It was done. I looked up, morning light was streaming in through the church’s shattered windows. Maybe I had gone on a bit too long? The crowd’s exhaustion confirmed it. They slumped to the ground with wide eyes and open mouths. Some of them breathed heavily, others were even sweating.

Huh? Was that really exhaustion? I cocked my head. Rather than tired, they actually looked terrified.

“What the hell…All of that happened in our kingdom?”

“I’d heard rumors about the Meticulous Tyrant but…”

“And the demons, they had the power to destroy an entire city.”

“Was that really what happened to Wren?”

It seemed that they had no idea what to think. That was fair, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it either. That story took a little more out of me than usual. Dark spots appeared in my vision. Suddenly, the world was spinning around me. I felt my knees weaken and then, all too suddenly, I collapsed.

“Hey, is he ok?”

“I don’t know…”

“Someone get a doctor!”

Even though I couldn’t move or see, I could still hear the people around me.

“Wait, don’t go near him!”

“Yea, that story was about him, right?”

“He’s a demon!”

“Then we shouldn’t help him.”

“If anything, we should…”

A loud and jarring clap resounded through the church. The crowd fell silent.

“I guess this is what you call throwing pearls before swine…” A single person addressed the crowd. I recognized his voice as the Prince. “I’ll help the Storyteller, the rest of you may leave.”

“But-!” A man in the crowd spoke up.

"Like I said, I will allow you to leave. Consider yourselves lucky to have received this information. Just remember that if I find anyone spreading this story, then they’ll find my guards at their doorstep.”

After that, a heavy silence descended upon the church. The only thing I heard was the quiet, yet brisk, steps of the audience departing.

“Hey, I told everyone to clear out.” The Prince seemed to be addressing a specific person.

“No thanks.” Despite the difference in their status, the other party spoke in a level tone. “I also have business with the Storyteller. I even waited for the night to end before troubling him, unlike a certain someone.”

The Prince clicked his tongue but ultimately ignored her jab. “…You’re the girl I talked with earlier. I’ll applaud your patience but you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. The Storyteller is clearly not in a state where he can handle your business.”

“It’s fine, he’s just tired. Even strong demons become weakened during the day, especially in direct sunlight. Can you lean him against that wall over there? He should recover in the shade.”

“…Fine.” The Prince relented. “You two, handle it.”

I was lifted up and dropped beside a wall. Once they were done, I felt someone pat my head. It was strange, I had never experienced such a sensation.

“What are you doing!?” The Prince shouted indignantly.

“Waking him up.” The girl replied. “Although, your screeching also works.”

It was working, I felt the rest of my senses return. The first thing my tired eyes saw was a black-haired girl with sharp, blue eyes. When this girl noticed that I was awake, she showed me a gentle smile.

“Good morning, Storyteller.” She held out her hand.

What does she want me to do? I asked myself. Just like always, images flowed into my head to answer my question. I took her hand and shook it.

“It’s good to finally meet you…” The girl maintained her innocuous smile. “I have three important questions to ask you. Would it be possible for you to answer them?”

I briefly considered refusing but this girl seemed ready to argue until she got her way.

“I’ll answer what I can.” I nodded.

“Great! First question…What is your name?”

“Really? You heard his entire story and that’s what you want to ask?” The prince stepped forward with a sour expression.

“Ignore him.” The girl instructed. “Just focus on answering my question.”

I didn’t need to focus at all, there was a simple answer.

“A name would be unnecessary. I don’t have one.”

“Fine, then I’ll just call you Storyteller. Second question, have you told that story to anyone else?”

“No. I never tell the same story twice.”

“Because you never feel the need to? Does that urge you spoke of disappear after one recital?”

“Yes.”

“That’s good to hear.” She said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Final question…Will you allow me to kill you?”

…Huh?

I simply stared at her, searching for a hint of a joke or a lie. Instead, the girl’s eyes reflected a cold seriousness.

“To clarify, I came here to retrieve one of the souls that’s inside of you. To do that, I’m going to return everyone you’ve consumed to their human forms. This will save everyone else but it will kill you, the aggregate personality.”

“Is…is something like that even possible?” The Prince breathed.

“To be honest, I considered forcing this on you.” The girl looked away. “…But that wouldn’t be fair to anyone. You speak for everyone inside of you, so decide. You’re essentially an immortal being and a very powerful one at that. Even so, do you really want to continue living like this?”

