[Main Story 20-01]
“BANG”
The city was like a broken mirror
Shards floating in the air,
reflected dreamy and colorful lights.
The darkness behind it was
my worst nightmare.
Countless doors glimmering
stretch from the abyss to the sky
“Make your choice.”
Someone in the void says to me.
I stepped forward, and touched the door in front.
Strong light devoured me.
“Have you found?”
“-the real truth.”
*Ding-dong!*
The sound of the train reaching the station awoke me from my dream.
The pale white light overhead stung my eyes, making me raise my hand to block it.
“The train has arrived. Please exit out the door on the left…”
Time to get off–
The sudden thought gave me the urge to stand up and follow the crowd out the door.
The subway train behind me screeched off. I turned my head and saw nothing but a streak of light.
{{MC}}: How strange…
I placed my hand to my chest, sensing something was missing, as if carried off by the train.
Everything from my dream seemed cut off by a fogged up window, leaving only a faint impression.
{{MC}}: Did I break from the dream world and return?
I didn’t want to jump to conclusions and just followed the crowd out of the station.
Everyone scuttled off in different directions. Under an iron-grey sky, the dense skyscrapers and jammed intersections were the same as always.
The complete opposite of that desolate air of decay that hung in the city after the virus outbreak.
Looking up, a large screen on the building across from me displayed the date and time.
A long time had already passed since that incident had taken place.
My disbelief was slowly wearing off, and a suppressed joy began to surface from within.
{{MC}}: I did it!
I soaked in this normal-as-could-be world. All that stuff never happened. I’d done it!
I got a few weird looks from passers-by, but I didn’t mind. I wanted to get back to my life.
I wanted to go see everyone and tell them not to worry. I wanted to put the company back to work.
A chill touch from an oncoming wind fell across my face, along with a cry of surprise behind me.
Passerby: Look! It’s snowing!
I looked up to see a small trickle of snow fall from the sky shrouded in thick clouds.
For a moment, my mind went blank, not sure if it was reality or a dream.
–It was snowing, in Loveland City.
My phone starting buzzing in my outer coat pocket. I took it out and saw an unfamiliar number.
After a few seconds of hesitation, I answered it. An unfamiliar voice came from the other end.
??: Long time no see.
??: I’m sure you’re trying to guess who I am right now.
There was something in the tone of the young man’s voice that gave me a sense of deja vu.
{{MC}}: May I ask… what this is about?
Young Man: I can’t just call you for no reason?
{{MC}}: If this isn’t about anything, then I’ll…
Young Man: Everyone has already forgotten you.
{{MC}}: What?
Unsure if I’d heard wrong, my voice shot up a few octaves. A low laugh came from the other end.
Young Man: You are officially someone who shouldn’t exist in this world.
He spoke in an understated, joking way, but something in my brain popped like a broken string.
{{MC}}: Impossible! Just who are you anyway?!
I vehemently denied his absurd statement, but I felt a panic inside that I didn’t understand.
Young Man: Go see for yourself…
I could hear him popping open a soda can, not bothered by my doubt at all, before slowly saying:
Young Man: For instance, at the place where it all started.
The call had been hung up for quite awhile before I finally reacted.
{{MC}}: This must have been a prank call!
I gripped my phone and tried to straighten out my thoughts.
When I looked up, I had arrived at the office building.
[Main Story 20-03]
I steeled myself and walked into the somewhat lonely building.
The same old security guard scanned me with an unfamiliar look, making me choke back my greeting.
Feeling strangely insecure, I took the elevator to our floor and soon saw a familiar figure.
{{MC}}: Kiki!
I hesitated and then called out to Kiki, whom I hadn’t seen in ages.
She turned her head, but unlike I’d expected, her eyes didn’t light up, and she didn’t run over shouting “Boss” and start sharing the day’s gossip.
She just cocked her head and stared quizzically at me, without a dash of friendliness.
Kiki: Hi, excuse me, how can I help you?
{{MC}}: Kiki… you don’t remember me?
I blurted out in shock and then turned hesitant, like Kiki. She gave a troubled frown.
Kiki: Um… have we met before?
Ever since that phone call, the fear that had been buried deep in my heart finally came true.
{{MC}}: Maybe… you’ve forgotten…
My fingernails almost dug straight into my palm, but I didn’t feel any pain.
Today’s not April Fool’s. No one is pulling pranks. And Kiki’s expression doesn’t look fake.
My mind was in disarray. After several seconds of hesitation, I forced a smile.
{{MC}}: I’m here looking for Anna.
Kiki: Oh, so you’re here for Anna! Perhaps we have met before then. Your face does look a little familiar!
Kiki: However, Anna is quite busy today. Did you make an appointment?
As I was about to respond, I saw Anna walk out from the office, followed by Willow.
Anna: Kiki, someone’s looking for me?
{{MC}}: Anna! Willow!
I joyfully called their names, but they both gave identical looks of confusion.
Anna: You are…?
{{MC}}: I’m {{mc}}…
Anna’s response left me chilled to the core. I said my name hopelessly, already convinced what that person said was the truth.
–Everyone had forgotten me.
{{MC}}: …I’m here to see the person in charge of this company.
Anna: Right now I am the temporary head of the company. What business do you have with me?
Anna wasn’t impatient with her question, but right away I seized upon a hole in her response.
{{MC}}: Temporary? Why did you say temporary?
Anna: The head of the company is the former producer’s daughter, but due to some circumstances, for now I am filling in.
{{MC}}: And this daughter…?
I asked eagerly. Anna frowned and considered for a moment, seemingly sensing something was off.
Anna: Honestly, we haven’t been in contact for a long time. Perhaps she’s too busy with school…
Willow: Anna, it’s almost time for that report. We need to hurry to LFG for the meeting.
Anna: Right! Sorry, but I have to go. If this is about a project collaboration, please come back tomorrow.
Without any more ado, Anna flashed me a polite smile.
Anna: Kiki, you can see to our visitor. We’ve gotta go.
Kiki: No problem. I hope you guys knock it out of the park!
