My heart was beating so fast I could feel it in my throat.
WHY CAN'T I JUST SNAP AND FIX ALL THIS?
WHY'S EVERYTHING TURNING OUT EXACTLY LIKE MY PREVIOUS LIFE?!?
"Kurt? KURT?"
As I calm down, I'm able to hear Nadia's voice more clearly over the earpiece.
"What?"
"You need to think fast, I took control of the smart recorder so I could stream the warehouse live while you were fighting, but I'm going to end the live stream now, so you can focus on saving Nikolai."
"Tell me when you're done with it." And in the meantime, I thought and thought.
"Done."
Right when she said it, I remembered my inventory.
I still have one [FULL RECOVERY], and prayed it worked on regulars too.
I tried calling for the [INVENTORY], only to see nothing but a glitched window followed by a system message.
[THE PLAYER HAS LOST THE RIGHT OVER THE SYSTEM]
[SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN]
The heat inside of me was becoming unbearable, but so was the anger and frustration.
I couldn't hold back the shriek that came out of my throat.
I was losing the only thing that kept me alive until now.
I was...
No.
I'm not.
"I'm not going to let you go that easily..."
[SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN IN 3... 2...]
But before the system could count to one, something happened.
The ring in my finger, [MIDNIGHT'S EMBRACE], became white hot, and I felt a familiar presence somewhere above me, and time felt like it froze around me.
|You depend too much on this system, but I understand your the powerlessness that leads you to depend this much on it.| A voice echoed all around.
"Who are you? Can you save Nikolai? Do I... Know you?" I felt too powerless despite my strength, to truly understand what the voice said after that.
|No, I cannot save your friend, but you can. And you do know me, even if you do not think you do. I have been watching you from my cradle in the skies, to see what would become of you since my best friend fell victim of the same treacherous act you are suffering from now.|
"Wait... You are..."
I remembered it, even if I almost came to forget it.
After my arrival at the final floor of the [HIDDEN NEST]. I met Orkas, and he showed me that.
I felt as if the presence nodded, somehow.
|Are you ready to see my face and hear my voice, young human?|
I didn't feel like I had a choice to begin with, but I didn't understand why the presence asked me that, since it felt so warm and friendly.
"I'm not sure, but I don't feel like I have a choice."
"That's alright, kid. I'm not going to hurt you, even though looking at me might hurt." The familiar voice sounded behind me.
I felt my heart climbing all the way to my throat, and I felt tears welling in my eyes.
When I turned around to look, I didn't feel like more than a child wanting to cry my eyes out.
Rodrick was standing right in front of me with his warm dark eyes and his enormous complexion.
"I... I... Didn't..."
"I know kid, and you don't need to say you're sorry. Rodrick knows that you didn't mean it, that you didn't want to do it. He wanted me to tell you that you weren't just an asset for his guild, but also like a son to him, because he could never bear children, and he always wanted a little boy."
I couldn't.
I just couldn't.
I fell to my knees and couldn't keep the barrage of tears from bursting out. And amidst the tears, I felt Rodrick's huge hand caressing my hair. I took off my mask and hugged him, even though I knew it wasn't him really.
I just needed to give back the half hug he gave me after Quintus' death.
He already treated me like family then, and I felt it completely.
After a few seconds that didn't last long enough, he let go of the hug and I was able to stop crying. I got up and looked at him, but it wasn't Rodrick anymore.
"I'm sorry you had to go through so much torment, my child." My mom said, looking at me with her warm, light brown eyes. "You have to grow stronger, but you achieved an impossible feat that's overpowering the [CONSCIENCE] to the point of it wanting to retreat from your body. Not even my Orkas was able to do so before it killed him."
"But it didn't seem to work out in the end. I still can't seem to be able to save anyone around me." My shoulders went down with the weight of the world. "And even worse, this time I killed an innocent person who actually cared about me."
"Oh, but you can save Nikolai. You just need to access your inventory and take the [FULL RECOVERY], right?"
"Not without the system..." I could hear the life leaving my voice as the words went out my mouth.
"I can't help you with much, but I'll give you one thing. It'll probably last for five minutes or so, which will be enough time for you to restart the system and save your friend. But when you go to sleep tonight, I'll be watching over you, so fight with all your strength, because your awakening is the most unique of all."
"what do you me-"
Before I could finish my sentence, I looked up to see an enormous white dragon looking at me, and I could tell it was immensely powerful.
So powerful, that I couldn't even sense it with my perception.
The dragon let out a deafening roar that felt like crushing the space around me, and after it silenced, it lowered its head towards be, touching its forehead with mine.
|When you fully overcome the [CONSCIENCE], you will be able to call me out, and I will come down, to never leave your side again.|
The next second, Arias was gone, and there was a system message in front of me.
[SYSTEM FORCEFULLY REBOOTED]
[01 MINUTE TO COMPLETE SHUTDOWN]
It was all the time I needed.
I opened the inventory, took the [FULL RECOVERY], and immediately opened it, opening Nikolai's mouth and making him drink everything.
"Try to swallow it, brother. Don't you dare die on me again, please." This time, I didn't hold the tears back. It was all that I could do.
Because if he died again...
"Don't... Worry... My friend. I'm... Already feeling... Fine." Nikolai said, panting heavily, finally able to breath again.
Thank God. Thank God...
"Let's go home, brother. You need to rest."
He looked better, but as I imagined, the [FULL RECOVERY] effects were slower on regulars, so I took him on my shoulders, and left the warehouse.
"Nadia, can you find us a ride? I don't think it'll be good for us to be seen like this in the open."
"On it." She immediately replied. "Did you save him?"
"He's fine, we need to go home." I sighed, immeasurable relief pouring out.
Five minutes later, one of the Black Market's guards appeared with a white, common car, we got in, and rode home.
Nikolai went shower, and I went to my room, where I laid my head on the pillow, and tried to stay awake for a little while longer, unsuccessfully.
Seconds later, shadows covered my sights, and I was again in the middle of that red ocean.