<link>https://www.17thshard.com/blogs/blog/231-shine-a-light-into-the-brightness/</link><description><![CDATA[<p> Original story that I don’t know where really to put. </p> ]]></description><language>en</language><item><title>Chapter 4https://www.17thshard.com/blogs/entry/1468-chapter-4/  

Chapter 4 
The blurry outline of the ceiling of a room, shrouded in shadows. The sound of a light air instrument playing serenely. The feeling of a coarse blanket and new, tight bandages. The taste of dried blood. The smell of forgetting. ‘S’ turned to the side. On the other side of the semitransparent divider, lit by the moonlight on some sort of ledge, a person danced while playing the instrument. Around and around for as long as ‘S’ looked at them. Balls of light were appearing around the person. Too bright... ‘S’ though, burying their head under the blanket.  
A new sound, footsteps. Approaching. A shadow. Looming. A hand. Touching. Darkness. Nothing. 
_+_ 
3rd Day on ??? 
Woke up in some sort of room. Not exactly a jail, but not exactly a house. From what I could see, it was suspended somehow in the air. Maybe this is that part of the spire that I saw before. That woman from before... She might’ve brought me here. I couldn’t image why, but it’s a possibility. I’ve gotten new bandages. And what were those balls of light from last night? I can barely remember what they were... They looked like spirits of some variety... Maybe I can make a contract with one of them. I’ll just leave now, and find the spirits. I can’t forget my goal. I can’t lose focus. I can’t suffer the consequences. 
_+_ 
‘S’ wandered the room, looking for a way out. Outside, the Star looked like it had been risen for the past few hours, with the sky being a mute bluish teal. They noticed a weird pyramid shaped object in the middle of the circular room, stretching from the floor to the ceiling. It emitted light and heat, with no apparent power source. It was quite unusual. Have they mastered power to energy conversion? ‘S’ though, observing the object. If they have, they’re wayyy more advanced than I thought... And might be able to help.  
As ‘S’ was thinking, the Toast Cat appeared again. This time, it was not acting very happy like before as it stared down at ‘S’ with a calculating expression. “Leave.” it said, voice cold. “By the order of Prototype, you are to leave this world.” 
“Oh wow, I would love to.” ‘S’ said, pacing slowly around the room. “It’s just that you’ve literally made it impossible for me to do so.” The Toast Cat sighed, and looked at ‘S’ again. 
“Your confinement from this planet will be lifted, but you will have to travel to one of the Chrono Commission’s strongholds, and be kept there for the time being.” 
“Hmmmm...” ‘S’ said, feigning thought. “Stay, and have a little freedom, or leave, and have none. I thought you lot were meant to be logical. Of course I’m not leaving on those terms. And you, as a mere low-level spirit on your own, you cannot transport me that far away. Your Prototype does not seem to be interested in me at the moment, so don’t delude yourself into thinking that they will give a single damn where a I am. And so what if I mess up a timeline, they will just fix it. Isn’t that all they do? Fix things when they can’t even fix themself?” 
“YOU TALK LOWLY OF-” the Toast Cat got cut off as a hatch under a carpet opened, and the same woman from the shop a day earlier poked her head out. Her unsettling green eyes stared at ‘S’ for a moment, then she smiled. “Hello, traveller.” ‘S’ jumped back, knocking over some small jars on a nearby bench. The person... was talking to them... as a person... She... saw them...  
“Sorry for basically kidnapping you yesterday...” the woman said anxiously, walking out from under the floor. “You were kind of bleeding all over the street, and it’s a Light Summoner’s job to care for the wounded around these parts...” Remember your goal, remember your objective. Ask her about the maybe spirits. Don’t get distracted.  
“About yesterday.” ‘S’ started, trying to speak confidently. “What were those... spirit things that appeared... You appeared to be summoning them...” The woman gasped, and ran up to ‘S’. She looked ‘S’ dead in the eyes and asked, “You saw them? The spirits?” ‘S’ slowly nodded, not expecting this response from her. The woman’s eyes lit up. “People of this world... aren’t meant to see spirits. Only the blessed ones...” Oh stars no.. “And if you’ve seen them...” This is bad, really bad... “You must be another blessed one too! You must’ve been sent by the spirits!”  
