8 8: Memories
8: Memories
Daniel watched as Carol's back disappeared into the undergrowth. his smile slowly faded, replaced by a frown on his face.
His gaze returned to his ceiling, where two high-temperature lasers had cleanly pierced the material.
That was dangerous; although it wouldn't likely kill him, it could have given him a serious burn on his face.
That was an experience he certainly didn't want to have.
He glanced one last time at the place where Carol had vanished before entering his house.
It was time to see what that thing was that had been bothering him throughout all this.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he began to breathe calmly.
He wasn't a martial arts master or anything like that. But when he was younger, his mother had forced him to attend a few yoga sessions with her. He had almost forgotten everything about it except for the meditation part.
It helped him focus and relax, and for what he was about to do, that's what he needed.
Everything around him seemed to fade away as his mind began to focus within himself.
With each breath, everything fell silent, and Daniel was able to delve into the depths of his being with surprising ease.
In fact, his meditation had never been so deep before coming to this world.
It was because he had died and existed in an immaterial state that his consciousness achieved something not many people could do.
Material detachment.
He had understood that the body was nothing more than a vessel and that his true self resided in his soul and spirit.
This effect increased when he obtained the core; the connection simply amplified, and he could do this because of it.
He opened his eyes and found himself in another place, a space surrounded by thousands and thousands of doors shining in various colors and having different shapes and sizes. Some doors stood alone, others grouped, and some were connected by faint, thin threads of golden light.
This place had many names in different cultures, but Daniel decided to give it a simple and common name.
Mental palace.
His mental palace, where all his memories and experiences were kept behind each of those doors.
It was like floating in the void. Daniel moved as if he were flying slowly.
"Alright, let's see what we can find" he navigated through all the doors searching for something specific.
Then he saw it.
It was an extremely dense cluster of doors.
Unlike all the other doors that seemed easy to open and shone with vivid colors, this group of doors was more varied.
There were doors with chains halfway broken and doors halfway open but not fully, as well as doors with cracks on their surface, letting out faint glimmers of light.
They represented incomplete knowledge and memories.
There were others that were so tightly shut that it was difficult even to imagine they were doors.
They were the memories he had completely forgotten.
And there were others connected to this cluster with golden threads but shone like normal doors and seemed easy to open.
They were the memories he hadn't lost and were connected to this entire cluster.
The composite whole that represented the new world he lived in.
Daniel searched for a specific door he had been investigating for a while.
The door was almost extremely well shut but had a small, almost imperceptible crack on it.
It was blue with red, and on the front, it had a blotch he couldn't quite define, but it seemed something like an S.
Now, as he looked at it again, he saw that the crack had expanded, and not only that, from it, a thin golden thread extended outward.
A thread that hadn't been there before.
Daniel saw the thread extend to another door, a dark one that glowed with a blood-red color.
But unlike the blue door, this new door had no chains; he could open it completely.
Daniel glanced back at the blue door, checked the crack on it, and smiled.
His last disadvantage... was not foolproof.
He might have lost many memories, but he also retained many others. As small as those memories might be, they were like cracks in these extremely well-shut doors.
And if a structure has a crack... well, sooner or later, it can break.
He had found a way to do it more quickly.
"The more I learn about this world, the more cracks there will be, huh?" He had only needed a chat with Carol for this door to change and even give him a clue, a golden thread connecting to another memory that might have vaguely related information about his new world.
It wasn't complete and instant access to that lost knowledge, but ironically, it opened a door, a possibility.
"I wonder if you expected this. In the end, my luck seems to not have truly abandoned me. I'm really grateful for that" he laughed, and though there seemed to be no one else to hear his words, in the distance, a faint, familiar laugh echoed.
The reason he was grateful for his luck was simple: it was because he had chosen to see the advantages first and the fact that he had obtained the core.
Thanks to this, the last disadvantage couldn't act fully against him.
Because the core protected his memories and his mind.
By the time it attacked, the core was already within him.
