Day 4
3:00 AM
Where am I? Everything is white. Could it be that I've died without even realizing it?
Or perhaps I'm dreaming? It's quite possible that another premonition is manifesting.
Wait, I've seen this before. It's me, entering the school…
So, this cannot be a future event within the game. It must either be a past occurrence or something happening after the end of the game. However, since it's such a routine scene for me, I can't tie it to a specific moment.
I begin witnessing a series of events that seem to stem from a past dream. Until now, these memories were quite foggy in my mind.
Yes, now I remember. I've had this dream before but forgot everything, leaving only fragments of memory upon waking up.
The events progress, and I fully revisit the dream in question. By the end, I realize I was utterly mistaken about the future I envisioned.
The conflict between Mikoto and Ailiss was what triggered this game. My vision of the two in the student council room was never a future event but a past occurrence. I've been wrong this entire time due to a mere misinterpretation of that scene, and this changes everything.
With this information in mind, I can no longer guarantee my plan's success. There is no predetermined prophecy for me to use as a foundation; quite the opposite. There are only signs that collaboration between those two will be an exceedingly difficult task.
Damn it.
What now? What can I do? From what I've gathered, I still have the advantage of neither of them remembering this conflict, but I don't know how long I can rely on that.
At the end of this event, the entire school scenario starts to unravel, giving way to a misty environment.
What is this place? I distinctly recall the dream ending at that point. Visibility here is nearly zero.
Then, I notice the diffuse silhouettes of two individuals. I try to recognize them from a distance, but the atmosphere around them seems to warp the environment.
As I approach, I realize from their stature that they're children—very young children, in fact. All the mist in this place seems to emanate from them.
I can't clearly see their faces; they're completely distorted by the nebulous aura enveloping them. I can only imagine they are the children who announced the beginning of this game.
"Finally, you've arrived, Johann. We were tired of waiting for you," the girl says with a slightly annoyed tone.
"Who are you? And how do you know my name?"
"Who are we? Does it really matter? Think of us however you want. You can see us as external or internal entities, but if you want to name us, call us Laplace's Demons," the boy replies.
Laplace's Demons?
"All right, now answer me: what is this place, and what do you want from me?"
"This place is anywhere and nowhere at the same time. Think of it as the intersection of two worlds. We don't want anything from you; we've merely come to do you the favor of warning you about something. By now, you must already be suspicious. But since you're a bit slow to deduce it on your own, let us inform you that everything you've seen isn't a projection of the future, as you were assuming, but rather of something that has already 'happened,'" they alternate their responses.
Wait, the recap of the dream I had two days ago does indeed seem to refer to the past, but all the visions? That can't be.
"The case of the game's invocation, yes. I believe that's the case. However, it would be absurd to claim this about my premonitions regarding my encounters with Mikoto and Ailiss, especially the latter, whom I didn't even know. How would you explain seeing the past with someone I had never met? That's a contradiction by definition," I retort.
"The fact that it didn't happen specifically to this 'you' doesn't mean it didn't happen."
"What do you mean? I don't understand what point you're trying to make."
"Johann, answer us: have you ever heard of parallel universes or alternate realities?"
Well, if they're suggesting what I'm thinking…
"Naturally, I'm familiar with those concepts. Are you claiming I'm seeing events that other versions of me experienced in parallel universes? I admit, that's quite an unusual explanation."
"Exactly. In a way, you can consider these phenomena as temporal lines."
I see… If what they're saying is true, then a version of me in another universe met Ailiss and spoke with Mikoto. Somehow, this information ended up reaching me through this sequence of dreams.
"All right, now I reasonably understand what you're getting at. However, how did this information reach me? That still doesn't make any sense."
"First, keep in mind that the reality you're in exists at the intersection of other worlds. That means you're much more susceptible to experiences that transcend your own timeline. And now, add the fact that infinite versions of you are making decisions and grappling with their consequences—consequences you may experience from now on," the girl explains.
So that's the explanation? I would consider it an impossible hypothesis with current physical knowledge, but in this supernatural environment, it's pretty plausible. Bizarre but plausible.
But there's still something odd about all this. If there are infinite cases, each timeline and each possible world should have a different outcome—a divergence. That would make me see infinite future possibilities. Indeed, there are infinite worlds nearly identical to this one, but simultaneously, there are infinitely different timelines.
