Chapter 79: A Vision

Author's Note: Hi again my readers! I realize that this is coming out later than what I said last chapter and, you may be so tired of all of my excuses but, there was actually a problem with the Internet today as I wasn't able to log in to my account and type. So, hopefully, I will have no more problems starting tomorrow and I will be able to give you the chapters you all deserve. Enjoy!

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(Shu's point of view)

Such a nice person.

To allow a child he has never met before like me to live with him is just too kind of him. Hey, didn't someone else share such kindness to me before? Yeah, it was the purple-haired girl who let me live in an orphanage.

These two are remarkably nice. I wish I could be as nice as them. But, to think that the mysterious Arcane Phantom that everyone was talking about was really someone who acted like this? I really am extraordinarily lucky to have met these two people in my life. Though, I had to run away from the orphanage I was brought to before.

I had to reject the kindness of other people so that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of killing them. That's right. I am just finding ways to make sure I don't have to suffer anymore. I didn't want to feel more pain after I learned more things about my past. My ability allowed me to sometimes see what happened in my own past and... things were bad.

I thought before that me and my sister Pandora were given away by our parents but, in reality, we were sold away by only one parent. Apparently, our mother died just a few hours after giving birth to my sister and we were then supposed to work around the house. I can't remember those experiences myself but, through my ability, I learned that our family was actually quite rich, I think?

Our house was very big as one of the things I remembered was cleaning the windows on the... 3rd floor? So, that was when I learned that I must be from a rich family that sold me and my sister away as, well, we brought misfortune to our father. Us being around cost our mother's life and, when my sister became 6 years old, guests at our house started to die after a few days. I can't really blame him.

Though, I always wondered at the back of my mind whether that memory was familiar or not and, soon enough, people who spent too much time around me died of accidents, like those adventurers...

That was the reason why I left the orphanage. I couldn't bear to see the people who cared about me die. I only wanted to preserve what was left of my happiness. If people shunned me before then, it must all be my fault, right? Who can even blame them at all when all of those events happened around me!

...

The thing I wondered for so long was... why was my killing so similar to what happened when my sister was 6 years old? I know all people have an ability but, I don't know when they get it but, if I use myself and the timing in that memory, I assume it is when a person turns 6 years old. If that is the case then, the deaths of those guests and our father's outburst at us was probably because of my sister's ability.

So, then why do suddenly cause that same event to happen? Why does it happen right after I realized that my sister was with me anymore? Why haven't I already died when I was always by her side, up until I lost my memories? If memories and experiences shape a person's consciousness and their personality then, who am I?

And, why, for some reason, do I always end up alive in situations that should take my life? When those adventurers who died, I said they died of a disease when they got stung by a Giga Scorpius. I got stung too but, they just happened to contract a disease which was already bad but was worsened by the poison circulating in their body.

Like, why do people around me have to die, no matter if they are good or bad, while I always stay alive for some reason while I watch those people die? Was this what Pandora was feeling when she was with me? I don't remember me traveling with her so, I'll never even know how the family member I was closest to felt at all.

But, despite this world wanting to punish me for some reason, nice people always helped me out. I've always had a voice in my head telling me that it was better for me to die. And yet, I muffled that voice and tried to live the best I could. And, now, I have found two people who reached out to me even though I try to hide them and deal with them myself.

Those two are the purple-haired girl with a confusing future and the Arcane Phantom, Alexander.

"It's nice to meet you too, Mister Arcane Phantom! No, how about, Teacher since you'll be teaching and adventuring with me!"

"Hey, I think that is going a bit too far-"

I jumped at him and hugged him tightly before I suddenly felt the familiar feeling of my ability activating. I let go before my vision changed and starting seeing a young girl. Wait, seeing? Don't I usually see through the perspective of the person whose life I was viewing? Now, I am watching this play out like I was watching them through a window.

I saw a baby being born to loving parents who cared for her the most. I saw how the girl went outside for the first time in her life and admired the scenery around her. Wait, is this the past or the future? The structures look different from what I usually see so, I can't decide.

"Papa, what's outside of the city?"

"I... I don't know. However, we have no need to look outside, now do we?"

"Hmm..."

Conversations?!

I can hear them clearly!? Usually, there is no sound or it is so faint but, I can hear it so clearly in this vision.

I continued to see the girl growing up, always living up to or exceeding her parent's expectations and was able to get into the best school ever and was able to get into a promising position in the government. Wow, this girl is so amazing. But, I was able to hear her inner thoughts and knew she wanted nothing else but to see what's outside and to be free, without anyone telling her what to do.

The girl, though highly professional, was loved by everyone in the sprawling city she called home and she was happy. Then, when the girl was around 19, something happened which destroyed her life. The city was attacked by people from outside the walls and decimated the city.

And, to top it all off, the girl, who was evacuating as many people as possible, personally saw the deaths of everyone she was close to. Her parents, her extended family, the friendly old couple, the group of children she tutored, her co-workers, the street vendors, everyone. Despite her talent in everything, she couldn't do a thing and was about to be killed when the King appeared before her.

He brought his guard with him and defeated the invaders and forced them to retreat. The entire time, the girl was stunned and, I genuinely cried at this moment.

"Are you alright?"

"... Are you kidding me...? You're asking me if I'm alright when everyone in the city just died!"

"No. This city has multiple sections and, unfortunately, your section was the one where they attacked. The city is completely fine, except your section."

When I heard those words from the King, I was just as surprised as the girl and looked at the carnage in disbelief. From then on, the girl's thoughts became more... dark and... sad. I couldn't do anything as this was their own life. Years passed and, a break from the carnage happened when she married the King and was able to have kids.

But, one night, she was woken up by an urge for a drink and, right then and there, I witnessed her get killed by a friend of hers who also loved the King. When she died, her thoughts said something which snapped me out of my sorriness for her.

"W-what is this...? Punishment for all eternity...? Atonement for sins...? Crime is... unforgivable?"

"Huh?! You've finally gone delusional, have you!?"

...

I waited in bated breath as I heard her last words, which were so quiet I didn't catch all of it.

"Ar- u, S- nd or...? Who are you...?"

That was when the girl died. So, that was he entire life? Such tragedy and misery. The moonlight then came through the window and I followed it until it reached the mirror on the wall. When I saw the reflection of myself, I froze.

"Is that... really me?"

...

"Hey, Shu, are you alright!?!"