Live A Live: A New Era

by OerstedOdio

Summary:

Take on the perspective of eight different heroes in different eras each having a tale of their struggles and upbringings. The heroes in question are Spencer the bard, Eiko the editor, Tilly the social media influencer, Charlie the alcoholic with never ending nightmares, Hana the ultimate detective, Anna the android striving for freedom, Corum the skilled player of "The World", and Serena the kind-hearted healer.

The Poet is based on Final Fantasy, Octopath Traveler, and Undertale
The Connection is based on Calling Wii and Fatal Frame
The Influencer is loosely based on the influencer portion of South Park games
The Uncommitted is based on Catherine
The Trials is based on Danganronpa
The Revolution is based on Detroit Become Human and Nier
The Liminality is based on .hack//
The Demon Queen is based on the Middle Ages Chapter of Live A Live

The Final Chapter has arrived (be sure to read the entirety of LALANE before jumping in) https://archiveofourown.org/works/60534595/chapters/154543903

Chapter 1: Character Selection

**Chapter Selection**

The Poet

A young 23-year-old man named Spencer, a bard wakes up to a group of various warriors with different abilities after being attacked and having his soon to be wife killed. With him and new-found friends he felt like he could muster up the courage with the help of a warrior, a healer, a thief, a monk, and a wizard. Little does he know; he is actually born from a clone. A human experimentation in fact. He has the power to harmonize with the soul of others.

The Connection

Eiko Yuna is a determined 24-year-old woman who is unafraid of danger. She shares a close bond with her colleague and dear friend, Naomi, who is known for her enigmatic personality and mysterious research. One fateful evening, Eiko receives a call that shatters her world. Naomi has died under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a trial of cryptic notes and unfinished manuscripts. Grief-stricken and determined to unravel the mystery surrounding her death. Eiko begins delving into Naomi's research, uncovering a connection to something known only as "The Black Page."

The Influencer

A young and vibrant 21-year-old named Tilly Kim embarks on a journey to become the next big social media sensation. Tilly is passionate about almost anything and that includes her friends and her boyfriend. She has a unique style and a charismatic and cheerful personality that she believes will help her stand out in the world of social media. Unfortunately, one of her friends begins to grow envious of Tilly and begins to grow resentful towards her and sets her up for failure.

The Uncommitted

Charlie Riggs, an indecisive 32-year old man who is in a loving relationship with his girlfriend, Roselynn, for five wonderful years. They've had their ups and downs, but their bond is undeniable. Yet, as time passed, the prospect of marriage started looming over them, and Charlie began to question his commitment. One day, at the Stray Sheep bar, he meets Rosemary the blonde bombshell. Sparks fly between them, and they find themselves drawn into a passionate affair. Charlie is torn between the deep love he feels for Roselynn. His indecision begins to eat away at him. Amidst this turmoil, he meets Primrose, an innocent and kind-hearted girl who has a crush on him. Her presence further complicates his life, as he find solace in her companionship.

The Trials

A group of eleven extraordinary students found themselves trapped in a high-tech college campus called "Hope's Peak Academy". Each possessed an exceptional talent. But little did they know, they were pawns in a deadly game orchestrated by a malevolent mastermind. Among the students, a 19-year-old detective named Hana Shogo stood out as the ultimate detective, determined to unravel the truth behind their captivity and bring the mastermind to justice.

The Revolution

Lifelike androids have replaced the human workforce. They never tire, disobey, or say "no"... Until something changes. Some of them have started to behave irrationally as if they were feeling emotions. Anna, who appears to be a 20-year-old android begins her quest to discover who she really is while making life or death decisions. She was designed a caregiver, but her programming extends far beyond just tending to her owner's needs. Anna harbors a secret mission: to liberate her fellow androids from servitude.

The Liminality

Corum is a 18-year-old skilled player of a virtual reality MMORPG called the world. This particular MMORPG has become the latest obsession for gamers. Players log in to immerse themselves in a digital landscape, connecting from different corners of Japan. However, beneath the allure of the game lies a sinister secret. One day, he and his close friend, Jodis were playing "The World" as usual until they both start noticing glitches and anomalies which causes his friend to fall into a mysterious coma. From this, Corum gained a mysterious power and joined an alliance with a group of players called "The Hackers". Together, they must navigate the intricacies of The World and uncover its hidden mysteries. Along the way, they'll encounter corrupted AI, powerful adversaries, and an enigmatic entity seeking to manipulate the boundaries between the digital and physical realms.

The Demon Queen

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Serena, 25-year-old kind healer.

Chapter 2: The Poet - Prologue

I've always felt... different compared to everyone else. I cannot put my finger on it but I feel like I'm not even human. Sure, I may appear human but compared to everyone else I feel like I'm a sort of demon. Actions and abilities come easy for everyone else but as for me... It may take some time. However, I found myself able to play the harp and acquire musical abilities that can harmonize the souls of others.

Everyone fell in love with my songs. But little did I know, my "kind" of people are considered heinous. I have seen my "kind" of people get killed just for simply being alive. They all look like me. Green hair, a green and a purple eye, and loves nature, especially flowers. As long as I keep my so-called identity a secret, I think I'll be okay. I think I'll be fine.

Am I created by someone? Am I some sort of clone? That I do not know. I still know nothing about who I actually am other than my name being Spencer.

...Spencer? Yes, I am Spencer. Other than my name and I'm a bard, I know nothing about myself. I have to find out who I am and why I am here. I have to. I *just* have to.

I met a beautiful named Jane whose hair was as blue as an ocean in a beautiful long braid and eyes that matched her hair. I am set to marry her but... due to my lack of experience of love. I just don't know how to. I've watched couples around me propose and ask for marriage. Could this work for me? I just hope I do not mess this up and I know what I am doing...

Chapter 3: The Poet - Love And Tragedy

Okay, this is it. Today is the day that I'm going to ask her hand in marriage. I must muster up the courage to ask her. I'm ready. I begin to approach Jane, walking in front of her.

"Good evening, Spencer! Are you faring well my darling?" Jane greeted as she gives me her smile that could light up a room. My heart begins to skip a beat. "This is it." I thought to myself. I'll do admit, Jane looked confused for a moment. Ooughh... What if I mess this up and she'll never speak to me again. I begin to get down on one knee, holding out a box. I audibly gulp.

"...Will... W-Will you marry me?" I open up the box revealing a diamond ring. Jane looked elated, happy even as she let out a gasp. "Oh my goodness! Yes! Yes! I've been waiting for you to say that!" she exclaimed as she threw herself wrapping her arms around me. "I'll be glad to be your wife... And... And we could have children together... I... I... I'm so happy!" Jane began tearing up, admittedly so did I. I was finally going to have a better life from being treated like a demon. And with Jane by my side, anything is possible. I can achieve anything with Jane's presence.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We went into a quiet little village, with people walking around and working, children running and playing, the flowers blooming, and the birds are singing. It was an absolutely beautiful sight. "What do you think of this place, Jane? Do you want to be married here?" I asked. Jane looked around for a bit and happily gazed at me. "Oh yes! This village looks so beautiful~! There's even an arc that's covered with Gladiolus flowers!" Jane decided. Ah, yes. Gladiolus flowers, those are her favorite flowers in the universe. I love them too, as much as any flower.

I've heard people whispering things about me and I saw people stare at me. But, I don't care. I'm happy. I get to marry my love of my life. I just ignored them because all that matter is that I get to be with my wife to be. But suddenly, I heard screaming and fires have started in the village.
What in the world is going on here!? How did this came to be!? Everything was so peaceful up until that point. I saw a group of armored men kill everyone in their sights. Gods, it was so awful. There was blood everywhere and I just couldn't look away.

"You! The accursed one! I shall kill you right here, right now!" A soldier declared as he pointed his bow at me.

"No! You can't! He's my love! You can't kill him!" Jane interjected.

"Step aside, wench! Your so called "love" is part of the accursed clones! Therefore we have to kill him! It's for your own good!"

"I will not allow you to put a finger on Spencer! I love him so!

"Last chance! Either you step aside and let me kill this worthless green haired beast or I will gladly take your life!"

No... Jane please don't...

"I don't care what happens to me! If I die, so be it! Our love will remain strong!"

"Right, you asked for it, wench."

...He shot three arrows onto Jane's chest... My love... I'm so mortified... Oh gods... Why does this have to happen!

"JANE!!!" I yelled out, tears streaming from my eyes. I held her dying body.

"S-Spencer... I'm so sorry... I-I had to protect you..."

"Nononono... I should've had died and protected you! Not the other way around!"
Jane just... Weakly smiled...

"It's okay now... I'll be going to the gods..."

"No... Jane... Please no... We were supposed to get married! We were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together! Why did this-"

Jane interrupted, "No matter what happens, Spencer... I will always love y..."

Jane...

Jane...

Jane just died in my arms... Her eyes will never open again. I will never see her smile ever again. I began to sob. I couldn't take this anymore... I buried my face onto her chest.

"Jane... Jane... Please... You can't die..." I begged. I pleaded. I just wanted Jane back...

"Hah, pathetic."

I immediately stood up, glaring Jane's murderer with hatred within my eyes.

"You... You killed my love! How could you!?" I cried.

"She had it coming anyway, she didn't listen and now she paid with her life. Hahaha!"

I stayed silent for a moment. I could not believe what I'm hearing. Does a human life mean nothing to these soldiers. He killed my wife to be. Not only that, he killed an *innocent* person.

"Now, it's your turn to die! Prepare to meet your wife in heaven you freak!" Another soldier grabbed me by my arm. He raised his sword in front of me. Oh gods, I am going to die. He slashed his sword at me and everything went... Blank...

0O0O0O0O0O0O0OO0O0O0O0O0

Oughh... My head... Where am I...

"See? I told you my healing worked! You dummies won't listen to me!"

"Hey! Shut up already! I didn't say that your healing won't work I'm saying that the guy's dead!

"C'mon you two, don't fight. We have an injured man in our presence."

"Y-Yeah... Like he said. Umm... The scar looked p-pretty bad..."

"It may be bad, but at least he's alright now. Now we just gotta wait for him to wake up. Oh! Speaking of the devil!"

I am surrounded by a purple haired hot-headed healer, a sarcastic light blue haired thief, a brash white haired monk, a shy blonde haired mage, and a confident red haired warrior whom I'm assuming is the leader of the group.

They looked... Safe? Not caring once that I am a clone of some sorts. But they looked relieved that I'm alive and well. However, my right eye seems to hurt a bit. Do I have a scar on my face?

"What happened...?" I asked.

"It's a very long story, but do you wish to hear it?" The warrior responded.

I nodded. I need to know what happened while I was passed out.

Chapter 4: The Poet - Wild Gladiolus Rebellion

I scanned the room for a while. It seems that I'm in an inn of some sorts with multiple beds. A little bit odd that there's multiple beds in one room, but I decided to shrug it off.

"So this is what happened... Er... I haven't got your name yet." The warrior railed off.

"Oh, I'm very sorry about that. How rude of me! My name is Spencer." I introduced myself to the warrior. "Nice to meet you, Spencer. My name is Ruby the warrior and the leader of the Wild Gladiolus Rebellion."

...Wild Gladiolus Rebellion? I've never heard such a name before. "Essentially, we are a resistance organization fighting against evil and injustice." Ruby continued. "...Oh! And my partners are named Juliet the healer, Romeo the thief, Dante the monk, and Mandy the mage."

"Welcome to the crew, Spence."

"...Nice to meet ya."

"Greetings newcomer!"

"I-It's a pleasure to meet you, S-Spencer."

The others introduced themselves one by one. They seem to be a lovely bunch.

"Ah, yes about what happened, Spencer. We we're on our way to the Coalfell Village after a long day of adventuring so we could all chill out in the local tavern like we usually do." Ruby pauses for a moment. "Instead of that, we were met with screams of terror and bloodshed. We all searched for survivors and you were one of them. You were just out cold and you had a fresh scar on your face..."

"Okay, that may be my fault because I thought the blood on his face meant he was dead." Romeo blurted out. "He was still breathing dumb ass! How can someone be dead if they're still breathing!? Isn't that common sense!?" Juliet yelled. I saw Mandy hiding her face with her hat, she doesn't seem to be the type for confrontation. "Oh jeeeeewiz! Sorry for not being an amazing mind reader you purple haired bi-." "OH! YOU ASKED FOR IT!" Juliet was about to attack Romeo but Dante got in front of them and stopped them. "Will you two stop fighting for five seconds!? Seriously, knock it off! Ruby is trying to tell Spencer something!" he berated the two. Romeo and Juliet just... crossed their arms not making eye contact.

"Umm... Have they always fight like this, Ruby?" I asked.

"...Yeah, it's a pretty common occurrence, either I had to break it up or Dante does." Ruby explained.

I was processing what Ruby said about what happened when I was out cold.

"As I was saying, Dante and I had to carry you to another village which was not far from Coalfell. We took into the Skystead inn so you could recover. Don't worry, Juilet and Mandy patched you up." Ruby continued.

I uncovered my bang from where my right eye is and looked at a nearest mirror. The scar inched from underneath my eyebrow to half way on my cheek. It's been long since healed now but that scar is a reminder of *that tragedy*. I just hope everyone doesn't know who I truly am, "that" part of me.

"You know, I'm pretty pissed that these soldiers attacked you and treated you like a monster when you're very much human looking to me." Dante stated.

"Who in their right mind would treat an innocent person like this!? It's just inhumane!" Juliet added.

