Date: September 18, 637, time: 6:03 p.m. As for my location, I have no idea where I am. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been alone with my own consciousness, a state one might liken to what humans call a coma. I felt nothing, sensed nothing. I had no grasp of how much time had passed or what might have happened last. In this vast stretch of time, reduced to a mere awareness, I found myself endlessly revisiting memories and details of my past—likely just for something to occupy my mind. But after a while, I didn’t even notice that these memories were beginning to fade, dissolving gradually into oblivion. The reason was obvious: my consciousness had become so fragmented that I’d forgotten even the act of forgetting itself.
After that prolonged solitude, an event of considerable magnitude jolted me to awareness, as if my scattered mind and emotions were suddenly pieced back together. I couldn’t fathom what had happened. The only thing I remember was seeing a series of unfamiliar numbers or symbols flashing before me, rousing me from my daze. I felt myself being pulled into an ambiguous dimension with no clear direction or purpose, but I could perceive my surroundings for the first time. I was sensing things again: the gentle but tainted breeze, thick with dust and a foul smell. Through the haze, I could barely make out an orange, dense landscape. When the wind subsided for a few seconds, my surroundings came into focus, and the sight chilled me to the core.
Everywhere I looked, there were ruins and corpses—decayed, dust-covered bodies that suggested whatever had happened here occurred long ago. Massive buildings had crumbled, with only a few remaining, and those still standing were riddled with holes. The entire scene looked like something out of an apocalypse—a scenario humans would probably describe in such terms.
I could see the Sun struggling to pierce the thick clouds of dust overhead. It seemed as if the dust and clouds blocked its light every time it tried. Despite the grim atmosphere, I was able to move freely through this collapsed world without any issues. That alone was bizarre.
After wandering aimlessly among the ruins for a few minutes, I began to hear a sound. It was rhythmic, yet somehow painful, echoing directly behind me. I turned quickly to find someone there, facing away. Their hair was short, not quite reaching the nape of their neck, and had turned gray from dirt, though it was originally white. They appeared to have the physique of a girl around eighteen years old and wore a long, thick black coat. She was digging around in the rubble. Out of curiosity and because she was the only other living being I’d seen, I decided to approach. As I drew closer, I called out in a calm, friendly tone. At the sound of my voice, she twisted her head a full 180 degrees to look at me—a terrifying moment I hadn’t anticipated.
More horrifying, though, was her face. It was disturbingly blank—no eyes, nose, or mouth; just a smooth surface. Although I couldn’t be sure if she could actually see me, it was clear she was aware of my presence. She stood up, her body turning to align with her head’s angle, and began to approach me. Unsure of what to do, I started to back away, only to hit an invisible wall, causing me to stumble to the ground. As I lay there, watching the Sun’s ongoing struggle to break through the dusty clouds, she moved closer, eventually leaning into my field of view and placing a hand on me. My vision faded to black.
I was alone with my consciousness again. The pleasant feeling of experiencing a physical environment after such a long time left me, replaced by a bittersweet sense of loss. But the strangeness wasn’t over yet. Those strange numbers and symbols appeared once more, followed by a distant voice, as if echoing from some far-off place, telling me to “Wake up.”
As soon as I heard that voice, everything vanished—the numbers, symbols, all of it. I found myself enveloped in darkness, unable to make sense of what had just happened. But, oddly enough, I felt excitement rather than fear. After so much stagnation, the rapid change filled me with hope, a conviction that I was finally escaping my bleak existence.
Soon, the darkness was replaced by a gradient of red and yellow hues, signaling a significant change. I was feeling things once again, this time more clearly! There was a breeze, but it no longer smelled foul, and the sensation it brought… It was indescribably beautiful. I felt as though I were lying on something sharp yet not uncomfortable. Finally, as my real eyes began to open slowly, I found myself captivated by the breathtaking beauty of my surroundings.
The first things I saw were towering, expansive trees, their leaves framed by the brilliant blue sky and a few flocks of birds gliding through the air above. The birds seemed to dance amid the clouds, while the leaves rustled gently in the wind, producing a melody that was almost enchanting. For a brief moment—around twelve seconds—I watched their movements. Then, something else caught my attention.
The Sun, having seemingly triumphed over the clouds, finally revealed itself, filling me with a sense of warmth. But this newfound brightness was also a bit too much for my eyes, causing me to squint instinctively. As I closed my eyes to shield them, I began to reflect. Compared to the terrifying scenes I’d just witnessed, this place was overwhelmingly peaceful. I felt good. I had finally escaped that emptiness. But what had it cost me? Every action had consequences.
