ARTIFICIAL APOTHEOSIS

(What am I doing back here?)

This happened all too often now, I'll suddenly forget anything I was thinking of just moments ago in an instant for no reason. Although to be fair, that was the least of my concerns, I used to have some vague idea an hour or two ago but as of right now at least…

I have no idea who I am.

Alcaeus: "… That's right, I was thinking about looking for something… someone called an X grade"

I know for a fact there shouldn't be too many X grades in general, it can't be too much of a problem tracking this guy down.

(I have this overwhelming feeling he has to be somewhere here, but why? Perhaps I should've brought someone with me after all…)

Having been walking through the campus for some time, I finally began taking notice of the lavish gardens in front of me. Finally overcome with curiosity, without a second thought I started walking through the grassy paths that seemed to arch and curve constantly, almost resembling an intricate maze.

(What was that story again…? Something about a legendary craftsman who worked tirelessly on a maze meant to imprison some savage beast he helped create?)

Alcaeus: "It was the Minotaur… Yes, that's what it's called."

I'd been wandering the garden for a while now, finally having arrived at a particularly impressive statue I stopped myself for a moment.

"I remember now, I'm supposed to be some kind of God."

"…Right now though, I feel like, In reality, I'm just a savage beast, wandering aimlessly through an existence that feels more like a false dream."

After looking up at the King of Gods himself, I lowered my gaze down to my augmented hands, they were stark white, just like the marble that comprised His statue.

(Just like Zeus.)

I began thinking how lovely it would be if only He could come down and silence all my doubts, calm all my anxieties.

(If only I could hear it from the mouth of Zeus Himself, then I'd trust in it entirely, then I'd know without a shadow of a doubt that…-)

The noise of rustling grass cut my thoughts short, though sadly It was not a God that caused it.

It was just some girl, although she did look particularly alarmed after having just seen me.

(Maybe she knows me from somewhere, did I scare her or something in the past?)

(I should just walk up and talk to her, not that I'm overly ambitious about doing PR work for a change.)

That's right, I'd forgotten what I was doing here in the first place again. Maybe she could at least give me some information about that X grade's whereabouts, or what an X grade even is alternatively.

Taking care not to cause too much undue concern, I began to slowly approach her.

The view I had of her cleared the closer I came, she looked exceptionally attractive for just another girl. Although, I felt as though I had met someone like that before as well.

(Right, it was that white-haired girl who took care of me after I'd woken up in that strange place.)

But I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off here, before I'd even made it halfway to her, the girl had already stepped back a few times.

(She's unusually wary of me, now this is just suspicious.)

Suddenly I thought it'd be better to stay a couple of feet away so as to not scare her off, quickly straightening myself I started.

Alcaeus: "This might be a little sudden but I uh ahah, seem to be lost…? I'm getting this feeling you know me from somewhere, and I might be wrong but-"

(!!!)

I hadn't even gotten to the end of my sentence before I noticed she'd begun tearing up. It seemed like my body was moving on its own, before I even knew it I'd abandoned any notion of not going up to her.

Alcaeus: "Are… Are you okay?"

(Going up to her is an understatement, I practically ran over here.)

I held her as soon as I'd gotten close enough, she practically folded into me then, it was like she could pass out at any second. With some struggle I moved my hand up to her face, it was as cold as pavement.

After raising her towards me like this, I couldn't help being completely taken aback.

(She's completely pale compared to her usual flushed…)

(What.)

(Compared to what? I couldn't know her, could I?)

The thoughts seemed to completely clog my throat, in another second I wouldn't be able to breathe.

(A second ago she felt like the most important thing in my life, this perfect stranger.)

(Could I have really forgotten someone that meant this much to me even now?)

The last thought I had before her voice knocked me out of my trance felt as if it could've split my psyche in two.

(Am I the reason she's crying?)

Aurora: "I'm-… I'm so sorry."

Those words rang over and over in my head. The silence that followed seemed to last for an eternity, all my concern, and I didn't even have enough courage to ask why.

(Why are you the one that's sorry?!)

But In the deepest corner of whatever was left of my mind, I felt it, If I told her it was all my fault instead, the guilt that was still just nothing more than a fleeting feeling would become all too real. It would crush me whole.

Her tears had already turned into wails, it seemed like she could go on crying like this forever, but before I could even spare a thought as to what I should do, I heard someone speak.

***: "Let her go… Right this second!"

The voice erupted from over her shoulder. I was so immersed in my own mind, that I hadn't even noticed as an entire entourage had gathered right in front of me.

Standing right in front of the rest was a tall guy with his hand wrapped in a cast. He was obviously angry, but there was something else mixed in his tone. I couldn't help but feel like he despised me with every fiber of his being.

He made a few steps toward me.

Arian: "I'm warning you again Tifon!"

His voice didn't waver at all, but I noticed how his working hand trembled as it latched onto his cast.

One of the girls behind him walked over to him, and surprisingly swiftly she caught his arm before he could do anything else.

Palae: "Wait, Arian! Look he's not hurting her, it's the opposite-"

She spoke right after, trying to calm him down she probably also noticed his slowly growing temper, but she couldn't even make it to the end of her sentence before he ripped himself out of her grip.

Arian: "All he ever manages to do is hurt people…! But I'll be damned if I let him this time."

All the while they argued I only stared at him, the only thing I knew for sure was that I wasn't going to leave this girl before I found out who she was to me.

He started walking toward me, slowly upping his pace. I didn't really need that to know though, it was obvious from the first second he spoke.

He wasn't going to leave without a fight.

His hand roughly clutched his cast, from the way he moved it around I gathered he didn't really need it.

"Alright then, let's see how you like me when I actually try to hurt someone."

If you asked me where my confidence came from I wouldn't be able to answer you, but I was so sure it was almost like a trance. In my own head, I genuinely believed I couldn't lose to anyone then.

Is this how a God should think then?

(But why am I so angry?)

I wouldn't get a chance to mull it over though, the sound of ripping fabric signaled the start of the fight, no more time for philosophy.

(All that's left is to finish this.)