#MC evol theory

[calebdatabase]

All About MC's Evol and Aether Core Powers

For those curious about the role of MC’s powers and following terms throughout the story, this brief guide is for you! Sprinkled throughout this post, you’ll also find some of my theories on the direction of the story.

Here’s the five terms we go over:

Resonance Evol Aether Core Spatium Core Flux Nexus Flux Stabilizer

I decided to make this post, especially for myself because when I started diving into lore threads, I realized how lost and rusty I was regarding the main story. It was a given since the last time I played through the older chapters was a year ago.

However, I recently replayed the entire main story so here’s a little refresher on MC’s powers and other important terms I didn't understand immediately! It doesn't include everything but will mention examples for terms that helped me follow the story more easily.

The definitions are taken from in-game/the wiki and then are supplemented with quotes/references/trivia I selected to help me grasp them. This also means this post is chockful of spoilers across the board. If there are any discrepancies, feel free to amend them in the comments (I did my best to be accurate but I am human).

I hope this helps to shed some light and invite more people to dive into the lore!

Resonance Evol noun

1 An Evol that allows the owner to change their frequency to match another life form or object, as well as amplify or suppress another’s Evol

2 An Anhausen class Evol with an undetermined power level wielded by MC

Notes:

An Evol that allows MC to change her frequency to match another's by using the waves generated by her brain’s magnetic field

She can produce repulsive waves against certain people/things to avoid resonating with them

Rafayel explained that MC must open her heart to establish a ‘connection’ and share her power by amplifying or suppressing another's Evol at will 

Xavier stated this is the only Evol that can undo a lock on a Flux Nexus pillar and retrieve a protocore/Aether Core from within (how convenient??)

It also allows MC to resonate with evol imbued items such as Rafayel’s coral stone to draw out Wanderers, or his paintings to inspect them

As of Caleb’s Homecoming Wings story, MC’s Evol remains underdeveloped and suppressed likely due to her Aether Core’s powers being incomplete

She can also return Wanderer Protofields to their original state

MC can even resonate with other peoples dreams:

"It's as if she saw through time and space, through his dreams, to realize he's not the doctor." - Dawnbreaker Zayne

“There were times when I noticed him [Xavier] sleeping. I tried using my Evol to resonate with his dreams. But whenever I do, I get too nervous and fail.” – MC in Xavier’s anecdotes

One cannot simply force a resonance with any Evolver, the process is a two-way street:

Rafayel and Sylus were overly-eager and attempted to resonate with MC within a short time of meeting her but failed because she viewed them as strangers

Out of all the LI’s (besides Caleb), Xavier resonated with MC more easily during their initial encounter against the Luminivores, most likely because his light evol and her aether core powers are similar in form which possibly made it easier for her to match his frequency as both are described as ‘warm glowing light’

Examples of resonating successes/attempts:

Xavier

‘I sigh and place my hand over his [Xavier’s] heart. The waves caused by the resonance Evol ripple from my fingers– the fountain bursts into a shower of dazzling light, countless, tiny droplets scattering. The spectacle reminds me of fireworks as vibrant as an oil painting.’

– MC and Xavier create a distraction in Azure Square to escape the robots monitoring him

‘As chaos envelops my vision, only one warm force stays tightly connected with me. It flows steadily from my hand and gradually covers the world in a dazzling light. It overwhelms my senses…”

– MC resonates with Xavier to power the Traceback II starship together

“Weird… It feels like something is suppressing Xavier’s Evol, preventing a complete Resonance…”

– MC’s speculation on Xavier’s Evol suppressing collar preventing them from fully resonating

Zayne

MC: “I’ll help you suppress your Evol first. Tell me the area I should resonate with so you recover faster.”Zayne: “My left shoulder… A little lower…”

– MC helps Zayne recover by suppressing his Evol in his shoulder

Rafayel

“All right, I guess I was wrong. Tapping into the depths of someone’s Evol isn’t easy.”

– Rafayel after trying to resonate with MC by holding her hands and explaining the intricacies of her Evol to her (lmao)

Sylus

MC: “Even if you keep holding on to me like this, I can’t resonate with you. It’s not something I can do just on a whim!”

S: “After all that arrogance, it seems you can’t even control your own Evol.”

MC: “... At the very least it doesn’t want to be activated in front of you!”

– MC to Sylus who was attempting to force her to resonate with him by grabbing onto her 

Caleb

���Resonate with me!” Like a bullet, Caleb leaps after the plummeting Wanderer.

“Caleb!” The roaring hurts my ears as I reach out. I can only catch the wind he stirs. Warmth surges over me like a tidal wave, and I focus my energy on catching Caleb as he’s in freefall. Our resonance creates a large energy shield that manipulates gravity. It halts his descent.

– MC assisting Caleb during battle on Linkon Tower

“The only advantage I have is having part of an Aether Core in my heart. Since I can resonate with the energy… I should be able to sense its location.��

– MC on locating other Aether Cores with her Resonance Evol

Aether Core noun

1 A rare protocore fragment or crystal containing a powerful mysterious energy that can only be wielded by a select few Evolvers

2 A complete Aether Core has a stable aether barrier on its outermost layer, which utilizes the gravitational field to seal and contain all the core's energy, thus ensuring its internal balance and stability

“Their power comes from the very core of the cosmos. If fully awakened, they would spell disaster for the world. I know. You aren’t satisfied with my answer. But there are some truths you have to see and decide for yourself.”

– Xavier explaining Aether Cores to MC

“Rather than what’s already happened, I’m more afraid of what might come in the future. But right now, you terrify me the most. You used the power of the Aether Core this time. I’m worried about what you’ll do next.”

– Xavier to MC after she uses him as a conduit for her powers to feed Starfield Forest

“The Protocore energy in your heart has always been stable. It can form an invisible shield to protect your heart when you’re attacked. You also haven’t become as weak as other patients with Protocore Syndrome. In other words, it’s a power made just for you.”

– Zayne comforting MC about her Aether Core

Notes:

An Aether Core fragment like MC's can appear as a yellow protocore fragment emitting a golden glow

Its power surpasses that of a regular Protocore and attracts anyone aware of their existence

In the present timeline, it was first discovered in MC’s heart by Granny Josephine and the Gaia scientists while experimenting on her as an illegal child experiment

It’s implied that it was not welded to MC’s heart through surgery but rather appeared on its own or chose MC due to her innate strength

MC’s Aether Core power is described as “warm” and appears as a radiant golden light

It has it's own defense mechanism and can create a shield around MC's heart

It especially attracts those affected by Protocore Syndrome who want to devour it's power

When used in combination with the Resonance Evol, MC can sense the location of other Aether Cores within range

At full power, it can power an entire planet for centuries but only temporarily (Philos survived for some time on a past MC’s Aether Core)

According to Xavier, once fully awakened it can also cause mass destruction (hint hint Earth’s downfall and Philos’ 2.0 rise?)

MC can siphon it’s energy, resulting in the crystal vessel breaking after the process of absorption

MC’s aether core provides boundless energy and immortality across time and space

Sylus’ aether core within his eye allows him to see people’s true desires and possibly grants him immortality as well

A modified wanderer wielding a spatium core was able to invade Xavier’s mind and recreate a protofield based on his memories of Starfield Forest (by Soren’s influence)

Human vessels who can control and maintain Aether Core’s power are extremely rare

MC, Sylus, and Kevi are three of them and therefore are sought after by the powers that be (i.e. Ever Group, The Farspace Fleet, Philos Backtrackers, etc)

Other possible vessels:

Xavier who is arguably one of the strongest evolvers was able to act as a conduit for the massive transfer of MC’s aether core power while they were in Starfield Forest

Caleb will soon make this list once Ever fulfills the Fountain of Atei project, since he boasts himself as a better vessel than MC

My personal theory is that only powerful Evolvers who have an indomitable spirit can house and command the ability of an Aether Core

Sylus and MC have strong personalities and are always at the heart of the action

They are known to have endured an unfair amount of suffering throughout their lifetimes that fostered this grit within them

Sylus even considers them to be ‘kindred spirits’ due to all of their similarities and encourages her lust for power regardless of the timeline

Their Aether Core's caused a physical energy link to materialize between both of them, tethering their wrists together like a handcuff

Sylus mentions she’s predestined to commit crimes in the future– my power-hungry villain MC theory is for another time lol 

Kevi, a mere child, was able to withstand the rigorous test Lucius’ forces his experiments to undergo in order to determine if their suitable for 'adoption'

Kevi was also able to easily utilize the spatium core to hide from the fleet

While we don’t know a lot about Kevi, it’s undeniable that he has an intrinsic will to live and promising powers

I don't remember his Evol being mentioned but we'll learn more about him and the experiments in the future

Caleb’s story speaks for itself tbh

Man’s survived how many near death experiences, and endless experiments, lord only knows what tragedy he experienced in his Myth... and will experience in the future

He can literally create black holes and shift the cosmos so I think his powers rival Xavier’s (though I’d like to see Xavi’s powers without his evol suppressing collar on)

A list of places Aether Cores have been found:

The flux nexus in the N109 zone on Ever’s abandoned research facility

The flux nexus in the no-hunt zone at the beginning of the main story

MC’s heart

Sylus’ eye

Tome of the Sea God unlocked by Rafayel using MC’s blood

Inside a mutated Wanderer destroyed by MC and Zayne in Chansia Hospital

Wthin a modified Wanderer destroyed by MC and Xavier outside Starfield Forest

Kevi’s possession given to him by his parents who were fleet personnel

Probably other locations I can't recall

‘I grit my teeth and forge that power into a sharp blade. Slowly but surely, it cuts through the invisible barrier along with the spaceship. Space itself is ripped open, which creates tremendous energy fluctuations and tremors. In the distance, a massive shadow looms.’

