Chapter 1: 24 Hours of Life

----Ragens POV----

What the… Geez, why did my Aunt want me to live here so suddenly? One minute, I was on my way to my aunts' house and the next thing I know, I tripped over something while walking in the garden. I was shocked beyond belief. I just tripped over somebody who was sleeping amidst all the rain in the middle of the flower garden. Is she dead? Oh crap, where's Aunt Arte? I looked around for any signs of anybody making half-baked speculations about what probably happened to the girl dreaming under the heavy downpour of the rain.

I said, "Hey miss, are you okay. Wake up." It was at that time when Arte decided to show up and asked me why I'm poking the lady on the grass with a pencil I always had with me. I told her I was just waking her up but she told me it didn't seem like it. Arte and I carried her inside the house to check on her, thinking we could find something to identify her with since she doesn't recognize her but found nothing on her person. Too bad for me, I don't even know how to name human clothing. It didn't seem like she's in immediate danger so my aunt who was a police detective made a quick call and then sighed. 'You know this lunatic? Is that her guardian you're calling?'

Before we could do anything else, the doorbell rang and in came a guy who introduced himself as Doctor Dechat, a personal private doctor and our neighbour. He inquired for the exact person who lay unconscious in the leaving room and apologized for the trouble before hurrying away to his residence, the sleeping lady in tow despite the rain.

Before we could do anything else, the doorbell rang and in came a guy who introduced himself as Doctor Dechat, a personal private doctor and our neighbour. He inquired for the exact person who lay unconscious in the leaving room and apologized for the trouble before hurrying away to his residence, the sleeping lady in tow despite the rain.

"Well, that was weird." I dropped my luggage and observed the layout of the house. The walls are so thick, probably sound-proof and she doesn't seem to have been cooking at all. I guess it's because of her job but everything is just so bare that I became suspicious of her fashion sense. Wait, what is fashion sense? Where did I even pick up such a concept anyway? "Hey…Arte... why is everything here so big and spacious and yet just as empty? I mean, it seems like nobody has been living here. Are you running a haunted house or something?"

Arte sipped on boxed milk, inserted a cd on the player and threw me a boxed chocolate drink without a single word. Aish, cold drinks for cold weather, don't you even begin with her probably being the only person to keep using CD'S in this age and time. I don't think she is ignoring me but the sense of it is unbearably testing.

"Oh Rage, I am so alone. What do I need them for? Besides, I just spent a fortune of my money on this maze of a mansion." Her response was indeed reasonable but her snatching my luggage is not very settling. She began dissecting my heavy luggage in between my protests while actually showing disappointment after setting book after book after book from my travel bag until only a pair of finery plus some hygiene-caring materials remained at the bottom of it all. "Gosh, show some respect! These books look murderous. Is this all of it?"

"I must agree with you on that, Arte! Knowledge is indeed a very dangerous thing to possess. Don't worry dear aunt Arte, most of them are authored by yours truly. Most of the money you have been sending me remained as ornaments in between pages of most of the books I've been reading as my precious book markers." I swallowed nothing when she gave me a blank countenance, thinking that I might have made a wrong response somewhere along the lines. But after a while, she melted into a laughing fit.

"It must have been ages for I forgot how my nephew can be a crank most of the time. No wonder, your books have no copyright at all." If there's anyone I never get bored of, it's Arte. I guess only she can encourage me to converse with her for as long as she wanted to. That is what myself reported when I listened earlier this morning. True, I write books but I don't even remember what I wrote in them.

"Impressive! As expected from a police detective. But why go to all the trouble of inviting me to live here with you?" I gave her the eye that speaks deception is not an option.

"Oh, I just knew that neither the people nor your life gave you any interest at all so I did you a favour by inviting you here. You'll be surprised, I assure you that." This might really get interesting because all my life, the only person who never lies is Arte. Again, it is information which I myself provided on how I perceive the world as it is. I picked my stuff and in anticipation she told me to find my room if I could. The way she said it was laced with unmistakable truth that she was challenging me.

Sweet, there's an auto lighting system. Wait, this is just an anteroom. Hmmm, didn't think she's into this kind of stuff. Straight ahead is a large book 2 feet higher than me and 4 people can walk through it simultaneously. I was so sure it was the door but another 4 of it decorated the left and right including the ceiling and the floor. Weird, don't tell me all of these are doors leading somewhere and yet no handle too? I opened the one lying on the floor. It opens just like a normal book but when I tried to close it after finding out it was not a door, it did not budge. Great, I think I just broke it or something especially when it is glowing red lights like that. I tried the front, left and right but it reacted the way the one on the floor did. The edges interlocked perfectly and emitted yellow lights. It must be the one at the ceiling then.

