As they sat under the peach blossom tree, the soft petals falling gently around them, Vastarael's mind was still reeling.
The beauty of the scene, the surreal nature of everything, and now Greshina's presence... it all felt like a dream. He couldn't look away from her.
"Okay, where am I?"
She chuckled and turned to face him, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Ah, my dear Veneri. You've always been the curious one, haven't you? This is my Overwrite, Elysia Rosemary. It is a creation of mine, a world born from my mind and power. In here, I am its ruler, its creator. Everything you see, from the petals of the peach blossoms to the very air we breathe, is under my control."
Vastarael blinked, still trying to wrap his mind around the concept of an Overwrite.
He had heard of them, of course; domains where beings could shape reality to their will, but he had never expected Greshina, of all people, to possess one.
He had always seen her as untouchable, too perfect to be anything other than a being of unimaginable power. And yet, here she was, explaining her domain like it was nothing more than a casual topic of conversation.
"But... why show me this?" Vastarael asked. "What's the purpose of it all?"
Greshina smiled softly, a look of fondness passing through her eyes as she continued.
"Because, my dear, you're not powerful enough to understand it yet. Your journey is not finished and you have much to learn. But... I suppose you're here, so you might as well begin to understand."
"..."
"An Overwrite, like Elysia Rosemary, is a domain created by a being's power. It's a place where reality bends to their will, where everything is shaped by their intentions. Think of it as a shark's hunting point, a space where they can control and dominate."
Vastarael, still processing, watched as Greshina gracefully gestured to the world around them.
"This place isn't just for decoration. I can use it to kill, to fight, or to create beauty, as you see. But it is mine, and I am its master. Elyonari helped me refine it. She's the one who gave me the ability to truly shape it and give it life. She's the one who guided me in perfecting it. And the peach blossoms, her signature flora... well, let's just say she has a certain fondness for them."
Vastarael leaned back, taking in the beauty of the scene around them. The petals floated gently down, drifting lazily on the breeze as he listened to her speak. The idea of her shaping this pseudo-world, controlling it with such ease, was both humbling and awe-inspiring. He had always known she was powerful, but this... this was on another level entirely.
His thoughts were interrupted when Greshina, with a knowing smile, leaned a little closer.
"You're still in shock, aren't you? I do tend to have that effect on people. You always did look at me like this in high school, didn't you?"
"Again with the high school? Please just tell me what's going on. I saw you in that mural. You're not supposed to exist at this time. At least, I'm my opinion."
"You don't know yet?"
"Know what?"
"Oh... you don't know. Huh. Well this is upsetting. And here I thought I would tell you about how to find me. Guess I'll leave it to time itself to do it."
"..."
"Alright, alright. I'll reveal everything to you. At least, what you need to know. I sure by now you already realize that the three beings in the murals are Erna, the future you and me. You also know that we invented the moving murals and painted everything in the Erna Isles. And you also realized that we created the Submerged Centaurs. But what you don't know is that all of this was done to... create an Epoch Cycle."
"..."
"Of course I can't tell you this yet. But I'm going to answer a few of your questions. Three are some I cannot answer because of the time effect but... I will try to relay it somehow. So, what's the first question?"
He couldn't hold it back any longer and asked the million dollar question.
"Why are you here in this time, if you're not supposed to exist yet?"
Greshina didn't flinch. Her gaze softened, almost like she had been waiting for that very question. She stood still for a moment, letting the silence linger as the peach blossom petals drifted lazily around them. She tilted her head slightly, as if considering how best to answer, before she finally spoke.
"Well, you see..." Greshina began, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "That's a rather good question, isn't it? A little paradox though, if you ask me. But I'll explain it the best I can, considering time and reality aren't always so clear to me anymore."
She moved a little, brushing a few petals from her shoulder. The soft rustle of the blossoms filled the air, their scent almost intoxicating in the calm, dying light of the sunset.
"You've been wondering about me, haven't you? I can tell. You've seen glimpses of me in your memories before, and it's been scratching at the back of your head. You're right to ask why I'm here when I'm supposed to be... well, in a different era. Not just in time, but in the grand scheme of things."
She paused, then met his gaze with those piercing amethyst eyes of hers.