Even if I assume that only realities similar to this one resulted in a game connecting me to other universes, why did I see those specific situations? And they didn't seem so incongruous with each other, so I could clearly say they were part of the same timeline.
"Wrong. It seems you haven't understood why there's a convergence of sensations."
"Can you read minds?"
They ignore me and continue explaining.
"It's not that difficult to understand. Think of it this way: even though there are infinite possibilities, all of them mysteriously converge into a single point. Regardless of initial conditions, everything results in the same circumstance. Like water flowing into a narrowing funnel."
"My issue isn't with the analogy itself but with the reason for it. Does it make any sense? What's causing this convergence?"
"We don't know. That's precisely why we're here. There doesn't seem to be a rational explanation for this phenomenon. However, there were only two outcomes in all the worlds where this game happened. Half the time, Ailiss von Feuerstein was defeated, and in the other half, Yukihara Mikoto was. In other words, you won this battle every time—congratulations on such a remarkable feat."
Their final words leave me stunned. If this world follows the same pattern as all the others… in the end, I won't be able to save either of them. Damn it, what do I do? Neither of these two endings is acceptable. It can't be that there's no other way; I refuse to believe that.
"But this means that one of them has always died," I look down and ask myself, "Is there nothing I can do about it? Is there no way to avoid this ending again?"
"Exactly. They've always died. Even though you've won every game, the anguish has always consumed you completely, as you've always been deeply connected to both girls, including the one who was defeated. This grew uncontrollably until it created a bridge between these worlds, bringing us to where we are now."
They must be mocking me. I won't accept this kind of fate. There's something I can certainly do to avoid a future where I'm the winner, and it's a straightforward action to take.
"You're telling me it's impossible to save both of them? It's impossible for me not to be one of the game's winners? I just need to kill myself right now, and that will be possible! If I'm dead, the game will end immediately, and there will be no way for it to converge into one of their defeats!"
"For what? For them to kill each other afterward? Or for a new game to be created immediately after? Remember, Ailiss von Feuerstein and Yukihara Mikoto are natural enemies. They're currently suffering from amnesia due to the game, but Ailiss's hunt will resume as soon as she remembers Mikoto, and Mikoto will do everything to defend herself. You're trying to preserve beings with conflicting interests, and you'll never succeed in that. However, we never said that your goal is theoretically impossible."
Didn't they just say it was impossible a sentence ago?
"So what do I do?! What's the point of you telling me all this?! How can I achieve my goal if it's precisely to save them both? It's the only thing that matters to me!"
"Your goal to save both of them isn't impossible. The problem is trying to save them in their current state—that's impractical. We don't care whether you can save them both; we merely want to construct a third possibility. Infinity cannot possibly experience only two trajectories, which is why we influenced you to visualize these parallel routes instead of just feeling a strong déjà vu as normally happens. Now, how you use this information is up to you."
They continue.
"And by the way, we've left a surprise for you. When you find it, you'll remember what it's about."
8:43 AM
I woke up today as if a flood of information had been manually loaded into my brain. After this terrible headache subsided, I managed to stop, recall my dream, and reflect on everything I saw.
Despite discovering that the visions I've been having are of a different nature than I assumed, I don't intend to change the central idea of my plan. I can't turn back now.
Bringing those two together has become more essential than ever, given that they are natural enemies. As those children said, there's no point in merely ending the game with both of them alive. As soon as it's over, their conflict will resume. It's naïve to think things will end differently. Therefore, I need to cut the problem at its root and end this enmity.
While walking thoughtfully through the school corridors, my thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a sudden blow to my back.
I turn around to see what it was, ready to demand an explanation, only to find myself face to face with someone I cannot oppose: Ailiss.
She furrows her brow and stares at me silently for a few seconds.
What exactly happened? Why is she angry? Well, given her personality, I'd find it odd if she weren't hostile.
"Is there a problem, Ailiss?" I ask, trying to sound friendly.
"Why haven't you kept in touch? Should I interpret this as a breaking of our alliance?" she responds with a dark tone.
Damn, how could I forget to report back to her? Discovering that Mikoto is also a player completely distracted me from meeting with Ailiss last night.
