"You poor, poor soul."
There it was again, it was still a whisper but much, much more prominent. It didn't come from a particular direction but from everywhere at once, as if it's source… was my head.
As if on cue, a gruelling pain erupted from my head.
"Next time."
"When you are reborn."
"I hope it's in a better."
"REBORN- "Next time- you- better- REBORN-"
The voices grew, they multiplied, their soft whispers turned into broken screaming so loud it's inhuman.
I rolled about on the ground, clutching my head, my nails dug into my scalp, drawing blood and I pulled on my hair. Anything to mask the pain of the voices.
Make it stop. Make it stop. Please make it stop!!
And it stopped.
It all just stopped. I took a moment to revel in the calm and caught my breath. This uneasy sense if incoming doom, this paranoia, it was just like the episodes of the visions I saw. They weren't ever this painful though.
I looked at my palms, bunched up locks of hair still stuck to the ripped scalp laid there, dripping blood.
That's not good… this will raise questions… which I don't want to answer… but tell me… why doesn't my head hurt… why does it feel so numb… and heavy… why do I feel so… weak.
—KABOOOOOOOM!!—
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The last I recall was that, I fainted but before I did, I fell into the hole Jean was so obsessed about.
So now, why am I laying on the bed in the infirmary room? Why are there words floating in the air? And why do I remember a past about sacrificing myself for Jean, that I never experienced?!
All these questions and… not enough answers.
I took a deep breath, then exhaled.
Let's… take this step by step.
For starters let's unpack my extra memories. The way the memory came to me was much like the visions which came in he days prior; through dream while sleeping or in this case, through a sudden episode.
But unlike the visions, this memory was coherent, clear and above all so familiar. Unlike the visions, this memory hadn't faded immediately, I can remember its exact details. It's as if I experienced it just a few days ago.
Giant monsters resembling cruel depictions of rats spewed out of the hole in endless numbers. Anna and Jean will looking exhausted, on the brink of despairing but they both still held the will to live, but I didn't … so I jumped in the hole. My body was ripped to shreds but before I died, I went out with a magnificent explosion.
This memory… it feels more concrete than my own. I suppose that I am to believe it really did happen.
But it just seems so… absurd.
You are telling me that an apocalyptic event will take place, one that will be the end of all of us, atleast in the Choppafeller estate, and it will come about through a random hole in the ground?
What classless god wrote this script!
This is far too cruel.
Is this what Jean is preparing so frantically for? If she too has seen a revelation of this future then it would make sense why Jean changed so suddenly.
You've been giving up your beloved sleep and now are working through days and nights to help us survive. Why didn't you tell me sooner?
Even if I couldn't assist you, I could have atleast shared your burden!
Just then from the corner of my eye, I noticed the words in the air change.
[You can now assist your 'Party Master' in Combat.]
[NPC Ether's Ability 1 Unlocked]
[Tap here to view your Ether's Ability]
…
Huh?
The words in the air are talking to me, what does it mean 'assist my party master'? These words were also spying on me?
—Sigh—
Strange things sure are just attracted to me. Shoo go away.
I waved my hand over these words to hopefully make then disappear, instead my hand simply passed through them and the words changed again. Did my waving really register as a tap?
[NPC Ether's Ability 1: The Nova that burst to create; Adaptive explosions!]
[Ability description: As the red giant faded, a nova from within destroying its history and a neutron star formed, with a nova to start it all.
Allows you to manipulate reality into itself, causing an explosion to damage your enemies and to heal your allies.]
What the #### is it talking about?
—Sigh—I guess this is the next progression of my condition. From seeing visions which replace my memory, hallucinations now are going to replace the present that I am experiencing. What did I do to be born this unfortunate…
But… it won't hurt to try it atleast once?
I streched my hand out and reached forwards then opened my palm, aiming towards the door of my room. Then rationality hit and I aimed upwards instead.
"Kaboooom" I commanded
…
…
…
Yea, I didn't expect that to work. I must look so stupid right now-
—KABOOOOOOOOOOM—
A massive explosion shot out of my palm and crashed into the ceiling, disintegrating it within impact, leaving a giant crumbing gap in its wake.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The explosion was loud… immensely so, within the following minutes the whole estate herded over to my infirmary room.
"Marcus! Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere right?!"
Jean pushed past the crowd, hugged me and shoved me deep into her chest. After a moment, I pushed her away and spoke.
"Yes, I'm alright. I was the one who… caused the explosion."
"Caused it? How?"
Anna quickly stepped up to interrogate me.
"I saw some words floating in the air telling me I can shoot explosions now and once I went to try it out… well the ceiling blew away."
At that moment, I noticed both Anna and Jeans eyes widen in unison, not with confusion but with concern.
So I was right, they too knew about that future.
Jean hesitantly spoke.
"And… what about your memories Marcus?"
I acted confused.
"What about them?"