Chapter 54 – A Memory Before the Fall (Part 2)

After we understand how Drake and Lilith met—

The memory doesn’t fade.

It jumps.

Like someone forcefully flipping through pages of history.

“Hey—wait—!” I mutter as scenes blur past.

Battles.
Storms.
Ships clashing against holy fleets.
Garnet chanting incantations.
Tikka laughing while explosions bloom behind her.
Drake swinging from rigging with reckless joy.
Lilith cutting down enemies with terrifying calm.

We’ve passed through this before.

But now—

We’re seeing it clearly.

“One thing’s obvious,” I whisper.

“The two-faced era…”

Luna nods slowly.

“It wasn’t just about Luminaris and Xorvath.”

It seems Garnet, Tikka, Lilith, and Drake had an adventure of their own.

An outlaw crew.

Not saints.
Not villains.
Just survivors moving against a collapsing world.

The Exile

Lilith was banished.

Declared traitor by the Luminarians.

Anyone who promoted war—

Erased.

Anyone who threatened their “justice”—

Erased.

“They’re wiping out basically anyone who even breathes conflict,” I mutter.

Luna’s eyes narrow.

“And Xorvath wasn’t innocent either.”

Both sides were on the war path.

The Luminarians.

And Xorvath.

Both taking technology from my world.

Concepts.
Engineering.
Weapon structures.

Even advanced shipbuilding techniques.

I feel a chill.

“So we basically gave them the upgrade patch…”

Drake, however—

Builds a ship.

Not an airship.

A sea vessel.

Wood reinforced with steel plating.

Cannons mounted proudly.

Sails cutting through storm winds.

“That’s more like it,” I grin faintly.

For years, they travel together.

Searching.

For something.

A relic?
A gateway?
An answer?

We never see what they’re chasing.

But we feel it.

Urgent.

Desperate.

Then—

They separate.

Garnet and Tikka remain behind.

Drake and Lilith continue alone.

And then—

The final memory stabilizes.

The Question

A ruined coast.

The sky fractured with fading light.

And standing before them—

Xorvath.

Calm as ever.

“So,” he asks casually,
“once you’ve taken out Luminaris… now what?”

The wind slows.

Lilith pulls her sword back.

The metallic click echoes.

“I’m tired of all this…” she says quietly.

“…This stupid world.”

There’s no anger.

Just exhaustion.

Drake exhales slowly.

“Aye… it is tiring.”

He looks at her, softer than usual.

“So what now, love?”

Lilith pauses.

Then smiles.

Not playful.

Not teasing.

Determined.

“I have an idea.”

Drake raises an eyebrow.

“…What would that be?”

She looks toward the horizon.

“We’re going to your world.”

Silence.

Drake freezes.

“…I… I was also banished by Davy Jones himself,” he says carefully.
“For mutiny.”

“I see,” Lilith replies without hesitation.
“Then let us move from this world.”

Xorvath blinks.

“Hey… all that lovey-dovey talk… what are you talking about?”

Lilith turns sharply.

“You will follow us.”

She points directly at him.

“…Huh?” Xorvath actually looks confused.

“We are going to a new place,” she says firmly.
“Aren’t you tired of all this? I’m going to start anew—”

“So… what?” Xorvath challenges.

“Arr, you better listen to her,” Drake smirks.
“Once she makes that decision, no one can stop her.”

“Aren’t you two being dramatic?” Xorvath mutters.

“Shut it,” Lilith snaps.
“Just shut up and go with the flow.”

Drake chuckles.

“See? Told ye.”

And that’s when—

We notice it.

Subtle.

But impossible to ignore.

Lilith’s hand rests gently over her stomach.

Protective.

Instinctive.

Luna grips my sleeve.

“Randy…”

“…No way.”

“…Are you telling me that they—”

“It seems to be.”

Lilith is pregnant.

My brain short-circuits.

“…They wasted absolutely no time.”

Luna elbows me hard.

“This is serious!”

“I know! I know!”

The memory trembles.

The sky cracks.

And suddenly—

Everything goes blank.