As the woman started rambling excitedly about spirits, and being blessed, ‘S’ sat back down on the bed. This was not meant to end up like this. 
]]>1468Thu, 19 Mar 2026 11:44:39 +0000Chapter 3https://www.17thshard.com/blogs/entry/1458-chapter-3/

Chapter 3 
2nd day on ??? 
Woke up at around Starhigh with a bleeding and broken leg and a few shattered ribs. I was not as fortunate as I was last time, and didn’t land in the ocean liquid again. My body doesn’t hurt, per se, the Pure-blood Ink is holding up, but damn, it was hard to stand up and walk around. It seems that I am closer to the spire now, so I will be heading over, for the possibility of civilisation and more supplies. I’ve bound up my leg and foot and ribs as best I can with my limited supplies, but they will need more to heal with the current circumstances. Maybe, if there is civilisation there, they have access to Pure-blood Ink. But from what I can see from here, it is unlikely that they even have advanced to the ability of making glass. 
That thing is gone, probably reporting to its creator. I’m running low on A grade Blood Ink, which isn’t as important since I’m apparently stuck on this planet, but it has its uses outside travel. I must find a way to destroy my soul. It is the only way. If they know where I am, it is only a matter of time until they find ‘7’, and I can’t let that happen. 
_+_ 
‘S’ was walking. They had been walking for the past few hours, heat from the Star beating down on them as it slinked slowly across the sky. Every step, every breath ached in ‘S’s soul. And I thought that these wounds would kill me. ‘S’ thought. The mental takeway from this experience might just take me halfway there. My mental state must range in the negatives by now... But at least I’m closer now. The distant spire, once a distant silhouette, became visible. It wasn’t actually fully a spire, ‘S’ noted; it had a semi-transparent section that was wider than the rest of the spire about three quarters up. It stood alone, on a small cliff that overlooked the ocean. 
 I wonder... if this is another one of those villages. ‘S’ had seen many of these types of places on their wandering of the universe. Signs of civilisation with the reality of nothing. Recently, (well, as recently as a universe wanderer who has been wandering for centuries can be) they had been seeing more and more empty worlds, bare of life. Sometimes, there would be a house, a temple, a village, just completely abandoned and devoid of life, with not a single clue of what happened to the things living there. It’s almost like the universe is disappearing before my eyes... 
“Soul!” a familiar voice called out. Oh. So it’s back again. ‘S’ sighed. They did not have time to deal with it, especially as they neared the spire. 
“I have returned.” The Toast Cat materialised in front of ‘S’ 
“Oh.” ‘S’ said, turning away from it. They had learned from experience, that the best way to deal with something annoying was to ignore it.  
“Soul, you shall not ignore me!” it protested, flying in font of ‘S’s face. They waved it away, only mildly surprised as their hand passed through its translucent body. ‘S’ sped up their pace, walking through the Toast Cat’s body, and ignoring its yells of indignance. Up ahead, the air shifted. ‘S’ stopped, and looked up, towards the cliffs that bordered the beach. As they slowly started walking again, the air around the cliffs shifted to reveal a house, then a shop, then a street, then finally a whole town, enshrined in the cliffs. A light diffraction enchantment. How interesting. ‘S’ thought, picking up their pace. Maybe they have a Luxmancer residing in the town. Not that one could benefit me, but it could show underlying Power reserves nearby. 
As ‘S’ neared the town, they spotted a wide set of intricate stone stairs that lead into the town. As ‘S’ climbed them, they realised that the town was built in multiple layers, with shops and market stalls on the lower layers, and residential and public spaces build higher up. They chose a layer about halfway up, and started walking through it. ‘S’ found the town unusually quiet. They could only see a few people out on the cobblestone streets, and the ones they did see all hurried away and avoided their gaze. 
 It’s quite odd. ‘S’ thought to themself, as the saw another person quickly turn and walk away from them, ducking behind a flower planter. It’s only Startset yet not that many people are about. Is it perhaps a traditional or religious thing, or are the people of this town just wary to strangers? The Toast Cat had left them, presumably to sulk. It didn’t matter either way, a bound Toast Cat would take fractions of one’s soul and power regardless of their location. 
