A few hours had passed since Ælyana's arrival... and ominous noises had gradually begun to appear. Distant, distorted sounds that evoked only the most brutal of deaths. Indeed, some sounds seemed to be howls of agony and despair. What was going on out there? My intuition whispered that I had to go there to be sure.

 

So, I had no choice but to listen to my instincts. In any case, I had to leave this room at some point, especially as no one was coming to meet us, even after several hours. Of course, there could have been guards at the door or someone watching us with cameras. These were my main fears.

 

Indeed, I didn't want to fight when the only way to do so would be to further damage my apostle's body... and my future body, incidentally. Yet, despite all the potential dangers, we had to get out of this place. So far, we'd only stayed in the room out of fear that someone would soon come in. But I had the impression that this fear was now unfounded, given the chaos that must have existed outside the room.

 

However, there was still the problem of how to get out of here... For the moment, I decided to concentrate on the plan's first stage. From the depths of my being, I extracted the expression of that unknown yet essential part of me: Will. As if Will had been waiting for this moment joyfully, it picked up my cries for help. A slight smile appeared on my etheric face.

 

My eyes took on a gleam of feverish determination, which nonetheless denoted a renewed tenacity and a general uplift in my mood. I wasn't sure why I felt better than before when we were still in a desperate situation with an unknown outcome. However, I promised my sister I would make the most of my newfound mood.

 

So I continued my maneuver, calling on the Void with all my might. Even though I knew full well that objects weren't its favorite thing to eat, I had to try and get its support. Without it, I couldn't do anything after all. The Void had to be aware of its power situation concerning me. This was no doubt the reason for its silence for so many minutes.

 

With my weak emotional connection to the Void, I could sense perplexity in it... and weariness. I chose to forget the latter, not being sure of the origin of this feeling and feeling that I shouldn't delve further into the subject for the time being. Deep down, I begged the Void to help me. Had it heard me? Given the strange impression that the Void had read my emotions, I could only wonder.

 

The Void finally decided to help me, and I could feel its Will seeping into me. Each time, it penetrated deeper and deeper into me, crushing everything that constituted my being... no, my very existence. In fact, I wondered when its Will would completely dominate me.

 

Suddenly, feelings of dread, sadness, bitterness, appeasement, joy, and jubilation assailed me as if my being could not settle on a particular emotion to feel. Yet, in a way, such a reaction was comforting, although at the same time frustrating for the different parts of me that wanted to impose their feelings on others.

 

In reaction to this deluge of emotion, I could only offer a nervous smile while anxiety settled inside me. I loved and hated this profusion of feelings. That was my honest assessment of the situation. Feeling emotions seemed like a burden as well as a gift. The most confusing part of my very existence wasn't even the fact that I was feeling multiple emotions at once but the fact that I was unexpectedly shifting from one mental state to another.

 

My existence seemed incapable of coherently and stably agreeing on emotion in response to a situation. Especially the latter, as my mental state, was simply incapable of being stable over time. It had taken me a long time to become aware of this since my first awakening, even though I had more or less understood it from the beginning. 

 

It was as if this change of state was natural to my being, an unchangeable characteristic that was an integral part of me, even if I wasn't sure whether I liked it or hated it entirely. It was like everything else remotely connected to me; in fact, I thought damningly. Although I could have ruminated for hours on my impotence or inadequacy, I didn't feel the need to do so then.

 

After all, I wasn't in a depressive mood now. In fact, I felt a gradual surge of self-confidence and the sense of well-being provided by the Void's Will uniting with me... or at least with my Will. Although I still wanted to feel the full warmth of my tender Void, I was soon caught up by reality. Unfortunately, the Void had to remind me of my task.

 

A pity... for me, who wanted to stay connected to these intense feelings of excitement and anguish for longer. In a way, only these feelings made me feel alive, for better... and especially for worse. Indeed, I didn't like this sensation of Life at all, even though the experience seemed unquestionably positive.

 

I no longer dwell on my emotions, sensing a slight frustration with the Void. So, I concentrated on the Void's Will and its comforting presence. Even though I didn't have a heart, I thought these pulsations were slowly becoming more widely spaced, accentuating this serenity until Our Will was born from our union.

 

Like a gentle breeze, it flowed calmly through my apostle's body, drawing closer to our goal. It took a few seconds for a strange but reassuring sensation to emanate from the places where the chains had previously been firmly attached. With the removal of the shackles from her body, Systalia fell to the ground, aching as I did but looking happy above all.

