Hayla and Berla led the way towards the temple and the office—not necessarily happy, but readily. Looking back on my outburst, it seemed odd that they were just going along with my instructions, but somehow it felt right as well.

Actually, if I’m the boss, I guess it’s not that far fetched that they would simply accept my decision.

I looked down at Riala in my arms. We had a few minutes until we’d arrive, so I made some conversation, trying to learn more about her and awakened beings, to readjust my expectations.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better!”

“You went a bit too far there, using up your mana, didn’t you?”

“Yeah...” She looked away awkwardly, as if she had been scolded about this before. “But I needed to help while you were away! That’s my job,” she said, pivoting.

“Your job, hm?”

She seems a bit young for that. Although, of course you would want to utilize her power if doing so is actually viable. But they should probably be more careful not to let her overexert herself.

“What does it feel like to use up all of your mana?” I asked her.

“Did you forget that, too?”

“That’s right.”

“Hm... It hurts. Like, a lot. It’s hard to breathe, and your heart starts beating faster. But after sleeping for a bit everything’s okay again.”

“That does not sound like you should do it voluntarily...”

Actually, it sounds fairly bad, and in line with what I thought would happen. Except that you should have a high likelihood of dying from it if your body can’t handle it. And she’s still a child... She should be having a hard time with it.

“How many times has this happened to you?” I asked her.

“Only three times.”

Based on my supposed knowledge about Awakened, I’d be terrified if this happened to me more than once. Surviving even one time is supposed to be like the flip of a coin. What is it then? Is my knowledge wrong or am I missing something here?

“What about me? Did I experience it as well?”

“Yes. But I think it was only two times.”

“I see... There’s another mana user like us, right? What about them?”

“There are two!” she corrected. “Oryn and Aelene. I don’t think she ever used up her mana, she has a lot. But Oryn doesn’t, and you told me he tried it on himself.”

Four test cases, three have used up their mana at least once, and all of them were fine. How likely is it that we’re all special in some way? I guess my brain is wrong then. Although it would be the first time so far.

“Can you tell me about what it was like to get mana?”

“Of course!” she said, happily indulging me.

Nobody complained about me and Riala discussing mana usage, and we kept talking about it on the way. It was interesting, but the main event was yet to come.

We had made our way all the way back to the main square when the town bells rang and signaled that the danger had passed and people could leave their houses once more. Weirdly enough, I did recall that sound somehow. I didn’t see anyone frolocing out of their residences, however, likely due to it still being the middle of the night.

We continued on and eventually reached an ornate wooden door on the third floor of the temple.

“This is it,” Hayla said, pushing down the handle and stepping into the room with her cousin.

Berla promptly let go of her and hopped over to the nearby couch. Conveniently placed, I walked over as well and sat down Riala next to Berla before taking a look around.

“So this is where we work...” I said quietly.

Hayla and I had been on our way here when Berla and Bren found us. She figured I might remember something because I was supposedly spending a lot of time here, but I was pulling a blank. In that case, it was good that I was in the company of even more people now who could tell me something about myself.

After Hati walked in behind us and sat down in the center of the room, I closed the door and peered at the others. “We’re here. Is it safe to talk now?”

“Yes. As soon as Hayla leaves us,” Berla said.

“No,” I said decisively.

She was surprised, possibly having misunderstood that I wanted all of us to talk.

“But—”

“I’ve been trying to determine what the motivations of the people around me are, but I’ve had enough of it,” I explained. “I understand that you two don’t quite trust each other for some reason, and that you’re both hiding things. I don’t know a lot, but I trust Hayla. I assume you know that we’re engaged?”

Berla cringed a little when I spoke of the engagement, but she nodded in conformation.

“And the secret you want to discuss is about me, right?”

“It is...”

“In that case, there’s no reason to hide it from her. Even if you don’t trust her, she can’t use whatever the secret is against me. Not without breaking the contract and risking her own wellbeing at least. Am I wrong?”

“Well, no, but... Listen, this involves something that you have kept from everyone else. It doesn’t matter whether I trust her, I would feel uncomfortable telling others.”

I appreciated the thought, assuming that she was telling the truth, and if I couldn’t change her mind, I would’ve asked Hayla to leave us for a moment. After all, I could simply fill her in afterwards if I saw fit. But it felt right to have my fiance there, and I was curious whether Berla would accept my wishes.

“What if I asked you to tell me while she’s here?” I inquired. Glancing at Hayla, she did seem happy that I wanted her to stay.

“I... I don’t know,” Berla said, hanging her head in frustration.

