Work Text:
Page 21
I was assigned a mission in Inazuma.
I’ve quite missed the sun. My body has yet to adapt to the extreme cold of Snezhnaya even after all these years. I’ll find a way to solve this predicament one day.
For now, I’ll get all my things in order.
I’m to set sail in a week. May the journey be smooth.
Recorded on the evening of the fifth of April.
Page 24
(This page seemed to have gotten wet and was subsequently dried with how stiff and warped the paper is.)
The ship was caught in a thunderstorm.
One of the crew fell to the sea and almost drowned. It’s fortunate that someone noticed him flailing his arms before it was too late. He was brought back on deck using a lifebuoy.
This was the most action I’ve seen since I embarked for Inazuma.
The waves constantly disrupted my balance. Perhaps, I should modify my vestibular system to resolve any physiological side effects caused by this issue. It reminds me of the train back in Snezhnaya.
Recorded on the evening of the fourteenth of April.
Page 26
The people of Tatarasuna are very welcoming.
Inspector Nagamasa was strict, but he seemed fair. He agreed to meet with me to discuss what improvements I can make to their furnace.
I was prepared a small feast as appreciation for coming all the way from Fontaine to help them out. During my stay here, I’ll answer to the name ‘Escher’. I’m supposed to be a skilled mechanic from Fontaine.
My disguise is rather simple in comparison to my usual attire. I don’t know if I prefer it.
The food was acceptable. The celebration encouraged a few to drink. By the end of it, many workers could barely differentiate what’s left from right. It was amusing and disgusting.
Tomorrow’s productivity will definitely suffer.
Recorded on the evening of the twentieth of April.
Page 30
I encountered someone interesting.
His face was rather fair. I have doubts that he’s truly as human as he claims.
I shall investigate further.
Recorded on the morning of the twenty-fifth of April.
Page 31
He’s called the Kabukimono.
It’s an interesting name. If my research is accurate, it means strange or eccentric. Quite the accurate description given how odd his behavior is at times.
Could he be a youkai? No. That doesn’t seem right.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-sixth of April.
Page 33
The Kabukimono ran into me today. Literally. He apologized profusely for staining my clothes with the coal that he had been carrying.
He offered to do my laundry as recompense.
I told him that it was no matter. He insisted anyway. Well, who was I to refuse him?
Recorded on the morning of the thirtieth of April.
Page 39
I finally know what the Kabukimono is. It’s actually very obvious. It’s ridiculous that I didn’t find out much sooner.
It’s not an excuse, but I was busy with the furnace.
The Kabukimono is a puppet. (There was an ink stain splashed next to the period. The writer seemed to have broken their pen as they wrote this line.)
Specifically, he’s a puppet created by the Raiden Shogun.
He doesn’t appear to be made in her image. Had she been debating a male form? It’s no wonder that he had this otherworldly air to him. She sculpted him with such a lovely face.
If I were to make a puppet, could I make its appearance just as fair as his? I should try it out in the future.
A puppet.
What a marvel of Khaenri’ahn technology.
(The following contents seemed to have been written in a hurry. Most of the words were smudged and were illegible as a result.)
…Could he be indestructible?
…What’s his purpose? Surely it isn’t to be an errand boy…
…I want to learn more about him. I should invite him to lunch someday…
Recorded at noon on the fifteenth of May.
Page 45
I don’t understand.
The Kabukimono is a puppet, and yet he’s accepted by everyone in Tatarasuna. How can they be so open to someone who’s not even human? Is it because of his perceived innocence? Or is it in their nature to welcome everyone, similar to how they have treated me?
It’s a shame.
They’ve welcomed a ██████ into their community and they haven’t realized it.
Recorded on the evening of the sixth of July.
Page 57
The Tatarigami released by the furnace has spread a sickness among the people of Tatarasuna. The growing unrest has led to Inspector Nagamasa being desperate for a solution.
He’s requested for another meeting. How tiresome.
Armory Officer Niwa seems suspicious of me. Could he already be aware of my involvement in sabotaging the furnace? It doesn’t matter. Him knowing the truth poses no harm to my mission.
Fascinatingly however, the Kabukimono is unable to fall sick. I suppose it’s due to his nature as a puppet.
Recorded on the morning of the twenty-ninth of September.
Page 61
The Kabukimono has left for Narukami.
He intends to ask the Raiden Shogun for help.
