I frantically scrambled up the stairs in the entrance hall, almost falling several times. I couldn't wait another moment. I had to see her as soon as possible. The secret door to the roof was already half open, so I ran into the empty room and over the magic circle. Even though my eyes were blinded by the sun still high in the sky, I didn't stop moving because I knew she was there, waiting for me.
Squinting, I saw Sophia leaning against the railing of the roof, her gaze lost in the horizon again. Was the time we had spent together, the one I had forgotten, what she was looking for?
«SOPHIA!»
The slender girl turned to me. I didn't have to say anything, I could see from her face that she already knew.
«You're back! My Elizabeth... you're back with me!» she yelled, catching me in her arms as I rushed towards her.
«Sophia... yes, it's me, I'm here now, I remember everything.»
My tears didn't want to stop. How could they? Every single emotion I had felt in the past months had been condensed into a single second when Amy's smile had brought my memory back. It was overwhelming. But the warmth of Sophia's body was an anchor that kept my mind from drifting away.
«It's ok, I'm here Elizabeth, I'm here with you now,» Sophia whispered as she gently stroked my hair, «I'll always be with you no matter what.»
«But... I forgot... I forgot everything, I forgot you!» I sobbed.
«But you remember me now, don't you? Even if you lost your memory, you still came back to me. It's just like you said the other day: nothing can keep us apart. We are meant to be together.»
I sniffed as I nodded:
«Always...»
It took me several minutes to regain my composure. I probably wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for her soothing touch, the one I had managed to remember even when all the rest of my memories had vanished.
«W-what is this place? Why did I forget everything? Is this a dream or... have we gone back in time?»
I couldn't hide the glimmer of hope I felt for the latter option. Being transported to a reality where Amy was still alive... that would have been the best case scenario. But Sophia shook her head:
«That's what I thought at first. But now, like I told you before, I'm pretty sure we didn't go back to the past. Think about it, if we were just taken back to the beginning of the school year... what happened to Skylark's plan and the whole game to find Aldric's successor then? And there are a lot of other inconsistencies. A dream, though... I guess you could call it that, even if it is not its true nature,» Sophia said in a tentative tone.
«Its true nature? Sophia, just tell me what this place is if you know!»
Why did she sound so hesitant? It wasn't like her. Thinking about it, now that I was myself again and knew what kind of person she was, her behaviour over the past two days had been extremely strange. If I didn't know her, I would have sworn that she was toying with me as revenge for forgetting her. But of course Sophia wasn't like that, she would never make me suffer on purpose. There had to be a reason why she had kept me in the dark.
«Sophia, why didn't you just tell me everything? Why did you just say cryptic lines and gave me hints that you knew me?» I asked calmly.
«I wanted to tell you everything. I just couldn't,» she replied with a sigh.
«You couldn't? But why?»
«Because it would have been useless or even dangerous. I know because I have already tried.»
«You've already tried...?»
Then I realised something. If my memory had been tampered with, maybe my past at the Academy wasn't the only thing that had been erased from it.
«Sophia... how long have we been here?» I asked in a trembling tone.
«This is the fourth day. At least that's what I remember, I can't really exclude we've been here for even more time.»
«Four days... I only remember two.»
But to be honest, I feared worse. I half expected her to say that we had had this same conversation 1000 times before. But what had happened in the two days I couldn't remember? The answer was probably what had made Sophia reluctant to talk to me about it.
«Sophia, just tell me everything. I can take it.»
«I know... I just don't want you to suffer any more,» she said, giving me a sad look. But after a short pause she began to narrate.
«When I woke up on Thursday morning, I immediately felt that something was wrong. You usually wake up later than I do, but you weren't in bed. At first I thought you'd spent the night comforting Penny, but when I went to look for you I realised I wasn't in our room but in my old one.»
«So you never lost your memories?» I asked stunned. That made me feel even more guilty.
«That's right, but like I said, don't worry, I think I know why things happened the way they did,» she said, covering my hand, that was resting on the railing, with hers, «but let me continue now, everything is so complicated already.»
«All right,» I nodded, reassured by her words.
