This brings Arthur back to the present moment, in a room that he had no recollection of and with a woman he hated showering inside of it. Julia's suit was big enough for a family to live in, but she had it all for herself.
Arthur stared at the giant mirror on the wall surrounded by flowers and comfy chairs. His appearance was the same as Alexie Linan in this world, and it seems his identity was never compromised.
The sound of water stopped from the bathroom, and Arthur turned toward the glass door, which opened a moment later. Julia was in her bathrobes with brunet hair dripping with water as she emerged.
"Are you aware of the reason I called you here, Alexie?" she asked while taking measured steps toward the folding screen. Then, after hiding behind it, she took off her robes.
"I can only guess."
"Are you throwing a tantrum because of the last incident?" she peeked from behind the screen. "I already told you that I explained the situation to the student. No one will like you if you are such a snowflake."
Arthur met her eyes with a blank expression, but inwardly, he wondered what that incident was. It left him at a significant disadvantage for being so clueless about his current life.
"You are usually sassier," she muttered with a pout before she hid again to wear her clothes. "As a part of our research team, I hope that you will show up for the meetings. You are becoming a bad influence on Oriole."
Arthur blinked his eyes at the sudden mention of his friend. Judging from the context of her words, it seems Ori was in his research team as well.
"I tried to reach him, but he did not answer," he said to avoid looking suspicious.
"There is not a lot of time for him to chat, after all," she replied. "Oriole has an important contest to prepare for, and your job is to aid him."
The conversation was getting more bizarre as the two of them talked about it, and Arthur could feel a headache coming. Then, finally, Julia emerged from behind the folding screen and walked over to him.
"This brings me to the offer I gave you before that girl interrupted us," she walked over and sat next to him, almost too close. "I am still waiting for the answer."
Arthur was suddenly placed on the spot, as he had no idea what that offer was for him to answer. Furthermore, judging from her act of reoffering it, it seems the previous Arthur rejected her.
However, talking without any knowledge would make things complicated. So, Arthur looked for a different way to get out of this situation, but it seemed he didn't need to do that himself.
"Meow," the sounds of scratching came from the window. Arthur turned around and realized that a familiar cat was on the balcony. "Meow!"
"Ah, it's the stupid cat again," muttered Julia as she rose from her seat. "I need to feed it, or it would stay there all night."
Julia pulled the sliding door and allowed the cat inside, which walked smugly toward Arthur. Then, it jumped and curled on the couch under the eyes of the tow.
"Hah," sighed the runemaster. "I want the answer as soon as I get back from the kitchen," after saying that, she disappeared around the corner and left the two alone.
"I did not know that you frequented this spot, Reece," smiled Arthur as he looked down on the cat, which rose to its hind legs. "I need some help."
"My sweet junior is finally asking for help," the cat gave a perverted face mixed with tears. "I saw you walking around the campus looking lost after disappearing for a few days. Are you in trouble? Ivy was worried about you."
"Ivy," muttered Arthur with nostalgia. "I am in trouble. I need to get rid of Julia because she keeps bringing up her offer."
"Ah, the one about bedding her?"
Arthur stared at the cat as it curled its paws with a perverted smile. In the beginning, he thought Reece would bring him salvation, but this man's attitude would bring him doom instead.
"Someone woke up grumpy," Reece clicked his tongue as he jumped down on all four. "You can only hide your talents for so long, Arthur. After that, she was bound to realize that you were fooling them."
"I still need more time," he said in an attempt to convince him. "I need to find Ori, Reece. Do you know where he is?"
"…at the shop, as always," Reece turned toward him with confusion. "Are you alright, Arthur? Your actions make me think that you are amnesic."
Reece threw in a joke, but he couldn't have been more correct. Arthur pondered what shop it could be before realizing that there could only be one that fits. However, the one he opened was virtual.
Arthur hurried to open his ring as Reece left to annoy Julia. Inside the virtual shop, Hidden Gems, there was an address. However, Arthur realized that his shop looked different, marked with a golden title on the top.
"Top Shop: Hidden Gems."
Arthur stared at it before remembering that there was indeed a ranking for the shops, and as he scrolled down, he found the rank. It was the third of all of Jerano's shops.
"This is amazing," he muttered before remembering that Hidden Gems was his inspiration to create Runera. "Ori must be in the shop too."
"I am back," Julia returned with a few scratches on her arms. "I need an answer now, Alexie."
"I need time to think," he replied before hurrying to stand. "I promise to give you a definite answer tonight. I got a call from Ori saying that he needs some materials."
"…that is not your job anymore," she replied with a frown. "Are you being bullied, Alexie?" she asked before standing and inching closer to him. "I can take care of you, so there is no need to run anymore."
Arthur noticed that she got too close for the two of them to be called student and teacher, or whatever relationship they had before. Then, as she tried to touch his face, Arthur's mind had a splitting headache that made him stagger back.
"I need to go," he said with a frown that froze the runemaster. "I will talk to you later," he said before bolting out of the room and into the corridors of the runemasters dorms.
Arthur can tell that there were many things that he did not know about, and his only choice was to seek out Ori. As he ran through the campus toward the outer city, Arthur came across several students who glanced his way.
"Am I famous for something?" wondered Arthur as he left the college. Then, as he was about to walk into the city, a few students passed by, and he recognized a face among them.
It was Trevor who died in the previous timeline, walking with a few of his minions. It seemed he did not notice Arthur, and he kept walking and laughing with his friends.
Arthur shook his head because this was unimportant, but seeing a dead man walking made him realize the impact his actions brought. But unfortunately, it seems that there were many things to learn before he could reestablish himself in this world.
More changes than just a few dead people coming back to life resulted from his choice. Arthur was sure that the gods, which were sealed within the void, had awakened because of him as well.
It was a matter of time before they made their appearance as vessels seeking to merge the two worlds. Arthur was alone against them, as he rejected his father's will and marched down his path.
However, Rexus, Rega, Diana, and many others were waiting for him to return. Arthur's feet carried him toward the address showing on the map as his thoughts wandered to his old friend, scattered across both worlds now.
After arriving at the address, Arthur had to make sure he got it right. Since he created Runera in the past, Arthur thought their headquarters in this current timeline would be more… appealing.
Their shop was clean and friendly, but it was small. Arthur can tell that it was barely two floors, and after he presented his ring to the runic lock, it allowed him to see that it was two floors.
A reception hall and a counter, with several shelves on each side, all empty. Arthur looked with confusion at the place before he saw the light coming from above.
"Ori?" he called out as he walked toward the bottom of the stairs. "Are you there?" he asked when he heard noises coming from above.
There was no answer. Arthur took the stairs until he reached the door at the end, which was slightly creaked open.. Then, he pushed it to walk inside, and the scene in front of him reminded Arthur of the first time he entered the runic world.
