The Keymaster slowly opened his eyes, awakening to the scent of flowers and the sound of silence. A bright blue butterfly was perched upon his face, slowly fluttering its wings, almost playfully. He laid still for a few seconds before shaking his head, causing it to fly away before he sat up.
As his vision adjusted, he realized that he had been lying amongst a vibrant field of flowers, before then realizing that he must have fallen asleep and teleported into another level yet again. This was not one that he recognized, however, so he knew he would need to be cautious as he explored. It didn't seem too dangerous though, at least.
He slowly rose to his feet and began walking through the field. There were all sorts of beautiful flowers all around him — predominantly roses, sunflowers and tulips. He could hear the soft, distant laughter of what seemed to be some wanderers playing about, which somewhat eased him of his initial concerns. In the distance was a large cathedral-like building, from which he could sense the emanation of an oddly familiar aura. It seemed that another of his kind possibly resided within.
This feeling only increased as he neared closer to the source of the sensation. He stepped foot into the majestic building, only to find before him a majestic feminine figure with long pink hair wearing a white dress. Her back faced towards him as she seemed to be engaged in conversation with several other beings appearing vaguely familiar. They all resembled those from his fractured memories, yet the aura around them indicated that they were not in fact the same beings.
The Keymaster slowly approached the being. “Excuse me… where am I? And who are you?”
The lady turned around to face him, looking quite surprised at first — almost as if she saw a ghost. Her expression then softened as she smiled, greeting the newcomer. “How saddening that you don't remember me, though I'll gladly reintroduce myself. I am Philia, if that rings any bells. These are my Gardens.”
The Keymaster contemplated this information for a moment. “I'll admit, your name does carry a hint of familiarity. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that we have some form of shared past… it has been par for the course for me to have forgotten many.”
Philia curiously examined The Keymaster. “Are you hurt anywhere? You must have gone through much hardship to end up here with no knowledge of where you are.”
The Keymaster waved his hand dismissively. “I merely fell asleep, and by chance found myself here in this realm. It's something that happens often, in fact.”
Philia approached him, using her pink magic to heal any damage that his body could have sustained, while also helping him feel much more well-rested. “You may not remember, but we were close… you could even say you were someone I cherished dearly.” She appeared to have a sad expression on her face, before looking back at him. “Would you like something to eat?"
After a moment of hesitation, The Keymaster nodded. “Very well, I suppose I should not refuse your hospitality.”
Philia invited The Keymaster to sit on a bench. The other beings observed him curiously, greeting him one by one. There was one with long gray hair, another wearing armor and one… that looked very familiar. Almost like a reflection in a mirror, even if not physically similar. The Keymaster closely studied them, intrigued by their familiarity. “I must ask, Philia… who are these beings?”
“Oh? Well… you could say they are fragments of those I loved. Fragments that exist only within this realm to live a peaceful, ideal life… one where they never suffered. The one you see before you is your own fragment. You always wished to live a peaceful life amongst us and the humans, so I granted that wish… at least in here.” The fragment would silently stare into The Keymaster's eyes for a few moments, before nodding towards Philia and walking away. “Unfortunately, I am not strong enough to make these fates reality. In the end, I suppose it was a way to stop myself from drowning in grief and loneliness. At one point, this place was all I had left.” She looked downwards, perhaps feeling her heart aching.
For some reason, despite barely having any memory of her, The Keymaster could not help but take pity on Philia. “And why is that?” He asked her.
She glanced at him, her sweet gaze turning pitiful and sad. “Because I lost you and everyone else at the time. All of them — Claudius, Augustus, Gudang, Nunca, Allseer too… I was losing my mind. I had nothing and nobody else, I was completely distraught. This place allowed me to escape from the pain, to keep the memories of all of you alive. Without it, I would have surely chosen to never wake up again…” In the distance, a small jester happily frolicked about, chased after by a smiling woman with olive skin and long brown hair.
The Keymaster thought back to the argument he had with Blanche in their falling out; one of the few memories from his time as Gatekeeper that he had unlocked. He remembered his own grief from the loss of his siblings, and thus could relate with Philia’s pain. “So… this is your way of coping, then?”
“It is, and it has kept me stable for so long. Deep down, though, my heart still suffers and cries out for the people I lost. I can never show that I'm suffering this way to everyone else, because I need to be there to help them… I don't want them to think I'm so fragile. What use would I be of, if everyone thought I was still a grieving damsel?” A small dove flew over to sit on her shoulder, curling up against her as it did so. It looked very comfortable, as Philia gently stroked its head.
