Chapter 20 - Who Else Regressed, Reincarnated, or Isekaied?
Primordial Calendar 097, Summer Season 8, and 23rd day, City: Ravelin, Continent Truven, World Javelin
Then, an inexplicable shaking rattled all the chairs and tables in the quiet hole-in-the-wall diner they'd settled on for a decent meal and calm discussion.
Once everything settled down, Lancer felt the hair raised on his entire body when he looked at the two males before him. "Errmm, did something monumental just happen to make you two shift forms?" Now, they resembled a big cat and winged statue.
The two men blinked at Lancer with startled shock in their gazes. "The same could be said about you." Conroy was hesitant about warning him. "It appears a massive alteration in the cloth of this world has occurred."
Yes, even Lancer felt it. He could tell fundamental alterations happened within his body. Puzzled, Lancer looked around, saw his reflection in a window, and winced. "Why'd I lose my scars and muscles and become a pretty boy?" He was horrified.
Seconds later, he returned to most of his original state. "That's better."
He noticed the two young men smiling at how he handled the changes. "Have you gone through something like this before?"
Kenneth shrugged. "Not quite as drastic as what happened to you, but yes. It happened when we went through a deadly whirlpool or something else that landed us here."
That's when Lancer understood. "Ah, so you were offered as sacrifices to islands that held carnivorous monsters that weren't supposed to exist in your world?" That was the typical reason how people wound up in this place.
"Mmm, though, I'm thinking that someone is helping the residents of this world with this latest upheaval." Conroy nodded. "By the way, your appearance, is it anything like what you looked when you were younger?"
When Lancer thought about it, he flushed. "It has been so long, but I suppose it is possible." He would have to confirm it with his wife. His eyes widened. "Errm, I need to go back to my family." There was no telling what other changes might've happened. "Here is a list of places you can go to. I have to see how they're doing." He felt terrible leaving them in a lurch, but he had priorities.
Conroy sighed. "If you've changed to thirteen years prior, where would your family be?"
Kenneth regarded Oljan somberly. "Would you even have a family?" His voice was gruff but gentle.
Lancer Oljan collapsed back into his seat. Uhh, right, nothing was the same anymore.
The complete upheaval meant there was nothing left of his personal history. All of his achievements and failures are gone. No wife, no family, nothing. That last hit him the worst. "I don't have a family any longer..." He sat in silence. All of his regrets went even farther back than thirteen years. However, it was those years when he developed his family. Wait, can he now rectify mistakes from the past? Stunned grieved, and a glimmer of hope entered Lancer's brain. "Does this mean all of us who wanted a second chance now have one?" He regarded the two men who sat with him.
Conroy smiled though his gaze was sad. "Yes, but you'll likely have to relive parts you're not proud of." His warning made Lancer sigh.
Kenneth hesitated before giving him something else to consider. "There's also the possibility that the one who was your wife before," Lancer winced when meeting Kenneth's warning gaze. "Well, depending on what happened before, she might not even be around."
Mmm, that was something Lancer would have to consider. "We'd known each other for many years before starting our family. It was right about thirteen years ago..." He looked at the date and frowned. "Give me a few minutes to sort through all the memories." The fact that he even retained them was a shock to his system.
*
Huh, this wasn't supposed to happen. Stunned, Hanlon Cozen watched as the world blurred and flipped through pages as if the contents had been rewritten just as he had planned. Oh dear, that wasn't quite what he'd envisioned happening. Much to his shock, people appeared on either side of him.
"Greetings, author Hanlon Cozen. " The one-eyed man regarded him with mild irritation. "I'm Gavel," he inclined his head.
The woman sighed. "I'm Ferina Gale." She gave a briefer inclination of her head.
It took Hanlon a moment to realize who they were, and he winced. "Oh dear, I've caused quite a quandary." It was awkward to speak with the Waystation stationmaster in person. The woman, if he wasn't mistaken, was the head archivist of the records within the Waystation. Why had they descended right now? "Should we have our conversation somewhere else?"
The last thing Hanlon wanted to do was cause controversy when there was no need to heighten the tension within the eating establishment where he currently sat.
Unsurprisingly, Hanlon noticed that hostility ratcheted higher the longer he remained seated.
"Actually, if we could sit here with you, that might lessen the tension." Ferina became aware of the hostility running rampant in the room. "You should be aware of the attitudes towards aliens masquerading as citizens right now, correct?" As her gaze swept the room, people averted and paid attention to their meals.
They sat down at the table before he responded. The waiter came by and took their orders. They sat in thoughtful silence, taking in the atmosphere that did ease a bit with their appearance.
That didn't bother the author. "As a matter of fact, you did bring up a good point." He had a few other things he was trying to figure out. "The more, the merrier, I guess," Hanlon shrugged. "I'm still trying to understand what happened."
Gavel gave him a long look. "What don't you understand about this situation?" He seemed puzzled.
Hanlon explained with some asperity. I didn't know people would likely regress to their younger selves." That had yet to be part of his reasoning behind writing certain events the way he had.
"Oh," Ferina and Gavel exchanged glances. "Well, when a new species is entered into the planetary register and akashic records," Ferina regarded Hanlon with a puzzled expression. "with the period allowed for others to make the changeover, of course, there'll be a butterfly effect."
Ah, that was problematic. Hanlon shook his head. "I won't be able to change what I've written." That was frustrating, to say the least.