«The idea that someone had taken me to another room while I was asleep was pretty creepy, but not as much as what I saw when I got out and found the corridors of the school filled with students. At first I thought I was still dreaming. But as I couldn't seem to wake up, I came to the same conclusion as you: I had somehow been transported back in time, before Skylark's game began.»
Sophia sighed and shook her head in disappointment. Of course, that scenario would have been fantastic. Thanks to all the progress we've made in the last few months and our knowledge of previous events, we could have prevented so many bad things from happening. We could've stopped Valentine and Chloe from murdering innocent people, we could've prevented Finch from killing those poor students during the tournament, and... we could've saved Amy. Not only that, but with all the students still alive, our escape attempt would've been much easier.
«But when I went looking for you and found you in the dining hall, I immediately understood that something was wrong with my assumption. You were there, happily having breakfast not only with Amy, but with both Nicole and Penny. And that's something that has never happened in the past.»
She was right, I hadn't thought about it. I had only become friends with those two after Amy's death.
«But I still couldn't rule out the idea of time travel. Have you ever heard of the butterfly effect? A seemingly insignificant change in past events could bring about a completely different future. So when I started discovering other differences from our original timeline, like Skylark not being here and the school duels not being a life-or-death situation, I still couldn't disprove it.»
«That's when I decided to just try and talk to you and see if we could make sense of the situation together, even though you obviously didn't remember me or you would have come to see me immediately,» Sophia continued in a bitter tone, «but of course you didn't believe a word I said.»
«I'm so sorry,» I mumbled, mortified.
«It's okay, I'm not mad at you! I mean, it was a natural reaction! A random girl comes to you and tells you she's from the future... you didn't even laugh or make fun of me, you were very kind! Just like this time.»
«I thought you were a bit crazy though...» I said with a slight smile, only to turn serious right after that, «But you really sound angry...»
«It's just... the thought of being in a world where we weren't lovers... it was really hard.»
This situation... I wasn't the only one who had suffered from it. Even if Sophia hadn't experienced the shock of losing and regaining her memories, she had felt another kind of pain. The pain of being forgotten by someone she loved dearly.
«Oh Sophia,» I put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me, «it's all right now! Whatever happened, you managed to bring me back to you!»
«I did...» Sophia murmured, leaning against me, «I'm so glad to be with the real you again. I still loved your clueless version... but I much prefer this current one.»
«Clueless... I guess that's one way to put it... anyway, I'm sorry, go on, what happened next?»
«Well... I didn't give up just because I couldn't get through your thick skull once. I wanted to find a way to show you that I was telling the truth.»
«Of course you didn't! That's my Sophia!» I cheered, cuddling with her.
She smiled slightly before turning serious again:
«But things didn't go as planned... You see, when I woke up the next day, I quickly realised that it was still Thursday.»
«Time had gone back one more time...»
«That's what I thought. I was afraid that I was caught in a loop, forced to repeat the same day over and over again. So naturally I tried to find a way to break out. And that's when I noticed the signs... the signs that this world is fake.»
«This world... is fake?» I repeated.
«That's right, I have no doubt. Even if it looks the same at first glance, this is not the same Duelcrest Academy we know so well. It's a different world with its own rules, designed to achieve a specific goal.»
"A world with its own rules..."
I doubted that there could be a spell that could create something like that. So there was only one possible explanation:
«An innate power... that's what created this world and trapped us in it, is that what you're suggesting?»
«Exactly. As for the reason, it'll be quicker if I show you. Come with me!»
Sophia grabbed my hand and led me towards the magic circle as she continued to speak.
«Elizabeth, do you think there could be an innate power that can resurrect the dead?»
«I... don't know.»
So far I had seen so much crazy stuff. From Valentine controlling his blood like an extension of his own body to my girlfriend here being able to teleport by cutting through space. Each power, however, seemed to have its own limits and rules to abide by. In truth, I couldn't believe that a human could break one of the greatest truths of this universe: that the dead cannot return to the world of the living.
"But what's the alternative?"
«Amy... she really did look and behave like the real thing,» I muttered.
«I'm sure she did,» Sophia said, patting my head with a sad smile on her face as we descended the stairs of the entrance hall, «but that doesn't apply to everyone else.»
