What is sleep? There’s this common belief that when asleep, the brain shuts off, the body lies down and nothing happens. But that’s really not what’s happening. Instead, scientists believe that sleep, is in fact, sewing our memories together. When you sleep, your brain will extract from experiences the gist of what happened. It extracts the gist and kind of forgets all those details that are not so important. It will discover the rules of our lives. It will take a large number of experiences and take them all together and figure out what the rules are that explains how our worlds work. And dreaming, in fact, is probably part of this entire process.

“Where am I?” Suspended in a world full of flashing lights, a number of rectangular screens floated around, showing events very familiar to me. “Are these...”

“These are all your memories, Hiiro.”

A sound coming from a woman resounded throughout the place, speaking with a seductive voice. Soon, a silhouette of a girl appeared in front of me, slowly gaining its color and form.

“Hello, Hiiro~”

It was Lucie.

As we toured the place, she explained what was happening. A person’s dreams also contained their own memories. This is the reason why people sometimes have dreams about their past. Using Lucie’s ability to tap into these dreams, she could use my memories to ascertain if I was telling the truth.

We stopped in front of a particular screen, showing a recent memory of before I died. “Let’s go inside, Hiiro~,” she chuckled.

As she touched it with her hands, the screen sucked us inside.

Just after entering, we saw a man standing while looking at his hands forming a fist; it was the ‘me’ of the past.

“Hoho,” Lucie giggled. “You’re actually quite handsome in your human form.”

As the man shouted, the place was suddenly filled with blinding lights mixed with a deafening sound coming from the sky.

It was the same plane that killed me… Or so I thought.

Mere seconds before it crashed into “me,” “I” suddenly vanished into thin air. Lucie and I soon followed. The next scene brought the two of us in a forest.

“Wait... a minute, the plane did not crash into me?”

We observed the man panicking and running all around the place.

“Hiiro, you look kinda funny here,” she chuckled. Covering my eyes with my hands, I was too embarrassed to look at myself. “Let’s go, Hiiro. He, or you, are going somewhere.”

We followed the man until we reached a village.

“No way.”

The two of us were standing right in front of a village. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion coming from inside. Curious, the man entered the village. In the middle, there was a woman wearing a robe, casting elemental magic and necromancy in every direction.

“That girl is Lady Marina, Emily’s mother,” Lucie spoke in a serious tone.

Looking around, I couldn't believe everything that was happening.

Dead bodies of necromancers were scattered all over the place. Those who were still alive tended to the injured while evacuating. “It seems Lady Marina is buying time for them to escape.”

Emily’s mother was fighting humans wearing military uniforms, its design seemed to be a modernized version of German clothing used in World War II back on earth, and they even carried firearms of high caliber.

Multiple tanks were simultaneously firing at her, however, Marina blocked it all with barrier magic.

But the tanks and the soldiers were not the only ones there.

A weapon not existing in the reality of my world was hovering above the tanks. It looked like a mechanized exoskeleton which only covered the limbs of the pilot. Strange metal-like objects were also floating behind it.

The body of the pilot seems vulnerable at first, having only a suit as protection, but when Emily’s mother tried to attack it with a spell, some sort of shield dispersed it.

“W-what is that?” Lucie stuttered, looking at the exoskeleton with her eyes opened wide. “H-Hiiro, do humans in your world have that kind of weapon? Please, explain to me what that is.”

“Shit, I don’t want to die.” The human ‘me’ fell on his butt; trembling, he dashed towards the forest.

Lucie wanted to examine the weapon further, but we had no choice but to follow my other self. It was a scene from my memory, after all, so we could only observe the things that I once saw.

He was running while looking down at full speed. “Shit. Shit. Shit. Shi...t.” The scenario he just saw, with the addition of the eerie atmosphere of the forest, just made his fear even worse…

He stumbled into a bear-like monster, which proceeded to mutilate him.

***

After that, we returned to the real world. “That’s… That’s how I died?”

