I woke up on a field of grass that endlessly stretched out in every direction. mories filled my head in a haze like mist over a sea. I saw visions of people I don’t know, places I’ve never been to, and events I’ve never witnessed.
Yet it felt like those were my mories, that it was my life that filled my head. However, there was one thing that stopped from accepting those mories as mine: regret.
There was so much regret, so much pain, so much so that I began to cry for so reason. The tears dripped from my eyes to my cheeks as I quietly sobbed for sothing I don't even know that I did.
“Fufu~ it’s alright, there’s no reason to cry anymore~ they won’t reach you here.”
A voice called out to as I looked to the right, where I heard it coming from. There I found… a fox?
They seed to be radiant, glowing, and epheral, spirit-like, almost as if it pranced around without a care in the world, getting closer and closer to . They were red and white, mixed in color like so kind of amalgam species.
It jumped on my chest and gently pawed my cheek. “Shh, it’s alright~ I just need you to answer a few questions for .”
“W-wha? Questions what’s going-“
The fox placed its paw on my lips. “No, shh, I ask the questions here. Now then, the first one. The life you led right up before all this happened… How did it feel? Did you enjoy it? Hate it? Did you want more or less?”
“…” There was only one answer that I could give.
“More… I wanted more. I hated everything in it, and I deserved more than the hand I was given.”
“Oh?” The fox tilted its head. “I see. Would you want a second chance? A way to continue or even restart?”
They both sounded so wonderful at this point. It sounded straight out of a fairy tale. Was this it? My chance, my victory, so that I can finally go forth? Maybe I could get extra powers from this, too.
“Yes. I wish to get a second chance.”
I could almost swear that I saw the fox smile. It felt both creepy and, at the sa ti, reassuring, like it was actually trying to soothe .
“Then I offer you a choice, would you rather start from scratch, throw away everything else you knew, your whole life before wouldn’t even be a faint mory. I cannot guarantee a good life, nor even a decent life. I can, however, guarantee that it would be far different than the life you led up to this point.”
Different, huh… that was good enough for . This life was horrible, and I didn’t want to do it all over again. Even if this new life was just half as bad as my old life… I would never accept it.
“Or, I can allow you to continue this life. You didn’t exactly die; your body was completely and utterly destroyed, yes, but you’ve been transford into a spirit, an epheral consciousness not bound by matter, and you would have beco a ntal being. Galfania can give you physicality, or sothing along the lines of it anyway. However, because of the Runes used to fully convert you, you’ve been given the opportunity to continue.”
“Is there a catch? So kind of duty it wants from ?” I asked because this was all too familiar to . I didn’t want to co under the thumb of another force, even if the force was so kind of strange esoteric spirit of the land.
“Nope. You were killed by flas that completely and utterly converted you to be part of Galfania. This is more or less a welcoming party for new beginnings. Effectively slain by not the land but by the people and reincarnated.”
“The… people? What does that an? Like we were assassinated? We were targeted? By who? Why?” I tried to stand up, but the fox pushed my head back down with ease.
“Those questions you could find out if you choose to continue. Otherwise, it won’t matter at all if you simply reincarnated. However, you would only reincarnate within Galfania. What you will be, I cannot tell you. It will be different, that's for sure.”
I sighed. So that was my life now? A gamble? Either roll the dice or continue the save ga. What good will that serve ? What good can it give ? I looked down at my hands for a mont, and sothing filled more than ever before: regret.
There was so much regret. I wanted to do better, to do good. I thought my life would finally turn around, and yet here I was.
Yet… for so reason, there was sothing more to this regret. As if I had wronged sobody, as if I felt like I was a terrible person and that I had to do whatever it took to make it up for my misdeeds. For my mistakes.
I don’t know why I felt it. There was no reason to; the only thing I did wrong was trust John, and I’ll make sure not to make that sa mistake again. But he’s dead now, and I don’t think he would want to continue.
But, I do. I do want to continue, among all other things, it was the only chance I could prove myself. That I could do what was right, and that I could find out who did this, so that I could get answers. So that I could finally beco soone… more.
Here I was. I had a choice once more: what would Jane do?
Hah, I know what she would do. She would rather forge her own path, not leave it up to anyone but her. To this, I smiled and faced the fox once more.
“I choose to continue.”
Jane opened her eyes as she stood in a field of fire. All around her, everything burned in a never-ending blazing pyre. For a mont, she was confused as she scratched her cheek. “Uh… am… am I in-”
“No, Jane Marcellus. You are not dead. Not yet anyway.”
A figure of flas appeared in front of Jane, nearly causing her to recoil as she gasped. “By Draco’s tail, what the -? Where am I? Who are you? What is going on here? What do you an I’m not dead, I literally blew up into flas- also wait, how do you know my Na?”
