I am currently facing a troubling situation.
I woke up at dawn to see a pale-haired woman, and I instinctively counterattacked. However, the “ghost” turned out to be Daphne!
For some reason, she had been hanging from the second bunk of the bed, and when I pushed her, she toppled backward.
By the time I understood the situation, I was sitting like a criminal, being scolded by a sulking Daphne.
“Why would you suddenly push me like that!”
“I’m sorry! I thought you were a ghost and attacked!”
“A ghost? Me?”
Fortunately, Daphne is also an Awakened. Falling from the height of a second bunk bed hadn’t resulted in any injuries or fractures.
However, her emotional wound seemed significant.
“I was checking if you seemed unwell, and you just shoved me. Does that make sense? That’s so mean.”
“But you suddenly popped your head out in the middle of the night; it really looked like a ghost. Especially since your hair is silver.”
My clumsy excuse only made things worse. Daphne opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it, lowering her head with a dejected expression.
“I guess I was wrong, too. I’m sorry for startling you. I just wanted to help…”
Her voice trailed off, and she looked like she felt wronged. Her beautiful blue eyes, glowing faintly, held a touch of sorrow.
-What do I do? She seems disappointed!-
-This is our fault. Let’s apologize.-
“I was wrong. I’m sorry. I won’t push you next time!”
I spent the next five minutes earnestly apologizing to Daphne and managed to earn her forgiveness.
“I apologize again. If I see anything that looks like you, I’ll talk first next time!”
“No, it’s okay. Thinking about it, it makes sense. If someone unknown touched my head at night, I’d probably freak out too.”
She laughed awkwardly, seeming a little embarrassed.
I should be more careful next time. If I had reacted more recklessly, I might’ve drawn my weapon.
By the way, there was one thing I was curious about.
“But Daphne, why were you on the top bunk?”
She calmly began to explain.
“Actually…”
She told me that I often groaned and tossed around in bed at night. In the first week, it was occasional, but it had become more frequent after the second week.
“At first, I thought it was just sleep talking.”
She opened her palm, and a gentle greenish light of magic glowed from it.
“One day, you looked so distressed lying in bed that I decided to use my unique ability. I thought I’d tell you directly about your condition later, but things turned out like this.”
“Every night? Was it really that bad?”
“You wouldn’t know since you were asleep. Does anything come to mind? Just earlier, you were crying out in pain in your sleep.”
Her unique ability, she explained, included a healing power that could provide psychological stability.
By carefully adjusting it, it emitted specific waves that calmed the brain, reducing pain and inducing a sense of peace.
This was news to me.
Was I really causing such a ruckus at night?
-Do any of you recall anything?-
-No clue. We’re asleep, so what could we notice?-
Even after discussing with my other selves, all I received were doubtful reactions.
I thought back.
What had happened before I slept, while I was asleep?
“I remember. I had a bad dream.”
The situation became clear.
I must have been having seizures in my sleep, and Daphne used her unique ability to calm me down.
Wait, judging by how she spoke, it seemed like this wasn’t just a one-time thing.
“Wait a minute, have you been checking on me and healing me every night? Don’t tell me you lost sleep because of me?”
“Don’t worry about that. The times when your condition worsens overlap with my waking hours anyway. It’s not a big strain.”
She shrugged her shoulders. Watching her smile as if it were nothing made me feel ashamed.
To think I mistook such a kind person for a ghost and knocked her off the bed.
Could I be any more selfish?
“Thanks for forgiving me earlier. Daphne, you really are a kind person!”
“A kind… person?”
She seemed to hesitate for a moment at the last part of my sentence.
“I’m not that kind of person…”
“What do you mean? You lost sleep because of me.”
“Well, I just can’t stand seeing people around me suffer or in pain.”
Her sudden self-deprecating comment left me unsure of what to say, and I sat there awkwardly.
Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Daphne changed the subject.
“Did I say something strange? I must’ve been reminded of the past for a moment… Anyway, may I ask you a sensitive question?”
“As long as it’s not too strange, I’ll try to answer.”
“Alright, then. Rugilinn, have you ever experienced something bad in the past?”
“Something bad? What do you mean?”
She began explaining with a serious expression.
Caught off guard by her use of psychological and medical jargon, I struggled to keep up.
In summary, this was what she meant:
“I’m not a professional doctor, but I’ve seen similar cases before. What you’re experiencing resembles symptoms of PTSD.”
“PTSD? Isn’t that something war veterans suffer from?”
At my question, she shook her head.
“PTSD can affect anyone. Anyone who has experienced something traumatic can suffer from it.”
“Something traumatic from the past? I don’t think so. Let me think about it.”
I fell deep into thought.
Like flipping through an old elementary school diary, I sorted through my memories.
There was the time I spent at the research institute.
Memories of being harassed by that mean ponytail researcher or electrocuted by that slicked-back bastard came to mind.
More recently, I had experiences in the dungeon where my head exploded or limbs were severed.
But were those events really that hard to endure?
Now, they’ve faded into a “that happened” level of insignificance.
Besides, I dealt with the culprits myself.
So, what could the problem be? Could it be something from even earlier?
The moment I tried to think, a headache began to build.
I couldn’t remember.
