We stood facing each other for what felt like ages. The only sound coming from the room was the faint hum of the suit behind me and my heartbeat, which felt as if it was trying to escape from my chest.
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"This puts me in a very difficult situation you know."
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Aureo finally broke the silence, pulling out a chair and taking a seat at the table.
I immediately went for the door as fast as I could.
I tried to pull it open but it wouldn't budge.
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"It's rather insulting to assume I wouldn't have predicted that, seeing how I knew what you were up to."
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I slowly turned around and saw a bemused smile on his face. All traces of kindness were gone, replaced by malice.
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"Sit."
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It wasn't a request.
I took a seat and nervously cleared my throat.
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"So… what now?"
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I squeezed the words out and watched his reaction, dreading the response.
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"That's up to you, I suppose. Either we leave this room, and you tell all your classmates about what you've found, or you say nothing and we continue as if this never happened."
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His tone was almost bored, as if he didn't care either way.
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"You'd just let me tell everyone?"
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The confusion in my voice was palpable.
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"I believe strongly in allowing one to make their own choices."
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His expression remained impassive.
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"Well, let me out so I can tell them then."
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He smiled a cold sadistic smile that made my skin crawl.
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"Well if you've decided then I guess it's my turn."
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He clapped his hands and a large man entered the room. He had the same outfit as the guard I snuck past did earlier, and looked like a stereotypical bodyguard.
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"Kill them all."
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My eyes went wide and I panicked.
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"Wait, wait! What?"
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The guard began to leave the room but Aureo stopped him right before the door closed.
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"This is the consequence of your choice. Every decision has a consequence, child. You should think before you act."
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"Then why did you even give me the option..."
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I felt a hollow feeling in my chest as I spoke.
His smile widened as the last bit of hope left me and I realized just how bad my situation was. He leaned in slightly, studying my face.
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"I must admit, that expression never gets old. You can't get it from just torturing someone regularly."
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I felt repulsion from deep within my heart, and I recoiled in disgust.
His smile diminished somewhat and he returned to his previous posture.
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"Where did you get that key?"
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I felt the curse Decipitur put on me take hold.
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"Capir Emissarius."
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I couldn't tell if it was my imagination, but I swear I saw a flash of gold light from his left eye. A look of shock came over him.
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"Really now… I ought to reconsider who I choose to put my trust in, I suppose."
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His surprise changed to fury with no warning, and he slammed his fist on the table, causing me to jump. The sound resounded through the room and when he lifted his fist, I saw a large dent in the wood.
This table was built with solid wood, not like the flimsy tables back on earth.
I swallowed nervously, my heart rate accelerating even further.
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"Don't worry child. I believe you."
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He lapsed into silent contemplation. I was afraid to interrupt him, but I didn't want to give him time to come to any conclusions about my fate.
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"Will you let my classmates live if I promise to say nothing?" I blurted out before I could second guess myself.
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He didn't answer, instead standing up and walking to the door. He opened it and gestured for me to follow.
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"Where are we going?"
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At this point the back of my neck was drenched in a cold sweat, and I could feel my hands shaking.
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"I'd like to show you something."
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I stood up, casting a glance towards the suit which continued to glow softly.
Seeing my hesitation, Aureo impatiently sighed.
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"It can't be used on the wearer. Even if you figured out how to use it, you'd be unable to escape."
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So, even if we did get ahold of it, someone would have to be left behind.
Despite what he said, I didn't move. A sudden fire ignited in my chest.
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"And why should I believe what you say?"
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"Because if you don't make a decision now I'll kill you and your friends."
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He said it as if he was reciting today's date, but there was no doubt in my mind he meant it wholeheartedly.
The fire went out.
I reluctantly followed him. His face suddenly went back to that of a friendly old man, all traces of his former animosity gone.
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"Well then, would you like to go for a ride?"
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We left the estate without bumping into anybody else. I felt like a prisoner being escorted to my last meal before the execution. Maybe that's not so far from the reality of the situation.
We got into a car, Aureo driving, the guard from earlier in the back and me in the passenger seat.
I kept my eyes glued to the window the entire time, not wanting to look at Aureo.
We drove alongside the river for a while before diverging from it, towards the place where I saw the pillar of light in my dream.
