CONTENT WARNING! This chapter includes depictions of child abuse in order to explore the memory of a character's past. If you find such things triggering, please consider skipping this chapter or reading with caution!

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Just like when someone switched off the light, I couldn't see anything. Darkness. Like a feather, I felt light. Weightless. As light as if I don't have any form. Formless.

Then–

— Please stop..

I could hear a voice. Maybe belong to a kid. They were shaken, trembling, fear.

— You better do what we said if you want to live!

— Let me go..

Another voice. The former had a hoarse and raised voice. The latter sounded like the kid's voice I had heard. It was trembling from fear.

— This brat!

A muffled blurbing like sound was audible. It resembled the sound heard when someone tried to speak while underwater.

'What is going on? Where exactly am I? Did I get kidnapped?'

I won't know until the darkness that blinded my eyes disappeared.

— Cough! Cough! Mister.. please..

Another muffled, blurbing voice as if trying to speak underwater entered my hearing.

'...'

I felt restless.

As the voice repeated, with the same line, the same cough, the same voice. All of that entered my hearing.

I felt restless.

I wanted to know what was going on. But I could not.

Then, as if God was hearing me. The darkness that blinded me disappeared.

'Finally.'

My vision returned, but it was still dark. I meant the place. The place was still dark, with the dim light from a lantern being the only source of illumination in this warehouse-like space.

I was here.

Umm, no. Although I was present, the word 'here' didn't seem fitting to describe my situation.

Instead, my consciousness seemed to float around like that of a spirit or ghost, enabling me to view everything from a third-person perspective, much like a camera in 3D animation and modeling software.

This explained my weightlessness and inability to feel my body.

— Have you learned your lesson yet, brat?!

However, my musings were interrupted by a raised voice that demanded.

'What is this?'

Startled, I wondered.

'What is he doing..?'

— I, I will do it.. so please..

I skipped a beat when I heard that voice.

As I looked around, my attention was drawn to a young child in the middle of the room, tied up tightly with a rope that had left red marks on his wrists.

— Please..forgive me..

His face was flooded with tears as he pleaded.

'Why does that kid look familiar?'

I couldn't see his eyes behind the jet-black hair covering his face yet I felt a familiarity with this kid, prompting me to change my position.

It felt weird. Moving around in a formless state felt strange, almost like being air, but I couldn't quite put the sensation into words.

— Look here, brat. Stop crying and hurry use that skill of yours and tell me what you see about my future.

As the man grabbed the child's hair, I could finally see the kid's face.

His eyes were pitch black. Even darker than the darkest man-made substance, like a void in outer space. There were no lights reflected.

'!!!'

That kid.

— H, how do I do it..?

Why did he..

— Tch! Just use your fucking eyes and focus on me, isn't that what the skill description said?!

..look like me?

— Kugh! Ack! I, it hurts..!

What happened? The kid was just closed his eyes but why did he look like he was hurt?

The veins protruding around his forehead made my stomach writhe.

— So, what do you see, brat? Come on, tell me.

I clenched my fist. Though I couldn't feel my body. Though I couldn't see my form. But I knew I was clenching my fist just as how the kid clenching his fist.

— P, promise me you w, won't hit me..

The kid's face turned grimace.

I wanted to choke this guy.

— Huh? Sure, sure, I will not hit you. So tell me, hurry!

The man rolled his eyes.

I wanted to gouge his eyes out.

— Y, you will die tomorrow..m, mister..

— How dare you say that?!

The man launched a perfect punch into the kid's stomach. The kid screamed but no one could hear his voice except for the man and me.

— Uagh!

Another punch was launched into the kid's face, then the stomach again, and lastly a kick to the chin after the kid collapsed, leaving him in an unconscious state.

— You deserve it, brat! How dare you say I'll die tomorrow. Who will even kill me?

'Me! I want to kill him! I will kill this bastard!'

If only I had a form. If only I had my body. If only I knew where this place was, I would already kill that bastard.

— Tch! He's fainted. I'll be in trouble if Boss sees this..

He slapped the kid while gritting his teeth. Nervousness began to show on his face as the kid hadn't gone conscious yet.

I could only watch as he tried every physical abuse to wake the child up.

I did not know why I feel so angry. I did not know this kid yet I was so angry seeing him getting abused like this.

Something was connecting us, me and this child.

'...'

This was too frustrating.

'Is there anything I could do here?'

Then, the scene suddenly warped.

'Huh?'

Looking around, I only found the child still unconscious.

'Wha? Am I in a memory? Is that perhaps a time lapse?'

