CHAPTER 156 – MEMORIES FROM THE PREVIOUS TIMELINE
LYSANDER FARADEISS
After the shocking turn of events at the inauguration, we decided to flee back to the Guardian’s Haven. The fortress, a bastion of safety and healing, had the best facilities to treat our wounded allies’ injuries. In one of its spacious recovery rooms, Kate, Gaeun, and Charlotte rested, their breaths steady but pained. Meike, the healer in charge, moved between them, her eyes filled with concern.
“The wounds you sustained are quite severe,” Meike said, her voice calm and measured as she read from her clipboard. “We can use regeneration magic to treat all your injuries, but it will take two weeks of rest.”
Kate, slumped in her wheelchair, her severed limbs swathed in bandages, slammed the armrest with her remaining hand. “Damn it! That fucking Arthur! I will kill him! I will kill him for murdering my Mariko!”
“I’m in the same boat, Kate,” Charlotte said, touching her half-burnt face and heavily-injured eye with a wince. “That piece of shit can burn in hell. I will never forgive him for what he’s done to Darlix. And also to my face.”
Gaeun stared at the two, her crimson eyes blazing with hatred. Her vocal cords damaged beyond repair, she had a bandage wrapped around her throat, rendering her mute. She picked up a whiteboard and a marker, her movements deliberate, and wrote her thoughts with a shaking hand. “I’m with you, guys. I will avenge my Earvin!”
Hiraya was also in the room, quietly changing the flowers in the vases. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she bowed her head in sorrow.
“I’m sorry, everyone. It’s all my fault. If only I had been ready for the revelation of the King of Humanity, we wouldn’t have suffered such heavy losses. Four hundred people died during that inauguration because I ignored Eva’s warning,” Hiraya said, her voice choked with guilt.
“It’s not your fault, Hiraya. That Arthur is the one to blame. He’s responsible for all of this,” Kate said firmly.
“That’s right, Hiraya. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We all make mistakes,” Charlotte added gently.
“We are sure that you always make the right decisions. We will go wherever you want us to go,” Gaeun wrote on her whiteboard, her determination clear even in her silent words.
“That’s right,” Meike said, her voice steady. “The battle is not over. Johnny has placed his trust in you, so I will trust you too.”
“Girls…” Hiraya placed her hand over her heart, a genuine smile beginning to break through her tears. They streamed down her cheeks, a mix of sorrow and renewed hope.
“Hiraya, I’m sure you will lead us to a brighter future,” I said, trying to infuse my voice with as much confidence as possible.
“Lysander,” Hiraya looked at me with her glittering golden eyes, her gaze filled with gratitude. “Thank you. All of you. I may be a disappointment as a leader, but with you all, I don’t feel alone.”
We all smiled at Hiraya, our collective support aimed at uplifting her spirit.
As the moment of camaraderie settled, I glanced down at my gloved hand. The intricate magical circle of Regression Magic was etched into the fabric, a reminder of the power I wielded. Hiraya noticed my distraction and followed my gaze to the glove. When our eyes met, she knew the thoughts swirling in my mind.
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“Lysander… Are you going to use the Regression Magic to bring everyone back?” Hiraya asked, her voice a blend of hope and concern.
“That was the initial plan,” I admitted. “I taught Johnny how to use it so that if either of us fell in battle, one of us could restart the world again.”
“But Johnny… He failed to reset the timeline,” Hiraya said, her voice trembling slightly.
“It’s because he deemed it an incomplete cast,” I explained. “One of the requisites wasn’t present. For the Regression Magic to destroy the current timeline, the caster must be in perfect health.”
“Johnny was already dying when he used it,” Meike added, her voice somber.
“That explains why it was incomplete. The timeline remains fixed, and all he did was seal Deo millions of years into the past. It won’t create any time paradox, and the present and future of this timeline remain intact,” I continued.
“I don’t get what you guys are talking about,” Kate said, frustration edging her voice. “I guess I’d better focus on swinging a sword, except I don’t have enough limbs to be a swordsman anymore.”
“Go rest, Kate. There will be a bigger battle in the future,” Hiraya advised gently, then frowned. “I am at my wit’s end trying to figure out Arthur’s weakness.”
“The Purge of Humanity,” I muttered.
Hiraya didn’t seem shocked. She just looked at me, waiting for me to continue.
“There’s a reason why Gazelle pushed through the Purge of Humanity, even with desperate measures. He wants to kill the King of Humanity. He wants to kill Arthur,” I said.
“Are you saying that we should kill all humans until we’re extinct?” Charlotte raised her voice, incredulous. “That’s crazy!”
“That’s just a theory,” I muttered. “But I know one more way to learn if this theory is right or wrong.”
I looked at Hiraya, who in turn, looked at me with a curious stare. A bitter taste ran through my mouth. It felt like I was betraying the love of my life, but I had prepared a contingency plan according to the warnings we had received. I had doubts about the side of humanity when I discovered the obsidian-faced mermaids and the Pestilence Dragon. That’s why I made a backup plan.
I pulled out a green crystal from my jacket and showed it to Hiraya. The crystal glowed faintly, casting a soft, eerie light.
“This is the memory crystal of your previous timeline self, Hiraya,” I said, my voice heavy with the weight of my words. “If you want to recover your memories and become the all-knowing Oracle again, you have to crush it with your own hand.”
“Lysander… why?” Hiraya frowned, her eyes searching mine. “Why are you telling me this only now?”
I bit my lip, bracing myself for the worst. “It’s because I’m selfish, Hiraya. I don’t want you to recover the memories of the Previous Timeline. I don’t want you to become a killing machine. I don’t want you to fall in love with Alris again.”
A heavy silence settled between us. No one else in the room dared to speak. I knew what I had done was wrong. Concealing this memory crystal was a betrayal on so many levels, a betrayal of Hiraya's trust.
Hiraya took a step forward and held my hand tightly, her grip both firm and reassuring.
“I understand, Lysander,” Hiraya muttered. “That is why I will not use it.”
“Hiraya…”
“If I recover all the memories of my previous self, everything you have worked for in this timeline will be for nothing. You saved me. I will not let that go to waste. And I do not want my memories with Alris. I want to keep my memories with you, and you alone,” Hiraya said, her smile filled with warmth and determination.
“But this is a treasure trove of knowledge. All the revelations of the Oracle are here,” I muttered, unable to hide my conflicted feelings.
Hiraya shook her head gently. “Knowledge is power, but it can also be a curse. We’ll find another way, together. I trust in the strength of the bonds we’ve forged in this timeline. That’s more valuable than any past life memories.”
“I’m sorry for being selfish too, but I choose to retain my memories in this timeline. I am not mixing them with my past self,” Hiraya said firmly. “But if you insist, you can use it in my stead. I will not stop you.”
“A-Are you sure?” I asked, my voice wavering.
“You are always a part of me, Lysander. I don’t mind if you peek into all my memories at all,” Hiraya said, her aura glowing with divinity.
I bit my lip and clenched my hand around the crystal. I felt a surge of gratitude and love for Hiraya, knowing how lucky I was to have such a trusting and understanding lover. The answer lay in my hand, but the decision was still daunting.
I looked at everyone’s faces. One by one, they nodded, silently encouraging me to do whatever was necessary.
Taking a deep breath, I drew courage from the air around me and clenched the memory crystal tightly. The crystal shattered with a crunch, releasing a surge of light and energy. As the memories of Hiraya from the Previous Timeline flooded into me, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of knowledge and experiences.
What I saw was horrifyingly grim.