For first-time readers | Please start 'Re:write' from Episode 1

(...Good grief. Since when did my workspace become a testing ground for such suspicious rituals?)

In the corner of the workshop.

Drake is polishing his well-worn warhammer.
His gnarled fingertips. The palm gripping the hammer's handle picks up the heat of skin hardened by years of friction.
The cloth catches on an old scar in the iron, and Drake rubs the same spot again.

(What I'm doing is, in the end, no different from the 'blacksmithing' I've done my whole life.)

A gaze, exasperated yet proud, catches Kai and the others as they proceed with the setup.
Meanwhile, in front of the workbench, Elara's round glasses reflect the crystal plate.

(—It's here! It's finally time!)

Countless mathematical formulas flow, illuminating the vessel waiting for its next master.
Her eyes are burning with pure intellectual curiosity.

(The birth of an Undine is the baseline. In this 'Mist,' I will observe the phase transition of information. The origin of life. I might be able to reach its abyss.)

—Alright, let's begin! The second Soul Fixation sequence! It's different from last time! This time, I will log all parameters during the fixation process at the atomic level using this 'Event Recording Plate'!

Elara shouted. A high-tension voice with not a shred of reflection on yesterday's events.

But before that, I have one experimental proposal!

Elara closes in on Kai and Aria.
In her hand is a small bottle containing silver powder. Her thumb is on the lid.

This time, why don't we try mixing a tiny amount of mithril silver powder as a catalyst into the water used as the medium!? I want to gather data on how the high magical conductivity of silver affects the soul's fixation speed!

Rejected.

Kai answered immediately. Reaction time: 0.1 seconds.
Elara's feet stopped.

Then how about we intentionally shift Aria's chords by 0.5 hertz to create a dissonance!? The acoustic stress might stimulate the soul's self-defense instinct, potentially creating a more aggressive and robust personality!

Aria's fingertips stopped while still touching the strings of the harp.
Her own breath appeared slightly white.

(...Are you really sure about this?)
Her gaze was fixed on her own shadow cast upon the floor.

"Cut it out, glasses!"

Drake's angry shout shook the stone walls.

"Are you planning to use a kid who hasn't even been born yet as a test subject! Don't you have even a shred of sacred feeling?"
"Sacred, you say!? This is the most sacred experiment in human history, one that will unravel the mysteries of life!"

Ellara puffed out her chest. She showed no signs of remorse.

"Now, now, Ellara..."

Just as Aria tried to intervene in a troubled tone, Kai spoke quietly, but with an undeniable resonance.

"Ellara. I respect your intellectual curiosity. However, adding uncontrollable variables carries risks that outweigh the rewards at this stage."
"First, we will ensure the reproducibility of the soul under the exact same conditions as with Undine. That is the most rational procedure."
"…Tch."

Ellara pouted like a child, but she had no counterargument to Kai's sound logic.

"Fine! First, stick to the basics, right! In exchange, I'm going to observe the fixation process from start to finish without even blinking!"

The leg of the workbench shifted slightly to the side. It scraped against the stone floor, making a dry sound.
The air in the workshop returned to that of creation.

Kai's signal.

Aria nodded deeply and readied her harp.
A melody was played. A light, somewhat sorrowful tone.
It did not linger like a heavy liquid, but possessed a sense of buoyancy, diffusing as it rode the wind.

Guided by the singing voice, the second light floating above the vessel sank into the crystal container.
Physical contact.
The vessel emitted a dazzling light.

If the birth of Undine was a gentle fusion, the birth of Mist was a phenomenon of unraveling the very air itself and tying it back together.

Whoosh!

The heatless water splashed violently as if it had boiled.
The crystal vessel sucked in the surrounding air, and deep inside her ears, her eardrums were pulled inward.
Particles of light drawing spirals raced toward the heavens.
Ellara's pen nib scratched the paper. The ink bled in one spot.
Even so, her hand did not stop.

The light subsided.

There was no clear figure of a girl inside the vessel.
Instead, a small gas vortex that constantly changed its shape swirled quietly.

The outline is faint. Only the center is slightly dense.

Aria reaches out her hand gently.
"Mist...?"

The tornado of mist rests softly on Aria's palm, as if trusting only her.
For a moment, the mist condenses, forming the shape of a small girl.

The second artificial spirit, 'Mist'.

The first cry of the wind. A small shadow falls upon the stone wall.
Only the sound of water echoes irregularly.

Residual particles of light trace the edge of the crystal.

A cold breeze passes through the narrow, open window.

To read the continuation/background

Click here for the beginning of the story, Chapter 1
👉　Chapter 1: The Observer Wakes in the Forest
Click here for work information and synopsis
👉　For first-time readers | Please start 'Re:write' from Chapter 1

👉 Click here for a summary of the story of the novel 'Re:write' so far.