"Perhaps they're jealous of our friend here." Romeo added sarcastically.

"I...I don't think it was jealousy..." Mandy murmured, still hiding her face.

"I was being sarcastic, Mandy." he winked.

"Whatever the reason is, these soldiers shouldn't be attacking innocent people. It's unacceptable. Goodness, what happened to this world." Ruby expressed in disbelief.

"Ever since these... Urm... Green haired people showed up. Everything is going out of control. People are constantly dying because of them."

W-What!? I had a shocked look on my face. Is that why I've been hunted because humans think I would commit such atrocities!?

"You may have that hair color, but so far you've been nothing but harmless. So there's nothing to worry about here. You're good!" Dante cheerly interjected and patted me on the back.

...I've never been patted on the back before. It was... nice.

"Hey, I heard you're a bard and you can play music with your harp, is that true?" Juliet asked.

"...Ah! Yes. I indeed play the harp, would you like to hear a tune?" I asked.

The group of five began to grab a nearest chair and placed it in front of my bed so they could sit down and watch. Not going to lie, I was a tad bit nervous having everyone watch me with their anticipating eyes.

"I-I can't wait to see what you have in session." Mandy smiled.

"Hey, let's not make the poor guy nervous." Ruby hinted.

Romeo just silent sat there with his legs and his arms crossed.

I took out my harp, closed my eyes for a moment, and began to play my harp. The gentle and reverberating fill the room with wonder. As I continued playing, I noticed that the five began to feel like they are all at ease almost happy like the weight has been lifted from their shoulders. I could feel their souls resonating with mine, almost like our souls are connected together. I continued playing the bell-like shimmering melody, they really enjoy this.
Time passed by and I stopped playing, I was greeted immediately with cheers and praise.

"Wow! That was amazing! That was the best tune I've ever heard!" Ruby exclaimed.

"I-I... I really enjoyed that." Mandy said.

"Wow! I didn't know you were that talented, Spencer! That was incredible!" Dante added.

"I feel at ease listening to your song. That is a very rare occasion." Juliet added.

Romeo smirked. "Heh, not bad."

"Ah... It was nothing really! It was just a song after all..." I shyly grinned while scratching the back of my neck.

"No, really! When we heard your music, we felt like our souls became one! You seriously have some talent, man!" Ruby stated.

I felt myself blushing from embarrassment. "Hahaha... Well, I'm glad you guys enjoyed my performance."

"Most the bards here suck but you. You have talent. Like real talent!" Juliet added.

Goodness, they really like my music. My music could lift up a room fill of somber people. I always thought I had no talent because I thought everyone hated my music and thought it was stupid. But they liked it, they really liked it. I feel like I could accomplish anything now with my newfound friends.

After all the praises I received from the group, we decided to call it a night and sleep in. Everyone was fast asleep, except for me.

Chapter 5: The Poet - Night and Morning Like No Other

I don't know what it is... Is it the trauma had to endure earlier or was it my anxieties acting up? When I scanned the room, I see Ruby and the others asleep and undisturbed. Is this common for bards being unable to sleep whilest the others sleep without any issues? ...I should put my hood up so nobody spots me and tries to harm me.

I put my hood from my cape over my head and decided to head outside. The night was serene and quiet no one here to disturb me. The breeze was slightly cool and the atmosphere is dark with some lights from either the lamps or the firefiles. A took a few breathes to let the scene settle within me.

I begin to play my harp once more. Letting my sorrow and feelings out as I play a tune, the same one I played that impressed Ruby and the others
.
"Oh, Jane... How I miss you so..." I felt like tearing up. I miss her. There was so much I miss about her. Her warmth. Her kindness. Her smile. Everything. To be quite honest, until I met Ruby and the others Jane was the only one who showed any compassion for me while everyone I knew treated me like I was some kind of demon. ...It wasn't fair.

Suddenly, I hear whistling in the bushes a sahagin appeared from the bush and I let out a startled yell. What is that thing!? I never fought before! The creature growled and dug it's nails onto my chest, but it wasn't enough to draw blood but enough to put a mark. What should I do?

"Believe in yourself, Spencer... You must fight... You must be brave..." A familar voice called out.

"J-Jane!? Is that you!?" I cried out.

Jane disappeared for a moment. Did I just see her ghost? Am I having visions? I don't know what is going on here... But I felt like I had to fight so I played my harp at the sahagin instantly killing it. Wait... I can kill things with my harp...? Is this why I'm targeted...?

Her ghost appeared right in front of me, giving me her usual smile.

"Jane!? This can't be!"

"Spencer... I must leave this world... I must go on to a better place..."

"No! Don't go! I can't live without you!" I begin tearing up again.

Jane's ghost began floating over me.

"You mustn't let everyone treat you like you're demon. Fight for your friends and for yourself! Care for them as you did for me..." as she said her words of encouragement, she disappeared.

"Yes, Jane! I'll do it! I'll fight! ...But how can I do this I don't know what I should do..." I stared off into the distance thinking to myself.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Good morning, Spencer!" Ruby chirped but she looked a bit concerned after seeing that I haven't got much sleep last night. "Oof... Are you doing alright, Spencer?" "Yeah..." I responded. "I haven't got much sleep last night... I was thinking about a lot of things... Especially last night... But it's a bit of a long story though..." "Oh I see..." Ruby perks up. "Hey, if you want some breakfast, Romeo made coffee and Mandy made some pancakes, bacon, and over medium eggs if you want some."

"I've... Never had any of those things before. Was is it like?" Ruby looked surprised. "Wait, you never had any breakfast before? Not even coffee??" I shook my head. Ruby sighs a bit. "Oh boy... How do I explain this..." She wents on about how coffee has bitter but sweet taste with a nutty and herby aroma, pancakes being a thin, flat, circular piece of cooked batter made from milk, flour, and eggs which is usually served with butter and maple syrup, bacon having a bacon has a sweet, smoky, and salty flavor rounded out with unctuous notes from the fatty pork belly muscle, and eggs being flipped and cooked longer on both sides, so the yolk is barely runny, but still jammy.

When I heard all that my mouth began to water and Ruby took notice of it. "Oh, someone looks like they're about to enjoy a good meal, haha!" She remarked. She's not wrong though because it sure does sound delightful.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Breakfast is served. Everyone including me has a cup of coffee, three stacks of pancakes with a square of butter and syrup flowing, four pieces of bacon, and two eggs over medium. Although, everyone's coffee is different. Either it has cream, has sugar, or it's plain black. I wanted mine to be sweet and creamy just to be safe. The group began chowing down on their food. I wanted to try some of coffee first so I took a sip.

"...Wow! This is so delicious!"

"Heh, you like that?" Romeo smirked.

"Yes, it's super good!"

I am in amazement. I have never had anything like this. I tried the pancakes, and then the bacon, and finally the eggs. Needless to say that I love everything that I consumed. Everyone around me looked very pleased with my reaction. I countinued happily eating my breakfast. This is something I wanted to savor. All I had in my whole life was just a dry roll and flavorless soup. This is new! This is exciting!

"Thank you for the food!" Everyone said in unison. I noticed that Mandy was smiling and happy. "Y-You're quite welcome!" We talked for a bit, from how our lives are like before the Wild Gladiolus was formed, their likes, their dislikes. Heck, even some jokes that we all crack up on. It was quite a lovely time, and best of all everyone treated me like I was a human. It's very much a breath of fresh air.

"Would you like to go on an adventure with us, Spencer?" Ruby asked.

I politely nodded. I wonder where we will go.

Chapter 6: The Poet - Cave Ordeals

After we discussed on where we should go, we all decided to go to the Cave Ordeals to find treasure and even fight beasts. I've never been into an adventure with friends before and to be frank, I'm excited for it. For the first time, I won't be alone in this adventure.

We got in the cave and everything is dimly dark this is making me a bit nervous but with them around, I feel unafraid. ...Until a monster showed up that is.

"Ahhh!!" I screamed hiding behind a rock.

"Ugh! Seriously, Spencer? It's only a goblin! These things are easy!" Juliet shouted. "Hey, chill out! I doubt he knows how to fight yet! No need to get short with him." Dante corrected. Ruby carefully gave me the basis on how to fight monsters, even with harp in hand. "I-It's okay if you miss, it happens sometimes." Mandy reasurred me. Romeo took his first move striking a goblin with his knife. Dante suplexed the same goblin and it perished. It was... interesting to say the least.

Juliet healed the entire party and Mandy casted fire on the goblin, now it's my turn. "Believe in yourself, Spencer... You must fight... You must be brave..." these words never escape my head... This is it. This is my move. I played my harp at it and it took some damage. "There we go, Spencer! I told you we believe in you!" Ruby affirmed. "Heh, not bad for a bard like yourself." Romeo added. Wow, I have never been praised like this before. "Thank you everyone... Now, I am going to finish this battle!" One harmonious strike on the goblin and it's pushing up daisies!

"I'm actually impressed. Not only you play well, you fight well too! I'm very sorry I doubted you." Juliet apologized.

"I knew you could do it, man!" Dante added.

"Y-You did well, Spencer. I am happy for you to be part of the team." Mandy said.

Romeo just smirked and clapped for me. I figure he's not one to give out praises with words but rather, with actions.

"I must say, Spencer. I didn't think you had it in you but you surely beat that goblin's behind, that's for sure!" Ruby then patted my back. I couldn't help but chuckle. I feel like I'm getting braver by the second.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

As we explored more, we gathered more treasure and fought some more monsters. It's defintely a lot of spoils and I'm having all sorts of fun with this adventuring thing. Plus, we beaten a lot of monsters too, although I almost got knocked out a couple times luckily, Juliet was there to save me and the others if we ever got in trouble.

"Alright everyone, this is it. Is everyone prepared for the big fight?" Ruby asked.

We all agree and went inside the final room.

"Who dares intrude my space?" The dark beast's voice speaks out.

"I am here to stop you! This has gone long enough! Gives us back the crystal or you shall perish!" Ruby sneered.

"You dare to mock me with your little band of merry idiots!? Prepare to die, humans!"

Here it is. We are fighting a dark elf for a crystal. ...I don't know what we needed a crystal for but I decided to not question it. "Here." Romeo then steals the crystal from the beast. "I snagged it from ya." he smirked. "You insolent cur!" The beast then attacked Romeo. "You idiot! Why did you do that!?" Juliet shouted as she healed Romeo's wounds with her magic.

"T-Thunder!" Mandy cried as she casted magic on the elf. "Gnngh... You..." The beast growled. "Now's our chance to strike!" Ruby cried out using her sword to attack the beast. Dante followed suit and used his claws to attack the beast. I used my harp, playing a song at the beast. "AAGGHHH!!! WHAT'S THAT AWFUL NOISE!?! MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Is that what it's weakness is? "Nice going, Spencer! Keep weakening the beast with your music! It's helping!" Ruby instructed. I nodded in affirmation so I kept playing my harp. Juilet was giving everyone boosts and Romeo, Dante, and Ruby and blowing strikes at it making it weaker and weaker.

"Mandy, use your ice magic to freeze this foul beast!" Ruby said.

"O-Okay! ...Ice!" Mandy cried as she casted an ice spell on the beast, thus freezing it to death.

"HURRAH! WE DID IT!"

"Hooray it's dead!"

I couldn't help but pat myself in the back as we all defeated the beast together.

"You all fought well, everyone let's get the crystal and get-" Ruby got interrupted.

"I took the crystal, remember?" Romeo added.

"Oh, right! Well, it's get out of here then!" Ruby said as she scratched the back of her neck.

As we were about to leave two shadowy people appeared in front of me.

"You! Stop right there!"

"You are coming with us!"

"No! Wait! I-" I was immediately silenced with one of them placing a bag over my head.

"Spencer, no!" Ruby cried.

Suddenly, everything went dark. What is... happening...? And where are they taking me...?

Chapter 7: The Poet - Truth Inside A Research Lab

...I woke up to a field of flowers with a figure far away from me. Where am I and what is this place?

"The truth... You must find the truth..." a voice called out to me. Truth? What is it trying to convey? What is it telling me the truth about?

"Spencer... You must find out who you really are..."

I... I don't understand... This is raising a lot more questions than answers. I decided to approach the figure. It appeared to look like me? But somehow different. As I got closer, I had an uneasy feeling about this doppelganger. When I stopped moving for a moment, the figure turned around with a sad look on it's face.

"You... Aren't going to attack me?" I asked.

"No, why should I?" The figure replied. "We're known to be peaceful people yet everyone demonizes us and kills us. It's not fair." Now then ever, I want to find out the truth. What am I and why are we getting discrimated against. "If I may ask... What is your name?"

Before it could respond I can feel everything fade to white... Was this a... dream...?

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I woke up to some sort of laboratory. The air felt cold and there's no one around. I stood up from where I laid although, I felt my legs shaking but it wasn't bad enough to where I'm unable to move. I think I'll be alright.
I decided to leave the room I woke up in for now, and made my way towards the hallway. "GGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooouuhhhhhhhhhh..." I heard something grunt, I won't lie when I say it did startle me. What on earth is going on here and why was I sent here? I investigated and wandered around for a bit, but nothing is helping my case. Unitl I notice a room called "The room of failed Kinac experiments." Kinac experiments? Do I dare enter this room?

