Book 6: Chapter 58
Scarlet
Inside her mindspace
After falling unconscious, I find my mind drifting. Just floating in an endless void. Yet, somehow, despite knowing that I’m not actually here, and that it’s likely inside of my mind, I find myself floating inside of a pitch black darkness filled with a strange, comfortable sensation that feels nice on my bare skin.
Although my modesty makes me create clothes out of my blood so that I’m not just here naked. Even if it’s my mind.
But even after I wear the clothes, I find that the comfortable sensation is still there.
So I just relax and let it carry me through this void.
Time passes as I rest my eyes, floating endlessly in this void. And after who knows how long, I slowly open my eyes to see some strange sights.
Little screens that show images of my life flashing through them.
The time I spent hunting demons in the Fractures on Earth. Time I spent on Tartarus doing the same thing.
Times I spent fighting in tournaments, or times I met people like Aria.The time I met my biological family.
One after another.
But, to my surprise, the images gradually begin to confuse me as they continue going through my life. Because at one point, they branch off of what I remember happening.
They begin to show things that didn’t actually happen.
Starting from the moment the Corrupted Fractures started opening up and the prophecy was shattered.
My eyes narrow a little bit.
Am I…
“Watching the prophecy?” a strange, yet soft and feminine voice suddenly rings out through the void around me. “Yes, you are.”
Wait, you can read my mind?
“We’re inside of your mind, so I think that’s a given,” the voice continues, making me subconsciously nod my head.
Yeah, guess that makes sense…
Wait, how are you inside of my mind?
“Technically I’m just projecting a part of my mind into yours,” the voice continues, confusing me for a second. “I have always been wanting to meet you, ever since I first divined that prophecy, Scarlet. So believe me when I tell you, it is a pleasure to meet you. Savior of the universe.”
I blink at that.
Wait, you’re the one who divined the prophecy? I thought that was…
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“You thought it was either the previous fae queen or someone she knew, right?” the voice says, finishing my thoughts. “That’s what they believe. But that’s not the truth.”
So… who are you?
And why can’t I see you?
A short silence ensues before I squint my eyes as a bright flash of silver light shines out of nowhere. Then what looks like a girl around my own age appears where the silver light was.
And the girl… wow.
She has long, flowing silver hair with silver eyes that look dead, possibly implying blindness. Meanwhile she’s wearing some sort of flowy robe made out of her own energy. Likely doing something similar to what I’m doing with my blood clothes.
What surprises me the most about her, though, is that I can sense that she’s Class VI, just like me and the Voided Overlord. But at the same time, I don’t feel any real power coming from her. Almost like she were one of those noncombatant Guardians on Earth.
“That would be because I have little to no capacity for combat,” the girl’s voice rings in my head without her lips moving. “All I can do is divine the future and foretell prophecies. Guiding others to greatness.”
Huh.
Don’t you find that boring?
The girl tilts her head as her voice rings out, “Boring?”
Yeah. Boring.
Do you even meet people? Pretty sure I would’ve sensed you if you’d gone out into the universe. What with your Class VI energy.
Kind of hard to miss.
Meaning you’ve been holing yourself up somewhere. At least since I became Class VI myself.
A few seconds pass in silence before I see the girl’s lips quirking upwards a little into a smile. Then she covers her mouth with her hand and starts to giggle.
“Yeah, it has been boring,” she says after she finishes giggling. “But it’s nice to talk to someone again after so long.”
I cross my arms as I tilt my own head and ask, “So why have you been hiding, anyways?”
“The universe doesn’t like Class VI beings residing within it,” she answers, her face taking a sad turn. “It’s fine for you, since it can’t touch you. But for someone like me, who has no combat ability, the universe would simply expel me into the void for entering it.”
Ah.
“That’s sad,” I state with a slight frown of my own.
Nice to know that I’m safe though.
Then again, I could destroy the universe myself if I wanted to. So it makes sense it won’t bother me.
“Please try not to do that,” the girl who is probably a lot older than me despite her appearance says. “And that’s just rude.”
Sorry.
A few seconds pass in silence before we both start laughing.
When we’re done, I let out a sigh. Because I feel relaxed for the first time in a very long time.
Nothing expected of me.
Nothing I need to do.
But…
Why am I in my own mind, again?
The girl frowns a little and says, “Your mind was badly damaged by the Voided Overlord’s last attack and has spent the last several years repairing itself with your absurd regeneration.”
Ah. That would explain it then.
I knew the thing got another attack in on me, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this bad.
At least I won.
Silence fills the void for a few seconds.
“Any idea when I’ll be getting out?” I ask while spreading my arms to the sides and just floating in the void that is my mind.
“Soon,” the girl says, sounding rather sad about that fact.
Hmm. Say, what if I protected you from the universe?
Then you could come with me.
The girl looks surprised at my offer. Which makes sense, since I’m not usually the type to offer a helping hand to a stranger out of nowhere. Especially the person who prophesized that horrendous prophecy that made the start of my life hell.
But… I just feel like I should.
Not sure why.
Maybe it’s because that prophecy is also what’s turned me into what I am, or maybe it’s because it saved the universe.
“So how about it?” I repeat, feeling a little amused by her dumbfounded face. “I’m sure the universe won’t bother you if I’m around.”
It’s afraid of me after all.
And it’s not like the universe has an actual consciousness.
After a few seconds, the girl starts to smile.
“Alright,” she says with tears beginning to flow down from her closed eyes.
By the way, what’s your name.
She smiles at me as she cries before quietly answering, “Shirou. My name’s Shirou.”