Nier Automata: Journeys in the 12th Millennium

Interval 3 - New Old World

-Kingdom of the Night, Year 4190-

What happened?

"Wake up..."

I had a weird dream.

"Wake up..."

A dragon and a giant fell from the sky.

"Wake up..."

I found myself in an abandoned city soon after.

"Wake up..."

I met an angry white-haired girl and killed a monster.

"WAKE UP!"

"OUCH!"

A kick to the ribs woke me up. I got up quickly and grabbed my sore side. Who kicked me? Looking around, I realized I was in a shabby cabin and a white-haired girl stared at me annoyed.

It wasn't a dream, was it? My vision darkened again, and I think I will faint.

"Don't even think about it!" Novi yelled, slapping my face.

"I will throw you for the SHADES to steal your body if you will pass out every second!"

"Thanks, I needed that." I muttered, rubbing my sore cheek.

"You're welcome." Novi replied, sitting down on her chair. I picked up the chair I sat previously, put it back in place, and sat down on it.

I did not say anything, I just stared at the table, thinking about the information Novi gave me, a mysterious disease, monsters called SHADES, and year 4190.

This is too much, 2187 years have passed! My family... My friends... They are all dead! I... I... I do not know what to do... I have nowhere to go...

"Hey! Are you okay?" Novi asked worriedly.

I laughed at the absurdity of the situation and felt something running down my face. Was I crying? Yes, I was.

"HAHAHA! No, I am not okay, too much time has passed, my friends and family are dead, and I have nowhere to go. What will happen now? Where should I go? Should I try to go back to what remained of where my family used to live? I don't know what to do!" I said, holding my head in despair.

Novi put a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes.

"Listen, I know how you feel; I also lost my friends, family, and home, some to the SHADES and others to the disease. This may sound cliché, but you cannot despair. The world is no longer relatively peaceful as it once was. The animals grew to absurd sizes; hordes of SHADES lurk in the city. Moreover, some people do not age. You have to survive, if you give up you die."

"Thanks, can you teach me? To survive in this world, I mean." I asked, raising my head and wiping my tears.

"Yes, I can. You are the first person I have seen in a long time. I do not want you to die so soon. Let's rest for today, tomorrow I will teach you how to survive in this world."

"Thank you very much." I replied, bowing my head.

Novi nodded and walked toward her bed, lying down on it.

"Where am I going to sleep?" I asked confused, searching for another bed, sofa, or something like that.

"There." Novi said, pointing to a dusty corner of the room.

Well, she let me live here, I think asking for a bed would be too much. I went to the corner, put my backpack on the floor to serve as a pillow, and lay my head on it.

"Hey." Novi called me.

"Yes?" I asked, looking at her.

"I'll throw you out if you try to do something to me while I'm sleeping. You'll have to deal with the SHADES alone." Novi smiled sadistically.