'... It's true... '
'I am back in time....'
Elena looked at Aisha's back that had blood on it after killing a zombie that had attacked her when she received her past memories.
On the day the apocalypse started, the merging of her memory with her old self had taken a heavy toll on her thus, she could not defend herself but Aisha took it on herself to help her escape even when it looked like the world was about to end.
'I am really blessed to have you as my friend.... No... as my best friend.', she thought, as she felt nostalgic as teras almost filled her eyes.
'I swear, this time I won't let you die.', she swore in guilt and determination.
'In my previous life, I wasn't able to save you, nor was I able to save my family and search for him, but this time around that will change.', she thought in indignant and defiance as she clenched her fists.
'This time, I will definitely become powerful enough to save you all with my strength,' she thought enraged about the pathetic choice and life she had to take and live before.
'With these memories, I can definitely become the most powerful on Earth....and control my fate.', as her eyes shined with determination.
'But sadly, that's not enough because there are even more dangers outside this place, which will hit this place in six months.', her body trembled involuntarily as she thought about that place.
'Till then, I need to take all the opportunities I can, to grow stronger', she promised herself with this new resolve towards life.
She then ran towards Aisha. But, suddenly she stopped petrified because a new guess hit her head.
'Could this be a scheme of some higher entity? Was I sent back in time as someone's pawn?', her heart raced as her blood run cold at this guess. Her face, which was already pale, looked like it has lost all its blood at that moment.
'If that was true.... then', she didn't want to think further as goosebumps filled her slender body.
'....No.... That's ridiculous. If anyone was that powerful, then they would have already ruled the world in my old life.', she thought in relief, sure that no one had this much power.
"Elena," Aisha called in a whisper.
'...Moreover, Time is the Only Absolute Element! It doesn't bow to anyone. ', she thought as she remembered the words of someone..... Extremely powerful.
"Elena, "Aisha called her name in a low voice, looking all around, worried about attracting zombies.
'So, this means, I am safe, and no one is pulling the string from behind.', she concluded in relief.
"Elena!" she called out in a slight loud tone.
"What?!", Elena exclaimed.
"What happened?! Why did you stop?", Aisha asked, worried about her best friend as well as her lady's health.
"... It's nothing.", she replied, shaking her head.
"Then, why's your face so pale?!", Aisha asked, not believing her.
"Let's go. We need to be fast. We have work to do later.", Elena dodged her question as she walked ahead of Aisha.
*sigh*
'My lady, still doesn't trust me enough. I need to work harder.' Elena thought in disappointment and resolve.
In about half an hour, without any encounter with trouble, they got inside the hotel.
In one of the clean rooms in the hotel, both the girls had just taken a bath. Elena spoke, " Aisha, be ready. We need to talk and I have some important informations to tell you"
"Yes, young miss.", Aisha replied after changing into their battle clothes which were sports wear. She then stood up with her back straight and eyes serious.
"....Sit down, no need to stand. We are friends aren't we?", replied Elena with a forced smile.
'...sigh....It will take some time for her to open up and be comfortable around me.'
"... Yes, miss.", she replied as she sat beside her young miss.
"Okay then, listen. What do you think about what has happened to this world?", Elena put forth the question that she came up with after all this time.
".....The world has changed and.....", Aisha didn't know how to continue her answer because a lot has happened and changed in the period of the past three days.
The world has truly changed. The world she used to know and live in, was no longer present. Humanity has fallen and to survive they needed to fight primitively just like the primitive times.
Not expecting an answer from her best-friend, Elena explained, "Your thoughts are true. The world doesn't favour humans any longer but all its species, thus humans are now struggling to survive."
"But, Miss!... ", Aisha exclaimned in a loud voice, instinctively trying to deny the truth, but realizing her mistake, she apologized.
"I am sorry, miss, but what about those classes that we choose and that choose us? Were they not supposed to help us grow stronger, then why haven't they helped us yet?", Aisha asked, feeling wronged and betrayed by her expectations and the classes.
".. You are correct. They are with us to help us. But.. ", Elena stopped as she hesitated if she should answer this sensitive question.
"But?", though seeing her friend's expectant eyes, she didn't have the heart to decline.
