Amael or Eren...? [Edited]
"… Sure?" I hesitated, my voice strained.
"Great! I'll protect you, and you can cook for me," she laughed, her tone light and teasing.
Why does this feel... wrong?
Something about this exchange didn't sit well with me, though I couldn't put my finger on why.
"Um… but…" I started, glancing at her cautiously. She locked her gaze onto mine, her blue eyes making me pause.
"What?" she prompted.
"You'll have to do what I tell you. No exceptions," I said firmly. Something about her carefree attitude made me feel the need to set boundaries.
"Even if I'm stronger than you?" she asked, tilting her head in an almost playful manner.
"… Yes," I replied, my tone unwavering.
She placed a hand on her chin, gazing up at the sky as though she were deeply considering it.
Hah. This is starting to feel really weird.
"Okay," she said at last.
"… Then it's a deal," I added, trying to seal the agreement.
Suddenly, a voice intruded on my thoughts.
[You… sigh. I didn't want to interfere, but I have to.]
'What now?'
[There's been a deviation from the plot.]
'I'm aware. My being here is already a deviation.'
[No, this is different. You're playing right into someone's hands...]
'Whose hands?'
[Someone. For now, you don't need to know. What you do need to know is that retrieving that relic will only lead you further into their control.]
'... Is this same person the one who brought me to this world?' I asked, feeling a deeper sense of unease.
[No.]
That was all I needed to hear.
It seems my situation is more complex than i initially thought.
'I'll still do it,' I replied firmly.
[Didn't you hear me? If you proceed, you'll lose all free will! Every choice you make afterward will be predetermined, ever single decision already accounted for. This is your one chance to break free.]
'I'll still do it.' This time, my resolve was absolute.
No wonder that damned LP system suddenly showed up.
Why didn't I see it the day I left the mansion?
Why did it only appear after I woke up here?
Why?
The answer, I suspect, lies in my decision to leave that cursed mansion.
That was the beginning of it all. My desperate attempt to avoid Kyneal's agents and escape must have triggered whatever entity brought me here to act.
This isn't fate at work.
This is the goddess's fault—whoever she is.
She wants me bound to the plot. She wants me to be the villain.
I shouldn't have escaped that day—I'm certain of it.
Though I lost consciousness and have no idea what transpired afterward, someone must have intervened.
And that someone…
...is most likely the same person Stem's warning me about.
The variable I have yet to account for.
Someone else wants me to rebel against my fate. But who could it be?
Well, even if I don't know their identity or motives—whether bringing me here or sending Liliana my way—I have a gut feeling I should trust them.
It's better than the fate that awaits Amael.
[Sigh. Let me make it clear to you. Amael's fate as a villain is unavoidable. There's a reason he's so dark-hearted, a reason he had no mana after his awakening, and a reason for his eventual death. It's not as straightforward as you think. There are deeper motives behind it all. What if I told you that… you are Amael?]
'…I already know that.'
[No. I don't mean it like that. I mean, from the very start—even within the game itself—you are Amael.]
"…"
No.
That can't be.
That can't fucking be.
I was transmigrated here.
I am not Amael!
But…
...what if it's true?
Then…
...does that mean I'm Amael with Eren's memories?!
[Both. You are Amael—and you are Eren.]
'Then… does that mean I reincarnated, not transmigrated?!'
[There's a limit to what I can tell you at this stage.]
'But what about Amael's memories? WHERE ARE THEY?!'
[It's best you don't see them. Those memories would only catalyze what you'll inevitably become.]
'I can't believe this…'
"Are you… okay?"
Her voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I looked up to find Liliana kneeling in front of me, concern etched across her face.
When did she get here?