I blinked a few times, trying to clear out my mind from this flash news.

  -I… What the hell did I do? - I said, not sure what just happened.

  -Yes. What did you do? And more importantly, what did you just say? Collapse of the government?

  -I… Yes.

  -What the hell is that supposed to mean?

  -Don’t ask me!

  -Then who? You’re the one who just said that!

  -I know! But…!

  I shook my head, confused.

  -Wait. I said… I was joking about that.

  -Joking? It’s hardly a theme for a joke. You can’t just…

  -Not that!

  I waved him off and thought exactly what I just said.

  -Find the information about MIRE.

  -Eh?

  I didn’t get anything, though.

  Mike picked up on what was going on in my head.

  -You said “assistant” before.

  -Oh! Assistant, find the current information about the MIRE.

  And, just like before another jolt of information hit me right in the brain.

  -MIRE. Institute researching magical and technological combinations, closed indefinitely after its members have been confirmed to work for different governments weaponization programs.

  -That is…

  -News to me - I finished his sentence, blinking a few times to clear up my head.

  -How the fuck are you getting this information?

  -I… don’t know.

  -Come on, find something else. Like, I don’t know… Maybe… “assistant, find information about Mor Griza”?

  -Why me? Why not you, you fucking…

  But before I was able to complain about that, another tidbit of information hit my mind.

  Mor G., a previous member of the MIRE, classified as a lethal weapon along with his whole department, the source of the magical catastrophe that destroyed the majority of capital cities all over the world. Confined and executed as per global order.

  -EXCUSE ME? - I couldn’t help but spit out.

  -I mean, they aren’t exactly wrong… - said Mike.

  -First of all: sure, maybe. Second: may I inform you that the “whole department” also includes you?

  -I mean…

  -And third: that’s not what I am surprised about. I’m just shocked that I am classified as “executed”. I understand confined, I was, but…

  -Ha. Well, they did chase us.

  -You really think that they just wanted justice? Fuck no.

  -Yeah. Also, apparently I can ask questions too?

  Right. That was surprising.

  -And I got an answer, too - he said. - I mean, more like I’ve heard you, but…

  -You heard me?

  -I… I am slowly getting used to this form, and I think I am starting to understand. I am better tuned to you.

  -Tuned to me?

  -It’s easier for me to communicate with you.

  The last words he said inside my head.

  It wasn’t any different from before to me.

  But, there was the issue of me not talking aloud before.

  It meant he could listen to my mind without me noticing.

  I would be concerned if not for me to expect that happening sooner or later.

  -It’s not that much different - he said, confirming what I just thought to myself - but it’s a hell of a lot easier for me.

  -That’s… something.

  -I expected a bit more… livid response - he said, clearly bewildered.

  -Eh? Why?

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  -I mean… being able to peek inside someone’s head without any defense…

  -I probably would be more concerned if it was the first time it happened - I shrugged. - Honestly, I am surprised it took you that long.

  -What do you mean?!

  -I mean, it’s probably easier for you now, but it’s not like it wasn’t impossible before.

  -You mean you did this before? To me?!

  -Caught red handed - I said, raising my arms.

  It’s not like I could just deny it with him being able to do it so effortlessly.

  He was speechless.

  I guess it was a bit of a shock to him.

  -Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. And it was only a little bit. It’s not like I was listening all the time. Unlike you are doing now I assume?

  -I… You… Me… Us… How…

  -That’s a yes. I don’t need to pry into your head. And probably don’t need to. If I am correct…

  I focused on his mind and indeed, like expected. It worked both ways.

  If it was so easy for him, it also meant I could do it as well.

  I could feel his confusion and bewilderment.

  His head was rattling with information that he gained when he looked into my head.

  -There goes our privacy. Well, it’s not like we had much anyway…

  -This is… horrifyingly amazing.

  -Eh. I assume it’s not that omnipotent - I dismissed him. - I assume it’s only easy for us to read surface thoughts. I am certain digging deeper is a lot harder.

