Suddenly, a strange static filled the air, distorting everything in the surrounding area. It was as if reality itself was being warped and twisted beyond recognition. Then, in an instant, all of the memories in the place disappeared, leaving nothing behind but an eerie silence.
"Hm? Oh! It seems we're out of time..." the girl exclaimed, a look of frustration crossing her face. "Ugh, now what do we do? I was planning to explain everything to you, but it seems like even time is our enemy. Ugh!"
I was taken aback by the sudden shift in the girl's demeanor. Up until now, she had always maintained an amused smile on her face, so the look of frustration on her face was a stark contrast.
"Hmm, now how to explain this more simply…?" she put her hand on her chin and was quiet for a moment, as if pondering how to convey her message in a way that would be easy for me to understand. Then, she suddenly slammed her fist into her palm as though she'd come to a realization. "Oh, I know! Let me tell it to you as a story."
A story? I was taken aback by her sudden change of topic, but my curiosity got the best of me. If what she was about to say was related to why I was in this situation, then it couldn't hurt to hear her out. Plus, I was curious about what she meant when she referred to "twilight."
"This story took place over a thousand years ago, in a world very different from the one we know today," she began. " At that time, the Gods were watching the mortal world, observing the deeds of humanity from their lofty perch in the heavens. One day, a single God came up with an idea. He suggested that the Gods should choose a mortal to bless with their divine powers. The Gods were intrigued by this idea, and after some discussion, they decided to give it a try.
These chosen mortals would eventually become heroes, priests, or something else of great importance, and the Gods would watch over them from above, taking pride in their accomplishments.
And as expected, these blessed mortals went on to achieve great things. They fought monsters, healed the sick, and performed other feats that were beyond the capabilities of ordinary humans. The people of the mortal world began to revere these chosen ones as heroes and looked up to them with awe and admiration.
However, it wasn't long before trouble started brewing. The mortals who had been blessed with divine powers suddenly turned on each other. They became jealous of one another and fought for power, causing a rift between the gods themselves. Some of the Gods who had bestowed blessings on the mortals were accused of ordering them to bring about the downfall of other gifted mortals. The rift only grew wider and eventually erupted into a full-scale war, which caused the deaths of thousands, no, millions of individuals."
"..."
"But that was only the prelude to the prelude," she continued ominously. "It was only the beginning of a much larger catastrophe that would eventually envelop the entire universe."
Cracks suddenly began to appear in the white space, and slowly, the edges of the white space began to crumble away. It was a sign that this world was finally ending.
The girl, however, didn't care, and continued her story. "The events that followed were catastrophic. A relentless winter descended upon the earth, causing widespread chaos and destruction. The people were forced to fend for themselves, leading to a series of civil wars that ravaged the planet. The once great civilizations fell, and chaos reigned supreme. And eventually, the sun darkened, the stars vanished, the earth sunk into the sea, yada, yada, yada. But this was only the beginning," she added with a solemn expression. "As the situation grew increasingly dire, the gods and their adversaries were drawn into a great battle, one that would ultimately result in their deaths and the complete destruction of the earth. It was a cataclysmic event, one that shook the very foundations of the universe itself."
I was struggling to process what she was trying to convey, and I pressed a hand to my forehead in frustration. "What in the world are you even talking about?" I muttered under my breath. "Look, if you have something to tell me, just come out and say it. I don't have time for this guessing game."
"I understand your frustration, Leon," she said with a sigh. "But I'm afraid we're out of time. The full explanation would take too long, and time isn't on our side. What I'm saying is, to put it simply, the end of the world is coming."
"The end... of the world?" I questioned, not believing my ears.
"I initially planned to stop it, but unfortunately, I failed. I tried different strategies to make them stop, but nothing worked. This catastrophe could've been prevented if only I had known what was going on, but it's too late now. The die has been cast, and the end of the world is nigh."
"Are you saying that the catastrophe that struck the world a thousand years ago will strike once again?" I asked, trying to wrap my head around what she was telling me.
