I thought deeply, recalling the very first scene I encountered after my possession.
When I opened my eyes, countless people were crammed together under a dim light, sitting as if they had been loaded like cargo.
‘Where the hell is this…?’
The last memories that surfaced in my mind were fragmented.
Screams.
When I raised my head, I saw an air conditioner outdoor unit falling toward me.
And then, darkness.
It felt hazy, as if I were drunk.
I stood up briefly and looked around.
Looking closer, most of them appeared to be teenagers, younger than me.
There were no clues I could infer anything from.
Since the surroundings shook occasionally, I assumed we were inside a vehicle.
Soon, the vibrations stopped, and there was a jarring thud followed by a shake.
The vehicle came to a halt.
The doors opened wide, revealing the lights of an unfamiliar city under the dark night sky.
“Alright, everyone out!”
“Move it! What’s taking you so long to get out?!”
The large, intimidating men standing outside began forcibly dragging the young teenagers out of the vehicle.
The atmosphere was menacing.
‘Damn it! Could this be human trafficking?’
I didn’t know why I was here, but I instinctively knew this was something illegal.
As I cautiously stepped out, I noticed thuggish men covered in tattoos lining people up and leading them elsewhere.
At the end of the line, people were boarding a pristine vehicle.
I instinctively realized that if I got on that vehicle, I would never see the outside world again.
Taking advantage of the moment when the thugs’ attention was elsewhere, I quickly stepped out of line and ran into an alley.
“Huh? Hey! That one’s running!”
“Get her! We can’t have anyone missing!”
I ran with all my might.
If they caught me, it was over!
However, I was caught by the thugs in no time.
‘Was I always this slow?’
“Gotcha!”
One of the large thugs grabbed me and lifted me off the ground.
I screamed.
“Ahhh! Let me go!”
As I screamed, I froze in shock.
A bright and unmistakably clear girl’s voice had escaped from me.
Flailing in panic at the bizarre situation, another thug approached and punched me hard in the stomach.
-Thud!
“Urgh… Ack…”
“Damn brat, making useless fuss.”
“Caught her? Then load her up already. We’re leaving soon!”
My vision went dark.
When my vision returned, I was lying in a space illuminated by bright lights from above.
In contrast to the light above me, the surroundings were pitch black.
I tried to move my body, but my arms and legs wouldn’t budge.
I couldn’t see it, but I felt something cold binding my wrists and ankles.
When I slightly raised my head, I saw that my body was covered with a green cloth.
I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Help! Someone, please… huh?”
I stopped mid-scream.
The thin, high-pitched girl’s voice wasn’t mine.
Confused, I looked around.
People wearing masks approached from the darkness.
“Hey! Untie me, please!”
“This one’s noisy. Gag her.”
“What? Wait! Mmph! Mmgh…!”
I struggled, but nothing happened.
They kept coming closer.
Something sharp gleamed in the light.
-Bzzzzzzzz!
“The Sigma-6 procedure will now begin. First, we’ll…”
A green cloth was placed over my head.
The sharp sound of machinery filled my ears.
The noise grew closer and closer.
I couldn’t see anything.
What is this?
What’s happening?
No. Stop.
No, please stop-
* * *
Hmm, what was it?
Something was on the tip of my memory but wouldn’t surface.
Nothing came to mind at all, as if my thoughts had been erased.
What in the world had happened?
I assumed that place was some sort of research institute.
Well, what happened afterward wasn’t vivid.
Imagine a poor indie film director screening a flashback-filled movie made with damaged film through a dusty old projector.
I plunged into darkness and was dragged back into the light several times.
“The procedure will commence.”
‘Nooo!’
Again, I found myself bound in the same place.
Each flicker of light felt like another part of me was being carved away.
“…Initiating the second frontal lobe enhancement procedure for Test Subject 10-6-8. Neural restructuring through multi-layered augmentation…”
‘Aaaahhhh!’
What was it?
Noise, screams… I remembered crying a lot.
I couldn’t recall anything else.
It felt like parts of me were constantly being cut away.
“…April 27th, Federal Calendar Year 24. Initiating neural-ether expansion for Test Subject 10-6-8. The method involves…”
‘Waaaah…’
It felt like my very existence had turned into clay, kneaded at will by the mischievous hands of cruel children.
Back into the darkness again.
I heard the faint sound of murmuring voices around me.
“…Ether-signal response levels within acceptable range. Consciousness transitioning from coma to lethargic state. Awakening imminent.”
Once again, light returned to my vision.
I stood submerged in a bubbling green liquid.
“…Federal Calendar Year 25, Month 13, Day 3, 12:13 PM. Current state of Test Subject 10-6-8’s consciousness…”
“…Awakening complete.”
Something strange was attached all over my mouth and body.
I was inside a massive test tube.
Several people in lab coats surrounded me, speaking among themselves.
When I tried to fall forward, the people in lab coats supported me.
They began removing the strange devices attached to my body and mouth.
‘Wait… Am I naked?’
I felt cold, a strange emptiness in my lower body.
The surroundings were more chaotic than I expected.
My head turned on its own as I scanned my surroundings.
‘Looks like I’m not the only one like this.’
Large test tubes were lined up in rows within the vast room.
Two or three researchers were assigned to each person who emerged, inspecting them before escorting them elsewhere.
I was led by their hands to a shower-like area.
They doused me in water, thoroughly soaking me again, and then wiped my body with a towel.
Afterward, they gave me a baggy hospital gown to wear.
Then, they took my photograph.
-Click!
The light flickered again.
This time, I was standing in a wide, open space.
