[Eiswelt, Taured, February 6th, Thursday, 10:26 AM, 2025]
I lost my memories. Five entire years had passed. Not that I could tell.
The next thing I knew and felt was my body almost crumbling. I had been frozen in eyes.
I was cold. Unrealistically cold... As cold as death itself.
I looked around me, and all I saw was snow, blood, destroyed buildings, ice, and corpses.
I turned around to find shattered ice on the ground. Something had hit me.
It looked like I had been hit by a van and flash frozen onto it by the strange woman, I was frozen on the side of the van; she must've formed a cube of ice around me.
I didn't remember anything at the time. Where I was, what happened here, barely anything about my past either. The only thing I remembered was my name, and strangely enough how my body looked like before.
My eyes shut from both the cold and the pain, I clutched my head as visions flooded my mind, memories that were no longer mine.
James Karawei: "Agh! What... What is this...?!" I gasped in pain and shook my head violently as If it would do anything.
I opened my eyes and looked down at myself.
My own hands... they were bigger, despite being in ice, I had grown. I had no shirt on, just some jeans.
I quickly went over to the side of the van and looked into the broken glass, seeing enough of myself to realize just how much I had grown.
My body had changed and developed while frozen, and even my hair grew out more.
The most important detail was that my muscles grew bigger, I looked like a bodybuilder.
And I felt taller too, around 6'0 in height or 182 cm.
James Karawei: "Wow... this is so insane." I smirked, from the sheer absurdity of the situation and flexed my biceps.
That's when I felt something in my pocket, way warmer than my jeans that's for sure. It was not the beacon, that was long gone.
Inside my pocket was a lone note, not put there by me.
"Follow the road home, South... Jasmine is your friend. - R.K"
James Karawei: "R.K? Why does that sound familiar... And who the heck is Jasmine?"
I tucked it back into my pocket and sighed. The wind giving no answers.
I had no idea who left it there.
I didn't remember much other than myself and my name. And how to tell which direction I was facing by looking at the sun, which was setting over the horizon.
It was surreal looking around at everything.
But other than that, I was clueless.
I began walking towards the Eisturm Tower, towards the center of the city.
The city of Eiswelt— Not that I remember the name— Was filled with corpses. Most frozen, some not-so-frozen and help up by strange... Talismans, as best as I can describe them.
Small pieces of paper linked together with strange eyes on them and other markings.
It was tragic.
James Karawei: "Who could've done all of this... And why? What for? Oh man... I think I'm going to be sick..."
After half an hour or so of walking, I had reached the base of the tower.
It was also flash frozen, spikes sticking out of it like some sort of messed-up art piece.
The giant ice spike where the port used to be also caught my attention as the sun dipped lower on the horizon, but then I looked back up at the tower.
More corpses.
Hung by their necks, by a strange white rope with the same talismans I saw earlier over it.
Ice spikes were embedded in almost all of the bodies, impaling them to the tower, some had bullet wounds, some were just hung, some were frozen completely, making giant fleshly ice cubes. But they were all hung by the strange white rope.
Blood laced the tips of the ice spikes.
James Karawei: "Oh man... How'd they even get up there?"
They sight got to me, I quickly ran over to a nearby car and puked into the open hood. Nobody would know anyway.
Even the central door leading inside the tower was covered with corpses and blood stains.
I turned around, wiping my mouth and saw a clearing in the city, a bunch of buildings on the north side burnt to ashes. Molten and frozen at the same time... And trees?
I saw the road home.
Not that I knew I was heading home, yet my feet started moving on their own, something inside of me refused to die. I wanted the truth.
I made my way to it, walking past the main highway to Taured, going over the frozen cars and people.
Taking one last look at the sunset.
And crossing the police tape which led into the forested road.
So I kept walking.
[A month had passed]
And walking..
[Another month had passed]
I watched the snow melt into mud, and the mud turn into spring grass, yet I never stopped walking.
[Three months had passed]
I was far away from Eiswelt now, I realized I was still on the road, but no longer on the sea. I was in a forest. I had been walking for way longer than I had realized.
Time felt weird for me, I didn't know it then, but I had been walking South for over 2 months— No, 3 months. I didn't know for sure, I could just somehow tell. And I didn't mind either.
I was completely out of it, barely thinking. Still thinking about things, just barely. On an almost subconscious level.
I wasn't hungry or thirsty, at least not for sustenance. My mind was working fine, other than the haze and lack of memories. At least subconsciously.
I wanted truth, something... A warm blanket, even.
I kept walking...
Even more time passed, a week or so.
Somewhere down the road, after who knows how many steps...
I found a car. Which was strange enough on its own.
James Karawei: "What's a car doing here, in the middle of nowhere? They better have food..."
It was covered in ice spikes, it had been thrown by that strange woman from Taured to here. I looked inside of the car.
It didn't register at first in my mind.
The bodies.
My mother, Aunt Lara's dog Ricky, and... my father was in front of the car just a few steps away, also flash frozen.
I didn't recognize them, but the sight alone almost made me throw up again.