Willow: Well, of course we will. We’ve been preparing all this time!
The two waved until the elevator doors closed. It suddenly hit me, they were going to LFG!
Kiki: You…
{{MC}}: I’m sorry! I suddenly remembered I have something to do too! I’ll be back tomorrow!
Kiki: Why is everybody in a such a rush…
I ran over to hit the elevator, leaving Kiki’s confused muttering trailing behind me.
There was only one thing on my mind right now–
Go to LFG! See Victor!
I got to LFG as fast as I could. Even so, I didn’t see a trace of Anna or Willow.
Reception: Hello, Miss. May I ask do you have an appointment?
I was stopped at the front desk. The receptionist’s polite smile didn’t relieve my anxiety.
{{MC}}: I don’t have an appointment. I’m here waiting for someone.
Knowing reception wouldn’t let me in, I could only sit in the lobby and wait for Victor to appear.
Phone in hand, I hesitated for a long while, but finally dialed that number engraved in my heart.
As the phone rang, I subconsciously held by breath, waiting for that familiar voice.
But soon, a cold voice alerted me: “Sorry, the person you are trying to reach is unavailable.”
{{MC}}: Victor… Could he be in a meeting?
I felt like a ball of nerves and fear, unable to sit still. I bit my lip and dialed once more, but it was the same response.
I stared blankly into the spacious yet cheerless lobby. My joy from a few hours ago had evaporated.
I waited anxiously for Victor. The sound of occasional footsteps would get my hopes up–
–but Victor never appeared. The receptionist’s gaze fell on me repeatedly.
I finally gave up and stepped out the door of LFG with a heavy heart.
Outside, a cold wind blew in my face, clearing out my muddled brain.
{{MC}}: Let’s go.
I hadn’t confirmed that Victor had forgotten me. Perhaps that was for the best.
As I tried to console myself, that vision flashed through my mind of all my memories and bonds disintegrating into oblivion.
It was as if all the memories we shared between us turned to nothing the moment the sun rose.
The light turned green, and I strode out into the crosswalk.
Just then, the phone I was clutching in my pocket suddenly started vibrating.
[Main Story 20-04]
{{MC}}: Victor’s returning my call!
This was the first thought that popped in my head. I gleefully took out my phone to answer it.
But the sound of shrieking car brakes interrupted my action.
I whipped my head around to see a car skidding on the ice, coming straight for me!
Danger–
This scene seemed to have appeared many times. I clutched my phone, and my brain slowed down.
The wind kicked up by the careening sedan hit my face, and I closed my eyes as I waited for impact.
A few seconds later, the pain that I was expecting hadn’t come.
A cold hand in the chill wind pulled on my wrist, forcefully bringing me into a warm embrace.
*Ba-dump–*
My heart pounded. Before my thoughts could catch up, my body already knew…
I eagerly opened my eyes upon that familiar face. Tears instantly filled my eyes.
{{MC}}: …Victor!
Everything was just like that day we first met, back to our childhood meeting.
The fluttering snow and bitter wind had stopped. The world was silent, except for my hurried breathing and heartbeat.
{{MC}}: –I finally found you!
A heart full of anxiety and worry finally found an outlet. I grabbed Victor’s lapels and looked happily at him.
But then Victor let go of me. With an alien, confused look in his eyes, he sized me up.
Victor: Who are you?
He asked in a cold tone, his eyes devoid of familiarity.
{{MC}}: I’m…
All my joy vanished. I opened my mouth, but my trembling lips couldn’t make a sound. My fingertips, my body, my entire being started trembling.
Countless emotions overwhelmed me. Despair swallowed the light in my eye, and my befuddled brain began to hurt.
I didn’t want to believe this was real, but Victor’s cold, unfamiliar look told me loud and clear.
{{MC}}: You… don’t remember me, do you?
Victor: I don’t remember ever seeing you.
Without any hesitation, Victor’s decisive reply extinguished the last shred of hope I had.
He looked down at the time on his watch, and then looked back up at me.
Victor: You should watch yourself. Someone can’t come to your rescue every time.
He opened his mouth and said those exact same words.
Each syllable struck against my heart, now bereft of strength of courage.
Long, shrill car horns blared. The uproar of the world had once again resumed.
I squinted in the cold wind and snow, and through my blurry vision, I could see Victor walking away.
{{MC}}: Victor!
My hand impulsively grabbed his sleeve, holding on tight as if it was the last saving straw.
Victor turned his head, a stern look in his eye. But he paused when he saw my expression.
Victor: What is it now? If you’re injured, you can go to the hospital.
{{MC}}: I’m not injured…
I muttered, thinking desperately of a reason for keeping him from leaving.
{{MC}}: I… I still haven’t thanked you…
Victor: No need. I barely lifted a finger.
He lightly rebuffed my thanks, and then his sharp gaze fell on my hand clutching his sleeve.
I knew this look all too well. Every time he wouldn’t take no for an answer, he’d make this face.
{{MC}}: …Sorry.
My eyes went blank as I let go of his sleeve and mechanically took a few steps back.
Not noticing where I was walking, my heel hit the stone step of a flower bed behind me, and I totally lost my balance.
{{MC}}: Aaah…
As I floundered in panic, Victor quickly grabbed my wrist to steady me.
Victor: I told you–
He spoke in that familiar grumbling tone, a look of impatience in his eye. Then he paused.
I was stunned too. The warmth flowing from his touch made my heart palpitate.
{{MC}}: You…
We locked eyes. In the brief silence, my hopes reignited. I stared at Victor, hoping to see even an inkling of a sign.
Finally, it was Victor who broke the silence.
Victor: Your card.
{{MC}}: What…?
Victor: I’m in a hurry. You don’t have a business card?
{{MC}}: I do! I have one… in here…
The sudden turn made me both sad and happy. I hastily fished out a card and handed it to Victor. He gave it a look, but his expression didn’t change.
Victor: If there’s something you need, go to the LFG reception desk and make an appointment.
{{MC}}: I… I will!
