“You've been unconscious for two days.”

“Two days?!”

“Or maybe three days? I don't know exactly when you fainted.”

“Just a few seconds after you teleported me right to the front door of my room.”

“It was two days and one night then.” Ellie leaned her back on the nurse chair, looking at me who is lying calmly as if nothing had happened for three days on the bed in this base’s treatment room.

“Was it because you pushed yourself too much that day? Oh! Was it because of me?!”

“You just realized?” I laughed at the worst times…

But maybe I really should just laugh to calm her down a bit... Because I don't mean and I don’t want to blame her for anything. I just don't like it when people feel guilty about what happened to me. I convinced myself that it wasn't anyone's fault… Though I'm sure, when I lost control that day, I must have put the blame on this girl.

So seeing her sad face right now, is what I really don't want to see.

I better change the mood.

“Oh, yes... By the way, thank you for visiting me. It's such a coincidence that I woke up while you were here, Ellie.”

“No, it’s not like that. You know? Actually... No! But I actually…” She was silent for a while as if she was making a complicated decision. Then came the answer that she finally chose. “Maybe I don't really have to say that. How stupid I am…”

“Ellie, listen to me. Take a moment to breathe... After that, think calmly, arrange the sentences well and orderly. Then say what you actually want to say.” I demonstrated to Ellie, who also followed every step that I gave.

After she calmed down, I asked about the same thing earlier.

“Two days ago, Edward gave you a message.” With such a relaxed expression, Ellie said what sounded quite odd.

“I don't think that's what you truly wanted to say to me earlier!”

“What should we do?” Seems like Ellie really wants to change the topic.

“What's the message about?”

“Previously they wanted to assign you on an emergency mission. He said he also wanted to test your skills while doing it... But since you were unconscious, the task was handed over to the two great carriers, fire and wind. Now it's no longer important, there's nothing you have to worry about.” Ellie finished her sentence while maintaining her poker face.

“So why are you telling me about it if you don't think it matters anymore? Besides, I'm still asking about what you said earlier. Which is... Wait… Ah fuck. I forgot what you said earlier...”

“I lied!” She cut my words.

“Actually this is still important for us to discuss. The emergency mission was a mission to deal with an unnamed enemy organization that had spread throughout the whole world including Indonesia. The organization that has succeeded in destroying the Southwest Asian countries, claimed that one of the gods had shown himself and ordered them to do all of this. With the intention of... Neutralizing the world so that humans don’t have to be afraid to coexist with the gods, as long as we obey it.”

Elis, do you think that's true? Is there a God who descended here with his own body? Without needing any human as its vessel?

“I'm not expecting much. But it does sound selfish and arrogant just like a god in general.”

Should I worry about that?

“I don’t know... Should we? Whether it's true or not, they still haven't bothered us yet. So first, just explain about your curse to Edward. Maybe he'll understand... If not, then a speck of curse on his skin will do.”

Yeah, that is true. It seems this one problem is much more important and easier to solve.

“At the time back there, you were just so exhausted, that you were even unable to think logically. But now you can. So just go and fix this problem right away.”

