Chapter : Shattered Memories
Darkness
It covers the surrounding of Ryu as he was covered by shadows after choosing a Variation.
" Hello? Where am I? I can't feel anything?! What the heck?!" Ryu asked and complained as loudly as he can but he was just answered by the deafening silence.
[Variation Initiating : Demon Magus]
Ryu heard System's voice and looked around to find out where he is.
Nothingness. Ryu searched around but to no avail, he could not see anything, just a black surrounding with a tint of purple.
[Please Choose An Energy Source]
[Life Force] [Fear] [Divinity]
-Please choose an energy source to initiate Variation.
-Choosing [Life Force] is the most common source, for all gods are immortal and have endless life force.
-[Fear] takes advantage of the Administrator's fear to use as an energy source, A moment of flashback with memory loss is within this option, but the effects wear off after Variation.
-Using [Divinity] will yield much greater results than the other two, but it cost a quarter of the Administrator's current Divinity.
-Each option differs in results. But all of them also costs different resources. Difference include power, appearance, ability to grow, etc.
" Another choice section huh? I'm getting tired of these choices." Ryu looked displeased by the arrival of another choice. He analysed the choices carefully and came to a conclusion, that the only thing he can choose is [Fear].
"I don't like the dangerous vibe from the [Fear] option, but it's the only choice I got since I'm only a mortal.
Ryu accepted his fate. That he will probably experience something unpleasant to him.
" I choose [Fear] "
[Initiating Energy Extraction]
Just as Ryu heard this, he fell unconscious floating in the dark space as he moves into the infinite nothingness.
----
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
" Five more minutes!" said someone as he was woken up by an annoying alarm clock.
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
" OK OK! I get it you piece of junk!" the boy woke up and turned off the device. He stretched his arms and he proceeded to walk to the kitchen on a wooden floor of an old apartment in Tokyo.
The boy prepared himself some simple sunny side up eggs and some bacon he got for sale at a nearby supermarket.
" Aahh.... I love my life. I have a stable allowance from my parents. I have my own apartment. I have many friends that love and support me also. Nothing can change what I have right now."
Just as he said,the boy was pretty content with his life, he was happy.
" Well time to get ready for school" said the boy as he finished eating his breakfast.
It was the first day of school in a new school year. The boy just transferred to a new school and most of his other friends also transferred there.
----
" Class 3-C, yep this is my classroom I guess." said the boy as he entered his classroom.
" Hey Natsume! I didn't know we'd be in the same class!" A boy with a sporty physique greeted Natsume as he sat on a chair by the window.
" Hi Hayama! Haven't seen you in awhile. "
The two men spoke the whole day, sharing their vacation experiences and how life is doing for them.
" Hey Natsume, look at that girl. By the tree, isn't she gorgeous? You think so too right?"
Natsume stared at the girl. It was love at first sight, the girl saw him and gave him a quick smile.
" Hey dude did you see that? She totally smiled at me right? Natsume? Hey snap out of it! " said Hayama as he saw his friend staring blankly, lovestruck.
" Hayama. I need to ask her out for a date." said the lovestruck Natsume to his friend who was then laughing at Natsume.
" Hahaha maybe you don't know, but she's the school's most popular girl. It will be hard to get a date with her."
" It's free to dream right? " said Natsume as he stares at the girl.
" Well I guess it is, but keep it to a normal level you loverboy" Hayama then teased Natsume like this for months until December.
----
Natsume made constant effort, chasing the girl's heart. He frequently asked sweet questions to the girl at an anonymous question site where the girl has. He wished to remain to anonymous from her because he feared getting humiliated by rejection.
By next week sad news was received by Natsume. His parents had lost their job due to a scam that made them appear as criminals. His father had been shot by police wrongfully while his mother, struck by sadness, got sick and was now hospitalised.
This event hit Natsume like a truck, because in span of a few days his family came to ends. Natsume cried for a week, not leaving his apartment and having no contact with the outside world.