In reality, his memory wasn't erased; it was merely sealed. The core managed to prevent his last disadvantage from erasing his memories by locking them away instead. It allowed those memories to maintain their connections with others in the form of "threads," and thus, he had gained the possibility to recover what he had lost.
It might be slow and tedious, but he could become whole again.
It might take him hundreds of years, perhaps not, but time was something he had in abundance, and as long as there was a possibility, that was enough.
With good humor, he approached the dark door glowing with crimson light.
He looked at the front, and a series of words caught his attention.
"BrightBurn? Interesting name" Without hesitation, he opened it and stepped inside.
Then his smile disappeared.
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Early in the morning, deep within a forest, in a small clearing far from any hint of civilization.
A resonating sound echoed loud and clear, followed by two words.
"Left, right!"
As if an explosion had occurred, the air was forcefully expelled, sending waves of it everywhere, causing the undergrowth and tree leaves to rustle as if a tide had hit them.
The sound was thunderous, like metal clashing against metal.
Amidst all this, two figures stood, almost equally tall, both with bodies beyond human.
Perfect specimens that could be portrayed in any picture or magazine by just standing there casually.
One had a firm and confident stance, while the other seemed more insecure and restless, yet no less impressive.
Of course, they were none other than Daniel and Carol, testing their abilities.
Daniel furrowed his brow and raised his palm suddenly, causing Carol to halt her next move and look at him with uncertainty.
"You have to try it, you know. The point of this is to know how strong you are after all. Come on, hit me seriously" Daniel gestured with his hand, inviting her to proceed, but Carol hesitated for a moment.
After their discussion and Daniel's agreement to help her, they had decided to meet up for some tests.
After all, Daniel needed to know where Carol stood in terms of strength relative to him.
He didn't want any accidents due to not knowing Carol's limits.
He had explained this to her, so she knew she couldn't keep holding back.
She looked at him and licked her lips before nodding and preparing herself.
She had never hit anything seriously, never touched anything with the intention of "hurting" it.
So, she was completely unaware of her true level of strength.
She had doubts, of course; all her issues and concerns couldn't disappear just like that.
Still, she forced herself to set those worries aside.
It was Daniel, he was just like her; he wouldn't get hurt.
Once she repeated these thoughts to herself several times, she gritted her teeth, and her hand clenched into a tight fist, causing the air around her to explode. Then, she took a step forward, causing the ground beneath her foot to sink, and her figure shot rapidly toward Daniel with surprising speed, closing the distance instantly.
Daniel saw this and stood firmly. His hand stretched out, and his palm received the blow, causing his eyes to widen slightly.
Daniel wasn't an expert fighter, but his brother, who practiced mixed martial arts, had taught him a thing or two when using him as a punching bag and training partner.
Thus, he was familiar with the sensation of a truly powerful blow landing on your palm. And Carol's punch was much more than just "powerful" His muscles tensed, and even the bones in his hands seemed to tremble slightly. His body took a step back, and the strain caused him to furrow his eyebrows slightly.
But one should not underestimate a Viltrumite.
His hand closed around Carol's fist with force, his feet firmly planted on the ground, and he stopped the impact abruptly.
To any external observer, it would seem that everything had happened simultaneously, in less than a second.
An extremely strong shockwave occurred after all these events, sending bursts of air that threatened to uproot nearby trees.
If they had been wearing normal clothes, they would have torn apart, being so close to the point of impact.
Carol opened her eyes when she felt her fist caught and Daniel's fingers closing around it.
She had used everything she thought she had and had barely budged him a step backward.
Unnoticed by her, Daniel internally grimaced and activated his core at the speed of light to make the tingling sensation that threatened to envelop his entire arm vanish instantly.
She had hit hard, very hard.
"Well, that was quite a hit, though your stance is a bit off, and that's why you couldn't exert all your strength. Despite that, it was amazing" he praised honestly, perfectly hiding the concern this brought him.
