A Background Character’s Path to Power

An awkward silence fell between us, heavier than the twilight air around us.

"...Um.. What about my memories, master? Can you help with that?" I broke the ice.

Virion didn’t answer immediately. His tail flicked absently as he stared into the water, as if searching for something in its depths. When he finally spoke, his voice carried an unusual weight.

"I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you—not fully." He turned his gaze to me, emerald eyes glowing faintly. "Or rather, I could try, but you should understand—the mind is a mysterious and fragile thing. Tampering with it would be like diving into a storming sea with no map, no anchor, and no guarantee of surfacing again."

His scales rippled in what might have been unease. "One mistake could ruin everything. And yours... yours is particularly complicated."

My fingers tightened around the fishing rod. "Why? Is it because of the false awakening?"

"That too," Virion admitted. "But more than that..." His tail coiled tightly. "Your mind is shrouded, boy. Not just broken or scattered—deliberately locked away. Those barriers weren’t meant just to keep the memories from you, but from anyone who dares to look too deeply."

I nodded slowly, my mind racing. Was it the System’s doing?

But why? Couldn’t it have appeared without locking my memories?

Hey, system, I’m talking to you.

Hmm...!