«Huh? What do you mean?»
«I'll show you.»
Sophia pulled me by the hand behind the balustrade of the stairs. Hiding there, we watched as students begin to pass by, heading for the magic training room for the afternoon classes. My heart sank when I saw Amy walk past with Nicole and Penny, the same blank expression on her face as before.
"I wonder what she thought happened earlier... I must have scared her to death."
I felt Sophia's grip on my hand tighten and I did the same, grateful.
«What am I supposed to see?» I asked.
«Wait a moment.»
At her instruction, I waited in silence for most of the student body to pass. When only a few latecomers remained, Sophia made her move.
«Sophia!?»
I watched stupified as my gilfriend came out of our hiding place and grabbe a male student by the wrist. She dragged him back to me like a doll and pushed him against the wall.
«What the hell?!»
It wasn't like her to be so harsh. But to my surprise, the student didn't seem to mind being treated so violently. Instead, he gave me a placid, questioning smile.
«What's your name?» Sophia asked in a sharp tone.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"What's going on? Why has she kidnapped this guy and is interrogating him?"
Was this normal looking boy the mastermind behind all this?
"But he's not one of the remaining 12 students... and I don't really remember seeing him around."
«John Aberich, nice to meet you!» the boy replied cheerfully.
«What the fuck?!»
For a second I thought this guy might be a masochist. After all, enjoying being roughed up by Sophia was something I could relate to. But even I wouldn't have reacted so pleasantly after being abused by a stranger.
«So, Elizabeth, do you remember the name John Aberich?» Sophia asked me.
I looked at her with my mouth agape.
"Does she mean? This guy's a fake?"
Maybe, since this world couldn't bring back the dead, it had filled the school with fake students, a bit like extras in a play.
"But that still doesn't explain Amy... and... wait, I think I remember his name actually!"
«He was here. I think I remember his name because he was the first on the role call before he died in the battle.»
«That's right,» Sophia nodded, «but what about his face, do you remember it?»
I looked at John Aberich. A straight nose, short black hair and round glasses.
«No chance. I must have seen dozens of guys with the same face in this school alone. Except for his stupid expression, I guess.»
Aberich was looking at us as if he had no care in the world and didn't seem to have heard my insult at all. If Sophia's behaviour hadn't already tipped me off, it would now be obvious that something strange was going on with him.
«You hit the nail on the head. This guy looks so generic that nobody would remember him. And the same goes for a lot of the students in here. He doesn't even have a real personality or a story to tell. Aberich, where are you from? What are your parents' names?»
Aberich looked at her with an expression of polite ignorance:
«I don't seem to remember, I'm sorry. Is there anything else I can help you with?»
«So it's how I thought... this guy is not real.»
«He's a puppet. A fake version of the real John Aberich,» Sophia said, letting him go. The boy started walking towards the east wing corridor as if nothing had happened.
«He follows the role of a background student. He can't get angry with us, no matter how rude we are to him, he can't say anything interesting or formulate an opinion. I discovered this when I followed some of them after class. It was kind of creepy, they just stay in their room and don't do anything till the next day,» Sophia explained.
«I see... but why? Why isn't Amy like that? Why does she act like a real person? The same goes for Sam, I saw him before!» I blurted out, still shocked at this revelation.
«Because you remember her. I suspect this place was created using our memories as a template. Amy is like that because you knew so much about her, and the same goes for Sam and his friends. But all the other students who died in here, who none of us 12 left alive ever got to know... this place can't make perfect copies of them out of nothing. So it just took the names from the rankings and created these human-like marionettes.»
«I didn't notice anything...» I muttered, stunned.
«Because you didn't really look at them, Elizabeth. I think that's quite normal, as humans we live in our own little world most of the time. And this place took advantage of that.»
The words Sam had spoken to me a few days ago came back to me:
"When you're on a pedestal, it's hard to notice the people below you."
Many people had lived and died at the Academy, all with their own stories, and I'd hardly ever looked at them, so much so that I couldn't even remember their faces. And if we died, all that was left of them would be lost forever.
«But that's not the end of it, follow me.»
Sophia took my hand again, guiding me through the haze that this world-shattering revelation had created. We stopped outside the classroom and Sophia slowly opened the door.
