Le temps, mais un passage, un passage... Je suis perpétuelle. Le début de la fin, et une fin qui ne l'est jamais.
Je ne comprends pas.
«...Perpétuel.
C'est votre nom?
Pas de réponse.

DOUZIÈME
«Mes amis, je ne sais pas beaucoup plus que vous. Mais il semble que partout dans le monde, il y a un mot inconnu entrant dans l'esprit de certains troupeaux sélectionnés. Un mot avec un effet étrange et hypnotique, un mot qui parle à notre instinct pour le chercher. Et ce n'est que le début, parce que la voix qui nous parle d'Elvarren ne devient que plus forte et d'autant plus impatiente. Je crois que nous ne souffrons pas de schizophrénie... ces voix ne sont pas des illusions. Ils sont sensibles et de l'intelligence externe cherchant à nous mettre sur une nouvelle voie.
Vous les avez déjà entendus, n'est-ce pas?
Leur urgence n'est pas non plus dénuée de fondement. Il y a des hommes en costumes gris après toi. Vous les avez peut-être déjà vus. Ils ont commencé à se pointer sur les continents à peu près au même moment que des gens comme nous ont commencé à se pointer avec ces capacités. Il y a quelque chose de bien plus grand à portée de main -- quelque chose qui arrive à notre monde, mais il n'est pas encore prêt à se révéler... Et la voix d'Elvarren n'aide pas non plus. Nous ne savons pas encore ce qu'est Elvarren. Mais quoi que ce soit, c'est la clé de tout. Oui. Tout. Je crois que c'est la vérité. Et donc nous ne pouvons pas abandonner.
Dusk parle au peuple actuellement assemblé. Ishalan, Mirage, Puppeteer, Kaesar, Calme et Horus. Ce sont leurs nouveaux noms, et que personne ne pense autrement! Ils résident dans une vieille cabane en décomposition. Pourquoi Dusk a-t-il conduit ces gens à cet endroit? Surtout parce qu'il y a un poêle. Plutôt dépassé, il semble être fait au siècle dernier. Mais quand vous serez aussi au nord, même au printemps, dans ce vaste terrain boisé... vous apprendrez à apprécier une telle chose.
L'endroit n'est pas très grand. En entrant, vous entrez dans un salon; un canapé câlinant le mur droit en plus de lui, et un réfrigérateur archaïque et un évier de cuisine dans le coin. La tête d'un cerf est montée au-dessus de la porte d'entrée. A l'arrière de la pièce, il y a trois portes. Deux menant à des chambres séparées, et la porte centrale menant à une très petite salle de bains, avec une toilette et une baignoire d'ancienne école. Pas de douche. Et il n'y a pas d'eau courante non plus – il faut l'extraire de la rivière voisine.
La bonne chambre n'accueillait qu'un lit simple, le Jay inconscient y étant couché. L'autre chambre était complètement vide. Dusk n'y a préparé que trois sacs de couchage. Avec un sac de couchage restant pour la bonne chambre en raison du manque d'espace.
«Dans l'ensemble, nous avons un lit, quatre sacs de couchage et un canapé pour que l'un d'entre nous dorme dans le salon. Cela suffit pour six personnes. Je suis désolé de ne plus pouvoir me préparer. Je ne pensais pas pouvoir vous trouver autant. S'il vous plaît, faites en sorte que ce que nous avons.
Dusk s'arrête un peu.
Je suppose qu'on va devoir changer de sommeil, hein? C'est à toi de voir. Je suppose que puisque je suis le responsable de votre présence, je dormirai par terre.
C'est un moment d'urgence pour nous. Vous devez rester à bas prix à tout prix. Je ne sais pas s'ils nous ont suivis. Mais il semble qu'ils soient capables de découvrir des gens avec nos capacités, même dans les endroits les plus improbables. Comment ça? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire? Je n'en ai aucune idée. Quoi qu'il en soit, je vous demande de ne pas quitter ce chalet, ou du moins aussi peu que possible...
Et si vous partez, informez-moi ou Aries. Je n'ai pas demandé plus que d'être clément les uns avec les autres.