"The truth is, I shouldn't be here. Not in this time. Not in your timeline, not in the future you're meant to follow. But then again, neither should you. What do you remember anything before you died on Earth? Do you remember what happened before the world ended?"
"Of course I do! I... you..."
His eyes widened when he realized what Greshina was trying to convey.
"You don't remember, do you Veneri? Of course you don't. You remember the day when the orphanage exploded. You remember your experience in the lab. You remember when we met. But... you don't remember anything past that. What happened after I saved you? What happened before you crawled on the streets, chest open as a nuclear weapon obliterated the city to smithereens?"
"..."
"Simple. Because I blocked your memory. Of course, transmigrators can be born with their memories intact if the being reincarnating them allows them to keep the memories of their past life. However, if someone blocks your memories in your past life and you're reincarnated into another world, you will still not remember them."
"Then why did you do it?"
"I cannot say. Since you don't know about the Convergence, I can't speak of it. Thyrexxa will... punish me. And I don't want a Primordial's punishment. Those freaks have the worst punishments in existence. Asenane suffered should know about it though."
Asenane... Vastarael never heard a name before.
"In short, the answer to your first question is this. You won't know unless you unlock your third memory of mine that I sealed. You'll also know why I sealed you. It will happen soon so don't worry. So, what's your second question?"
Vastarael already knew that she didn't want to ruin the future by telling him everything about it. She was already giving him hints and solutions to his questions instead of answering them.
"Second question. You said something about the Submerged Centaurs. You created them. Why? What was the purpose of creating such a being? And why place them in the Submerged Island?"
At his words, Greshina raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the direction the conversation had taken.
"Ah, the Submerged Centaurs. I see that you're paying attention. You see, the Submerged Centaurs were never meant to be just another species. They were created for a purpose, a very specific one. When we created them, we didn't just build them out of necessity. We built them to carry out a task."
"And that is?"
"To kill the Frozen God."
"What?"
Greshina exhaled slowly, almost as though she were considering whether or not to tell him the full story.
"The Submerged Island, as you've noticed, is no ordinary place. It was where Erna's serpent heart used to be. The island needed protectors, guardians who could adapt to its ever-changing nature. And that's where the Centaurs came in. They were designed to not only guard the island but to help you kill the Frozen God."
Vastarael was stunned, his mind racing with the implications. "So, they were created to kill him? But what does that have to do with the Epoch Cycle? How do they fit into the bigger picture?"
Greshina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked up at the sky, her fingers tracing the petals of a nearby flower. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, but then she turned back to him, her expression now slightly more somber.
"The Submerged Centaurs were the first line of defense. They were meant to ensure that nothing would interfere with the sealing of the god... nothing would disturb the inevitable flow of events."
"..."
"Vastarael... well, future you experienced all of this and in the future, he realized that he was the one who created the Erna Isles. So, he made a plan. He created the Erna Isles and I helped him. We met soul Erna and she helped us create the spire, the Fallen Bridge... everything. All of it was for the preparation for the First Epoch Cycle of the Third Generation. We were tasked to create the first Epoch Cycle."
"And that's the question that's been bugging me. What is the Epoch Cycle?"
"I can't tell you that. You'll know the full truth about it at the Fourth Epoch Cycle."
"There are more?"
"Of course. The Second Epoch Cycle will happen in your present after you..."
The entire world shook. Greshina faced the heavens and sighed.
"Sorry, Thyrexxa of the future. I'm not going to spoil it. Seriously, it's going to happen four days from now so why are you so cranky?"
She faced Vastarael with a smile and pointed at the sky.
"See why I can't reveal everything? Anyways, I'm going to answer the main question before I leave. Using the Orchestral Vialex really takes its toll on Veneri... future you so we'll make this quick."
"And that's how to kill the Frozen God?"
"Yes. We left the Frozen God alive because you and Narisva were supposed to kill it, not us. Erna knows about the but she's been quiet and did not tell you about the future you and me because she couldn't change the past... well, the present in your case. All you need to do is use the Submerged Centaurs as your soldiers. An all out war will occur on all of Erna Isles and the main army will be stationed in the Submerged Islands. You went to win? Fight until you win. That's the only solution to kill the Frozen God."