— Courtyard —
Ten minutes later, Malrik opened the door to the courtyard. He widened his eyes upon seeing the massive field. The tinted blue glass roof was held by the towering stone pillars encompassing the entire area. In the centre stood his sister, Sarah. Her eyes were closed, and her sword was held firmly in her right hand.
"Took you long enough." She opened her eyes and turned to him.
Malrik smirked and unsheathed his own sword. "Better late than never, am I right?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "Let's just start, our Maid Jill's brother should be here any minute now."
Malrik nodded, and the two got into their fighting stances opposite each other. Sarah raised three fingers in the air. "On the count of three, we start. Ready?"
Malrik nodded and Sarah started lowering each finger as she counted. "One... two... three!"
As those words left her mouth, the two launched themselves at each other, clashing in the middle with their swords. The battle commenced as they swung blow after blow at each other. They followed the same routine as a choreographed dance – defend, counter, defend and repeat. Neither one was holding back. Sparks flew as their blades connected, and the sounds of metal clashing reverberated across the field.
— Inside —
The sound of the door echoed, alerting Maid Jill to someone's presence. She looked up and froze as green hair poked out of the door. A man in a white shirt and black trousers walked in calmly. His body was lean, and his blue eyes looked lazy.
"Hello Joe."
Joe looked up lazily at Jill as he dug his finger in his right ear. "Where is the kid? I was told I had to nurse some boy."
"You're late," Jill responded as she glared at him.
Joe raised an eyebrow. "What do you care?"
This made Jill freeze. She looked away before turning around to finish some dishes.
"The kids are in the back courtyard."
Joe nodded and walked away. A small tear ran down Jill's cheek before she quickly wiped it away and went back to the dishes.
— Courtyard —
Joe opened the door and was immediately met with the sounds of swords clashing. He noticed Kael sitting on an oversized double rocking chair. He was staring at the kids as if he were on a birdwatch. Joe coughed, which made Kael jump.
"Oh, Joe! About time. I trust the mission went well." Kael stretched out his hand, and Joe shook it. He then dug his hands back into his pockets and sat on Kael's rocking chair.
"The usual, a bunch of idiots ganging up on the weak and their heroic Paladin arrives to stop them. I guess the pay was good, though." Joe yawned and leaned his head back to rest. "I might fall asleep," he muttered.
Kael sat down beside him. "You can't fall asleep now. You're missing an exciting match." He picked up a box of popcorn that Joe seemed to have missed and started eating.
Joe looked up to see two kids fighting. "I take it that's the boy whose brain I'll be diving into?"
Kael nodded, taking another chunk of his popcorn. Joe let out a tired and unconvincing "yay" before grabbing a chunk of popcorn from Kael. He stared at the boy who dodged a sword slash before catching a punch on his right. Malrik held the fist, using it to bring Sarah into a kick.
Sarah recovered by backflipping onto her feet; however, Malrik was already on her. He unleashed a barrage of sword strikes. Sarah tried weaving through them and blocking some with her sword, but she couldn't quite muster up the strength and magic in time.
"The boy is impressive," noted Joe as Kael turned to him. "Watch his breathing – it hasn't changed at all, yet it's obvious they have been at this for a while. He's pulling in just enough magic through his blood to keep himself primed, but not a drop more. And when he strikes—" he nodded as Malrik launched into a sudden burst of speed, "—he channels it all in a blink."
"Exactly right," Kael murmured, his popcorn spouting out as he watched the fight unfold. "It's been like that since this battle started. That kind of restraint? That precision? You don't teach that. That's instinct. Talent. Most mages bleed their power just trying to look impressive. But him? He only breathes out what he knows he'll use."
Sarah blocked Malrik's kick but was knocked off guard. Using this opportunity, Malrik lunged his sword at her.
'Enough playing around,' thought Sarah, before clenching her fists. Suddenly, a yellow light petal erupted from her body. They twirled around Sarah, creating a large tornado. Malrik's body was sent spiralling backwards. He used his sword to find his footing before looking back up at Sarah. The tornado had disappeared, and yellow petals hung in the air around Sarah.
"Enough playing around, Malrik. If you want to pass the academy exams, you need to come at me with the intent to kill."
The boy nodded, his eyes growing serious with conviction. The two dropped into their stances, ready for round two. The petals danced around Sarah's sword before all of them locked in on Malrik.
A second passed as the winds blew by, excited for the next exchange of power. Suddenly, the two let out a battle cry before lunging at each other.
Boom!
The explosion sent grass flying, and the smoke encompassed the two children. It didn't take long before it died down. Malrik and Sarah looked at the person between them in surprise. A man with green hair had grabbed both their swords before contact. Golden aura rolled off them.
