Chapter 1 – More than Truth
"Thankfully, you didn't do too much damage to the equipment."
"I don't know who you are or where you're from, but given your current state, I don't think we can just let you roam around until you've calmed down."
"Are you calm yet?"
"Not sure if there's any gentler way to put it, but I think we fished you out of the Boundary by accident. And it's not like your location runs parallel with our known universe either."
"My words aren't making sense? Yeah, I get that a lot."
"There should be a reason why you showed up though. Hmmm? You say there should have been someone else at least? That's interesting."
"Wait, were you here before?"
"No, I guess not. For now, we've prepared a room for you. It's not much, but Sector Seven won't keep you prisoner here at least. Though if you could help out once in a while, we might be able to find the cause of all this."
"Ragna the Bloodedge? I don't think I've ever heard of that name. Must be from where you come from too."
"Well get going. You haven't even slept yet so find a way to do that, or something."
It was a spacious enough room, different from everything else she was used to. The twin-tailed cat woman was right as well, this didn't look like much of a prison either. The doors were massive, but there was a comfortable bed to the side of the room, a long table with multiple chairs at the center, and even dressers and a window that seemed to lead outside.
Velvet placed a hand on her forehead and furrowed her brows. She had to make sure she was remembering things correctly. For all extents and purposes, she shouldn't even be able to interact with others anymore. That woman, Kokonoe, said she needed sleep. But knowing that she was awoken from an Endless Dream, the thought of sleeping again wasn't crossing her mind at the moment.
She was given some new clothes at least. Though these white robes made her think ever so slightly of the Abbey. Lab coats, said Kokonoe. A little oversized for Velvet, but the outfit will do for now until she could find something more comfortable. The dresser in the room seemed to contain various assortments of attire as well and it'll be up to her if she used one of them.
This entire area was still underground however, even if there was likely a way to open the window and find their way back outside. An odd design choice, but she wasn't ready to face the outside world just yet. Not until she knew more.
Velvet looked ahead at the far wall and closed her eyes, until she heard something behind her.
"You…" it said, shadows manifesting at the center of the room. They coalesced into the form of a man in a red coat and white, spiky hair. A massive sword was strapped to his side and he looked at her with a confused expression. "I know you… You're that girl from the mirror…"
Velvet was on the defensive. At least she kept her bladed gauntlet, the edge slipping out just over her knuckles as she pointed it at the being. "And who are you?" she asked him.
"What?" the man paused, his eyes of green and crimson widening. "Did you just… You can hear me!? Oh god how long has it been…?"
The man looked around a bit, and then turned his full attention back to her with a scowl. "'And who are you?' she says. Really, that's your first response?" he continued before he shook his head. "No, that makes sense. It's not like any of us know each other here. Still, my name is Ragna. No last name or anything of that sort."
"Ragna, huh?" Velvet replied, her blade retracting. "I've come across the name Ragna the Bloodedge once. Is that yours?"
"Once upon a time maybe. I remember when I disappeared, how the world was supposed to better off now. Restructured to make sure no one else would be at the mercy of a god who cared too much. Or too little. I had to erase myself from the memories of everyone, to make sure they could live their lives to the fullest."
Velvet looked on with slight shock. To come out just claiming he erased everyone's memories of him. She didn't know how much of it was true or not, but she could at least emphasize with that feeling. After all, self-sacrifice was something she had expected to last forever.
"Tell me, were you told the year? I need to know how much time passed since that incident."
"You tell me. I don't know how to read the calendar here." Velvet replied, walking over to something stuck to the door of the room. "Is this it?"
Ragna walked over to stand beside her and looked at it. He frowed, seeing the date on the page.
"2210 AD. Ten years… Ten long years…" he shook his head and walked over to the table. Glasses, cups, and plates were arrayed atop as decorations and as he reached down to pick one up, the object just passed harmlessly through his fingers.
"Are you some kind of spirit?" Velvet wondered.
He chuckled sadly. "My hands can't touch anything. My gestures catch no eye and even if I speak up or whisper, no one can hear me. I'm just a shade, cursed to do nothing but wander around."
Ragna placed both hands in his pocket and continued to stare at the table. "I feel as if I've been walking forever. Don't think I even noticed when my mind and body began to fray at the edges."
He turned around, "Then 'bang!' My senses were sharp again. I felt like a fish being reeled in, and before I knew it, I found myself in his room!" he exclaimed before his features turned back into a familiar, questioning gaze. "Why is it that you can see me? What are you even doing here, anyways?"
Velvet frowned back. "You tell me. I remember being reeled in like a fish as you said. But I don't remember not being able to touch anything. But I was confused, maybe still am. I think I damaged some of that woman's equipment when I was lashing out. Kokonoe, I think her name was?"
"What, did Kokonoe pull you out so you can save the world or something? A waste of time. This world shouldn't need saving. At best, she might just find a way to send you back if she had time."
"Do you know her?" Velvet wondered.
"Not well. Smart know-it-all, but she's actually a powerful magic-user as well. I'm surprised she didn't explode when you touched her stuff. But don't cross her too much if you can help it. Who knows what lurks in that mind of hers?" Ragna sighed, "Muddled as my own mind is right now, I think I still remember useless information like that. But if fate brought me to you – the one person in this world who can see and hear me – then perhaps there is a reason I'm still here. If I can find out why I'm still walking around instead of having disappeared entirely, then maybe… maybe I can bring this journey of mine to an end."
"Do you think I can actually be of any help? I'm as lost about all this as you are." Velvet said as she sat at the bed.
Ragna shrugged and turned around back to the entrance. "Whatever the case, I'll just stick around and watch. But do me a favor. Be careful out there when Kokonoe sends you out. From my personal experience, not knowing anything can get you easily manipulated by others. You can probably trust Kokonoe, but be aware of what you choose to reveal to anyone else outside."
"I mean, I don't really know if I can trust a ghost that haunts my room." Velvet replied, laying her head back upon a pillow. Sleeping like this was too unfamiliar. Tempted as she was to just sleep on the floor, she figured she can try to get used to a more typical bed.
"Not a ghost. At least, I better not be…" Ragna replied, walking right through the large doors.
Should she tell Kokonoe about him? Maybe not. The woman was right though. As much as she didn't want to sleep, she needed it. Her eyes closed, and she began to dream once more.