"The time has come, William, Brave of the Sacred Gun, choose, Cloudy Skies or Green Waters?" He says. "Make your choice, Fangless Brave."
The young man with golden hair that stood before us spoke in a distant tone. But his very silhouette leaves an aching in my chest and a question in my head.
"Julian..." Before I can stop myself the name comes out of my mouth.
"It's been a long time, Arata. I'm glad you found the thing your heart was searching for." He says. "So have you decided, Initium or Finis?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked as my head ached. "This island... what is this place?"
"Oh, pardon me. It seems you haven't fully recalled your memories." He says and signals to the woods. "Follow me."
We follow him into the woods, and slowly, the sound of the rain begins to fade.
"This island is called Phantom Island. It travels the worlds and is where countless dangerous and priceless treasures are stored." He answered as we entered a clearing with a huge tree. "Welcome, to the Fairy Forest, I am Spriggan, together with Julian, we have watched over this forest since the time of Fleur."
"The Phantom Island?" Liam asked.
"You said you were Spriggan, but why do you look like Julian." Will asked. "I know, I remember his face as well as yours, Spriggan."
"William, Arata, do you recall what happened that night, five years ago?" He asked and his face shows disappointment. "Then, remember it! The past you buried here, on the island of graves!"
With a roar, he shoots us all with golden arrows, and I lose consciousness immediately.
When I open my eyes, I find myself watching what must be my past self and William.
"What is this?" Alexis' voice beside me makes me turn and I see all of them.
"This island has gone by many names, the Island of Lost Treasures, the Island of Graves, Fairy Island, however, it's real name is, Isla Memorya, the Island of Memorials." He stated. "It watches over the treasures that people leave here, an island that is a memorial to those who have come here and left a piece of temselves here."
"Pieces of themselves?" I asked.
"Their memories, pasts, anything they wish others to inherit someday, they may leave in this island." He answered. "And I, as the Guardian of Treasures, have watched over this place for countless generations."
"Le Fleur, you also left your memories, that day five years ago." He added. "Now, bare watch, to your precious memories."
As we watch the memories unfold before us, I see Will and me. We're with Halcyon, on the shores of the island.
"Welcome, to the Island of Treasures. What brings you to this place?" Julian asked.
"We want to calm the storm." I answered. "Do you know...?"
"Julian. And the guy behind me is Spriggan." He says pointing to the giant behind him.
As I watched the memories come alive, I feel a pang in my chest and a pain in my head.
"I'm William. Julian, do you know? How to calm this storm?" Will asked.
"The store will stop, eventually. When the choice is made at last." Julian answered. "I'm sure that it'll stop."
Will watched from a far while Julian and I talked. Spriggan was listening. We were playing, talking and I don't know what else when I suddenly stopped.
"The time is drawing near, Keepers of the Sealed Island, I am Elias. I'm borrowing the tenth's body to communicate to you." Elias, who had taken over my past self spoke. "The tenth is the key, Keepers, present him with the trial. And let him choose, the fate of the past, future and present. Not just him, his Brave as well.
That's all I say before we switched back, then Julian's expression changed.
"We should bring Will over." Julian said when suddenly a beast broke through the clearings.
Everything goes black after that. So far, most of it has gone according to Will's story. Then it should mean that when I wake up I'll have lost my memories and be on the shore. But when they open, I find Spriggan, covering me, Julian and William. William then attacks the monster that was a giant wolf. It seemed vaguely familiar. As I got up from the ground, I could hear the gun fire from somewhere, Halcyon had joined the fight.
"Spriggan!!" Julian rushed to his side.
In that moment, everything in my mind had went blank. We brought Spriggan to the depths pf the forest, to this tree. Was happened after that? Julian was trying to heal him, just as I was about to do something Spriggan opened his eyes. William was behind us, his hands bloodied, I can hear the wolf howling. Spriggan reached his hand to Julian and Julian nodded.
"William, please choose, cloudy skies or green waters?" Julian turned to Will.
Spriggan had reached his hand out to me. When I reached for it, he wanted to say something but... the wolf had burst through the woods.
"Tch. Arata! Hurry and get out fo here!" Will said as he charged ahead.
"Le Fleur... please choose, Initium or Finis?" Julian asked.
As he asked that, suddenly Will cane flying through the woods. He was badly injured, bloodied and now unconscious.
"Julian, the time isn't now." My past self stated. "The end has yet to come."
"Le... Fleur..." Spriggan tried to rise.
"Spriggan, Julian, sleep, within this Island, till the moment of choice arrives, along with the last of my power." I spoke and suddenly turned to our direction. "And, to the Le Fleur who will succeed Argent, Arata, you know what must be done. Make your choice. For a wavering heart, will not find the answer we have left behind."
Just then, a flash of light shined and the next thing I know we were on the shores of the beach, the storm had ceased.
"There you have it." Spriggan stated and we returned to the real world. "Le Fleur, you had Julian and me sleep for the past five years. Now answer me, why am I in his body?"
"I have... no idea." I answered.
For the first time, in a long time, my mind has gone blank. I don't know where I should go, what I should do, what I should choose. Like... like... my mind has become a blank space.