Armory Officer Niwa has requested a private meeting. It’s likely that he’ll finally confront me.
Recorded on the morning of the tenth of October.
Page 62
(There seemed to be a bloodstain smeared across the page. The contents remained legible.)
I was right.
Armory Officer Niwa is now dead.
Recorded on the evening of the eleventh of October.
Page 65
The Kabukimono has returned from Narukami. He failed to request an audience with the Raiden Shogun. It’s unfortunate for him, but a boon to me.
I told him how he could fix the furnace and save everyone. He agreed to my solution.
He wondered where Armory Officer Niwa was. I lied.
Recorded at noon on the twentieth of October.
Page 68
It’s amazing. The Kabukimono has successfully cleansed the furnace of all its filth. He survived with extensive burns, especially on his hands.
I told him to open the device used to cleanse the furnace.
He was horrified to find a human heart inside it.
I told him that the heart belonged to a subordinate who Armory Officer Niwa murdered out of cowardice. He was furious at Armory Officer Niwa’s supposed betrayal. For a divine puppet, he was quite easy to fool.
He ran away from Tatarasuna soon after.
I hope to meet him again in the future. I informed Pierro of his existence, insisting that he’d make for a good addition to the Fatui’s ranks. And even if he isn’t, he’ll certainly make for an interesting test subject.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-third of October.
Page 153
Pierro brought the Kabukimono to Snezhnaya.
He no longer goes by that name. He’s now referred to as the puppet.
The moment I saw him again after all this time, an excitement I didn’t know I had made itself known. I want to explore his inner workings. I want to know more about him.
He’s changed a lot since his days in Tatarasuna. Gone was his naivety. Rather, he’s developed a penchant for such cruelty. I saw him backhand someone of a higher rank than him. He wasn’t even punished since many came to fear his vicious nature.
Still, not even a frown could erase his beauty.
I introduced myself to him. This time, he’ll know me by my true name rather than a facade. Not that he knows of involvement in Tatarasuna, nor of my disguise as Escher.
He acknowledged me with a grunt. How charming.
As his doctor, I can finally investigate his body to my heart’s content. For once, I’m impatient over an experiment.
Recorded on the evening of the third of May.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Page 01
I decided to start a new journal.
Studying the puppet has bore me plenty of fruitful results.
Taking inspiration from how he functions, I began to draw blueprints for my next big experiment. I plan on creating segments of myself, each one cut from different points of my life. In that way, they can contribute their respective perspectives, granting me true wisdom.
Recorded on the afternoon of the tenth of August.
Page 09
The puppet wants to be a god.
I’ll help him become one.
The irony isn’t lost on me. Wasn’t I deemed a heretic for my views? Yet, here I am, unlocking the seals of a divine puppet so that he could ascend to godhood.
Recorded on the evening of the nineteenth of October.
Page 25
The puppet’s body was sturdier than I realized.
I already knew that he could survive the Tatarigami, but to witness him endure even the most brutal of my experiments is a blessing that I’ll never forsake. It should be noted that even if his body is durable, he can still feel the pain.
Take that into account to improve his emotional and mental health.
Recorded at noon on the thirteenth of January.
Page 43
I did it. I successfully created my first segment.
He’s ‘me’ at age 35. He’s the proof of my ingenuity, my very own crowning achievement. We plan on making more segments together.
This will definitely be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, but it’ll be worth it.
It’s a pity that Pierro had sent the puppet to the Abyss. It would’ve been entertaining for him to meet my first segment. They have a lot in common.
Recorded on the morning of the seventh of June.
Page 60
The puppet briefly returned from the Abyss. He was in pieces when he was brought to the laboratory. It took me half a month to put him back together again.
When he came to, we barely had the chance to talk before he was sent back to the Abyss. It’s a shame, really.
He finally met 35 though.
I don’t know what he felt about him. 35’s fascinated with the puppet. Of course he is. He’s ‘me’, after all.
Recorded on the evening of the second of October.
Page 137
I’ve made 6 segments in total. Their ages are as follows: 8, 18, 25, 35, 45, and 65.
They may be ‘me’, but they’re also distinctly their own selves.
Their presence has undeniably made the laboratory much louder. However, I don’t mind the newfound chaos. It’s more enjoyable to work with other people who understand me, even if said people are just ‘me’.
Recorded on the morning of the twenty-second of December.
Page 149
The puppet was brought back from the Abyss. He was broken again.
