Arriving with impact

I keep looking around me to try and figure out where and what this is. It couldn't be one of those, right?

I notice Lloyd and Kyara catching up and without looking at them I answer.
"I have a hunch about what it might be, but I am not sure yet. If I'm correct, this place should be safer than the forest, yet more dangerous in a way. Sorry, I'm not the best at explaining these kind of things."

Something seems to 'talk' to me, but without words. It's telling me to go further and so I start walking towards the center of the ruins.

As soon as I come close, a voice starts flowing through the ruins.

"Greetings Kyousuke, it has been quite a while. Are you here to resume your training?"

Ah crap, I was right. This is the temple where I was born. But it shouldn't be here. I thought I was in a different world? Or is this...?

"How long has it been exactly?" I ask nervously.

"157.156 years, 3 months, 12 days."

I climb out of the water and walk up to Kyou. But as I keep walking to him I start feeling light-headed again. Something is happening right? I hear voices, but I can't make out the words. My vision is getting blurry as well. I can't keep fighting this feeling. Let's just hope that it is Tada who is trying to find me otherwise this would be pretty scary.

"Hey guys... I think I will lose consciousness in a few seco....."

Before I can finish my sentence I fall to the ground. Everything seems to move in slowmotion before I close my eyes and lose my connection with reality.

...

(Kyara's eye color changes to blue again)

...

I open "my" eyes. I am lying on a hard floor. I try to look around me. What is this place? This doesn't look at all like that house I saw last time. Time isn't flowing the same in our world and this one, so I don't know how much time has passed, but I hope it isn't too long. As I look around I found the same boy as last time. At least it seems like she is not alone. However as I look the other way I see a new person. Did he join them? He doesn't seem to be a bad person as the other boy doesn't seem to be react to him. I try to get up, but as I place "my" arm on the ground to get up I feel a shock of pain throught it. At that moment I notice a big cut on "my" arm. How did that happen?

"A hunch, huh?!"

With those emotionless words, I become silent again as I wonder what is truly going on. The scene itself is odd by itself, though Kyousuke behaviour has been similarly strange since then. It doesn't help much that his explanation is barely useful. It is a bit difficult to swallow the fact that Kyousuke considers this place somewhat dangerous. Especially because he wasn't worried before about the guys were running away from in the first place.

The illusion I had that nobody is here is quickly shattered as a voice comes out nowhere. The conversation is weird, to say the least, but before I can say something about it I hear Kyara behind speak up. With unsteady feet, she tries to warn us before falling down. I run over to her in an attempt to catch her, but in vain as I watch her hit the ground. "Quite the troublesome situation as usual", I think to myself as I try to keep both of them in viewpoint. Seconds pass and Kyara seems to get back up as if nothing happened. Her demeanor has changed somewhat and I'm reminded by the one time. With two things happening at once I make an effort to pay attention to both, but I couldn't help myself as I had some questions for Kyara, or whoever she is now.

"W-Who are you..."

My head starts spinning. I have been thrust into the future? But how? By who? And why do I understand everything these guys are saying if I am from a different time period altogether? Or why do I recognize their technology?

Behind me Kyara speaks before collapsing. I turn around to see Lloyd rush over and I snap out of my daze and run over as well. The temple can wait, Kyara is more important right now.

Were her eyes always this color?

"Kyara, are you ok?" I ask with a worry in my voice. Is there anything I can do? I wait for Kyara to answer Lloyd before I take any further actions. Kyara is more important than my own troubles right now.

(Unlike Kyara this new person doesn't seem to look too confidant and rather timid in the way they move)

That reaction of that other boy tells me he is another member of their team as he seems worried. I think it would be the best if I just tell the truth, to a certain extent at least. They already figured that I am not Kyara and the black-haired boy knows about my powers. Besides I don't know what Kyara told them already.

"My name is Satoru. I want to thank you for taking care of Kyara for me. She went missing around one and a half month ago and I have been trying to find her ever since. I managed to get in contact with her around half a month ago and while trying to figure out where she was I accidently took over her body and now a few weeks later I finally managed to do it again. I feel a bit guilty for taking over her body like this, but I don't have another choice. Although time is flowing differently here so the time that passed might be different here. And I don't really know what else I have to say."

As I explain "my" eyes fall once more on the cut on Kyara's arm. It stings quite a bit.

"What happened to Kyara? While I was fighting those guys last time I noticed they had a scanner reacted to my powers, which means they track us with it right? Meaning I can't use my powers for now and can't heal it for her."