Okay, I got it now. Thanks, Elis.

~~~~~

I straightened my back after lying on the bed for such a long time. Looking around carefully, then I took a deep breath.

“You still hurt?” Ellie asked in a pitying tone right from beside me.

“Huh? Oh… The curse? Yeah, always... But you don’t have to think about it... It's not even lethal to myself, though. Right now we just have to meet with Edward. So can you teleport me to him?”

“Sure!” Stretching out her hand for me to hold, we teleported right in front of the huge framed white door.

Where... There was only the illusion of someone being there…

“Yep, that's really just an illusion. I can't sense any soul of the other god in this room apart from the two of you.” And that's what Elis said.

“So you're awake, Daniel? You missed your stage, but soon…”

“No. I'm actually here to say something that I haven't had the chance to say before… It’s about the magic that I have here.”

With a wry smile, I continued my explanation. “Whether you are aware of it or not sir, in fact, each of these magical authorities are actually balanced and equal to the other authorities. So don’t you ever think, about my power being able to break that thick base wall is not without a reason? But because I had to pay something for the effect itself.” As I spoke, I held onto the left arm whose cloth itself had begun to scorch from being in contact with the cursed mark for too long.

“I have to get hurt and feel the same pain that the person affected by my magic feels... And not want to be whiny about it, but this was indeed more of a curse than an ordinary wound.”

Edward’s illusion stared expressionlessly... Whether his real self is currently disappointed or angry, one can't actually see the answer from what is in front of us.

Still just an imperfect illusion, I think… Or is it just that on purpose?

“Oh, I see. But you know what, Daniel? You know how many of our members die every day around the world? You know how much we've sacrificed to save this reality and it's still far from enough? Maybe it's because you live in a country that's still untouched by the enemy organization, so you're not aware of it at all, but after all of that effort, we actually haven't had any impact yet! Listen Daniel... Everyone in this place has sacrificed so much of themselves... Evelin, you saw it with your own eyes, right? Of how many people you have to heal every day. Didn't you notice their faces when you teleported them back? They had been hurt and lost too much, but came home even without anything to be proud of. Or should I tell this girl to take you to the battlefield for a while? so you too can see.” This thing suddenly stopped talking.

It seemed like the concentration of his original self that was currently somewhere else, was being disturbed... Or he was indeed doing something important with his one real body. Whatever it was, a few seconds later he regained consciousness and continued to complain.

“Do you know how much power each individual that enemy has? The minimum might amount to ten soul forces. I don't know how they can control so many carriers that's already that strong, while all of our members who touch the number five souls are all now acting completely like thugs. Those cowards leave the sins takers to enjoy the power they have and some even worse! They choose to betray into the hands of the enemy organization in order to strengthen themselves even more... As far as I know, people who truly understand that they are strong, won't turn into idiots who think they are strong themselves. Daniel, it’s you! The number of your souls is more than ten, and look at you! You still have the awareness! You are aware of your own power, you understand the difference between yourself and those idiots! You can do more! You can save this world! Don’t you understand that?”

Yeah…

Very heart touching…

“Damn, you’re right, Edward. All people in the world will be happy... You will be happy. The world will be safe, peaceful and away from suffering, this world can still be saved…”

But then comes the one fact from all of those wonderful stories...

“Just as long as I get hurt, right? As long as I keep hurting... Cursing myself day after day, for all of my life... That’s not much, right? Meh... It will be just in my eternity... In a world that is corrupted not because of the one you guys called god, but because of the hand and stupidity of humans itself… Yeah sure… Sure I will, Edward… I will sacrifice myself for them... For the man who killed my sister. And for my Father? Not only the one who killed him, I myself have been raised by a corrupted human who always abused one of his children while using my suffering as a foothold for one and only his beloved daughter. And I will save many of the same parents like him?! You sure? Just tell me already… Who am I really sacrificing for? Do you think the world is that beautiful enough to be saved? Don’t you just want me to sacrifice for only yourself, oh great carrier of illusion? Edward?” Oops. I got a little carried away by emotion.

Suddenly this room becomes very quiet, before then I go back and continue talking.

“If you really understand the meaning of sacrificing something in order to get something, You should also be familiar with the workings of this balancing power of gods and goddesses’ authorities, also about why my sacrifice was in fact unworthy just for this world that had been corrupted from the start… Well, unless you were willing to admit from the start that you only wanted to use me to protect yourself alone from this cruel world. You hear me, great carrier of illusion? Then, I'll still help you as a normal carrier, so you don't have to think about it too much. Or find something more worthy of what you can offer to me.”

Somehow I feel a grudge whenever I talk to this man. Like we've only met a few times, but for some reason… Fuck with that.

“Excuse me.” I smiled as I pulled Ellie's hand out the door from this disgusting room.

~~~~~