Chapter 203: Reset: Mizik

(A/N: Please see Author's thoughts.)

As soon as I died, I felt myself split off of...myself.

I was cast into a dark place and slammed into the ground.

I didn't know how long I was out...but when I opened my eyes, an old man was leaning over me.

"You sure had it rough. But you were probably one of the luckier ones. Welcome to the graveyard," he said.

"Grave...yard?" I asked as I looked around.

It was a plain field underneath a pitch black sky. There weren't any graves or grass, just dirt.

"You're new, so let me explain something to you. You just died for the one-thousandth time. You are Mizik number 1000. But some of us have already taken to calling you 1k. Get used to it, because this is your home from now on," he said.

So many things were running through my mind right now as I sat up.

This old man wore a simple white shirt and gray pants. He had facial hair and emerald green eyes.

"Who-"

"Mizik. My name is Mizik. Everyone here is named Mizik, so you should get used to calling us by our numbers instead. Basically, we're all you and you are us. I'm number 27. I died of old age after Difar decided to just leave. I lived a full life, helped Ulysses get the estate back, took over the family, then married a nice girl and had kids. When I finally died, I ended up here and everything reset," he said.

Suddenly, I was filled with rage.

The Oracle killed me.

And I had died a thousand times.

I stood up and looked around... I could feel my eye twitching as I gritted my teeth.

Mizik 27 backed away.

"Give him some space, everyone. He's going to explode," 27 said.

"GAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! YOU DAMN BITCH!!! BASTARD ORACLE!!!! DAMN YOU TO HELL!!!!!! EVERYTHING I WORKED FOR WAS ALL FOR NOTHING!!! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT ORACLE!!!!!" I screamed.

I stomped the ground and then looked at the sky. It lit up and I saw things that seemed familiar to me.

I could see my own memories dispersing against the pitch black darkness.

I dropped to my knees and felt tears begin to fall down my face.

"Isabella... I'm sorry... I wish I would have known... Damn it all..." I said.

I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You feel better?" 27 asked.

"No...not really..." I said.

"You'll need to accept things as they are as soon as you can. Some of us have actually gone crazy in here. We don't let them associate with us, but they're on the north side... Can you handle yourself? If it's too much-"

"I'm fine! Dammit... I need to figure out a way to fix this..." I said.

"That's easier said than done, 1k. We've all tried. Our powers don't really work in here, so this is basically purgatory. We can't live or die. We're the manifestations of the memories torn from Mizik Iratus," 27 said.

"So you're 1k. Nice to meet you," another me said as he walked over and held out his hand.

He had a sort of refined air about him.

He had a necklace with a light blue crystal on it and wore very nice clothes.

"You are...?" I asked.

"Mizik, of course," he said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah...I figured..."

He laughed.

"Just a joke, is all. I'm number 998. I was killed by a Demon King after going to Tanavol and marrying a Demon Queen named Estelyn," 998 said.

998? That's pretty recent, isn't it?

"Ah...right... A Demon Queen, you say...? How the hell did you manage that?"

"That's a really long story. I'll tell you after you've settled in, okay?"

"Y-yeah... I...don't know how to take all this..." I said.

"Well, your memories should finish dispersing soon. When they do-"

Before 998 could finish talking, the sky flashed red.

I could see lines like threads crossing everywhere up above.

"What in the name of Isabella!?" One of the Miziks said.

"What's going on?"

"Are we already dying again?"

"Shut up! We haven't woken up yet!"

"Could be a heart attack..."

"EVERYONE BE QUIET!" 27 shouted.

Immediately, everyone looked at him.

Then he looked up at the sky and I saw something like eyes opening.

It was my room in Lorelei.

Everything looked like it was glitching.

I saw something else in the sky like my memories being held by some unseen force.

"That's a new one..." 27 said.

"What happened?" I asked.

"Your memories haven't finished dispersing...but we've woken up. You're still attached to this Mizik, I think... It looks like he's getting extreme feelings of deja vu," 27 said.

I could see images of my own past flashing before his eyes and in his mind.

Many of the other Miziks mumbled to themselves as the current Mizik, 1001, walked down the stairs.