I nodded quickly and firmly, afraid that he would change his mind.
Victor: You… watch out for yourself.
Victor paused for a moment, pocketed the card, then turned and walked toward LFG.
Under the gloomy sky, the falling snow blurred his form that was always so steady and resolute.
Watching him recede in the distance, a warmth trickled into my chest, like ice had thawed.
That tear fallen from his face, seemingly in the distant past yet still so clear, stung me again and again.
If he doesn’t remember me, if he doesn’t remember those events… isn’t it better this way?
This way, he will forever be a king in the business world, his lofty pride always intact.
{{MC}}: Victor…
As I watched him disappear into LFG, I softly called his name again, feeling totally at sea.
[Main Story 20-07]
After leaving LFG, I felt aimless, not knowing where to go.
{{MC}}: I guess I’ll go to the office…
But Kiki and the others have forgotten me, and I don’t know how to make them remember.
*Bzz* My forgotten phone buzzed again. I looked at the screen, but my hopes were quickly dashed.
It was just a news notification. All of those familiar names were still sitting there in my contacts list, none of them contacting me.
All of the messages had stopped on the day that I went away.
Now I had no idea where to find Gavin. Kiro had been missing for awhile, and Lucien…
At this thought, I paused. A complex feeling hard to describe welled up within me.
{{MC}}: I’d better just go home.
In the end, that was the decision I made. I walked along the street heading toward my apartment.
The snow fell harder, and the gold and red lights decorating the street glowed more brilliantly in contrast, reminding me of the upcoming holiday.
While waiting at a crosswalk, a giant ad screen on the building that housed the B.S agency switched to Kiro’s cologne ad.
A golden-haired elven prince awoke in a forest, opening a pair of clear, pure blue eyes. The first rays of the morning sun shone between the branches and fell upon his face.
He was like a golden sun himself, giving warmth to everyone in this season of bitter cold.
A languid, gentle smile formed on Kiro’s lips, adorable and sweet but with a hint of sensuality. Quite a few people waiting at the red light lifted up their phones to take a picture.
Whereas I couldn’t help but remember the way Kiro looked after shooting this ad, lying on the couch in a pathetic state.
Kiro: Uuunnggghh, {{mc}}, I’m so miserable. I can’t even smell my dinner!
{{MC}}: Is it that bad?
Kiro: Yes, really! You gotta comfort me!
Thinking of that tortured look on Kiro’s face, despite my current mood, I couldn’t help but smile.
Where did Kiro go?
I attentively watched the ad again playing back on a loop and thought to myself.
I’ve already waited so long since that day, and he still hasn’t come back?
After the superhero fulfills his goal of saving the world… how long until he can come back and be that food-loving little ball of sunshine?
Feeling nostalgic, I walked into that supermarket on the street next to the B.S. building.
The chips lining the shelves were the same ones as back then. Perhaps under Kiro’s good graces, the cross-promotion that should’ve been discontinued long ago had gone on until today.
I reached for the last bag of that same flavor of chips. My hand paused in the air, but this time no other hand came to try to take the same bag.
{{MC}}: I’m not letting you have this bag!
As I whispered this, I clutched the bag to my chest as if it was a coveted treasure, and went to the cashier to pay.
I glanced out the window at the snowy scene. Trees shook in the wind as the snow piled up.
Through the fluttering snow, I suddenly caught sight of a young man’s silhouette.
{{MC}}: Kiro?!
The hooded figure was already receding in the distance, the outline of his body bearing a striking resemblance to Kiro’s. A voice in my mind kept urging me: Go catch up and see. Hurry! Hurry!
In too much of a hurry to grab the chips I just bought, I ran out of the supermarket, but I’d already lost sight of him.
I looked everywhere, scanning every umbrella-toting pedestrian, until I finally saw him in a crowd across the street.
Kiro, is that you?
The light finally turned green, and I hurried across the street, never taking my eyes off him as I fought through the crowd.
I didn’t know where this persistence was coming from, but I knew he had to be important.
On the narrow street, I kept getting bumped by people going the other way, slowing my progress.
Suddenly, I bumped into an ice-cold hand.
{{MC}}: Sorr…
Before I’d gotten the word out, everything before me went black.
A giant “boom” rattled me to my core, and then the whole world shook as a billowing fire raged in the dusk, tinging half the sky red.
Countless people were sprinting away from the fire. In the panic, cars smashed into each other, jamming up the streets.
Car horns, sirens, screams– everything was chaos, mixed with an ear-splitting pain.
I seemed to hear a voice laughing coldly, filled with endless scorn.
??: Those EVILs will all meet with death…
The scene before me lasted seconds, like a flickering flame, and then it was a snowy day again.
I stood dazed in the street, causing people around me to mutter. I turned back, but I couldn’t find the person I’d just bumped into.
Was that… an explosion just now? I thought back over what I’d just seen: explosion, car crashes, chaos… was that real, or an illusion?
When I came back to myself, I realized the person I was following was long gone.
{{MC}}: Oh no!
Putting aside my worries, I went to the end of the street. The footprints in the snow were all crisscrossed, making it impossible for me to follow.
Disappointment inexorably surged up with me. I bit my lip with anxious regret.
{{MC}}: How could I have lost him here!
??: Are you looking for me?
A chill voice sounded from behind me.
I wheeled around and saw someone leaning on a car door across the street, arms crossed and regarding me calmly.
With his hood off, his silver hair shone more brilliantly in the snow. A chilling, dangerous light glowed in his grey-blue eyes.
[Main Story 20-08]
{{MC}}: Helios?!
I cried out his name in shock. I had no idea the person I was following was this mysterious man.
As I blurted out his name, the look in Helios’s eyes suddenly deepened.
I started scrambling to explain, but he already straightened up and was walking toward me.
Helios: You recognize me?
A gaze devoid of warmth eyed me up and down. His face betrayed hardly an ounce of surprise.
It was the same coldness, and he was unarmed, but still I was consumed with fear, as if it was the grim reaper stalking toward me.
I felt a darkness as profound as the ocean, along with a formless feeling of oppression.
