[MGM]: 80 - Old Memories

Night had fallen, darkness creeping around the edges and creating a dual shade near the entrance. We sat around the campfire, the simmering coals offering comfort against the cold winds. Though heat and cold bothered none of us, there was something homely about sitting around the fire and feeling its warmth against your skin—it evoked feelings of peace and comfort.

"I take it that everything went well?" I asked, glancing at Tania.

She hummed a nod, nibbling on a piece of roasted meat. She looked like a small hamster trying to stuff her mouth, yet only taking grain-sized bites. I had half the urge to take a bite out of her cheeks and squeeze out that cherry goodness.

The discussion with Tania had turned out to be educational, and I was immensely glad. It helped that Amara had joined in to expound on the matter. Though the dwarf boasted higher intellect when it came to matters related to crafting and runes, the vampire generally proved more knowledgeable.

Either way, I stood to benefit from their discussion.

"If I give it a couple more hours, I should be able to open it," Tania said.

Amara raised a brow. "No need to stress yourself like that. You should get some rest tonight and finish your work tomorrow. Besides, we need you in top condition when we cross to the other side."

Tania frowned. "I don’t need to rest for some menial work. I can finish it in a couple of hours and still have plenty of stamina left," she said.

"I understand that," Amara replied, nodding. "But I believe that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind."

Something about that line didn’t sit right with me—like it was supposed to be the other way around or something. Amara's behavior was also suspect, though I refrained from asking if all she wanted was for Tania to take better care of herself.

In the end, Tania relented and packed her tools. She found a corner and closed her eyes. For about ten minutes, nothing but the sound of the breeze blowing through the cave echoed around us. Finally, I decided to offload my thoughts.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"I'm hungry," was all Amara said.

I offered a questioning glance. "Didn’t you just eat half the meat here?"

"I need something fresh," she countered.

I frowned. "Pretty sure that was fresh," I replied pointedly.

"Alive. I need something alive," she pressed, glaring.

Though taken aback, I couldn’t help but smirk in amusement. There was no doubting what she could be wanting from me. "Are you asking me for sex, Amara?" I asked, confidently.

She frowned, blinking. "What?" Shaking her head, she said, "No, you idiot. Your blood—I want your blood."

"Oh." I offered, feeling like an idiot. Let it be known that my mind was intentionally dragged through the gutter, while otherwise it’s as pristine as the moon.

It’s another matter whether we ended up doing something along those lines anyway. Indeed, it was a matter of circumstances rather than elaborate planning. Though, truth be told, I wouldn’t have minded even if it had been part of some plan.

Morning found me at a shallow creek running along a rocky channel. The water tasted fresh, if a bit off. I suspected the effect of the foul mana present, though the flow of the liquid seemed to have kept it relatively clean.

Amara had gone hunting once more, and when I returned to the cave, she had yet to arrive. I moved deeper and found Tania hard at work. She had already been working for an hour, and judging by my estimate, she should finish in another hour. I sat beside her at the edge.

Tania didn’t speak. At first, I thought she was too immersed in her work to notice, but as time passed, I realized she was stealing furtive glances at me from time to time, yet refraining from speaking. I decided to lead the conversation myself.

"Did you have a good night's rest?" I asked.

My question must’ve been sudden—or maybe it was the timing, as she had just turned halfway in my direction—because it nearly made her jump.

"Ah," Tania cried, floundering with the tools in her hand. "Y-yes. I slept well. Did you?"

I looked between her flushed face and nervous fumbling and frowned. "I don't know, you tell me," I replied absentmindedly, wondering what could’ve gotten her like this. She had been perfectly fine yesterday, up until she went to sleep. But then she woke up this morning and suddenly wasn’t as attentive.

Exactly what happened during her sleep? Amara and me, of course.

As the realization dawned, I sighed. There was no need to beat around the bush or talk about these things in a roundabout way. We were all supposed to be partners here—no secrets between us.

"You heard us?" I asked, eliciting a puzzled look from Tania. "Amara and me," I clarified.

Her face lit up red, eyes wide and unfocused for a brief moment, as if recalling some stimulating memory—and she probably was—before she looked away, avoiding my gaze.

"There’s no need to be shy. Didn’t you want this?" I said.

"Um..." Tania pursed her lips, hesitating. "Sa— I, uh... saw you..."

"Saw?" I raised an eyebrow. "Saw as in watched us? In action?"

Tania nodded.

I sat back and folded my arms. Tania looked down, rubbing her hands together nervously. Leaning forward, I put my head closer to her and said, "I demand compensation."

"Wah?" Tania looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"

I grinned. "Since you saw us, isn’t it fair that we see you back?"

"B-but I didn’t see that intentionally," she explained hastily. "You just showed it yourself."

Of course, it wasn’t her fault. And indeed, I wasn’t angry. No—I was just being mischievous toward her. Was it fair to poor, innocent Tania? Absolutely not. Did I find it amusing? You bet.

I raised my hand before she could say more. "Besides," I said, "I bet you’d very much like that, wouldn’t you? That’s what the talk was about the previous day, wasn’t it?"

Tania blushed deeply, probably imagining herself in that scenario. I was about to follow up with another comment when the sound of footfalls drew near. I perked up and looked toward the entrance to find Amara walking toward us.

"What's going on?" Amara asked, looking between Tania and me.

I laughed and said, "Nothing. I was just telling her about something funny from the past."

"Is that so," Amara said, settling beside us. "I would like to hear about it."

And so, for the next hour, I set about telling some stories I recalled from my childhood. They were supposed to be funny, but lacking context, Amara only found them puzzling. This ended up with her questioning me about all the confusing parts, and me trying my best to offer explanations.

We probably would’ve sat around like that the whole day had Tania not announced that the rune was in working order and ready to take us to another world.

"Alright, let's not waste any more time," I said as I stepped onto the circle. Amara stood on one side of me, and Tania on the other. I held their hands and waited as the teleportation rune suddenly flashed to life—and I was greeted by the same scenery as last time.

It was a colorful experience, until the vibrancy was drained, leaving a monochromatic shade in our surroundings. Despite this being my first time gazing upon something of such nature, I found it unnervingly familiar. At first, I couldn’t quite place my finger on it, until I suddenly recalled it.

Teleportation.

Void Step was technically teleportation, and every time I had teleported, I would be overcome by a similar feeling. Only this time, it was so much more pronounced.

And then the effect ended, and we were on the other side.

"Hmm." Amara took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and then exhaled softly. "There’s no corrupted mana here."

"Indeed," Tania added. "The mana here is so pure."

There was indeed a difference between the forest and this place. It had been impossible to notice it the previous time, but now I could almost feel its effects against my very being—like pinpricks against my skin.

"Wow," Tania muttered, looking around.

The crystalline layers of mana still grew haphazardly on the walls, shining with a soft and even glow. The ceiling stretched high, and every corner and crevice was laid bare before our eyes, thanks to the omnipresent light emitted by the mana crystals.

I glanced down at the rune and looked around to find the purple crystals cracked and dim. Glancing behind, the door to the chamber was still open and the place still empty. There was a breath of nostalgia in that place, and in many ways, it was my birthplace as well. A new life, a new Origin, and a destiny that still eluded me.

Krek—!

The noise suddenly echoed, sending the three of us on alert.

"What was that?" Tania asked.

"That," Amara replied, "was the call to finish some old business."

Seeing her direct her grin at me, I smiled back.