She was much stronger than he initially thought. The level of threat she posed increased even more in his mind.
Carol blushed a bit, and when Daniel let go of her hand, she glanced away to look at her fist.
She could feel a slight tingling coming from him and could even see faint red marks left by Daniel's fingers when he caught her fist with force. They were already fading, but the fact that they were there in the first place left her stunned.
Even though she knew it, seeing it firsthand made her much more excited. There was a feeling that had been vague but was now crystal clear—a sense of belonging, something that made her realize she wasn't alone anymore.
The relief she felt left her feeling as light as a feather.
"Indeed, you're strong, and since we're not rushing to the hospital for a broken arm, you're tough, too" he remarked. It was simple—a body should be able to withstand the same force it exerts to a certain extent.
Taking into account the strength of her punch and the fact that she didn't harm herself while delivering it, Carol should have an equivalent level of endurance.
Of course, it wasn't an exact calculation, but Daniel wasn't a scientist, not yet.
'It would be difficult to subdue her without killing her' he thought, but he didn't let this show on his face.
"Then what do we do now?" Carol shifted her gaze from her fist and began adjusting the long trench coat she was now wearing, which had been slightly ruffled by the winds.
It was a simple dark blue trench coat with a long zipper instead of buttons, allowing it to close properly, and it was loose enough for her to wear without worrying about certain front two things that made it difficult for some clothes to fit.
Best of all, it was incredibly resilient.
Carol had never dreamed of holding fabric like this, one that wouldn't tear at the simple touch of her fingers.
She had struggled too much over the years with such issues.
She was still fascinated by it and had many questions, but Daniel had told her he would talk more about it later.
"Now that we have an idea of your strength, it's time to see how fast you can go" Daniel said. With that, he approached Carol, standing in front of her and casually placing his hand on her shoulder, causing the girl to open her eyes slightly.
They were too close! Another step and their bodies would be close enough to touch directly, and although they weren't that different in height, she still had to look slightly upward to meet his eyes, which put her in a strange position.
An tremor ran through Carol's body, and she swallowed hard. She could feel the touch of his hand even through the trench coat, and even his breath hitting her skin. She had to use all her willpower not to lower her head and keep looking directly at him.
Then she saw a small smile appear on his face, and that almost made her panic.
What was he doing? Thousands of strange thoughts raced through her mind, making her blush.
"Tag" he said, and the word hung in the air for a second before Daniel disappeared in a blur of speed.
The wind generated by the movement made Carol's hair flutter, and she looked at the empty space in front of her, stunned.
She felt her shoulder, now without Daniel's hand on it, and began to process the word he had said.
Her eyes widened as she understood it, and she, too, disappeared in the next instant.
In a place far from civilization and any external eyes, two figures moved at high speeds through the forest. Clearings, mountains, and even rivers.
They covered hundreds of kilometers in seconds in a chase that seemed never-ending.
Occasionally, the sound of excited laughter could be heard.
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many hours later, as the sun began to set on the horizon, Carol stopped, breathing heavily. Though it couldn't be said that she had exhausted all her endurance, the reality was that she had indeed gotten very excited.
Her hand touched her forehead, and surprisingly, she felt a small drop of sweat there. It was just a drop, and anyone else might have ignored it, but for her, it meant more, much more.
It made her feel incredible, and a huge, joyful smile spread across her face.
Daniel glanced at her from the side, wiping away his own small bead of sweat. It had been a while since he exerted himself so much, and he actually had to consider activating the core for a moment.
In the end, he chose not to, but the fact that he even considered it was surprising in itself.
And worrying, very worrying.
He looked at the sun setting in the distance and smiled a bit before speaking.
"It seems like I won"
His words made Carol look at him and pouted., which looked especially cute on her face.
No matter how he looked at her, he couldn't see her as a monster.
"Just because I stumbled!" she complained, but the smile quickly returned to her face as she reminisced about the entire chase.
Although they had run, they had also done many other things while doing so.
It was like playing a game, and she loved it.