I finally made the realization that he was Helios– one of the upper echelon of Black Swan.
Helios: They sent someone as weak as you to track me?
He walked up to me and scoffed. In that moment, he was like an unsheathed sword, with an intangible yet cutting edge.
Hearing the meaning in his words, my body shook uncontrollably out of fear, but I managed to calm myself and shook my head firmly.
{{MC}}: I– I’m not tracking you!
Helios: You’re a terrible actor too.
He lowered his gaze, but his angelic eyelashes couldn’t hide the murderous look in his eyes.
{{MC}}: I’m telling the truth!
I didn’t know how to convince him. Aside from fear, I also felt somehow wronged.
{{MC}}: I didn’t mean to! I got the wrong person. I thought you were someone else.
Helios: Go on? Got any more excuses?
{{MC}}: We’ve met before. You… probably don’t remember me though. After all, I’m no one important.
Faced with his undisguised distrust, I played my final card. I looked him right in the eye and said hopelessly:
{{MC}}: Can’t you tell that I don’t even have the power to hurt you?
{{MC}}: I don’t know who “they” are, but they definitely wouldn’t send an ordinary person like me to follow you, right?
With that last gasp, I tremblingly awaited Helios’s reply, but to my surprise, he started laughing with that ridiculing tone I’d heard before.
His indifferent brow relaxed as he smiled, and he looked at me as if looking at some interesting oddity.
Helios: Ordinary person? It seems you don’t know yet.
From out of nowhere, a knife appeared in his hand. In the blink of an eye, the blade was at my neck artery, its icy touch causing me to freeze.
Helios: Don’t move.
A golden glow flickered in his eyes, as he spoke in a low, almost joking voice. But I discovered that I really couldn’t move an inch.
{{MC}}: Wh– …What are you going to do?!
Helios: Take a guess.
The look in Helios’s eyes grew more profound, making it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
Just then, I started to regret my rash lack of caution. I struggled to regain control of my body, but couldn’t.
{{MC}}: This is a major street. Someone will definitely see you like this!
Helios: You think I’d be that careless?
Helios: If I were you, I’d be more worried about myself.
The pressure from the blade grew heavier, and the icy touch intensified.
My eyes went wide with despair, and time seemed to stopped as a blinding white light covered my vision, engulfing all perception.
In a trance, I returned once again to the pure white space of my slumber. A blackness condensed into warped lines, forming a symbol I couldn’t decipher.
I reached out with both hands toward the black lines. A light wave welled up from deep within my spirit and seemed to pass through my fingertips and turn into a gentle white light, breaking open the shadow.
{{MC}}: Let me go–
In this moment, for a thousandth of a second, the power that shackled me slackened off, allowing me to avoid the knife at my throat and back off several steps.
My back was frozen with cold sweat. I struggled to stand up, looking guardedly at the person in front of me, afraid he’d try to make a move again.
Helios: Awakening speed’s not bad.
Helios swiftly put away the knife, and the aura of danger surrounding him dissipated as he did, as if I’d just imagined it all.
Helios: Do you still think you’re just an ordinary person?
{{MC}}: What just happened…
The moment seemed so long, but also just an instant. My consciousness seemed to have left reality.
I looked at my hands. There was no change. That feeling from before had totally disappeared, like a flash in the pan.
{{MC}}: What did you do? Why could I do that just now?
I looked at Helios, but he just lifted his hand and yawned, giving me a mocking, sidelong glance.
Helios: What do you take me for, some kind of do-gooder?
His mouth perked up in a derisive smile.
Helios: If you hadn’t done that, I very well might not have stopped.
This chilling sentence woke me up instantly, dispelling my desire for answers.
Helios: One final piece of advice: do not show your face before any Evolvers.
{{MC}}: …Why?
He had already walked over to the black SUV behind him. He opened the door, but he didn’t look back.
Helios: Because you might die.
After coolly tossing this line out, Helios jumped up in the driver’s seat and slammed the door with a *thud*, shaking off the snow piled up on the car roof.
I stood where I was, watching the black car drive off and disappear down the snow-covered road.
Intermittent spikes of pain in my head made me unable to focus. All I could do was prop my limp body against a wall.
The monitoring screen on the street corner that had been shut off flashed back to normal.
[Main Story 20-10]
I walked back the way I came. The din of the crowd dragged my consciousness back to reality.
Seeing Helios, the knife at my throat, the white space, and those strange black lines… it all seemed to have taken place in another world.
{{MC}}: Helios didn’t remember me either…
Thinking of those unfamiliar looks on everyone’s faces, I couldn’t help but feel dejected.
The snow falling on me started melting, and a damp, cold feeling slowly seeped into my blood, making me even colder.
“Today, Loveland University announced the establishment of a new research center, and the famous neuroscientist Professor Lucien incited public outcry over his remarks about evolution during the press conference…”
At the end of the street, the news was playing, and a familiar name struck my ear.
I immediately stopped in my tracks. I turned to see Lucien on the screen giving a speech at a press conference, one that I had heard in person before.
Lucien looked straight into the lens, with none of his usual warmth, indifferently laying out the cruelest of facts.
Lucien: The progress of science is one of constant sacrifice, and deaths and injury along the way due to mistakes are inevitable.
Lucien: So whether or not we want to face it, survival of the fittest is an eternal principle of existence. It’s what keeps humanity going.
Even though so much time had gone by…
…seeing this scene again made my heart ache, presenting me again and again with things I couldn’t forget or get over.
{{MC}}: Lucien… what are you planning to do?
As I whispered this name, this otherworldly feeling came over me.
Thinking back over everything, from the onset of the flu to its final outbreak, the shadow of Black Swan was behind everything.
And what role did Lucien hold there?
I didn’t dare think about it or believe it, but I still made a decision in my heart.
{{MC}}: No matter what you’re planning to do, I will stop you.
I changed directions, walking down another street that was all too familiar to me.
Outside Lucien’s research center, several dozen people stood quietly, holding umbrellas in the snow and banners with big letters written across them.
