NOVEL FROG Interlude: A meeting with THE higher-up
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A pair of white circular doors slid open as a beautiful lady with glowing golden hair passed through them and into the large circular room. At the center of the room was a black screen on a white pedestal that had a wider rectangular door behind it. The figure placed her hand on the pad and watched as the pad scanned it, finishing with a short but audible BEEP
“Personel Identified. Goddess Class Overseer; Histy. Welcome” the tablet said as the doors slid aside, revealing a large and long hallway.
The hallway walls were lined with shelves that started near the base of the wall and extended up into the ceiling which was so high that the shelves were harder and harder to spot as you looked up. On those shelves were trillions upon trillions of medium-sized snowglobes, each one containing a beautiful rotating galaxy and universe within them, their bases having names etched into them as a way to identify it from the rest.
Histy continued to walk down the hallway as she shifted her gaze from either side of the hallway, looking with a curious gaze at each snow globe she passed, trying her best to find which one was her globe. Feeling a little sad when she couldn’t find it when she reached the end of the hallway.
The end of the hallway had a simple furbished oak door with intricate etchings and markings that formed a flower in the center. Histy took a deep breath as she knocked on the door lightly, waiting for a response.
“Who is it?” an older woman's voice answered to the knock
“It’s me, Ma’am. Histy. From world [REDACTED]” Histy answered
“Ah! Come in come in!” the older woman exclaimed as she heard Histy’s answer
Histy gently opened the door and came into a very simple-looking room. The left side of the room had a bookshelf filled with a variety of books of various sizes and a few knick-knacks that included a ship in a glass bottle, a picture that Histy couldn’t comprehend, and a few other things that her senses refused to give a clear distinction of. On the right side were a trio of portraits, two of them being large rectangular portraits that flanked a smaller square one in the middle, and below them was a wide but smaller bookshelf that had several large manuals jutting out, each one with their spines covered in markings and notes.
In the center of the room and the one Histy was facing was a lady with sharp features reading a paper report in her hand sitting down before a large and intricately decorated personal study desk that was wide and made of a deep colored wood, with two chairs on the opposite end facing her. The lady had a pair of angular glasses that when combined with her sharp features gave off the look that she was an unpleasant person who would never smile. The lady had her hair tied in a ponytail and shifted her gaze from the paper she was reading to Histy who was still standing in the doorway.
“Take a seat Histy” she said as her eyes fell back down to the paper in hand
“Alright then, Moderator Ma’am” Histy answered with a hint of nervousness as she walked forward and sat down on one of the two chairs facing the desk.
“Ma’am will be just fine, anyways. I have read from your latest report that the special soul I assigned to you is doing well in your universe” the Moderator began as she put the paper on the desk and leaned back in her chair.
“Yes. she is doing just fine Ma’am” History answered with a smile
“Good. good, as it should be” The Moderator added as she stood up from her chair and walked towards one of the large portraits.
The portrait itself was akin to a large family portrait. The Moderator was in the center, sitting next to a man with white hair and a beard that looked as old as her. Surrounding them were seventeen other people, all of them in their twenties by their looks. All of them were smiling and each of them was wearing different articles of clothing, some of the boys and girls wore dashing aristocrat garb while others wore sparkling and shiny suits of armor. The older man in the picture wore a suit as well, this one fashioning several medals on placed on the left breast. Meanwhile, the Moderator in the center wore a simple two-piece dress that had a scarf tied around her neck.
The Moderator let out a sigh as she turned away from the portrait, a wry smile on her face as she remembered her past. She then locked eyes with Histy and took another few steps forward, nearing the curios goddess.
“Do you know why that soul I gave you was important to me?” she asked
“No Ma’am, I don’t recall you saying such” History replied
“I thought so. But to make it short, that soul is part of a larger set, specifically one tied to me”
Histy had a confused then shocked look on her face as she quickly realized the meaning of her words
“Is she enjoying the life she is experiencing?” The Moderator asked as she glanced back at the portrait
“Yes ma’am, so far she seems to be enjoying everything. She even found love, but we also had to give her trials or at least let bad things happen” Histy answered with a straight face
“Good. a life without trials is a boring one, and one that leads to someone becoming dense and detached with reality, as expected of you Histy. I am impressed”
“Thank you, Ma’am” A smile appearing on Histy’s face
The Moderator then walked back to her desk and sat down. A small smile on her face as she kept her gaze fixed on the portrait, before shifting back to Histy,
“Before you go, can you show me what she looks like?”
“One moment please Ma’am” Histy answered as she conjured up a crystal ball in her hand, a layer of mist covering it
The ball flashed an array of colors before the mist cleared and a crystal clear image came into view, it was Ophelia sitting inside a carriage with Olertin and the rest, she sat in silence as Olertin was discussing with his advisors who were also in the carriage or were riding horses on either side of the thing. Histy looked up and saw that the Moderator had a smile from ear to ear plastered on her face as she looked at the crystal.
“She…looks just like me…just like her” The Moderator mumbled, Histy luckily catching it,
She gave her boss a smile as she handed the crystal ball over to her, a bit of curiosity building up inside her as she wanted to know what she meant. She then glanced toward the portraits on the wall and tried to examine them, a small lightbulb going off as she saw that in the portrait there was another one who shared the same face as her boss. The lady in question was wearing a full set of plate armor with a twin-headed dragon placed on the left side, with a hydra on the right.
Histy was about to ask a question but then felt a ringing and vibrating sensation coming from inside her head, she tapped on her head once, and a deep voice came from the void
“Sister. Are you done with the meeting?” Harcun asked
“No not really, I’m still inside her room” Histy answered
“Oh! Sorry then. I’ll call you back” Harcun finished before ending the call
Histy let out a sigh as she turned to see that the Moderator was still staring at the crystal ball.
“Histy, you’re free to go. Just leave this thing here with me” she said as she glanced at Histy before looking back at the crystal ball.
“Understood Ma’am. Thank you for everything”
“Un”
Histy then walked out of the room and let out a sigh as she felt her nervousness leave her body, a small smile as she felt she learned something about her mysterious boss.
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Long after Histy left, the clock on her desk strikes midnight. The Moderator stood up from her chair, the crystal ball resting on her desk as she walked towards the center portrait on the wall. It was a portrait of her and the same man in the same pose, without the many people surrounding them.
“Even after their lives with us my love. I still look after them…just like you wanted me to do” she said as a tear fell from her face and onto the floor.