Vision 2 - Message (1)

"We need to talk."

"Sure~"

Whether consciously or by coincidence, Persephone's words always seemed to carry a rhythmic cadence whenever she spoke.

"First of all, what year is it here on Teraa?"

"What year?..." She seemed to find the question a bit random, but it was perfectly reasonable for someone who knew about this world's past and future. I obviously needed to know about the present. "Precisely, 11-A-1247."

'1247...' I pondered for a moment before refocusing.

I lifted my head, gazing toward the sea, and spoke as if reminiscing about old times.

"Tell me about this world."

Even though I believed I knew everything about this world. I still needed to confirm, that I am truly in the world I know.

Persephone composed herself, her eyes lowering slightly as she also looked toward the sea.

"This planet is Teraa. It is one of many throughout the universe where its inhabitants can access dark matter, granting them unimaginable power. Although most of them are as weak as ants in the face of a truly powerful entity."

Her voice grew snarkier with each word, a hint of narcissism creeping into her tone.

Well looks like someone has a little narcissistic personality, I could not help but thought that.

Once, this planet was much like Earth, but it changed over the years. A source of energy became accessible to all beings in this universe. Many names were given to it, but over time, only a few remained: 'Dark Matter,' 'Soul Energy,' or 'Cosmic Energy.' But that isn't important.

Back in my world—Earth—people often talked about dark matter and dark energy. According to scientists, everything in our universe is balanced, whether it's mass or energy.

The universe has massive planets with great mass, and energy is constantly released at multiple points throughout it.

There has to be something balancing it all, and not everyone blames the gods for everything. There has to be some logic. The rational answer would be that it's a balancing energy or matter that we simply can't access yet—but it's there.

Indeed, energy like that does exist and when people were able to access it, boom, they became superheroes.

Dark matter is the source of power. It can influence one's soul, and the power that affects souls was named 'Cosmic Power.'

Persephone's melodic voice brought me back to the present as she continued speaking, and I tried to remain focused this time.

"Teraa has three major continents, occupying a large portion of the planet. There's the Cloud Continent, which has four countries, known as kingdoms: Atlas, Akelon, Phiodora, and Ipritus."

It's as I remember, I thought to myself.

The Cloud Continent was established by a human famous for her authority over ice. That was her primary attribute. The Cloud Continent itself isn't actually in the clouds; the name was chosen to make it sound like a heavenly paradise for those who would live there.

If I remember correctly, this continent's lifestyle resembles the Medieval Era. They have kings, queens, archdukes, dukes, marquises, viscounts, counts, and barons, followed by high citizens, normal citizens, and slaves. Each kingdom is primarily occupied by different species whose powers align with the nature of that place.

"There's also the Modern Continent. It has five countries: Novas, Libertis, Gistea, Amberthorne, and Trexron as its central state."

Persephone continued explaining the map of this world, and I tried to compare the information with my own memory, searching for any discrepancies.

The Modern Continent was established by a human who possessed 'Intellect' as his Exclusive skill. His father was the prime minister before the catastrophe struck the planet.

The Modern Continent embraces evolution, and if I remember correctly, it resembles a sci-fi metropolis, with towering skyscrapers and advanced technology.

It's governed by political leaders. They have a political body with a president, a prime minister, and five aristocratic families, each governing one country.

One side wanted to create a new world, while the other wanted to preserve the old. I honestly don't know who was right.

Putting the thought aside, I refocused as Persephone's explanation came to an end.

"The last continent is the Underwater Continent, Atlanta. It has four countries: Clareburg, Oceanus, Infernal, and Winborg."

Atlanta was established by a friend of the other two leaders. People who didn't want to join either side went to live with him.

Most people with an affinity for water reside in Atlanta. Each country is occupied by a large group of people who associate themselves with different sea creatures, such as mermaids, sirens, nymphs, and krakens.

Their governing system is quite simple.

They have a king or queen, a prince or princess for each country, and all others are normal citizens.

Synchronizing everything in my head again, I tried to visualize my future in this world and came to a conclusion pretty quick.

It would be better if I woke up in my normal world again.

The thought that this might all be a dream crept into my mind, as if to answer all my doubts, consolling me. The more I heard and remembered, the more I realized that this world was filled with danger and powerful beings.

I couldn't just ignore them and try to live in hiding. What other alternatives do I have?

With desperation, I looked toward Persephone. She was still gazing at the sea, the moonlight falling on her pale skin, her shimmering amethyst hair waving in the light breeze. She looked breathtaking.