I really want to heal this wound as I don't want Kyara to walk around with it and be in pain, but I can try to stay here a bit longer than last time and wait for it to heal on it's own and I need to find out where this is. If I could just take her home that would be the easiest way as I can heal her there. I don't want her to suffer here.

So she is using a form of possession, or at the very least this Satoru person is. Either way, it doesn't seem to be the same type of possession as the one I know. After all, Satoru did mention he is from another place. That would probably also explain why they both aren't aware of the situation when they aren't in control. It's one hassle after the other, but at the very least that would explain a few things. I Then move back to my surroundings answering Satoru's question while looking around.

"Kyara scrapped herself when she crashed into the wall not too long ago. I don't think I'm in a position to stop you from healing. That being said, the threat of being tracked is only a point on the list of problems we seem to have now!"

After frantically looking without finding useful I turn back to Kyousuke next. "So he seems to come from one of those locations", I think to myself. His attention has shifted to Kyara (Satoru), completely detached from the voice that was calling out to him. Can he afford to be this distracted? He did mention that it could be way dangerous, right?! Feeling a bit uncomfortable because of a supposed unknown danger I take a battle stance, waiting for whatever may come up.

"Uh... Kyousuke, shouldn't you be a bit more on guard. You did mention it could be dangerous, right!? Oh, and please do tell what 'what' is that could be dangerous?"

Possession? That is a new one for me. But this Satoru or whatever seems to care for Kyara.

"I agree with Lloyd here. Also, if you and Kyara are gonna be switching places, introductions are in order. I am Kyousuke, but friends just call me Kyou." I say this as I put on a friendly grin.

I hear Lloyd freaking out so I turn to him. My stance stays relaxed and I try to convey that to Lloyd as well.

"Don't worry too much when I say it is dangerous. There is no imminent threat until we start engaging. This is the temple, or at least the ruins of the temple, where I was supposedly born. I have lived here for the first years of my life, training and everything under the guidance of that voice you heard. It is the training that is the most dangerous around here, since it pushes you beyond your limits. Speaking of which..." I say as I turn towards the temple again.

"Nuriel, you seem to still be here. Is there still a room not in ruins where we can patch up our friend?" I call out to the very temple itself. If this were anyone else in any other situation, I'd call that person crazy probably.

The voice that I call Nuriel answers: "Your old room has stayed mostly intact. I would recommend cleaning the bandages in the surrounding water first before applying."
Nuriel's voice is a flowing, female voice that sounds caring, but with a strength that makes almost no one question her.

I turn to Kyara/Satoru and hold out my hand.

"Looks like we're in luck. Let's go."

The black-haired guy seems to be very tense. He probably went through a lot before meeting Kyara and Kyousuke. I don't get any evil intention from him, so I think he only wants to protect us and himself. The reason I recognize this is, because it reminds me of myself. However it seems like my presence upset him. I of course have no clue what this group went through and don't know what we are doing right now or why we are here in the first place. Maybe he is even suspicious of my presence which wouldn't be weird at all. I mean in his eyes I am just a random person taking over Kyara's body. I could be lying and I have nothing on me that I could use to prove that I don't have evil intentions. So before going with Kyousuke I need to speak a few words with the black-haired guy. I signal to Kyousuke that I want to say a few words and walk over to the other guy after that.

"I am sorry for suddenly being here in a apparantly somewhat dangerous situation without having any understanding of what is happening. But believe me when I say that I really just want to protect Kyara. If it isn't too much of a bother I would like to stay here for a bit longer than last time. I don't have a time limit to be here. The only thing that can cause me to be forced back to my own body is if something happens with my own body. I don't want Kyara to suffer here. I don't want anything to happen to her, so I want to take her place here."

Last time I let myself be forced back way too early. No matter what happens with my own body from now on I will just have to endure it and stay here. I can't let Kyara get hurt here. I will never forgive myself if something would happen to her here when I could have prevented it if I would have just endured it.

After that I wait for the guy's reaction and follow Kyousuke afterwards, while thanking him for waiting.

Though Kyousuke attempts to calm me down somewhere in the back of my mind I can't completely relax just yet. At the same time, I take a more relaxed position as it appears there is nothing at the moment out to get us. I sigh as a way to calm down. I try to reevaluate the situation to see what my best course of action would be. Then, the person named Satoru approaches me. Her explanation seems solely focused on the well-being of Kyara. Possession from what I know it is natural for the possessor to protect the host, as it is a form a self-preservation. This person's cause seems nobler though. Hearing her speak like that it reminds me of when Kyara nags about going home.

