Getting on his feet, he did some stretches, flexed his limbs and twisted his waist, all the while savoring the popping sounds that came from crepitus.
Rainer then sat down, crossed-legged to meditate.
He regulated his breathing patterns and slowed his heartbeat.
*Badum!* *–Badum!*
*Blurblu*
His consciousness submerged into himself, and soon, all he could hear were the movements of his innards.
He focused as he followed the sounds of blood cells flowing across his veins, and the vigorous motions of those pumping through his arteries, as he mentally mapped out the outline of his organs, bones and tissues to the molecular level.
He was creating a mental image of himself!
–––
Kotys walked down the camp's path. Boisterous laughter and jeering were the highlights of the night as men ate their evening meals. But he ignored them and arrived at his tent.
There Togo and Rufus sat, eating.
Togo noticed him and smiled.
"Y-you are back! Did R-Rainer mention me?"
Kotys walked to the campfire and grabbed a bowl.
"He didn't."
He stated, serving himself some lentil stew.
"Oh," Togo murmured, looking down into his bowl.
Kotys took a spoonful of stew and nodded in approval.
He glanced up at Rufus and noticed that he appeared uneasy. He simply sat staring up at the mountain range.
"...What's the matter?"
Kotys asked, and without shifting his gaze, he replied.
"I don't know..." His head tilted slightly in befuddlement. "But something's wrong. I feel it."
Kotys stared at him for a moment then silently went back to his meal.
–––
Rainer didn't know how long it took but it felt like hours had passed.
When he was done creating an accurate mental image of himself, he opened his mind's eye. Immediately, the environment he found himself in was different.
Rainer stood alone on a small island the size of a football field, a few coconut trees grew around and there were some random, mouldy boulders, but that was pretty much it on the empty island of fine sand.
Rainer stood at the island's center. He waited a moment, but turned suddenly, following a feeling in his chest as he walked toward the edge.
The sky was vast. An endless azure blue with sparse clouds, and the gentle winds blew carrying the promises of rebirth.
Rainer couldn't help but take in a deep breath.
The island itself seemed unremarkable. Just another isolated blotch of sand in the middle of nowhere—if you ignored the fact that this blotch of sand was surrounded by colorful rolling clouds, instead of the sea.
It gave one the feeling of being on a mountain top, but one could never be sure.
Beyond, there was a boulder just before the edge, where low-hanging, yellow-tinted fog blurred the line between ground and air.
There, a little dark creature was curled upon the boulder, facing away into the horizon.
At first glance, it couldn't be known what it was, but it had the general form and size of a house cat.
However, upon closer look, the creature seemed to be ablaze in ghostly dark flames, furthermore, the vibrant region around it appeared sapped of color and warmth.
Its mere presence degraded the area around it into dour shades of white and black.
Rainer came to a stop a few meters away and smiled, leisurely placing his hands into his pockets.
He wore normal 21st century clothing: a simple white shirt with a lime green, beastial grin motif; dark jeans with green sidestrips and a jagged monster claw on a front thigh. Then, a pair of white sneakers with radioactive, lime green linings.
He glanced around and broke the silence.
"It's a nice place you've created here. This version's more of Jubil's taste, though."
"..."
The creature remained silent, not reacting in any way to his words.
Rainer sniffed awkwardly and looked straight at it.
"You've been awfully quiet lately, Era. Usually, you would stop by to haunt me, or something. You did that plenty in prior worlds... What changed?"
This time, the creature reacted, sighing before inquiring in a feminine tone, devoid of warmth.
"...What do you seek, Rainer?"
Her words reverberated with a detached quality, and Rainer brought his hands out of his pockets, animatedly gesturing his innocence like an Italian salesman.
"Oh! Com'on, Era. Don't be mad. You know I had to do this. I had to be here. For Remus."
At this, the creature referred to as Era, gracefully rose on all fours and turned around.
Its radioactive green eyes, slitted like a cat's, stared emotionlessly at him for a moment before sweeping down across his clothing.
"Did... you think wearing garments with shades of lime green would appease me? You know it is my favorite color."
Rainer smirked and gave an innocent shrug.
"Nah. I like this color tone too."
This time it was Era who smirked, and then she chuckled mirthessly.
"It's funny how you always try to lie to everyone... Even your own subconsciousness."
With that, Era swiped a paw against the boulder, as if wiping a stain.
Immediately, every shade of green on Rainer's clothing turned gold. Rainer looked at himself and nagged.
"Oh. F@ck! Now I look like a K-pop idol!" But then he paused and smirked. "...A rather handsome one too. If I may add."
He wiggled his eyes at Era who sat down with an imperceptible sigh.
"Now, why are you here?" She gloomily reiterated.
However, something in her eyes indicated she had an inkling of his purpose here, at the island of his subconsciousness.
Era was the manifestation of Rainer's subconsciousness. She was a being, not apart from Rainer himself, being formed from his deepest, truest state.
The essence of his being.
She was responsible for safeguarding his memories—memories Rainer had accumulated over countless lives, memories vital for a Qegon such as him.
Era glanced back at the sea of vibrant rolling clouds.
She felt they were part of the reason he was here, and knew she wouldn't like his next request.
These memories were the vital fuel with which to recreate Rainer's true body, as well as those of his race. They were enough to make that happen, with remnants leftover to empower his act of vengeance against their fated foe: Dreadnight, 'The Antilight'.
When she looked back at Rainer, by the look on his face she knew she was right.
Rainer shifted his weight and said.
"I need some books."
A strange request—yet one that made Era shut her eyes with a mournful sigh.