Chapter 1: An enigmatic meeting
Olivia awakens to find herself lying on the pavement of level Tournesol, breathing heavily as she regains her bearings. She cannot believe that she had almost given up on the promise she made to Tournesol and allowed herself to vanish into nothing. The hazy memories of the abyss and her treacherous ascent to the surface still weigh heavy on her, making her tremble like a leaf. It takes several minutes for her to float away from the ground, shifting her focus back to the reason she returned to existence in the first place. She can sense the presence of another in her level, despite her certainty that it remains inaccessible to anyone else ever since she locked it away. Olivia feels mild concern and apprehension towards whatever being could have entered her realm during her disappearance, but a part of her wonders if there is something more to this.
Soon enough, Olivia sets her sight upon a stranger standing in the distance. Upon his arrival, the environment of the level violently shifts into something more favorable to him — unpleasantly dark, bleak, and distorted. Something about this being is incredibly off, and Olivia is determined to uncover his true identity and intentions.
"You… Who are you? How did you end up here?" She decides to ask, attempting to maintain her usually polite and compassionate demeanor even in spite of the intimidation she felt. She takes this time to examine the stranger up close; he is a tall man of ethereal beauty, with long white hair, a pale and absent gaze and regal clothing. Though he appears human, he radiates the aura of something beyond humanity.
The pale man remembers not the moment he entered this foreign domain. He only recalls laying his hand upon the surface of a strange mirror, and a disorienting feeling of falling before ending up in this place. The unique essence emanating from the surroundings tell him that it does not belong to the common chain of domains that he is familiar in traversing, similar to his birthplace realm.
It is then that the blank slate of the domain morphs into a sinister form of paleness and emptiness, replicating his birthplace; the grey sky that blanketed the lonely world, the twin moons that shine of silver and sadness. This is home, and he is put into certain unease.
Then, he hears a soft voice calling to him, inquiring him of his arrival in an innocent manner. And it disgusts him. Indeed, he can only assume that this was an elaborate prison to seal him permanently. His sins still cling to him no matter the era, and he could only accept such a fate as it was his purpose.
"Who… made… this prison? Is it… you? Have they… ordained you… for my certain incarceration?" His voice is sorrowful — each word soft, small, and dead — and the person whom called out his presence can only hear him with the utmost strained intent.
The spirit stares at him with both confusion and a twinge of pity, which is quickly bottled up out of mild distrust. She floats closely to him, her gaze turning stern. The man can sense the familiar essence of one he knew long ago radiating faintly from her soul, seemingly dormant in lieu of her current condition. She must be one of them, he thinks — but at the same, time she isn't. It's quite peculiar.
Similarly, Olivia perceives a strong power within the pale man, yet she remains unaware of its true significance. She can only assume he is a powerful being similar to her savior, but he seems so vastly different from her.
"I don't know what you're talking about. If anything, this is my prison — not yours." She avoids his gaze, observing the gloomy environment once more. "This is my mindscape. I don't know how you managed to enter — I made sure to get rid of any possible entrance. I don't even know who you are, so I doubt I'd know what you did to be 'incarcerated' in the first place. You're mistaken about me." Olivia almost feels offended by the accusation, but she won't verbalize it, especially not to this being of unknown nature and motives.
"What spell… have you cast… that malformed… this realm… into one of mine?" The pale figure seems almost absent in the moment, ignoring the specter's unnecessary remarks. He was unable to believe her words for there was a familiar, remnant power within her and that there was distrust. But that was the least of his concerns.
He makes no attempt to stray from where he stood, merely gazing at the surroundings with a hand subconsciously clutching the hilt of a sword hidden from sight within his royal cloak. Then, his face turned towards her. She could see the dreadful pits that was were his eyes, the pale frown that was his lips, and his face that was paler than her own, sorrowful and calm.
"My level is built to shift into whatever environment is most favorable to those accessing it… I suppose that's what you're referring to. It wasn't originally an ability of mine, but I've had it for a very long time." It's one of the last things Tournesol left her through the fragment of their soul, but she's not going to tell that to him. It's something nobody should know; not yet, anyways. "So, this is your realm? Just what kind of entity are you? This place looks dead…" Olivia has a hunch that the man may be a creature of decay or suffering, simply based on the aura surrounding him. She decides to keep that thought to herself just in case it'd irritate him. She doesn't know what he's capable of and she'd rather not find out.
