Melania found her world completely changing the instant she looked into those gloomy, hollow eyes.
The cavern where she stood in reality disappeared, replaced by an arid desert and a large mountain.
She was alone in this place, standing at the base of the mountain. She wanted to explore and figure out what happened, but she was trapped, unable to move more than a few meters from her original position.
'What…?'
Melania was calm despite the sudden change in the situation.
'Judging by the timeline, this must have something to do with that creature.'
She understood that much from the very first moment.
She was already in the process of brainstorming a way to escape.
The problem was that this realm didn't support those kinds of thoughts.
A strange wave of energy swept over her body, and her memories began to rapidly leave her mind.
It pulsed and pulsed. The longer it was maintained, the more her amnesia grew.
She clutched her head and cringed as she coped with the headache she was feeling, but nothing she did could stop it.
It continued mercilessly until she couldn't remember that there were memories being erased at all.
By the time it was over, she was left with only her name and most instinctual desires.
She rose back up until she was standing straight and let go of her head.
She brought her hands in front of her face and looked at them in confusion.
'What…am I doing here?'
The first question that appeared in Melania's mind was still concerning the surroundings.
She glanced in all directions, turning in a circle as a dull pain struck her head.
'Who…am I?'
She couldn't recall anything. The only memories she had were of this place, of this sole mountain in the midst of an endlessly flat desert.
A man appeared behind her at an unspecified time.
She had forgotten fear, so she did not jump. She looked at him curiously and asked him as well.
"Who…am I?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Do you truly wish to know?" He responded.
His figure was cloaked in a thick black veil. The only thing visible through it was the crow mask he wore on his face.
He did respond, though, and his voice didn't seem to contain any malice.
Melania nodded, easily answering his question.
"Do you know why you are here?" He asked.
Melania shook her head.
"If I told you that you journeyed here in search of power, would you believe me?"
Melania nodded.
"Oh…? And why is that?"
Even the man was surprised by her willingness to answer these questions so easily. He didn't look friendly, nor did he try to.
Why was she entertaining him despite the suspicion she had to be feeling?
He became even more confused when Melania didn't answer his question.
She only stared at the mountain, a vague expression in her eyes.
"Do you wish for power?"
Melania nodded again, far faster than ever before.
"And why is that?"
"Because…"
Melania did respond this time.
"...protect?"
It was the first word that came to mind. There was nothing behind it but instinctual desire.
"To protect, eh?" The man echoed.
"What are you willing to do for that ability?" He asked again.
"..."
Melania took a second to answer.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})She knew what she wanted to say, but something told her not to voice it.
Still, it was the truth.
For power, she was willing to do anything.
Despite her decision to not say anything, the man understood what she was thinking.
"I will give you an opportunity. If you can make use of it, then you will attain what you desire."
Melania turned to look at him.
"I…will?"
"That's right."
Melania nodded. She had clearly accepted his words.
At that moment, a boulder appeared between her and the mountain. It was three times taller than her at the very least, and big enough to crush her into paste if it happened to roll over her.
"Do you see that boulder?" The man said.
Melania was already looking at it, so there was no real point to the question.
"Push it to the mountain peak using only your physical strength. If you use anything else, you will fail."
The invisible walls around her disappeared. Melania was allowed to walk away if she wanted to, but the boulder seemed far too appealing.
It was practically torture. The mountain wasn't kind. Once she started, she wouldn't have the option to stop.
There were no ledges and no subtle inclines. There wasn't a single place for her to rest, so if she ever got tired, she'd have to rest with the weight of the boulder on her back.
Still, she walked towards it with the same empty expression.
Damien didn't take away her personality.
He didn't take away her rationality or her ability to process things. Her emotional age was the same as it was when she came here.
She just didn't have the context to think about the situation more than she had to. She couldn't weigh the benefits and disadvantages or second guess herself.
The crow-masked man, who was an illusion exerting Damien's will in this place, was confused by her behavior precisely because it wasn't something Damien did.
Was it because she'd allowed her instincts to take over?
Melania reached the boulder and slowly raised her hands to touch it.
The cold surface caused her to jolt. The rough texture, filled with imperfections, made her feel that everything she was experiencing was real.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})And if it was real, then the offer that strange man-made was real as well.
Her palms pushed flat against the boulder. She took a position and bent her knees.
The boulder moved just slightly.
It was the very first movement it had ever made, but it wasn't anywhere near the last.
Melania was truly confused, but once she had all of the most important information, she disregarded everything else.
Even she couldn't say why, but there was a voice screaming in her head, pleading for her to become stronger and more talented.
It was a scream that told her that her entire life would be ruined if she was not able to attain her goal.
No matter how clueless she was, she knew to listen to a desire that came from such a primal place.
'Go.'
No words were spoken once the offer was made.
The subtle wind whooshed through the air, and Melania's breathing was the only thing that cut through it.
The man had already disappeared.
She was left to her own devices, given the chance to make her own choice without anyone else's influence.
Now that she had felt the weight of the boulder, she had to think it over for a second time. With a slight understanding of what was to come, it would've been completely understandable if she gave up.
But…
RUMBLE!
The boulder rolled slightly.
Even a small movement created such a noise because of its impressive weight.
Melania's muscles were flexing to the maximum as she exerted force onto the rock.
Her feet were dug into the dirt as she stabilized herself and pushed it forward.
She would be stuck here from now on.
Until she made it to the peak, she would not leave this place.
She would not give up.
Even if it meant she had to die to continue.
