Jack was falling. The feeling of his descent wrapped around him like an old lover. He knew this sensation well after so many restless nights dreaming of his encounter with the World Keeper. Unlike that time, pillars of crystal pierced the void that yawned beneath him. There was also no fog or shadow, simply shining crystal obelisks and the emptiness between them. For the first time in years, Jack felt confidence in his decision. The feeling of familiarity compared to his meeting with W couldn’t be a coincidence.

If it’s like last time, then… His thought trailed off as a voice echoed through the void. It was Kafkë.

“Where are you going? I’m over here, Jack.”

His eyes snapped to his right where a figure stood on the flat top of a vast crystal pillar extending into the void like the trunk of a great tree. It looked down at Jack with its head tilted to the side as though it were observing something particularly odd. For some reason, Jack felt stupid as he sailed past the figure farther into the void.

Dammit, I wish I could stop, he thought. Then, he froze mid-air. Oh… He stood there dumbly for a moment before Kafkë called down to him again.

“You coming or not?” it said. Though it didn’t yell, its voice carried through the significant distance between them with ease. On a hunch, Jack willed himself to ascend to the top of the crystal obelisk and he shot upward. Once he reached the top, he stepped onto the flat surface beside the figure.

“Took you long enough,” Kafkë said or rather, the figure said with Kafkë’s voice. Jack felt an extreme case of déjà vu as he looked over the crystalline creature. It was slightly smaller than Jack and made completely of white crystal of a similar hue to the light section of the Twilight Key. Like his memory of W, the figure had a roughly humanoid shape without any distinctive features. When it moved, the sound of clinking crystals echoed into the emptiness They walked to the center of the platform. The figure jerked its hand upward and from the crystal, a table and two chairs appeared. It sat down nonchalantly. “Take a seat. I gotta tell you, you never know how much you miss sitting down until you can’t do it anymore.”

Tentatively, Jack joined it at the table and asked, “So is this your true form?”

“Nah, it’s just what I look like while I’m here. I don’t remember what my original form was or if I even had one for that matter.”

Jack wondered if Kafkë was telling him the truth. The skull had been openly suspicious toward Jack and his group. While Jack couldn’t fault the creature for being cautious, its suspicion did make him question its honesty. He asked, “Ok, then who or what are you?”

“I told you I don’t remember who I am, so I’m just Kafkë now. As for what, well…” It leaned forward with its elbows on the table leaning into one hand. “I suppose I’m the Keeper of this place.”

Jack shook his head at Kafkë’s leisurely demeanor. Clearly, it wasn’t in any sort of a rush so Jack would have to drive the conversation if he wanted clarity. He already had a lead to follow based on what it had said. He didn’t miss the fact that Kafkë claimed to be the Keeper of the strange crystal-filled void. He needed to know more about Kafkë since it might give him insight into the mysterious World Keeper who he’d met under very similar circumstances. “Fine, what is this place? And what do you mean by Keeper?”

“This is the Well of Souls, obviously,” it said gesturing around. After seeing that the name meant nothing to Jack, Kafkë sighed. “Guess you really aren’t from our world. Alright then, allow me to put on my teaching hat.” Kafkë snapped resulting in a sharp clink. Nothing happened immediately but after a few short moments, the void around them filled with shifting images.

Like waking dreams, the images shifted and faded forming all manner of people, places, and scenes until they settled into the form of three distinct statues at the edges of the platform. Jack noted their positions which formed a triangle around him and Kafkë. The first depicted a crone kneeling in the dirt with half-lidded eyes which focused on a budding sprout. The second portrayed a hunched over girl clutching a multicolored crystal to her breast in the middle of a circle of dark and light crystal spires. The final statue was of an elderly man who held a lump of unrecognizable ore out like a gift. Each statue had somewhat human features though they appeared alien in small ways like the color of their eyes and the bone structure of their faces. Although he’d never seen the statues before, Jack knew they represented the Chthonian Trinity, thanks to Arcen’s memory.

Once the images resolved, Kafkë spoke, “A long time ago, the Earth Mother gave birth to all life on Terras. The birth left her weak so the Ore Father placed his metals into her body to strengthen her. The union of the two led to the prosperity of all living things. Life would suckle from the Earth Mother’s bosom and she, in turn, would lean on the Ore Father who supported and enriched her body. It was all swell until the Dark Ones came to Terras. They were creatures from somewhere else drawn to the world by the spiritual essence of any living creature that died. You see, the spiritual energy inherent in all living things had nowhere to go after death, so it just sat around gathering in the ambient space. No harm really came of it until the Dark Ones arrived to consume the essence. The world was nearly destroyed then but thanks to Three Heroes, they were driven back. Afterward, the Earth Mother took all of the souls into her body and gave birth to the Crystal Child. The Ore Father bestowed the Crystal Child with his mastery of shaping while the Earth Mother imparted the ability to foster souls within her. With those gifts, the Crystal Child created a place for the souls of those who died to dwell— the Well of Souls. She split her body into pieces shaping herself into great obelisks of crystal that went through to the very bones of Terras. When a creature died, she absorbed their soul through the obelisks and transported them here to the Well of Souls where she protected them from the hungry eyes of the Dark Ones.”