The apathy and sorrow radiating from him makes her feel strange. In a way, she almost feels a certain pull towards the pale stranger. After all, his sudden appearance, even if accidental, is the reason she hasn't vanished into nothing. He unknowingly saved her life, as much as she doesn't want to admit it. She feels as if she should thank him, but can't find the proper words for it. He wouldn't even know what she's talking about, anyways. Instead of doing that, she has something else in mind.
"Well, since you're already here, I think it'd be better to move somewhere more… pleasant." Olivia created a room for them both, replicating a pleasant garden with all kind of flowers. She summons a table and two chairs as well, not like she needs to sit in the first place. It's easier for her to float, but sometimes she likes to act as if she's still alive and not an incorporeal spirit. Olivia isn't sure if she can let her guard down, judging by what happened last time she did, but she's still attempting to be a good host. Unbeknownst to her, she used up all her remaining energy just for this. It's definitely going to bite her later, but she doesn't consider it.
As he was about to utter a few more words in response to the arcane that conjured his near-exact birthplace, the world around him transformed once more. The grey soil on which he stood grew brilliant verdant blades of grass and bloomed a hundred flowers in myriads of colors all around, and the twin moons that shone pallidly prior were now replaced with a warming sun. However, instead of a pleasant sensation, all he felt was an uncomfortable churning within. This was not a sight he should witness, for it was an act of aggression against his purpose; an impossibility which he thrashed aeons ago.
"I shall… not… seat myself. Standing is… preferable… for one… such as I." This was all he could say to her offer. He was more than disgusted by this unnecessary change in environment. He could not fathom the emotion of one providing him… a seat. Complicating yet in his mind the endeavor he found himself in at that moment. Above all, he was still wary of the incorporeal woman, doubting her actions were truly innocent as they were. It is evident to the ghost that the pale man is of a few words. His weak, hushed voice tells her that he does not often speak this much, if at all. It was also true that the tall grey figure remained still in the exact same place, as if some unknown force forbade him all manners of motion. Perhaps to her it was slightly absurd, if not comical.
Olivia looks at him weirdly, being surprised at his refusal to something as basic as sitting down. Her mind begins to question his origins and his motivations, unknowingly guided by what's left of her merciful heart. She can sense that he carries heavy sins upon his back, but she can also sense a certain spiraling despair bottled deeply within him. Whoever he is and whatever he did in the past, it must be the reason why he behaves so oddly. She feels curious, wanting to know more. It wouldn't benefit her in any way, but what else can she do? In some way, she wants to start a conversation and aid him. Of course, she is worrying about total strangers like usual. She mentally curses at herself for this carelessness. "Anyone has a right to sit down, even slime entities. It's not a matter of what you are — it's a basic thing that shouldn't be deprived from anybody. Besides it would be impolite not to seat, especially because I'm serving you dessert." She bluntly utters, before she summons a plate with a slice of cake, choosing a dark chocolate flavor because she believes it suits him from a first glance. "You don't really seem to like colors and nature. You're staring at the new environment like you've seen something terrible. Do you dislike it that much?" She points out soon after. It's not exactly what his gaze is showing, since she interpreted it more as secret longing than disgust, but what does she know to say so?
"I bear… hatred… against it. The entirety… of my body… tells me… that I… must eradicate… such stain… to my purpose…" The ghost was not able sense what exactly happened after he spoke those words. She only perceived the flutter from the slightest of movement from his cloak, as he was now seated on the chair she provided, staring at her directly this time. "However… I shall… respect… your dominion… as once did I… in that temple of divinity. But I… refuse your offerings… kind as they may be." He utters with the same quietness afore. The grey man is truthfully more than bewildered to have been offered a delicacy. In fact one could say he is offended by such an act, but he makes no ill remarks to the piece of pastry as the specter has treated him with not the presence of malice, but with an alien kindness. Perhaps sitting was more than enough a deviant action to the beliefs he vehemently carries.