Voyez ceci comme une occasion de vraiment apprendre à se connaître et peut-être expérimenter avec vos talents... communiquer avec les voix dans votre tête. Pour les jours à venir, je dois tous vous quitter. Le Perpétuel me dit que plus de gens sont venus sur ce continent. Je dois les trouver et les amener ici, avant que les Greymen ne le fassent.
J'aime à penser que nous faisons tous partie de la même fraternité maintenant. Alors, pendant que je suis loin, pourriez-vous tous préparer des sacs de couchage et des rations pour nous durer au moins quelques semaines? Et soyez sûr d'écouter le Bélier... juste s'il vous plaît ne faites rien d'irréfléchi ou dangereux. Ou quelque chose qui fait trop de bruit ou qui attire l'attention.
C'est lundi. Je vais essayer d'être de retour avant jeudi soir.
Prenez soin de vous tous.
Avec ces mots, Dusk part encore une fois de la cabane. Ils n'étaient là que depuis un jour. Qui est ce type, de toute façon? Dusk a un effet apaisant inexplicable sur les autres. Ça te donne envie de lui faire confiance. C'est peut-être son comportement calme et amical, ou est-ce peut-être l'effet altérant l'esprit de son pouvoir..?
I am perpetual.What are you?
''Carl or Karel Pääsuke''
Is that your name? To stay out of harms way you will thenceforth go by a new one. What will it be?
''Dusk''
For how long have you so far lived?
''Nineteen years, a bit more.''
I cannot yet perceive your world. Describe to me your own manifestation.
''I have skin and eyes and teeth and ears and a nose. For some reason I like to point this out specifically -- a voice like you, but tied to a body. My eyes are hazel, my hair oaken brown. I'm lean and about average height, maybe an inch or so taller, not by much. I have a scar across my lip, at the right. (don't ask.) I have a thin jawline with what one would probably refer to as 'softer' features, which may seem contradictory if you've ever seen me get... passionate over something.
I generally dress in, well, whatever I can find. I'm rather fond of tie-dye and converse shoes. I like bright colours, though admittedly, they do draw people's attention to me, which I don't need. Still, I can't help myself. Often my shoes don't match as I am on the run and have little time to care about how I look. And in these colder climates, I make certain to use many layers of clothing. You really have to just learn to wear what you find. I also tend to have writing all over my arms. When I need to remember something, I don't bother with notepads. You can lose a notepad easily, but you can't lose an arm... Well, at least you can't lose it easily.'' 
You sensed the power awakening. What is it?
''I am a telepath and a mindwalker. I can go into people's minds when they get to a close enough range and see their thoughts, memories, even manipulate them. This all depends on the person's will and if they know what I'm doing. I can read minds, though, but I try to control that. I get bits and pieces sometimes, but I can supress it, choose not to hear. I try to do this as much as possible, but it gets hard to control sometimes. And occasionally, I'll slip into someone else's dream unintentionally. It can get difficult to sort out reality from dreaming sometimes.
Another problem I have is sometimes... I just hear things. I don't mean to. When I was younger, I remember I heard thoughts all the time and I couldn't control it. Just a flood of minds, of useless information. It got to the point where I thought about ending it just to stop it all. But I did eventually learn to control it. Open minds no longer plague me, I can close them off. But closed minds... those are the mysteries, the ones I actually have difficulty reaching. I can't help from trying sometimes. Sue me, I get curious.
My manipulation may be a bit unnerving to some, as if I caught you off guard and my energy was high, I might be able to force you to kill yourself. I never would, though. Never. This is a hard thing to force someone to do, though. Unless they want to die.
Dreams sometimes change at my will, but only other people's. And I can't always help it. It's not like I mean to go messing about in people's heads, it just happens sometimes. Especially if I'm asleep, when my guard is down. That's why I try to stay out of range of people at night. You never know.''
What do you think I am?
''I don’t know. But you are certainly as inquisitive about me as I am about you. I suppose we have that much in common. I tried pressing you for answers, but you won’t give away much. Stubborn, huh?''

Where upon this world did you initially dwell?
''Does it matter?''
Not anymore.
