Memory

Zero/Bell POV:

I found myself in the body of a young boy. He looks so innocent. Why do dislike that? I've been wanting to find out since I became aware of what's happening. But why does everything feel different? I don't remember being in this mansion

Bell: Alright, it's a new day! Time to venture into the dungeon and get stronger!

Bell put on some armor with the name "Welf Crozzo" etched inside it. He then grabs the black knife and puts it under a vambrace. He goes outside and finds a girl with a child-like appearance, a woman with a ponytail and dressed like a samurai, and a man with red hair and

Lili: Bell, are you ready?

Mikoto: We have to finish the request the guild has sent us. Collecting items and mapping out the floors they want us to explore will not be easy. But I believe we should press on,

Welf: We do this together. We are the Hestia Familia after all.

Zero(Thoughts): Lili, Mikoto, and Welf. Here before as always. Wait, how the hell do I know their names? Have I met them before? Hestia Familia? Even that feels familiar.

Bell: Yes. Let's get stronger. For Wiene and the Xenos! And for us!

I hear running and turn around to see a short girl with pigtails and an over-developed figure for a body that size.

Hestia: Bell! Be safe and please come back. All of you, be safe. I want to hold a celebration for all of us tonight.

Lili: We're already in a ton of debt. We shouldn't be spending so much.

Bell: Now, now, let's all calm down. I'm sure the money we'll make will be enough to cover for it. And We can make sure to not go crazy.

Lili: *Sigh*, Whatever.

Zero(Thoughts): This feel so nostalgic? But, why do I also dislike it? I'm beginning to remember things. Apparently I spent my entire childhood reading books about heroes. Wow, I must've refused to grow up. Then again, the lights felt so much brighter and apparently innocence was a thing.

The group traveled through a city called Orario. But it wasn't the Orario I'm familiar with. It was different. Less advanced. More like what you would see in Fantasy stories. Bell is so happy, so filled with joy. Why do I hate all of it?

The end up going to this massive tower and go underneath it. They walk through a place that is like a massive labryinth without any end. However, they do manage to go deeper. Along they way, they fight these creatures that seek to kill everything in their sight. However Bell's impressive speed and skills allow him to quickly elimate them.

Bell: Alright, Let's keep moving.

This boy was filled with determination. Not to escape. To become something amazing. Something that many would want to achieve. Why do I feel like I wanted the same thing? Am I connected to this boy?

The group keeps moving foward and apparently goes deeper into the dungeon. However, I begin to hear a voice. I couldn't hear any words, but it was calling for me. It was calling for bell. Suddenly, the dungeon begins to shake and everyone is frightened because they have an idea of what's going on.

Welf: It's a trap!

Lili: Run!

They all run as the floor begins to collapse. Suddenly, the gravity over one part of the floor begins to intensify and pulls Bell right through it.

Welf/Lili/Mikoto: Bell!

Bell: AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

He falls down and ends up hitting parts of rocks. Luckily he manages to get to the parts that were slanted managed to proplery descend. He manages to land and finds himself in an area filled with strange symbols.

Bell: What? Where am I? This doesn't look like the White Palace. Then again, I better not stick around to find out.

???: Bell... Bell... Bell...

I could hear it more clearly now. It was truly calling for us. Bell didn't have any idea where to go, so following the voice was his best option. He walks and the area suddenly begins to shift, but not in the way he's used to. Floating shards emerge from the walls and there are several cracks in reality. Bell avoids them and keeps running toward the voice.

Soon he ends up running into someone and falls to the ground. He gets back up and pulls out his knife to see a very beautiful woman with blonde hair and eyes.

Bell: Aiz?!

Aiz: Oh, Bell. Thank gods. I feared I was starting to lose it.

Bell: Same. I started hearing a strange voice and the floor began to collapse. But this was different than when me and Ryu got trapped in the White Palace.

Aiz: Started hearing a voice too. And the floor ended up sucking me in. I've never even heard of something like this being in the Dungeon. Although I came across this strange gem.

Aiz holds out a gem that is colorful and pretty. It seems to have edges that are constantly shifting. Bell holds out his hand and the gem ends up pull both his and Aiz's to it. It seems to stab them and they throw it away.

Bell: Ow! What was that?

Aiz: I don't know. But better we leave it alone.

Bell: Well, we better get out of here and warn the others. Although, my only idea of escape is following the voice.

Aiz: Unfortunetly, I don't have any other ideas. Let's just be prepared to face whatever caused us to end up here.

They agree to follow the voice calling them and venture deeper to end up in a room that with strange markings all over it. And on the sides are statues of a strange figure with no face. However, the most interesting part was a mysterious, glowing book that was on a pedestal.

Bell: What is that?

Aiz: Some kind of Grimoire, I think.