I prepared to reject her. No being would choose to die so casually.

“It’s ok.”

What!? Mentally, I scrambled to understand my own decision. My mouth seemed to have moved on its own. I opened it once more to refute myself but the words caught in my throat. Suddenly, I felt a new desire explode within me. Its strength couldn’t be compared to the force that compelled me to tell stories.

I understand now. I understood better than anyone else. The people living inside of me weren’t content to just tell their stories. That was simply my own arrogance. Every one of them wished to live, to find conclusions for their own sakes. It was impossible for me to stand in their way.

The girl hesitated, looking at me for some further form of confirmation.

I simply nodded.

She nodded as well. “Goodbye, Storyteller.”

Then, she placed her hands on me and began a chant. It was quite a long one. While I waited, I sifted through memories of various spells. None of them were remotely close to what I was hearing. Although, there was one chant that jumped into my head faster than any other.

As she continued, I began to feel light-headed. I heard a soft ‘thud’ as my black clothing began to fall away. Looking down, I expected to see the dark miasma that was my body. Instead, I found balls of light. They floated up from my vanishing limbs and hung in the air like soap bubbles. At first it was just my arms and legs but soon my torso was collapsing as well. Finally, even my veil had nothing to support it.

I must admit, I’m a little sad. When I think about everyone continuing their stories…I would have liked to see it for myself.

Then, quietly and peacefully, I vanished from this world.

~ ~ ~

I awoke on a cold, dusty, stone floor. Ignoring my fierce headache, I opened my eyes to a blurry world. Eventually, my sight adjusted and when it did, I found myself in a room full of people. Most of them were lying on the ground, just as I had been. The ones that were awake looked around sleepily, mirroring my own actions.

Ok, think…Why am I in this situation? I tried to retrace my steps and then immediately hit my first roadblock.

…Who am I again? I was stumped.

Suddenly, images flashed through my head. Not just a few either, it was as though someone’s entire life was flashing before my eyes. After I’d recovered, I shook my head. That wasn’t just anyone’s life, it was my own.

Some things still seemed a bit hazy but I was at least confident about the basics.

Let’s see, my name is…

“William.” I turned around towards a familiar voice. My vision hadn’t fully recovered but when I looked into her clear, blue eyes, I didn’t need to ask anything else.

“Eris!” I jumped up on unsteady feet and fell into her for a long and heavy hug. “I can’t believe it, I thought I would never see you again!”

“Whoa.” After some squirming, she managed to push me back. “You’re close, but not quite right.”

Unease gripped at my heart. I took a closer look at the girl before me. The two of them were certainly similar. Although, this girl was definitely at least a few years younger. She stood before me with her arms crossed in a confident, almost standoffish pose. The words nearly caught in my throat but I still managed to ask: “Then, who are you?”

“My name is Aria Vast.” She reported with a grin. “Officially, I’m your granddaughter.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it. Nothing I could say would cause this situation to make sense. One edge of Aria’s mouth raised in a slight smirk. She seemed to be waiting for a vocal response.

“Huh? But I never…Certainly not with Eris…or anyone else for that matter! I haven’t even married yet.”

Aria shook her head. “You’re getting hung up on the wrong word. I’m ‘officially’ your granddaughter. You’ve been gone for a very long time and so someone else ended up continuing the Vast lineage.”

“But I’m an only child.”

“That is correct. However, ‘officially’, William Vast returned home after a year-long journey, got married and then raised the next generation without ever leaving the manor. Someone decided to take up the mantle because you weren’t coming back. You can probably guess who.”

“…Eris and Hal.”

“Exactly. My grandparents ended up taking your name and ruling on your behalf.”

“But how? That’s forgery!”

“Don’t worry about the details. Your father collaborated with them and the swap worked without a hitch.”

Suddenly, I wondered if I had truly woken up.

“Ok, I’ll accept all of that…”

“But…” Aria eyed me curiously.

“But how did you free me and everyone else?”

Aria grimaced. She turned around and moved her hair away to reveal a claw-like scar on the back of her neck.

“Your friend, her daughter and her daughter’s daughter, that’s me by the way, have spent our entire lives researching and refining this one spell. I just happened to be the one to complete it.”

