We looked around, trying to find a detail that wasn't familiar to me. However...
"What about... That!" Crystal yelled, pointing at a large statue erected in the middle of the whole forest.
"I can tell you what it says on that plaque below it." I reply, ready to recite it as if I was eading straight from it.
"Agh, seriously is there something that you don't know here?!" Crystal shouted, gripping her hair as she glared at me.
"Uhm..." I paused, trying to think. "No, not really."
"Fuck it! I give up!" She yelled, throwing her arms in the air and taking deep breaths. "How about we just do the mission already?"
"Hm, sure..." I mumbled, nodding my head slightly in agreement and looking around before a person caught my eye. "Wait, you guys go ahead. I have something to do."
"What, did you finally find something unfamiliar?" Crystal asked, but soon nodded her head as I didn't answer. "Fine, I'll go explore with the rest or something."
She can be surprisingly mature sometimes...
I walked over to the man. He was far from unfamiliar, rather, it felt like I knew quite a lot about him. It was a strange feeling.
He was dark-skinned, and had few wrinkles despite the clear old age shown through his demeanour. He had a ring on his left hand, and his hair was greying. Though, it still held quite a vibrant lustre as they were a dark red, almost black despite the red showing so clearly. His eyes were sharp, not affected at all by the passages of time as they were a gleaming golden.
He noticed me, and soon smiled. I noticed that he wasn't a Daltin, but rather an elf.
"Hello, Sir. May I have your name?" I asked, waving familiarly as if I had done it many times before.
"Yes, my name is ∫Ø∇çŸγΘÚ⌈øΔ." He said, and I furrowed my brows.
"Mind repeating that for me?" I replied, confused.
"My name is ∫Ø∇çŸγΘÚ⌈øΔ." He repeating what he said earlier yet it was all like background noise to me. Incomprehensible and impossible to understand.
"I'll just call you Sir." I remarked, shaking my head as I gave up on trying to understand his name.
"That's fine, too." He said, "And your name?"
"Raymond Valtere, but most call me Ray." I answered.
"That's a nice name, Ray." He replied.
"So, how's your daughter?" I asked, like an impulse, like a habit. It was like it was something I had asked this man multiple times before, like I knew his daughter and it was something that confused me.
"Daughter?" He asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah, I heard you had a daughter." I answered, finally remembering that we were strangers. But, his question was strange. It wasn't a how do you know my daughter?, but more of a what daughter?
It unsettled me.
This was the first inconsistency in my 'memories'.
"Well, I think you were misinformed. I don't have a daughter." He said, and my eyes widened.
He doesn't have a daughter?...
Then, who was I asking about?
I searched my memories, trying to find any semblance of 'his' daughter. Why did I believe so strongly in her existence? Why did my heart feel heavy at what he said? Why am I so confused? Why do I wish she existed?
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a moment.
"Uhm, Ray?" He asked nervously, looking at me as if he noticed my rapid change. I hurriedly placed a smile on my face.
"Yes?" I spoke, trying to hide my previous confusion behind my smile.
[Y'know, you always hide behind that signature smile. It ticks me off.]
I heard a voice, but tried to hide my surprise. I didn't even sense an existence near me beside 'Sir'.
"Ah, you seemed to be spacing out so I got a bit worried..." He answered, furrowing his brows as I kept falling into frequent reveries through the overflowing confusion.
Who was that? And why did they speak as if they knew me well? No, what was that?
"I think travelling here has just caused me to be a bit out of it, how about we talk later?" I asked, tilting my head slightly as I tried my best to keep smiling.
Even for someone like me, it was close to impossible to keep smiling. Especially when I felt... Depressed, for little to no reason at all. I was confused, sad, unsettled, and not even angry. Hearing that random voice was just like salt in the wound.
It wasn't anything like the energies, nor did it emanate any power. Like something so powerful my senses could not comprehend its strength. Yet the voice held no malice, more familiarity. As if speaking to a younger relative, or a close friend. It was like it was almost human.
I didn't know what else to feel about it rather than confusion.
"Yes, that seems to be a good idea." He nodded his head, snapping me back to reality yet again.
"Then, I will meet you another day?" I asked, holding my hand out and he also outstretched his and shook mine. "I should be leaving soon in the future, so please don't keep me waiting, Sir."
"I will show you around Planet Daltain, then. I'm sure it will be quite an exciting experience to go to another planet for the first time." He said, probably noticing that I was a student from The United as he glanced at my badge.
"As much as I would love a tour, I'm afraid to say that I somehow already know everything over here." He tilted his head and I clarified, "It feels like I've already been here multiple times, and I already know my way around."
His eyes widened.
"How intriguing. Maybe we can speak about that another time?" He suggested, and I nodded my head with a smile as I still tried to forget the voice, and her.
"Yes, let's do that." I said, letting go of his hand and turning away, "Goodbye, Sir."
"Goodbye, Raymond." He said, probably deciding that my full name was better than the nickname.
Why do I keep acting like I know this man well?
I started walking away, deep in thought as I rested my hand on my chin. I didn't even bother to try smile under the overwhelming confusion as thoughts swirled relentlessly, torturing me in unanswered questions which caused my brows to furrow further.
"What are their names...?" I mumbled out loud, accidentally as I couldn't bother to hide my thoughts. Voicing them out was probably better anyways.
I soon looked up and saw Crystal, Vincent, Devron, Lilith and Sayna.
The group is a bit large...
I shook my head and forced a smile on my face.
"Hey, I'm ready. Why don't we go do our mission now?" I asked, waving my hand with my usual welcoming expression.
"Sure, but why were you talking with that guy over there?" Asked Vincent, raising an eyebrow.
("I also want to know, if you don't mind.") Sayna remarked, and soon Crystal raised her hand.
"Yep, tell us!" Crystal added happily.
"He seemed familiar." I answered nonchalantly, deciding against telling them everything.
Secrets always need to be kept, after all.
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