Kafkë paused and leaned back in its chair crossing its fingers behind its head. A few seconds later, it added, “My role here has always been to watch over this place. It’s the only thing that I actually remember aside from stuff of the Chthonian Trinity. I’m not sure about why I got saddled with this job or who gave it to me, but it’s what I do.”

Wait a minute…, Jack thought as Kafkë finished speaking. He stared at the statue of the Crystal Child then looked back at Kafkë’s crystalline body. There wasn’t a resembled but Jack still asked, “Kafkë, are you sure that you aren’t the Crystal Child?”

The crystal figure shrugged throwing up its hands, “I really couldn’t tell you one way or the other though it's unlikely. All I know is that I have a deep connection with this place, the Twilight Key, and the Chthonian Trinity. When the boss found me, I was just a skull laying near the entrance to the Well of Souls, so most likely, I was an actual person, maybe a champion or priest of the Chthonian Trinity, charged with protecting the entrance until I died. Besides, if I were really a goddess, I think I’d remember as much and I probably wouldn’t have bothered with a physical body.”

This time, Jack shrugged, “Maybe, you’re right. I suppose it doesn’t really matter if you can’t remember anything anyway.”

“My thoughts exactly!” it responded smacking the table. A clear hum resonated through the air and Jack shivered as the new World Core in his chest throbbed with a sensation that he’d never felt from it— anticipation. The feeling startled him because it felt so alive. He had experienced a few sensations from his core before but never anything so visceral. “Now, why don’t we talk about you? How’d you get that?”

Jack looked down at the World Core fused to his chest as Kafkë pointed at it. His answer was one he’d given often when he’d first woken up in Fracture. “Guess it’s my turn to say I don’t know. I woke up in Fracture around five years ago and it was there. I don’t have any memories of before I woke up.”

“You do know what it is though, right?”

“Yes, at least, I do now. I actually only found out a short while ago. This thing in my chest and the Twilight Key are both World Cores,” Jack explained. “I’m not sure exactly what that means but I have a feeling you might know a bit about it.”

“World Cores, huh?” Kafkë said emphasizing the words as if it were getting a feel for them. “Yeah, I guess you gotta have a name for them if there’s more than one, so that works better than anything I can think of.” Kafkë snapped again and the statues disappeared. In the center of the table between them, an image of the Twilight Key surfaced from within the crystal. It was smaller than Jack recalled. Kafkë gestured at the figment. “The Twilight Key was actually shaped here in the Well of Souls. The Crystal Child created it initially as a way for her chosen champions to pass between Terras and the Well of Souls hence why it’s called the Twilight Key, not the Twilight Crystal or something. It’s more than just a glorified key though. In order to create the Twilight Key, the Crystal Child had to shape it from the spirit of Terras which means it's tied to the very being of the world.”

Jack nodded to indicate he was following along although his mouth dried a bit at the implications Kafkë’s story had for the core in his chest. Kafkë continued, “When that damn Pope became the Avatar of the Eternal Light and started burning everyone up in his purge, the massive influx of souls came right here. The problem was the Pope damaged the world in his madness, so the Twilight Key became as unstable as Terras did. I’m not sure what happened since the only reason I know about the Pope is because the boss told me. I was probably long dead by the time those events took place.” The image of the Twilight key grew larger and larger until it was exactly the size Jack remembered. “Either way, the boss and I think the Twilight Key must’ve used the power of the souls here to keep itself from collapsing. When the boss and I found it, there was barely enough power here to sustain it.”

“Is that why he took it?” Jack asked.

“You got it, Jack,” Kafkë said. “The Twilight Key wouldn’t have lasted long if he left it here so I helped him absorb it into his body, or uh, skeleton, I should say. Honestly, I didn’t think it would work. By all rights, it should’ve overwhelmed him even if he wasn’t alive in the traditional sense. Then again, I’ve heard from the others that the boss was some kind of big shot before the Pope destroyed everything.”

“Why did you think it would overwhelm him? I have an idea but since this applies to me, I’d like a definitive answer,” Jack said.

“Fair enough. Assuming all World Cores are fundamentally like the Twilight Key which seems to be true based on the feeling I get from yours, they aren’t meant to be tethered to individuals. I mean, we’re talking about an object containing the essence of an entire world here! Even the boss needed my help to bond with the Twilight Key and I help him keep it stable through my connection with the Well. As far as I can tell, you don’t have anything like that going on though to be fair, your World Core is much weaker than the Twilight Key. Still, you can’t be normal and I’m guessing your World Core has something to do with that weird body of yours. The same thing happened to the boss. The Twilight Key changed his physical body or what was left of it at least. His personality has even changed a little bit over time though that one might just be my imagination. Regardless, you have to understand that this thing is the dominant factor in your body— all your normal bodily processes be damned. Most people, powerful or not, would just die because their bodies couldn’t support the World Core.”