"Look, like I said before, I'm not in a position to tell you if you should or should not replace Kyara. If you want to protect Kyara that good and if you willing to endure hardship, that's quite noble of you. All I can really say is that it would help if you explained it Kyara, to prevent any other troublesome situations"

With our exchange finished I watch as the Kyousuke leads Satoru to a place to recover. I can't help but stand back for a bit thinking some things true. Curiosity takes control as I pull out the scanner from my pocket. After confirming what I thought, I put the scanner back and follow suits.

"Well, Kyousuke, I think a tour is in place. I don't suppose this place comes with a backdoor exit?"

I wait patiently while this Satoru addresses Lloyd. As I thought, not a bad person. Lloyd seems to relax a little bit as well and something tells me he could use more relaxing in his life in general. Let's see if I can help in that by getting him out of the range of these guys.

Lloyd asks me about a backdoor exit and I look at him cocking an eyebrow.

"Really? We are walking through literal ruins and you ask for a backdoor exit? I'm not even sure we came in through the front door at this point. But I recognize where we are now. This used to be the yard where I was allowed to spend time with my mother. If we keep walking this way, we should reach my room before long." I partly start laughing while explaining sarcastically about the backdoor exit, but I turn just a tiny bit more melancholic as I remember my mom.

We arrive at a part of the ruins that are not in actual ruins and I open the door. It opens surprisingly easy for a door that probably hasn't been used in about 150.000 years. Guess Nuriel took care of my room as always. I should probably freak out soon about the fact I am in the future somehow.

I locate the bandages and start cleaning them before offering them to Kyara. Or Satoru. This is confusing.

"So, Satoru. You said it has been a month and a half since Kyara went missing from your world. I'm not sure how time flows or how it works to begin with, but I met Kyara and Lloyd this morning, but they'll probably know better how much time they've been together."

Didn't I have a deer somewhere? Meh, I'll retrieve it later. We might want to settle in for now. It has been a long day.

It still doesn't seem like that guy, Lloyd I think Kyousuke called him, is very happy about my presence here and he wants me to explain the situation to Kyara? How am I supposed to do that? I can only take over her body or give it back, besides the less she knows the better. It would be bad if she figured what I am doing. So let's avoid that. I just need to get her out of here before I can't endure it anymore to stay here or I need to find a way to switch our bodies. I feel restricted in Kyara's body anyways. I have to absolutely take care that I don't injure her body.

After a little while Kyousuke gives me some bandages, so I thank him for that and apply the bandages. And as Kyara has explained it so many times I put on the bandages in no time. I think I have been wearing bandages more than not lately, so I am used to them anyways. While I apply them Kyousuke explains a bit about the place, giving me a better idea of the situation. Kyousuke seems to be confused about the passing of time between our worlds. Which I can fully understand. It is very complicated.

"It isn't really important to understand the difference in the way time passes at different places. The only thing I want to know is if I haven't abandoned her here for years."

I haven't really seen a mirror of any kind, but as far as I can see, she doesn't seem to have aged, but I have seen worlds where aging doesn't exist, so I can't rule out that this is happening here as well.

"At least I see that she is wearing a gun with her so she should be able to defend herself. As knowing her she is probably refusing to use my power. I did notice her using small amounts a few times though, so that's at least getting better. Now I just need to convince her to use it whenever necessary."

I inspect the gun a little. It seems to contain darts instead of bullets, meaning they could be poisoned. Because of the scanners it is better if I don't rely on my powers too much, meaning I will have to use this gun. I don't have much expierence with guns, but I have with a lot of other weapons and I do have combat experience in general, so I can probably make it work.

While following the two I listen to Kyousuke while filtering out the information he gives about the place. As he explains I make sure to keep a close eye on my surroundings, making mental notes of potential landmarks, to ensure I don't get lost in here. Our rather peaceful walk, crossing the ruins ends when we come across what seems to be a house of some sort. It looks different from what I'm used to, but considering everything else here, I'm not all that surprised about that. What is surprising to see is the fact that this building is still standing. Nuriel, I believe Kyousuke called it, did mentioned that this place is supposed to be millions of years old. That would explain why everything is in ruin, but it is strange to see this place still intact. Expecting not to get much of an answer I bury the question as I follow Satoru and Kyousuke inside.