His words make her frown, now feeling even more confused than before. At least him sitting down is a semblance of politeness and acceptance, but now she is starting to question even more than just his origins. What kind of person can resent nature so deeply and not even allow themselves to have a slice of cake? She's obviously unaware of the customs of certain entities, but even for someone who isn't a human this kind of behavior seems out of place. Olivia decides not to comment about it anymore for the time being, preferring to focus on the way he was able to reach her realm. She is going to focus on the rest another time.
"I can't force you to eat, so I suppose I understand… as odd as it may be. What I'm most curious about is how exactly you ended up here. You haven't answered that yet…" Compared to him, her savior was truly different. She wonders just how many beings with powers like these exist all over the Backrooms, but that's a question for later. "It's clear you weren't sent here by her, but all the mirrors leading here were put out of commission…" She mutters to herself, now lost in her thoughts.
"Mirrors… you say?" Shockingly to the specter, the man's lips respond with interest. Indeed, the pale man could hear her faintest utterings, a keen sense that is surprising for a being of his disposition. "I remember… a strange mirror… placed upon… a flowerbed. I sensed… the presence… of the saintess… imbued within. It beckoned… to me. Thus, I laid… my hand… upon the object… and it… delivered me to this place —" he pauses amidst a sentence as if contemplating a thought from when he arrived in the ghost's realm, "— …initially… I had assumed… this place… was a trap… she created… in behalf of the council… but it seems that… my premature assumption… is incorrect."
His words, the woman could not entirely decipher — save for the mention of a saintess. "I do sense… her presence… in you, ashen ghost. Though vague… and weak… the presence… she imprints… on others… is distinguishable… from the rest." This only confirms her suspicion — the saintess this man speaks of is her savior. Without a doubt in her mind, this pallid man's arrival was certainly the doing of her goddess!
"It gives… me… a question. Are you… her champion?"
Olivia's face lights up at the mention of Philia. She is glad that even in her terrible condition she is still looking out for her. Perhaps her goddess knew Olivia was planning to give up and let herself disappear, which is why she reactivated one of her mirrors as a last resort to send someone to distract her. Although, the man she sent doesn't seem to be much of a savior. Olivia believes that he must have been a last choice, without anybody else to rely on with what little power she regained in order to help. She mentally thanks her goddess for once again coming to her aid.
"She was the reason my soul didn't vanish. She saved my life… or, at least, was part of the reason why I'm not completely gone from this world. Although I don't know why it was you of all people that she sent to me." She doesn't tell him about the conclusion she reached in her mind, because she wishes to hear his own thoughts on the situation. He must know the saintess more than she does, so he can provide some insight. Though, Olivia doubts he'll cooperate more than necessary. "Other than that, I have no idea what this council you're talking about even is. But from what you've said, Philia seems to be part of it, right?" She knows that she promised herself not to question him more than necessary, but she really has nothing better to do and some conversation won't hurt after months of utter loneliness.
The man does not respond as to why he was the one sent here. It seems to her that this was of little importance to him. In fact, his entire arrival could be mere inconvenience and insignificance to the pale man, yet it was also the exact reason she is still existing now. "The saintess… was indeed… a member… of the council… as was I. However… that was… aeons ago. I am… doubtful… the council… still exists… in this era." He speaks of this council with not the slightest hint of curiosity. Whatever was his involvement with this mysterious council no longer concerns him — if it ever did at all, judging the manner in which he speaks of it. He becomes all the more mystifying to the ghost. The pale man calmly stands unannounced and looks down at the woman with not a change of expression or emotion. "If… that is all… you inquire… of my presence… I must leave now. Furthermore… this realm… does not seem… to be… a prison… for me… as I had… prematurely assumed. Therefore, I ask… of you… that you… conjure a gateway… out of this realm… for me to depart." He asks with a tinge more cordiality behind his words — it could not be said similarly to his voice.
