Alice was here again, seated on the ground offering her accompaniment, her eyes locked onto the book in Noctus's hands.

He had searched fervently and found this single book that carried lost information of the runes carved onto his torso. It was placed at the furthest corner of the room, covered with a thick layer of dust and grime.

No wonder he couldn't find anything else, Iris had used ancient runes to seal him, rather than magic circles which he had first assumed the markings to be.

He had thought it to be a dark attributed magic circle, which explained the ominous Color, however upon laying his eyes on this ancient book, he found the runes to be very similar to what present on him.

'Tsk.' She had clicked her tongue when she saw him find the book.

Though as he laid eyes upon the words inked onto the parchment, he found out to his dismay, that those words were not the ones he learned to speak. 

It was the language called Rushk, almost exclusively spoke  by Elfs.

Perhaps that's why Iris could the runes this book taught of, she was of the Elves' descent.

'Teach me.' He stubbornly asked Iris. 

'I don't wanna~' she replied with a smirk, herself full of pride and mockery. 'As I've already said, I'll take those off when you're done with all this.' She continued.

However, Noctus who thirsted for knowledge refused to relent, although he asked yet again, he was rejected.

In frustration, Noctus threw up his hands, the book moving along with it as he made the motion of throwing.

He'd just have to find a book that taught of the language, perhaps a translation dictionary. 

However before it could be catapulted across the room, Alice grabbed hold of his hands.

Despite his obvious distaste for skin contact, she touched him, for the first time.

With only the briefest of hesitation, he jerked his arm away and left the book to fall to the ground as he grabbed hold of it protectively, fearing that her touch would harm him.

And at that moment, Noctus could feel a cold stare, perhaps from Argo, or even Lupus.

He wasn't like the other personalities, he could understand the concept of making friends, and that not all beings are selfish from all the books he had read.

There were multiple classifications, though they were still under careful modifications, he roughly knew when meeting new people, who could he use, manipulate, ignore or kill. 

Though to him, Friends were an useless thing, they could betray you without a blink of an eye if you just flip the correct switch.

Perhaps for a loving Brother, you would capture his Sister and hold her next to you, promising to only return her after the deaths of his companions.

It wouldn't take much thought, would it?

"PAK!" Alice suddenly used the thick book to hit the back of his head.

"No…..Not everyone….are like that…." She refuted, as if she could hear his thoughts.

Turning his head to look at her with surprise, he held down Lupus's pushing for control, Lupus was furious.

It hardly hurt, it was nothing, he merely felt the contact between the thick book and his head, but none of the pain he knew so well.

He was too numb for something like this to hurt him.

"People….are nice." She continued, "The bad ones….are not people."

He could barely understand her point, perhaps because of prolonged abstain from speech, she couldn't connect her words properly, or perhaps a defect in her birth.

"So," Noctus asked with a self-depreciating tone, "We're not the people you speak of?" He knew he was far from good, after all the deeds they had committed.

There was too much blood stained onto their hands, too much hate present in their heart.

 "No…..you are not….evil….., because… I can hear it….. You're sad…..all of you want….help." She finished her sentence with difficulty, a sad expression on her face.

"Help?" He asked with disbelief.

She nodded in return. 

Closing onto him, she hesitantly placed her hand onto his heart seeing that he didn't move, she smiled.

"Many of…you in there….., because one alone….cannot handle the pain….. He gives away everything…..in here….to you….and he slowly forgets….." She said, her eyes sadly looking at his chest, "He's scared….he doesn't want to be alone……he doesn't want all these things……because he…..will disappear when he's…..alone."

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"….." He dared not speak, his mind furiously processing the words she had spoke.

After a Long time, he finally opened his mouth, "Who is the one?" 

"…..Argo." 

Could it be true? Argo was forgetting? He thought with unpleasantness.

So he was just a companion Argo created amongst all his solitude and fear?

He shifted his attention to Argo, himself hesitantly enunciating the words he had to ask, 'Do you remember…the times in the cave?' 

Argo who listened to their conversation did not dare to reply, he could tell Noctus was afraid, furious. 

Like a child who were questioned by his parents for stealing from the cookie jar, he could only cower without knowing the wrong he had committed.

But Noctus understood from his hesitation.

Argo couldn't remember.

Argo was the original.

And that he threw away everything to them, so that he wouldn't be afraid.

"Hah……bastard." He spoke out loud, perhaps too distracted to mentally speak.

He released his control over their body and left it limp, himself retreating to the comfort of the back of his mind to think.

Not knowing what he had done wrong, Argo refused to come out too, leaving the body there while Alice looked on with worry.

Though after a while, Lupus came out, taking control.

Seeing the limp body finally move, she sighed with relief before mumbling, "Lupus…..don't do….bad things…."  before leaving the room and locking the door.

She knew not to disturb him.

Lupus scoffed and picked up one of the short rods on the ground and infused his mana into it. He may not be the best in terms of magic, he could at least activate his weapons and play around with the basics.

A red light appeared from the sides of the rod, revealing an axe.

It hardly weighed anything.

There was a wall of hard stone erected by Noctus in the past, it served its role as his training dummy, though it seemed as though it was brand new, despite the fact that it was smashed down and rebuilt again and again.

Of course, Lupus did not have the concept of any martial arts, he merely played around with the weapons and got the feel of them as he hacked away at the silhouettes of beings carved onto the wall.

Before even landing a hit onto it, he swung the weapon around, getting used to the feeling of controlling the body again after a while.

As he finally started to chip away on the extremely hard Boulder, his mind started to think.

He wasn't the smart, that was true, instead of thinking, he relied on his instincts, however, the words of Alice got to him.

As his unused mind finally got into action, he was engulfed by hesitance and discomfort.

What did it mean, to be the original?

Was he created just to eliminate? Surely, he didn't mind that, but what was the reason behind the worry and fear of Noctus?

He wasn't sure.

He just didn't understand.

Why was Noctus so fearful?  

'Argo….why are ya the original?' He asked as for the first time, as curiosity got hold of him.

'O-original?' Argo asked, 'I dunno…'

'Ya remember the bastard that kept us in there…?' He asked yet again, suddenly remembering that Alice had mentioned about his memory.

After a moment of hesitance, he replied, 'N-no…..'

'Oh.' He replied, unsure of what to mention next. 

After all, he wasn't one for speaking, nor caring. This time, it seemed to be an exception.

His arms dejectedly dropped, he was confused. Lupus had never experienced such discomfort or confusion, only perhaps a day ago, all the emotions present in him was anger.

After a Long while, he seemed to have came to a conclusion, which disheartened him even more.

What if…..Argo who was the original, due to his extreme fear in this place, started to expel his memories and emotions? And Lupus who only existed for fighting, was  given those excess emotions?

No….he wasn't sure, but he hated it.

It had been so Long when he last feared.

Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on his axe and furiously chopped it, perhaps to him, that stone wall embodied the emotions he wanted to eliminate.