⋰　****FINDINGS　⋰

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BACKGROUND DETAILS

🕰️ Timeline Context

• Chronology of events:

  • MC is drugged in The Nest and kidnapped by a Man in Black, who is working for an unknown party.
  • Sylus and the twins are the ones who rescue her, but the story skips over the in-between events, so we don’t see how she’s brought to his base. This missing segment is probably why some misunderstandings formed.
  • MC recalls being locked in a dark room for three days, with brief moments of consciousness where she sees Sylus. This suggests she was mostly unconscious, possibly due to the neurotoxin.
  • Sylus attempts to resonate with MC, unsuccessfully. The narrative doesn't clearly say that he tried every single moment of those three days. It's more ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation. Especially because she herself said that she was mostly unconscious. So, it's likely that he only made attempts when she briefly came to consciousness.
  • MC shoots Sylus, but it's actually Sylus pulling the trigger.
  • MC loses consciousness for another day. It's possible she didn't eat or drink anything for the past three days while she was unconscious.
  • MC wakes up in Sylus's bed, experiencing a gnawing emptiness and hearing voices urging her to consume something. No indication is given that she was harmed while unconscious.
  • Luke mentioned that they met four days ago, referring to an event at the Nest. The twins try to manipulate MC into staying at the base by exaggerating the dangers outside, especially given her actions at The Nest.
  • When MC tries to threaten them to get a chance to escape, Kieran just opens the door and says that she was never forbidden to leave.

  Conclusion ⇒ Sylus rescued MC, but his subsequent actions (attempting resonance and the shooting incident) remain ethically murky.

• SMS｜Countdown Reminder comes after story 05｜Desire.

• The relationship between the shopkeeper, Philip, and MC's grandmother, Josephine, is mentioned too briefly to give any clues. "Under Deepspace" reveals that Philip sought refuge in N109 from a greater threat.

• A mechanical crow is gutting rats modified with surveillance devices.

🏰 Key Locations

• N109 Zone is a lawless, dangerous territory. Has an abandoned area with a ruined landscape.
  • Landscape (and enhanced) image of the ruins
• Sylus's mansion/Onychinus base: The corridor's withered flowers tell about neglect and decay, contrasting with the dining room's opulence.
  • Landscape (and enhanced) image of the bedroom
  • Landscape (and enhanced) image of the unknown room (probably parlour)
  • corridor
  • dining

🐉 Sylus's Nature & Powers

• Luke & Kieran were kneeling as Sylus came down from the bell tower.
• Sylus's rapid healing after being shot proves immortality or immunity to conventional weapons.

🔗 Significant Connections

• MC's familiarity with Sylus's voice is unlikely about their past life encounter, but related to the sound she heard in the Main Story "Under Deepspace"・Chapter 7 "Moonlight Under the Sea"・Story 1 "Investigation".
• The cryptic mention of protocores and the "Fountain of Atei" introduces the broader lore of manipulating human consciousness into Wanderers. Sylus's dismissal of the project as "other people's business" suggests that he may be against or detached from this experiment despite his apparent knowledge of it. </aside>

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SPEECH AND INTERACTIONS

• Sylus’s dialogue walks the line between teasing and condescension, with actions that shift between intimidating and intriguingly magnetic.

"Even if you were willing to sell your soul, you still have to find someone to pay the price." — Sylus Let's see this line throught the lens of soul exchange and curse. The transactional nature of power and sacrifice is deeply personal for Sylus and MC, as their souls are literally intertwined. The phrase "find someone to pay the price" could reflect Sylus's awareness of the cost of their bond — both the emotional toll and the literal exchange of their souls. Power and connection come with significant sacrifices, which they both have experienced firsthand. Taken at face value, it could also imply that the Aether Core is far too valuable to be given away recklessly.

"After all, you and I…we're the same. True kindred spirits." — Sylus "Kindred spirits" takes on a darker meaning given their soul exchange and curse. Their connection is profound but potentially destructive, reflecting both love and punishment.