Admittedly, she is a bit upset of having to be alone again so soon… but it's inevitable, isn't it? The man did his part, and he doesn't seem the type to keep someone company or converse for too long. Olivia sighs, attempting to focus and summon a mirror as an exit, but no matter how hard she tries, she flops down in exhaustion. She shouldn't have created so many things as soon as she escaped the inner depths of her mind, now she needs to recharge and it's going to take a while. How frustrating. She should have paid more attention before. "I… I need to recover from all the power I used up today. I have no energy left to summon anything. I hope you don't mind waiting for some more time." Olivia feels incredibly sorry, because she doesn't want to slow down the man more than she already did. The only thing she can do is try to make his stay worthwhile while she recharges. She could use this as an opportunity to try understanding him more and maybe discover something else about him. What can she lose from this? It's not like there's any other way. Besides, she has a certain gut feeling that's pushing her to talk more. "I suppose in the meantime we could take a stroll around here and continue our conversation. It may take a while for me to be able to open an exit."
The pale man merely nods at the predicament and moves along with her out of the room she manifested. "You must know… pale ghost… that I do not… entertain… in the leisure… of lengthened conversations. I know not… the common habit… of these realms." It is evident that this man is not well-versed with communication in the slightest, he is a being that only keeps to himself and needs not the presence of others to operate accordingly to his duties.
However, a suppression embedded deep into his being, an accursed consciousness that should have never been, wells up to his throat for a slight change in heart at this very moment. "However… the least… I might reciprocate… perhaps… are our names. I believe… that is common… for any being… that I know."
It comes as a great surprise to the ghost that the pale man attempts to initiate a conversation between them, despite the seemingly little significance it ultimately bears for him. To her, this might be an opportunity for the both of them to agree to the existence of one another's presence, even if meagerly. The spirit can't help but smile, even if briefly. She floats out of the small room with the pale man, now back to the stagnant environment outside. It's a bad change of scenery, but she lacks the power to create something more pleasant to the eyes as a replacement. "I'm Olivia, Olivia Bellerose. I take great pride in my name, because it's all I have left that was given to me by my parents." She exhales softly at the memory of them, but it doesn't cause her as much anguish as it did before. She finds it hard to find a topic of conversation to start from, not knowing for how long the man is going to tolerate it. "It's been a long time since I've spoken to anyone else aside from myself. I suppose I'm just… a bit at a loss on what else to say."
She looks back at him, her gaze showing sadness. He can tell from the spectral scars on her body that she must have not had a peaceful end, considering how many visible ones he could see at a first close glance. He hadn't paid attention to it before, but now that they both have to wait, he has more time to analyze his surroundings and the woman in front of him. Perhaps, in a way, he can try to understand her like she is trying to understand him.
As the towering grey figure listens to her soft voice, a deep dread overcomes him once more at the sight of his birthplace, reminding him of his purpose. The twin moons glare at him with hatred like two faces of cold, unpleasant nothingness and everything-ness. It was unrelenting, splitting his mind into subservience and mindlessness as his purpose commands him. However, letting himself listen to the words of the specter distracts him from the great agony, even for a moment. This exchange of words between him and the woman might ease the pain he feels in his soul for just a while.
"Is… that… so? Well… I do suppose… my name is… Y'l-… Julien. My name is… Julien… of the Sunken Sky…" He states with slight hesitation. There is a slight tremble in his voice which Olivia didn't notice before, like a resistance to something deep within the pits of his soul. But that doesn't seem to bother the grey man. His face remains as stern and stale as it had been the moment she saw him. However, it is clearly apparent to the ghost that this man too has secrets better kept unspoken.
"Oh, so you have a title? You sound like a prince or something. Although, I guess gods do have titles normally. I wonder what title I'd have…" She chuckles, finding Julien both strangely silly and amusing in the moment. To introduce himself with a title as if they were in an ancient setting. However, she quickly grows embarrassed, fearing that she may have offended him. "I apologize. It must be something important to you. I don't mean to offend. It's just odd for our time to have titles like that. I guess I would be Olivia of the Red Roses, then." Olivia awkwardly smiles, hoping that she didn't mess up too badly and made a fool of herself in front of the stranger. She doesn't question the hesitation of the man when giving his name, because she believes it's none of her business to pry into that private detail. She attempts to change topic. "So, uhm… You've said that the land you are from looks like this. What kind of place is it?" It's probably not the greatest thing she can ask, but she doesn't have many options to choose from.