As a child, she had never been able to participate in any physical activity like this. It was too dangerous, and even if she tried for some reason, it was just plain dull.
There was no thrill in it, none that didn't involve worry and caution about not hurting anyone.
So, she hadn't thought much about childhood games.
Now, she'd admit her opinion about them wasn't accurate.
Because they were a lot of fun.
"Winning is winning darling" he winked in jest and bent down to grab a backpack he had brought along. They had returned to the starting point of their race, and thanks to their good fortune, all their things were still there.
Daniel didn't see it, but Carol blushed deeply when she heard his words and saw him wink. She had to make an effort to calm herself down.
Daniel took two water bottles from the backpack and tossed one to Carol, who caught it easily.
"Your speed is very good, but you lack some agility. You haven't done many races on difficult terrain have you? And not as fast as now" he asked.
Carol thought about it and nodded. "I used to sprint occasionally around town and in the fields... but I've never run through forests and mountains." The terrain was very different, and she quickly realized that.
"And you're right about the latter... I've never gone this fast." She had never really tested her speed until now. When she ran alongside Daniel, she just kept accelerating, going faster with each moment, much faster than she thought was possible.
Because of this unfamiliarity, she stumbled several times, giving Daniel a clear advantage.
"You just need to get used to it. We can do more exercises like this occasionally to make you feel more comfortable with it" Daniel said casually, but for Carol, that was something she was already starting to look forward to.
"Strength, durability, endurance, and speed, seems like a good set of skills, not to mention your heat vision" for the last part, he couldn't help but look into her sky-blue eyes and remember those same eyes glowing with a blood-red color.
"But no flying" Carol mentioned with a hint of envy in her tone.
"About that... don't dismiss it too quickly. Who knows, you might really be able to" but he hoped not, genuinely hoped not.
"Do you really think so!?" Carol became excited at the thought of the possibility.
"I'll think of something to test it later" Daniel promised with a slight smile, and Carol nodded eagerly, not noticing the slight furrow on his brow.
She genuinely seemed thrilled by it, but for now, that would have to wait. It was time to conclude this "training session."
As he prepared to wrap up the day, he thought about what he needed to do and his plans. There was still much to learn about the world and many things to do; it seemed he would be quite busy in the near future.
Glancing at Carol from the corner of his eye, she began to take off her trench coat. She seemed quite energetic this day, and he really couldn't see anything dangerous about her. She just seemed like a girl excited to use her abilities freely.
That made him feel a bit foolish—had he worried over nothing? Maybe this was all nonsense on his part…
Daniel felt a twinge of guilt for his suspicions, but regardless of his doubts, he had promised to help her, and that was what he intended to do. He couldn't let some odd memories prevent him from fulfilling his commitment.
"It's time to head back; it's getting late," he stated.
Carol nodded and glanced at the sky; she had been out all day since morning. Her parents would probably be very worried by now.
She finished taking off her trench coat and stretched. It was an unconscious act, learned after many years of mimicking others. Whenever there was a gym class, most people would stretch after a long exercise session. Even though she wasn't really tired, the fact that they had spent almost the entire day doing physical activities made her relate to that action and act as she had learned to do in those classes.
Habits took a while to die, after all.
Daniel glanced at her from the side, raising an eyebrow. Although he certainly appreciated her figure, the truth was he was curious about something else...
What is an alien like?
Although he could also be called an alien now, Outwardly the Viltrumites were not too different from humans.
But what about... whatever Carol was? Was she the same, or was there something different that wasn't evident?
Without meaning to, he found himself completely focused on her, searching for these nonexistent differences. Due to his Viltrumite brain, he could visualize an almost exact image of Carol's body in his mind, even if she was wearing loose clothing; it didn't really matter to his eyes.
It was like seeing a 3D model, and he couldn't help but glance at certain areas of her with a raised eyebrow.
It seemed he had underestimated the size of certain areas. He would have to keep that in mind when making a suit or tighter clothing for her.