Once again, I was speechless. I couldn’t even imagine what Eris’s family went through for my sake.

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t all bad. Since I freed you, I don’t have to be the lord when I come of age. That’ll be your job.”

“Let me guess, you don’t want to be tied down by that kind of work.”

“Bingo.” Aria grinned. “I’ll be taking a sizeable monetary reward for my troubles and then a life of travel and adventure awaits.”

“Man, you and Eris really are similar.”

“~Mhm.” Aria nodded happily. Then, she looked away. “By the way…If you hug my grandmother like that, then she’ll snap like a twig.”

“Huh? Are they that old? How long was I gone!?” I stepped forward but Aria wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Hey, Ten!” A familiar voice and a pat on the shoulder forced me to abandon my interrogation. When I turned around, I found Sera standing behind me.

“Hey.” I grinned. “You don’t look any different.”

“I know…I was actually hoping to grow a little bit.” Despite her words, Sera was beaming. “Being fifteen gets boring after a few decades.”

“You’ve all definitely aged, even if it doesn’t show.” Aria stepped in. “Your lives might have been extended while you were inside the Storyteller, but your souls have still been eroding. Everyone here can expect to miss out on a sizable chunk of their life. This kind of miracle isn’t entirely free.”

“Oh, you’re…” Sera paused for a second. Her mouth hung open, as if she had just received an epiphany. “You’re the sorcerer who freed us.”

Thinking back on it, I also had memories of her killing the Storyteller. In fact, I even had memories about Sera that weren’t there before.

This must be a side-effect of sharing the same body. I reflected.

“I have to say, that was a very impressive display of sorcery.” I turned around once more to see Rowan enter the conversation.

Sera and I flinched visibly. Aria looked a little worried as well.

“At your age, I’d be very surprised if you didn’t have a mark.”

“I do.” Aria replied curtly.

Rowan noticed our apprehension and chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I’ve learned more than I ever wanted to know about you guys while I was inside the Storyteller. Plus, all of us are human now.” Rowan spoke in a calm, yet cheerful tone. Then, he scratched his head in an uncharacteristically meek fashion. “If anything, I should be apologizing to you two…and everyone here. It was my recklessness that allowed Ten to absorb so many souls.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I was the one who killed you and took them.”

“Well, my family was still the root cause.” Aria stepped between us. “We all paid for it, so you don’t need to focus on who’s at fault.”

“If we are talking about blame…” Sera raised her hand slightly. “There’s one person who ranks pretty highly.”

We all went silent. I had almost forgotten about Elver. The one downside of saving everyone was that it also revived him.

“Well, maybe that person also gained a new perspective after seeing everyone’s memories.” As if on cue, Elver hobbled towards us. Actually, he had probably been waiting for this exact moment.

“I’ll be the first person to call bullshit on that.” Rowan replied, narrowing his eyes.

“Ouch, my pupil is so harsh.” Elver chuckled and then, predictably, fell into another coughing fit. However, this one was longer and much more violent than his usual bouts. Elver covered his mouth as he sank to the ground. Whether it was by accident or design, we all caught a glimpse of blood pooling in his hands.

“We don’t have to worry about him.” Aria announced. “Judging from the story I just heard, Elver has been cheating death for years now. After spending all that time inside of a demon, I’m surprised he’s even alive at all.

“Then you won’t be surprised for much longer. At this rate, I won’t even last the day.” Elver glanced at Sera. “Unless, I receive someone’s soul.”

“God, you may as well be a demon in human skin.” Rowan spat. “I hope you’re enjoying your last moments because no one is going to donate their life to save yours.”

“That might be the case…but I still have the right to ask. And speaking of rights, who was it that gave you the right to live, Sera?”

“Yes, I acknowledge that you saved my life.” Sera replied flatly “Although, that was only because Vesta rode for hours just to beg you.”

“BUT YOU WOULDN’T BE STANDING HERE WITHOUT ME!!!” Elver’s screech resounded through the church.

Most of the other victims were still in a daze. They looked up sleepily and then continued to ignore us.

“You owe me Sera.” Elver couldn’t manage to stand and so he clung to Sera’s legs. “Don’t let me die here. Give me your life!”

“Elver, give it up.” Sera knelt down and removed his hands. “You’re never going to be immortal.”