– MC and Xavier resonating on Traceback II to force their way through the Spatium Core’s illusion created by a modified Wanderer

Spatium Core noun

1 A rare type of Aether Core capable of influencing space, even creating entirely new spaces

2 Takes on the appearance of a green irregular spherical structure; the core’s shards have partially reassembled, drawn together by some gravitational pull

Notes:

A newly discovered type of Aether Core fragment that emits a faint green glow and grants the owner the power to ‘recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality’, essentially creating an illusion

MC describes the energy emanating from the core as gentle waves brimming with power, and a light, warm glow

Kevi was given a fragment of the Spatium Core by his parents to create a hidden pocket of space near his home to hide in from the Fleet

MC was able to sense the energy trail of this Spatium Core when she first searched the area of Kevi’s home due to owning an Aether Core 

Xavier confirmed the Spatium Core’s ability is familiar to people from Philos, such as the ex-Backtracker Soren who used it to lure Xavier into a protofield illusion to drain his powers

It’s important to note that despite being in a different plane, what happens to the victims trapped inside of this spatium-created dimension is very real

When Xavier attacked Soren its implied that Soren took damage outside of the illusion

Xavier’s energy is actually drained by Starfield Forest and Traceback II when he and MC emerge from the illusion; he’s exhausted to the point where he needs to sit down and sleep

By the end of Homecoming Wings, Caleb and by association, the Farspace Fleet, are now the current owners of the center fragment

Caleb’s mission is still to collect all fragments of a Spatium core, while MC’s mission is to retrieve the last remaining fragment from him

With the combined man power of the Farspace Fleet and the Tuum Fleet, Ever will eventually butt heads with the Hunter’s Association for the remaining fragments (or Caleb will use MC to get to the fragments once he discovers the Association is in possession of the rest)

Flux Nexus noun

1 A stone pillar device that captures Metaflux and as a side-effect can serve as a source of fluctuations that attract Wanderers

Notes:

Protocores and Aether Cores can also be stored and retrieved from within the pillar with the use of MC’s resonance evol

In the early story, Xavier and MC discovered Onychinus stored a modified protocore within a flux nexus in attempts to summon a dangerous Wanderer (this was likely a misdirect to paint Sylus as the big bad when in reality it was Ever)

Can serve as a ‘power source’ for crystal-infested human-wanderer hybrids with ‘Protocore Syndrome’

Destroying a flux nexus can result in severing the connection between it and human-wanderer hybrids, a concept similar to cutting off a power generator (Sylus destroyed one when he was chasing someone down in the N109 zone and it resulted in this effect)

Lucius' experiments (Caleb, Viper, Kevi, a mystery young girl) recycled these flux nexus in Skyhaven as a gig for Ever and the Fleet, during their clean-up of failed experiments with protocore syndrome

Flux Stabilizer 2.0 noun

1 A device the size of a bottle cap that regulates the frequency of surrounding Metaflux fluctuations thereby stabilizing the Protofield and reducing the likelihood of Wanderer materialization

2 Also functions similarly to a Spatium Core allowing the user to recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality (this function is obviously only available to those who are aware of how to use it such as Philosians like Xavier, Jeremiah, Soren and subsequently Ever Group)

X: “Initial tests show it has a radio frequency chip that can resonate with Metaflux fluctuations.”

MC: “So this little thing is the culprit behind the RMFMA’s malfunction and even the tool Soren used to lure in the Wanderer.”

X: “Yes.”

MC: “Can you also use that device to… recreate a plane of existence and overlap it with reality? You mentioned earlier that this is something only ‘your people’ know about.”

X: “That’s right. But you know I don’t like illusion stuff.”

– MC and Xavier discussing Ever Group’s newest groundbreaking invention

Notes:

The concept of a flux stabilizer first makes an appearance at Akso Hospital early on when MC visited Zayne's office and questions if the device is broken when a Wanderer appears

However, as of the end of Prologue To Tomorrow, a new 2.0 version of the flux stabilizer has been revealed to the public

When Ever broadcasts this new device on television, MC doubts there would be any need for Hunters if they implemented his small device all over the city

MC and her teammates are skeptical of this groundbreaking device that is advertised to help humanity against the Wanderers, of course

Similar to a Flux Nexus, this device can also be used for nefarious means such as to lure Wanderers

I wonder if this device along with the existing flux nexus' are how Ever will summon and revive the moist dangerous Wanderers and cause the fall of Linkon City to push their Philos (2.0?) agenda

[ishaslife]

Love and Deepspace:

Caleb Trailer Breakdown

Okay, so, I was confused on the trailer for a while and honestly a little put off at the whole "villain" vibes I got from it. But... I feel like there's something deeper going on here. Just hear me out:

"23rd Neural Control Experiment"

Pay close attention to the word, "Neural," to do with the brain and the nerves, as well as "control." Then, we see him struggling.

He's moaning and groaning, almost as if he's trying to fight against it. He looks like he's pain and then suddenly,

He's fine, he's IN control. His whole demeanour changes momentarily and all the lights around him come to life, it's not chaotic anymore. Until,

He wakes up, as if from a dream, absolutely terrified. He's sweating and scared, he's almost relieved to realise that it was a dream. But... What if it wasn't? I have always bought into the theory that Caleb and MC were brought together as a part of a bigger experiment by Ever, to test their evols and how they would get along.

Caleb has always been experimented on to better suit the needs and purposes that Ever plans to achieve with him and MC. He is being mind controlled by Ever, it's a "Neural Experiment" after all, Ever is trying to gain control of his thoughts and feelings, to make him detach himself from the MC to be able to use his telekenisis/gravity manipulation evol more effectively. Caleb seems unaware of this, he thinks that all of this is a dream when it's likely not. It's a result of all the poking and prodding Ever did in his brain since he's been a child. And Caleb's feelings for the MC are so strong that he's always able to fight against it, even if he is aware of it.

Ever blew up their house, likely because they thought that if MC knew that Caleb is definitely dead, they'd be able to keep her away from Caleb and keep Caleb away from her, making it easier for them to manipulate his brain to their liking.

Caleb is a sweet guy. The moment I saw him in the game, he was instantly the "protective-older-oppa-niichan" archetype. And this sudden shift in him in the trailer made me feel... Strange to say the least. It was absolutely jarring. I don't think he's evil, I think he's being made to think he is evil.

The still from the trailer below; it shows what is likely his apartment and everything is boxed up, it's almost as though this is from the day he moved to skyhaven or a few days after.

(side note: it's kinda cute that the only thing he unpacked is that photo of, what I assume is, him and the MC on the left.)

This is most definitely the past because,

He still has the necklace and he seems as soft as we know him to be, he caresses the necklace with care and in memory, almost as if he's consoling the MC like, "I'll never hurt you, don't worry." (And well, also just because he misses her and wishes she was with him.)

And then, this beautiful dream-like scene, almost from a memory changes into something far darker.

It's as though he's not himself anyone, he's someone who has been twisted. Ever has succeeded and it's up to us to make him remember again.

To add: the apple symbolism. His art and his motifs are often littered with apples and snakes, snakes are often seen as symbols of seduction, betrayal and most importantly: duality in most world mythologies and the apple, it's quite literally the seduction and fall of Eve/mankind. Even the snake, the devil takes the form of a snake when trying to seduce Eve to eat from the tree.

Perhaps the snakes at meant to represent his duality, and Ever as they are the reason for his duality in the first place. Meanwhile, the apples: his fall orchestrated by Ever. Ever is the devil and Caleb fell for their trap, unknowingly just as Eve did.

[otomeorangejuice]

The last post I reblogged sent me on a spiral so here's how all the LADS LIs are nerds.

Zayne: He's a surgeon, that went through med school. Next.

Jk. Definitely the kinda guy to tell you random facts about the body, forgetting how gross some of them are and getting really embarrassed when his medical nerd talk puts you off your dinner. Loves explaining things whether it's his job or weird things about the human body. Tbh if he wasn't a doctor he'd probs be a teacher. Also ik it's his job but the lab coat SCREAMS nerd.

Caleb: military pilot with gravity powers, NERD. His fave subjects in school were probably physics and maths. Can name pretty much any aircraft at a glance and will yap to you about physics theories and the inner working of his favourite planes if you let him.

Everybody except those closest to him thinks he's just smart and cool but MC, Zayne and Gideon know that he's a chronic nerd that shows his affection by yapping at you about how cool planes are.

Rafayel: Art nerd. Now I don't think he'd care much about human art history overall, although I do feel he'd have a soft spot for the likes of Impressionism. But he's a nerd about the craft, the materials. He canonically creates his own pigments from seashells and such (which as a fellow art nerd I find so cool) but I personally believe he's probably experimented with trying to get natural pigments from all sorts of things.

This man is a colour theory girlie and he will ramble on to anyone about specific pigments and how he's aiming to achieve them. Thomas can pretty much rattle off the way he works by memory and sometimes finds himself looking at different things and wondering if that will give Rafayel the shade he's looking for. He low-key hates it but he tells himself it's for the good of the exhibitions and the art scene at the end of the day.

Sylus: Now I know we all joke that he's an old man but personally I think he's both a music and tech nerd. Like every person who knows about technology only trusts it so much (Catch him hating how much AI junk is infecting our lives ATM) plus Mephisto exists, like I think his tech parts are Sylus' doing. He's also a nerd about weapons and mostly collects them for fun only having a few that he actually uses for combat while overall preferring to use his fists and his evol.

Now he can't play music to save his life but he has the best audio systems money can buy, he has several record players, some vintage, some modern and he collects all sorts of vintage music paraphernalia. (Catch him having one of Eddie Van Halen's guitars on display). He canonically likes the Beatles (there's a pile of records as a decoration for his room on one of them is labeled Beatles) so I think he'd be a classic rock fan (Fits his vibe) but he still enjoys classical and opera

Xavier: Now Xavier is the only one who I don't think is a nerd. He's worse. This man is a gamer. From old school Nintendo to the newest VR releases he's played a good mix of everything. Personally I feel like he leans towards cozy games, has the cutest animal crossing island and the most impressive farm on stardew valley. Has definitely made himself and MC in the Sims (and then made Charlie and removed the ladder while he was in the pool). But he's also a god at the likes of the Bloodborne series. If he's feeling particularly jealous or pent up a few rounds of bashing bosses on Elden Ring will make him feel better. Also don't try playing a fighting game with him, he'll wreck you at Street Fighter.

And there we are the nerd (and gamer) squad.

[ridox]

A Theory on Caleb and MC’s dynamics —

Now that our beloved Pilot is back from the dead with a new preview I have several theories regarding his and MC’s past involving Ever

(I’m also back with theorizing this year now that we’re finally getting main story progression and updates!)

All theories under cut! 🦾

What struck me the most about the preview was the line “They are the optimal weapon for destroying one another.”

Alongside the information we got that Caleb’s EVOL is classified as gravitational combat.

We already know that Grandma was a former researcher for EVER that adopted both Caleb and MC after the experimentations done to them. Whether it was green lighted by EVER or not is not entirely sure yet but we could infer that EVER didn’t mind so long as MC was with Caleb and Grandma (more so Caleb). Why?

I think Caleb was sculpted by EVER to be MC’s demise if her EVOL goes out of control. He was made as a Plan B if their efforts to suppress her EVOL did not work.

MC is essentially carrying the power of a planet’s core inside of her (re: see Xavier’s myth regarding MC and her role in saving Philos). EVER wanted to make sure that if things ever go south they would have an asset behind them that could take out the threat.