----
" Natsume do you have some notes I can borrow?" asked Hayama while he struggles answering his homework "
" Yeah I do have notes on Biology, let me just take them for a sec. " He opened his bag, trying to look for his Biology notebook.
[Energy Extraction 50% Completed]
" Huh? Hey, did you hear a voice? " Natsume asked Hayama a question due to a voice he had just heard.
" What? We're the only ones in the room right now, I didn't said anything either. Is your head okay Natsume?"
" Umm yeah I'm fine, just, nevermind what I said, here's the notes. "
Natsume handed the notebook to his friend and went home after that
"I swore I just heard something that time, what the heck? Did I eat something strange?" Natsume was currently pondering on the streets of Tokyo. He bought a takeout for dinner and went online.
" Oh. My love is online again, better talk with her." He opened the girl's profile and proceeded to say sweet things to her. He then mustered up courage to ask her for a date.
' Want to go on a date?'
.
.
.
'Yeah sure, I like how you talk sweet to me, maybe we should meet up'
.
.
'That made me happy! Let's meet up at the Great Oak's Cafe tomorrow at seven'
.
'Sure! See ya!'
His heart pounding, Natsume just go himself a date.
" WOOHOOO!!! This is the moment I've been waiting for!" Natsume happily slept that night but he was greeted by an unexpected dream.
----
Alice..... Slime..... Knight..... Magic..... Flame... Loki.... Divinity.... Demon..... Power..... Blessing..... Mana..... Class
Words came to Natsume's dream as he slept. And as he woke up he somehow feels that the words are familiar to him. But he just can't remember when he heard these words.
" That dream feels familiar, did it came from an online game I played? But I haven't played those games since I was twelve?"
----
Night came and Natsume went to the meeting place. He wore cool casual attire with a grey sweater tied around his waist.
" Isn't that Hayama, what's he doing here? "
Natsume saw his friend enter the cafe. He followed him inside and looked at where he went.
" What the actual fuck!" What Natsume saw was heartbreaking. His friend approached a table where a girl is seated. His date.
He sat on a table close to it, surprisingly unnoticed by Hayama as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Hi! Are you the one who asked me for a date?" said then girl to Hayama, blushing.
" Umm yeah, I'm that guy" he looked around the surroundings searching for the true date that the girl should have. Luckily Natsume hid his face with the menu.
"This place looks crowded, wanna go somewhere else?" Hayama suggested to leave the place.
The girl agreed and walked with Hayama outside to somewhere else.
Natsume stared blankly at the door, he couldn't process all these carefully.
" Excuse me sir can I get your order? "
" *happiness* " muttered Natsume in a low voice.
"Could you repeat that sir?" the waitress didn't heard what Natsume said and asked again.
" Give me some damn happiness! I want my family back! I want a real friend! My love is taken away!" Natsume made a scene at the cafe, he walked out the cafe angrily, chasing the two lovebirds walking outside.
" Hey! Give me my damn girl back! You fucking traitor! " Natsume was filled with sadness and rage as he screamed at his friend.
" Umm but do I know you?" Hayama feigned ignorance and pretended to not know Natsume.
" Excuse me sir but were on the middle of a date here. May you not interrupt please! "
Shattered
That's the state of Natsume heart as he sees the couple walking away, looking at him with the eyes of disgust.
Blank
That's the state of his mind after all the events have been processed in his head.
He was already at the verge of depression when his father died. But this event took icing off the cake and made it worse.
----
" Ahahahahaha this is good! This will FEEL GOOD!" Natsume said so as he reloads his pistol that was really was for self defense. But this night this was self offense.
" This is to you my love! To my loving mother! To my bastard of a friend! Have fun in this damn piece of shit of a world! "
[Energy Extraction Completed]
BANG!
The gunshot was heard all throughout the town. Blood splattered the walls, and was flowing on the wood floor on a cheap apartment in Tokyo.
[Variation Completed]
[Exiting Variation Space]
----
As Ryu woke up he was back at the forest, he didn't know what happened after he got unconscious at the space.
But as he checked himself he feels different than what he used to be.