Garden Of The Abyss

"You seem confused, I understand that--you probably think that witch was the one who summoned you. "Adelaide", I believe her name is, " Beatrice traced her finger along the rim of the cup.

His silence confirmed her words as he sat there agape, still trying to understand what was being said to him.

"To put it simply, she hijacked your summoning. I brought you into this world, but she brought you to her before you could arrive here. Quite a nasty one, that girl. Worry not--Sora was intended to take her out on his way to retrieve you, but she is more slippery than expected. That man has more brawn than brains" Her smile fell.

"What…" He began to speak.

"Hmm?"

"What took you so long? What took you so long to find me? If you knew where I was this entire time, what took you so long--?" Ren gripped the tablecloth.

Her gaze narrowed as the movement of her finger against the teacup halted. It was easy to tell she was not somebody who liked to be questioned, especially without manners.

"There are many potentialities that come with going to the capital, most of which result in death. I'm sure you've realized the position that people summoned like you are in, no? The "Outlanders"--are no exception, we're the most wanted criminals in all of Mastorn," Beatrice spoke in a tone of authority.

"I don't care about any of that--if you arrived earlier, he'd still be alive!!" Ren slammed his fists against the table as tears sat on the edge of his eyes.

She didn't flinch or so much as react to his outburst of emotions--only carefully watching him with her nebulous gaze. That lack of emotion from the woman only added fuel to the fire, more than anything he wanted to unleash all of that pent-up anger. The only thing stopping him was the innate fear that seemed instilled into the core of his body--fear of the woman who sat before him. His instincts alone told him that the woman wasn't an entity to mess with, it was a miracle he somehow yelled in the first place despite this fear.

"Calm yourself, Ren Nakamura. I am not your enemy, nor am I someone you should use as an outlet in which to unleash your anger," The woman's gaze locked onto his own.

Her words carried power, an authority that he couldn't resist as he felt himself return to rationality not by his own will, but by her command.

--Was that magic? Or am I just that scared of her? He looked at his trembling hands now that he had sat back down.

"Saving you was a risk--the only reason we stepped in was because of the danger that Argonaut posed to you. If Sora didn't show up when he did, you would've been dead or worse," Her voice left her lips in a cold chill.

"I don't get it...why even save me? What value do I have to you anyways?"

He awaited her answer as he kept his eyes on the table, feeling a mixture of anger and grief overcome him once again as he remembered his one and only friend in this world.

"Such information would only serve to confuse or frighten you, child. All I can assure you is that your being here is no accident," The way the words left her mouth was calming, yet at the same time he still felt a layer of fear come across to him.

"You're still refusing to tell me...I didn't want this. Who would you want this? Do you have any idea what I saw? What I experienced?"

"Fate doesn't ask for your permission, Ren. This was always your path--your destiny in life. I simply was the catalyst to set you on your chosen path. Experiences such as that you witnessed at the Althaus estate...cruel as they may be, such growth is necessary to survive in this world."

After she finished speaking, he slowly brought his gaze to match hers--seeing a small smile formed across her lips as her primordial eyes watched him. No matter what words she spoke, it seemed her emotions never shifted. To put trust in such an enigmatic, yet hollow being--he found it impossible to put faith in such a smile.

"I'm not your "child" and I'm not special. I don't care what your reason is...you took my life away. I...I'll never see my parents again. I never even got to say goodbye," His lip trembled as his own words opened his eyes to that spoken truth.

"Can you call the life you were living one worth living? In spite of the opportunity given to you now? What I'm giving you is the chance to live a life more than just someone who was caught in the flow--living only to make ends meet, a life only lived seeking self-pleasure," Her words were like shards of ice, digging into his skin.

An ambient hum filled his ears, he couldn't tell nor did he bother to distinguish if it came from within his own mind or the room itself. He found himself more at a loss for words than filled with blinding anger at this point. The woman in front of him wasn't human--not in the slightest. She didn't operate on emotion and her reasoning was completely inhuman.

"A life not worth living…? How can you say that? Who are you to judge whether my life was fulfilling or not?" His words left his lips quietly and calmly as he tried his best to compose himself.

"What is the point of your frustration, Ren? What's done is done, you're here--not there. That much is unchangeable now," She spoke without a hint of empathy, "I am a slave to fate, just as you are. As we all are. Questioning such things is a task left for madmen."

He almost couldn't believe the words coming from her mouth--yet he had to. "Fate"--the concept seemed to be something she held close to herself, using it as a reasoning for her actions. It almost sounded like something a cult would use as an excuse for their less-than-moral actions.

"And what does this "fate" have in mind for me? Why did "fate" dictate that I should be brought into this world?" Ren asked her.

"It isn't any of my place to speak of the intricacies of fate and the future weaved, nor do I have that kind of knowledge. Simply put, all I know is that this was the correct path for you and that you will have a very important role to play in the time to come," She lifted her teacup to her lips once more.

Once again, he found himself unable to read Beatrice. It was hard enough to even understand her words coated in an enigma.

"Just tell me...what my purpose for being here is. As an "Outlander", or whatever. Why did you want to speak to me anyways?" Ren asked, wanting to end this meeting with this final exchange.

"Now that much, I can answer for you. First I should tell you what the "Outlanders" are," Beatrice spoke.

As she lifted the pot of tea over her cup, nothing poured from the nozzle. For the first time, he saw a hint of emotion from her as she wore a slight frown at the lack of tea.

"Each Outlander is brought to this world by me, for the same reason just as you were--they were marked by fate as someone who would play a role in my plan. You see, I am a "Sage" of this world, my entire purpose is to protect both this world and the ones who inhabit it. I've lived since the dawn of time, and not once has my care for this world dwindled under my aging soul," Beatrice's eyes seemed to confirm her words.

Letting himself listen closely to her words enveloped in grace, he found himself captivated by her otherworldly eyes--watching the tiny stars sparkle and fade as the universe breathed within them.

"The "dawn of time"...?"

"Yes...I've seen it all. Many times I have failed at my job as the world plunged itself into war, ridding itself of life. I've watched the world be destroyed and rebuilt more times than I could count--and once more, that time draws near," Beatrice smiled as she ran her slender fingers over her pale cheek.

"You mean this world is in danger of ending? How can you tell?"

"When you live as long as me, Ren, you begin to pick up on patterns, but don't worry yourself--such events won't transpire for a while, if we can help it." She looked at him with a smile.

The room fell silent, he nervously watched the scarce sunlight prance about past the dark curtains before Beatrice suddenly clapped her hands together.

"Well, I think you ought to settle into the house. Ask Sora to show you to your room--I believe a bit of rest will do you favors, Ren," She snapped her fingers, causing the door to fly open.

"You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to magic," Ren muttered before standing up.

Before he could exit the room, stepping just one foot out of the door--

"Just one last thing--first thing tomorrow morning, you'll be joining Tristan on his mission," Beatrice told him, resting her chin against her hands.

"Mission? I can't even properly use magic yet--"

"Think of it like...an apprenticeship~" She smiled innocently.

The door slammed shut, knocking him out of the room before he could get another word out. He considered kicking the door open out of frustration, wanting to get the last word in but held back his childish behavior with a pout.