I can't see anything, it's all red, or yellow? Now it's blue… I'm in class. Everyone is there but it feels empty, even a little scary. A friend of mine from class comes and asks me about the kid sitting behind me.

"You were his friend, right?"

"No way, I only talked to him twice before."

I don't know why I said that, now he's sad. He's crying and… jumping off a building, or is it a bridge? Next he comes over.

"You like video games?"

"Yeah, I played it, this game."

I show him my favorite game, "Chronicles of Demise"... That wasn't the title, it's "Chronicles of Eden". We're both characters, the final boss comes in and we fight, we win, but only I survive. I scream, but sound doesn't come out. I'm in class again but alone this time. What did I do wrong?

I didn't kill him, did I? Do I bare reasonability?

I open my eyes, but it's not a familiar place. It's … wait, this wooden ceiling is -

"You sounded like you had a bad dream."

A dream? I did dream I was… falling? what did I dream?

"You also sweat a lot in your sleep, but that's normal for mana sickness." She continues.

I get up lethargically, my body is tired like after a long nap. I check my chest and arms for wounds from the battle… the banshee… that’s right!

“What isn’t normal is recovering, and definitely not this quickly.” I finally look to realize where I’m in. It’s the church where we almost had soup, or rather the church dorms, it has two beds and a large window with plenty of light coming from it, is this midday?

Sitting on a chair opposite me is the Paladin, she’s wearing the armor but not the helmet. Was she worried? by the position of the chair and the intensity of her gaze it looks like she’s observing me like a text subject. “Was I out long? I thought I had died”

“You’re not the only one, we all did, I was certain you can’t bounce back from that.” Her eyes meet mine with a stare that pierces me “I’m still convinced that’s true.” It almost hurts when she looks at me like that. What does she mean? I feel some serious hostility from her… why would she hate me so much? could it be that she…

“Fren! Are you awake yet?” The door creaks slowly with Grey silently sneaking in until he finds me awake. “Fren! I was so worried! thank Mythos you're alright!” Guy walks in behind him and quietly stands there for a moment.

“I’m so sorry, we found out what happened only after Gregory came to the cemetery to tell us…” Guy apologizes and then turns his head to the door “LISA! COME HERE AND APOLOGIZE!”

“UHH I want to sleep, we’ve been up all night.” She walks in mumbling some nasty stuff about Guy no doubt, but when she enters and notices the Paladin she’s on her best behavior. “I am so sorry, Fren, that I was not there.” and even bows and tugging on her long robe like a noblewoman would.

“Ahh… It’s alright.” I get up, with all this fuss about me I feel uncomfortable, I think it’s best if we head out as soon as possible, or at least leave the room. “I’m still wearing my armor… everything’s intact, my sword?”

“Outside, It’s rude to bring unblessed weapons inside the church. Are you sure you’re alright to go out and about just yet? Inner circle paladin Allous said that you 're not going to even make it out alive.”

“I’m fine, I feel fine. I just want to get out of this village as soon as possible.”

“And go where?” The paladin asks, Allous, and the title of ‘Inner circle paladin’ what’s that?

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“Well… I need to…” I check my chestpiece inner pocket, the letter is still folded there. “I need to go to the city… what was it called?”

Allous’s eyes are fixated on the letter, she extends her hand, before I can unfold it she already says “Let me take a look.” It feels like an order more than a request. “This is… a letter of recommendation. To join just the most famous Hunter/Adventurer guild out there. In Mandoza.” Most famous? “Rodrick, I remember him, he used to work with us for a while, he was a good hunter, where is he now?” She asks me and returns my letter to me. She’s also a lot nicer now, or is this a different kind of hostility? Now she looks more aloof and disinterested than slightly murderous.

“Wait! isn’t that the guild you were in?” Grey asks in shock and remembers to politely add “Inner circle paladin Allous.”

“You don’t have to be so tense around me, you can just call me Allous. And yes, that is where I used to work before becoming a paladin. In fact, I think I’ll even accompany this traveler to his destination and say hello to some of my old acquaintances.” Ahh, the murderous inhospitable demeanor is back. I think I’d prefer to travel alone than with her, but I don’t think that’s an option, I’m afraid to even suggest it now. Why did I even come here? oh right that’s why.

“I was told I will get a ride to the place Grey, Guy and Lisa came from, I was told it’s in the direction. I would like to travel with them even a tiny bit longer.” What I would like is not to be alone with you or I might just die for real. “How do we get there anyway? The carriage we came with is supposed to come back or…?”

“Horses? The noble must have had horses.”

“Had, yes, before everything in town died or ran away.”

“So… by foot? is there any other option?”

“Will you three stop worrying” Allous silences me Guy and Grey. “I already contacted the nearest chapel after carrying Fren here. A new Carriage should arrive soon. In the meantime you could relax like your friend does.” She opens the door and we see Lisa lying on a bench in the middle of church. When did she sneak out?

“Uhh close the window, it’s too bright.” She says as if she’s been resting there for hours, she managed to get comfy so quickly.

“That’s light from the room, you doofus, how did you get there already?”

-----

We left Guy and Grey to rest in the room with the two beds. Apparently it’s too bright for Lisa because of the big window. Meanwhile I have to face my fears, I thought maybe going out to swing my sword a bit and exercise would make Allous leave me alone but she just came with me. “Mind if we spar?” I never heard of sparring to the death but it looks like that could be her plan. “We can use these wooden toy swords from the church’s lost and found.” It might just be safe, or maybe now she can go all out without fear of actually killing me?

She’s good, or maybe I’m just very bad? no, I am bad, but she is obviously a master at this, it feels insurmountable. No matter what angle I go with or how I try I can’t get past her guard. And once she gets going she doesn't give me any room to breathe.

“You’re very bad” Now I'm hurt both inside and outside, “How long have you known Rodrick for? He didn’t train you did he?” I don’t know what to say… should I tell her I only met him a couple of weeks ago? or should I tell her what Dan would have told her? How long did Dan know Rodrick for? You have good reactions, and a stable base, but no technique, and bad aim, but that can be learned. Did he recommend you because he saw potential?”

“I’m sorry for being a bad sparring partner!” I yell as I strike… I mean miss… “I’m not a strong-” miss “-or talented-” miss “-I don’t even know why I’m here!” I hit her sword, she didn’t deflect it, the toy sword flew from her hand! Did I actually get a point? Wait, I can see her hand. *Bam*.

“You idiot! why did you do that?”

“I’m the idiot?” I say with my ass on the floor. “I didn’t know punching was allowed.”

“You just recovered your mana and you use it so unsparingly?! You need more control!”

Was I? I didn’t notice, I didn’t mean to… “I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to…”

“I know this isn’t your body.” She what?! “But the others care about you and you need to be more careful.”

“You know- What do you mean this isn’t my body?” Does she know? Is this why she wants to kill me? Is this what Barn warned me about?

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell the others, I’m probably the only member of the church and paladin order who would not kill you on sight. Then again I’m pretty much the only one who would know about mana sickness.”

“Mana sickness? What does that have to do with? Is this why I survived?”

“My father told me about it, when a person’s core mana is missing that would normally mean the end for them sooner or later, but spirits don’t have core mana. I had to study that recently since I had to kill a Lich.”

“Your father? Is he also a paladin?”

“You really don’t know who I am? My father is-”

“Hello!” We can hear from afar, a carriage, and it’s drawing closer.

“We will continue this conversation some other time, for now go wake the others, and start loading whatever supplies we need for the trip. I need to deal with some bureaucracy with the driver.”