The pale man named Julien heeded not the comments of Olivia towards his apparent name, finding it only slightly strange due to the difference of experience between their era, as he had been more accustomed to the past and she is clearly a modern individual. "Well… it is… my birthplace. But it is… an empty world now… as I… had conquered it… for a certain… purpose… I was… bestowed. However… respectfully… I do not… wish to impart… to you… that purpose." He utters with a solemn voice while taking in the sights of his accursed origin. "What… was your… birthplace like… Olivia?" He would ask with a hesitant tone soon after; it seems as though he yet has great difficulty conversing in a proper manner, capable of only extending the already-lengthened conversation — at least it was to him — with short inquiries. And as he asks this, he looks at her once more with that same monotone face as they strolled on the grey dirt paths that bend downward the slope of a mountain, lit only with silver by the malignant twin moons above them.
"Conquered? So you're like a warrior or something? Interesting. Well, my birthplace is a place named Quebec… found in a country named Canada. It's located in the Frontrooms, though I'm unsure if you're aware of it. I've only lived there for a certain while before I moved in Lyon in France." Olivia thinks of her past home with nostalgia and fondness, still perceiving that emptiness left by it from time to time. She hardly remembers how the streets and the buildings there look like anymore, but at least she still retains the memory of her home. "I no-clipped at a very young age, so I couldn't live peacefully for a long while. Despite that, the years I spent with my mother and father are years I treasure with all my heart, as fleeting as they may be."
Olivia smiles for longer this time, wanting to share some positivity despite her situation. She is starting to grow accustomed to his presence, wanting to try forming some kind of bond, either out of desperation or because she pities the sense of loneliness all around him. "One thing I distinctly remember from Lyon is the spring season… Where all kinds of flowers used to grow on the bushes in the streets and in my backyard. I haven't been able to see those flowers in a while, but at least I can create a garden when I feel too lonely." She observes the twin moons in the sky with both amazement and intimidation, wondering just what kind of alien land Julien's realm must have been before it became deserted. It almost instills some kind of primordial weariness in her heart.
"Is loneliness… not peace?" He says in return, observing her while she looked above, towards the insidious celestial twins. Julien could not find the strength in him to gaze at the moons again, he knows how much hatred they bear against him despite their artificiality manifested through Olivia's magic. It is a memory not easily forgotten as it beckons him to be the mindless slayer he was. "That is… what I… comprehend… in loneliness… at least. That… it is… peace."
"This land… you speak of… seems to me… a very… peaceful place. It is… once akin… to this very mount… we tread on. This mountain… was called… the Sunken Sky. That is… why it is a part… of my name." He managed to reveal to Olivia, finding a huge boulder to rest on while intently observing her. "However, when the time… arrived for me… to fulfill my purpose… all the peace… in this world… vanished… alongside… the Sunken Sky. It was… necessary."
He was silent again; she could only assume that it was a terrible thing that he'd done, something he wishes to speak nothing of other than to reminisce. "The memories… of my… purpose… haunt me yet. But it has… made me… stronger… ever since."
Olivia tilts her head, now floating next to the boulder he is resting on. "Loneliness is painful, because you have nobody by your side but yourself. Human beings are sociable creatures who rely on other people to stay sane, but it's probably not the same for you." She moves upside down, her hair floating as if it has no gravity to pull it towards the ground. Somehow, Julien's words are starting to make Olivia feel incredibly sad, because she is realizing that the man hardly ever enjoyed making choices that weren't related to his purpose. She worries that he's conditioned to only do what he is told, without forging a path for himself. "You speak of your purpose as if it's the only thing you were meant to do, but you said you were given such purpose, right? Does that mean you didn't choose it willingly? Did you even like doing it in the first place?" Olivia doesn't understand why she's so compelled to know his answer. It's too complicated for her, but she knows it's the right thing to do. She wonders if she can make a difference for the empty and sad stranger… even if she barely knows him.
