Prologue

Chapter Navigation

The One from Beyond →

## Diary Objectives

* Head to Lethe Village
* Head to Cres's clinic
* Leave the clinic
* Go and look at the meteorite
* Enter the crystal
* Head deeper into the crystal
* Sleep in your bed

## Plot Summary

*For the complete transcript of this chapter, see Prologue/Transcript.*

The story opens on the Protagonist lying face-down and unconscious on the main flagstone road through Lethe Village. A winged young Girl materializes in a cloud of light, floating a few feet off the ground. She extends her arm forward, causing a cloud of white light to surround the Protagonist, who awakens and stands up.

The Girl tells the Protagonist that (s)he might be "the one, who could save the world...and the girl." Confused, the Protagonist asks the Girl who she is or where they are, but the Girl says she cannot tell that yet. Instead, she cryptically warns that a time will come when the Protagonist will have to choose between "this world" and "the one that existed until now," and urges them not to turn away from their world, no matter how hard things get. The Girl vanishes.

Disoriented, the Protagonist continues walking, leaving Lethe and climbing a hill outside of town. From the top of the hill, one can see a massive red crystalline structure on the near horizon. Although the Protagonist doesn't know it yet, (s)he is looking at the Fall Seaslight. At the top of the hill, (s)he stumbles and collapses on the ground, falling unconscious again.

When the Protagonist regains consciousness, a woman in a white coat is standing over them. She introduces herself as Cres, the doctor of Lethe Village. She asks who the Protagonist is and if (s)he is a traveler, noting that the locals would never walk around outside during Quietus. Seeing that the Protagonist is still too disoriented to answer. Cres invites them to visit her clinic in town once (s)he feels a bit more with it.

Entering Lethe again, the Protagonist is immediately approached by a young boy who has already heard about a mysterious traveler from Cres and correctly surmises the Protagonist must be this traveler. He introduces himself as Van and gives the Protagonist directions to Cres's clinic atop a hill overlooking Lethe's central plaza, then runs off to continue playing a game of "Princess and the Omen" with his friends.

At the clinic, Cres is surprised that the Protagonist still doesn't remember Quietus — the season of death, when deadly dust from the Seaslight is abnormally emitted into the atmosphere. Cres gives the Protagonist a medical exam, but finds nothing to be concerned about. She believes the Protagonist is lucky to still be alive after falling ill during Quietus.

Before they can discuss next steps, the room begins to tremble violently and the two are briefly engulfed in total darkness followed by a very dim light being restored. Dim, Cres's medical assistant and younger brother, runs into the clinic and bids Cres to come with him. He says it's an emergency — the Seaslight is acting weird. Cres and Dim race out, leaving the Protagonist alone in the clinic.

Outside, it's dark as night in the middle of the day. The Protagonist catches up with Cres and her brother at the central plaza, where a crowd has gathered. All eyes are on the Fall Seaslight, which is glowing brighter and brighter. Cres is perplexed by this happening, saying Quietus is meant to be over already.

Across the continent, three more Seaslight are similarly glowing with increasing intensity - one among cherry blossoms, one submerged beneath the ocean (unseen save for its brilliant glow), and one amid snow-covered evergreen trees. A column of light shoots upward from each Seaslight, roiling the clouds above. Blue comets begin to streak through the sky. One crashes violently not far from the central plaza.

A young girl, Milika, declares that the town is in peril and it's up to her and her friends — Van (whom the Protagonist met earlier) and Vent — to find out what's happening. The three then run off towards the crash site. Worried there might be casualties, Cres and Dim follow close behind.

At the crash site, another crowd has gathered around a house-sized crystalline structure, still glowing red from its plummet through the atmosphere and with open flames licking at the base. Fortunately, it doesn't appear anyone was in harm's way when the structure crashed. Cres charges Milika and the boys with letting the Mayor know what's happened and asks the rest of the crowd to return to their homes.

Suddenly, a heavy-looking metal panel embedded in the side of the crystal lights up and slides open vertically, revealing an open doorway. The Protagonist wastes no time approaching the doorway. Despite Cres's and Dim's protests that it could be dangerous, (s)he enters the crystal.

Inside, the Protagonist finds a figure clad in red armor, laying crumpled on the ground. They're in pain, but still breathing and mumbling unintelligible words. The Protagonist calls for help. Cres quickly appears, and as soon as she sees the Protagonist and the armor-clad figure, she cries out for them to "get away from it!"

The Protagonist is confused and tells Cres that the armored person needs medical attention. Cres remembers the Protagonist has amnesia and informs her that the armored figure is an Omen, and Omens are trouble. The Protagonist again protests that this one is injured and they can't just leave it here. After briefly resisting the idea, Cres acknowledges her ethical duty as a doctor to treat anyone injured and asks the Protagonist to help her carry the Omen outside.

Almost as soon as they get outside, Dim vehemently objects to helping an Omen. He asks the Mayor — who has just walked up — to back him up. Cres is firm that her professional ethics won't allow her to leave the wounded Omen without treatment. The Mayor, for his part, is also firm that Lethe Village cannot provide refuge to an Omen, but he suggests they take the Omen to a spare shed on nearby Bird's Eye Brae where the Omen's presence won't draw attention.

The four carry the Omen to Bird's Eye Brae, laying it on one of two beds in the back room. Cres can't figure out how to get the Omen's armor off and is uncertain how she'll be able to treat it. The Mayor suggests all they can do for now is allow it to rest, then turns his attention to the Protagonist. Cres fills him in on how she found the Protagonist collapsed on the hill that morning, and he agrees that the Protagonist is very lucky to have only been stricken with amnesia after traveling outside during Quietus. He charges Cres and Dim with overseeing the situation and then leaves.

Dim tries one last time to dissuade his sister from taking in an Omen, but she's firm in her decision. He announces he's going back to the clinic to finish rounds. Cres apologizes to the Protagonist for being preoccupied, then suggests that (s)he has been through a lot and should take it easy the rest of the day, as their body must still be fighting off the effects of Quietus. She promises to return tomorrow to check on them. The Protagonist does indeed feel overcome with tiredness, lays down on the other bed in the room, and quickly falls asleep.

## Quotes

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> There will come a time when you'll have to choose…between this world and the one that existed until now... But... don't forget...that this is the story of your world. And as long as you love it, you will find a way. So...no matter how hard it gets...no matter how hopeless it may feel at times...don't turn away from it.
> —Girl, Prologue
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