 

How I could understand her... I smiled broadly at the end of our imprisonment in these abominable chains. At last, we were free! At last, I was no longer powerless! At last, this suffocating sensation of limitation, of imprisonment of my very being, had ceased! My sister seemed so relieved that she exhaled gently while a satisfied expression naturally appeared on her face.

 

In any case, I had previously clearly underestimated how terrible and alienating such an experience was. In fact, I even thought I would have preferred physical pain, or even psychic pain, other than the restriction of my freedom. I never wanted to go through such an experience again... Never! I anchored this unquestionable fact to ensure I'd always remember it... At least, that was my initial aim.

 

Suddenly, a scream coming from somewhere closer than any previous one echoed throughout the room. Witnessing all the potential suffering through these moans could only bring us out of our smug smiles and back to the reality of our situation. My etheric body immediately shivered while my sister involuntarily swallowed.

 

Until now, we'd deliberately ignored the combination of panic, fright... and anger. The latter was rather interesting, as it seemed inappropriate for the last moments to live. Of course, I wasn't fooling myself: the humans outside had to be massacred. I highly doubted that the person behind the agonized screams was simply knocking them out.

 

In any case, we could no longer pretend to be unaware of this person's objective. Why were all these people interested in us today? No matter how hard I tried to calm my exasperation, I couldn't. For the first time, probably due to all my pent-up frustration, I felt the urge to lash out at someone or break things.

 

Much to my regret, my lack of a natural body prevented me from expressing these emotions. Even if I asked my sister to make my annoyance a reality, it wouldn't make me feel any better. After all, I longed to show my feelings to the World with my body. It would be impossible anyway. As far as I was concerned, more than the etheric body would be required for the task.

 

After all, there was nothing to destroy in the etheric plane, and, in any case, I didn't regard this body as reality but as a pure illusion of my mind... or of the Void's, I wasn't sure. So, my only option was to contain my irritation so as not to shout in the ears of my sister, who didn't need to be exposed to my many weaknesses any more than necessary.

 

My resolution might appear hypocritical because I had often exposed my apostle to the darkest corner of my personality. I was exaggerating, as they weren't the worst aspects of my personality, but they were still parts of me that I disdained showing others. Who wouldn't be ashamed of their own darkness?

 

Particularly when much less glamorous facets of ourselves were waiting inside ourselves for the right moment to reveal themselves to our eyes or to be flushed out by some kind of introspection. If you're not ashamed of your own darkness, unlike me of the past, I congratulate you... and I despise you because are you sure you know enough about the dark corners of your personality?

 

As far as I'm concerned, I've accepted them, or at least tolerated them, for some time now. After all, I'm aware that I could never fully embrace their beauty, just as I could never entirely reject their ugliness. But hey, let's stop talking about me. You must be falling asleep listening to me talk about my feelings without interest. So, let's get back to the story.

 

At the time, I didn't want to worry my apostle any further or distract her from her feelings. After all, from the pursing of her lips and the slightly wide-set eyes, she seemed to have her own battle to fight. So I couldn't bother her with my worries. Especially as there was a better time to dwell on the subject. I concentrated on the sudden absence of noise.

 

Systalia's body now appeared tense as footsteps echoed vehemently around the room. I wondered how the sounds could be so clear. But yes, it was obvious! I remembered we'd never heard the door close when Ælyana left the room. Therefore, it meant that she had left the inside of the room for all to see.

 

As a result, any human walking near here could see us directly, depending on where we were facing the door. In short, we were easy prey for any ill-intentioned person who wanted to kill us or simply capture us. However, the latter was only valid if more than one group of people had such motivations. I dared to hope that this was not the case.

 

In any case, I sighed at the useless revelation since it only created a little anxiety in me without even offering a semblance of a solution. But I couldn't continue these reflections any longer, for the footsteps came closer and closer, their sound encompassing us increasingly with their ever-increasing presence. I already knew that sound... I was convinced of it.

 

It became clear that I wasn't the only one who thought so, as my apostle's body tensed as much as it could despite its near-paralysis. Unconsciously, my etheric face expressed an air of distrust while my analysis of my sister's sensations sharpened, a sign that my mind was becoming sharper about the impending danger. After all, with someone as mysterious as she was dangerous, I had to be on my guard at all costs.

 

Even more so when it seemed likely that she was the source of the commotion outside. What did she want from me now? To capture me on behalf of another organization... No! She didn't seem to have such intentions when we first met, even if I had to admit I was flummoxed about her true intentions. However, I soon found out... Both my sister's and my own face broke into a feverish smile.

 

"Ælyana!"