I secretly looked back to where Arte was and then discreetly stepped on the book which is still glowing red lights to gain height because I could not reach the book above. "Why won't it budge?" All the lights turned off and then it turned blue when I felt the book I used as a foot stool is slowly rising up. Hey... Huh? I thought I was going to get crushed back there but it seems like the last book opened, went up with the rising of this one I'm stepping on. Then it stopped. It was pitch black except the one I'm facing which is the entrance to the anteroom. It looked as if dimly lit by the super moon outside the glass wall on my right side extending to the far end. I can even see a view of the outside terrain.

It was my mistake to trust it, foolishly stepping towards it and crashing on it like an idiot. I was so spent that day due to my long trip so I wanted to get a rest but all this stuff is making it feel like eternity for me to reach my room. I became cautious the next time I tried where my back was facing. I extended my right foot slowly while anticipating what might happen to it but nothing in my imaginations occurred. A moment later, the auto lighting activated. "This is crazy." The place was an enormous library containing stacks of book all around the room; you can say that the books themselves acted as the wall itself.

"So, how is your room? Nice right?" Arte's voice came from the book on the desk. "The entire floor is yours alone and nobody can enter it unless you allow them to. That would include me of course."

"That's great Arte but what about the bathroom?" I scanned the books when I saw one protruding from the rest of the neatly lined books and pushed it in my attempt to fix it. Surprisingly, a row of them separated backwards from the rest and then slid up to reveal the most enormous inside bath I have ever seen.

"Sounds like you found it yourself but you can explore the rest of the hidden rooms on your own or it won't be fun anymore, right?" 'Indeed, but it can wait.' I have more interesting matters to look into.

I took it upon myself to record a reminder so I will not forget it like all matters I always do. 'Ragens myself, I must inform you with regards a certain female who was asleep under the downpour of the rain. Here are your instructions; since I found such behaviour quite alluring, you must look into her background and remember that you just arrived on December 29, 2020 after following the instructions of a certain person named Arte who labels herself as your next of kin or more precisely, your aunt.'

I feel as though all these events seem pointless for all that I might or might not have gone through all these years. When I wake up, it is a certainty that I will have no recollection over today's events. And I always have the need to remind myself every waking hour that I will do so. As such, I made it a habit to have my head phone up and going on my head. It had been serving as insurance, effectively hiding from every living body about my condition.

True enough, I woke up the next morning and the headphone which I wore played an audio of me talking about the day before and some important information about myself and the people around me. It took an hour before I finished listening to it. What I know is what I heard, period and nothing more but gut instinct. 'I know I am not supposed to complain because it was I who made that recording but why on so many a reason did I forget to include her name?' Wait, perhaps I did not get the chance of knowing it nor did I remember to include it.

000000000000000000000000000000000000

'Hey Arte, about the female human yesterday…' Arte and I went down the mountain to eat on an establishment in the city for it had been her daily routine to do so. 'Oh, that kid who always sleep in the garden near the fountain? I believe she is our neighbour but R-gens, "female human"? Really, please abstain from using speech in that manner. Even I am offended just from hearing you say it.'

Arte's got her brows furrowed, eyes closed while wiping soup leftovers near her mouth with a napkin. I on the other hand am just equally confused as to why it would offend anybody. 'I apologize for whatever I may have done but was I wrong in my definitions?'

Arte raised her eyebrow and studied me most fervently, 'Gah! Live it be. Just be yourself. I'm afraid, correcting you would only make matters more complicated as it is when you handle it.' She looks like she set me aside with a disgusted look.

'I'd appreciate it more if you please stop making such a face Arte.'

'Now, let me be. Emotions must never be kept under lock and key. Even such intangible things have the right to be free.'

'What is it with you and being free?'

'Boundary is what I say and expression.'

The place had a nice setting; it had music in the air, high class food and high profile people who are there for some bits of information. It had this strange vibe that everyone was in for a piece or pork, a perfect unseen art. Truly, it is a place Arte would take a liking to. Before we could proceed with our conversation, she took out her phone and a delighted Arte left without even saying her goodbyes. 'Humans, one moment they talk of propriety and the next second they act in reverse to their demands.'

She even left me with the bill. Don't think badly of me Arte because I'm itching to follow you. Surely, a police detective's work is a lot more fun than office work. I took a wad of coins from my pocket at a random amount and left it on the table before taking a leave.

'Wait, sir you paid 'double' the amount of your bill!' Poor guy, he must have been shocked. I didn't know how to count money so I left a good amount so I won't be discovered. He just had to make such a big fuss over a small matter, humans really.

'Now, let it be. The excess won't bite you so just let the money free.'

The waiter didn't seem convinced but he didn't have the chance to object for I am out and away before he could lift his head from the bulk of money on his hand. 'Stupid guy,' maybe Arte's line doesn't convince anybody after all. Opinions are subjective and relative, never absolute.