As ‘S’ rounded a corner onto another street, they spotted a young woman walking out of a nearby shop. “Yes, yes, and thank you for the extra loaf, it really wasn’t necessary.” the young woman said, slightly dipping her head, as some sort of sign of respect. An older man, presumably the owner of the shop, was standing in the doorway, and returned the gesture.  
“It was the least I could do,” he said, “for the Light Summoner. Thank you for keeping our town safe.” He dipped his head again, this time a little lower, and bid the woman farewell.  
‘S’ stopped in their tracks. The pieces were already forming in their mind. Stars this is bad... That woman... Fancy title, only one out and about at this time... She’s probably one of the main Perspective carriers in this timeline... I can’t interfere with her, the Chrono Commission hates me enough already. I’ve already been talking to one of their most wanted criminals; if I ruin one of their timelines... well, the punishment may as well be eternal damnation for my soul... 
As ‘S’ was thing, the woman had turned to face ‘S’, staring dead straight into their eyes. Caught off guard, ‘S’ jumped back, an instant reflex from their years of dealing with strangers. ‘S’ instantly started assessing the situation. They were right near the edge of the level, within jumping distance. The woman was about 6 paces in front of ‘S’, holding a paper bag with ‘S’ assumed with food or supplies. They could jump down to the other level, but it might not be worth the extra wounds it might cause. The woman started walking towards ‘S’. “Are you alright?” she asked, looking concerned. “You’re bleeding. A lot.”  
‘S’ looked down at their chest, and saw that the bandages they had put on earlier had mostly slipped or fallen off, revealing the blood, swelling and odd rib bone poking out. Oh. ‘S’ thought faintly. They’re making those Pure-blood Inks quite strong these days. Then they fainted. 
]]>1458Mon, 16 Mar 2026 11:42:38 +0000Chapter 2https://www.17thshard.com/blogs/entry/1451-chapter-2/
Chapter 2 
1st day on ??? 
Finally woke up after crashing onto this planet. The calibration was off because of that thing, and we landed in some body of liquid instead of land, the records say. We must’ve drifted here a while ago, because my clothes are fully dry. I’m currently on a beach of sorts, and it appears to be almost Starset time. From where I am now, I can’t see any signs of civilisation other than a distant spire. I’ll head over there and see if there’s anything worthwhile. I must dispel of that spirit before it becomes a more than a minor inconvenience. I must dispel of it before I start to care. It’s better to leave this world too, as strong emotions tied to a world makes it accept a soul more. I can’t stay. I must leave. 
_+_ 
‘S’ slowly dragged themself off the ground, feeling every grain of what appeared to be tiny glass beads in their clothes. They rolled onto their back, and took in the view. Small foamy waves lapped at ‘S’s worn shoes as chaotic winds lashed at far away waves. The Starset was blinding. Dark red hues slashed at the sky around the star and dark purple and blue blotches dotted the top of the sky, with a gradient of thousands of yellows and oranges in between. Some glass beads had stuck to their cloak, reflecting the ruby light. To ‘S’s right, small patches of vegetation dotted the beach, long green strands of plants weaving with the wind. Wow... ‘S’ thought. This world... is beautiful. Then the pain hit.  
Agonising, mind numbing pain that caused ‘S’ to fall back into the glittering beads. Their head spun, their body paralysed by centuries of pains and untreated wounds. How... is this happening... ‘S’ thought through pain. ‘7’ removed my perception of pain and increased this body’s healing speed ages ago... I’m not meant... to feel pain... How is this happening...?   
“You, soul!” a familiar voice said. Still fighting the pain, ‘S’ ignored the voice. “Oh right, a side effect of our binding is that all previous spells and enchantments are removed from you, if the caster is less powerful than me or my master.” Those dammed Toast Cat. thought ‘S’, recalling ‘7’s information about them.  
The creation of Prototype, binding to any soul who threatens, or appears to threaten, their agenda. They often appear as catlike ghost spirits with episodes ears, no mouth and large eyes with no pupils. They adapt the opposite personality of their target, which makes them insufferable to most. They are lowly spirits by themselves, but they carry the authority of Prototype, one of the most powerful souls in existence at this moment. They don’t do quick punishments like most binding summons, they play the long game, slowly chipping away at their target’s power and sanity, hence their name. Alls to show how insane their creator is. It’s better to get rid of them as fast as you can, so they can’t take too much of you with them.  