“You are within my Realm: Sovers Ogno. In your tongue, it would be the Fulfilnt of Fire. You have accepted the flas that burned your physical body away, freeing yourself from your mortal coil and releasing your spirit. I am the Harbinger of Freedom, the one who gathered you to give a choice.”
They stretched out their left hand, and a white purifying fla erged from it.
“You may either allow your spirit to undergo a transformation, be given a new physical form, new mories, and a new purpose in the land of Galfania.”
Then she stretched out her right hand, and a golden fla erupted in her palm.
“Or you may be given your old form back, alongside the flas that burnt your body as you have accepted them into yourself, allowing you the power to free others as well.”
The two flas flashed like embers upon a fireplace. They were both good options… for anyone that wasn’t Jane, that is. Because for her, there really was only one choice that she could see going forward.
She stared at the golden flas. Freedom was what she yearned for, to continue and escape Galfania, that’s what she needed to do, and if she could get the power, even manage to go through Epithet’s defenses? Then all the more power to it, or rather, to her that is.
“The power to free others as well… Why am I being given this? Why did accepting them into even do anything? I bet tons of people died knowing their fate and accepted it.”
“You are correct. Many have, but you desired it. Your desire for freedom has been heard, and you have embraced the freedom of those around you. A few have done so as well, those connected to you. They are also given this choice. Perhaps you shall see them once more, in one way or another.”
One way or another, huh. That was funny. Jane hoped they would all be sensible and choose the golden flas. They have to be. This was their chance to be together, to be free, and to strike back.
Jane gripped her hands into a fist, reaching out as she grasped the golden flas. A warm fire began to spread across her arm, traveling all throughout her body as she felt power like she had never felt before.
“Haha… this is gonna be good. Thanks, Harbinger of Freedom. I’ll take it from here.”
Matthias was carried over towards the icy fringes of Galfania by the spirits who laughed like pixies over the burning wreckage that was the expedition.
There were no more tears in his eyes; he ran out so long ago. He was tired; he wasn’t hurt in the slightest physically, but his mind felt so worn out over what had just happened.
‘It’s all… it’s all my fault…’
That was the only thought he had in his mind, replaying over and over again as he was dropped off by the cold grass shore. A familiar situation that he had been in so long ago.
For a few monts, he lay there, staring into the darkened skies that lood overhead. There was barely any sunlight, and he could only tell that it was dayti because he rembered that the nights here were as black as the void with only faint shimrs of moonlight every so often.
He brought everyone here; this was his idea. This was his expedition. He desperately asked Godwin for help, and this is what happened. Now, the Professor is dead as well. Why… Why did this happen?
Why didn’t he die with the rest? Why was this his punishnt? Why was the world so cruel? He just wanted answers? He just wanted to know why he was born here… why he was made.
Was this divine providence? Was this karma? What force was at play? Destiny? Fate? Who must he answer to, and why must they punish him like this? Why must he suffer like this?
Matthias stood up, staring at the water as he began to walk towards it. Maybe… just maybe, he should join them in death. It’s the least that he could do as penance for what had happened. If this was his fate, then he might as well do what he should have done from the start.
His life was aningless now. There was nothing that he could offer, and nothing that he could do. There was no hope in such a life like his, especially when he knew the dangers of this place. He thought he was prepared. He thought he knew what to do. He thought he knew what was going to happen.
“I’m… I’m sorry everyone… I’m so sorry…”
He walked towards the sea, already ankle deep, as he laughed silently. The water was so cold, they might as well have been ice for all it was worth. It numbed his body, yet it couldn't numb the anguish. It couldn't numb the dread. It couldn't numb this aching feeling in his mind that pressed down against him like ocean pressure.
The deeper he went, the more his mind numbed. Everything was lost, nothing was gained, it was all for naught. Why… Why, why, why, why?
Over and over, like the water surrounding him, it was all-consuming, cold, and empty. Perhaps there was so solace in this. Perhaps, this was peace. Perhaps, this truly was what the world wanted. Perhaps, this was to be his reckoning for his mistakes, his failures. For what he has done, and what he has failed to do.
Whatever it was, Matthias closed his eyes, about to subrge his head under, but that was when he felt sothing pull him back and throw him onto the grass.
“Found another one!” He looked up groggily. Was it another person? They looked like one anyway, but instead of clothes, they had strange shadows across their body, moving erratically as they resembled armor.
“Good, gather as many survivors as possible, go before the damned Descendents find them!” A woman’s voice echoed in the distance, and from that one line alone, a small smile curled upon Matthias’s mouth.
Survivors? Perhaps…
Perhaps there was hope after all.
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