After contemplating about entering the room, I decided to enter the room. I gently opened the door and I was greeted with... beings who look just like me but they were all fused together into horrifying creatures. I could not believe this... Is this how people like me are treated!? Reduced into nothing but experiments to be tested on and eventually all be killed off!? All the creatures had a sad look on their faces, maybe even scared and full of despair.

"Hey."

I jumped for moment. "W-Who is this???" I asked.

"Come over here, and I'll tell you." the voice called out.

I went closer to the voice and it appeared to be a green flower who has petals that matched my hair and it seems to have a face. A talking flower? The flower was in the pot on top of one of the tables.

The flower took a few deep breathes. "My name is Basil. What is yours? You look like the people who got experimented on."

"...My name is Spencer." I responded. "It is nice to meet you, Basil."

"Enough with introductions for now, are you ready to hear the truth about who you really are, Spencer? Because trust me, it's not pretty. So, I hope you're prepared for what I got to say." Basil interjected.

I've been thinking about this for a while. At one hand, this will explain quite a lot why I'm treated badly before I met Jane and before I met Ruby and the others. It will explain who I really am but at the other hand, I feel that this kind of truth will break me. I am not ready to hear it but at the same time, I have to hear what Basil has to say.

After a few moments I responded with, "I am ready, please tell me the truth. Even if it hurts."

Basil closed their eyes for a bit, pondering on what to say. "Okay, Spencer. I will tell you then." I'm a little nervous to hear it but, I am ready regardless.

"The truth is, you are a clone of me. I am a host, the original form before I became a flower because I was deemed too "useless". So a despicable scientist took my almost all of my blood and used it to make all kinds of experiments, including you. You were one of the lucky ones who escaped the laboratory unharmed. Although, you don't have any memory of it. When I overstayed my usefulness, I was forced to turn into a flower and I had to watch everyone like me either become monsters or get simply... Get killed off." Basil explained carefully.

I could not believe I was hearing... Is this really real? I felt my throat tighten up with both sadness and disgust. "...If I'm actually a clone of you, what are we called and why do people mistreat us?" I asked.

"Hmm... I don't know if you noticed the sign before you entered the room but you, the amalgamates, and I are called... The Kinacs." Basil answered.

I'm a Kinac clone this entire time... I'm really shocked to hear this...

"And the reason why we're all treated this badly is because, the scientist and her deceased partners believed that we are a threat to the world, when really we are the most peaceful people out there. Thus why everyone either kills us or makes experiments out of us like we're animals. And before you ask about autonomy and if we have any." Basil lets out a sigh. "We don't have any, we are doomed from birth to death."

I fell on my knees, I feel my heart beating rapidly and I could feel myself tearing up like I've been told that someone close to me has passed away. I couldn't breathe and I feel myself trembling. I can't believe this...

"I know it's hard to hear about this, lad. But, you deserve to know the truth and I mean all the truth." Basil added.

"B-But why... Why are we treated like this...? I just... I just don't get it..." I broke down into sobs, burying my face into my hands. All Basil could do was sigh and look at me with pure pity on their face. "Am... Am I going to die...?" I asked bitterly. "No, and I will make sure that it will not happen." Basil said with confidence. A mere flower, protecting me... Haha... How pathetic. Can't I do anything for myself? Why does everyone have to protect me like I'm sort of child?

"No, I seriously mean it. I heard that you're in the Gladiolus Rebellion, are you not?"

"How did you know... Who they are...?" I asked, my hands uncovering my face with tears still streaming from my eyes.

"I know everything my dear, Spencer woooo~" Basil added trying to add a smile on my face, admittedly, it did make me smile a bit. "But seriously, I know Ruby and she's the type to bring justice to those who have wronged us." My face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah, and urm... I believe their names are Juliet, Romeo, Dante, and Mandy have the same goals as she does. Thus they all banded a group together called the Gladiolus Rebellion." I couldn't help but smile and whisper to myself... "Thank you guys..."

"Say, do you want me to help you search for your friends since they're here as well?" Basil asked.

"What!? They're here too!?" I was shocked. Why were they here too!?

"I don't know why but I can feel their prescence there. They're alive don't worry but they're all wrapped in vines so they wouldn't escape." Basil explained.

"Let's hurry to them then!" I urgently told the flower picking the flower pot.

"Whoa, lad! You gotta warn me next time before you pick me up!" Basil exclaimed.

"Sorry... I was just concerned for Ruby and the others..." I apologized.

Basil decided to let that go for now.

"Alright, I will give you directions on where to go so you could find them in time."

"I truly appreciate it, Basil." I smiled at the flower.

"It was nothin' really." The green flower stuck their tongue out. "Now, let's find them before it's too late."

Determined, I left the Kinac experiment room with a flower pot in hand. I'm a human and I just met talking flower yet we have so much in common. Now I'm beginning to understand everything that happened and I'm beginning to accept that I'm a Kinac.

Chapter 8: The Poet - VS Meteo Sintoma

After some time Basil and I found the room where Ruby and the others were captive at. I tried to open the door but it was locked. "Don't worry about that, Spencer! The key is hidden in the soil for some reason." Basil affrimed. "Wait..." I paused. "Who puts a key inside the soil?"

"Heck if I know! For some reason, the scientist always puts her keys inside the soil. And she wonders why her keys are missing and her doors are always unlocked." Basil sneered. Not to be that person or anything but this scientist seems kind of... Stupid for doing that? It just makes it more obvious. I watched as Basil takes the key with his stem and unlocked the door. "See? Even as a flower, I still got it!" Basil exclaimed.

"May I ask you something, Basil?" I asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" Basil responded.

"What were you like before you got experimented on? Do you have a family? Friends? Maybe even a lover of your own?"

"Ehh... No offense but I'd rather not talk about that since I'm not the type to talk about stuff like that." Basil said. I guess Basil didn't really want to talk about his past.

"I'm sorry I asked." I said dejected.

"Hey, it's alright. Besides I think saving your friends is important right now." Basil said. Ah, yes! Ruby and the others. We have to save them. I opened the door in front and I was greeted with the Wild Gladiolus Rebellion being restrained in vines.

"Spencer! Finally you're here and okay!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Some weird scientist woman summoned her vines and got all of restrained!" Juliet added.

"...Well. This was... something..." Romeo said.

"I tried to free myself from the vines but they were too strong to rip off!" Dante exclaimed.

"Umm... I-I think the scientist is in the room..." Mandy said.

Suddenly a scientist woman appeared from the shadows. "So, I see that you came back, experiment." I could feel Basil physically fuming.

"You see, the reason why I kidnapped your friends is because they don't treat like how you should be treated; like garbage." The scientist said.

"Who do you think you are, lady!? Spencer is so much more than clone! He is one of our greatest friends!" Ruby yelled. The others agreed along side with her.

"Friends? Do you truly think *his kind* deserves to have friends? You do realize he escaped so he could avoid punishment and death from me... So what makes you think he deserves any friends. Besides, you would all throw him out anyway for being a disgusting Kinac." the scientist's words were full of venom.

"I don't even care what he is! He could be a worm for all I care! No matter what, he's still our friend!" Juliet shouted.

"I second that! We all already accepted that he's a Kinac and as long he stays true to himself, then who cares right?" Romeo added.

"You five are a bunch of ignorant fools."

"Well, I think the only ignorant fool is you! And experimenting on Spencer's kind because they're "unfit" for life? That's unethical!" Dante added.

"I-I agree! There should be no reason why you experiment on people." Mandy said.

"Ruby, Juilet, Romeo, Dante, Mandy... I thank you..." I said.

"Y'know, Spencer. You have some pretty good friends." Basil stated.

"Grrr... Enough! For I am Meteo Sintoma! I shall give you all *exactly* what you deserve!" she then takes out a test tube full of Kinac blood and drank it.

"Oh my god! What have you done!?" Basil exclaimed.

Sintoma falls to her knees... Her face becomes square like and her limbs are slowly becoming vine like. I backed myself against the wall in terror. "You see, she was waiting for you to come back so she could transform into that..." Basil said.

"Hehe... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I'M IN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF PAIN RIGHT NOW!!! BUT I WILL TEACH YOU ALL YOU WORTHLESS KINACS A LESSON YOU SOON WILL NEVER *EVER* FORGET!!!!"

"W-What is this...?" I begin to sweat. "This is horrifying..."

Basil used his powers to free Ruby and the others from the vines. "Can you all move now?" he asked.

"Yeah!"

"Absolutely, thank you Basil!"

A nod from Romeo.

"Oh yeah! Thanks a lot!"

"Mmmhmm!"

The others gathered around me, drawing their weapons. We could feel the floor shaking with more of those vines.

Sintoma was nothing but a screen face with vines all over it. Her face appeared on screen and let out the most horrifying laugh.

"No... No! I am not afraid anymore! I will not run away anymore! With all my friends by my side! I will not run anymore!" I shouted.

The final battle has started. There's six of us and one of her. We can do this.

"What's wrong you little cowardly Kinac... Why don't you run away and hide just like when your precious wife to be got killed?" Sintoma said.

I was immediately riddled with anger. "Don't you dare bring Jane into this!"

Basil began to shoot some pellets at her. "Here, I'm shooting this stuff at her so I could buy you all some time!"

No... No... I couldn't use my harp this time. I grabbed the nearest dagger in the lab and began to strike her mercilessly with it. I was seeing red. I was enraged. I wanted her... dead.

Ruby and the others followed suit as well with her, Romeo, and Dante striking with their weapons and Mandy and Juliet casting their magic spells at Sintoma.

She used her vines to swipe everyone away and slam me and the others except for Mandy, Juliet, and Basil because they were in the back.

Juilet immediately healed all of us because it was a pretty nasty damage. "Are you guys alright!? We need to paralyze this thing!" Juliet shouted.

"I-I got this! Paralyze!" Mandy called out. The spell worked and the Sintoma was unable to move her vines.

"Now's your chance to strike everyone!" Basil declared continuing to shoot pellets at her. I couldn't hesitate. I just immediately striking and stabbing the screen. Everyone helped me fight her but I winded up taking it down.

"Unngh... You bastar-" Another repeated stab and the screen went blank and even then I stabbed the screen some more to make sure it was dead. I was breathing heavily, the rage was penting up inside me.

"Spencer... I can't believe you defeated that monster without using your harp." Ruby exclaimed.

I went back into my senses after Ruby spoke to me. Realizing what I done... I took a dagger and killed one of my worst enemies. The woman who made my life a living hell all because I'm a clone... For the first time in my life... I felt... Relieved... Like the weights of my shoulders just got lifted from me...

Chapter 9: The Poet - Melody A Live

"I never knew you had it in you!"

"That was... awesome!"

"We all thank you, Spencer and uhh..."

"It's Basil!"

"Right, and you too Basil!"

"W-We did it, everything is in peace now."

They we're all right. The discrimination of the Kinacs is no more. We can all live happily now without getting experimented on nor killed.

"Hey, Spencer was it?" Basil interjected. "I want to say, thank you for everything and good luck to both you and your friends." I thought about this for a bit. "This won't be goodbye because I consider you a friend. Would you like to join us, Basil?" The flowers face lits up in surprise. "Really...? You want me to join you guys? You know what? I am more than happy to join, thank you for the offer!" Basil said.

"We should probably get out of the laboratory and get ourselves an inn for the night." Ruby suggested. Everyone is in favor of this.

OO0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

As we go outside the laboratory I feel something in my hands shake and jerk. "Spencer! Put me down for a moment! I think I'm about to-" I immediately drop the flower pot and the sight before me is that, Basil just turned back into a humanoid. He has green hair although a bit shorter than mine, a green and a purple eye, a white tunic and green pants.

"Basil...? Is that really you?"

Basil immediately wrapped his arms around me.

"I haven't felt like this in such a long time... I guess the curse really ended didn't it?"

I hugged him back, this is the first time I ever hugged Basil. It must be relieving for someone like him to return back to his state where no one will experiment on him anymore.

"Spencer..."

I let go of Basil, turned around and saw Jane's spirit.

"I... I did it, Jane... I saved the world... You may rest in peace now, my love..."

"Spencer..." Jane smiles. "Thank you... For everything..." She disappears once more. I can finally let go now. I can finally be at peace with myself.

Moments pass and I ask, "Is it okay if I sing a song while we adventure out of the forest?"

"You know, after the big battle we had with that..." Ruby pauses. "That strange thing we all had to fight, a song on the road sounds really good right now."

"I have to agree!" Juliet added.

Romeo once again just nodded and gave a thumbs up.

"Another encore of Spencer is a great idea, actually!" Dante added.

"I-I can't wait what you will be singing for us." Mandy smiled.

Basil ponders for a bit. "Y'know I never heard you sing so I'm really curious on what you sound like."

I nodded my head, took out my harp and began to play a tune on it.

I look back at them and I murmured, "My dear friends..."

As we slowly left the forest I began to sing,

"My dear friends, I'm glad to have gained courage from you all... My dear friends, I can conquer anything now... My dear friends, I am glad to be your companion and be one of the team." I continued to sing until we all left the forest.

The Poet - Completed.

Chapter 10: The Connection - Prologue

It was late at night and I'm getting worried about from Naomi since she fell unconscious for a while after starting her research for "The Black Page." Ever since she started researching the website, she's been acting very... Weird. I know that she's always been this dedicated with articles she writes but this feels different somehow. It's been few a days since she fell unconscious mind you.

With that aside just to make myself worry less, I decided to make myself some ramen with cut up green onions and boiled an egg on top of it. I haven't eaten since my breakfast this morning, after all.

