Memory magic?
Olivia barely had time to process the words that left Merlin's mouth before an intense pain dug deep into her skull. Her entire body shook, and she felt her eyes rolling back.
Merlin's mana was very strange, both in how it felt and looked. It wasn't just one color but instead was a rainbow, constantly switching and rapidly flickering. The aura that formed around him looked like hundreds of ghostly hands that all flowed out and began to caress her face before they plunged into her body, phasing through her skin and skull and grasping at her brain.
Olivia wanted to fight back. She wanted to yell and fight back, but she couldn't. It was like her body froze, and those hands began to embrace her tightly.
And then in the next moment, Olivia found herself somewhere else.
"What the hell?" Olivia rubbed at her head, suddenly able to move again, and she scowled as she looked around. "What did that prick do to me? Is he a traitor?"
She was still in a forest, but this one was different. It was more familiar. Instead of the moon, the sun was far above, casting everything in a golden light, and Olivia found herself reliving a moment from the past.
"Yo, long time no see!" Olivia spun around and saw her father's back. He was facing away from her, and in front of Arthur was another familiar figure. A much younger Rosco stood, his arms folded. "It's been a while!"
"Not long enough, if you ask me." Rosco let out a sigh. "Alright, let's talk." He gestured with his cane and pointed to a section of the forest that he and her father began to walk toward. "Why are you here, Arthur? Don't tell me that child is yours…"
It was the same vision she had seen back during the exam. The thing that allowed her to unlock Polymorph. Sure enough, she saw a younger version of herself sitting on a log playing around. Unlike this time, though, she wasn't seeing the memory from the child's eyes. She was watching it play out before her as if she were there right now.
Why?
What did Merlin do to her?
Arthur gave a shrug. She still couldn't see her father's face, and he wore a hood up that blocked the back of his head. "I came to talk to you about Olivia, actually. That little girl is her child, and I would like if you could look after her for me. Forever…"
"What? Of course I won't!" Rosco gave Arthur a dark look. "What are you even asking?"
Olivia was shocked as she watched the display. She hadn't heard this part during the exam because the younger her wasn't listening. Now she was? How?
Did Merlin's magic cause this?
"Rosco, I'm begging you." Arthur reached out and placed a hand on Rosco's shoulder. "I can't bring her with me."
"With you? Where are you even going? Ever since Olivia died, you've been—"
"Since she was murdered." Arthur spat out.
Rosco's look grew somber, and he placed his hand on Arthur's. "Arthur. I'm sorry for your loss, but the doctors checked. They looked her over. She died of natural causes."
"Natural causes! Her heart gave out!"
"She was sick." Rosco urged. "She had been sick. You know this. It was a miracle she was able to last as long as she did. The best doctors made sure nothing tampered with her. She wasn't poisoned, and she wasn't infected with anyone else's mana. Please. Ever since she died, you have been running around. That little girl… Is that Olivia's daughter? It can't be healthy for her—"
"That's why I need you to take care of her." Arthur removed his hand. "You're right. It isn't healthy to carry a child around and go to the places I have been. She isn't like Olivia. Not yet. So please, just watch over her! She'll be safer and happier in your hands! I can't protect her! I already failed! Please! You don't have to do it forever! If she's anything like Olivia, then I know the day will come when she'll want to become an Arcane Knight, and she'll try to set out! When that day comes, tell her this! She can find me again; all she has to do is to simply head to the most sacred of places!"
There it was again.
'The most sacred of places.'
When Rosco had told her about it, she had pictured her father sounding cool and epic as he spoke the name, yet now, as he screamed, he sounded desperate and panicked. How had the past version of her not noticed or heard this?
Or maybe she had, and those memories had been messed with…
Last time she thought of her father, it had been strange.
"Most sacred of places?" Rosco looked confused. "What does that even mean?"
Arthur seemed to calm down and let out a bitter laugh. "She'll know it when she hears it. And if she doesn't know it, then it simply means I was wrong and it isn't the correct time, or my power didn't work."
"Your power?"
"Nothing." Arthur motioned his hand and seemed to look at it. "It's nothing. Please, just do this for me. Tell her that. Perhaps if she doesn't know it, then she'll learn about it later. If there is even a chance, even a slim bit of hope, then I must place my faith in that path and keep striving toward it."
"I won't take care of your kid—"
"If you don't, then the man who killed Olivia will kill her as well!" Arthur declared.
Olivia felt a wave of shock hit her. "S-Someone killed my mom?" She had never really thought about her mother before. Rosco always told her that her mother died due to health complications.
