by Noam Oswin
“You have to admit, it does make for an interesting read.”
“Not another word.”
“Neo, I never knew you were such a romantic. All that, just to confess your love?” Juma clapped slowly. “Bravo, man. Bra-vo.”
“Bartend, can I get something for my Captain that’ll make him pass-out quickly?”
“Trying to get me drunk, Saintarelli? What would Sophia think?”
He was enjoying himself. Grinning at me with those stupid purple eyes. In a way, I couldn’t blame him. I couldn’t blame him, because I’d tried my best to steer the narrative in that corner. What was better, to admit that I couldn’t kill her because I was a Demiurge, or to admit that I couldn’t kill her because I had feelings for her?
In the end, stabbing myself with her sword hadn’t hurt me. [False Data: Life] had been used to drop my HP to zero, and make the battle come to an end. I could shapeshift, and I realized that this ability came with the power to shift my organs within my body as well. So I hadn’t stabbed myself in the heart.
But no one else knew that.
Thus, to the world, I was Neo Saintarelli, the romantic who was madly in love with Sophia Alphaphilia.
I would take that over Neo Saintarelli, the nightmare among humans.
In a way, my actions made for the perfect cover. If a nightmare managed to infiltrate somewhere, it would make little sense for them to actively draw attention to themselves, or draw as much attention to themselves as I had done. They would have been trying to melt and blend into the background for as long as they could, rather than openly step into the light.
Two glass mugs were brought before Juma and I. Filled to the brim with a bubbling red liquor, Juma picked his up and then pointed to me.
“I had my doubts about you, Neo, but… you’re a pretty decent guy.”
“What, because I’m supposedly in love with your Vice Captain?”
“Because you chose not to kill her.”
Juma’s eyes didn’t have any mirth in them.
“She would have been brought back.”
“That’s true,” Juma said. “But she wouldn’t have been the same. Resurrection leaves scars on the mind and soul. The damage accumulates with each subsequent resurrection. Taking and taking, until it reaches a point where there’s nothing left to take. Even just dying once, could have cost her the future. A snippet of her memories or skills, damaged or corroded. Gone… forever.”
I hadn’t known that. Neo hadn’t known that either.
“So, let’s make a toast.” He rose his glass.
“A toast?”
“Our First Mission is tomorrow,” he said. “There’s a chance we might not survive. I don’t want to make large sweeping statements and say that I’ll survive no matter what, because I’m not that confident. So, for now, I’d like to have a drink, with a new brother.”
I picked up the bubbling red brew. “You lost me there.”
Juma laughed. “I’m an orphan, Neo. To me, a family isn’t something that has to do with blood ties. It’s a bond you can share with someone. A person you can understand and a person who you feel can understand you. A person who’ll look out for you, in both good times and bad times – and always, always have your back, even if you diverge paths in life.”
My gaze landed on the alcohol, and then back on Juma. “And what makes you think I can be that person?”
Juma shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is, when I’m around you, I get the feeling that you’re a person who’s never had anyone truly have your back. And that if you truly did have that one person, you’d go to the end of the world and back for them.”
I didn’t say anything. I rose the brew, gesturing it towards Juma. Juma gestured his glass towards me as well. They clinked, together.
“To my new brother, Neo Saintarelli.”
My lips, against my will, curved into a smile.
“To my… new brother, Juma Al’ Amir.”
We downed the liquids as one, the familiar burning sensation rushed down my throat. It brought a satisfying sensation, and I clanked the empty glass back to the bar.
“Juma Al’ Amir?” Juma said his brow raising. “Where’d you come up with that?”
I coughed a bit to clear the burning in my throat. “Thar’s your name isn’t it?”
“It’s just Juma. I don’t have a second name.”
I pursed my lips. “You… don’t?”
“Nope. Orphans don’t have family names.”
I stared up at the name hanging over his head.
Juma Al’ Amir
There was no mistaking it. He did have a family name. Except he didn’t know it. But, the Godscripts should have shown it to him. If the Godscripts didn’t show it to him, it meant only the Nightscripts could see his name.
Why can only Nightmares see his last name?
“I mean, I’m flattered and all, but naming me the Prince is going a little overboard.”
“What?”
“Al Amir,” Juma said. “It means The Prince.”
Al… Amir?
Alamir.
The Prince.
The very world was named after The Prince. The Prince of Light who supposedly created the world by fighting back his mother, Darkness.
Al Amir… is… Arabic.
“Juma… what language are the words Al Amir?”
Juma’s brows furrowed. “… I’m not sure. Jezik maybe? No, no – that’s not it. Khel? No – not it either. Maybe Golos?”
I had a soft, sneaking suspicion. One I didn’t want to believe. “Juma… do you understand the meaning of the words: Veni, Vidi, Vici?”
“You came, you saw, you conquered?” His brow furrowed. “Is that supposed to be a reference to sex?”
He understood it. He understood it. I spoke Latin and he understood it. I didn’t hesitate before searching for Neo’s pen, quickly as I could and I wrote down on the back of my palm in English:
I may have a silly crush on Luxeme Vi Engarde.
“This,” I pointed, frantically. “Can you read this?”