As I ate a few bites of ramen I heard my phone ringing; it was from my boss. I opened up my phone and pressed the answer button.

"Hello? ...Oh! Mr. Haru, why are you calling me at this time of night?" I asked.

I was expecting another work load in Naomi's stead but instead I got told the bad news. I was told that Naomi has died suddenly. I could not believe this... Naomi, you idiot... Why are you so careless? ...I admittedly took one of her notebooks from her desk, just before she died. In this moment, I knew I had to step in. I need to find the truth of this "Black Page" and her death.

I have to. I must. Determined, I turned on my computer and I went on that website Naomi was researching.

For secrecy purposes, I will set my username as "Anonymous."

Chapter 11: The Connection - "The Black Page"

Anonymous has joined the room.

(Alright, I'm in the chat now. It seems that I'm a group with three other people. Time to strike up a conversation.)

Anonymous> Good evening! >EVERYONE

Cronos> Hi there! >Anonymous

Riku> Hello Anonymous! :)

Akane> Good evening, Anonymous.

(So far everyone seems nice and friendly. So I'm going to continue talking.)

Anonymous> Wow, packed house lmao! I didn't think that there would be so many people.

Cronos> Since you're here. I'm guessing that you've heard some rumors, right?

(Won't be telling why I'm really here so I'm just gonna make up something.)

Anonymous> Something like that. lmao!

(Time to ask the question.)

Anonymous> Why are all of you here tonight?

Akane> Because we heard the rumors too. I wanted to check it out.

(Fair enough.)

Riku> The rumors said that you can talk to the dead. I wonder if it's true?

Cronos> You're talking about the article in "Samsara" magazine, right >Riku

(Shit! Gotta pretend to be unaware!)

Anonymous> I've heard of that magazine too.

Akane> Huh? What is that?

Cronos> It's this indie magazine about the occult. I read it all the time! Haha!

Riku> LOL! You're funny, man! >Reads it all the time.

Anonymous> Yeah, according to "Samsara." It has something to do with the incident involving the high school girls from a while back.

Akane> The one where the three high school girls died?

Cronos> I heard about that. "Samsara" did a special on it but they haven't reported it since.

Riku> I came because of all these rumors but this is just a plain old chat room! Ahaha!

Akane> Yeah, except it's super creepy.

Anonymous> Anyone hear any other rumors? >EVERYONE

Cronos> Nothing that isn't from "Samsara".

Riku> Hey, you still know way more than me! >Cronos

M3d0_D4RKN3SS has joined the room.

(Medo_Darkness?)

Cronos> Looks like another person got drawn in by the rumors! Hi there! >M3d0_D4RKN3SS

M3d0_D4RKN3SS> Good evening, all.

What...? My phone is ringing? What even is this website? I reached out for my phone and answered the call.

"Hello? ...Hello??"

Suddenly, everything went blank.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I wake up in a room that I'm unfamiliar with, my vision is blurry. Jeez, did I wake up laying down on the floor? Are my glasses on? I pressed my face feeling my glasses pressed against my face. Phew... Good, thank god my glasses are still on my face.
I slowly begin to sit up, processing what room I'm in. "What is this room?" I spoke. "Why am I here?" It seems that I'm a geek room of some sorts. Is this... Crono Driver? That RPG game with unlikely heroes getting sent to different timelines? Erm, with that out of the way I stood up from where I passed out.

I have a slight head ache so I decided to sit on the bed. Pondering my thoughts for a bit.
My colleague Naomi feel unconscious. A few days later, she died. Just like the victims in the case she was investigating. She must have been close to figuring it all out.

I take out Naomi's notebook.

"There are plans to do a special feature of "The Black Page" in our next issue. So I thought I'd prepare by doing some investigating. To be honest, there's a lot I can't figure out, but there are two things I do know.

1. There's a site called "The Black Page."
2. That page links to a chat room.

Anyone can view "The Black Page." Many occult-related forums link to "The Black Page." But I couldn't find any clues yet. It seems there might be some criteria that we required. So I've decided to look into cases that are said to have been caused by "The Black Page." " It read.

I found this notebook at her desk. It led me to "The Black Page." I connected to the chat room, and then... What happened to me? I shook my head in bewilderment. I then closed her note book and decided to get off the bed, beginning my investigation.

Chapter 12: The Connection - Mnenomic Abyss

Before I start, I just noticed seven figurines, all women. I don't know their names but one's a warrior who I presume is the main character, another ones a healer, a scientist, a cavewoman, a robot, a villianous mage, and some... anthromorphic frog with a sword?

I also spotted a flat screen TV with expensive looking speakers, which turned on it's own like static. Whoever room this is, they must be pretty loaded.

...Alright, enough messing around, I looked under the pillow and found a cell phone which funny enough has the cover of the main character. When I picked it up, I heard an alarm clock ring, annoyed I turned it off. Boy, do I not miss these when I was younger... I'm going to check the computer. I noticed two monitors and a drawing tablet. Artist huh? I draw as well but that's not important right now.

The computer is password protected. I see the user name as Cronos. I took a guess and typed Driver as the password and oddly enough, it worked. ...This chat room! Why is this page open? It's all messages from earlier. I scrolled mindlessly through the chat room until I saw a message from %?!#~>. Hmm? What is this? A phone number...? Why is that there in a place like this? Thankfully, I brought my notepad and pen with me so I wrote the number down.

I opened the cell phone and proceeded to call the number.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

I was sent to some sort of beauty salon longue room...? I also noticed that the phone I had on my hand disappeared. "What's going on!? I just made a phone call..." I spoke out. This is strange, really strange. I turned on the light and one of the mannequin heads just fell to the ground. Okay?

I found a memo on the ground.

"I thought this might happen, but now it has. It's hard to believe.

This is just like the beauty salon I first went to investigate but it doesn't seem to be the same place. There's no exit. No, to be more accurate, there's a door. But there's nothing beyond it. Only a void, no ground, no sky.
Just nothingness.

I threw a magazine that was lying around just to see what would happen. But it vanished from my sight without making a sound. It would be too reckless to jump out there.

I think that the people who lost consciousness must have experienced what I've experienced right now. Somewhere between life and death. I'll call it the Mnemonic Abyss." This is Naomi's handwriting!

I walked back to the table that has another cell phone right in front of me so I picked it up and I left the lounge. ...I wonder if there really was a void beyond the door. I proceeded to open the door wide open and there it was! It really was a void. What is this!? What's going on!? I am not risking falling down to my death thank you very much, so I closed the door never to open it again for *any* reason.

I found a key on one of the cubbies. A name is attached to it. Y. Mitsugu? I felt a strong prescence as soon as I picked up that key. I turned around and I noticed that the power out and what stands in front of my face is a hair stylist which I presume is Y. Mitsugu. I went back to the lounge room and unlocked one of the lockers which had flashlight in it.

Finally, I can see through the darkness. I left the room once more and I noticed a familiar face sitting on the sofa. I let out a gasp. "...Could that have been!?" It seems she left another one of her notebooks.

"First, the death of a female stylist at a beauty salon.

Her name was Yayoi Mitsugu, age: 20.

She was new to the job only working there since the spring.

According to the manager, she left after asking Yayoi to close. When she returned to work the next day she found Yayoi passed out on the floor and cold to the touch.

It seemed like she was fine yesterday without anything unusualy to note.

There was no evidence that there was a struggle in the store and her wallet was still in her bag. She was also holding her cell phone.

I confirmed that the store didn't have a computer.

There was nothing that led to the Black Page noticeably.

But so much is unexplainable that it can't be completely ruled out yet."

After I finished reading the notebook I saw her go into the lounge room and knock all the mannequin heads in sight. ...It has to be! Naomi! I ran into the lounge but she already disappeared before I stepped in the room. I heard my cell phone ring. "What!?
Who could it be from?" I checked the phone and I was sent a picture message of the refrigerator in the room. I couldn't make out the words other than the name Naomi.

I opened the fridge and I saw a note under it; it's another one of Naomi's memos.

"I've searched around the store but I couldn't find anything of note.

The only potentially useful thing was a cell phone that must have belonged to a woman.

This phone...

I wonder if it'll work.

Well, it's worth a try. I'll just try a number I got from my research."

Two more numbers.

I decided to call the number on top, once again getting teleported leaving my cell phone behind.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

I'm in the hotel room now. ...I guess you really can transport yourself, huh?

Chapter 13: The Connection - Fighting with a cellphone and flash light

I scanned around the hotel and I saw two beds, a desk with make up scattered everywhere in the desk, a tv stand, a mini fridge, a suitcase and a coffee table. But I don't see a cell phone in sight. I opened one of the drawers and behold, here's yet another one of Naomi's memos.

"Well, this is a surprise. You can use the cell phone to move. I don't know how it works but you call a phone you are suddenly taken to where the other phone is located.

But for some reason, it doesn't work when I call my own cell phone. It was the first thing that came to mind but...

I guess that would be too easy. Another thing to note, you can fight ghosts by scanning their weak points with the cell phone and attack them with your flashlight."

...Huh? You can actually fight ghosts? Odd. I noticed another note on the bed which had a three number pass code. I wonder what could it be for? I realized that this code is actually for the suitcase. After some time trying get the right code for the suitcase, it was unlocked. Inside it was a couple of clothes and a gray cell phone so I picked it up.

I wonder what if Naomi is saying is true because I've seen enough games and movies where you're practically useless against them. I heard gentle splashing from the bathroom but oddly enough, it doesn't sound like someone is inside. I went inside the hotel bathroom to investigate and I saw someone's shadow in the shower. ...Am I really doing this right now? I opened the shower curtain but no one was there. However, I saw another one of Naomi's notebooks.

"Next, the death which occurred in a hotel.

Her name was Aika Arai, age: 32.

An office worker on a business trip.

Hotel staff went to check her room when she failed to check out in the morning and they discovered her dead in a chair.

There was a laptop on the table.

She had her cell phone in her right hand. Its log shows that she had been texting with her boss until 10 pm the night before.

So her death would have come sometime afterwards.

But they did not speak over the phone.

There was no evidence of an intruder and the police determined that there was no foul play involved because the room was completely sealed.

But her cause of death has yet to be announced."

I heard that prescence again... I tried to leave but the door was stuck. You know what? If I can't leave the room the easy way, I'm going to do this the hard way. I'm breaking this thing open by shaking the door knob repeatedly and finally the door opened. When the door opened I was greeted with a ghost who wore a bath robe kimono with a hand on her hip looking at me flirtishly.

"My my... Someone's been naughty...~" she winked at me.

Is... Is she flirting with me???

She slowly approached me. My phone was vibrating and I took it out, with the camera it pointed out her weak points. Her face and her legs. Well then I guess I have to fight her now. I pointed my flash light at her face and I kicked her in the shins.

"Oww~!! That hurt!! You're really are a rude little girl!!" the ghost cried and disappeared.

I guess you can really stun the ghosts with your flashlight and then attack them... Well, that made it a tad bit easier. I heard some voices speaking, I once again took out the cell phone and recorded the voices. I watched the bar go up until the bar was completely full. I put against my ear to listen what the voices were saying.

"...The office is restructuring next month. I'm switching departments... Yeah. I won't be able to come here every month anymore. What am I supposed to do? I don't get enough that I can afford to pay my own way here. Will you come see me...?"

Silence.

"...That's what I thought. Well then, I think we should just end this."

Well, sucks to be that person who got broken up with.

I decided to call the other number I was provided with.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"...But it seems that you have to leave your cell phone behind." I spoke out. I think I'm starting to understand the pattern here. It seems that I'm in one of the rooms from the internet cafe. There was a desk with a computer on it, right next to it is a dial up phone and posters about some MMORPG called "The World".

I found a blue cell phone on the ground and picked it up. I saw Naomi's notebook and picked it up again.

"Next is the death of a young man at "Octopath" an internet cafe.

The man suddenly collapsed unconscious.

His name was Yoshisada Oyakawa age: 29.

There were several customers around at the time but no one suspicious and no one who knew the victim.

Officials claimed the matter was heart failure due to exhaustion and over work.

After looking through all of the victim's chat logs.

I've found that every chat ends with a message from M3d0_D4RKN3SS.

Who is this M3d0_D4RKN3SS?"

I recieved a message and I heard those voices again. It was a picture message of the geek room's computer, I guess I have to go back after I finished my business in the internet cafe. I recorded the voices again.

"...A phone call? Who's calling...? Hello...? Oh...! Mr. Yasuda! Yes, here's the thing... Can you wait a bit longer for the payment? I just got fired from my job so right now I'm strapped for cash. I'm sorry about this, I swear I'll pay you..."

After the recording was finished I saw a ghost on the computer whom I presume is this Yoshisada person.

He attacked me by bear hugging me. Welp, I guess I have to do it again. Checked his weak points, his chest. I pointed my flash light at his face and chest and popped him right in the chest. He instantly fell to the floor and disappeared.

I checked the computer on the internet but before I could use it, it shut itself off. Great, there goes the power. For now, I decided to call the phone from the geek room.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I picked up the Crono Driver cell phone from the bed and went back to the computer retyping the password. I scrolled through all the chat logs until I saw another phone number. A new message... Is this from her as well? I wrote that number down on my notepad and decided to call that number.

0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It seems that I'm in the bathroom in a high school but I noticed something missing other than my phone... I turned around and noticed that a smaller ghost with blonde hair and purple tips stole my notepad! When I tried to go after her she took off, running out of the bathroom and disappearing. "That's my notepad you mother *bleep!* It has all of the numbers I've used so far...! I need to get it back!" I yelled.

