You seem to have made a holographic crystal computer, which while convenient is also disturbingly absent from your memories. Transcendence is probably great (although Ajact's description of it lacks any real details to recommend it) but you're going to have to prioritize getting your memories back. This is just too unsettling.
You're about to roll up your extremely fashionable and historically accurate (!!) sleeves and get down to spelunking in Dragon Messenger when you receive a message from someone you've never spoken to before. At least, not that you can remember. You make sure to backread your whole history with them before replying. They're needlessly cryptic and annoying to talk to, but they do know a lot. For instance, they knew you would be "encountering" your shade soon. You have no idea what their motives might be, but altruism isn't high on your list. Which is, to be clear, organized in order of descending probability.
Show/Hide Chatlog
-- catabasianLodestar [CL] contacted chroniclesVindication [CV]. --
CL: We've never met, but I hope you can trust me. Some of this information you can verify yourself, some might just make sense. I do at least come with Kuviu's recommendation, and this is important.
CV: Opening with a lie isn't doing you any favors.
CL: A lie?
CV: Did you think I wouldn't be able to check our message history? Is that not something your angels can do?
CL: You're saying I have spoken to you before?
CV: Oh. Right. Time travel.
CL: Ah. It sounds like I'm going to speak to you in my future, but your past. But given what's just happened, you don't remember any of it.
CV: What's just happened? Do you know where I was before I died?
CL: I could likely get a copy of the map you used to get there. You were deep in your Land, with Kuviu--deeper than someone of your strength should have gone. You were both overwhelmed by simulacra.
CV: You may as well skip to the map, then.
CL: I don't think so. You only got as far as you did because Kuviu was with you, and if you get killed again before you can defeat your shade you won't get those memories back at all.
CV: But if Kuviu was killed he should have also woken up missing his memories. He can come with me again.
CL: No, Kuviu is dead. His dreamself's memories should have passed to his waking self--but of course, as you well know, Kuviu hardly remembers any of his dreams.
CV: This is inconsistent.
CL: I don't think we were supposed to fight simulacra while dreaming, dreamselves can be killed permanently. As it stands now, Kuviu is stuck in his own land because his cloak doesn't yet have the freedom of movement to reach the passage to your Land, though he might be able to get there through the Gates. He also doesn't have a weapon that would serve him well in the depths or the agility to avoid the simulacra down there now that he can't fly.
CV: Let's see if I can confirm that.
CV: Opening with a lie isn't doing you any favors.
CL: A lie?
CV: Did you think I wouldn't be able to check our message history? Is that not something your angels can do?
CL: You're saying I have spoken to you before?
CV: Oh. Right. Time travel.
CL: Ah. It sounds like I'm going to speak to you in my future, but your past. But given what's just happened, you don't remember any of it.
CV: What's just happened? Do you know where I was before I died?
CL: I could likely get a copy of the map you used to get there. You were deep in your Land, with Kuviu--deeper than someone of your strength should have gone. You were both overwhelmed by simulacra.
CV: You may as well skip to the map, then.
CL: I don't think so. You only got as far as you did because Kuviu was with you, and if you get killed again before you can defeat your shade you won't get those memories back at all.
CV: But if Kuviu was killed he should have also woken up missing his memories. He can come with me again.
CL: No, Kuviu is dead. His dreamself's memories should have passed to his waking self--but of course, as you well know, Kuviu hardly remembers any of his dreams.
CV: This is inconsistent.
CL: I don't think we were supposed to fight simulacra while dreaming, dreamselves can be killed permanently. As it stands now, Kuviu is stuck in his own land because his cloak doesn't yet have the freedom of movement to reach the passage to your Land, though he might be able to get there through the Gates. He also doesn't have a weapon that would serve him well in the depths or the agility to avoid the simulacra down there now that he can't fly.
CV: Let's see if I can confirm that.