I need to devise an excuse quickly, or things will get ugly for me.
"I was going to contact you today. I was busy yesterday sorting things out with Mikoto, the student council president. Unfortunately, it took longer than expected to have a private conversation with her. I managed to persuade her to collaborate with us, but it took much longer than I anticipated."
"And you finished this task at what time? In the middle of the night, perhaps? You should have reported this as soon as possible. Wasn't that your own established goal? Make another mistake like this, and I will consider you a traitor," she warns, narrowing her eyes.
I see I've acquired a much stricter commander than I could have imagined.
"I'm truly sorry, Ailiss. Please rest assured, this is a mistake that won't happen again," I say, raising my hands defensively.
She continues to glare at me with a terrible temper.
I don't believe apologies will work with her. For now, it's best to try and change the subject.
"So, how did your investigation go?"
"I still don't have strong suspicions about who the conjurer and third player might be. I need to study the case further. I'm convinced I had them in my sights, but my short-term memory is in complete chaos. There's something very strange about all this," she says, touching her forehead.
I understand. What she's saying aligns with the version I visualized, giving more credibility to my dreams. I need to find a way to bring them closer while they remain unaware of the whole situation.
"I see. Perhaps you should rest a little. I'll cover for you this afternoon."
"An assassin usually doesn't have time to rest, but since I've acquired a subordinate... perhaps it's not a bad idea."
"By the way, I will talk to President Mikoto to schedule a meeting with you. Would tonight work for you?"
"Fine, just resolve it quickly," she says, turning her back and leaving the area.
10:49 AM
After speaking with Ailiss, I head to the student council room to look for Mikoto and try to confirm a meeting tonight. That way, we can solidify this alliance. However, upon arriving, she isn't there.
Mikoto had left with Keiko and Haruki to handle something that doesn't concern me. Naturally, in her absence, the vice president, Takashi, is in charge. Given our conversation yesterday, he greets me with very little enthusiasm.
As I wait for Mikoto's return, I'm constantly cursed by Takashi's angry glare as he stares at me unrelentingly.
This makes me rethink the future of those two after the game.
After I commit suicide, who will take care of them? And just as important, who will be a threat?
I can smell the rotten stench of Takashi's sick jealousy from a mile away. Nothing good will come of it. Merely because Mikoto gave me a bit of attention yesterday afternoon, this room is now infested with his hostility. Perhaps the conclusion I reached yesterday isn't so far-fetched after all, and now I have a good pretext for wanting to get rid of him.
"She won't be back anytime soon. There's no reason for you to stay here; you can leave," he says, still glaring at me.
My presence is clearly bothering him. Maybe I should respond to his friendly recommendation in kind.
No. Something better. I can touch on his wounds more and more until his hostility becomes even more apparent than it already is on his face.
"I already said I need to speak with her. And don't worry about when she'll return; I have all the time in the world, especially if it's for her. I can wait all day if necessary," I reply with an ironic smile.
"I'm asking nicely: stay away from her right now. If I see you approaching her again, you'll regret not listening to my warnings," he says, clenching his fists. "You're underestimating me... you don't know what I'm capable of."
Finally, he decides to make his emotions explicit? Too bad. I'll never follow such instructions.
Deeper. I can cut this wound a bit more.
"Stay away?" I start laughing. "To begin with, our connection is more her doing than mine. I know it must be hard for you to understand, but she chose someone else despite all you've done for her. Life's unfair like that—our passions aren't always reciprocated. Even if I step aside, nothing will change. You can't control her heart, and nothing you do will guarantee her feelings."
Abruptly, he stands up from his chair and widens his eyes. After a few seconds, with clenched fists, he starts moving toward me.
Have I gone far enough? I got carried away and irritated him more than I intended.
And now? How far will he go to keep his word?
"You..." Takashi starts but stops when he notices the door opening. "Who is it?!"
It's just Natsuki, who looks confused as she enters the room.
"Er... excuse me, Tanaka-senpai. Is Kaichou or Keiko here? I was supposed to deliver some papers to one of them."
"Do you see either of them here?! Clearly, they're not!" he replies angrily.
"Ah, I'm so sorry!" she responds tearfully and leaves the room.