A Foreign Dream

”I woke up not where I expected.” ~Liona Veli

Xiv found himself in a familiar place. It was his Dream Realm. Only, the feeling of familiarity wasn’t authentic. He could tell because despite knowing that this place belonged to him, he had only seen it in such a chaotic state three times.

The Vyndivalian sighed, looking at the depressing landscape before him. Volcanoes erupted in the distance, hurling rocks towards the skies that seemed to take forever to crash, and tainting the clouds with its thick ash.

That was as far as Xiv got with regards to the interesting details on this side of his Dream Realm. He turned around to find something far more breathtaking, but more dangerous at the same time.

It was a cliff with a sheer drop to nothingness. Well, not exactly nothing. Rocks, mountains, and islands rotated on a great vortex in the middle of a great maw. In that vortex was his Mind Palace, and everything else underneath was simply a void.

“Why do I always wake up here when I enter my Dream?” he asked, to no one in particular.

With a sigh, he stepped off the cliff. A great gale pushed him as expected, throwing him towards one of the big, rotating islands. Xiv landed by the edge, forcing it to rotate through his momentum. He waited until the opportune moment, kicking off towards another rotating rock, a mountain this time.

Something glinted in his peripheral vision as he sped through the air. He instantly reacted by Reinforcing his body even further, making his hands sturdy enough to deflect the jagged gemstones aiming for his head. They’d been a natural occurrence since the change in his Dream Realm, and he had never figured out why or how many of them there were. Not that it would help with anything; he wasn’t even strong enough to shatter them in the first place.

Xiv slammed onto the next landmass, rotating it once again with his momentum before dashing towards the next. He did this for the next five jumps while defending himself against the gemstones along the way.

Finally, he dropped in front of his Mind Palace. He commanded it to open, recognizing the usual feedback pulling against his wishes before giving it a soft nudge. This, too, was another change. It had never really been the same since his core was replaced. Eventually, his nudging worked and the gate allowed him inside just as he expected.

Xiv’s Mind Palace wasn’t exactly a palace, in a sense. Even among his Lord Knight peers, his was unique. It was a grand colosseum with four spiraling towers in each cardinal direction, surpassing the intended height of the round structure.

Inside, tiers of seats made up a large portion of the circle, leaving a small clearing in the middle where sand and dirt collected in the arena. As one would expect from those in the know, despite this infrastructure’s actual purpose, it was deserted.

His Dream Realm might have changed, but this Mind Palace of his was the only thing that remained the same. At least, from the outside.

Xiv stood in the middle, turning to look at each of the four towers. Ultimately, they didn’t represent anything special other than storing his core memories. Their uniqueness was in their aesthetics. If he were to manifest a Recollection, the four towers would converge their sources in the middle of the arena to create an immersive experience for him. And while the urge to watch while he waited tempted him, there were far more important things for him to do right now.

Xiv considered whether he should visit the dungeons below, just to check if he could discern some inspiration or enlightenment by studying his past traumas. He shook his head, ultimately disregarding the thought. In the end, he could only really go to his Forge.

With a sigh, he turned to exit the main stage and stopped, completely frozen in place.

On a bench on top of the exit was a woman sitting with her hands on her lap. She had short, raven black hair and a pair of emerald eyes. For someone who wore a casual, baggy shirt and loose jeans, Liona’s poise was too professional and stiff.

Xiv preferred to be cautious. “Are you Brymeia?” he asked.

On both accounts, Frill and Kristel briefly shared how Brymeia, the World Personified—as Frein so proudly named—took the form of Liona. Kristel noted that she could change her age, but what Xiv was looking at right now, he assumed, was the actual royal retainer on the day she was killed.

“Why would she look like me?” Liona asked. Her eyebrows contorted in confusion, but it might as well be irritation at the same time. “Why would a planet look like me?”

Xiv shrugged and quickly recounted the events that happened to the Princess and the Aria. Liona’s frown visibly became worse with each passing phrase.

“That sounds impossible.”

“You being here is also impossible.”

“She saved you by giving the core.”

“That’s supposedly impossible too, you know.” It was Xiv’s turn to frown next, catching something wildly confusing. “She?”

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Ironically, it was Liona’s turn to shrug next. “The first Liona.”

Xiv raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to explain that, or am I just supposed to understand it? Because I don’t. Also, come down here. Let’s walk and talk. I need to go to my Forge.”

Liona vaulted off the ledge and descended the ridiculously large, ten-meter tall gate. She floated down, slowing her fall with a lightning-based Meiyal Art.

“What’s the Forge?” she asked, following closely behind him.

Xiv pushed the absurd metal gate with one hand like it was made of plywood. “It’s like your Exhibit but for Meiyal Armaments.”

They entered the hallway underneath the colosseum. Meiyal torches lit as they detected Xiv’s presence, providing ample light on the clean walls adorned by the sturdy flow of meiyal.

“So,” he started, “care to explain this first and second Liona?”

“You won’t tell Frill or the Princess?”

“Shouldn’t I?”

She looked down. “I don’t think they’ll believe you. I think it’s better not to know rather than be rejected.”

“That’s an odd way of thinking,” Xiv said. “I get it, though. Still, I think telling them that a part of Liona still exists is the way to go. I think they have the right to know.”

“You can decide after I tell you my story.”

Xiv raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be totally against it.”

Liona responded by shaking her head dejectedly. “I’m just not so sure anymore, Xiv.”

