The 0.4% represents the statistical anomaly—the near-negligible chance that an unaffiliated entity would slip into the ritual unnoticed. But here it was.
It wasn't part of the exchange.
It was the thief in the transaction.
***
The world around him was Earth, but not quite. Tall buildings, paved roads, technology at its finest and the air smelled of nostalgia—too perfect, too familiar.
A memory-realm.
A refuge his mind had built from the fragments the entity hadn't yet stolen or rather couldn't.
The entity feasts on what it understands—his name, his magic, his mother's face.
But Earth? The hum of traffic, street light, the scent of rain on pavement? These are all alien to it. A world governed by the laws of physics, not magic.
A realm where gods are myths and rituals are fiction. This became his safe haven.
"Sigh! I'm really tired. I should just rest", Norris looking at himself the mirror with big eye bags in his eyes. This is a memory scape. Norris doesn't really remember much from his current life but he knows what this place is instinctively.
In his apartment from his previous life, he got out of the toilet and sat on a sofa in the sitting room. Having vague impressions about how his life was in the otherworld? Norris was confused. He's not the protagonist. Never wants to be, never will be. It perplexes him genuinely.
How could he have fallen to this point?.
As long as he was steady, nothing could go wrong. Except instant death of course. And unpredictable whims of high dimension entities.
"Well I guess one of my greatest shining points is self awareness.", Norris shows a wry smile, "I guess I'm obsessed with something. This keeps pushing me to take risk".
He takes a photo which shows him beside his mom smiling at the camera. He just looked at it quietly.
Looking at the earth he was familiar with Norris felt nostalgic. it was weird since he didn't have much memory of ever leaving it.
The picture in his hand made him take a trip down memory lane. The world stopped and started rewinding till it showed a little him and his mom going to shop in the groceries market.
He watched his memories. His dad was never really there in his life. Always chasing after illusionary things. First money, then giving out money to others, receiving ego boost for being called a good man. A confused fellow he was.
So his mom's death had hit him very hard. He kept on going on with life, though he was very tired. Couldn't see a reason to live and also not a reason to die either.
He made very few friends because of his attitude towards life and continued till he died. Watching this, he already knew what could make him persevere.
"Sigh! My memories are gone. Why should they be gone. Of course because it was taken away.
Then Norris started trying to think. if he can see clues from this earth. it's a world built from memories so it's not real and concrete. different things should be different here. memories can sometimes by jumbled up.
He looked down at the dog leash in his hands. The weight of it was real, the leather worn from use. But he didn't own a dog. Not here, not in this life.
Referring to novels read in previous life...or this world, most of the things that appear out of place in a memory scape or dream are symbolic in mysticism.
I am holding a dog leash. Seeing it, I know it was from my new life. it must mean something". He calms down and started thinking philosophical.....or semi philosophical. You can't think too straight with this kinda stuff. A little more abstract.
"Leash are for animals. There's nothing wrong with seeing a Leash on an animal or pet. I won't find it wrong when I see a leashed animal. So, the only reason this leash could be here was because I was undecided and hesitant to use it for an intelligent being".
Norris knowing that didn't hesitate. since he didn't chain it at once before. So he wasn't going to chain it ever. so he broke the chain.
And then, a voice.
The artificial soul., "You broke the chain."
It wasn't gratitude. It wasn't loyalty. It was observation.
Norris replied with a shrug, " Didn't feel like it.
Norris after replying looked around. He didn't know much about the entity that spoke to him. But he could probably guess the reason it could and it's relation to him. It just be the being he didn't want to enslave.
Looking around, this memory space could be a safe haven from most forces in the world since they couldn't understand except those with overwhelming strength.
Norris decided he wasn't go to just stay in his safe haven till he losses himself to the wear and tear of the soul. Also encountering any accidents like a being with power shatters the memory scape.
"That entity has taken my memories, my magic, even the shape of my mother's smile—but it can't take the simple, stubborn act of trying.
Not because I can win
Not because I have some grand purpose.
But because why the hell not?".
He gets us and move to the edge of the memory scape. Being his memory scape, the ability to control it made him quite like a godlike being in this memory scape. He easily moved to the edge. Seeing the entity trying to encroah and steal but couldn't, Norris started hitting his fist on the dark tendrils around making a dull sound.
---
"You're fighting," the soul asked curiously.
"Barely,"l Norris corrected.
"Why?"
He didn't answer at first. Then, with a shrug: "Haven't found a reason to stop yet."
The soul pulsed. Then—
"I will help."
Norris raised a brow. "Why?"
"Curiosity."
"Fair enough. ", Norris chuckled. His creation might just be a way out.
But it was enough.
The soul's freedom was the loophole Norris didn't realize he left open.