"…all the crimes you'll inevitably commit." — Sylus May be reference to 15 crimes in Beyond Cloudfall.

"It's a shame your Evol has deteriorated into its current state." — Sylus This likely compares MC's current abilities to her strength in Beyond Cloudfall. Her resonance with the weapon was crucial in confronting his dragon form. He seems disappointed by her weakened state.

"The people closest to you might be the ones who want to kill you the most." — Sylus Probably his worldview, shaped by betrayal or past experiences, including the events in Beyond Cloudfall — MC's actions led to his "death," albeit through a sacrificial act on his part. But she had those voices "Eat him. Devour him...", he might allude to that initial desire. Taken at face value, it also plants seeds of doubt in MC's mind about the true circumstances of her family's death.

• Sylus calls MC "kitten" for the first time.

"Though you do owe me a curtain call grander than death itself." — Sylus The demand for a "curtain call grander than death" is made more meaningful by the curse's context. Sylus's "death" was significant, but the curse ensured that it wasn't the end. He seeks a resolution and expects something even greater to rectify or surpass that event.

"Why are you trembling?" / "Do your words just ring hollow?" — Sylus He challenges MC’s hesitation with biting sarcasm — part provocation, part test of her resolve.

"Want some help? Yes? No? Maybe so?" — Sylus Deliberately casual, creating a contrast with the tense situation. The phrase teases MC, making light of a high-stress moment. It creates a surface-level playfulness that contrasts the actual stakes — a method Sylus often uses to keep emotional distance, while still pushing MC to act.

"You wanted to take my life. And so you've taken it." — Sylus He frames it as if MC's actions hold real weight. Despite his ability to heal, the curse ties him to a fate that is both a continuation and a consequence of their past.

• By offering a "deal" and asking MC about her desires, Sylus controls the situation while also probing her motivations and weaknesses. MC's sarcastic and defiant responses to Sylus's provocations show her resilience and determination to assert her agency, even in a situation where she appears to have little power.

"As long as you have desires, there will always be deals to make." — Sylus Theme of desires as a driving force behind human actions and their susceptibility to manipulation. This is a direct reference to his demand to make a deal with him in the Abyss to survive.

• Sylus alternates between taunting her (comments on her limited Evol and current inability to escape) and providing her with tools or opportunities to grow. His actions seem to challenge her pride and push her to confront her weaknesses.
• In moments such as when he grips her hand tightly or stares at their interlocked hands, there's a fleeting suggestion of internal conflict that MC sees.

"You like to bargain, don't you?" — Sylus His tone implies he sees her defiance as both amusing and futile. He often describes their conversations as transactions, which suggests that he has a practical and somewhat distant approach to power dynamics. However, it's also possible that he's hiding more complex motivations — even when he frames their exchanges as transactions, I feel an undercurrent of fascination. It’s as if her resistance itself is part of what draws him in.

• His comments about the explosions suggest he is aware of the broader manipulations at play.

"Instead of searching for the truth, you'd rather swallow a lie that makes you feel better." — Sylus "Looks like you need a comforting lie more than the truth." — Retranslated Sylus understands MC's need to find answers, but accuses MC of ignorance and emotional affect, suggesting she believes stories to make things easier and is unable to see the truth. While he doesn't directly deny being involved in the Bloomshore District explosion, but suggests MC isn't doing her job investigating it, implying a bigger conspiracy involving other individuals or factions. The line underscores the tension in their dynamic — Sylus holds more information and leverage. It also be seen as a kind of tough love, since Sylus seems to want to push MC out of her comfort zone.

"You say Sylus is heartless, but sometimes, those with hearts are even crueler than those without." — Shopkeeper This statement shows how complicated Sylus is as a character and how cruel the world they live in is. It suggests that Sylus's perceived lack of emotion might be a protective mechanism in a ruthless environment. Being "heartless" can be a way to protect oneself from the pain of empathy in a cruel world. Sylus's ability to stay detached might help him deal with a cruel environment without being affected by his emotions.

