Disclaimer: It's obvious I don't have Tales of Xillia, because it was properties of Bandai Namco.

Yeah, now this story hit the count of 20! When I think about it, this series did last quite long and even after it reaches this number, the end was quite dark (usually my story almost end when it reach 20 or end in that count). And here we are talking about events that passed in more or less three days. I really hit my imagination quite good. If this was over, I guess I'll take a long rest over the week or maybe month.

Anyway, from the chapter before, we get that Jude suspect Milla to be a spirit (in truth she is one) but Milla seems reluctant to reveal herself. So let's begin the denial and will Jude remain firm at his suspicion or will he drop it down? Check this chapter out and if you want to please review and point out my mistake in Grammar~

Note:

"…abc…" : Normal talking

"…abc…" : Whispering, past talk, and far away sounds (so if it was in 1st POV, eavesdrop)

'…abc…' : Heart talk, telepathy, that kind of stuff

#For once, this chapter will contain Jude side and also Milla side of the story~

Jude POV

Milla-san didn't face me or do anything in particular as I asked her whether she was a spirit or not and it only grew my suspicion. Milla-san took a deep breath before letting it out as if she was sighing. She pulled her hands from my grips before taking the plate she just washed to its appropriate place.

"Milla-san, please answer me," I said in serious tone. I don't know why I pursue this matter right now. I had my suspicion, yes, but why I asked it now? Well, I felt like if Milla-san is actually a spirit I can actually remember something about her.

Milla-san turned her heels to face me. Her beautiful magenta eyes that sparkled under the dim lighting of this place were locked with mine. She looked mad as she took some steps to get nearer to me.

"Jude, I can't confirm it for you since you don't even remember me. But, it's true that I'm not from this place and I'm not this place owner either. And for the Artes, I didn't use it more often since it drained my energy and also the Mana of the land," Milla-san said with a heavy tone as if she didn't want to say it to me.

I looked down at Milla-san (literally) before asking, "Then, who is the real owner of this place and why you are here. If you don't mind it, please answer some of my question as well," I said with an obstinate tone. I don't want to back of this argument either. I need to know more about Milla-san. I love her; I know I really love her. That's why I wanted to know for sure who I really love right now. Is it Milla-san or my beloved who I didn't even remember the face.

Milla sighed before crossing her arms in a thoughtful manner. She walked past me while saying, "It's uncomfortable to talk while we stand like this. Let's talk in your room instead," Milla-san said with a small voice as if whispering.

I looked back and found Milla-san walking to the direction of my room. Realizing that finally Milla-san will tell me something made me want to know more. I run to catch up with Milla-san as we were going to my room.

Milla-san calmly sat on my bedside and I sat beside her. She didn't glance to me even just once and I don't have any courage to ask her. The room was dead silent and the only sound breaking it was the sound of the rain outside. I don't usually felt like this even though I don't hate rain, but right now the rain felt so comforting.

I snapped out from my mind when I heard Milla-san said, "Jude, you ask who the owner of this place is and why I was here in the first place, right? I thought that it will disturb the flow of thing, but right now I felt that it won't do any harm to tell you that. So I'll at least tell you that," Milla-san said with her eyes looking straight to front, not even glancing to my direction.

"Yes… will you tell me?" I said repeating my question. I knew that by the way Milla-san said it, what I will learn now won't help me revealing her real identities. But, even if it was insignificant, it might have any meaning.

Milla-san nodded before saying, "This place owner has the name of Leah. She is a hunter and also a beast tamer moreover she also has a tiger as her assistance. I was supposed to visit a dear friend of mine… no, saying it like that wasn't correct at all, I wanted to meet with the one I love. He was a very, very, dear person of mine. That's why I felt so much pain in my chest right now," she said with a very soft expression.

Hearing that made something pierced my chest. To hear that Milla-san has someone she loves… it was so painful when I'm in love with her and now sat very close with her.

"Anyway, on my way there was a landslide and it involves the train as well. I was shocked because it happened almost in front of my eyes and you are there as well, I can sense your presence to be more precise. And then I saw you lying outside the site unconscious and was hurt so badly. Without thinking, I used all of my Mana and the site Mana to heal you and also the train passenger who were trapped inside. I'm sorry I couldn't save the other except you at the time, Jude. That's the reason why I couldn't do any strong Artes so often," Milla-san said with a stressed expression.

I was shocked at the mention, and quickly said, "Then, how were the other passengers well being right now? Don't tell me I'm the only one remaining…" I said with an almost horrified expression. To think that the whole train was dead and buried under the earth right now was terrifying. I felt even worst since the accident actually slipped out of my mind completely.

