The New World: Memories of a Forgotten Age (Pt 5)

My eyes snapped open. I was breathing heavily, lying on my bed. I rolled over on my side, gripping my sheets, my tails curling around my legs as I trembled gently. I didn't remember anything about the last twenty-four hours.

‘I…Illaena…? … H... How much time…?’

‘A day, like I said. Thank you, Naema. I have made significant progress in getting my own body. I really appreciate your choice to go through with it.’

‘You didn't give me a choice.’

‘I did. Unlike Myria, I am not one to force things on people.’

‘That’s why I'm a girl, right?’

‘That was out of my control. It is not a valid example.’

‘Forcing me into a goddess…’

‘That is also out of my control. It is happening. Because it NEEDS to happen. If you wish to blame anyone, blame Myria. She is the one putting you through all of this in the first place by usurping my throne.’

‘… Mrrgh. I guess.’

I sat up, rubbing my forehead, feeling wide awake in the middle of the night. It was an eerie sensation. My mind… It felt like it’d just been asleep for the past day. However my body was tired. Two conflicting signals seemed to be confusing me. I guess that’s the price to pay over having another being live inside your mind.

I stood up groggily, wiping under my eyes and heading over to the window, brushing away the curtains. It was night-time. I peered out of the window, looking down at the alleyway outside, sighing gently, resting my hands on the windowsill and swaying my tails ever so slightly.

I furrowed my brow a little, raising a hand to my face and pushing away some thick strands of hair, before one of my hands brushed over my ear. I sighed a little more at that, rubbing at it, my other hand roaming to where my ear USED to be, feeling the smooth skin. I sighed.

“… Am I ever going to get used to this?” I asked to nobody in particular. I hung my head a little, feeling my eyes getting slightly watery. I walked away from the windowsill, closing the curtains, and headed to my desk, sitting down, my tails hanging over the top of the seat.

The book.

My eyes glanced towards the book—the one that had given me weird visions. Visions… No, they felt more like memories.
I opened the book, and turned to the second page, staring at it. Should I risk it? What if I wasn't able to come out?

‘Go with what your heart tells you. I can pull you out if you cannot.’ Illaena told me.

‘Illaena… Do you know what this is?’

Unhelpfully, she remained silent. I grimaced. “Great.” I sighed, staring at the book for a moment, before grumbling to myself and placing my hand on the page.

Immediately I lurched forward. I felt that strange yet now familiar sensation of being pulled inside the pages.

My eyes snapped open. I took a few deep breaths, realising that I was floating in the air above what I recognised to be that woman from before—Zoe. These were her memories, I was certain.

She was wearing a thick looking leather trenchcoat. She was walking down an alleyway, carrying many papers. It was night-time. She seemed to be in a hurry, and looking over her shoulder every now and then—was she being followed? Did she think she was being followed?

Then, she fumbled with the lock to a door on the side of a building. Eventually, after pushing it open, she rushes inside and locks the door.

I landed on the ground, my feet hitting the solid ground—I knew now, it was solid because I made it. This was only a memory; and I was an observer. I walked forward, melting through the door and re-emerging on the other side, narrowing my eyebrows as I looked around.

What I saw was a study filled with papers, old and new. Crates with files upon files layered in a way almost to the roof. And at the end, there was a desk; some time must have passed since the last memory. I walked beside her as she sat down, placing the papers neatly on the desk, rummaging through them, and breathing heavily as she did so as if she’d been running.

A buzzing was heard. She paused for a moment, as a sliver of sweat ran down her forehead. She glanced down, her hand hovering over her pocket for a moment as she closed her eyes.

A moment passed. Then, she pulled out a phone, flipping the top over. I peered over her shoulder, eyeing the text on a message she’d received.

‘Slow and easy, Zoe. Slow and easy.’

She grimaced, her knuckles whitening as she threw the phone onto the desk, it sliding just near the end of it as she moved her focus back to the paper.

I did likewise, leaning a bit too close into her. I felt a bit of a trembling sensation through my body as it connected with hers. I let out a deep breath of my own, closing my eyes, before opening them again, and pressing forward, wondering what would happen.
The outlines of my body meshed with hers. I found myself silhouetting around her, like some kind of aura. And then… My body shrank, its proportions shifting to match hers perfectly. The next time I opened my eyes, I was seeing from Zoe’s perspective.

Not only was I seeing from her perspective, but I was feeling things from her perspective too. It was like I was observing everything from within her body as she moved—my arm moving as hers did, me blinking as she does. It was an eerie sensation—and one I found myself wondering if that was how Illaena felt while trapped inside my mind. I felt a twang of sympathy.

Zoe felt… Worried. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and with each sharp breath she felt a pain in her sides. She took a moment to refocus her thoughts and catch her breath.

She was a strong woman. She must work out or something, because her muscles felt much more powerful than my own. I winced internally, reminding myself that I really needed to train.
Zoe brushed a strand of her short, black hair out of her face as she adjusted her glasses, finally beginning to read the paper. I felt the information seep into my own mind as well. Top Secret was stamped all over the paper—Zoe must have done something really, really risky to obtain these.

