This is a memory that remained in Prime's subconscious. Not that he had forgotten it; Prime had simply chosen to ignore it. However, upon revisiting that time, what Prime remembered was having gone to sleep—something he still did occasionally, even though he didn't need to. On one of those occasions, something strange happened.
Prime opened his eyes and felt his body awake, but his mind seemed to still be asleep. An infinite darkness surrounded him, enveloping everything around him. Though he couldn't see anything, Prime felt a strange inner peace within that overwhelming darkness.
It was such an unusual peace that even Prime found it unsettling, leaving him uneasy and apprehensive. His memories were fragmented; he knew who he was and who he had been, but even those memories seemed disjointed. Although he still remembered his old life as Ryan, it was more like watching a movie than reliving the experiences directly.
At first, Prime wasn't bothered by these memories, assuming they were part of the process of being reborn into another body. However, the more he thought, the stranger everything seemed. At some point, Prime began to question: had he really lived as a human named Ryan? And if not, whose memories were these? Prime didn't know the answers to his questions.
"This place... it's relaxing, isn't it?"
In the middle of the infinite darkness, where neither heat nor cold could penetrate, a voice emerged. In fact, saying the voice came from "inside" seemed inadequate; it was as if the darkness itself were speaking.
"Does this place not evoke a sense of nostalgia? Of yearning? Of comfort?"
Prime didn't understand what the voice was saying; he was sure it was within his own mind. So why did it seem like there was another entity present? Although he didn't want to admit it, Prime felt he already knew the answer to that question—a truth he had been avoiding all this time.
"Who... are you?"
As Prime's question echoed, the darkness in front of him began to shift, slowly taking shape. Gradually, it molded into a humanoid figure. Then, the figure started to transform, assuming the appearance of a young person with white hair, black eyes, and reddish pupils.
"Hahaha... You still don't know the answer?"
Prime wasn't surprised by the appearance the entity took. Deep down, he already knew what it was and who that figure was—or, rather, had been. Prime stared at the entity, which looked at him for a few seconds before speaking.
"You... are me"
Prime responded without ceremony, his voice so low it was almost inaudible. However, the concept of sound didn't apply in that place. Though Prime and the entity were conversing, no sound came from their mouths—only their thoughts communicated.
"Hmmm... You don't seem surprised. Well, to be more specific, I'm a part of the body you currently possess. Although I would like to say I'm the real one, that's no longer the case. We have merged; we share the same soul but with different frequencies"
The entity's voice was surprisingly smooth, which impressed Prime. At first, he thought the entity would try to regain control of the body, but he wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or concerned about the answers he was receiving. In the end, he wondered if he had really been Ryan. And if not, what were these memories? Deciding to set that question aside for now, Prime looked at the entity and asked his question.
"What is this place? Where exactly are we?"
Prime watched as the entity laughed, seemingly finding his question amusing. Meanwhile, Prime examined every detail of the being before him, trying to capture all its nuances.
"That's a good question... The most appropriate word would be "home"."
Upon hearing the entity's words, Prime raised an eyebrow in doubt. Looking around, he still couldn't distinguish anything—the space around him seemed non-existent, just a vast darkness.
"But there's nothing here. How can you call this home?"
The being merely laughed at Prime's words, leaving him puzzled about the reason for its amusement. If what the entity said was true, this place should be Prime's subconscious. Thus, he began to wonder if, deep down, this place was his 'home.' Prime felt deeply confused at that moment.
"You can feel it, can't you? This place is like our cradle; it's where we were born. The darkness wraps around us like a mother embracing her child. Our true nature cannot be erased. Remember this: it's pointless to try to escape who we really are. Your family game has been interesting to observe so far, but there will come a time when you'll have to return to what you once were"
Prime didn't understand what the voice was trying to say, and, in truth, he didn't want to. However, deep down, he felt he knew what the voice was referring to. Prime was aware of a hidden will within himself—a will he had deliberately avoided until now.
"Don't forget our true purpose. There is only one reason for our existence"
After these words, the surroundings began to warp. Prime felt he was about to wake up. The entity disappeared completely, as if it had never existed, leaving behind only the sensation that Prime had always been alone in that place. Perhaps that was the truth: maybe Prime had been talking to himself. Deep down, Prime knew that he was the entity and the entity was him.
After that, Prime slowly opened his eyes. The ceiling above him was familiar, as was the texture beneath his back, yet he still felt a persistent sense of not belonging since his dream. Prime sighed briefly and got up.
Several thoughts crossed Prime's mind. He wondered why he hadn't forgotten the conversation he had with himself in his dream, something that usually happens in stories. However, another thought quickly emerged, causing him to dismiss the previous idea.
(This isn't a dream; it's real life. That part of me was real too)