I glanced at them and saw they were protesting Lucien’s speech about sacrificing some for the good of all, and also demanding that the center’s latest project be shut down immediately.
A crowd of onlookers whispered on the side, and I caught snatches of their conversations.
Slander against Lucien, mockery of the research, dissatisfaction with the public health industry… some excusable, but some outrageous falsehoods.
I wanted to go forward and debate them, but I reconsidered and paused.
What exactly… was my position? After all, I didn’t dare trust him either.
Pushing down these complex emotions, I avoided the crowd and entered the building through a side door hidden by some trees.
Perhaps because of the protest, there wasn’t a single person in the building. The air was chilly, and it was so quiet only my footsteps echoed through the halls.
“Lucien Bioscience Research Center”
Seeing these words appear before me again, my heart contracted sharply and suddenly.
Standing before this door once again, we were already in completely different positions.
I raised my hand to knock, but then paused, unsure if I should continue.
If I see him again, will I be able to face him with an even-keeled mind?
I let out a sigh, shrugged off all the what-ifs in my mind, and knocked.
*Thump–thump–*
The muffled sound of knocking reverberated. I withdrew my hand, waiting for the door to open.
Even on such a cold day, my palm had broken out in a sweat.
My heart unconsciously sped up as a nervous feeling began mounting.
The time ticked by, but the door still wasn’t opening.
{{MC}}: Is anyone there?
For the moment, I wasn’t sure whether I felt more relieved or let down.
{{MC}}: I guess that’s that…
I stepped back and took another look up at the sign over the door, and then decided to leave.
As I turned, I found another person had silently appeared in the originally empty hall.
{{MC}}: You…
A black-clad man stood there silently, one hand in his coat pocket, the other holding a black umbrella.
Melting snow dripped down from the umbrella, gathering in little pools on the floor.
A faint smile played on his lips as he looked at me, and his eyes were warm, like always.
{{MC}}: Lucien…
His named escaped unbidden from my lips.
In a daze, I thought I had returned to the distance past, to a time when we could get along peacefully.
Lucien froze, and a look of astonishment flashed across his eyes which then gave way to a probing look, as if he was sizing up some new, curious object.
Then he let out a polite, yet distant smile.
Lucien: Hello, is there something I can help you with?
With one question, all my hopes and misconceptions were burst.
My body wavered a bit as I lifted my head, hoping to see even a shred of evidence in his eyes that he still remembered me, but I got nothing.
I laughed bitterly. My whole mouth seemed filled with a bitter taste.
Why would he be an exception? How could something that already happened suddenly become undone?
But everything happening now seemed to have gone back to that very first day, when that young professor I’d just met reached out and took my card.
[Main Story 20-11]
I took out my press card and said the opening line I’d rehearsed so many times.
{{MC}}: Hello, Professor Lucien.
{{MC}}: I… am a reporter for Loveland TV news, and I’d like to interview you about the press conference you gave a few days ago.
Lucien: Sorry, but I’m not taking interviews at the moment.
As he turned me down, his eyes swept over my press pass, seemingly with no intention to take it and give it a closer look.
{{MC}}: Can I just ask you a few simple questions?
{{MC}}: What is the reason you started this research project?
Not willing to give up just yet, I kept asking Lucien questions.
Lucien: Do you have any other questions?
The fact that he didn’t outright reject me gave me some relief, and I hastily asked several questions that I urgently wanted to know the answers to.
{{MC}}: Professor, when do you estimate you’ll complete the first phase of this new research project?
{{MC}}: As far as I know, this research center has conducted legal human subject experiments before. Is that the case this time as well?
After asking, I waited for Lucien’s response, but I heard him chuckle instead.
Lucien: These questions are the reason why you impersonated a reporter coming here to interview me?
{{MC}}: What?
I froze and stared in wide-eyed shock at Lucien, not expecting him to suddenly ask me a question back.
His ambiguous smiling expression made me panic a bit, but I quickly calmed down and tried to tell myself everything was okay.
Right now Lucien was just in his neuroscientist persona, and I was an ordinary person. He wouldn’t do anything to me.
{{MC}}: Professor, if you doubt my identity, you can just go to the website and look up…
Lucien: I actually don’t doubt that you’re a reporter.
He cut me off with a slight smile.
Lucien: However, I just happened to have refused an interview with a Loveland TV reporter 15 minutes ago.
{{MC}}: I… that’s because…
Under Lucien’s all-knowing gaze, I didn’t know what excuse I could give that he would believe.
Lucien: It seems I was right.
A coldness fell over his ink-black eyes. Lucien withdrew his warm facade, and his voice turned flat.
Lucien: And now, Miss {{mc}}, can you tell me, what brings you here?
My name came out coldly from his lips, without a hint of affection. It made me shiver.
But I still tried to remain strong and told myself not to back down.
{{MC}}: I’ve come to interview you…
Lucien: A lie, even if repeated a million times, will not suddenly become true.
I reflexively turned away from his intense gaze as I clutched the recording pen in my hand, unable to speak.
Lucien: Nothing to say? Sometimes, staying silent isn’t the best choice.
My heart pounded nervously, but with my last remaining courage I lifted my head.
{{MC}}: I actually do have an ulterior motive! I want to know what your goal and reason is for starting this research project.
{{MC}}: If it proves that your research will have a negative effect, then I will make it public!
Lucien: Right. And then?
{{MC}}: And then… forcibly shut down your research, and tell you that those theories aren’t right at all!
Lucien: Is that all?
Lucien’s tone was as calm as ever. My threat didn’t seem worth mentioning to him.
Lucien: I thought that you were here about Evol.
An inexplicable smile crept across his thin lips as he took a step toward me.
{{MC}}: Evol?
Lucien: Has no one warned you that your current state is quite dangerous?
I froze, thinking of the last thing Helios said to me.
Lucien noticed my momentary loss of focus, and a light flashed in his dark eyes, as chilling and brazen as a knife blade.
This completely undisguised aura of danger had me stuck in place. My legs were frozen stiff, and all I could do was watch as Lucien inched closer.
