Mordret (Other)/History

Note: This is after the events on Kingdom of Imagination
Inside the reflection of his brother's Soul Sea, the fragment of Mordret spent his time in a solitary existence, surrounded by the vast misty expanse beneath stormy skies and the seven radiant Soul Cores shining above. Though provided with a comfortable living space — a modest manor, a garden, supplies, books, relics, and curios gathered by his brother — he remained restless and lonesome, aware that he was imprisoned in the fortified heart of the Mirror Realm. From there, he bore witness to the ongoing battle outside, watching as the storm and the trembling of the realm reflected his brother's struggle against Corruption. He observed Soul Cores becoming infected, shattering, and being replaced through self-mutilation and the expenditure of immense power, a cycle that had been repeating for days. Feeling powerless to help, Other Mordret wrestled with his insignificance, until he finally resolved to act. Sitting on the misty sea, he focused inwardly, drawing thin tendrils of white mist into himself. Though not as capable as his brother, he began to cultivate strength from the Soul Sea's essence, seeking to become someone capable in his own right.^[2]

Rain was escorted by the King of Nothing to the lower floors of the Ebony Tower, blindfolded due to the danger beneath the Archway Hall, and though he appeared trustworthy and charming, she grew more wary, feeling the rumors about him were too mild because he seemed too normal, making him without a doubt, the most deranged of them all. After settling the Hollow remnant of Smile of Heaven and returning to the main hall, Rain struggled to process waking up Ascended, escaping the Ivory Tower, and becoming a house guest of a Supreme serial killer, while avoiding anything compromising since she believed he was undoubtedly watching her every move. She explored the tower, meditated, and tested her abilities, discovering her control over essence was far more refined and her physical strength had increased by orders of magnitude, though she could barely control it and still did not understand her Ascended Ability. Continuing her exploration, she visited the divine flame-filled second floor, the workshop of Nether, the Demon of Destiny, which filled her with awe, and a shrine to the Storm God, where she lingered before recalling the warning about the higher floor. Eventually, she descended into an underground chamber filled with porcelain mannequins and found a towering mirror reflecting a version of the King of Nothing who appeared much gentler, and as she backed away, the reflection noticed her, smiled, and introduced himself as "Mordret… the other Mordret".^[3]

Rain stared at the reflection, then sighed and sat on the floor, questioning the figure calling himself Mordret/the other Mordret. He allowed her to call him whatever she liked, though he objected to being called "mister", insisting he was a young man in his prime, despite admitting he was past thirty. He confirmed that he was aware of who she was because he could see a lot of what the King of Nothing does, referring to his other self, and expressed surprise that Rain was not startled, while she dismissed it by mentioning she knew a guy who has seven bodies. Mordret revealed that his other self usually did not let anyone near him due to concern for his safety, making Rain's presence a nice surprise. Rain guessed this was because she was considered harmless, something Mordret echoed, claiming he was the same — harmless, and remarking that it is difficult to be harmless in a world where weakness is seen as sin.^[4]

After a brief exchange about luck and misfortune, Rain asked him to explain what was happening. Mordret described a man called the Dreamspawn who sought to consume all of humanity and become Sacred, having bewitched people into thralls, including Rain, who had been used as a hidden blade to kill Song of the Fallen before being cleansed, resulting in missing memories. He added that many humans and Nightmare Creatures were enthralled, and that his other self was currently at war with the Dreamspawn, while the Lord of Shadows and Changing Star were absent. Realizing this, Rain connected her enthrallment to her sudden Ascension and lamented that she had achieved natural Ascension but lost all memory of how, along with the knowledge she was supposed to share. As she worried about the loss, Mordret offered to help, claiming he could explain how it works and even teach her how to become a Saint without conquering a Nightmare, revealing that this was how he himself had become a Saint.^[4]