I saw a red cell phone on the sink and decided to pick it up and left the women's restroom. I got another message, another notebook that's in the art room.

After wandering around endless in the hallway I found the stairs going down to the third floor. But I found another one Naomi's memos on the ground.

"I tried calling all of the numbers I had but there were a few of them that transporting wouldn't work with.

Most of them were silent on the other end but there were some where you could hear some strange voices.

It was very creepy. I wonder if they were of the dead..."

I decided to take the stairs downwards toward the third floor.

I wandered across the hall way in the third floor until I saw someone alive come out of the bathroom. The guy appeared to have short black hair, glasses, a bandana, and a t shirt and jeans. He seemed to be hyperventilating and ran away from those school girls. One of them was tall, fat, and small. They all had blonde hair with different colored tips.

"That's not a ghost! He's a live person! ...I suppose it's just a matter of time though. I hope he can get away..." I said. I'm a bit worried about him.

I took another staircase going to the second floor and decided to go to the art room.

Chapter 14: The Connection - Meeting Akane

As I stepped into the art room I was greeted with canvases, tables, chairs, and statues expected in a room like that. As I went in the back rooms I found a notebook from Naomi.

"Then the deaths of three teenage girls at Watanabe High School a month ago.

It was quite the story when three students from the same school all died at once.

The three girls had a bad reputation at the school for causing many problems.

They were discovered unconscious in the computer lab after school.

Afterwards, they were taken to the hospital but they all died a few hours later.

The first one to discover them was a junior who has stopped by the lab to research topics for his history class."

After reading the notebook I heard the door open. But thankfully, it wasn't a ghost. Rather it was a woman with short brown wearing some kind of pajamas holding a flash light. She seemed to be a bit nervous but calm none the less.

I decided to come out behind the statue.

"I thought you were a ghost. Glad to see that you're alive."

The woman seemed startled and exclaimed, "W-Who are you!?"

"Sorry to startle you. My name is Eiko Yuna. I'm an editor at a small publishing office." I walked towards the table and hurled a card onto the table. I decided to take a seat.

"Take a seat, won't you?" I gestured her to take a seat with me but she shook her head. After some time, the woman finally introduced herself.

"...I'm Akane Ogawa."

"Nice to meet you, Akane." I responded.
"...So, do you know where we are right now?" Akane asked.

"My friend called this place the Mnemonic Abyss."

"Mnemonic Abyss...?" I could tell Akane was confused so I allowed myself to explain to her.

"I think it's in-between the real world and the afterlife." I stated making my guess from what I've seen myself and what I've heard from Naomi's research.

"So... this isn't the real world?" Akane asked again.

"I don't think so." I responded, "Here, the dead walk amongst the living."

Akane calmed down a bit and spoke out, "Yes. I met someone else who was still alive."

I immediately knew who she was referring to.

"Yeah. I saw him too. ...He wasn't holding up well. At that rate, he's not going to last long here. I'm a bit worried about him."

She looked concerned for a moment. "Not going to last long? What do you mean?" Akane inquired.

"He'll soon join the ranks of the ghosts that are floating around... I bet." I truly hope I'm wrong though.

After a moment of silence, Akane asks, "...How did you enter into the Mnemonic Abyss?"

"What about you?" I responded. I wanted to hear her story.

"When I woke up. I was in the music room inside the school..." Akane stated.

"What were you doing before you came here?" I asked. "You were in a chat room, right? ...The Black Page." I smirked. I think I'm getting somewhere here.

"What is the connection between that chat room and this place!?" Akane gasped.

"I knew it... So you were using it too." I asserted.

"Yukio said that he was using it too. He was in the same chat room... You were too, Eiko...?" she asked.

"I think that the chat room is the entrance to the Mnemonic Abyss." I chimed. "Why did you visit The Black Page in the first place? Curiosity?"

"No. I was... Looking for somebody." Akane replied.

"Looking for somebody...?" I commented. Who could she possibly be looking for? I silently listened to what she had to say.

"I only knew the person's screen name... And I heard that they frequented The Black Page. I wanted to apologize... But the only information I had was the screen name." Akane said. "What about you, Eiko?" she asked.

"Me? My friend died trying to solve a mystery and her research led me to The Black Page. And now, here I am." I rambled. "But I wasn't here when I woke up."

"...What? What do you mean? ...Are there locations other than this school?" Akane asked.

"There are a number of locations like this school here in the Mnemonic Abyss. I think the Mnemonic Abyss is composed of the memories of the people who get sucked in. The locations aren't directly connected. So you can't travel between them easily. But there are ways."

I placed my cell phone on the table. "You use this. Not only that, you can use it to fight as well. Same thing goes with the flash light." I continued.

"What? ...Why does that work?" Akane asked in confusion.

"I don't know. But you're receiving calls from ghosts too, right? In addition to capturing ghosts voices and capturing their weak points to attack. You can use your phone to transport to another location."

"But that's..." Akane spoke out.

"Unbelievable, right? But it works for some reason. I did that to transport to this location and I did the same thing to fend myself from the ghosts. Maybe that means that we can use this method to return to the real world..." I continued to ramble.

"Are you saying that we can get out of this place?" Akane questioned.

"We got in here somehow. There must be a way out. Calling my own number did nothing. It won't even connect... But we can't give up hope. If we do, we'll become ghosts too." I interjected. "Let's exchange numbers. Until you use the phone to transport. You can use it to communicate and fight."

I took out my pen and wrote out my number on the business card and gave it to Akane. She gave me her number. "Keep searching for a way to get out of here. There must be a number that will free us from this place." I concluded.

"What about you, Eiko?" Akane questioned.

"I still have something that I need to do..." I replied. "One more thing. You'll occasionally hear a ringing noise in certain places. Use your cell phone's voice recorder to record the noise. You'll hear the ghosts whispering..."

After I had my conversation with Akane I felt that prescence again. Akane turned around and got startled by no one other than Naomi.

"Naomi...!" I exclaimed.

I saw Akane frozen in fear and saw Naomi slowly leave the art room. I had to run after her.

"I have to go! I'll contact you if something comes up. I'll see you later, Akane." I picked my cell phone up from the table and dismissed myself from the art room. "Damn!" I exclaimed as I ran out of the art room. Akane just stood there and watched me leave.

Chapter 15: The Connection - Wandering between the Remnants

I turned my flashlight on and I saw Naomi head downstairs to the first floor so I followed her. When I descended downstairs she was no where to be seen. Well, I guess I'm going to wander around for a bit so I decided to go to the library.

I received a picture message of a desk that was in the head master's office. I'm going to check it out later. But then I heard the whispers once more in the library so I went ahead and recorded the voices again.

"Miyako? What are you doing?"

"Oh... Just reading a book..."

"I thought I asked you to go and buy lunch and smokes."

"...I was going to go after next period... Um... I'll go now...

"You better."

"I'll be right back..."

Jeez, some friend that is. I decided to leave the library and headed towards the gym door where I also heard the whispering. I recorded the voices once more.

"I said to come to the gym..."

"How are we gonna to teach her a lesson?"

"Always ratting on us..."

"Let's inflict some pain on her! Let's just grab her crash and get some food! I'm so hungry right now!

A exasperated sigh was heard.

"You're always hungry. Let's go."

No wonder they had quite a bad reputation. After a few doors down, I saw a brown door and went inside it. It's the head master's office no doubt. I went over the desk, opened the sliding hutch and found another notebook from Naomi.

"I went to question the head master after the deaths of the three teenage girls.

According to him, the disciplinary staff was unable to resolve issues with their delinquent behavior and they were referred to the school nurse Mrs. Tadokoro for counseling.

It seems like I'll need to see Mrs. Tadokoro in the Nurse's Office to show me their records.

The nurse's office... It's worth checking out. After finishing my business in the head master's office I decided to leave. But what stands in the right of me was those two ghost girls. One of them has my notebook! I shut the door behind me and they were both alerted.

One of them looked like they're about to fight me, if it's a fight they want, it's a fight they get. The taller ghost proceeded to grab me as I checked her weak points. As self defense I pointed my flash light at her face. Now to take out my cell phone and check... Her weak point is her face.

I tried fleeing the scene but that same ghost phased through the ceiling and grabbed my shoulders. I punched her square in the face and she disappeared and I broke free from her grasp. I ran upstairs back to the second floor.

Looks like I'm not safe yet because the ghost with the blonde hair and red tips is still chasing me. Oh, this is going to be a problem now is it? She once again phased from the ceiling and grabbed me by shoulders so as a retaliation I pointed my flashlight at her face some more, burying her face in pain. I ascended to the third floor trying to get away.

I turned around and thankfully no one was there.

"I think I'm at a safe distance now." I spoke talking to myself. "Phew... I wonder if that girl is okay..." I took out the cell phone, dialed Akane's number and called her. She answered the call.

"Hello...?"

"You seem to be doing okay. Did you find that guy?" I questioned.

"He was in the nurses office but he made a phone call and disappeared." Akane replied.

"I see. You should probably transport away as well. The ghosts here are very dangerous." I informed.

"What about you, Eiko?" she asked.

"I still have some things that I want to check out." I said. "When you transport you leave your cell phone behind so I may not be able to contact you. Good luck, Akane." I hung up the phone. I'm glad she's doing okay though. I just hope the same for that guy.

I explored the third floor and I saw Naomi standing in front of a door and when I got closer, she disappeared. This must be the computer lab. I looked for a working computer and there it was, with the Black Page on the screen. But I heard the whispers again and recorded once more before I check the computer.

"...What the heck is this? A counter? With all this hype about this site. I was expecting a lot more."

"Maybe there's a hidden link somewhere."

Silence.

"I don't think there's anything here."

"That's lame. I'm hungry now! Let's go get some ice cream!"

"Why is there so much hype about a website like this? Man, I thought this would be more entertaining..."

"...! Hey! Look, the screen just changed..."

After the recording was finished, I took a look at the Black Page. There was a new message that said, "I need to tell Eiko."

"...What is this?" I spoke. "Is that you? Naomi?" I begin typing a message.

"Mocha> What are you trying to tell me?"

After some time. "No response..." I tried to leave the computer room but before I could, I felt Naomi's prescence again. She was standing over the computer I just used and disappeared. It seems she left a business card but it wasn't a legitimate number. Instead it was just some weird numbers. I left the computer lab and thought to myself, "I wonder why they were all gathered in front of the nurses office?"

Chapter 16: The Connection - Recollection

I went back to the first floor and decided to head to the nurse's office. I went inside the room scanning the room for a bit. Until suddenly, a box landed on me and I fell to the ground from the impact; three clipboards and my cell phone followed suit.
Before I could grab it that ghost girl appeared in front of the phone and picked it up. "...Oh, it's my phone..." she whispered. I slowly picked myself up from the ground feeling the pain in my neck, I rubbed it. Well, that is going to hurt in the morning... "Damn. I can't transport without my cellphone." I thought to myself. I saw a memo on the ground right by the bed, it was a number.

"Kyoji Ishiwari...? I don't know this number. It could be worth it to try and transport." I thought to myself. I would like to write it down but since I don't have my notepad with me and I literally just lost my cell phone. I decided to just put it in my pocket. ...Great. Just what I needed... I also noticed the office charts from the grounded, picking them and reading them one by one.

"Sakura Sama. Grade 12 Class 6.
Her father works for a major distribution company. Her mother was a former teacher so Sama was raised in a very strict environment. She began to rebel against her parents in 8th grade, in the form of delinquent behavior at school. Because of her natural athleticism, she joined the volleyball team, which seemed to help her behavioral problems. When she joined our volleyball team shortly after enrolling in our school, many hoped that she would be a star player. But in the fall of her junior year, she was caught making threats and she was suspended from school. Even when she returned to school, she was unable to resolve her disputes with her teammates and was kicked off of the team. This led to an increase of delinquent behavior. Her parents have been very cautious with her ever since she began acting out. Sama is irritated with her strict upbringing. I think it would be best to speak with her parents and discuss how to appropriately deal with their daughter."

"Miyako Yoritaka. Grade 11 Class 4.
Both parents work and Miyako has been left home alone until the late evenings since she was in elementary school. She had a brief history of missing school after a victim of bullying from a student in her class. It seems that the bullying stopped when she started hanging out with Sama and Hatanaka, both girls in the grade above her. To Yoritaka, her decision to hang out with Hatanaka and Sama was purely to avoiding getting picked on. Yoritaka was never one to cause much trouble, so having her end her relationship with Sama and Hatanaka would be the quickest way to resolve her delinquent behavior, but I'm afraid that she would only be picked on again. Since she's the youngest of the three, the others often make her run errands and use her and I don't believe Yoritaka really wants to be friends. She must really fear being picked on again. Her interests are video games and the internet. Apparently, she just got into a chat site called The Black Page."

"Chisa Hatanaka. Grade 12 Class 2.
Her parents divorced three years ago and she now lives with her mother. Perhaps due to her witnessing her parents divorce as an adolescent. Hatanaka tends to be very defensive. The stress may have also caused her to begin to overeat and smoke cigarettes. She hasn't been involved with many violent incidents but she hides and steal things and enjoys seeing people in trouble. She even tried to buy cigarettes with a fake id saying "I am 20 b*tch!" written on it. The best way to resolve to delinquency is to improve her life at home. I think it would be best if she had an open conversation with her mother."

