Breaking Out

"Where do we go from here? How do you even break out of this stupid game?" I asked Papiya. She pushed her body up from the roof and brushed the dust off of herself.

"Not a clue. You just have to wait until the game is over, or until you've seen enough, and give me something of your own." She told me.

"Why did you avoid explaining that to me before? And what do you mean, something of my own?" I asked her.

"In Memory Lock, I give you back your memories, the ones that we purposefully shut out. Now, you need to give me some of your memories to get out. Doesn't sound fun, does it?" She asked me.

I had a sneaking suspicion about Papiya when she said that. It's insane to me that she did a complete 180 on her personality in hopes of breaking me out. I didn't trust her, not one bit, which means that I wouldn't agree with her deal.

It's not that I don't believe her, but I don't want to trust her in what I have to sacrifice to get out of here. I would find my own way out... or relive this memory a thousand times if I have to.

"Sorry, I'm not offering anything. I'll find another way," I told her.

"You really don't want to give me any of your memories to get out? It would be so simple that way." She explained.

"Tell me, Papiya, why are you so different right now? I don't trust you one bit... Destiny wouldn't want me to either. I know she's not dead. I know that was a false memory." I admitted to Papiya. She sighed and looked down at the ground.

"A false memory, huh? Then why is that so detailed? You know, Anima, you've really come off as a rude piece of shit from the moment you broke into my house for answers. You're right, I don't really like you, but I want to sympathize with your past and the way you are. Honestly, I think Destiny deserved a much better friend than the lousy one you were." She told me.

I had an angry look on my face... but I stared down at my legs and shockingly, agreed with Papiya.

What am I doing?

God, how many times have I asked that question?

I'm so overwhelmed all the time that I'm always taking it out on other people. I wonder if Ruby and the others were at the receiving end of that as well...

"I'm sorry," I told her.

"Huh? Wait, you're apologizing?!" Papiya surprisingly asked me.

"Yes. I'm sorry, you're right. I'm sorry for accusing you of such a thing." I repeated myself.

I don't trust her... I don't want to trust her... but in here, I lose nothing by trusting her. She has total control over what I see. I won't go insane over this weird game, but I certainly won't be skeptical over everything that happens.

Now, I finally swallowed the pill that Destiny had killed herself.

It was tough, knowing that a friend from so long ago was lost without me... and lost her life without me. I had plenty more regrets, wondering if I could've saved her.

And the worst part was... that I had to say goodbye twice.

The negative part of me was always wondering if Destiny was dead and I was just delusional, and in a sense, that part of me was satisfied. But, the kid within me wanted to be with her, at least in her last moments.

I got closure... not the kind I wanted... but closure. Destiny may have suffered up until the last moments of her life... but she won't suffer anymore... and I'm full of regret that I couldn't ease that pain.

This is insane. I can't believe that I would think something like that. It's better if she was dead? What am I saying... and why do I believe it?

I think I missed a few parts, and now I'm genuinely going insane.

"What was the next part? Of my memories that I would see, I mean." I turned and asked Papiya.

"Now, we would head back to Erinautis, where you were reincarnated." She told me.

…

…

…

A flash of light flooded my vision and before I knew it, I was in the freezing cold cave on top of that mountain right outside of Zyphilia, watching Joro kill my friends.

I wonder if Destiny would've been brave enough to do something about him...

I watched Joro as he used that attack and froze over the city. I was stuck looking at the frozen city, but now that I could observe him... I noticed a few interesting things.

I've been close to death only once in this world... maybe twice if I counted my first battle with Zeus and Ono. I knew what it was like to use a Limit Breaker as well. But when I watched Joro... I noticed something odd.

Joro wasn't phased by that attack. In fact, he didn't even take damage from it. He walked away like nothing happened. However, when he passed that rock right beside me, blood shout out of his mouth. Like when a person in an anime is impaled.

Why, why did it take that long for him to be damaged? What was I missing here?

"Papiya... keep me here. I want to see something." I told her.

"Sure thing... why do you want to watch this again? Are you actually going insane?" She responded to my request, reversing the memory so Joro was introducing himself to Daria and me.

In this part... he used this Limit Breaker. Why wasn't he hurt? Why did it take him a bit?" I said out loud, peering closely at the details of the memory.

He wasn't leaning on his cane... I remember that... huh?

I took a closer look at his cane.

"That looks like my staff. I wonder if they're made of the same material." I quietly commented.