«I know it's painful,» Sophia whispered, «but I need you to look at Amy.»
I nodded. I needed to know the full truth. I peeked into the classroom, looking for my best friend. She was there, in the spot where we used to sit together, with Penny and Nicole by her side.
She had the same blank expression on her face that I had seen all day. I had thought it was one of concern, but now, thanks to what Sophia had shown me earlier, a doubt crept into my mind.
Sophia's words confirmed it:
«Elizabeth, have you seen Amy talking directly to Nicole and Penny these past two days?»
It didn't take long for me to shake my head. It hurt. I already knew it wasn't possible for the real Amy to be alive, but the confirmation that the girl I'd spent the last two days with was just a copy was like having a knife stab me in the heart.
Sophia closed the door and stroked my cheek as she spoke in a soft tone:
«Since they were never close, Amy's copy doesn't know how to behave around them. So it just remains silent and waits for you to come back. Something similar happened when I tried to interact with Sam Rover. Since I didn't really knew him well, he behaved very strangely a bit like Aberich before.»
«I see...» I could only say.
When I had met him, the boy I had dueled with had really looked like the clumsy hero I had come to know over the past few days. But that was because, unlike Sophia, I had talked to him a lot and understood the type of person he was.
I sighed and looked at Sophia's beautiful face animated by her concern for me. I could see why she was reluctant to tell me about this. She hated to see me sad. But I owed it to her caring demeanour to push through this situation and keep my chin up.
«What happened next? Did you tell me this stuff?»
«I did,» Sophia nodded, «I went to you again and told you all this stuff, but even this time you wouldn't believe me.»
«I mean of course! The idea of me living in some kind of magic simulation surrounded by fake dummies of my friends is even crazier than the time traveling!»
«You say that, but you agreed to let me demonstrate it to you!» Sophia exclaimed with a slight smile.
«I mean, if a beautiful lady like you wanted to take me on an occult journey, I wouldn't say no!»
«Idiot...»
But I could see that she appreciated my attempt to lighten the mood.
«Anyway... we made plans to see each other the day after... but when I woke up I was back to square one, with you having forgotten everything that happened the day before.»
«I'm sorry.»
«Stop apologising... as I said, my efforts were useless. At this rate I would never convince you if I had to start all over again every time. And even if I did, you wouldn't have been able to help me much if you didn't have your memories. But then I started to think: if this wasn't a time travel situation, then how and why was the day repeating? And what was the reason we were transported here? Come!»
For the third time Sophia pulled me away, this time to the courtyard. As we entered, the light of the afternoon sun warmed my face.
«Wait... clouds?»
«That's right, the real sky. Even this changed... imagine coming here and dozing off on my lap after lunch, with this gentle breeze caressing your face,» Sophia said, sitting down on the grass and looking off into the distance with a somber expression on her face.
«But this is still a cage, isn't it?» I said, sitting by her side and leaning on her shoulder, «Sure, it's a more pleasant world than ours, but we're still not free. This sky is beautiful, but we are still surrounded by iron bars, even if we can't see them.»
«That's right, it's a cage. But what kind of cage, Elizabeth? Why are we trapped in it?»
I recalled everything I had learned. That this world had erased all my painful memories. The fact that it had brought back the friends we had lost and created fakes to trick me into believing I was living a normal school life.
«Is this a world that is supposed to let us live a happy life?» I said tentatively.
I was beginning to feel even more uneasy about the situation. At first I had thought this was another of Skylark's cruel ploys to develop our mana through stress and despair... but what if it was the opposite? Was this actually a way for someone to save us from the Academy and protect us from the harsh reality we lived in?
Sophia nodded:
«That's what I think. A world where all the pain and suffering we have endured is erased. A world where our dead friends are still with us and where we'll never feel loss again. A world where Skylark's perverse game never happened and Aldric is a beacon of hope for us all. A world where every action we take leads to the best outcome and allows us to live a long and fulfilling school life.»
«All actions... wait! You mean yesterday... when we met...?»
«It was the day we were supposed to get together and become a couple. A normal one. That's the perfect outcome for us, isn't it? A life where we can always be together without worry!» Sophia gave me another sad smile.
