As his thoughts spun, Varian's mind power reached his palace of memories.
[5% fog left]
Varian's body trembled.
If he went by yesterday's numbers, with this one session, he'd get all his memories back.
Varian already got all his memories back except for two days.
'My birthday and the day before my birthday.'
The most crucial piece of information would be on his birthday itself.
However, the remaining memories Varian regained, especially the ones after his birthday caused him to feel like a piece of trash.
He began to remember the times when a strange woman approached him.
"Do you remember the girl you grew up with?"
"What? Is this a new scam? Get lost!"
He remembered her desperate eyes.
..
"…Do you really not remember Sia?"
"Sia? What Sia? Who the fuck is she?"
He remembered the tears rolling down her cheeks.
..
"…don't you even remember the promise?"
"Miss, you should go check yourself with a psychic. This much delusion is too
much."
He remembered the pain in her eyes.
…
"Sia really misse—"
"Fuck off! Who are you and why are you disturbing my life again and again? Can't you see the situation I'm in?
My mom passed away and I'm already feeling like a piece of shit! Now you come and blabber about some imaginary relationship from some drama.
Let me live in peace for fuck's sake or I'll be reporting you."
He remembered the despair in her eyes.
…
Varian's shoulders hunched and he covered his face. He felt an intense disgust towards himself.
A repulsion he only felt for the 'Coward Varian' who couldn't save his mother surfaced again.
This time, the repulsion was far stronger and deeper.
But more than the repulsion, more than the disgust, imagining how Sia must've felt hurt him the most.
If by just imagining her pain, he felt like a needle prickling his heart, how much pain did Sia feel?
Varian had no answer.
The only thing he knew and he knew for certain was that he got a second chance.
If things went normally, then after Kreo erased his memories, he should've forgotten everything about Sia.
He shouldn't have dreamt about her.
No matter how vague the dream was, it was still a testimony that he remembered her in the corner of his mind.
However, even that dream hadn't been enough to push him to take that step.
It was actually the memory of his mother that did it.
'Save Sia.'
Her words were the reason Varian threw himself into danger in the pursuit of a girl he never knew.
Perhaps it was out of guilt toward his mother, or perhaps it was to fulfill her last wish, but if not for her, he'd have never started the search in the first place.
Like everything related to Sia, the memory of his mother talking about Sia should've been erased.
But he was able to see it.
It completely changed his life.
Varian still remembered System's words. The words he dismissed as a farce.
[For you, not awakening for 18 years is tremendous pain. But what is given to you is the truth you'd never know otherwise.
In fact, you won't get it now. Only once you know the whole truth will you understand how important and how fair it is.]
Looking back, it was indeed so.
'A second chance that I got…I'll set things right.' Varian closed his eyes and his mind power attacked the grey fog.
*** *** ***
One day before his seventeenth birthday.
"…You are telling me you really found a sponsor?" The sixteen-year-old Varian stood up from his seat and asked eagerly.
"Think of it as a loan," Sia said.
Varian's smile disappeared and he sat down. With a slightly depressed voice, he said. "Forget it. I'm saving up money to afford the adventure team next year, you don't need to take a loan."
Sia kicked his shin.
"Ouch. What was that for?" Varian grumbled.
Sia looked at him with petty resentment. "I'm going to participate in the defense academy entrance and likely go to the academy. What about you?"
"I…" Varian opened his mouth but no words came out.
It was going to be hard. Once she left, their paths would diverge…
"Once I awaken next year, I can attend Trooper's academy." No matter how he felt inside, Varian said with a bright smile.
"Once I get enlisted, I'll work under you, mam!" He even saluted her.
Sia let out an awkward laugh.
Varian also fell silent.
Even Trooper Academy had an age limit of 20 years. If Varian awakened at age 18, there's no guarantee he'd be able to get in. Even if he did, keeping up with others would be tough.
What's more…
They didn't even know for certain if Varian could awaken.
Going to the dungeon was the final hope, but also the final test.
If he still didn't awaken, then Sia was ready to persuade him to pick another field until she could find a solution for him.
"It's decided. I'll get you a good adventure team. Fight all you want. But…" Sia paused.
Varian's face stiffened but he nodded at her to continue.
"If and I mean, if, things don't turn out as planned…" As she paused and Varian's face paled like a sheet of paper.
Sia knew what she was going to say would hurt him. But she gritted her teeth and said. "Then you must listen to me."
Varian clenched his fists and lowered his head.
One chance.
One chance that could change his life forever.
It could push him to heights of happiness or depths of despair.
"Fine." Varian finally nodded.
He chose to believe.
Sia clapped her hands and smiled, dispersing the gloomy atmosphere. "Tomorrow is your birthday. What do you want to do?"
"…Fight a good monst—Ouch!" Varian cried out as Sia kicked his shin again.
"Think of something, anything other than fighting." Sia glared at him with accusing eyes.
Varian scratched his cheeks. "…What more do I want though? I love fighting."
Sia covered her face and sighed. "I…I really pity your future wife. If she asks you to do some fun things, you'll ask her to fight for fun, right?"
"…" Varian's face stiffened but he nodded honestly.
Sia sighed in exasperation. "You'll go down as worst husband."
Varian, who was on the receiving end, decided to counterattack. He leaned forward and pinched her cheek.
"After seeing this beauty every day, I don't think I'll try to get a wife."
"Mufe yur heaand…" Sia spoke with her cheeks pinched.
"No way!" Varian smirked
Sia glared at him and pinched his cheeks.
"Shiaa, remoove yor haand…" He mumbled.
"Yuu faiiirst." She shook her head.
"Nuuu…yuuu." He shook his head even more fiercely.
Since neither side relented, they stayed like that until the door opened and Amanda came in to see both of them holding each other's cheeks.
"…What are you two doing?" Her lips twitched at the sight and she asked in an exasperated tone.
They hurriedly withdrew their hands and pointed at each other.
"Har faalt."
"Hes faault."
They yelled but since their cheeks were pinched till now, their words sounded like children babbling.
"Hahaha."
Amanda couldn't stop laughing.