The desperation turned into a frown as I gulped and focused on the main conclusion: It's definitely the same world I know. I tried to hold onto the confidence I had felt earlier. I took a breath and spoke casually, resting my tilted head on my palm.

"I see. So, why are you here?"

Again, with the smile that never left her face, she answered my question.

"I was just passing by and felt something abnormal. So, I came to check it out."

After composing myself and listening to her rhythmic voice, I focused on what she said. It seemed this meeting was a coincidence. I was about to ask something else when Persephone spoke again.

"What's your name?"

This time, I couldn't sense the rhythm in her voice—only uncertainty. Still beautiful, though.

" If I remember correctly. I already told my name."

My eyes squinted with a confused expression as I spoke, looking at her.

The uncertainty immediately left her demeanor, and she rested her face on her fingers, her palm facing the ground.

"You just said one word at that time. I told you so many things. Is it too much to ask for your name?"

"Yeah... But you didn't tell me anything about yourself either," I retorted, although my voice a little slow.

Defeated, I closed my eyes, thinking, I shouldn't comment on it more, Women only hear what they want to hear.

For some reason, I could feel that she wasn't her usual playful self right now. She was serious. I could only shake my head, wondering why someone like her would even remotely care about knowing me.

I looked at her with a smile. At least I wanted to be genuine while introducing myself.

"My name is Arthur Xanders, and,"—my eyebrows raised slightly—"as you might have guessed, I'm not from this universe. I'm from Earth. Nice to meet you."

Cringe. I regretted adding "Nice to meet you" as soon as I said it. I knew it was ridiculous to reveal my situation, but I wanted to know if she could tell me anything about it.

Persephone remained silent for a good minute, looking at me in a daze. I waved my hand in front of her face, expecting a reaction. She flinched slightly, her eyes regaining focus as she said,

"...I see."

I could sense a mix of relief and anxiety in her voice. I wanted to ask her about it, but I didn't. I had my priorities—I needed to know how I got here. There was also something else I was curious about: 'The Profile' and, of course, the woman sitting beside me.

Even though I had seen many things in my dreams, I had never seen her. I knew she existed—Persephone is a famous goddess. Now that I thought about it, I couldn't recall a single detail about someone named Persephone from my dreams. How is that possible?

She was basically a stranger to me, and I shouldn't trust her so easily. I had many things to think about anyway.

As Persephone mused, my mind wandered back to my Profile. It had made no sense to me before.

I focused my mind on the dark matter around me, trying to open my Profile.

I was excited—who wouldn't be? Having skills and accessing a game-like interface to learn about yourself? Anyone who's played games, whether on an electronic device or console, would find it thrilling.

I tried for a few seconds, but no window panel appeared as I had expected.

Persephone looked at me, noticing the frown on my face.

"Is something wrong?"

I looked at her, surprised that despite my efforts, "The Profile" hadn't appeared. My confusion must have been noticeable.

After relaxing my expression and tone, I spoke.

"Its weird. I can't access my Profile."

Uncertainty was obvious in my voice. Persephone's eyes softened, as if she were looking at a child, and she spoke gently, as if trying to explain something simple.

"It's very easy. Just wish to see it, and it will appear."

In an effort to retort to her condescending tone, I looked at her sharply and spoke with an edge in my voice.

"I am doing that. It's not showing."

Persephone paused for a second, her motherly look faltering slightly. I could sense a hint of annoyance in her eyes.

"...Try to feel the dark matter around you."

I let my gaze blur as I tried harder to visualize a purple rectangular tablet, but nothing happened. Frustration seeped into my voice.

"I'm trying. I don't see anything."

Throughout the dreams I'd had, there wasn't a single being who couldn't access their Profile. Even newborn babies could do it. So, what did that make me?

As my vision cleared, Persephone held my gaze, her left eyebrow rising. Her hands fell to the ground, supporting her weight as she shrugged her shoulders.

"You're new to this. I think you just need to get used to the dark matter in your surroundings."

Her words sounded plausible, but I attempted a few more times, to no avail.

As I focused, frustrated, a milky-white palm suddenly appeared in front of my face. My eyes traced it back to Persephone, and I spoke, confused by her action.

"What are you doing?"

Persephone shrugged again, pulling her chin toward herself as she spoke.

"Let me check it."

I held her gaze with dead eyes. "Then check it."

I didn't understand what she wanted me to do with her hand. I didn't have the Profile in my palm to hand over.

She rolled her eyes, annoyance growing on her face. She slapped her hand up and down in the air, stretching it toward me as she spoke.

"Hold my hand."