“Test Subject 10-6-8. Carry out the instructions. Failure to comply within 60 seconds will result in penalties. 60, 59, 58…”
A speaker from one side delivered commands to me.
I stood still as the countdown continued.
As the countdown reached zero, a beeping sound suddenly emanated from my neck.
Instinctively, I reached for my neck and felt something hard, like a choker, around it.
In that instant—
Zap!
“Kyaaaang!”
A searing electric shock struck my body.
I screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping up before collapsing onto the floor.
They urged me forward.
I cried.
Once again, pain slammed into my body.
Instinctively, I stretched out my arm.
From my arm, something warm and invisible began to flow into the air.
In front of me, something started to form.
It was like watching a 3D printer create an object at three times the normal speed.
From the feet to the legs and then to the waist, the shape stacked up until, before I knew it, it had become the form of a young girl.
I momentarily forgot my pain, captivated by the strange sight.
There stood a girl in a thin hospital gown, with golden blonde hair cascading to her shoulders and piercing red eyes.
When I stretched out my arm, the girl did the same.
When I turned my head, the girl mirrored my movement.
The girl mimicked my every motion.
After some time, the girl slowly disintegrated into dust, scattering as though she had never existed.
The light flickered.
Once again, I was lying down, my limbs bound.
Once more, the sound of something spinning—”Whirrrrr”—echoed in the background.
Again, I was in a testing area… lying down.
Flicker.
When I opened my eyes, the world shimmered before me again.
It kept flickering.
Flicker.
‘Myself’ walked down a long hallway, guided by researchers.
Passing through several doors, we arrived at an office that seemed suitable for someone of high rank.
The researchers approached a man sitting in a chair and spoke to him.
The man, whose shiny bald head caught my attention, rose from his seat and walked toward me.
The middle-aged bald man seemed pleased.
It was the kind of expression greedy parents sometimes wore when their child handed them a report card with top grades.
“What’s your name?”
The bald man opened his mouth, and my mouth moved on its own.
“…I don’t know.”
‘Myself’ shook my head as I answered.
The man turned around and began asking his subordinates questions.
“Team Leader, does this test subject not have a name?”
“Director, regarding Test Subject 10-6-8… ah, that one is likely one of the samples brought in from outside of Rustlum…”
“A refugee, huh? Well, doesn’t matter.”
As they exchanged words, the bald man, addressed as “Director,” gestured for me to come closer.
‘Myself’ walked up to him.
“Didn’t we already have some prepared alias identities for the verified test subjects? If not… well, we still have those, don’t we?”
“Are you referring to the discarded test subjects, sir? We’ve selected a few identities suitable for use as aliases.”
“Perfect. Those useless vermin couldn’t even contribute with their bodies, so let’s at least make use of their names.”
The director tapped a few times on his tablet PC before making a gesture.
A large monitor mounted on the wall displayed a strange identification card with a picture of an unfamiliar girl.
“Violet… Violet Dunhind… Rugil… Rugilinn? Rugelinn? What an odd name. Alright, let’s go with this. Test Subject 10-6-8?”
“…Yes.”
The director looked down at me with an air of superiority.
“You’re Violet from now on. Got it? Say it.”
“Vi…o…let…?”
The director frowned slightly and smacked my head with a loud thud.
“Good grief, did the procedure reduce her linguistic intelligence? Say it again. Vi-o-let.”
“Vi…o…let…”
‘Myself’ slowly and carefully enunciated the name.
Only then did the director’s expression relax slightly.
As if the matter was settled, the bald director exchanged a few words with the researchers before plopping back down in his chair.
‘Myself’ was then led out of the office by the researchers, walking down the hallway again.
On one wall of the corridor, a striking red logo was displayed.
<Laplaxia>
It was a logo I felt I had seen somewhere before.
‘What was it?’
Hmm, I couldn’t remember.
The researchers told me to wait, so I stood by.
A large mirror on the wall caught my eye.
Inside the mirror stood a pretty girl.
A blonde-haired, ruby-eyed, beautiful girl.
I instinctively knew it was me and gasped in awe.
“This is me? Truly amazing!”
I felt like I should be surprised, but strangely, I wasn’t.
Instead, I felt excited.
Why was that?
Oh, right!
It was because I was a cute, beautiful girl.
No—had I always been this way?
I felt like something was missing in my head.
It was as if the part responsible for processing “surprise” had gone missing.
“Hehehe…”
No matter.
I was adorable, so who cares!
Wait a second.
Who was I?
Why was I here?
My head spun.
Suddenly, I felt confused.
“Aargh…”
I grabbed my head and groaned.
A translucent blue screen appeared before my eyes.
—————————————————–
Name: Violet Dunhind Rugilinn
Alias: Test Subject 10-6-8
Status: Research Institute Test Subject
Health: 1000
Mana: 1500
Unique Abilities:
■■■■: ???
Level 1 – Clone Technique
…
—————————————————–
I read the text floating in the air.
“Violet…”
My mind started to clear, like the sky after clouds had parted.
That’s right.
I’m not Violet.
But I am Violet.
I wasn’t originally from this world; I’d just realized that.
But for now, my reality was that I was Violet—a beautiful girl.
Yes, starting from this moment, my world began to regain clarity.
From the moment I faced the mirror and the status window appeared before me.
Though there were still gaps and missing parts in my memories.
After recalling up to this point, I closed my eyes.
“Urgh… Why are there parts of my memory I can’t recall?”
Ugh, forget it.
No use worrying about it.
Might as well sleep.
I won’t remember anyway.
I closed my eyes.