The Keymaster sighed. “I suppose I can relate to that. So much responsibility rests upon my shoulders with the duty that I've been born into. That's why I feel I must deny certain parts of myself and my life, to carry out those duties most effectively.” He found himself surprised with how open and honest he was being. He was never usually this vulnerable around others, besides those such as Blanche.
“There is one important thing I want you to remember always, dear. Never force yourself to handle too many burdens. Never be afraid to ask for help from others. You should never hide away nor hush parts of yourself for the sake of your duty. Your soul and all of you is the most special part that makes you who you are. Don't ever forget that.” She attempted to smile for him. She never took her own advice for herself.
The Keymaster contemplated Philia's words for a moment. “I suppose so…” Then he turned towards her again, attempting to change the subject. “So, what sort of dinner did you have in mind?”
Philia perked up slightly, reverting back to her usual cheerfulness. “Do you like meat or vegetables the most?” She summoned a variety of delicious meals from thin air; half were meat-based, while the other half were vegetarian meals. “I do not eat meat, but I figured you may like it! Eat as much as you want.”
The Keymaster was initially startled by the sudden appearance of the food, but quickly recovered from the surprise as he eyed all the meals before him. He began to eat a bowl of stew, which he seemed to enjoy.
“You're a fan of beef stew, then? Haha, I'll have to note that in case you come visit me again in the future!” She watched him eat, while also occasionally taking a bite out of some fruit and potatoes. She used a napkin to clean his face after he was done. “You ate very clumsily. Were you very hungry?” She holds in a soft chuckle, she wouldn't want to make him feel embarrassed.
The Keymaster seemed to blush somewhat in response to her remark, before shaking his head. “No, I have no need of food. Though it's still a pleasure I do not often experience.”
With a snap of Philia's fingers, all the dirty dishes vanished from sight. She arose from her bench, a sudden look of determination in her expression. “Keymaster, do you wish to remember everything that you have forgotten? Because I can… help you remember. But you need to want it with all your heart, and truly try your hardest for it.”
The Keymaster slowly looked up towards Philia, his full attention and interest now having been captured by the unexpected offer. For so long, he had struggled without the memories of the being everyone called “Gatekeeper”. It had been the source of most of his troubles up to present. To regain them all would lift a massive burden off of his shoulders. “Is this so? Can you truly restore all of my memory?”
“They are already there, buried deep within your mind. I can uncover them, bring them back to the surface. But to do so, you will need to relive everything.”
The Keymaster knew from his encounter with Gaius that to undergo such a process would not be a pleasant experience. Still, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make in order to regain his memory. Thus, he nodded affirmatively.
“There is just one thing I need you to promise me, if we do this: never force yourself to try and act like him. I want you to be as however you prefer. I want you to be you, understood? Whatever you will remember… it's part of you, but you do not have to let it decide who you need to be.” Philia then offered him her hand, to lead him somewhere. The Keymaster stared at Philia’s hand for a moment, seeming to hesitate. But he would eventually take it.
Philia led The Keymaster deeper into the cathedral. As they walked, the rooms began to rapidly change, until they came to a stop in a simple white room. “Once, you were known as Gatekeeper — God of Access, and a great companions of ours.” With a movement of her hands, an apparition of Gatekeeper manifested, soon joined by those of other gods from the ancient pantheon. “We were once beloved and worshiped…we lived amongst humans in harmony. They even built us a large temple with all of our statues.”
The scene changed once more, showing a busy village filled with humans and soft chatter. A majestic temple stood proud in its middle, with everyone gathered outside of it. “Things were fairly peaceful, until… the massacre happened. A horrible tragedy caused by Y'liad Elyion. It took the lives of thousands of innocents.” Now, all The Keymaster could see was fire, death and fear. He saw some of the gods attempting to protect the humans or help them escape, but it was too late.
“Whatever we did to try and atone for the sins of our brother was not enough. The humans who survived and lost their loved ones wanted us gone. They desecrated our temples, defaced our statues, and demanded we disappear. We had failed them.” Philia paused to take a deep breath, trembling. It seemed to be just as painful for her to remember everything as it was for The Keymaster. “Soon, humans discovered we were not as immortal as they once believed, and with this came an even greater massacre. This time, it was not blood that was spilled, but rather ichor. The human uprising was led by someone who was part of our own kind: Kushim. He wanted to free humans from the ruling of the gods…and soon enough, one by one we began to die off.”
