25:50

Now, both of them stand in front of the man that is simply resting on his chair, looking at the puzzled faces he has to face alone. The boy sure wanted an answer, but for some reason, the ruler couldn't stop staring at the machine that was simply flying next to the chair. As if it seemed too friendly for a sentient robot.

[Leo]-Now that we've composed ourselves, do feel at liberty to ask me about anything that may cause your curiosity. Whether it be regarding my mechanical companion... or the bygone days, X4NDER. Nevertheless... I must assure you that I have queries of my own. Especially giving the current circumstances.

[CHE5TER]-...Are you sure this machine is safe?

[Leo]-I can't help but notice a touch of unease in your behaviour regarding the machine's presence, stranger. Is there anything troubling your thoughts? I assure you that she is entirely harmless. She has faithfully stood by my side for over a millennium.

[CHE5TER]-Sure...

[X4NDER]-Leo, what... happened to my home? Why are you in this city and not back to our village?

[Leo]-I must apologise, friend, but I'm afraid I don't quite... understand your query... This here is your home, after all. As for my own curiosity, I find myself wondering where you ventured off to that caused you to lose your way back.

[X4NDER]-B-But I don't understand... I was away just for a few days! How could everything change so much??

[Leo]-..."A few days"? Why do you claim to have gone missing for "just a few days" when, in truth, it has been two hundred and fifty years since you were last seen?

[X4NDER]-T-Two hundred and fif... Leo, are you sure VERA hasn't recorded this information incorrectly??

[VERA]-I am sorry, X4NDER. But this is what has been recorded on the day you've disappeared 241 years ago, on 21st of the 10th month, three days before the yearly storm came to announce the end of the year 1401.

[X4NDER]-Wha... And what year is now??

[Leo]-Sixteen forty-two?

[VERA]-You appear to have lost your memories completely over the last years after you have gone missing. Perhaps do you know what could've possibly cause you this episode of Amnesia? Do you possibly remember being injured around any area of your head?

[Leo]-But even if it is Amnesia, it seems that the only memories that have been distorted are the ones concerning his disappearance. We mustn't jump to any rash conclusions just yet. His condition might be different.

[VERA]-Even so, Amnesia can still affect only one particular memory. It is called Selective Amnesia and it can be caused by a traumatic event, emotional shock or severe stress. Knowing the times in which X4NDER disappeared, it would justify why he lost his memory due to the constant stress of the world suffocating him. Or in worst case scenario, being caused by an unfair battle which resulted in him getting a severe brain injury.

[Leo]-*sigh* Point is... it has been quite some years since you have walked onto these lands, and the precise events surrounding your absence have remained a mystery all this time... Could it be that you were assaulted by the creatures that lurk beyond our civilized realm? Or perhaps did you discover something so thoughtful into the untamed wilderness that had caused you to deny your return? Or perhaps--

[CHE5TER]- --You have met your end?

Even if CHE5TER remained silent throughout the whole conversation while staring deadly at the machine to not make a wrong move, He has listened to it and had a small theory in His mind. Of course, the other two looked pretty confused, not knowing if He was joking or not, but the robot expressed no emotion, only continuing to stand in its position.

[VERA]-I am sorry, stranger, but your theory isn't plausible. Nobody can come back to life once they've reached the end. Numerous studies and experiments have been done on this subject before, and no matter how many times it has been brought into consideration a new type of salvation, never has it been for a soul to come back to its body to happen. If you believe that he had died, then his pure presence in this room denies your theory alone. He is no illusion either, as I, a machine, can detect his presence alongside us too.

[Leo]-...Hold on a moment, VERA. Tell me, why do you hold such a belief?

The man sure got curious to hear the words of the stranger that has came up with such a theory. And not long after the man has shown his curiosity, CHE5TER began to look at him too, noticing that perplexed expression with half being unable to move its muscles.

[CHE5TER]-...A while back, some people and I went outside the Great Walls to search for a specific place led by a letter that was sent to me. When arriving at the place though, I have found only a cave with a dead body inside it, buried under sand and stones. As always, when we find corpses, we look first for some documents that every being has to have at them in case something happens so that the others know who the person was. But when I found the specific documents, I saw the name "ALEX4NDER HAYATO" written inside them, the same name he just used to introduce himself to me.

[VERA]-Perhaps the documents were stolen?