His cruelty and coldness in this moment, with all pretense cast aside, left me feeling true dread.
Lucien: You should know, the evolution of life is inseparable from plunder and destruction. And it’s the same with Evol.
Lucien: Right now, you are just like “bait”.
There was something profound behind his words that I didn’t understand, but I understood the surface part.
–I was a prey animal that had been spotted, and Lucien had known this from the start!
As he talked, the distance between us had disappeared. The feeling as danger drew near made my hands and feet run cold.
Every cell in my body was crying out to escape, and the piercing pain in my brain grew more distinct. I reached out to shove him aside and run for the elevator.
But Lucien didn’t give me the chance. A shock of pain ran through my wrist as I was yanked back by Lucien and pulled in close.
Lucien: Why did you think I would let you leave after what you said?
His warm breath and ice cold glare fell on my face, just inches away, and yet so remote.
He was Ares, not Lucien– right now Lucien didn’t even exist.
I suddenly remembered that evening when he told me the truth, remembering all the falsehoods he’d shown me, and all the truths.
My heart sank by degrees. My sorrowful and despairing face was reflected in the depths of his eyes.
I couldn’t continue with the thought.
{{MC}}: What are you going to do to me?
I waited for him to make his next move. No matter what, I was ready.
Lucien: You’ve misunderstood. I don’t plan to do anything.
He suddenly released his grip, and in a flash the warmth and refinement of Lucien had returned, as if my eyes had played tricks on me.
Lucien: Very soon you will understand that it is probably not ordinary people that need your protection.
As he calmly spoke, he passed by me and opened the door to the research center. Then he turned his head.
Lucien: I will not see you out.
The door closed in my face with a “bang”, blowing back the hair on my forehead.
The sound was like an off switch, making me lean limply against the wall and slide to the floor. All of my courage had vanished into thin air.
The sense of danger I got from Lucien ate into my bones. I couldn’t shake it, nor could I suppress it.
After a long while, I gathered my remaining strength, rose to my feet, and left the research center.
As I walked out of the building, I looked back one last time, then walked into the wind and snow without the slightest compulsion to linger.
The thick snow obscured everything, so I didn’t see that pair of eyes hidden behind the window.
[Main Story 20-14]
The sky slowly darkened, and thick clouds hung oppressively over the city skyscrapers.
The snow fell harder, and I walked alone and silent down the street, both my mind and my vision blurry.
Neon storefront lights had long before been lit up, making soft, mottled reflections in the snow underfoot.
The colors swayed and morphed in my vision, like some other world, bizarre and gaudy.
Wind coming from all directions seemed to burrow through every seam of my coat, taking my last ounce of warmth with it.
{{MC}}: So cold…
I reached up to pat off the snow on my hair and shoulders. The cold touch of my hand made my muddled brain think of that sudden vision I had seen earlier.
That was just an ordinary passerby, and for a brief moment I saw a future that shouldn’t belong to him.
The sudden explosion, the intense fire, the chaotic crowd… no telling if it was an accident or done intentionally.
That icy laugh that seemed to contain endless indifference and disdain rang in my ears again.
I had no clues to go on, but I had a vague sense that this explosion had some inextricable connection to me.
But what could I do now…
I’ve been forgotten by everyone I knew, by the entire world. I’m not powerful enough, and I don’t know how to change it…
{{MC}}: Aaah–!
I let out a light scream and slapped my cheeks with both hands. The pain snapped me out of my doldrums.
{{MC}}: I can’t lose heart!
{{MC}}: There are still things that I can do now!
I opened my phone and dialed Gavin’s number, but no one picked up. After hesitating, I dialed the Special Task Force, but it was a dead number.
Although I’d expected it, the staccato dial tone still left me feeling dejected.
{{MC}}: It’s still not time to give up. The location of that explosion is…
The city plaza by the riverside. The piled up snow that had not yet been cleared away gave off a blurry, white glow.
The stiff wind off the river was bone-chilling, making people hurry up as they passed. Only a solitary, unfinished snowman stood there.
{{MC}}: Is it here?
I looked around. On either side of the street were similar-looking buildings. Their outer glass walls reflected the cold snow glow, making the square seem even more desolate.
I couldn’t see anything out of place. There were no signs of an explosion about to occur, and I didn’t have any premonitions.
{{MC}}: Was it really here, or did I get it mixed up?
{{MC}}: Achoo–
I sneezed violently in the cold wind. My last resolve was blown away by the chilly river wind, and like the other pedestrians, I hurried away from there.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew a white piece of paper next to my foot.
I looked down: a black line randomly traced out an indecipherable design, but it suddenly felt familiar to me.
{{MC}}: What is this?
I couldn’t make head or tail of it. I turned into the direction of the wind to find clues.
In the blinding snow, a black figure stood hidden in the distance. He was in the shadow of a building, not easily noticed.
I unconsciously walked in that direction, closer, and closer still.
Finally, that figure became distinct: black uniform, straight back, shoulders piled with snow, as if he’d been standing there a long time.
It was…
I rubbed my eyes as if in a dream and finally was sure that the figure really was the person I was looking for–
{{MC}}: Gavin!
I was suddenly filled with surprised joy, overriding all other emotions. But what sense I had left told me that I couldn’t just run up to him.
The uniform, that I had seen just once before, made it easy for me to guess that Gavin was probably on a mission, and there were no other people around him.
I suppressed my impulse and tried to blend in with the other pedestrians going in that direction.
Gavin seemed thinner than I’d remembered. Who knows what’s happened to him while he’s been away these few days.
In this distorted future, did he agree to undergo that modification? And will he tell me the reason this time?
I quickened my pace without realizing. Thinking that he’d probably already forgotten me, I couldn’t hold back a stinging feeling in my heart.
Gavin: No need… withdrawing now…
The wind carried over a few muffled words. It was still that familiar voice, detached and astute.
Gavin hung up the phone and walked away, disappearing quickly behind the building.
Wait!
My mind cried out in panic, and I hurried up to follow him.
