After I went to sleep, I dreamed about the same dream I had been seeing for the whole week.
I don't know why, but I feel like the person in that place was me, and I was living all those things by myself.
Anyway, with that, I woke up with an unfamiliar feeling all around my body.
After seeing this dream and waking up, it seemed my body became a bit sore since I felt like the strength left my body.
I tried to stand up and move my body, but a sudden pain in my stomach assaulted me.
What is this? Why am I feeling the pain in my abdomen?
After the pain, my vision got more apparent, and I found a chance to look around at my surroundings.
"Huh? What the?"
Where is this place?
I don't think I have ever been to such a place before.
While I was looking around, suddenly, I heard a voice in my head.
"What? Who is th-?"
With those words in my mind, a strong sense of pain suddenly assaulted my head, and I lost consciousness.
At that moment, I felt like I had a dream. But not a dream at the same time.
I felt like I was in the consciousness of a kid, a certain black-haired, red-eyed kid.
He started living his life in a Duke Household, and I observed his whole life from his point of view.
It was like, my consciousness and he suddenly merged.
Even now, I feel like my thought process is changing; the way I think and the way I respond are slowly changing, and I feel it.
As I melded with the consciousness of the body I inhabited, a profound sense of unity washed over me. It was as if I had become one with the owner of this vessel, immersing myself in their experiences and emotions. In this enigmatic dream, the recurring scene that had haunted my sleep for an entire week unfolded once again, carrying an eerie familiarity that both intrigued and unsettled me.
The setting was vividly etched in my mind—a sprawling landscape bathed in the golden hues of a setting sun. Towering mountains adorned the horizon, their peaks caressed by wisps of ethereal clouds. A sense of tranquility permeated the air, punctuated only by the gentle rustling of leaves and distant whispers carried by the breeze.
Yet, despite the picturesque beauty of this dream realm, a subtle undercurrent of anticipation lingered. It hinted at something beyond the surface, a mystery waiting to be unraveled. As I delved deeper into the recesses of this enigmatic world, I yearned to uncover the secrets concealed within the scene that had captivated my sleeping mind.
With each passing night, this dream became more than a mere figment of imagination. It felt like an unspoken invitation, beckoning me to explore its hidden depths. What lay beyond this repetitive vision? Was it a glimpse into the past, a foretelling of the future, or something else entirely? The answers eluded me, and yet, I couldn't help but embrace this dream as an enigmatic journey of self-discovery.
As I emerged from the dream's embrace, the sensations and emotions clung to my waking consciousness, leaving an indelible impression upon my soul. The boundary between dream and reality blurred but at the same time, everything started making sense.
The father was dying in front of his son, smiling gently, putting his hand to his son's cheek, touching it for the last time in his life.
At that moment, all of the things that had been bugging my mind were cleared.
All the pieces suddenly fell together.
Who was the person in the dream?
Who was the kid in the dream?
Why were there corpses everywhere in the dream?
What happened before to cause such destruction in the environment?
I got my answers to all those questions.
With that, I woke up, not as an Aaron, but as a different person.
Yes, I am a different person now.
I am no longer in the body of Aaron, and neither is my consciousness Aaron itself.
I am in the body of the kid named 'Callius Augustride' with our consciousnesses merged together.
At that moment, I opened my eyes, and everything seemed familiar.
This is the room of Callius in his family mansion.
I am saying mansion because Callius is the son of Duke Austin and heir of the Augustride Household.
And this world is the world of the so-called RPG game I played the last week.
Yes, this world is the world of 'Chronicles of Aeris.' The so-called RPG game, but in reality, just an eroge game.
I am in this world.
And I am actually a character.
In the immersive RPG game Chronicles of Aeris, our protagonist Arthur Nightlance emerges as a noble hero destined to wield the Holy sword. Blessed with the rare Hero Class at the tender age of 10, Arthur possesses overwhelming power. As the game begins, Arthur, now 13 years old, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and adventure.
