"hmm..."

With a warm soothing breeze and a discomforting feeling upon the back of my neck, I opened up my eyes and found myself lying on the cold hard ground.

"!!!" Surprised that I was not in my room, I immediately sat up and wiped all the dirt from my clothes.

"Where am I?!"

Scanning my surroundings, it seems that I'm in the middle of a very dense forest where there's only a partial amount of sunray that can pierce through its canopy giving it a very eerie atmosphere where it almost seems mysterious.

"What is this place? I was just in the library earlier... Is this perhaps a dream?"

With a gust of humid air blowing to my face, I decided to wander off to the forest aimlessly.

Following my experience on how to navigate inside the woods, I pushed through the thick forest to the direction of which I believe was north based on the positioning of the mosses and foliage on the trunks of the trees.

Minutes then pass by, and by those minutes it then turns to hours. Walking around the forest floor, I somehow found myself in a state of loss and now exactly at the same place where I initially started.

Seeing the same familiar tree that I just marked earlier somehow gave me a feeling of frustration.

Navigating through a forest isn't very new to me, and I know pretty much how forests go as I've been hunting in the winding woods for who knows how long, which is why I find it pretty odd to see myself lost inside a forest.

Am I lost? Come on now, I'm better than this.

"Odd..." was the only word I could utter before going for another run.

************

After walking for quite some time, I again found myself at the very same spot from which I started.

"maybe I should try a different direction"

With that, I then switched from north to east, and fair enough I managed to stumble into new unfamiliar ground. Scanning the area far ahead of me I manage to find a clear patch of ground where oddly enough, considering the thickness of this forest, no trees seem to grow and instead were replaced by a colorful flowerbed.

"A glade?" I muttered.

Upon reaching the edge of the glade, what caught my eye was the different types of flora that I had never seen before yet I felt a great amount of nostalgia that I somehow couldn't explain.

"I knew I'd find you here, after all, you've always liked this part of the woods" Hearing a sudden voice I was quick on my feet and immediately hid behind a thick shrub where I noticed a mysterious person wearing a black robe staring at the same flowerbed that I just saw, and behind that person was a woman which was adorned with dark raven hair wearing a seemingly luxurious purplish victorian dress.

"Lissandria... witch of the dark forest, keeper of the sacred stone Laios, and queen of Arachne, why is it that you're so keen on always following me wherever I go?" The man in a black robe speaks as he kneels and touches the petals of the flowers on the flower bed.

"but of course, it seems that you have forgotten the last title that you've bestowed on me again. The right-hand man or is it, woman, of the fifth sage of Arcana"

"sage... I never liked that title, it shackles me towards the kingdom without any regard to my desires..."

"desires?..." the woman named Lissandria then chuckles "Never thought you'd of speak such a word. But what is it that you desire milord?."

"It's nothing grand really, I only wish to serve... to be of service... and return my debt..."

"serve? The people of Arcana?"

"no, not the people of Arcana, but the true ruler of the Arcana itself, Risvelt... My sister from the family who adopted me, the one that was massacred by the order of the tyrant king, before the civil war, and before everything."

"I see... I'm glad that, Despite all the misfortune this war has brought you, you still haven't changed... you're still that same selfless man who once saved me back then"

"I'm not such a person... nothing has changed... I've failed to protect my sister and even more so... I couldn't even save her"

"And so you're drowning, and blaming yourself again even though knowing that it was also not your fault. you've already avenged both their death, I'm sure they all already made peace with themselves and are now only wishing you to be happy" The woman replied.

"You honestly think... I deserve such a thing?! This world has turned its back on me... No... On us... And for that, I have also failed everyone..."

"..."

"They call it a 'New world order' but it is just another term for our annihilation... Oh, I wish there would come a time when the world will be a gentler place and not full of endless strife, injustices, and conflicts but alas it all boils down to this."

The man then let out a soft sigh.

"—They called us the devils, maybe they aren't that wrong after all..."