The interior seems nicely kept as I try to make myself a bit more comfortable. My gaze follows Kyousuke who gets out some bandages, handing them over to Satoru. Not quick after a conversation starts regarding the disjointed flow of time between each of use. I have heard of abilities before related to alternate worlds that can even transcend time. I'm still a bit unsure about their situation, so as not to confuse them I decide to refrain from mentioning it and focus on what I do know.

"To answer your question, Satoru, about a day has passed since the last time you were here. If it's true that Kyara went missing about one and half a month ago and if we take into account the amount of time that passed between now and the last time you appeared, I'd say Kyara has been here for several days, maybe a week tops.... That is of course if she has been here the entire time. I only met her about two days ago, so I can't fill you in on where she has been prior to that."

My room is very simple, but big enough to house the three of us comfortably. My bed is made and the table has two chairs that are very comfortable as well. I sit down on my bed, feeling a pang of nostalgia, before listening back to the conversation between Lloyd and Kya... I mean Satoru.

So Lloyd and Kyara didn't meet that much longer before they met me huh? Yet they already went through quite a lot together, which lets me think back on the encounter earlier today. Who are these people that are chasing us and what exactly do they want?

I really hope we can figure that out eventually, but first we have to be prepared. I don't think my strength can protect both of them against these guys all the time and we only encountered scouting parties if I were to believe Lloyd.

I start thinking out loud by accident, eventually turning to Lloyd and Satoru with the train of thought.

"Luckily we can rest up and train here. Having the temple and Nuriel is really unexpected, but it has really given my confidence a boost. Nuriel has an amazing ability, namely train exactly on what you need the most right now. I have been practicing how to control my energy into other things. I believe they call it 'ki' or something. If I can manage that, we should be one step further on taking down whoever is capturing innocent people."

"Math like that doesn't apply to time. Half a month in my world was 1 day this time but next half a month could count for years. That is the problem of it all. But as you don't know I won't bother you guys with it. Thanks for letting me know at least. She is alright that is what is most important. I can be here for her now. I have a lot to make up for anyways."

But I can't help but have a bad feeling about this place. Maybe not the place itself necessarily, but I have a feeling that we have to stay on guard. But maybe that is just me as I am in an unknown place in Kyara's body at that.

After that Kyousuke speaks up seemingly enthousiatic, but even though I prefer to not shoot it down, there are a few potential problems with that.

"I get that it would help to be stronger, but the moment you start those guys might find us because of those scanners. I have no idea what it is exactly that those scanners pick up on, but it notices my power as well which shouldn't count as mere magic or mere powers. Meaning that if you start using ki there is a chance it will be noticed as well. I don't know how strong those guys can be and if training is worth that risk than I won't complain. I just arrived so I won't make a decision like that for you guys, but we need to take that in consideration."

After noticing the chairs I sit down in one of them, experiencing a level of comfort I haven't had in ages. Just sitting down almost causes my body to shut down. How long has this day been going on? Without natural lightning is difficult to tell and disorienting. Regardless, it has been quite the troublesome day. Hearing Satoru talk about time, painfully reminds me how all this just happened in the span of two days.

The discussion continues as Kyousuke suddenly brings up an idea. Though it sounds promising, I can't help but be sceptical about its concept. If I could really take training like that maybe I don't even have to wait two more day to get things done. Satoru, however, suddenly brings up one of the many points I was pondering about. Though I didn't catch a signal on Kyousuke last time, that doesn't mean if he starts using this "ki" it won't happen again. Training would most likely involve the use and development of some skill and if it were to involve some sort of power I would most likely set of the scanners. What about time? Can we truly train to attain the right amount of strength within a decent amount of time? I can't afford to risk that, now that I'm that close. My mind drifts off and in the end, I can only come up with one solution for the time being.

"Let's discuss this tomorrow. Training or not, we won't accomplish anything if we are too tired to do anything. I do assume you still need sleep right Kyousuke? We should decide on guard duty unless you can guarantee us this place will stay safe. Oh... I have been wondering Satoru, what would happen if you were to go sleep right voluntarily?"

Satoru brings up a good point, I hadn't thought about that.

"You're right, but there must be something we can do to stand a better chance right? I am not going to just stand by and let innocent people get hurt!"

That's right, I have always fought for those who cannot defend themselves. If I need to get stronger, I will do whatever it takes.

