Alexis woke up with a groan, he blinked his eyes a few times and quickly looked around in surprise.
'What the hell...' He thought and stood up shakily, everything around him was pitch black, but he was sure he was in a hallway...
And almost immediately, there was a white orb floating around him, somehow urging him to follow it.
Alexis sighed, he realised that he didn't really have a choice...
Where would he go? And how? It was just pitch black until the white orb illuminated the entire structure for him.
The orb realising his thoughts slowly floated away, making sure stop every once in a while to check up on Alexis who was right behind it and walking at a set pace.
He turned right, left, then right again and again left, Alexis continued his puzzling efforts of following the orb which seemed to get brighter and brighter with due time...
'Hopefully it doesn't explode...' He added and stepped infront of a tall, pitch black gate.
Alexis turned to the orb which flickered as he shook his head and pushed open the door with force.
"Hng!" He grit his teeth and pushed the door with all of his might, mustering every little bit of strength in his body.
The orb floating around him, moving back and forth which annoyed him.
"What do you mean? Floating around does not help anyone..." He chided as the orb knocked on his head.
"Ow!" He voiced his pain and glared at the orb which stared back at him...
'!! How did it hurt me?!' He mused and backed away from the orb which followed him.
"What do you want me to do?!" He shouted angrily and walked upto the gate with a huff and pushed the door.
"See! It doesn't work!" Alexis shouted while he pushed the door and then proceeded to pull it.
He fell down with a groan and stared at the open gate...
"Oh..." Alexis could only voice out his surprise and looked at the orb in embarrassment.
"Who would have thought that the gate was to be pulled?" He scoffed and dusted himself and walked in, following the orb that ignored him.
"You!" He heard a very familiar voice and facepalmed.
"Why are you here?" He asked Amelia who sighed and shook her head with no answer to his question.
"I fainted, this can't be a dream..." Alexis deduced as Amelia gasped in shock.
"Same..." She replied to his comment and then proceeded to glare at him.
Alexis shrugged and looked around, he didn't really care about Amelia because she wouldn't necessarily do anything to him and also because he was far stronger than she was...
The area where they stood seemed like a hall, a big hall... with gigantic statues all around them...
'This place is weird...' He noted and took a quick glance at Amelia who stayed silent and sat on the hard pitch black floor.
"..." The two of them looked around in complete awkward silence until Amelia decided break it.
"...You know... I was tasked by the Administrator to do something in this world..." She told him as Alexis widened his eyes and turned to her.
"So you are a reincarnator like me..." He sighed and shook his head.
"What is your task?" Alexis asked her with a questioning gaze.
"...bring peace to the world..." She mumbled and looked into the darkness with a faraway look in her eyes.
"Peace... I was tasked to develop the technology of the world..." Alexis laughed deprecatingly.
"And I'm not even an engineer!" He sighed as she looked at him.
"And I wasn't a peace advocate..." She answered with a smile.
"Where were you born in, in your previous life?" Alexis asked her curiously.
"Earth?" Amelia replied.
"Where on Earth?" He asked again.
"Soviet Russia..." Amelia said with a hint of pride in her voice but also sadness.
"The Soviet Russia in my world was called the Soviet Union, and it collapsed in 1991." Alexis informed her according to what he knows...
"Impossible! It collapsed in 1945!" She shouted and denied the words he spoke.
"Maybe we are from two parallel universes..." Alexis theorized.
"Parallel universe?" Amelia asked him curiously.
"A universe similar to mine, but the distortions in the Space-time quantum which may have changed certain incidents and created a butterfly effect... you can call my universe a parallel one and vice versa..." Alexis explained according to the knowledge he has.
"Forget it..." Alexis sighed and waved his hand, then looked around.
[MORTALS, YOU ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO BE TOLD THE REASON WHY YOU HAD CERTAIN DIFFICULTIES WHEN YOU WERE REBORN...]
A loud robotic voice boomed from all over the hall as the duo covered their ears in pain.
"What do you mean? weren't we just reborn?" Amelia asked after a while, her ears still ringing.
