Chương 23: Realization

Atzi floated in the void. The pain of her death still lingered, the sharp point of a spear driven through her skull. And her father. What had happened to him? The question was more compelling than acknowledging his death. Both thoughts battered against her mind. Atzi sobbed, alone. When she finally grabbed back hold of herself, she saw the mysterious woman. Atzi was once again struck by how strange she looked, her sickly pale green skin giving an ethereal appearance. Nothing like Atzi had seen before or since.

The woman floated across from Atzi, her eyes closed. Atzi felt annoyed. She coughed, and it sounded like thunder.

"That's three times I've died now! Am I going back to get hit by that hag again?" Atzi grumbled.

"It's not a vision, is it? They're all real!" The woman did not respond. Atzi realized everything she'd been going through-"I... I keep repeating the same days." Even to Atzi's brilliant deduction, the woman still did not reply. All at once, Atzi ran out of patience.

"Well screw you too, then! Just send me back!" The strange woman finally opened her eyes- -and yawned.

"Sorry, I was sleeping. What did you say?"

"You- I was yelling at you!" Atzi tried to move closer to the woman, but she just seemed to glide away exactly as fast as Atzi approached. It was like chasing her own shadow.

"Whatever. Look, I figured it out. These aren't visions, they're real. I'm going back again, right? To waking up in the street a week ago."

"... I don't know." Atzi sighed.

"You don't know much of anything, huh?"

"... I wish I did," the woman said quietly. Atzi rubbed her claw over her face.

"Don't make me feel bad for yelling, now. I'm the one who's getting killed each time."

"Will you teach me?" the woman suddenly asked.

"Teach you what? Didn't you ask me before if you could see what I see? You can do that, right?" Atzi noticed something else strange about the woman - though she floated in the void like Atzi, she barely moved of her own will. Her lips and eyes, sure, but her body was nearly completely still, not a muscle moved. It was more like the void flowed around her, pushing her like water would.

"If I'm not asleep. And there's still so much I don't know." Maybe if I teach her something, she'll be able to help me figure out why this is going on. Or do anything other than just tell me she doesn't know.

"Fine. Just, I dunno, ask me if you don't know something. I'm not gonna answer if I'm talking to someone, though. I'd look like a total crazy." The woman receded into the void once more. Dad… does this mean you're okay now? If I wake up and everyone's alive again…

"Out! Out!" Atzi instantly rolled to the side, avoiding the cane strike. She sprung up.

"So I really do go back!" Atzi smiled at her own cleverness. The old lady harrumphed.

"If you have that much energy, you shouldn't be sleeping in the street!"

"I wish I didn't have to listen to you every time! Go to a temple if you wanna preach so badly!" Atzi stuck out her tongue.

"Crazy druggies!" The woman yelled. Yet she didn't try to hit Atzi over the head, and hobbled past. Huh, why don't I feel tired though? The other times I did. I was even tired when I… died… Atzi immediately felt worse as she recalled the events she went through. The skeletons, her terror, her father. The thing that wasn't her father. Atzi shook off the feeling. I get to do it right this time! I'm going to figure out what's going on, get someone else to solve everything, not die again, and rub it in mom's face.

But where to start… A few people passed her by as she scratched her scales in thought. I need to find someone who knows about all this stuff and get them to believe me. Who? How? And what does Hasen have to do with this? Maybe I could tell Hemm again? She might be happy to know it wasn't Cthy who did it. Or maybe it was Cthy and Hasen is working with them. Augh, why is this so hard! Atzi squatted and rubbed her head in frustration. A man passed by, pointedly ignoring her. The guards?

No, they wouldn't believe me at all, and then probably try to lock me up! I could tell Jem - she said she knows a mage. Or… Atzi ignored the no doubt very bad idea that she knew how to get an audience with one particular god. After having considered it. And what if the other gods were just as bad? Or worse! She tapped her claws. Then… I've got it! I'm a genius! She sprung up and ran, startling the man who'd just passed her. She made her way towards the rich district. She climbed over the fence, heading to V's.

They have to believe me if I know things I shouldn't. And I bet they have all kinds of connections! Despite the announcement of the prophet's death, V's guards were still posted outside their mansion. Which made sense to Atzi, V never struck her as the religious type. Atzi approached.

"I want another meeting with V."

