Day: 1015
Days Left: 4465
Lives Saved: 5
That night, it took Corinna hours to fall asleep once Rin and Calanthe swapped with her and Dex for the early morning patrol. All that Corinna could think about was the open portal, how close she had gotten to making one of the biggest mistakes in her life.
But would it have been that bad? Something kept telling her that she had to stay in the Eternal Abyss for a very important reason, yet she could not recall what it was. That memory, along with everything else about her life before the Abyss, was gone. That was until, a few seconds after she eventually fell asleep, did they temporarily come back.
Corinna's eyes opened and saw only darkness, yet her body was visible, a place she was all too familiar with yet had not seen in quite some time. But then, her memory returned; the young woman finally remembered what was going on and, more importantly, why she must never escape the Eternal Abyss.
She turned and saw a white throne amidst the void, and sat upon it was the figure of Queen Corinna IX, adorned in the usual silver garments that covered every inch of her and the blank porcelain mask that hid her expression.
As soon as the memory returned, Corinna immediately broke down, collapsing onto her knees and sobbing uncontrollably, gasping for breath. Why did you give me that mask! Her thoughts cried out, reverberating across her mindscape, almost shaking it. If I had escaped, our deal would have broke, and my family would have been executed!
"You would never have been able to escape wearing that mask, Miss Warren," replied Queen Corinna.
Hearing the queen's calm voice, Corinna Warren, in turn, calmed herself, the tears still streaming down her cheeks, but her breathing relaxed. How?
The queen shifted in her seat. "We designed it to stop working if you came too close to a portal. So you were never in danger of escaping, Miss Warren."
I can't escape...
"Not by using your mask, no."
Still, Corinna thought, that eased her guilt. She had become so close to escaping through that portal and sentencing her family to death. But no matter how minuscule it was, there was still a chance that she could succeed in escaping, finding a way even without a mask like she had heard Harmony had done numerous times.
"Yes, that is true, Miss Warren."
A slight chance, but still possible.
"Correct." The queen paused, tilting her head as if studying the young woman before her. "You can talk in this place, Miss Warren; we are in your mind. With just your imagination, you can conjure up anything. You can return your voice... and your hands."
Corinna Warren looked down at her arms, trying to remember what they had looked like before. Despite it being so long ago, occasionally, she would feel like her hands were still there and try and pick something up, or there would be a sharp pain, though nothing was there, and thus she could never relieve it.
Then there was her voice. Even her breath was silent. What did she sound like before? She could hear her thoughts in her own voice, yet with each day, it seemed to sound more different than what it used to be, changing into something unrecognisable.
Though she could only have them return to her in this dream world, what would it be like to have her hands and voice back?
She hesitated, knowing that all she had to do was imagine it, yet Corinna could not do it. Not that she wasn't capable of such a simple feat, but rather because she didn't think she needed to.
Regardless of how Corinna felt, the way she was now was reality. And to cover up that fact with illusions and dreams would not change anything, only perhaps granting temporary comfort.
No, I don't need to. I don't want to.
The queen was silent for a moment, her hand reaching to her neck briefly before falling back to her side.
Why is Your Majesty contacting me now? It has been over half a year.
"Miss Warren appears to know already."
But why bother?
The queen straightened herself. "We believe Miss Warren once phrased it as 'even if I do not remember in the Abyss, the 'me' in this place will know, and that will be a relief'."
Huh, I guess I did say something like that. But why does Your Majesty care how I feel?
The queen did not reply at first, glancing away to the side, before returning and finally answering, "Rhea cares about you, and We..." She faltered, hesitating on the words. "She would not want you to return with the guilt of almost failing."
Is that why you made sure I could not escape?
"Youcame close to escaping before; We do not want to repeat the same mistake."
Corinna winced, remembering half a year ago when she had attempted to escape with Harmony. The portal had closed just as she was about to be free; Harmony had managed to get to the other side, but Corinna, she...
She glanced down at her arm, where one of her hands had been chopped off from the portal.
"What is Miss Warren's plan currently?" asked Queen Corinna.
This sector is full of resources; it is the perfect place-
"Apart from the food and the Land of the Lost are controlled by a powerful group."
Are they really that powerful?
"Their masks are. The nobles watching this sector favour them. We would advise avoiding conflict."
That was already my plan.
"But sometimes it cannot be avoided."
We won't be attacking them.
"But they may attack you."
Corinna found that hard to imagine; what reason would they have?
"We bid you goodnight, Miss Warren," said the queen. "We hope that your plans will work out."
Roughly 300 Years Ago
Calixte's fourth lesson teaching Queen Violette went smoothly, to begin with; the queen performed her scales flawlessly to no surprise; however, when it came around to demonstrating her homework, she froze before the piano, her gloved hands hesitant to play.
After a long and awkward silence, Calixte finally spoke and said, "well, we can always come back to it later-
"I failed the homework." The queen's hands retreated away from the piano, and she turned to Calixte, her head bowed in shame. "I could not complete it. All of the exercises I tried and yet..." Her voice trailed away.
"No, it is my fault, Your Majesty," said Calixte. "I was perhaps too ambitious; your Majesty is still a beginner and should concentrate on learning the basics rather than something more advanced."
