Fragments of Memories: Beginnings

“Have you found Mom and Dad?”

A blurred face of an older girl crouch down and stare into my eyes.

“They aren’t with us anymore, Polya.”

― Liar… They’re still with us. They have to be.

* * *

“Oh… Girls! Come out, come out wherever you are.”

“Polya, Styx found us. Take what you need. We have to go.”

“What about Aunt Liliya.”

“It’s been almost a month since she left.”

“She can’t just leave us… She can’t… She promised…”

“I’m sorry, Sis. We don’t have a choice. Styx will get us if we don’t.”

“But where? This is the last place we can call home.”

“… There’s one place mom always mention. We’re going to Japan.”

― The last place of our past… and we’re just going to leave it behind.

* * *

“Can you restore me?”

“…”

“It’s the only way…”

“…”

“No. You’re still young; it’s too dangerous!”

“…”

“Just listen to me!”

More and more voices from the blurred face start to cloud my head with her demanding tone.

― If only we have fought together.

“Polya!”

I dart up and found myself sitting in a prison-like cell, awaken from a horrifying dream filled with sadness and anger.

― Sis, where are you …? Anya, are you-

“Look’s who’s finally awake. Welcome to my Castle… cell. I thought Odyeus’s Aftereffect doesn’t stay for that long. For a second, I thought my team had killed you.”

“What are you…? Styx!”

I quickly fabricate a light-bomb and throw it towards Styx while bouncing back into the portal I’ve created.

― I need to get out of here… Where’s-

Suddenly, a hand tears through into my “Astral plane” and pull me out by the back of my collar.

“Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t say you can go.”

Styx kneels in close to me and stares into my eyes.

“Besides, where will you even go? The portal back to your sister had been already close.”

He then ruffles my hair, stands up, and walks towards the cell door.

“Only… Only my sister can mess with my hair!”

I put my hands together, charging up a dense orb of light which I turn into a beam directed at Styx. When the laser reaches Styx, he turns around and easily deflects it.

“This is cute. Even your mother couldn’t hurt me with hers. Do you really think you stand a chance?”

“AAAAHH!”

I screamed at the top of my lungs and spread my arms out, sending out a burst of light that flared brighter than Polaris. I then followed up by igniting chained-clustered light bombs those rummages across the cell.

― Last time I did this, I accidentally blew up a hill. I’m sure this would buy me enough time to-

“Hahahahaha. Good one! I almost felt it.”

Within the new fractured environment I created, the cell quickly returns to its original state, void of any damages.

“I created this cell especially for an explosive type like you. So don’t go wasting your strength.”

“…”

With no visible light source to replenish myself, I dash towards Styx and use the remaining light stored in me to quickly teleport through the cell door.

“Why do you have to make this difficult… Guards? Please?”

― I need to find my way out of here…

The footsteps of the Stygian Guards echoes around me as I run through the dark corridor of the Stygian Castle.

“Ugh… I hate first-person dungeon crawlers.”

I run around the long corridors with my perfect night vision scouting for the exit while trying to hide from the guards.

― If only I’m as physically gifted as Anya so I could fight them head-on…

Still trying to navigate through the endless corridor, I suddenly see a source of light coming from further down the hall. I quickly sprint towards it and burst open the heavy door thinking it’s the exit. Until I see the three familiar faces staring at me through the glowing from the cyan flames.

“Big sis! Are you going to join us in our tea party?”

I froze up for a second before closing the door and backing away from it. I take a couple of shallow steps backwards until I turn around and starts sprinting away to where the other hallway connects. I can hear Silren’s scream shortly after, followed by the heavy doors slamming onto the floor.

“What can I do…? What can I do… Ah!”

With Mynnerva and Silren quickly catching up, I desperately cast the experimental distortion spell with the light I’ve collected from Thera’s cursed candles.

― Mother, Sis… Please lend me your strength again.

I clear my mind and cast a modified version of the illusion spell my sister taught me. Within a short moment, a small lozenge-shaped light crystal forms in front of me. Once the crystal hardens, I reach out for it to complete the spell. When suddenly, Mynnerva’s tendrils grab onto my foot, causing both me and the crystal to fall. As soon as the crystalline hits the ground, the once beautiful diamond seems to crack from the tip and begins to blaze up brightly.

“Huh?”

Thinking it’s going to explode, I prepare myself for whatever may come. After a while which all still seems quiet, I peek out to see the light crystal had reformed itself into the shape of the Polaris star similar to the one that I used to resurrect Momioka.

“Looks like your little trick didn’t work, kid.”

Mynnerva smirks as she marches closer to me, only to be abruptly interrupted by a sharp snapping sound behind me. I turn around instantly and see that star I’ve accidentally created snapped in half and collapse into itself. Without time to react, the now bluish star starts to expand again, eating up everything around until a black dress boot appears out of nowhere and stomps on it.

As the star vanishes, a man in a white long-sleeved button-up shirt and a black suit vest walks forward and connects himself to the boot which appeared before. Once his whole body emerges out, he fixes his blue tie and stares down at me with an irritated face.

“Tch.”

Still staring at me with his bright blue eyes, he moves his hands into the pockets of his black trousers under his half-worn white and blue jacket which lays over the whole outfit.

“My, my. What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

A portal of sorts suddenly opens next to the man, and a woman with blue skin and pointed ears walks out from it. She is wearing what seems to resemble a “Bedlah”, with a Daisy-coloured top and a long scarf-like bottom that is attached to a golden belt. Both are richly decorated with beads, crystals, other types of jewellery. Accompanying the outfit are golden earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and a bead scrunchie that ties her wavy purplish-black hair into an elegant, twisted bun.

“Soul Distortion is a serious matter. You shouldn’t be playing with it, okay, Sweetie?”

Once she exits the portal, she leans on the man’s shoulder and brushes her shoulder-length hair away from her eye.

“Vytra.”

“Matt.”

“Hm. Mind putting on some clothes?”

“Oh? But I am.”

“More.”

“Come on, I just woke up. Let me enjoy the freshness of the morning.”

“…”

“Oh, you’re no fun.”

The woman called Vytra snaps her fingers, and her appearances start to change. The Bedlah she was wearing now turns into a long dark green sleeveless one-piece dress. And instead of her blue skin, she now has dark skin which contrasts her sharp amber eyes. Her once pointed ears have now shrunk down to look more human-like yet still keeping all the accessories she was wearing before.

“Better now?”

“I said clothes, not your human form. Oh, whatever. Mynnerva, Silren. I’m sure you got this from here. I’m leaving.”

The man named Matt turns around and disappears through the rift in space he opened with his hands.

“Oh, he’s always no fun. But he’s right. Let’s take the girl back to Styx.”

She looks behind as the footsteps of someone else starts to approach me.

“Sorry if that’s going to hurt, Luv.”

When I turn around to the footsteps, I am instantly knocked out by Silren’s fist.

…