[NO, SIMPLY PUT, YOUR SOULS WERE PUT INSIDE CONTAINERS THAT USED TO CONTAIN SOULS...]
"So we are transmigrated?" Alexis asked.
[NO, YOUR SOUL IS 'YOU' THEREFORE YOU WERE REBORN, THE ACT OF BEING BORN IS WHEN YOU ARE CONCEIVED AND GIVEN BIRTH TO, THE ADMINISTRATOR SIMPLY PUT YOUR SOULS INSIDE TWO THREE MONTH OLD FETUSES...]
"Let me guess... there was already two souls in those fetuses?" Amelia theorized getting a realisation of the consequences of the act.
[INDEED, SINCE THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME CALLED INTO THE "HALL OF HEROES", YOUR BODIES COULD NOT HANDLE THE SOUL TELEPORTATION AND THUS THE PAIN... YOU ARE FREE TO LEAVE NOW...]
"And how do I do that?" Alexis sighed in irritation.
[SIMPLY THINK OF IT, FAREWELL MORTALS...]
"I guess I'll be going then!" Alexis informed her and waved.
"Wait! I would like to know something... why would you develop technology through war?" Amelia asked him.
"Because that's how humanity developed throughout history... before the first world war, tanks were something unthinkable of... during the war, it was made a reality. Planes were made that could fly in the air and attack people, then came the second world war, Germans had some of the best weaponry during that time... war motivated man to produce things that kills his enemies... I will motivate my people to do the same!" Alexis chuckled as Amelia was horrified with his answer.
"The second world war saw some of the worst things humanity could make... we upgraded those small planes of the first world war into faster, stronger and deadlier versions... our bombs could level cities within the span of a few seconds as seen in Hiroshima and Nagasaki..." Alexis narrated.
"Therefore, I gave the people of the Empire an opportunity which helps me with my task, it is a win-win situation... after that... I'm just going to leave everything and live the rest of my immortal life care freely..." He ended and glanced at her.
"...You monster! You are making these people kill themselves just for your gain!" Amelia shouted at him hatefully.
"Are you telling me to develop technology in a peaceful way? Developing technology in either peaceful and warlike times is the same thing... they will create weapons of mass destruction someday, I'm just making it happen faster..." Alexis retorted with a shake of his head in disappointment.
"You are naive... even now you don't understand that technology is a double edged tool, as long as humanity exists, war will follow, and as long as war continues... technology will continue to progress whether they are good or bad, so whether I developed it or not, humanity will try to kill itself..." He explained.
"I see... there is no changing your mind... I will kill you then, before you can complete your goals, before you lead these people to their demise, I will kill you, afterall... I have the power to kill immortals like you..." Amelia declared.
"Do what you want, I'm not the one bringing peace... that's your job... but do you really think that war will stop if you kill me?" Alexis asked her in amusement but inwardly shocked that someone had the capability to kill him...
"No... but it is one step forward at completing my task..." She smiled coldly.
"You are wrong... it will take you a thousand steps back... as long as I'm alive, I can quell wars, as long as I'm alive the continent will fear the Empire... killing me is equivalent to starting a war that will kill more people..." Alexis then smiled at her.
"My Empire will declare war on the world if such a thing happened... I will be dead, but my task will be completed..." He laughed maliciously and turned to her.
"Killling you will give the other nations a chance at freedom from the hegemonic movement of the Empire! Then I will unite the world under one banner and destroy your Empire for once and for all and bring peace to the world..." Amelia replied calmly.
"You are a fool... you still don't get it... the cycle has been turning ever since the four nations were founded, it won't matter if you kill me... technology will continue developing and as long as it does... war will continue..." Alexis sighed.
"Then why do you need to develop it? If according to you technology is indeed developing?" She asked him as Alexis shrugged.
"The problem with the world is that it is developing at a very slow pace, I don't know why I have to develop this world, but I will do it whether you like it or not..." He replied.
"But enough about me! How will achieve such a thing like peace without me? You need me alive for that! So... how about a deal?" Alexis asked her curiously.
"What deal?" She asked him, not feeling good from the get go.
