When I picked up my Iphone, I looked at the screen that the caller was-

"Noir?!"

I quickly answered it. "Hey Noir! Long time no see! I'm so glad that-"

"Tyro, I need to... see you... tomorrow."

My heart sank so deep as I heard his weak voice.

"Noir, what happened?! Are you sick? You need to rest-"

"I don't have... much time left... We will chat at... the location... of your mission... Please be there..."

Then, he hung up.

"Tyro... Tyro!"

I groaned as someone shook me. As I opened my eyes and adjusted my eyesight, it was Axl. He was worried about me.

"I'm okay. Where are we?" I asked as Axl helped me to get up.

"Well, we're in a room," Axl replied as he let me show him the surroundings.

The room was filled with beautiful flowers and fresh grass. The golden chandelier had candles with fire as the light.

Whoooooa! Very naturally fancy if my dad saw this and redecorate his own office. /0o0\

Not only that, there was a familiar circular machine with a computer. The left side had a lounge chair and VR goggles connected to the machine. While the right side had a capsule but the glass was covered in black.

This machine... I know this machine.

"Holy shit! It's a Psync Machine!"

"A Psync Machine? What's that?" Axl raised a brow.

"Did you play or watch AI: Sonmium Files?" I asked.

"No. It sounds like a game or anime. So, you can explain to me please," Axl answered.

"Well, AI: Sonmium Files is a mystery adventure game about the story of Date Kaname that he can enter the people's dreams or memories for solving the 'New Cyclops Killings'. On how to enter into their dreams, they used the Psync Machine," I pointed at the Psync Machine.

"This machine needs three people. The subject is the person of interest who was unconscious. The investigator or the psyncer is the only person who allows to enter and investigate the subject's dreams or memories. Last but not the least, the navigator will guide the psyncer and check the subject's condition," I explained.

"Wow! That's awesome," he was surprised. "We can use this for investigations. I didn't know the psync machine exists."

"I didn't know either. It's supposed to be fictional but I didn't know someone invented this for real," I said as I rubbed my chin with my finger.

"Whoa! That's way cooler! I should request Douglas to make badass weapons from the video games into a reality," Axl amazed as he wanted to happen.

I giggled because I like his excitement about making his dream come true. "Huh? Hmm..." I suddenly sensed a Honkai Energy... Strong, unhealthy, and sorrowful.

"Tyro, is something wrong?" Axl noticed my reaction.

"I sensed the Honkai Energy here," I followed the sense as it led me to the capsule. I tried to open it up but it was completely locked.

Axl checked on the computer. "There's no lock option... Only the functions and features of the Psync Machine-Oh! A chatbox popped up."

I went to him closer as I saw the chatbox on the computer screen. The chatbox sent the message.

'If you're curious about the capsule, please go to the Sonmium world, Tyro.'

"This Psync Machine has an AI," Axl confused.

"Can you ask 'Are you Aiba or another person?' please," I requested.

"Right," Axl typed the question.

'Sadly, I am not Aiba. No need to worry. I won't attack you. I can't let Axl enter the Sonmium world because the Honkai virus is highly cautious in the Psync machine. Please enter... for my final wish.'

My eyes widened open as I knew who the person was.

"Are you sure about this, Tyro? It feels kinda sus," Axl asked with concern.

"Yup. I have higher Honkai immunity. So, it will be no problem for me... Besides, Noir might be inside the Sonmium world," I answered seriously.

Axl sighed and nodded. "Okay then. I will be your navigator. If there's something wrong, please contact me."

"Thanks," I smiled that I trusted him. I sat and lied down on the chair of the Psync Machine and put the VR goggles on my eyes.

"Ready?"

"Ready as I will ever be."

I heard the typing that Axl attempted to activate the Psync Machine. It turned on as I felt the vibration and moved the chair a little higher.

"Whoooooa!"

"Tyro?"

"I'm fine. This chair is intense."

I heard Axl's chuckles and the ringing sound coming from the machine. Inside the VR goggles, I saw a white screen as I zoomed in with rainbow lines and speed.

I felt a little dizzy but I managed.

As I successfully entered the Sonmium World, I fell and screamed. I hit on the ground with a small impact. I groaned and got up as I was spotted by the light.

"Ow! Is it painful that Mr. Bean felt like this? At least, my landing is not painful," I sighed as I stood up.

"Tyro, are you okay? I saw you from the computer screen that you fell. I'm sorry that I didn't do anything in the Sonmium World," Axl apologized through my mind. I felt his guilt.

I shook my head. "No-no, no need to be sorry. This is my first time going here. I thought it was the same as the Virtual Reality that I played... Now, what's next?" I looked around and I saw nothing but black space.

"It seems empty. Do you think there's a password?" Axl asked.

