Truth within the Memories

ROSE

"Kya!?"

I hit the ground hard, though I landed on something unexpectedly plush.

I shook the cobwebs out of my head and sat up, only to realize I was currently using two other girls as a human mattress.

"Oh, heavens! I’m so sorry!" I blurted out.

"Rose-senpai, I would appreciate it if you got off me this instant," Princess Alexia snapped.

"And Princess Alexia, please stop touching me in such... questionable places," Author Natsume added.

The two of them were already glaring daggers at each other from underneath me. As soon as I scrambled to my feet, they practically teleported away from one another, faces turned in opposite directions.

Are they having a lovers' spat? No, they just genuinely seem to loathe each other. How tragic.

"Now, now, you two, I don't think fighting is—"

I trailed off as I finally realized that every single person in the room was staring at me.

We were in a dimly lit atrium. A group of black-clad women had us surrounded. Right in the center stood Alpha, Epsilon, and a very captured-looking Nelson.

"Um... well..."

Realizing there was absolutely nothing I could do to fix this situation, I did the only logical thing: I held up both hands in surrender. I flashed them my best "I'm totally harmless" smile, hoping they wouldn't kill me on the spot.

Beside me, poor Author Natsume was trembling like a leaf. She’s terrified. I have to do something! I resolved to step up, but Alexia beat me to the punch. She strode forward with a look of utter defiance.

"Forgive us. I tripped and fell," she said coolly. "And wouldn't you know it, there was a door right where I landed. It was completely unavoidable."

I learned an important life lesson right then: persuasiveness is 90% acting like you’re too important to be questioned. Even if you’re spitting a blatant lie, if you stand there with the gravitas of a Demon King who just conquered the world, everyone else will just decide that calling you out is too much effort.

The look on everyone's faces said it all: Yeah, sure, Princess. Whatever you say.

"If you can stay quiet, do as you please," Alpha said, giving Alexia a passing glance. "Perhaps it’s time you all learned the truth anyway."

She started barking out orders, and the black-clad women began to disperse. Alexia gave a subtle, triumphant fist pump. She actually pulled it off.

That left the rest of us: Alpha, Nelson, Alexia, Author Natsume, me, and one other black-clad woman. She didn't look like Epsilon—someone else, then.

"What is the meaning of this? What are you planning?" Nelson growled, glaring up at Alpha while the mysterious woman held him fast.

Alpha’s lips curled into a faint smile behind her mask. "It is said that long ago, the Hero Olivier sealed the Left Arm of Diabolos in this very land."

"So what?" Nelson sneered. "Did you come all this way just to play hide-and-seek with a severed limb?"

"That does sound like a fun diversion," Alpha replied. "But that isn't our goal. We want to know about the Cult of Diabolos."

Alexia’s entire demeanor shifted at the mention of the Cult. Her eyes turned sharp, a detail I didn't miss.

"I have no idea what you're talking about..." Nelson muttered.

"I didn't expect you to answer. That’s why I came to see for myself. I’m here to drag the truth out from the darkness of history—all of it."

Alpha turned her back on him and walked toward a massive stone statue. The rhythmic click-clack of her heels echoed through the cavernous space.

"The Statue of Hero Olivier," she noted.

I tilted my head, confused. "Hero Olivier? But... wasn't the hero a man?"

The statue Alpha was looking at was clearly a woman brandishing a Holy Sword. She was breathtaking—radiant and divine, like a Valkyrie carved from stone.

"We have a general idea of the facts," Alpha continued, "but we lack confirmation. We don't have the full truth of history, the Cult’s true objective, or..."

Alpha reached out, her fingers gently brushing the statue’s cheek.

"...or the reason why Hero Olivier has the exact same face as I do."

She turned around, and the mask covering her features simply vanished.

"An Elf...?" someone whispered. I’m not even sure who.

We all stood there, breathless. She was stunning, yes, but the real shock was her face. She was the spitting image of the statue. She was Olivier’s twin.

"No way... You’re one of the Elves?" Nelson stammered. "But you should have died from Possession..."

"So, you do know," Alpha said.

Nelson’s jaw clamped shut, his face turning pale.

"We know the Truth of Possession, too," Alpha said. "I imagine that’s a bit of a problem for a Cult that wants to control the world order, isn't it?"

Nelson looked at the floor, refusing to say a word.

I was completely lost. Most of this was going right over my head, but Alexia seemed to be following along. And looking at Alpha, I didn't get the vibe that she was just making things up for the hell of it. An organization this powerful doesn't do archaeology as a hobby. There was a reason for all of this—a reason for Shadow Garden, and a reason for the Cult of Diabolos.

My mind raced back to the Academy Attack Incident. There was no way that was just a random tragedy. A secret war was being waged between two titans, and the realization made my skin crawl. If this conflict ever went loud, a country like ours, completely ignorant of the stakes, wouldn't stand a chance.

"I suspect the Cult’s goal is something far more sinister than the simple Resurrection of the Demon," Alpha said. "But I’m tired of guessing. Why don't we all go see for ourselves?"

Alpha began to channel Magic Power into the statue. The sheer pressure of it made the very air vibrate.

"This Magic Power... it’s definitely Possession," Nelson whispered, his voice trembling. "Did she reach Awakening on her own...?"

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. The sheer volume of her power was monstrous. If she ever decided to point that strength at a nation, it would take an entire world's worth of soldiers to even slow her down.

"A great battle was fought here once," Alpha said. "The hero sealed the Demon, and countless lives were snuffed out. The Magic Power of the Demon and the warriors clashed, forming a Vortex of Magic Power that trapped the memories of those who died. This place is a graveyard where ancient memories and the Malice of the Demon slumber."

The statue began to glow, reacting to her touch. Ancient Letters shimmered into existence, and the cold stone began to flush with life and color.

"Hero Olivier. I knew you’d answer me."

Suddenly, there she was—a living, breathing Hero Olivier, looking exactly like Alpha.

"Impossible... this can't be happening..." Nelson’s legs gave out, and he started to shake.

Olivier turned her back on us and began to walk. The path ahead of her dissolved into pure, white light, swallowing everything in its wake.

"Now then," Alpha’s voice drifted through the brilliance, "shall we depart for the World of Fairy Tales?"