In the initial stages, players are introduced to the game's mechanics through training grounds while also acquainting themselves with three potential heroines. Though their specific details are not disclosed, the heroines gradually make their appearance, each leaving an indelible mark on Arthur's path.
As the story unfolds, players will witness Arthur's growth, unravel the secrets of his lineage, and navigate captivating quests within the enchanting world of Aeris. But little do they know, a formidable villain awaits, ready to challenge Arthur's heroic destiny and plunge the realm into chaos.
That was basically how the story unfolded in the game, as the heroines will naturally flock around the protagonist of our game.
In the captivating RPG game Chronicles of Aeris, the first heroine to grace the protagonist Arthur Nightlance's path is Emma Augustride—my older step-sister. As childhood friends hailing from noble Duke households within the same kingdom, their bond initially appears strong. Emma, a skilled sword wielder, engages in combat training with Arthur in the game's introductory phase.
However, an underlying tension simmers beneath the surface. While sharing the same surname, everyone knows that he is not Emma's full-blood brother. As the stepbrother, their mothers differ, contributing to an already strained relationship. Emma, along with her mother Adelyn, harbors strong resentment towards Callius.
The reasons behind Emma's disdain are twofold. Firstly, she despises weakness and seeks a partner stronger than herself. Callius, lacking a class or blessing from the goddess due to his weak physicality, fails to meet Emma's expectations. Her dissatisfaction intensifies due to his illegitimate status as the son of Duke Austin, their shared father. The revelation of Callius' existence challenges the prideful Adelyn, who struggles to accept her husband's infidelity.
Callius himself is no saint, embodying characteristics that contribute to his role as a villain. Obsessed with dignity and perfection, he rejects sword training due to its potential impact on his appearance. Isolated and lacking allies, Callius harbors jealousy towards Emma's innate ability to strengthen herself, while he remains scorned and overlooked.
The amalgamation of rejection, envy, and a sense of lack molds Callius into a villainous figure within the game's narrative. His strained relationship with Emma and the antagonistic dynamic with those around him, except his father, reinforce his descent into darkness.
The game prepares players to immerse themselves in the intricate web of relationships and conflicting emotions as Chronicles of Aeris takes them on a captivating journey through a world where heroes and villains are not always easily defined.
However, that is not the only reason why in the game, Callius would become a villain. No, things are rather different.
In the captivating RPG game Chronicles of Aeris, the intricate relationships surrounding Callius, my past character who turned into a villain, take a nefarious twist with the involvement of the second heroine,
Alicia Montalet.
Engaged to Callius by the arrangement of his amiable father, Duke Austin, Alicia's true intentions and manipulative nature gradually come to light.
As the game incorporates elements of a trashy eroge genre, it embraces the concept of netorare (NTR) and offers players the opportunity to be the one who steals the girl rather than being the victim. Initially, Alicia showed kindness towards Callius making him develop a genuine crush on her, appreciating her rare display of compassion. As you need to remember, Callius was someone that was lacking in the emotional display part since he did not have any to lean on or unburden himself.
Therefore, it was not that hard for Alicia to make Callius emotionally depend on herself.
However, when Callius's lack of class and talent became known, Alicia's demeanor shifted, and she treated him poorly.
Alicia, a coveted and respected figure in the game's world, held the prestigious title of Saintess candidate, with her class being that of a priest. Despite being engaged to Callius, she had harbored a childhood crush on the true protagonist, Arthur. Determined to make Arthur fall in love with her before revealing her true feelings, Alicia never held any affection for Callius. Instead, she saw their engagement as a means to strengthen her own household while plotting to betray Callius and secure a future with Arthur.
With her manipulative and cunning nature, Alicia planted dangerous thoughts in Callius's mind, exacerbating the rift between him and Emma, his step-sister. Her calculated actions were designed to paint Callius as the villain and eliminate him from their lives.
However, things are, of course, different right now, as I have already taken hold of this body. The fate is mine; the future is mine. In this world, nothing will bind me anymore.
As those thoughts filled my head, I heard the system sound in my head once again.
With that, I lost consciousness again…