A standard form appears on the screen, with the usual requests: first name, last name, age. Without hesitation, I begin typing information into the virtual keyboard, filling in each field without even thinking twice.
Birthplace: [_______________]
I pause for a moment. My city, New York, is not of this world.
Here, in the chaos of Aethraxis, it does not exist.
Well, maybe it didn't matter anyway when I think of all those unpleasant memories I have accumulated.
I look at the empty field and let out a heavy sigh.
I can't keep getting lost in thoughts about what I can't change.
Deep down, I realize that holding on to the past will get me nowhere.
I have to focus on what's in front of me, accept who I am now and try to find my way, even if sometimes it seems so hard to forget especially with my perfect memory.
My perfect memory, instead of being an advantage, often turns into a burden; I instantly relive every moment, every emotion and every sensation, making the process of letting go even more complex.
After a long reflection that in the outside world would seem to last only a few moments, I type the name of a city now disappeared: "Arkos, the sunken city." Destroyed by an S-rank enemy, reduced to rubble without a trace of life. A place wiped out, worthless.
I don't care if it's true or not. This world, this lie, are just tools.
As long as I reach my goal, none of this really matters.
After recording my data, the woman stares at me intently, her eyes becoming scrutinizing as if she's trying to judge my abilities.
"No," I answer sincerely, keeping my tone calm.
"I have no experience and I don't have an account."
"What?! Then how can we win? You can't even think about playing!"
The woman falls to her knees, shocked by despair.
"I'm ruined..."
"It's no problem, I can learn."
"Learn? Are you kidding?" she exclaims, incredulous.
"You can't become a professional pilot overnight!"
"If it were that easy, people like me wouldn't have so much trouble finding someone good!"
"Are you done?" I say
"Y-yes."
She stands up as she regains some composure, her expression indicating she's made a big decision.
She looks at me with bright green eyes.
"If you don't have an account, I can help you set one up."
"Wait here first."
With a deep sigh, she approaches the few customers scattered around the place, apologizing for the inconvenience.
Her once-shaky voice now resonates with new authority as she explains that this is an emergency.
With a firm gesture, she changes the hologram light on the sign from "Open" to "Closed," the blue flashing briefly as if to emphasize the seriousness of the situation.
"Follow me," she says, already moving toward a back door.
"Mmn"
I nod and follow her to a white-gray door. She uses her Ethercell to open it, scanning a nearby area to the right of the door.