My segments and I fixed him.
He finally met the rest of my segments. He was the most fond of 8. It was probably because he’s a child. I personally don’t see the appeal in children, but 8 knows just what to say to melt the puppet’s cold glare.
Recorded on the evening of the sixth of September.
Page 182
(The following contents seemed to not match the penmanship found in previous pages.)
It’s so unfair that I’m the only one who can’t access the dispensary. It’s not as if 18 is more mature than me just because he’s legally an adult.
He’s still a teenager!
That’s still a child! (A squiggle was connected to the period. It seemed that the page was abruptly taken from the writer.)
It appears that 8 has mistaken my journal for his own. I should get him some stickers to decorate the cover of his notebook. That way, he won’t make the same mistake twice.
I’ll talk to 65 about making a child-friendly dispensary.
Recorded on the afternoon of the fourth of February.
Page 191
18 has disposed of 8’s notebook.
I don’t know what to do with him. I don’t remember acting anything like him at his age.
Recorded on the morning of the thirty-first of May.
Page 200
(The following penmanship seemed shakier than usual.)
I sometimes wonder how long I have left. I’ve successfully concocted the Elixir of Immortality.
When I gave some to Pantalone, he stopped aging and retained his youthful appearance. However, when I took it, nothing changed.
Why is that the case?
I don’t understand. It should’ve worked. It did work.
So why—
(The rest of the page seemed to have been torn out.)
Page 212
The puppet hasn’t returned from the Abyss in so long.
I miss him.
I can feel that my end is near. Will I ever see him again before my time comes?
Recorded on the morning of the eleventh of August.
Page 231
Zandik has died.
Recorded on the morning of the █████████ — Il Dottore “Omega Build”, a.k.a. Segment 35.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Page 46
The puppet was promoted to the status of Harbinger. He gained the title of ‘The Balladeer’, along with the name Scaramouche. 45 attended his inauguration. He said that Scaramouche didn’t seem satisfied with his new rank.
Well, he at least will no longer be sent to the Abyss.
He’s to remain on standby.
That’s great. I can conduct plenty of experiments on him again.
I accompanied 8 when he gifted Scaramouche a small cupcake to celebrate. He seemed content at the meager offering. He invited 8 for tea and even allowed me to sit in. He must be in a really good mood then.
18 was envious when he later learned of what we did. I never could understand him.
Recorded on the evening of the third of March.
Page 51
Scaramouche visited the laboratory.
25 has captured his attention with his latest experiment—the ability to harness the elements through man-made Visions that he calls Delusions. Scaramouche was impressed with his work.
I can somewhat see the appeal.
Recorded on the afternoon of the first of June.
Page 77
Scaramouche seemed to be in a mood today.
He even refused 8 when he asked for his attention. He only said that he wasn’t in the mood to entertain a room full of ‘me’s’. That was alright.
I moved whatever session we had scheduled to some time next week.
Am I not benevolent?
Recorded on the morning of the twenty-third of October.
Page 90
8 has taken to following Scaramouche around the laboratory whenever he’s visiting.
Scaramouche pretends to be irritated by this. He’s not very convincing. Everyone is aware of his soft spot towards children.
Today, 8 asked him if puppets could dream. He was hesitant with his response. He said that he used to be incapable of dreaming. That was until Zandik conducted an experiment and suddenly, he could visualize images on the rare occasions that he did slumber.
I wrote this down the moment he left the laboratory. I hope that he didn’t notice me eavesdropping. I’d rather not face an angry Scaramouche.
He can be quite terrifying if he wanted to be.
Recorded on the morning of the fourteenth of January.
Page 101
Scaramouche had lunch with 65. I don’t know why, especially since they rarely converse with each other.
Was it because 65 was the eldest of us segments? Did Scaramouche feel more comfortable being with another so-called old soul? 65 was far from entertaining as he’s the segment who preferred to keep to himself the most.
Whatever.
It’s not that I care about any of this.
Recorded on the evening of the seventh of March.
Page 119
18 made a fool of himself in front of Scaramouche.
He almost threw a tantrum, had it not been for the laugh that Scaramouche then let out. That alone replaced whatever embarrassment 18 felt with pride.
Scaramouche’s laugh was music to my ears.
I want to hear it again.
It wasn’t fair that 18’s the first to genuinely make him laugh. He wasn’t even funny. 8 agrees as he now holds a much deeper grudge against 18.