It felt like someone had deliberately cut off parts of my memory.
A bright light, a mask… I was lying down, unable to move, and then… someone approached…
My head.
It hurt.
“Ugh… Ugh!”
“Are you okay?”
I clutched my head and shook it side to side.
The world spun around me.
When I stood, my body staggered, and I suddenly found myself short of breath, cold sweat pouring from me.
As I nearly collapsed, Daphne caught and held me close.
Enveloped in her soft, warm embrace, my breathing began to calm.
Once again, a healing wave enveloped my head.
Only when a gentle hand stroked my hair did I manage to catch my breath.
“H-heuk… Heuk…”
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me.”
“It’s not Daphne’s fault…”
Once again, a healing wave wrapped around my head.
Only when a tender touch brushed my hair was I able to calm my breathing.
“Just stay with me a little longer…”
Daphne silently patted me on the back.
I didn’t want to think anymore.
I just closed my eyes and leaned into her embrace for a moment.
When my emotions settled, I was finally able to sit back down with her support.
“How about going to the hospital, just once?”
“The hospital? No way!”
The word “hospital” triggered an automatic and intense reaction in my body.
For some reason, the mere mention of it felt unsettling.
“Alright. If you don’t want to, I can’t force you. But if it gets worse, you have to promise to seek help. Okay?”
She kept emphasizing the severity of the situation with a serious expression.
Maybe I should actually schedule a session with a therapist someday.
I’d never gone even before this possession; it might be worth trying now.
My head throbbed again.
“Could you use the healing wave on me again? My head hurts…”
“Alright. Then lie down here for a moment.”
I lay down with Daphne’s lap serving as my pillow.
Once more, her soft hand covered my forehead, and a warm wave enveloped my head.
It was as refreshing as a spring breeze and as soothing as sunlight.
When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by a large, soft curve blocking my view.
As always, I noticed that Daphne’s chest was larger than mine.
How her slim, delicate body managed to coexist with such fullness was beyond me.
As my pain and anxiety faded, a random thought crossed my mind.
With a figure like hers, wouldn’t it feel warmer and cozier to cuddle with her while sleeping?
I wondered what it would feel like to hold Daphne tightly as I drifted off.
Would it be incredibly comfortable?
Sensing something amiss, Daphne’s gaze shifted toward me.
“You seem to be having an amusing thought. Can I hear it?”
“Huh? It’s nothing!”
“It’s not something weird, is it?”
“Ehehe…”
I decided not to tell her.
Enough strange thoughts for now.
When the central district began gleaming under the early morning sun, No. 58 sought out Kalia.
“Oh, Violet. Which number are you… Ah, never mind. There are so many of you. Is that submerged cart issue still unresolved?”
“No, I came to check on something else.”
“Ask quickly. I’m busy.”
Before heading to school, No. 58 asked Kalia if anything unusual had happened while staying at the Brotherhood’s quarters.
“Unusual? No, nothing like that… Oh. There was one thing.”
“What was it?”
“I didn’t mention it because I thought it might embarrass you, but during the first few nights after you escaped the lab, we often heard crying from your bedroom. It was odd, but it gradually stopped after a few weeks. Everyone was worried back then. Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Uh, it’s nothing. Thanks for telling me!”
I gave a vague reply.
Kalia scrutinized me for a moment before making a blunt remark.
“Hey, Violet. Are you doing okay lately?”
“There’s nothing wrong. Why?”
She bent slightly to meet me at eye level.
Her calm emerald eyes studied me closely.
“Are you really sure? It’s good that you’ve been keeping busy with deliveries and searches, but you don’t look well.”
“I’m just tired. A good rest will fix everything!”
“It’s not that kind of thing. Even the others… Never mind. If you say you’re fine, I’ll drop it.”
As she turned to leave, Kalia looked back, her tone laced with concern.
“Later, if things get tough or overwhelming, come find me. Don’t make me come to you. Got it?”
“Got it!”
No. 58 walked off briskly, disappearing into the alleyways.
That afternoon, during a brief moment of free time, we discussed our condition.
-Kalia is right. Except for the first few days, I haven’t had any nightmares. But they seem to be increasing lately.-
-The second week? What happened back then?-
-That’s when we started increasing the number of clones and actively engaging in activities.-
Could the rising number of clones be connected to the frequency of nightmares?
Someone suggested that our bad memories might amplify with the number of clones, but nothing was certain.
However, we identified one common thread.
We realized there was something we didn’t know.
We had forgotten something important.
Every time we tried to recall it, enduring headaches and dizziness, an empty sensation filled our minds.
-It feels like we forgot something.-
-Yeah. Something really important. It’s like forgetting the password to a door.-
What could it be?
It felt as though someone had carved out a part of our memory, leaving a blank space.
-Well, maybe we’ll remember someday!-
I brushed it off lightly and headed to the meeting place.
Sitting on a secluded bench, I waited until Irene appeared.
“You’re early. I heard you won your duel.”
“Yeah, it was no big deal. So, what is it you wanted to say?”
Today, Irene seemed even more confident than usual.
“I’m going to challenge the freshman council soon. I finished preparing faster than I expected.”
I knew it.
Irene was bound to take action.
Maybe this ridiculous control could end sooner than expected.