"It is… the only truth… of my… being. Even if… it was… bestowed… upon me… there is… no such… decision… for I… to refute… my very fate." It must be so that this unspoken purpose is tantamount to the value of Julien's life, so much so that it can neither be replaced nor removed from the very foundations that form his mind. His purpose is a permanent law that most satisfactorily manifests the innate powers vested upon him by the higher power he perceives as two faces. For there is no true freedom for Julien, as was decreed at his birth by this higher being.
However, as deep as an engravement to the soul his purpose might be, only in this conversation with Olivia is he able to truly express the growing doubts of his bestowed meaning — doubts that are only possible due to the curse of consciousness that was never intended to form within him. For a free-willed creature, a law that demands mindless subservience is a grave contradiction that would eventually lead it to the path of certain death. And Julien is the poorer for this bestowment, irreversibly becoming a terrible creature of immense catastrophe.
"You have a right of decision, all people in this world have one. I chose to become a botanist, because it's what I desired to do my entire life. I'd never let the reason of my birth control me, even if it was of vital importance. We both have free will, don't we? Then, I think you should try making a choice for yourself for once." Now she understands him better, to be bound to a purpose and be like a puppet of fate. It's something she'd never allow to happen to herself or anyone else, especially to someone who looks so numb and lost from this way of living. "Even if you think it's the only truth for you… Have you ever tried to discover otherwise?" Olivia's gaze softens, feeling like she should try to deepen her argument further. She suddenly has an idea after reflecting enough. "Let me give you an example. What do you think the purpose of a bird would be upon its birth? To settle somewhere, reproduce and die, right? That's a cycle you'd expect from most animals, but what if the bird didn't like it? What if the bird wants to fly all the way to a beautiful mountain and explore all kind of places instead of doing that?" She looks up at the sky, while deciding to lay back against the boulder. "Do you think the bird should stick to the purpose most birds believe is theirs even if it doesn't grant it happiness?"
"What is… happiness… but cruel hope?" He asks sincerely. "A wailing… against the dark. The temporary cure… to the end. Bright… but fleeting. That is… happiness… to me." There washed over them a cold breeze both comforting and chilling, settling within them a feeling of unrest, yet also peace. There was a sad silence that loomed over the pale man's face, a sorrow of not knowing what happiness truly means. He closes his eyes in contemplation, remembering times of hope and satisfaction. And there was none. "It is… a daunting… thought… for me. Happiness." There was not such a thing as happiness for the avatar of an incomprehensible thing, a being impossible to satisfy yet endlessly demanding. It was of great difficulty to comprehend such concept for a thinking weapon such as Julien. But there was also no choice for him to betray this wish, for if it were not for it, he would surely not exist. He is a wretched existence, forever left questioning a being who has abandoned him.
"I believe you only know your own interpretation of happiness, but it's much more complex than that. It's a feeling that brings you comfort and peace, making you energetic. It's something pleasant and precious because it fluctuates in our life. That doesn't make it any less important. You can't achieve endless happiness, but you should always strive to do things that bring you comfort and bring you closer to it, even if it won't always go that way." Olivia's concept of happiness is one that always depends on a positive outlook, while she recognizes it's not something eternal. She has suffered enough in her life, but also experienced the greatest happiness she could ever feel. She wants to make him understand that somehow, but she finds it difficult to do so, especially because he is so different from her. "Picture your existence as a seed. The seed won't always be in favorable conditions, but that doesn't mean you must abandon it to that suffering. You must water it, nurture it and teach it to be strong. Even if the seed won't be happy all the time, the time it does receive happiness and care will allow it to grow into something beautiful and reach a stability once it fully blossoms. A seed that refuses happiness will grow cold and wither…" She took the flower from her hair, tracing its petals across her palms with care. "All beautiful things are fleeting, but that doesn't mean we must deprive ourselves of them." Her thoughts shift to the image of those she loved and lost, her smile turning bittersweet. Her happiness was short lived, but equally important, even if the loss was deeply painful. By now she knows that there is going to be more happiness in the future, but only if she decides to keep working for it. That's the essence of life in Olivia's eyes. Depriving herself of all that is good will not solve anything.