"But we need to fulfill some criteria for the classes to bestow their power. If we could not, then even if ten or fifteen classes choose us, it would be useless since they won't help us even when we are close to death."
"....So that's how it works. Is that why none of my classes helped me? ", Aisha said in a dispirited tone.
Elena felt bad seeing her disappointment. She hurried spoke," Don't think so much. It's common for one to not have a single card even after a month, much less only after the third day. Look, I too don't have a class right now."
[Elena Miller-
[Soul power : 15/50]
Race: Human
Class: None
Bloodline: None
Strength-> G
Agility-> F
Stamina-> F
Constitution-> F
Perception-> G
Spirit-> F
Unassigned stat: 0]
"Miss... "
Aisha, feeing happy about how her young miss has trusted her and showed her own status. She moved by this gesture and said, "... Miss, I understand. I will not lose hope and be with you until the end." She replied seriously because she wasn't a fool to not know the advantage of keeping one's power secret from others. It could be a game changer.
She too showed her status to her young miss, showing that she too trusted her as much.
[Aisha Williams-
[Soul power : 0/50]
Race: Human
Class: None
Bloodline: None
Strength-> F
Agility-> G
Stamina-> G
Constitution-> F
Perception-> G
Spirit-> F
Unassigned stat: 1]
"But, miss... ", Aisha asked in a hesitant voice, as a question clicked in her mind.
"... Aisha, we are friends, right? You can tell me what's on your mind.", asked Elena, seeing that her friend could not come in term with her thoughts.
'No, I shouldn't ask how she knows all this. Since she trusted me with this information, I shouldn't break the young miss trust and dig further, putting her in a spot.', thought Aisha as she looked at the smile on her young miss face.
"No miss, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask if there's anything else you wanted to talk about.", she replied with a genuine smile.
"Yes, now let's talk about the classes that you choose or that choose you.", Elena, even when she felt her lying, she didn't pursue it since she was confident that Aisha would never harm her. With that, she continued.
"Yes, miss."
"Did any class outside the initial three cards choose you?", asked Elena with slight hesitation in her voice.
"Yes miss, four cards choose me.", Aisha though replied with no hesitation. She trusted her young miss with all her heart.
Elena raised her brows in surprise, because she didn't expect her friend to reply without a shed of hesitation even when she asked such a sensitive question.
'... I am truly grateful for your friendship. If I were in your place, I wouldn't.... be able to say the truth to someone else at the beginning of this new world.', thought Elena, moved because she knew that Aisha was speaking the truth.
'I will...truly cherish you this time around.'
Elena, keeping a poker face so that she could hide how moved she was, said," That's incredible. They will truly make you powerful in the future."
"Really?", Aisha replied, excited that she could be of help to her young miss.
Elena smiled as she said, "Yes," finding her reaction cute. She continued, " Let me tell you, except the initial three, you won't be able to use the powers of any other classes till you get approved by them so, let's forget about the four you mentioned and focus on the first three."
"Yes, miss."
"Okay, open your status and think that you want to choose your first class.", instructed Elena as she did the same.
"Miss, what should I choose?", asked Aisha with confusion. She didn't know which she should choose because they all seem powerful.
[Please choose your first class;
1. Swordsman
2. Fire mage
3. Martial artist]
"You got a mage class?!", exclaimed Elena in surprise. "Choose the mage class. Leave the rest for later.", she added, happy for her friend.
"Yes, miss.", Aisha didn't know why her friend reacted in such a way, but she didn't question her and choose her first class as a fire mage.
'I didn't expect Aisha to be a mage as well. She has so much potential but.... Sadly she wasn't able to use it before.', she thought as she remembered the premature death of her friend trying to save her.
'...Aisha, This time around, you will definitely be someone powerful because I will guide you.'
Elena looked at her own choices.
'The last time I choose assassin as my first class and regretted it immensely. This time I will use all of my potential.',
[Please choose your first class;
1. Water mage
2. Martial artist
3. Assassin ]
"I choose Fire mage. ", spoke Aisha.
"I choose water mage. ", followed Elena.
[Congratulations,.... ]