Silence settled over the two as Kafkë thankfully gave Jack time to process the information. He leaned forward steepling his fingers and massaging his temples with his thumbs. He sighed as he contemplated the sudden weight of the blue core in his chest. He’d hoped to find out that the core was more akin to some kind of Relic integrated into his body, but the truth had far larger ramifications. Now that he had a clearer understanding of what his a World Core was, it was no wonder he had such trouble with its effects on his body. His thoughts shifted to Ciel’s words before the Twilight King appeared. The Celestial had used the word “assimilation”. Had he meant Jack was being absorbed by the World Core or that his body was adjusting to the World Core’s presence? If it was the first, how would that affect him and would he even be himself by the end of it? He fought the urge to reach back and touch the metallic flesh slowly crawling its way up the base of his skull.

He asked, “Is there a way to stop the progression of the changes?”

“By my reckoning, only if you remove the World Core, but given how much it's changed you already, that would probably kill you. Not that I find being dead all that disagreeable, mind you,” Kafkë explained, chuckling at the end. “I figure that’s not your aim though.”

“Right,” Jack sighed. He looked down at his bare chest and pressed his right hand to the blue core feeling the soft vibrations on the palm of his hand. Kafkë tilted its head as it watched him. Jack shook his head, suddenly weary. “Essence of a world, huh? I don’t even know what world this core belongs to.”

Thoughts of the World Keeper drifted through his tired mind. He was certain the shadowy figure knew the answer but even if he could see the bastard again, he doubted he would get anything out of the experience. Kafkë got up and walked over to Jack’s side of the table placing a shimmering crystal hand on his shoulder.

“That’s rough, buddy,” it said, giving his metallic shoulder a squeeze. Jack barely felt it due to the numbness on his left side. “But hey, the boss has ordered me to help you, so that’s what I’m gonna do. Maybe once your World Core is active, you’ll be able to figure some stuff out.”

Jack nodded. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted his World Core to awaken considering the changes it had already forced up his body while dormant. Abruptly, he slapped himself in the face to banish his anxiety. This isn’t the time to hesitate. It’s now or never.

Kafkë laughed. “Hey now, I know the situation is frustrating but no need to beat yourself up about it.”

Jack leveled a no-nonsense glare at the crystal figure and said, “Why don’t you tell me how you are going to help me out instead of joking around?”

“Sure, sure. I’m just going to use some power from the Well of Souls. If my hunch is right, the energy won’t be fully compatible with whatever your core uses. After all, this is energy produced by Terras, not wherever your World Core is from. Still, it should be enough to jostle that core of yours awake without any major issues. And if not, well…” The figure shrugged. Before Jack could raise any objection though, Kafkë snapped for the third time prompting the chairs and the table to vanish. Jack barely got out of his chair in time before it dematerialized beneath him. The crystal figure positioned itself in the very center of the platform and clapped. A sound akin to thousands of tinkling crystal chimes rang through the air. His World Core quivered in anticipation again. Under his feet, the pillar became a hypnotizing kaleidoscope of shifting colors. Then, Kafkë raised its head and sang.

Jack wasn’t prepared for what came next.

The song spread through the void carried by the numerous crystal pillars. Each picked up the song in its own way transforming it as the music passed through the crystal, only to be projected back out. In the process, some of the crystal structures crumbled falling into the void after they produced their notes of the song. The music connected Jack to the departed souls of Terras filling him with their sorrow. However, the most dominant note of the song wasn’t the souls, but Kafkë. The layers of wise-cracking humor, calm, and apathy peeled back to reveal a creature who knew its home was doomed. The souls harmonized with Kafkë singing a dirge for their lost world.

The connection affected Jack in ways he couldn’t have guessed. All of his pain, suffering, and loss surged forward. He poured the emotion into the connection and the souls welcomed him. They knew his sorrows as he knew theirs. Terras had been a world full of culture, dreams, and potential, yet all that remained was the charred husk of a dying world— destined to be forgotten. Without thinking, Jack’s lips parted and he joined their song. In that moment, Jack felt whole in a way he had never experienced even while connecting with Remnant Gates. This was on a completely different level; so much so, it drove Jack, trembling, to his knees. Then, all too soon, the song ended.

Kafkë who hummed with the power of the Well of Souls extended its hand to Jack. With tears flowing from his eyes, Jack stared at the crystal hand. He recalled the timer on the Twilight Key and understood what it meant. “Th-this will all be gone in a little over fifteen days. Maybe less.”

Kafkë’s voice lacked its usual life when it responded. “I know. We all do, but there’s nothing that can be done. Now, take my hand, Jack.”

Reaching up, he grabbed hold of Kafkë’s hand and the power of the Well of Souls did the rest.