Constina Starcy was standing on a cliff, facing the sea. Waves were crashing violently against the cliff, trying to bring it down, but the cliff was stubbornly standing with pride.
A voice announced in her ears again: "You have taken the place of a person in this world. From now on, you will play this person's role, with your real body being that person. But do not worry: in the real world, you will remain unaged, and time here is completely unaffected. You can spend 100 years here, but in the real world, it will not even be a single second. The memories of the person you have replaced will be given to you, and they will not mix and confuse you, allowing you to easily discern which is real and which is not. You can't tell, where you came from and who you are, Even if you want. You may use the peak of your true power one time in this trial, so use it wisely. If you succeed in your first trial, then congratulations. But if you fail, do not worry; it is just the beginning for you."
"In this world, you will have one ability, skill, or power, which will be different from your real powers. Your first trial was decided by a person from the real world, chosen through a luck contest, whose name is Trisroy Zlot. He is from what you people call the Lawless Society and is a member of the Domnotix Gang."
"Your first trial mission will be the Hunt for Rivernia Rutherson. You have to choose which side you will be on: will you hunt for her or protect her? The time limit for this is five years. You have to choose your side now: will you be the Protector or the Hunter?"
"If you choose the Hunter side, and she is not hunted within this time period, then you will lose, and if she is hunted, you will win. The same conditions apply for the Protectors."
As the voice faded, new words echoed in her mind: "Are you a Protector or a Hunter? You have five minutes to choose." Constina Starcy's breath became heavy. She was no longer feeling emotion or any goodwill, but there was only one thought: Will Rivernia Rutherson die or survive?
Constina Starcy's mind was shutting down. She didn't know what to do, but at that moment, a hand came from behind and rested on her shoulder. Constina was startled, and a voice spoke, "What is it, my child? Did I startle you? And what have you been thinking about here for so long?"
Constina turned toward the voice and saw a man in his fifties. He had white hair that draped to his neck and a beard of the same color. He had blue eyes and wore a simple robe of ancient times.
A wave of memories surged through Constina's mind, and she remembered: he was her father in this trial. His name was Saro Hugan. She also remembered the person she had replaced—her name was Zina Hugan. Constina, who was now Zina Hugan, shook her head. "It's nothing, Father," she said. It was very awkward for her to call him Father, but she had to.
Saro stared at her for a moment before placing his hand on her head and caressing it. "I know you; there is something bothering you. You can tell me." He then smiled and continued, "Let me guess: is it choosing between two boys or three?" He then showed a shocked expression and said, "Oh my God, don't tell me... you want to marry all three boys and you're deciding which one to marry first!"
He was about to speak more but was interrupted by Constina. "No! How can you... where did these ideas even come from?" She was slightly blushing while saying this. He may be her father, but since she had two sets of memories, he both was and was not her father.
Saro laughed loudly, then, pinching her cheeks with both hands and gently stretching them, he asked, "Then what is it, my daughter? Let me gue..." He was interrupted mid-sentence by Constina. "No need to, I will tell you." She then grabbed his hands and gently pushed them away to free her cheeks, and continued, "Father, a question just hit my mind. If your life depends on the survival of a person, where you must either protect him or kill him, and you can only survive if your side wins, which side would you choose?"
Saro glanced at her before turning to the surging waves. "I don't know why you are thinking this, but it depends on you."
He paused, then continued, "If you have the ability and the confidence to kill him, you can kill him. And if you have the ability and the confidence to protect him, then you can protect him. The real question is whether you want him dead or alive. Do you care about him or not? Does he matter to you or not? Is it good for you or not?"
Constina watched the waves crashing into the cliff, and with a sigh, she asked, "But what if I don't have the ability to protect him and also don't know if the enemies are powerful or not?"
Saro heard this, and his lips curled into a smile. He stretched out his right hand, straight, and curled his fingers as if he were grabbing the sea, and said, "Then know your friends."
Constina, who was Zina now, thought of her friend Maria. She knew what Maria was going to choose, so she made up her mind and chose her side. She then turned to her father and said, "Thank you, Father."
Saro glanced at her and then at the house. "So, what do you want to eat first?" he asked, following with a playful question: "your mother's scolding, or actual food?"
Constina chuckled and said, "What do you prefer, Father?" Her father started thinking deeply, and then replied, "I think I'll go first and take my share, as well as yours, of the scolding. So come quickly before it gets cold. And next time, it'll be your turn."