And the closest asset they have to her is Caleb himself. Too much gravitational pull could make a planet collapse in on itself. MC’s Anhaunsen Class EVOL could be the push that Caleb’s EVOL needs to trigger that. Except he doesn’t want to kill MC, he’s grown to attached to her and have been keeping her in the dark when it comes to his space missions as a feeble attempt to save her.

EVER has had their eyes on MC since she was a child, but she didn’t became a liability until the supposed guardians the company assigned to her mysteriously died. But we now know that Caleb isn’t actually dead.

Of course, it only makes sense that EVER is going to save him. He’s their only weapon against MC should she decide to awake her full power and wage a war against them. Caleb is the only LI linking them to her because all the other LI’s have grudges against EVER.

Case in point:

- Xavier doesn’t trust Ever for experimenting on Wanderers. It’s also been suggested that former backtrackers who formed a grudge against their prince for ‘abandoning them’ has made it known that they’re also out of MC and possibly even started working with the company to annihilate her.

- Zayne doesn’t trust Ever for their involvement in practicing dubious medicine involving protocores. One of his specialties as a doctor is dealing with symptoms of protocore syndrome and from his branch we were able to see just how much distrust and disdain he has for these people.

- Rafayel’s involvement is hazy but possible that he has some inkling of a doubt about the experiments Ever has been doing behind closed doors. He’s a possible asset to them after all if they get him. Former God of the Sea and one of the few remaining Lemurians alive today. We also know he made a deal with a representative of Ever during the auctions so there’s no doubt he actually knows their shady business on the side.

But this is where it gets interesting for me!

Sylus has direct contact with Ever in the N109 Zone and he has all the reason to involve himself in their business after they involved him in theirs. We know Sylus was gone for an unnamed amount of time and within that timespan the two explosions had happened. They pinned it on Onychinus afterwards to take advantage of Sylus’ missing status.

It also just make sense that once he got a wind of it, he’s going to investigate what really happened. Sherman was most likely bought off by Ever to do their dirty work in the N109 Zone and possibly to kidnap MC once they got wind that she’ll be at the auction. I feel like through those series of events Sylus was able to find out that Caleb was in fact still alive and has been tasked to get MC back to Ever’s hands.

Alas! These are all merely theories. I’d love to hear anyone’s thoughts. I’m so excited for the Main Story Update more than anything.

[kuroyurishion]

After sleeping and watching Caleb’s new trailer, I found something interesting.

See if you can spot it~

See it? Zoom in. Enhance.

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that’s bone. Specifically, the humerus, elbow joint, and the radius and ulna.

Picture for reference. Note the similarities between the shape of the bone on the center and the split on the one on the bottom right.

Is this not a completely prosthetic arm?

So, Caleb’s arm was severely damaged during the explosion in Chapter 4. And with severe damage comes trauma, surgery, etc. But what interests me most is the nerve damage that comes from such an event.

In Caleb’s Debut Trailer, we see him somewhere in Skyhaven in the Zero Gravity Chamber undergoing his 23rd Neural Control Experiment. In the latest trailer [Caleb: Painful Signal], he says this line: “I barely feel any pain. Unless it’s under repair. But… I… can’t feel you anymore.”

There are two ways to think about this. Theory 1 only happens if Caleb has the bionic arm after the explosion. Theory 2 only happens if Caleb has the bionic arm before the explosion.

Theory One: Caleb has severe nerve damage from the explosion, and the Farspace Fleet somehow saved him (maybe using the missing Spatium Core?) and gave him his bionic arm.

But Caleb is devastated because he can’t feel MC with his arm anymore. Because he can’t feel pain, the Fleet decide to help him by putting him through all these control experiments in order to stimulate neural control

Theory Two: The Farspace Fleet has their eye on Caleb. Gravity Manipulation is a very versatile and powerful Evol, after all. So, they want to use him for their own gains. They do some digging, find out about MC (maybe about her Evol, Aether Core, or records of being experimented on?), and they threaten Caleb with her. They’ll hurt her if he doesn’t obey them. We see whenever Caleb is about to tell MC something huge, a car’s headlights pass by. He’s being watched. So, either willingly or unwillingly, Caleb agrees to be their weapon. They experiment on him, giving him the bionic arm.

When the explosion happens, he’s able to get away. Maybe the missing Spatium Core is in his arm? Does his bionic arm work like a Wanderer, being made and built? We know Spatium Cores can distort space, so maybe that’s how he got out?

I’m not sure. What do you guys think? Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong about anything!

Either way, I’m excited for him to drop so we can learn more!

Thank you for listening to my ramblings~ ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ ) Everyone is welcome to talk and theorize with me as well!

[empty-vessel-of-a-person]

End Game

Who's LaDS men MC is going to end up with

Well, how about I say it will be all of them?

Correct me if I am wrong, but Infold confirms that the boys timeline is separate from each. Meaning MC's story with LaDS Men are separate and in a different reality from each other.

So no matter what happened, no matter who we choose, we are going to end up with them.

Given that analogy, here is my delulu ending for each LaDS Men.

Xavier

Xavier is going to find a way to separate the Aether core from MC, saving her and ultimately saving his people as well.

I'm not 100 percent familiar with Xavier's Myth, but I think that Philo's remaining people know that MC has the power to keep their planet alive, making her the ultimate sacrifice. But Xavier is just not going to let them do that to her.

Once everything settles, Xavier is going to finally keep his promise to MC and take her to another planet where there is a sea of flowers.

The little star and his goddess will finally be able to rest, he will finally be able to tell her everything and they will spend all of their years together.

Rafayel

Same with Xavier, he will finally find a way to separate the Aether core from MC. Saving her and will find a way to give back to his people. He was always torn between the love of his life and his people but ending up losing both in the process.

(Although I don't love Rafayel romantically, I did have a soft spot for him. This guy bears too much weight on his shoulder and it's a great mystery to me how he is still able to smile. Let me cry for him for a bit)

Once he was able to save her and revive his civilization, he was finally able to rest. Exploring the vastness of the ocean and watching the sunset with her every day.

Zayne

I imagine his ending differently, instead of him finding a way to save MC, it will be the other way around.

MC will find a way to separate the Aether core from her heart and use it against Astra, free him and finally save him from his all consuming EvoL. She just loves Zayne so much

They will finally be able to be together. No more fearing to be torn apart to save one another and finding each other in the next lifetime.

Once they finally settle in Linkon as an ordinary citizen, Zayne will be able to finally tell her he loves her.

Sylus

This will be 100 percent delulu as we do not know much about him.

But let's take one of the most popular theories out there. The one Sylus turning into a wanderer and MC have to end him.

In the end, they will find a way to resonate with each other to free themselves from the Aether core on their body and use it to stop all the wanderers and save themselves in being one.

Since Linkon will be free of danger, MC decided to stay with Sylus in the N109 zone. Linkon will be labeling MC as MIA from the final battle against the wanderers.

Sylus will then stop all his illegal dealings and focus on his other business like his resorts and karaoke bar.

(sorry I just have to add that because Sylus seems to be fond of singing but singing is not fond of him) 😅😅😅😅😅

[iz-star]

Snowy Serenity Zayne is Dr Zayne, not Dawnbreaker.

So I've finally read the "No morning" anecdote, I hadn't been able to read it before because my phone glitched in the last cutescene of the last chapter, which made me unable to finish it and unlock the new World Underneath Anecdotes and that's why I wasn't able to offer my two cents about this topic before but now that I have all the info, my conclusion is: No, Snowy Serenity Zayne is NOT DB. Here's why:

For those who don't know, it seems there was this theory that Dawnbreaker somehow took over Dr Zayne during what happens in Snowy Serenity. This theory was brought up first in CN servers and later on was mentioned over twitter.

I admit that the first time I read about this theory of Snowy Serenity Zayne being Dawnbreaker, something didn't sit right with me, it felt as if we were shamelessly disregarding Dr Zayne's feelings he's been struggling with for so long. To read some people saying that "Dr Zayne hasn't changed" was kinda cruel, but I hadn't read the new anecdote so I didn't know where ppl was getting this theory from and if it made sense.

It seems the most obvious thing that made people think of this theory was the black ice that grew in Zayne's flowers (which are not Jasmine, but a flower called "Velvet Snow"):

And as a Zayne stan, I feel like It's my duty to remind you that black ice is not an exclusive thing of Dawnbreaker. It might be easy to see black ice and think of him because he uses black ice in his attacks when we have him as companion during battle and his anecdotes state that his ice is black. It also matches his whole aesthetic. However, he's not been the only case where black ice has been mentioned.

Black ice is mentioned in Foreseer's Myth too, whenever Astra punished Zayne:

I think some ppl often forget how ridiculously invasive was Astra's control over Zayne. He would punish Zayne if he ever thought of leaving the Tower. Heck, he even used to force Zayne to move his body against his will to inflict injures to himself.

Snowy Serenity Dr Zayne accidentally injuring MC and later on being so scared to lose control of his evol to the point of not even offering to tend her wounds reminded me more of Foreseer than DB, tbh.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Snowy Serenity Zayne is Foreseer neither, but given the info of the new anecdote, it could be related somehow. In Snowy Serenity, Dr Zayne finally bares his heart to MC and allows himself to fully feel and express his desires. He's the most sincere he's ever been, not only to MC but probably to himself too. This is the closest he's allowed himself to be to her. So, black ice growing on his flowers might as well be a showcase of Astra's curse, a signal of how bad things are going to be for him and MC from now on. After all, Dawnbreaker lives in a world where MC doesn't exist, so his black evol could also be a showcase of Astra's cuse finally fulfilled.

Of course, these are theories too, but black ice not being only a DB thing is a fact. To see black ice mentioned in the new anecdote and immediately jump to the conclusion that it was DB the one who kissed MC in SS is a bit of a stretch. However, I will give you this: I do think that the new anecdote references DB.

Another "proof" I saw about this whole theory was the name of the anecdote "No morning" that seems to be related to Zayne's title "Dawnbreaker". I think this is true and I'll even bargain with this, saying that the background they used for this anecdote is a crop of the one they used for DB anecdote's as well:

Again, does this means that DB was the one who kissed MC? No.

The reference to DB becomes clear at the end of the anecdote, when Greyson asks Zayne if patients see them as "Guardian Angels or Grim Reapers"

Of course, when Greyson mentions "Grim Reaper" Zayne can't help but look at the flowers and the black ice around them because to him, Dawnbreaker is the Grim Reaper.