As I continued to look around, I noticed there were some things missing from this place. The abuser was nowhere to be found, the tools and kits that he brought too were missing.

The floor was clean, the blood from before was also disappeared.

'I think this is a memory..'

The feeling was different but I could sense a familiarity with this whole warping scene. It was just like when I used my Pathfinding skill, and also some flashing memories that occurred several times.

'It's similar to when the memory of that demonic human in the flash dungeon being played in my head..'

But something

— Uhh..

Suddenly, the kid stirred and slowly began to regain consciousness.

I felt my heart tighten as I saw his poor state.

'Poor kid..'

I knew that this was the world inside memory but I didn't know whose memory this was and what was it trying to tell me.

Was this a memory of the future? Or was this a memory of the past?

— Hey.. Y, you can see me, right?

My eyes widened as soon as I heard the kid speak.

There was no one around him, so I wasn't sure who he was talking to. Perhaps he was talking to himself?

But, that was not something that you would say when talking to yourself.

pαndα`noν?1--сoМ — You.. Who are you?

He spoke again.

'Is he hallucinating?'

I made sure to look around again to see if anyone was around, but no. It was empty, no one was there.

— W, why are you similar to me..?

I was taken aback. With that one word, I felt like he was talking to me..?

— Ah.. So that's is.. You are me from the future.. Hehe..

What?

"Are you talking to me?"

The kid beamed.

— Ah.. I hear your voice.

How was this possible? I thought it was a memory.

"You can see me, kid?"

— Y, yes, yes.. I can see you.. It's my skill..

Skill?

I was curious. Something was telling me that his skill was–

"Clairvoyance?"

— Yes.. Y, you are also using it right now, right?

I didn't understand. I just had no idea what was going on.

"..."

— Actually. I can't see or hear you in real time.. I see the future, that you are here right now.. I'm communicating with you through my foretell.. I see the future where you (me) attending the Octagram Academy.. I'm happy.

There was a short moment of silence.

— I see the future where I recklessly used my Clairvoyance..forcing myself to foretell every event of the future. I, it had cost me a lot.

I kept silent.

— You're silent, confused. I see that too.. Ugh!

The kid, who said that he was me winced and curled like a worm.

— I, I can't keep using this.. L, listen future me.. You must g, go and search for the Chrono dungeon.. It could—

Bang—!

The child gasped and quickly looked at the warehouse door.

— Who are you talking to?

Coming from the door was a bunch of people, the abuser of the kid was among them.

— N, no one..

As they approached, the kid's body flinched instinctively.

— No..p, please..forgive me, mister, forgive me..

I found myself with overloaded rage as I saw him in that state again. It was just earlier that he finally looked in peace.

But when these guys came, he became like that again.

'I'll remember your face!'

— Terrible..

A girl's voice said.

'Huh?'

When I turned my head toward the voice, I saw a familiar face.

No. It was familiar but something was different.

— You guys are beasts..

Her red hair flowed to her waist.

— Torturing a little child until such state..!

Her red eyes sparked a fire.

— Death is too light of punishment for you..!!

And flame burst out from her hands.

'What is she doing here..?'

At that moment, I realized who that little girl was. It was a very familiar girl, the one whose very existence was alien to me.historical

As my attention became too focused on her, a window panel that only I could see popped up, showing the little girl's information.

[Name: Ember Crimson (♀)

Age: 14

Race: Human

[Stats]

Strength: D-

Agility: E+

Intelligence: D+

Stamina: D

Magic: D

Charisma: B+

Luck: C

[Hidden Stats]

Perception: B

Mental: A-

Potential: SS

Health: D]

'What..is this?'

The information had increased. The first time, it only showed me the target's name. Then, it gave me additional information. Now..

Wait.

What about..

I quickly diverted my attention from the girl who was summoning flames to the boy who was writhing on the ground.

'Shi–!'

My vision began to blur as the information was extracted from the boy.

'!!!'

But, before the darkness completely engulfed me, I had seen some of the information.

No way that was true.

I did not understand. I did not understand this situation at all. No. This world.

This world was confusing me..

It was not one that I knew.

How come there was someone like that existed?

'...'

As my consciousness started to disintegrate, darkness enveloped me.

Later, it was the same instance as when I lost touch with my physical form. I felt weightless, floating in the void.

As time passed, I sensed my weight returning and my senses gradually coming back to me.

I could feel my hands and legs functioning.

Finally, as my consciousness reconnected with my body, I took a deep breath, gasping for air.

"Damn it...!"

I cursed. The experience was draining, taking a toll on my mind.

Ding–!

[Your Clairvoyance skill has leveled up!]

"What?"