-”Really is”? What is that supposed to mean?

-You know, when I worked for the MIRE, I was not alone. Definitely not the only one who had been caught in that calamity…

-There was Iloa, right? And ILMA…?

-Affirmative.

The sudden voice made us all jump, kind of forgetting since she was silent.

-Right… her. While you are right, that’s not all. People working there were in the tens, if not hundreds. While the most were just lower-acces ones, we had the most freedom and the most access to the projects. And besides us, there was also another one…

-His name was Mike… or Michael.

-I know what you are thinking. But that’s just a common name, it can be a coincidence… - she said immediately.

-Or is it? Well, the similarities are there. Powerful mage. Smart. Experimenting with stuff. But that’s not all. See… I was thinking about him. And about a certain person named Noli. Or Ilon.

-Noli…? Was that the guy who helped Jack?

-Yep. And I think they are the same person.

-That’s… er, didn’t you mention that already? I swear…

-I did? Maybe I did. Okay, so we are on track. Let’s say that Noli is Michael, the same one who was a long time ago our coworker and friend. That doesn’t end there.

-I kept wondering. How and why Axelrod was so intrigued and knowledgeable about the “old artifacts” as you know them, or just technology. And I had an idea… What if he was also from a place where it was commonplace? Just like me?

-I mean… If that was just as calamitous as you say it was, isn’t it possible that more people got sent here with you…?

-Of course it was. But normal people wouldn’t just be that knowledgeable about it. Not just everyone can cast magic like that… It… it just fits.

-You think…

-It’s not “I think”. By now, I am pretty sure. That Axelrod is indeed Mike.

-But that wouldn’t make sense… he is… how old now?

-And what’s the issue in that? Wasn't he supposed to be immortal?

-And how do you think that happened?!

-Why, the same way as me of course. As he got “tossed” here, he turned into a remnant. Just like me.

-And you think that would make him… No, he’s not a crystal person!

-How can you be so sure?

-I saw him! On multiple occasions! So did you! He looked as fleshy as me!

-And Kon doesn’t? He is just like me right now. And yet, he looks normal.

-That’s…

-And if that’s not enough for you, remember what I told you about my journey under Kalkano?

-But that was Odar!

-And who said that both of them can’t have a similar way to transform? Look at me. Look at yourself. Look at Kon. All of us somehow managed to change their bodies, one way or another.

-That does not fill me with confidence…

-You don’t say.

-Okay. But that does not tell us anything - she sighed. - Okay, he is from your world. That explains why he has so much information about everything and the overall power of his magic.

-I am going to take it as a compliment.

-Sure, whatever - she said, waving me off. - That does not help. Quite the opposite. It makes us even less sure about his goals. It drastically increases his possibilities.

-I mean, you already saw him as a great mage. Does that really change your view that much…?

-That much? I saw you take spells head on. Manipulate old incantations that are forgotten to time. And you are telling me that he is the same as you. And on top of that, he’s been alive for more than a century. You tell me.

-You think he’s been around for that long…?

-Even longer. I’ve heard about Axelrod the First when I was still a child, back when I was in hiding. And even then, it was not just from some gossip, you very well know that I didn’t have access to that.

-True… so…

-It was in the books. Imagine that. Even so long ago he’s been already written in the books.

-Wait a minute… ”the First”? What’s his full name now then…?

-I honestly can’t tell you - she shrugged. - I never heard him use a full name. Nor have I ever seen it mentioned. But I know there were at least three of them.

-Three… That would check out…

-What?

-Michael, Noli, Ilon. The three lives he lived. And now Axelrod.

-Thats…

-Weird? Sure.

-But… Why would he use the names then…? It makes no sense… - pointed out Kon. - Like… why?

-Remember what’s the story of “inheritance” over here? That the current king gets that magical and mysterious “vision” and goes to look for the successor?

