Bab 5: Adam Ocelot
Estelle watched the child she'd accompanied for six years look off into the starry night blankly.
He seemed lost in thought.
Of course, she knew exactly why he was acting like this. A true 'Spirit Wolf' like her knew it intimately.
Much better than any companion in the world.
"What are you thinking about?" Even though she already knew, the wolf telepathically spoke to him.
Approaching ever so closer.
"You would never understand…" Adam made a saddening smile that was only full of formality.
It wasn't the smile of her little boy anymore.
The child seemed to be seeing delusions of a once forgotten past. A family that showed intimacy.
It was a better 'family' than the one he had now.
He could see their figures in the darkness. Asking him if he was okay and if he needed any help.
Even when he didn't give much thought about them, they'd always cared for his well-being.
Then he left them…
When someone you loved in your life dies, those close tended to find themselves feeling empty.
Like a hole was punctured in their heart.
A feeling of incompleteness would be born in their hearts, even from losing one thing in their lives.
But what did it feel for the person dying?
They too knowing they'd never see anyone they were familiar with for the rest of their lives.
Adam Graham could only look at the only thing he was familiar with. The night sky with a half moon.
How could anyone possibly understand?
The more he immersed in his feeling of longing, the more he felt a rage bubbling up from the chaos.
Inconsistency between his heart and his reason.
Logic dictated that he was no longer Adam Graham, but how could the child accept this?
He wanted THAT family… People who loved him.
The light in his eyes started to fade.
"I'm sorry." The words Estelle finally spoke awoke him out of his daze. It caused him to turn around.
She believed that now he was 'whole' he deserved an explanation that could put his mind at ease.
Someone to blame for this.
At least if he could blame another, then he wouldn't have to suffer alone from the ghosts haunting him.
Estelle started to speak of her past.
…..
….
…
..
.
There were laws in this magical world that was abided by all. Everything followed these rules.
This was especially true for magical existences.
While she couldn't explain everything, Estelle made a point in bringing up 'the moment she was born'.
Which was more akin to 'popping into existence'.
There was no process of growing a physical body or maturing. She was who she was at birth.
Her name might have been decided by Adam three years later, but she still had her own sentience.
Knowing exactly what she was born for.
Before the cry of a baby rang in her ears, she saw a few things inexplainable to any other of her kind.
A memory that shouldn't exist.
In the darkness of the void from which her spirit and consciousness was being formed, she saw a blood red screen that wasn't in the knowledge that was being ingrained into her. It was truly enigmatic.
['Game Master' privileges has been transferred.]
['Miracle Gamer of Taboo Fate' is sensing another spiritual body being tethered to the Game Master.]
[Analysing… Synchronicity with the 'Familiar System' of the RPG Genre found… Implementing…]
[Loading software…]
Estelle had yet to form a straight thought pattern at that point, but her beast-like instincts were intact.
She had immediately saw the strings of 0s and 1s as a threat to her safety, so she attacked violently.
[Error!]
The sound of something crashing could be heard along with her newfound senses being illuminated.
Estelle instantly understood what happened upon being gifted a mind of reason and heart of ice.
Looking at the fragments of the blood red messages that were invisible to anyone but her.
[E-error…]
And while no one was looking at her, she used her powers to draw them into her body for fixing.
Estelle thought it could all be swept under the rug.
Adam looked no different from a normal young werewolf. Making it hard to ever bring this up.
How would she explain this?
She couldn't just say: "Hey, I broke something of yours BEFORE you were born. Want it back now?"
After having been 'born' herself, she didn't want to be the first Spirit Wolf to be ousted for insanity.
Things just became harder as time passed.
The more she analysed the incompleteness of her companion's psyche, the more broken it felt.
Like there was a part of him that was missing.
She hoped that what he'd forgotten would never be remembered… because Adam was better like this.
But now it looked like her wish was too selfish.
…..
….
…
..
.
After hearing what she had to say, Adam looked at her without being able to say anything in response.
He wanted to curse.
Be angry at someone.
But when he saw the pitiful look in his Spirit Wolf's eyes, all those words of persecution had faded.
Leaving only one thing said…
"Unfair…" Adam pointed at her: "It's… unfair. Why did… What am I supposed to do now? Tell me!"
He held his head. Everything seemed too unreal and unnatural. Was everything happening a dream?
This was too absurd.
Waking memories of his 'past life' and being told his Spirit Wolf knew about it was way too crazy.
