While Csendez was returning to her apartment after an exhausting day, Anka woke up in her house.
Her mind was calm, but confused. She hadn't forgotten the dream she had earlier, and now she wanted to talk about it with Zero.
"Zero, I..."
"But you should know that a deadly fight could begin the very next moment. That is how races behave throughout the universe. There are no eternal relationships—only eternal interests."
Those words suddenly appeared in her mind.
Something Zero had said not long ago.
[Yes, Anka? Is everything all right? You slept for quite a long time today.]
After a pause, the girl shook her head.
"Nothing. I just want to relax in the bathroom for a while. This scenario was something else. It was my first contact with these aliens... I was so nervous."
The system called Zero left her body.
His form was a small ball of purple light, and he floated freely through the room. He placed himself on the couch and turned on the television.
[Go and have fun. I'll wait here for you. There's a documentary coming up about some interesting species that lived on your planet, so don't worry. I won't get bored anytime soon.]
[You usually try to get out quickly so you don't leave me alone for too long, but on this occasion, you need some time for yourself as well. Go. Don't mind me.]
What Zero didn't see was the emotionless expression on her face as she looked in his direction.
"Hmm... I'll come out as quickly as I can."
With that, she entered the bathroom.
Because of her previous life, Anka lived comfortably in this one. The bathroom alone was enormous and luxurious. The entire house was an ultimate villa, equipped with everything she could possibly need.
A dream came true. Everything was hers.
Anka prepared herself for a moment before entering the pool. Her body was lifted by the water and drifted freely from one side to another.
She had used the bathroom as an excuse because she wanted to be alone. She knew that the System couldn't read her mind without her permission. But her feelings could still be noticed.
I don't know what is wrong with me...
Was I influenced by that phoenix girl's mind last time?
Why am I being so... defensive now?
She moved slowly through the water.
How can I not trust Zero?
He has been with me for three months. He has saved me multiple times.
She reached one of the corners of the pool and picked up a few toys, keeping her hands busy.
He saved me... but was it because he cared about me?
Or because he needed me?
The question had been buried somewhere in her mind ever since she first opened her eyes in this world.
Now she couldn't ignore it anymore.
There are only interests between races, he said. Does that apply to him and me as well?
Anka stared at a point on the wall while slowly playing with one of the toys.
He really has been a huge help. But that is also what his race does. They need a host.
She remembered the first days after her arrival.
I already knew they were mainly puppets in the hands of something bigger.
That's why, on my first day, I used what I knew to hack into his internal system and change some of the rules. But that alone doesn't make him trustworthy.
She paused.
I only changed small things. The basic rules were incorporated into his mental circuits, so I couldn't touch them without him noticing.
I only changed the rules regarding me. He can't see my status window. And he can't send information about me to anyone else.
I intentionally showed him an edited version of my information and let him send that to the main System.
That was the only thing I could do.
Months had passed since then.
Zero had never done anything openly suspicious. He had never acted against my interests, either.
Little by little, she had started to believe that he was genuinely on her side. Then this week happened.
Anka's expression became serious.
Her face resembled ice. Her eyes were empty of emotion, and their color slowly changed from black to silver.
It wasn't an expression a teenager should normally have.
Of course, her body belonged to a teenager. But her soul belonged to a thirty-year-old woman from another dimension.
She had transmigrated into this world only a few months ago, and until now, she had been trying to adapt to her new life.
There was another reason she had managed to appear so natural. Her ability allowed her to split her consciousness. One part remained the mature Anka—the real her. The other was a younger version of herself, a consciousness modeled after what she might have been at that age.
When she needed to behave like a normal teenager, the mature consciousness would retreat into a kind of rest, allowing the younger one to control the body and even influence the subconscious.
That way, her reactions were natural. If the mature Anka remained fully conscious all the time, she would constantly interfere with those instincts.
And eventually, someone might notice that something was wrong. That was also why she hadn't noticed Csendez when they had shared the same body. The mature consciousness hadn't been there to observe her.
Now, however, that protection has become a problem.
Zero said something on that ship that woke me up.
I was somehow carried away by all these new things and everything that came with them.
I almost stopped thinking clearly.
A bitter smile appeared on her face.
How did I never realize it? This System has been trying to manipulate me. In exactly the way I hate the most.
Thank goodness I'm not actually a teenager. If I were, they could have played me much more easily.
She slowly squeezed the toy in her hand.
When I split my consciousness, the younger part of me can act naturally. But keeping the two of us separated for too long is exhausting.
If I hadn't ended that split so quickly after waking up, I might have said everything about that dream. I can't let that happen again.
What a pain...
Her fingers tightened around a duck-shaped toy.
He is an alien. That's how he introduced himself.
"Hello, host! I am System A-C201, and for now, we will be working together! We, Systems, are an allied species to you. We didn't come here to harm you. We will protect you and help you evolve so you can survive in this universe."
An alien. That's what he is. He helped us humans during the apocalypse.
An apocalypse created by them.
They forced humanity to evolve through disaster.