One of the reasons that made me think that maybe there was a possibility that DB was present during SS before I read the anecdote, was that during his medical mission on Mt Eternal where Zayne had to kill William, he dreamed of DB a lot. Mt Eternal also seems to be a connection with his other selves: The Tower or Thorns and The God of the Mountain seem to be related to Mt Eternal. (Again, these are only theories so don't rely on them too much).

However, after reading the anecdote I just confirmed that there was no reason to believe it. I do think that they reference DB, but not the way this theory wants to make it to be. Dr Zayne is scared of becoming DB, we don't know at what extend Dr Zayne knows DB, but as far as we are aware, his impression of him is not good. The black ice seems like a bad omen of his cursed fate, of what's next to come for him. We know that DB lives in a future semi apocalyptic world from the main story, where we just know that things got fucked up at some point and we haven't reached that point in the story yet. We also know that Dr Zayne knows that things will be bad, probably bc he still retains some of his powers as Foreseer or Master of Fate so he can glimpse the future.

In Dawnbreaker's anecdotes, it is clear that humans can become Wanderers, in Dr Zayne's timeline, this information is not as clear yet. He saw William turning into a Wanderer and his medical research about using Protocores in the human heart showed a human heart covered in black crystals. Dr Zayne is involved in all of this probably to understand it and to stop it from happening. If you notice, the whole anecdote also reveals some info about ppl with Protocore Syndrome and also, that they use something called "Cryozina" to control the Metaflux that invades the human body from affecting the heart:

There's something important here:

-Protocores are obtained from Wanderers.

-In Dawnbreaker's anecdotes, humans can turn into Wanderers after exposing themselves to big quantities of Protocore Energy.

-Metaflux is basically Protocore energy.

I'm mentioning this because I think the truly purpose of this anecdote is to give us hints of how the apocalyptic world of Dawnbreaker came to be, what were the events that leaded us to it. Greyson has a crush on a hunter and she says that it was cool when she was revived. Let's not forget that Carter pestered Zayne about using Protocores in the human heart to defy death and let's not forget that MC is a rare case of immortality, so don't forget that these topics aren't brought up randomly. They have a purpose and they will make sense once more pieces of the puzzle are revealed.

Of course, if you've read this and you're still not convinced that it was Dr Zayne the one who kissed MC instead of Dawnbreaker, that's up to you. We all have an opinion and is as respectable as anyone's. However, I'd like to kindly ask that if you choose to believe it was DB, always make sure to clarify that this is just a theory and not a matter-of-fact thing.

Personally, it wasn't strange to me to see Dr Zayne's vulnerability in Snowy Serenity, he's shown vulnerability in other cards (Fragmented Dreams, Starry Nocturne, to name a few). The only difference here is that he exposes his feelings, his desires and fragility to a whole new level, which is totally understable considering the circumstances he's in. He exposed to a dangerous situation the person he wants to protect the most, he's been trapped in that Mountain for 4 days, not knowing if he would see her again. Even since his travel started, he seemed unsure about if he was going to return. Heck, I even think that the fact he asked MC to drop his car at the car wash was only a excuse to leave her his car in case he didn't come back.

He'd been opening up to her little by little and has worked hard to show his feelings more through the pass of time. He went from "I got used to being alone" (Bussiness Trip) to "Recently, a certain someone ocuppies my mind. Whether I'm walking, eating or sleeping, I keep picturing myself with her" (Heartstring healer) to "I need you, I have never denied that" (Snowy Serenity) If you notice, all those cards are cards where he and MC have to stay away bc of work related situations and their need for each other shows. The development of how things changed in their relationship is there. Dr Zayne needs MC just as much as DB and he's able to show it on his own. Please, don't disregard his efforts. Dr Zayne is just as precious as Dawnbreaker, Foreseer and Master of Fate.

[lukie17]

Theory about Caleb

What if Caleb was the one who betrayed MC in his myth?

I mean, he sees to be over protective of her to the degree of doing everything for her protection, and some comes from the fact that MC has died multiple times during her childhood. But what about a myth where Caleb had betrayed MC and he couldn't leave with that. Like MC was okay with Caleb having to take her down or something similar. Not even betraying but she understood, yet Caleb didn't. Caleb's only could thought how he could have sold the one he loved for the greater good and how he was willing to just do that. What if somehow Caleb remembers that deepdown and that is why he is so obssesed with her protection? Imagine myth Caleb killing MC for a greater good, yet he could not live with that, swearing that he would be her guradian in her next time lines.

Caleb standing in the facility where they are being tested on and a voice telling her to remember, to not let her die again. A kid Caleb who does not understand, but obeys the voice, Caleb who will play with his evol to help the little girl be happy because she deserves the world even though he does know it. Why if the promise he had made before in the past is the thing that makes him stay normal with MC?

[httqvi]

SYLUS. ꒰ masterlist. ꒱

CATEGORIES: sfw & nsfw oneshots, drabbles, imagines, headcannons, smaus

LABELLING: ‹3 a favorite, 𖥻 shed tears

[ SFW — ONESHOTS ]

jealousy incarnate by chuluoyi

— 3.8k words. 18+ suggestive content, minors do not interact, jealousy, crack, fluff, smut, a dash of comfort, assassin!reader (not l&ds mc).

pretty bird by snowballseal

— 2.1k words. sylus is jealous of you giving mephisto attention. that's it. you tease him when you find out.

little dino ‹3 by starmocha

— 2.5k words. sylus + daughter. sylus has a little dinosaur problem.

[ NSFW — ONESHOTS ]

highest bidder by ramonathinks

— 5.3k words. 18+ virginity loss, soft sex, small plot but not really, pet names, slight? knife play, oral, she/her pronouns, choking, finger sucking, praise, dumbification, degradation, slight fingering, corruption kink( if you squint), female guided masturbation (? kinda? idk!), squirting, attempt at aftercare, the twins have a cameo.

the sin and the sinner. (part 1) ‹3 by saintobio

— 8.2k words. sylus x villain!reader, angst, smut, boss/assistant, 18+, reader works for onychinus, reader is not l&ds!mc, set in the N109 zone, unrequited love, profanity, petnames (kitten, baby doll, darling, sweetie), unprotected sex, throatfucking (m!receiving), cunnilingus (f!receiving), cum-eating, slight dom/sub play, spitting, hair-pulling, spanking, biting, choking, overstimulation, bondage, blindfolding, lots of jealousy, possessiveness, yandere themes, stalking, blood, violence, usage of guns, allusions to prostitution, killings, death, *coughs* that one harley+joker scene.

𖥻 the conquered and the conquerer. (part 2) ‹3 by saintobio

— 10.4k words. sylus x villain!reader, angst, smut, boss/assistant, 18+, villain!reader, reader previously works for onychinus, reader is not l&ds!mc, sylus is a little ooc, main story spoilers, melodic weave spoilers, lots of timeskip, fast-paced, lore heavy, unrequited love, profanity, petnames (kitten, sweetie), explicit smut, cunnilingus (f!receiving), unprotected sex, creampie, espionage, reader smoking, reckless driving, violence, spitting, choking, jealousy, usage of guns, suicide (or attempts thereof), death, and a twist in the end i can’t reveal.

𖥻 the loved and the lost. (part 3) ‹3 by saintobio

— 9.5k words. sylus x villain!reader, angst, smut, boss/assistant, 18+, sylus's pov, reader is not l&ds!mc, sylus might be ooc, main story spoilers, razor's dance spoilers, nightplumes spoilers, lots of timeskip, fast-paced, unrequited love, profanity, petnames (kitten, sweetie), espionage, jealousy, brief smut, mentions of pregnancy/impregnation kink, mentions of accidents, suicide attempt, injuries, blood, usage of guns, usage of knife, killings, death, my own theories incorporated into the lore, sylus groveling bcos yall want him to.

a practical demonstration by janumun

— 9.8k words. sylus x f!reader, size difference, oral and vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, rough sex, mild mentions of stalking (not sylus or mephisto for once lol), inexperienced (not virgin) reader, edging, drinking, [im]proper use of evol, explicit sexual content.

red tape by sugartheplum

— 8.8k words. mma fighter!sylus x manager!reader, nsfw (18+) - mdni!!, modern au, smut, vaginal fingering, kissing, dirty talk, oral sex - m! and f!receiving, praise kink, p in v, masturbation, size difference, size kink, mild choking.

[ IMAGINES & DRABBLES ]

— 08/02/24; 11:33pm by jinwoosungs (nsfw)

— cockwarming you by takeaslicex (nsfw)

— fluffy pjs by mrs-kurooo (sfw, fluff)

— sleepy affection by snowballseal (sfw, fluff)

— bane of existence by chuluoyi (sfw, suggestive)

— more than luxury by connorsui (sfw, fluff)

— stargazing in your eyes by connorsui (sfw, fluff)

— emotional support by sushiyuzu (sfw, fluff)

[ HEADCANNONS ]

— how clingy sylus copes with your absence by matsunolvr (sfw, fluff)

— ex-husband!sylus ‹3 by plutotheplum (nsfw)

[ SMAUS ]

© httqvi, 2024.

[chaoticbardlady99]

I’m obsessed with this pose so much (and the middle one). In the universe where Lenore is with Sylus- Caleb has a non-mc.

Serana is one of Caleb and Lenore’s childhood best f friend’s and lived with them for a period of time following her being kicked out of her house at 12. Serana is a year younger than Caleb and a year older than Lenore (24 years old). She is probably more Lenore’s friend than Caleb’s, but Caleb always hangs out with her and her group of friends at school. They eventually ended up joining the DAA together and become exceptionally close, becoming roommates after finishing school.

Serana was devastated when Caleb died because she has unrequited love for him. However, she wanted to move forward and keep flying because he no longer can. Professor Lucius takes advantage of her pain and offers her a way to “heal from her grief”.

Serana’s Evol is Force (dnd) and she was brought up from the DAA a little bit before Caleb became Colonel and she was one of the first subjects for the Toring Chip.

Caleb finds out when he’s introduced to his Lieutenant Colonel. She doesn’t remember a single damn thing anymore and Caleb realizes he didn’t know what he had now that the person he knows is gone. Oh and he wants her to remember so he tries to re-invoke memories 🥸🫣

Anyway- that’s one of my many silly little maladaptive daydream.

Spoilers below for Myth

I think Caleb and MC’s collision created the deep space tunnel and they somehow were pulled through time. This would make sense because no one knew where the heck MC or Caleb came from and then they began experimenting on MC (which, since Caleb maybe remembers everything, is probably really devastating for him to go through again).

Not to mention, when MC is no longer with just him, it makes sense why he is so protective and such because now she has thoughts of her own that are not born from them coinciding. Her being exposed to other love interests would probably be a shock to him as well since they may have died and created a massive black hole, only to be reborn, and either brought back to past Philos in the path or another planet in another universe.

