In a story, there is much that the author leaves out.
On Earth, during Benjamin's childhood, he had created the world of Aloth, filling it with concepts, characters, history, and conflict.
However, there is only so much an author can explain.
Some information must be left unsaid.
In Benjamin's case, he had never written about Orvest's family. His focus had always been on the character's awakening and his journey as a musician.
And so, the novel had written itself.
Orvest knew of a family he had never created, yet he held memories of them.
And they were almost all dead.
Killed by corrupted creatures born from the Composer's chaos.
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After parting from his small group, Orvest travelled alone through the rest of Symphona City.
It was a long walk; the capital was vast, and he had no means of faster transport that he wished to use.
He knew a song that could hasten his steps, but it would be unwise to waste energy with such an important journey beginning the next morning.
So, he travelled slowly, taking in the beauty of the city he had once created.
Once upon a time, the streets would never have been empty. Set in the Victorian era, they had been filled with well-dressed individuals attending the many events of the bustling settlement.
Now... ever since the Composer had cursed the world for King Rose's inequity, a constant darkness loomed above.
As the city rose from the earth and created a bubble around itself that distorted time for all who stepped through, no one truly felt safe in their homes.
And Orvest felt responsible for it all.
His mind drifted back to his childhood—to the time he had created this world.
Who would have thought that a child's imagination could summon something so cruel?
Orvest lived in a modest house near the outskirts of Symphona. From it, one could see the bubble that encapsulated the city.
Where the crumbling earth gave way, a grey, ethereal barrier flowed with swirling white essence, like paint in water, halting all from falling off the edge of the city.
The Wall Watch stood constantly at the barrier, ensuring no civilians accidentally stepped through and became lost in time.
Only Musicians were permitted to attempt leaving, and even then, it was discouraged.
They rarely returned. And if they did, they were never the musician they once were...
Orvest entered his house. The lights were dim, and a soft song drifted through the walls.
It was a piano melody, one of the divine instruments rarely awakened by Musicians.
Quietly, he followed the sound until he came to a room lit by a single lantern.
The soft music filled the air. It was not an awakened song, used in the fight against chaos, but one of beauty, meant to lift one's spirit.
A man sat at the piano, wearing only a black gown, trousers, and glasses. His grey hair was stubbly, with specks of red running through it.
As Orvest stepped in, the man stopped playing and turned to face him.
Orvest met the gaze of a man whose face had withered, whose eyes were dark and lifeless, yet still, a faint smile lingered.
"Orvest," the man rasped.
"Father," Orvest replied, unable to force a smile. The sight of his father's aged face filled him with despair.
He should only have been forty years old, yet he looked close to death.
"I leave tomorrow. Into the Crater. I'm going to find King Rose. It's time."
Silence stretched between them, the two locking eyes. It held for a moment, then broke.
"Did you learn nothing from your old man?" his father asked. The smile faded from his face as he tapped a finger to his sunken, wrinkled cheek. "Was this not warning enough, Orvest?"
"If I don't, then who will?" Orvest answered. "If King Rose lives, the Composer will continue to unravel the world."
"Then let her unravel it!"
The words were sharp, spittle flying from his lips.
Again, silence followed. His father took a long breath before continuing.
"Let's say you make it through what lies in the Crater and then into the land below. We know nothing of the world's state. What creatures or horrors roam down there? Not to mention the Cadence family you'll have to face."
The words sank into Orvest's mind. He knew his father was right. The journey was full of dangers, both known and unknown.
But ever since he had entered the novel and realised his story had given birth to a world falling apart, his decision had already been made.
"I must try, Father. Even if it kills me."
His father's expression hardened. He turned away and resumed staring at the piano.
"Then get on with it. Let the Composer kill you, like it did your sister and mother. Best case, time corrupts you and you return older than your father. Just go, and let me have my peace."
"Father-"
"GO!"
The word echoed through the house, until it faded again into stillness. After a while, his father pressed the piano keys once more, continuing his quiet melody.
Orvest swallowed his emotions and turned away, leaving the room and his father behind.
They had both already lost so much. His father could not understand why his son was so willing to follow the same path.
Why he could not simply live out the rest of the world's time in the relative safety of Symphona. The city had its own problems, but surely it was better than whatever lay beyond.
But that was because his father didn't know.
He didn't know that Orvest was responsible for everything that had befallen this world.
No one knew.
It was a burden that Orvest alone had to carry.
In his room, he sat atop his bed and looked into the mirror across from him.
His reflection stared back, his unnaturally red hair cascading in elegant locks, a chiselled face with a beauty that some might call feminine. A tall frame, lean and muscular.
Nothing like the body he had once known on Earth. But one he would slowly grow to know.
As long as the Composer showed her mercy long enough.