The Video That Echoed Across Eternity
The moment those words hung in the air, my entire body recoiled as if struck by lightning. Dead? The echo still rang in my ears, sharp and disorienting. I had never imagined anything like this.
I died already?
What in the world was this video even about?
---
“Ah, I must have brought up something too heavy. I’m sorry if I made you melancholy on your birthday.”
On the screen, Elia awkwardly scratched her cheek with her fingers.
I forced a bright smile, cranking the tension higher, but the bitterness welling in her eyes refused to hide.
“Our line of work is like that, after all. Whether you’re infected by a virus tomorrow or torn apart by a monster, nothing seems strange in advance. That’s why we prepared this. Yes, it really is just that.”
She didn’t look panicked. She didn’t sound like someone on the brink of death.
This was no ordinary pre-recorded message. This was a video will tailored to her job’s unique demands.
This video had value.
I currently knew only a handful of facts about Elia.
The Receptor. Former member of Elysian Athens. My former deputy. That was everything. Oh, and right now she belonged to Sandrobel.
With Libera erasing every single trace, this video was the sole remaining clue. It could finally tell me what kind of person the original Elia had been—and exactly what kind of relationship she had once held with me.
---
“If the day ever comes that I’m no longer around, I’m genuinely worried you’ll be left all alone, Administrator. After all, you never take care of yourself and pour everything into work.”
Elia stared straight into the camera lens. She was speaking directly to me, even now, as I watched.
“I wanted to celebrate your birthday properly with my own voice. Since I can’t cut the cake beside you in person, at least this way my heart will feel a little lighter.”
A single tear slipped down Elia’s cheek. She bit her lip for a moment, then forced a smile that looked painfully artificial.
“Administrator. Being your deputy was truly, truly happy for me. I don’t know when or how I’ll die, but I have no regrets. It was the path I chose, after all, and it was work meant to protect you.”
Just listening made my chest tighten in a way that felt strangely suffocating.
My heart was being crushed, even though I had no memories. This body’s body was only replaying a reflex it had been forced to remember.
“Honestly, I wanted to go to the sea with you. Ah, that’s why it popped into my head just now… Later, please go to Morea. I heard it’s really beautiful there.”
I understood why Libera had wiped every trace of Elia from existence.
Before I lost my memories, this girl had probably shattered me completely. From Libera’s perspective, she simply couldn’t bear to watch me fall apart again.
“Administrator. Even if my empty spot feels a little lonely, please don’t grieve for too long. Make sure to eat on time, stop letting Libera feel her stomach turning, and definitely don’t pull all-nighters. Got it?”
Elia formed an X with her fingers.
“I hope you’ll always have peace ahead of you. I’m really grateful you watched this video.”
“…”
“Ah, if it makes you uncomfortable, feel free to delete it. Dead people leaving behind such eerie things is terrifying, isn’t it? It’s like a ghost… creepy.”
“…”
“Ah, are you watching with another deputy already? That, that’s a little embarrassing, but… it’s fine! You can watch, right? Ah, the deputy position isn’t especially dangerous! Honestly, it’s relaxing. Hehe.”
“…”
“Actually, I just hope that even a little bit of me remains in your memories, Administrator. Well, that’s just my own selfish wish. I’m a bit of a selfish person, after all.”
A tear finally fell onto Elia’s cheek as she waved cheerfully.
“E-Eh? What is this, really… I’m sorry. Must have gotten some dust in my eye. I’ll have to clean it later.”
I stared at her crying face in silence.
She hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and forced a bright smile once more.
“Happy birthday, my Administrator. With all my heart.”
The screen cut to black with a crackling static noise.
My Administrator.
In the darkened monitor, my own face stared back. It looked completely indifferent, nothing like the tender emotion that had filled the air moments ago.
“…Hah.”
I swept a hand down my face. My chest felt strangely heavy, but I couldn’t call it emotion. This body was only reliving a reaction it had been forced to remember.
At the same time, I didn’t understand a single thing.
What exactly had happened to leave behind a video like this?
And why had she appeared so certain she would die?
Why? What was the reason?
Elia… what are you?
‘I hope that existence of mine remains in your memories…’
That phrase kept looping endlessly inside my head.
