Gate of Memoirs/Another Side

An unexpected twist forces you to revise your understanding of a certain faceless entity.
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Nothingness"	Music: "Nothingness"
 	
*Avyn: —Agh!
 	
*Archon: Your punishment for insubordination, whelp...
*Archon: ...is DEATH!
 	
*You can't get to her in time.
*This is far worse than you could have imagined.
*Then, a flurry of movement—
*—and a resounding crack of metal on bone.
 	
*Archon: ?!
 	
*Strategos: Avyn!
 	
*The Strategos follows through on her kick, sending the Archon stumbling backwards,
*before loosing an arrow the size of a javelin into his side.
*The force of it pins the Archon to the ground, severing several wires in the process.
 	
*Gazia-Bot: [ ERROR ENCOUNTERED. ]
*Gazia-Bot: [ ESTABLISHING CONNECTION... ]
*Gazia-Bot: [ FAILED ]
 	
*You seize your opportunity and jam your weapon into its body, finding it entirely bionic.
*At the same time, the glass case on the machine cracks and shatters.
 	
*With a snarl, the Archon lashes out with his weapon, and the sickening crunch of bone and metal resounds throughout the area.
*By the time Avyn recovers her stance, the Strategos was dead before she hit the ground.
 	
*A burst of heat from the machine washes over the area, and a furious Azius storms into the fray.
 	
*Azius: —the absolute NERVE OF YOU!
*Azius: And now, you will RUE the day you dared to tamper with MY WORK.
 	
*Archon: TRAITORS!
*Archon: This isn't over.
*Archon: The sheer power contained within this machine...is enough to OBLITERATE you!
 	
*The machine whines sharply, and alarms begin blaring before echoes of a familiar fate start flooding your mind.
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*No... This isn't happening again!
*You have to do something!
 	
*Kranus: <... ...>
 	
*Archon: What—
 	
*You watch on in slow-motion horror as Kranus tears itself out of a rift and grasps the Archon's arm in one enormous claw.
 	
*At your side, Avyn gasps—and you realise she can see Kranus too.
 	
*A blinding flash of light is the last thing you remember seeing, before—
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*...
*... ...
*Avyn: ?
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Snow Poem"	Music: "Snow Poem"
 	
*Avyn's worried face comes into view.
 	
*Time felt erratic. How long has it been?
*Kranus—the Archon—
 	
*Avyn: Shh. You're all right now.
*Avyn: You were out for only a few hours.
 	
*You look out of the window and see a slowly creeping dawn.
*It seems that you've been brought to a spare bed in one of the facilities.
 	
*Avyn: I suppose you'll want to know what transpired after you passed out...
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*"Well... Suffice to say, it was absolute chaos."
*"You were just standing there, frozen in horror, as that...thing...tore itself out of a rift."
*"Who wouldn't be bewildered by such a thing?"
 	
*Archon: What—What are you?!
 	
*"With a bloodcurdling scream, the Archon vanished into the space..."
*"It was just light and sound for a while before the explosion died down."
*"The Archon was gone, and his machine little more than twisted metal."
 	
*Azius: Well, that was...not completely unexpected.
*Azius: Should have known something extrapolated from pure theory wasn't going to work out.
 	
*"He picked up a burnt out control, mumbling about erroneous calculations and whatnot."
 	
*Avyn: But... Did you see that? That thing that grabbed the Archon?
 	
*Azius: Thing? Well, if you mean "sheer madness"...
*Azius: I'd venture that the Archon's become a mist of atoms now, from such an explosion.
 	
*Avyn: (Just me?...)
*Avyn: Oh... Andaria.
 	
*"Her body was freezing to the touch."
*"I knew she had to be gone...but some part of me refused to accept it."
*"Maybe I'd really hit my head. Hard."
 	
*Andaria: You were right.
 	
*Avyn: Right about what?
 	
*Andaria: That we were all heading down a path of no return.
 	
*Andaria: None of us could see that...but you.
*Andaria: Don't ever forget that, Avyn.
 	
*Avyn: ... ...
 	
*Azius: ...She's gone, Avyn.
*Azius: Come on. Let's get looked at.
Portrait 	Dialogue
Music: "Land of Giants"	Music: "Land of Giants"
 	
*You take a moment to gather your thoughts on everything that had transpired.
*Avyns sits with you in silence for a while before the door creaks open.
 	
*Azius: . You're awake.
*Azius: I came to inform you the docking station is ready and waiting.
 	
*Wait... What?
 	
*Azius: Oh. You had this little device on you that was beeping nonstop.
*Azius: Apologies for intruding upon your privacy, but the signals on the other end were simply so frantic.
*Azius: I took the liberty of sending a response. Wouldn't do to leave your people anxious.
 	
*Er... Yes. People.
*Azius pauses somewhat awkwardly, as if unsure of his next words.
 	
*Azius: Earlier, I...mentioned my curiosity in this... "Other" self of mine?
*Azius: Maybe it is best you do not speak to me of him.
*Azius: Not after... That.
 	
*You nod sympathetically. No one should have to confront their own doppelganger in such a capacity.
 	
*Azius: Well, whenever you're ready.
*Azius: One last thing...
*Azius: ...Thank you. For everything.
 	
*As you gather your things, you think about the strange little group you've come to know for a second time.
*Maybe this time, you can make peace with being able to save at least this Athensphere—even if you couldn't save them all.
*And then there was the matter of Kranus intervening.
*What was it doing here, and why only then?
 	
*Avyn: All I can say is that... The space it dragged the Archon into is the same dimension I see when I warp.
 	
*Avyn: I'll be working closely with Azius to confirm what we saw.
 	
*Azius: I think it preposterous that something could simply penetrate the Veil and manifest of its own will without a focused beacon.
*Azius: I can't be certain, but there might have been a catalyst. I'll have to look at the wreckage in detail...
 	
*Azius: ...But if indeed that Thing you saw is highly independent, 
*Azius: then this could spell both an incredible leap in our understanding, and unimaginable horror.
 	
*You can certainly understand why.
*You hope that this would be enough for Noel to take a look on his side, too.
 	
*Avyn: Take care, .
*Avyn: May we meet again somewhere. Someday.
Portrait	Dialogue
 	
*You nod at the two of them.
*Taking a deep breath, you walk toward the docking station...
*...and hope you return in one piece, on time.
 	
*Kranus: ...
*Kranus: .̨͟.̧.̀I͜t ͞is̷͜ ͟d̨o͢ne͞.̴
 	
— SIGNAL RETURNED —