After resting enough, we finally continued our journey in the afternoon.
I slept quite soundly last night, and their food was delicious. I guess my teacher must have spent quite a lot of money to rent two very comfortable rooms, as well as the delicious food.
"You spent quite a lot of money, Teacher," I said.
"No need to worry about it, hahaha..." She replied and laughed. Well, maybe she really does have a lot of money.
We were both inside the carriage, sitting opposite each other. From the windows on my right and left, I could see the houses on the roadside, and many people walking along the edge of the road.
We had just left the inn, still on the city road. The scenery and atmosphere in this city were quite pleasant; this city is prosperous.
Then I wondered, why could a figure like the Wife from yesterday appear in an area like this. I asked my teacher and she then answered.
"It's because this area is just as you see it," she said.
She started with a cigarette, taking it out of her pocket and lighting it. Her left arm was folded under her right, supporting her right hand which held the cigarette.
"What you see is the surface," said my teacher. "A figure like the Wife appears when an area has a surface like this."
An area with a surface like this. I was still processing what she meant. She said it was because the surface was like this. The surface of this area is like this... maybe what my teacher meant was that this city is prosperous, but only on the surface, or only what is visible.
She then continued, "The surface looks calm and peaceful. Many vows and promises are made here, and a figure like the Wife is drawn to that."
Ahh... I understand now.
"So, a place that is actually very comfortable like this, is much liked by the Wife. Is that what you mean, Teacher?"
"Yes, that's it. But ironically, her arrival and attraction actually expose the falsehood beneath the surface, just as we witnessed yesterday at the inn."
"So, Teacher, do you think this place is bad?" I asked.
"No place is entirely good, and vice versa," she answered.
She stroked my head gently, using her palm.
"Good cannot exist without bad. The surface of this place looks like this because it is supported by what is bad at the bottom."
The next day, the third day of the journey. We were back on a forest road. But this time the forest was very strange, in my opinion.
Ever since entering the forest, I kept glancing around.
The trees here all looked the same. Their height was all the same.
My teacher seemed to realize something. She ordered the coachman to stop and got out, forbidding me.
"You stay here with the coachman." She ordered the coachman to get inside the carriage, and walked to the middle of the forest road. Standing there as if waiting for something to come.
Suddenly the atmosphere became silent, the air thinned and it felt like it was freezing. The colors of the things around us became strange.
Then, without a sound, the silhouette of a throne floated from behind the forest trees. On it sat a woman in magnificent attire.
Her clothing looked like a royal gown or perhaps even a queen's attire, complete with a crown.
My teacher cast a spell, her hand pointing at the carriage's glass window. Instantly, the glass shattered and vanished into dust.
"Why was the window destroyed?"
I thought, confused and curious why the window was destroyed. And what, and who, was that figure floating with the throne.
The coachman with me was cowering in fear. He held his head and shivered in terror.
Meanwhile, I stared at my teacher who was face to face with the female figure, who had now descended from her throne.
I wondered if they were old friends meeting again. But it seemed not. My teacher reached into her pocket; she was going to take something out.
She took a cigarette from her pocket, lit it. Then said,
"Nothing is finished here," she said, lighting the cigarette in her mouth.
"Only I am finished, and the other two only have potential."
The female figure in front of her listened. She tilted her head and only responded by making a "hmm..." sound.
What does that mean, I thought, confused.
My teacher then smoked her cigarette and exhaled.
"There is nothing for you to finish here," she said.
"Go away. This is not the place for you to finish something," she ordered the woman to leave.
The female figure returned to her throne. But not to leave, rather to approach me. She came right up in front of me, separated only by the broken carriage window.
I could feel a strange feeling begin to emerge. Her eyes were so sharp staring at me, as if unable to blink.
She touched my face with her hand, as if checking if there were any wounds or scratches on my face.
She removed my hair tie and let my hair down. I don't have lice, I thought.
Strangely, even though she touched me, I didn't feel any discomfort or reluctance to be touched.
After she was satisfied touching me, she left just like that without doing or saying anything.
My teacher returned. She repaired the broken glass window back to how it was.
