Chapter 1

Strange, but Fascinating.

Tap, tap, tap, a familiar noise echoes through a large, yet solitary room. Holograms were opened left and right, papers scattered beneath tables, with a higher amount of crumpled ones below, some not even near the filled trash can that was seemingly kicked over.

ERROR

A five lettered message reflected on the pupils of a young man. His magenta eyes were beginning to feel sore, but his expression remained blank. He grew - as much as he hated it -accustomed to these situations. The irritation of failure was the one thing he resented the most, but there was nothing left in there. It dawned on him long ago, and yet it lingers. The feeling of anger, regret and grief only loomed over him. Haunting him. Eating him alive.

He couldn't find an answer and this was a verdict he simply couldn't accept.

He sat down and placed his tired palms over his eyes. His thoughts were beginning to spiral, he was restless, but there was no solution he could hope come to. All that's left was the ticking of small clock and the sounds of his holograms doing all the calculations and research he might find useful. The very few sounds that surrounded him began to blur out. It was… quiet.

Even for just a moment.

Even for just a second.

Even for...

ERROR

An alarm went off.

ERROR

A second went off.

ERROR

A third, a fourth and a fifth. It was an endless array of messages, mocking him, pushing him, breaking him, until it was all… Red. He slowly opened his eyes and quietly stood up. His eyes only stared at one of his many holograms, his mind halting, processing what was going on, but then it hit him.

He grinned. "Aha… ha.." He placed both of his hands over his eyes. A pang of emotions ran through his veins. "Ahaha… hahah.." His back curled up almost immediately and before he knew it—CRASH. Throwing everything on his table to the floor, swiping them away left and right, slamming the desk, making some of the books topple over. A maniacal laugh seeped through his throat, dominating over the sounds of alarms ringing through his ears. Nothing matters, He thought, throwing out everything in front of him, unable to bear the thought of failure.

He was growing weak, he was tired, restless, exhausted, but most of all... He was sick of every single one of his attempts being nothing but failure. Just as soon as he was about to give in, the door slammed opened. Light seeped into his room and there stood a clear silhouette.

"Add, what the hell is wrong with you!?" A voice echoed through him. He turned his head slowly and there she was—long purple hair, lively indigo eyes, and an irritated expression. It all blurred out right before him, his eyes began closing until his sight was no longer there.

Regret was a feeling Add had become accustomed to. Resentment, anger, frustration, bitterness, agony - he never showed them; not ever had he showed them. His maniacal laugh only hinted at a man whose thoughts had been distorted, but as soon as silence caught up with him, a revelation would draw out of his tired mind and it all became audible in his silence. He found himself staring at a dead end, the path had already been faded, the floor and everything around him shattered into glass pieces. He felt weightless. Drowning into a never ending abyss suddenly felt more like a gift than a punishment.

And then, there was nothing, empty, white. It blinded him, but a part of him felt… Safe. Peaceful. At ease.

He slowly opened his eyes. Around him was an endless field of small blue flowers scattered everywhere. He noticed he was under the shade of a tree, he could hear its soft rustles as the graceful wind passed by him. Small blue petals danced around the endless field as the soft blue sky greeted him with a friendly gleam of light.

He felt light and refreshed, his head against a comfortable surface, and a soft and calm melody accompanied by a sweet and familiar voice.

"Oh." The humming pauses momentarily, a chuckle followed right after. "You're up sooner than I expected." The voice spoke, caressing his head gently.

It seemed like a dream, or perhaps a memory of more simpler times. A record of sorts, replaying events of his younger years.

Her gentle hand continued to stroke his hair, resuming the soothing melody that he had just heard, mixed with the rustling of flowers, swishing louder than the wind allowed them to, then followed by weak footsteps, cushioned by the thick layer of petals and dirt.

"Edward!" A distant voice called out to him. The voice was childlike and high pitched, it had a tone of excitement and curiosity in it, and a small part of Add couldn't help but feel relieved. The name had become unfamiliar to him, but hearing it once more gave him a sense of nostalgia.

"Edwaaard!"

...

"Edwa…"

…?

"Edw...dd!"

…

"Add!"

The voice suddenly became louder and closer, but it didn't sound like the one in the whatever kind of sleep-deprived dream he just had. Unfortunately, even though he had come back to his senses, he was being shaken by someone, making his head spin even more than it already was.

His eyes tried to open as fast as they could, but everything still seems to be blurred. He could only make out a tinge of purple and nothing more. Right then and there he figured out who it was, but a part of him remained unsure.

"Get…" He grunted, placing his palms on his forehead. "Out..." His whole body felt numb, and he couldn't think straight. He was stressed and lacked the sufficient amount of sleep to even function.

The girl's facial expression went from worried to irritated.

"What-!? After I-" She paused, trying to calm herself down. "I give up, you nocturnal rodent…" She sighed, letting this one pass by her.

Add's vision had finally begun to clear up, slowly regaining his composure. He sat up and curled back as the usual heavy headache kicked in. His… other kind of headache, the one that seemed like one big purple blur, took shape. That familiar high-pitched voice, those ridiculously strong arms, that bratty, determined tone and…

"That despicable, bright purple hair…"

"...That. Is not the worst thing you've called me." She said in a slightly irritated tone, keeping an eye on him. "I guess I could tolerate that." Aisha gently placed her hand over Add's forehead, using her frost magic to simulate an ice pack.

"Stop... That…" Add protested, too weakened to move a muscle. "Don't rub your useless magic on me, I can do this myself." He managed to wobble a little, regaining balance right before slipping back onto the floor.

"Without my magic you wouldn't have been able to fix up this huge mess you made." She said, trying to suppress her anger. "Don't go around calling it useless when you can't even fix your personal space with your cheap machinery." She abruptly answered, pressing her hand harder against Add's forehead.

