Even though the dream ended, I was still in the dark world.

‘!? Why can’t I wake up?’

I pinched myself as hard as I could but that trick didn’t work. I imagined that I had a knife in my hand and stabbed myself. But that only made my brain think of pain and only led to more suffering.

I tried all that I could but no matter what I did, I could not wake up. ‘ARGGGG I GIVE UP!’ I shouted at the darkness.

‘Heh heh… Heh heh heh heh… Hahahahahahaha’ A mad laughter suddenly rang in my head.

‘Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Stop it!!!!’ The voice was so strong that I thought I would die from headache.

Just like that, everything stopped. No more sound. Only silence.

‘Sorry about that Jin.” Someone in the darkness said to me. A small blue demonic sea serpent flew up onto my shoulder. “Forgotten me? I’m Cyril. Or rather, Cyan. ^.^’

‘Cyan? I thought you said that I would see you in a month or something like that.’ I frowned.

‘Yeah… well… I was awoken by the annoying sound just a minute ago. Woke up from the cold world and first thing I hear is that voice… Really isn’t good man.’ Cyan said.

‘Do you know whose voice was that Cyan? It sounded…’

‘Hmmm… I might have an idea. But lets not speak of things that should not be spoken.’ Cyan said nonchalantly. ‘Might just be Alvancus being a weirdo again.’

‘Uh… Umm..’

‘Don’t worry Jin. It’s just a person who rarely wears any clothing. Only shorts. And a weirdo. Nothing scary now.’ Cyan said calmly.

But the aura that I amd feeling behind me wasn’t all that calm. It was extremely dark and fiery and it clearly has a target. ‘I don’t think that was me that said uhh and umm Cyan.’ I nervously said.

‘…. Oops…’ Cyan turned around to see that Alvancus was there holding a gigantic spear to Cyan’s avatar’s face. ‘Oh come on now Alvancus. It was just a joke.’

‘Not funny. Take it back. Now.’ Alvancus retracted his spear and regained his composure.

‘Alright alright. No need to get-’

*Puchik* the spear strabed right through the small blue sea serpent and ripped Cyan’s avatar in two. ‘*Che* Sensitive ass… No wonder you got hemoroids!’

*Puchik*puchik*Puchik*

Cyan’s avatar finally vanishes and Alvancus looked a whole lot better after that little stress reliever. ‘Sorry about that Jin. We’ve never met before right? Let me introduce myself to you fully. I’m Alvancus Aepeden Agate. The Amethyst Advocate. You can call me Al.’

‘Uh… Well then Al. Nice to meet. You.’  I extended my hand as a polite and formal greeting.

‘Mmm good sense in politeness. Unlike some other rude savages and lustful demons that are around here’ Alvacus snorted. He didn’t shake my hand but walked away back into the darkness.

‘Don’t worry about him being cold Jin. He’s just mad that I took his underwear when we first met.’ Cyan popped behind me and laughed a small laugh. ‘He ran through those hot springs just to chase after some pair of underwear… hehehe’

‘I heard that CYAN!’ Alvancus roared.

‘I know you can! That’s why you have ears!’ Cyan shouted back to him.

‘Stop playing these childish games Cyan.’ A voiced heavily sighed from above. I looked up to see a small baby dragon flying down to land on my right shoulder. The most interesting part about this was, the avatar had to waddle down onto my right shoulder.

To best describe this avatar, it would be cute. It was a small red baby dragon with a pretty pudgy pot belly that had little scales. The surrounding scales on its body was pretty thick looking compared to its belly. As ferocious, haughty, outspoken, and cool as it might look, the dragon gave off the feeling of a more reserved and reclusive person.

‘You really should stop messing with Alvancus. Cyan, you know he can kick your butt. Might as well not fight him in physical terms.’ A rodent suddenly appeared on my left shoulder spoke out. A small rodent with devil like wings stared at me in the eye and said, ‘So… When will you wake up Jin?’

When he asked me when I will wake up, I was confused. I tried my best to wake up. ‘Eh? Wait. What do you mean?’

‘Desecrating the memories of my childhood does not benefit me in any way!’ I roared?

It was my voice… but it was coming from all directions.

An invisible hand suddenly gripped my body and pulled me at supersonic speed.

Those who were on my shoulder also was pulled along with me.

Cyan: ‘Che…. Seems like the old you broke out of that cage again…’

Red Ruler: ‘Let go of me!’

Both Cyan and Red continued to whine while Sin was as calm as ever. He said nothing and followed along with the current flow.

When the hand stopped pulling me, it flinged the others around me far into the darkness.

  ‘So… you let him see didn’t you? *sigh*…’ Sin sighed as he flew through the air. ‘Don’t make life any harder that it needs to be…’

Once the three were gone, a spark ignited in front of me.

*chik*whup*chik*whup* the sound was similar to that of a lighter trying to reignite after being blown out by the wind. I thought it would end after the sparks stopped. ‘ROOOOOOOAR’ a dragonic deafing sound rang out. ‘Denying my existence!? Well let me show you what you really look like!’ my voice? cried out. This time, it wasn’t a spark but a small flickering flame that grew into a blazing sun in seconds.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” I subconsciously screamed. The flames were severely hot even in my dreams. I could feel that not only my skin on the outside was burning, but the insides of my body was set aflame.

The flames died down and behind that blazing sun was a transparent spherical prison holding a man.