«So when I asked you out, even though I didn't mean to...»
«That was probably this world's doing. It forced you to take a step that your insecure old self would never have dared to take. I suppose if I had been under the influence of this place, I would have said yes anyway, even if it was such an absurd situation. It was as if we were in one of those insipid wish-fulfilment novels.»
«The influence of this place... I see. So it put those worlds in my mouth. But Sophia, I still don't get it: why were you never influenced by this place unlike me?»
Sophia looked at me hesitantly before answering:
«Because... you are my everything. The memories we made together mean the world to me... all of them, even the painful ones. I just can't be happy without them, so this world can't help me. I do not need this place because you have changed me, Elizabeth, you have made me the person I am now, thanks to what you said to me on the roof that day. You were right, I was a stupid, insecure girl who hated herself and chased the approval of my horrible parents.»
«Sophia...» I reached for her cheek with my hand, but she shook her head, this time giving me one of her full, beautiful smiles.
«But that's not the case anymore. You believed in me, so now I believe in myself. You loved me, so now I love myself. I'm proud to be the person Elizabeth Belvoir has chosen to be her girlfriend.»
I felt myself tearing up again. But I couldn't accept her words:
«But... you mean the world to me too. You've changed me too... you've seen how stupid I've been these past two days... that girl isn't me anymore. So why... why did I lose myself in this false reality?»
Sophia hugged me:
«You know why, Elizabeth. It's because you still have something that binds you to the past. You are wonderful, Elizabeth. You are so strong and you have endured so much, but that regret, it never really went away, did it?»
I clung to the shirt as I realised the meaning of her words:
«Amy...»
«A world where you can be happy with me and your best friend, forever. I don't think anyone has the right to blame you. I'm actually the bad person here. Even though I knew Amy and considered her a friend... even though I care so much about that stupid Celeste... it seems that my mind still puts my selfish memories above everything.»
«Don't say that. I know how kind you are, Sophia. And how strong... you would never reject reality. You've endured too much in your life to wish for an escape.»
«There's nothing wrong with wanting to escape, Elizabeth.»
«I know. Thank you...»
I needed some time to process this, so I pulled away from the embrace, wiped my eyes and asked:
«You were talking about the rules of this world. How did you manage to make time pass this time?»
«This world wants everything to be perfect, so it wouldn't make sense to have the same day over and over again, would it? So I realised that maybe I was the one causing the problem. Revealing the truth to you would eventually bring everything crashing down, so this world just went back to a point where you were happily oblivious.»
«So... you decided to let me find out for myself,» I sighed, finally realising the reason for her strange behaviour.
«Exactly. I knew you wouldn't just accept this place if you knew its true nature. I just needed a way to allow you to do so without triggering the reset. So I did my best to plant a doubt in your mind by vaguely hinting that I knew you. I know how you like to overthink things, so it wasn't hard, and the fact that you're so attracted to me certainly helped. Luckily it worked pretty quickly.»
"Luckily... I don't really like the way it went. In the end, my trauma was what I needed to come back. This world probably wanted me to meet and befriend Sam, since that's what I wished for before he died, but it didn't take into account the unstable mental state Sophia put me in."
In a way, Sam had managed to save us again. But I didn't want to burden Sophia with my grief for him, so I commented sharply instead:
«Did you really have to tease me so much and forcibly kiss me?»
«Sorry, I just thought I could rekindle some memories if I acted like we usually do these days... and it didn't look like you didn't like the kiss. Honestly, virgin Elizabeth was kind of adorable.»
«Pervert!» but I chuckled. I couldn't really blame her. I probably wouldn't have resisted messing with her if the situation had been the opposite.
But I quickly turned serious.
«Well, you did it. Now that we're together, I guess we have find a way out of here before the day ends or my memory may get erased again.»
Sophia gave me another hesitant look:
«About that... I think I already have an idea.»
«You do?» I asked with my mouth hanging open, «Why didn't you say so before?»
«That's...» Sophia paused for a second to look me straight in the eye, «Elizabeth... there are two reasons why I didn't. The first... it's what I asked you yesterday. Do you remember that question? Is this the kind of life you want to live? A life without sadness and pain, where you can be happy with your friends? I didn't want to destroy this false world before I heard your answer.»