Slowly, ‘S’ sat up, and grabbed the metal disk, which had drifted next to them. They spun a hidden gear in the mechanism, and watched as a small syringe of dark liquid popped out. With shaking hands, they injected it into their arm, and almost collapsed with relief. The pain is mostly gone... This will help for now, but I need to get rid of this thing before it wears off. I don’t have another round of Pure-blood Ink... I’ll have to go to one of the stashes. ‘S’ slid the syringe back into the metal disk, and the disk put it into the liquid at their feet. They hopped on again, and it started floating out to sea. The Toast Cat, seemingly annoyed that it had been ignored, followed. 
When they reached a spot reasonably away from shore, ‘S’ fished out their vial of ink from their bag. No canvas this time, since there was nothing to commemorate. “What do you want?” ‘S’ said, dumping the ink into the liquid. Once again, it started swirling, mixing with the newfound liquid. “I,” the Toast Cat started, looking indignant, “am here on behalf of my creator, Prototype, and the Chrono Commission, to aprehend you, the foul villain, for conspiring against the balance of the universe, with the actively wanted criminal, Strain 7. You shall tell me her location, preferable in Universal Standard Co-ordinates, and you shall be set free after Rebalancing. Fail to do so, and you shall meet a brutal demise.” 
“Oh? Talking to ‘7’ is a crime now?” ‘S’ asked, unfazed. They had rehearsed this conversation many times before, finding the perfect balance of pretending not to care and probing for answers while giving away none. “Well, she has some unique ideas about your organisation, that’s about it? She hasn’t done more than that.” ‘S’ placed the vial back into their bag, ready to get out of this. First, they would go to one of the smaller stashes, and use Impure-Ink to end their soul, so there would be no chance of the Chrono Commission tracking down ‘7’ through them. ‘7’ would know, she always did. She would understand. It was for a greater cause. It was logical. It made sense.  
“The ‘7’ you speak of is a dangerous criminal, who has destroyed many timelines and ruined the lives of many!” the Toast Cat argued. “She must be apprehended and then destroyed, for the good of the universe! Don’t you see all the harm she has caused? Families displaced, friends gone. She is a virus that has plagued Prototype’s existence since she started existing. She is a danger to all, even you!” The ink surged up, though it took longer than usual, a bad sign. They had already overstayed. ‘S’ tapped the pressure plate on the disk, and the ink once again formed a tight spiral around it.  
“Tell yourself all those untruths, but the reality still stands.” ‘S’ sighed. Well, this is going to be over in a few hours anyways, no harm in telling a few realities to enlighten this lowly being. “She didn’t steal them away, ruin their lives. She only helped them, in a way beyond your knowing or understanding.” ‘S’ tapped the second and third pressure plates, protective layer forming. The Toast Cat started to protest, but ‘S’ ignored it. 10... I will really miss this world...9... Not just this one, but the entire universe...8... Who knew the world could hold this much beauty, this much life...7... I wonder what happens to souls when they get destroyed...6...Is it like the death that so many morals fear, or is it a new existence on a higher plane?..5... Or is it an endless nothingness?..4... I haven’t heard of any completely destroyed souls before, but it’s not like they could come back to tell me of how it was anyways...3... ‘7’, I hope your cause was worth it...2... Say goodbye to Angelshot for me...they were quite interesting, even for your standards...1. The metal disk let out a hiss, and they were shot into space. 
. 
. 
. 
And then a force greater than the power of Prototype shoved ‘S’ back down. “Didn’t I say,” the Toast Cat said as they fell. “that when you’re a suspected criminal under Prototype, you’re not allowed to leave?” 
