Echoes of a Forgotten Self

As the sensation of falling vanished, Domu found herself standing within a dark, ancient hall. She instinctively tried to open her game interface, but quickly realized she had entered her future self’s body as a mere observer. She could see through her eyes and perceive the emotions swirling in her mind, yet she possessed no control over her own physical form.

What astonished Domu was the conflicting surge of emotions in her future self’s mind: surprise, joy, and fear. Unable to control the body, she felt these intense feelings without understanding their cause.

Her future self merely glanced around the hall before lowering her head, and Domu followed that gaze. She saw herself clad in a familiar set of jet-black armor, the [Seven Sins Armament – Pride’s Aegis]. The armored figure trembled slightly, fixated on the tips of her own feet.

As Domu grappled with this inexplicable situation, she suddenly felt an armored hand gently pat her shoulder. It seemed to be an attempt to soothe her future self’s turbulent emotions.

Her future self turned, her gaze falling upon the man offering comfort. Domu, too, followed that gaze, taking in the man standing beside her.

‘Wait… what? It’s a man?’ Domu thought, utterly bewildered. She had never seen this man before. Though his face remained indistinct, a strange intuition told her she absolutely, unequivocally did not know him.

He wore resplendent bright silver knight’s armor, adorned with a holy cross embroidered on his shoulder, and radiated an aura that struck Domu as peculiar.

Her future self remained silent, merely offering a gentle smile to the man comforting her. Without her helmet, her beautiful face and flowing long hair were visible.

‘Perhaps he’s a companion I’ll meet later,’ Domu mused, trying to reassure herself. Yet, she still sensed a profound relief and warmth emanating from her future self’s mind.

‘Wait… why relief? Why warmth? Why would I smile at this man like that? Could it be… no… is this man my…?’

Before Domu could delve deeper into her thoughts, a chilling voice echoed from the upper reaches of the grand hall.

“Everyone, perish with grateful hearts…”

At the sound of that voice, Domu’s heart clenched instantly. It was so familiar. The emotions in her future self’s mind perfectly mirrored Domu’s own feelings in that moment.

“Enough… you can stop now…” her future self suddenly spoke.

Her future self was desperately suppressing her emotions, her eyes averted from the figure above. It was as if she couldn’t bear to witness their current appearance.

“What a pity. You should be standing by my side,” the figure from above lamented, their voice still chillingly familiar to Domu.

“No…”

Domu clearly perceived the profound guilt that flooded her future self’s mind.

“Is it because of him? The savior chosen by this world? I will kill him. However, out of consideration for your regard for him, I shall grant him—and these so-called companions by your side—a death free of pain. You should feel honored, you pathetic crawling insects! [Requiem of Instant Death]!”

The figure on high suddenly lost control, their cold roar reverberating throughout the entire hall.

“No!” Hearing these words, Domu’s future self looked up in disbelief at the colossal black-robed figure. The robe now pulsed with dark blue energy, which flowed continuously, rapidly converging at the tip of an ice-blue staff. The staff’s tip was aimed directly at the knight beside Domu.

Domu sensed her future self’s mind fill with utter disbelief, laced with an overwhelming sorrow.

A colossal beam of dark blue light erupted from the staff’s tip, shooting straight towards the knight, who had no time to react.

Domu realized that all emotion had vanished from her future self’s mind. In an instant, her body moved, shielding the knight. Domu could only watch as the terrifying dark blue light struck her own form.

The dark blue light struck the armor, yet caused little immediate destruction. Only a faint clinking sound resonated in the unnervingly silent hall.

This was the first time Domu truly felt life draining away, unlike the deaths experienced in ‘Tears of the Goddess’. This was genuine death.

As life ebbed, her future self gently turned her head, as if trying to memorize the faces of those behind her.

Through her future self’s eyes, Domu saw not just the knight, but many companions behind her. ‘So, my future self has so many friends now?’ she wondered. ‘But it’s strange… why isn’t Dove here?’

As Domu’s life faded, she ultimately heard only anguished cries echoing in her ears. There were men’s voices, women’s voices, and then… that cold… unnervingly familiar voice…

‘So, my future is death?’ she thought. ‘What an incredibly ordinary… incredibly unheroic future. And that familiar voice… that familiar scene… why can’t I remember? It feels so incredibly familiar.’