"If this is truly how it will all end, then allow me to accompany you one last time milord"

"No, from this point on, your service will also no longer be needed, instead I would like you to join the rest"

"—But!" The woman immediately protested.

"I trust that you all will await for me on the other side"

"No, Please!"

"—Though as compensation for everything you've done, I will grant you one final wish"

"I see, then I'll gladly take you on that offer... please allow me to be selfish and ma—"

As I overhear their conversation a woman with a familiar face suddenly appears out of nowhere and taps me on my shoulder.

"so you've finally decided to come huh"

"..."

"..."

"Aaah!" surprised, I let out a scream which then distorted the entire place making the whole forest vanish all of a sudden.

"What's happening?!" I couldn't help but be startled as everything was disappearing one by one until all that was left was an empty white world.

"calm down, you've disturbed the plane of remembrance, so it's natural for that sequence of that memory to end"

"y-you! Who are you?!—wait you're that mysterious woman from before!"

"Wha—! Is that how you're going to address me?! How rude!" The woman in front of me then let out a pout and smacked me on the head with her black umbrella.

"That hurt!... wait it hurt?! Impossible this is supposed to be a dream?!"

"Calm down..."

"No way!"

"I said calm down!"

"How do you even feel pain in a dream?!"

"I said calm down! and let me explain everything!" annoyed the woman then hit me again with her umbrella.

This woman!

As I got smacked again, I finally managed to calm myself down to which the woman acknowledged and elegantly bowed her head towards me and restarted our conversation by introducing herself.

"It seems that you've calmed down now so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Entropy, but many refer to me as the spirit of the end, some know me as the harbinger of chaos and death, but to you, I am simply Ent. I'm one of the two spirits that reside in the highest echelon of authority the seraphims, and of course your contracted spirit... Well, not actually contracted, it's more like complete ownership of you ask me..."

"Who what now?" I confusedly ask.

"Entropy! You know your spirit partner hailed as the goddess of chaos from a long long long long long time ago, I know I'm not making any sense as of now since you've lost all your memories... again... —but don't worry it will soon!"

"Why an emphasis on the word long? Also spirit? Goddess?... hahaha I knew it!"

"knew what?"

"that this is really just a dream. Could you punch me now so I can wake up"

"But It'll just hurt you know"

"I know but it's still a dream! I need to wake up somehow"

"Pffft... What makes you think that this is a dream?"

"Well firstly, this is a completely boundless white space where nothing seems to exist" I replied gesturing to the number one with my finger.

"Hmm... that's a good point"

"Secondly I don't even have any affinity to aether much less with mana, so I can't be a mage even more so a spirit mage. Though I did imagine myself now and then wanting to become one because of my envy of both of my sisters, but that's just me... So again please hit me with all your might"

"You're impossible you know that, is this how you thank your savior in this age now?" Entropy let out a comedic complaint.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Anyway, a dream... Well, you're not that far off, but at least do properly introduce yourself first"

"Oh, my apologies, I'm Rey, Rey Argent the eldest son of a merchant family" Introducing myself, I let out a short graceful bow before shutting myself up.

"Heee~ so you're name is Rey Argent now huh~ Not gonna lie it's kinda cute compared to your previous ones"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Amidst all the silence Entropy then let out a sigh.

"What, that's it? Why you've gone silent? It's your turn now, aren't you going to ask me anything?"

"Nope" I monotonously replied.

"why? Aren't you curious about who am I, and what is this place? Or what's that thing that happened earlier? Come on, let's make this conversation worthwhile"

"didn't you just say that your name is Entropy and this is just a dream anyway so why even bother asking"

"arghh! You're really impossible! This isn't the outcome that I envisioned when you forced me to take up this task millions of years ago!" Entropy shouted.

"As if I've lived that long"

"Oh, but you did!"

"Impossible just another delusion!"

