Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm realm, Seed World, Living Section Every civilization, at some point in its history, began to ask questions like, 'Who are we? Why are we here? Why is everything the way it is? What is our purpose in all of this?' They sought to better understand their surroundings, to find their place in the world, and to discover their purpose in life. In their efforts, they created half-true, half-false origin stories, based on observations and expectations, bridging the gap between themselves and their environment limited by their imagination.
The Pixies did the same. They created the Pixieian Mythos, which describes an Origin Tree sprouting from the Origin Source. This tree gradually develops realms on its branches, much like a tree grows leaves. Meanwhile, the roots of the Origin Tree spread into the Rule Source, anchoring themselves to nourish these realms.
Where do Pixies fit into all of this? Some elders claimed that Pixies were the caretakers of the Origin Tree, which explained their abilities to create forest spirits. Others believed that Pixies were the fruits of the Origin Tree, born from it. When a Pixie dies, they fall back into the Origin Source and become one with it, much like a ripe fruit falling to the ground. In this way, Pixies were said to have no concept of death or reincarnation like other beings.
According to books in the Infinity Library, the sound of the River of Souls can only be heard by powerful beings on the verge of death. This sound serves as a warning that their time has come, leaving no room for struggle. It grants them sufficient time to say goodbye to their loved ones and peers. This was why Dredre denied hearing the River of Souls; she insisted it was something else entirely.
"What did your elders say?" Wyatt asked, curious about the elder Pixies' thoughts on hearing the River of Souls. If what the book said applied to Pixies as well, then his experiment might have inadvertently brought about her demise.
As for the Pixieian Mythos, Wyatt believed it was nothing more than bullcrap, just like any other mythos out there. In the card world, the Empire had its own mythos, calling Demigod Michael Angelo the son of God. Therefore, Wyatt strongly suspected that the Pixieian Mythos was merely a glorified bedtime story created by the elders to satisfy the curiosity of young Pixies.
Unlike ordinary Pixies, elder Pixies could not only attack but also lie when necessary. Whoever had created the Pixieian Mythos was either fooling or feeding the Pixies' self-esteem. After all, where did the Librarian fit into this narrative? Why did Pixies serve him and not the Origin Source, as the Pixieian Mythos dictated?
Knowing that Pixies were the original primordial beings who went around creating realms in the Myriad Realms, Wyatt couldn't understand how they had fallen so far. Some were even actively helping the Librarian enslave their own kind. However, that wasn't the most pressing issue at the moment. What mattered now was figuring out if Dredre was in danger because of his extreme experiment.
"I never contacted them because I didn't want to worry them unnecessarily over nothing," Dredre said, causing Wyatt to frown. He urged her, "Dredre, I think you should contact your tribe's elder Pixie and talk about it."
"No, I will not," Dredre declared with a surprisingly firm voice, leaving no room for negotiation. Wyatt had never heard her speak so decisively or with such sharp finality. He wasn't even sure if Pixies were capable of speaking that way.
Wyatt decided to let it go for now. It was clear that Dredre would rather suffer in silence until the sickness passed than let her tribesmen worry about her. Wyatt wouldn't have been concerned if Dredre were suffering from something as benign as the common cold. But she wasn't. She was hearing the call of the River of Souls, and that only ended in death. He couldn't understand how she could be so nonchalant about it.
"Dredre, don't be stubborn. This could be serious, and maybe your elders can help you," Wyatt tried to persuade her, guilt weighing heavily on his conscience. He had only wanted to help Dredre realize her potential as a Primordial Pixie, but now she could hear the River of Souls calling her because of his ignorant experiment to get Dredre to revive someone who wasn't even dead inorder to remind Dredre that much like the primordial pixies she was capable of anything, "No, Wyatt," Dredre denied again and added, "I shouldn't have shared this with you either. This is not your fault. It's nothing but a mere buzzing in my head—it will soon go away." The concern on Wyatt's face, the self-blame in his eyes, and the desperation in his voice were not lost on Dredre. However, instead of comforting her, it only made her feel guilty for causing him worry.
Left with no other option, Wyatt shook his head and summoned his grimoire, deciding to contact the only elder Pixie he knew—MayMay. But before he could act, Dredre flashed in front of him, hovering before him, and declared, "Wyatt, you are not allowed to contact the Infinity Library or Librarian Jr. about this. I told you I would be fine with a little rest, didn't I? Wyatt, promise me you won't contact anyone from the Infinity Library for my sake."
"Dredre…" Wyatt was shocked to hear her speak with such assertiveness. She was acting like a completely different person. She used to be cuddly, cute, and, most importantly, dependent—like a puppy or a child, someone without strong opinions. But now, Dredre was anything but dependent. She was acting like a stubborn adult, confident in her own opinions about everything.
He replayed their entire conversation carefully in his mind, trying to pinpoint the exact changes in Dredre's behavior.
"Dredre, did you just lie to me?" Wyatt asked, staring at her tiny figure in shock. He couldn't have been more surprised—or more proud of her.