Chapter Text
You slowly blinked awake, your eyes adjusting to the light of the world for what felt like the first time. Once you had cleared the sleep out of your still-bleary eyes, you simply laid there, staring at the ceiling, which was patterned beautifully with constellations and stars so that it looked almost like the night sky itself. You were laid on what seemed to be a very comfortable bed. You certainly had no desire to leave it anytime soon, especially not in the state you were in. Which, now that you thought about it...
'I have no idea how I got here,' you suddenly realized.
While this thought should have definitely sent you into a panic, you had a pleasant buzzing in your head that you couldn't (and didn't want to) decipher, so with a quiet sigh you went back to sleep.
It must have been a few hours later that you awoke for the second time. By then, the buzzing had reduced to a soft hum, and you realized this with great relief upon waking. With a commendable amount of effort, you sat up and glanced around the room you were in. It was decorated elegantly but comfortingly, royal and baby blues complementing each other beautifully. On the wall next to your bed was a window. As you stood to draw back the thin curtains, your legs almost buckled from under you. You let out a soft gasp, catching yourself on the bed.
You waited a minute for your legs to regain their strength before you wobbled over to the window, pushing the curtain to the side and peering out. The view that greeted you was breathtaking. Sweeping forest, dotted sparsely with clusters of buildings-- 'towns,' you corrected yourself. You were far above the ground, at least 200 meters, maybe even more.
Behind you, you heard the low creak of the door opening. You jumped, turning around. The person who had entered was dressed in a servant's attire, his skin a light lavender and his hair a deep purple, almost black, but lightening around the base. As soon as he saw you, he straightened up, putting on a composed smile. "Ah," he hummed, "I see you're finally awake, my liege."
You tried to return his smile but couldn't do it authentically. "Y-yes, I'm awake," you spoke, your voice coming out hoarse and raspy. You winced, clearing your throat. "...Would you happen to have some water?"
The servant nodded his head dutifully. "Of course. I'll send for some immediately. Please wait here for just a moment." Without another word, he slipped out the door. It wasn't more than a minute before he returned. "I've requested food and water be brought up here. I'm glad you seem to be doing well. My Master was worried after finding you unconscious. He insisted you stay here to recuperate, of course; he couldn't just leave you there. His benevolence is admirable."
You nod, staring at him. "So, your, uh... "Master" found me unconscious, did he?"
"That's correct," the man confirmed.
You nodded again, biting your lip. "And... how did I get there?"
You were met with the same strange look you expected, although it was quickly replaced with a calm smile. "We were hoping you would be able to tell us that, actually," he admitted. "If there's violence occurring around the Spire, we need to take care of it as soon as possible."
You sighed, staring at the wall. "Yeah... sorry," you murmured. "I got nothing."
He nodded, seemingly realizing your predicament. "Amnesia, hm? Well, is there anything you do remember?" At your continued cluelessness, he gave a suggestion. "How about something simple, like your name?"
You had to think about that one. It felt like it was on the tip of your tongue, but you couldn't quite find it. Dammit. Why couldn't you even remember your own name? You gritted your teeth, trying to piece together something, anything that felt right. "[N...[Na..." you fumbled, before it clicked. "[Name]. My name is [Name]."
The servant clapped his hands together. "Perfect! Now, do you remember anything else?"
You pursed your lips, shaking your head. He didn't seem bothered. "That's perfectly fine, my liege," he assured you. "My Master will be able to help with that. For now, you can stay here until your refreshments arrive, and once you finish refueling, I'll escort you to his chambers."
"...Alright," you conceded. You sat in silence for a moment before you spoke up again. "Oh, uh... you never told me your name."
The man tilted his head, a bit confused. "I'd hardly say it's relevant, but... my name is Sapphire Grape." You slowly nodded. The buzzing in your head was getting a little louder.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Sapphire Grape stood up. "That should be your food," he stated, striding over to the door and taking a tray, carrying it with almost unnatural poise. Even with all the food and the glass of water on it, there was no sign of wobbling. He lowered the tray and held it out to you, which you took gratefully but carefully.
For a few minutes, you simply ate. Not very daintily, but you ate. Sapphire watched you, trying to suppress an amused grin. Once you started to get full, you took a deep breath and a deep swig of water. You sighed, wiping your lips. "Man... how long have I been out?"
He hummed, trying to recall, before responding. "I believe my Master found you the morning of two days ago."
"Damn," you whistled. "That's pretty long."
"Indeed, it is," he replied with a hint of entertainment. You chose to ignore it.
"So, you've been mentioning some "Master" of yours... who exactly is he?"
For a moment, Sapphire looked shocked and almost offended, before he blinked, shaking his head. "Right, amnesia... my Master is the Fount of Knowledge. Does that ring any bells?"
You nodded slowly. It did, although you couldn't tell what bells.
He smiled. "That's brilliant news, then. He should be able to recover your memories easily if they're responding to triggers."
You let out a small breath. You really hoped he was right. You took one last glance down at your tray, before looking back up at Sapphire Grape. "Alright," you said, "I think I'm ready."