"How is playing with emotion considered advanced?" asked the queen. "Emotions are something every human possesses."
"That is true; however, whilst you are still learning the fundamentals, such as sight-reading and rhythm, it is best not to complicate things. Your mind can concentrate on only a few things at a time."
The queen gladly agreed and went through the exercises as instructed by her teacher.
Once she finished playing the exercise titled 'sneaking', Queen Violette turned to Calixte and said, "well? How was that Barbeau? Does it still sound terrible?"
"Oh, quite so, I am afraid," answered Calixte with a teasing smile. "Tell me, Your Majesty, do you stomp whilst you are sneaking?"
The royal servants and guards in the room all silently gasped, glancing at each other in shock that Calixte would dare insult royalty. They all watched in fear but were surprised and confused by the queen's unoffended response.
"As a matter of fact, I do, Barbeau," Queen Violette cooed. "I do 'stomp' whilst I sneak, so that was merely my interpretation of the piece. There is no correct answer in art; it is subjective to the performer and the listener."
"That is a very ineffective method of sneaking, I must say, Your Majesty," said Calixte. "You would be caught almost immediately. So I advise a softer and subtle touch, acting with caution and patience."
"I see," said the queen, then sighed. "Very well, you have persuaded me. I shall try your method."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Calixte moved his seat forwards, closer to the piano, then placed his gloved hands on the keys. "Now, you want to not put too much pressure on the keys; soft and gentle."
"But how will any sound come out if I am soft and gentle."
"You would be surprised, but it does not take much." Calixte demonstrated and played the exercise.
The queen watched closely and then mimicked his movements. At first, it still sounded like stomping but eventually simmered into perhaps an odd shuffling walk.
"Much improvement, Your Majesty." Calixte smiled. "This lesson, we should work on volume, legato, and staccato."
They went through each exercise together, with Calixte teaching Queen Violette how to play the same notes but in different tones and volumes. At first, it all sounded like marching and stomping, but by the end of the lesson, her touch was softer and gentler, her interpretation of the exercise 'sneaking' now more like 'walking'.
Proud that his student had made such progress, Calixte ended the lesson in high spirits, complimenting the queen on her 'nice touch', which caused her to almost burst out into giggles, but she composed herself quickly. Calixte frowned in confusion, especially as he noticed the royal guards and servants hiding their stifled laughter. He wondered if he had perhaps accidentally said a pun or an amusing joke, but he could not for the life of him know what and reduced it down to the language not being his native one.
"Thank you, Barbeau," said the queen, rising from the piano stool as she prepared to leave. "I shall continue to work on my 'touch' to suit your tastes."
The royal guards and servants once again suppressed their laughter and followed the queen out of the room, leaving Calixte even more puzzled than before.
Present
Day: 1016
Annika watched from afar as the four from last time spoke to Jules, who guarded the gates. Fortunately, it seemed that Jules held his ground as instructed and did not allow them entrance. Once the four left, Jules returned and relayed what they had wanted to trade again.
"Anything new this time?" asked Annika.
Jules shook his head. "Same as before; to teach us or build us houses and tools."
Annika scoffed. "Seriously?" She looked to Talon. "Any more news on their progress?"
Talon shrugged. "They're all still living in tents. Don't see them making many tools either. Can't really without the Land of the Lost."
"So they were likely lying then." Annika couldn't help but smile. "They need us to survive, but they have nothing to give."
"Do you think they'll attack us?" asked Rita, though her tone was more cheery, perhaps because she was excited to contribute to the conversation. "Take everything by force?"
Annika's smile faded, the relief from before challenged. "They would be stupid to do so. Only eighteen of them, yes?" She looked to Talon for confirmation.
Talon nodded.
"We outnumber them, and I doubt they'll have masks as powerful as ours." Annika straightened herself, regaining the determination from before. "We'll keep an eye on them."
Talon sighed as this was a job only they could do, and that meant having to do something.
"I reckon they'll leave soon and give up," continued Annika. "They'll leave after the coming blood moon."
Day: 1020
It was only a day after the blood moon, yet its influence still affected Corinna's mind, so she kept to herself to ensure that she did not randomly snap at someone. However, the only person she found comfort in being around at the moment was Calixte. The amphibian, being his gentle and softly spoken nature, always had a comforting presence. Most of the time, they sat in content silence with Calixte reading and Corinna sketching plans.
Calixte, likewise, found Corinna's presence a great comfort, grateful that the young woman would be by his side when he took off his mask to heal. She did not need to talk; it was just helpful to have someone nearby in case something bad happened.
For ten minutes every day, Calixte would retire to his tent and transform back into a human. From being a water nymph tied to rock underwater, drowning for a century or so, the ocean ravaged his body, his skin ghostly white and peeling off, gaunt and starving, his lungs and other organs clogged with water. It was a painful ten minutes, but Calixte endured in the hopes that in the future, his body would heal and no longer require to be in his amphibian form; he could live as his human self. He always laughed at how he missed his hair, promising Calanthe that she could style it once it grew back properly.
