Shards of Old

Mike finished his story.

I… was confused.

So much of the information he provided made no sense to me.

First of all, I didn’t remember any of that shit.

For me, I remembered being in the MIRE and then right after I was there, in the valley near Melle’s place.

I was pretty sure I would have remembered being kept captive somewhere. Especially if I was used as some kind of energy source…

Wait.

How did I even think of that?

He never specifically mentioned that in his story…?

And besides, what happened to the rest of them?

-And what happened then? You just left the island? You kind of cut in a weird place.

-That’s because there’s nothing much to it. She just collapsed and that’s it.

-Collapsed…?

-Yeah. I think she used too much mana and… well, back then I thought she died but that was clearly not it.

-That makes absolutely no sense. What about Il? And your daughter? They were with you! And as far as I know, you didn’t have them for the longest time, you know? You arrived just like me, alone.

He went silent.

Didn’t he realize I knew?

-You know quite a bit.

-Of course…? I met a lot of people…

I thought he knew that?

-Ah… I guess… I shouldn't try and paint you a fake story… Okay fine.

Fake story?

-It’s… the truth is… not only one person got caught up in the closed portal. Truth is, all of us were there, trying to jump through.

I found it hard to believe, but did let him talk.

-As it collapsed, it just split us up. I have no idea where everyone landed… I was only sure of the guy dying, because the corpse… half of it… ended up going with me.

I am not going to lie, I had a hard time buying his part of the story.

And yet, I was not able to tell if he was lying to me.

-So let me summarize… - I started. - After our failure, I got captured by the remains of MIRE and, while presumed dead, used as an energy source for a new base. Apparently, the same base later was used as a place for ILMA to be contained in. Later, she brainwashed all of the staff there and made them release her. She then released me, but during the process got captured and jailed…? I still don’t get that part.

-Oh, that one is simple. See, we currently are in a contained zone. This whole island, long, long time ago was used as a place whole countries sent their prisoners too. Apparently, it never ended, and included us. But, since we were “special”, they had to use a bit advanced method of containment. You probably figured some of that out.

-Portals… teleporting magic…

-Precisely. Magic, that was released with that… “missile” and enveloped the whole island… bah, the whole continent. It prevents anyone inside from leaving or outside from entering, teleporting them to the other side of the barrier. I think you already experienced that, albeit on a smaller scale.

He was right.

I remembered.

The whole spell that protected Kon’s place. That blocked my passage and confused me at first. The same one I tempered with and might have modified a bit.

Wait.

So that was on the horizon?

That was not just some random waterfall on the edge of the world. It wasn’t even the edge of the world!

It was just the effect of portal magic: the water being disrupted by being teleported away, and at the same time the water from the other side being teleported there.

That, plus the abundance of magic, was making the strange effect.

But…

-Wait. Didn’t that veil get broken not so long ago?

-Broken? Ah, you talking about that… no. It was hit, but not broken.

Well, he was probably correct, because if it was, probably someone would’ve noticed.

I turned in his grasp to look at the horizon.

Now, when I knew what to look for, I could tell that his story, at least this part, could’ve actually been true.

So we really were just still in the same world, just… isolated.

That was… boring.

Honestly, with that much mana we released I really thought that we might have broken the veil between worlds…

If those existed in the first place, that is.

But that was a question for another day.

Now then…

-Where do we go from here? - I asked. - I am kind of stuck at the moment, so, what do you intend to do?

-I intend to wait for you to recover. Hell, already you made some progress.

-I did?

-You’re talking, right?

-I was all the time…?

-I mean with a regular mouth. Not just your mind.

-I…

Oh.

Right. I was.

After his story I have been talking to him normally and I didn’t even notice.

I actually had to take a look at myself to check how much I already regenerated, and honestly, it was a lot more than I expected.

Sure, I still was just a head, but I had a neck now! And a fully formed face. I think.

Some progress.

-Hm… Well, that’s probably going to take a long while…

-Not exactly. Judging by the speed of this, I assume you should be done in about an hour.

-Hour?!

How would he even know that?

-I know because it’s not the first time I’ve been dealing with artificially grown bodies.

Ah right. He was still listening.

And of course, that was also true. He was the one who was investigating ways to give bodies to “remnants”.

Hell, I bet he was the one who even coined that term. Or was it “revenants”?

-Well, that’s a bit… well… - he paused and considered something for a moment.

-...?

-There are both “remnants” and “revenants”. You and me, for example, are “revenants”. Those are people who lost their bodies and managed to recreate, or get new ones in some kind of way. “Remnants” are those without body, trapped within something. A piece of crystal, most usually. Like ILMA was before. And, from what I know, Kon.

Hm.

So that’s how it's supposed to be?

I used either of those randomly, to be honest.

-Well, you were wrong.

-How was I supposed to know if you didn’t tell me before?

-Right.

-Whatever. Now I guess we wait for my recovery I guess…? Then what?

