Impending rain loomed above, the thunder scream its wrath across the once blue sky, shattering the once comforting atmosphere. Dark clouds swallowed the once vibrant blue expanse that give her the all nostalgic tickle in her heart, casting heavy gloominess. This was the last thing she desired. Standing before a group of people, her towering and robust figure was unmistakable, even when concealed beneath her armor. She was the epitome of strength, the sole female knight of the Xekreia Kingdom, unwavering in her resolve despite countless futile endeavors of world restoration.

It is been 5 years since the last phenomenon occurred. During those time, only I was not affected by it. Usually, we have Lord Evuil to name the threat we are facing, the necessary scale of power we need to use to prevent destruction. But he lose his memory... So does everyone in the kingdom. Hence why, I only called it a mysterious phenomenon.

There is still, I believe, a countless of effect of these mysterious phenomenon that I still do not know. But what I accumulated during my time of being conscious, the effect I remember is very terrifying. A mixture of memory, false memories that is taking over the victim original state of mind. Or worse, they experienced erasure of memory and the new memory that brought by the phenomenon act as replacement. There is no other way anymore to cure themselves, I have tried. I spend all of my waking hour studying this phenomenon, all the possibilities and the solution I have are now gone. I cannot restore the world, but I have to do something to save this kingdom.

Reah stare at him while he gave the people a speech, “And you, you don’t think I didn’t sense you’re smiling behind me!” He pointed at her.

“Remember when I tell you about keeping it short? You sounds like Lord Evuil now, Kiriya.” She chuckled. Kiriya look embarrassed and continued preparing the material for the ritual, he is drawing a line on the ground where those people are standing.

There are a two people I know who are not so different than who they are used to be. Kiriya and Vanoc. I help them to stay on the right path and to prevent the false memories from fully taking over their mind. Fortunately, they are on my side. Kiriya is very harsh with his words and prone to cause trouble. But now, those traits of him are minimised by the phenomenon. I find it funny. Well, it is a comfort of a good times. Now that everything changed... But I cannot give up on something preventable. This is my responsibility.

We are bestowed with a few Authority, borrowed and permanent. The borrowed Authority are infused in a weapon. The permanent one are engraved in our soul. It was a gift the creator of this world bestowed us. I am hesitant to use one of my Authority because something inside me telling me to not execute what I was about to do. This Authority can separate a soul from the body or imprisoned a soul in its vessel. My plan is, I want to separate their soul from their body and after that, I will use my other Authority to cure them, rejuvenation of the body before reversing the effect and return their soul back. The other Authority is just a borrowed one, it is one of my earrings that I never used during the war. I only have one attempt... I ignored these strong feelings of fear of failure, I must overcome everything that make me hesitant. It is obvious that this is the only way. I am confident because during my time of accumulation, every answer lead to this method when everything does not work anymore...

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

A little girl, blue eyes and a silver hair and her mother are comforting Reah while she is seen, very worried about something, she messaging her stiff neck while waiting for Kiriya to finish the drawing. “We believe in you.” Said the little girl, her high-pitched voice calm Reah restlessness. The little girl sees it, even when she does not show any sign. The mother smiled, at her, she nodded as Kiriya giving a sign.

The mansion was swallowed by a radiant field of yellowish light, casting an otherworldly light upon its surroundings. As the light flooded the area, it overwhelmed the nine individuals standing upon the intricate drawing etched into the ground. When the illumination subsided, they slowly opened their eyes, only to find themselves struggling to regain their balance. A tremendous pressure making they kneel on the ground for a moment. It was as if they had to rediscover the art of controlling their own bodies. Overwhelmed by disorientation and a wave of nausea, a torrent of memories surged into their minds. Confusion consumed them, causing them to forget their own identities. Panic ensued as some frantically expressed their fear, claiming to possess unfamiliar faces and bodies.

“Where am I?”

"Who am I supposed to be?"

"Is this a new world?"

Reah stood frozen, her mind struggling to comprehend everything. Overwhelmed by a surge of panic, she felt her legs weaken, threatening to give way beneath her. It was a sensation she had never experienced before.

Just as she was about to crumble to the ground, a piercing scream shattered the confusion, jolting her back to reality. “NOZ! I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE!!!” The voice echoed through the air, cutting through the chaos. Without hesitation, Kiriya swiftly confronted the source of the scream, delivering a powerful slap that sent the man sprawling to the ground. “What is wrong with you, dumbass!?” Kiriya berated him, pointing an accusatory finger. The man, visibly shocked, glanced around in disarray, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

Reah closed her eyes for a moment, the chaos surrounding her muffled. She fled from the scene, walking slowly into the mansion. Vanoc arrived through the gate after observing everything. He took her place and took care of everything with Kiriya. They both had a subtle expression of sadness on their faces as they saw her in such a state. They opened a teleportation portal to move themselves to another mansion—an abandoned mansion that had appeared due to a phenomenon a year ago. They introduced themselves and shared everything they knew after being interrogated by Kiriya. Vanoc guarded the mansion from outside.

••

After drinking a glass of water, with her armor still equipped, she calmly lay on her bed. Closing her eyes, she controlled her breathing.

A few moments passed, and a surge of glimpses and countless voices filled with desperation and hope reverberated in Reah’s head. Their pleas for help echoed through her thoughts, accompanied by the image of their faces. The weight of the trust placed in her by those people resonated deep within her soul. She relived all of their memories intentionally, to make up for the guilt that overwhelmed her. This failure, she knew, it meant that instead of saving them, she—

“...I murdered them.” She cried, silently.

••