“Lucie, tell me what you saw.” It was King Arthur who commanded Lucie sitting on his throne with his head placed on his lap. He was looking at her who seemed to be dumbfounded.

“Your Highness,” Lucie spoke while looking down. “We need to start preparing for an upcoming war.”

After that, Lucie explained everything: How I was innocent and was telling the truth; what happened in the village; and the strange weapon we encountered. She was shouting as if she was complaining; she hastily narrated it.

“Please, Your Highness. If we don’t prepare now, everyone will die,” Lucie begged.

“I’m sorry, Lucie,” King Arthur apologized, looking at her. “But with little evidence, we can’t just decide on this. What if those were not from Khina, but just terrorists impersonating the humans?”

“But your Highness. They already summoned...” Before Lucie finished her sentence, King Arthur shouted at her.

“We can’t go to war!” Shocked by King Arthur’s sudden change of tone, everyone looked at him.

Silence filled every corner of the room.

“We have too little information about Khina and the power they possess. We can’t repeat what happened in the past; it will only cause more bloodshed. You should know this, Lucie, since you’re the one who experienced it the most.”

King Arthur continued in a somewhat calmer voice. “Don’t worry, I will raise this concern to the Demon Council at our upcoming meeting next week. Until then, we can only gather more information.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” After she bowed in front of King Arthur, Lucie went out with a look of disappointment in her eyes. King Arthur then commanded the guards to leave.

King Arthur sighed, his two hands clasped together as his body bent forward. “You may not know this, Hiiro, but among my three generals, Lucie hates Humans the most.”

Based on what she said, in the last war, the country of humans attacked and killed the entire Dreizen clan, with Lucie being the sole survivor.

Maybe she wants a war to start so she can finally have her revenge.

All this time she was just holding herself, hiding her real emotions in a gleeful facade. The scene we saw in my memories might have destroyed the illusion she planted on herself.

I can’t imagine how hard it was for her to help a human, like Emily; or me, a former one. But why would she do that?

“Hiiro,” King Arthur called out to me. “Do you know what was the last weapon you saw in your memories?”

“I… I’m sorry, Your Highness.”

After that, I described the current weaponry of Earth. That mecha flying above those tanks were not present in our reality, but rather in the fictional world of anime. But, I couldn’t properly explain its concept to him. Though, he managed to grasp it when I compared it to a ‘novel’.

“Hiiro,” King Arthur looked at me. “Please return here tomorrow with Emily and Aria, we need to plan our raid on Dr. Albert’s lab, and to decide on Emily’s punishment for breaking a taboo.”

“I’m… joining the attack?”

“Yes,” he answered. “We want the knowledge you possess about the weapons from your world. It may be different from what’s here, but we might still need you regardless. Also, before you go back to your room, please promise me. Protect Emily with your life. She’s very important to us.”

“I promise, Your Highness.” After our conversation, I went out of the room. Opening the door, I saw Lucie standing in front of me. “Lucie?”

“So you heard the truth,” she spoke, with a serious look. Her flirty personality was gone as if I was talking to a different person.

“I’m really sorry,” I apologized, bowing; I couldn’t look at her.

“Why are you apologizing?” she asked. “You're not even from this world.”

“Even so, I was still once a human. I’m also apologizing on Emily’s behalf.”

There was a bit of silence.

“Lift your head, Hiiro,” she said, touching my shoulders. “It’s okay. After days of watching you and Emily, you made me realize that there are still good humans out there. Also, I should be the one apologizing instead.” She bowed. “I’m sorry for deceiving the three of you.”

“No, Lucie. For everything that you’ve done for us, thank you.”

“But, I never really helped you,” she denied.

“Yes, you did. Our conversation before I talked to Aria in the recovery room, it helped me voice what I needed to tell her. And today, even though there’s a possibility of me being a spy, you still told me you hoped we’re still allies. Even though... even though you have a grudge against humans you still helped us.”

“That… That’s not true, Hiiro. I helped you because the King gave a royal order to me,” she replied. “I’m just following him since it’s something that nobody should ever disobey.”