[CHE5TER]-No. It is too much of a coincidence for that to be even taken into consideration. Because even if it was this way... why would that person appear next to me the next day, with no kind of sign that could lead him to my area? Especially when that place was very far away from my position?

[Leo]-X4NDER? What's your side of the tale?

[X4NDER]-I... remember simply being with my brothers and sisters at home during a day and that I wished to go in the wilderness to investigate something. And then I was... simply led by a sound that was calling for me and I found myself next to him. T-That's all I can remember.

[Leo]-You mean to say you abandoned them in the midst of battle? I was under the impression that during daylight, it was your duty to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and fight alongside your people.

[X4NDER]-What do you mean? The war ended way before that.

And the confusion on the man's face only grew bigger as the boy continued to speak. Something wasn't at its place.

[Leo]-...X4NDER, your recollections only continue to confuse me further. The conflict reached its conclusion subsequent to your vanishing act, not prior to it. And the rumours suggest that you were last sighted under the cover of night, not daylight.

[VERA]-It appears as if his memories weren't only lost, but also modified during these years. It's strange the fact that he still manages to remember the old entrance to this room even in a whole new environment surrounding it, but--

[CHE5TER]- --He cannot remember what he has done. Maybe after you die, your memories are being twisted completely and may cause the situation in which he is.

[VERA]-Even so, why would that affect only the day in which he disappeared? Such a thing shouldn't be even possible. I have no records of situations like this appearing in the past.

Even if the machine is programmed, from what it seems, to speak only facts that were proven in the past, CHE5TER cannot help but feel pissed that a robot is constantly denying His words. Almost as if He hates the idea of an Artificial Intelligence to even exist in this world. His world. But even so, no matter how much the ruler stares at the machine, the other two continue their conversation.

[Leo]-...X4NDER, do you happen to know what has brought you to his side?

[X4NDER]-It was... an ore.

[Leo]-An ore?

[X4NDER]-Y-Yes. I think you already know about it though. I even kept it with me from the moment I found it.

[CHE5TER]-...You mean you have taken it from me.

[X4NDER]-*sigh* It wasn't yours from the beginning, but can we stop bringing this point over and over again already?

[Leo]-May I see the ore, please?

So, the boy starts looking around its clothes to find the ore, which it then gives to the man. He doesn't do much with it though, he only rises his hand while holding it to see through it and then looks to his mechanical friend which begins to look for something different this time after his bionic eye lights up again. When it finds that something, it comes back to him and puts it on the desk, being some kind of advanced scanner, in which the man puts the ore immediately. The scanning seems pretty slow though, so they still have time to talk.

[Leo]-...It's rather fascinating to me how this ruby I entrusted to your care has managed to maintain its condition throughout all these years. You certainly had an obsession of keeping it safe and sound, hadn't you?

[X4NDER]-To be completely honest... I even forgot about its existence. I thought I gave it to someone a long time ago. You know, one of my friends. I was suppose to give him this ore as a gift for his 20th year. I planned it for a while but since the war broke in when we were young, I simply forgot about this idea.

[Leo]-What made you hand over this ruby to his custody?

[X4NDER]-I just... didn't see any use in it. And since you told me to do whatever I want with it, I thought of giving it to someone that was by my side ever since I was five.

[Leo]-I must say, it's not an entirely dreadful act you've committed. However, I never imagined you will bestowing it upon another soul. The gem in question was often regarded as a powerful talisman in my homeland, said to bring forth good fortune, prosperity, and safeguard its possessor. Undoubtedly, it would have made a splendid gift for your friend, but I doubt that he would have reacted in a different way than you did.

[X4NDER]-By the way... What happened to all the others? How come I couldn't find anybody I once knew all this time?

[Leo]-Oh, I'm terribly sorry, but I'm afraid you may need to search and uncover the answers on your ow--

Yet as he continued looking at the ore that is inside the scanner to find the results while also talking, he seems rather amazed by something new he has discovered. Even the boy notices it.

[X4NDER]-...What? What is it?

[Leo]-Fascinating...

[X4NDER]-What?

[Leo]-X4NDER, might I request you to use your ability for a brief moment?

[X4NDER]-Alright...?

And so, the boy does as the man commanded. It begins to use this "Inhumanity" just for a few moments, moving around the area and coming back at its place in a blink of an eye. CHE5TER only observed this whole thing, sure seeming a bit perplexed.

[CHE5TER]-...So you knew about this power of his?

