Normal POV
Once I was outside of the clocktower I started running.
My breath came out in harsh pants, my pulse quickened, and my body burned as I stopped running and leaned up against a nearby alley wall.
["There is nobody who can defeat you, you whom I created"]
The voice would not stop talking.
Would not stop repeating itself.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" I screamed clutching my head in hopes of drowning out the voice.
Why was this happening to me?! Did I suddenly turn into a schizophrenia from the five times I first died or something!
I slid down the wall until my back hit the cold ground, knees drawn to my chest as I buried my face in my hands. My fingers trembled violently, nails digging into my scalp like that might somehow anchor me to reality.
It didn't work.
["There is nobody who can defeat you, you whom I created."]
The voice wasn't loud.
That was the worst part.
It just stated the damn thing like it was a fact.
"Stop it..." I whispered, my voice cracking "I'm not-I'm not yours. I don't even who you are but I know for a fact you didn't 'make' me!"
My chest tightened painfully, breath coming out in short broken gasps. My vision swam, the edges of the world darkening as flashes of images bled into my mind without permission.
A hill of swords and dead bodies.
A one-armed man with a black helmet and yellow cape standing with that woman while glancing down at the glass box containing the dead corpse of Artoria Pendragon.
Her face was instantly recognizable to me from the memories I had as James.
The same helmeted man could be seen facing off against a person in purple robes.
Then there she was again.
The W҉i҉t҉c҉h҉.
I felt a mix of emotions staring at this W҉i҉t҉c҉h҉
Pride stood out above all the others.
"Get out of my head!" I snarled, slamming my fist into the stone ground.
Pain flared up my arm but it worked enough to focus me back in the present.
The visions finally stopped and so too did the image of that W҉i҉t҉c҉h҉
I sagged forward, forehead resting against my knees, sweat dripping down my temples despite the cold.
My entire body shook like I'd just run miles which, to be fair, I probably had.
But at least I could finally focus and breathe normally again.
Why...why was I seeing another set of memories? What does Artoria have to do with this? Could it be something connected with Gray?
Come to think of it Add's question from a couple days ago might make sense...it's either he sensed my witch factor or whoever that woman in my vision might be.
I rose up to my feet and began walking home.
No, I decided that it doesn't matter.
At the end of the day either these memories will come to me or they don't.
I can't spend who knows how long worrying about them pointlessly.
I already have enough on my plate as it is.
.
.
.
I knock three times on Miss's Harper's apartment door to pick up Nate who should be here after finishing from school
"Oh Rigel! You're right on time."
Miss Harper greeted me with her usual tired-but-kind smile, one hand on the doorframe and the other holding a folded cardigan. The faint smell of tea and something baked banana bread, maybe drifted out from the apartment.
"Sorry if he's a bit wound up," she added, glancing back over her shoulder "he just finished his homework early and's been bouncing off the walls since."
Right on cue.
"RIGEL!"
A blur of motion barreled toward me.
I barely had time to brace before Nate collided with my waist, arms wrapping around me in a full-on tackle hug.
"Oof hey, hey easy there, little star," I laughed, instinctively steadying him as he squeezed like he hadn't seen me in weeks instead of a single afternoon.
"You're late," he accused dramatically, pulling back just enough to look up at me with narrowed eyes.
I gave a mocking scoff "I'll have you know Nathaniel Jones, that a wizard is never late nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he needs to," I lectured.
He squinted harder, clearly debating this.
"...Yeah," he conceded after a moment "but your not a wizard so your still late"
Miss Harper chuckled softly "he's been counting the minutes."
"That so?" I ruffled Nate's hair, earning a grumpy noise of protest "guess I should feel honored."
"You should," Nate said seriously "I even saved you some blue gummy bears."
My heart took a direct hit.
"That's the highest honor imaginable," I replied solemnly.
Miss Harper handed me Nate's backpack and jacket "same arrangement as usual. Lunch's already taken care of on my end, but he's probably going to try and convince you to give him snacks."
Nate immediately looked innocent.
"I would never."
I gave him a look.
He cracked instantly "okay maybe once."
"Twice," Miss Harper corrected gently.
"...Twice," he admitted.
I smiled despite myself "thanks you Miss Harper you have no idea how much I really appreciate you doing this for me."
She waved it off with laugh "nonsense it's no problem for me, I would be disgracing your parents if I didn't."
"Alright then," I said, slinging the backpack over my shoulder, "let's head home."
We walked down across the hallway were I quickly opened the door to our place and placed Nate's backpack on top of the dinning table.
"So," Nate casually began as we sat on the sofa and started watching TV, "how was your new job?"
"Nothing fun I can tell you that for sure," I answered honestly "there was lots and lots of paperwork."
"Paperwork?" He made a face "that sounds super boring."
"It is," I agreed, "but sometimes you just have to do things you don't like in order to keep what we have. For us it's our place here," I gently explained.
That got his attention.
"ohhh," he nodded wisely "so jobs are boring but we have to do them or we can't keep our home?"
I laughed softly "exactly."
He was quiet again for a bit, then
"Hey Rigel?"
"Yeah?"
"...You okay?"
I glanced down at him.
There was no accusation in his voice.
Just simple concern, like he'd noticed something was off but didn't have the words for it.
Kids were scary like that.
"I'm fine kiddo," I said after a moment and this time, it wasn't entirely a lie "just tired is all. Say why don't you tell me how school was," I continued quickly changing the subject.
Nate's eyes lit up with glee as he began the process of explaining how his day was.
"So first we had math but Mrs. Keller let us use the blocks again, and I finished faster than Jeremy but he said it didn't count 'cause I used the blue ones but the blue ones are still numbers. then during recess Tommy tripped and cried but I helped him up and he stopped crying so I think that means I did a good thing."
Nate continued rambling, now talking about lunch trades and how someone tried to steal his pudding cup.
I listened the whole time trying my absolute best to not fall asleep.
Eventually though, Nate's energy tapered off.
He yawned mid-sentence, purple eyes drooping despite his best efforts to stay awake.
"Looks like someone's running out of energy," I teased gently.
He blinked "...huh?"
"Nothing," I chuckled, standing up "alright bath time, brush your teeth, and then bed."
"Aww," he groaned, but didn't argue much as I ushered him down the hall.
By the time Nate was tucked in complaining half-heartedly and clutching his blanket I felt the tension in my shoulders finally start to ease.
"Night, little star," I said softly, flicking off the light.
"Night, Rigel," he mumbled sleepily "please don't work yourself to hard."
"I won't."
I closed the door quietly and leaned my forehead against it for a moment longer than necessary.
Then my phone buzzed.
I frowned slightly and pulled it out.
Flat Escardos:
"yo Rai!!!
u free later??
was thinking maybe 7pm??
there's this arcade that makes some killer pizza's
we can hang for a bit and talk more about magecraft stuff!!!"
I thought about it.
I could use relax for a bit and be able to pick Flat's brain on his magecraft style.
Either way.
I exhaled slowly and typed back."
Rigel:
"Yeah bro.
I'm free.
7pm works.
Send me the address."
Flat Escardos:
"SICK!!!
this is gonna be fun."
I snorted despite myself and slipped the phone back into my pocket.
I glanced once more toward Nate's room, listening to the steady rhythm of his breathing through the door.
"Sleep tight Nate," I murmured to myself.
-end of chapter ten-
So a little slice of life here.
Then...we move on to Rigel going through more bits of hell.
As for the memories I want to clarify they are a set that the MC's Rigel side recognizes not James.