The young scholar, draped in weathered robes, loose papers beneath his arm as he ascended the towering staircase of the Glory Hall, his sunken, sickly eyes and hollowed features betraying a weariness carved deep into his being. He kept his head low, a ghost among the living, slipping unnoticed into the sweltering boiler room where steam clung to the air like breath on cold glass. Climbing into the rafters, he wove through the building's forgotten veins until he reached an iron trapdoor, its surface scarred with time. With steady hands, he entered the code—metal groaned, locks unlatched, and the world opened to something that seemed to take the pressure off his shoulders, something his own.
As soon as he entered and the trapdoor locked behind him he was met with the faceless Steamtech automaton, Cerifino. "We are at twenty percent, concerning the memory transition. You do realize it will be an entire separate person, who just shares your memories, sir?" The mechanical being readily announced in a warm, almost echoed tone.
Leandre glanced towards the center of the room and gave no response, surrounded by tanks of alchemy, suits composed of different types of technology, and training equipment— in the center of it all sat X-One. The Homunculus that was created the previous night to everyone's defiance and dismay. He sat there, the newly born figure, locked at every pivotal point of his body to the wooden chair, writhing as a memkey helmet sat on his head, wires hanging down like long strands of hair from the helmet as the wooden chair clattered vigorously against the ground. X-One shook as memories flooded into his system, groaning and crying out.
"I do not believe that I have to remind you that I think continuing the Watcher Project through X-One is unwise. You have been sick, the Watcher has been gone. Maybe it is time to put away the mask." Cerifino continued, programmed to second guess Leandre at every turn. The robot's arms folded behind his back as he stepped alongside Leandre.
There was a long pause, complete silence. Leandre drifted off, eyes blurring into a reality years before. Stuck in place as his eyes burned holes into X-One.
It was bright, the sun hung high within the sky in the midst of the Regalian summer. The fresh air filled Leandre's nostrils as flowers began to bloom, as he walked alongside his mother. The man looked younger, but not by much.
"It's so wonderful that we can travel during your summer breaks, Leandre. I'm glad I get to see your face, not just envision you through letters. I only wish your father wasn't off on some mission. Oh how I miss the team, the three of us being together, laughing." She mused, shoving her son a small bit in play as she continued onwards in her light tone of voice "He misses you, you know? I understand he doesn't write, but I see it in those big blue eyes of his, and I catch him gazing into your empty room some nights…"
Leandre gave her a warm smile and shook his head as they walked down Main Street, "He still doesn't have that armor set in his office, the one he made for me when he thought I'd be following in his shadow?"
She gave her son a knowing look, he knew the answer to that question. She deflated a small bit with a quiet exhale, and lowered her voice to a small murmur "You are doing something more important, with time… I think you're going to change the world, Leandre— you won't just be another Delmotte in green. I truly believe—" and there was a sudden silence as she glanced at her son, who was staring up at the sky as streaks of glowering golden lights painted the afternoon sky. Those streaks were meteors, surely, and she vocalized this to him.
Leandre glanced back at his mother, "We need to get out of here.." He said in a rushed voice as those things came closer and closer to hitting the city. They were right by the All-Beacon after all and these giant lobs of matter seemed to be spiraling right for them, and so Leandre pulled on his mothers wrist to go into the other direction as carriages wildly sped past, and people began screaming out.
Then there was an explosive bang as one of those meteors hit ground, running its course right through the All-Beacon and killing many on impact. Smoke arose into the sun-beaten sky and loud cracks and clicks followed soon after.
All around the familial duo people started dying, pierced by invisible creatures followed by a demonic sound. Death machines that took unholy numbers of the cities populous.
Though as Leandre turned to pull his mother along, he glanced back and she was no longer within his grasp— she was strung high above him, one of those invisible creatures had stabbed right through her abdomen, blood raining down, covering the cobble ground as the invisible alien rose his death-bound mother high above him, clicking madly in the direction of the young boy as he cried out. Crimson leaked from her lips as she said in one quick breath.. "Run."
His life turned upside down in a split moment as a Metropolitan reached out and snagged him, forcing him into the sewers.
Forcing him back to the present.
Leandre awoke from his exhausted stupor, his daydream, as the automaton spoke up again "Have I fallen upon deaf ears again?— I said: what if the Perennica team finds a different solution, what if they come back with something?"
And the young Delmotte reflected softly on the words of Cerifino, shaking his head as he spoke for certain "They won't. I lied to them, they don't know it, but they're going there to retrieve something for me."
"You.. lied, sir?" Cerifino, he tipped his head in artificial thought as he peered over his maker with questions seeping through his body language. Leandre responded with a small "It's better to leave them with hope that they tried to do something for me, then let them sit by and watch me die. Despite their feelings towards me. It'll give them something to deliver to my father after my passing" He said, coughing into his elbow.
A heavy silence stretched between them before the automaton finally reached for the loose papers Leandre had brought home. His metal fingers ghosted over the fragile sheets, his voice smooth yet weighted as he murmured, "They denounce you? The clergy?"
Leandre let out a hollow breath, rolling up his sleeve as he pressed a needle into his skin, the alchemical concoction seeping into his veins like ink into water. "Wouldn't you?" he muttered, his gaze distant. "I am a disgrace to the gods. Faithless. I've betrayed Ness' values." He said, a breath of certainty in his voice.
"Then why not die with the project? The Watcher adopted the Eye of Union as his sigil, a warrior of faith to answer the people's prayers." Cerifino countered.
"Because I now realize that it was a moment that dictated this outcome, that it was me, not the Gods who foretold this. I am The Watcher with or without the Church, the Gods and their teachings— they'd frown upon my ways at every turn. The Watcher is a symbol, and a symbol that won't die with me."