He didn't even make his bed. To them, that was sacrilege. Apparently, I ALWAYS make my bed on the first day I wake up. Some of them seemed genuinely bothered by this.

They were already declaring it to be a failed timeline because of the intricacies of bed-making and how they tie in to predicting the future of our timelines.

Complete and utter nonsense if you ask me...

When the current Mizik entered the living room, there was my father, as he was on that day. Sitting quietly on the couch.

We sat and watched my father and the current me talk when suddenly, he mentioned going to the mines.

Everyone lost their damn minds.

So many of them were shouting that it was hard to think clearly, but...

Some of their voices seemed to resonate... I saw messages flashing before 1001's eyes.

An idea crossed my mind...out of desperation, I opened my mouth to speak.

"STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING!" I shouted.

He saw my words and froze.

Many of the other Miziks looked at me strangely.

After that, I began trying to convince him not to allow dad to go to the mines.

When I succeeded, the other Miziks looked amazed and impressed.

I didn't really feel good about impressing myself... But it was nice that I had a small measure of control over the situation.

"This is new... Hey, we might be able to use this," 27 said.

"How so?" I asked.

"You'll need to get Vengeance. And...somehow we'll have to deal with the Oracle... I'm not sure how... Cassandra might also be a problem if you plan to include Isabella," 27 said.

"Give me some time to think. I already have ideas on how to avoid Cassandra. We'll need Isabella if we want to survive, anyway," I said.

He nodded and I continued trying to talk to myself.

Eventually, I realized that not telling my father anything would be working against my own resources. He was very dependable. At least as far as I could remember.

I managed to have a pseudo-conversation with my father and convinced him to help us get Vengeance back.

By telling him I planned to 'save everyone'.

I wasn't stupid enough to believe that was actually possible, of course. I only needed him to trust me.

Later on, I managed to convince Vengeance to bind itself to me.

I was also beginning to suspect that Vengeance did not suffer from memory loss...

And that brought only more questions about that damn sword. I was pretty angry that it refused to give information on previous timelines. By Iris, that would have been useful!

Regardless, after 1001 went to sleep, one of the other Miziks started glowing.

Then a scene from before began to play.

We watched as he died again.

He freaked out when he saw it and 27 went to go comfort him.

During the entire process, we changed... I could see each and every wound that all of us suffered that caused our deaths. Some of us looked burned, mangled, decapitated and the like...

998 had a massive hole in the center of his chest.

And a hole appeared over my heart...

I talked with 998 more after that.

And I also started planning...

I had an idea that began forming in my head... To make it work, I needed someone to help.

I wanted to enlist Difar to help me.

And later on, I managed to make it happen.

Cain agreed to contact Difar and figure something out. Then I instructed myself to begin training.

Although...I started to notice something odd.

It seemed like 1001 didn't really like following instructions very much. I hoped this wouldn't become a problem...

* * *

Difar agreed to a ceasefire just as I planned.

It seems like he didn't have a choice.

As time went on, I also became aware that talking for long periods of time caused the messages to glitch out more and more.

I had to keep my messages short and couldn't afford a long explanation.

Also, the other versions of me had to be told to keep quiet far too often. 27 helped me with that.

At one point, I was approached by another Mizik. This one...was angry.

And that was an understatement.

As soon as he arrived, 27 tried to tell him to go back to the north side.

However, he only wanted to talk.

"I'm 999. The one before you," he said.

"I vaguely remember seeing something before I woke up that day. Was that..."

"It was my past life. The end of it. And if you're the one that can break this cycle, then the torch is really passed to you. I won't lie...I envy you. But to be so close only to have everything torn away is maddening..." 999 said.

"Why were you on the north side?" I asked.

"Because out of all of the other Miziks, I'm the most violent. I'm going to go back to the north side, but I want to talk for a bit. Care to join me over there for a chat?"

"You probably shouldn't listen to him..." 27 said.

"Shut up, 27. If we're going to get out of this, the only logical thing to do is work together."

"Yeah, but you're a bloody psychopath, 999. We want to save people, not kill everyone in a homicidal rage!"

"You're a real piece of work, 27. You know that? Why do you still fucking care? You've been down here longer than almost everyone. Get off your high horse," 999 said.

27 rolled his eyes.