• The Countdown Reminder texts show Sylus at his most impatient and blunt. His sharp tone and thinly veiled threats show how badly he wants control. Psychologically, this could be a way of dealing with a fear of losing power or feeling vulnerable, driving him to assert dominance through strict control. But it also looks like simple impatience and desire to resolve their situation as quickly as possible. Anyway, it's interesting to see how he became the "King of Consent" in their later romance storyline. </aside>

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SYLUS CHARACTER & DEVELOPMENT

Sylus's behavior in Long-Awaited Revelry・Ambiguous Chaos (LAR・AC) mirrors his actions in Beyond Cloudfall. Themes of captivity, isolation, control, and protection are present in both timelines. My analysis will be quite long.

• Beyond Cloudfall
  • Sylus needed MC's help specifically because a seal required someone else to draw the sword - he could not remove it himself. In return, he promised to let her live. This initial promise served to keep her alive, at least long enough to free him.
  • After the seal was broken and they left Abyss, he tried to consume her soul, seemingly contradicting their agreement. However, he justified this by twisting the concept of "alive" (i.e., an animated corpse would still count).
  • A phantom giant sword appears in MC's hands. She instinctively uses it to stab the dragon. Sylus realizes that MC can wield a powerful sword.
  • From the description, the Dragon's essence (black/red mist) merges with an unfamiliar golden light in MC's chest. The scene suggests that they share soul fragments. She has (at least partially) a piece of the Dragon's soul in her body, and he wants it back.
  • He attempts to reclaim his soul fragments, and in the process, they both briefly experience Sylus's past, memories, and pain. Freed from the vision, the Dragon reels in pain, clutching his right eye.
  • He then questions MC about the source of her mysterious power. Probably both - the sword manifestation and the golden light (we see him shake it off palms later in LAR・AC).
  • The dragon seizes her and forces her to confess her desires that he will fulfill to gain her permission to consume her soul (as part of reclaiming his own fragment, which he now seems unable to take unless she stops resisting him). His ultimatum is: "Tell me your desire, then give me your soul — otherwise I'll make you a lifeless puppet."
  • She claims she has nothing she wants. This effectively stalls their "bargain," since he can only devour a soul if the human "willingly" offers it. So, Dragon starts to use force again. That is when she blurts out (in different translations/versions) that she wants to return to her city, that she wants revenge on the people who framed her as a "sorceress."
  • Once she admits her vengeful longing, he ceases consumption. The text then shows that he does heal her via the black mist. The text is quite explicit that once the mist recedes to his hand, her wounds are gone without leaving scars. This is not vague or implied healing — it's shown to happen.
  • He brought her to his lair. He did not physically bind her; she was free to move about, but between the geography of the cave and the threat of the pursuing Legion, actual escape was nearly impossible. (Speculative) It seems that he also wanted to protect his investment in her since if the Legion killed her, he would lose potential "sustenance" as well as his soul fragments that were tied up with her powers.
• Long-Awaited Revelry・Ambiguous Chaos (LAR・AC)
  • Sylus again demonstrates the destructive power of desire mixed with impatience and the dangers of uncontrolled emotions.
  • In "Alike," he uses the power of his eye to do similar things to her that he did in the myth, when she learned about his past through his attempt to influence her with his eye powers. We don't know yet what his powers are and what happens exactly with MC when his eye influenced her. But this action was partially successful — she remembers the "devouring" voices from the myth, though nothing else.
  • His amusement (rather than anger) at MC's defiance and an attempt to slash him with a sharp object shows he values (or even expects) it. This mirrors MC's behavior in Beyond Cloudfall when MC fought against him and was about to hit him with the dagger.
  • He then realises that she has no memory of their past. He is likely using the power of his eye again, trying to jog her memory. Overwhelmed, she lost consciousness.
  • Sylus took her to his base and kept her in the room with no light while she was largely unconscious for three days. We cannot say it was a containment cell or basement without a supporting narrative. (Speculative) He may have believed that the absence of sensory overload would help her recover, or he simply chose to shield her from external threats.