 

Ælyana's footsteps, which seemed to be only a few meters away from us, stopped abruptly. Although I could not observe her face directly, I was confident it expressed an enigmatic smile, testifying to her keen interest in us. At this thought, a certain weariness, guilt, and a visceral feeling of knowing Ælyana intimately revealed themselves to my confused mind.

 

These new feelings, which didn't seem to belong to me, only further shook my certainty about who I had been before and, more importantly, who I was now. Anxiety took advantage of this opportunity to worm its way into my thoughts and take control of my mind. Fortunately, all these emotions disappeared along with the silence of the room.

 

"So you've recognized me. I must congratulate you. Nevertheless, it seems you can't go very far."

 

Ælyana took another step in our direction while she seemed to be trying to contain a laugh. But despite all this, the atmosphere proved to be heavier than ever. My sister could only try frantically to keep her breathing from quickening without much success.

 

"There's no need to be frightened by my approach. I won't kill you if that makes you feel any better. Besides, it would be the first time you'd had such a reaction to me. That said, such emotion towards me is actually quite hilarious. Well, I see you're not amused by the unveiling of my innermost thoughts... It's a pity. But let's continue our conversation from last time... Or rather, let's stop this charade if you don't mind my dear Void."

 

Ælyana walked a little further in our direction. My sister's body suddenly jerked... at least to the extent of her ability to move. She came so close to us that her breath tickled my apostle's neck. My sister and I were purely suspicious of her intentions. Unfortunately, this didn't stop Ælyana from whispering enigmatic phrases in her ear.

 

"Yes, it's you I'm talking to, not your "host". Even if, all things considered, she too is concerned by my words... Who'd have thought you'd have chosen her to bond with you. A surprising choice when I know you have no memories."

 

An expression of surprise appeared as much on my face as on Systalia's at this most disturbing revelation. Ælyana obviously knew a lot about us. Even my amnesia was hardly unknown to her. Who the hell was she? Ælyana... Hmm... Ælyana? Ælyana! Ælyana!!! I was sure she was someone significant to me before my first awakening...

 

"But let's get back to you! You've been lost in this World ever since you killed it. You're trapped within the walls of the System's remnants with no way of getting beyond the Kingdoms."

 

Ælyana bluntly uttered such shocking words. My sister and I could only muster bewildered at the revelation of a place beyond the Kingdoms. Moreover, the turn of phrase suggested that she wasn't referring to the Refuge. Was she unaware of this place, or did she simply have no interest in discussing it now? What was the expression "beyond the Kingdoms" alluding to if it was the latter?

 

In any case, even more, surprising words came out of her mouth after she had unnaturally paused, as if her mind were pondering the next step in her words or that she had found some inconsistency in them. Fortunately, her supposed reflection lasted no more than ten seconds, after which her monologue resumed.

 

"Although even before that was the case, except that you then had full knowledge of the World's Truths. Now you have nothing... Well, it doesn't matter! The point is, do you need help right now? After all, you've been kidnapped by an organization on the orders of- Well, I don't think I'm going to tell you any more than that. You'll learn all the truths about this organization and its many branches."

 

Ælyana paused for a moment before a more serious tone and slower speed of speech accompanied her following words.

 

"After all, if you prove incapable of finding this information on your own, then you'll never fully understand the danger this organization represents to Our Ideal."

 

She paused as if the rest of her words were to be considered with the utmost attention. My apostle swallowed involuntarily as her eyes crinkled. For my part, my gaze became piercing, while the expression on my etheric face turned serious. I was ready to absorb all the knowledge that would be passed on to me.

 

"But also its significance for this World and this society under the System's yoke. That's why I categorically refuse to give clues or point you in the right direction. If you fail in this quest, you aren't ready, and I'll have to wait longer for the day when I can finally..."

 

Her flow of words stopped again as she seemed to realize her mistake. Unfortunately for me, she wasn't so careless as to unwittingly reveal some genuinely helpful and immediately comprehensible information to orient herself in the fog that was all her words up to now.

 

"Well, I got carried away with my memories. In short, you have to investigate this organization on your own, even if, on the other hand, I know that you need more time to be ready to confront it or unearth its secrets. After all, as you are now, you're far too fragile both in terms of fighting strength and psychologically. That's why I suggest–"

 

After saying a few truthful things about our current situation, she suddenly stopped her monologue. What had she seen that had suddenly disturbed her so much that she had to suspend her speech? I had a good idea; my sister's facial muscles were probably forming due to the emotion. A feeling I shared deep down.

 

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait; you need more time to answer since barely ten seconds later, in a softer voice tinged with a slight sadness...

 

"I know that look. Like your 'host', you too must be showing this emotion, right? If so, I'm sorry in advance."