“Section 43, Report 9. The particles are acting within the predicted boundaries. The Genesis project commences tomorrow at 9 am. Dr. Kara suggests we go with Proposition 9. The General disagrees, and thinks that Proposition 18 has a higher success rate.
As such, Dr. Kara has been terminated from the project, as of the 18th of July, 2023.
Mr. Hamillton has been promoted to take her place.

The experiments will begin at the end of the week.”

Zoe narrowed her eyebrow. “… Eight years…” She mumbled to herself, shaking her head. She placed the paper back on the desk and pulled out another one.

“Section 43, Report 21.

Project terminated by forces outside our control. Scientists pushing forward regardless. Funding running out. Testing rushed to later today. Expecting a raid tomorrow. Barricades up.”

Zoe’s expression got more and more worried. She placed the paper to the side, searching for the next paper, but couldn't find it. Instead, she searches for more information.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a small, handwritten note. She raised her eyebrows, and reached out for it, pulling it into her view.

“It is done. And the world shall be born anew.”

She stared at it for a moment, digesting it. She placed the paper on the desk again, her muscles tensing.

A buzz sounded from the end of the table.

Zoe glanced up, to see the notification light on her cellphone glowing.  She reached over, her hands a little shaky as she pulled it into view, flicking it open again.
Another message.

“They thought they could change the world.”

She stared at the message for a moment. It buzzed in her hand, another one arriving on screen.

“But it was not they who initiated the change.”

Zoe frowned. “Then… Who?”

An unearthly presence seemed to fill the room. Zoe shivered a little, slowly glancing over her shoulder.

An outlined figure in white was standing behind her. I immediately recognised her. Illaena.

Zoe’s eyes widened, and she could barely stop herself from screaming. She recoiled in her seat, causing the chair she was sitting on to topple. She banged the back of her head on the table as she fell to the ground, her legs in a heap over the chair edge. She rubbed the back of her head, glancing upwards again at the figure.

“Are you… -- Are you sending me…?”

The figure nodded. “Yes. The barriers between worlds have collapsed enough to the point where we can now manifest ourselves.”

“… Who—no… What, are you?”

“You may call me Aria. I am what you would call a Goddess.”

I furrowed my brow, as Zoe stared at the figure, speechless. It… It totally looked like Illaena, but—her name was Aria? This didn't make sense to me. Then again, at this point in time, not a lot of things DID.

“Come, now. You know enough at this point to where you know this is not a dream.” She laughed.

“Aria… Goddess… … But--… How? Another world? What do you mean?!”

“I suppose it is hard to put it in human terms. The easiest way to describe it would be to think of your world as existing against a membrane that seals us off. That membrane has existed for aeons, and has prevented any kind of direct contact or influence from us. Now, the membrane has been torn.”

“… Allowing you guys passage through?”

Aria nodded. “But there is more… There is a greater threat. Our world is not--”

I cringed suddenly, finding myself thrown out of Zoe, onto the ground and gripping my head in pain. The entire world blurred around me, a loud buzzing filling my ears, before everything returned somewhat normal.

“Okay… So… You want me to… Do WHAT now?!” Zoe’s voice filled my ears, sounding shocked, and somewhat frightened.

I glanced around to see her stand. I did so myself, brushing myself off and moving back so I had a view of the two.

“Break the membrane. Unleash us into the world, and we shall reward you richly. Too long have we sat idly by, letting this world destroy itself. We have watched from the side-lines. But we could not directly interfere. That’s how it has always been. But now… Now, we have a chance to fix this world. And if you cooperate… Well. We will be forever in your debt, Zoe Hitchens. Now is your chance…. To be a legend.”

The room was still for a moment. Zoe seemed to be considering the proposal, thinking very quickly. She let out several deep breaths, before…

“… I accept.”

The memory faded to white, and I found myself back in my body, head lying on top of the book. I grumbled a little. The page must have come to an end.

Still, though… it was interesting. I sat up, closing the book, trembling a little. That was enough for now.

‘Illaena… Who is Aria?’ I asked.

‘Aria… I have not gone by that name in a long, long time.’ Illaena replied, deep in thought.

‘So, that… That was you? You contacted Zoe Hitchens?’

‘Yes, Naema.’

‘… Do you know who gave me this book, Illaena?’

‘… … … There are some things that are better left unsaid.’

‘That’s bullshit.’

‘Alright, fine. I did it. By way of your body.’

‘… You bought this book to me? Why?’

‘Because, Naema, it is prudent to know what came before in dealing with the now.’

‘A history lesson, then.’

‘Of sorts, yes.’

‘… Whatever. You deities… You’re so hard to understand. It’s like you intentionally keep us in the dark.’

Illaena was quiet after that. I grimaced, lowering my head slightly and gripping the sides of my desk. I wanted to understand. No, I… I had to understand. This is what I was becoming, after all. A goddess. Soon… I’d be among their ranks. Maybe… Maybe that was why she was showing me this.

I walked over to my sleeping bag, and laid down inside it, hugging the fabric. I really wanted a proper bed. This was becoming annoying. I curled up, closing my eyes, trying to force my mind to calm down enough so I could sleep.