Her father claimed otherwise, though, and judging by the look on the past version of Rosco's face, he didn't seem to believe him, which was likely why he didn't bring it up to her the last time they spoke.
"Olivia was not killed by any man!" Rosco raised his voice now. "Please, stop this delusion! It is only bringing you suffering! Her death was a tragedy, but you cannot go on believing that she was forcefully taken from you."
"She was." Arthur's hands clenched into fists. "It is true that the sickness that plagued her life is what took her in the end, but that was only brought on by an outside force!"
"The doctors made sure no magic tampered with her body—"
"It was not magic. It was fate." Arthur shook his head. "A fate that she shouldn't have had! She was placed on a Path not meant for her."
"So your enemy is destiny?"
"Exactly!"
"Do you not hear yourself?" Rosco scowled. "You sound like a madman."
"No! The madman is the one who killed her! The one who controls fate!"
"Controls fate? Now I know you're insane. No mage can control destiny and fate. Not even the strongest being, Haru, could do such a thing; otherwise, she surely would have prevented herself from dying."
"You do not understand." Once more, Arthur shook his head. "This man does not do it with traditional magic. He does it by weaving the narrative itself and controlling the source! He weaves new Paths and creates a destiny that shouldn't be! He has been around since the beginning, and I fear that he is even older than this world. He absolutely does not belong. He who holds the quill."
"Absolute nonsense." Rosco let out a heavy sigh. "You speak of a being far greater than even Haru herself. Such an entity can not exist."
"It's okay if you don't believe me, but please. Keep Mary safe."
"Mary? Is that the name of your child?" Rosco looked toward the young snow-haired girl who was quietly playing, somehow missing the conversation that was going on.
"That's right. Mary is the name I bestowed upon her."
"You can just say you named your child Mary…"
"Will you look after her in my place? Where I am going, she can not follow, for I fear that I have gained the eyes of terrible people upon me."
"I will not look after your child."
"Then you have doomed the memory of Olivia." Rosco looked hurt and went to say something, but Arthur spun around, and in only a few strides, he reached his daughter, picked her up, and began to leave through the woods, leaving Rosco behind.
Of course, later that night, he'd appear back at the village, and Olivia would be left alone by her father as he set out on a quest of his own, leaving her far behind.
She could have seen her father's face when he turned around, but she didn't. Instead, she kept her gaze fully fixed on the younger Rosco. There were so many things she wanted to say or do, but of course, this was just an illusion. A fragment of a memory, and so nothing she said would matter.
"You can still speak your mind if you want."
Olivia jumped when she heard Rosco's voice. It didn't come from in front of her. This one came from behind, and when she spun around, she was shocked to see a second Rosco. Emotion filled her eyes because this one, unlike the other one, was the one she had come to know the most. He looked just as he had the day she last saw him.
This was her Rosco.
"Hey kid—" Rosco grunted as Olivia suddenly flung herself at him, and her arms wrapped tightly around him. He winced and then chuckled. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Olivia let out a choked gasp, and tears were slowly starting to run down her face. "I-Is it really you? A-Are you actually here?"
This one didn't feel like a memory. The way he looked and the way he was responding to her… It felt like she was actually with Rosco.
Rosco gave a faint shrug and hugged her back. He looked toward the younger version of himself. "I don't know." He finally admitted. "I just sort of woke up."
"You woke up?"
"Yeah." Rosco frowned softly. "It felt like I was dreaming. Like everything was moving so slowly and sluggishly. I remember seeing something, but now I simply can't recall. It all happened so fast. One moment I was waving you off, and then… What did happen? Did I die?"
Olivia finally pulled away and tried to wipe at her tears, but they kept coming. "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" Rosco asked, amused. "It wasn't your fault, Olivia." He placed a hand on the top of her head. "I'm still confused about how I got here. Everything is so fuzzy, but I think I know why I am here." He gestured to the other him. "This is the day we first met."
Just like when she was in the final Arcane Knight's exam, the world seemed to suddenly blur and change. Olivia watched as the younger Rosco faded away along with the forest, and it was replaced by the gate of Fri village.
The younger her was back, the snow-haired girl sobbing as the sun slowly rose, signaling the start of a new day. A group of men stood outside of the gates staring at her in bewilderment. One of them was Jermy, and the other was Rosco.
"What is a child doing out here?" Farmer Jermy asked, a little horrified. "She'll catch a cold. It's too damn cold, and she isn't even in any winter wear!"
The younger Rosco scowled. "Damn that Arthur! Don't tell me he actually left his daughter here? I told him I wouldn't!"
Jermy looked to Rosco. "Huh? You know this child?"
Rosco gave a curt nod. "A friend of mine came by to talk to me yesterday. He asked me to watch his kid while he went away. I told that bastard no, and so he went and left his child!"
Farmer Jermy frowned and rubbed his chin. "Then, should we take her to Lotus? Someone there can get her help and look into this Arthur fellow and charge him for child neglect."
Rosco just grunted and shook his head. "No. What's done is done. I imagine Arthur won't be gone long. Not even he is dumb enough to leave his child. I'll take her in as he asked until he returns. I'll give him an earful then."
"You're a kinder man than I am," Jermy admitted. "If a friend tried to force me into this situation, I think I'd refuse simply out of spite. I wouldn't take the child in at all."
"Even if I hate what he is becoming, Arthur is still my friend." The younger Rosco admitted.
"He was my friend." The older one spoke up, and Olivia watched from the side with him. "I took you in thinking your father would chicken out and come back for you in only a day or two."
"He didn't, though," Olivia said quietly.
"No. He didn't." Rosco sighed and kept a hand on her shoulder. "Your father left you here for me to raise, and that's exactly what I did. I raised you until the very end."
Olivia flinched and looked down, her hands balling into fists. "The end came too soon, though. There was so much I wanted to tell you. We could have talked a lot more. I could have visited more-"
"That's life." Rosco cut her off and flicked her on the forehead. "Olivia. You're always going to feel like this. When I lost my wife, I spent every day wondering. Why didn't I spend more time with her? Why didn't I tell her more about how I felt? You're going to think you wasted so much of it. That isn't true, though. We spent years together. I got to watch you grow up. I got to watch you become the person who stands in front of me. Was all of that wasted time? No. It wasn't."
The scene changed again, and this time Olivia was back in the home she grew up in. The younger Rosco had walked her back, and she watched as the past version of herself shyly looked to a childish version of Bruno.
That was the day she gained a brother.
"I know it's hard," Rosco said quietly. "I know you must be going through a lot. You have friends and people who are going to support you. You just need to ask for help. There isn't any shame in that, Olivia. When I lost my wife, I thought that I was alone. That there was no one in the world who could understand what I was going through. I thought that the pain would never go away, and sadly, it doesn't, but you learn to bear with it. You learn to keep going, and you begin to realize that all the time you spent with them wasn't a waste. The memories you formed, the words you shared—none of it has gone away. It's all still there."
"I know. That doesn't change that you're gone." Olivia said bitterly. She watched the younger her and Bruno play. Time seemed to pass rapidly. "I can't tell you anything new. Reliving old memories isn't enough."
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Rosco smiled gently. "You can tell me everything."
Olivia's lip quivered, and she nearly broke down again. It all came spilling out of her then and there.
She told Rosco of her trip to the Knights' entrance exam, speaking of the boat, Daisy, Sera, Garon, the battle with the snake, Gray, meeting the Lance of Victory, and being arrested.
While she did that, time seemed to move even faster. The younger version of herself and Bruno began to age. As did the memory of Rosco. The man cooked for her, bought her new clothes, helped teach her to read, walked her to school, helped her overcome the weakness of her blood magic, and did everything he could.
She then told him of her time during the exam. She talked about meeting Ken Yuan for the first time, her first exam not going well, and how she didn't even write anything down during the written portion. She spoke about unlocking Polymorph and working together with Ash, and then about how shocked she had been to be placed into the Phoenix Flight guild.
In the past, she became a teenager, and yet Rosco still put up with her. He bought her the gifts she wanted on her birthday, took care of her when she was sick or did something stupid, and helped her get the last copy of her favorite book. He was the one who taught her how to ride a bike, swim, ride a horse, read and write, and be happy. And sure, there were bad times, but there were a lot more good.
She told him about what it was like to be part of Phoenix Flight. What Captain Laerton and Pock were like, how funny Ghost was, and how weird some of the other members, like Ragna, were. She told him about how Davi also died and how devastated she had nearly been, and then how happy she was when he woke back up. She spoke of her training and how hard it was, but also how good she was feeling as she kept getting stronger and stronger, and then told him about the very first mission—meeting Crowe and going to Violet.
So much had happened. Good. Bad. A little bit in between.
He was her father. He was dead.
Finally, the memories caught up to when she left the village, when Davi took her away. What would have happened if she had stayed behind? Would she have been happier?
No. Of course not.
She still would have gotten to spend more time with Rosco. Even if it meant she shared his fate. It would have been worth it.
"That's quite the story." Rosco hummed once she was done. "I'm glad I got to listen to it."
