Parallel Memory

Back at Omega Outpost, the skies had darkened slightly, the sun now hidden behind the heavy clouds. I had been wandering for hours now, the path Eleanore marked on the map proving to be nothing short of a joke. It wasn’t even a proper map—it was a rough sketch, the kind you’d expect from a child rather than a high-ranking commander. Landmarks were described as "the big tree that kinda looks like a hand" or "the rock near the other rock with moss." I had half a mind to burn it.

Eventually, I gave up trying to decipher the thing. Swallowing my pride, I asked a few soldiers and patrolling units for directions. After enough confused looks and vague pointing, I finally reached the place. It was a ruined dormitory—what used to be part of the army’s barracks, long abandoned and caved in. Most of the structure had collapsed, but some rooms in the far corner still stood, untouched by time or flame.

Inside, I found her.

Lilith lay on an old mattress, the light from a cracked ceiling window casting faint rays across her body. Her skin looked pale, but there was a softness in her expression, like she was just asleep. I rushed to her side, pulling out a high-grade healing potion and pressing it to her lips—but the moment a drop touched her skin, her body flinched violently.

Damn it.

Of course. Healing potions were crafted with holy and neutral energies—poison to devils. I had it in my brain but my urge to wake her instantly made me forget she was a devil. Her already fragile body had only weakened further. But I wasn’t out of options. I pressed a hand gently to her head and let my dark energy flow into her slowly, carefully. Her body reacted positively this time—the tension in her muscles eased, and her breathing evened out. Her skin regained a touch of warmth, and the dull lifelessness in her aura began to shift.

Still... she didn’t wake.

I knew the risks. If I poured too much mana, her body would combust from the inside out. She was stable for now—that was all I could manage.

Exhausted, I leaned against the cold wall and slid down, settling in the far corner of the room. My eyelids grew heavier by the second. The past few days had been brutal, traveling non-stop, even someone like me needed rest.

And so I drifted off to sleep, my last sight being Lilith’s calm, sleeping face, and the soft glow of dark mana flickering in the air.

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A swift kick to my leg jolted me awake.