“Royal order? To help me?

No, considering what King Arthur just said, is it for Emily?

“Lucie, please tell me. Who really is Emily?”

“I can’t answer that one,” she replied. “I’m forbidden to tell you anything regarding that, but I have a feeling that you’ll find out eventually.”

She turned her back and waved her hands while walking away. “Goodbye, Hiiro

Speaking with a seductive voice, was it her real emotions? Or just another facade?

I don’t know. But there’s one thing that I’m sure of.

I’m glad I met her.

After that, I went to our room.

***

As I entered, I saw Emily and Aria sitting on top of their bed. Aria noticed, and walked towards me.

“I’ll leave you two for now,” she whispered and went outside.

“Uhh… Emily... I...” But, I couldn't speak what I wanted to say. With her eyes swelling red, Emily stood and hugged me.

“Hiiro.” Crying, her embrace became tighter. “What am I going to do now? I… I can’t reanimate mother.”

“No! There’s still hope,” I replied, hugging her back. “Remember what King Arthur said? Someone tried to reanimate a necromancer by altering the spell.”

Holding her shoulders, I distanced myself so I could see her eyes. “Emily, even if there’s just less than one percent chance of attaining your goal, I will still follow you. Even if you lose all of your hopes, I’ll be there for you. And if you lose all of your reason to live, I will run to you and be that reason. I’ll stay by your side forever.”

There was a bit of silence until I noticed her blushing; I then let go of her and turned around. “I… I’m sorry. I just… It’s just the words came out and I couldn't control myself. ”

“Hiiro, thank you,” she spoke. I tried to look at her but she placed her hands on my shoulders stopping me. “Don’t look!” She shouted. “P-please, don't look.”

“Emily, let’s start from the beginning. Let’s look for your mother’s remains together.”

“Yes,” she replied, softly.

This time, for sure, I will protect you.

After that, we stayed in that position in silence for a few minutes, until Aria finally came back in.

***

The next morning, our group together, with King Arthur’s officers held a meeting in the throne room.

Robyn was not present that time since she was still in the village, but King Arthur said that he would inform her when she returns.

The raid on Dr. Albert’s lab will be conducted months from now, and our primary goal is to gather information from the inside: about Dr. Albert’s research, the Shadow Purgatory and Khina; then destroy the lab after.

There will be two teams consisting of five soldiers each. We need to bring as little as possible since the enemies might discover us if we came with an army.

Lucie and Aria will lead the first team. They will be the lookout and will act as a backup if ever something bad happens. Our strategy is to use Lucie’s memory reading ability to scout the guards and to visualize the map of the lab. One of King Arthur’s soldiers, Victor, will then pass that information to the soldiers inside through telepathy, while Aria will serve as the lookout and protection for Lucie.

The other team will be headed by me and Robyn. She will use her Enhanced Senses so we could easily infiltrate the inside.

However, there is one problem.

And that is the Razzia’s lack of knowledge of human technology. This is why I am needed for this operation. As for Emily...

“As punishment for breaking a taboo, you will you stay in your room until they have finished the mission,” King Arthur announced.

She had no choice but to agree, but I guess it’s okay.

If we think about it, the punishment is very light compared to the taboo she just broke.

Who really is Emily? And what is her purpose for Razzia?

After the meeting, Emily and Aria returned to our room, while I asked King Arthur for permission to go to the library.

Based on what I saw in my memories, Necromancy and Elemental Magic do not seem to affect the exoskeleton. And if my theory is correct, then it should be the same for other kinds of magic or even curses.

I need to be stronger. I need to create a new type of magic that will work against that monster.

Then I thought of something crazy. Whatever material that machine is made of, it is still a machine, which means it should have a computer somewhere to control or regulate itself.

If computers do not exist in Razzia, then I just have to create one. I will hack and destroy those monsters.

“For the sake of Emily and me, I have to get stronger.”

This is my new goal.