“How could you know that!? We just witnessed sorcery that was beyond even my understanding. That only proves that there’s more possibilities for me to explore.”

“Think for a second…” Sera’s tone wasn’t hateful or even angry. She showed us a pained expression, as though she were a mother scolding an injured child. “That girl has a mark that was passed from generation to generation, all for the purpose of saving one person. Think about what that means.”

“Marks of the sorcerer are imperfect tools.” Elver scoffed. “They can only transfer knowledge of sorcery. That’s not true immortality.”

“I’m not asking you about the mark.” Sera chided. “Why do you think they were able to do that kind of thing?”

Elver opened his mouth and then bit back a retort. He didn’t seem to have an answer.

“Everyone dies eventually. Even so, there are people who will remember the dead. Those people will pass their memories on to the next generation and continue the cycle. The fact that this girl is obviously Eris’s kin attests to that. Eris did transfer her knowledge through the mark but that isn't the whole story. The fact that her descendants worked hard to finish what she started proves that she passed on more than just her sorcery. Someone like you will never be able to do that. You can’t understand that people live inside of others.”

Elver stared at her in silence. His eyes narrowed and his veins bulged as he thought of a response. Then, he simply laughed. Elver’s laughter was neither sinister nor maniacal, it was a light-hearted chuckle that would have been more believable if it had come from an actual demon.

“Then…it wasn’t for nothing.” Elver struggled to speak in between spasms. “Everyone’s memories have been linked to some extent. So now all of these people will remember me whether they like it or not!”

“Yes, as a monster who was worse than demons.” Sera sighed.

“Bad memories stick around longer than good ones. Although, I’m still not content with just that.”

Elver reached out to Sera with his left hand but she swatted it away.

“Give it up.”

“No.” Elver shook his head slowly. “You still owe me for saving your life.”

He lifted up his sleeve to reveal his own mark.

“This mark will be passed to the person that is closest to me. Although, it won’t be able to activate unless it’s transferred through birth. To repay your savior…I’ll ask that you stand beside me.”

Sera hesitated at first but eventually she moved next to Elver.

He grinned. “This mark holds a lot of dangerous knowledge but it also contains sorcery that Vesta cultivated. You’ll have to make sure that the owner can handle it.”

“…Fine, I’ll promise you that much.”

Elver kept his grin as he closed eyes for the last time.

“Good riddance.” I heard Rowan mutter under his breath.

I nodded heartily, until I noticed that Sera was watching me.

“I couldn’t agree more.” She said, raising her hand to show off her new mark. Sera showed us an expression that wasn’t quite a smile but certainly couldn’t be called a frown.

~ ~ ~

As everyone else began to wake up, I quickly realized that the three of us had been very lucky. While we had received a wealth of memories, many others could barely remember their own names. Aria told me that their memories would recover with time and that I shouldn’t worry about it. Even so, I felt that we still had an obligation to help them. I decided to offer everyone a place in my fief. Of course, I had no idea if we could accommodate so many newcomers but I pledged to house them regardless. A lord’s promises are heavy and I was even prepared to build houses if I must. Although, hopefully it won’t come to that…Seriously.

At least I didn’t have to worry about buying supplies for the party. The Prince had decided to escort us himself. When I asked why, he said something to the effect of:

“While I don’t appreciate the role that my great-grandfather played in all of this, I do believe the Storyteller’s words. I cannot apologize on his behalf but I’ll ensure that you make it to your destination safely.”

I think he began to regret his decision when Aria started teasing him on the way home. The Prince had spent his entire life surrounded by women whose knees would weaken at the very mention of his last name. To a man like that, Aria was a challenge unlike any he had ever faced.

Rowan and Sera were one of the first to take me up on my offer. Those two could probably live anywhere but I was happy to have them join me. We seemed to share more memories than most of the survivors and it caused us to become inseparable during our journey.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones to follow me home. Before I left for the Vast fiefdom, I had assembled a sizeable motley crew of hopeful guests. On the morning that we set out, I had a little laugh after realizing something.

What would my father have thought of this crowd? What if, a year after my sudden disappearance, I had returned with a sword-wielding sorcerer, a doctor’s aide who looked forty years younger than she should and a crowd of amnesiacs? I chuckled as I imagined his jaw hitting the manor floor.