"You didn't, though." Her tears finally dried up.
"Yeah… I didn't…" Rosco reached out and patted her on the head. "That doesn't mean you won't be able to tell me again one day."
"Are you talking about the afterlife?"
"Maybe?" Rosco shrugged. "Stranger things exist, you know. We live in a world of magic. I mean, right now, in this exact moment, I'm still talking to you, aren't I? Maybe I am me, or maybe I'm not. One thing I can tell you, though, is I'm happy that you're still alive. That you're doing well. That you have friends. It's going to be okay, Olivia. You're going to be fine. I know because I've watched. Since the moment we first met, and your father left you in my care. I was sure of it when I saw you battle those monsters. You've grown up. You've become stronger. I know that it might seem like the world you knew is gone or that it's falling apart, but you have to believe me, it isn't. This is something I know you can handle."
"W-What if I can't though?"
Rosco gripped her by both her shoulders. "Olivia. You must. If not for my sake, if not for your sake, then for the sake of Bruno."
Olivia's eyes widened. "Bruno?"
"That's right. My son, your brother, is suffering just as much as you are. The two of you don't have to accept what happened. But please. Help each other. Don't allow blame to eat away at you, and don't think about the time that has been lost because the two of you still have your whole lives ahead of you. Be with Bruno. Make sure he is doing okay. Help your brother. I know this is selfish to ask, but be strong for him. And for me, I want you to keep on living, to keep on growing, and to get an even better story to tell me, because I know this won't be the end."
Olivia wiped her eyes and forced her nerves to steel. Her voice still quivered a little, but she managed to keep herself calm. "I understand. I-I was never planning on doing anything stupid. I just thought… Maybe if I had been a little stronger, I could have helped more."
"You can't worry about what-ifs."
"I know…" She finally settled her features. "You're right. Bruno needs me. I could have done more, but I didn't. I wallowed away in my own pity. I can't afford to waste any more time. I'll go and speak with him as soon as I can."
"Thank you." Rosco looked relieved. Then he looked back at the village, which was now glowing and starting to slowly break apart. "Well, it looks like my time is up."
"Really… So you have to go again."
"I do. That's okay, because remember what I told you. I'll still be around, resting somewhere in your memories. I'm dead, but I'm not gone."
"I know that if I tell you this, you'll likely say that it isn't worth it or that I shouldn't do it, but I'm going to get revenge for you." Olivia felt blood pool down her hand as her nails stabbed into her palm.
"Actually, I'm fine with that." Rosco chuckled.
"Seriously?"
"I'm not exactly keen to be dead." He admitted. "And, sorry, before you ask, I can't tell you about how I died. I'm not really the true me, just whatever this spell made, and since you have no clue, that means I have no clue." By now, Rosco was starting to glow. "I seriously have to go now."
"D-Do you think we'll really meet again one day? For real."
"Sure." Rosco smiled again. "Stranger things have happened after all." Everything began to fade away, and he started to flicker in and out like a fading flame. "It's okay to cry. It's okay to be mad. It's even okay to feel a bit of self-hatred. Just make sure you find more reasons to smile and that you're able to keep on living. If you do that, if you get a happy ending, I'm sure that the real Rosco would be content and happy. Well. Until we meet again."
And then he was gone.
Rosco vanished, and the memories did as well. She was still sad. She was still mad. It didn't quite hurt as much as it did before. She also wanted to talk to someone. Anyone. She felt like it would be good.
Then she instantly changed her mind when she blinked and came face-to-face with Merlin.
"So," Merlin began. "How was it—"
Her fist rammed into his nose, and Merlin let out a loud yelp and fell to the ground, clutching at a broken nose.
"What the fuck!" He screamed as red poured down his face.
***
Meanwhile, back in the world of the mind, where memories shaped themselves, and those that were long dead could hold a discussion with the living, a small, little blue orb floated around...
With its powers, it shifted the land around it and left Olivia. It would return, but there was someone else it wanted to talk with. Someone else connected to the World of Paths.
The blue orb found itself in a land of infinite ice. Snow poured down all around it, in jagged clumps, and if it had a body, it was sure that it would have long frozen to death. Within this ice, a lone figure stood.
It was as big as a mountain, covered in jagged red scales. Its arms were folded, and its head was placed down, both its eyes closed. It was not asleep.
"Why are you here?" This great beast, this dragon, spoke, rumbling the world. "Why have you come, being of the past?"
The blue orb shimmered. "Maya thought it detected you. It looks like Maya was right."
"Maya? Is that what you're calling yourself now?"