-You think…

-That he made up that whole thing, including the successors? Sure. And to make the story more believable, he created the personas to seem like real people. Just to someday find them and “let them inherit the kingdom”.

-Okay… but wouldn’t then those names be more widely known by the public? - she pointed out. - It doesn't really matter if the person exists or not if he lives somewhere in the boonies and…

-And that’s what he’s banking on. It wasn’t his point to create a person, it was more to have a backup plan.

-Backup…?

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

-Like if someone started investigating him. It’s not impossible that someone had a similar idea to me once or twice before. It wouldn’t be a problem for him to, just like me, learn about the existence of those people.

-And it would essentially clear his name, confirming his story… - she mumbled, finishing for me.

-But I assume that he never expected that someone else would realize that all of those people were his persona. Created just for that one purpose.

-And how did you even come to that conclusion?

-Long story short, magical language, or however else you want to call that and Iloa.

-Thats…

-That does not explain anything? Oh, I know. Doesn’t matter.

-Okay. Let’s say that you are correct. So what does he want from us?

-Remember his words from the vision?

-Er…

-”I am coming back”...? - muttered Kon. - “I need more…”?

-The first one - I nodded. - Say, where exactly would he want to come back, hm?

-Don’t tell me… he wants to go back to your original world?

-It would seem so - I nodded. - Although I can’t tell why exactly…

-Well… If the place is such a technological and magical marvel as you seem to paint the picture for us… I can’t blame him…

-And if we add on top of that the fact that the elves suddenly appeared and he is now under attack…

-Hm. Well, I definitely can’t agree on the first one - I said after a moment of thought. - Sure, marvel. Think whatever you want, but your world is infinitely better, especially for someone like him… like us.

-Like you? What do you mean?

-Think. He is a powerful person. Sure, back in our world he was too, but we were just a drop in a sea of people. Sure, we were powerful, we had knowledge, but most of it was commonplace. As I told you. Here… how did I get described a few times…? “Omnipotent”?

-Okay, let’s not get crazy.

-I am not joking. That back there was just a bit of above average skill set, here is unheard of. And we were definitely more than just “a bit above average”.

-I see your point - she agreed. - But what about elves? They seem to be focused on extermination, right? You think he would not trade his safety for that much?

-You underestimate the allure of power - I said, shaking my head. - But besides that, I feel like there’s something else he’s looking for. Remember, he was looking for a few things.

-You mean the artifacts? Wouldn’t that be to help him go back? Or something else?

-That too, but I meant something else. Remember what I was accused of at first? A kidnapping?

-Of his family…? What?

-Yes. I just think he is just trying to save his family.

-”Save”? From what? And what… I mean, there is war, so I guess that would track, but…

-Yeah, that’s one thing. He wants to find his family: the one that is in our current world.

-”Current world”? So he had someone before?

-Yeah. That’s the thing… He thinks he HAD. But he actually still has it.

-Who? You? I know you were a friend of his, but don’t you think that calling yourself family is a bit of an overkill?

-What? Fuck, no, I am not his family… or… Well, that’s complicated.

-What, you’re his son or something?

-No… it’s just… Iloa… the one that was inside my head… she actually was, or rather is his wife.

-Oh!

-Yeah. Oh. That would explain some things.

-Like him trying to find you…

-Yeah, I am not so sure about that one, but okay. My thinking goes a bit different.

-Imagine scenario - I started. - You are plunged into some strange world. You don’t know what’s going on and are alone. Then, you finally find someone. That someone tells you more about the place you landed and you immediately realize that you are definitely not where logic would dictate you are.

-What, you are telling me your story again or what?

-Yes and no. Let me continue.

She shrugged and went silent.

-You decide to try and find someone you know, thinking that someone might have landed with you in that unfamiliar place. And behold, you actually find someone: your own daughter. But she does not recognize you at all. And to boot she is younger than she should. Is that her for sure? You are getting more and more fucked up because of that.