Idk if that makes sense, it’s a just a theory.

Also based on my limited understanding of the timeline (it’s messy as hell)- it means MC’s soul in the Philosian world began in a world where she named her beloved Dragon and ended in a world where she named her man made counter part 😭 Sylus and her have a different kind of connection than her and Caleb but it has the same principal and he’s fighting becoming a monster and destroying her. It just makes me the big sad.

Lenore and Caleb belowwww

[calebdatabase]

Why is Caleb called Donor 002?

*This speculation was drafted prior to Caleb's X-02 myth trailer

In this brief post, I’m riffing off of the Adam and Eve theory for Caleb x MC based on his anecdote that refers to him as “Donor 002” and her as “Subject 001”. This post lightly brushes the sibling controversy so if you’re sensitive to it, keep scrolling.

It’s a significant distinction between their roles to make, and I’m not sure if anyone’s fully connected their Donor/Subject roles as experiments to the Adam and Eve theory.

In the context of illegal experimentation, Caleb’s title in the documents implies that he donated something vital to MC. In the lens of the Adam and Eve theory, it’s arguably a process that symbolically mirrors the way God took one of Adam’s ribs and created Eve with it.

21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Genesis 2:21-23 KJV

(As someone who attended a private Christian academy never thought I’d be quoting the Bible for an otome game theory lol)

From what we’ve seen, Caleb and MC operate in a pair and have abilities to keep each other’s powers in check. Ever is known for targetting ‘twins’, such as Luke & Kieran, the 303 twins and Mia & Kevi.

Now while Caleb and MC are obviously not related, their sibling-like bond shares similarities to the aforementioned sets of twins, such as being able to sense each other’s presence, mental states and having a knack for ending up in proximity to the other.

I’m pretty sure Caleb’s joked about having telekinesis powers related to her. MC also brought up how Josephine tasked Caleb with protecting her when they were kids, likening their dynamic to the way “a ring system protects its planet”. Josephine wanted them to watch each other's back while they were originally programmed to destroy each other.

"We don't need to face the future alone, though. It's like how planets and their ring systems are born together... They'll also fade away together." – Teenage Caleb to MC

I suppose one question to ask is what exactly was Caleb forced to donate to be dubbed “Donor 002”? What was MC missing?

Was it blood, cells, or something more substantial like an organ? Possibly even Evol to assist the Gaia researchers revival experiments with her?

Depending on the answer the writers give us, there might be some merit to the controversy of them being related to a certain minor degree. Don’t come for me, it was Infold that put them in this sticky situation.

On the other hand, maybe the Gaia researchers really just siphoned his Evol for use in MC’s experiments somehow, who knows? Time will tell.

[dronepikachu]

Love and Deepspace Evol Management Tier List

okay so, love and deepspace has been occupying my thoughts ever since i got back into the game after about a year

i've been looking into more of each LI's management of their respective evols from their myths/main storyline, anecdotes, etc and i think i can safely rank them from best to worst evol management

before i continue, this is just my personal listings for all the LI's evol control. if you have a different take on this theory, please feel free to comment/reblog with your own thoughts! i'm curious on what you all have to say about it :D

ALSO SPOILERS FOR WHOMEVER HASN'T SEEN THE MYTHS/MAIN STORYLINE!!!

first, at the very bottom of the list:

Zayne:

(now hear me out-)

we all have seen him as Foreseer, right? a demi-god who was gifted god-like powers by Astra to carry out his rule.

he defied Astra ONCE by looking into the MC's fate, which was intertwined with his own, and he was punished by his own ice abilities. and it caused him an incredible amount of pain.

in the current timeline, whenever Zayne overuses his evol, his arm and part of his face become encased with ice and frost, which causes him partial pain as well as temporary immobilization of whichever arm.

we can also see scarring on both of his arms from the aftermath of this over-usage. in hindsight, he's still cursed with this instability and there's essentially nothing he can do about it.

okay, let's move on to the next one before i start sobbing-

Xavier:

now, we all have seen his exceptional skills with a sword combined with his light evol, but he doesn't seem to be in complete control of it in terms of his full strength.

remember our first meeting with Xavier? when he shot up to protect MC from a few wanderers, there looked to be some form of a digitized collar around his neck which turned red before ending the wanderer.

to also factor in that he's from the future, so he's already quite limited with how much of his power he can utilize without it messing with the entire timeline.

but, i think in a separate memory of his (not sure of the name, please let me know!), he mentioned something about his "last 214th spring", which i believe meant that he was growing weaker from his future self remaining in the past for so long.

now, i'm unsure as to why he supposedly betrayed MC, but during the kindled scene of the memory, he seemed to be either in a hazed state or partially possessed by his evol.

he was mumbling to himself about "a place that uses to survive doesn't deserve to exist", and only when MC resonated with Xavier did his evol finally subside.

so yeah, Xavier definitely has potential in unleashing his full power, but he remains incredibly restricted due to his position in time.

now, for one that balances the table just right.

Rafayel:

i feel like Rafayel is a perfect balance of the scale. he shows incredible skill over the flow of his evol.

he's able to fully utilize his evol while in combat or even in mundane situations. we see that he's able to complete darken a fully candlelit room with a simple flick of his wrist and vice versa.

along with his fire evol comes his sea god abilities.

while we haven't really seen much of his sea god powers in the main storyline (and admittedly in his myth story), i'm willing to assume that there's a lot of potential with this form that Rafayel hasn't had the time to dive into.

with the ocean essentially becoming a desert, he might never learn how to hone into that form's true power.

but, from what we can see from the gameplay, he shows the same level of mastery to that of his evol. i would love to see him use both of his powers further down the story. however, all we can really do is speculate until it happens..

okay, the next two LI's truly had me struggling where to place who because these two both show incredibly mastery of their evols..

but, i have to place them somewhere, and here's what i have.

Sylus:

okay okay wait, i can explain this one-

now, we all know that Sylus was a dragon fiend in his myth story (i almost lost it while watching through the memory ;-;), but when we see him in the current storyline, he seems to be fully aware of his previous life as a dragon.

so because of that heritage, along with his energy evol, he's got vast mastery of his abilities, and to list a few of them:

he can materialize a fully loaded gun with just a simple thought, is able to lift up and immobilize several individuals with a wave of his hand, teleportation, some form of memory projection (when they first met, Sylus began to use his right eye to project his memories into MC, causing her to gain a headache in the process), immortality for obvious reasons and perhaps many more we don't know about.

hell, some could say he reached his full potential, but i believe there could still be room for him to grow stronger, so for now, he's ranked 2nd here

now, for number one...our newly added LI;

Caleb:

i think we can all agree that anyone with the ability to manipulate one's gravity is incredibly powerful...and dangerous.

Caleb fits both categories.

first of all, he's shown complete mastery over his evol. he nearly includes it in mundane life, he also heavily includes it during gameplay (which i find absolutely incredible and aesthetically pleasing).

Caleb even uses his evol to essentially immobilize someone either by a limb or their entire body.

so, i was curious about him so i went through his character anecdotes and i noticed something interesting in one of the sections...

while he was training to become a pilot, there was mentions about a mental health assessment they all took and...Caleb was recommended to some psychological evaluations.

now, this might be me speculating a bit too hard into things, but the fact that he can basically generate an entire black hole...that truly frightened and enlightened me about how that happened..

now, i might have 2 theories on that; he either gained the ability when he was receiving that upgrade, or maybe from how mentally unstable he grew, it conjured up into the ability to create a black hole at will.

so, in conclusion, Caleb is not only an individual with an equally powerful evol, but due to his poor mental health, it essentially turned him into a lethal one-man army.

imagine a 1v4 with Caleb and the others...that sure sounds like a battle to behold...but i will admit it'll make me worried just how far they'll all push themselves...

WHEW that was a lot of typing!! to whomever stuck around until the end, i highly appreciate it :)

and like i said above, if you have your own tier list based off of this concept, don't be afraid to share it, i'm always open to different takes!

[npuppet]

LaDs Rambles #8 ft Ever lol

Based on this theory reel in insta

TLDR;

Xavier is Sylus’s “rival” since they both came from Philos/prince vs dragon, light vs dark all that, Rafayels “rival” could actually be Caleb with the whole sea and sky parallel leaving Zayne to not have a “rival” anymore. So with the theory that the patient at the end of the current story being the sixth LI it parallels doctor and patient right? (Caleb being Zayne’s rival would be a red herring essentially)

So Ever is a biotechnology company that is involved in biotech, aerospace (how they keep Caleb under wraps), Evol Energy, and international trade

I noticed two things

In Final Farewell Ever focused on condensing human consciousness into data so it could live forever (and this was before the Chronorift Catastrophe/pre Evol existence)

And

They experimented on MC who could die and be revived/brought back to life every time (also they were interested in her Aether Core which just magically appeared after she dies the first time)

Sooooo Ever is trying to find immortality or at the very least a way to extend life beyond what current technology can do

I think the supposed sixth LI is associated with Ever but not in charge or at least doesn’t know the lengths Ever is going to to find a cure if he is terminally ill (otherwise it would, in my opinion, be hard to like the LI if he is so morally corrupt)

It could be Ever’s CEO’s son or someone who is somehow important to Ever, making it so the sixth LI is innocent in the face of Evers crimes against humanity

Y’all picking up what I’m putting down??

[edgarbright]

Caleb = Sylus theory

And if that turns out to be incorrect, then renamed as:

My thoughts on Caleb and Sylus!

tl;dr my heart wants Caleb back as a LI and my brain continues to report that Caleb being Sylus makes a lot of sense

General spoiler warning for any game content released up until June 18, 2024. Long post is long and has pictures.

So first things first! I’m going to need everyone to think about Caleb beyond being just our sweet and teasing childhood friend. Because if we viewed the other male leads as plainly as Caleb is often viewed, then Zayne is just a workaholic doctor, Xavier is just a narcoleptic hunter, and Rafayel is just a playful-personality artist.

But we find out Zayne has done work in battle zones as a military medic and we hear how his morals and ethics are held high when organizations like Ever Group try to recruit him. We discover that Xavier is an immortal who has flown across the galaxy in a spaceship and regularly goes toe-to-toe with criminal syndicates and wanderers alike. We learn that Rafayel is a Lemurian, the God of the Sea, and an assassin who carefully and cleverly deals out bloody revenge.

While we don’t have a lot of Caleb content in the first eight chapters and side pieces, there is still a lot of information to work with! Because we know he has been around for years and must be doing something with his time when he’s not talking with MC about coming home.