Entropy out of frustration lets out a sigh of defeat and raises her hand in the sky to which the empty white space responds by creating a small rumbling noise as numerous light particles begin to materialize out of nowhere and accelerate to a single point constructing a beautiful pure white gazebo of which was completed with the creation of a round table and two chairs.

Sitting on one of the chairs, she then signaled me to occupy the other before bringing out a tea set for two.

"do you drink tea?" Entropy asks to which I nodded in reply.

"Which one do you prefer? Frailiana, Hiristina, or Silvet bud?"

"nothing sounds familiar so just give me anything, I'm just waiting to wake up from this lucid dream" I replied.

"Silvet bud then, it's your favorite after all" Entropy then with a flick of her finger a small black flame emerges in front of us to which she brews her tea in.

"Hey, umm... Are you really not gonna ask me anything?"

"Sigh... fine. I'm just a little curious about this dream, it just feels that it isn't gonna end soon"

"well that's because this isn't just your typical dream... right now you're in the domain of memories"

"Domain of memories?"

"Did you just decide to visit me out of nowhere without knowing that?!

—goddess help me... Seriously of all the things that I would willing to do just for all your memories to return.... anyway, long story short It's a plane in which all souls that have a contracted spirit have, a some sort of realm if you will, it's where all memories of the soul are collected and stored. This is common knowledge you know?"

"I don't see how this is common" I whisper under my breath.

"—of course, when a person dies and the soul leaves the plane of existence to join the cycle of the wisp, all the recollections that were stored in the domain of memories will also be lost, —but then again that scene you just had seen earlier was something that happened in the past that's lost in time. To be able to bend the rule of the world such is the powers of magic"

"I don't get it..." I confusedly said.

"Not at the moment, but you will in time, I'm sure of it, after all, I'm here now... —well, I never really left... –It's more like waiting... waiting for a long long long time... deep in slumber, waiting, for a sign, of your inevitable return"

"pfft. just who are you really?" I now then curiously ask.

"Heh~ curious now are we?~," Entropy said with a teasing voice.

"Well after hearing those mysterious things I can't say that I'm not"

It was then now that the tea Entropy was brewing was finally finished. Pouring a cup for me, she then materialized a set of cupcakes and biscuits.

"Didn't I just tell you that I'm a spirit, a spirit which you owned? Though that goes both ways anyway, you owned me, and in return... Well, let's just say I get something in return from you, that's why it's called a spirit contract"

"Wait so you're telling me that you're a spirit and since you claim that you're contracted to me, doesn't that make me a spirit mage?"

"Spirit mage huh... Is that what they call the warmages of Arcana now?

"Warmages of Arcana?"

"That's our general term for all the warriors and mages of Arcana, each and every one of them possesses a powerful spirit that can turn the tide of battle with just a few chanting words, it's kinda weird though, I don't feel any mana inside you"

"—like I said I don't have any affinity to mana and aether"

While listening to Entropy's explanation I decided to take a sip of my tea and to my surprise...

"It's mildly bitter... yet It has a strong sweet aftertaste"

"so do you like it?"

"n—not really, I'm just surprised. teas aren't supposed to be sweet without sugar"

"Well, you're saying that but deep inside I know you like it, it's Silvet bud after all"

As I took another sip, Entropy then removed her playful mask and projected a scene from one of my recent memories. The memory was so fresh that the moment it was shown, I accidentally dropped my teacup shattering it. My hand began to tremble as well as my breathing was slowly beginning to get rough.

Yes, it was the exact scene in which I was ravaged by a three-headed beast.

"Quite haunting isn't it..." Entropy commented.

"T-This was the hallucination that I got yesterday... W-Why are you showing t-this?..."

"Out of personal enjoyment" Entropy then giggles for a split second before returning to her serious expression.

"..." Slightly unamused by her remark I just kept silent while watching in horror as the scene unfolded.

"Just kidding, it's because I wanted to let you know, no, to remember the creature that attacked you"

"Yes, as you already know, the thing that happened yesterday wasn't a hallucination, and that creature was a Phantom called Cerberus"

"Phantoms?"