"Okay, she's gone. Mr. Coachman, please get back to work."
She got into the carriage and sat in her seat.
"How do you feel?" she asked casually afterward.
I answered, "Feelings about what?" I replied spontaneously without thinking.
"A face-to-face meeting with one of the entities in the book," she said.
Then she ordered, "Try opening the book, page 003."
Okay, I opened it and checked the page as instructed.
APPELLATION: The Absolute Empress
TITLE / EPHITET: The Final Edict, The Frozen Mirror Queen, Wielder of the Throne of Permanence
CLASSIFICATION:
* Primer: Mythological
* Status: Active
* Scale: Cosmic
* Level: Abstract
ORIGIN: In the beginning, reality was endless chaos—constant change without purpose or conclusion. From this infinite sea of possibility, a single cosmic desire was born: the desire to "finish," to reach a perfect and eternal end. This desire for order, finality, and perfection crystallized and became conscious. She is The Absolute Empress, the embodiment of the universe's will to stop changing.
FORM / ESSENCE: Her essence is Conceptual Stasis. She is the principle that all things have one, single, most perfect and ideal final form. Her existence is the assertion that evolution and potential are merely temporary paths toward an unchangeable endpoint.
APPEARANCE & PERCEPTION: Her presence is marked by supernatural silence and order. The air becomes still and frozen, dust stops dancing in the light, and all sound vanishes. Colors around her become saturated and flawless. Mirror reflections will show the most idealized version of you, without wrinkles or scars. Her manifestation is a regal figure seated upon a throne, with a perfectly symmetrical face and posture, radiating an aura of finality that makes you feel as if your life's story has reached its last page.
DOMAIN & INFLUENCE: Her domain is the concept of finality and perfection. Her primary power is the "Absolute Edict." By observing and judging something, she can declare it has reached its pinnacle condition.
* An artist who has just completed her masterpiece can be "finished" by her, becoming an eternal statue merged with her work, forever trapped in that moment of perfection.
* A kingdom that reaches its golden age can be "finished," becoming an eternal kingdom where there is no more birth, death, or change—only the endless repetition of perfect days. She is the curator of reality, turning everything into a frozen, timeless museum exhibit.
VULNERABILITIES & COUNTERMEASURES: Her absolute nature is also her source of weakness.
* Blindness to Potential: She is conceptually blind to anything in a state of "in-progress" or just beginning. An ungrown seed, an unanswered question, the rough draft of a story, or a newborn baby—all of these are "invisible" to her as they lack a form that can be judged. The chaos of creation is the best shield against her.
* The Paradox of Imperfection: She can be repelled by actions that consciously choose imperfection. A king who chooses the "wrong" but beloved partner, an artist who deliberately adds a flaw to her masterpiece, or a person who rejects their "glorious" destiny—all of these are logical paradoxes to her essence and force her to turn away.
* The Endless Cycle: Her throne is the anchor of the concept of "an end." She is weak to anything cyclical and without a true end, such as temporal paradoxes or beings who live and die in an eternal cycle. The existence of these cycles erodes the foundation of her power.
ECHOES IN HISTORY & MYTH: The tale of the "Eternal Jade Empire" is the most famous echo of her influence. An emperor obsessed with perfection prayed to stop time at the peak of his dynasty's glory. The Absolute Empress answered him. Instantly, his empire became perfect: no crime, no sickness, harvests always succeeded. However, there was also no children's laughter, no new songs, and no new stories. The entire civilization became a beautiful, frozen, and silent living artifact.
WHISPERS & FRAGMENTS OF KNOWLEDGE:
"Never show her your best work, or you will become part of it forever."
"Perfection is the most beautiful prison, and she is its warden."
"In her palace, there are no entrances or exits, because everything inside has already arrived at its final destination."
Scribe's Note: While researching this entity, I felt two things simultaneously: terror and temptation. The terror of losing potential, of a story being forcibly ended. Yet, there was also a whispering temptation: a world without struggle, without failure, without chaos. An absolute and eternal peace. I must admit, there were moments when I wondered... how quiet it would be to live as the final sentence in a perfect book. This temptation is her greatest danger.