None of it made sense…!
He felt his ears ringing. A sound so strong that it was shaking his soul. All of it was way too strange.
But most of all… Adam was feeling scared.
All of this was happening too suddenly. The fear not knowing what reality was anymore scared him.
Estelle saw his internal turmoil, but could do nothing to stop his slow descent into madness.
Having an existential crisis of identity was only natural. Things unexplainable were at play.
Estelle knew she'd messed up.
She shouldn't have hid anything.
If now that he was feeling like his life had completely turned upside down, then it was her fault. Hiding everything and making him believe he was normal had produced the opposite results.
Moreover, she had noticed something.
It was that his spirit had recovered in the years he spent without those fragments she'd broken off.
It meant that the memories of this 'other person' she could sense assaulting him was a threat.
Right now, a battle was taking place within him.
The winner of this gruesome spiritual battle would likely take over the boy's ego. Resurrecting itself.
She couldn't just stand by.
The newly formed soul Adam Ocelot Black had formed was too immature to take on his past.
But she also couldn't do anything to intervene.
Anything she said could have possible side-effects she was unknowing of. So what could she do?
Estelle suddenly remembered a certain message.
In her effort to study those broken screens she put back together, it too tried to communicate with her.
Eventually, a message popped up.
[Error… Transference of the Game Master's data has been halted… Recalibrating… Reissuing…]
Ever since that message, nothing had came up.
Except for a message that was simply loading.
Thus, to make sure there wasn't anything she had missed, Estelle took out the restored red screen.
A new message was written.
[Error… Game Master's data cannot enter the current avatar… Attempting to amend the data…]
[Transference of Game Master's soul data to the individual, 'Adam Ocelot', is currently in progress…]
[Physical data is corrupted… Impossible to transfer the Game Master's body data to current avatar…]
[Warning… Physical data cannot be erased…]
Seeing that Adam's body was going through some kind of strain, Estelle put together the pieces.
It seemed like 'Physical Data' was the problem.
She had no idea what it meant, but since this transference was started via the blood red text screen, then what she needed to do was destroy it herself. That way, the strain on Adam would lessen.
Estelle took in a deep breath before biting down on the status screen again, but this time to save him.
She wouldn't make the same mistake again.
The pride of a Spirit Wolf was in their joy in protecting their companion. Even if it meant death.
Some saw themselves as tools. Others saw their companions as blood siblings, masters, and so on.
They didn't need a reason to feel this way. Their companionship was a gift from the heavens itself.
A wolf that would do anything for its companion.
A crunching sound could be heard sharply, and the anguish Adam felt suddenly became a lot gentler.
[Error… Target 'Spirit Wolf— Estelle' cannot integrate data… Recalibrating… Simplifying…]
[Game Master physical avatar has been simplified to human avatar… Checking qualifications…]
[Target 'Spirit Wolf— Estelle' is spiritually connected to Game Master.. Target qualified…]
[Initiating 'Forced Reset' protocol…]
This time, Estelle found herself being pulled into the same void she had been born from in the past.
Something was happening to her.
She felt the shape of her body was being altered significantly, and was surprised after returning.
'What…?' Estelle recognised the humanoid limbs and female features, but was this really herself?
But she had no choice but to quickly accept the facts. Adam was still struggling on his own.
She needed to be there…
The child who looked older than he actually was suddenly felt someone hugging him from behind.
"You are not alone." These four words were spoken with the feelings Estelle had felt this entire time.
Adam suddenly remembered his past.
Not as 'Adam Graham', but as 'Adam Ocelot'.
Even though his father and brother had always been the type to shift their attitudes. Like how they sometimes went from being loving to indifferent. A companion was always there. He was never lonely.
Adam Ocelot had never felt lonely his entire life.
Because he was never alone…
It was this realisation that tipped the scales in his heart. Making him change his perspective.
Rather than what he was after remembering forgotten memories… Who did he want to be now?
His eyes started to calm down at that realisation.
He knew who he was…
[You have obtained the spiritual data of the Game Master. Congratulations, and welcome to Gaia.]
[Authority over 'Miracle Gamer of Taboo Fate' has been transferred… Time required for analysis…]
[Initiating scan…]
Those were the messages he saw hanging over his head the first time. Fatigue finally hit the boy.
He fell unconscious quite suddenly…
Estelle noticed that a sincere smile had finally returned to her companion's face after all this.
Overcoming adversity had truly made one stronger.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone