In this vast, boundless universe, intelligent beings might differ, but every individual possessed one powerful ability in common.
-Independent consciousness, independent thought, independent personality. These aspects of personal agency formed independent individuals and gave them the opportunity to think for themselves...
This was life's greatest gift to intelligent beings. The wise, the virtuous, the brave, the saintly... the wicked, the suffering, the lowly, the treacherous... whether they won lasting fame or eternal infamy, none of it could be separated from this gift.
The self, and the emotions born from it, brought individuals immense power:
An individual would have countless experiences throughout their life, and some experiences and emotions would always leave a profound mark upon their heart. They were so vivid that even IX's power struggled to erase them...
"Yes."
Within her memories, in that colorless land lashed by torrential rain, Acheron nodded softly.
"Perhaps... I will pass through the place you mentioned."
"Penacony... what do you hope to find in a dream?" the old man asked.
"I do not need to find anything. Those things are not in dreams."
The old man sighed. "...I fear the Family will not open its doors to you."
"Why?"
"Because the road you walk... is not tolerated by Harmony."
"Even if... this is not what I wished?"
"Even if it is not what you wished. Because THEY are unlike the other Aeons. THEY never glance at anyone, nor do THEY need to. THEY leave behind the woven threads of a Path and allow people to walk upon them, weaving together a vast shadow... and that shadow silently envelops those very people."
"There are always people who return from the shadows."
"Most of them become part of that shadow."
"In your eyes, am I the same?"
"You still retain a trace of color... but