Thankfully, I caught sight of a piece of his clothing in the distance disappearing around a corner.
Then I suddenly realized that I was deep in an intricate alley between the buildings, and I’d lost sight of the person ahead of me.
The path was covered in a layer of thick snow. It didn’t seem like anyone had come this way, and there were no marks at all in the snow.
[Main Story 20-15]
I tentatively stepped into the side alley. It seemed like I could see to the end of it.
{{MC}}: …Gavin?
There was a faint sound of boots stepping in the snow, unusually distinct in the quiet surroundings.
{{MC}}: Gavin, are you there?
I lightly called out Gavin’s name, hoping to see him amidst the mottled buildings and scattered shadows.
Even separated by just a wall, the wind seemed to have stopped in this little alley. I was practically holding my breath, alert for anything that might happen.
At my most tense, a sound suddenly came from behind me.
{{MC}}: Who’s that–
I reacted lightning-quick and started to turn around, but I was still too slow.
A powerful force on my arm sent me off balance, and I was pushed forcefully against the wall next to me.
{{MC}}: Ungh!
My back crashed against the wall. From above me, a crisp, “click” sound came, and cold metal locked my wrist in place.
I quickly realized what that was. The other end of the silver handcuffs was in someone’s hand.
Gavin: Don’t move!
The icy voice stunned me. I looked up in panic at a pair of vicious eyes.
The light flickered in those amber eyes. I had never seen him look so cold before, cold enough to freeze the air around him.
My heart ran cold too. The snow seemed to rob me of all my warmth, chilling me to my bones.
In an instant, many scenes from the past flashed before me, overlaying with the person before me–
Gavin: As long as you’re in the wind, I can sense you.
Gavin: I’m here. You don’t need to be afraid.
Gavin: Just stay safe. And trust in me.
I finally knew for sure. Gavin… had forgotten me too.
Gavin: Talk! Who are you? Why are you following me?
Seeing that I wasn’t talking, Gavin spoke up again. His tone sounded just like he was interrogating a suspect.
The grip on my wrist was tight too, showing absolutely no mercy, as if he was afraid I’d try to run away. I was starting to hurt.
For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t know whether to nod or shake my head, to tell him who I was, or try to plead that I wasn’t following him.
Gavin: Not answering? Where is your accomplice?
His grip on me grew even tighter, and the hard handcuffs clicked again, leaving me gasping in pain.
But Gavin didn’t let up. The doubt in his eyes seemed to deepen.
{{MC}}: I wasn’t following you… I don’t have an accomplice…
I shook my head slightly and tried to blink back tears in my stinging eyes.
The fact that it was Gavin treating me like this was almost more than I could bear.
Gavin: Not gonna cooperate, huh?
{{MC}}: I really wasn’t…
Gavin: No? Then what are you doing here?
Gavin: Do you need me to tell you how long you’ve been following me?
Gavin raised his tone, and I had no way to stand up to him or explain myself.
{{MC}}: Why don’t you believe me…?!
A feeling of being unjustly accused welled up within me, and I sounded unintentionally on the verge of tears.
The force holding me down let up quite a bit, but not completely.
Gavin calmly surveyed me for a moment and then the judging look in his eye went away.
Gavin: How did you know my name?
{{MC}}: I was a student at Loveland High too. You were… in a class above me.
By the end of the sentence, my voice had gotten quite low. There was a hesitant mood in the air, and I was unsure if Gavin had heard me clearly.
Gavin: Loveland High? You have quite a memory.
I didn’t know if Gavin believed me, but he released his pincer-like grip on me and opened the handcuffs.
His eyes were still ice cold, just like when he was in high school, wild and untamed, a lone wolf who didn’t let anyone get near.
Gavin: But that still doesn’t explain why you were following me.
{{MC}}: I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.
Looking at Gavin and being unable to tell him the true reason, the pain in my heart soon overflowed.
Gavin: Next time, you won’t get let off so easily.
Gavin gave me a long look and took a few steps back.
{{MC}}: Gavin!
Seeing him about to leave, my emotions got the best of my reason, and I cried out his name.
His cold gaze returned to my face, with a hint of impatience on his furrowed brow.
Gavin: You have something else to say?
{{MC}}: Do you… remember me?
I looked at him, expectantly and anxiously.
Gavin: I don’t remember much from high school.
Gavin: Don’t follow me again.
Gavin coldly spat out this last warning, then he disappeared down the alley.
{{MC}}: Wait… Gavin…
I staggered after him, but the alley was empty except for a few snowflakes carried on a gust of wind.
The moaning wind stretched on unabated, like the most mournful note in an elegy.
({{mc}}’s moments: Oblivion)
[Main Story 20-17]
It took a long time to find my way out of the maze-like alley. When I came out, it was deep night.
My stomach rumbled from hunger, reminding me that I had completely forgotten to eat.
Sitting in a diner beside the plaza, my frozen body gradually warmed up.
The snow-covered buildings and streets outside the window made me feel like I was back in that pure white world. The memory may have been faded, but that world was at least beautiful.
As my mind wandered, a voice popped into my head, asking me: do you regret it?
–Everyone has forgotten you. No one remembers your sacrifice. Do you regret it?
I looked up at the cloudy, iron-grey sky, not knowing what answer to give.
Do I regret it?
Is my answer “no”, or “yes”? I didn’t know.
The haze in my brain wouldn’t lift. A heavy gloom just like that sky, not letting through a single ray of light, made it so I was unable to calm down.
Suddenly, a streak of bright color entered the pale world beyond the window, grabbing my attention.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a tall man with light purple hair was looking me in the eye, an unmistakable smile on his lips.
Who is this person?
As my mind was in a fog, he waved at me and strode into the diner.
I turned to look behind me, but there was just an empty seat. Before I understood what was happening, he was walking toward my table.
{{MC}}: You are…?
He pulled up a chair and casually took a seat opposite me, his towering frame making the little table seem a bit cramped.
??: Oh, here you are.
As he greeted me with such familiarity, a few loose strands of hair fell over his forehead, softening his sharp eyes.