Suddenly Lloyd speaks up with some words of wisdom and immediately after he says that, I feel how long this day has been.

"You're right, this can wait until tomorrow. Sadly, in the state the temple is in, Nuriel can't completely defend us against any possible attackers probably."

I then direct my attention to my caretaker.

"Nuriel, can you at least still warn us about any intruders that might be upon us?"

"I should be able to warn you when someone arrives at the entrance of the cave, but you are right in that I cannot defend you in my current state. Having a guard duty seems like the appropriate choice to ensure your safety as much as possible and given your current mental states, I advise Satoru to take first watch, as his mind seems to be the clearest and least exhausted right now."

And as she speaks, a closet that is hidden in the wall opens and another pillow and blanket roll out.

"I fully agree on the fact that we need to protect the innocent people and if I wasn't in Kyara's body I would just find out where they are and attack them directly, but I can't risk injuring her body. But let's indeed decided what our next plan is going to be tomorrow."

After that Kyousuke starts talking to this Nuriel person, which I have a lot of questions about, but I will let it go for now, and concludes that I might be the best person to stay up as I am supposedly the least exhaused and have the clearest mind. Kyara's body is indeed not as exhausted as the others as far as I can tell, but my mind is a different question. I have barely slept the last one and a half month at all as I was looking for Kyara and of course my mind is stressed out by worrying about her all this time. I am happy that as long as I am in her body she doesn't have to worry about anything and even more that she is safe now. And I am fine with sleeping later I need less sleep than others humans anyways as long as I have a connection with the sky, but my energy levels drop quicker than other humans when I don't have that connection. Luckily I haven't been here for too long yet and it's not too big of a problem yet, but I can't stay in this cave for multiple days. If we will really stay here for Nuriel's training then I will need to go outside for a little while sooner or later, which in this situation is a risk. But as the way my existence works it is pretty understandable that Nuriel wouldn't pick up on that.

"Keeping track of time is going to be a bit difficult in here, making it difficult to know when to wake the next person, unless Nuriel knows and can tell us when the next person's turn is. As everyone is very tired I would suggest switching after around three hours. That way everyone has a decent amount of sleep. Unless you think you can handle the next day, which is probably going to be tough, with less hours of sleep. Who wants to take the turn after me?"

They all seem to take my word of advice to heart, as the discussion shifts towards resting up for the next day. Though they both agree that we need to take care of those suited guys, we all agree that a proper rest is in place. Kyousuke starts planning things, as he asks Nuriel about its ability to protect us. She speaks some disturbing words, as it is apparently unable to protect us, but at the very least it is able to warn us if danger were to show up. After that, Nuriel gives out advice on who should take watch first, but her advice surprises me for a bit. Though Kyara's form of possession is different from what I've seen before, Satoru definitely suffers from similar weaknesses. Last time she barely managed to stay put for several minutes before she was forced out again. Shouldn't she be the one in most need of a rest? Or maybe Nuriel can't properly gauche our abilities at all? Either way, I feel too tired to argue against its decision. Satoru seems to follow along Nuriel's plan, giving no more reasons left to argue.

"Well then, I'll be taking a break then. I take up the next shift Satoru, so you can wake me up first. Then you are next Kyousuke. You okee with that?"

With that I cross my arms and I relax my body falling in a light sleep, hoping to restore my strength for the next day.

"I am still capable of keeping track of time that has passed, so waking the next of you after three hours shall be no problem." Nuriel answers Satoru's question.

Lloyd seems to make himself as comfortable as possible and I am preparing to do the same. During my shift, I am gonna have a little talk with Nuriel about what happened.

"Guess now that that is settled, I will be taking off to dreamland as well. Goodnight guys."

As soon as I lay down, the fatigue washes over me, but something else as well. I have been so busy making everyone as comfortable as possible here, that I almost forgot one thing.

How in the floating rings of hell did I get send into the future? And if it has been over 150.000 years, how am I speaking the same language as these guys? How did Nuriel and the temple end up in cave? What happened in the past? Am I erased from history or something?
All these questions and more start cluttering my mind, making me drift off into an uneasy sleep.

(During your shifts, you can talk to Nuriel and ask questions if you want. She is gonna respond to the best of her ability, aka whatever I can come up with at that time)

"Then goodnight everyone."