Seriously. They’re such children.
Recorded at noon on the eight of June.
Page 125
Sometimes, I regret making a deal with 45. He gets the largest private room in the laboratory in exchange for serving as Dottore’s public persona.
He would be his face; the segment who attends all of the meetings and events required of Dottore.
This used to be split between us since we looked so alike that we were often mistaken for each other. I didn’t mind the menial labor at first, but it soon got tedious. It’s just paperwork this, private meeting that.
I’m first and foremost a scholar.
45 didn’t mind doing the administrative duties that came with being a Harbinger. It’s no doubt because he’s the most responsible among us segments.
It was only natural that we made an arrangement.
I no longer had to show my face in public. That became 45’s job alone. I became free to do whatever I desired in the laboratory.
It was perfect.
But then, Scaramouche became a Harbinger. Now, each time the Harbingers had a meeting, 45 had the chance to see him and even speak with him. 45 knows he’s lucky and he keeps flaunting it.
The nerve!
(The following contents seemed to have been scratched out. This made them impossible to read.)
████ ███ █████████ ███████
██ █████████ ███████ ██████████
Recorded on the evening of the eighteenth of August.
Page 136
Scaramouche cried during an experiment.
I pretended not to notice.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-seventh of October.
Page 160
It’s Scaramouche’s birthday today.
He doesn’t like to celebrate it all that much. 8 insisted otherwise and planned a small party consisting of the celebrant and us segments.
It had been awkward at first.
Scaramouche didn’t have the heart to waste 8’s efforts however, so he ended up playing a bunch of foolish games with 18 and 25. They made for a ridiculous sight that would bring them shame had anyone else seen them.
65 just stood in the corner. What a pathetic, lonely old man he was. He reminds me of Zandik.
They were the closest in age.
45 drunk alcohol. How 8 got his hands on alcohol is a mystery that I’d rather not be the one to unravel. None of us segments can get drunk in the first place. 45 is just drinking for the buzz.
Whatever makes him happy, I suppose.
8 personally baked Scaramouche a birthday cake. I’m surprised that he had time to prepare any of this.
Scaramouche appeared to have fun. That’s good.
Recorded on the evening of the third of January.
Page 205
I invited Scaramouche to the opera.
He said he’d think about it.
Recorded on the morning of the first of December.
Page 206
Scaramouche agreed to go to the opera with me.
His chosen attire was beautiful. He looked lovelier than any of the performers on stage.
He seemed to enjoy the performance. I personally found it a bit of a drab, but it has been a while since we both saw a play together. I’ve yet to gauge Scaramouche’s taste in the arts.
Shall I play the piano for him? Maybe one day.
Recorded on the evening of the second of December.
Page 218
I played the piano for Scaramouche. He danced to the melody with a certain grace.
It was in Tatarasuna where I last saw him dance.
I felt nostalgic for it.
He allowed 8 to join him. I don’t know why, but I was quite enthralled by their little show. Scaramouche smiled, and I could tell that it was genuine.
Recorded at noon on the fourteenth of February.
Page 223
Scaramouche visited the laboratory today. I didn’t have any experiments involving him scheduled. He said that he was merely abating his boredom.
I let him do as he pleased.
He kept staring at me. I don’t know why he did, but he didn’t seem upset.
Recorded on the afternoon of the fourteenth of March.
Page 239
I’ve made a breakthrough.
In just a few more decades, I’m certain that I can witness Scaramouche ascend to godhood. He was delighted at the news when I told him. I’m about to create my very own god.
How blasphemous. It’s a fitting sin for a heretic such as myself.
Recorded on the morning of the sixteenth of June.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Page 12
Scaramouche was dispatched to Inazuma.
Shall he retrieve the Electro Gnosis, then our plans can finally proceed. I have the utmost faith that he’ll succeed in this trial.
He wants this more than anything, after all.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-second of May.
Page 46
Signora has died.
Scaramouche is to head for Sumeru next. I’ll meet him there.
45 plans to attend the funeral. There’s no point in wasting our precious time on useless frivolities. I told him as much, but he still insisted on going. I believe that he’s simply fond of the gloomy nature of funerals.
He’s always been odd.
Recorded on the morning of the tenth of July.
Page 51
I’ve arrived in Sumeru.
It’s as humid as I remembered it.