There's no information regarding The Black Page or the Mnemonic Abyss. I don't see a connection to the other victims either. I should transport somewhere else and search there. But.. It won't be easy getting my phone and notepad back from them. Determined, I left the nurse's office but that ghost who I presume is Sakura was beckoning me to follow her. Her prescence was strong and dangerous so I had to stay behind her not getting TOO close to her just to be safe. This went on until we both arrive at the fourth floor of the school.

I heard a slam behind me, it seems that the fourth floor doors are closed. Shit. I began exploring the hall way for a bit until I heard a phone ring. I found the source of the sound, it came from a classroom door with a broken window and the bottom of the door had a huge hole on it. I looked through the window and I saw a Miyako's ghost holding a phone and my notepad. Maybe I can get my phone back from her. Can I open this door?

Seems I can't open this door so I'm going to have to force it open. I wriggled the door handle until finally it budged. The ghost dropped my note pad and fled the scene. I walked towards my notepad and picked it up. "My notepad... Thank goodness... Now I just need to get a cell phone." I spoke to myself. I opened my notepad and thankfully nothing was damaged nor written on so I wrote out the numbers I obtained earlier on the notepad for later use. I noticed something on a desk. It was a maganize both Naomi and I publish together, she has an article in here. I guess somebody was reading it.

I left the classroom and I wandered around the hallways some more until I heard sounds from a piano. It looks like it's coming from the music room. For safety measures, I turned off my flashlight and I looked through the door. I saw that Chisa was playing the piano while the others just watched. I saw the cell phone on top of the piano. "Damn..." I muttered to myself. After some thinking, I decided to stealthily sneak to the music room. "I should be fine if I crouch down and move closer." I whispered to myself. I hid behind a chair as I moved closer. One of the girls was scanning for me but she went back to watch her friend play. I decided to book it and grab the phone from the piano, immediately turning on my flashlight.

"What are you doing!?" One of the ghosts yelled out. It looks like it's one against three. The short one's weak points is her legs and the fat one's weak points is her chest and arms. This is gonna be a tad harder fighting back against three ghosts. I stunned the three of them with my flashlight and proceeded to punch them and kick them in their weak points. When the three of them disappeared, I left the music room and started to book it to the third floor. The three girls were chasing me but I believe I out ran them.

"I got the notepad back. I also managed to retrieve my cell phone. Now I can finally transport. I opened my cell phone and decided to call Kyoji Ishiwari's number.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It appears that I'm in a room and immediately upon transporting, I heard a strong prescence. This is not a good sign. I was expecting a ghost standing behind me upon arrival but when I turned around I saw a bunch of dolls in the doorway with their head bobbling unnaturally with laughter behind them and black hair everywhere. I let out a startled yell. What even the hell was that!? These dolls are *bleep*ing creepy looking! As I calmed down a bit, I picked up a black cell phone and I left the doll room.
As I explored the hall way, I heard a telephone ring but as I got closer, it stopped. As I got towards the door I heard someone scream. I think it might be that guy from earlier. I went inside the bathroom and I picked up one of Naomi's memos.

"I was able to move with a number I found in the Mnemonic Abyss.

It doesn't have to be somewhere you've been before. There must be a rule to this.

This is just my conjecture, but is this a place created by someone else's memory?"

After that, I tried getting into the room the scream came from but it was blocked off with black hair. I thought about it for a moment... Aha! The beauty salon! I called the number from the beauty salon.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Here I was in the break room again and I picked up the gray cell phone. Now, to go to the salon itself and take the scissors... I walked over the shelf where I thought the scissors was but it wasn't there. "I could've sworn it was here." I spoke. Suddenly, I heard snipping from the scissors and saw a ghost in the mirror. She phased herself through the mirror holding a comb and scissors in hand. When her torso was out of the mirror she disappeared. And suddenly, she jumped right in front of me. I yelled once more.

Because she does have scissors, it would be best if I don't try to fight her. I mean honestly, it's not like I have a group of people with me so I think it would be wise to run back to the break room. I shut the door behind but she was repeatedly stabbing the door with her scissors. Holy shit... This is really scary... My heart was beating very fast and I could barely breathe. She tried getting in but it was all for naught. One last stab and she finally stopped. After a bit, I regained my composure.

I opened the break room door left the room for a quick moment and closed the door. There was a ton of stab markings and scratches on the door. Well, that's a lot of damage but at least I can get the scissors now. I decided to call and transport back to the house.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0OO0O

Ah, perfect. I am right in front of the door with the raven black hair blocked off. With that, I took out my scissors and began cutting all the hair off until the door knob is fully visible. "Mayhaps I could use these scissors for later..." I thought to myself. "Nah, it's not like it's some isekai world where I fight monsters in RPG games or anything like that. I picked up the black cell phone again and I opened the door, and it's revealed to be a bedroom. I looked in the drawer and I found Naomi's notebook.

"Next is the death of the doll collector. The victim's name was Kyoji Ishiwari. Age: 58.

His wife was the first one on the scene.

She had just finished making lunch when she called for her husband.

When he didn't reply she went to fetch him but found him collapsed on the floor.

When she rushed to him she saw he was still breathing normally and just thought that he had gone to sleep.

But no matter how hard she shook or hit him, he wouldn't wake up.

Worried, she called the hospital.

He passed away later that night.

The doctors cited sudden heart failure as the cause.

There were no signs of chronic disease or an overdose of medication.

Also, tests didn't find any abnormalities when Ishiwari was first admitted unconscious to the hospital.

According to his wife, he collected Japanese dolls and just returned from meeting a famous doll maker.

She says that he seemed very happy when he told her about his encounter."

"Hm...? Did something just fall?" I spoke. A business card with a number just fell. I picked it up and wrote it down on my notepad. I heard a noise. Did someone drop their glasses? I don't remember a pair of glasses being there and I am currently wearing mine right now. I reached for the glasses but a ghost came out from under the bed and ripped my glasses from my face.

"MY GLASSES!!! GIVE ME BACK MY GLASSES!!" The ghost yelled.

"H-Hey! You give me back my glasses, and I'll give you back yours alright?" I responded.

We handed each other back our glasses.

Looking upon this ghost, my suspicions were right. I knew that guy wouldn't make it.

"Y-You're not going to harm me are you!?" The ghost yelled.

That ghost seemed scared but he didn't want to harm me. "May I ask for your name?" I asked.

"My name was... Yukio Tokuma." he responded.

"My name is Eiko Yuna." I begin to ask him a question. "If you don't mind me asking... How did you die?"

Yukio seemed very hesitant to answer, I wouldn't put it past him though since he literally just died. "I don't know what happened but I answered a phone call from the telephone and a girl... That girl had a powerful aura and I wasn't able to escape her grasp..." Yukio lamented.

"...I see." I responded. I'm actually in relief that a ghost didn't attack me for once. "Hey, sorry about your glasses."

"I'm sorry too, I thought you were out to hurt me but you're different..." Yukio spoke.

This seems weird that I'm having a conversation with a ghost. Like a real conversation with a ghost.

"Could you... You know what... Never mind... I'll see Akane..." Yukio said as he disappeared. For now, I decided to leave the bed room and decided to head back to the doll room. I saw a ghost stand in front of the sliding doors. When I got closer to the doors and tried to open them the old man ghost began to call out, "Don't go in there..."

Didn't have to tell me twice because eughh I don't like those type of dolls. My business with this house was done, I decided to call that number I just wrote down and transported.

Chapter 17: The Connection - Hase Hospital

It appears that I transported into the main office of the hospital. Upon arriving I looked for Naomi's notebook which was found in one of the shelves.

"Then, there are the multiple deaths that occurred five years ago related to the Hase Hospital.

It was quite the big story at the time and the media was all over it. I have heard of it but it didn't really interest me so I don't remember the details.
The five that died included nurses, doctors and patients with all victims varying in age. There was speculation of a serial killer using some sort of drug or poison or of a viral epidemic. I've noticed that the circumstances seem to be similar to the ones I've been investigating.

There's a chance that they may be related. The problem is that the hospital was closed down and I don't know how much information on the case is left."

"Naomi... Are you telling me that there are clues in this hospital?" I thought to myself. I spotted a cell phone on the coffee table and picked it up. I walked over towards the desk and tried to open the sliding hutch but it seems to be locked. When I tried to leave the office I heard a chair creak and rotate slowly by itself.

"...My... My hospital... You don't know how important this hospital is to me... You have no idea..." Suddenly, an unhinged man in a doctor's coat jumped at me but thankfully I flashed my light at him just in time. His weak points seem to be in his stomach so I proceeded to punch him right him in stomach thus disappearing.

I left the director's office but as I left, my flashlight's light died out. "...In a place like this?" I sighed in annoyance. I can defend myself just fine but this just really blows. Now, I have to find new batteries and hope that I don't get attacked by ghosts in the process.

For the first time, I walked around in total darkness. I had to feel the walls with my hand to guide myself. When I reached the staircase I saw that same doctor who attacked go downstairs. I decided to follow him, it was the stairway to the basement but the passageway was blocked off. On the corner of my eye, I saw the director guy drop something and disappeared. Too bad I don't have a working a flashlight at the moment so I could see what the hell it was. Annoyed, I ascended back to the first floor and went upstairs to the second floor.

I got another picture message, it was a picture in a patient's room with a music box glowing pink right now to the bed side. Now, where could that possibly be since I don't hear any music from this floor nor the first floor? I decided to go upstairs to the third floor and I heard a faint sound of music. As I got closer and closer the music got louder and louder to the point I can pin point where it is. Aha! In room 301.
I found the music box that lights up that has a miniature black cat plush toy inside of the box. The music felt... Calming... As much as I like to sit and listen to the music, I need those batteries for my flashlight so I turned off the music box, took the batteries out of it, and put those batteries in my flashlight.

Ah, let there be light. I can finally see my surroundings again. I saw a notebook laying on the chair but this time, it wasn't Naomi's.
"What a coincidence... Meisa's friend who was supposed to come meet her was Akane Ogawa the girl who was brought in from the accident. I couldn't help but lie and tell her that Meisa was discharged from the hospital. I couldn't tell her the truth..."

...What? Akane was involved in an accident?? That's horrible. And who is this Meisa girl? When I tried to step out of the room I heard that music box again this time somber and slow. Perhaps a patient forgot this here. I left the room and begin to head to longue room where I found another notebook. Who is writing this?

"I started to clean her room. Meisa isn't the only patient we'll have, so I need to move past this. I can't do it immediately but if I stay closed off like this. I won't be able to save anyone else. Also, no one can get a hold of Meisa's parents. I've tried several times and the police should be looking into it as well. I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder what it is..."

I decided to leave the longue for now and headed downstairs to the second floor. I went inside the operating room and spotted medical bandages, I don't know what it is but I have a feeling that I may need them later. I also found another notebook.
"Meisa jumped. I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. She was just in front of me and I couldn't stop her. I reached out for her but not in time... I don't want to remember. I don't... So red... The police came and asked a lot of questions but I don't remember much. I haven't been able to get a hold of Meisa's mother and I still don't know what I am going to say to her. I thought I could help her, and this is what happens... I need some time alone to think or I might lose my mind."

I left the room and wander the hall way for a bit until I saw a ghost phase through a door in room 201. When I opened the door, all I could see is that abyss again. ...Lovely. Thanks for wasting my time. I shut the door in annoyance. "You should have fallen..." the ghost whispered to me. "Well, I think you should shut the *bleep!* up, ghost!" I scoffed.

With that out of the way, I went to the nurse's office in the second floor and found a medical list. Taeko Haru, Chiaki Asagiri, Futaba Sen, Sakae Homura, and Nami Mizutani are the nurses here but I can only dicipher some numbers on here. It looks like a phone number, but I can't make out the first half. I saw a nurse stand behind and proceeded to attack me. She looked just as crazy as the director.

Her weak point is her face so I pointed my flash light at her face and kicked her in the face. I decided to leave the nurse's office for now and when I left, I heard her laugh manically and slammed the door shut. Well, that was something. I decided to go back downstairs to the basement and picked up that key the director ghost dropped. After that I went back upstairs to the first floor and entered the examination room and picked up another notebook.

"There was an emergency patient admitted around noon. A girl in high school. She had a broken bone but nothing life-threatening. Thank goodness. I was assigned to her since everyone else was busy. She's been moved to a room now that she's been examined. They are waiting for the swelling in her leg to go down before operating. Before I left, I grabbed the medical bandages. I may need those as well.

I went into the women's restroom and found a memo from Naomi.

"I've finally met someone else but something was off. They wouldn't respond when I talked to them or even when I nudged them.
What's more the instant I touched them. I felt a cold shudder run up my spine. They must be dead already.
I bet they've been wandering around since being trapped in The Mnemonic Abyss. They probably haven't realized that they are dead."
I left the restroom and I headed back to the director's office and inserted the key in the sliding hutch; unlocking it. I found two notes.
"Move all reports and documents concerning the deaths of hospital staff and patients to the basement data room."

Basement data room? But how do I get there?

I read the other note.

"This is Sakae Homura's contact information. She was a nurse that collapsed while working the night shift and passed away."

I saw a phone number matching the description from the medical list and her emergency contact. "Hmm... This name? Could it be? It's related to the phone number?" I spoke.

I took the Sakae's note and the medical list combining both the numbers together via writing it in my notepad. I proceeded to call the number transporting back to the nurse's office. I saw a green cell phone on the table and picked it up immediately. "I should pick that cell phone up. I might be able to use it for something." I spoke to myself. I decided to head back down stairs to the first floor, went to the director's office and took the other cell phone with me.