-Yeah, sounds like someone’s grasping at straws… or insane…

-Right? But there is no mistaking: with a couple of spells you manage to confirm that it is her for sure. Along the way, the first person that helps you grows closer to you. So you decide to bite the bullet, and adopt her together. You rebuild your own family, albeit a bit scuffed, but still. You have something going for you. Times are nice.

-That’s a nice ending. So, where does this go wrong?

-Yeah, right about now. You, since you are a powerful mage, are an adventurer, or whatever you want to call a magical mercenary here. Your knowledge of magic helps you along the way, you are a lot more powerful than all of the people and so you manage to get some popularity and wealth. To the point that you decide to hide yourself a little bit, to maybe have some privacy. That, of course, is not good for your family. And if that was not enough, on one of your expeditions you find signs of your old world: precisely of one of your creations.

-The void artifacts?

-Yep. And not only that, you manage to somehow find out that parts of your project have survived: namely, ILMA.

As I mentioned her name, she looked at me directly.

-Am I correct, ILMA?

-Data is incomplete. Some existing entries match. Attempting access… data corrupted.

-She… remembers it…? - silently asked For.

-Seems like not much. And for a good reason. I think that she… wasn’t really awake yet…

-Like Kon…?

-Like Kon. Like Goldie for a while. Like me and Iloa. Yep. She was… incomplete. Or maybe rather shattered.

-I think the travel, portal, or however else we all got here, had shattered her. Axelrod, fuck, I mean Mike, realized that and decided to try and rebuild her. Or at least collect her parts together.

-How would he even…

-How would that even be possible? Hell if I know - I agreed with her. - But he was always smarter than me. Better than me. So I am sure that he had some kind of plan. And so his quest started: to collect the “void artifacts” and try to use them to remake her. It would take a lot of effort, a lot of money, and definitely a lot of time. But he had all of it in abundance, I am pretty sure that by then he realized his situation.

-That he is a remnant, right? - she asked. - Right… and with that power… he would have no problem finding all of those things…

-I wouldn’t say “no problem”, but definitely it would be helpful. Especially… having a vessel…

-A vessel…? For what?

-You think that having her rebuilt would be enough? Where do you think he planned on stuffing her into?

-Wait… he wanted to… merge with her…?

-Merge… Well, that’s one way to put it. And so he started. He started making contacts, extending his reach, finally having his own country even. You know the story.

-But he didn’t plan on one thing: me.

-Ha… And you managed to outdo even him… with less resources, no less… - she said, clearly amazed.

-Don’t think of me as if I had some kind of master plan - I shrugged. - It’s all his fault. When he found out about me, I am pretty sure that he didn’t recognize me at all. Hell, he thought of me as his main danger: a person as powerful as him, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, threatening his rank.

-Hm… And on top of that, the elven attacks… that would definitely put him on edge…

-Precisely. He probably thought that I was an elven spy or something along those lines. Especially after Melle’s disappearance. That’s why he decided to remove me from the equation.

-But he failed.

-Yeah. And how spectacularly to boot. Not only did he manage to make me more powerful, but somehow he awakened Iloa inside me.

-If he was clear from the start… hell, if I was a bit more, probably we would be working together now. Although I do not share his vision of coming back to our old world, I would’ve definitely helped.

-And now what… you won’t?

-Well, I am not in a rush to help someone who tried to kill me…

-No, yeah, I get that. But why don’t you want to come back to your world? I am sure there are…

-What, people waiting for me? Ha. Have you been listening at all? I am one of the reasons why the whole catastrophe took place! You think that, if there are people who actually survived, that they are waiting for me with open arms?

-Well… Axelrod apparently thinks so…

-So he is wrong. That was literally the first thing I thought of when I woke up: to make up some kind of story in case someone from MIRE finds me. Hell, if people are executed for heresy here, if that was still legal I would’ve definitely been on a list… To be honest, it might have gotten me killed anyway… - I mumbled.

-I… well… I have nothing.