New Game+

"A medium?" Lara repeated.

"As in... those that become possessed by gods or spirits?" Kristine clarified.

"Yes. That one. While Seeker confirmed that Lara was not the body she chose in the future since she probably had other factors to consider, you still are one of the few beings that could bear her soul. We thought that Zeraphine used some method to hide her true form inside a different body, but as it turns out, the answer was the soul. But if it was the soul, then Zeraphine used it in a very inefficient method. So I concluded that there were special bodies that could bear souls. And my theory proved right when you told me about Zeraphine."

"What? How did future Zeraphine living inside Seeker prove your theories about mediums? How exactly?"

"Don\'t you see? Seeker is a Medium too!"

"He\'s a medium?!"

"It makes sense. Don\'t we already know that what he has is more than just memories? Don\'t we know that what he has is the very soul of another Seeker? The Progenitor did something different. He chose a human that was a medium and who could somehow connect itself to the different planes. We see people being born with disabilities and abilities. Why can\'t a person be born with the innate ability to be connected to the dimensions beyond?"

"...I guess. People with the so-called third eye exist and claim to see things others don\'t..."

"Wait! So ghosts are real?!" Lara asked.

"If we are to believe the Bible and the supernatural entities it speaks, then yes. Besides, you saw numerous forms of them when Zulu summoned the spirits back in the war. Right now, Nogard has a way of moving out his spirit and can create ghost-like entities. There have been other ways. Shackstress was able to use shrinking and expanding to move her spirit around."

"I didn\'t see the war! I just woke up and was being experimented to becoming an Unlocked! I didn\'t have time to process anything else!" Lara shouted back.

Arthur gave her a suspicious look.

"...But you should still watch those war videos. Those are crucial information if you want to save the earth. My calculations assume that everyone will be serious about their tasks. And watching videos is the least you can do."

"Arthur. Give her a break!" Kristine reached out to Arthur and held on to him with his Path activating. She knew that Arthur was annoyed.

"In any case... Seeker bears many souls in him. The Progenitor must have used this innate ability of Seeker to send his future soul back from the future back to the present. I asked him what the earth looked like as he died and calculated the position of the earth when he died. While the two piles of earth were near each other in terms of location, the distance that the soul of Seeker would have traveled would have been a thousand kilometers or more. Yet Seeker somehow found his host. This means souls are drawn to mediums. In Zeek\'s case, he was the perfect medium. And while mediums would not have any normal reaction, you bore the soul of Zeraphine!"

"So your planning to use Lara to find Zeraphine and Alean?"

"No. I\'m going to use Lara to call future Zeraphine."

"Future Zeraphine?!" Kristine was even more confused.

"Why go after future Zeraphine? That one is the good one, right? So this Zeraphine that is with Miss Alean is the bad guy!"

"We won\'t have any chance of finding Alean. So the strategy is to make Alean and Zeraphine go to us. I plan to use Lara and seal future Zeraphine in her. Alean fled because she wanted the two Zeraphine\'s to meet. So her zone is leading her to assist the present Zeraphine.

"Present Zeraphine would be too weak to travel here. But the future one has enough powers to Shackstress alive. If this works, Lara could hold Shackstress or Future Zeraphine\'s soul. Shackstress could use her powers to travel with her tech, and both could appear here. Either way, we get a Presider as an ally. It will also allow us to enhance our powers. Nogard could transfer his entire soul to another medium if faced with a terrifying battle..." Arthur began to list the possibilities.

"What exactly are you planning, Arthur? Why didn\'t you just tell Seeker? This sounds like you want to keep another secret from Zeek!"

"I am. Do you know how dangerous it would be if Zeek discovered the truth about Zeraphine? Zeek is confused about who to choose. No matter what, Zeraphine is Seeker\'s weakness. If Seeker finds out that Zeraphine is alive within him, he may do things that are not for the whole world\'s good. He didn\'t tell us, but I\'m sure Seeker used his power and success to get Zeraphine into positions of power in his previous timeline. And even his adult soul is biased to side with this Zeraphine. So I don\'t trust her. And the problem is that she might have ways to control Seeker!"