[Leo]-Yes, I did. Had it not been for my intervention, he would have remained unaware of his possession from the very beginning.

[CHE5TER]-Wait, you were the person he was talking about?

[X4NDER]-...Yes, he is. Leo has helped me discover my Inhumanity the moment I've started coming more often to his place. He is the reason why I know about me being an Almost-Human. But why did you request such a thing, Leo?

[Leo]-In essence, the ruby harbors a secret that I may have overlooked in the past. When I embarked upon the study of all the resources given to our planet by my kind, I have discovered a peculiar observation. While all other ores underwent mutations and alterations, the ruby, curiously, remained untouched by such transformative forces. However, when my scanner picked up on a newfound energy resonating within it, I simply had to put a theory to a test. And it appears that my suspicions were true...

[X4NDER]-What theory?

[Leo]-The core of the problem lies in the influence of physical form upon the ore. To be more precise, the ruby is now filled with a distinct electric energy, akin to the very power that courses through your being. In some way or another, you have left a mark upon the ruby, causing it to resonate and interact in a manner akin to your own abilities. A prime example would be when you use your own power, as it too manifests an electric energy within. Thus, you find yourself connected to the ruby. It continuously beckons to you, like a siren's call that cannot be ignored. Should you attempt to keep your distance, it shall persistently summon you again, obligating you to undertake actions beyond your volition.

[X4NDER]-...I am connected to an ore? Are you sure your scanner isn't broken again?

[Leo]-I am highly certain of this reality. In the same way I am certain that there exists an additional layer to this affair beyond the new information I have offered you. Alas, the precise purpose of this entity are far beyond my knowledge.

The man stays a bit perplexed to think of an answer on something that nobody understands, then he stares at the boy, getting a small idea.

[Leo]-X4NDER, if I may revisit a matter I previously unfolded inside my thoughts, the alteration in your colour has piqued my curiosity. Do you possess any knowledge as to the cause behind this sudden transformation?

[X4NDER]-Not exactly. I didn't even know about it without him telling me.

[Leo]-Can you use your kind's abilities this time around? Craft me a simple piece of paper, for instance.

The boy then starts using its C power. Or... at least it tries, as for some reason it cannot create anything, nor its colour seem to light up at all. The man observes its struggle, but only thinking that maybe it needed more rest, before it started talking.

[X4NDER]-...I-I can't. I can't use my C power.

[Leo]-You can't?

[X4NDER]-Yes! This problem has been with me for some days! Can you help me restore my power?

The man looks confused at first, then after a few seconds, he looks at the ruler that simply watches the show, unable to intervene.

[Leo]-...You've brought up the notion of him potentially being dead, have I understood correctly?

[CHE5TER]-Yes?

[Leo]-Furthermore, you mentioned that you've stumbled upon the ore on your own. Is that correct?

[CHE5TER]-That is correct.

[Leo]-So he was absent entirely when you stumbled upon the ore, was he not?

[CHE5TER]-Yes. He appeared only after I have found the ore in that cave and took it with me to see what it is. Truth to be told, something about the ore was strange the moment I even discovered it by mistake.

[Leo]-Strange? In what manner?

[CHE5TER]-When first touching it, it has caused me a sudden pain in the whole body that came from the direction of the fingers towards the rest.

[Leo]-Like a bolt of lightning?

[CHE5TER]-I... don't know what that is, but sure.

The man looks rather fascinated at the stranger that stands in front of him, yet his eye lights up again, only for the talking machine to get closer to CHE5TER and start scanning His whole body, making Him take a defensive position slowly that was intended not to be seen. Yet even so, no matter what He wanted to try, the man starts speaking again.

[Leo]-...I must confess, I initially found the notion of X4NDER's death to be ridiculous as well. Given your unfamiliarity with our knowledge of this realm, I presumed you made up such a notion to further complicate the already bizarre circumstances. However, it appears that I now find myself in agreement with your viewpoint...

[X4NDER]-...But it's not possible for me to be dead, right? I'm right in front of you too! I-I can even feel pain!

[Leo]-Well, it appears that the gentleman you've brought to me today has inspected you in more details than I did even in those bygone days. Yes, there is a possibility that you might still experience sensations of pain. Perhaps you unknowingly formed a corporeal vessel, wherein your spirit now resides. However, the fascinating aspect lies not in the ability of your soul to imitate flesh, but in the fact that, apart from being linked to the ruby itself... you also share a connection with him.