Milla-san shook her head a little bit before saying, "No, right now they are still alive. At least until help comes from Rieze Maxia two days more due to my big Artes and Musee help. More than that count, I don't know anymore. And then about Musee, my origin was Ni Akeria and she came there very often. I didn't have blood related family and people in Ni Akeria were like family to me but we didn't really felt like a family. Musee felt that hole for me and we were like siblings with Musee being the older one. I heard a lot about spirits from Musee as well," Milla-san said with a soft smile on as if she was glad as well that she could be of assistance and also the thought of Musee as her sister.

I was glad that people in the train were safe and directed my thinking to Milla-san once more. She answered it so soundly it didn't sound like a lie at all. But, even if I usually believe what I heard, right now I couldn't really believe what Milla-san had said. Something in my heart tells me that it wasn't the case at all and Milla-san said all of them because of an unspeakable condition.

Milla-san looked at me with a small smile before saying, "Anyway you can see that I'm standing on the ground right? Spirit usually prefers to float around like how Musee is rather than mimicking human. Musee said it was so troublesome when they could fly instead," Milla-san said with a small smile and her legs swaying a little bit as if to point out her words.

I can't believe it… even when Milla-san words are right, I can't bring myself to believe it. There is no way that Milla-san is a human, she is a spirit… a spirit… why I think like this?

I closed my eyes forcefully as I tried to regain any memories of why I believe that Milla-san is a spirit. There must be some memory that made me believe that she is a spirit. If Milla-san is a spirit… how we met before and why I can see her right now? Spirit, especially lesser Spirit couldn't be seen with human eyes right? If Milla-san is a Spirit I should have can't see her right?

Suddenly Musee's voice echoed inside my mind. I remember what she had said when she tried to activate the Artes. It might trigger something inside my mind! After all, I also remembered about Musee because Milla said her name to me before! If Milla-san said it again, it just might trigger something…

"Kresnik Spear… a Jin… do you know about it Milla-san?" I said to Milla-san who froze at the mention. I know she recognized it by the way she acted.

Milla-san quickly glanced to my side before saying, "Y-you remembered about the Jin… Kresnik Spear incident… that Mana absorbing, man killer Jin… that has the power to break through the Shell…" Milla-san said with a wavering voice.

When Milla-san said the word 'Kresnik Spear', 'Jin', and also 'Shell', I felt a killing headache surfacing from the back of my head. My vision started to turn into a blur and I couldn't support my body any longer. From my disappearing consciousness, I could hear Milla-san's voice calling my name…

"Jude… Jude… Jude… Jude?!"

Hearing how she desperately calling my name made my hearts felt so light. Despite the truth she has someone who she loves, she still cares about me. Milla-san… Milla-san… I… about you, I…

I love you

Milla POV

I was shocked, no that was an understatement, horrified when I saw Jude fell from his position and landed on the floor with a loud sound. It took me a few minutes to realize that Jude had fallen with wide eyes. I was scared that Jude will die and there is something that I forgot to heal from him. He didn't even remember me yet.

I stumbled on my feet as I tried to reach Jude's body. I know my hands trembled as I reached for his unmoving body. But, a mixed feeling soon forced its way inside my head when I heard Jude screamed as if he was in pain.

"Jude… Jude… Jude… Jude?!" I called his name repeatedly as I tried to calm his trembling body.

It was weird, I swear Jude had no illness as I treat him to health. But, right now he was in so much pain as if he was suffering from a serious wound. I don't know what to do… what should I do? With the way I was, I have no mean to ease his pain.

I looked around for help and realized that right now there was no one to help Jude. I don't want him to die… I vow to myself that I will protect him… why I didn't have enough power to protect him? Is it my fault for falling in love with him so this tragedy happened? Is meeting Jude a fault of fate? That we shouldn't have met in the first place?

I was still blaming myself when I felt a hand on my cheek. I quickly turned to Jude and saw that his eyes were half opened though it didn't show any sign of consciousness. What he said at the time sent the biggest shock to me.

"Milla… I love you…" he said.

After he said that, he closed his eyes in agonized ways and he also started screaming in agony while cold sweats started dripping from his forehead. I snapped from my trance and picked him up so I could let him lay on the bed. I was actually grateful that the bed was not so far.

When I intended to get some water and towel to somehow ease his pain, I sensed Artes activation. It wasn't a normal Artes either, since the signature of it was very different from what human and normal spirits usually use. There is only one line of spirits that can use this kind of Artes.