As her future self succumbed to death, Domu’s consciousness gradually drifted into unconsciousness.

****

As Domu delved into the vision of her future, back in the tent, the mysterious witch’s brow subtly furrowed beneath her hood. Yet, she continued to chant her spell without interruption.

Soronna, whose gaze had been fixed on Domu, suddenly heard Dove softly murmuring beside her. Curiosity piqued, she turned to look at Dove.

Dove’s two beautiful, large eyes were unblinkingly fixed on the witch and Domu. Her eyes now displayed a torrent of digitized characters.

“Unknown information detected. Commencing analysis. Analysis progress: 10%… 40%… 80%… 100%. Analysis complete. Internal database simulation initiated.”

Dove’s usual soft, sweet voice was replaced by a mechanical cadence, uttering words Soronna couldn’t comprehend.

Soronna refrained from interrupting Dove, instead watching her with a gaze filled with astonishment.

“Internal simulation successful. Commencing synchronization.” As Dove’s mechanical voice concluded, she raised a small hand and began chanting a spell. Her incantation slowly began to align with the mysterious witch’s, as if they were reciting the same words in unison.

Soronna suddenly felt the magical fluctuations in the room twisting, becoming increasingly distorted. The abnormal surge of magic left her utterly bewildered, as it continuously collided around Domu’s body.

“No… this is impossible… stop it…” the witch’s voice cried out, filled with panic and disbelief.

“Who… are you… You… shouldn’t… be in… this… world… The future… cannot… be… changed…” The witch’s words were fragmented and disrupted by the swirling, distorted magic.

The distorted magical fluctuations gradually merged, radiating outward from Domu’s body in concentric ripples.

The moment the magical ripples touched them, both the witch and Soronna instantly lost consciousness, collapsing to the ground.

Dove was also touched by the ripples, yet remained completely unaffected. She simply walked to Domu’s side, clumsily climbed onto the table, and gently clasped Domu’s slender hand. Then, closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against Domu’s.

Domu, on the verge of unconsciousness, suddenly perceived two unknown forces colliding within her mind. These two powers began to merge, and with their fusion, Domu slowly regained her lucidity.

‘Ah… perhaps the divination of the future is over,’ she thought. ‘It truly is a world of magic, with even future-telling existing. It seems my future self couldn’t return to the real world after all. I wonder if she found Na’er… And that familiar voice just now… and the companions I protected…’ As Domu pondered her own future, she slowly opened her eyes.

The sight before her was not the divination tent. Domu instinctively looked around, but Soronna was nowhere to be seen, nor was the mysterious witch.

Just as Domu prepared to stand and search for Soronna, she paused.

Domu suddenly realized she was wearing a set of unfamiliar black armor, her face still unhelmeted. She was seated upon a magnificent throne, surrounded by opulent decorations, and a scene that felt eerily familiar…

‘That’s right… this place… this is the Unbreakable Fortress – Bakarann,’ she recognized. ‘It was once my guild headquarters in ‘Tears of the Goddess’… And this grand hall I’m in now is the main guild hall, the Lorolox Great Demon Hall.’ Her heart was now filled with confusion, mingled with a potent mix of anger and sorrow.

‘Anger? Sorrow? Why are these emotions in my mind?’ she questioned internally. ‘Why am I suddenly in Lorolox? Did I… did I travel back into the game again? Or was everything I experienced before—Mr. Stinkbug… Soronna… Kase… Os… merely a dream?’ Domu was seized by panic at her own terrifying conjectures.

“No…” Domu involuntarily whispered.

‘Was I rejecting it? Did I no longer want to return to ‘Tears of the Goddess’, or even to the real world? Why? Do I truly feel attachment to this world where I’ve only lived for half a month? Is it because of Soronna? Or… because…? It’s so strange… I feel as though I’ve forgotten something. Why does my heart suddenly ache so intensely, as if being squeezed by relentless hands? Why is my mind, the mind of someone who calls themselves a partner of justice, filled with such negative emotions? I want to destroy… I want revenge… I want to cry… Why do I want to cry? What exactly have I forgotten? Is this place a game or a dream? And… who… am I, truly?’

Domu slumped on the throne, resting her elbows on her knees, her hands tightly gripping her long white hair. Her beautiful ruby eyes stared painfully at the ground beneath her feet, her mind a complete maelstrom.