"I'll go. I have no reason not to," I said.

"Good...follow me."

27 shook his head sadly and did nothing to stop me.

We went to the north side and what I saw genuinely bothered me.

Many Miziks were curled up and mumbling to themselves in madness.

Some of them laid on the ground as if they were dead and some were fighting each other over nonsense.

"Welcome to the north side of the graveyard. This is the result of thousands of years of failure that the Oracle has caused."

"They look like they've gone insane..."

"They have. We've been here too long, 1k. Imagine this...every day the sky displays someone else living your life in your body. Nothing you say or do can influence their behavior. All you can do is watch as they make the same mistakes you did. We are forced to watch in agony as the Oracle pulls the strings behind our lives and expects a different result while never changing her tactics."

"Insanity..."

"By the very definition, 1k. The Oracle needs to die screaming in horrific pain ten thousand times for the suffering she's brought us. And that's exactly why I've brought you over here. Let's talk."

"First of all, I have a question," I said.

"Kill them all. Burn it down. Yeah, that was me."

"I see... How did you manage get through?"

"When the Oracle brought me to her temple after I was killed by Difar, I used The Archmage just before I was dispersed. I couldn't do much because of the power of the reset magic, but I did something."

"And that is...?"

"I created a very slight rift. Just enough to where my voice would be able to echo through into your mind and cause a tiny glitch in your status menu. The idea was to have you fulfill my plan. Subliminal messaging and such...but that didn't work out."

"You tried to control me!?"

"Something like that. Don't lecture me on the morals of it, because you would have done the same thing. I know it because you're me. But now that you're here with the lingering connection...I have a better idea."

"Does it involve killing the Oracle?"

999 smiled. Not a friendly sort of smile, but the smile of a murderous psychopath.

"Would you have it any other way?"

I returned his smile.

"Good. The plan is simple...we go back together and merge. You inherit my will and memories as you go back to the real world, and both of us get to live again. Don't worry, I'll handle the specifics. You go about your business and keep quiet about it."

"I can agree to that. Then when the time comes..."

"Allow me to merge with you once this is over. We'll keep in contact through some of my Miziks. I look forward to working with you, 1k."

"As do I... I can't wait to tear that Oracle apart..."

With that, I departed back to the south side of the graveyard and returned to 27 and 998.

*   *   *

As time went by, 998 and I also became good friends. We talked a lot about the different things in our lives. He was the only Mizik to ever set foot on Tanavol.

While I was the only one to marry Isabella and save her life.

Eventually, I also managed to convince my father to go to the sleeping dragon inn for my birthday.

There were lots of tears as well as a mild convergence of emotions that caused 1001 to become far more sentimental over seeing Aria again as well...

I also shed many tears.

Aria was beloved by most of us.

She didn't deserve the fate that awaited her...

But I would make Difar pay later.

After that, I saw Daren and had a hilarious idea...

I directed him to take a job killing goblins in the sewers. I made sure he knew to bring a lantern.

So that the goblins could easily locate him, of course.

He wouldn't be as fortunate as I was. I knew he would likely be eaten alive down there, but he deserved it. Daren was an asshole. I found it to be extremely entertaining and so did many of the other Miziks.

At the same time, I convinced 1001 to check the adventurer's guild for signs of Isabella. This was also to check on the possibility of her retaining her memories.

She was smart. She would know to meet me down there.

But for some reason, we didn't find her any of the times we checked. This caused me to worry greatly...

The next day, we saw an odd sight... A carriage moving through town.

Later on, we discovered that Cassandra had come to Lorelei for some reason.

Since I already prepared to defend against her illusions, I didn't worry too much.

Although it was odd that she had come to Lorelei... She hated Lorelei.

Later that day, we were called to the castle where we learned that Cassandra had apparently kept her memories.

I was very relieved to see that and told 1001 to stay at her side.

Unfortunately...

She had every intention of marrying 1001.

I underestimated her obsession.

Her madness ran far deeper than I originally expected.

And before I could tell him to get away, he was caught in her web. This time, she would shower me with love instead of pain.

And I was just as helpless to stop it...

Because 1001 is a rebel.

He never experienced the pain of losing Dad and having to fend for himself. He didn't go through the harsh trials we did.