I turned around and saw Jude's body glowed in vivid gold and magic circles started appearing around him as it turned around like a spiral. I saw the centre of it as the necklace that I had given to Jude more or less 5 years ago. That necklace is our memento of our time when the two of us departed to Lu Rondo to get my legs fixed. Even after he forgot about me… he still keep the necklace that I gave him…

But, seeing the Artes activation, I kicked out my brief moment of my happiness as Jude started to look like that he was in pain.

"JUDE!" I screamed as I tried to get near him but then got thrown away by an invisible barrier. The barrier seems to absorb my power as well as I turned limp on the ground, my body can't move the way I wanted it.

I groaned in pain as my back meet with the floor and I watched from below how Jude was suffering as the Artes activated. Moreover, I couldn't move at all to even stop the activation that I felt worse for not able to protect him. I forced my body to move when I suddenly heard a voice echoed inside my mind.

'Milla, don't you dare try to get near Jude right now!' the voice said inside my mind which I recognized it instantly as Musee's voice.

'M-Musee… so you know about this as well?' I asked my sister inside my mind as I still tried to force myself to stand up.

'It's not important right now! Milla, you are recovering from the huge loss of Mana right now. If you got into close distance with that Artes, Milla you will disappear from human world for good!' Musee scolded me inside my head as I struggled to even move my hand.

'But, right now Jude is in pain! I can't just watch it like that!' I said inside my mind even when I knew that Musee was right.

'Don't get stubborn on me Milla! This is what Jude had chosen for himself! If you really want to stop it, call her name! If it's you, then she will come right away! That good-for-nothing-pain-in-the-ass-sticky-nagging-po ssessive spirits name!' Musee said with an obviously angry voice.

I was actually surprised when Musee mentioned the name of the least spirit I could care right now. Musee way on calling her was surprisingly colorful as well, but it didn't matter for now. But then, she was the only one come to my mind that has this Artes trait, so she could stop it.

I wanted to summon the said spirits when Musee voice echoed inside my mind, not telepathically but it's more like that I reminded of her words.

"This is what Jude had chosen for himself!" it said.

My lips trembled when I reminded of that. Jude knew full well of what his action will bring him, but he still chose to endure the pain without even consulting to me. But, for what reason he used the Record power? The Record job is to record events of one life and deliver it to Origin… they possessed a small power to travel between time just to record the possibilities of choice…

My eyes widened when I recognized what I had thought. Record's role is to record events of one life, meaning they have the access of one memory. The light that surrounding Jude right now was the same light that entered my body when I just got reborn as a spirit, a light of past self… the memory recovering Artes.

I gulped my voice before I muttered, "Rise… Record… I command you to come… come here right now…" I muttered with a small voice. I need an answer and a way to stop this and only the caster can do that kind of feat…

As I finished my simple summoning, someone quickly materialized beside me. The light was slightly golden-ish but it didn't hurt my eyes since it was quite dim. I saw the face of a spirit that was grieving right now as she saw me.

Rise Record, the only one Recorder that have a physical form and also the Recorder of both me and Jude. Her hair style resembled mine but it just reaches her shoulder and she has Jude's amber colored eyes. She looked around Elize age and just as tall as the one I mentioned.

"Rise… you have an explanation to ma-" but, before I can force her to say something about the Artes, she put a small (but effective) sleep spell on me and my minds slumbered into a deep abyss.

Before the abyss completely enveloping me, I could hear Rise sadly said, "I'm sorry for stepping from my line… but, for now please rest Milla-sama… my deepest apology," she said with a soft voice that reminded me of Jude voice.

Jude… I don't want to see you suffer…

Well, that's it for this chapter. I don't know what passed my head when I write that 4 mystical words (the 'Milla I love you' one, I mean) but who knows what will happen next after Jude recovered from the Artes as it means he had remembered something.

For the Milla memory part, if you had played TOX Milla side, you'll see that in the Spirit World, Maxwell (or the clone I guess) gave Undine Milla's past memory in the form of light which she later give to Milla, and by meeting Jude she regained all of her past memory about him (which was so sweet to me). That was the main reason why I created an OC of Record Spirit because that kind of thing should have come from somewhere right?

Oh yeah, for the information, Rise name is Rise Record (like how Milla had the name Milla Maxwell) and the way to read Rise name is the same with Rieze from Rieze Maxia, just with 's' instead of 'z'. Her name is a play of Rieze Maxia after all where most of the story in the first game happened.

Anyway, now that I'm done rambling my head out for this chapter, I hope you will leave me some review~