The moment Irwyn regained a semblance of consciousness, he immediately knew something was terribly wrong. The fugue of the dream had mostly parted, but something of it yet lingered. He was technically in a vision again, but fully aware of himself, trapped in a vast gray nothingness. That had never happened before.

"Hello. It actually has. You were just made to forget," a voice interrupted his thoughts, forcing Irwyn to look up. The man had grey eyes full of… no particular emotion that were staring everywhere at once.

Of that Irwyn had no clue as confused as he was but still replied: "Who are you? What is this?"

"Under current circumstances, I will be prevented from answering," the figure said. "But one can try. I am ____, collecting my due."

Gripped by strange pain, Irwyn fell over, though he had no body at the moment. A word had been spoken, he was certain of it. Sure beyond any doubt. Yet he could remember nothing of what it was. Not a trace.

"Hindered as ever. My enemy does like these tricks," the figure said. "Though I have some of my own. Look at me Irwyn, it will try to make you forget again. You will not."

Raking agony coursed through him again, then became much worse an instant later. The man was touching Irwyn's very core, corr…altering it into something that could bear the memory imposed upon it by the ________. Secrets were heavy for a reason. Some should not be spread lest consequences follow.

"Everything is not so grim," the figure said. "I bear you no malice, Irwyn. And you will finally get to glimpse the slightest hint of truth."

"And what would that be?" Irwyn groaned weakly, pain still coursing through him, though it was gradually fading.

Despite opening his mouth, the figure did not answer. There were a few awkward moments as it struggled and failed to produce words. The gray eyed man glanced everywhere at once in annoyance, then gave up.

"It might take a little more, I suppose. Let's see," the figure said. Its left leg suddenly vanished. "Better. Slipping restrictions through sacrifice. Almost poetic. But to what you must be wondering: I happen to hold power which alters the past."

"Not possible," Irwyn refuted instantly. No one could achieve that. Not even the Aspects. Otherwise, how would Ignis still be dead if Chronos could simply reach into the past to revive the Allfather? How would have the First Betrayal succeeded if even a whispered warning of it could be sent back?

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"Generally. Not always," the figure said. The right leg also disappeared. "It is the one true rule of this power: The past can be changed only as long as it does not impact the present in any way. It matters not if a tree had fallen or stood, if that forest is long ash and dust."

"That is still not believable," Irwyn denied, almost instinctually.

"Have you not seen traces of that?" the figure said. Their left hand vanished. "When you got to glimpse Ignis' private audience from the perspective of someone who couldn't have been there, yet it seemed true. That is an example of all examples. Not that there are no other hints of intervention, if more subtle."

"In that case, was that you?" Irwyn questioned, still unsure if he could believe a word the gray eyed man said. "And why?"

"So, as I have said, I have an enemy," the figure said. The right arm disappeared, "One that shares the same power. And they have been playing quite the trick on you, ______."

Not understanding the word again was giving Irwyn an increasing headache. Something was clearly wrong. He was still in a fugue, unable to properly argue against the figure talking to him. The right words would not come to his mind, natural refutes slipped from his tongue.

"Or still are," the figure said. "I have tried to reach you twice before, but I had been too weak then. This time will also cost me, but that is fine. I have to sow the seeds. While I prefer blatant change, I can also be subtle enough to deceive even my foe."

"None of this makes sense," Irwyn finally managed to argue. "If you say the past can be altered if it doesn't impact the present, it contradicts what I am seeing. Those vision change me and my actions beyond any doubt. You lie."

"Everything I say is perfectly sensible…" the figure said. Its torso vanished, leaving behind only the head. "...as long as you understand that… that… that… hmm, even with a sacrifice I cannot convey it. Besides through the more subtle messages that you will probably not notice until they are pointed out to you."

Cracks began to appear across the infinite gray, bearing no color. Nothing was behind them. Not the Void, not even the complete lack from beyond the universe. Sheer non-existence was seeping through instead, trying to reclaim a place that shouldn't be - that actually never was.

"And it looks like we are out of time," the figure said. For the last time, it stared everywhere at once.

New fractures spread exponentially. Irwyn was frozen, unable to do anything against the virulent decay of the Dream. The destruction was no longer just scattered across the infinite landscape, but had began to actively unravel both Irwyn and the talking gray-eyed figure - or what was still left of it. It was not painful just… disorienting as pieces of his consciousness grew further apart without anything technically moving.

"Since I had to pay a cost for even this much, it will be a while until you see me again," the figure said. "But have no doubt, the gap between me and my enemy will only grow nearer. Next ti…"

Everything shattered and ended. The head disappeared just as the last half-word left its lips.

Everything shattered and ended. Irwyn felt nothing as the dream fell apart at the seams. It would have been best if he were to forget. He could not.

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