"Wait here," a guard told her, and headed inside. The wait wasn't long, during which the other guard patted her down. The first guard came back out and pointed her to the dining room. Atzi went inside, and again through the ornate dining room doors. V sat at the table, a half-finished plate of poached eggs and a cup of tea in front of them.

"Atzi. I presume this is important?" they asked. Their tone was neutral, but Atzi knew if it wasn't actually important then V would be vindictive about it. Luckily, it was perhaps the most important thing possible.

"Yeah. It's a matter of life and death, for both of us. Well, for you more than me, actually." Atzi clicked her claws.

"Sorry, lemme start from the beginning." This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Wait." V held up a hand.

"Eh?"

"A matter of life and death? For me?" V asked, slow and measured.

"You planning to be in Sostra a week from now?" V narrowed their eyes.

"Well yeah, it is, then," Atzi said.

"Let us go to my office." V stood up, leaving their breakfast unattended. Atzi followed them. The interior of V's office was as Atzi remembered it. But then I guess I was just here the other day, from V's perspective. I wonder if the dagger is up their sleeve right now, or somewhere else? V sat down, and motioned for Atzi to do the same.

"Speak." Atzi was somewhat surprised V didn't bring any guards with them.

"Okay. First - shit, please listen and believe me, I'll do what I can to prove it." Atzi took a deep breath.

"I've died. Multiple times now." V was silent.

"I keep coming back and it's always on the same day at the same time. This morning."

"I do not believe you, but continue." V gave a dismissive wave. That's better than trying to hurt me because they think I'm pulling a prank.

"Things play out the same way. Well, not always the same. If I change what I do, things go differently. Last time I thought I'd just had a vision or something, like it couldn't be real. I got Cory to believe me, but that's about it. As for proving it, um…" If I describe V's bank plan, that should do it. Atzi did so, bringing up as much as she could remember from the two times she'd sat in on the heist meeting. Stuff like the blood lock is definitely secret. V leaned forward as Atzi relayed the plan.

Finally, they spoke.

"Though there are other explanations, they are unlikely. Not quite as unlikely as repeating the same day, however." They paused.

"Tell me everything else you know."

"You have that book the guards are looking for. It's how you're paying Cory to come help." V nodded.

"Something you could have learned if you'd somehow contacted her." Atzi drew in a breath. Should she give Cory up here? Would telling V about Cory's plans even do anything to change their mind? Well it's not like she could even steal the book without my help, she told herself, still feeling oddly guilty about it.

"Cory thinks you're gonna kill us after the job is done. Are you?"

"Have I? In these futures of yours?" V instantly replied. Atzi awkwardly waved her tail.

"... No."

"Then evidence enough."

"Um, please don't be mad, but I uh…" Atzi looked down.

"She talked me into helping her take the book…" Atzi quietly added after, "... then tried to kill me afterwards anyway." V's hands twitched.

"Tell me more about that." Please don't kill me, please don't kill me.

"W-well, after getting the blood, basically, um… she got you and a few guards alone to inspect it, then cast some kind of blood spell to bind the guards. Then I ran in and snatched the book. But I barely made it! You have that magic knife. And the weird crossbow." V pulled out the dagger from their sleeve.

"What do you know about these two objects?"

"The knife is super sharp, it could cut through my scales like they basically weren't there." Atzi looked at the glinting knife, and gulped.

"A-as for the crossbow, it made me feel super sick when it hit me. Way more than just painful."

"The crossbow is designed to separate soul from body of those it strikes." Atzi's eyes widened. And I survived that? Wow, I'm tougher than I thought.

"If it makes you feel any better, she pushed me off the wall and killed me right after, it's not like it worked out for me… plus, did you know she already has a girlfriend?!" V stared. Atzi awkwardly laughed.

"And, pray tell, why is my life in danger?" asked V.

"What happened to Novae happens to Sostra. On the sixteenth, day of the godscouncil. The second time I went through everything" - Atzi omitted the Serpent - "She and her girlfriend tried to kill me. But I made it out of the city, so I ran back home to Pomaria."

"You helped her steal the book a second time, after she betrayed you the first?" Atzi hiccuped.

"H-hey, you're making it sound like I'm stupid." V stared again.

