Aarmau: Remember Me, Remember Us, Just Remember

Chapter 122

As soon as they finish eating, Aph helps Hyria clean up despite being told it wasn't necessary. Lucinda excuses herself explaining she has a small errand she needs to run and doesn't need to see the cottage since she's been there once before but that she'll be back to take them home.

When everything is put away Aph follows Hyria back behind the house to the edge of the forest. Just as Hyria is about to show them the way Aph holds up a hand to stop her. She places one hand on the nearest tree and the other on Aaron's forearm.

She feels him flinch under her hand and smiles as she pictures the fog clearing before him.

Aaron turns to her in amazement. "Aph?"

Aph squeezes his arm, "I introduced you so you can come and go whenever you want."

Releasing her hold on the tree she places her hand over her heart, briefly closes her eyes, and then steps into the trees. Aaron glances over at Hyria in confusion.

Hyria smiles, "I believe she's borrowing some memories. Lord Aphmau brought her kids to the cottage when she would be gone for more than a day."

Aaron and Hyria follow Aph deep into the forest. After a few minutes of walking, Aaron starts to notice a faint path along the ground.

They passed many large glens along the way and he was tempted to stop several times. Almost all of them had a small settlement centered in the middle and he could see people moving amongst the buildings.

Aaron was so busy looking around him he wasn't aware Aph had stopped walking and nearly ran into her. Closing his hands around her shoulders he follows her stare and looks out on a small village of sorts.

The glen is much larger than any of the others he'd seen and the village appears to be situated near the edge of a lake or ocean but he knows it's impossible because this forest isn't anywhere near a large body of water. Tilting his head he glances down at Aph's face and is worried to see her eyes have glazed over and she looks shocked.

Turning to Hyria he sends her a questioning look. Hyria gently smiles, "It's Pheonix Drop Village."

Aaron's head turns back toward the village and frowns, "Lord Aphmau's village? How is that possible?"

Hyria sighs, "Child, anything is possible with a little magic. Each village from Lord Aphmau's time has been preserved in its own little virtual world. They can venture out beyond their "border" but the real villages are not actually allowed to interact with one another to keep the peace. As far as they know the world is at peace thanks to Lord Aphmau and her constant traveling."

Aph turns to Hyria, "What is the time difference? How long has Lord Aphmau been away? What about the villagers?"

Hyria knew the questions were coming and smiled, "It's a bit complicated but nothing so dramatic as the Irene Dimension's 1 minute for 15 years. I have them set so that 1 day equals a year of our time. They've been in the forest for 2 of their years so 730 years of ours. Lord Aphmau left Phoenix Drop about a year before that so as far as they're concerned it's been almost 3 years. Many are still here except those that have been'' reincarnated". Life is normal in their own little reality. Life continues as it did before. They can still have children, grow and harvest their crops and live a normal life. At some point, they will eventually grow old enough to die and if Lady Irene programmed them for reincarnation they will be reborn into our world."

Aph glances at the village one last time before nodding and continuing on toward the cottage. The problem with virtual worlds is that some people are not completely blind to the lie. She's all too familiar with the whole concept and doesn't approve of it.

The villages were never given a choice, never asked if they wanted to be "preserved". If she has control of the forest as Hyria led her to believe she's going to have to decide if she should let them continue sleeping and believing the lie or wake them up and let them decide for themselves.