After about 10 minutes of driving we stopped, and Aureo turned the car off. There was a fence with a gate leading into what looked like a large grove of trees ahead. Multiple military-looking officials stood at regular intervals along the perimeter. We got out of the car and one of them opened the gate with a salute to Aureo. He smiled and thanked the man.
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"Not much further now."
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He walked in the front while the guard took up the rear with me in the middle.
Inside the gate was a narrow winding path, on which we walked for about 3 minutes until a large clearing came into view.
The scene that confronted us filled me with dread.
A gigantic hole in the ground confirmed that my dream wasn't just some vision of the future. Likely, I was seeing the history of this place. But why? It wasn't doing me any good now.
Aureo peered down into it, the bottom couldn't be seen, only darkness.
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"We've actually tried sending a team in before you know. We think it may be another route to the artifacts, but they didn't return."
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The last part was said in just over a whisper.
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"You know, when I decide to kill a man, woman, or child" he glanced back at me before continuing "I like to look them in the eyes as I do it. Something like taking responsibility for my actions, you know?"
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I turned and tried to run, but the guard grabbed me and lifted me into the air. I screamed and tried to bite and claw at him.
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"Unfortunately, I have a coverup to attend, so I really ought to get going. Goodbye."
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"YOU EVIL PIECE OF SHIT!"
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I felt tears running down my face.
He smiled as the guard threw me with all his might. I watched him turn and begin to walk away, burning the moment into my mind as I fell into the pit.
The wind rushed past my ears as I fell, and I saw teardrops detach from my face and float away above me. The light from the surface quickly disappeared and I was left with nothing but the wind and darkness. The past few days flashed through my head, and I felt a torrent of emotion wash over me. Above it all, I felt rage towards everything that had happened. Why did we have to be thrown into this world? Why did I have to be so powerless? And why was I dragged into this stupid scheme? What did I do to deserve this?
I screamed into the void until my voice grew hoarse. I wished that pillar of light would come back and just end it now.
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
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"I must be dead"
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I whispered to myself, but somehow I knew it wasn't the case.
I could see a faint light illuminating the dust particles around me in the pitch black. I couldn't find the source, even so it kept growing in intensity.
I looked around, eventually I found the source of the light to be my own body. I must have spilled some glowstick juice on me before getting murdered, go figure.
The rage continued to my chest until I felt like I was going to burst, and the light suddenly became blinding. I closed my eyes and tried to cover them with my arms, but my arms themselves were wrapped in the light as well.
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"No… How?"
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The light died down to a somewhat bearable level, and I could barely make out the source of the voice.
The "clone" from my dreams stood a few feet away, looking distressed. She angrily stomped her foot, but of course there was no ground for her foot to make contact with and it didn't make a sound.
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"Why are we back! How!?"
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She was staring directly at me, waiting for a response.
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"Who are you?"
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The rage slowly trickled out of my chest, and the light had gone down significantly. It was now just bright enough to illuminate my carbon copy. I looked down and saw a faint bluish glow. I was floating in mid air, my feet dangling over the vast darkness below.
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"I am someone who would very much like to go back to sleep."
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Her voice was seething with anger. She really is me.
She walked forward and grabbed my head with both hands. I tried to resist, but I couldn't move anywhere from where I was.
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"Ah. So that's what's going on. You really let them throw you down here?"
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She gave me a disappointed look, like a parent whose kid failed an exam.
The rage once again filled me, and the light grew slightly brighter.
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"Let them? LET THEM? How exactly was I supposed to stop them?"
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"Well, I guess I can't fault you for your ignorance. You're under the impression that you can't use magic, right? Care to explain what you're doing at the moment?"
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I looked down again.
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"... Flying?"
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I was suddenly acutely aware of how stupid I sounded.
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"Using magic."
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She said it like she was talking to a toddler. I half expected her to pull out some crayons and paper to explain this to me.
I wanted to retort, but I suddenly felt extreme fatigue wash over me. I wasn't sure if it was from the magic, or the rollercoaster of emotions and adrenaline dump I just experienced. Probably both.
The other me sighed and plucked me out of the air. Her face became increasingly hazy, and the light began to dwindle.
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"Well, I'm going to take a nap."
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With that I promptly lost consciousness.
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When I came to, the first thing I became aware of was a full body ache. I could feel waves of pain resounding through my body with every beat of my heart, from my head to my toes.
