Scene 0173
I. Exploring The Unknown[]
From Lore Master: REG
"As weeks went on, news of what happened in Österborg spread almost as quickly throughout the Solverse as the flames that consumed it itself. The colloquially named ‘Merge Phenomenon’ had made its presence known and those able to break free from its omnipotent chaos were left to try pickup and stitch together some sort of resemblance to their former hometowns from the remaining pieces. All of us who made it out of Österborg set up a tent village in the nearby the entrance to the Riemann Mountains, one of the oldest known natural wonders in the Solverse. We were lucky enough to find Johann’s family who had somehow made it to the mountains safely, but Mathilda and I were completely and utterly displaced, having no idea whether our families had made it out of the chaos safely. Johann’s family said they hadn’t seen or heard anything from either of our parents since a couple days before The Merge hit Österborg, and now the mystery of their fates is left only to our greatest and most closely guarded fears. I often think about what would have happened had Mathilda and Johann not turned back and freed me from my prison of frozen fear. I was standing in the middle of fate’s freeway hoping I wouldn’t get hit when I could’ve been trying to find my family, and now I might never see them again. I lived a well-off life and I became a coward, shielded from the harsher realities of the world around me. I cannot be that frightened little boy watching his world crumble around him praying for destiny to will him to survive, my family needs me to be strong right now and bring them to safety. I turn to Mathilda and abruptly start stumbling together a speech, I feign confidently “Mathilda, I know the world is falling apart around us. I know everything is dangerous and crazy and scary, but I can’t let my family be out there facing that alone. I don’t know how or where, but one thing I do know is if they’re out there I’ll find them. I don’t expect you to come with me, but we can reunite both our families and plus I could really use your help, so what do you say?” Mathilda glared through me for a brief moment that felt like an eternity and cautiously started responding, “I haven’t slept a minute since we got here Marcel, I can’t stop thinking about what they’re doing if they’re out there. Mama, Papa, Laura, I can’t begin to think how alone they must feel. Of course I’m coming, I’d feel a whole lot worse if I was here doing nothing while you were out looking.” Marcel and Mathilda nodded in agreement; they were ready to forge their own futures now. Surprisingly to them, Johann decided to come along to help too, justifying that he knew his family was safe at the Riemann Mountains and he just wants everyone to be back together again. He wasn’t taking no for an answer. He’s a good friend that Johann Berkoff. Waving goodbye to Johann’s family, the three of us set out with only one place on their mind; it was time to go home and see what actually happened to our beautiful Österborg."