I lay still on Kori's lap for a while, lost in my own thoughts.
'I have to find the truth about whoever gave them this technology, but there isn't much I can do here and now.'
My attention faded as the intimacy between me and Kori was seeping into my head.
Her soft thighs were like a massage from an angel. Due to that nightmare, I am reminded of the times I was a killer, a demon in its own right.
All I could do there was stare up at her beautiful face.
As much as I wanted to, I wanted to hold her cheek and tell her everything worked out well in the end, but after hearing that dying leader's message, it would just be another lie.
'You… he'll come for you.'
The people gathered around me and Kori after witnessing my flailing, had looks of pity and jealousy.
'What the hell are you guys looking at? Let me have my cuddle time in peace damn it!'
Anyways, I think it's about time I really introduce myself.
My name is Dokimazo Pali, and I lived in Greece. Before I was reincarnated here, I was hired as an assassin in the military, and as much as I hated hurting others, I was damn good at what I did.
I was especially good at the "befriend and backstab" method, where I would make friends with my target and snuff them out when they lose suspicion. Sometimes it took several months before they would give in.
I was so good that I earned the nickname "Great Pretender". Now as depressing as my previous life was, that was a badass nickname, if I do say so myself.
As good as I was, an assassin can only do so much in World War III, so I was shifted into a mercenary by the higher ups and received training accordingly.
The Colonel in charge of my brigade told us all the same thing.
Just point and shoot.
Those words were engraved into my soul. I lost all compassion and pity for my enemies as I shot and killed them in front of their crying friends.
On one of my breaks from service, an invasion was held in my city, where my wife and I were forced from our house in the suburbs, and taken in as prisoners of war.
The people running the prison were sick bastards who killed without a second thought. I guess I had it coming, as I was the same as they were, cold blooded killers.
They knew who I was. They made sure to torture me to the least bit of sanity I had left, give me a sliver of hope, and then they crushed it all.
I was forced to choose between my best friend Michael or my wife, with the promise that me and the one I let live can go free.
I decided to sacrifice my best friend to save my wife, Kori.
I was told I could go free, but they grabbed Kori and shot her dead on the spot. Then they turned to me, and I was shot twice.
The bullet went straight through my heart, and the grief followed suit.
I managed to hold Kori's hand before my last breath and next thing I know, I'm greeted with a bloody mess and excited family members.
"Uhm, Pali? You've been staring up at me for a while…"
"I know. The view is great down here by the way."
"Hehe, I know you're being weird, but I can't help but find it kind of funny."
I couldn't do it anymore, holding it was way too hard. Kori in my past life used to laugh at my comments the same way she did right now.
Everything I've experienced to this point, the stress of living a meaningless second life, and the depression of never knowing if I'd get to see my beloved again. It was a large burden to carry around everyday.
"Come on, don't say things like that…"
I tried to control the cracks in my voice and the tears welling in my eyes, but emotions will always catch up to a person, no matter how hard they try to pretend it doesn't.
"Eh?! Are you crying? I-I'm sorry."
The surrounding people must have felt awkward at that moment, so they went back to continue what they were doing around the cabin.
Kori cleared her throat before trying her best to sound flustered and angry, how nostalgic.
"W-what on earth do you think you're doing, staring at my chest like that?!"
Seeing her try so hard for me… I lost all control of myself, and a girl who hardly knew me had some random guy cry his eyes out all over her lap over a nightmare. Lucky me she's just as nice as ever.
"Kori… I'm so sorry."
"Sorry? Don't be. It is unknown to me what happened to you, but if anything makes you feel better, I'll be glad to help."
"I'm sorry… But I can't help but stare."
In the end, I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth. If I tell her, I can never forget my past, and neither could she, so I made a dirty comment instead.
"Don't push your luck."
Her pitiful, compassionate gaze hardened slightly to my perverted statement.
All of this felt surreal to me. The love of my life who was shot dead in front of my own eyes… is getting flustered by my words, as well as trying to comfort me.
"Haha, alright. I really am sorry though, for everything."
"It's not your fault Pali, you weren't the one who kidnapped us."
"I know, I just needed to say it."
Now that I said all I needed to, it's about time I gathered everyone together to discuss our plan for returning to the city. I got up from Kori's lap and organized our first and final meeting.
I shouted loud enough for everyone in the cabin to hear me.
"Everyone! Let's gather by the fireplace for our first meeting!"
Soon, the others came quietly into the room, and formed a small group.
"Sorry about that, everyone. Anyways, I'd like to discuss how we will make it back to the city. Does anyone have any ideas?"
A young girl standing next to the boy I talked to earlier was the first to speak.
Good on him for already making some friends! She's a real looker too, not that I'm saying she's a looker, but maybe if I was ten or eleven years old, I would say she's quite attractive.
She stood a little bit shorter than my boy, and I noticed they have the same black hair. The girl actually has some neat hazel eyes, unlike my boy's dark brown eyes.
She raised her hand as she leaned against the wooden walls of the cabin before speaking.
"Mr… Um, Pali?"
"Umpali? Never heard of him, try again."
She let out a nervous whimper before trying again.
"...Mr. Pali?"
"That's me! Now what do you have to say?"
"If this is Kori's cabin, then wouldn't it just be easier to ask her?"
Right, this is Kori's cabin after all. Why the hell did she think of that before I did?
"Good idea Ms. Whateveryournameis!"
"My name is Jade, Mr. Pali."
"Good idea Ms. Jade!"
"Jade is fine on its own…"
She looked about as timid as Kori was when I first talked to her here.
I turned to Kori along with the rest of the group.
"Well, I have a carriage here we could use, but it will only fit around four people."
"That means we would have to make at least three trips."
Kori looked to her feet, a strand of jet black hair falling to cover her eyes. There may be something that she is worried about for this trip back to the city.
"Is something the matter Kori?"
"It's just… it isn't a short trip. I would say three days there and back because the horses need to rest."
I put on my most encouraging smile I could to try and cheer her up.
"There is no rush, let's go first so it's easier for you to attend to the horses back at the city, okay?"
She looked up with a soft smile and cleared the hair from in front of her face.
"That works for me."
It was another lie, there is all the reason to rush. After all, he's coming for me, and he could be here at any minute.
And it's likely that by the time the carriage comes back to the cabin, there wouldn't even be bloodstains left behind.