He nodded, standing up and gesturing for you to follow him. As you stood, you were suddenly aware of the fact that you were only dressed in a nightgown. "...On second thought, I might need to get dressed first."
Sapphire waved his hand dismissively. "No need," he replied smoothly. "Master will pay it no mind, I assure you. And besides, the clothes we found you in were heavily damaged."
This piqued your curiosity. "Heavily damaged? How so?"
"They had holes in them and seemed incredibly weathered. Imagine someone threw them into a swamp for a week, took them out, dried them, and then dressed you in them. Needless to say, it would have been unbecoming of Master to simply let you rest in that filth. No offense," he added, glancing at you.
You shook your head. "None taken, I guess," you mumbled.
"Now, do you have any more questions before you regain your memories?"
"...No. I'm ready." With that, you stood up, following him out of the room and down the hallway. As you walked, you couldn't help but gape in awe at the architecture of the place.
It was akin to a beautiful palace, winding staircases and gaping hallways leading to rooms of books, plants, art, and even a small open-air garden. The building exuded elegance and fragility, but you could feel the subtle pulsing of power that wound through its walls. Through the halls buzzed a spattering of what seemed to be workers, some with clipboards, some talking to who were presumably visitors, given their casual attire. As you glanced down one particularly long passage, you laid eyes upon three very frazzled workers trying to calm down and organize a throng of clamoring people into a single-file line.
Sapphire Grape seemed to notice you staring, and quickly grabbed your shoulder to steer you away, a terse smile on his face. "This way, my liege. Master's counsel is in high demand, but you're a... special case, hm? No need to wait in line."
You quickened your pace to keep up with him. "What even is this place, anyway?"
"The Spire of All Knowledge, of course. Originally, it was only our Fount here, but at his... suggestion, we've since added the rooms you're seeing, for people to further their own knowledge even when the Fount is not available. However," he sighed, "they hardly ever get any visitors..."
As you looked closer at the rooms shooting off from the hallways, you noted that he was right. The most populated room you saw had three people in it, at most. Shocking, considering how beautiful the place was...
You were snapped out of your thoughts by Sapphire's abrupt stop, having to recoil to avoid bumping into him. "We're here," he announced. You stood in front of a large pair of wooden doors with ornate designs carved onto them. The man grabbed a knocker and knocked it six times in a rhythm. Once he finished, the doors swung open magically, making you flinch in surprise.
He walked inside, and you followed. But when you entered, you were greeted by the sight of, seated on a chair resembling a humble throne, an unnaturally beautiful man.
Maybe beautiful wasn't the right word. He was breathtaking, at the very least. He had cascading hair, which seemed to be conflicted on whether or not it was tangible. It was spattered with stars, looking like the milky way on a clear night. On his forehead was a mark resembling a claw. He had one eye of gold and the other of blue, the same shade as the gem that rested in the head of the giant key-shaped staff he held. His flowing robes were black, bordered with a dull gold, and on his sternum rested a brooch resembling a six-pointed star with a keyhole in the middle. If you squinted, you could've sworn his very presence radiated perfection. Seeing him for the first time was breathtaking, heart-stopping. You immediately knew that this must be the Fount of Knowledge.
You quickly ducked your head in a respectful bow. You weren't sure why, but you could feel the respect that his radiance demanded.
"Ah," you heard, followed by the tapping of footsteps. "They're awake?"
Sapphire Grape's voice hummed in affirmation. "Yes, Master. It seems they have a case of amnesia. They've claimed some things seem familiar, but they apparently have no clear memories."
"Thank you, Sapphire Grape," the Fount replied. "I suppose all there is to do is recover your memories and send you back home, correct?"
At this, you dared a glance up at him. He was staring straight at you, eyes soft and smile gentle. It felt strange to see, though you still had no clue why. Realizing he was waiting for an answer, you nodded. "Yes, that sounds good. Thank you for your help, sir."
He shook his head calmly. "Just Fount is fine. Come a little closer, will you?"
You shuffled closer to him, still nervous and feeling entirely out of place. He held out a hand towards your face, meeting your gaze for a moment. "May I?"
When you nodded, he pressed his hand to your forehead.
The sensation that followed was almost overwhelming. It felt like your very mind was being combed through, played with like kinetic sand. You wouldn't call it an out-of-body experience exactly. You were still there, but you felt calm and safe, although you were frozen in place. It wasn't unpleasant, not at all, but it was incredibly strange. 'So this is his power,' you thought.
After a second, though, the feeling screeched to a halt with a sharp pain shooting through your skull. You hissed in pain, and almost immediately were grounded again. As suddenly as it started, the pain stopped, and you opened your eyes to see a very shaken Fount.
He was staring at the hand that had been laid on your forehead, his expression contemplative and... a little worried?
"...Fount?"
He snapped out of his thoughts, readopting a reassuring smile. "A-ah, yes! My apologies. Just a little hiccup."
Your brow furrowed, thoroughly unconvinced. "Is that a regular occurrence?"
Silence.
