The dream is always the same, always crystal clear. I've forgotten many things. I can't even remember what my name was. But that last battle... I don't think I'll ever forget it. I don't think I can. It's a little discouraging, to think that maybe the only reason for my existence... was to stop existing. But would I change the past if I could?
...No.
Some things are worse than never being born. Like knowing you could have helped your friends, but you didn't.
They don't know me. I never was. But I know my sacrifice wasn't for nothing.
I run towards the Temple of Time. I'm late. Even Phantom, who seems to have a time zone all his own, is already there. I can see him standing with Luminous. Arguing, most likely.
I get close enough to hear them. I was right. They're trading insults again.
"...knew I wasn't going to like you from the start," snorts Phantom. "You're too stuffy."
"The feeling is mutual, I assure you," Luminous replies through gritted teeth.
Phantom laughs. "I'm glad we're on the same page."
"I still do not understand why Freud sent ME to wait for you." Luminous glares at Phantom, that piercing glare of his that makes his shining rod look blunt by comparison.
"Maybe he thought the situation would be enough to make us set aside our differences," Phantom shrugs. "Or maybe not. Freud has quite a sense of humor, you know."
"I bet he can still get mad if we don't quit chattering and get our butts in there," I say as I reach them.
Phantom laughs some more. "Freud? Mad? Now that's funny."
"Yeah, well, don't waste your time being amused. I can feel the evil from out here." With that, I head inside.
Behind me, Phantom delivers one last jibe to Luminous: "Don't stand around staring into the distance too long, Lumi. It's not as romantic as it seems."
Luminous splutters, but before he can give his usual retort to such comments - "Do not call me Lumi!" - a swooshing sound tells me Phantom has gone off in his cards again.
I find Aran slumped in the hallway, breathing hard. He should have stayed behind, but it would take more than the 'little' wound he has to keep this warrior out of battle. He grins up at me. "Phantom and Luminous at it again?"
"As always," I answer. "They're like a never-ending comedy act."
"Ha! True." Aran winks at me. "You know they'd take you apart if they heard you say that."
I chuckle. "That's why I didn't say it in front of them."
We hear the sounds of something coming. "Another round of monsters," groans Aran, and starts to pull himself up with his polearm.
"I'll take care of them," I offer quickly.
After I claw the monsters to bits, Aran still looks like he needs more time to recover.
"You gonna stay here?" I ask. I don't say what I really want to: Get out of here, Aran, before you get killed. But I think he senses my concern anyway.
"Yeah, I'll stay here and keep the path open," he says, "I'm not ready to take on the Black Mage just yet."
"I better go now," I say reluctantly. "See ya later..."
"Okay." There's a trace of unease in his expression. He's probably as worried about me as I am about him, but he nods. "Take care of yourself, buddy."
I don't look back, even though this might be the last time we see each other.
Soon I enter the Black Mage's presence. Freud is sitting on the floor, out of breath. Mercedes sags limply against him. Unconscious, or...?
"Freud!" I call, hurrying over. "What happened to Mercedes?"
"She'll live," he reassures me. "For now..." He throws a glance at the dark-robed figure across the room from us, which hovers silently as if waiting for us to make the next move. "The Black Mage is too strong," he whispers. "We've only got one option left. Where are the others?"
"I don't think Aran will be joining us, he's pretty worn out. Luminous is on his way. As for Phantom..." I shrug. "I wouldn't count on him." Once the thief vanished from sight, it was anybody's guess when or where he'd show up again.
Luminous races through the door.
The Black Mage laughs. "Another foolish moth to my flames," he rumbles, but he still doesn't move toward us.
Mercedes moans, then is silent again.
Freud starts talking to Luminous and me telepathically, explaining his plan. It's full of complicated magic stuff that I don't get, but my job is to distract the Black Mage while Luminous deals with the hocus-pocus.
Luminous darts around the room, firing off a few light spells while he does whatever-it-is, so he looks like he's attacking. I do the real thing, though I'm not trying too hard. Soon both of us retreat back to Freud. The Black Mage stays where he is, apparently content to let us wear ourselves out.
I have activated all five seals, Luminous tells Freud. Now what?
We have to take the Black Mage's power of time. Force his hand... the only way to get him to use his full power is for you to use your light magic against him. But... there's also a catch...
I don't really know what they're talking about, but Freud doesn't look happy.
What kind of catch? Luminous demands.
To activate the Seal of Time, we need a sort of sacrifice... the time from a living person.
Luminous looks horrified.
Don't look at me like that. I'll do it, Freud finishes.
Do not say that! Luminous's thought is almost a shout.
It's necessary, Freud insists. Besides, I like the idea of being the big hero for once.
How can you make jokes at a time like this? growls Luminous. No. I will do it. I have nothing to lose.
Wrong. I'm the only one who can do this, I say. Freud starts to argue, but I don't let him. Your health's already bad, Freud. Can you honestly tell me it'll handle this sacrifice thing?
Freud is silent.
But I am not- Luminous begins.
I cut him off too. Luminous, he said we need your power of light to end this. That's your job.
Luminous still tries to object. We have to sacrifice someone! That is not something we can just decide to do...
If Phantom were here, I doubt Luminous would say that. He'd happily pin the thief to the ground for our sacrifice.
The decision's easy. I've got no one to miss me - except you guys, I guess... Look, we're running out of time. Let's get it over with, and we can argue in the afterlife, okay?
Am I eager to die? Of course not. But there are things worse than death. Like living in constant regret... I start walking toward the Black Mage, into the ring of seal-things Luminous set up.
"Hold it!" shouts Luminous, and I pause. "I- I am sorry," he says. For Luminous, that phrase is quite an achievement.
I turn back briefly and smile at him. "Don't worry about it."
When the magic takes hold of me, all of time seems to freeze. And I can see exactly what I'm giving up...
I start to fade. I can see right through myself. My memories flee my mind like scraps of paper blown out an open window by a breeze. I watch as I'm erased from the past, blotted out of history. It isn't that I don't exist anymore. I never did. I never needed to, because my time is the price that allows the whole world to switch over to another timeline. A parallel dimension. A world where Freud doesn't need a sacrifice for his spell. A world without me.
Just before the world rights itself to this new path, I hear a voice... is it Freud? Luminous? Or both? I can't tell. The voice cries, "NO!" They also realize just what it means, this sacrifice...
But I comfort myself with the thought that they'll forget. In another instant, they'll have never known me. They won't know what they've lost. They won't even know they've lost something. No one will remember me. I alone will bear the pain. I alone. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
"Wake up, Shade! It's morning! Wake up, you silly human! Come on, we're gonna have fun today!"