Rays of morning light shone through the windows, arousing Helen from her sleep. Scanning her surroundings, her eyes fell on the door, where Titan sat, exhausted from the day's ride. Helen got out of bed, her black hair reflecting the sunlight, giving a sense of a divine being. She walked up to Titan and knelt before the sleeping Demigod.
She took his face into her arms, admiring and stroking it. "Your face, one we wish to gaze upon, but its sight is one that brings nightmares. Day in, day out, we gaze upon you, one bearing the face of memories we wish to erase, yet can not. We contemplate, indecisive of choice. Wanting to end existence with the face of one forgotten, but seeing someone."
Her tonation began to change as the divine presence became murky. "For years, she, no, I had tried to forget, forget him. I've done anything and everything to erase him, but the memories are only buried deep. Deep enough to resurface. And then you were born, Titan. The first time we laid our eyes on you, all long forgotten came rushing back, ones of joy and sorrow, ones of love and hatred, and cold-blooded death."
She grabbed hold of Titan's neck, "You're his spitting image, a demigod of the past. And now you walk by us, causing constant pain. She never tried to end you and only endured, but she's asleep, and I'm awake. I'm sorry, Titan, you are innocent, but your mere existence is pain." She was about to snap his neck, as he slept blissfully, but then she sensed another presence in the room.
"Isn't it rude to enter a woman's chambers without permission, Apostle?" She let go of Titan's neck and rose to her feet while giving the empty space an intense glare.
Then a voice came in the empty space, "I would have praised you for detecting me," canceling out the concealment technique, revealing a boy in his teens, but only of body, not of the mind. "The Helen of now wouldn't have. You are the Helen of old, one meant to be looked back at, and not to be standing of the present."
"Watch your mouth, Archive. Nothing good comes from speaking with one always new but old, always old but new. I could end you in a flash, and a new would pop up."
"Why dwell of old, when it's meant to be looked upon. You of old must let this wounded soul ... The old must be set to rest. Your existence only perpetuates your pain."
"Don't make me laugh, Archive. My pain isn't one you can understand." She then rushed in to attack, but he threw something at her before she could reach him. She only took a few steps forward before her body gave out and fell to the ground. But before she hit, he caught her. "I thought talismen were no more in use in this era."
"We're stuck in a loop, Helen; those of before shall always repeat. The age of old has restarted."
"The loop, I wish I'd never known of it. I've missed you, Archive," she reached out her hand to touch his cheek, which he grabbed hold of.
"So have we, Helen, so have we." Multiple voices spoke in unison.
Staring straight into his eyes, she uttered her last words before losing consciousness, "I'm sorry, Ulycs."
"You have been forgiven." A different voice spoke, one not of the child but one someone else. He then carried her to her bed and laid her. Turning to Titan, he spoke, "You must," but his voice changed again, sounding divine, "be tired, son. Rest well, for you are the cure to her wound. The final piece to fill her hole."
"Helen, wake up it's noon."
"Just a few minutes, Titan." Helen groggily shifted in her bed.
"Wake up, we're going to be late."
"A few minutes please," She shifted again, fully covering herself with the blanket.
"Helen it's almost past time for our meeting with the High Priest and the accountant."
This time, instead of calling out to Helen, Titan yanked the bedsheet off her. Immediately awakening her.
"Titan what are you doing!?" Her voice was laced with frustration.
"It's noon Helen, we're gonna be late to our meeting."
"What meeting?" Her frustration, growing.
"The one with High Priest, and —"
"That's what you're worried about, we'd meet when we meet. Let me sleep."
"Then about the assassination."
"If you want it, take it." She was about to fall onto the bed before she realised who she was talking to, "No, no, no," she muttered. "One beaten twice shy. I can't put that number into my context since it is more than twice."
"As long as we're still in Melt, I can carry out the assassination at any point in time. Now let me sleep." But before Helen could return to the full embrace of her bed, something else interrupted it.
A loud knocking sound came from the door, "Who's it again?" Helen's frustration was now boiling over.
"I'll check it out."
"Please do," sarcasm was all over her voice. Titan went on to check who it was, only to see a young boy in his mid-teens. He had white hair, with golden strands at its base, his eyes sea blue with rainbow hues darting around. Titan knew he was immediately.
"Titan who's there?" Helen's voice came.
"It's Apostle Light, Helen."
"Light you say," all the sleep present within Helen's eyes was gone, replaced with joy. She quickly rushed out of bed, pushing Titan away and gave Light a huge passionate suffocating hug. One even greater than what she gave Cyris, rubbing her face all over his. "My cute, favourite Archive, how you doing?"
'What's she doing,' Light thought, 'can't she recall what happened this morning, or did the other one erase those memories, or have the memories not reached her yet. This could also not be my Helen, but a Helen far younger than what awoke this morning, but has the memories and part personality of the current Helen. Anyway,' he wiggled himself out of Helen's grasp, 'I'll have to test her.'
He straightened his robes, "Avatar Helen Phi, I, Apostle Light Syn, the Archive," he took a bow, his right leg forward, his left arm placed across his chest, and his right arm outstretched upwards to his side, "the Apostle of Cyrius. The God of Justice, one of Balance and Order, formally acknowledge your presence."
'Now what would you do Helen," he thought, "your response and gesture are all I need.'