(For a
refresher on what happened last time.)
(Part 3)
"Why exactly am I here?" Arche, with his mind feeling numb, asked the ghastly apparition, who seemed to be fading in and out.
"Allow me to answer that with a question of my own. Do you know what the large misconception is regarding time and space?" The silhouette entity spoke. "Many harbor the belief that an alternate reality exists separately from the rest of existence. Isolated from all else."
Arche failed to find the misconception here. "Of course it exists separately. I mean, that's kinda the point of the whole 'alternate' thing."
Once more, he could somehow make out a faint smirk on the entity's barren face. "It may appear separate on the surface, however, peel it back, and you'll discover that it's all the same."
Arche let out a snide chuckle. "Yeah? Well, I've got a story for you, pal. It goes a little something like "Wily conquers the entire [tornado fang]ing planet in another reality"! If that isn't a major change, I don't know what is."
"You're thinking too small. Changes like that are merely... circumstantial, but not true seperation." He said curtly. "Time is like an ecosystem. An intricate network of actions and variables that are linked together, in a symbiotic bond. Much like living organisms interacting with the environment, so too must it give back to the organisms. Nutrient cycles, photosynthesis, decomposition, you name it. Nothing in nature survives without the other; there are roles to play. It's a global cycle."
Apart from this man speaking like a crazed hippie, Arche was determined to hold a grasp of where he was heading with this.
The apparition extended his arms out in a grand gesture, and gazed upon the population of realities before him. He continued his analogy. "What's stopping us from observing the same cycle with reality? The principle of causality, if you will. There are constants and variables; while a series of actions may lead to an undesirable future, you can always trace it back to what caused it in the first place. Often times, the root cause is someplace you'd least expect, and yet, the cycle continues. Variables that emanate from all over the world meet at one point."
Arche followed for the most part, and culminated as much of his explanation as a dazed mind could possibly hold. "Okay, I suppose... I understand, but what I don't get is why you're telling all this to me. What the hell does nature and [parasitic bomb] have to do with me.
Why am I HERE?"
"In a hurry to leave? Did you have somewhere else to be right now?" He inquired, and Arche could sense the dry sarcasm waft into the air.
Oh, that's cute. That's real funny. [dark hold].
The entity began to partially fade away, though could still clearly be seen. "I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain why you're here. Tell me. How did you become the man you are today? What gave rise to this persona you've crafted unto yourself; this Archetype."
If physical bodies were able to exist in this realm, he would've been gritting his teeth right about now. "What kind of question is-"
"Please. Just answer it." He interrupted in a nonchalant voice, which, quite frankly, was quickly becoming irritable.
Arche groaned, however, he soon conceded. He was already trapped in this goddamn void for who knows how long, so what the hell, right?
He began with a sigh, and decided to keep it vague. "It was during the time I met Luna. I was nothing but a lowlife bandit, but she... she
changed me. I wanted-
I needed to start over. To find meaning in my life. Archetype is a pseudonym, I suppose you could say, to symbolize my clean slate as someone else. Who exactly that person is, well, I've spent years figuring that out. With all the sins etched in my past, I've opened my eyes to the only option available. I need to become a hero."