Anka suddenly threw several toys into the water. She pushed them toward the bottom, trying to drown them.
He hides behind 'good intentions' that only appeared after catastrophe.
Hypocrite.
She stopped moving. Something else had been bothering her.
Because I wanted him to think I was stupid, I told him I came from another dimension.
I told him about the book. I told him a superficial version of my previous life.
I thought all of that would become weapons in my hands.
She had always assumed that Zero believed she was an innocent child who had simply arrived in a new world.
But after the dream… She wasn't so certain anymore.
He probably knows more than he shows. He hinted at things several times, but I never noticed.
Not until now. Her mind became strangely clear. And with that clarity came something else.
Memories. Not her own.
Memories that had been buried somewhere inside the body she now inhabited. The dream had somehow unlocked them.
Anka's expression changed.
The day I arrived...
Images appeared in her mind.
The room. The people. The ritual.
The girl whose body she now possessed.
Until now, Anka had believed the girl had died in an accident. That was what she had managed to discover from the few clues available to her. But that wasn't what happened.
She didn't die in an accident. She was sacrificed.
The realization made her grip the toy tighter.
They made her pray to a goddess. I couldn't see which one. But she asked for something.
Revenge. Justice.
Anka's eyes narrowed.
So that's why the System sent me to punish the people responsible for the body's death? Was that what the original girl's soul wanted? Was everything connected?
For the first time, the possibility of a carefully constructed plan entered her mind.
But she immediately stopped herself.
'They' knew I would come.
She hesitated.
No.
Maybe they only wanted someone to come. But did they want me? I can't be sure of that yet.
She didn't have enough information. Still, too many things were beginning to connect.
The entire story about wanting humans to evolve… The explanations about traveling through the universe and making it stronger… And now the ritual.
They really are something.
Anka went underwater.
She began swimming with force, striking against the water as if she were fighting something invisible.
There is something else. Something that doesn't make sense.
A Damionus is permanently connected to its host. If the host dies, the Damionus dies as well. So how did I receive a Damionus the moment I arrived in this body?
She stopped underwater.
The original soul was already dead. The previous System was gone. Yet another Damionus appeared almost immediately.
Anka slowly rose back to the surface.
Someone was watching. Or, at the very least, someone had prepared for it.
She grabbed the edge of the pool.
Another thought surfaced.
The story I knew has already changed. And I didn't cause all of those changes. Someone else may have come from another dimension too. Someone who is changing the story.
Her eyes narrowed.
Those invocation circles… I've seen them in too many places. Before, I didn't know what they were. Now I think I do.
I'm probably not the only transmigrator in this world.
She pulled herself out of the pool.
That's actually good. If they have been performing multiple invocations, then they probably don't know exactly who will answer.
Which means they may not know whether I am the person they were looking for. There is still uncertainty.
Anka walked toward the mirror.
Her white hair and silver eyes looked beautiful beneath the bathroom lights. She stared at her reflection for several seconds.
What a gamble. I still have a long road ahead of me.
Her expression softened slightly.
But Zero...
He is quite a phenomenon. I think he may be working as a double agent. Maybe he really is on my side. But perhaps he also can't completely reject the control of his kind.
Can I help him?
My power might be useful, but I need to become stronger first.
She remembered the strange words from the ship.
This week, he intentionally brought up betrayal. And then he offered a solution.
He didn't just reveal the possibility of betrayal. He also revealed something about my possible identity. Or at least about the identity of the person they were trying to summon.
Her eyes darkened.
My last dream confirmed that something is happening behind the scenes. I know I shouldn't draw conclusions this early. But I don't have much time.
I need to prepare.
She looked at her reflection again.
This year, the System will expect to see results. He has announced it so many times. Earth will officially be moved to another planet this year. The surviving humans will have to leave their home.
And if what I discovered is true… Then it might already be too late.
She closed her eyes.
I need to prepare for this possibility. If I'm wrong and I'm simply being paranoid, then good.
But if I'm right...
She didn't finish the thought.
With that in mind, she left the bathroom. A situation like this could not happen again. If she disappeared for too long again, 'someone' might become suspicious.
On the couch, the small purple ball was lying almost motionless. Its light was extremely dim. Almost extinguished.
Anka immediately ran toward him and pressed the ball against her chest. Slowly, he entered her body again. Several minutes passed before the System's voice was heard.
[You really stayed a long time.]
His voice was weak.
[I almost died.]
Anka immediately felt guilty.
"I'm sorry, Zero. I was so focused on playing that I completely lost track of time. It will never happen again!"
Her acting skills were impressive. The System gave only a short answer before becoming silent. He had probably gone to sleep.
For a Damionus, remaining outside its host for too long was a death sentence. Their life energy was drained rapidly until they died. Zero probably needed a break as well.
Anka's eyes darkened as she looked outside.
The sun was already up. She decided to visit some 'friends'. One final thought crossed her mind.
If my situation is this dangerous...
That girl, Csendez, probably isn't doing any better. That Academy is also a huge trap...