Chapter 17: Reality

"Mizuki?" Alna was the first voice I heard when I opened my eyes.

"How long was I gone for?" I got up and turned to my allies who all looked perplexed.

"Hero...you just sat in the chair and spaced out...maybe a few seconds?" Mateo said confused at my baffled look. 

"That all happened in a few seconds..." I looked around and was now confused like my party. I explained to them the dream and what happened. Their eyes not surprisingly widened in surprise hearing I basically lived an entire day while only a few moment's past here.

"That's amazing. I wonder what my past would have shown me?" Alna began to ponder but honestly, I think we both knew and we also knew the choice she would have had to make...even I don't think I could have done. 

"Great, so you escaped your memory but remember Mr. Hero, we aren't here to escape our own pasts...where's the kid at?" Mateo looked around and I had to think about that as well. The missing child wasn't here. The old man did say he'd release him but where was he? 

"Any ideas?" Thalia took a thinker's pose and we all began to drift into thought. However, I realized something as my eyes darted towards the door.

"I have an idea." I motioned for my party to follow me and without hesitation, Thalia, Alna and Mateo did just that. 

"Let's open this door and head in." I opened the door and before us, shocking no one, another door.

"We've done this before Mizuki."

"I know Mateo but watch." Instead of going through the door directly in front of us, I turned around, closed the door leading to the white room, waited a moment and then opened it. This time the room wasn't white nor did it lead to another door. The room before us was dark blue with yet another chair in the corner. The chair however wasn't unoccupied. In it was a small child, his hair black hair disheveled, his tunic worn and ripped in a few spots and he looked to be around the age of 10 at best. There was little doubt, this was the missing child.

"Wow...way to go hero." Mateo showing me praise was a bit foreign to me but I won't deny it made a smile creep on my face. 

I'll spare you all with the boring details. The child was asleep when we found him, we gently got him to wake up and he confirmed that he was the son that the parents were looking for. He also told us his plan but like the old man told me, he found himself lost in his own memories.

"It was so nice...I remembered being happy with my parents and when we weren't so broke we could actually afford food." the child said. 

We carried him back through the tower door's and all the way back to his parents who were more than appreciative. 

"We...owe you everything sir." his mom said as she held her child tightly. His clothes ruffled together and he was making noises as if he didn't want to be held so roughly but equally loved it. I won't deny, it was the best feeling I had since coming to Armata.

"What can we do to repay you?" the father grabbed my hand and shook it hard.

"As I said, I don't want any repayment. This was...personal for me." I smiled.

"We have no money but we need to do something for you!" the mother interjected, her husband nodding.

"Can I ask you folks a question then?" 

"Anything!"

"Tell me all that you know about Slain..."

Saying that name out loud I would learn was basically taboo. Due to their feeling they owed me, I would finally learn more about Slain and what he has done in this world.

As the family would explain, Slain's influence on Armata was at first great. It seemed everything he created or unleashed on this planet was a means of making it bigger and greater. Life forms of all sorts would pop up and fill the land. Cities, towns, villages were made and each had their own strengths and weaknesses to balance them out. There were no wars, no poverty and no famine. Life once was amazing. 

That changed a bit before I arrived.

Slain, who was never seen directly but was still visible via his giant castle in the sky, vanished. That didn't mean his influence vanished though. Slain was still unleashing things onto the world of Armata but they came at a cost.

"He...Slain...started making things that didn't make sense. Villages that would just be filled with thieves, monsters that seemed to exist for a moment than be gone tomorrow but not before destroying an entire city. Slain in our minds went from being an amazing God to a true evil force. We had heard heroes were summoned from other worlds and apparently they went against him...but none of them have been heard from after trying to best him." The father's eyes looked at me while he stated that last part, as if to warn me without uttering the words. 

Many, many heroes had come to Armata. Their powers ranging from strange but sometimes so incredible it seemed they could face Slain and end his evil reign. Unfortunately, as the parents told me, most of those heroes either died or just vanished. After a while, people lost hope and just existed in their various lands. There was no community between cities, no help from anyone...all there was...was existence.

"That's the issue with this world Mizuki. We aren't driven to do anything other than just survive." Alna looked at the ground. For the first time since coming here I was beginning to learn the reality of this world...that it was as Mr. Voice once said, disjointed. This world was like a collection of thoughts but given no proper form. A puzzle that had pieces forced together. Armata was a dying world...

"Listen, we don't have much money but we have some supplies. At the very least it will help you survive a bit longer." We handed all the food we had left, maybe a few day's worth and Mateo gave them a few items to spread to everyone like tents, blankets and other supplies. 

"Thank you heroes...thank you from the bottom of our hearts." The parents and child bowed to us. I returned their bow and with my team, we left the city of Elysium and decided to summon Mr. Voice. 

We called out to Mr. Voice and despite a few hours of nothing, we finally heard a familiar sounding voice erupt from nowhere.

"You took longer than I thought to call out to me." Mr. Voice said.

"Sorry we had...a mission to fulfill." I stated.

"I see...well no matter. I have your next task..."

"No." I interrupted Mr. Voice before he could utter another word.

"Excuse me?"

"I said...no. We need to talk first." 

"About?"

"We need answers you flying mist God." Mateo joined me as did the others. 

"Hmmm. Fine, I can humor you and answer questions." 

"Good. First, what happened to all the other heroes that were summoned here? Clearly there are three of us but did all the others just fail?" I asked, fearing the response.

"So she told you...yes...I summoned many...many heroes to this world and most failed miserably. They would either try to fight Slain without heeding my advice, run off and die to some random creature or hide and pretend like they weren't a hero." Mr. Voice had no physical features but judging from that last statement, he was referencing our Mateo. 

"I remember awakening so many heroes...did they all just perish really?" Thalia chimed in.

"Many did yes...but some...I can't say. Maybe Slain sent them back to their worlds or altered them. His power is...beyond my understanding truly." 

"What chance do we have then huh?!" Mateo raised his voice almost making me jump.

"You have Mizuki and his power." Mr. Voice said as if I...or any of us knew what that actually entailed. 

"I don't understand...what is my power though? Even Thalia after she awakened it said she didn't understand." 

"Your power needs one final push to be fully realized and that is what I am here for. Your last mission before facing Slain." 

"What?" 

"To scale The Professor's Summit...a place that holds two very important keys." 

"Which are?" Alna asked.

"The entrance to Slain's castle and a secret book that holds the answer to his weakness..."