The Break

“What the heck is going on?!” I shout.

“Randy!!” Luna calls—

And disappears.

“Luna!!!”

The space around me shifts.

“…So. You noticed.”

That voice.

Familiar.

I turn slowly.

Xorvath stands there.

Not as memory.

Present.

Aware.

“Well aren’t you the interesting boy…,” he says.

“Why are you sharing all of this?” I demand.

He smiles faintly.

“Well… guess you’ll have to find out yourself. Like you used to be.”

His eyes narrow slightly.

“You’ll soon understand.”

“Hey, wait!!!”

He raises his hand casually.

And snaps.

Blinding light consumes everything.

And just before the light fully swallows me—

I hear him murmur:

“After all… history repeats itself.”

I open my eyes.

Air rushes into my lungs like I’ve been underwater too long.

Beside me—

Luna gasps sharply and jolts upright at the same time.

For a split second, we just stare at each other.

Alive.

Real.

Then—

Two silhouettes loom over us.

Elowen.

Seraphina.

And—

“H-Hey!!!! About time waaaa!!!!!”

Harmonia is full-on crying. Not elegant tears. Not dramatic princess tears.

Ugly crying.

She grabs my shoulder and shakes me violently.

“Do you know how long you were asleep?!” she wails.

“Ugh…” I groan, rubbing my head. “Why does my brain feel like it got rebooted without saving?”

Elowen exhales in relief, arms crossed.

“Well… at least one day. Maybe a bit more.”

“One day?!” I sit up immediately. “That’s not a nap—that’s early access to the afterlife!”

Seraphina clicks her tongue.

“You two collapsed without warning. No pulse fluctuations. No mana disturbance. Nothing.”

“Talk about synchronized sleeping,” I mutter.

Luna elbows me lightly.

“Randy…”

Her tone shifts.

Not joking.

Not casual.

I look at her.

She looks back.

And in that brief moment—

We both know.

We saw the same thing.

Drake.
Lilith.
The decision.
The child.

Everything.

We turn back to the others.

“It’s time to go,” Luna says calmly.

Elowen nods.

“About time.”

Harmonia sniffles dramatically.

“You better not do that again! I was already planning your funeral speeches!”

“Please tell me I was getting something cool,” I say.

“No,” Seraphina replies flatly. “Very embarrassing.”

“…Wow.”

Suddenly—

A voice echoes inside my head.

Not a sound.

Not magic.

Just her.

Randy.

I don’t flinch.

It’s Luna.

Keep this between us.

Her mental voice feels… closer now.

I feel this is something we need to figure out ourselves.

A pause.

Together.

I swallow.

“…Yeah.”

I answer her out loud softly before correcting myself.

“I mean—yeah. Sure.”

Elowen squints at me.

“Are you two doing that silent conversation thing again?”

“Maybe,” I shrug.

Seraphina narrows her eyes suspiciously.

But Luna just stands.

Calm.

Composed.

Stronger than before.

One thing is certain.

That strange dream—

Wasn’t random.

Wasn’t imagination.

It was connected.

To Drake.

To Lilith.

To Xorvath.

To the unborn child.

And somehow—

To us.

The air feels heavier now.

Like the world just shifted slightly while we were asleep.

I flex my fingers.

Still shaking.

“Hey,” I say quietly.

Luna looks at me.

“We’re not done with this, right?”

Her eyes sharpen.

“Not even close.”

Somewhere far away—

I swear I can almost hear a faint laugh carried by the wind.

The memory isn’t finished.

It was interrupted.

And interruptions mean—

Something doesn’t want us to see the end.

I stand up slowly.

“Well then.”

I stretch dramatically, cracking my back.

“Let’s try not to fall into a multi-day coma again.”

Harmonia immediately panics.

“DON’T SAY THAT SO CASUALLY!”

Luna sighs.

“…Idiot.”

But she’s smiling.

And as we prepare to move—

I can’t shake the feeling.

That dream wasn’t just about the past.

It was a warning.

And whatever comes next—

It’s coming fast.

To Be Continued…