“Alright then.” The Vyndivalian willed a pair of benches to appear. They’d already reached the door to his Forge, but he decided not to enter just yet, giving his full attention to the second Liona. He sat and gestured across the other chair. “Go ahead.”

Liona sat as instructed, keeping her knees together. She was tensed, as if she was caught doing something illegal. Her hand moved, shyly tucking the length of her hair beneath one ear.

“Can you relax a bit?” Xiv asked. “I’m tensing up here just looking at you.”

Liona withdrew. “I haven’t really talked to anyone other than Liona. Sorry.”

“It didn’t seem like it when you talked to me a few days ago.” Xiv recalled the night he had had a date with Frill and how this second Liona’s advice had saved him from having a complete meltdown. She was nowhere near this shy, hesitating girl back then. It was so out of character that he almost didn’t process who Liona was referring to.

“It’s different when it’s face to face,” she said defensively. “I’m used to being an inner voice. A second personality. I’m not used to having a body, even if it’s inside someone’s Mind Palace. Liona only allowed me be in control sometimes, when everyone else was asleep.”

“Okay.” Xiv tried to process her words without becoming visibly confused. “So you are the first Liona’s second personality. How did that happen?”

“No idea.” It seemed like shrugging was this Liona’s favorite gesture. Xiv wondered what the first Liona had liked to respond with.

“All I really know was that we were both surprised when it happened,” she continued. “She said I was the rebellious side of her, but I was also the energetic one. So I usually woke her and the Princess up when they were sleeping in late.”

“Did you two fight for the main body or something?”

This time she shook her head. “It was a problem at first, but I know my place. Despite our differences, I’m still Liona. She wouldn’t want to possess someone else’s body, and neither do I. She only really gave me a chance to take over when she felt lazy.”

“Sounds convenient.”

“For her, yeah.”

“You don’t like having a body?”

It was the first time Liona made direct eye contact with Xiv. “I had to act like her when people were around.”

“I thought you’re basically the same person?”

“I’m the rebellious type. I don’t like standing around waiting for people and serving them. Not even the Princess. I want to be free. I thought I could finally give Frill a piece of my mind. But now I’m stuck here with you.”

That gave Xiv something to think about.

“Wait. How come it’s you that’s here in my Mind Palace and not the first Liona?”

At that, she looked down again. She pressed both fists on her lap, withdrawing even further. Xiv couldn’t help but feel concern.

“If it’s too much for you right now, I’m not going to insist,” he said, feeling overwhelmingly guilty for some reason. “You can rest here and take all the time you need.”

“I…” The rest of her words were too muffled, buried beneath what Xiv assumed was a sob.

He stood up, attempting to console her. “It’s alright, Liona.”

“I want to help!”

The woman’s determined face, though close to tears, made Xiv smile. He couldn’t help but tease her a little. “I thought you’re the rebellious one?”

“I am! I am but…” She looked at her hands before meeting him face to face once again. “Whenever I observe what’s happening outside, I just… It makes me feel ashamed. I didn’t have to be the one who survived, but Liona pushed me. She said…”

The second Liona’s face twisted in pain as she recalled the memory. Xiv felt a connection, the memory forming enough significance to enable a Recollection to manifest. He immediately snuffed it out, deciding that he didn’t want her to re-live such a painful memory.

Noticing his gesture, she decided to try again. “She said it’s my turn to help out as I see fit. I tried to force her to take my place instead. I really tried! But I don’t own her body. She just made me wait inside her core while we waited for her sister.”

“Frill’s your sister too, you know.” Xiv placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’re also Liona. That makes you two siblings, no matter how you try to piece it.”

“Are you going to tell her?”

At that, Xiv pondered for a while. “I think this isn’t really about whether they would believe us or not. I think this is all about you being ready to show yourself to them. Not as the first Liona impersonator, but the real you instead.”

Xiv straightened out and offered a hand. “So, I’ll keep this between us until you’re ready.”

“What’s this for?” Liona asked, finally able to control her sobs.

“I thought you said you’ve been observing the outside world from my Dream Realm?”

“Not always, no.”

Xiv insisted on his gesture. “Well, this is a handshake. It’s a sign of good intentions and trust. It’s part of the Visitor’s culture. This is a sign of my trust in you that you’ll help me out whenever I’m in time of need, and my promise to do the same for you as well.”

Liona just stared at his hand. Xiv thought she wouldn’t take it, but before he decided to take back his gesture, the royal retainer took it with both hands.

She immediately hesitated and let go, however. “I… I don’t know how much help I can be.”

This time, Xiv took both her hands and shook them properly before letting go. “What are you talking about? You’ve already helped me out a lot of times. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

“That’s not the same! I was just worried for Frill! I want to help in a more tangible way. Everyone’s moving forward and getting stronger! I can’t let you fall behind.”

“That obvious, huh?” Xiv crossed his hands and turned to the door of his Forge. “Well, if you’re here to help, I might as well take your offer. Let’s start by Polishing my Equipment.”

“I…” Liona hesitated once again. “I don’t know anything about Meiyal Armaments.”

“Don’t worry.” Xiv smiled with confidence. “I’ll teach you.” He started to head in, but Liona pulled the ends of his shirt.

“The next time you get a chance, ask Frill to give you a haircut.”

“Why?”

“You look like you could use one… And it helps her relax.”

“Alright. Thanks.”