You swallowed, hesitantly asking again. "Has that... ever happened before?"
He ignored your question again. "...Please allow me to try one last time. Maybe this time... try to relax a bit?"
Though you had your doubts, you murmured your consent, and his touch brought you under again. This time you didn't feel the sharp pain, but rather small throbs, as if whatever had triggered the ache was being prodded, inspected.
Yet again, the feeling retreated, and you opened your eyes. The Fount looked troubled now.
"I've... never seen anything like this," he mumbled, staring at nothing, deep in thought. Although it's what you expected, your heart still dropped. He looked back up at you, examining you closely.
"Your memories. They're there, but... they're inaccessible, even to me. I've seen amnesia before, and even suppressed memories, but this is something entirely new."
He stepped closer to you, practically inspecting you now. "What did you say your name was?"
"...[Name]," you offered. You were starting to feel a bit like a lab rat.
"Well, [Name], I'm going to have to ask that you stay at the Spire for a bit."
Both you and Sapphire Grape seemed shocked at this. "W-wait, what? Why?!" You stammered.
The Fount tilted his head. "I'll have to find you a cure, of course. There's for sure one to be found, but since you're 'patient zero', I may have to do a bit of experimenting. Not on you," he quickly corrected, seeing your horror, "just with theories. But I'll need to have you nearby for research's sake."
Seeing your persistent hesitation, he sighed. "Besides," he added, "it's not like you have anywhere else to go until we find out where your home is."
"I can't just accept, though--" "You can and you will," he interjected, before replacing his mild frustration with calm again. "Don't worry. We'll send word across Beast-Yeast that you're here, so if anyone is looking for you, they can find you here."
"But I don't..." you trailed off, not wanting to voice what you felt was obvious. I don't belong here. Seeing your guilty face, Fount's expression seemed to soften. "Look," he said, "either way, this is my duty. I need to find a way to cure you. What kind of Fount of Knowledge would I be if I can't even cure one case of amnesia?"
When you still didn't respond, he let out a small breath. "Tell you what," he said. "If you really can't fathom the idea of being my special guest, how about you help take care of the Spire? It'll give you something to do, hopefully it'll help you feel like you're pulling your weight, and I can call for you when I need to. Win-win. Sapphire Grape can show you the ropes."
At this, Sapphire cleared his throat. "Master," he hissed, "may I have a private word with you?"
Fount looked annoyed, but only for a moment, quickly turning back to you with a smile. "One moment," he said, before being pulled to the side into a heated discussion with Sapphire Grape.
While they talked, it gave you time to think. So, the Fount of Knowledge didn't even know what was wrong with you. You had no memories, just vague feelings. he wanted you to stay as his pet project, and to top it all off, you felt uneasy around him and you didn't know why. You knew it was stupid, but something about him put you on edge even though he had been nothing but kind to you. Probably paranoia, you told yourself, but a small part of you whispered that maybe it wasn't.
Although, you supposed that being employed here would help take the edge off. And he was right: you didn't have anywhere else to go.
Right then, the Fount and Sapphire returned to you, the latter looking resigned and a bit disgruntled but composed as ever.
"Apologies," Fount hummed. "Anyhow, my offer stands. The job will give you compensation in the form of room and board, which you would be getting either way, so just think of it as enrichment. Either work here or don't; however, I'm afraid that for your own safety I can't allow you to leave the vicinity of the Spire in your current state. I hope you understand."
You nodded slowly. You did understand, but it didn't make you feel much better. "Alright," you started, "I'll work for you."
"Wonderful!" the Fount exclaimed, but you held up a hand. "On the condition that you let me go once we get my memories back."
He tilted his head at you, baffled. "What? Of course. Why would I keep you if I didn't need to? I mean, if you'd like to stay, I suppose you're welcome to keep the job, but I'm certainly not going to stop you from leaving."
You nodded. "Then you have a deal."
He smiled widely. "I knew you'd say yes. From today on, Sapphire Grape here is your supervisor. We won't start you off with anything wild, but if you require something more stimulating or if we believe you're better fit elsewhere, we'll relocate you as we see fit."
You locked eyes with Sapphire. He looked less than thrilled, but he still maintained his air of professionalism.
"Oh, and you're dismissed," the Fount said, waving his hand. "[Name], please meet me in the library at 9:00 sharp tonight."
You barely had time to voice your confirmation before Sapphire Grape was leading you out of the room with a vise grip on your arm. As soon as you left, the heavy double doors slammed shut behind you.
When you got outside, Sapphire turned to you, a frustrated and sardonic smile on his face. "Alright," he oozed, "don't go thinking you're oh-so-special just because Master can't figure out what your problem is. At the end of the day, you're just a curiosity. Got it? You stay here until you get cured, then you leave. Simple as that. I have spent my entire existence working my ass off for his attention, and I'm not gonna let some nobody like you take this from me."
He let go of you and started to walk away, before turning back for a moment. "Your first test is finding your way back to your room. Good luck."
And with that he was gone, leaving you to wonder what you could have possibly done to deserve this hellscape of a situation you were in.