Julien invested a long time in thinking deeply about her insights, and it was difficult for him to consider such an option, even with how much he has opened up to Olivia. The conflict within his mind tells him that he has already strayed too far. The anger for himself burns deeper into his flesh as he looks at her for guidance. But he shifts his gaze upon his hands. The sight of blood and snow came crashing down as if to relive that experience once more, memories flooding in to remind him of the sins that were necessary to the purpose that the two faces in his dreams had given him. This was the reason he knew not happiness, for he was undeserving of it from the very start. "However… if the being… is undeserving… of happiness… would it matter? As much… as I had… given thought… to your words… I cannot see… any recompense… for a being… unworthy… of happiness. For it… is simply… incapable… of happiness. I believe… I am… one such being. Therefore… I had never… given care… to understanding… happiness… for it was… futile." He asks while looking back at her again.
He does not know it consciously, but from her perspective, his eyes deeply yearn for an answer. A revelation that he must know in order to move forward after this interaction. There was never an expectation for their conversation to last this long from the beginning. Thus, Julien was now subconsciously desperate for the answers that had been dormant for far too long in his corrupted heart. If there was any reason why the saintess sent him here, then this must be it. Olivia must be the reason he is here. So that he may find the answers he has been seeking for his entire existence.
Olivia finally comes to a realization upon these last words. She wasn't able to save many people in her life, but perhaps this time she can try to make a difference for this strange man. She can see her reflection in him, having thought she was undeserving of love in the past for her inability to save those she loved. Even if the circumstances were different and he carried sin on his body, she still feels like she has to instill change within him, even if the path for it will take long. With a small breath, she places the flower she's holding in his hands, clasping them together. "Nobody is underserving of happiness, even the most sinful person can choose to take a different path in order to achieve that and peace of mind. I know not of the sins you committed, but for all your life you were imposed to continue through that path, unaware you had a choice in the first place. The future is up to you, but what I want you to understand is that you can finally decide it for yourself, whatever choice it may be." Upon opening his hands, the flower blooms back into its beautiful healthy shape. It makes Olivia smile sweetly, since it looks radiant and hopeful. "You don't have to be alone in this, either. I may be trapped here, but if you ever set your mind on trying to understand more things, you can come to me. I will help you and guide you if you so desire, but the final choice is yours." She adverts her gaze back towards the nothingness surrounding them, feeling much more energized than before. It won't be long before she will be able to create an exit for him, but she wants to hear Julien's answer to gain some peace of mind before letting him go.
He too looks at the flower that was resting upon his hands, the gentle petals pressed softly against the callouses of his hands. It was a strange, alien emotion, and it moved him deeply. It was in this moment that his anguish for himself, burning throughout his body, dissipates gently as he feels a strange warmth replace it instead. He was unaware then but this warmth was called hope. Therefore, Julien felt happiness. "If… it is… my decision… then… it seems… that I… must stay… for… a longer while. I have much… questions… to ask… of you." There was an unfamiliar softness in his voice that was alien before and it demonstrated to Olivia that this time, Julien was able to choose for himself.
His answer makes her incredibly joyful, so much so that the environment turns much more beautiful and peaceful looking, a complete opposite from before. "I'm so glad! I will answer all of your questions and I'll teach you so many things. I haven't had company in a while, but I'll make sure you'll enjoy your time here as my guest." Her powers are back, even if not to the fullest extent. She creates an entire table full of delicacies to eat, offering them to her guest to celebrate. "You must at least try to eat something now. Food can grant a small happiness in your life, especially if you share it with others. I can't wait to teach you all my favorite recipes! Oh I'm so excited!" She is beaming and floating all over the place, having found some distant joy that she hasn't felt in a while.
Olivia hopes that this will be the start of something worthwhile, because she is beginning to grow attached to this strange, sad man. In the depths of her mind, she thanks Philia for having sent him to her. Perhaps all she needed was the company of someone who is in a similar position as her, someone who is lost much like she is. She will be his guide and he will be hers. They both take their first step towards this new path, once and for all.