Reoloy found himself sitting in his old bed. In his room. Just like he had left it not that long ago.
"So... it was a dream," he said, staring at the paused game screen on his TV. "No, that can't be right..."
His gaze veered off to his right, eyes widening in the process.
"Yeah..." he said dryly. "Most definitely not a dream."
Outside the window, where he had often stargazed while accompanied by the sounds of the city bustle, was... water.
It appeared as if his apartment was completely submerged.
"Ah... I was attacked," he said, remembering how off guard it had caught him. "A game over that quickly... That's pretty lame. "
Reoloy looked at his reflection in the window. It was still the reincarnated him, not the original him.
He found it odd. He hadn't been there long, so he wondered if the appearance of his soul should've been affected like this. He shrugged it, deciding he wasn't an expert anyway.
Instead, he somewhat wallowed in his self-pity.
In his reality, he had lived a decent length, but with no aspirations and no real hope. The new world gave him dreams and things to look forward to, yet he was snuffed out in a mere matter of days.
"What a cruel joke."
"Is this how you pass your time?"
Reoloy's head snapped up, darting across the room in a way that elicited a bout of déjà vu.
"Who is that?" he asked blankly. "The woman from the white place? Or... is it like... God?"
He felt silly asking, but at this point, he was willing to believe that anything was on the table, including the legendary subject of an entire faith on Earth.
Though he would be done for in an entirely new way if it were true.
"...What?"
'So, not God,' he resolved with a nod.
"I am the agent of the thing you seek," the voice said. "Or have you already forgotten?"
Reoloy blinked, understanding slowly dawning on him. He clasped his hands together, going into deep thought for a moment.
"You're the sixth guard beast—Nameless," he finally said, "aren't you?"
The disembodied voice laughed thunderously, seemingly disturbing the water outside, while the room remained completely fine.
"You do understand after all," it said. "But how do you know my name?"
Reoloy felt a cold leer tear into his very being, sort of like he was a helpless creature on a table being dissected alive.
He shrugged it off.
"Long story..." he trailed off when he recalled how secrecy had technically been the reason for his death.
But then it hit him.
"You wouldn't happen to possess the ability to interfere with death, would you?"
The sea beast scoffed.
"My creator is beyond the realm of normalcy," Nameless started. "But, even for them, death would be impossible to tinker with—let alone grant such power to an artificial being."
The reincarnator's form visibly revitalised, heaving out the heaviest sigh of relief.
It was not over.
He was still alive.
He smiled brightly, holding back a laugh only because it was back to serious business.
There was the matter of his current condition. It was bound to be bad. If he was unlucky, he could be dying anyway. He thought it was unlikely, however, because the fugitives were likely going to keep him for interrogation purposes or at least as a leash around Lohan's neck.
If they were any bit smarter than the average person, they would realise her strength—especially—was necessary to increase the survival rate of the rest of the journey.
"How long will you ignore me?"
And then there was this...
Why was the sixth beast guard here with him?
Reoloy sighed. "So... Master Nameless, what's my current condition like on the outside?"
Silence.
But he felt the eyes watching him, so he knew it was still there.
"You seemed injured, yes," Nameless said. "There's a girl taking care of you."
'Lohan.'
"The two of you washed up in my territory—the final gateway to my great creator's domain."
Reoloy found himself exasperated as the sea beast layered constant praise onto its "master." He filed it away as yet another thing that hadn't shone through in RON, however harmless it was.
"Wait," he said, interrupting whatever else Nameless was going to say. "You said only two washed up. What about the ship?"
"A ship?" Nameless asked. "Ah, there is one slowly approaching my waters as well."
"But clearly you aren't on it."
Reoloy froze.
He realised exactly what that meant. If it were his physical body, his heart would be beating out of his chest.
Those bastards threw him overboard.
He'd almost actually died.
All without knowing too.
"I'm assuming you saved me?" he asked before remembering Lohan. "Us, I mean."
