Scatterbrain - Math Arnottir

I didn't seem like myself, and I couldn't recognize my friend... what's going on?

The picture looked like me but it wasn't me... it's hard to fathom, I don't get it.

I prodded further, "Did you talk with me?"

"Of course, that's how we know that you didn't recognize us."

"Did you say anything else?"

"Well, we tried calling you by your name but you just looked confused before ignoring us."

"I..."

Beatrice looked like she was getting irritated.

"Are you messing with us?"

I shook my head as violently as I could, "No! No, I am not. I genuinely don't know why I was like that, or... I don't know."

I pressed my thumb against my lips.

"Maybe... a doppelganger?"

Beatrice chuckled, "You have to be messing with us."

"I'm not!"

"Then... are you trying to make us seem crazy or something?"

I shook my head, "No, not at all. I genuinely believe you saw what you saw and that I was different, and everything. I completely believe you now but the problem is why and how it's happening because this is a massive bombshell to me, okay? I'm more confused than the both of you."

We took a minute to marinate in the silence.

"Okay... so... first, f-first is..."

I hold my chin to think, rubbing my face, trying to come up with a solution.

"O-okay... first, when do you normally see me like that?"

"Well, for some reason, on these days or sometimes throughout the day, you go missing. Whenever we find you - you don't recognize us."

"Wait, so this has happened multiple times? What about the other pictures then?"

"There are none? We only just remembered to do it with this most recent one."

"O-okay... so... I don't remember being there and it doesn't feel like myself. This happens at random times throughout the day...?" I paused, "Okay... well... can you guys do me a favor then... can you guys monitor me in that state, record the times and everything -- you can even go as far as to check my room just in case. Please..."

"Okay."

Mikael sighed, "Alright, well... you're pretty smart so I could've never thought of an idea like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well... monitoring yourself, I guess? If I couldn't remember parts of my day and came off as a completely different person, I wouldn't have thought of a solution like that."

"I don't want to assume anything..." Beatrice went on, "But, this whole thing is either you doing a really shitty and annoying prank on us or..."

"Or what?"

"You..." She shook her head, "Nevermind, I don't want to say it now. I want to be able to confirm it first."

I left a bit confused but I can put that on the back burner for now. I don't really want to think about what that could possibly mean.

I went to talk with Freyja about training before cutting me off before I could even start talking, "In three days, you will go into the dungeon by yourself and hunt Goblins."

"Huh!?"

"The dungeon will be opened for anyone to go into without the need of monitoring by higher-ups since they've come up with a better way to go about it."

"Wait, huh, just now?"

"Yeah," She gave me a teleport stone, "This right here will automatically link itself to a person and teleport anyone B-Rank or higher to your location."

"I see... but wait, I'll be hunting Goblins?"

"Yes, without me."

"Why!?"

"Because," Freyja crossed the Blacksmithy, grabbing a pistol, "You have your own custom firearm now."

"I thought you were...?"

"I thought it'd be inconvenient for you to rely on me too much and believe that having another option on you would be convenient."

She handed it over to me.

"All you need to do is put mana into it, but it's once per shot, you can't do multiple. Since you have a relatively small amount of mana, it'll take significantly longer for you to charge the pistol, so make sure to be ready."

"T-thanks."

"if you've shot and you miss or anything and you get mobbed, use the knives." She pointed to the gear, "Use anything in fact, just as long as you win."

"Alright."

I started putting mana into the pistol hearing a quiet whirring sound as it charged up.

"Um..." I looked up at Freyja, "Could I have a rifle alternative?"

"Not now, that'll take a few weeks."

"Okay."

I nodded to myself as the pistol finished loading.

"That's about a full 30 seconds to load it seems."

"Longer if mana capacity is low, or if in a distressing situation."

"So...?"

"It'll become easier when you get stronger."

I nodded again, walking outside the smithy and firing into a tree, blasting it in half.

"Strong, right?"

I was ecstatic, I finally had a proper way to defend myself.

I turned toward Freyja, "This is great!"

"I know."

"A-also, do you have all the other things I requested?"

"Yes."

"Alright then... guess I'll take them into the dungeon... didn't expect I'd do it alone though."

"You'll be fine."

"I hope I'll be fine."

I think I've become a bit stronger. I can actually do my daily regiment now, though I get exhausted pretty easily still.

I've gotten pretty good at hiding from Freyja but it still doesn't last long -- what I'm saying is that my time has gotten better, plus, with the added endurance, I'm able to cross longer distances.

Most of the training I had before the dungeon expedition I was going to do has been the daily reps and her chasing me down.

I'm still barely able to fight but the fact I was able to get this much progress from three weeks of training is impressive, though I go home almost every day sore.

Doing breathing exercises to regenerate my mana helps as well since the mana flows from outside and into me, seeping into my muscles and speeding up the recovery process before being vented out. The better I get at that, the less sore I will be.

One day before the dungeon expedition; Freyja and me were practicing survival tactics that'll help me when I'm out of the wild. When she left me to my own devices so I can camp out for a day, I blacked out.

The next thing I know is that a chunk of the forest that was around me including the tent was obliterated like some psycho had come through and just busted through everything.

Blood was dripping from my nose and I felt that my mana had been completely exhausted.

I cursed under my breath, noticing that my foot had been injured as well as I walked back to the academy.

"What the hell happened!?"

I shook my head, barely able to respond to Freyja's question, "I... don't know. But... I-I can't... r-remember..."

I fell straight on my face, my whole body aching.

Shivers came across my body and I grew hotter and hotter.

First this and then a fever... of course.