"Control?"

"Her powers of the Soul are strong. Even if she does not have the power now, she could have it soon. Seeker\'s growing strength is her strength! Imagine a Presider having full access to the powers of the Unlocked, especially that of Seeker!" Arthur revealed.

Kristine was shocked.

"This is why we must do our best and go against Alean. You were right to argue with Alean and stop her recklessness. She didn\'t tell me this for a reason. And I believe she is using a reckless path to save her skin."

"Save her skin? What do you mean? That doesn\'t-"

"I\'ve already calculated my death. She must have felt hers. She\'s taking this risk to save herself. That\'s a possible reason why she\'s disobeying orders. Unless you could fill in anything about anything she said before she escaped?" Arthur revealed.

Kristine became quiet and shook her head.

"Lara. I am annoyed that you have not seen any videos of what the world is right now because you don\'t know how valuable you are! As the Medium, it will be like you will sacrifice yourself to have two hosts. Zeraphine and Shackstress. Two Presiders in the body of an Unlocked. Throne and Transfiguration. Nefilus and New Creation. Primordial and Progenitor. That is our key. Alean\'s following her zone but doesn\'t know the reason for her action. I know her eventual goal, and I\'m taking a step forward. Are you willing?" Arthur asked Lara.

Lara was stunned and silent. Her lips trembled.

"I won\'t ask for your answer now. You have a day to think it over. Kristine. Use your Path to calm her down." Arthur then turned and left.

The room was silent. Kristine did not move from her place but glanced at Lara and waited.

"I\'m here if you need me to calm your emotions," Kristine spoke softly and waited.

Outside, Arthur walked and soon reached the command center of the entire underwater city.

The moment he stepped into the room, flashes of lightning gathered and took form.

"Give us privacy," Lennox commanded, and all the people in the room left.

As the doors were closed, Lennox turned to Arthur.

"What\'s this really about, son? You and I both know that Alean won\'t ever be so selfish. She\'s not doing this to save her skin."

"Of course not. I only said that because if Kristine knew the truth, she would probably help Alean."

Lennox was surprised.

"The truth? What\'s the truth?"

"Alean\'s fighting to save us from doom. But... she has chosen a particularly selfish route. Her Zone is led by her own desires. She cannot manifest and chart a path to a specific future if she has no desire to do it. But in this scenario, the enemy is so strong that she can\'t chart a path to secure a broad ending."

"Like... a future where no one dies. That is impossible."

"Yes. But it\'s more than that. She can\'t chart a future where \'all Overcomers and Ranked Heroes survive.\' The enemy is much too strong for that. So she is using her Path selfishly. I didn\'t lie about that. She wants to save someone."

"...I see. Her heart can\'t hide it. The future she is seeking would secure the survival of a certain individual. The one that she loves the most. Lynd."

"Lynd? No. It\'s Seeker. It has always been Seeker. She wants a future where Seeker survives. History might repeat itself. Zeraphine might give her life again to save Seeker. That is the future that Alean is searching for."

"I don\'t see what\'s wrong with that. Why are you stopping Alean\'s plan? Is your sister set to die? I hate to sound rather cold since we just saved her... But death is still something we all should accept. If there is anyone who should survive this tribulation, it would either be Seeker or Lynd so that we could win this war up to the Prime Wars."

"...It\'s not Guinevere."

"Then who? Who are you trying to save? That\'s what this is about, right? You\'re calling Alean selfish for securing a future where Seeker lives, but aren\'t you becoming a bit selfish?"

Arthur was quiet.

"Son. Tell me." Lennox spoke again.

Arthur didn\'t look at his father. But he knew Lennox would do everything to get that answer out of him.

"Son. Who are you trying to save?" Lennox asked again.

Arthur sighed and spoke the name of the person he was desperately trying to save.

"...Meryl."