The black-cloaked figure revealed a face identical to Zelaive's, leaving Jazel speechless. The shock intensified as she watched the Zelaive she'd been with at the cemetery slowly dissolve into nothingness—his clothes disintegrating along with him.
Overwhelmed, Jazel felt a wave of confusion. Who was this mysterious figure, a perfect replica of her stepbrother?
Her heart pounding, she asked the clone, "Who are you? What is happening?"
The clone responded calmly, "I, and the Zelaive you were with at the cemetery, are merely clones."
Jazel felt a surge of disbelief. "Clones? Then where is the real Zelaive?"
The clone stepped closer, gently taking her hand. "I'll show you everything you need to know."
Jazel's consciousness was immediately plunged into a swirling vortex of darkness. She witnessed fragmented memories—the Layer monster battle, the devastation of Kazustan, a replay of every action she'd taken that night. She relived the moment of the city's catastrophic explosion and then, she felt herself sinking into a black void, a chaotic torrent of memories flooding her mind.
She saw herself crying uncontrollably. "Why am I crying?" she wondered, observing this memory from a detached perspective. She saw a hand reaching out to comfort her weeping self. Whose hand was it? And why was she inside this body?
The body she occupied spoke, "Be quiet! Why are you crying? Idiot."
Then, her own voice, calmer now, responded: "Who are you calling an idiot? I'm not crying...not really." A playful smile touched the lips of the crying Jazel, her eyebrows raised, her eyes sparkling with defiance.
The experience was jarring and unsettling. Why was she seeing herself? Whose body was this that was experiencing such joy? She slipped into darkness again, the clone's words resonating in her mind: "I will show you what you need to know."
The memories shifted. She saw glimpses of her own happiness, and then, scenes with Zelaive. They shared a home, and their days were filled with shared activities: playing video games all night, watching movies, eating together, their laughter filling their shared space. The happiness in their expressions was palpable.
Jazel felt an unfamiliar happiness; it was her happiness, long forgotten. But, it was mixed with a deep underlying unease. There was always a sense that Zelaive was holding something back. Leaning against him, she finally asked, "Tell me, Zelaive, are you hiding something from me?"
"Why do you ask?" he responded.
"I don't know. Despite all our happiness, I feel like you're hiding a secret sorrow, something that hurts your heart."
Zelaive's face reflected the unspoken pain, even though he didn't shed tears.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me," Jazel whispered. "I think I'll go to sleep."
As Jazel stood to leave the sofa, Zelaive gently pulled her back and embraced her tightly. She snuggled into him, closing her eyes and murmuring, "It's alright if you don't tell me."
The embrace held for several minutes before Zelaive spoke: "Your memories of this will only last a week. You won't remember anything after that."
Jazel was stunned. "A week? Why only a week?"
"The price you paid for not fulfilling the conditions of your Zone and using an incomplete Zone is the loss of Zeal-related memories," Zelaive explained. "They may never return."
Jazel smiled, touched by his concern. "Thank you for caring for me." Their eyes locked, and she kissed him spontaneously. Even though it was a memory, a blush rose to her cheeks. Her heart pounded. Why the embarrassment? It was merely a memory.
Zelaive kissed her back, both blushing, a sense of shared intimacy permeating the memory.
"Why did you do that?" she questioned herself, "I don't know...but if my memories fade, please find a way for me to remember this feeling."
"I'll do everything I can to make you remember," Zelaive promised.
The darkness returned. Jazel had forgotten everything. Yet, her gratitude for Zelaive remained profound. Knowing their time together was fleeting, they spent every moment of the remaining week together, their dates like a beautiful fever dream; sleeping together, bathing together, savoring every shared moment.
"This week of dates—this feeling is so wonderful," she whispered.
"Thank you, Jazel. Because of you, I felt something new," Zelaive replied.
"New? What is it?"
"Falling in love with you."
As Jazel sank deeper into these shared memories, the intensity of their intertwined emotions became almost unbearable. The scene shifted to a memory within Zelaive's mind. He appeared, his form shimmering, addressing Jazel: "Jazel, how are you? Did I keep my promise?"
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Yes, you did."
"I'll show you where I am now."
Jazel was transported to a breathtakingly terrifying landscape: colossal monsters, strange vegetation, creatures with reptilian limbs, enormous humanoid figures, all set against the backdrop of active volcanoes and buildings suspended high in the clouds.
"You're in the Layer? Zelaive!" she cried out in alarm.
The memory-Zelaive replied, "If you want to see me again, I'll waiting for you in the Second Layer."