It was a question that would take me far too much time to answer.The current me is comparable to an infant, I was seeing and experiencing everything for the first time. My mind had been so focused on finding a goal, I hadn't stopped to think about the rest of my life.If I make it into the academy, and if my uncle, who hopefully remembers or knows of me, does know about what happened to me and helps me get my memory back, then what?Do I keep pursuing the matter? Trying to snoop around and find out more about why I have the memories that I do, and about my weird burning brain thing?Or do I just settle down? Leave the academy, find my family and just grow old and die? But of course that would only be the case if what is revealed to me was … sufficient?It was hard to put into words but if I meet my uncle, and if he recognizes me, and if he is aware of what happened to me, and then if he tells me the cause was something minor or something that was an everyday experience in the world, would I be able to relax a bit.But even then, I wouldn't be able to stop. The stream of questions flowing through me wouldn't get corked. If it was just a minor accident , how did I end up in a hospital, memoryless, with no file, and none of my family members other than an estranged uncle are trackable?There were far too many ifs' in this ordeal, and no answers visible in the near future.My mind began to pulse, hurt from all the thinking it had to do. My future at the moment resembled a tree. One clear trunk that stretched for miles upon miles, and hundreds of branches to get lost on.Suddenly an alarm blared, and I sprung awake. Rubbing my eyes slowly, I sat on the edge of my bed. Reality slowly descended upon me. I could not stay in this tiny motel room forever, joking around with Infra and only making guesses as to what the future held in store for me.I could never grow if I remained stagnant forever.While standing up and making a move towards the bathroom, I contemplated asking Infra on the fastest possible route to strengthening myself. But thinking back to just how much I'd learned over these past few weeks, I decided against it.Picking up information was in no way a bad thing. But if I simply crammed everything into my brain, then there would be nothing left for me to experience. This of course applied the most to growing stronger, to mastering my abilities.If I faced no forms of trials and tribulations, then I'd be like a little kid that was handed a sword that could kill anything it touches. Sure I might be able to take on weak and careless enemies and even people who are strong but with no brains.But the moment I run into anyone with a shred of real world experience, my head would fall from my neck.Slowly sliding down from my bed to the floor, I removed my shirt and sat cross legged on the floor. As instructed by Infra previously, I dug my nail into my chest and drew the symbol of an arrow with a circle running through it. There was some kind of meaning and significance of the symbol, but all I cared to know was that the symbol was a kind of beacon.In the words of the researcher who discovered the symbol, Tecz represented the gods, the symbol an altar and your blood the sacrifice. Closing my eyes, I laid my arms on my thighs and pinched my fingers together.Letting the quiet of the room take me in, I began the same process that I had used when viewing my Heartile. Pulling in the warmth around me, as the blood from my chest clotted around the opening.After several long minutes, a small vortex appeared. Though my eyes were closed, I could sense the whirlwind that had begun to pick up.Slowly, I was lifted off the ground, and small flickers of heat would hit my chest, one after another. It took everything in me to keep my concentration and not begin to laugh ecstatically.I believe the symbol was called Cicarqui, the Endless Cycle. Something like that.⥁Ten hours and many rounds of meditation later, a heavy weight had been placed on my chest. At first I assumed it to be simple fatigue, but every attempt at meditation later seemed to result in only further pain and failure. For a second I thought maybe I'd made a mistake during the process, or maybe some extraterrestrial asteroid god had cursed me for using the wrong method.Standing upright, I peered down at my chest. The blood had dried up and seemingly vanished, leaving behind only a faint red scar in the shape of the symbol. A quiet sigh of relief escaped me, as the scar indicated that I wouldn't have to pierce myself every single time.Hastily, I got up and made my way to the bathroom. Brushing my teeth and taking a much needed shower. Throwing on the same smelly black clothes I'd been wearing for the past two months, I exited the room for the first time in months.While meditating, I had simultaneously thought up a plan, and it was now time to set it in motion.Discreetly dashing downstairs, through the lobby while dodging my very angry landlord, I felt the cool breeze of the outside almost instantly. If possible, I wouldn't mind standing here for longer, my eyes shut and the wind blowing against me. But that wasn't exactly going to fit in my 'Recover my memories and find out what I want to do in life, ASAP' plan.After ten minutes of