Joe studied the two children. "Despite that explosion being mostly Sarah's attack, she seems to have taken more damage than Malrik. That must mean his magic is denser than hers. Still, she didn't have to create such a close-range attack..."
Malrik and Sarah turned to the left as sounds of clapping rang out. They narrowed their eyes upon seeing Kael.
"How long have you been watching us?" asked Sarah.
"Long enough," replied Kael. Joe let go of their swords as the kids sheathed them back into their holders. "Sarah, I've got to say, your skill with your title is quite impressive. Creating such a large tornado to create distance between you and Malrik takes skills not many warriors have. Speaking of, Malrik, you may not be directly related to your parents, but you have picked up their proficiency with the swords."
"You two are also as troublesome as your parents, too," mumbled Joe.
Malrik and Sarah smiled at the praise. Sarah eyed Joe. "So, I take it he is the one here to check Malrik's memories?"
Kael nodded. "Quite perceptive, Sarah."
The girl beamed at the praise, her ego rising just a little bit.
"This is Joe. He is an Epilogue-level Title Carrier called The Echoes of the Mind. He can dive into your mind, Malrik. We would have done it earlier, but your father requested that it be put off till you grew older. Now is that time."
"Wait, so you can see inside people's memories? How does it work?" Asked Malrik. Joe shrugged.
"Usually, I'm pulled into this void inside your mind. I see memory particles—scenes from your past. There are three colours: red for painful memories, orange for everyday moments, and yellow for the ones you cherish—love, family, big achievements. I can look into them. Although only for thirty minutes. Any longer and I can destroy a person's mind."
Sarah frowned; she didn't like this idea. "Wait, why don't we just get a doctor instead of having someone poke around in my brother's head?"
Kael turned to her. "Well, judging from how your father described what happened, it doesn't seem like Malrik here had his memories wiped away by normal means. In other words, we believe someone has either taken them away or messed with them through magic."
Malrik widened his eyes.
"The Court of Darkness, as I am sure you know, kidnapped Malrik. When your father arrived, they believed Malrik was a lost cause and wiped away any memory you had of it. Whatever happened must have been important. The point is, we need to know for sure exactly what occurred during your time there, and whether there are still any lingering memories we can salvage inside –"
"And to do that, you need to look inside my head," finished Malrik. He stared at the ground, deep in thought.
Kael nodded and placed his hands on the boy's shoulder. "Exactly. With your permission, of course, we can search for any clues on how to proceed inside your head."
Malrik smiled. He clenched his hands together, strengthening his resolve. "Alright. I don't remember anything about my past, and truthfully, when Dad and Mum told me I wasn't actually their son, I felt crushed. Still, no matter what life I lived before, I will always be an Aurelion. I think I am finally ready to remember."
Sarah smiled and grabbed Malrik's hand, giving it a tight squeeze. "Alright then, if Malrik is OK with this, then I guess I am too."
"Perfect," said Joe as he walked over with a chair. "Now, whenever you're ready, sit on this chair so we can get this over with."
Malrik sat on the chair, his sister staying closely by his side. He prepared himself by letting out a sigh as Joe placed a hand on his head. The man closed his eyes as he felt the world around him shift, changing into a new terrain. The air felt different, and he was no longer standing on solid ground.
Joe opened his eyes to be greeted by a dark void. The man looked around. A forest of blue particles surrounded him, some big, some tiny. 'Wow,' thought Joe. 'I was expecting to see half a blank space but... wait? Why are these particles blue?'
He touched one of the particles and was instantly sucked in. Joe opened his eyes again. In front of him was a large cake, and behind it stood a small boy. On the cake, it read 'Four Years Old!!'
Beside the boy, a man and a woman stood, both with large smiles on their faces. People were currently surrounding them. 'Is this a birthday party?'
"Happy birthday!!" everyone cheered before they all suddenly froze. Joe looked around, confused. Everyone seemed to be completely still, as if time had stopped. 'What hap-'
Joe was suddenly thrown out and back into the blue void that was Malrik's memories. He looked back at the particle he had just touched. Inside, it was the same scene he had just experienced, repeating over and over again. 'That was the boy when he was just four years old.' Joe looked around, staring at the dozens of small particles. 'How is this possible? These are the boy's memories, but they are so small. If what the boy said is true, then why are they here, still in his mind?'
Joe floated around in the void. In all his years diving into other people's minds, he had never quite experienced anything like this. Usually, he would be greeted by large particles of either three colours: red, orange or yellow. All of them usually contained a mixture of different memories, happy or sad. Here, it was like looking at broken-up and cast-away pieces wrapped in a colour he had never seen in anyone's brain – blue. As he continued moving forward, searching for anything of use, he started noticing familiar colours. Soon, he was surrounded by orange and red particles twice the size of the blues.