]]>1451Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:11:04 +0000Chapter 1https://www.17thshard.com/blogs/entry/1440-chapter-1/

Chapter 1 
3rd ‘day’ on Rolista, 6th Sunrise of the 5th Rotation 
Rolista is the name of the world I am currently in. I finally learned it in a shop this morning when I was trading for supplies. Rolista, a minor planet floating somewhere in the outer belt, not relevant to most timelines, but being the home of some somewhat known Perspectives. Think ‘storybook village hidden forest in the middle of nowhere with a view of the mountains’. The people are nice enough, smart enough to not ask questions, and use USC, one thing I can thank the dammed Chrono Commission for.  
Tomorrow I will leave this place because if I linger, I will start to care. It’s the reason heroes die and villains prosper. It’s all I’ve ever been told, it’s the only way to continue existing, in this deteriorating world. If you stay then you will start to care, and if you care, you will start to have a purpose. And when you have a purpose, you will die. 
_+_ 
The chilly wind swept ‘S’s long hair and cloak around as they stepped out onto a long flat rock outlooking a lake. The water rippled with the breeze, creating small waves, but was reflective enough for what ‘S’ was doing. The surrounding trees bent with the wind, the sound of their branches swaying in the wind creating a haunting melody. ‘S’ exhaled, creating a small puff of fog from their mouth. “It’s a shame,” ‘S’ said, placing a metal disk into the edge of the water. A final parting gift from ‘7’, all that time ago. “That I have to leave now.  The Cold season is always so pretty in these parts.” ‘S’ hopped onto the disk, and it started floating to the centre of the lake.  
When it arrived, ‘S’ pulled out a canvas from their worn down messenger bag. They set it down in the water, and then they grabbed a vial of dark, thick ink. Like many times before, ‘S’ pulled out the stopped on the vial of ink, and dumped its contents onto the canvas. The ink quickly expanded, first covering the canvas, the spreading to the entire lake. The ink swirled around the lake in ever complex patterns, then suddenly surged up, into the sky, forming a black swarm of lines, random yet intentional, messy and orderly at the same time. 
'S’ breathed a sigh of relief. This world had rejected them, so they were free to go. ‘S’ used their foot to lightly tap a pad on the metal disk, and then all the ink suddenly snapped into a tight spiral around the metal disk, branching out into the sky and beyond. Time to go, they thought. They tapped another pad, and a protective layer formed around them from the metal disk.  
10...9...8.. “Soul! You shall not leave!” a voice cut out from the forest. 7..6.. “On behalf of the Chrono Commission, I have come to deliver your punishment.” 5... oh no. ‘S’ though. They can’t have found me this quickly. It can’t be them. “Crime: being in cahoots with Strain 7 and conspiring against the Chrono Commission and order of the universe!” 4... 3... They can’t do anything to me, I’m about to leave. “Come willingly, or face any consequence to be brought to justice!” The voice sounded closer than before, and then a small spirit resembling a cat with large eyes and ears came floating out of the foliage. 3.. Not one of those... ‘S’ thought. A Toast Cat. One of the Chrono Commission's worst forms of punishment, with an all too innocent name. They bound to souls, not physical forms, so simply acquiring another form wouldn’t deter them. 2... If one is here, them I must leave before the binding process is through. Otherwise... let's not think of that now. “Oh great God Prime, bind thy to soul to this criminal, so they may receive the proper punishment and guidance to their wayward ways, and find true balance in their corrupted soul. I ask of this through all my power, and the power of my creator, Prototype.” And after that, the Toast Cat threw itself through the ink, and onto the metal disk. ...1. The metal disk let out a hiss, and threw them through the link spiral into the emptiness of space. 
]]>1440Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:19:09 +0000Prologuehttps://www.17thshard.com/blogs/entry/1438-prologue/
“When you shine a light into the darkness, the observable effect is immediate, stark, and contrasting. But when you shine a light into the brightness, even though it doesn’t seem like it, there is a change.” - ‘7’ 
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Prologue 
I don’t often take on apprentices, but when I do, they end up quite useful. Evading captivity, exploring the universe and messing up timelines is quite entertaining, but it gets lonely sometimes. So, every now and again, I’ll find someone, some soul, to spend some time with. As the universe expands further and further out, as loneliness embeds itself into ourselves, our souls, more and more each passing second, friends become precious, relationships worth more than gold. Because when you fall, you want the whole universe to know. 
]]>1438Fri, 13 Mar 2026 10:39:17 +0000