I decide to sit down on the last chair for now and get lost in thought while I stay focussed on my senses. Luckily Nuriel is capable of warning us in case of intruders. Because of that I don't have to keep walking all over the place to take care that there is no one that shouldn't be here. Although as I haven't seen to what extent Nuriel can actually notice it I can't help but stay on guard. If I stay close to Lloyd and Kyousuke I can still warn them before something bad happens. I know that I could also spend this time talking to Nuriel, but I know everything that I need to know. Besides Nuriel falls in the "human" category no matter what she is, so she can't help my problems. And even if she wasn't it's not like my existence is regular. I have caused many people many problems just by existing... I shouldn't think about that just now. It will just distract me.

After all that training that Minos gave me before I dare to say that I can at least trust my instincts and my power became much stronger as well. I now at least know how to protect people without destroying my body in a few seconds. Sadly Kyara is still mad at me for doing that training. But feels like I can handle more now, although last time I took over Kyara's body I definitely went over board and if I want to protect Kyara and the others here I will have be more careful than back then. But maybe I should warn the others here about "him" just in case. But I shake my head immediately after. If I just keep him away from here then that isn't necessary. We have problems enough and I can't give them any more.

I concentrate a bit on my own body in the other world to figure out in what state it is. (This is a connection that he always has and Kyara has it as well, meaning there is no fear that it will trigger the scanners.) There is some damage already. Possessing is more harming than I hoped it would be, but I can still go on for some time. Beside most of the damage happens when I return to my body. I also feel a little restricted as I have no connection with the sky at all, but it isn't more than a little light-headedness for now. I have to figure out why I can't bring Kyara's body back quick or otherwise figure a way to switch our bodies so at least I don't have to possess her constantly. But as long as I can't use my powers I can't even try to switch our bodies. It also feels a little awkward to be in a girls body... Not that I am not used to being seen as woman...

(Satoru stays deep in thought while staying on guard for the next three hours and wakes Lloyd after that to switch. He has some trouble getting asleep at first, but falls asleep after that.)

A sense of deja vu hits me as I "sleep" in the chair. Just like last time, I passed out earlier today, and the need for sleep isn't really there. Unlike last time though, my body does a strong need to rest as it had a lot to endure. Being vaguely aware of what is happening around me, I notice how Satoru isn't half as fidgety as Kyara. The hours feel like they are passing by slower, despite this time having less time to rest. After the three hours pass, I feel someone's touch. I wake up only to notice Satoru who seems ready to pass along the torch.

I get off from my chair and wait for Satoru to fall asleep. Curious to see if she is capable of occupying Kyara's body while asleep I can't help but stare for a while. The two things that stand out the most when Satoru takes over are her eyes and demeanor. Two things that are hard to see when one is sleeping. Realizing my futile attempt I direct my attention elsewhere. I take a look over at Kyousuke who seems to have a rather pained expression on his face. Pondering the possible things that could be troubling him I eventually stumble upon the time part. Kyousuke did seem rather stressed out when he heard he's from many years back. I then glance out the window, causing another deja vu experience. This time there doesn't seem to be any suited people wondering at the site.

My attention finally shifts to Nuriel as I start to remember that it could warn us if people were nearby in the first place. I look around hoping to find traces of it, but to no avail. Still wondering what Nuriel is I eventually decide to just ask.

"Say, Nuriel? You're out there right?"
"Who are you anyway? Or should I say, what are you? After all, you seem to have existed for over a million years."
"Tell me Nuriel, you seem to know a lot, or at the very least get information about us in general. Can you tell me what's Satoru's power is like?"

With each question I fall silent again, thinking about the meaning of the answers as well as wondering what bests to ask next. Feeling like that past on a whim the three hours are over as I go over to Kyousuke to wake him up. After that I return to the chair I sat in three hours ago. It feels weird to fall asleep again after just waking up, so once again I hardly manage to fully fall asleep.

(Nuriel's POV)

It is great to finally see Kyousuke back. The moment he disappeared from my reach, I started to worry. But knowing he is here in the future is a relief. I can ask some of the other Ancients about a way to send him back eventually. Probably after he has done his thing, knowing him.

But those are worries for later. The young soul that is in the girl's body is something that piqued my interest. It is not her own, but that of a young boy who emanates an enormous power it seems. I can't place him fully, which is weird.

The young man called Lloyd has now taken over the watch and so far, nothing but these three have been inside the cave.
Lloyd attempts a conversation with me. He seems troubled and I feel the urge to assist him in whatever way I can in my limited form.

"Yes young Lloyd, I am here if you need anything."

