I’ve only lived for about twenty years, but I’ve already learned one thing.
In the end, there is no such thing as a life without regrets.
Even when you intend to make the best possible choice, failure is a constant. However, at the same time, that choice should bring plenty of rewards. That is why I believe it is more constructive to focus on what you stand to gain from a path rather than dwelling on the uncertainty of the choice itself.
The important thing is to give it your all once you’ve picked a path. You have to keep striving until you’ve gained enough to be satisfied—to the point where you don't even have to imagine the future you left behind.
...Even so, if I were given the chance to start over, I—
I was standing in a surreal space—a land of white chalk stretching into infinity under a sky faintly lit by the dawn. The silver-haired woman beside me smiled, her amber eyes fixed on mine.
"Well then, shall we go, Orun!"
The voice of the smiling silver-haired woman—Shion—was bright and full of life.
"—Yeah. Let’s go destroy the world, Shion."
With those final words, my consciousness faded.
◆ ◆ ◆
"…Heavy."
It was the day after our battle with "The Doctor," an executive of the Cyclamen Cult. The chaos triggered by Sophia’s engagement uproar and the condemnation of the former Count Claudel was finally behind us.
My morning began with the sensation of something heavy pressing down on my stomach.
"…………Huh?"
I lifted my head to check, only to find Fuuka slumped over me, sleeping soundly.
(Wait, what?! Why is Fuuka in my room?!)
I hurriedly checked the time. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet. It wasn't an especially late hour, so the idea that I’d overslept and she’d come to wake me up was pretty thin.
"Nn… mm…"
As I sat there panicking, Fuuka sat up.
"Morning… Orun…" she greeted me, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Yeah, morning… Wait, no! Fuuka, why are you here?"
"…? Was I not allowed?"
I tried to make sense of the situation, but she just tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled.
"It’s not that you aren’t allowed, but it’s probably not a good idea for a girl to just wander into a guy’s room alone."
"Mm. I’ll be careful next time. More importantly, how are you feeling?"
"How am I feeling? …I feel like I’ve been sleeping for a very long time, but other than that, I’m fine."
I didn't understand why she was suddenly asking that, but after checking my own condition, I told her exactly what I felt.
"I see."
Fuuka nodded. Her expression was as unreadable as ever. After a moment's pause, she spoke again.
"Orun, I need you to listen to me."
Her sleepy demeanor vanished. She looked more serious than I had ever seen her.
"…Understood."
Faced with her intensity, I instinctively straightened my posture.
"Orun, have you ever doubted your own memories?"
"…Eh?"
I’d braced myself for whatever she was going to say, but those words were enough to bring my brain to a screeching halt. Any lingering sleepiness vanished instantly. At the same time, the words left behind by Gary Orail, a member of the former Hero Party, flashed through my mind.
—"You came into contact with Philly about ten years ago."
—"Doubt what you take for granted. There is a high possibility that it is a distorted truth."
Before he died, Gary had been part of the Cyclamen Cult. He was the man who had tried to assassinate Princess Lucila during our journey from the Royal Capital to Tsutrail earlier this year.
"…Ugh, gah…!"
Recalling his words triggered a sharp headache.
"Based on that reaction, you already knew you were subject to Perception Alteration. That makes things easier. Don't you want to know the truth about your past?"
Fuuka’s eyes were locked onto mine.
"Will you… tell me?"
Fuuka shook her head.
"I don't know the details myself, so I can't tell you. But I can introduce you to the person who knows."
I’ve always been aware of my own thirst for knowledge. It’s why I spend my free time buried in books, obsessively deepening my understanding of magic. If the thing being offered to me was the "true past," there was only one possible answer.
"Fuuka, take me to them."
I didn't hesitate.
"Okay. But… first, I’m hungry. I want breakfast."
The serious atmosphere shattered instantly as she patted her stomach.
"………… Hahaha. You never change, Fuuka. All right. Everyone else should be getting up by now, so let’s head to the dining hall."
I was stunned for a second, but seeing her act so much like herself made me burst out laughing. I walked with her to the dining hall, where we joined Selma, Haruto, Sophia, and the rest of Twilight Moonbow for breakfast.
Thank you for reading!
I’ve kept you waiting a long time, but Chapter Seven has officially begun!
There will be some very harsh developments in this arc, but I hope you enjoy the ride!
Regarding comments and impressions: I used to reply to every single one, but things have been quite busy lately, and I haven't been able to keep up. I'm sorry to say it will likely be difficult to reply to impressions going forward.
That said, I do read every single one, so please feel free to leave a comment whenever you like!