‘Why did Phainon burn Mydei’s library during the Eternal Reccurence?’
or i thought too hard about this now im crying. thanks hoyo. rays of sunshine like always.
We know Mydei ‘steers clear of such weak literature’ like poetry, but he indulges Phainon when he suddenly breaks out into verses. We also know Phainon adores books, knowledge and the arts.
He was the Grove’s debate champion for years and pampered by Aglaea. He wore disgusting outfits because he put deep thought into the type of emotions each colour evoked in him and wanted to create a living tapestry of his emotions through his clothes. He’s a confident hopeless romantic.
I’ve always been curious why Flame Reaver/Khaslana burned Mydei’s library. It’s unnecessary. It’s out of character. But most of all, it’s random.
Mydei asked Phainon, presumably in every timeline, to ‘visit his library in the next life’. Mydei’s library was a manifestation of his love: for his country and for phainon. Mydei’s love is indulgence. Quiet considerations. Gentle modifications that make Phainon think ‘oh Mydei booked the rooftop again, because he knows i like the view. Mydei gave me terrible food again, because he knows i’ll seek him out for an argument and we will end up spending the entire day together.’
Mydei’s love is modest, but bountiful. It’s easily missed because Kremnoans are so bold in everything else. But Phainon sees it. Phainon knows Mydei loves him.
And Phainon betrayed, hunted and killed Mydei 33,550,336 times. While he knew their quiet love was reciprocated.
The burning of the library was not a merciless act of madness. Khaslana clung desperately to his sanity for the whole of the Eternal Reccurence.
Rather: What if Khaslana had a moment of clarity?
The full truth of Mydei’s library, how it represented Mydei’s gift of literature to his sweet Phainon because he knew it would make his hopeless romantic happy even if they could never be together in that lifetime, hits Khaslana. It hits him hard.
In an act of self-destruction, Khaslana burns Mydei’s library. It’s an act of vulnerability. The Mydeimos of the cycle would’ve looked at Khaslana and seen Phainon. A Phainon that acknowledged Mydei’s love, and told Mydei he wasn’t no longer worthy of it. He is burning something that (objectively) doesn’t mean anything to Mydei, but is special to Phainon. The fire is a symbol which tells Mydei all that’s left for them in the next life is the flames of Phainon’s eternal self-destruction. He was a man that hurt everyone he loved, now.
When Lygus taunted Flame Reaver/Khaslana in 3.4 for burning the library, he was trying to make Khaslana internalise all the instances he lashed out becs of his love as cruel moments of violence. Lygus tried to make Khaslana hate himself so he was easier to manipulate.
But Phainon, always, was filled with love. So even though he hated himself in the end, his final act of self-sacrifice wasn’t for the destruction—but for the protection of the next world. A kinder cycle, where everyone could have their dreams fufilled.
A cycle haunted by the nameless hero that set the stage for The Nameless deliverer.