"Or so what we called it, based on your memories, it now goes with the word ravagers"

"You mean that thing that attacked me was a ravager?!..."

"Oh so you know what they are"

"It's common knowledge, they're accursed monsters that inhabited the far cold north, though I haven't seen one up to this point"

"Indeed, they are the blight of this world, a foreign invader from an unknown origin with the only goal of ravaging this very world. It's safe to say that it is the natural enemy of all the inhabitants of Ashtalt... mortals, and spirits alike"

"..."

"It may not look like it but Ravagers have been around for millions if not billions of years, no one knows how they came to be but we have both fought them over and over and over... you as Luhi Deamon, the great grandmaster of arms as well as the forefather of Arcana; you as Kristop Aluzirus, the high keeper of the archive sanctuary and lord of the realms; and lastly you as Magus Liareign, the fifth sage, the black demon lord of the rebellion and crownless king of Arcana"

"..."

"Anyway, since you still haven't noticed it yet, let me be the one who tells you this, within your souls was a collection of memories of the past that shaped this world into what it is now"

"but—"

As I was about to let out a voice the scenery then suddenly changed and now found myself standing at the top of the great castle overlooking the entire city district that was surrounded by a thick glowing white wall.

"—What is this place!"

"Arcana, the capital city of the once-powerful magic kingdom... And also your birthright" Entropy said silently.

"This place..." Seeing the great horizon, I somewhat feel a bit of nostalgia, a feeling which I couldn't explain.

"—is awfully familiar?" Entropy took the word out of my mouth.

"In a sense, yes... This is a place that always shows up whenever I always have a blissful dream"

"That in itself is a testament to how strong your connection to the kingdom"

"—but I don't understand, are you saying this place is real?!"

"Millions of years ago many great civilizations stood in the face of Ashtalt but none were like the kingdom of Arcana. Before there was Arcana, people with great affinity to aether, mana, and spirits were all subjected to xenophobic discrimination"

"—In truth, you could hardly call it 'just discrimination' as they were all being chased out and persecuted by all the nations universally and many were killed unjustly... women, and children alike... The word 'genocide' would be more appropriate to describe their living conditions"

"Out of these persecutions, King Luhi and Queen Ambrosia then took it upon themselves and raised their arms and banner against those who oppressed them. Many joined their cause and after the revolution, they founded the kingdom of magic upon the ashes of their oppressors. That kingdom was, later on, be known as the Kingdom of Arcana, a name of which, at that time was associated synonymously with the word beacon of haven and freedom for all those who were oppressed.

Soon after the kingdom declared its sovereignty, the Grand Deus, the arbiter of all creation, and mother of us all went down from the heaven above and blessed the kingdom with her grace.

In exchange for an oath to protect this world, she gave the two rulers of Arcana her only two true daughters, and upon the center of this blessed city sprouts the stone of dominion, her throne and symbol of her blessing which cements the kingdom as the only kingdom in Ashtalt to be acknowledged by the goddess and give it free rein over aether, mana, and the spirits"

The scenery then changes once again this time I found myself standing on a desolate land. Withered trees, dead grass, and the pungent smell of death greeted my nose. Upon observing my surroundings what took my attention was the gigantic swirling red particles that towers over the horizon.

"What is this place? And that thing..."

"—The gate of blight, or so what we call it. It was this red portal that brought forth the Ravagers into this world, no one knows how they came to be but this very gate was the first of the many that would come and consume the land dry"

"You said first, how many were there?"

"Upon the recorded history of Arcana, gates like this appear every two centuries but something happens right after the fall of Arcana that broke the cycle of the manifestation of gates, nothing much was known and recorded about that incidence, but the truth cannot be denied that a ravager manage to appear before you means that a gate has already materialized somewhere and opened itself"

Entropy then went silent for a moment before changing the scenery once again.