  -I don’t think that’s the case - he said, with his eyes closed. - Even without trying I can tell that you heard him before.

  Oh.

  There goes that theory.

  -Well. Shit.

  -And a lot more. But… Let’s focus on current affairs.

  Current affairs?

  How deep did he get?

  I was tempted to try and eject him but gave up immediately.

  First off, I couldn’t even tell that he was rummaging inside my head, so I didn’t know what to look for.

  -Right. Current affairs…

  -Yes… - he nodded, a bit more solemn now.

  -So… who was that?

  -Just me. I mean another me. I think you’ve encountered something similar before. Or, rather, make it yourself.

  Made myself?

  -Wait. You have a copy… well, split somewhere?

  -It’s not a physical one. Or rather it used not to be. Now it’s not there any more.

  -Not there?

  -You think what was the core for my transformation.

  -Oh. So you… merged with yourself? That’s why you didn’t want me to see that… But wait, what’s the point? It’s not like I didn’t know something like that was possible.

  -I know that now.

  -Didn’t you before? I am pretty sure you knew that part of my story.

  He just gave me a look.

  -Wait… you didn’t believe me?! Come on, like what would be a point of me not telling the truth?!

  -I don’t know! I did sense some hesitation and uncertainty when I learned that from you, so I expected some deception.

  -Ph. Right.

  -You have to believe…

  -Oh, I do. If you forgot, this is a two way street now.

  -...

  -Okay. So, you are combined. What was he trying to nudge you towards before, then?

  -Can’t you just check yourself?

  -Of course I can. But I’d rather ask. While reading your head might be easy, I’d rather hear it from you willingly.

  -...

  -Come on. Spit it out.

  He took a good moment before he actually replied.

  -He… I mean, I… Fuck, it’s we now…

  -Let’s just go with “I”. Don’t try and play on time.

  -Eh… I… wanted to absorb you.

  -Yeap.

  -And the other me thought to instead erase you into nothingness.

  -Yeah, yeah, I know - I waved him off. - Not the first time, not the last, I am sure. I was talking about the “plan” of yours.

  -Plan… To leave this place behind, you mean?

  -Precisely.

  -Well, there’s not much to that plan, really - he said. - Just to use a portal to get out of this place. Like we’ve been constantly doing.

  -Aha. But “just portaling out” is not really explaining it, right? How about a destination?

  -Yeah… that’s the issue… The destination… was supposed to be another world.

  I paused for a second.

  Another world?

  I did peek into his mind and did manage to get some information about that plan of his, but the information about “other world” did not get to me.

  I think he noticed my surprise, because he immediately started talking.

  -Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I know about another world or something. It’s… just a very broad hypothesis.

  -A hypothesis? That’s a bit far fetched, then.

  -Oh, very. We got that idea from one of our earlier discussion. When we once teleported, you remember when we thought we landed in another world?

  -Yeah, sure. It wasn’t the case, though. It was only some time difference.

  -Right. But that gave us an idea: what if that was actually possible?

  -To target… another world?

  I scratched my head.

  Well, technically it might be possible.

  But there are a lot of “buts” here.

  First of all, does something like that even exist?

  What if we target something that doesn’t exist? What would happen to us?

  And how do we target that in the first place? We use an anchor? But an anchor we need to create or get from somewhere. I doubt that there’s an item from another world just lying around, waiting to be found, you know?

  I didn’t say my worries out loud, but he knew.

  It was either that he listened to what I was rambling to myself inside my own head or just that he had those exact thoughts beforehand.

  Probably both.

  -Yeah, I don’t know how exactly, but I do have some ideas!

  I shook myself off from the mess that this information had left in my brain.

  He was trying to distract me.

  -Let’s get back to that later. There are some… other things I’d like to discuss with you first.

  -What?

  -Don’t play dumb.

  -I’m not! It’s… I know there’s a lot inside your head but I don’t know which one you’re now talking about.

  -Ha. Well, the fact that you’ve been trying to silently absorb me all this time we were talking.

  -...!