Memories? Remember?
I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.
I don’t remember anything about who you were.
◆◇◆
It had been a while since I walked the corridors of the Sandrobel base with my real body. Naturally, I wore the lens that concealed my identity.
Controlling a fake body from a distance all this time had left my real one stiff. Being locked in a room for so long had turned my limbs into stone.
“Ah, I’m stiff as hell.”
I really should move my body more.
I was strolling along, rolling my shoulders, when a subordinate approached from the side corridor.
“Good morning, sir.”
“Ah, yeah.”
He bowed.
“You look exhausted today. How are you feeling?”
“Well, I’m fine. Just stiff from sitting so much, so I came out to get some fresh air.”
We walked side by side through the corridors, chatting about the base’s routine matters. After a while, the guy suddenly slowed his steps.
“Ah, by the way. If you ever decide to increase the Receptor population in the future, you must report it to the King in advance.”
“…What?”
I almost thought I’d misheard.
I narrowed my eyes and turned my head sharply.
“Why do I have to report increasing my own species to that guy?”
He wasn’t supposed to call the King “that guy,” but under the circumstances, it was acceptable.
The subordinate glanced around nervously before speaking.
“Recently the King personally issued the order officially.”
“Officially?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“The human I saw has a virus fetish.”
“…”
“Ha, hahaha.”
He had the Chimera Virus locked away like it was nothing. What a strange taste he has.
If I was showing such obvious disgust, he should have backed off, but this guy was stubbornly persistent. It was clear he wanted to use my Receptor infection instincts however he pleased.
Thankfully I wasn’t the real Receptor.
“Hah… taking orders like that is ridiculous. You must be tired too.”
“Ah, no. Actually, I was…”
The subordinate waved his hand, then suddenly froze. He looked like he had something important to say but didn’t dare voice it.
“Well?”
“Crh… no. I have urgent business, so I’ll be going!”
“…” “Yeah. Take care.”
I waved half-heartedly at his retreating back. It felt uneasy, but I didn’t want to drag him into it.
The King really was strange.
‘Still, if he actually got angry, the man wouldn’t see anything but his own face.’
From my perspective, it was far better to have this slightly detached weirdo around.
Soon, after I “killed” the Chimera Virus, I’d unleash hell on him.
It was inevitable anyway. There was no need to worry about it now.
“I should head to the training room.”
I turned toward the fitness center.
Then, out of nowhere, today’s date flashed in my mind.
‘Today is the Administrator’s birthday.’
I wondered if the surprise video I’d hidden in the drawer had been found. Since Libera was bound to delete my records, I’d pulled it from the camera reservation system ahead of time. It was a good decision.
The only thing that bothered me was the timeline. The video was set to appear this year, even though I had died long ago.
There was a tiny flaw.
But it wasn’t a real problem. I could just blame the video editing for messing up the date. I had already shown my clumsy camera control at the beginning.
‘Would the Administrator even suspect anything?’
Since Libera had hidden every trace of me, a small mistake like this wouldn’t stand out.
Well, as long as she watched it, that would be the best. Even if she didn’t watch, it wasn’t a huge loss.
‘Still, I hope this video, which took so much effort to create, reaches her safely.’
It was a product of genuine effort.
How much I had struggled to film that single video.
‘When I was trying to act emotional, how many times did I have to retake it…’
I had forced bright smiles that suddenly froze into melancholy, then squeezed out tears I didn’t even have. It had been an enormous effort.
Since I still had no memories, I would only watch the video blankly for now, but my attitude toward her would definitely change from now on.
Smiling at my pleasant thoughts, I pushed open the fitness center door.
I inhaled the familiar mix of disinfectant and sweat that lingered in the air, then stepped onto the treadmill in the corner.
I set the speed, and the belts beneath my feet began to move rapidly.
First, I needed to plan my next move.
Soon, the time would come to release the Chimera Virus.
The desert village that the Sandrobel side was constantly monitoring. There, I would use the isolated virus to create a war machine.
The way it extended tentacles to infect was powerful, but frankly, it was too common.
It had one especially interesting property that made it the perfect long-term play.
And it had expectations pinned on it.
Expectations that were tied to my own death.