walking, I'd reached the main city. It was no less impressive my second time seeing it, in fact for some reason, it felt even more alive. Hundreds of hovering vehicles zoomed past, street vendors yelled loud and proud outside of their stores. I'd pushed past several crowds of more than a hundred people in each one. Towering buildings lined the city streets.And of course I had to take a moment to admire the sky. More specifically the cities with jet boosters that people now called ships. Being cooped up in my room for so long, it completely slipped my mind that the world couldn't be experienced simply by hearing about it all.You had to see it and feel for yourself. It was all truly breathtaking.I shook my head, refocusing on the task ahead.A long walk and several long turns later, I'd finally arrived.A plain looking skyscraper stood in front of me. The whole thing was blacked out with graffiti plastered on the outside of the first few floors."I'm at the right place, right?" I questioned."Don't answer that." I quickly added after hearing the metallic whirring coming from Infra.Pushing the doors open, I was instantly greeted by clouds of dust and smoke, almost causing me to turn around and leave. Pulling my sweater collar up over my mouth and nose, while trying my best not to cough violently, I walked slowly across the hall.The whole place seemed to be abandoned. What was once a lobby for, I'm assuming some famous corporations headquarters, now looked like the graveyard of some terrorist attack gone wrong. Or I guess gone right depending on your perspective.Approaching the elevator at the end of the hall, I paused for a moment to think. After a few seconds, I hesitantly pressed my finger the down button twice, then the up button thrice before finally placing my hand on the elevator door.An eerie silence followed for the next few seconds, before the sounds of locks being undone sounded out. A small metal slip slid open in the middle of the elevator doors, and a pair of mismatched eyes peered out."Speak."I looked around nervously, second-guessing my actions. I did promise myself to get some real world experience rather than rotting in a room until the test.But at the same time, rotting in a room didn't seem like all that bad of a plan compared to what I was facing currently."I uh… I'm out of white irkle soup?" I said slowly.Both out of embarrassment and anxiety. Infra was definitely reliable when it came to a lot of things, but secret passwords were not really something I placed much faith in it with.The eyes stared at me for a few seconds, causing my knees to shake and a very putrid liquid to start creeping up from my stomach through my esophagus.The metal slip shut violently and within the next few seconds the doors swung open. A scrawny man, wearing a very disturbing minimal-cloth outfit, that only covered his family jewels and lower half of his face, approached me.He pulled out a metal rod and told me to turn around.I almost cried while praying that my manhood only ever be violated in a fight or maybe the love of my life.Luckily for me, he only rubbed it across my limbs before placing it behind his back."Follow me."He turned to walk through the doors, and I was instantly hit by the light of a very pale moon.Almost throwing up aside, I noticed he wore nothing on his back.'Where'd the rod go?' I wondered.He led me through a pitch black hallway. After several minutes I began to think the worst of the scenario, and began to formulate a plan. Just in case I'd failed some kind of test and now he was going to kill me and dump my body in some kind of strange human to thin cloth machine.But unexpectedly, after just a few more meters of walking, faint screaming could be heard. And to my relief it sounded more like cheering than the grinding and processing of the human body. After a few more minutes, we'd reached the end of the hallway.Without another word, the man turned once more and walked back to the other end.Hesitantly, I continued to walk out the tunnel and I was greeted by a different kind of blinding light.When my eyes adjusted, I was shocked to see my surroundings. I'd been led to some kind of massive stadium. As hundreds upon thousands of people stood in a large stadium around what looked like a cage surrounding a battleground in the middle. Awkwardly I made my way down the steps of the stands, letting my eyes wander around me.The absolutely horrendous appearance outside made complete sense to me now. It was a simple trick to keep the attention off the main stadium. Everything that surrounded me now was the pinnacle of luxury and expensive. All the chairs seemed to be made out of some kind of memory foam with leather over them, as well as having full control panels and drink holders.The stairs and railings were fully metallic, and ever so often a small electric current would shoot around the base of the stands, indicating the presence of some kind of fence.All the people around me were either in suits or were wearing some form of expensive outfit mixed with probably priceless jewels and accessories. And to top it all off a dozen suites lined the top of the stands. The windows were all tinted so it was impossible for me to see who was inside, but just judging based