Ashley

“Ashley,” he says back to me with a smile on his face. One that almost makes me smile in return.

But I don’t. Instead I wipe my tears and ask, “How did you find me?”

That has him raising a brow as he replies, “I just had to look for the large army of monsters chasing after you.”

My brows furrow a little at that and I almost frown, only briefly noting the fact that I seem to be showing a bit more expression now than before as I wonder just how close to Blake’s side of the Unique Domain I got during the chase. Not that it matters much, considering how we’re both alive now. And that’s all that really matters.

For some reason Chaos sends a wave of happiness through our bond before it instantly cuts off. As if he was instinctively responding to my thoughts just now. Or maybe the more expressions I’m showing.

Not sure which.

Either way, I go ahead and continue, asking Blake, “Why did you enter the Unique Domain?”

He blinks at me, seeming surprised for a moment. Then he just smiles and answers, “Because you’re my sis.”

That leaves me opening my mouth to respond, only to find that I don’t know what to say. So I close my mouth again. Going silent.

Because I’m his sister…

His smile fades a little bit as he asks, “How much do you remember…?”

I begin frowning at him, startling him with the display of emotion.

“I don’t remember anything, and I don’t want to remember,” I answer without a hint of hesitation, startling him in the process.

The two of us stare at each other for several seconds before he gives me a sad smile and says, “I’m glad you’re beginning to express yourself more. Even if just a little bit.”

My frown vanishes again as my face turns neutral and I blankly stare at him.

I did notice that I’m starting to express things more, but I didn’t realize it’s enough for others to notice…

“Does it bother you?” Chaos asks, making me glance up at the ceiling in silence.

Does it?

I stare for several seconds before sighing.

No, I don’t think it bothers me.

I first noticed it after the council meeting. Like some sort of wall had broken down within me. Then with every interaction with family I’ve had. Especially Blake.

Walls shattering one after another.

Some faint memories resurfacing here and there. None of which had been incredibly major other than some hints of trauma and memories of Blake.

I’ve even seen some chatter about it on the System Forums. About my changes.

Honestly, deep down, I feel like I always knew that this would happen. That the walls I already had built up when I woke up would shatter. That I would gain back my memories.

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Whether I want to or not.

I think I’ve just been avoiding it for as long as I can.

Even my trauma-led social anxiety seems to be fading a little bit. Although I’m not sure if that will ever go away entirely.

“It’s possible it could turn into apathy towards those you don’t know as well,” Chaos comments. “That’s what happened to me.”

My brows furrow at that.

Really? You had trauma in the past as well? A Primordial?

“Yeah,” Chaos answers while I just lie here staring up at the ceiling with my brother’s eyes having closed, the man falling asleep. “It comes with the territory of being born part monster. Part Unique Monster.”

I blink at that.

Wait a second. You’re a Unique Monster?

What about the other Primordials? Are they the same?

“No, but they are considered Unique Beings, even if they’re not monsters,” Chaos answers. “I’m only part Unique Monster because I am a being who was born within a special spatial vortex known as a chaos vortex. By a regular mother of a non-monster species. Which led to me being infused with so much chaos energy that I’m pretty much more monster than raven shifter.”

Wait… raven shifter?

“Raven shapeshifter was my mother and father’s species,” he answers as if it’s not that important before continuing, “but the other Primordials all just evolved to become Unique Beings. Beings that cannot be born as they are.”

Interesting.

“You Successors are a bit of a mix yourselves, especially you,” Chaos says, making my lips quirk downwards a little at his words. “You’re likely going to be an amalgamation of millions of species by the time you’re my age. Including some unique ones.”

That… is an odd thing to think about.

Also, including some unique ones?

“Well, my own blood for one, and if you and your brother kill the King of Destruction, you’ll be assimilating its Skill Tree and mutation skill as well, so you’ll take in some of it too,” Chaos explains. “There’s a decent chance you’ll even take its place in the universe as the King of Destruction.”

Huh.

Chaos’s tone takes a drastic turn as he says, “Be warned that the entire universe will be focusing on you in one way or another once you do that. You will be a Unique Monster in the form of a user and Successor in their eyes.”

Similar to you in a way, right?

I feel more than a little surprise pass through our bond before he answers quietly, “Yes.”

Also, you certainly sound like you’re confident I’ll make it out of here alive and win. What happened to that whole, what was it, three percent chance of surviving?

He doesn’t respond.

I raise a brow, but he still doesn’t say anything.

Well, whatever. Not really sure how I feel about being called the King of Destruction, but I’m pretty sure people are already calling me the Crimson Wraith and other such nicknames. So what’s a new one?

That’s too far away to think about anyways.

I send out another pulse of destruction mana to sense the surroundings, finding quite a few monsters in the surroundings in the process. But none of the monsters are very powerful. And none of them seem to sense us either.

Which is good.

I try to sit up again before quickly finding that I’m actually able to do it this time. Albeit with some struggle.

A glance at Blake and the cavern around us makes me realize that Blake was probably in a tough situation of his own before he saved me. Considering how exhausted he looks. Even more exhausted than I am.

And if I was being chased in a massive death march yet he’s still in worse shape, I wonder what happened to him to put him in that state?

“He had his own run-in with the kobold lord of his fortress and lost,” Chaos answers for me, reminding me that everything in here is being livestreamed for anyone to see.

A thought that has me glancing upwards only to narrow my eyes a bit.

Hey, Chaos?

“Yes, dear daughter of mine?” Chaos replies immediately.

Would you consider adding a feature to let me turn off the livestreams permanently so that no one can ever watch me again?

“I cannot,” Chaos replies once more, sounding a little disappointed himself that he can’t. “It would require at least a majority of the Primordials to approve, and the only ones I can see approving it would be Gaia and Etheria.”

Well, it was worth a try.

Wait a second… why would the Primordial of Magic help?

“Because even if we broke up some thousands of years ago, we still dated for a thousand years or so,” Chaos answers rather nonchalantly, leaving me blankly staring at the ceiling again. Until I glance at Blake, remembering that my twin brother is her Successor. “Yes, she was absolutely thrilled to hear that she’s pretty much become my step-sister.”

I stare at Blake for a few more seconds before muttering out loud, “I doubt that…”