I quickly understood what she was getting at.
«...you mean if I want to stay here in this world?»
Sophia nodded:
«This place... is good, isn't it? Sure, it's not a perfect replica of the real world, but I doubt we'd ever notice if we let its influence take over. We'd lose the memories of that terrible past and continue to live here in blissful ignorance. Even if we are surrounded by mindless puppets, we'll never know. We'll live together, forever.»
It really did sound like the best option when she said it like that, but I could clearly see that she wasn't really convinced by her own words.
«Didn't you say you would never give up the memories of our time together?» I asked gently, squeezing her hand.
«I... that's true... but if this is what you want... if it can finally heal the scars in your heart... I can accept it. I don't want to go back to the way I was... but I know you will save me again. I believe you: we are destined to love each other. So even in this fake future, you'll still change me and we'll make many more memories together.»
But even as she looked at me with determination, I could sense the fear and uncertainty in her usually confident tone.
"Ah Sophia... I don't deserve someone as selfless as you."
«Escaping here really does sound like a perfect plan,» I said, «and I wouldn't blame anyone for making that choice. If that idiotic girl you met during the last two days was sitting here, she'd definitely have chose to escape. Our reality really does suck... but I can't give it up. Because I'm not that girl anymore.»
«Elizabeth...» Sophia looked at me, her eyes wide open.
«If I could bring Amy back, I would give up everything I have except you, Sophia. But this is not what we are looking at, this would only be an insult to her. If she saw me living happily ever after with a copy of her, she would just slap me and yell: 'Don't run away, Lizzie!' She was a brave person. Sure, she faltered and almost lost hope, but in the end she fought and sacrificed herself for me. Her death is something I can't erase, I have to look at it and carry it in my heart.»
«But you still hurt...»
«I do, and probably always will. As you said, my subconscious still longs for her... so much so that I had lost my way. But now that I'm back, I'm not going to run away anymore. The pain I feel... I will engrave it in my mind as a testament to everything she and I have been through. Along with every other memory, it's what makes me who I am. It's what makes me the person Sophia Thornton is in love with, so I'm not going to change that to live in some false sweet-dream paradise.»
«I... knew you would choose this way,» Sophia looked at me with loving eyes, «the Elizabeth I know never takes the easy way out.»
«You bet, I have a talent for complicating our lives after all,» I exclaimed, ruffling her hair. But as I looked up at the sun, the ache in my heart was still strong. Seeing Amy again had shown me just how much I was still anchored to the past.
«Sophia... it's kind of stupid... but I still want to talk to her, to Amy, even if she's not the real one. Maybe... maybe I'll finally get the closure I need.»
«It's not stupid, Elizabeth... that Amy is the one you still have in your heart,» Sophia said gently.
«Thank you... but what's the other reason you mentioned?»
Sophia's expression darkened.
«To get out of here... I think there's only one way. We have to find who created this world and make them destroy it, but... they may not be aware of what is happening, I think.»
«Not aware?» I repeated.
«That's right. Seeing the nature of this place... what if this is their way of escape? Maybe they are living here happily in the sweet dream they created, without even noticing. Perhaps their innate power, manifesting itself unconsciously, created this world while we were all asleep and drew us into it. If that's the case... who do you think would want a false world like this? One where their terrible fate will never come?»
The feeling of dread I had felt since Sophia had explained the true nature of this place came back much stronger. It was because I remembered a question I had asked a friend some time ago, and which she had repeated to me just before I fell asleep before entering this world.
"Do you remember what you told me last time? About how you wished Duelcrest was a normal school?"
"So this is my fault... I'm the one who put the idea into her head."
«Penny... this world is Penny's way of escaping her death.»
Sophia nodded seriously:
«That's what I think too. And in that case... things could be even worse than we think.»
«What do you mean?»
«What's happening in the real world? Obviously our bodies must be like frozen, or we'd have died of dehydration by now. But what about time? Does it flow? Because if it does...»
«...today is actually Sunday, the last day before Penny's execution,» I finished for her.
Today we would have to make a terrible choice.