I contacted the Grand Sage of the Akademiya. He’s quick to agree to my demands with how much he desires for a new god to replace Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Scaramouche is to be that god.
On the matter of Scaramouche, we reunited in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Back in my days as a student in the Akademiya, I never would’ve imagined being permitted to enter Lesser Lord Kusanali’s residence.
Oh how times have changed. Still, the Akademiya remains as stringent as ever. It’s a pity.
45 plans on joining me at a later date.
Recorded on the evening of the thirtieth of July.
Page 56
45 has arrived.
Scaramouche was pleased to see him again.
Recorded at noon on the eighth of August.
Page 59
The Traveler has arrived in Sumeru. Their presence will certainly be a hindrance to my plans.
Scaramouche is becoming impatient.
I told him that he’ll soon be a god. Only a few more samsara cycles are required before he’ll finally have enough power to ascend. This was enough to appease him, albeit slightly.
Recorded on the morning of the nineteenth of August.
Page 64
Lesser Lord Kusanali and the Traveler tried to gain some information from the Grand Sage’s secretary. It was a miserable attempt.
Surely, the god of wisdom can do better than that.
She knew who I was. Though, it was odd that she was shocked by my presence in Sumeru. I’ve had a couple of meetings with the Grand Sage in the Sanctuary of Surasthana. Hasn’t she noticed?
It must be because of her weakening influence.
Whatever strength she had left was being diverted to Scaramouche. I wonder what will happen to her once she’s lost all of her divinity.
(The following contents seemed to have been written in a rush. There was an ink stain before the next section.)
As a side note, Scaramouche is possessive over the Electro Gnosis. He refused to part with it, even after I explained that I needed to study it for his ascension. I had to compromise that he can supervise me whenever I’m handling it.
His temper has worsened recently. It’s fine. I can excuse that he’s simply too eager for what’s to come.
Recorded on the evening of the first of September.
Page 70
I sent 45 back to Snezhnaya.
‘I’ left Sumeru, but ‘I’ also stayed in Sumeru.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-fifth of September.
Page 75
It was a marvel to witness Scaramouche’s ascension to godhood. I’ve seen a lot throughout the centuries that I’ve existed, yet they all pale in comparison to the sight of Scaramouche wielding the Gnoses to his command.
He made for a powerful god.
He made for a ███████ god.
Divinity suits him. I always knew that it would.
It’s still strange. Scaramouche is now a god. I actually created an artificial god.
I struggle to properly articulate my feelings. I admit that it’s unusual. I’ve never lacked words for anything, yet here I am. Scaramouche has deemed a random scholar to be his first follower, but he saw me as his ████████ and isn’t that a grander honor?
(The following contents seemed to have been scratched out. Only a few words remained legible.)
█████ and he then ██ ██████████
Scaramouche █████████████ █████ ███████
█████ ██████████
Recorded on the evening of the eleventh of October.
Page 82
Scaramouche was defeated.
I should’ve expected this.
(The following contents seemed to have been written in a hurry. The penmanship was more uneven than normal so most of the words were smudged and were illegible as a result.)
…I plan to leave him in Sumeru…
…Perhaps, this can serve as a learning experience…
…She threatened to wake the Heavenly Principles. That would’ve been interesting…
…I made a deal with Lesser Lord Kusanali. I retrieved both the Dendro and Electro Gnoses. In exchange, I’ve erased the other segments…
…I’ll never forget their last words…
…I’m all alone now…
Recorded on the afternoon of the first of November.
Page 87
I’ve returned to Snezhnaya.
I feel as though I’m missing something. Maybe it's the loss of the other segments. I’m far from sentimental, but we’ve been together for centuries.
I’ll get over their absence soon.
Recorded on the morning of the twelfth of December.
Page 88
The Tsaritsa was pleased when I brought her the Dendro and Electro Gnoses. I was even granted some time off from the next few scheduled Harbinger meetings.
Now that 45’s gone, I have to personally attend those meetings myself. How bothersome.
When I have the time, I’ll definitely recreate 45. Lesser Lord Kusanali only requested for the erasure of the other segments. It was never stated in our deal that I couldn’t reconstruct them in the future.
I never understood 45. He was a strange one.
However, he still had his uses.
He’s the only segment I regret having erased. I can’t stand being required to do all this paperwork.
Recorded at noon on the thirteenth of December.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Page 154
It’s been a while since I last wrote a new entry. I was busy, and unlike when the segments were still around, I can’t shirk away my duties to 45 or 65.