His gaze traveled from my confused face to the plate on the table. As natural as could be, he took the soda from in front of me, stuck in a straw, and leisurely took a drink.
Each of his actions was swift and sure, giving me no time to even interrupt.
My whole mind was a question mark. His face seemed so familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I’d seen it before.
{{MC}}: Um… who are you?
Hearing this, the young man’s brow raised, and a look of amusement flashed over his eyes.
??: You don’t remember?
{{MC}}: Have we met?
I thought hard. This flashy, self-assured guy, almost… seemed…
??: You bumped my skateboard.
??: You’re welcome.
{{MC}}: Oh– We met on the bus!
That incident on the bus finally came to me, and then the next instant I realized what was so strange.
{{MC}}: But how is it that you remember me?!
This discovery made me bubble up with excitement, like a drowning person discovering a piece of driftwood in the ocean.
I knew nothing about this person, and didn’t know what he was after, but at this time, it was my only hope.
He didn’t answer me right away. He just observed my expression with great interest, seemingly enjoying watching my reactions.
??: I’m the one who called you.
He slightly lowered his tone as he spoke, reminding me of that voice over the phone.
{{MC}}: It’s you?!
He tapped his fingers on the table, as if in thought, then spoke in a slow, mysterious tone.
??: It’s me. The dream world has no affect on me.
Seeing the playful look in his eye, I struggled to contain my erratic emotions.
{{MC}}: Then, do you know what happened in the dream? Why has everyone forgotten me?
??: No. I have no idea what took place in your dream.
??: That dream was constructed from Evol. You’re too weak to be affected.
He said this with a sneer.
{{MC}}: But, can one person’s Evol really affect everyone?
??: It’s not as simple as you think.
??: But if Evol is eliminated, then people may very well begin to remember you.
I looked doubtingly at him, completely unable to tell from his relaxed face if he was telling the truth or not.
This person knows my phone number, he knows my location, and this is the second time he’s suddenly appeared. I don’t believe it’s all a coincidence.
{{MC}}: Why are you telling me all this?
He saw my doubt and concerns, but he didn’t seem to care, nor did he seem about to offer an explanation.
??: It’s just– because it’s fun.
He chuckled, waving the glass of soda in his hand, the ice cubes clinking within.
??: You have no other choice but to believe me.
He rolled his eyes, and although he still wore that same smile, his voice had turned ice cold.
Underneath his flashy, laid-back demeanor, the tip of a dark iceberg revealed itself.
I suddenly grew alert. The familiar, casual facade he showed me was intentional, a ploy to get me to lower my guard.
??: What’s so good about this world?
Seeing that I was nervous, he looked out the window with a sneer, his tone mocking and scornful.
I looked out with him, upon the city, the streets, the pedestrians, the snow fluttering down on all of them, peaceful and beautiful.
The question that I’d been stuck on seemed to be answered in this moment.
{{MC}}: I don’t know.
My point-blank answer left the young man a little surprised after he’d been leading the conversation all this time.
{{MC}}: I don’t know if this kind of world is good or not, but I’m not the one who should be the judge of that.
{{MC}}: Even if I’m not sure, the ability to see some hope means it must be good.
So… I don’t regret it.
In my heart, I answered the question that had been troubling me.
??: A boring answer.
He let out an ambiguous chuckle.
??: I hope you keep thinking that way. After all, the world’s changed.
He stood up, his hands propped on both sides of the table. His body cast a shadow that shrouded over me entirely.
His mouth perked up into a smile, and as if talking to himself, said:
??: Remember, the name’s Shaw.
By the time I could react, he was already at the door.
Shaw: This umbrella is for you. You’re welcome.
He pushed open the door and walked out into the snow, just like when he came.
{{MC}}: What is this guy’s deal…
As I watched him walk so quickly away, all I could do was mutter quietly to myself.
The only thing left of my soda was some ice cubes that hadn’t yet melted. I lowered my head to hide the worry in my eyes.
As I was leaving, after a moment’s hesitation, I decided to take the black umbrella he’d left on the rack, then I opened it and walked out into the snow.
Winter this year seemed particularly cold. My umbrella grew heavy under the thick snow.
While my mind wandered, I accidentally ran into someone at a corner.
Even more unluckily, as I retreated backwards I stepped on a slick patch of ice, almost sending me sprawling.
{{MC}}: Woah–
??: Careful.
A light laughter fell on my ears. Before I could react, I was caught by the person I’d bumped into, keeping me upright.
{{MC}}: Th– thanks.
I steadied myself and couldn’t help blushing as I thought of my clumsiness and this person’s suppressed laugh.
??: Are you okay?
A clear voice spoke up.
I looked up and was met with a pair of gentle green eyes. A handsome face filled my vision.
For an instant I felt the man before me looked familiar, and the sight of an ice-covered world seemed to appear before me.
{{MC}}: I’m okay…
??: It’s slippery. You should be careful.
He gracefully let go of my wrist and in a gentlemanly manner, he stepped back to a more appropriate distance.
Then he bent over and picked up my fallen umbrella, exuding elegance with each motion.
I took the umbrella with another thank-you and then walked past him.
The usual crowd of people were absent from the chilly riverside. The sound of waves and wind drowned out the hubbub of the city behind me.
A red cable bridge spanned the river. A gentle light splashed through a crack in the clouds onto the bridge and tinged the fluttering snow with a momentary glow of gold.
{{MC}}: So that’s what the riverside looks like in the snow.
I breathed in the damp, cold air, my heart as placid as the scene before me.
I don’t regret it, I said silently to myself.
I don’t regret saving this peaceful world, or returning from the pure white dream world to reality, because this is the world that I want.
{{MC}}: Alright, let’s go home!
I spoke cheerfully as I prepared to turn and go.
*Ka-boom–!!*
The sound of an enormous explosion erupted the instant I turned. The ground shook violently beneath me, and a current of hot air swept in from afar.
I turned, and my eyes glowed red with firelight.
Fear drowned out my every thought.