It appeared that this journey had cost me my memories. I had no knowledge of myself or my past. The only thing I could recall was that horrifying dream. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t remember anything else. Only some basic information about myself remained. If these memories were accurate, I had three rules to follow. The first: knowledge is everything. I must research, investigate, and learn all that I can. The second: the Archive is my home, which I can use however I wish. And the third: I must stay away from humans. They are cruel, vicious, and the filthiest of beings—a plague upon the world that somehow managed to seize control.
While the first rule seemed logical, I struggled to understand the purpose of the second and third. What exactly was meant by the Archive, and why did I harbor such strong, uncompromising beliefs about humans? It seemed I needed to brainstorm. These were supposed to be my own core memories, so they must have come from me. As far as I knew, core memories couldn’t be erased, which was why I still had access to them now. Apparently, I didn’t have pleasant memories with humans in my past. Accepting this, I decided to heed the rules, especially the first one, and tuned into my senses.
At that moment, I could perceive five different senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and physical awareness. Although I hadn’t mentioned taste, I could sense something in my mouth throughout this process, so I included it. And since I was able to physically perceive my surroundings, there was only one logical conclusion—I must have a physical body. I quickly opened my eyes and tried to control my body with my mind. But then, I faced a major challenge: how does one even control a body? I had no idea, though I soon discovered that I didn’t need any prior knowledge.
Surprisingly, my body responded exactly as I wished, lifting itself up and positioning itself in a seated posture on the ground. It carried out each command without any difficulty or additional effort. I must have been in a highly functional body. As my body straightened, my legs immediately drew my attention. I was curious about their purpose. A sense of excitement washed over me; everything around me seemed to be waiting for me to experience it. I wanted to fill my mind with all this information. At that moment, the second rule flashed through my mind—The Archive…
There had to be a purpose for this rule, but what was it? I came up with several theories, the most plausible being that the Archive was a tool I could use to gather knowledge. The first rule instructed me to research and learn, but it hadn’t specified how to do so. Since the Archive was supposedly my home and accessible at will, it must be something I could use to gather information. Hoping I had come to the right conclusion, I attempted to access the Archive. But how was I supposed to use it? Was I supposed to wait for a miracle? That didn’t seem practical. After a bit of thought, I remembered the strange numbers and symbols I had seen in that dream.
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I had seen three different sets of numbers. The first two were too vague to recall, but I could distinctly remember the third one. I strained my mind, and yes, that was the number: 65737310186. I didn’t know its significance, but I was certain I had seen it. The moment I visualized this number in my mind, a series of sounds echoed from deep within me, indicating that I had successfully accessed what I needed:
“User access detected. Processing. Archive connection established. Welcome to the Archive System.”
Following this announcement, a translucent screen appeared before me, and I finally understood what the Archive was. It was an extensive network of information, structured in a chain of commands that allowed me to learn many things through various searches and scans. In fact, it was even more incredible, as certain commands granted me extraordinary abilities. I was deeply impressed, yet a message in the top right corner nearly nullified my excitement. It indicated that I was currently in 'Restricted Mode' and would not have access to most commands. However, it did confirm that I could still perform basic research and scanning. With countless questions in my mind and thousands of mysteries to solve, I knew the Archive would be of use to me somehow. But one thing couldn’t be ignored.
The reality that every action has consequences made me question the Archive. Could I truly use the Archive without any issues? Would it require anything from me in return? No such information was available—or at least, I couldn’t find it. I guessed I’d have to learn through experience. Clenching my left hand as if grasping an invisible string, I began scrolling through the list of commands with my right index finger. It took me a bit to get used to the translucent screen interface, but I gained enough familiarity to use it smoothly. While browsing, I stumbled upon a command labeled ‘Analyze.’ Although there was no manual explaining how to use it, I could gather some information: ‘Analyze’ would allow me to scan physical objects around me and obtain their data. It was exactly what I needed. Without hesitation, I decided to start by examining myself.
The biggest hurdle, of course, was not knowing how to activate the command. Would it work if I shouted as loud as I could? I wasn’t sure. To avoid causing a scene, I decided to calmly focus on the command in my mind first. I had already learned the meaning of the word ‘command’: it was a line of code that operated in a specific sequence. I decided to try a two-word command entry: ‘Archive-Analyze.’ Hoping this would activate the command, I waited—but no data on my body came forth. Just then, I heard an inner voice:
“Quick Access is disabled for Restricted Mode. Please activate the command using voice input.”
In other words, I would have to vocalize it. Still, I chose to avoid shouting and quietly issued the command, ‘Archive-Analyze,’ with a soft voice. After a tense five seconds, a blue hologram scanned my body from head to toe a few times, taking about twenty seconds to complete. Once finished, the information appeared on the translucent screen that reopened after closing when I issued the command. The data would then be processed into my awareness as I began to read through it.