Entropy and I now found ourselves in another desolated land, but unlike before, this time the pungent smell of death was much stronger than before as numerous bodies were piled by the great plain. There's no doubt that a huge battle has just been fought in this very place and what remains is just the aftermath of the tragedy.

"Every ravager that emerges from the gate of blight will immediately consume everything that they've come across, they're gluttonous monsters that only live to suck the land dry of all things until nothing is left. Of course, people fear them, and out of fear was the desire to defend themselves"

As Entropy and I walked across the field, we then heard a deep blow of the horn, and what came after the horizon was a cavalry of mounted knights wielding what seemed to be lances and swords.

"Brave as they may be, they were no match to the sheer brute strength of the ravagers"

With those words, the scene then changes to the middle of the battlefield. Man against shapeless monsters, the gore scene was like something that came out of a fantasy novel, everyone was charging recklessly trying to gain an advantage over one another but alas... just as Entropy said, humans were indeed no match to the Ravagers.

But just as I thought the battle was nearing its conclusion, a bright white light then flashed in the middle of the battlefield, and as if a miracle the ravagers began to fall one by one. Upon tracing where that bright light came from, I then saw a group of three men and a woman wearing white robes each brandishing a sword in their right hand and staves in the other.

"Those are!"

"Indeed, the elite warmages of Arcana. Under the sworn oath, the kingdom and its warmages will always go whenever there were any signs of ravager activities"

"If only they'd arrived earlier, they could have saved more lives"

"The kingdom of Arcana due to its history has no obligation to aid, nor to intervene with the army of those who used to oppress them, their actions are only influenced by what they are obliged to do under the oath of which they have promised to the grand Deus"

"..."

The scenery then changes once again, and this time we are back in the gazebo, but something else is there. Just outside of the gazebo were three white doors with different insignias, the first one on the right had the sword and shield symbol, the second in the middle had the open book and a hammer symbol, and the last one had the staff symbol.

"This is..." I curiously ask.

"Something to look forward to in the future, when the time comes we will both explore it"

"Why, why show me all of this"

"Didn't I already tell you that inside you were a collection of memories that shaped the world to what it is now?"

"But why?"

"Sigh... You still don't understand huh, You see—"

A loud chime then echoes throughout the entire plane.

"It seems that this is the end of our short conversation, it was nice to meet you once again... it's been so long... also when the time comes, say hi to Igdra for me"

"wait what do you mean by that? Hey, we're not finished here—" It was then the entire place suddenly got swallowed by complete darkness prompting me to wake up.

**********

"Ughhh...." with a soft moan, I slowly open up my eyes and see a very familiar white ceiling. Turning my head around it seems that I'm currently lying in my bed"

"Seems that you're finally awake" With a familiar voice I again turn my head around to the other side and see my older sister sitting on a chair holding what seems to be one of the most prized magazines in my collection that dated to the era back before the great societal collapse.

"Errr... what are you doing in my room?"

"Nothing, just keeping a close eye on you"

"Why?"

"...you don't remember anything before you collapse from miasma poisoning?"

Wait... I collapsed?! Also, what's miasma poisoning?

"..." With my silent reply, Roxan let out a soft sigh.

"Guess I'll leave for now, it's ten in the evening, Rain left you a dinner in the kitchen" Roxan then placed the magazine back under my bed and decided to leave the room. But before she closed the door she teasingly left a comment "Those were nice collections, but please hide those where it's not easy to find okay" and then left.

"What happens to the rule of 'don't mess with other people's belongings without permission?!" I embarrassingly whisper under my breath.

"—wait? Ten?! I missed my club activity! Prez is seriously going to scold me next week!"

Now alone in my room again, I tried to recall what I had just seen in my dream earlier.

"Entropy huh... What kind of name is that..."

I then sat at my study table and took out my sketchbook before deciding to redraw the woman from earlier but this time in much finer detail.

"My dreams are getting weirder and weirder... I might need to consult a physician soon"