I heard the sound of running water somewhere nearby. Upon opening my eyes I thought for a second that I might actually be back on the surface somehow, but the large circular void in the starry sky was definitely the one from which I fell. Still, it's remarkable how similar the rest of the ceiling looked to a starry night sky. The light was likely from the same type of crystals I saw in the state building where we were summoned, but much brighter and a few parts of it were more of a greenish/yellowish colour with the rare red parts showing up here and there.
My movement was mostly limited to turning my head to my left and right. To my left I was surprised to see some trees that resembled pine trees growing near a large creek. They emitted a faint white light which was somewhat easier on the eyes than the blue hue from the ceiling. Instead of the smooth rocks where I was lying, the ground was carpeted with grass. It looked like a patch of the aboveground was taken and spliced into the rock rather than having grown naturally.
I turned my head the opposite direction and saw that I was near the bottom of a small grassy hill. I could just barely make out what looked like a small building on top of the hill, but I'd need to sit up to see it properly. Upon closer inspection I was laying on the only rocky surface in the immediate area. Very nice.
I lay like that for a while, occasionally I could hear what sounded like warped howling in the distance. It sounded very similar to the ones I heard in my dream, although at this point I'd be surprised if it didn't.
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"How're you feeling?"
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I slowly turned my head towards the source of the voice. It looks like the other me made a trip to the house I saw earlier. It's still pretty freaky seeing myself just standing there as if it was an everyday occurrence.
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"Not so good then, huh?"
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I groaned.
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"Who are you?"
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Even the act of moving my mouth to speak hurt.
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"I'm not sure to be honest. I just woke up, my head is all fuzzy..." She trailed off and gazed towards the dark hole in the ceiling. "I think I wanted to go back to sleep."
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Very cryptic and very unhelpful.
As the thought crossed my mind she snapped back to attention and frowned at me.
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"Well sorry my head is a bit foggy, if you slept as long as I did you might-"
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She cut herself off as a look of realization dawned on her face.
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"Hey, do you know what year it is?"
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I ignored the question because first of all I never actually figured that out before I was almost murdered, and second of all I'm pretty sure she just read my mind.
She sighed in response to my thoughts, confirming my suspicion.
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"Ew, stop reading my mind. Why can't I hear your thoughts?"
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'Because I actually know what I'm doing.'
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Her lips didn't move but I heard her voice as if I were wearing earbuds linked directly to her head.
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'So now what? I don't really think it's a good idea to stay out here with whatever those things are out there.'
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I decided it'd be easier to just communicate by thinking since she could hear my thoughts anyway. At least now I don't need to move and cause myself further pain.
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'Also, why the hell did you put me on the rocky part of the ground when I can see grass right over there?'
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I nodded my head slightly towards the creek.
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'Don't worry, those things won't come up here. They're miles off.'
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She didn't acknowledge the second part, even though I'm pretty positive she heard it.
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'Oy, don't ign-' my train of thought was suddenly derailed by an unknown object flying down from above.
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She looked up as soon as I noticed it, trailing it with her eyes.
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'I'm gonna go see what that was'
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"Wait! Don't just leave me!"
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Despite my protest she disappeared into the trees by the creek, heading towards whatever it was.
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'Oooh, yikes. Dead body.'
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I was suddenly glad I couldn't move.
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'Looks like that guy who threw you in here. Wanna see?'
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'No, nope. I'm good.'
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I felt what must have been amusement from my other self. I guess I can hear her thoughts and feel her emotions?
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'Why is my clone such a bitch...'
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I forgot she could hear me, and the amusement was replaced by a sharp pain in my head.
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'Ow, point taken. Come back please.'
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About 30 seconds passed and she emerged from the trees carrying an object shaped roughly like a pistol with a red quartz-like crystal instead of a barrel, her hands and the object itself had a fair amount of blood on them, and I could only imagine what the "crash site" must have looked like.
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'Here, this'll be useful until your body can keep up with your abilities.'
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She tossed it on the ground next to me and walked over to the grass to lie down.
I chose to ignore this clear act of provocation and be the better clone.
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'So, have you remembered anything?'
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I didn't pick up any thoughts or emotions from her in response, so I decided to move on.
As I did, my vision went fuzzy, and I began to feel a bit motion sick. I saw shapes and colors fly past me as if I were travelling at mach speed, when suddenly my sight cleared and I found myself standing on air miles above a large green canopy.
I made a gesture with my hand and a portion of the forest went up in flames.