There wasn’t anything of note worth recording until now.
Columbina resigned.
She’s currently in Nod-Krai.
The Tsaritsa issued the Palestar Edict. All Harbingers are to head to Nod-Krai to retrieve her. While I’m to head for Nod-Krai, as commanded, I have no plans to search for Columbina.
I have a different objective in mind.
Recorded on the morning of the twenty-ninth of April.
Page 166
I stumbled upon the fragments of one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri’ah—Rerir. When I helped revive him, I learned of his obsession with the moons.
Our goals aligned for now.
I let him wreak havoc across Nod-Krai. He’ll pose a threat to Columbina while she’s in a weakened state.
I heard that the Traveler has arrived in Nod-Krai.
Recorded on the evening of the first of June.
Page 170
Someone’s been following me.
I don’t know who.
They aren’t subtle. I can feel their eyes on me. But, every time I tried confronting them, they would disappear. It’s as though they’ve gone with the wind.
I’ll investigate later. With how long they’ve trailed after me, they’re bound to slip up at some point.
Recorded on the afternoon of the twenty-fourth of June.
Page 199
Rerir was defeated.
That’s fine. My plans have been progressing smoothly.
It’s only a matter of time now.
Recorded on the evening of the twenty-first of November.
Page 206
It’s Moon-Prayer Night.
For a moment, I had the power of all three moons. It’s the closest contact I’ve had with divinity aside from my false god project back in Sumeru.
I could even control time. This didn’t affect the Traveler though. Is it because they’re a Descender?
The Traveler was extremely stubborn.
They relentlessly fought against me even if they were evidently out-matched. Right as I was about to defeat them, Columbina purposefully banished herself. I don’t know where she is at the moment. Her absence hindered me from fully harnessing the moons.
I had to retreat. A minor setback. I’ll begin working on an artificial moon in place of Columbina.
I don’t want to be dependent on her.
She’s too stubborn to be controlled. Even if I do find her, there’s no guarantee that she’ll let me do as I please.
Recorded on the evening of the third of December.
Page 208
I captured the Traveler.
This should prove to be interesting.
Recorded on the morning of the fifth of December.
Page 215
Someone burst through the energy field where I kept the Traveler. I didn’t recognize him at first. I initially believed him to be a new face.
He had an Anemo Vision.
He used it to rescue the Traveler. I couldn’t help but notice that he had a certain grace in the air. If I hadn't known any better, I would’ve stopped to admire it.
I managed to land a hit on him. It’s unfortunate that he still escaped with the Traveler.
It frustrated me.
But then… (There was an ink stain beside the period.)
I remember him.
(The following penmanship seemed unsteady.)
Scaramouche.
How could I have forgotten? He somehow tampered with my memories. He made everyone forget about him. Was it the influence of Irminsul?
He truly is fascinating.
To have tampered with Irminsul. It’s a feat that I’d have to give him credit for.
I can hardly believe it. Scaramouche is currently here in Nod-Krai. He’s changed so much since I last saw him, yet he’s still the same as ever. Blue suits him better than the dark colors of his former Harbinger outfit. The fire in his eyes was familiar.
Could he have been the one following me all around Nod-Krai?
He’s ████████
I want to see him again.
(The rest of the page seemed to have been torn out.)
Page 217
I saw Scaramouche accompany two other individuals.
I believe that one of them is the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius, while the other was a person with draconic features whom I’ve never heard of before. He appeared to appreciate their company.
He smiled at something the draconic boy said. How long has it been since I last saw him smile?
I don’t know.
Quite frankly, I don’t care.
Recorded at noon on the twenty-eighth of December.
Page 222
It’s time.
The artificial moon I’ve created is perfect. Today, I will finally enact my grand experiment.
I will succeed.
Recorded on the morning of the fourteenth of January.
(No further entries seemed to have been made.)
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The journal was eased shut after it had been made clear that there were no pages left to read. It was then placed alongside the other journals that had been penned under Il Dottore’s name.
“Hat Guy.”
“Yes, Durin?”
“What were you reading?”
Hat Guy’s eyes hardened, “It’s nothing, really. Just the ramblings of a madman.”
“Can I take a look? I do need to practice reading.”
“This is too complex for your current level,” Hat Guy said as he shook his head, “Maybe in the future though. Who knows? You might find this to be an interesting read, just as I have.”