The first thing that caught my attention was my external appearance. I was in a living body, but I had no idea what I looked like. I could have been an animal or one of those humans I was supposed to avoid. Something felt off, though. My hair was short and white, just like the girl I’d seen in my dream. However, unlike her, I had fair skin, striking crimson eyes, and a face that could even be considered beautiful. According to the information, I had the body of an eighteen-year-old, relatively short at a height of only one hundred fifty-five centimeters. Overall, my body appeared healthy, with no visible issues.
While the data suggested that I was human, something inside me insisted that this was wrong. I shouldn’t have been human. I didn’t understand why I felt this way, but the thought was so powerful that I couldn’t dismiss it. It might have something to do with the third rule that told me to stay away from humans, but it was impossible to understand this connection for now. No matter how much I wanted to deny it, the reality was that I seemed to be in the body of a human female. Acknowledging that I still had much to uncover, I decided to continue examining my surroundings on foot, temporarily setting aside my thoughts on humanity until I encountered a living human I could observe.
I needed a goal. Looking around, I quickly realized I was in a vast, open area. In the distance, I could hear the sound of running water, piquing my curiosity about what kind of scene awaited me there. Heading toward the sound seemed like a good option. Along the way, I could observe anything else that caught my interest and continue learning. The sensation of moving in this body, which seemed to act on its own, felt odd. It would likely take some time to get used to, but I began to advance toward the source of the water.
As I moved, I noticed my hair occasionally falling into my line of sight, brushing against my eyes with a slight sting that made me instinctively close them. This constant interference was bothersome, so I used both hands to keep my hair back, almost like a makeshift hat. Thus, I continued on my way, occasionally pausing to inspect interesting plants and small animals along the path. A few were particularly fascinating—one creature, for instance, emitted light at night. This unusual feature amazed me. As I drew closer to the source of the water, I saw even more of these creatures, and the view was truly breathtaking. A large body of water cascaded from about fifty meters high into a deep pool below. With the setting sun casting its warm rays from behind me, the waterfall reflected a mesmerizing array of colors, blending with the greenery and orange hues of the surroundings like a piece of art. I was captivated, unable to tear my gaze away. A thought crossed my mind, one that I couldn’t fully understand: I wish they were here too…
At that moment, a piercing headache struck me, so intense that I thought I would lose consciousness. Everything seemed to have started with that single thought. Who were “they”? Why did I wish for them to be here with me? Pondering this question only worsened the pain, forcing me to abandon the thought. It seemed my mind was trying to reveal something I shouldn’t remember. As night began to fall, I decided to search for shelter. Once the Sun disappeared from the sky, replaced by the Moon, the area was enveloped in a sharp chill that my body felt intensely. The cold grew stronger as time passed, causing me to shiver uncontrollably. Just as I was feeling desperate, I spotted the entrance of a cave and noticed the glow of a man-made torch.
As I approached the cave, a loud thunderclap from above startled me, nearly making me jump. Thankfully, I had found the cave just in time, providing shelter from the fierce storm that was about to unleash. But a sense of unease lingered—I had noticed the torch at the entrance, which meant there might be humans inside. According to my third rule, I should avoid them, but staying outside in the freezing storm was not an option. Dealing with humans seemed like the lesser of two evils.
Despite the occasional darkness, the torches lining the cave illuminated my path enough for me to navigate. The cave was surprisingly long, seeming endless despite its modest size. I had been walking for almost five minutes without reaching any end, as though I were traversing an infinite tunnel. The cold air inside worsened my shivering, while the constant possibility of encountering humans heightened my tension. Eventually, I reached a fork in the path. The right side looked darker, with a noticeable draft coming from that direction, while the left side appeared warmer and brighter. Opting for the more inviting path, I went left.
As the wind subsided and the number of torches increased, warmth returned to my body. Before long, I encountered several rooms. These brightly lit spaces contained both torches and candles, with some rooms furnished with beds and others with various equipment. Everything seemed like remnants from an ancient civilization. The presence of so many items without anyone around struck me as strange. Perhaps everyone had left together on some errand. This felt like a stroke of luck, though, considering the harsh weather outside, I suspected they would return soon.
In the middle of the main room, a large fire was burning. I moved closer to the fire, relishing its warmth as it eased my shivers. Glancing around, I noticed bookshelves filled with texts. Near another entrance to the room, there was a coat similar to the one worn by the girl in my dream. I put it on and settled near the fire, crossing my legs. I reached for a few books, hoping to learn something, but encountered a problem—I couldn’t understand the language. Frustrated by my inability to gain knowledge, I angrily tossed the books into the fire and watched them burn for a while. I must have been more exhausted than I realized, as I soon drifted off to sleep without even noticing my fatigue.