I watched with a cruel disposition, like a child setting ants on fire with a magnifying glass. Except trees.
This didn't affect me, I could do anything I wanted. That was the type of feeling I had.
The world became a blur of color again, this time depositing me in the middle of a stone age-looking village. Rugged people went about their daily lives, while I watched, bemused by their activities. They didn't pay me much attention, and I instinctively knew they couldn't see me.
An old man fell to the ground while trying to carry a pack that was clearly too heavy for him. A few people noticed but nobody moved to help him.
I felt pity for him, watching him trying his best despite his weakness, so I gave him strength.
As he shot up with his pack in hand, I was thrust back into my own body, the scene still burnt into my retinas.
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'I believe I was something like a deity to the people here.'
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'But why do you look exactly like me?'
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The question came to mind multiple times previously, but this time I directed it at her since she was clearly not going to answer it without some prodding.
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'I can't believe you haven't figured out that part on your own yet.'
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'Well sorry, but I haven't had much time to think about it and it'd be a lot easier if you'd just cooperate with me you know.'
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She sighed. I turned my head to look at her. Her face was impassive, and I wasn't receiving anything from her thoughts either.
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"Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. Do you think just anyone can fly like that? Use your head."
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It was kind of strange hearing my own voice out loud like that, especially after thinking at each other this whole time.
Her admonishing tone made it hard to talk politely.
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"So, what? I'm you? You're me?"
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"You're the mortal part of me created when I was ripped from this world and banished to Earth." Her tone softened, and a look like she was remembering a fond memory entered her eyes. "We were reborn countless times with no memory of who we were or where we came from back on Earth while I was asleep… It was bliss."
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At this point I noticed that my pain had been subsiding at an incredible rate. As I became aware of it, her eyes came back into focus and she stood up.
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"It's finally taking effect, that's good, we should get moving soon if we want to get back to the surface and kill that jackass."
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I was a bit taken aback by her sudden liveliness. Her mood seemed to have improved for some reason.
I looked down and saw a faint blue glow emanating from the ground below me, tracing an outline around my body.
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'Is this some sort of healing zone or something?'
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Multiple games flashed through my head as I said this, and the corners of the other me's lipt turned up slightly.
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"Close, It uses magic power to speed up a person's physical regeneration. Usually the stone would need to be recharged for regular use, but this one has been out of commission for a while and has absorbed a lot of energy from the earth itself over the years."
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At this point there was still a dull ache in my muscles, but I felt like I could at least sit up. As the thought crossed my mind she vanished from where she was and before I could tell what happened, her hands were held firmly on my shoulders, holding me down.
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'You should wait until your body is completely healed. We'll probably have to do this a few more times if you want to be able to use magic in the next day or so.'
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Would I be able to teleport like that if I learned magic? A bit of excitement crept into my heart at those words, and I readily complied, waiting until my body felt completely healed before getting up. This surprisingly only took around 5 more minutes. Well, I'm not sure how long it took exactly, but it felt like 5 minutes.
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"I'm ready… what should I call you?"
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The other me pondered for a bit before shrugging in response.
Why does everyone around me shrug so much.
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"You can just pick a name, I guess. I've never really cared for mine anyway."
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I was curious to know what she meant by that but she clearly wasn't about to share any unnecessary details about our past. That was the feeling I got from our mental link, anyway. I considered just calling her something stupid but the look on her face made me reconsider.
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"How about Remi?"
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I had always liked that name, and somehow I felt like it fit her.
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"I like it."
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She readily agreed. She must have known I'd choose that name already.
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With that out of the way, I inspected my surroundings with a newfound curiosity.
The stone I was laying on was obviously originally perfectly round, and likely inside a long gone building, the remains of which could be seen scattered around the now cracked and uneven stone's surface as well as buried in the surrounding dirt. Obviously the events of my second dream were the cause of this mess, as evidenced by the charred look of some of the debris, as well as parts of the stone which now have a glassy texture, as if exposed to high heat in the distant past.
I looked to Remi for an explanation. I mean, if she can do that, I don't see why she can't just fly us out of here and kill Aureo herself. A part of me also wondered why she wasn't trying to do it again.
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'My time spent on Earth drained me of most of my power. While I can't truly be killed, It'll take a while for me to regain my strength. And unlike me, you can die so it'd be best to train you up a bit first. And as for the second inquiry… I have my reasons.'