"Baggy clothing can really hide a lot of things" he muttered under his breath, although spoken softly, it was still audible to Carol, causing her to freeze momentarily.
Carol had noticed Daniel's gaze and unconsciously deliberately slowed down her stretching movements because of it. however, The shame of having done so hit her at this moment.
Realizing his mistake, Daniel awkwardly coughed. He had to remember that she wasn't an ordinary person; he couldn't mutter around her without thinking.
"Alright, let's go. I don't want it to get dark" he quickly averted his gaze, completely ignoring the uncomfortable atmosphere.
Carol nodded rapidly, deciding to hide her embarrassment as best as she could. She slowly offered him the trench coat she had removed, but Daniel shook his head, declining to take it.
"You should keep it. It'll help you a lot if you need to use your abilities beyond the minimum. At least you won't have to worry about your clothes tearing" he suggested.
"Oh, alright" Carol agreed, looking at the blue trench coat. She actually quite liked it. She swiftly put it back on this time, without making a scene; she had embarrassed herself enough already.
"Come on, maybe you can get there before me" Daniel said as if issuing a small challenge, and Carol nodded with a smile.
Thinking of something else, a small smile formed on Daniel's lips, and with speed and agility, his hand shot out and touched Carol's shoulder.
This time, Carol understood the gesture, and her eyes widened slightly.
"Hey!" she yelled, but he had already taken off running. Without further delay, she chased after him, her laughter heard all the way home.
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The sound of metal clashing against metal was audible and resonant.
It echoed against the cave walls, filling the whole space with reverberations.
The sweltering heat made the sweat drip, but the man hammering didn't falter in any of his strikes.
With determination, he delivered a final blow to the red-hot metal before plunging it into the water, causing the steam to hit his already sweaty face. However, that didn't make his gaze falter, and soon he retrieved the piece of metal, revealing an iron mask.
Its metallic surface reflected the blue light blossoming on his chest almost like a mirror.
"Soon..."
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In the past, many years ago.
The Earth shone against the dark void of space, spinning around its sun peacefully, undisturbed by the events taking place in the universe.
Far from any gaze, mortal or divine.
A series of small ripples extended through the nearby space.
Then, an extremely tiny rift opened up over the Earth.
From it, the light of chaos and madness briefly shone upon the blue planet.
An amalgam of putrid colors was expelled from the rift along with its light, and a monstrously-looking cell was born in the space of the celestial blue body.
Something that shouldn't exist infected the planet called Earth.
At first, it was alone, but it soon began to multiply rapidly, reaching millions, and no one noticed a thing, no one could notice anything.
Without any living being on Earth realizing it, in the bodies of dozens of millions of them, an extremely aberrant and monstrous cell impregnated their DNA.
Slowly, that cell blended perfectly, its appearance not different from any other that composed the structure of the living being in which it resided.
Like a silent pathogen, the cell divided and made its way among its host and their descendants.
Without any human or animal noticing, a catastrophe began to slowly brew among them.
An endless madness.
But perhaps it was their absurd luck or maybe the work of destiny.
For a long time, nothing strange happened, and humanity continued to live without realizing the danger that existed among them.
Inactive, the cell slumbered for so long that waking up was difficult, very difficult.
But not impossible.
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In a secluded place in the world, a bald woman gazed into the deep space in silent contemplation.
In her hands, a strange eye-shaped necklace opened, revealing an emerald glow that began to permeate her surroundings.
The space-time fluctuated slightly before settling down; the eye on the necklace closed, and the emerald glow disappeared.
The woman sighed, and her shoulders seemed tense.
Worry reflected in her eyes.
"Soon..."
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Note:
I realized that I used the word "defiance" incorrectly in the English translation (I won't blindly trust dictionaries again) many people pointed it out, and I was going to completely change the word. However, someone gave me an idea (if I'm talking to you auraofcalm) the word will stay, but I'll tweak the structure of the sentence or sentences in which it's used so that it fits better.
