Me and You

I jolted awake and instinctively looked around me.

Smoke… collapsed buildings… fire.

Everything was hazy, red and desolate. It was simultaneously so dark, yet so bright.

Was I dreaming? Was I dead? This certainly looked like hell… but it felt like purgatory; like a point in time I’d done everything to escape, to no avail.

I wanted to sit here just a little while longer.

And yet…

I didn’t know what I was getting up for, but I knew I needed to.

I started to stand but immediately fell back down. My body was far heavier than I had anticipated. I looked down. Was I chained to the ground?

No…

I was simply sat there, in my standard travelling gear.

I looked back up at the world around me. Hold on…

I recognised this place. All those visions I’d had…

If I was here, then that could only mean that it was nearby. Well, with that grim thought in mind, I successfully stood up.

…

I ventured through the streets, gazing in awe at the ruined city. I must have appeared in a commercial district, given all of the burned down restaurants, collapsed shops and abandoned offices I walked past.

This is so weird. There are still a few buildings on fire, suggesting that whatever destroyed this place did so not even two hours ago.

I knew that demon was behind this devastation. Despite that, I was curious to uncover the details. What exactly had happened here?

I approached one of the scorched restaurant. The door front door was broken down. Its splinters were scattered on the inside of the establishment.

Looks like someone—or something—broke in. Given the state of the door, it was most likely a group of people. Whoever did so may have set the fire.

It was a pointless, and frankly obvious remark. However, I had this annoying habit of declaring the obvious whenever my mind ventured into stress or uncertainty. It felt comforting to point out whatever I could recognise and did understand.

The second thing I noticed, was what wasn’t there.

There are no bodies… If assailants vicious enough to annihilate the front door broke in, it’s hard to believe that they didn’t kill a single person in here.

I walked behind the counter and into the kitchen. Pots, pans, cutlery. Everything seemed in order—well, as in order a building that looked like a bomb went off inside it could look. Still no corpses.

This restaurant must have been closed today. Whatever, it’s giving me the creeps. I’m leaving.

I exited the restaurant. Standing in its doorway, I noticed something about the buildings on the opposite end of the street. On every single one of them, the rooves had suffered the most damage. In fact, looking to my right, I could see fire on a roof petering out.

If all of this fire was started from above, then… Is this the work of dragons? They do exist in this world, after all.

I continued walking through the city. Ransacked stalls and roof fires. I was sure of my conclusion.

A few hours ago, a legion of foot soldiers and dragons swooped into this city and destroyed it. I imagine they did so on Allister’s orders.

I knew what I was doing; why I was engaging in this meaningless investigative effort. Deep down, I understood that whatever I was here for, marked the end of my journey. I knew that if I survived what was to come, things would never be the same.

What am I even doing here? I thought, as I solemnly trudged through the town. Is my past life flashing before my eyes, or something? Was I teleported somewhere? Honestly, I’m so tired of being teleported to strange places. Three times in two months! It’s beyond ridiculous.

I still hadn’t encountered any bodies, but my head remained bowed. I was mourning the dusk of this sad city.

Hm?

Up ahead. Apparently, not all buildings had been razed to the ground. Far in the distance, covered in fog: a humongous castle. It was a dark, stone edifice, surrounded by a towering wall; a veritable fortress. To get to it, one had to cross an extensive bridge. The bridge was almost as wide as I was tall. Its sturdy, stone structure stretched out over a dizzying drop.

The fortress compelled me to it. I reached up and closed a reassured hand around the hilt of my sword.

I marched forward.

***

I’d always been afraid of heights, and yet I didn’t hesitate to cross the bridge. Deep down, I knew that what lay ahead was far more terrifying than any height.

I must have looked like an ant from above, crossing this gigantic structure. Now that I had exited the ruined town, the smoke no longer tainted the sky with its hatred. Instead, the sky was so light, it was almost white. I couldn’t see what lay way down below, because of the wispy fog guarding that secret.

Despite the hellish tint of my surroundings, there was something so whimsical about them. Was it the dreamlike haze that surrounded me? Was there even a haze surrounding me, or was it all in my head? No, surely this was real, right? My movements were weirdly fluid, as if every action was part of an elaborate choreography. There was a lame joke to be made in there, about dancing with the devil.

Everything is so calm.

I expected monsters or villains to jump out at me. Hell, even a nefarious bridge troll, who’d ask me a riddle.