"Oh yeah! Maybe there is. I will try it right now," I remembered. I took a deep breath. "SONMIUM SCAN! ACTIVATE!" I shouted.

I heard the clocking sounds six times as a door popped out. More surprisingly that Papa Bear and my three-year-old self appeared in front of me.

"Whoa! It has a password… Tyro, there are six memory locks. I'm guessing that solving the cases is the key, right?" Axl guessed.

"Yup... The first memory lock is mini-me and my dad," I said.

"Aaaaw! You are so adoraboo when you are little!" Axl cooed.

I blushed. "Thanks. Let's move on. Hmm..." I put my fist on my chin and tried to think. I kneeled in the front of my mini-me and poked her cheek. Suddenly, my finger went through her cheek. It turned out to be a hologram.

Although, I noticed her forehand rose as it was a sign of 'Mano po' or 'Filipino bless'.

I didn't think my younger self asks for a 'bless' because it's for paying respect to the elders, Filipinos do mano, which is taking an elder's hand and pressing it to my forehead.

If I was Noir, how he meet me?

"Oh!"

I held my mini-me's forehand and kissed it.

"Whoa!" I moved back as someone faded in. It was Noir. He made the same position that I did in the Sonmium world.

"Nice to meet you, Tyronica. I'm Noir and I will be your babysitter," Noir smiled.

"Eeeeek! Don't do that! I want Sonic to do that!" My mini-me yelped as she pulled out her hand.

"Who's Sonic?" Noir blinked and was confused.

"My boyfriend!" she answered.

Papa Bear gasped loudly and put his hands on his cheeks. "Tyro, Sonic is a fictional hedgehog and you're too young to have a boyfriend!" he pouted.

"Bwahahahhahahahahaha!"

I heard a burst of laughter from Axl and I felt extremely embarrassed. OMG! Why?! Why Noir showed my embarrassing childhood memory?!

"Ay naku! Tumawa ka parang kabayo! (You laughed like a horse!)" I yelled.

"I'm sorry! I know it's hilarious but childhood memories are memorable," Axl commented.

"And embarrassing," I mumbled.

I used to be a Sonic fan as I played the videogames, collected, and read comics. I idolized and loved his character. I didn't know the word 'boyfriend' in my childhood years. Only I know was 'my prince'.

After I turned 10, I lost interest in him as I enjoyed anime and other video games. I checked the Sonic community but I prefer to be a watcher because some fans can be chaotic that I don't want to involve.

But hey! Any communities have light and dark sides. As long as you need to be neutral and focus on what is more important to you.

After we watched the first memory lock… more like, my embarrassing childhood memory, the door opened. I entered the second memory lock.

In the second memory lock, Noir and my five-year-old self were in the dining room. We sat on the chairs on the opposite sides. Noir folded his arms on his chest while she bowed my head.

"Um... Based on that position, was he scolding you?" Axl asked.

"Yeah. I was pissed off at Noir's abusive adopted mom as I secretly exploded a pot of curry at her. I scolded her for doing that but I ended up that Noir and I talked," I remembered as I scratched my head.

"I see. Well, I understood that you want to defend him but exploding the pot of curry at his mom is not a good idea... I'm pretty sure that Noir doesn't look angry, more like giving some advice," Axl guessed.

"Exactly... Hmm... Something is missing on the table," I noticed that the table was empty. "... I remembered that Noir cooked some spicy mapo tofu while we had the conversation-Whoa!"

And thus, the bowl of mapo tofu faded in on the table. The memory lock began to play.

"Tyro, thanks for standing up for me but you don't need to explode the pot of curry at her. You can ask Dr. Angelo to stop if you get uncomfortable. I don't want Mrs. Violette to hate you," Noir scolded me. He was worried that her adopted mom might treat me horribly.

"She needs to know her mistakes first. She needs to apologize to you and me so that I can apologize to her and give her some love," she said as she took the mapo tofu and ate it.

"We didn't know for sure but next time, no harmful pranks or attacks on other people... Also, that's not strawberry almond tofu. It's my mapo tofu with Carolina peppers on it," Noir reminded.

I saw my mini-me's eyes widen open and screamed. "WAAAAAAAAAAH! SO SPICY! WAAAAAAAAAAH!" she cried with tears of pain.

Noir jolted and took out the gallon of chocolate ice cream from the refrigerator. He gave it to her and she ate them.

"Carolina peppers?! That's the spiciest shit! X, Zero, and I won't dare to eat them. We tried and regretted it, "Axl laughed nervously.

"Senti and Lailah ate them too. They both love spicy foods but not the spiciest ones," I remembered.

We entered the third memory lock. I froze as I saw Mrs. Violette use me as a hostage and a bait to lure Noir, Weiss, and Mr. Violette.

"W-w-what is this?!" Axl shocked.

Why?! Why is this related to his memory?!