The Occular & The Golden Prophet
Dimension: Odyssey-9 | Realm: Shinjūmetsu, Japan | 2045 of the Common Era
“But mum! I’m not tired!” The small child whined, pulling against their mother who fought desperately to get them to bed. “Not even if I tell you a story?” The mother coaxed, the child's resistance easing slightly. “What kind of a story?” The mother now had the upper hand. “No, you clearly don’t want to hear it, only sleepy children get bedtime stories-”
“No no I’m tired- I’m tired- I swear!” The small boy ran to his bed, jumping up and burrowing himself amongst his covers.
“Well, alright… if you insist…” The woman now sits on her son’s bed, straightening out the edge of his comforter with a smile. “This story- well, legend has been passed down through generations of the family, it’s still very well known today however it might be a bit too scary for you-”
“No! Please mama, I wanna hear it!”
“Okay… I suppose,” The woman now moved herself to sit next to her son, getting under the covers with him. “They call her, the Kin'iro Me no Yogensha or-”
“The Golden Prophet!”
“Very good, then you know just how evil she is don’t you?” The small boy nods enthusiastically, “Well my boy, what you’ve heard barely scratches the surface…”
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The Occular walked through the foggy streets of Shinjūmetsu, her presence veiled in the thick mist that clung to the ancient trees and modern skyscrapers alike. Her golden eyes glowed like twin beacons in the murk, their radiance casting an eerie light on the lanterns and neon signs that lined the paths she wandered.
Legends whispered of her silent footsteps echoing through the city, an enigmatic figure who moved effortlessly between realms. In the stillness of the night, the denizens of Shinjūmetsu dared not utter her name aloud, fearing that the mere mention of the Golden Eyed Seer might invite her gaze their way, how wrong they were to assume her motives, for she had no interest in random pickings of slaughter-able souls; No, she had her tastes, and she searched for her own souls, scattered amongst the city and the wood that surrounded it….
As she travelled the boundary between the urban sprawl and the ancient forest, the air seemed to hum with whispered tales of destiny and shattered dreams. The smell that she caught like a bloodhound- that of wasted life… She knew where she was heading… she always did.
The Occular approached a bar baring the name ‘金色予言者’ or in the common tongue of most the readers here, ‘The Golden Prophet’, she mused to herself knowing the name was indeed ironic, she was no prophet, not in the typical sense… The notion that people may get a glimpse of their futures should they stare into her eyes was merely a silly tale to put the children to sleep at night. The truth of the matter was worse.
The only people unfortunate enough to stare straight into The Occular’s eyes were those whose souls she intended to reclaim- for there's one thing you must understand… they stole her soul first, she’s simply taking back what was hers to begin with.
The Occular stepped into the dimly lit bar, her molten eyes scanning the faces that turned toward her and then quickly away. A hush fell over the patrons as they caught sight of her menacing presence, and the low murmur of conversation dwindled into uneasy silence. The air seemed to thicken with anticipation, the bar's atmosphere heavy with the unspoken understanding that ‘One mustn’t speak with the seer should you wish to tempt the cold hand of fate your way, leave her be and you’ll be safe for she only appears when she has her sights set on her prey… so don’t turn her eye your way’ of course The Occular knew in reality this was a load of made up nonsense but she was happy to play the role of a monster should that be the label they wished to give her… Oh yes, she found this role rather enjoyable at times.
As she approached the bar, the bartender, a middle-aged man with a weathered face, fumbled with a glass, glancing nervously at her; but only for a moment. The Occular took a seat, her gaze fixed on the patrons who dared not meet her eyes. She spoke with a falsified voice that carried a weight of ages long gone, her words made pretty to uphold her mythical status, "I seek someone who holds a fragment of my essence. A soul shard lost in the tapestry of dimensions… he is here with us now…"
The bartender, visibly trembling, managed to stammer, "W-what can I get you, uh, Great Seer?"
"A simple Sake should suffice," she replied, her eyes never leaving the crowd. The bartender, with an anxious nod, hurried away to fulfil her request, leaving the other patrons exchanging fearful glances as the mysterious woman spun to face inwards at the bar. An audible sigh of relief could be heard from a few; this caused a smirk to appear on the woman's face. ‘How could a lamb in a room full of wolves have the wolves tremble like pups?’ she thought, which is when she heard a cough pierce the silence.
At the end of the bar, a figure hunched over a drink slowly raised their head, their eyes meeting the piercing gaze of the Occular. A shiver ran down their spine as they realised the ancient force in those eyes. The person she sought, the one with a shard of her soul, swallowed hard and tried to hide their unease.
As the bartender returned with a trembling hand, placing the drink before the Occular, she inclined her head in acknowledgment. The air in the bar remained charged with tension as the Golden Eyed Seer sipped from the glass, her eyes never straying from the one who harboured a piece of her fractured soul. The bartender, having done his duty, scuttled away, avoiding eye contact, leaving the Occular to navigate the complexities of her quest in the uneasy ambiance of the bar.
“Mr Abe… I would kindly request that you step outside with me… for a chat?” The Occular asked politely, those around watching with bated breath.
“Ha! And why would I leave the safety of the bar, just to see my future die within your eyes?” The Occular smiled at the man's observation and she turned to the other gentlemen in the bar.
“My good sirs, I don’t suppose you’d give me a hand, I swear no harm will come to you if you assist me…” Her sickly persuasion didn’t need second guessing for the two men jumped up quickly, grabbing Mr Abe by the arms and tossing him out the door into the smoggy side alley.
“Thank you gentlemen…” She handed them two gold coins holding a sigil of protection, patting their backs as they re-entered the bar.
Her smile dropped rather quickly however as she faced Mr Abe, moving towards him.
“You know I never wanted to be feared Mr Abe… I remember my mothers telling me I had one of the kindest souls they had ever seen…” The Occular scoffed, “That was until the same monster that got to me- got to them, made them into lesser versions of what I am and called them The Ladies of The Red Aether… They hopped through reality after reality trying to find me and when they did… well one, I was shocked they were still alive and two… they turned me into what they were…” The Occular sighed, taking a step back.
“Which was what?”
“Blood drinking monsters…”
“Vampires?”
“Oh, no no no, see Vampires, they can be killed, they rip their victims apart like animals- no my mothers were something else… as was I… we lured only men to us, we would drug them, prepare them like a feast, slicing them open only a little and draining them slowly like a 1947 Château Cheval Blanc… They were haunted dolls with pretty painted faces of women that used to be kind… I miss them, but I miss who they once were more, at least I can say I still have some sense of morality within me…”
“Haha- no, and I can say this with good conscience- you’re a monster just like them, I can see it in your eyes, there's a part of you that enjoys this! Enjoys the chase!”
“Hmm… maybe you’re right, but if it’s a monster you want… then its a monster you will get, that’s the beauty of me, I never fail to exceed the expectations that are lay before me,” The Occular smiles a wry grin before baring her teeth which formed to points and she sunk herself into the man's neck, draining him dry until he was nothing more than a shrivelled raisin.
She took back her shard, feeling it return to her and she stood- a bit light on her feet from the high she had amassed. She used her hand to wipe her blood drenched mouth that held a smile of fulfilment… and now- knowing the job here in Odyssey-9 was done- she walked back into the fog, never to be seen in this dimension again… Well not for another 1278 years… For that is when the next soul bearing one of her shards would pop up here… drawing her back like a beacon.
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