"HAAAH!"
A loud gasp tore out of my throat as I sat bolt upright, sweating a flood.
I wasn't in the tub anymore. I was back on the bed. My heart was thumping against my ribs so hard it felt like it was going to crack a bone.
What just happened?
-Whoosh!
[TRANSFER COMPLETE]
That's right. The memories.
I closed my eyes, trying to force the pieces together. Just like magic, it all started flooding back.
I knew who I was.
Where I was.
Why I was here.
And I knew exactly what happened two days before I woke up.
"The idiot killed himself," I muttered, opening my eyes after a long time spent sifting through a past that didn't belong to me.
"Pathetic."
That's all I had to describe him.
A pathetic fool who had everything, everything he ever needed handed to him on a silver platter.
But he still killed himself.
I was mad.
I didn't even understand why, but I was damn furious.
[PERSONALITIES FUSING]
"WHAT?! NO!" I lunged forward, trying to stop the notification, but my hands just phased through the interface.
The next instant, the process kicked off.
[PROGRESS 10%]
"Shit!" I grabbed at my head, trying everything I could to make it stop. I couldn't imagine myself going back to what I used to be. Because that's exactly what this fool was—he was the old me. The clown. The needy child.
[PROGRESS 50%]
"Fucking stop already!"
NO.
NONONONONONONONO.
STOP! PLEASE!
I CAN'T GO BACK TO THE START!
I KNOW WHAT IT TOOK TO STOP CARING! I KNOW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO KILL MY EMOTIONS!
"FUCKING STOP!"
[PROGRESS 99%]
"No..."
[PROGRESS 100%]
Just like a device with its plug pulled out, I dropped cold.
.....
....
...
..
.
Lorel Morel.
The Eleventh Prince of Vicendra.
He was the weakest of the eleven siblings.
They called him many things, but the name that stuck the longest was "Royal Trash."
God, I hated him.
I hated this son of a bitch for being so weak.
It was all within his reach.
He had everything he ever needed.
He could have changed everything; he had the power of a prince and a legion of his own, just like his brothers and sisters. He had a fighting chance, but he never took it. He let them walk over him. He let them mock him and beat him until he finally decided to end it.
He disgusts me.
"LOREL!"
"HAAAA!" I gasped for the third time.
My vision cleared instantly to reveal a young girl in her late teens. She had dark, extremely long, and lustrous midnight-blue hair. Azure orbs focused solely on me, shimmering with worry.
"Moresa," I muttered.
She looked more beautiful than she did in my memories.
"It's been three days already... I just had to come in."
Yes, I remember now. Lorel had ordered her not to enter his room. He'd told her he wanted to be alone for a week. If I remember correctly, she should be his personal attendant.
"It's only the third day."
"I know, and I'm sorry for going against your orders. I will accept any punishment you give me, but I will not leave you alone again. No matter what."
She spoke with firm determination.
-Sighs.
My head is a mess. I need time to collect myself.
"I'm going to take a bath," I said.
She nodded. It was only then I realized we were still on the bed; she was leaning against the top frame in a seated position, holding me up in a hug.
She let go, and I rolled out of the bed painstakingly. My body was aching all over, not to mention my head was banging like crazy. Stupid system. I knew I got a dud.
"Miss Helene visited."
"So?"
"I turned her away."
"Good."
I pushed open the bathroom door and walked right in. It was just as I feared. My emotions were now one with Lorel's. Just the mention of that name and I could feel my heart rate spike. Even my breathing felt shallow.
My feelings, too. Even more pathetic. Simping over a girl who watched you suffer for her sake without so much as moving a muscle.
No. I have to kill these emotions. I will kill them.
-Sighs.
-Swoosh.
The water filled up the tub, and I climbed inside. I closed my eyes to let my mind calm down. That was enough emotional turmoil for one day. With my memories and emotions tangled up with Lorel's, I was starting to lose track of who I was.
"Finn," I muttered quietly.
Yes. I am Finn.
But Finn what? ...I can't remember.
"Do I scrub your back?"
I snapped my eyes open to find Moresa standing there. She'd followed me right into the bathroom. What the hell?! How did she—
Oh. The door was open.
But she shouldn't be in here! Wait... she normally does this.
Haah. Talk about an abnormality. Seems Lorel's personality is taking over more than I thought. I didn't even realize when I'd stripped my clothes off, not even minding that she was following me.
Not only that, but the thought of her suddenly had me all flustered.
DAMN IT!
I feel like I'm back in high school. Those hormone-driven days, blushing and fooling around like an idiot.
"I think you should leave, Moresa," I said.
Her eyes widened. Is it really such a surprise for me to want privacy? Now that I think about it, having her in here was an idea Lorel came up with to "build his confidence" around girls. I don't know how the hell he hoped that would work, but it became a normal thing. Her seeing me buck naked all the time.
"But why? Is there a problem?"
"No, I just want to bathe in peace."
"..."
"Can you leave? Like, now?"
"I'm sorry, but I can't," she responded firmly.
I frowned.
"Why?"
"I found you drowning in this tub the first time I came in. I don't know what you were trying to do, but I can't let you out of my sight knowing that could happen again."
Her voice was cold and straightforward. She wasn't going to budge.
"I'm not an exhibitionist, Moresa. If you're going to stay here, you're going to be on the same level as I am. Bare."
I said it to scare her off. But for the love of me, she actually began to unbutton her top!
Would you like to see how Finn—or Lorel—handles it when she actually calls his bluff?