Juma squinted his eyes. After this, he gave me a flat look. “What, Sophia isn’t enough for you? Lt. General Luxeme is out of your league Neo. Don’t be greedy.”
I breathed out. He can read it as well.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What language do you think I just wrote down?”
Juma stared at the back of my palm. “…I….I’m… well, I know it’s one of the languages Father Goma and Shiga taught me. They taught me so many of them it’s sometimes hard to keep it all straight.”
No, it’s likely the opposite. It was more likely, that he could always read and understand all languages, and to throw off suspicion from him and have an excuse, they made it so he believed that they taught him to read and understand all languages.
Juma Al’ Amir.
Juma The Prince.
My brain was working, fast. Too fast. So fast that I almost didn’t want to believe what my instincts were telling me. Erzili had said that the Dreamer’s true goal was to challenge Alamir. She said that she didn’t understand what it meant.
Challenge Alamir.
Challenge Al Amir.
Challenge The Prince.
The Dreamer wanted to challenge the world’s creator.
“Juma… you’re…”
Something split in my skull. Pain, overwhelming, searing pain pierced through my head and had me collapsing to the ground.
“Neo! Neo! Neo what’s wrong?!”
I couldn’t explain it. The pain seared through my brain. My head. My mind. It burned. It burned. Amidst it all, words, from the Godscript flashed in my vision.
You have learned too much.
He is not yet ready.
Al Amir still sleeps.
Al Amir must awaken naturally.
Punishment awaits those who try to awaken him before time.
Punishment?
One who has Reincarnated into Alamir’s worl
d,
Your punishment is simple.
Forget.
Forget Everything.
Only when the time comes
Shall you remember,
Who you truly are.
No – wait –
Epilogue
“So, you say he just collapsed and then started screaming?”
“Well, we had a drink of Angel Magma Whiskey beforehand and he was fine without any effect.”
I awoke with a start, to strange voices. Unfamiliar voices. My eyes caught wind of a woman, wearing white priest robes. She was unremarkable, with brown hair but dull eyes. There was a boy beside her. He was tall. He had strange purple eyes, and the darkest brand of pitch-black hair I’d ever seen.
“Ah thank the Sycophant! Neo! Are you alright?
“Um…” I cleared my throat. “Who’s… Neo?”
The boy staggered. I felt I’d said something wrong. The woman as well stared at me. “Neo.” She said. “Neo Saintarelli.” She added. “That’s your name.”
“Oh,” I said. It was? I didn’t feel any connection to it. It felt strange, for some reason. Like it didn’t belong. “My name… is Neo?”
The woman in the priest’s robes frowned deeply. “Do you remember where we are Neo?”
I stared at the room. It was white. Clean. Pristine even. There were beds, and so many machines and beeping. My nose could pick up the smell of clean things. Antiseptic, I think that was the word.
“We’re… at a hospital?”
“We’re in the Infirmary.” She corrected. “Sector One-Zero-One’s infirmary. Do you remember?”
“Sector One-Zero-One…?”
“The AAA.” She tried again. “Does that ring any bells?”
I pursed my lips. “Alcoholics Anonymous?”
“That’s only two A’s.”
“Oh,” I said. “Is it, a type of battery? Or, those Triple-A um… games?”
The duo stared at me. “Triple-A games?”
“You know… those…. Games… big games, made by big companies… like… um… ah…” I scratched my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t… remember any…”
The purple-eyed boy turned to the nice woman. “Cleric, do you know what’s wrong with him?”
“He seems to have an unusual variant of retrograde amnesia.”
“Retrograde amnesia? How’s that possible?”
“It can be caused by severe head trauma.” The woman, Cleric – what an odd name – sighed. “I watched Saintarelli’s PvP against the Alphaphilia girl. He knocked her unconscious with two very strong headbutts. I did find it strange that she managed to be knocked unconscious whereas he shrugged off the hits none the worse for wear.”
“So… Neo lost his memories… because of the damage in his fight against Sophia?”
“It’s the most prevailing theory.” The nice-smelling woman said. “There’s no other thing I can think of that would have caused this”
“Um,” I spoke up. “Sorry, but… who are you two?”
The boy with purple eyes gritted his teeth, before smiling at me. He looked so tired. I wondered why.
“I’m Juma. Your… brother.”
I blinked, my eyes went wide. Brother?
“I have a brother? That’s… amazing!”
Why did my brother look so sad?
“Oh, sorry, I can’t remember… you.”
Juma shook his head. “It’s fine. We’ll just have to make sure you remember.”
“Oh. Okay.” I yawned. “I’m feeling… kinda tired. And sleepy. I wanna get some rest, brother.”
“Get some rest Neo.”
I was confused when waking up, since I didn’t remember anyone, or remember anything, but I didn’t mind, I wasn’t bothered. I had a brother! It was exciting! I don’t know why, but I feel like I’ve always wanted a brother. Always wanted a family.
When I woke up, I felt like I never had a family. I didn’t know why I felt that way. Just thinking about family made me feel sad. Sad and angry. I didn’t know why. But, I was wrong. I had a brother!
I’m glad I was wrong.
I yawned. “We’re going to… have lots of fun… together… brother.”
We were going to have the best time in the world.