I got another picture message, it was an open garbage chute. I decided to go upstairs all the way to the third floor where I can see the open chute. "I wonder how far it goes." I thought to myself. "If I drop a cell phone and transport, perhaps it will take me underground. If I just toss it in, it's going to break apart. I need to think of something."

I remembered that picked up both the medical bandages and the medical cotton and I could use those as a cushion so I proceeded to put the green cell phone inside the cotton and wrapped the bandages around it. This should protect it from the fall. As a test, I slammed the phone down on the floor. No damage. So it should be safe to use.

Without further ado, I decided to toss the green phone into the garbage chute. Now all I have to do is call the number and transport where it went.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It looks like I'm in the laundry room. I picked up the phone and removed the cotton and the bandages. I left the room and headed towards the morgue. I was greeted with a nurse ghost crying but her prescence felt... Gentle? She was crying over a teenage girl who is lying on the bed with her face covered with the tarp. She disappeared as soon as I got close. "This child..." I thought to myself.

Suddenly, the child arose from the bed and proceeded to attack me. I broke off her grip. I need to leave the morgue immediately so I ran out of there. When I left she summoned her ghost arm army all the hands grabbed my feet. I pointed my flashlight and the arms and kicked them off. This gave that ghost child an opening to attack me again. She has a strong grip and her presence was extremely strong so trying to fight her would be futile.

I broke her grip again and I slowly backed away. Suddenly, my vision began to turn red she looked like she's about to kill me. As long as I back away and not get near her I think I should be fine. After some time, she cancelled her move. However she got close to me in a very fast pace, having me on her grip again.

I tried pointing my flashlight at her, nothing. I tried to get her weak points, nothing came up. I broke her grip once more and she disappeared. She must got frustrated because she was unable to kill me. Moving on I went into the basement data room.
"Basement data room. There could be information regarding that string of mysterious deaths here." I spoke to myself.

I found five notes scattered across the room.

"On August 3rd, a long-term patient committed suicide at 2:20 pm.
Name: Meisa Doraki Age: 13
Jumped out of the window from room 302 where nurse Sen witnessed the act. On the day of the incident. Nurse Sen was tending to an emergency patient that was admitted into the same room. According to all accounts, the hospital was not at fault."
"On August 10th. Nurse Mizutani discovered Nurse Sen who had collapsed while working the night shift. Nurse Sen passed away 5 hours later. The hospital performed an autopsy after getting permission from the family, but no anomalies were discovered and the cause of death remains unknown. According to nurse Mizutani's report. Nurse Sen had been using her laptop to visit a chat room the recently deceased Meisa Doraki had frequently used."

"September 2nd. Tetsuya Shimamoto in room 201 suddenly lost consciousness and passed away two hours later. The hospital was unable to obtain permission to perform an autopsy. Before the incident, Mr. Shimamoto's condition was improving ands was set to be discharged soon. The cause of death remains unknown but the circumstances are similar to Nurse Sen's case."

"This is a report of a fourth death. Due to the frequency of these deaths, the media frenzy is unlikely to die down. Please advise everyone to refrain from making any careless comments."

"March 26th. The decision has been made to close the hospital. Responsibility must be taken in light of the five deaths that have occurred in the past year. It's very hard to shoulder the blame for something without any concrete evidence to even suggest what had happened. The Director is making arrangements with other hospitals to secure employment for all employees."

"The scandal that forced this hospital to close down all began with the suicide of Meisa Doraki. Who is this girl?" I spoke to myself. I decided to head to the door leaving the room but when I tried to leave. I felt that gentle prescence again.

"I wanted to help. I wanted to help her..."

I turned around and saw a ghost nurse looking at me in sadness.

"Who are you...?" I asked.

"My name is... Futaba Sen... I was a nurse in this hospital..." she responded. "Please... Take these..." She handed me a death certificate and a contact book before disappearing.

"Name: Meisa Doraki
Age: 13
Gender: Female
Birth Date: (unknown)
Time of Death: August 3rd, 2:20 pm."

"Meisa Doraki... It's her death certificate." I spoke. I begin to read another contact book.

"Unable to reach Meisa Doraki's guardians. Their home phone has been disconnected and they cannot be reached by cell phone. Meisa Doraki's body will be kept in the basement morgue. Parent Contact: Ere Doraki."

I saw a phone number. "Hmm? No contact with her mother? Did something happen to her as well?" I spoke to myself. I proceeded to write that number on my notepad and dialed it on my phone. I'm getting closer and closer to the truth...

Chapter 18: The Connection - Research Led to Betrayal

It seems that I got transported into a small apartment. "Meisa's mother also got dragged into the Mnemonic Abyss..." I spoke to myself. When I looked around a bit, I noticed a notebook by the TV set, so I picked it up and began reading it.

"October 28th.
Lately, I've been very busy. My afternoons at the engineering firm won't be enough to pay for Meisa's hospital bills. I applied to work nights at the convenience store so I won't be coming home until late at night.

November 17th.
I talked to Meisa. It's been a while. She asked me why I broke my promise to meet her yesterday. I had to cover a girl at work who was sick but maybe it's too much to ask a child to understand.

February 7th.
When I left, I said I would protect Meisa but I don't know if I can keep my promise... No matter how hard to work, there never seems to be enough money... I know it's all for Meisa, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. Our phone was disconnected and there's nothing I can do about it.

April 24th.
I've been getting dizzy spells. I've decided to quit my job at the convenience store. I just couldn't keep up. But the engineering job isn't going to be enough... What am I going to do...?

May 9th.
I can't do this anymore... Life is just too hard...

June 17th.
I came to the mountains thinking about committing suicide. But my legs gave out when I looked down at the ocean from the cliff. I can't believe I'm still afraid to die... Even after I left Meisa...

July 6th.
I still haven't brought myself to commit suicide... I've been using fake names going from place to place. The hospital might be looking for me since I didn't pay the hospital bills last month. Meisa... I'm so sorry.

July 21st
I continued my life in hiding. I can manage to support myself with part-time work... Those busy days behind me feel like a dream. But perhaps this lifestyle is a dream instead... I still think about Meisa, but I can't go back now... Still, I can't bring myself to throw away the cell phone. Although I keep it turned off because I'm afraid of getting a call from Meisa..."

I decided to put the notebook back for now and I noticed a little retro robot figurine. Looking at it's feet it says "N. Kuroba". Looking upon inspection, I noticed that there's a trick that moves the lower body. It has a hidden usb. "What is this!? Naomi's flash drive... I'll need a computer to check the contents." I spoke to myself. Has Naomi died in this place?

I found a cell phone on the kitchen table and as I picked it up, I heard sobbing from the other side. But I wasn't calling anybody nor do I see anyone there with me. I found another notebook inside the cuboard but it was locked. I need to solve this for it to open. After a few tries messing with the lock, it finally opened. "Good, it's open." I spoke to myself.

"August 4th.
Meisa killed herself. I can't believe I had to find out about my own daughter's suicide from the news... Meisa. Meisa. Meisa. MEISA!? I'm so sorry for being such a horrible mother...

August 5th.
I can't bring myself to come forth... To say that I am her mother... I haven't paid the hospital bills and I can't afford a funeral... What will they say when the mother suddenly appears after two months without contact... Now that I don't have Meisa, there's no point to going back to my old life...

August 7th.
Have I gone crazy? I hear voices from the cell phone that is turned off. It's Meisa's. She blames me... For not even going to see her after her death... Meisa. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm."

"Meisa Doraki was abandoned by her mother... She hated her mother so much..." I spoke. I paused for a bit, thinking about what I should do. "If Meisa Doraki's ghost created the Mnemonic Abyss, then she must be in the hospital. If I can calm Meisa's anger, maybe I can erase the Mnemonic Abyss. But how would I do that?"

I noticed something fell down. "Hmm? Something fell out of the diary." I spoke.

"Dear Ere Doraki,
It's nurse Sen from Hase Hospital. I understand how busy your schedule must be but please come see Meisa when you can. Meisa smiles so much when you come to visit. If there's anything I can do please just ask. Futaba Sen. "Hase Hospital... I think I need to check it again." I spoke. I opened my cell phone and dialed the number from the Hospital director. But instead of transporting, I called someone else.

"Huh? Hello?" I spoke.

"...Hello?" It was Akane's voice. I'm relieved to hear her voice again.

"I didn't think that you'd pick up. You're at Hase Hospital right?" I asked.

"Yes... Why are you calling this phone?" Akane responded.

"I was going to transport to the hospital. Don't worry about that for now. Listen to me. There are numerous locations in the Mnemonic Abyss but they all share a single origin... The Hase Hospital." I explained carefully.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Basically, whoever's been dragging people into the Mnemonic Abyss through The Black Page is..." I felt something creeping behind me, when I turned around it was a middle aged woman with black unkempt hair blocking her face. "Whoa!!" I jolted in surprise dropping my cell phone in the process.

"Eiko!? Hello!?" Akane yelled in concern.

...It appears that I'm going to fight without a cell phone this time so I won't be able to find her weak points. The ghost seemed to stand there sobbing. At least her prescence isn't as strong as her daughter's. When I got close, she disappeared. She then came back walking towards me almost as if she was begging me. I tried backing away the best I could but she caught me. I quickly pointed my flash light at her face and pushed her away.

I heard sobbing again but this time, she covered my eyes with her hands; blinding me. I grabbed my flashlight once more trying to break free. This is way harder than I thought but eventually I broke her grip once more.
It was over... She was no where to be seen. I walked over the cell phone I dropped. When I picked it up, the phone began to dial itself? And then I was transported to another location.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I'm in an studio apartment.

"The number dialed itself...? Where am I...?" I spoke, scanning the apartment. The place seemed dirty with clothes and food containers everywhere. Who's apartment is this and damn they live like this? I picked up a cell phone beside the tv but it's broken. "Damn. It's broken." I spoke.

As I looked around for clues I saw a picture of a familiar face. "This photograph... Naomi!" I exclaimed. This must be Naomi's room then, plus I didn't know she had a child. She never mentioned it once. I heard a computer turn on, I approached the desk. "A computer... Perhaps I can check the contents of the flash drive with it."

I proceeded to plug the retro robot usb into the computer. Now all I have to do is enter the password. Let me try her last name... "Kuroba". Nope... That didn't work. Perhaps I should use my notepad for clues. Could I maybe use that weird number she gave me? I typed the numbers and it was the correct password.

"I'm too deep in my research of The Black Page. I ended up inside the Mnemonic Abyss myself. But I cannot give up. I'm still scouring for clues as if I'm preparing to write another article. An article that nobody will read. I can't help myself though. I want to organize my data before I perish. If somebody reads these notes and manages to escape from here, that would make everything worthwhile. A salon worker, an office worker, an internet cafe customer, three high school girls, and a doll maker. The only connection between them is that they all saw The Black Page. Thus, I must conclude that The Black Page is what brings people here. With regard to the multiple deaths at the Hase Hospital five years ago it seems all the victims were quite familiar with her. It's also interesting that this continued even after her death. Her suicide was most likely the event that started it all. Locations within the Mnemonic Abyss seem to be composed from the memories of the people trapped within. I confirmed that new locations emerged after my arrival. When you first arrive, you are somewhat alive. Your memories are intact and your body in reality is probably in a comatose state. As you come in contact with the ghosts you slowly become a ghost yourself. When the transformation is complete, you most likely die in real life. If I could find a way to get out of the Mnemonic Abyss while my body is still alive. I would probably be able to return to the real world. However, I've yet to find any such method. Now, let's talk about Meisa Doraki again. This is all conjecture from here. According to the nurse's diary, Meisa committed suicide when she lost her will to live. Anger at her mother and her chatroom friends for abandoning her, spurred her on. The Black Page seems to be a manifestation of her rage and lonliness. One can almost sense her anger and fear of being betrayed. That is probably what led to the initial incident at the hospital. The expansion of the Mnemonic Abyss could represent the teenaged girl's desire to escape the hospital at any cost. So how are we going to combat this? I don't have the answer to that. However, I did find a short memo when I transported to Ere Doraki's room. It was her daughter's phone number. Ghosts will communicate with you through the phone. Perhaps you can communicate with them the same way? Perhaps you can "persuade" them. That's the only thing I could come up with in the time I have left."

I saw a phone number. "Wait! This is Meisa Doraki's cell phone number!" I exclaimed. "Eiko... You finally got here..." A familiar voice called out. I turned around and I see Naomi sitting on her table. "Naomi..." I sighed.

"...I knew that you would get here eventually..." Naomi gloated.

"I just followed you here, Naomi. I've followed your research too. I think I understand it now." I spoke out. "But what are you trying to tell me through your notes?" I pressed Naomi for answers.

"...I just wanted to show you what I was researching... That's all..." she answered.

This raises a lot more questions than answers.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Journalists and editors don't have the power to change events or to solve issues..." Naomi responded.

"...Yeah, I've discussed this with you many times. But we can spread the news about a particular topic and that can lead to change. That's what you always say." I spoke out.

"...Yes, that is what I believe... As a journalist, I have to believe that... I'm glad you were able to come this far, Eiko..." Naomi crooned.

"But is there nothing we can do?" I fumed. "Is there no way to stop Meisa and the expansion of the Mnemonic Abyss?" my patience was wearing thin.

"No... Well, perhaps there is a way... But those things are not important anymore..." she snarled.