Why did you go out and seek this lost tribe at the word of a perpetual entity as myself?
''You told me to, and I knew someone had to do it. I believe I have this ability for a reason… To draw out people like me. To protect them. Unknown powers are at work.''
Would there be something you wish me to hear; speak it now.
''Forgive Aries, for he knows not what he says.''
That is all.


    
The voice in my head has some questions about you. No, I am not crazy.
‘’Whatever you say, chap.’’
What is your real name?
 ‘’Yoan Ognyanov. Can you pronounce that?’’
Make sure no one learns it. So, have you thought of a good alias for yourself?
 ‘’I was thinking Rex… No.. Caesar! Yes, call me Caesar. ‘C’ pronounced like a K. like Kaiser. So.. You know what; just write it like ‘Kaeser’ yes? Saves everyone the confusion.’’
How old are you, anyway? 
 ‘’Twenty-two.’’
How would you describe your own appearance? Height, hair, clothes, whatever.
 ‘’A bit moderately built. Pretty athletic, I like sports. I remember being tanned but since I don’t see much sun anymore – am getting pretty pale. Darkbrown hair, pronounced cheekbones in my face, also stubbles because I often forget to shave. I keep my hair short, but you won’t see it I reckon, ‘cuz I mostly wear a beanie.
Clothes I wear are sturdy, dark leather boots and trousers with a bomber jacket. Also got gloves to beat someone’s head in, just in case. Also, because of my ability I need to wear sunglasses pretty much all the time. No, it's not to look cool and hardcore, nor is it a fashion statement. Trust me.’’ 
Recently all of us are afflicted with these impossibly unreal abilities. Like Mystics. What is your ability?
 ‘’It’s weird but it seems I can hypnotize people or something? Not sure if that’s how you call it, but it seems I can rouse up a group of people into lynching someone if I really wanted to. Granted; this probably won’t work on people that also have these… voices in their heads, or whatever. I seem to have a pretty good grasp on other people.
Being cool and stoic is always just a façade by people that think they’re coldblooded badasses. I can break the façade and put those faggots in their place if I wanted to. Not just people but even animals can sense my anger and be affected by it.
But that is just how I can affect people that are within a certain radius around me. I also have a stronger form of this power. The power to almost brainwash someone when that person looks me in the eyes. I do not have full power over what happens to the person, but they are often paralyzed when I do this. Just look me in the eyes and know fear! Fucking delicious. I wish people did it more often. And then I will be able to use my killer line:
‘’What, your mom never taught you not to make eye contact with FERAL BEASTS?’’
 Har har har! Badass.
Anyway. To avoid this happening to allies I need to wear sunglasses, ye?’’
What is your voice like? Has he told you anything aside to search for Elvarren?
 ‘’He’s a cunt.
Well; he/it seems to look out for me. Calls me ‘Offspring of tyrants’, whatever that means. Feeds my ego occasionally, tells me to assert my dominance and carve out my own territory. Probably doesn’t understand we’re living in the 21th century. At best maybe if I travel to Canada I can come across some Indians and convince them to worship me as some shamanic messenger of god. I think I got that idea from some movie though. Is that what the Voice wants? Sounds cool enough.
I call him ‘Am’, because he never finished his line.’’ 
‘’I am.’’
‘’Am what?’’
‘’Am.’’
‘’Okay.’’
Where did you come from, and how long have you been looking for Elvarren?
 ‘’Originally from Bulgaria. Moved to the US when I was very young. As for ‘looking’? You know, I’ve always had the feeling I had to find something, but I never knew what that was. Maybe it was Elvarren? I kept hearing that word, no idea where I heard it from originally. Seems painfully familiar though..’’
How did you end up here?
 ‘’I’m following you, Dusk. You fished me out of the crowd, remember? First time seeing someone with the same powers. There are probably some things you can teach me. Also, I have some unfinished business with that girl traveling with you.’’
Anything else you want to get off your chest?
 ‘’You better tell me everything that you know. I only agreed to follow you because I came looking for answers.’’
It is good to meet you, friend. You’ll be safe here – for the time being…
 ‘’Hrm. I was fine on my own…’’