Marcus and I were on our way home while Kate followed behind us. She originally wanted to take me, but Marcus adamantly stood his ground and to be fair, he had every reason to. His job didn't allow him to disobey the person who hired him. That person being Mom. And she told him, either you bring him home, or you're fired.
Scary, right?
More importantly, the doctor gave me the okay but recommended that I avoid anything stressful or taxing for the rest of the day. The doctor was actually pretty chill. He basically said there wasn't anything seriously wrong, but if it happened again, he'd have to run more in-depth tests. All the initial tests they ran showed that I was fine. However, I trusted Ezryn so I really did doubt that this would happen again.
'No need to continue thinking about all that.'
My attention returned to the passing trees and nature that zoomed by as the car rushed forward. I felt a new appreciation for life after all the bullshit I've had to deal with. When I first arrived in this world, it felt like some kind of mystical experience, and I didn't remember a thing about my death. No pain, no suffering. I had just blinked and appeared in the classroom. But this whole thing with Alice—this pain, this suffering—it gave me a whole new outlook.
It really showed that death and dying could come at any moment. I was lucky that my first death was something I didn't remember. This experience opened my eyes to a deeper understanding, and I even remembered a quote from Earth. I didn't remember who said it though.
"You could leave life right now. Let that determine what you do, say, and think."
One's time can come at any moment, and I haven't even done a single thing for myself besides flirt with Kate. I hadn't achieved any goals, hadn't earned any real accomplishments, and I hadn't even gotten together with Kate. Of course, what can I expect with only a meager few days but still that didn't lessen the point at all. Time and death wait for no one!
'Speaking of her… I shouldn't keep her waiting.'
It was clear the two of us liked each other on a deeper level—something unspoken, but impossible to ignore. I wouldn't call it love, not yet. The word felt too big, too final. But the weight she carried just to be there for me? That said everything.
I could still feel the warmth of her hands wrapped around mine from earlier, the quiet shake in her voice when she spoke, the way her eyes lingered just a second too long—like she was afraid I'd vanish if she blinked.
'She wasn't even letting me be alone tonight. I-I can't overthink too much. If I do jeez!'
[Take the next step]– Accept: Positive emotions and a renewed will– Decline: A myriad of emotions and a stronger will
'You know... kinda ruined the moment.'
[I mean, it isn't me giving it to you. I'm just the messenger.]
'What?' My mouth opened in surprise.
[Yep.]
'So, what's the Record? I thought it was you?!'
[That's not necessarily wrong, but I'm basically just a spirit now.]
'Uh…'
[Hah~, okay. The Record can't lock itself out of anything because it's a law of the universe. What it did do, however, was lock me out. So back when we first met, I was the Record. But after it locked me out, I stopped being the Record and became a new entity—given the role of conveying its messages to you.]
'Damn, that's why you sounded so pissed the other day. You got a demotion!'
[F-Fucking mortal.]
'Bahahaha~' Honestly, I didn't care how the Record worked. It had nothing to do with me—I couldn't change it, command it, or use it for some grand purpose. All it ever gave me was visual progress updates and descriptions of my skills. Everything it offered, I could technically live without.
But losing Ezryn? That's what actually gnawed at me. The idea of that presence—his voice, his sarcasm, the strange comfort he gave—just vanishing? It twisted in my gut like something vital was being slowly pulled away.
Everything else? The Record, its rules, its structure?
I couldn't feel them. I couldn't touch them. I couldn't trust them.
Why the hell would I care how any of it worked?
[Aww~ I should tell Kate that you love me more than her.]
'...Can you even speak to her?'
[Nope!]
Ezryn's answer ticked me off.
'Maybe it would be better if Ezryn just left!'
[C-Chill. Let's refocus on the quest!]
"HAHAHAHA~!" My laughter echoed through the car. The suddenness of it caught Marcus off guard, and he shot me a crazy look through the mirror. He didn't even know what to say as I kept laughing but he wouldn't get it anyway. Ezryn's pathetic attempt to change the topic was just too funny.
I laughed way too long—long enough that my gut started to ache. a certain consequence creeping back into both my memory… and my gut.
Grrr~
'O-Oh god, I forgot.'
[That's what you get, mortal! Bwahahaha!]
The bathroom was calling my name. The time for our dance had finally arrived and thankfully, the house was in sight.
Our battle would be legendary!
[Legendary, my ass.]
'Correction: Legendary on my ass!'
[Dude. That was God awful.]
My cheeks lit up like a damn furnace, and I instinctively hunched forward, like that would somehow hide me from Marcus's confused stare. My skin prickled with shame.
"Sir, are you alright?"
Marcus's voice broke the silence, laced with polite concern but carrying a definite edge of what the hell is wrong with you? I could feel his eyes flick toward me in the rearview mirror.
"Um… S-Shut it, Marcus."
My voice cracked mid-syllable. My throat felt dry; my palms clammy against my thighs.
"Huh?"
The way he said it—confused, almost offended—only made the heat crawl further up my neck. I could practically feel his raised eyebrow without even looking.