"Considering the fact that you want peace and I need war for my task, why don't we collaborate?" He shrugged at her.
"Collaborate? With a monster like you? In your dreams!" Amelia mocked him angrily as Alexis sighed.
"You didn't even listen..." He mumbled and spoke about it anyway.
"Anyway... my Empire and I will be the evil side of the world, you can unite the people of continent against us... both sides will fight for a peaceful future..." Alexis explained.
"It is a win-win thing, if I lose, you can bring peace to the world, if I win, I will dominate the continent and stop all wars..." Alexis smiled at her.
"What's the catch?" Amelia asked him, considering his deal after listening to it...
"Nothing really, just that you cannot interrupt with the conflicts of the continent for the coming two years... I too will not do anything..." Alexis said.
"I'm guessing that the war will start in two years?" She asked him.
Alexis nodded, "you need time to unite the people, but don't be mistaken... I'm not doing it out of pity or enjoyment for a bigger war... you said your goal was to bring peace, a task given by the Administrator..." he sighed.
"I don't know the consequences of killing you or something going wrong with my plans which would ultimately bring more disorder in the continent..." Alexis muttered.
"In other words, I'm an anomaly in your plan..." She smirked which irritated Alexis.
"Tsk! Consider it insurance..." He grumbled.
"Very well, fellow reincarnator... I accept this deal... we will fight for supremacy in two years, I will not involve with the conflicts of the continent unless ofcourse, you involve yourself with it..." She mumbled in agreement.
'Fool, I will attack you the moment I get the chance... I cannot simply just wait till he develops his weaponry!' She thought and brought her hand out to agree to the deal.
'I will destroy you the moment I leave this place and wake up!' Alexis smiled amicably and shook hands with her...
"How do I leave this place?" Alexis asked no one in particular and suddenly disappeared from the area.
Amelia too did the same as soon as he disappeared...
It was a very weird feeling...
All they did was think about leaving...
-●-●-●-
Florestine was seated at the edge of the bed, next to Alexis who was currently in bed, her eyes red and puffy evident after a long time crying...
Sophia was doing better at controlling her emotions and only twitched every once in a while in worry.
She suddenly saw Alexis' eyes open and gasped.
"...Rebel army of Satellia, send in our forces and destroy it..." He mumbled but no one heard it as he was immediately glomped by Florestine who sobbed on his chest.
Alexis gently touched her head and turned to Sophia who had a single tear flowing down her eye and smiled.
"Why don't you come here?" He asked her curiously as she nodded meekly and hugged him tightly.
Feeling the air expelled out of him, Alexis tapped out and fell on the bed.
"Sorry for making you two worry..." Alexis smiled and pat their heads but suddenly his eyes became extremely cold, something the two of them had never seen...
"I was having a conversation with the rebel leader..." He informed them as they frowned, the two did not frown because of how he met the rebel leader but rather the mentioning of the rebel leader got on their nerves...
"We agreed on fighting each other in two years time." Alexis sighed and turned to Florestine who had looked back at him with a beautiful smile.
"I'm going to have to trouble you with the budget of the Empire... we will soon enter total war... and I need the Empire to come out victorious!" He spoke to her softly and explained her on what to do.
"Sophia, I want you to mobilise an army group... and also inform the Generals to start recruiting soldiers..." He ordered Sophia who saluted seriously, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and left to do her work.
Alexis then got up and walked up stumbling a little, he was helped up by Florestine and sent a grateful look at her.
"Your highness, is the war going to start?" She asked him as Alexis nodded and hugged her by the waist.
"Yeah... we had a deal to fight in two years but I will weaken her forces immediately..." He mumbled and put his chin on her shoulder.
"...Let's get married after the war, ok?" Alexis asked her in a soft voice as she stiffened and turned to him at lightning speed and gave him a good intense kiss.
"I can't wait, your highness!" She smirked and walked out of his room with a little sway on her hips as Alexis chuckled and went back to his diary to continue working on his plans and also to write down certain things that happened to him...
"Alexis!"
"Son!"
"Big brother!"
"Boss!"
Alexis groaned and closed the book, waiting for the imminent suffocation...