It took a whole week for Creuset to complete all preparations for me to return to the simulation. She had me do a lot of things just so we could get a chance to beat Taiyo. We're now at Creuset's room where everyone gathered and standing, waiting for the start of the operation but it's not like everyone got to do anything. They're here for moral support.

"This is the big day," Creuset said with her hands on her back. "How are you feeling?"

I forced a smile. "Nervous. Anxious. One of those or both."

"Understandable. What we're doing is quite experimental and our victory is not guaranteed." Creuset placed her hand on my shoulder. "But if I learned anything from this past months is that anything can happen."

"Realest shit if I ever heard one," Luce agreed as rubbed Creuset's head then faced me. "You won't believe the amount of bullshit I went through because of this fucker."

"W-what did you exactly do?" I asked Creuset.

"Long story. Maybe I'll tell you about it after this." Creuset let go of my shoulder. "You should lie down now."

I lied down on Creuset's bed as everyone was watching me.

"Okay, I'll be injecting you into the simulation. Just relax and do everything as I told you." Creuset said as she stood beside me. I wondered she was going to do that with her being five meters away from her desktop computer.

"Well, we can't let all that planning go to waste," I smiled at her.

"Be careful in there, okay?" Holly held my hand.

"Of course." I smiled at her. God, why is she so pretty?

"You got this, Zou." Luce gave me a thumbs up.

"Probably."

"G-good luck!" Yuri stuttered.

I just smiled at Yuri.

"Remember, the plan's effectiveness solely rests on you so do what you must to achieve victory," Creuset reminded. "Now, any last words before your mission?"

I thought for a second then shrugged at Creuset. "I got nothing."

"Happy trails, then."

I then blacked out. Figures.

I woke up to a familiar and at the same time, unfamiliar ceiling. I knew where I was. I sat upright and immediately recognized the room; Sayori's room. I stood up and went to the mirror. First thing I noticed was that I didn't have Sayori's face but rather I had Zoe's face. While it looked very familiar to me, knowing it really wasn't my face made it feel surreal to even look.

"Zou? Can you hear me?" A voice in my head said.

"Creuset? Where are you?"

"Still back in the real world. I'm only communicating through an encrypted connection but I'll have to keep changing and encrypting just so Taiyo doesn't notice."

"I see." I looked back into the mirror. "Why do I Zoe's face?"

"I thought you would find Zoe's face to be more comfortable to have."

"Is it possible to have my own face?"

"Tricky but not impossible. How would you want to look like? I can adjust your appearance from here but once you go out of this room, we can't do anything until we're back here."

"Oh, um, okay…" What is this, Create a Character segment?

"Just think how you think you look like then I'll be able to use that and update your look."

Just imagine? Okay? I began to think of the faces I've had throughout my memories. First was Zoe's. She was a very pretty woman with short black hair and even bangs. She always used makeup even though it wasn't necessary. Dark brown eyes. The next face I remembered was Sayori's. Childish, baby-faced and bright. Short, bright pink hair. Blue eyes. At this point, I was more used to seeing Sayori's face.

Then I remembered Sawako. Her shoulder-length blue hair. Her cute, gentle face. Her blue and green eyes. I think her face was the one I remembered the most. Of course, she's the one I wanted to see everyday.

"Alright, thanks for the input. I'll be able to generate your new look," Creuset said.

"Wait, wait! I am still thinking!" I complained.

"Like I asked you to," Creuset said nonchalantly.

"No! I meant I was still deciding!"

"Oh." There was a full second of silence. "Well, I already generated one. Would you like to see it?"

What the hell, might as well see it. "Show me…"

"Done."

I was staring at the mirror, waiting for the change to happen but as I blinked, a different face appeared in the mirror. This is… Me? The facial structure was similar to Zoe's and Sayori's hair color but shoulder length and… Sawako's eyes? I looked like a fusion of the three. Plus, the usual school uniform.

"How's that?" Creuset asked. "I can't see it from here so you have to tell me if you needed something specific to be changed."

I turned my face and realized my face structure wasn't exactly Zoe's… I couldn't exactly describe but somehow I liked my new face.

"Just one thing, Creuset."

"Yeah?"

"After I'm done here, I want you to turn my eyes blue again." For now, I'll carry on with Sawako's green eye. For her memory.

"No problem. I'll cut off our communications for now. I'll contact you when you reached the first checkpoint. Over and out."

Checkpoint? Really?

And now I was alone. I went out of Sayori's room and noticed that it was morning. There wasn't anyone in the house which was something I forgot to think about since I don't have Sayori's face anymore, it'll be problematic if mom saw me here. Wait, she's not my mom… I guess I got used to her. I went downstairs and saw a stack of papers on the dining table. I picked a sheet and saw that it was a Missing Person poster for Sayori. Oh shit. Her mom's looking for her… I didn't want to make her worried… I'm so sorry, mom. I placed the poster back to the stack and went outside the house.

As I walked into the streets, I felt something off about the air. No, not just the air, the atmosphere as well. It could be that I'm feeling Taiyo's influence over the world. Not good. Right now, Creuset won't be contacting me until I reached the Literature Club room. I began walking towards the school but—

"Hey! Who are you and what were you doing in Sayori's house!?"

I turned around and saw Shinji, holding a bunch of the same posters I saw earlier in the house. He wasn't wearing his uniform, meaning it wasn't a school day. His hands clutched the posters tightly as he glared at me.

"I'm asking you! Who are you? I know her family best so you better not lie to me!" Shinji walked and stopped right in front of me. I noticed that I was also taller than Sayori now and was at eye level with Shinji.

"Not now, Shinji," I told him.

"Huh? Do I know you?" He asked, surprised to hear his name.

"What day is it?"

"What? It's Friday… Wait, I'm the one asking the questions here!"

"Sorry, Shinji, even if I explained everything to you, you wouldn't believe me." I turned around and began to walk away.

"If you know anything about where Sayori is, you better tell me!" Shinji pulled my shoulder and made me turn to him again. "Who are you?"

I looked at his handsome face, filled with desperation, tiredness, and anger. Maybe this was the first he found anything close to a clue to finding Sayori. Of course, Sayori never existed in this world. From what Creuset told me, she never had Sayori in this simulation and didn't explain why.

"I think it's best if I explained it to you this way." I didn't have time to deal with him. I took Shinji's hand off my shoulder and held it with both of mine.

"What are you—"

Shinji stopped mid sentence. His eyes opened wide as I shared information into his mind. It was an instant and now he knew what I knew. Who I was and what I was. About Taiyo and Sawako. How Sayori never existed. Shinji pulled his hand away from me and stared at me in confusion.

"What was that? What did you do?"

"I shared my information with you. It's too complicated to explain so this is the best way to explain everything."

"No… " Shinji fell to his knees. "Sayori… was not real in the first place? How… I can remember everything… Our childhood… School… Her stupid face… What am I supposed to tell her mother?"

Shinji looked down and I saw tears fall to the concrete.

"I'm sorry, Shinji."

Shinji didn't react; he just kept staring downwards.

I turned around and walked away. As much as I wanted to, Creuset's plan took priority so I silently apologized to him again in my mind and left him in tears.