Cerifino refrained from speaking further, perhaps in agreement to a certain extent. A rare moment. The night passed on, and sound of the chair against the wooden floor never ceased.
Would this creature take on the mantle of The Watcher? Would it be the same?
As soon as he entered and the trapdoor locked behind him he was met with the faceless Steamtech automaton, Cerifino. "We are at twenty percent, concerning the memory transition. You do realize it will be an entire separate person, who just shares your memories, sir?" The mechanical being readily announced in a warm, almost echoed tone.
Leandre glanced towards the center of the room and gave no response, surrounded by tanks of alchemy, suits composed of different types of technology, and training equipment— in the center of it all sat X-One. The Homunculus that was created the previous night to everyone's defiance and dismay. He sat there, the newly born figure, locked at every pivotal point of his body to the wooden chair, writhing as a memkey helmet sat on his head, wires hanging down like long strands of hair from the helmet as the wooden chair clattered vigorously against the ground. X-One shook as memories flooded into his system, groaning and crying out.
"I do not believe that I have to remind you that I think continuing the Watcher Project through X-One is unwise. You have been sick, the Watcher has been gone. Maybe it is time to put away the mask." Cerifino continued, programmed to second guess Leandre at every turn. The robot's arms folded behind his back as he stepped alongside Leandre.
There was a long pause, complete silence. Leandre drifted off, eyes blurring into a reality years before. Stuck in place as his eyes burned holes into X-One.
It was bright, the sun hung high within the sky in the midst of the Regalian summer. The fresh air filled Leandre's nostrils as flowers began to bloom, as he walked alongside his mother. The man looked younger, but not by much.
"It's so wonderful that we can travel during your summer breaks, Leandre. I'm glad I get to see your face, not just envision you through letters. I only wish your father wasn't off on some mission. Oh how I miss the team, the three of us being together, laughing." She mused, shoving her son a small bit in play as she continued onwards in her light tone of voice "He misses you, you know? I understand he doesn't write, but I see it in those big blue eyes of his, and I catch him gazing into your empty room some nights…"
Leandre gave her a warm smile and shook his head as they walked down Main Street, "He still doesn't have that armor set in his office, the one he made for me when he thought I'd be following in his shadow?"
She gave her son a knowing look, he knew the answer to that question. She deflated a small bit with a quiet exhale, and lowered her voice to a small murmur "You are doing something more important, with time… I think you're going to change the world, Leandre— you won't just be another Delmotte in green. I truly believe—" and there was a sudden silence as she glanced at her son, who was staring up at the sky as streaks of glowering golden lights painted the afternoon sky. Those streaks were meteors, surely, and she vocalized this to him.
Leandre glanced back at his mother, "We need to get out of here.." He said in a rushed voice as those things came closer and closer to hitting the city. They were right by the All-Beacon after all and these giant lobs of matter seemed to be spiraling right for them, and so Leandre pulled on his mothers wrist to go into the other direction as carriages wildly sped past, and people began screaming out.
Then there was an explosive bang as one of those meteors hit ground, running its course right through the All-Beacon and killing many on impact. Smoke arose into the sun-beaten sky and loud cracks and clicks followed soon after.
All around the familial duo people started dying, pierced by invisible creatures followed by a demonic sound. Death machines that took unholy numbers of the cities populous.
Though as Leandre turned to pull his mother along, he glanced back and she was no longer within his grasp— she was strung high above him, one of those invisible creatures had stabbed right through her abdomen, blood raining down, covering the cobble ground as the invisible alien rose his death-bound mother high above him, clicking madly in the direction of the young boy as he cried out. Crimson leaked from her lips as she said in one quick breath.. "Run."
His life turned upside down in a split moment as a Metropolitan reached out and snagged him, forcing him into the sewers.
Forcing him back to the present.
Leandre awoke from his exhausted stupor, his daydream, as the automaton spoke up again "Have I fallen upon deaf ears again?— I said: what if the Perennica team finds a different solution, what if they come back with something?"
And the young Delmotte reflected softly on the words of Cerifino, shaking his head as he spoke for certain "They won't. I lied to them, they don't know it, but they're going there to retrieve something for me."
"You.. lied, sir?" Cerifino, he tipped his head in artificial thought as he peered over his maker with questions seeping through his body language. Leandre responded with a small "It's better to leave them with hope that they tried to do something for me, then let them sit by and watch me die. Despite their feelings towards me. It'll give them something to deliver to my father after my passing" He said, coughing into his elbow.
A heavy silence stretched between them before the automaton finally reached for the loose papers Leandre had brought home. His metal fingers ghosted over the fragile sheets, his voice smooth yet weighted as he murmured, "They denounce you? The clergy?"
Leandre let out a hollow breath, rolling up his sleeve as he pressed a needle into his skin, the alchemical concoction seeping into his veins like ink into water. "Wouldn't you?" he muttered, his gaze distant. "I am a disgrace to the gods. Faithless. I've betrayed Ness' values." He said, a breath of certainty in his voice.
"Then why not die with the project? The Watcher adopted the Eye of Union as his sigil, a warrior of faith to answer the people's prayers." Cerifino countered.
"Because I now realize that it was a moment that dictated this outcome, that it was me, not the Gods who foretold this. I am The Watcher with or without the Church, the Gods and their teachings— they'd frown upon my ways at every turn. The Watcher is a symbol, and a symbol that won't die with me."
Cerifino refrained from speaking further, perhaps in agreement to a certain extent. A rare moment. The night passed on, and sound of the chair against the wooden floor never ceased.
Would this creature take on the mantle of The Watcher? Would it be the same?