"A-anyway," she continued, "I stayed home for a few days. Then- boom! The whole city gone. Could see it from Pomaria. Then there was a messenger, screaming that Hasen attacked Mediolanum, and there was this army of skeletons. Endless… I tried to escape them…" Atzi retched on air. V gently pushed the dagger back into their sleeve.

"Interesting. You clearly know things you shouldn't - even accounting for some things that could be told to you, the sheer amount could not come from any one source. And to have learned this from multiple sources is, for you, exceedingly improbable. Yet, you make claims that are at least as unlikely." Atzi shook her claws.

"I know other stuff too. Necromancers attacked a bunch of royals the night before. And I've seen council necromancers wandering around the city. A-and there's that cult of people who talk about embracing death! It's gotta all be connected somehow, right? Besides, you think I would tell you the stuff I did with Cory if I was making it up?"

"I think it would be trivial to mix lies with truth even if you were, somehow, telling the truth about experiencing this week multiple times."

"Why would I make up Sostra getting blown up? Or Cory cheating on me?! Oh, I know how I can prove it, I know who wins in the arena-""You do know the arena fights are rigged, correct?" Atzi nearly fell out of her chair.

"Ah? Well, I mean I figured" - not that it had ever stopped her from gambling before - "but I don't think the fight where one guy kills the other is rigged."

"Perhaps not, but by and large, they instruct their fighters to do what makes them a profit."

"Shit. So I'd have to not bet too much each time. Well, that's assuming there is a next time." Atzi rambled.

"Which there won't be!" She confidently added. Then she paused.

"But if there is, what would I need to do to convince you this is real?" V tapped a long black fingernail on their desk.

"There are too many things I do not know about this situation. I do not like it."

"I can't help that!" V ignored her.

"For example, what happens to the 'me' in this future of yours? After you come back?" Atzi's eyes widened.

"I… do you think it's still out there? Like another world, where I'm dead?"

"Perhaps." Atzi gaped as she thought about the implications. So I somehow came to this one? She didn't like the idea, but if it was the only way she got to live… I'm sorry, Atzi of this world, but I need your life more than you do.

"There are other possibilities, though. Ones assuming you are telling the accurate truth" - V looked Atzi in the eyes - "and ones which would explain your knowledge in a far more direct manner."

"No!" Atzi whined.

"I'm telling the truth, please believe me."

"For example, some other kind of magical effect. Or a demon crawled into your skull."

"I had a priest check me over. She would have caught anything like magic. And how do you even check if there's a demon in your skull?" Realization dawned on her.

"... Please don't crack my skull open. Dying really hurts!"

"I'm glad you qualified that. I was about to," V said dryly. Atzi laughed nervously.

"Funny joke!" Please be a joke.

"But even if you don't fully believe me, you know I'm not just making this up. What do I need to do to convince you?"

"If this happens again, I do want you to tell me. But considering that this is effectively another me, I would prefer this be your last life. Do you understand?" Atzi rapidly nodded.

"I would prefer that, too! But I need a backup plan-""That is your own matter. Let us focus on what we can do here and how. You mentioned you had a priest check you. I would like to perform a more comprehensive examination, to rule out various possibilities."

"And then you'll help me stop everyone from dying? Or at least me from dying?" Atzi asked.

"If the others are ruled out, then I will have no choice but to accept your given explanation, as unlikely as it is."

"How do we do that?" V stood.

"We will be heading to the magical academy shortly. Wait downstairs. I must prepare for the journey." Atzi got up and did so, waiting downstairs in V's living room. Oh come on, it's probably like a thirty minute walk at most, why do you have to 'prepare'! Rich people, I swear. If I had a bunch of money I'd just make other people prepare for me! V eventually presented themself. They wore a long black coat despite it being the middle of summer, and large black leather boots.

Their hair was tied back, and there was a light brush of makeup across their face, to give a small amount of color to their pale white complexion. Fancy, Atzi thought, wearing the clothes she slept on the street in.

"With us," V commanded a guard. The guard fell in line behind them. Atzi stretched.

"Then let's-""Two rules for our journey," V interrupted.

"One: You stay with me at all times. If you leave without permission, I'll have you hunted down and killed." Atzi gulped.

"Two: You do not repeat anything you told me, unless I explicitly tell you otherwise. On the same penalty. Understood?" Atzi gave a shaky nod. W-well, threatening to kill me isn't as big a threat as it would be normally. But I still don't want to die! It hurts! They set out towards the academy without another word.