And one of the clues we’re given is that he is a busy guy. In the character notes, we read that MC doesn’t see Caleb outside of holidays after he became involved with the Aerospace Academy at Skyhaven. He has since become a pilot for the Deepspace Aviation Administration. Then there is their last argument about how they are adults now and they don’t need to keep secrets from each other. But just when Caleb is about to open up, he locks it down. And then he’s gone.

The End? Except I don’t think that’s where his story finishes.

I. Official game descriptions

Caleb: "My childhood friend. Grandma took us in when we were young. Now he works as a fighter pilot for the Deepspace Aviation Administration. Ever since he went to Aerospace Academy in Skyhaven, we don’t often see each other. But we always visit Grandma during the holidays. While he loves teasing me, he’s actually a reliable person whom I trust."

Sylus: "The leader of Onychinus is said to have built his empire on illegal Evol weapons and Protocore deals. He’s the most influential, dominant figure in the N109 Zone. However, he hasn’t been seen for a while."

II. Caleb as a love interest: Brother vs childhood friend

Stating the obvious to get it out of the way: that Papergames had to give Caleb a completely different relationship role with MC in the English-speaking market is akin to a public statement that he is going to be a love interest. They would have saved themselves the trouble by leaving him as brother if he was never going to play a more intimate role with MC.

III. Caleb and MC's lingering connection: the necklace

The “When U come back,” apple-and-dog-tag necklace picked out in a style MC really liked as a present for Caleb before he left for Skyhaven.

The necklace where, in chapter 4.06 ‘Saying Goodbye,’ MC and Caleb share a Kindled moment as we take the necklace from his hand and he leans forward to let us put it on him.

The necklace that Caleb was wearing under the bulk of his jacket when he entered Grandma’s house before the explosion.

The necklace that is nowhere to be seen after the explosion, but suddenly appears on the ground in front of us when MC looks back down. Caleb was wearing that necklace when he entered the house, but here it is now, completely intact. MC’s hands are covered in dirt and ash while the necklace is in clean condition.

Caleb is alive in one way or another. And the necklace, now back in MC’s possession, is a tie that still binds them.

IV. Official Announcement of the Next Male Lead

(Disclaimer: I am only able to go off the English fan translation and google translations so my interpretation is at the mercy of missed nuances from word choice and mis-translations. But we’re just here to be delusional have fun, so play nice!)

During the CBT in 2023, Papergames released this announcement:

Then on February 24, 2024 as part of an apology post to angry Chinese players, Papergames provided a follow-up and official confirmation that hunters will get to meet the next love interest, Qin Che/Sylus, in the next big story update coming this July 2024.

This February announcement does not mention Caleb, but then the original Q&A was clearly only referencing a question regarding a single pre-mentioned person. So between CBT and now, my understanding is that we have only ever been promised one new male lead to top us off at a quartet.

And in that initial announcement in CBT, it continues to strike me as strange that they talk about this mystery man Sylus and then they bring up Caleb. They first talk at length about someone we don’t know at all and then about someone the CBT players were already interested in: our doting brother/childhood friend, someone who clearly likes us, someone whom the MC obviously likes in return, someone with a unique personality from the other LI, and someone we have lost and grieved over and want back.

But the official name of the next male lead is Sylus.

“His identity and your relationship to him,” however, could also suggest that the name “Sylus” may not be his true name. Is there just some guy named Sylus walking around Linkon City or does he become Sylus when associated with Onychinus and when he enters the N109 zone? After all, his identity is a question, it is a mystery, he is mystery, and our relationship to him is a question. Our true relationship to him is in question, because perhaps it is someone we thought we knew but didn’t truly know at all.

V. Sylus: a powerful persona in the N109 zone

As the main story plot progresses and MC sets her sights on entering the N109 zone, she learns that the acquisition of a bold fake identity is a key part to her safety. By the sound of it, even someone like Xavier doesn’t enter as Xavier, but instead as Lumiere as it was Lumiere who was rumored to have caused a mess there recently.

Therefore I’m further encouraged that the name “Sylus” could just be a new identity for someone we already know. Even more so, once ‘Caleb the fighter pilot from the Deepspace Aviation Administration’ has officially been declared dead, the only identity left to him is Sylus.

But strangely enough, after Caleb is gone, even the character description states Sylus hasn’t been seen for a while, either…

VI. Symbols: the jacket and the crow

Caleb is wearing a Deepspace Aviation Administration (DAA) jacket before he begins attending the Airspace Academy at Skyhaven, as seen in the flashback scene. He is still wearing the same jacket on the last day we see him in chapter 4.

Of interest, in chapter 3, we see a crow in the forest watching MC and Xavier after they destroy the developing Aetherwyrm and taking Onychinus's modified Protocore.

Note the diagonal orange bars on the mechanical feature on the crow’s left wing and the design on the jacket on Caleb’s left chest:

The bars mirror one another. The crow seems to have four bars but only three are full whereas the jacket shows four full bars.

Note as well on the jacket's left arm: the crow-like head triangle with the curved wings.

With MC currently entangled in tens of thousands of years of history with three other men, I don’t think this is a game that deals with mere coincidences.

But considering this crow symbol existed on the DAA jacket before Caleb went to the academy teases all types of connections and, most appropriately, spacetime considerations rooted around the Deepspace Tunnel.

VII. The Deepspace Aviation Administration

After completing his training at the Airspace Academy, Caleb rose up to become a pilot in the Deepspace Aviation Administration. His whole job involves flying around and near the Deepspace Tunnel.

The same Deepspace Tunnel that the Linkon broadcaster speaks of so frequently regarding possible Wanderer appearances.

The same Deepspace Tunnel that appeared at the time of the catastrophe.

The same Deepspace Tunnel that Xavier and the Backtrackers took to travel from Philos to Earth.

Just as MC is learning new and weird things about the world while working as a hunter, surely Caleb has come across some new and weird things, too.

MC states that the DAA is secretive but Caleb takes it a step further: it’s not just secretive, it’s spooky! It’s creepy! It’s mysterious! It’s shadowy!

Whatever the DAA is dealing with isn’t, necessarily, normal!

Because while the DAA is of course focused on the Deepspace Tunnel, we have also heard that some of their interests lie in the Lemurian ruins…

So we shouldn’t take the Deepspace Aviation Administration at face value. Honestly, nothing in this game appears to be as good and pure as it seems! It’s suspicious that MC works as a hunter in the Unicorns division when Unicorn was also the code name for her as an experiment. The public face of Ever Group has them seeming to work medical miracles and conducting revolutionary science, but we know they conducted cruel experiments on MC, we have clues they experimented on Lemurians, and it’s revealed they have dark dealings with the Backtrackers.

Note that while Sylus is the leader of Onychinus and built it up as an empire, that doesn’t necessarily mean he is the founder. The Deepspace Aviation Administration could easily have criminal ties of their own or be a cover for a front for their true reason to exist.

But whatever is going on with the DAA, Caleb has been involved in it for many years and has kept it secret from MC this whole time.

VIII. Male Lead Introductions

It feels too strange to think that Sylus will be an entirely new face because not only would that put him at a disadvantage, it would neglect a lot of clues and game features laid out for his association and arrival.

For starters, Xavier, Rafayel, and Zayne are all introduced to MC in the very first chapter. They get faces and little encounters to go along with them.

Meanwhile Caleb is faceless. He is just a voice in chapter 1. But to the MC, it’s the familiar voice of someone she obviously knows and loves and is excited to see again. She has history and memories and a developed relationship with this person.

But even through the teasing affection shared between MC and Caleb over the phone, his face and expressions are left in the dark. He is a mystery to us.

Except… maybe we do see a face of Caleb? In the face of the all-seeing-eye of Onychinus that appears a moment after MC gets off the phone with him.

So, going back to that CBT announcement, Papergames asks if the players found any clues regarding Sylus in the main story… right before they bring Caleb into the conversation, who for all intents and purposes is dead? Whether they were making a hint or not right there it’s too suspicious.

IX. Lore: The Eye in the Sky Watching Over MC

We spot the red eye watching MC on at least three occasions:

[Top left image] At the end of chapter 1: After MC has completed her first day as a hunter and Caleb bids her goodnight after their phone call, she sees the eye for a moment outside her window as the weather begins to turn bad.

[Bottom left image] In chapter 3: MC recalls a reoccurring nightmare when her 7-year-old self was running blindly in pain and fear during the Chronorift Catastrophe. While she initially thinks it is the moon, when she wakes up she realizes it was actually the same eye she saw in chapter 1. Of interest, notice how her description of the eye’s arrival is portrayed rather positively:

Rusty-red rain falls from the sky and seeps into every nook and cranny of the city. I step over the puddles, running away. I sense a powerful force. It's about to burst from my heart. Then the moon appears. Magnificent, it descends before me. It flickers. It seems to be blinking at me.

[Right image] At the Nest in chapter 8: the eye is in a robotic contraption watching events unfold on Hunting Day and when MC is captured.

So it seems this eye has been with her since she was seven years old and it found her before even Xavier did. As an observation vessel, however, it was not able to help her. All it can do is watch. So the question is who has been watching her from the other end? Ever Group? Onychinus? The Backtrackers? Caleb in some form?

X. Caleb is never doing what MC expects

On the phone call in chapter 1, MC thought he would still be in-flight, but he brushes it off by saying they finished early. He uses this surprise “free time” to call her right when she returns home and asks how her first day as a hunter went.

When MC arrives to Grandma’s house in chapter 4, she thought he wouldn’t arrive until the next day at the earliest, but he was already home. He uses this surprise “free time” to cook and have dinner ready for her right when she arrives.

He just always seems to be a step ahead of the MC… for the sake of doting on MC!

But it’s still rather odd that lower-level military personnel would get early clock-outs so conveniently when activity in the Deepspace Tunnel and appearance of Wanderers are on the rise…

And what is he doing that is making him so sleep-deprived?

XI. FM News vs Caleb: Deepspace Tunnel Activity

For the record, all of chapter 1 takes place over a single day. MC starts her morning by receiving her badge; spends the day hunting Wanderers, meeting Xavier, and getting her placement in alpha team; spends the evening with Tara before she meets Rafayel; rushes to her 6pm check-up appointment with Zayne; has a nighttime phone call with Caleb; and spots the eye outside her window before bed.

And from morning to night, the news report and Caleb’s report are complete opposites.

“Hello, Linkon City. DPSC FM here to greet you on this early morning. Did you sleep well last night? Weather's nice today with winds at 5 km/hr. Certain areas have a higher Metaflux index due to the Deepspace Tunnel. Expect Wanderers to appear more often. We would like to thank the hunters in the city for allowing us to live a normal, peaceful life. Next, a detailed report for each district. Areas that are at a "high risk" of being attacked by Wanderers-- All medical personnel, today is going to be another busy day.”