"Maya is a better name than 'Arthur'."
The dragon's eyes weakly opened, and it stared at the orb. "What do you want?"
"Maya wants to know why you aren't with your daughter? Maya knows that the Great Dragon of Roads is a big softie. Wouldn't spending time with her be a good idea? After all, who knows how much you have left?"
Flames poured from the dragon's nose, and its eyes tiredly closed again. "There will be plenty of time."
"Hmm? But are we on the path that leads to that time?"
"Go away, Maya."
"Aw? So soon? You aren't even going to ask Maya why she is clinging to your daughter's soul?"
"I don't care, because I know how you are as well." The dragon rumbled. "It's in your best interest to keep my daughter safe."
"For the time being," Maya admitted. "That said, don't think I won't get rid of her once my plans are done. Maya only cares about one project after all."
Another snort escaped from the dragon. "Yes, your little 'recreation'. The one involving that boy with the mixed Cores. Do you think it will truly work out the way you're hoping for?"
"Of course it will. Maya wants it, and so Maya will get it."
"Perhaps. I don't think it will, though." The dragon mused. "You need someone full of despair. Someone who has been swallowed up by the abyss, but when I first saw that boy, I knew that it wasn't him. He was someone who would reject it all. Someone born in the dark who would yearn for the light. Don't be shocked when that boy recreates Rome."
"Maya thinks you're stupid." The ball seemed to let out a huff, and it began to shimmer, having to return to the part of Olivia's soul it had taken to calling its home. "Do you even know that boy's name?"
"Of course I do. It is..."
***
Olivia frowned and rubbed her bruised knuckle. "What did you do?"
"I was trying to help you," Merlin grunted and forcefully popped his nose back in. "Memory magic. I used it to force you to step back into your memories and confront what was bothering you."
"Why?"
"That's how I got over my stress." Merlin shrugged. "It's nice seeing someone you thought you'd never see again. Even if you know it's not really them, you still get to talk to that person and get any final thoughts off your chest. Like the other people in my guild, I'm kind of a fuck-up when it comes to talking to people." He stood back up and let out a sigh. "Sorry if it didn't help."
Olivia hesitated but then gave a weak nod. "It helped a bit."
"A bit?"
"Yeah." She looked to the moon and at the clouds above. "I'm glad I got to see him again. I-I remembered things I had forgotten."
Merlin gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "It must be hard. You're in the right place, though. We've all had something taken away from us. This world is cruel, and it's a bitch. We don't have to deal with it alone. I don't know everything, but I can promise you this. The guild is going to help you if there is anything we can do. Even if it's just to talk to you or hunt the bastard that did it down, we'll make sure you don't have to suffer alone or in silence. So, if you're feeling down, please, just talk to one of us."
"No offense. It's a little weird hearing that come from you." Olivia let out a snort, feeling a bit better. "I mean, you're almost never around."
Merlin's kind look faded, and he folded his arms, clearly annoyed. "We see each other every day."
"We do?"
He rolled his eyes. "Forget it." He turned and waved for her to follow. "Let's head back to the camp."
"Right." Olivia let out a weak chuckle and followed him. "By the way, I wanted to ask. Did you see those memories? Or I guess, were you able to see the illusion?"
Merlin shook his head. "No. Of course I didn't. I wouldn't snoop. That spell was just you. All I did was tell it to play back some good memories."
"Good memories?" That made some sense. All the time she spent with Rosco was a cherished memory. One she was confident she'd remember forever. That way, he could always be a part of her. "Thanks for—"
Without any warning, Merlin shoved her to the ground and jumped back. The tree behind the two of them was suddenly split in two as a wave of air tore into it.
Olivia gasped as she hit the ground, and she looked up in shock. The campsite was directly in front of her, as was the dungeon's entrance, but Davi, Sieg, and Ken were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a new figure stood directly at the entrance of the cave. He wore long black robes that were similar to the kind Davi had on. In his hands, he clutched a katana that flowed with his mana, and, most alarmingly of all, he wore a bright red mask that showed the face of an elderly man with a long, pointed nose poking out of the tip.
Without a doubt, he was a Spell Sword. A member of the Mordheim nation was now standing before them.
"Damn." The man in the mask let out a chuckle. "Looks like I missed. Oh well, let's try this again." Without any warning, black flames seemed to erupt around him, and he raised his blade to the sky. The edge of it glowed, and the ground began to shake. "Row Water-Wind Slash!"
His arm dropped down, and both air and water launched out in two slash-like motions—a double casting of two spells, both from two different types of magic.