While sitting on Ipa's bed, I started to look around and realized that the scenery around me was beginning to shift once again. To Papiya's room in the small village with Jane and Janice.
"Huh? Why am I here?" I asked myself while moving my hands to see if this was real.
I got up out of the bed and looked around outside, watching the people move and work on the foundation for the new capital... apparently called Fukinima.
I opened the door and was greeted by a flash of sunlight, followed by the attention of plenty of people around me.
"Oh, he's awake! Hey, Mister Anima, have you seen Fuki anywhere? He just suddenly disappeared!" Teru asked me while looking around nervously.
"No... hey, can you tell me where my friends are?" I asked him instead.
"No... the only person we found was you. They're gone too. Ruby, Ipa, and Ken right?" Teru said to me, counting their names off on his fingers.
"That's right... they're gone? And, what do you mean you found me? Where did you find me?" I asked him.
"Right over there in the field. There were footprints around you, but you were alone. Here, follow me." Teru told me while grabbing my wrist and leading me toward the village.
"Oh, it's Anima!" I passed by Janice while being dragged so someplace weird, and she followed me around as I was being pulled.
"Um, I'm not sure what's happening, but have you seen my friends at all?" I asked Janice while she ran.
"Uh, I haven't, but I thought Soul and her friend were still around somewhere... hey! Teru! Where are you taking him?!" Janice asked Teru.
"To meet with my master! You're going to love her. She's very smart, and maybe she can find out what happened to your friends." Teru told me. I decided to submit and listen while looking through my inventory.
But there was a problem.
I no longer had an inventory.
"That's weird... hey, Teru, can I see one of the potions I gave to you?" I asked him, but he turned his head and looked at me confused.
"Potions? Did you give me potions? When did you do that?" He asked me.
"I... what? You seriously don't remember? I just wanted to see the potion so I could look at the stats." I muttered under my breath, but he seemed to hear me.
"Stats? What are you talking about? I guess it's alright since you just woke up or whatever, but your dreams are pretty weird." Teru told me while continuing forth.
I'm not going crazy, am I?
No, I definitely had an inventory. So... why doesn't he know? I even used it in front of him.
"Hey, Teru, what did you do today?" I asked.
"Well, I had a cup of coffee and came outside to work on the village a little bit. It's almost finished actually." He said.
Again, I was filled with confusion.
"Almost finished?! It was just destroyed yesterday! You guys work fast huh?" Just as the words left my mouth, I began to feel nervous about what he meant by that.
Was I out for a really long time?
"Well, with magic it's pretty easy, but it's been at least a month by now," Teru told me.
Woah... holy shit... I've been out for a month.
"Teru, why didn't you try waking me up?! Where's Papiya?! And you haven't seen Ruby and the others?!" I asked him.
What is going on here?!
"Papiya? Who's that? Well, it doesn't matter now, we're here. In there is my Master, who guides the construction of Fukinima. Please, go ahead in." Teru told me, pointing his hands toward the door.
You have to be kidding me... what is going on?
"Fine... but I'm drilling your master or whatever with question." I said, opening the door and walking along the long carpet, leading to a throne.
And on top of it, was Papiya. She was alone, no guards, no weapons... nothing.
"Wow, you have some explaining to do. Where are we, and why have I been out for a month? I thought you said Memory Lock would end quickly." I asked her.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. I just wanted to talk to you because Teru said you woke up for the first time in a month." Papiya said to me.
"How in the hell could he have done that if he didn't say it out loud or contact you? Do you think I'm stupid?" I asked Papiya aggressively... but she didn't even budge.
"Easy, you were showing signs of waking up earlier in the day. You were rustling around, saying things, and sleep walking, so Teru told me to expect your awakening. Do you think I'd lie to you?" Papiya asked in return.
Dammit... she's good, and she has a good point. My first thought is that this is a memory... but at the same time, everything is far too detailed to be a memory. The only thing I noticed being inconsistent is my lack of inventory, but other than that, this looked like the real world.
"Something is amiss here. I don't have my Inventory, and I can't use [Clairvoyance] to make contact with anybody. Where are my skills and inventory?" I asked Papiya.
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Inventory, like what stores have when they count their item stock? And skills... like craftsmanship? Elaborate, if you could." Papiya requested from me.
Woah... this seriously isn't right. She isn't Papiya, and this isn't real. Where am I?
This can't be the real world, can it?
I looked around nervously, watching the doors to the building as if answers would come shooting out of them.
"That's so weird... it was like before, I used to have so much, but now, I have nothing. No friends, no skills, no inventory, no mana, no health, nothing. Papiya, do you have any of that stuff?" I asked again while tracing the room with my eyes.
"Well of course I do. I have a lot of stuff... but nothing you're talking about. I have health, a ton of it. And stamina, and mana. I have so much of it... but you don't have anything? I wonder if your rights as Hero have been revoked..." She muttered.