Add quickly grabbed Aisha's hand, brushing it away as he stood up.

"You did what?!" He stomped and raised his voice. One thing he couldn't stand - besides Aisha's bratty attitude - was the invasion of his privacy. "You touched MY workspace, with your FILTHY magic?!"

"Hey!" She stood up as quickly as he did, startled. "You should be grateful I actually cleaned up this cave of yours!" She puffed her cheeks. "Jeez, all you do is complain about how busy you are, but you're just a shut-in!"

"I'd be able to advance with my research if she stopped messing with my head… If she stopped showing up every time I close my eyes…! If she..." He slammed the desk, dropping the half-broken mug Aisha had picked up, shattering it into tiny pieces, making the now concerned mage take a short and quiet step away from the angered young man. The loud sound made Add's ears ring, worsening the headache Aisha had just started to relieve.

He held his head in pain with increasingly louder grunting, forcing him to sit back down until his ears stopped ringing. "I-If she…" His arms felt weak, and he felt lightheaded. The pain was gone, but he could barely stay still. Aisha held his forehead once again, this time emitting a bright pink light.

"Would you stop wasting the little energy you have left on being a big baby?" She pouted, easily overpowering what little strength Add had remaining.

"Big... Baby?" He looked at the magician confused, nobody tested his patience as much as the girl that stood before him. He was beyond irritated, but he was too tired to retaliate.

"Say, Add…" She lifted her hand away from his forehead, allowing him to lean against the wall as he let out weak and quiet grunts. "I practically just babysitted you, the least you can do is tell me what is wrong with you. This isn't the first time I hear you having a madman party so early in the morning."

He slowly brought his hands to his face, leaving a small gap so he could stare at the ceiling. "Will you… Leave me alone to work if I actually tell you?"

"That would depend on your answer, obviously." She sat in front of him, crossing her arms as she looked right at him. With her increasingly overwhelming, intense stare, Add was forced to return it.

Add sighed, unable to bear the feeling of defeat. "... T-Tsk… Fine, then." He sat down, his back hunched over, and his arms resting on his knees, reluctantly making eye contact with the curious magician. "It is… About my m-" He pauses, contemplating whether or not he should give the girl an honest answer.

"About..?" Aisha prolonged the question, trying to keep Add's attention on her.

Add closed his eyes momentarily, looking for an excuse. He couldn't simply tell her everything, but he knew Aisha well. He knew she wouldn't leave him alone even if situations asked for it. "It was a childhood friend of mine. Yes." He said, covering up the legitimate reason for his worries.

There was a long pause, both parties shared a blank stare with each other.

"I see…" Aisha replied, she tried to hold her laughter back, but a small snicker went past her mouth. "So even someone like you could be so normal." She was shaking slightly, trying to respect Add's situation and not break the mood.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Add's eyebrows furrowed, noticing the girl's sudden change of mood.

"N-Nothing, nothing!" She answered quickly, trying to avert Add's menacing gaze, she then clears her throat. "Ah-hem!" Her expression reverting back to that of a serious one. "As for your for your problem…" She closed her eyes, placing a finger on her chin, thinking of an answer.

"Oh!" Aisha exclaimed, hopping up and immediately sitting beside Add. "I have an idea!" She looked at Add with starry eyes and confidence, seemingly excited for another mundane thought.

Add cringed at the sight of the magician scooting closer and closer towards the little bubble he wouldn't tolerate anyone getting too close to.

"Hey, grapehead, you're getting uncomfortably close-" He retaliated, attempting to slither away from the excited girl.

"Okay, okay, whatever! Just hear me out, will you?" She firmly grasped Add's shoulders, staring right into his eyes, widened by the magician's sudden actions. "Let's make a deal."

"A deal?" Add questioned her intentions, he knew Aisha was a headstrong person, but to even suggest something as ridiculous as a deal with him made him wonder how far the magician would go.

"A deal." She nodded. "What would you say if we… Jog your memories?"

"What…?" He questioned her even more, his eyes locked on hers, hoping he could get a clear answer.

"Jog your memories! Trust me, Add, it works!" She answered instantly. "That way, you'll stop causing such a scandal every now and then; I'll be able to sleep peacefully, and you can continue with your research safely! It's a win-win situation!" She proclaimed, standing up and placing both her hands on her waist.

The immediate answer was "no", but Add had an epiphany. "I might consider it." He grinned lightly. "But under one condition." He added, just before the magician could celebrate.

The girl tilted her head. "And that condition would be?" She hurriedly sat back down, crossing her legs and arms, ready to listen to his request.

"You will NOT use your magic to manipulate me in any way possible, understood?" He looked at her, waiting for a proper answer.

"Hah! Do you think I depend only on magic?" Aisha gave a confident smile. "Obviously, It's a very simple task, y'know!~" She said flipping her hair. "We've just got to re-enact everything you remember from that childhood friend of yours. No magic whatsoever!" She stood proudly. "Ooohohohoho~!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself." He grunted, yet he kept his mischievous smile hidden, thinking menacingly. If it's easier to mess around with you that way. I'm betting that, at one point, you will be forced to use your little cheat sheet.

"Alright, grapehead… A deal it is, then." He reluctantly stretched his hand towards her, leading to a handshake as they both kept their eyes on each other.

"Roger, nerd!" She squeezed his hand tightly, nearly making him flinch, both wearing intimidating stares, letting go of each other soon after. Add stared at her walking out his door, her purple hair swaying left and right. She turned and took one last look at him once more and closed his door shut.

"She's strange." Add whispered under his breath as a grin began forming across his face. "But fascinating." He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle.