John was frozen in place, shocked beyond belief. There was no logical explanation for Serah's seeing him right now. She was a recording of the past—something that happened five years ago.

He looked behind himself, trying to find an explanation. But there was no John behind him in bed. And she had asked why he seemed so old.

“John, what’s going on?! Are you John?” Serah asked, looking nearly as confused as he was.

“... You… can see me?” he asked, just to convince himself he wasn’t dreaming.

Her brows furrowed even further. “Yeah? Should I not be able to?”

‘Is this… some sort of fault in the simulation? Did they make a copy of Serah’s brain so that she can speak to me right now? Or is it…?’

The realization hit him like the fist of an orange horror, sending his already reeling mind through the most incredible rollercoaster.

When you see me again, tell me everything.

The reason Serah knew about the future…

When I see you again, I won’t have to.

… was because he told her about it at this exact moment.

In her past, and his future.

“John, you’re scaring me…”

His eyes slowly focused on her while his mind tried to get back to the surface. It was a momentous task, but her nervous expression helped him get a grip. He was her protector, not someone to be feared.

“Serah… Uh, don’t be scared.” He swallowed, lying back on the bed, still trying to process everything. He would alter the timeline if he messed up here, so he had to tread carefully. “Oh my god… Have I left?”

“What? Can you explain what’s going on?” Serah asked, an entirely reasonable thing to ask.

John nodded quickly, understanding that this would be even more confusing and scary for her than it was for him. “Yeah, sorry… This is going to sound like the most insane thing you’ve ever heard, guaranteed.”

“... Should I sit down?” she asked, reaching for the chair beside the bed.

“Probably…” he replied, waiting for her to sit. “Okay, where do I even start… I’m from the future. Five years into the future.”

Her eyes studied him closely, taking in every part of his face. Then she looked down, her eyes flickering in deep thought. “... Okay. Essence can be used to go back in time? I always wondered where the limitations for what it could do would be, but this…”

“You believe me just like that?” John asked, smiling incredulously. He knew he wouldn't have the same reaction in her shoes.

She shrugged while gesturing at his face. “You look exactly like John, except you’re older. You appeared out of nowhere in your own bed, which is the logical spot to test time travel in. And essence seems to have abilities that can’t be explained through math or physics. It’s not as unbelievable as it might seem. Compared to other explanations.”

He was thoroughly impressed by her reasoning and the relatively calm way in which she analyzed the situation. “You always were the clever one… But at this rate, I can’t even complain; you’re amazing!”

A nervous smile spread on her face, showing she wasn’t entirely as confident as she appeared. “Thanks.”

“Unfortunately, though… you’re only half right. To explain the situation more accurately, imagine a painting of a person at a certain moment in time.”

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She looked at him with a heavy dose of uncertainty, wordlessly asking where he was going with this. “Okay? I’m imagining.”

“Then imagine that portrait started talking to you like you were there when the painting was painted.”

Her brows furrowed again, trying to comprehend the meaning of his words. “You’re… looking at a painting of me?”

John bobbed his head slowly, trying to find a good way to explain it. “It’s more like a painting of the entire world, if that makes sense. God, this is so…” He put a palm over his face, struggling to make a reasonable explanation. The simulation aspect alone could be enough to break her mind for a while.

‘That explains why she took it so well when she got out… She already knew it was all a simulation. And she acted so well I didn’t notice.’

Serah shook her head in confusion. “You’re not making much sense to me, future John. Can you… try to explain it better?”

“... This next part will likely alarm you greatly—more than the future thing. Do you want to take the bed? I can move.”

“More than… The bed? No, I think I’ll be fine here.”

“... Just know I’m here to help you through it, okay? I’m still John, only more experienced. And less stupid.”

She was clearly hesitant to get any closer to him, but neither did she move away. “Just tell me. If I break down in tears, I’ll consider your help.”

John could sense a temper beneath her dismissal, and started to wonder if it was aimed at him or his past self. “Are you… angry, for some reason?”

“For some reason?!” she asked sharply, staring at him with daggers. “Are you sure you’re less stupid? Because your stupid self left me here, making idiotic promises of ‘winning the royal tournament’ for me! What sort of…” She looked away, trying to control herself.

Her voice lowered to a whisper, “What sort of idiot… thinks that’s a sensible thing to do?”

“... Yeah, that’s…” he started, about to admit his younger self was an idiot. But then he experienced another realization, this one far more personal and enraging than the last.

‘They created those memories of me making that promise! They did it to make me motivated to get stronger! That’s why this is the first date I can go back to, because I’ve already left! Fucking hell!’

He understood why they had done it. He understood they had done it to make him stronger.

‘But to leave Serah behind as nothing but my motivation… I’ll have a good long talk to Director Lee after I return! And he better have some wonderful answers!

But what do I say to Serah now? She seemed genuinely angry at me when I returned from the tournament, so perhaps she didn’t know. Which would mean she doesn’t know in my time either.’

He sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I promise I’m less stupid now. And you can shout at me once I return, as much as you want.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “So I did shout at you when you returned. And you did return...” A small smile spread on her lips as she looked at the floor. Then she looked back at him with worry. “Are we breaking the timeline or something by having this meeting? Will you disappear into a puff of smoke if I decide not to shout at you?”

“That’s… a good question. Well, I know that you had knowledge of the future, in my past, your future, so I know that I’m supposed to tell you things right now… But this is complicated.”

Serah leaned back in the chair, letting her head fall backward and looking up at the ceiling. “...You know, I might take you up on that bed offer. Let me have the foot end.”

“Sure,” John replied, moving his feet to the side and leaving half the bed for her. Once she got out of the chair, he used it to support his feet and found a comfortable position.

Serah sat down in the bed and leaned back, and unlike John, she made it move. His movement didn’t seem to affect the past, making him wonder if he could touch her. He didn’t want to alarm her, though, so he dismissed the thought.

“That’s better… Uhm…” She looked over at him nervously. “Are we… still close in the future?”

“Absolutely. But let’s take it from the start: you’re jumping over a lot of important stuff.”

“Have we… are we…” she started, seemingly unable to let go of her curiosity. Her face turned away from him before she finished her question. “... a couple?”

John chuckled, finding her to be just as cute as she always was. “I would say… I’ll leave that as a surprise,” he said with a devious smile.

Serah’s reaction to his confession was genuine. He was sure of it. And so he couldn’t tell her that part.

‘Nice going with that “tell me everything” nonsense, real-time Serah. Maybe be clear instead of cryptic next time?’

“You don’t have to worry about us ending up with someone else, though. That much, I can promise.”

That seemed to appease her, putting her back in a neutral state. Unless she was smiling more than before, it was hard to tell.

“So…” he began, not finding a better way to word it. “This world was created by a different one—another version of Earth, with many more technological advancements. And its sole purpose is to create warriors to fight for them against beasts.”