'These must be the boy's recent memories with Dain, Elara and Sarah.' Joe sighed. 'Why can't anything be easy with this troublesome family?'
Suddenly, Joe froze. His heart felt heavy, and the hair on his skin stood up. A menacing and ominous aura travelled through his veins, making his breathing difficult. Joe noticed, off in the distance, a large black ball five times the size of the yellow particles surrounding it. 'What in the hell is that?!'
As Joe flew closer to it, the feeling of unease grew heavier. However, the man ignored it and persevered. 'I have to find out what kind of memory can produce such a sinister aura.'
He stared at the large black particle right in front of him. It was like staring into a black hole. It was chilling yet alluring. Everything in his body told him to touch it, so he did, and instantly, like a black hole, he was pulled in.
Joe opened his eyes. He found himself in a large white room that resembled a hospital area. In front of him stood a white-haired man in a luxurious suit. The man was holding tools, as if he were about to perform surgery. Suddenly, three people burst into the room. Two men in black suits that looked more like guards were holding a small boy who was desperately trying to escape their grasp. The boy glared at the white-haired man.
"You can't keep me here, Dr Helmbrecht. I won't be used like some kind of lab experiment," the boy scowled as he tried to shake the men off.
Dr Helmbrecht chuckled. "Come on, dear, don't act like that. I took you in, I've been there for you. You should know by now that whatever you do, you can't escape. No one is coming for you, and no one ever will."
The man knelt in front of the boy. Creepily, he placed his hands on the boy's cheeks. "I am all you have in this world." He raised the syringe in his left hand. "This. Together with this drug, we can change history. But I need you, boy. I need you to cooperate with me. Otherwise, I can't keep being nice to you."
Malrik spat in the man's face and stuck out his tongue. Like a lightbulb, Dr Helmbrecht's face quickly switched. His anger was shown in full display.
"Whatever messed-up plans you have, I am not going to be a part of them. It's hilarious, you think I will help the very organisation that killed my parents?"
Joe stared at the dark smile appearing on the doctor's face. He felt a cold feeling rising upon sight, and it seemed Malrik, who took a step back, had the same feeling.
"You want to know what's hilarious? The fact that you think you have even the slightest choice. You joined the Court of Darkness, so I suggest you stop this foolish notion that you can escape your fate and start listening to your elders."
"We will see about that." Malrik took off, running in the other direction in an attempt to escape. The guards quickly apologised for the boy's behaviour and offered to bring him back. Dr Helmbrecht held up his hands, gesturing for them to stop.
"No need to worry. I will go get him myself. Sometimes a parent must personally hunt and dish out the appropriate discipline for a child to learn." The man calmly disappeared. Joe was considering going after them when the sounds of Malrik's guttural shriek of agony tore through the silence. A burst of wind blew the man back.
In the real world, Joe was sent flying off Malrik's head. His eyes snapped open in horror as sweat ran down his face. His gaze landed on the confused boy before he rushed over to him, checking his body.
"Oh, you poor boy." Sarah, Malrik and Kael stared at him like he was mad. The man was terrified, and that scared Sarah.
"Uh, sir, are you alright? Wh-what did you see?" Joe took his hands off Malrik, placing them on his heart, trying to breathe. Kael glanced at him before turning to the kids.
"Hey, how about you two head inside? It's getting late, and I believe everyone is planning a party for your entrance exams tomorrow. The cake should have arrived by now." Hearing this, Malrik's mouth started to water at the thought of cake. He instantly forgot about Joe and pulled his sister inside. Sarah hesitated, casting one last look at Joe — his face pale, eyes wide — before following her brother into the hall. For the first time since meeting him, she felt afraid of what they were about to uncover.
Kael looked back at Joe, observing his condition. The man seemed to have calmed down slightly. "What did you see?"
"What did they do to him?" He breathed out. "It's not normal – his mind, his memories. They are still all there, but not at the same time. It makes no sense." The man stared at his hands, desperately trying to understand his own words.
Kael raised an eyebrow in confusion, trying to make sense of what Joe was saying. "What do you mean, they are still there? Joe, what did you see?"
"I don't know – I... This is the first time I've seen amnesia like this. Actually, no, he doesn't have amnesia." Kael frowned, staring for a better explanation.
"His memories aren't gone – they're like, shattered. Fragmented into pieces so small, you wouldn't even notice them. And worse, whatever they did... I think it's forcing him to relive each emotion tied to those memories, slowly, bit by bit."