Season Carnival Conclusion

[King V]

"We bring you an update on the park situation! About three days ago, the barrier covering Avrak City amusement park disappeared, and an explosion has been reported several hundred meters across the park. It seems that shrapnel and radioactive fallout have been descending on the park ever since. Investigations into what caused this have been taking place, but all sorts of theories have been thrown around."

"We've received a notice that civilians are not allowed anywhere near the park due to dangers of radioactive fallout. Several survivors have been found on the park grounds, including the private investigators, Lemon Banderoni and Rumiho Akiha, a known serial killer, Tanya Degurechaff, and some strange person chained up in the staff building, John Constantine. As of now, John is receiving radiation treatment from one of the nearby hospitals. The others are also being kept there, but Lemon, Rumiho, and Tanya all appear to be in comas."

"From the police's investigation, we've confirmed the bodies of Tsubame Murota, a member of an occult organization, Haru Higura, known serial killers, Lucifash and Mafumafu, and the private investigator Kirari Momobami. Another man, Chartreuse Grande, was confirmed to be inside the park, but is nowhere to be found."

"The police have ordered the underground chamber beneath the park to be completely filled in, as countermeasures against the radioactive fallout near the park. Citizens are recommended not to go near the park until the radiation has completely dispersed."

"In other news, a secret magic society has recently come out into the open and revealed a new device that enables teleportation through some kind of black smoke! Current footage of the device is astonishing, and experts say it could very well change the world as we know it! More on this, after the break-"

---

The television screen switches off, as a person in a white winter coat looks down at the park from above.

"So you've received some help, dear sister. It's almost as if god wishes for you to succeed. Hmph... go on then, survive this ordeal if you can. I look forward to the result."

[King V]

"I'm alone again... all alone..."

Hereiss Aelori sits in the corner of a dark room, the door open just a crack. Voices can be heard beyond the doorway, a variety of voices raised in heated debate. Aelori hugs her knees, burying her head in her chest.

It had been fourteen years since she had left her hometown. Since her three companions, Lemon, Rumiho, and Tanya, had disappeared, died, and then left her alone. After that, it had been all but impossible to stay in town. All the townsfolk wanted her dead, her parents had put out an execution order against her, and her only home had been down, underground, in the acid-filled sewers. There was no longer any reason for her to stay, and so Aelori had fled north. The journey had taken nearly three days, but at last Aelori had arrived at a northern town. And so she had lived there, in peace, for fourteen long years.

"What am I supposed to do...?" Aelori whispers to herself. "Brother... are you going to make me live her forever...? Is that what you want?"

The voices outside suddenly stop. Aelori turns to face the door, blinking several times. Then a young man steps into the room.

Aelori gasps. "Brother, is that you?!"

"Silence!" another man emerges from behind the first. "You are speaking to Lord Qionraem, head of the Hereiss household! He has taken great lengths to arrive here! Show some respect-!"

The young man holds up a hand, and the other man wavers. Then he quickly bows, and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

"It's been too long, sister," Qionraem says, tossing the white cloak wrapped around his neck aside. He looks Aelori over, his face contorting. "I see you haven't changed at all."

"Brother! Brother, is it really you?! I've waited so long, brother!" Aelori instantly jumps up, dashing at Qionraem, but she suddenly recoils, falling back against the wall.

"Enough," Qionraem holds up a hand. His body shimmers, and he reappears in his usual white winter coat. He glares at Aelori. "I didn't mean that as a greeting. You clearly haven't learned anything from this trial. In fact, I doubt you'll ever learn anything at all. Understanding my pain... that is wholly beyond you."

"I... I'm sorry, brother-"

"Don't lie. You're confused, I know. You don't understand why I did this. You don't understand anything. And you'll never understand anything," Qionraem says. He points at his discarded cloak. "Have you realized the nature of this world yet? I have taken your role. You have taken mine. And do you know how simple your role was? It barely took me a week, after reaching the fifteenth year, to abdicate our despicable parents from power. In this world, I am now the head of the Hereiss family. I hold absolute power."

"And yet... you, in our world, never managed to even challenge our parents," Qionraem continues. "You merely acted in compliance, and allowed their atrocities to go on. Did you know how easy it was? To simply give the order to dispose of our parents? You had plenty of opportunities. I know, because I experienced them myself. The advisors disliked them. The soldiers were against them. One simple command, and everything would have fallen into your hands! You could have led the Hereiss family! I could have been saved! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME?!"

Qionraem takes a moment to catch his breath, Aelori standing against the wall, at a loss for words.

"Brother... I-" Aelori starts, but Qionraem holds up a hand, and Aelori's mouth promptly clamps shut.

"Save it," Qionraem huffs. "I'm done wasting my time on you. You deserve nothing. From now on... I will have nothing to do with you. You and I are complete strangers. You might as well cease to exist."

Qionraem turns, and the room melts away, revealing a pitch black cavern. Aelori blinks several times, staring at Qionraem's back.

"Wait, brother... does that mean... you're not going to kill me?" Aelori says.

Qionraem gives the girl a distasteful glance back. "Do I know you?"

Aelori blinks again. Then a smile slowly creeps onto her face. "No. We've never met before."

"That's what I thought," Qionraem says, and begins walking away. Aelori rubs her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Then she stands up, and quickly follows behind, a stream of miniature stars lighting the cave around her.

---

"Six pillars fall, three stand strong. Then the man with the umbrella knocks one down. Another succumbs to rust, but one more returns, weak yet standing all the same. It seems this house is still standing, by some miracle."

A man in a white suit and blindfold sits at a desolate desk, skeletons littering the abandoned floor behind him. He looks up, towards a list of words. "Creation" is at the top, "Notions" has been crossed out, "Carnage" disappears, and "Obscurity" appears, half-faded.

"Condolences, Antinomy," the man says. "I never expected you to die, but with a new god of notions, there is still hope. To breach the realm, I'll need at least half the pillars standing."

He looks down the list, to where the words "Truth", "Mystery", and "Nothingness" have been inscribed, and clasps his hands together. "It's your turn now, Darius. Show me how you will save the world. Show me that you can change fate."