  • He didn't keep her captive in the true sense here, either. Despite her sense of being held "hostage," she is neither physically restrained nor harmed and is allowed to leave after being warned of the dangers outside. This creates a morally gray situation, balancing between protection and control. But it is much less violent than Sylus's initial actions in the myth!
  • His next thought was to try to resonate with her, as it could bring either the sword from the myth or her memories. (Speculative) He was impatient to get her to remember him. He was confident that the resonance would restore her memories. He inwardly confirms that she is indeed the same person from the myth. But resonance fails. At that moment, she accuses him of being behind the death of her family. We see his expression change from "Oh, sweetie, I knew it was you" to "Do you really think I could do that to you?!"
  • And then he went even further in his impatience — he resorts to re-enacting a moment of their past (in the myth, he pushed the sword inside his chest; in LAR・AC, he pulled a gun trigger). (Speculative) This extreme act suggests his desperation to spark her memories. His frustration goes beyond failure to resonate: he realizes that MC is truly missing a crucial part of their shared past, which shocks him more deeply than he expected.
  • He says, "Why? Are you worried about me? ... Save that concern for the day you actually can kill me," which implies that he thinks she currently lacks what it takes to truly kill him. She's his "fated executioner" and shows that right now, she can't grant him "true death."
  • His latter cold demeanor occasionally cracks, revealing underlying emotional turmoil. This internal struggle is especially apparent when MC grabs his hand, creating a moment of hesitation and what's described as a "complex, incomprehensible struggle." Probably because he might be suppressing genuine curiosity or empathy towards her, struggling with his desire for a potential connection but also seeing the futility of the attempts. He might use rationalization to distance himself from his feelings, and his use of power suggests a fear of vulnerability.
  • When a shopkeeper told Sylus that MC subconsciously "dislikes" or "rejects" him, Sylus's silence and facial expression spoke volumes. It was a moment of introspection, heartbreak, and conflict between his goals and the emotional barriers he faced. (I like the line by @ThePsychoNyxZ: "He is drowning in his own frustration and pain"). He grabbed MC's wrist and said that "something is wrong with her". He saw the reason for the problem in her amnesia. He gave her half his soul, looked for her throughout deep space (arguably according to his anecdote), and she remembers nothing of the man who profoundly impacted her life.
  • (Speculative) He also expected her to have the strong, fearless personality she used to have. Instead, she was cautious and fearful, which contradicted the traits that once attracted him. He's not annoyed by her fear; he's genuinely conflicted. He remembers the strong woman who never gave in to him or fate, and now he sees her hesitation. He believed in their fierce bond, but now he sees that she's just as lost as he is. He remembers their love and how strong she was, but now she's a stranger to herself, afraid of the man she once loved, and once, might I remind you, cursed to tie his existence to hers. He may feel betrayed that she does not remember the intimacy and pain that shaped him. This makes his initial behavior more understandable, even if it's still harsh.
  • When Sylus sees her disgust, he understands that his aggressive approach is counterproductive and that he needs to change his behavior. (Speculative) He decided to leave without confrontation, which may indicate that he needs to rethink his approach or distance himself from the rejection. It echoes a psychological defense mechanism: withdrawing to cope with discomfort or unresolved emotions. (Although, he could've just left for the business he had to take care of.)

Long-Awaited Revelry・Ambiguous Chaos is written to be morally ambiguous, hence the name. It doesn't take a clear stance on right and wrong. To understand Sylus's actions and why he did what he did, we need to understand the context of his past, this story, and the world it takes place in. While Sylus's actions are not necessarily justified, they can be understood in the context of his past.

• These ideas from Reddit commentors could be explored as possibilities too, but in my opinion are not grounded speculations: </aside>

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01｜Cage

02｜Alike

03｜Cornered Beast

04｜Into Danger

05｜Desire

▸ SMS｜Countdown Reminder

06｜Resonance and Shackles

08｜Hesitation