 

Surprisingly, Ælyana began her speech by apologizing, as if she'd had no choice but to hide the Truth from us? Was she under someone's orders? Strangely enough, however, I couldn't imagine her being under anyone's orders... So, a partnership... This idea seemed a little more coherent, even if I thought the relationship was more profound than a simple one of mutual gain.

 

Although I would have liked to have theorized at greater length about her situation with another fictitious person who seemed to have restricted what she could reveal to us, I had to remain attentive to her words. So, as her speech went on and on, I again quickly gave my attention to her following words, which were even more disappointing for my quest for knowledge... or almost.

 

"Indeed, if you're thinking of begging me to tell you about your past or impart knowledge about the World, the System, and the Outside, you can now forget that idea. Indeed, someone other than me should ask for such knowledge. There are many things I can help you with. But on these particular subjects, I cannot help you."

 

Indeed, the rest of her monologue had been somewhat helpful because she had at least taught me a new term: "Outside". Since this word was placed next to "World" and "System", I could only conclude that its importance was equal to those two. Thus, I updated one of my most fundamental objectives.

 

From now on, I was to investigate the link between the Outside and the World and the System, in addition to the relationship between the two. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time to breathe after drastically seeing the future work increase. Indeed, as if Ælyana were indifferent to the jolts of my mind, she relentlessly continued, without a single pause, her interminable monologue.

 

"After all, you must learn from your past yourself and analyze your actions before your amnesia from new perspectives. You must uncover this information on your own to reach a conclusion regarding this situation, which has already lasted too long and cost the lives of so many of your predecessors."

 

Again, I repeated that I had to learn the information independently. Although this reiteration of information seemed to lengthen her speech unnecessarily, it served to make it clear that we would never get any answers from her... at least, not now and not under the current conditions.

 

I still needed to understand why it was crucial not to find out immediately. Indeed, to survive in this World and society, I needed more information to prepare my expeditions better. Otherwise, I was bound to end up in a situation that would prove increasingly calamitous.

 

How was I supposed to wait an indeterminate but undoubtedly long time for information when I needed this knowledge to explore this World safely and unearth all its secrets? To my dismay, I couldn't unravel this paradox unless Ælyana gave me some understanding of this World, even if only partially.

 

Nevertheless, a revelation of even minor secrets about the World, to help me in my objectives, seemed not even to cross her mind. Indeed, immediately after giving me a glimpse of several fascinating and puzzling Truths about this World, along with the term "predecessors" and the need for a conclusion to a situation that I wrongly assumed to be the System's domination of the World, that seemed to have been going on since before I was born.

 

I couldn't even conceive of the extent to which this "situation", the status quo of the World and this society, had already existed for so long that the circumstances and reasons for its origin had been relegated to myths that had themselves have been forgotten by the World and society. Just as I could not truly understand the meaning of the word "predecessors" concerning my existence.

 

Unfortunately, Ælyana soon realized her mistake and interrupted her speech for a moment before mumbling phrases corroborating my hypothesis of a relationship between her and someone else powerful... or at least who appeared to know a lot about this World and the System.

 

"Oops! I'll stop here; otherwise, I risk revealing too much sensitive information. Especially as She wouldn't have wanted you to have access to so much information when you hardly possess the strength yet to protect it from covetousness after all."

 

Although I had initially thought that she would never give me answers to my questions about the World, the organization, or even my past, it appeared that I was wrong. I was looking forward to that day, although in the meantime, I had no choice but to rely on Ælyana to get us out of the disastrous situation in which I and my apostle were embroiled.

 

After all, I could think of no other reason why she should chat with us in a room after having killed many of our enemies. So, I could only hope my intuition was correct, and she was undoubtedly an ally... or at least an observer who could help us in certain circumstances.

 

As if she'd picked up on my thoughts, her voice became clear, limpid again, and her tone serious. My sister swallowed at the palpable tension in her following words while breathing a sigh of relief at Ælyana's offer of help.

 

"That's why I'm going to help you out of this perilous situation. You should know, however, that I will only help you a little on other occasions. This time was a special case because you're Classless and have virtually no access to general information on the workings of the Academy and society. So, once you've obtained your Class, I will take only a few risks to save you from delicate circumstances. I don't want to be spotted by Her after all..."

 

Her last mutterings left Systalia and me somewhat puzzled. So Ælyana had an enemy. This was crucial information because if we interacted with her, we, too, could become her target. Next, I quickly passed over the fact that she knew of my Classless status. After all, I was no closer to a surprising revelation.

 

I turned my attention back to her undoubted belief in my ability to obtain a Class. Even I wasn't sure I could achieve such a feat, especially as I didn't know how. So, to hear a person who seemed to know everything in this World maintain that I was in a position to win a Class as if it were a matter of course, was disconcerting, to say the least.

 

As if to prove that I had just considered her boundless knowledge, especially about me and the Void, Ælyana added lightly:

 

"Hmm… From what I can see, you've been suffering from the after-effects of using your unique power. Am I right? You don't need to answer me because the simple expression on your "host's" face is enough. It doesn't matter anyway, because I've brought you a little gift that should solve this problem. I say I'm giving you something, but I'm just giving you back your own things."

 

She then suddenly grabbed my apostle's left arm, seeming to provoke an instinctive reaction of fright from the latter by the expression on her face. Unfortunately, she could not translate this emotion into her gestures; her body was almost paralyzed. However, everything changed after Ælyana placed a parchment on Systalia's left hand. That spell!!!

 

My sister and I could only smile broadly at the sudden improvement in our situation. The scroll held in her left hand allowed her body to move enough to walk on all fours. Moreover, the mana reserves needed for the spell to work correctly had once again been replenished over the hours we'd been waiting.

 

The gift she gave us was our belongings confiscated by organization members. My thoughts were immediately answered when the sound of objects being placed abruptly on the floor echoed throughout the room. She began to speak again, away from my apostle's ear.

 

"You now have everything you need to fight the head of the organization's local branch. You'll be able to fight him and eliminate the organization's threat... at least for a while. Fight him and enjoy this moment of respite! I'm sure you'll need it if you want to familiarize yourself calmly with the Academy..."

 

My sister's and my faces paled at Ælyana's foolish words. Did she really want us to fight an Academician whose strength was undoubtedly far superior to that of the one who had been sent to the city? And what's more, he'll unquestionably have the home advantage on his territory! Of course, I was not obligated to fight the Academician if I saw him.

 

After all, my motivation to fight our opponents had waned after all the events of that long, too-long day. So I had only one wish: that this lamentable expedition should end as soon as possible. In any case, her last sentence did not resonate well with my sister's and my daily life, should we pass the Apprentice Class and be admitted to the Academy.

 

As if she'd understood my plan to evade possible fights with Academicians, Ælyana added with a soft laugh:

 

"Of course, you can leave here or meet your opponents. Although I'd recommend slaughtering the few living enemies still hanging around if you want to prolong your future period of peace."

 

After reassuring us that we didn't have to fight what must have been the most significant threat I'd ever faced, my sister's facial muscles relaxed. But the relief didn't last long. Ælyana's slow footsteps, indicating that she was leaving the room, brought us back to our mutual desire to ask her a question that had been nagging at us since the start of her monologue.

 

So Systalia began to speak in a loud, hurried voice:

 

"Why did you act as if you knew nothing about us last time?"

 

Suddenly, the sound of Ælyana's footsteps stopped, and she gave only a short reply: "Because it was an amusing test for you to take," before frantically resuming her walk as if nothing had happened.

 

Strangely enough, I couldn't see her answer as the real reason for her previous action... At least, it concealed another, more essential reason. Although I couldn't prove it, the tone of her voice gave me the impression that she hadn't been entirely honest in her last words.

 

As I recapitulated all the information we'd gained from Ælyana's speech, she stopped walking again as if she'd forgotten to reveal something crucial.

 

"If you want to get a Class, then the only way to do it is to face one of the strongest humans in the Apprentice Class. It's the only condition you have left to fulfill. Think carefully; an opportunity like this probably won't come around again for a long time."

 

Although many questions ran through my mind, they took time to be answered. Indeed, even though the sound of footsteps had not resumed, I had the impression that Ælyana was no longer in this place.

 

The next few minutes proved me right. After activating the parchment spell, Systalia, thanks to her body's newfound mobility, managed to touch the object blocking our view with her hands. Although removing it by brute force soon proved impossible, the object was no match for her absorption by the Void.

 

We could now once again contemplate the dim light of the dungeon, which appeared luminous compared to the darkness we had been accustomed to over the last few hours and the absence of Ælyana in the vicinity. All that remained was to debate the most appropriate choice in our current situation. To leave or to fight?

 

In reality, there wasn't really a choice to be made. Indeed, as Ælyana had pointed out, if her words were entirely true, we probably wouldn't have another opportunity to level up for quite some time. Who knew if we'd still be alive when the opportunity arose?

 

So we turned our gaze to the room door, determined to face our enemies, momentarily forgetting our fears and apprehensions.