Chapter 132: Facing his true self
The scene shifted again, and this time, Ash found himself standing within a boundless white space, one that stretched endlessly in all directions, where there was no ground beneath his feet nor a sky above his head.
A short distance away, he noticed a another version of himself sitting quietly with his knees pulled up to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them, as if trying to protect something fragile inside.
In front of him, a screen floated gently in the air, quietly playing something that Ash couldn't quite see clearly from where he stood, though in his heart, he already had a sense of what it would be, and that alone made his steps slow.
When he finally came close enough, he saw the images on the screen, and as he had expected, they were his memories.
The ones that belonged to Ash Burn, the Earthling.
A long, tired sigh slipped from his lips.
He knew exactly what was happening. He didn't need anyone to explain it to him. He didn't need anyone to confirm it.
He understood everything, not through logic or facts, but because something inside him just knew. His instincts were telling him the truth in a way that words never could.
This wasn't something random or meaningless.
Dark Ash had forced these memories into him. It was like being pushed underwater and told to breathe.
If Ash wanted to wake up, if he wanted to open his eyes in the real world again, he had no option but to face these memories.
They were a part of him now, and running away from them wouldn't change that.