on how rich the people who were in the stands were,I was fairly confident that the people in the suites could buy the stadium if they wanted.I stared up at the jumbotron to get a clearer view of a fight. Two men stood on either side of the middle of the battleground. The floors, now very damaged, were made out of tiles upon tiles of marble, and four pillars stood supporting the cage around the battleground.The men, one wearing some tusked animal mask and the other a pitch black mask with four horns protruding off the top, seemed to be in a standstill. Neither one making a move.The stands ceased the cheering, everyone's hearts beating out of either euphoria and anxiety. Or maybe even both. The bettors, genuine fans, and random people who looked like they had no idea where they were, were all united in their anticipation.Finally the tusk mask slammed his fists together, and kept them together as a strange red aura began to build up on his arms. He charged up the aura until it surrounded his whole body before finally smashing into the ground beneath him.The tiles shattered beneath him with a deafening crack, fragments spinning through the air with a whistle as they hurtled toward his opponent.Moving behind them to use them as cover, he'd occasionally punch a piece of tile, sending them flying.The black mask would respond in kind, by using some kind of invisible force to stop them or change their course.When the tusk man had arrived only a few steps from the black mask, the aura around him moved to cover only his legs.He crouched down before exploding upwards.He flew so fast, the cameras could barely track his movement.But now, what looked like only a hairs distance away, the tusk mask moved the aura once more, this time to his arms.Using his left arm, he picked up a still falling tile, and placed it between him and the black mask.He lifted his right arm high, in one final effort, and smashed the tiles into pieces.Finally his fist connected with something, a large bang sounding out.A dust cloud covered the battleground.The outcome was unknown, but many people already began cheering for some wacky name, which I assumed was the fighters name.Then the dust settled, and the stadium was silenced.Standing with his foot on the head of the tusk mask, there he was.The black mask, completely unscathed with his fist raised in triumph.The silence was quickly replaced, with loud shouts of protest and confusion. Many asked what had happened,or how the tusk mask had been lost and instantly accusations of cheating began to arise.After a quick few moments of rioting, the scene on the jumbotron changed. Now in some kind of heat sensor view, the reason behind the victory was shown.When the tusk mask had smashed the tile into pieces, and continued the motion of his arm, and when he thought he had connected with the black mask, he was completely off.Within that split second, the black mask had propelled himself backwards with his right arm, and lifted his left arm, forming a blob of debris in his place.When the tusk mask connected with the debris replica, the black mask quickly maneuvered himself to the side of the tusk mask and slammed down with both hands.Finally stomping him out.It was a very cowardly and unsportsmanlike way to win, according to everyone else. But as I watched it all unfold I was star-struck.In a losing situation, the black mask turned it all around in a split second, thanks to his opponent's rashness of course.So what if he didn't meet the opponent's fist head on? That would've been the stupid thing to do anyways. In the end he beat his opponent, and snatched the victory. And winning was all that mattered anyways.I'd become so immersed in the fight, that I hadn't even noticed the man now standing to my left.Turning, I was met with a short but built man in a grey suit. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tattoo-littered forearms. His hair was dark and slicked back, and when he turned to face me, he stared deeply into my soul with his mismatched eyes."You enjoy the fight kid?" His voice was surprisingly high pitched."Um y-yeah. I mean I just showed up for the end of it, but y-yeah." Despite his high voice, I could tell by just looking at the man that I should try and keep a safe distance from him."Yeah, that kid is something else. He only joined us last month and he's already one of our best. It's strange seeing Dica's that are good at close range fighting, especially ones that are good enough to beat seasoned Orivs." He paused and turned to me. "So, I heard you were out of soup?" He smiled.It was truly an odd feeling. Every fiber of my being was telling me to turn around and leave. That this was a bad idea. But for some reason, I didn't quite see it that way."Yes. Yes I am." It would have sounded much cooler were I not responding to "I heard you were out of soup", but I stand by it regardless.The man grinned and motioned for me to follow.It all seemed so unreal. The dream, the coma, the memory loss then the superpowers and the academy. I didn't remember anything from my past, but I knew for a fact it definitely wasn't as interesting as it is now.Being an underground fighter was not how I envisioned my training going, but hey it couldn't be that bad.