Again, I was confused. There were ways to check someone's record with skills like 'Glance,' a B-grade skill, or 'Rainbow Insight,' a skill related to Heimdall from Asgard. But I didn't understand why we needed to hold hands. She could just activate it.

Thinking she might have a skill that required physical contact as a condition, I decided to hold her hand. But the idea of physical contact with someone like her made me uncomfortable.

I tried not to think about it. One thing I had was strong willpower. I took a deep breath, and since her palm was almost on my chest, I lifted my hand closer and held hers.

We held each other's hands for several seconds, but nothing happened—at least not on my end.

I glanced around in confusion before looking back at her, squinting slightly.

"I still can't access my Profile, you know."

Persephone's eyes and face widened slightly, and I heard the sound of air leaving her mouth. Her face left her fingers as she fanned them out.

"Oh yes... We were doing this to check your Profile. I forgot about that."

I was speechless for a moment. I stared at her, and her mouth slipped into a sly smile. I realized she was messing with me.

My expression soured, and I felt heat rising to my face. I spoke with growing frustration, closing my eyes.

"Haven't you had enough fun for now?"

Persephone's giggling voice reached my ears. My eyes were closed, but I could hear the cheerful tone in her voice.

"But you never show an obvious expectant reaction. It's fun."

Obvious expectant reaction? That was quite a mouthful. I didn't even know what that meant. For once, I was grateful for the toxic people I'd always dealt with. At least they'd taught me how to control my emotions.

Inwardly sighing, I put on a straight face as my eyes opened.

"So, did you see anything?"

"Try to share it with me. Just think about sharing your soul with me."

Persephone's words fell heavily on me, and a muffled laugh escaped my lips.

"Try sharing my soul with you?"

She made it sound so normal, but sharing souls was dangerous. Connecting one's soul with another was a fundamental element of someone's existence.

Persephone's eyes changed as a glint appeared in them, her gaze fixated on me. If I were to describe her, it would be like 'she had stars in her eyes.'

She looked like a maiden gazing at her lover. I felt unease settling over me. Why is she looking at me like that? Suddenly, Persephone's voice took on that rhythmic tone again.

"When you say it like that, it sounds so romantic~."

My body stiffened as if struck by lightning, and the air felt heavy, making it harder to breathe. She—an extremely beautiful woman with a gaze filled with tenderness and heat—looked incredibly appealing. I bit my lip harder to stay focused.

"I just have to wish to share it with you, right?"

I quickly tried to share my soul with her. It would be better to get this over with quickly. I let my vision blur, and as soon as I tried to share my soul, everything turned plain white—no sky, no trees, no island, nothing.

My vision wandered for a moment, and I saw a black dot hanging in the air. I tried to concentrate on it when I suddenly felt a push—or rather, my soul pulling Persephone's soul into mine, invading it.

It happened so fast that before I could process it, my eyes shut, and my vision went dark. Feeling the sensation in my body, the first thing I realized was that I was on the ground again.

My eyes fluttered open, and my vision cleared. Persephone was above me, pinning me down.

She had both hands on either side of my head, her face so close that I could feel her warm breath on my skin. Her hair fell on either side of my face like a silk curtain, and her ametrine eyes stared into mine.

My heart pounded, feeling like it might burst out of my chest. My whole body grew warm.

Another breeze swept through, snapping me out of my thoughts. I realized I had been staring into Persephone's eyes for too long.

Awkwardness hung in the air for a few seconds before my habit kicked in—with a bit of nostalgia—and I whispered,

"I think you should move."

I tried to sound calm, but my voice came out as a barely audible whisper.

Persephone seemed to hear it, as she got up, but my body remained frozen. Staring at the sky with my arms wide open, I saw a shooting star cutting through the night. My arm fell onto my forehead, covering my eyes. What kind of atmosphere is this? I thought to myself.

To be honest, I felt terrible. I had never been able to depend on anyone in my life. I had experienced reality early on. People were selfish—even those closest to me.

I had never let anyone affect my emotions after all that. I learned to live without depending on anyone. I showed people what they wanted to see and said what they wanted to hear. It was like wearing a mask around everyone.

I had gotten used to it. I never felt like I needed anyone. I had my dreams, and that's why I wrote about them and read them repeatedly.

Now, I felt like I was losing everything I had built around myself.

Suddenly, the air around me felt warmer, as if hugging me from every angle. My eyes opened slightly, searching for something in front of me. And there it was—a rose-gold, tablet-like screen hovering in the air, displaying.

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[An Exclusive Skill is activating.]

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