-Then we chase her again.

-Huh!? You still going on about that? Why are you even trying so hard? It’s not like she’s any danger to us.

-Maybe not to you specifically, sure. But don’t you think it’s kind of our duty to clean our mess?

-I believe it’s already past the point of no return. Weren’t we “banished” or some shit?

-And that releases us from responsibility how?

That was strange.

I didn’t think of him to be so… responsible?

Especially after the organization that he tried being so loyal to essentially just let him to rot. Blackmailed him.

-They did not let me to rot. I still was in contact with them for a long time after the… problem. But that’s besides the point. I am not trying to be loyal to them, you know. I just don’t want for ILMA to be released outside.

Right. He was still listening. I kept forgetting that.

I probably should’ve been used to that already.

-Why so worried? It’s not like it matters? - I asked. - She’s been here for a long while and what, I feel you did a lot more damage than her.

-You think that was all me? - he asked. - And I didn’t do that just because of her in my mind?

-True…

-Let’s be brutally honest. If not for my strong mind, she would’ve been outside a long time ago. And probably would’ve done the same thing outside.

-So?

-SO? You think assimilating everyone is such a great thing?!

-Maybe it is, maybe it is not… But you sure she wants that? It’s not like…

-It’s not like she wants genocide on people who kept her in a cage and experimented on her? On people that wanted to use her as an object?

-Okay, I didn’t…

-Well, I do. I am sure that she wants to at least destroy the remains of the MIRE and our “higher ups”.

-I still have no idea who are those people supposed to be.

-Well, I do have a vague idea. And let me tell you, that’s going to be another catastrophe.

-Imagine every world leader suddenly disappearing. Or even worse, suddenly shifting their views to something drastically different, following ILMA’s will.

-Honestly… - I mumbled - I wouldn’t care…

-Maybe you wouldn’t. But that would prove disastrous for the whole world!

Oh boy. That was not going where I expected to.

He was starting to get all political. So I just better nod and agree, I was not pulling the pin on that grenade.

Especially since he was still holding me in his hand.

-Okay… so, stop her from leaving. Got it. How do we do that? - I asked, trying to avoid the topic for a little bit. - I assume you need me?

-I need you?

-Well, you saved me. And now waiting for me to recover.

-Don’t you think I did it from my good nature.

-No.

-Hah… You wound me.

-But I am right.

-Well…

-Eh… Right. I do need you. I thought you might be a good insurance in case something went to shit…

-Of course.

-Don’t be like that! Like you wouldn’t do the same to me!

He might have been right.

-So. What do you want from me?

-You still have the pact with her, right?

Ah. Of course he knew.

-It seems so.

-And it is working, right?

-Yeah. I think so.

-Oh. Great. I thought it was going to be harder, you know…

-Harder? That I was going to not cooperate…?

-No, not that. You’re not that stupid. I know how you work - he shook his head. - I thought that the pact would’ve been damaged.

-Well, it still can be the case… I’ve been through some shit recently, you know… - I said, gesturing to my body.

Hold on.

I did that.

I managed to gesture towards myself.

I had arms!

Hell, that recovery speed was faster than I thought.

I was no longer just a head with an awkward piece of crystal sticking from it. I was a half-torso now!

While my arms weren’t really fully formed, I could move them and I didn’t even realize it!

-Oh shit. That was fast.

-Well, I am helping you - commented Mike - so of course you’re faster.

-You are?

I honestly couldn’t tell.

For me, his mana was as dormant as before and nothing was leaking out. Was he just bullshiting me?

Then again, he also did have that strange superhuman abilities without, seemingly at least, spending any mana. Who knows what he was capable of?

-Yeah, sure… thanks, I guess.

-No problem. But we probably should hurry up and get moving…

-It’s not really dependent on me…

But, before I was able to finish my thought, I suddenly felt a surge of energy.

Yeah, this time I clearly felt his mana around me.

Before I was even able to protest, or do anything for that matter, really, I was already fully enveloped with his mana.

-What are you…

I expected the worst.

But, surprisingly, his mana was not invasive.

It was really… neutral? Like he was purposefully making it feel that way.

I mean, sure, it probably could be just attributed to being kind and all that, but I kept having a feeling that he was trying to hide something.

Not like I could do anything about that…

His help was appreciated and very effective.

In a moment I was covered with his mana, the other one it was already gone, absorbed by my own crystal body.

-Oohh…

It was the fastest I have ever regenerated.

I could see my body reform right in front of my eyes.

From the neck down, I sprouted legs and completely formed arms, moments later standing on my own two legs.

-Holy… that’s effective.

-You’re welcome. Now…

Again, without any prompt, he waved his hand and a flash of mana blinded me.

Portal magic?

Something similar.

In a blink of an eye, I found myself standing in front of a familiar scene: a forest.

With a rather large clearing inside that definitely had some signs of magic and fire damage as well.

Arbo.