Chapter 3: Pheleppeides

I found myself staring at my floating figure, standing alone in a pure white void. I noticed something – a missing hand. Strangely, it didn’t feel like missing; instead, it eemed oddly natural to have it missing. I wondered if I had already entered the Core or if this was a part of the Core itself. Despite my efforts to remember, something didn’t quite add up.

I tried to move my body, but it remained still. Huh? That’s strange, this has never happened before. 

“Noticed. The connection with ███████ has been terminated. The pollution has been neutralized, resulting in the erasure of memories related to ███████. The false memory influenced by the pollution have been removed. Scanning the current status of Nameless’ ghost status…”

That voice again… So familiar, it feels too familiar, where have I heard this before? What is this feeling? It feels so light, like I am floating.

“Scan complete, your cognitive abilities have been disassembled. The integrity of Soul’s Mark remains stable. Your body is nonexistent. Your consciousness integrity remains stable. Noticed. Arkus will automatically regress your cognitive state prior to the corruption.”

That voice again… So familiar, I was certain I had heard it before, but the memory seemed distant and blurry. The surroundings began to shift, as if melting into liquids and reforming themselves into familiar objects, slowly returning me to a place I had known before.

Before I could fully grasp the situation around me, I suddenly found myself standing at the podium. What had just happened? The events were unfolding so rapidly that I struggled to make sense of it all.

“The cognitive ability of the Head of Chrono Writing department, Nameless Ghost, has been restored. Welcome back, Nameless ghost, head of Chrono Writing department. Initiating final double-check procedures.”

That voice again… I looked around, my body finally moved as I willed it, but as I observed it, it was the same place, nothing seemed to have changed despite what happened earlier. I don’t quite understand what is happening. What made the voice? It mentioned cognitive ability, right? What does that mean?

“Noticed. Your spiritual form has been permanently damaged by the corruption. It is recommended that you proceed to the Essentia Restoriti Room. Noticed. The Singularity is depleted of Aerex energy, it is recommended to generate Aerex to use Essentia Restorati Room. Attempting to contact the Core…Failed. The Core is offline due to the depleted energy in the Singularity. Please generate Aerex energy to restore power.”

Pro…ceed?

Feeling confused, the words echoing in my mind sounded familiar. This voice… Where have I heard it before? I gaze at the floating Core, seeing only its usual sight. The voice didn’t seem to come from it, no, I am certain it didn’t from the Core. 

I want to speak to that Voice, maybe it will respond… Doesn’t that happen in stories in the books?

But first, how do I speak? What should I say? Then it struck me, how do people in the books know how to speak in the first place? There are too many words, yet somehow they manage to speak. Whereas I find myself at a loss for words.

I waited for the voice once more, perhaps I might be able to find it. But as time passed, the voices never came back.

Was it an illusion? It couldn’t be, right? Something must have happened. My hand had disappeared; when I touched it, I could feel my existence - it was usual and natural form, yet there was something felt missing from my entirety.

I turned to the Core once more… Perhaps, if I touch it again, my hands might mysteriously disappear for no reason. But maybe, just maybe, by doing so, I could hear those words. Wait… How come? Wasn’t this the first?

As I floated towards the Core, my body felt like it tightened, warning not to get any closer. Despite my strong will to continue, my instinct halted me, causing my form to stop and tremble in the air.

Why? I don’t understand. Something must have happened that made me lose a hand. But why can’t I remember?

“Khu… Co… Core…” I used my ability to create sound, forming words for the first time.

“Administrative Core is currently offline due to the lack of Aerex in the Singularity.”

That voice again…

As my eyes remained fixed on the Core, it became clear that the Voice didn’t come from the Core. I swept my surroundings again, but there was no change. The gradual frustration began to feel like pricking at my senses, irritating and persistent.

“Core… Line. Offline… Core Offline. Aerex? Voice. What. Here. There. Where?” I spoke, attempting to be coherent, yet even I struggled to understand my own words.

Silence followed. There was no response, why would there be one, after all?  Speaking was a bit harder than I thought, even though I was just mimicking the sound and using my ability to speak my words. 

If anything, that voice must be some kind of lies made by my mind. Yes, “illusion” might be the right term, I believe.

That was what I had initially thought before the voice spoke again, “Your cognitive ability has been fully restored 30 minutes earlier. I recommend regressing your Cognitive ability using Arkus, Nameless Ghost.”

It spoke again, but this time it spoke too fast. Why can’t it slow down? I can’t understand what this voice is saying. Where is this voice coming from?

“Cog… Cognitive? Voice? This, voice. Voice you… Voice where?”

I wonder why I can’t speak as clear and fluently as the other voice. 

“Perhaps are you referring to me, Nameless Ghost? I am Pheleppeides, your personal assistant Arkus.”

It slowed its voice. I can understand it now.

“You. Pepepieses but where?”

“I am Pheleppeides, I am your Personal Assistant Arkus. Where I am is wherever you are, I am your external device in your form, to assist with your needs.”

Arkus… I always hear the word “Arkus'' from the voice, but I’ve also come across it in books many times before. However, I’ve never truly grasped its meaning - it has always remained incomprehensible to me.

Perhaps I will be able to comprehend it better with the help of the voice. It mentioned it would help me… But why? Why is the Voice assisting me when I haven’t met them? I cannot even grasp its reply. Is the Voice similar to myself? A ghost, perhaps?

“Don’t understand…”

“It appears you lack education, Nameless Ghost, the Head of Chrono Writing department. Unfortunately, I am unable to provide adequate lessons as the Administrative Core is offline. I recommend you complete the objective assigned to you by the Administrative Core 14 years ago.”

14 years ago from the Core? What does that mean? I don’t quite remember, have I interacted with the Core before? 

This is quite unusual, something new. Perhaps if I continue to do this, the answer to why I keep on writing might actually come.

“Y… Yes.” I answered.

Suddenly, a strange rectangular object appeared before me, floating and glowing. Startled by its presence, I found myself moving away. 

Wait, is it following me!? Wait! Stop! Stay back! Don’t you come here! NO!

I soared frantically around the Core, attempting to outpace the floating box, but no matter how fast I flew, it continued following me!

As I phased through the tables, I assumed I was safe. Surely, the box couldn’t phase like me. But to my surprise, I turned around and saw the box seemingly appearing through the wall.

 Startled, I straightened my body, only to find it again outside the table. 

“This is the request given by the External Administrative Core 14 years ago.”

Huh?

Hearing the Voice stopped me in my tracks. A request? I turned to see the terrifying glowing box that had been following me. Huh? It’s not trying to harm me?

“Bad? Good?”

“If you are referring to the User Interaction Arkus Display, it’s a holographic projection. It is good.”

I’m not entirely sure what it meant, but the Voice was likely talking about the floating box, right? However, hearing that this is a good box, I somehow felt relief.

Inside the floating box, there appear to be pictures of a large room. I couldn’t quite comprehend what I was looking at. There seem to be some kind of devices I had never seen before, but they had a similar appearance to the Core, just more… Black? And What is that thing? A white-blue circle thingy inside of that device?

Alongside the images, there was words saying, “Repair the Energy input of Pylons and generate Aerex power to the Singularity.”