I walked across the streets of the capital, my head spinning continuously.
I couldn't…I couldn't….
Luke…Asch…
I crossed the roads, people driving by in their cars, screaming their heads off at me. I couldn't think, all I could do was remember. There were black scars running down my arms, stinging and burning my flesh.
A town collapsing…Akzeriuth…. me making an oath to change…I remembered it all now: My home, Baticul, my friends and then her. Tear… I made a promise to her, didn't I? I journeyed with her, with all of them.
I learned…I lived with the sins of the people who died in that town…
I learned just how wrong I had been living my life…I changed…
And then I learned who I was…
Replica!
Asch…. That's right, that boy…I stole his life from him…No…
What was this feeling? I clutched my stomach. There were feelings…memories that belonged to him.
Van fighting him, asking him to join him in his conquest, him standing in the sunset, staring out with a look of frustration on his face.That's right, Van…he wanted to create a new world, but we stopped him.
I remembered it all now.
I took my hand off of my head. I knew who I was now.
I rushed towards the castle, passing by buildings and people who give me looks of curiosity. This place…it was all so unfamiliar…I didn't belong here…
My home was in Baticul…in…
I passed by Victoria and Travis on the sidewalk. "V-Vincent!" Victoria yelled after me.
No…that wasn't me…
Luke…
Asch…
I was…
I approached the castle and ran inside. I tore up the stairs and barged into the monitor room. I finally knew what it was now…That orb on the screen wasn't and orb at all, it was-
"Vincent!"
I turned to see Victoria and Travis, looking at me with widened eyes. "Vinny, man, are you ok?" Travis walked towards me.
"No…"
Victoria put a hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?"
All of a sudden, emperor Claudio stepped into the room, a look of anger on his face. Another man, one who had incredibly pale skin and short white hair, followed him. His eyes were ruby red, and he stared at me with great intensity.
"So you really are from Auldurant," Claudio said.
Auldurant…my planet, my home…
"C-Claudio!" I ran towards him and grabbed him by the collar. "Just what the hell is going on?!"
"Vincent!" Victoria yelled at me.
Claudio closed his eyes and took my hands off of his collar.
"I should've known…" He turned towards the man with the red eyes. "I'm sorry." The man said nothing but grinned.
"Dude, Vinny, you just need to relax…" Travis turned towards Claudio. "Just what is this Auldurant?"
I raised my fist to strike Claudio, but-
Victoria grabbed it. "Stop!" She had a look of pure confusion on her face. "What is going on?!"
Claudio frowned. "Your planet is going to disappear," he told me. My eyes widened. "Why the hell"-
"It's already dead!" Claudio yelled. "The Score is gone, technology is weak, and you live in miasma."
"No!" I lowered my fist. "The miasma is all gone! We destroyed it…"
Claudio glared at me. "You mean just how you destroyed The Score? I know all about it, the whole Rhythm government does." He grinned. "That's why we're going to destroy your planet, because a world without a Score does not need to exist!"
I slammed my fist into his stomach. "No! Look at your world! You kill for the Score! You justify your actions against a race because the Score tells you to! It's your world that deserves to die!"
He turned towards Victoria and Travis. "Capture him! He's an intruder from a planet that's better of destroyed!
Victoria raised her hands to her chest. "E-emperor! You can't be serious!" She turned towards me. "I…"
Claudio grabbed her and turned her to face him. "Don't forget your duty to your kingdom! You're a soldier now, just like your parents were! Do you want to disgrace them?!"
"B-but," she stammered, "the time I've spent with Vincent…" She closed her eyes. "N-no, I won't do it…"
Victoria…
Travis however raised his sword. "Good!" Claudio said. "Get him!"
I unsheathed my sword, ready for his attack. So I was going to have to fight Travis…fight him to escape, fight him to get back home…
To my surprise, he electrified his sword with a note arte and drove it straight into Claudio, and then that man with the red eyes.
"T-Travis?"
He turned and smiled at me. "There's no way I could betray you, Vinny. Not after all we've been through together. Besides," he scratched his chin, "I'm not even a real citizen of Rhythm, and I'm not even religious. I could honestly care less about the emperor's agenda."
Vinny…Vincent…that wasn't me…
Victoria looked at me with a worried look on her face.
I put a hand to my head, thoughts still racing through my mind. I had the worst headache, and the scars on my arms still burned. My home…Auldurant…was it really going to disappear…my friends, my family…everyone and everything….
"Are they…dead?" Victoria asked, turning towards the emperor and his acquaintance. Travis' eyes widened. "No! I just used my note arte, stun shock! Didn't you ever see me use it on our missions?"
Victoria frowned. "Not really…"
My headache seemed to drown out there conversation…I knew it all know…
He frowned. "Well, come on. That only lasts for a few more minutes, we have to get out of here."
Victoria turned towards me. "Vincent…we have to get out of here…"
I nodded. "I know…"
She still looked at me with a worried expression her face.
I don't belong here…
We ran out of the door and down the stairs. "I sure hope we don't run into"-
"There they are!"
"So the emperor didn't capture him?"
Travis sighed. "Crap…"
I pulled out my sword. Looks like we had no choice, we were going to have to fight to escape.
I sliced my way out the door. Guards lined the streets, ushering people to get back to their homes.
How much was I going to have to kill? How much more blood was I going to have to spill just to get back home…?
Travis and Victoria tried their best to only injure the guards, Victoria attacking with weak note artes and Travis striking with the blunt end of his sword. I however didn't care.
My headache was extremely painful now, the worst that it had ever been. My head felt ready to burst open any moment.
I lashed out my sword, causing eruptions of blood. Arms and legs were severed and fell everywhere.
A year…it had been an entire year that I had sat here idly, completely forgetting who I really was. A year since I enlisted in the military, working for a kingdom that wished to destroy my planet…
Over a year since I had seen my friend's faces, hear their voices; know their names…over a year since I promised Tear…
I hacked my way through the crowd, following Travis and Victoria into the forest. Blood stained my clothes.
That's right, I promised Tear…
My spun continuously and I felt nauseous. "Vincent!"
No, that wasn't me…
I felt the sting of a sword against my back. Blood streamed out.
Over an entire year…
I promised Tear…