Compared to

MC: "Did you guys encounter any Wanderers in the Deepspace Tunnel? Was it dangerous?" ... Caleb: "All right. It's been peaceful. The field within the tunnel is as stable as it can be. Very few Wanderers. Don't worry." MC: "Really? Every time you tell me not to worry..." Caleb: "Everything else is top secret. My lips are sealed."

Now, it’s entirely possible that he’s lying about the danger in order to make MC feel better, but if he was lying and the situation was more severe, he wouldn’t have gotten off work early and been able to call her.

Which also brings up the question: is he even at Skyhaven or with the Deepspace Aviation Administration at this time...?

XII. Theory Speed Bump: the Exploding House

During the phone call in chapter 1, Caleb sounds very relaxed about MC having become a hunter on her first day. He asks her how it went and when she starts talking about having had some trouble, he teases her to stop--because he knows she did well! They go on to tease each other about when he’s going to next visit and he says a very sweet good night. He doesn’t sound worried for her safety or anxious or anything of the like.

The visit at Grandma’s house in chapter 4 is a little different. He seems more worried.

Caleb shows up a day early—and if he is Sylus, leader of Onychinus who are wildly in-the-know, obviously his connections would have alerted him to the moving activity posing a danger toward MC and Grandma. But considering how well Xavier stays off most radars, the other Backtrackers are quite good at moving in secret, too. Knowing there is danger isn’t the same as knowing where or when exactly it will hit.

From the World Underneath files, Ever Group appears to have lost track of experiment subject “Unicorn,” but they still had tabs on Josephine as one of their former researchers. The files the Backtracker acquired after the explosion that he delivered to the Ever Group’s Raincoat appears to be their confirmation on MC’s identity. Although we’re left listening to the lackey’s discussion, it doesn’t appear that Ever Group intended to do MC harm just yet, but that doesn't mean she couldn't have accidentally been caught up in the explosion, too.

While MC and everyone are at the table eating, the story about the multiple metaflux explosions are shown on the TV.

When MC excuses herself from the table in order to go scout the neighborhood, Caleb, who just voiced concerns for her safety, jumps up and follows her.

Caleb very obviously lies about going shopping (my guy has empty hands when he reappears). He continues to follow her, albeit from a distance as he is not quick enough to get involved in MC’s encounter with the sneaking Backtracker (note how the MC observed that the man sounded much older than he looked).

Although it’s interesting how, after Caleb knows she was attacked and how he stuck by her side as often as he could while they were outside, he enters the house first and leaves her alone outside.

But the only reason he entered the house first and alone was because MC told him to go inside first. He was the one who suggested they return home before Grandma got worried. Whatever danger Caleb was on high alert for, I’m left conflicted if an exploding house was something he considered since it was his idea to return.

His necklace magically appearing in front of MC after the explosion, however, suggests he was involved in the necklace placement in some way.

Also we don't know what his Evol is exactly. Some players have suggested telekinesis or gravity based on how he was able to take the necklace from MC in the flashback. Magnetic force should also be considered, I think, but I won't open that can of worms here. The question is still: how deep does this rabbit hole go? Was Caleb caught in an explosion he was prepared for and escaped or is another force at work here? We know there have been many Rafayels and Zaynes in the timeline. Maybe there are many Calebs, too.

XIII. Grandma's records have no mention of Caleb

Before she took in MC, Josephine states in the World Underneath files that she has never had children before. Meaning Caleb was not in the picture before MC.

In the game character notes, MC says Grandma took both MC and Caleb in when MC was seven years old.

So where did Caleb come from? And what made her take him in, too?

When we are at Grandma’s house, we also see just one picture frame. The only ones in the picture are MC and Grandma.

In all of Grandma’s notes, there is not one mention of Caleb. There is just one instance where it looks like his name ought to be, but the notes trail off instead with an ellipsis.

Did she herself exclude him from her records or was his name purposefully removed?

Nonetheless, I'm sure the leader of Onychinus would value such anonymity, if it were him.

XIV. "A decisive man as always"

At the family meal, MC expresses concern regarding Grandma’s health. Caleb speaks up and shares that he has taken care to see that Grandma is cared for.

When MC, a little peevish-sounding in English, asks him the when and why, all Caleb does is let out a small laugh and goes back to eating.

Grandma notes that she didn’t know about this plan either. "A decisive man as always," she says with a troubled expression.

And thus Grandma has thrown an interesting character trait into the mix as Caleb always seems so laid-back with MC like he’s simply going with the flow of things. Except it’s clear he’s decisive, determined, and taking care of things behind the scenes. And surely that includes taking care of MC.

XV. Sylus's Character

We have two points of concrete information about Sylus.

The first is the game description, which I’ll repeat here: “The leader of Onychinus is said to have built his empire on illegal Evol weapons and Protocore deals. He’s the most influential, dominant figure in the N109 Zone. However, he hasn’t been seen for a while.”

The second is an observation made by Captain Jenna in chapter 3:

"We speculate it’s not about money, given Sylus’s track record," she says.

So Sylus "is said to have built" a whole empire on illegal sales but apparently he’s OK with his sales taking a loss because it’s not about money. We see in several news reports in-game about the amazing medical progress made due to the use of Protocores. Modified Protocores, especially such revolutionary ones made by Onychinus, should easily be worth more than their weight in gold. The one that MC and Xavier take from the forest is even powerful enough to start the revival process of the strongest type of Wanderer.

So we have this mysterious Sylus who has prioritized power and influence over wealth, but what can he possibly do with those if he’s gone AWOL…?

But such a decisive man who has gained authority over the N109 zone likely has everything under control, right?

XVI. Grandma Josephine vs Caleb

In chapter 4 under the title “Secret,” in part due to the mysterious locked box MC receives, we the player (not MC) learn that Grandma had entrusted MC to Zayne if the “worst-case scenario happens.”

But what about Caleb? We know that he is away from home very often so it’s highly unlikely anyone should consider something bad happening to both her and him. The “us” she uses could mean them both, but it seems more likely she meant Zayne’s promise to Grandma and MC (as MC is the beneficiary).

Let’s go back to that family meal conversation and see the follow-up reactions that show some interesting motives:

We have Caleb taking responsibility for family matters, MC and Grandma caught by surprise—then look at what Grandma does: she doesn’t argue with his decision, but instead turns to MC and immediately encourages her to get back in touch with Zayne.

Caleb’s response to that in turn is to suggest that instead of Zayne and MC meeting alone, Zayne should come for a family dinner. Caleb’s reaction feels rather sarcastic with the emphasis on “looong time.” Zayne is given the treatment of, rather than being a family friend, he is more like that kid they used to know back in grade school. Which is true. Zayne has been absent in MC and Caleb's lives for the past 10 years. Zayne hasn’t been in the picture since MC was about eleven years old and it’s been Caleb looking after MC as her childhood friend/brother this whole time.

So it’s no surprise when MC and Caleb are walking back home together that their conversation turns out like this:

"If not me, who could you possibly turn to for…" he begins, then stops. He smiles bitterly, shakes his head, and plays it off.

Is this him choking up on his yearning? Is this him realizing what Grandma tried to do earlier by bringing up Zayne, and realizing there are other people MC can turn to? Is this him realizing MC is right, that he really can’t protect her forever? Is this him realizing he can’t protect her as just Caleb? Or is there something else going on in that head of his?

It seems to me that not only are Grandma and Caleb not working together at this point, despite them both prioritizing MC's safety, Grandma might not consider Caleb outside of being the family cook!

What does Grandma know about Caleb that would make her turn to Zayne instead?

XVII. What Onychinus knows about MC's Aether Core (spoiler: everything)

Summary: This all happened in the immediate aftermath of the Chronorift Catastrophe. Dr. Noah was bought into the picture shortly after Grandma took MC into her home. Around that same time, one of the researchers who experimented on MC joined up with Onychinus. From that point on, all the other researchers started dying or disappearing—except for Grandma Josephine.

Grandma, however, is eventually killed by the Backtrackers hired by Ever Group, who had been looking for details about their missing Unicorn.

MC notes that Grandma didn’t leave any work files at home. Therefore Caleb wouldn’t have learned anything at the home.

But because Onychinus knows everything through that researcher, Sylus also knows everything that happened to MC. He knows what Josephine did. He knows about MC’s condition. He knows about her special heart. He knows about the Aether Core. He knows what dangers might pursue MC.

And what is Onychinus’s main project? Modifying Protocores.

MC learns that the frequency of her heart matches that of the modified Protocore she found in the restricted zone with Xavier. Both her heart and that modified Protocore had been effected by an Aether Core.

The crucial part I’m getting at is that Onychinus already knows about MC before she ever went to the Nest. They have known about her for around 15 years and during all this time Onychinus have never, ever approached or harmed her!

In this Sylus = Caleb scenario, he already has MC (trust me! he pleads), he already has her Aether Core, and he's trying to keep it secret, he's trying to keep her safe.

The other researchers had to die to keep her safe, because the knowledge they held of her would die with them.

"If not for me, who could you turn to for..." Caleb had once started to say, because if not for him, who else could have protected her all this time? Who else would work so tirelessly and decisively to do what needed to be done?

XVIII. Onychinus is not our enemy

One of the reasons I love Love and Deepspace is because the world building and lore are incredibly interesting. But we must use critical thinking because they are also deceptive. So many characters keep treating Onychinus as dangerous, as deadly, but we not only don’t know their true motive, we have no information on what bad things they’ve actually done besides existing outside normal society.

Both Jenna and Xavier tell us that Onychinus's most famous achievement is modifying Protocores. There is no word of Onychinus ever doing direct or indirect harm using these modified Protocores. We don’t even know to whom, exactly, they sell these Protocores—and we know that it’s not about money.

Onychinus is a mystery! What anyone knows about them is all speculation!

Ever Group, meanwhile, has conducted experiments on Lemurians as explored in Raymond's situation and experiments on MC when she was a child. These actions directly resulted in the "death" of MC numerous times and the probable death of at least one Lemurian if not more. In the World Underneath we discover that Ever Group also knows about the Backtrackers and about Philos. Ever Group hired the Backtracker that destroyed MC’s family. They also use Xavier and are plotting to, for lack of a better word, enslave him once they figure out the chemical compound of the medication he and the other Backtrackers use as injections.

It’s not a mistake, however, that Ever Group is praised by the public for their ingenuity and medical advances for the sake of a better society while Onychinus is treated as dangerous renegades.

Then there is also the Deepspace Aviation Administration who are "unraveling the unknown" at the Deepspace Tunnel while fighting Wanderers.

