Part 1
June 06, 1810 - 17:57:33

       Unfortunately, it seems the past was repeating itself...well, my past anyway.
       "LUC...LUC....LUCIA!!! GO!!! NOW!!!"
       "MOTHER!!! But-"
       "I SAID GO!!!... HURRY!!! DON'T MAKE ME ANGRY!!!"
       "OH PUH-LEAZE!!!"
"OH NO..."
       I rushed to see what was happening, though I knew what the outcome was. I rushed towards them, but this time fear was no longer a factor for me. "I WILL help them this time!" I was speeding so fast, the wind blowing through my face that I barely heard the voice-
       "Excuse me...What are you planning to do?"
       I stopped so suddenly I almost lost my balance. I looked around the trees to see who spoke.
"Who's there?"
       "What is it this time? The Good Samaritan?"
       Then I realized whose voice it was.
"Homunculus!"
       And then he slowly appeared, arms folded, leaning against a tree. He was, again, smiling mischievously, his red eyes fixed on me.
"Oh, I have no time to play games!"
       "Are you PLANNING to rescue them in exchange for your death?"
"What?!"
       He chuckled and started to walk towards me slowly.
       "Don't you remember the rules? Contact with yourself...and you die."
"What do you mean I-"
       Then I realized what he meant. I was there, watching behind the bushes! He chuckled again.
       "Would you risk running into yourself?"
"I know where I am at this point! I can just-"
       Then I felt...no, not again...I sensed death in the air. I tried to run towards it, but I realized I was too late. The Homunculus chuckled softly.
       "Oh my! It seems your are...a bit too late..."
"No..."
       "Well, didn't I tell you? Fate makes a powerful opponent. It will try to find ways to keep its path steady. The fact that "you" WERE there stopped you from saving them. The other Ukyo is now going to go through the same cycle as you did...and so it will go on and on...just like yesterday."
"You mean...there was a "me" who had every chance to save them yesterday too?"
       "Maybe...who knows? Maybe you were the start of all this...or maybe you're just another Ukyo going through the cycle another one just finished. You see how complex this is and how privileged you are?"
"Yet...I could no save them..."
       I dropped to my knees. I was confused. I felt like cheating from everyone else who had no choice but to follow their fate. Homunculus walked towards me.
       "And that is why you should concentrate only on changing your own destiny. You are the one given the gift. You ALONE. It's tough enough to save yourself, you think you can change someone else's so easily? Repeating the whole process will only bring the pain, the sorrow, again and again as you continue to fail. How can you be so sure that next time you WILL succeed? No, Ukyo. Do what you have to do and go on. Besides, HE is a significant figure to you. Let him live, you will see his importance soon enough. Well, good bye...for now."
"WAIT! What do you mean-THE DEMON?!"
       I looked at him but he was gone. I was left sitting on the dead earth, the wind even colder than before.
***
Part 2
March 2, 1790 - 00:04:56
       C'mon...a little closer...yes, closer...a little more...there! Now point it at me and SLASH!!! What? Missed again? Tsk tsk tsk!!! The past DOES repeat itself!
       The mystery killer dashed towards me and our swords clashed.
"WATCH-THE-FACE!!!"
       I jumped off and my opponent staggered. As I posed, I felt the eyes look at the floor behind me, then it switched towards me. Suddenly, I felt a clammy hand clutch my ankle. It began to spread. The person was still looking at me and was now smiling...and to our antagonist's surprise, I smiled back.
"Hehe, not this time..."
       I took the flask from my robes and smashed it to the ground. A bright light suddenly illuminated the whole room and turned darkness into day. I covered my eyes as I heard a squishy shriek fill the room. Then the light began to fade.
       I had a few seconds to look at the culprit, but much to my dismay, no one was with me in that room. It must have realized the plan failed and retreated. Sigh...there goes my chance. Oh well...I guess I'll die another day?
       The light soon faded. I was left alone inside the dark room with only a slender beam of moonlight passing through the window. All was quiet and the only sound I can hear was the nightingale's melancholic song.


Chapter 6