I looked at Mr. Yamashita and my head started throbbing with the way he spoke at us as if he predicted our visit.
Like an all-knowing god.
"Mr. Yamashita, we've been meaning to ask you a lot of questions," I started and he sipped drink before he spoke.
"Call me by my first name. No need for formalities," he added as he put down his drink on the coffee table.
"Umm… Sai," I said his name then he looked at me. I have a lot of questions popping inside my mind but I don't know which one to say first.
"Wait," he said then he motioned his left hand for us to stop speaking. "I know you have a lot of questions but allow me first to speak," he said then he took a deep breath before he spoke again. He seemed like a grandfather telling interesting stories to his grandchildren.
"I came in this world when I was 21 years old. Many years had already passed and I am already at the age of 62." He started telling his story then we all listened to him intently.
"The book can choose whoever it wants. It says people who have great intentions can see this book. When I first saw this book, I didn't plan to open it. When I've been seeing this book for a week, I grew irritated because every time I look back or to the side, it was always there. It even followed me to my house. I even tried to burn the book, but nothing happened." Klein suddenly spoke.
"Then it just means that you guys have no choice but to open the book?" He took the words right out of my mouth. Sai nodded as his answer.
"I opened this book and Cevin, it was the same for you. Flying words came circling around me. We heard a voice saying statements of our responsibility. I also had countless of questions in my mind waiting for an answer, especially if I can ever return to my world or not," he said and the last statement he said got me.
"What happened? What did you do for this world? If we have the same thoughts, maybe you know all of the answers to my questions," I said and he sighed deeply.
"When I came here, I didn't believe in what was happening. All of that's happening here was unrealistic—a world really found in a book like a figment of the author's imagination. I talked to one man whom I was with before. His name was Bourde." He started another part of his story again.
"I chose to be a protagonist. Bourde accompanied me in my journey. During that time, the problem of this world was the Dark Stalker Guild. The movement of that group was to destroy the wall that would protect the tower and its songstress.
"I was still living in the town of Zinonia. I made a group named 'Guardian Force' to stop them. The Dark Stalkers were in the town of Distinia. They wanted to enter the wall because there was one treasure there that was believed to give a person eternal life.
"One night, I was sleeping and had a dream where the goddess was talking to me, but I couldn't see her. Only her voice was heard in the darkness. I asked help from her to stop the Dark Stalkers. They already entered the tower that time without us noticing it. We got our group and entered after them.
"Then I was in for a surprise and it broke my heart. It was treachery. Bourde was the leader of the group, the Dark Stalkers. He was my trusted friend—he betrayed me.
"I realized that he was the antagonist that I was fighting in the shadows of the Dark Stalkers all along. He was the one who told the Dark Stalkers how to enter the wall when I researched immensely some information about the wall.
"Bourde and I fought. Our group's obligation was to protect that treasure because it was actually something that would strengthen Dionne. It was a song that would protect everyone in Hartifalia.
"The song that Dionne has now is a song of prevention. The song that we were protecting is the Song of Healing. It is a song that would nourish the world and at the same time, heal and protect it. It is a song that would even cleanse the thoughts of people.
"Dionne was not yet prepared to have that song, but we've protected it long enough and is safe inside the tower. Until the time comes, it's inside, waiting for Dionne before she could sing the song on top of the tower.
"I defeated Bourde. It hurt me a lot to kill a precious friend, but a true friend stabs him in the front, not at the back. He was the reason why my arm was cut off. It was a deadly fight between us. He thanked me when I defeated him, saying that I stopped him from becoming worse. He told me that he needed the treasure's immortality for his wife who had cancer back in London." He was narrating his story and it made me think.
Not all antagonists are bad in nature.
I sighed a little and Sai continued narrating his story.
"I have the power of brute strength and defense. Bourde had the power of speed that lived within his spear. He was difficult to deal with, but I have done my task.
"When the goddess knew that I finished the chapter of this book, she asked what my wish was and promised to grant it. I thought seriously and carefully... then came to realize that I wanted to live in this peaceful world. I was depressed back in Japan. You know that suicide was rampant in our country.
"I felt depression here and there and coming here knowing that I had a responsibility and that I felt great after fulfilling it, I was satisfied and decided to stay here, inside the walls near the tower where I could watch over the treasure even though my task was complete.
"Now that the songstress had stopped singing, all kinds of problems started arising like the loss of water in towns. Also, all kinds of creatures kept appearing and machines that were tasked to capture the songstress are roaming about. Because of that, the antagonist is becoming stronger as time goes and I have a new sense of responsibility to help in whatever I can.
"I asked from the goddess to give me the power of hiding the tower since Dionne had stopped singing. A lot of machines have been roaming about since then so I had to protect it. I also have the power to know what happened and what is happening in this world." I had the urge to interrupt.
"What do you mean by having the power to know what happened and what is happening," I asked as he rested his back on the rest of the chair.
"I knew of the past protagonists and what they've done for this world. It's either they fail, or they haven't. Through this power, I knew about the actions of the past protagonists, except for the antagonist's accomplishments. Most of the people chosen by this book chose to stay here rather than going back to their real world. Also, this book had been here even before we were born. This book was created hundreds of years ago before Dionne even sang for this world.
"Because of the power I have, the goddess gave me a book. It was written in English so I could be the only one who could understand it. In here, the history of this world was written in chapters. Put it simply, all tasks made by the protagonists are written here."
He got the book and he opened it in front of us. He started narrating what the others had done for the world.