Instead, I was greeted with silence.

Oh?

I’d been so busy gazing out at the world around me, that I hadn’t noticed the figure standing up ahead.

***

I was now close enough to make out the figure’s details. That brilliant, white armour… the lethal, black sword in its hand that looked like it was crafted to slay Death itself. Those were mine!

The figure raised the visor on its helmet.

I found myself staring at a manlier, more rugged version of myself.

The figure spoke. “You look just like me!” it exclaimed it exclaimed in my voice. It sounded oddly distant and echoey. Was this all just a dream?

“Who—who are you?” I asked in utter bewilderment.

“I’m Phocles Yates,” the man said. “Are you a citizen of Fablefell? How did you make it out alive?”

Fablefell? Is he referring to the town behind me?

“Hello? What’s your name?” Phocles questioned, eyeing me suspiciously. I noticed him tighten the grip on his sword. Sensing danger, I quickly responded.

“I’m Sato Kugo.”

“Sato Kugo? That’s a strange name,” Phocles noted with a raised eyebrow. “Where are you from, Sato?”

“Japan,” I replied. I was borderline speechless. And yet, my mind was whirring with questions.

“You should probably get out of here. There could still be some demons around,” Phocles warned me.

“Demons?” I mustered.

Phocles raised his eyebrow yet again. “You haven’t heard? They destroyed that town back there. Hell, they destroyed the world, really.”

“Oh, yeah? Tell me about it?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

“You’re not from this world, are you?” I was surprised to hear Phocles ask. “Sixteen years ago, the Demon King Allister began his rise to power. First, he led a crew of cutthroat highwaymen. They attacked nobles’ carriages, kidnapped aristocrat women and burned down buildings. At the time, he was viewed as nothing more than a terrorist. But Allister was far more than that. He possessed a monstrous strength and a fierce intellect. Everything he did—every act of chaos—was carefully planned. Allister’s numbers grew. Eventually, he was waging war on entire kingdoms… and winning.”

Despite the morbid nature of our conversation, I felt a comfortable and warm. All of this seemed so familiar to me, yet I didn’t know why.

A shadow washed over Phocles’ face. He continued. “I know who Allister is. He killed my parents when I had just reached adulthood. Ever since then, I’ve made it my mission to foil his plans. However, his influence was growing so fast—his destructive presence ravaging through so many lands, ruining so many lives—that I couldn’t keep up. In response, I formed the Investigator’s Guild. Through it, I befriended the sharpest minds and strongest hands this world has to offer.” He looked passed me. “But that doesn’t matter anymore… they’re all dead now.”

I remained silent; partly because I was trying to process everything, and partly to let the man grieve.

Phocles gave a long, drawn-out sigh. “You know, I’ve always had this nagging feeling that there’s something more to my life than I can see,” he said, a pensive echo backing his words.

Chronologically, this must have been happening before his final encounter with Allister, right? In that case, he sure was perceptive.

D-do I tell him?

Phocles gazed out into the distance. “Well,” he began, abruptly snapping out of his reverie. “I’d love to stay and chat, but you really must be going now.”

“Sorry, but I don’t think so,” I replied.

“Why not? You were headed to the castle, weren’t you?”

My eyes slightly widened in surprise. “Yes. Aren’t you telling me to turn around, though?”

“Hm? Of course not, dude. This is what you’re meant to do,” Phocles grinned mischievously.

Why was he fading away?

Phocles dissipated into the air, like dust in the wind. As he did so, a surge of power built up inside me. It only stopped when he was completely gone.

Phocles left behind only his shining, white armour and brilliant, black sword.

Why are you crying? I asked myself, feeling the tears welling in my eyes. You don’t even know this guy. He’s not you and you’re not him.

“It’s time to move on, Kugo.”

That familiar voice. It was the Fruit from the Tree of Everything.

I didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say. Instead, I crouched down to pick up the armour. Man, was it heavy. I took off the sword on my back, so I could put on the armour set.

Will I even be able to see through this? I wondered, eyeing the helmet. It had a thin slit at the eye area. I shrugged and placed it on my head. It impeded on my peripheral vision, so I raised the visor.

Finally, I picked up that eerie, black sword.

I gave my old sword one final look of bittersweet satisfaction. I always got too attached to my items.

You served me well, buddy.

I straightened up. The castle was now only a few minutes away. I took my first step towards the end.