Bell: Nothing like the ones I saw in the shops. Wait. Do you hear that?

The hear the voice calling for them.

Aiz: Yeah.

Bell: It's coming from the grimoire.

Suddenly a name appeared in our head. It was noise, but I understood the words. Bell understood it as well.

Bell: The Outsider?

The book begins to glow more and floats. It opens up and a burst of energy merges from it.

Bell: Aiz, what's happening?!

Aiz: I don't know!

The energy gets brighter and consumes the two.

Bell/Aiz: AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

I begin to see multiple flashbacks of Bell's life, from points of when he left his village to join Hestia's Familia. Apparently, his original goal was to get stronger so he can girls flocking to him. I blame the stories and the adventurers he came across who had several fans. I can also see the embarrasing moments. But the moments where he shined were something to behold. It's something like a symbol of hope for those trying to chase their future. Yet, why do I not want that right now?

Present

Zero POV:

I returned to the present and saw that I was still in my old room. I look back at the blade and wonder what that was. I know it felt nostalgic, but that kid couldn't possibly be me. Such innocence, such determination, such promise. I'm not sure about that being my past. Maybe I was just seeing his memories from this blade. But I should leave soon with One. We're so close to breaking the Loop.

Zero (Through Com): One, We better get the hell out of here.

One (Through Com): I'm with you. Let's head to the garden. I heard there's a bunch of statues and I want to take a look at them.

I was interested as well and left my room. We went to the garden and saw how impressive it was. There were very beautiful flowers planted all around. But what was interesting was the statues of me and Zero. On the engravings were our real names. Logan and Carmilla Blackburn.

Zero: Hey One?

One: Yes?

Zero: When you went into your room, did you find something there?

One pulls out a longsword that was very similar to the one Aiz from that memory had.

One: I saw the memories of a girl when I saw this. Such seriousness and a lack of humor. Then again, she did seem to have a goal of being stronger. I can't make much more out of it other than her parents ended up dying when she was a child. But that's enough of reminceing about other people's memories. Okay maybe except Colt. I've grown to to like him.

Zero: I bet he feels the same way. Let's get to somewhere safe before the loop resets.

We leave and end up finding the hotel I wake up in every day. I saw a building with a the same sign and deduced that was where I was when the loop started. We sit on the roof and drink soda together.

Zero: Just imagine, what those people's lives were like. A world of fantasy. That'd be something.

One: Adventures, fighitng monsters, being like the heroes in story books... it doesn't seem like us.

Zero: My thought's exactly. Maybe I should contact Colt. Tell him we'll head to the Complex and unlock the bunker in Fristad Rock for him. Then he gets the Rak Keywords.

One: Sounds like a plan.

I contact Colt and tell him what we discussed.

Colt: Alright, I'll head to Fristad Rock First thing in the morning. Let's meet up in Updaam. It's a nice place to hang out.

Zero: Okay. See ya.

We hang up and wait for the loop to reset.

Zero: Hey One.

One: Yes?

Zero: Once we escape the loop, do you want to travel together?

One: Uh, heck yeah! I am interested in seeing the world with my own eyes. I mean, it might be a wasteland, but I still want to explore it instead of just looking at my memories.

We kiss and the loop resets the day again. I grab my gear and teleport to The Complex and head to the generator room. Of course, we sabotage Egor's experiment first, but we got to diverting power to Fristad Rock. I go on a killing spree with One before we leave the complex since it doesn't make sense to be bloodless ghosts.

We head to Updaam when we got a call from Colt.

Zero: Colt?

Colt: Guys... You're not going to fucking believe this.

One: What is it? Spit it out.

Colt: Julianna is... She... She's my...

Zero: You're daughter?

Colt: That was a guess?! Really?

One: She's seriously your daughter? How?

Colt: Before this damn Aeon Program, not only was I a pilot, I was dating a someone. She ended up getting pregnant and I was demoted. I volunteered for the sucidal flight test to make things better for them and well. I also discovered during my time here that this wasn't the first loop I was stuck in. I ended up in the future where Julianna was raised without me. Oh God, How the hell do I process this?

Zero: Just live with it and push forward. We're so close to getting off this damn island. We're in this together. At the very least, you won't have to go through everything ever again.

Colt: *Sigh*, You're right. So, we just need two more bunkers to get those damn RAK Passwords.

One: Then we execute the actions to get the visionaries to end up in the places where we can execute them.

Zero: Then we take the fight to Julianna and Blackburn.

Colt: What about Akira? From what I've heard, she's nowhere near a piece of shit like these other Visionaries.

Zero: Trust us Colt, we'll take care of her.

Colt: Very well.

Everything's falling into place. Soon, we'll finally escape this loop. Once and for all.