Through the other side of the broken windshield, I saw a man in a crimson suit, he had a matching fedora on his head which had a black hatband, and was wearing a black face mask with strange golden carvings on it.
He was crouched over the corpse of my father. Humming a strange tune to himself.
Even if I didn't remember him or my father, some part of me screamed at the sight. Like a wound I didn't know I had, suddenly aching.
We locked eyes, and I hopped up on top of the car. I snapped out of my walk-induced haze, suddenly feeling energetic.
James Karawei: "Did you... Sir, did you kill these people?" I asked calmly, my hands trembling.
The Boss: "No, James. But I am here to collect." He said and looked back down at my father.
Suddenly, the man smashed the ice covering my father with his right hand and grabbed my father by the neck, his hand began glowing an unnatural neon red as a single red chain came forth from his palm, which embedded itself into the neck of my father.
My father was preserved well by the ice, but unfortunately he didn't realize what was happening. He slowly and pathetically struggled in the man's grasp. His eyes found mine as he looked around frantically, he became even more distressed and thrashed harder.
The stranger stared me down with zero remorse as he pulled his hand back, a strange, red glowing orb came forth from my father's neck.
His body suddenly went limp.
The orb then flew into the stranger's chest. He shuddered and groaned as he stumbled back onto the ground, extending his arms and looking up at the sky. Laughing.
The Boss: "Amazing... So this is real Reality... Hahaha... Truly Amazing!"
He took a deep breath as his hand stopped glowing and stood up slowly. His eyes narrowed confidently as they locked with mine.
I had no idea what to do.
The Boss: "Your name is James Karawei, you live at 573 Wheelbarrow, Darrilyn, Piasu, Ryomania. 20 km or so past the city of Havok, which is the capital. You and your family worked as farmers in the countryside before moving here."
He said as he stepped closer, I didn't move an inch or blink once.
James Karawei: "Why... Why do you know so much about me? Who are you? And what did you just do to that man?!"
I felt my hands ball up into fists, my teeth clenching before I knew it.
I took a step off the roof of the car and onto the hood.
The man chuckled and put his hands up as if he were held at gunpoint, slowly backing up towards the corpse of my father. Red mist seemed to creep out from the sleeves of the man's suit; he winced as if almost in pain, and chuckled.
The Boss: "Amazing... Now now, I don't want to fight... Ngh— I just told you your address with precision, I clearly— Agh... Want to help you..."
The man doubled over and fell onto his knees, shuddering again.
The Boss: "James, go home, my dear boy! You'll recover there. The truth, and— Yourself! Agh..."
The man suddenly toppled over, shaking and groaning in pain.
The air around us began to break, like a mirror being shattered. Red glass shards breaking off of the air itself.
More and more mist covered the area until I couldn't even see ahead of me, I decided to run forwards, past the car and past him.
James Karawei: "You... Just s-stay out of my way freak!"
I ran past him further onto the road. The mist was still circling me, pouring out from him onto the area at a rapidly increasing speed.
I didn't even feel the tears falling off my face and onto the pavement as I turned and ran into the woods.
The man shouted after me, but I couldn't hear anything.
The began cracking even harder around me, the glass shards flew through my body, they were incredibly cold and made up of an ethereal matter that seemed to not affect me physically.
My vision blurred as I ran... The mist was everywhere now, I couldn't even see my feet when I looked down, so I stopped.
I felt dizzy, and my head was shaking... I feel over and—
My surroundings changed and... I found myself in a field of wheat.
I looked around, trying to find the strange man on the road, but he was nowhere in sight. Nor could I see the red mist, it's as if it was just another vision of mine.
I felt even weaker now.
I saw smoke rising out of a house in the distance.
I fell to my knees and clutched my head as a sharp pain began crawling up my spine and to my temple.
I saw a bunch of images flash through my mind, things I didn't own, people I didn't recognize.
I yelled out before I could stop myself.
James Karawei: "Make it stop! Aah... Nooo!"
I thrashed around on the ground, my body suddenly tensing up.
I blacked out.
[The Karawei Farm, Darrilyn, Piasu, Ryomania, May 6th, Tuesday, 2:21 AM, 2025]
My eyes snapped open, and I stood up, a cold shiver wracked my body, and I felt sweat drip off of me.
Pure exhaustion... And then a gentle hand rested on my forehead.
Jasmine Olson: "Well, well, well... Little ol' Jamie has woken up! My oh my, how strong you've gotten~"
The girl grabbed a wet, cold towel, gently dabbing my face with it. Smirking and winking at me.
James Karawei: "The man... He— What?! What is this? Where is he?"
She chuckled as I sat up and glanced around in panic.
Jasmine Olson: "What man silly? This is your house, your living room. Duh. You've got a lot of explaining to do, five years' worth of stuff, I reckon."
She pushed me back with her palm. I laid back on the couch and sighed.
James Karawei: "Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick again... What do you mean by five years? Who are you exactly?"
She grinned, and shook my hand enthusiastically.
Jasmine Olson: "I'm Jasmine Olson, I'm your friend! At least that's what the note in your pocket said. And so do I, buckaroo."
