World After Worlds

Yanarym was lightheaded, she sighed sharply and rose from the bed, "What did he do?" She grumbled and looked around the room. "I'm back?" Matteo made her lose consciousness, I thought he'll remove my memories.

Guide-sama: "He erased them but they are not gone."

"Sorry? I don't think I understand that." Yanarym's brows creased. He erased them but not gone? What is that supposed to mean? "I still remember the dream and everything that happened? Or did I forget something else?" she pondered for the events; she went home, he said he studied, they went to the bath, they had sex, she slept, she had a dream, she went to test out his affection, then it got out of control when he said he would wipe out her memory about that dream and she had an internal conflict with herself? No, it was the original. But how could it be her?

Guide-sama: "You may have forgotten something."

"what…" She bit her lips, " Guide-sama you're making me irritated, explain! Stop with the riddles! I have so many puzzles already. Don't add up to them."

Guide-sama: "It's because I can't explain it with clarity. It seemed Matteo erased your memory, something in your memory. But they were not gone."

"... What? Wait, wait, do you mean he was aiming to erase something specific in my memory. And he successfully did it but the thing I don't want to forget stayed?"

Guide-sama: "Yes, that's what happened."

"What did he erase?"

Guide-sama: "...I don't know. Nothing was left in your memory."

"Or maybe we forgot what he erased, is that possible?"

Guide-sama: "No, I can't forget anything, even if Matteo erased yours, he could not do mine."

"...maybe he could not erase it because it's a dream, not a memory? Does that make sense?"

Guide-sama: "I am not certain, forgive me."

"It's alright, Matteo is complicated. We can do nothing about that."

Guide-sama: "Are you fine?"

"Yes, I guess? I calmed down, the pain I think that is what he erase— No, I still remember it but I can regulate it."

Guide-sama: "What happened back there? I didn't quite follow the sequence of events. Why did you lose composure, you were not acting?"

"Don't ask me, I'm as confused as you,"

When she received the plot along with the original's memory, she was angry… it was her resentment to the characters. But when that dream entered or surfaced in her head, the emotional ripples on her didn't belong to her. and when Mateo said he would erase it, she was not that desperate voice begging him to stop.

She was certain that she didn't want those memories to fade because it might be a clue, however, the desperation of making those memories stay because it was the only thing left for her was the evidence of her feelings for him. Those were the original's, she was in love with Matteo… but it was getting stranger and stranger because that intense emotion didn't seem to come from a ten-year-old girl in her dream.

"Can you find out where the original go if I am inside their bodies?" Yanarym muttered to her breath, it was as if she was putting the pieces of this puzzle only to know that there were further riddles to decipher.

Guide-sama: "I will do my best, but please don't expect too much from me."

"Okay, thank you," Yanarym rubbed her temple, her head didn't hurt but it felt like it. She moved to the edge of the bed to get some air in the window, but before she could even stand, Matteo came in after a knock.

He did not give her enough time to think of what she should do next and he was already here, making my headache again.

"Are you hungry?" He was holding a tray of food in his hands. Yanarym squinted her eyes on him. How much did he take from my memory? How much should I pretend to remember? "Are you still tired of what we did?" So, he did not erase that memory? What did he take?

It was apparent that she had to be cautious with Matteo. He did not like it when she remembered the past. What was in the past anyway? Is it crucial? Should I entangle myself with that?

"What did we do? My head hurts, did we do something?" He walked to her and pecked on her lips as if he was so used to doing it. He placed the tray on the bed and snapped his fingers to make it float. Look at him, they just began the skinship yet he was so comfortable with it.

"We had sex and you fell asleep," he looked into her eyes and moved a chair to her front, and sat there. The tray wafted between them, "your stomach was rumbling while you were sleeping." He smiled and took the bowl of rice and mixed some dish on it… it's adobo.

She chose to not think for a second and have her meal with appreciation. This day—was so long and tiring. "Thank you, I can feed myself." She took the utensils from him and ate in silence. Matteo did not argue and let her have a silent meal, he watched her the entire time… his eyes were so fixated on her but it was not awkward or uncomfortable. That dreamy look on his face was the exact expression that young Matteo had on her dream in the dandelion field. Now she thought of it, Matteo would always look at her that way unless he was jealous.

When she felt her stomach was starting to have its fill, she began to contemplate her next move. Matteo could be put on a leash but with discretion. There was something in the past that worried him—and made the original or whatever may happen to her when he tried erasing that dream. Yanarym chewed on the chicken meat, it's very delicious… Anyways, she needed to think of a way to make Matteo obedient. Well, he is obedient and submissive but once he gets out of control, Yanarym cannot do anything to stop him. She needed that kind of control over him. The thing was, he's in love with me already but the submission is not complete…she wanted him to be unconditional.

She looked at Matteo and he was still silently watching her. What should I do with you? She grumbled and shifted her eyes to the potato and stabbed it with a fork. I need to make him go away if I can't have full control over him, he has to be anywhere but in this town. But looking at him, he appeared to have no intention to leave. Wait, that dream, I think I can use that as leverage… make disadvantage my advantages. The fact that he did not erase it or could not erase it means that he was aiming for something else. What is it?

"Did you eat?" She asked. "Do you want some?" She offered, Matteo parted his lips indicating he wanted to be fed. "Hmm, I thought you would never get hungry," she murmured and gave him a spoonful.

"I don't," he said before eating the food on the spoon. "But I will take everything you can give me, it feels good to receive your blessing."

"You cooked this… what blessing are you talking about?" She looked at rice and felt her energy was replenished. His cooking is always enjoyable and energizing, did he put magic on this too?

"Everything about you is," he said with a serious voice. Yanarym pressed her lips before chewing the chicken leg. He's so smooth, what a flirt.

Yanarym decided to finish the meal first before doing the next stage of her dramatic scene. When she was all done she placed the utensils on the table and started at the plate for a moment, Matteo noticed that she spaced out while he made the tray afloat to the corner of the room.

"What's wrong?" He asked, she slowly raised her head and smiled at him.

"I remember what happened to us…" she said, Matteo emptied her past, he did touch some of her present memories but did not destroy them. He was concerned with the condition she was about but he also had the suspicion that he was unable to wipe out that memory she recalled.

"Rym, do you remember anything about the meadow? A lake?"

"...that was my dream earlier, how do you know that?"

"You still remember it?"

"What do you mean?" Matteo sighed deeply, how did it remain? He held her arm, "Teo?"

"Rym, are you hurt?" He tried to steady himself. He can't make her cry for the second time today, he won't be able to take it. She chuckled at his question, "Rym?"

"What do you mean? I'm hurt? Why would I—? Oh, yes, on that part."

"That part?"

She pulled him closed and directed her mouth to her ear. "When you were inside me," Matteo processed what she said and felt his cheeks burn for unknown reasons.