'I'd say it's my memories affecting you,' Tantalos said, 'I don't think it's gonna be an issue…'

"It does sound like one!" I yelled.

"Calm down, Dan," Caleb said, "I understand that this must be weird for you, but you must remain calm."

'He's right,' Tantalos added, 'Don't worry, it won't be an issue.'

"How is it already not an issue?!" I yelled, "What else changed in me, huh? My intentions? My personality?"

"You haven't changed, Dan!" Caleb stood up, "You still are the same man I got to know a year ago!"

"What about before that, huh?" I stood up, fuming, "You didn't know me before! Did I change since that?"

"I—" Caleb backed off slightly, "You're right… I didn't know you then," he paused, sitting back down on the chair, "But does it matter? I think whoever you were, it couldn't top the you now."

"That's…" I hopped back down on the bed, "I'm sorry for bursting out, it's just stressing me out…"

'Is that what the kid from before said?' Tantalos asked.

"Yeah," I admitted, "He said Justin changed since his new [Powers] showed up. I couldn't help but think, that if he's like me, then it could be the same for me…"

'People change, Dan,' he said, 'You changed. Ever since I've been around you, you definitely changed.'

"Since two years ago?" I asked, "So I did…"

'Since twenty years ago.'

"You've been…" I realized, "Right… That's right."

'You've only known me for two years,' he explained, 'But I've been here since that night your parents had a wonderfully sadistic time together…'

"Wish you didn't tell me," I said with a sour face, "Now I can't unlearn that one."

'Sorry,' he kinda laughed.

The stress wasn't letting up. Even though I was now calm, I still felt an unnerving feeling inside me. Something that shouted at me, constantly telling me that I'm a fraud. That I'm just playing some role, that I wasn't even supposed to be in. I couldn't help but feel that I was constantly out of line, that I was just someone impersonating myself.

For now, I decided to go back to sleep, asking the two of them to leave me alone for a while, and let me process this realization. Even though I told them I'd sleep, I couldn't get a minute of wink. I was just laying in that bed, turning from one side to the other, restlessly. Every passing second, all I could think of, was the simple question of 'Is this thought actually mine?'

I knew that this was unnecessary, that it was just stress and nervousness speaking, but I couldn't let this feeling go. I knew it was eating away at my soul, and I had no clue how to stop this feeling. Eventually, I gave up on sleeping, and when no one was looking, I left the infirmary, and headed back to my room.

I opened the door, that was leading to a dark, slightly cold room. The air felt damp, and it was tickling the hairs on the back of my neck. Some cold sweat ran down my face, and I kicked the door open again.

I bolted out of there. I couldn't stay in there, that would kill me. I tried to find a place that was warm, that was welcoming, and bright. I ran between the palm trees, my feet eventually touching down on some sand. I fell on my knees, and started shoveling the warm dirt on myself. I felt like I was going crazy, but I couldn't stop this feeling.

My face was expressionless. Not even a small amount of emotion would show on it, not a tear, not a smile, it was all just nothing. I crawled to the water, to look into it, although dreading what would look back at me. Just as my hand touched the water, I almost wanted to back away. I had this urge deep in me, that just called me, and it was whispering my name, 'Danny? Danny!' it said. I didn't know where it was coming from, I didn't know why it was there.

I almost looked into the water, but then I felt a force pulling me back. I couldn't help my curiosity, and I tried to break away from it, yet it wouldn't let me. What was going on with me? Did I finally have a mental breakdown? Was this the end of me? How could I face my friends like this? How would they react to seeing me like this? Would they think I'm pathetic?

I finally let go of the water. I didn't even want to see myself right now. It was a feeling that I'd never want to experience again, yet I still had no clue as to how to run from it. As I let go, I felt some warmth. It was pulling me away, and I could see the water going further and further away from me. In the end, I found the warmth that I was looking for.

"Danny?" the voice called to me, "What's going on?"

This voice seemed scared, worried, stressed. I didn't know why, but it felt familiar. But then again, it felt like I heard it not that long ago. I finally bumped into something behind me, that just pulled me back to reality. My eyes rounded, and I raised my arm towards the warmth that I just felt. When I reached to my chest, my hand bumped into something that wasn't part of me.

It felt warm, soothing. Nothing that I found here. I slowly turned my head backwards, and I realized what was going on. When I saw her face finally, all the emotions I had flowed into one expression, and the stress started to leave my body with the first tear that was racing down towards my chin.

"I don't know," I uttered, "Am I even me?"

My voice was wobbly, worse than what I've ever experienced. I always had to keep it in, don't show how I feel, because they'll use it against me, is what I thought for years. Thus eventually, I couldn't even feel the pain they dished out. There was but one person at that time, who didn't do that. And now, she was here, at the worst time of my life, giving me that warmth that I was looking for.

"Of course, idiot!" she scolded me, "You're the same caring boy, that saved me all those years ago," she said, "That quite, kind, loving boy that was there for me, when no one was."

Those words entered my heart, and grasped it so much, that I thought it'd break. This was a feeling I was not familiar with, something that no one let me feel ever. I wonder, did she feel this way, back then? When she fell from the tree?

"I'll always be there for you, Danny," she said, "Even if the world abandons you, I won't leave."

With every second, I felt more and more stress leave me, letting in the feelings of joy and peace. This was the first time in my life, when I could actually let go of myself, and be who I really was all this time. An emotionally unstable twenty-year-old, with only a handful of people that he can actually trust. Not a leader, not a villain, nothing. Just a regular boy, in the arms of his friend.

"What happened, Danny?" she asked, "Can you tell me now?"

Although it was hard, I tried mustering up my strength to tell her. It was a task harder than anything I'd ever have to do. Defeating real strong opponents? Easy. Killing some random people? Piece of cake. Admitting to your mental state in front of people? Almost impossible.

"I—" I started, "I don't know, Meda," I admitted, "Who am I? Did I change, ever? Am I changing now?"

"Yes," she said, calmly, "We all are, Danny. We all change, every day, every hour, hell, even every minute. And that's normal, okay?"

"O— okay…" I said, pushing myself slightly backwards, "That kid," I started, wiping my tears, "Stan, from before… He said, that Justin changed… Because of his new [Power]…"

"I see…" she understood, "Did I change, Danny?"

"No…?" I answered.

"Well," she said, "You didn't either. Not in a bad way, anyways."

"Am I still me?" I asked.

"You are," she replied, "And you always will be."

"Even if I have memories of Tantalos' life?"

"He's part of you," she said, "Just like Heracles is part of me."

"Isn't that fucked up?" I let out a broken laugh.

"It is!" she laughed back.

We stayed like that for a while. I didn't know how long it took, but judging from her constantly shifting legs, I'd say it was a while. I wouldn't say I wasn't doubting myself still, but I was more or less okay with it for now. It was an issue not a lot of people would have to deal with, but it was the harsh reality for us. Living with the memories of people we barely knew, it was one layer of Hell, perfect for a Sin.