I glanced under the blanket, a fierce blush creeping onto my face as I realized I had new clothes on.
James Karawei: "My clothes! Wha—"
Sweatpants and a red t-shirt that didn't feel right on me. Even though they were mine. She must've dressed me while I was blacked out.
James Karawei: "D-did you...?"
Jasmine Olson: "Yes. And it's nothing I haven't seen before~ Plus, there was some kind of tough ice on you, couldn't get it off, so I crushed it with a hammer and made you a glass of orange juice! It's probably safe. Probably."
She handed me the glass that was on the coffee table, still grinning, it was quite cold.
I almost dropped it as I struggled with the revelation; everything was going by way too fast.
I took a sip and set it down on the coffee table. I sat back up and scooted away from her to put some space between us.
James Karawei: "So... Friend? Um... I don't really know what to say. I woke up in this weird frozen city, and the note you found told me to go South."
I rubbed my forehead in pain, hugging my knees to my chest.
James Karawei: "I saw a man down the road who hurt some people, at least I think he hurt them. He had a weird red suit and a mask on his face. He caused some sort of red mist to appear and I ran from him and somehow found myself in the wheat field..."
Jasmine rubbed her chin thoughtfully and nodded.
Jasmine Olson: "Mhm, I know. I've been watching the news... Everyone knows Taured got destroyed five years ago by 'The Storm'. The president, Strauss Frathorn, fled to America and reported everything, after that people obviously tried going back to the country to take it over from... 'Them'"
Her expression hardened for a moment as she looked towards the fireplace.
Jasmine Olson: "The Magi, three strange people who took over Taured and have singlehandedly been keeping out multiple countries from it. The Storm, The Blaze and The Ever-Sealed."
James Karawei: "So that's how Taured got destroyed... And I was there? I got flash-frozen in ice... And now you're telling me five years have passed?!"
I let go of my knees and laid back on the armrest of the couch.
Jasmine smiled again and put her hand on my left knee, trying to be comforting.
Jasmine Olson: "Yep, five years... I figured you got frozen or..."
She paused, burying her face in her hands and letting out a deep breath.
Jasmine Olson: "I'm so happy you're alive, James... The Storm probably froze you. Nobody knows much about her, there are theories that she works for Iris and is trying to steal something from the mainland. From us, from Ryomania."
James Karawei: "But who's R.K.? And Iris?"
Jasmine lifted her head up, looking at the ceiling fan as it spun round and round.
Jasmine Olson: "Yeah, so... R.K. is..."
She frowned as she met my gaze. She looked away nervously for a split second before clearing her throat.
Jasmine Olson: "Not important. Iris is the dangerous terrorist organization currently running rampant all over the globe. Nobody knows what their goals are, but they've been stealing important artifacts from countries everywhere for the past eighteen years. Our president thinks that King Henry has something to do with Iris, and that he paid for 'The Android' to be constructed, but those are just stupid rumors."
She stood up suddenly, grabbing the glass of orange juice and drinking from it, not caring at all for the few droplets crawling down her neck. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, licking her upper lip.
Jasmine Olson: "I already called everyone and told them you're alive, but since I found you passed out cold in the fields... I reckon your family didn't make it."
I got the courage to swing my legs over the side of the couch and stand up. She let out a low whistle as she gave me a once-over.
Jasmine Olson: "Wow... Aren't you a tall bastard? Mhm, that cold air must've done something to ya, Jamie. Or maybe you're just really manly~"
She wiggled her eyebrows and finished the glass, putting it down onto the coffee table with too much force.
James Karawei: "Stop being weird... But yeah, I don't think they made it...Did I even have a family? My head hurts whenever I think about it, and it's also kind of hard to... Feel? Like... emotions... I feel so strange."
I looked down at my hands and clutched them into fists.
Jasmine Olson: "You'll be fine after you get some sleep, I'm sure it's just because you were in ice for five years, no biggie."
I looked up as she chuckled and put her hands on her hips, walking towards the door.
Jasmine Olson: "Alright, well... I'm going home finally. I'm gonna miss this place, better than my little cave, that's for sure. Keys are on the dining table in the living room. School starts tomorrow at 6, Cathy is furious, and Jack is watching Two Piece tonight. And yeah, I know you just woke up from a literal coma, but hey—life keeps going, buddy! Break a leg!"
She turned and walked out of the bedroom, whistling. Leaving me alone with my thoughts again...
James Karawei: "School? Where the heck am I going to go tomorrow...? And who's Jack and Cathy?"
I said to myself as I heard the front door shut.
She didn't ask too many questions, which was weird. Didn't answer enough questions, also weird.
I then made my way into the room to the right of the couch, it coincidentally was my room.
Not that I remembered it.
I took a deep breath as I stared outside and fell back onto the bed, watching the sunset.
James Karawei: "R.K., Iris, the man in red... That strange woman... It's too much."
I muttered as I put a pillow over my face.
And then... I quickly fell asleep.
[ＥＮＤ ＯＦ ＡＲＣ ０－ ＧＥＮＥＳＩＳ]