XIX. I promise you’ll see me every day when you wake up ;)

For the longest time I read Caleb's final promise at face value. He was coming back home to visit, so every morning when MC wakes up at Grandma’s house, she’ll see Caleb.

And I know I’m not the only one who shouted OBJECTION after the explosion (All Men Do Is Lie)!

Except waking up doesn’t have to be literal.

In the pre-registration announcement video released November 1, 2023, Zayne says the following line:

“When you and the world wake up, I hope we do not meet again.”

Perhaps MC just needs to wake up to the truth—the truth of what happened to her before she met Caleb and Zayne and Rafayel and Xavier, the truth of what Grandma and the scientists did to her as a child, the truth… of what she might find in the N109 zone, where Onychinus is, where the question to Sylus and her relationship with him will be answered…

When MC learns the truth, when she opens her eyes to the real world, she will see Caleb again.

(She will get to see him every day just like he promised.)

XX. Theoretical consideration: we’re in a time loop with possible time travel

If there are multiple timelines, it’s possible that the Sylus-Caleb we eventually meet isn’t the Caleb who entered that house before the explosion. They could be the same but different. Perhaps Caleb in one timeline died in that house while a Caleb in another timeline did not. Perhaps the necklace we picked up belonged to a different Caleb.

Because let’s be real, everything is a bit of a mess now: Dawnbreaker and Zayne sharing dreams, Xavier as an immortal alien on a completely different planet, and Rafayel has a millennia of emotional baggage to unpack and a lost civilization he has yet to revive.

There are also the rhythms in which the characters are living in their respected timelines. We have Xavier the immortal who has witnessed the many lives of MC living and dying tragically and being reborn again and again. We have Rafayel who is in a matched reincarnation cycle with MC where he seems to meet her in each life, but she has forgotten him while he may or may not have forgotten her. We have Zayne who is in an unmatched reincarnation cycle with MC where he may or may not meet her in each life, but he sacrifices himself for her sake at each end.

Let's not overlook the possibility of an actual time traveler with Sylus. Perhaps even one who has been looking for a timeline where he can keep MC safe. After all, coming late into the game, Sylus will need to have a new spin to his myth and connection with MC if he's going to compete!

Plus Caleb is also represented by the apple, the forbidden fruit: take even the smallest bite and be banished from paradise. But a bite of the apple also wakes one up to the truth, to the sense of shame, to desire, to sin, to love…

"I promise you’ll see me every day when you wake up," he said.

(And I’m a fool who wants to believe him 🍎)

[potatoingalaxy]

I think I might have a theory on what Sylus' reasoning of monitoring (not stalking, I feel it's different with Sylus) us (or mc but she's us so whateva)

‼️SPOILERS ON ADDED STORIES AND LORE BELOW‼️

So on one of the recently added lore/stories in-game, we do know that MC is a child experiment or a laboratory specimen being observed and experimented on by an unknown entity (correct me for this if they do have a name) and that MCs grandma is one of the scientists that is closest to her.

They discovered that the protocore in her (MC) heart is a unique one. It seems to bring MC back to life whenever death strikes her but at the cost of her memories. The protocore creates a burst/shockwave and MC will be alive again, but this time, tabula rasa.

This is before MC's third (? I can't remember if it's her third. She was "killed" by the scientists many times for the observation of her "immortality/ressurection") death and before the destruction of the lab and MCs grandma formally adopting her.

So here's my theory. Sylus could be the son of one of the scientist and was brought in to the lab due to his unique evol. This theory is born due to this statement of Jenna:

Jenna states that Sylus' organization, Onychinus, is experimenting with protocores. Sylus on the other hand, seems to be invested in these experiments or dealings not out of money.

HE IS GENUINELY INTERESTED.

My theory is that he might be observing as well, as a kid. Unwilling, as I would like to think, on watching the experiments, maybe later on befriending MC along the way and forming a bond with her, all to just be forgotten by her by the next round of experiments done by the scientist.

For more angst, I would theorize that he befriends MC over and over again, despite her forgetting him constantly.

Now for the exciting part, why he is monitoring MC.

I think he tried to find her after the laboratory was destroyed. Overtime, as he gained power in N109 Zone, he probably got the resources to track her down and watch over her. Sylus might be trying to uncover the secret of the aether core in MCs heart, maybe to remove it and stop it from wiping MCs memory or even from hurting her in the long run.

Anyways. This is just a theory…a SIMP'S THEORY! I could be spouting nonsense but I think Sylus has good intentions with his delve in the protocore research of his organization. Overall, I'm excited and I want my villain husband home. Love y'all and thanks for reading my 1 am ramblings HAHAHAHA

[velmashaircut]

caleb theories/ predictions below. It’s a bit all over the place.

1) I believe Caleb himself was responsible for the explosion. He was acting strange before it occured, paranoid even, especially when he saw MC’s injury, I think he was worried MC had caught on or was beginning to suspect something was afoot. If Caleb was responsible, I think he did it because a) wanted to fake his own death b) kill the granny or c) both. I use to believe he was the target, but leaving the necklace behind was too intentional. If he was abducted, no trace would be left behind. In the trailer he says ‘I’m back’ he knows what he’s done.

2) Since it’s been spelled out to us that Caleb was also experimented on when he was young, I think Caleb always knew the granny was partly responsible for MC and potentially his own suffering, therefore wanting revenge. When he talks about how much he’s struggled hiding parts of himself, that could be referring to what he knew transpired and pretending that he was oblivious, or how he’s been undercover this entire time.

Maybe he discovered what the granny did whilst he was away on missions, or even after the explosion, if he was taken forcibly? Maybe he was even approached by whatever organisation he’s now working with (EVER?), who told him the truth/deceived him so he’d join their cause.

Caleb had a slap mark from MC, perhaps he told MC what believed granny did to her when she was younger as a messed up justification for the explosion, and MC refused to believe it? Ultimately, Caleb would be the individual who would have to comfort her in this situation.

3) I think Caleb is behaving the way he is now because he’s either a sleeper agent or it’s and a product of trauma from the explosion + experimentation, or both. The nice, sweet Caleb from before is real, but I think this new side of him also always existed and has revealed itself after all that’s happened. These two sides of him are battling it out when MC sees him again.

Caleb is in the military, the airforce, he’s a colonel. That side of him yearns to complete the mission no matter what and let nothing get in the way; and that’s why at times he seems more in charge and coldhearted. Then there’s the other side of Caleb, where he’s a your typical boy next door who wants to be vulnerable, kind and dependable…who deep down, is happy to be face to face with the MC again. He’s unsure of who he should be and this conundrum will play an important role in the story regarding his choices. Maybe he even regrets the explosion and killing granny?

If he’s a sleeper agent, there might be a trigger either he, or someone else possesses that causes him to change dispositions. The trailer heavily implies this, when the scene’s lighting changes, so does Caleb. I saw someone say in chapter 4, Caleb suddenly stops mid sentence when a light passes the background, implying he’s under surveillance. Whether there is someone actually watching him at that very moment or it’s imagery of what he imagines/ feels when he’s not following orders is up in the air.

In the end, I wouldn’t be surprised if he mellows out like Sylus and becomes a blend of these two personalities.

4) MC and Caleb being each others failsafes is probably the main reason why the grandma entrusted MC’s care to Zayne and not Caleb. Granny said ‘she could rest easy’ knowing Zayne was MC’s doctor, Zayne being a great doctor for MC’s heart condition is just a coverup for grandma’s true reasoning. Grandma knows Zayne would do whatever it takes to ensure MC’s safety…. It makes me wonder and how much both Caleb and Zayne are aware of this.

If it ever came to MC and Caleb trying to destroy each other, in the end I think Caleb would prevail simply due to his evol being that strong; how can you defend yourself if he won’t let you lift a finger? Honestly, I think MC is Caleb’s failsafe in more of a mental sense, he wouldn’t ever wish to kill MC and I’m unsure how she could use her evol against him. What about Caleb’s evol makes him her specific fail safe? Caleb should be able to stop most people with gravity manipulation. Why MC specifically?

Anyway, Caleb hurting MC is not out of the question for grandma, did Caleb do something that hinted he had the potential to do something sinister? I imagine she took both of them in not only because she felt bad, but because in her mind, if the two of them become friends it would lower the possibility of one of them turning against each other.

5) I hope Caleb faked his death because he wanted to, I hope he betrayed MC willingly and not under duress. I don’t want any of that ‘I was forced to’ bullshit like that. I hope he did it because it aligned with whatever goals he has and he believed the explosion and granny’s death was the best course of action to take. I hope MC doesn’t take this lying down either. The story would be more impactful this way.

6) I’d like to talk about Caleb and Zayne. Caleb’s impeccable control of his evol is a nice parallel to Zaynes lack therefore of; Caleb forces a man to kneel to him without moving a finger, he uses his evol freely, we see this when MC gifts him his necklace. Zayne however uses it sparingly and has to practice self restraint to prevent his evol from spiralling out of control.

In addition, Zayne refused to join the shady Xander sciences, despite their offers. Whether he’s being deceived, forced into it or did it willingly; Caleb aligned himself with EVER. I don’t think this is a bad decision or makes him a villain per se but…Caleb gave in. He gave him, Zayne didn’t.

Both also have military backgrounds. I don’t have much to say for this.

7) Adam and Eve, the commissioned art of Caleb offering the apple to MC with a snake wrapped around him - the snake is whoever Caleb is working for, and the apple represent Caleb’s proposal for MC to join/ go along with him, to let him do what he thinks is right. In one version of this art, neither have taken a bite of the apple, the other version shows that they both have taken a bite - Caleb’s larger than MC’s. She has a taste, it even looks as if she bites it unwillingly, but he devours it. In both versions, he’s watching her with his glowing eyes.

In another commisoned art, we see the two of them falling out of the sky, with MC crying and Caleb smiling as blood covers him. To me, it seems that Caleb was banished/killed for a certain choice he made, and MC decided to go down with him. I think this makes sense thematically: they were meant to destroy one another, and instead they chose to die together. This could be the gist of Caleb’s second myth pair or what he ends up doing in the upcoming main story.

Shoutout to @iraot for coming up with this great theory: In the trailer Caleb says ‘I want to keep you in a world…where it’s just the two of us’ if Adam and Eve were the first two humans, who we see MC and Caleb represent respectively, do you think Caleb believes he was MC’s first/original ‘love’ and he wants to return to whatever he deems the Garden of Eden is with MC? Whether he remembers their past in a different lifetime, or if he’s referring to their childhood…for him the Garden of Eden is probably a time when it was just the two of them and no one else. That is what he wants.