"I am what you humans can best describe as a 'goddess', however I am older than most, one of the ancient deities that have governed the realms of man since before its conception. I am bound to this temple to take care of and raise the protectors of this realm. However, due to the reclining state of the temple, my power has been limited extremely."

"You are correct in assuming I know a lot. I am a deity of care and part of that is knowing what people need. I can therefore sense intentions, emotions and the will of people. I can also sense that you are troubled by a multitude of things and that your body is regenerating from the use of your power. As for young Satoru, he is at least half human from what I can sense, but the other half is something even I have not seen in all of my existence. Although unusual, it is not unheard of, there exist more realms of higher beings that can not interact normally. It seems Satoru draws his power from this half that is not human. It is an extraordinary power, but I cannot give full details as to what their limit is. He seems, however, intent on making sure that the body of the girl is okay, so as long as all of you align in staying safe, he will be an asset to your exploits."

Before Lloyd goes back to sleep, I speak to him one last time.

"Lloyd, before you go to sleep, would you like me to soothe your mind a little so you can get a better sleep?"

(This can be retro-actively fit in if you want)

(Kyou's POV)

After an uneasy sleep, Lloyd wakes me up. Luckily, I have Nuriel to keep me company. I watch Lloyd go to sleep and he still seems troubled a bit. Probably the broken night.

"Hey Nuriel, long time no speak huh?" I am less outspoken now. I have a lot to process.

"It has been a long time indeed Kyousuke. I am very relieved to see you safe."

I spend the rest of my shift chatting away with Nuriel, slowly coming to terms with where, I mean, WHEN I am and my mind is put at ease.
At the end of my shift, Nuriel points out that is seems time to wake up the others and I go over to them. First I wake up Satoru slowly to chat with him if he wants. Nuriel has mentioned a few things, but I'd like to hear more from him. I try to give Lloyd the most sleep possible, knowing he might have needed it the most.

In the end I can't sleep very well. I have to keep everything stable in order to not switch back to my own body and the lack of stars make my head feel a bit cloudy. But nothing that would really cause too much problems for now. I can still go on.

Kyousuke wakes me up after everyone's turn is over and seems to want to talk with me. I am a bit curious as for what Nuriel has told Kyousuke and Lloyd about me. Kyousuke seems to only have woken me yet, meaning he probably wants to talk to me without Lloyd hearing it. Even though Nuriel shouldn't be able to know too much about me she can still get in my head as it seems and as long I can't use my power I can't drive her out. I can't have everyone know about me. They might restrict me if they knew. Especially if Kyara would find out I would be in deep trouble.

I look up at Kyousuke and as I wait for what he wants to say I decide to just greet him for now.

"Good morning."

Getting ready to get some sleep again Nuriel suddenly speaks up again, without me asking her a question. I look up with no real sense of direction as I wonder what it is Nuriel wants. It then asks if it can soothe my mind, causing me to draw a blank. I try to think of why this request comes up in the first place. Many things come to mind, but because I can't accurately pinpoint which one it is I decide to play it safe.

"Thanks, but no thanks. When it comes to sleep, I'll manage."

-

"..."

Triggering the alarm:

Seeing I woke up Satoru, I realize I only have one question for him/her/?.

"Morning Satoru. Hope you slept at least somewhat decently. I want to give Lloyd a little bit of extra sleep, so I only woke you for now. I had a talk with Nuriel and she surprised me in that she doesn't know what you are, so I'm gonna ask you myself. What are you?" I stress the 'what' in my question and I look Satoru directly in the eyes, trying to sort of come across as intimidating in a way, but not full on intimidation. I just really want an answer.

After I get my answer, or at least what will have to do for now (I am not gonna push too much this early in the morning), I suddenly hear the voice of Nuriel in my mind.

"Kyousuke, we have a visitor. Regrettably I don't know who it is, what their intentions are or what their exact location is. All I can sense is that they are somewhere on the other side of the temple. I advise you move with caution."

I snap up immediately. Without hesitation, I walk over to Lloyd and shake him awake. Not even waiting before he is awake properly, I head for the door.

"You guys wait here, I am gonna go after our surprise guest. Keep the door closed until you are sure it is me again."

And with that I dash out the door. I am worried. Nuriel should be able to pinpoint the exact location of anyone within the vicinity of the temple. If she can't do that except for me, the temple must be in a worse state than I originally thought.

"Nuriel, how long do you have until full collapse?"

"..."