“Don’t you think it would be easier if all the cards were on the table? That goes for all of us, of course. Maybe it’s a little selfish, but talking openly is the quickest way to clear up whatever it is you two are dancing around, trying not to reveal anything to me and each other.”

She thought my proposition over, and I was growing more curious by the second what this grand secret could possibly be. Turning towards Riala, she addressed the young girl.

“Are you sure he’s... you know?”

“Yep!”

“Hati?” she asked, looking at the wolf.

“I’m not sure...” he said, sounding apologetic.

What is she mulling over? And what is it that she’s asking these two? Man, not knowing what’s going on is annoying.

I was waiting patiently for her to make up her mind and tell me her decision, but it didn’t come to that. All of a sudden, an ominous air was starting to fill the air in the office.

“What...”

I quickly scanned the room, unsure what this was. Berla and Hayla seemed distraught, while Riala looked around curiously. The only one who didn’t seem to care at all was Hati. The source of this weird feeling became apparent when a translucent figure appeared in front of the door, as if it had just entered through it.

“Master, I’m sorry to come here unannounced again, but it's a time-sensitive matter!”

Blinking in surprise, I was staring at the humanoid being. He was most definitely looking straight at me with his glowing, blue eyes, and he acted as if I was supposed to know who he was, and what he was.

“Master?” I asked, perplexed.

“Right. Miles. I’m sorry, Master.”

Are you fucking kidding me?

Briefly peering at the others, their reactions were mixed again. Hayla’s eyes were wide as plates and Berla seemed deeply confused. I didn’t know what to make of this. Having a different name was one thing, but it was starting to feel like I was living multiple lives. Some called me Miles, some Tomar, my fiance didn’t know whatever Berla knew about me, while Berla didn’t know whoever this was, and whatever he was, I was certain he wasn’t just some casual acquaintance. However, he did seem friendly, and at this point I was entirely unwilling to try and deceive him, to figure out anything on my own.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Hm?”

“And what are you?”

“Master? Don’t tell me you have lost your memory again...”

“Again?” I blurted out.

His head hung, he sighed, but he quickly looked back up at me, having realized something.

“Wait, earlier you at least still remembered me and what admins are. Is that gone as well? What happened?”

“I wish I knew!” I scoffed.

“This is not good...”

Hearing a light thud, I glanced at the couch and saw that Riala had hopped off of it and was carefully walking over to us.

“Are you Gallas?” she asked, standing by my side.

“I am. At least someone still recognizes me...”

“You’re not here to take him away again, right?”

“I’m here to help you, but if Master doesn’t remember anything, that plan will fall apart!”

“You’re here... to help us?” Berla asked. “A god wants to help us?”

A god...?

“That’s what I said. What to do now...” Everybody was waiting for him to say something, while he stroked his chin in thought. “The ‘foobar’ keyword ensured that you would know to trust me, but I can’t restore memories...”

Gallas’ words echoed in my ears. Foobar...

“I could try to steal Firlia’s scripts,” he said, “but if I were to be discovered, it would end in disaster.”

“Foobar...” I mumbled and my eyes widened.

Berla, Ria, Reurig, Hati, Grym, Bren, Brie, Garn, Alde, Pallo, Zara, Gean, Mirya, Borus, Fae, Shadi, Cerus, Melory...

In what must have been an absolute first in my life, I remembered a series of names as if it was nothing.

Pyran, Oryn, Aelene, Lilana, Gallas, Celeth, Shae, Saharl, Kyu, Firlia, Kevan, Ardis... Phiona... and...

“Tomar...” I whispered.

“Master?”

And it didn’t stop there.

“I remember everything...”

And... more?

“What? You remember?” Berla asked excitedly.

“Yea, I...”

I’m Miles!

It was all coming back to me. How Tomar and I met, how we researched water sources, tragedies and joys, it was all there. I also remembered that I was fucking around here, trying to figure out whether I could trust Berla and Riala, while believing wholeheartedly that Hayla was my beloved fiance and the one person I could trust. My head snapped in her direction.

She was very careful about what she told me. Ha... A grin crept onto my face. Well, you can’t really blame her. I would’ve done the same thing. Dancing around the contract would’ve been pretty difficult though. Kudos for even trying.

What really threw me for a loop was the additional knowledge I suddenly had. Awakened humans, magic users, monsters, dungeons, contracts, and a certain new invention I was cooking up in my mind. All that hadn’t been there before.

“Does that mean you remember the Outer Realm?” Gallas interrupted happily.

Sighing in frustration I looked back at him, coming back to the situation at hand. Why do you always appear when there’s someone in the room who I don’t want to know all of this!?