-???-

'...Where am I?' I ask myself, looking at a river that I've never seen before.

"I'll ask you one last time," someone next to me starts talking.

'Who's talking to me-' I try to turn my head and look, but for some reason, I can't move my head, 'Wh-What's going on!? Why!!? Why can't I move my body!!!?'

I try to struggle, but I can't move anything, not my head, not my arms, not my legs, not my hands, not even my fingers, 'Ughhhh-Wh-What's going on!!!?'

I keep trying to move my body, but no matter what I try it won't respond, it's like it's not my own body, 'S-Someone help me!!!'

I try to shout, but I realize that I can't even move my mouth to talk, 'Why is this happening!? Where am I? Mom! Dad!! Gramps!!! Somebody!!!! Can somebody tell me what's going on!!? PLEASE!!!!!'

I keep shouting, trying to get a response, but no one answers, '-NO!! I can't give up! Not yet! If I give up now, I may be stuck here forever!!!'

"-Erik, will you join me?" A cold hand touches me, reminding me that someone else is here with me, "If you and I join forces, then no one will be able to stop us! Together we can make everyone on this continent submit to me!"

Suddenly, my mouth starts moving, "True loyalty isn't gained through fear, but respect."

'Why did I start talking all of a sudden?' I try to talk again, but my mouth won't move, 'Seriously, what's going on!!!'

"Screw respect! Screw loyalty! That hasn't gotten my ancestors anywhere!" They let go of my shoulder and start shouting.

"They've earned the trust and admiration of everyone in the world. They built this empire and restored this continent. They guided everyone out of hell and gave everyone cowering in fear because of the demons hope!" I(?) turn around and stare at him.

'He' s-' The man is a younger version of the Divine King from my dreams, 'WHY!? WHY IS HE HERE!!!???'

His blonde hair is tied in a ponytail, and he has an angry expression on his face, "You don't understand Erik! In order to truly save this continent, we all need to come together under one absolute power!"

'What is he talking about?' I don't understand what either of them are talking about.

"And you think you're that absolute power?" I(?) ask him.

"If not me, then who else? I have the blood of the strongest man to ever exist in history! Who else besides me deserves to be the absolute ruler of this continent!" He slams his fist into the railing turning into rubble.

"There's no need for an absolute ruler on this continent," I(?) shake my head.

"Erik! Every day the other powers are forming alliances behind the Royal Family's back! We need to put an end to these rebels! We need to pull out these traitors from the roots!" He grabs my(?) shoulders hard.

"You don't have any proof that any of the powers have betrayed the Royal Family," I(?) grab the wrist of his right arm.

"I don't need proof! I can see the looks these people have been giving me! They all look at me as though I'm trash! All of them are disrespecting their future ruler!" He tightens his grip on my(?) shoulders.

"That's enough, Theodore," I(?) take his arms off of my(?) shoulders, "You don't understand anything. The Divine King is not a ruler, but a leader to us all, and you are not him."

"I will be one day!" He clenches his fist.

"I know, and as the future head of my clan, I promise to protect this continent from the Demons." I(?) cross my fist over my(?) chest.

"You're just like the rest of them! You think you're better than me! You think I don't deserve to be King!" He waves his arm across him, "You're wrong! I deserve it more than anyone else! That's why I'm still alive! That's why everyone else died! Because I'm meant to be King! I am the most worthy! I possess the most strength, wisdom, and courage! I will be King! The Greatest King to ever exist on the Regalia Continent!" He steps up to me(?), "And you will regret not joining me today!"

"I won't," I(?) shake my head.

"You will! I gave you the chance to be my equal because I respect you! But if you refuse to be my equal, then you'll be my servant just like everyone else on this continent!"

"I refuse," I(?) turn around and start walking away.

"You'll regret this! ERIK!!!" I(?) keep walking forward without turning around.

'What...just happened? What is this? Is this a...memory?' I want to deny the thought, but thinking of my usual dream, I can't get rid of it, 'If this is a memory, then whose memory is this? Erik's? But who is Erik? And how is he related to me?'

I try to remember if I ever heard that name before, but nowhere in my memory do I remember an "Erik." As Erik's walking away, my vision starts to go black again, 'What now!? Am I going to be dragged into another memory!?'

My body feels like I'm floating on water, but I can't open my eyes or move my body. I'm surrounded by nothing but an empty never-ending darkness, 'I don't care about these memories, I just want to go back to my own body!!!'

'Why didn't you kill her-

'Why didn't you avenge us-

Ba-bump Ba-bump

'Not again-' My head starts pounding again.

"Ry-"

'Why-

'...avenge us-

Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump

'No!! Stop!!!' The pounding is getting louder and louder.

"Ryn-"

'...kill…'

'....avenge…'

Ba-bump Ba-bump Ba-bump

'Sh-'

"Ryner!!!" A voice breaks through my thoughts, pulling me out of the darkness.

●●●

-???-

"SHUT UP!!!" My eyes jump open, and I snap my body up.

"A-Ahh," Noah jumps back and trips over his own foot, bumping his head into my closet, "Yo-You're a-awake!"

"... Haaaa… Haaa… Ye...ah…" I try to catch my breath and reply to him, feeling a little spaced out.

"A-Are you o-okay?" Noah gets up while rubbing the back of his head.

"...Yeah," I nod, feeling that I have control over my body again.

"Th-That's g-good," Noah smiles and picks up the wet rag off my bed.

I look down, realizing that my clothes are soaked with sweat, and my body is hotter than usual, 'He probably put the rag on my head to help me cool down.'

I smile, feeling a little warm, "Thank you."

"O-Oh, do-don't wo-worry about i-it. Yo-You looked like yo-you were in a-a-a lot of pa-pain," Noah shakes his head.

"...Mm. How long was I out for?" Looking outside the window, it's already dark outside, so I should have been out for a few hours.

"... I-It's a little past 8 pm ri-right now, s-so a little less than 9 hours, I-I think," He looks at his watch and tells me.

'So long,' I sigh and get out of bed.

"Wh-What are yo-you doing!?" Noah runs over to me and pushes my shoulders, trying to lay me back down.

"I just want to go out for a moment and clear my head," I grab his wrists and push him back a little.

"Bu-But yo-you j-just wo-woke up," Noah shakes his head.

"I'm fine, I just want some fresh air," I feel a little weaker than usual, but I'm still stronger than Noah.

I push him back and stand up, "I'll be back."

Although I can hear him saying something behind me, I ignore him and leave the dorm. I jog through West Park. The park between the boy's and girl's dorms. Running on the grassy field, I think about the memory I saw and what it means.

'It all started when I saw her,' The girl with the blonde hair and golden eyes, 'Something inside of me reacted to her and forced those thoughts out, 'I just don't understand why, though.'

'She has his blood-

'I feel it! That man's blood-

'The man who killed us-

'The man who ended our clan!'

"Wait… his blood… the man who killed us... ended our clan… could she be related to the Divine King?" I stop and look up at the moon, 'Is this some type of joke?