Wuthering Waves: For The Future of Me, Myself and I

[We do not recommend continuing with your current train of thoughts. Please, make some changes to your future.]

"Really, now you're saying that? After witnessing the world end 14 more times, you're saying that to me?"

[You only have 1 life remaining, you cannot bear to take the risk. Please reconsider.]

[At the very least, go through the next ascension first. That way, you'd be able go have more chances to make a change.]

"You've convinced me last time to do this, why are you backing out now? I thought you'd be more eager to do this than me?"

[...]

"Hey, who actually are you? Why do you hold my life in such low regards? Is it alright for me to just waste my lifeline like this? All in futile effort to a world that would end anyways?"

"Do you feel anything anytime I die? Or do you just sighed and said 'Maybe next time would work.'?"

"Do you have any idea what kind of mental anguish I go through every time I die? Do you think I like pain that much?"

"Why did you give me this kind of power? Do you like watching me suffer so much? Don't you know that it's hard to keep an eye contact with the people that had killed you previously?"

"That feeling of Danjin's sword slicing through my neck, I felt every moment of it. Not because I was a superhuman but because of how much it impacted me as a person."

"You said it would be the best way to avoid the tragedy that is to come... but then why did it led to the worst ending of all?"

"Are you playing with me? With my lives? Do you enjoy watching me die that much?"

"I don't like it. I really hate the taste of death."

Katsuri stopped her sentence to catch a breath, but then the voice immediately interjected.

[Faith Havensith.]

"..."

[16 years old, the victim of an abuse until the age of 12 where you're adopted by a pair of old couple.]

[By the age of 14, you dropped out of school.]

[Reason: The old couple's death.]

[5 failed case of attempted suicide.]

"...Yeah, sure. Keep talking about my backstory like that. What are you even trying to say? Trying to gain sympathy or something?"

[Scenario: Ascension 1, Passed with flying color, Obtained the constitution of an immortal.]

[Scenario: Trial 1, Passed, Obtained [Severed Parallel]]

[You still have many Ascension and Trials yet to be completed. You can still become stronger than you are currently.]

"Huh? You think I care about becoming stronger? That's funny."

"Also, about that immortal constitution, that's a scam. Do you have any idea how many times I've died? Of course you do, weren't you there to witness it all?"

"How about it, does it still seemed like I'm an 'Immortal'?"

[Constitution of an Immortal, the body will recover any and all injury inflicted physically after a certain period of time had passed without any witness.]

[It was not made to prevent your death.]

"Hah! You're actually trying convince me that you're a nice guy?"

"Then who the hell should I blame in this situation!?"

"If not you then who!?"

"Weren't you trying to lead me to this train of thoughts? A thought of self-blame!?"

"Wouldn't it be better to just say straight to my face that I'm an abomination!? A god of death or something with the amount of times I've died!"

[You are a god of death.]

"Of course I am, who else should I've been then!?"

[You are a Threnodian, a stronger form of a Tacet Discord that is comparable to god, able to twist the world with a turn of a finger.]

[Your existence was made to counter against humanity and bring closer the arrival of the Lament.]

[Your goal is to destroy the world.]

[You have succeeded 21 times.]

[Yet, you have also failed 21 times.]

"Hah, so that's what it was."

"Sure sure sure, whatever. I don't care anymore."

"A Threnodian or whatever that is, I don't give a flying fuck about them."

"At this rate, the Carnevale would reach a point of no return. Just do your thing already."

"Stop stalling just because you don't like this kind of thing, you're the one that suggested it to me in the first place. When was it... around the fourth life? I don't remember."

"Although all 14 lives only lasted for 2 hours max each time, it really felt like it had lasted longer."

"So, I don't care what kind of consequences there'll be. It'll stop the Carnevale from going off track right?"

"It would make the story go the way I remembered like in the game, right?"

"Don't you lie to me anymore, I wouldn't be able to take it as calmly as last time."

[...Understood. Initiating Quiet Rapture.]

[Wuthering Wav-]

"Stop with that, why do you keep on saying the game's name inside my mind like this? It's becoming more annoying the more you do it. Just let me think in peace."

...Katsuri looked up towards the dark sky, covered in patterns of a fake sky, the handiwork of Phrolova.

She had just walked away from Danjin who was still frozen in shock.

She needed to get away quickly otherwise Danjin would catch up.

She succeeded and now she could talk to the voice in total privacy.

"Somehow, after the vow, it sounded like my life is being narrated, do you feel it too, mysterious voice?" Katsuri asked as the voice was still initiating.

"See? Like that, it's like I can hear at the back of my mind someone is narrating my life."

Katsuri walked into a dark alley which had become darker with the lost of the sun's light.

Her vision got used to the darkness and she made out a shape of a bench right on the wall. Her face remain static as she sat down on it.

"I can't even sit down in peace anymore. What is this life?" Katsuri had her head hanged low as she lamented her fate.

Then, a thought passed through her head.

"No shut up, I don't have anything inside my head right now. Stop trying narrate everything." Katsuri shut down the other voice in her head.

"Big sis?" It was then that a small voice entered her ears. Turning to the side slightly, she saw her, Faith with her bandaged arms.

"What's wrong? Why are you sad?" Faith asked, concerned about her big sister.

"...It's nothing. I just ate the wrong stuff this morning." Katsuri feigned her wellness, making sure Faith wouldn't misunderstand.

Katsuri scrutinized Faith's face.

After a few seconds, she sighed in relief.

It appears that she had successfully prevented Faith from recalling her memories of the previous 14 lives.

That's good, there's one silver lining in this whole thing.

It would've been bad if such a small child had been struck with another traumatizing scenario.

Speaking of which, what kind of things had happened in the 14 lives? There are many things being referenced, but none had been clarified as of yet.

What happens in the 2 hours?

Why did Danjin beheaded Katsuri?

What kind of resolution had Katsuri built during the past 14 lives?

Katsuri grabbed her own hair, exposing her forehead as she muttered, "Can you please be quiet already? I was just about to fall asleep and now you suddenly started yapping out of nowhere."

Katsuri looked around just in case someone else is witnessing this moment and is thinking that she's crazy.

Fortunately, nobody was around. They're all stuck in the plaza witnessing the play that is being played by the Rover, Carlotta, and the Fool's Troupe.

'...I see, so they're all in the plaza.'

"Anyways, it's alright for you to just go back to sleep, Faith. There's really nothing interesting going on right now."

"Oh, right, there's actually an event going on right now. When it starts, I'll wake you up to have fun, yeah?" Katsuri forced a smile as she patted the head of the smaller girl.

"Really!? I'm looking forward to it, big sis!" As Faith exclaimed that, she dematerialized and entered Katsuri's Tacet Mark.

"...Now. I'll just wait for the voice to finish, I guess."