Chapter Text
Friday - 5th Jan.
Dear...well..diary I suppose?
It felt like I should start a new diary for the year even though it’s been 5 days in. Therapy seem to think it’s a good idea anyway. I’m suppose to write something even if it’s just a sentence long.
Such a chore.
Anyway!
I’ve just got a new game a couple months ago. Hollow Knight.
To be fair I’ve been playing it for a long time with many reruns! Gosh, the lore sometimes fucks with my brain. Like parts of it is missing or something?
Anyway! I’ve played so much that I’ve started dreaming of it! Isn’t that great?
Well...dreaming of some kind of Hollow Knight themed thing anyway. The bugs I’ve seen were huuuuuge. Clearly my imagination is much more creative then I am.
Saturday - 6th Jan.
I couldn’t get up from bed today. Played HK.
Sunday - 7th Jan.
I told Tony & co. I can’t make it to the party. I’m in bed. Sigh maybe I should try harder?
Monday - 8th Jan.
I finally managed to communicate with the bugs in my dream! They told me so many interesting things!
Like they could talk without their mouths moving! It’s like an X-men thing! Telepathy!
Apparently they’re all of the same species, or generally the same species? All the children are grub-like anyway.
I hope I dream of HK again!
Tuesday - 9th Jan.
Didn’t dream at all. Must be the new meds.
Wednesday - 17th Jan
I’m not sure if I was hallucinating but I’ve heard their voice when I’m awake. I mean it’s only a whisper and I couldn’t make out what they said but I swear I heard them! Maybe it’s a sign of schizophrenia or something. But I doubt so….
Saturday - 20th Jan
Everyday feels empty. I wake so tired nowadays...but at least I got to dream every night for the past week! I’ve learned so much about my imaginary world! There’s even different religions. I’ve seen some bugs experimenting with something that looks like soul and void and radiance! Maybe it’s my mind trying to fill the void of history. I mean the Pale King can’t actually be the one that gives intelligence to the bugs. There’s like huge statues of ancients and Quirrell ventured out of Hallownest with his mind intact!
Tuesday - 13th Feb
I’ve just flushed the sleeping drug that therapy gave. It’s not making life any easier to bare and I’d rather feel tired on waking than not dreaming at all…
Thursday - 15th Feb
Their voice is louder now. Still slightly above a whisper but now I could hear the words!
They’re begging for help. “Help….h---lp Us” or something like that. What is going on?
Monday - 26th Feb
The dreams I had are surreal! I’m starting to doubt if it’s a dream at all! But it must be! I mean clearly it stems from all the time I’ve spent gaming…
Saturday - 17th Mar.
Lifeblood. Radiance. Void. Soul.
Arcane eggs are knowledge orbs. Uses soul to open.
Radiance - Moths (dreams, foreknowledge)
Void - Bettles (power, strength beyond all)
Lifeblood - ??? They look like..spiders? Six eyed insects…(healing, time halting)
Soul - unity of all 3, newest god, arcane powers.
I mean shit summary I know!
But they asked for my help, physically in a dream. They said I have time to choose as it’s a heavy choice. But to be fair, it’s not like there’s much for me in this world anyway…the only time I feel anything is within my dreams….that’s pitiful, huh.
A dark claw pats fondly on the slightly cracked mask of a small Vessel. Their voice croaks:
Over decades, different insect species evolved.
Moths started worshipped Radiance, in its glorious light and in prophetic dreams. She whispers to them, guiding them and giving them the power of foreknowledge,
Beetles worshipped the Void,
the dark and endless being,
he embraces them in life and soothes them in death.
He bestowed onto them the knowledge and strength of one who does not fear death,
for death is a way of unity with past ancestors.
Few follow the gentle sway and gleaming wings of Life.
She who breathes new life into all.
Though reclusive by nature,
they spend their lives guarding the condensed form of lifeblood.”
Looking down with all six eyes, at the small form with the cracked mask, they smiled gently as they load yet another harvest of lifeseeds into the small structure as they continued on their brief lecture of history to the silent, still form.
But a special few refuses to pick sides chose to be guardians of being. Guardians of the soul. For within every living being there is the soul in which arcane arts are made from. Where even the tiniest, youngest bug learns to use, to fuel their legs and jump higher than any should be able to.
Hahaha that was a fond memory of my youth. Got into such trouble too....ah...where was I...
Oh yes! Ahem.
Yet as it always is and will always be, not all experiments were for good causes and some got greedy for power. The boredom of this static life reflects in the boldness of their experiments. What was once created for the search of knowledge became creations of greed. For what is more important than the collection of more power. Slowly the bugs of power forget that their Gods were living, breathing beings too, although not ones encased within hard shells.
The dark being pinged the Vessel's mask as it continues pouring lifeseed after lifeseed, slowly submerging their form.
The moths claimed that the Pale King persuaded them to forget the Radiance, and that is what caused the start of the infection. The Pale King claimed that sacrifices are made for the greater good. For no cost is too much to sacrifice to stop the infection and he created thousands of vessels to contain it forever.
Yet not one bug remembers, remember the ancient beings that ripped the heart of Void into shreds.
Just to milk out one. last. drop. of power.
They took from the Radiance so much light,
that even the foreknowing ones are blinded.
It's voice shook with simmering anger.
We, the guardians of Lifeblood has seen this and fled, just barely, before the claws of the greedy, before they close around our God. And Soul, the youngest of the four gods, the strongest but also in some ways, the most fragile. Poor Soul was forgotten by the heretics.
As the essence of Radiance warped and no longer laid within our eggs, as void in his madness no longer embrace us. Soul weakens in every generation till now they lay dormant in all!
All due to the greed of ones who were trusted to guard their Gods. Fools all of them.
But now we, the true loyals, must run and hide.
The old, decrepit ancient being gave the small vessel a last stroke with their still shiny black claw as they encourage the living bark to grow over the now submerged Vessel.
Hide. All of us. But you dear one.
You will help Soul regain their foothold and bring the glory days back again.
...Well...one can only hope.
We’re lucky you landed without our reach. Our legs aren’t the best for climbing down this damned pit...and we're starved of company so we're sorry for the long rambling, young one.
They wobbled off, whistling a soft tune as the Lifeblood plant branches grew around them, concealing the newest secret they now hold within their branches.