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I nodded in response. I'd just have to accept that answer for now, but I couldn't get that pillar of light out of my head. And my compliance in the dream bothered me. She was clearly trying to destroy this whole area, maybe even the continent itself.
I glanced at her as the thoughts went through my mind, hoping to see some reaction, but her face was impassive as usual.
I sighed dejectedly and moved on.
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'So what about this thing?' I presented the pistol-like thing from earlier, and she seemed relieved by the sudden change of subject.
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"My memory's a bit hazy but I'm pretty sure that" she pointed to the 'barrel' "can focus raw magical energy into a concentrated blast, so functionally similar to a gun from earth."
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She suddenly seemed to grow tired of talking out loud and switched to just thinking.
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'Judging by the flaws in that thing it can't take much energy before breaking. It'll be good for training at least, though.'
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"That's useful, I guess."
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One of the best parts about the whole situation is that the dress I received from Aureo's estate actually had some pretty sizeable pockets, so at least I've got that going for me. Speaking of which, I never really bothered to think about how Remi's clothes also matched mine.
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'Magic' was her only response to my thoughts.
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I laughed and placed the pistol into one of my pockets.
We spent the next hour or so discussing my training regime. Apparently If she hadn't interjected when she did I would have burned myself from the inside out just keeping myself afloat like I was.
I still wasn't entirely sure how I did it, but it might have had something to do with Remi's manifestation. Maybe that's why the machine mislabelled me as having "zero magical potential", because Remi hadn't woken up yet. I felt my blood boil as the memory came back to me.
Remi placed a hand on my shoulder sympathetically. It was somewhat comforting, but I didn't have time for self-pity.
Remi seemed to agree because we began my magic training immediately afterwards. Her explanations were somewhat difficult to grasp, but being able to feel what she meant as well as hear it helped significantly.
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'Magic is all about visualization. The two main forces behind any spell is a combination of desire or intent, and your emotions. If you have a lot of emotions, but no intent, your magic will be uncontrollable and there is a high likelihood you will end up hurting yourself with it. However, If you understand exactly what you want to do, but lack the passion and conviction to materialize it, your magic will be weak no matter how much potential you may have. The strongest mages are those with drive who are in touch with, and can control their emotions. Of these, determination is the one emotion every great mage absolutely must possess in a great quantity. I know you have all the right qualities, the magic itself shouldn't be the difficult part. You just need to get your body accustomed to your power flowing through it.' Remi pointed to the remains of what looked to be a support pillar buried halfway into the ground a few feet away. 'That being said, reduce that to dust.'
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I wasn't sure how to begin, but if she could see my hesitation, she didn't comment on it or offer any help. Guess I'm in this one alone then.
As she said, using magic was actually surprisingly easy. I thought back to the vision she showed me earlier, how I waved my hand and imposed my will on the world around me just like that.
I tried to remember that feeling, and waved my hand at the pillar. I felt a slight tugging sensation in my chest, and a distortion like that seen from the heat off a fire emanated from it, travelling towards the pillar. It moved strangely, moving steadily in a straight line one second, and then slowing down and jumping around the next. When it finally hit the pillar, rather than the whole thing disintegrating, it made a pattern of holes rather than the whole thing disintegrating. I felt like I had just run a marathon, and had to sit down and catch my breath.
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"Why didn't it work?"
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Well, I guess it did work but this definitely wasn't my "desired" outcome.
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'You have the intent down but you need to funnel your emotions into the spell. For one such as this, negative emotions will suit you especially well. I'm sure you'll have no problem with that.'
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She gave a dry chuckle and looked intently at the pillar. Her eyes glowed and I felt an overwhelming feeling of love from her, like the kind a mother would have for her child, and the pillar returned to its' previous state in less than a second.
I stood up and tried again. This time I thought of every bad thing that had happened to me since I was thrust into this world.
A dim light emanated from my chest like when I flew. I let the anger flow over me, but tried to focus my intent on the pillar, directing the rage entirely at it.
I waved me hand again, and this time the light from my chest exploded forward, striking the pillar, not really disintegrating it so much as wiping it from existence along with a large swath of land around it.
I had a moment to admire my work before the intense pain hit me, and I collapsed into Remi's ready arms.
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"Rest up and we'll do it again in a bit. I'll get us some food in the meantime."
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I nodded and once again lost consciousness.
Honestly I'm starting to get a bit tired of passing out.
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