"Not really," Nameless said casually. "I'm still debating letting you drown."
"The only reason you're still alive is because I feel the traces of my brother on you."
Reoloy blinked.
'Brother?' he pondered. 'Could it be...? There was some random rumour on the forums...'
"You mean the special beast by the cliffs next to Galma?" he asked slowly, testing the waters. "I asked him for some help a few days ago."
The space went quiet for a while. Somehow, Reoloy could feel that the beast was shaken.
"...And he actually offered you assistance?"
"Yeah."
Another pause.
"Why?"
Reoloy honestly didn't know the specifics except that it was a trick he had discovered after getting into the double digits of his playthroughs.
If you recited some hymn to the sea beast by the cliffs, he would help you skip ahead. The game never showed the player the full phrases, so he'd made up some stuff using what little he did know, hoping it would work.
"I told him I was here to lay claim to the sky."
The ocean outside trembled violently.
"You dare speak on something you don't understand...?"
Reoloy maintained his cool, staring plainly out into the water.
"I'm serious," he said, tone resolute. "I've come to wake Luvarne up."
The sea went still.
"You... know the great one's name?"
The boy had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes, instead putting on a look of admiration and respect.
"Of course!" he exclaimed. "How could I not?!"
Nameless gave a fake cough, though Reoloy could subtly feel that the being was pleased.
"I see," he said. "Very well. I shall bring you to the great one's domain. I'm sure she would want to meet you."
Reoloy's eyebrow rose. 'She?'
Had Nameless accidentally let that slip? He filed it away. Making another mental note to pick up a notebook at some point so he could keep track of all this chaos.
"How do I leave this place?"
"It is the realm of your mind," Nameless explained. "I simply reached in to talk to you."
'Ah, that's right,' Reoloy thought. 'High-ranked sea beasts communicate through the mind.'
He faltered.
'Has he been able to hear my "thoughts" in here?'
He dismissed it, reasoning that if that was the case, he wouldn't have fallen for his little play.
'And what a play it was,' he mused, patting himself on the back.
It hadn't even occurred to him that it was possible to make progress this way. This was the difference between real life and a game.
He resolved to keep his head on a swivel for any other such opportunities. It would be nothing short of wasteful not to make use of such exploits wherever they came up.
"I've led you and your companion to your desired location," Nameless said, snapping him out of his reverie. "From here on, it's your part to play."
He paused, feelings of his sentimentality pouring into Reoloy.
"I do hope you succeed."
Reoloy nodded, before remembering something.
"Before you go," he started. "...What do you intend to do with the ship and its passengers?"
Nameless released a hearty laugh that quickly turned sinister.
"The same thing I've always done..."
Reoloy could've sworn he saw a massive shadow swim past in the window.
"Crush them perfectly."
---
He woke up on a beach.
A wave splashed on his face, making him jolt upwards.
Cough
Cough
Despite feeling cold, his legs were burning. His jaw felt like a sledgehammer had rocked it as well.
"Reoloy!" Lohan yelled, jumping onto him with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Ouch! Ouch!" he yelped. "My ribs! My ribs!"
"Oh, right..." she said, moving back sheepishly. "Sorry."
Reoloy's gaze swept the area, recognising every bit of it. This was Cardana—the southernmost land of the Pandora continent.
He felt an emotion that was alien to him. He was now the closest he had ever been to getting his foot on the starting line. He just had to make it through the remaining obstacles.
He stood up, immediately regretting it as he buckled from the pain in his thighs.
Lohan rushed in and caught him.
"Hey, take it easy!"
Reoloy gave her a once-over. He had understood what Lohan's presence meant when Nameless broke down their condition.
She had abandoned everyone else and the safety afforded by being on the ship to come after him. She didn't even know what dangers the ocean held, and she did it anyway.
He couldn't understand that.
"Why are you here?" he groaned out.