"It's a figure known as The Absolute Empress recorded here," I said.
My gaze was still fixed on the page.
I looked up and asked, "So, that person just now wasn't an old friend of yours, Teacher?" I asked, joking and teasing her a little.
She replied, "Well, she is an old friend of mine, and she also has the same interests as you." She used her cigarette to point down toward my "fishnet underwear."
"I'm not wearing it right now," I argued.
"Oh wow, how daring of you. Aren't you cold?"
"Teacher..." I was annoyed.
She just laughed, "Okay, okay, sorry," and apologized, although she didn't look truly sorry.
"Now read it again, and tell me what you don't understand in there," she said seriously.
One thing I didn't understand, and what made me most curious, was when she said that she was finished. I asked about that.
"Unlike you, who are still very young and full of potential, I am already very beautiful, and this is the final result," she answered confidently.
She was so confident about it. I sharpened my gaze on her as if to say without words, "I'm serious."
Sensing my sharp, serious cue, she continued.
"Yes, it's true, I am serious," then asked me, "Try looking at the influence and vulnerabilities notes."
As she ordered, I looked at it again.
DOMAIN & INFLUENCE: Her domain is the concept of finality and perfection. Her primary power is the "Absolute Edict." By observing and judging something, she can declare it has reached its pinnacle condition.
An artist who has just completed her masterpiece can be "finished" by her, becoming an eternal statue merged with her work, forever trapped in that moment of perfection.
A kingdom that reaches its golden age can be "finished," becoming an eternal kingdom where there is no more birth, death, or change—only the endless repetition of perfect days. She is the curator of reality, turning everything into a frozen, timeless museum exhibit.
From this, I reasoned that it was dangerous to confront her with something that was already finished in its process. I might be turned into the book I was writing.
VULNERABILITIES & COUNTERMEASURES: Her absolute nature is also her source of weakness.
Blindness to Potential: She is conceptually blind to anything in a state of "in-progress" or just beginning. An ungrown seed, an unanswered question, the rough draft of a story, or a newborn baby—all of these are "invisible" to her as they lack a form that can be judged. The chaos of creation is the best shield against her.
The Paradox of Imperfection: She can be repelled by actions that consciously choose imperfection. A king who chooses the "wrong" but beloved partner, an artist who deliberately adds a flaw to her masterpiece, or a person who rejects their "glorious" destiny—all of these are logical paradoxes to her essence and force her to turn away.
The Endless Cycle: Her throne is the anchor of the concept of "an end." She is weak to anything cyclical and without a true end, such as temporal paradoxes or beings who live and die in an eternal cycle. The existence of these cycles erodes the foundation of her power.
"Regarding the vulnerabilities section, I don't understand."
My teacher then explained.
"She is blind to anything still in a state of potential, like you, who are still growing, innocent, and full of curiosity."
After that explanation, I understood a little, but "what about you, Teacher, and the coachman?" I asked.
"Well, in that case, the coachman was lucky to be hiding under the seat. As for me, I reject perfection by smoking."
"So, the two you meant were me and...?" I asked, pausing for a moment before continuing, "...and what do you mean by smoking?"
"The two I meant were you, and that horse, hahaha..."
"I smoke and reject my health, which causes a paradox."
"A paradox?" I said, interrupting.
My teacher continued and answered, "Yes, a paradox. She can be repelled by an action that consciously chooses imperfection."
She took a cigarette from her pocket. "The paradox of imperfection."
My teacher lit her cigarette and smoked it.
"Harming the body's health by smoking, the Absolute Empress gets confused," she said.
Hmm... so she avoids it, I thought. Then I said.
"Why not fight her? You're strong, Teacher."
Hearing my words, she sighed and answered, "She is not an aggressive figure."
She pinched my cheek and continued, "She comes with water, so why should I answer with fire."
I smiled doubtfully, "Really? It's not because you can't handle her," I said, teasing.
"Hmm..., I can," she answered confidently.
"So who would win," I asked.
"Who knows, what do you think?" She sat back in her chair, releasing her pinch on my cheek. She closed her eyes and fell asleep, as if saying, find out for yourself.