I walked around but I couldn't find any sign of Arte. Not to mention, I got lost. I didn't bother lingering my thoughts over the background environment I was in or dare formulate any opinion regarding it. My feet began to ache from my endeavour but I kept walking. I wasn't thinking of anything in particular but I came upon a gate when I heard a noise, something rang three times in a row. The next thing I noticed is people my age or near my age wearing the same type of garment heading over the same place. And just as I unconsciously got drawn by the bizarre phenomena, someone called out to me. 'Are you a new student?'

I slowed my pace, waiting for the voice to come and face me. 'Come on; stop playing the rude costumer part.' The owner of the voice blocked my way and crossed his arms, shivered for a moment and stuck his finger in his ear. He dug something from his pocket and brought out a tissue to clean his finger with.

I simply didn't reply for I have no idea what he was talking about but I made a note to come visit the place after preparing for it. I left without answering any of the male human's inquiries as he called to me, 'Hey!'

Everywhere I go, people swarmed the place like pests. I found the area repulsive but when I saw some ill-dressed humans on the streets and the alleyways, I found it even more repulsive. I took the overpass when someone took hold of my pants, causing me to trip and turn my attention to the old lady responsible. 'What, may I inquire, is your business with me?'

The aged female human made signs with her hands and spoke a few words which I could not understand but I didn't get her point. 'We're in a bind. I am unable to commune with you madam but if it would be enough for you to let me go, you can have this valuable item.'

She looked as if she had seen a ghost but soon recovered; studying the wad of paper then sighed in satisfaction. She spoke what seemed like a 5 page speech which I recorded so that I may find out what it means later on. 'I heard from myself that money can grant you what you want. Now then, have a good day.'

It came to memory that I had an important mission about a certain female human so I made quick work on yesterday's reminders. I eventually came to a path leading to Arte's mansion but I felt my hunger growing and becoming more evident with the sound my stomach was making. Enduring it was nothing short of welcoming but after arriving at the mansion, I spotted some fruit trees when I wondered into the forest. 'I shall wait for the rain to come. In the meantime, I must sate this hunger.'

With the sun up and shining, I fell asleep on a guava tree stem. The breeze is a little soothing to the skin and the sound of the forest enveloped my senses. When I came to, it happened with an accident. The rain began to pour so suddenly that it took me by surprise so I fell off the tree stem to the ground. Luckily, I escaped with only a few bruises here and there. 'The rain has come! This is my chance. Got to go, approach the seeker.'

There she was, no doubt. I approached her discreetly and squatted beside her, my hands in between my legs and all fingers except the pinkie are in contact with the wet grass. She didn't bother making a move from her position but she noticed my presence, 'What do you want stranger?'

'You,' I said.

'What about me?' She still remained immobile and surprisingly uninterested.

'You see, my reports indicate that I must check you out. I told myself so but it seems that I failed to find a reason as to why.'

I tried to ponder over the reports but nothing came to mind.

'Then leave,' the female human seems to find it uncomfortable that I was there. I am no such loser to just give up after being told to leave. The wish which I left myself is something I cannot ignore.

I took my headphone off my head and replayed my first reminder of the day to give her the proof. Perhaps she might understand more of it than I do, 'What are you…' She finally sat up and faced me with an annoyed face and attempted to remove the thing I placed on her head to her ears. Obviously, I stopped her.

'Just listen carefully and tell me what you think, okay?' She gave me what looked like a penetrative death glare. I crossed my legs and turned my back from her. She didn't make any noise or any comment after 3 minutes so I just let my legs stretch, my hands supporting me as I leaned back.

'You have some serious issue here, stranger. Who are you?' I just stared at the grey skies with my empty head. How am I supposed to answer that? Now that I think of it. I can't remember who I was, nor did I try to record a reminder about my name.

'Let me see, I am your neighbour who resides within the mansion next to yours.' She was about to say something but I cut her short, 'wait, Arte addressed me as R-gens. I hope that would suffice.'

She took the headphones off and gave them to me, 'okay R-gens, I should be on my way. The rain says you should as well and to inform you, Miss Arte has arrived.'

The gate opened just as Arte waved at me. When I turned to where my chat mate was, she had gone. I stood up and joined Arte on the way to the mansion, 'What are you doing alone in the rain?'

'Alone? I wasn't alone. Now come to think of it, you left me alone but that doesn't matter now. I need a bath.'

'Hurry it up; we still have to go have dinner.'

'Just have something delivered here, I'll pay.'

'I'm the one with the job, I'll pay.'

'You left the bill to me, remember. Don't be a hypocrite.'

'Come on R-gens, don't misunderstand. I only forget things, but not deliberately.'

'Then forget it. Have it your way.'

I, Ragens myself doesn't even know whether I forget each passing day unconsciously or deliberately. Maybe not and maybe both but what does it matter to me when what's done is done.