Lohan looked at him like he was being stupid.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked. "It's you and me until we get home. Remember?"
Reoloy winced, uncomfortable feelings already rising in his chest.
His guard was now up. He couldn't have yet another attempt on his life after coming this far.
He had to make it to the local village at least.
He would be somewhat safer there than alone with Lohan should she find out.
"I know you don't remember, though," she suddenly said calmly. "Because you're not the Reoloy I knew."
The reincarnator's blood ran cold.
He pushed off of her before she could register and began hobbling away toward the woods.
'This can't be happening!' he thought, his expression twisted in desperation. 'Not now! Not now!'
He shot a glance back, seeing her walking a bit behind him, steadily catching up. His foot caught in a root, making him fall.
Not wanting to call it quits, he crawled, digging his fingers into the dirt and pulling himself roughly.
'Come on! Please!' he thought. 'Is it not enough that I've lived pathetically until now?!'
His eyes looked up to the sky, lightly blocked by the treeline, as if challenging the world.
'What more do you want?! I'm grovelling... can't it end with this?!'
He was so close.
He couldn't let it end here.
Not when he could touch it with his fingertips.
"That's enough," Lohan said, grabbing the scruff of his jumpsuit. "That body—"
She stumbled over her words and shook herself off.
"Your body is already hurt."
She gently laid him against a tree and sat down next to him.
"Cisco came to me not long ago and told me that he thought you were an imposter," she explained, chuckling lightly. "He said you were a skin changer or something."
Reoloy watched her silently, still tensing even through the pain.
"Of course," Lohan started. "I already knew."
His eyes shot open, mouth parting to speak.
The lavender-haired girl shook her head.
"It's not because of anything you did," she explained wistfully, a hint of sorrow breaking through her calm demeanour. "It's just that I was there when Reoloy..."
The realisation hit him like bricks, his heart clenching. He felt like he had to offer words of comfort, but nothing came to mind. He just remained fixed in place, trying to force anything out.
Silence prevailed for a period as they listened to the trees rustle in the wind.
"...Why did you come to help me then?" Reoloy asked hesitantly. "I'm the one who—"
"I think you're a good person."
He looked at her incredulously.
"You wouldn't feel the way you do if you weren't," she finished off.
He couldn't formulate a response to that, instead looking at the trees with her.
"Reoloy—the real, er, original one—had a dream," she said. "I mentioned going home earlier..."
He nodded.
"Reoloy wanted to go back to some place called Damser," she continued. "Mentioning it was the only thing that could get him to light up."
Lohan's eyes closed before turning toward him.
"It's not my place..." she said softly. "But I would like to ask you to please take that body to that place for him."
Reoloy was stunned. This was completely outside the realm of his understanding. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
He watched as she bowed to the ground.
"Please!"
"Hey, hey, there's no need for that!" he said, waving his hands frantically.
He winced as he felt pain shoot through his side.
"It's okay," he continued. "I'll do it."
"Really?!" she asked, shooting upright.
"Really."
Lohan smiled brightly. So much so, he couldn't help but admire her. His opinion of her flipped entirely. He now found himself wanting to actually become her friend.
"I knew you were a good guy!" she exclaimed, seemingly proud of herself for guessing correctly. "I'll help you out with whatever it is you're up to."
"I would appreciate that."
The boy felt his body creak and ache in abnormal ways, choosing to settle himself even further against the tree.
"But let's rest first."
He thought about the original owner of the vessel he inhabited and the mysteries that shrouded him. Then his journey to this point. The mistakes he made. The failures. The things he didn't know...
Particularly, people.
He suddenly found himself budding an interest in people.
From his confrontation with the fugitives born of Cisco's concern and grief for someone he cared about, to the talk with Nameless...
And now, Lohan's desperate wish made to a perfect stranger for her friend.
'I can't help but feel a little jealous...' he thought with a smile. 'You really had amazing people around you.'