He still only wanted to do what he wanted to do. He never matured the way we did.

And the list of things he wanted to do, having the active hormones of a young man, included Cassandra. Literally.

He was bewitched by her looks and personality... And she was so kind and loving towards him. Unlike any other woman in Lorelei.

But I knew Cassandra wasn't sweet and innocent. She was an obsessive stalker and a murderer who would gladly end a thousand worlds for me.

I mentally kicked myself over and over as I felt like yelling at Cassandra.

Meanwhile, the other Miziks were freaking out about going back to the dungeon.

Idiots...they didn't seem to understand that this was the exact opposite of her intention.

We worked very hard to shut them up.

Their messages came out far more glitched than mine. And since the older Mizik's messages couldn't reach 1001 at all, 27 couldn't do anything.

He relegated himself to quieting everyone down and keeping order.

998 helped as a sort of emotional support.

Also, I met another Mizik called 68. It was...a female version of me...somehow...

When I asked her why she was a girl she simply said: "I have already told everyone here that I don't want to talk about it. I NEVER want to talk about what happened. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong, went horribly wrong," She said.

"Fair enough..." I said at the time.

Apparently most of the Mizik's below 200 had already gone insane and lived in the north side of the graveyard.

68 preferred it here because 27 was in charge and took care of everyone. Her life was an enigma to everyone here except 27 and he refused to speak of it out of respect.

Then...

311 and 157 started arguing about Cassandra.

311 was tortured and poisoned to death by her and 157 was a weirdo who managed to actually marry her before.

He was killed by the shadow dragon after it became free from its home and attacked Albatross.

He was also the leader of the 'Cassandra Appreciation Club'.

A group of other weirdos who fell in love with her. They believed she was simply misunderstood.

She IS misunderstood.

But that wasn't the issue...

The issue was that I was now being forced to watch myself cheat on my wife!

Although I learned very quickly that Isabella didn't have any memories either...

I slowly came to hate 1001 as he continuously rebelled while reveling in Cassandra's endless affection...

He agreed to marry her against my wishes and all of us slowly began working on a way to fix everything.

I kept in contact with 999 during this ordeal through some of his subordinates. Mentally broken and unquestioningly loyal Miziks who only desired one thing.

To permanently escape the graveyard. They would do anything to get out of here. And the promise was that one day, I would find a way to abolish the graveyard and end their suffering.

We found that certain things caused convergences in memories. Meeting Isabella was one of those things, for example. These convergences caused the threads in the sky to bend. When they bent enough, they would open pathways... We found through trial and error with the dreams, that these pathways led directly to the current reality.

By sending things from the graveyard into the sky while the pathways were open, we could influence things in the dreams that 1001 didn't even notice.

This led to the hypothesis that the location behind the pathways was 1001's very own mind. The current reality.

And that led to another theory...

If one of us managed to go through the pathways...

We could converge with 1001. Effectively cheating the system by grafting in memories and experience from previous timelines. Along with things like our own will.

The only problem was that the pathways were extremely narrow.

We decided very quickly that we needed to find something so unbelievably traumatizing that it would force the pathways open wide enough for one of us to go through.

I was the obvious choice.

Because I was the only one capable of leaving due to not being fully present since my memories were stuck in limbo.

And of course...I kept quiet about my alliance with 999. He would handle everything else. And when the time came, he would join me.

Eventually, the day of the wedding came around and I truly began to despise 1001. He managed to completely demolish and obliterate every single barrier I put up between me and Cassandra.

And by the gods, that was a wild night.

Cassandra started by being romantic. Acting sweet and innocent...

Then she went crazy.

I had no idea Cassandra could move that way... And all of us felt really dirty since we saw everything.

Once 1001 woke up, I managed to convince him that he needed to go inside the wardrobe.

After he entered the cell within the dungeon, all it took was him hearing the voice of his new wife.

All I did was tell him the truth.

That Cassandra was a psychopath and a murderer.

This split the sky in two.

I said my goodbyes and allowed myself to float into the maelstrom that the sky had become.

And of course...999 joined me at the last second. We merged as we flew into the sky.

When I opened my eyes again, I was laying on the floor with Cassandra crying over me.