The man looked really worn down. Scars that tells stories were written on his body. His aged face and tired eyes reflects the despair he went through in his life. His hair was in disarray in addition to it already being turned grey. But the person in front of me… was none other than…  Me!?

The me that was trapped in the spherical prison came up and banged on the transparent walls. ‘Letting these guys erase my memories was the worst mistake of my life! And now you have to follow through with their lies of trying to become a saint!? I’m telling you now, there is no way that you can become a saint! Destroy the Arcadia!? You’re nothing more than a puppet if you continue down this road! You are not destined to follow the fate that others made for you! Be normal!? When did we ever have a chance to be normal!? Open your eyes Jin! Remember your true name!’

When I look at the me that was trapped, my head began to hurt even more than the time I was shocked, stabbed and tortured. My body bled like a waterfall with old wounds reopening themselves and a brain splitting headache ensued.

It was like a hammer pounding my head. A calling that was worse than a nightmare but somehow more beautiful than a fantasy.  A sea of souls that I saw behind me became a more visible and they formed into a small hand that passed through my chest and reached into my heart.

Time seemed to slow down with each passing seconds. The specter-like dark hand skimmed my heart just a bit.

‘*GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!*’

In the midst of my pain a person cried out, ‘!!! Get him away from there!’ Ren somehow appeared next to me and tossed me away just enough to get away from the other me.

‘!!! What you promised me was different Ren! I knew it! All of you lied to me!’ the me in the spherical prison cries in an unjustly cry.

‘I know what this looks like but… Please… The you right now that is living a partially normal life and the you are in that confined space… the one that you can be… Please… Just trust us Jin.’ Ren pleaded. ‘We are just taking baby steps.’

‘Baby steps!? What you are doing now, I can do it in less than a week with or without your help! Fend against those that are chasing me!? You clearly know that I am more than a match for them! I can become a saint right now if I wish!’ the me within the sphere said.

‘… We know that you can become a saint if you wish… But… Just not this way. We are doing what is best for-‘

*BOOM* The me in the sphere blasted the prison to pieces. ‘Don’t give me that bull! Don’t you remember what my powers are!? I don’t need lies! Give me one good and true reason why I don’t just rip all those who stand in my way to shreds!’ A grand wave of pure dark qi flooded my qi planes as I felt a great jump in cultivation base.

‘For him Jin!!! For her!!! You know who're the two people I am talking about!’ Ren’s words made the other me stop.

Panting heavily, the other me calmed down a bit. ‘… Promise? Do you promise and not break your promise?’

Ren sighed in relief and nodded. ‘I give you my words Jin. I’m sorry. I know we betrayed you before. I know Lucian, Ban, the others and I owe you a lot. Especially Lucian and I. But we are not your enemy. This time we are on your side. So please. Trust your past selves.’

The other me sighed once more and snapped his fingers. The spherical prison was reformed as soon as the sound left his fingers. ‘Just remember this. I do not need anything else but the ones I love to be with me. For that reason, I became what I am right now. Just because we are part of the same soul, it does not mean we are the same person. I trust you because you gave your word. Not because you are my past self.’, He said and sat down with closed eyes. ‘Other me! No matter what! Never lose the ones you love. But never forget the ones who loves you! Don’t turn away because it gets hard sometimes! Face your responsibilities! Don’t be a coward like last time and let others dirty their hands just because you are scared to kill again! Because if you do, Even I won’t forgive myself! And a name… isn’t just an identity!’ The other me recollected the pure dark qi that flooded my qi planes and back into the prison. Still, there were traces of that qi and it attached right onto my back.

When it was all over, Ren felt a great wave of relief. 'That's good...'

From how I see it, even Ren thought his legs would give way. I never knew the old me was so scary. 

'... Didn't mean for that to happen... We didn't anticipate that .... I hope you can forgive us Jin.' Ren apologetically bowed.

I didn't even know what was going on. But by the looks of things, the me over there was... extremely lonely... and... was betrayed by Ren, Ban and Lucian. 'Ah..... I thought I was about to die.... *Huff*Huff*' I said to lighten the mood and to catch my breath. The headache subsided and I seemed to stop bleeding as well. 'Come on now. I don't know what is going on but... I just wanna wake up and see Meracle. Heh... Can ya help me Ren?'

Ren was stunned. 'Didn't you hear what just-'

'Aishaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa If you guys owe me a lot, then this time, help me a lot. And let me abuse you guys as well. Ha ha!' I laughed things off as best as I could. 'But in all seriousness Ren? Help me out because you want to and not because you have to or because you owe me something.'

Ren bitterly sighed and smiled as he glanced back at the other me in the spherical prison. 'Alright. Let's send you home. But by the time you are going to wake up, it'll be the twelfth month you know.'

'!!! I slept that long!? I lost too much time! Oh... sigh.... right.... unfair and abnormal life...' I pitifully sighed. 'Welp... Good morning winter eh? Ha ha!'

'Ah... yeah... Good morning winter.' Ren nodded. *Snap*

With that, Jin disappeared and was about to wake back up.

Ren waved his hand and a small hole opened up which was about the size of fist. He reached inside to pull a small orb out. This orb was a memory orb and what it does is read the memories of the one who holds it. To activate it, Ren injected some of his qi in. Within the ball showed a pictures of Jin, Lucian, Ren, and Ban together laughing in many scenes. One of which seemed to be Ban’s wedding reception where Ban looked like he was about to cry.