The Keymaster watched as many figures vanished into nothing; a jester, a seer, an artist, a knight…followed by many more. “You were distraught by the loss of your companions and home. You secluded yourself in your own domain, with those you believed were your closest followers… but one betrayed you, for they believed you to have become a cruel ruler in the bitterness of your suffering from grief. And so… your end came.” The Keymaster watched the scene of a human carrying a chalice full of poisoned liquid, and Gatekeeper drinking straight from it, only to fall in agony, his life leaving him so quickly that he couldn't even process it.
The Keymaster seemed to take on an expression of anguish, crumpling at the face of all that he witnessed, reliving it all at once. His head pounded, threatening to burst with all the information that surfaced and reintegrated. With every scene that he witnessed and every word that Philia spoke, the memory of it resurfaced in his mind.
Philia faced The Keymaster once more. “Do you remember, Keymaster?” she asked, a serious tone in her voice.
“I… I remember.” He gasped breathlessly, still kneeling. Philia knelt to hold The Keymaster in a comforting hug to calm him down, knowing that it was a lot to handle at once. “…What happened then?” he asked.
“Well, your corpse became the cloak you are wearing right now. It was a final attempt to maintain your role, by selecting a worthy being to succeed the one you were before. Many have worn that cloak, and now you are the latest to do so.”
As Philia said this, The Keymaster suddenly found himself standing in a black space. Before him was gathered a crowd of many humans, of all ages, genders and ethnicities. And he realized that they too, like him, were all once wearers of the cloak for a time before it ultimately passed onto him as the latest in this long lineage. “I…I finally understand.”
Philia helped The Keymaster sit down now, keeping him close in a hug. “Tell me how you feel, I'm here to listen. It's only fair to let you let it all out now. It's been such a long time and your heart is probably bursting right now.” She felt much pity for her dear companion, wishing she could have protected him properly and prevented his death.
The Keymaster took time to collect himself, remaining in Philia’s embrace. He was overwhelmed by all the information and emotion, but he eventually calmed down. “There’s been…so much pain. So much loss. So much suffering. And I’ve been the epicenter of it all…” He seemed beside himself, blaming himself for all the tragedies which had occurred amongst the pantheon. If he never died, he could have stopped them.
“No my dear, it wasn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself.” She said in a soft tone, as she pat his back. “These things happened because of the cruel fate of godhood. Times change and people change too… it was never our fault. We only wanted to be happy alongside humans, but sometimes things can turn cruel… it's time to make amends and let go. To look at the future, because continuously chasing after the past will consume us. Whatever form or shape you will take, I will always be here by your side. Just like how you always protected me.” She truly never changed from all those centuries ago, still looking after him and everyone else. Yet she looked stronger somehow, even more resilient.
The Keymaster looked back up at Philia, finding comfort in her words. He threw himself into her arms once again. “Thank you. Your words mean a great deal to me.”
She chuckled very quietly, as they stayed hugging and in silence for a few minutes longer before ultimately breaking the embrace. “Well, now you know everything, though there are still many things to catch up on. I'll try to reveal you all you desire to know.”
The Keymaster thought long and hard, before speaking. “I suppose my first question is… what became of the others?”
“Well, most of those who I have previously mentioned have passed away. Claudius, Augustus and Gudang have been reborn as undead beings. Kirai is okay and still around. I've been working with Argos in redeeming sinful human beings, and he's become more empathetic. Kushim has changed…he has made many mistakes, and is still on the path of redemption. Lady Blanche is not as lonely as she was before, we still talk. The Sovereign still lives on and reigns. That is the fate of those you knew. And there are even those who arose after your death.”
The Keymaster slowly nodded after taking all of this in. “… I see. Is there yet hope that the pantheon may reform?”
Philia pondered for a while, frowning. “I know I would like for it to. But if it ever does, I'm afraid it won't ever be the same. Those who swore to destroy us all those years ago would rise in power once again…”
“Hm… I see, then…” The Keymaster murmured to himself, before looking back at Philia. “I believe that will be all for now, then. This is all… so much revelation. I need to find the others too. But I will visit you again if I ever need anything else… thank you.”
Philia summoned a pink flower in her hands, placing it between The Keymaster's hair. “I will never be too far. Whenever you need me, you may call upon me — always. We will meet again, and I will try to reunite all those I have not yet found.”
The Keymaster understood as he hugged Philia one last time. “May you direct me back to The Hub?” She nodded in reply, summoning a pink portal leading to The Hub. She then slowly waved goodbye to him, before vanishing into a flurry of flower petals.
There's always a path to follow, the Keymaster now knew that very clearly. Philia had given him a newfound hope in this darkness surrounding him.