F-Rank Soul Eater-Chapter 166: They Take As Its Their nature (DOS)Domanoo

When It was my turn, the ostrich asked. "Your fee?" It presented a glowing crystal ball.

I did not know what to do, but Chronovore guided me.

I raised a hand, and placed it on the ball. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Think of a name in your home town."

I did. Thomas the mailman. A short man with an aggressive stare—I think— that made my boys fear taking the mail.

But in reality, was actually a chill guy that enjoyed the reactions of the kids.

I remember he tried to....

Ah... of course, I can’t remember—not anymore.

The moment i thought of him placing my hand on that crystal ball, the strongest emotion I had—defining the relationship we had, went with him.

Even the name Thomas, I simply made up in this journal.

Just so—that short figure of a good man could have some remembrance in this otherwise terrible world.

So that somewhere in the Stream of Lost souls of equivalent exchange, if Hold of Knowledge visits him, he might know... I tried.

(Soren paused here. ’Stream of Lost souls of equivalent exchange,’ ’Hold of Knowledge’ these were not terms he was familiar with. He threw it to the back of his mind. He would have to address them later)

I stepped forward after paying the toll. But even as I did, the Ostrich’s eyes did not leave me, nose flairing once, twice—

But matters on hand pulled its attention from me.

"Next." I heard it scream as i strolled into the town.

This town was opened—meaning without walls, but no one tried to enter from any other means aside the toll gate.

No doubt something was at play here.

However Chronovore explained that going through any other route into the town was a foolish decision.

It explained no further.

This place was relatively peaceful. Kids of different forms running around, playing living their lives.

Adults sat around one another chuckling at jokes, or passing a blue crystal ball around.

It kind of reminded me of men having beer while talking about sports in our own world.

For all the claim of the Eldritch horror situation in this world, it seemed their lives were moving just fine.

A bluby jelly object rolled to my feet.

It was from the playing kids. They gestured for me to return it.

It reminded me of funds memory. A painful one, but still fond.

So I picked it up, and...

I felt something leave me. Shaking my head to drive away the weird feeling, I threw the blub back to them.

But I just could not shake the feeling that I had lost something.

All I got was Chronovore’s low nearly concealed chuckle.

The kids smiled back and I continued on my way.

I came here for information. I needed to know what was happening, and how I could find the Eldritch that took my beloveds warmth from my embrace.

Just then, a call. I instinctively turned.

It was the adults, they were inviting me to join them.

I wanted to refuse—very low on trust since my last invite from a soul.

Still, I stepped forward. ’I need information,’ I told myself.

Their laughter was too relaxed, too ordinary, as though this place was nothing more than a town square in some forgotten countryside.

Closer, their forms made more sense.

But still not easy on the eyes.

In fact, Chronovore was probably the only soul I had met that made more sense in its form, and it had twelve eyes.

(Soren paused here. "12?" The Chronovore he knew had six. Was this a mistake? He thought. Or maybe something else. Thought for another time.)

One of them patted the space beside him and raised the blue crystal bottle in invitation, and though every instinct told me to keep walking, I forced myself to step closer.

I needed answers more than I needed comfort.

"You look troubled," the first soul, looking like a centipede, shifting slightly to make room for me. His voice was warm and familiar.

"I’m looking for something," I said carefully. "An Eldritch."

A few of them chuckled at that.

"An Eldritch?" another repeated, amusement glinting in his eyes. "Are we not all angry at an Eldritch?"

Their laughter rolled softly between them, like old friends sharing a private joke. It unsettled me.

"please," I continued. "it took something from me."

That quieted them. "Hmmm, they have taken from us all. Its their nature you know." Another like duck with a twisted neck replied.

"What did it look like?" the centipede asked.

So I described it.

As I spoke, I noticed the change. It was subtle at first — a slight tightening of their smiles, a narrowing of their eyes — but it was there.

Recognition.

The bottle they passed around was pressed into my hand.

"Drink," one of them said gently. "It helps."

Chronovore did not protest.

That should have been warning enough.

Then again, I did not want to offend. Also, it was not like this was some Soul’s body.

Especially because this town looked more...prosperous.

Such a fool I was.

I raised the bottle, paused a bit.

Sharing drink with friends, just like home with the boys, I thought.

Another foolish mistake.

I took a cautious sip. The liquid was cool and strangely soothing, like water after a long walk beneath a brutal sun.

I felt good. Truly like when i drank with...

Something slipped.

More names were gone...

Simply vanished.

I blinked.

"What were you saying?" one of them prompted.

I opened my mouth and realized I could not remember the last sentence I had spoken.

A faint ripple of unease passed through me.

"I was describing it," I said slowly. "The Eldritch."

"Yes," another encouraged. "Go on."

I continued, though my voice felt slightly detached from me now. One of them murmured something as he took the bottle from my hand.

A name.

He said a name softly, almost absentmindedly.

Domanoo

And when the sound brushed against me, something inside my chest tightened violently.

My wife’s face flickered in my mind.

Only for a second.

But it was wrong.

The edges of her smile blurred, like ink bleeding into water. Her eyes seemed slightly out of focus, as if I were trying to remember her through fog.