As he gasped for breath and continuously coughed, Calixte held weakly onto Corinna's arm as she timed him, eventually calling the session to an end. Even after Calixte donned his mask and turned back into the amphibian, he continued to hold onto Corinna's arm, trembling from the pain from before.
"Thank you, Corinna." Calixte smiled, at least the best he could smile, as the amphibian was almost lipless with long thin teeth that prevented him from fully closing his mouth.
Corinna smiled back, shuffling closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.
After his ten-minute healing session, Calixte would usually discuss his book with Corinna and perhaps read his favourite parts; however, the amphibian noticed that the young woman had been particularly unfocused as of late.
"How is everything, Corinna?" he asked.
Corinna stiffened, then sat up and looked back at him, forcing a smile.
"Corinna?" the amphibian pressed, quickly seeing through the facade. "I can tell something is troubling you."
The young woman glanced away, recalling her failed escape attempt. Dex kept his word and did not tell anyone about it, yet Corinna somehow felt guilty about keeping it a secret, at the very least a secret from Calixte. He had been in the Eternal Abyss longer than anyone else she knew; if anyone understood wanting to leave this place, it would be him.
And then there was the fact that Corinna had told everyone that she would have made a wagon by now to help with travelling with all of their supplies and make the journey easier for Ivette. However, Corinna continued to postpone the project, procrastinating for reasons she did not know and the days passed by so quickly that it was now too late. Their planned leaving date was the day after next, and she had no wagon to show for it. That was the whole point of staying in this sector; if they could not make a successful trade for food, at the very least, they would use the resources around them.
'I did not make any carts, ' Corinna wrote on her whiteboard.
"That is alright, Corinna," soothed Calixte. "No one here has ever made a cart before, and without the Land of the Lost, without proper tools, I imagine it would be considerably difficult of a task. However, we have walked plenty before, and we can continue to do so."
Though Corinna responded with an agreeing smile, Calixte noticed the young woman focusing on her arms, where her hands used to be.
"As long as I have known you, Miss Corinna," began Calixte. "You have always been so clever and inventive, always having a creative solution to everything. Answers never appear to us quickly; they sometimes come to us when we are not thinking so much." He playfully tapped Corinna's forehead, causing her to giggle silently. "Sometimes it is best to give your brain a break, let it rest from thinking, and a solution will eventually come to you."
Corinna nodded, remembering how Harmony would always force her to have mental breaks from her construction projects, playing games or dancing, something to prevent Corinna from overthinking. But it had been so long since Corinna had actually constructed anything, and thus she felt that she did not deserve a break until she had completed something, or at the least done anything. Perhaps it wasn't about earning a break but instead 'needing' one. Maybe Calixte was right, and Corinna's overthinking was causing her mental exhaustion. To return to her previous productive habits, she had to relax first.
"Everyone!" called Ivette's voice. "Come quick! Quick!"
Corinna and Calixte looked at each, startled, before realising that Ivette's voice did not sound panicked but rather excited. After Corinna helped Calixte stand up, still weak from the pain from before, they exited his tent and found the other prisoners surrounding something, Ivette at the heart of everything.
Squeezing past, Corinna stepped closer and found what everyone was fussing about.
"Look!" Ivette's eyes were brimming with tears, yet she could not stop smiling and laughing. "Just look!"
Beside Ivette were the three Abyss plants she had planted in the soil, now fully grown with fluorescent green leaves. She gently pushed a leaf aside to reveal that branching off the stem were five small waxy black cocoon-shaped fruit. "I've never seen one bear so much fruit before! And it's the same for the other two! This soil is so fertile! All three were a success and grew Abyss Fruit!"
Ivette wheeled herself over to the three Abyss Plants that were in pots. "I just planted the seeds from one single fruit and-" She cupped her face, unable to finish her sentence as she became overwhelmed with joy. "It's such a shame we are leaving this place! But, oh, we must bring this soil with us!"
Oscar inspected the unripe new fruit. "Yeah, if we continued to grow them here, we could have enough food perhaps in a year or so."
"If only we could find the Land of the Lost here! We could start a proper farm!"
"I've scoured everywhere," Lili sighed. "It must be very far away. I don't know how that group managed to get their supplies."
We must take as much soil as we can!" said Ivette. "And bring it to a sector with plenty of water and where we can actually find the Land of the Lost."
Everyone continued to marvel at the new Abyss Plants, considering options for carrying as much soil as possible whilst still having enough containers for water.
It was a shame they needed the Land of the Lost, thought Corinna. Then she paused. Wait... did they actually need it? Yes, they wanted to find it so they could get more containers to carry water from the Raining Marshes, but what if they could work out to make their own buckets out of wood? And other tools too. Corinna knew in theory how to, and wooden tools were not exactly the best, but they were better than nothing until they could figure out stone tools. But they would need a lot of water, and with the limited buckets they had and the long journey to the Raining Marshes...
A grin spread across Corinna's lips, a plan formulating in her mind.
They did not need to go all the way to the Raining Marshes for water; they could bring the water to them.
She nudged Calixte, unable to contain her excitement as she wrote, 'I have a plan.'
"Oh, excellent!" chimed the amphibian. "How may I assist?"
'I will need your permission first'.