"It's a half yes...and a half no."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"In a sense, history may repeat itself, but the circumstances surrounding the event will differ significantly. Last time, the gods gave mortals their blessings without considering the consequences. It was a mistake, and it led to the tragedy that followed. But this time, everything is different. The gods have deliberately set the stage for what is to come and orchestrated the impending catastrophe for their own amusement. They will use this world, and countless others in multiple universes, as a chessboard, and all of the mortals will be nothing more than chess pieces in their twisted game of entertainment."
What does that mean? Was the end of the world inevitable? No, I didn't even know if what she was saying was true. Even now, I was having a tough time believing her.
While I found it difficult to accept the possibility of such a catastrophic event happening, the idea that it might be inevitable made me feel dizzy and unsteady.
"I'm afraid what I'm saying is the truth, Leon," the girl said, her voice now serious and filled with concern. "And if this catastrophe isn't stopped, you—no, all of your loved ones—will die."
My heart sank at her words, and my mind raced with thoughts of my family. Die? My mother, father, Tessia, grandfather, Sirius, Marcus, Liese? All of them? The mere thought was too much to bear.
"Th-they're strong! I'm sure they can survive!" I protested, desperately clinging to the hope that my loved ones would be safe.
"You're being naive, Leon," the girl said firmly, her eyes meeting mine. "If simply being strong was enough to stop this catastrophe, then the tragedy that occurred a thousand years ago would never have happened."
I gritted my teeth. If even being strong is not enough, then even they couldn't be saved. Of course, that was only if what she had said was true. But I couldn't help feeling an anxiety looming over me. It was as if I was getting a certain truth from what she said.
"If this catastrophe strikes once more, then everyone, including your loved ones, will die. Can you face that reality?" the girl asked.
I crouched down with my hands on my head, my mind racing with thoughts of the potential consequences. A graphic image of myself standing before the dead bodies of my loved ones formed in my mind.
"No, no, no, no! That can't happen!" I exclaimed, feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of losing those closest to me.
"Do you want to protect them?" the girl asked, looking down at me.
I looked up at her, my eyes watering.
"I-I want to protect them! What do I need to do?! Please tell me!"
As I said this, the space between us crumbled away as well, leaving just the area directly under the girl's and my feet.
"Don't avert your eyes from the truth, Leon. You need to confront reality."
That doesn't give me much to go on.
"You need to face your weaknesses and work to overcome them," the girl explained, her tone firm and unwavering. "Only then can you protect your loved ones and prepare for the catastrophe that may come. If you don't, however, nothing will change. You'll remain the same pathetic boy who hid himself from the world. You have to take action if you want to make a difference."
That's right. Nothing's going to change unless I do. But...
"You're weak, Leon. You can't change that. But you can change who you are now. If you think you're not strong as you are now, do you want to change?"
"How can I change?"
"Don't ask me. That's for you to contemplate," she said. "But here's a little advice for you; you must get stronger. Fail to do so and nothing you hold dear is safe."
As she said this, the platform below us began to crumble away as well, and we were left floating in a dark space. This was the place before I came to the white space.
"What exactly are you telling me this for? What's in it for you?" I finally asked.
This was honestly the question that had been on my mind ever since this girl started making me confront my past. I had no idea why she was doing it, but it seemed that she wanted something from me, though I couldn't put my finger on what it was. If I wanted to get an answer, this was the time to do it.
The girl had a sad look on her face, one that I'd never thought she was capable of expressing.
"I'm sorry, I can't answer that right now. Ho—ev—r," she said, and then an unpleasant crackling overlaid itself on her voice as her figure suddenly started to fade away. "I will explain everything to you once we meet again. For the meantime, though…" she smiled at me like an innocent girl. It was the first innocent smile that I had seen from her. "It's time for you to wake up."
"Hey, wait—!" I cried out, reaching for her hand in a desperate attempt to stop her from fading away. But her figure dissolved into the darkness before I could even touch her.
Before disappearing completely, the girl spoke her final words, "I hope to see you again. Probably not too long in the future."
Her body began to blur and distort, becoming hazy and indistinct. As she disappeared, I felt myself slipping away too, sinking deeper into a dark abyss.
Suddenly, everything went pitch black. But just before losing consciousness, I caught a glimpse of the capital city of Acuna Republic being consumed by raging flames. The sight was fleeting, as my vision faded to black once again.