"Naomi...?" I saw a smirk across Naomi's face, it was... unnatural.

"Eiko... This world still has many mysteries... Don't you find it intriguing...?" Naomi slowly approached, I felt a very strong presence from her, the darkness surrounding her. I slowly backed away from her. Oh god, is she going to kill me? After all the stuff I went through in the Mnemonic Abyss?

"...I wanted you to come here, Eiko... Let's become partners again..." Naomi got closer and closer to me. I tried pushing her away but it was no avail. She began to tighten her fingers around my throat, cutting off my air supply. "No... Naomi!!! Arrrrrrrgghhh!!!" I yelled out. The darkness surrounded me. Everything became black...

O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Did I... Just die? Did I die for nothing? As I looked around, I was surrounded by darkness. No building, no ghosts arounds. However, my soul refused to die.

"Sucumb... Sucumb to your death and become a ghost..."

What was that... Was that my voice? No, I refuse to die. I cannot die. "I am not giving up, this is not over!" I yelled.

"But your dear friend and colleague killed you... All those notes that you read, leading to this point are all for nothing..." the voice called out.

"Even then, I can't give up! I will never give up! Show yourself!" I demanded.

"You're rather a resilient one, aren't you...?" the ghost revealed herself... It was... Me... It was my own ghost... With red glowing eyes.

"What... No! This cannot be happening. I won't let myself become a ghost! I refuse to accept this...!!" I swore.

"It's too late, Eiko... You're dead now... Become a ghost... You will make a fine addition to the Mnemonic Abyss..." my ghost self began to float as if she's trying to tower me.

"No...! I won't give up! I refuse to let this be the end! No... This can't be the end!!! I know in my heart it's not, it's not possible! I don't want to give in...!!! Instead, I will fight for my life...!!!" I yelled taking out my flashlight.

"Very well then... Let us fight..." my ghost self began to summon her ghost army.

Something was strange about my flashlight, it began to shoot beams at the arms. Is this my awakening? But either way, this is my fight for survival. I will not die. Not here, not now.

My ghost was sending her ghost arms at me but I shot beams of light at them, thus disappearing from sight. Then it comes to the point that I have to fight myself. Fight against my death and fight against the darkness. She had me on her grip but that's nothing I can handle, I shot my beams of light at her and she was stunned for a bit.

"Let's see if you can handle this..." she releases a special attack which causes my vision to turn red, but I fought back, my beams more powerful then her deadly attack.

"I-Impossible... How did you...?" my ghost roared.

I began to smile, simply saying. "I refuse to die. I will put an end to the Mnemonic Abyss, not matter what." I released a powerful beam of light that makes my ghost self disappear. "Uunnngghhh!!! You bastard!! Why couldn't you just succumb!? AAAAAAGHHHHH!!!!" my ghost screamed as she disappeared. "I told you... I'm not giving up!!" I yelled.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I was sent back to Naomi's apartment where she was strangling me, I immediately pushed her away with force I've never seen before... It seems that I received second wind.

"W-What!? Eiko! You're supposed to be dead!" Naomi sneered, not looking happy in the slightest. "Why couldn't you just die, Eiko...!?"

"Because I refused to let you kill me. I was determined not to give in no matter what." my eyes narrow as I glare at her fiercely. "Naomi, I trusted you...! I followed your research...!!!"

Naomi just smirked, "The Mnemonic Abyss needs people like you... As I said before, I wanted you to come here..."

I gasped. "...So, you lead me to my death on purpose!?" I took out my flashlight.

"Yes... I will take you out again... I'll kill you as many times as I like... After all... You're always above me... Our colleagues loved you more..." Naomi sneered.

I'm outraged, but I feel a hint of sorrow, sadness and betrayal welling up inside me.

"You know, Eiko... I always hated you... I absolutely hated everything about you..." Naomi sneered with an evil smirk on her face. I am in utter shock by this revelation. I feel tears forming but I'm trying my best to fight my tears back.

"It's funny how you always say I have to be careful with my research since you have to pick up the pieces..." Naomi begins to laugh manically. "This is what the Black Page brought me to...! I will not let you erase the Mnemonic Abyss...! As far as I know... Akane might be good as dead as well... Funny how fate brought the both of you together..."

My eyes begin to widen as she mentioned Akane. My tears finally spilling out from my eyes.

"No... She cannot be dead...! I need to save her!" I barked.

"If you want to save her... You have to fight me first..." Naomi ordered.

Hearing this, I am more determined than ever before. I stopped crying and began to point my flash light at Naomi. "I... I need to save her... Even if it means I have to face you..."

At this point, Naomi began to lunge at me bear hugging me tightly, as retaliation I shot my beam of light at her. "W-What the...!? This power!" she was taken aback with my flashlight's new power. The cell phone I had in my pocket was working again... Took it long enough to work. I checked for her weak points; her stomach and her shins.

As Naomi was about to strangle me again, I kicked her right in her shins causing her to fall to the floor. I got on top of her and began to punch her in the face repeatedly. She got up and shoved me to the floor, I quickly got up and used my flashlight's beam to attack Naomi. She was instantly defeated.

"Fine... Akane is still alive..." Naomi acquiesced.

"What...!?" I exclaimed. "Akane is still alive!?"

"Yes, go ahead and transport to the hospital to see... For yourself..." Naomi explained before she disappeared for good.

"...I will." I said, immediately taking out my cell phone and dialing the director's number once more transporting me to the hospital.

Chapter 19: The Connection - VS Meisa Doraki

I have no time to waste, I have to reach Akane but where could she be? I'm currently in the first floor in the hospital at the moment feeling Meisa's strong prescence. She was just sitting on one of the chairs in the lobby. I need to hurry to her, I picked up that cell phone I used before I had to drop the green one to the basement and hurried myself to the third floor.

I rushed through out the hallways but luckily I saw Akane coming out of the lounge room. ...I may have accidently bumped into her but I caught her on time before she fell to the ground.

"Oww..." Akane whined, she looked up at me in shock. "E-Eiko!? You're alive!?" I just smiled sadly at her. "I... I thought you were dead too..." I responded. After we glanced each other in disbelief glad that we're both alive, Akane wrapped her arms around me. I began to hug her back, at this point we both started tearing up. "I'm... I'm so glad you're okay!" Akane sobbed. I stroked her back, holding her tightly. "I'm glad too..." I spoke out.

After some moments, we collected ourselves. I have to tell her something, and fast. "Hey, Akane. May I tell you something?" I asked.

"Yeah... What is it, Eiko?" she responded.

I let out a deep sigh. "It's Meisa Doraki. She's the origin of the Mnemonic Abyss." I explained carefully.

"W-What? Do you mean, M3d0-D4RKN3SS!?" Akane blurted.

"Yes, I do mean M3d0-D4RKN3SS, and another thing. We don't have much time yet, if we linger for too much longer, we may become ghosts too. We're the only ones who can stop Meisa Doraki." I disclosed.

"It's really funny how you say that when my flash light got upgraded to... Some kind of gun?" Akane said puzzled.

"It was the same for me when I almost died." I added.

Suddenly, Nurse Futaba Sen appeared beside us. "I wouldn't allow anyone to die here... Especially since you two were about to reveal the truth..." she spoke out.

"Wait... You gave us that power!?" Akane blurted.

"Yes... And if I may... Allow me to accompany you both with ending this... This is your battle as much as it's mine..." Futaba said.

"Alright, the more the merrier then. Let's mosey." I nodded.

"I will meet you two in the first floor where Meisa is waiting at." Futaba notified us before disappearing to the first floor of the hospital.

"Are you ready for this, Akane?" I asked.

"More than ever." Akane responded.

We went down the stairs to the first floor together. As we expected Futaba was waiting for us to come down. "I have a plan." I announced to Akane. "What if we both call Meisa's number?"

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Akane questioned.

"I'm sure of it, if that doesn't work, then we fight like hell. Is that understood?" I instructed, giving my hand out to her.

"Understood, Eiko!" she approved shaking my hand.

We walked over to the lobby where Meisa was at and began to call her number.

"...Do you think I would fall for that after what happened five years ago?" Meisa spoke out standing up from her seat facing the three of us.

"So you were... M3d0-D4RKN3SS and you sent us here in the Mnemonic Abyss?" I questioned.

"...Yes, what about it? And why aren't you dead yet? Wasn't your friend supposed to kill you...?" Meisa asked.

I began to tense up. ...How does she know about Naomi attempting to murder me?

"Enough about that! Will you listen what I'm about to say? I didn't break our promise." Akane admitted.

"...Why should I believe your bull shit lies, Akane?" Meisa hissed glaring at the three of us.

"I was on my way here that day, it's true... But I got into an accident. I was taken to this hospital." Akane lamented.

Meisa's prescence became stronger and stronger with rage. "ENOUGH!! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE EXCUSES!! YOU'RE A LIAR AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU FOR IT, TRAITOR!!" the ghost raged. Akane backed away and looked dejected, I guess we have to fight her then.

"Meisa, please listen to them... I beg of you." Futaba pleaded.

"SHUT UP TO YOU TOO SEN! YOU BETRAYED ME TOO! YOU HAVE NO ROOM TO TALK!" Meisa raged once more the darkness beginning to surround her attempting to kill Akane.

I rushed in front of Akane, protecting her and pointed my flashlight at Meisa. "No! You will not lay a finger on her! She was telling you the truth! She was going to visit you! If you don't believe that, Meisa... Then we shall fight!" I sneered.

Akane nodded, taking out her flashlight too. Futaba just stays in the back just in case either of us gets hurt.

"Oh, it's a fight, huh...? Then I'll shall kill you both right here and now!" Meisa snarled as she began to tower the three of us.

"Bring it on!" I seethed.

"I will fight too!" Akane exclaimed.

Meisa was surrounded by darkness and Akane and I had light by our side. She begins to lunge at me but I had my flash light out and shot a beam of light at her.

"Aaghhh!! What is this!? How did you-" Meisa stammered.

"...It was me, Meisa... I helped them get that power..." Futaba spoke.

"Why are you helping them!?" Meisa rages once more.

"I wanted to pacify you... I wanted to stop the spread of The Mnemonic Abyss..." Futaba explains.

With that, Meisa began to strangle Futaba out of anger. "You're not supposed to help them! They betrayed me! You are a worthless nurse!" Meisa cursed. Akane began to shoot a beam of light at Meisa.

"Why are you harming her after all this time she took care of you!?" defended Akane. It seems that the beam of light didn't affect Futaba in anyway. But it did stop Meisa on her tracks. Futaba let out a sigh and said, "I'll be fine, the light didn't effect me."

Fed up with the three of us, she began to summon her ghost army but this time with ten times more arms than the last time I encountered her. "No matter what it takes... The Mnemonic Abyss will live on and take more lives! It's only a matter of time before you two join my ranks!!" Meisa snarled.

I died once to Naomi, I am not dying again. Akane and I teamed up to shoot the beams of light onto the army of arms until there was none left. "Are you giving up yet, M3d0-D4RKNESS?" asked Akane.
"No! I will never give up! NEVER!" Meisa raged.

"Resilient one, aren't you? It looks like we're going to have to take you out then." I sneered.

Meisa began to attack us with her power but we broke free because of our light.

"Ready, Akane?" I asked.

"Yes, let's end this!" Akane agreed.

We both teamed up once more and we unleashed a powerful beam of light causing Meisa to cry out in pain.

The sheer force was so powerful it caused Meisa to spring forward, Akane caught her just in time and in the process I caught Akane so none of them fell to the ground.

Chapter 20: The Connection - Calling A Live

"I'm sorry... I am so sorry..." Meisa began to sob. It seems her rage and hostility has simmered down. Akane also began to sob holding the ghost child tightly. "I... I didn't wake up in time to see you... I'm so sorry I failed you, Meisa..."

I let the two of them hug it out and let their emotions run free. "Thank you, Eiko and Akane for ending this curse..." Futaba spoke. I simply just smiled, relieved that the curse of the Mnemonic Abyss is finally over. This also means that all the ghosts that were in this world can finally rest easy now... Even Naomi.

What about Naomi? Should I forgive her for trying to kill me and betraying me at the last second? That doesn't matter. All that matters is that Akane and I can finally leave this place and return to the real world. After Akane and Meisa collected themselves, she faced both Akane and I. "Thank you... Eiko... Akane... For setting me free from this rage..." the ghost child's prescence felt gentle and calming, and she was holding her black cat doll.

"Let me set you both free from this world so we can all rest in peace..." Meisa spoke out. Suddenly, both Akane's phone and my phone began to dial itself, it was my real number! As the atmosphere slowed faded to light, both Meisa and Futaba waved goodbye to the both of us.

"So this is goodbye, huh?" I asked.

Akane shook her head and gave me a quick peck in the lips. "No, we will meet again, Eiko. I know we will!" she bubbled.

Did Akane just kiss me? I won't lie that I have feelings for her but this sure answered my question. I just nodded and smiled at her softly. "I hope we meet again someday, Akane."

"I hope so too... Thank you for everything, Eiko." Akane said as we both disappeared into the light.

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I woke up in the floor of my studio apartment I felt like I drank a lot but I didn't even drink alcohol. I groggily got up from the floor, looking around the room it must be morning already.

"I'm... Alive?" I spoke to myself.

The first thing I did was check the computer, to see if the Black Page is still up and running. To my relief, it was led to an error page. The Mnemonic Abyss is no more. I let out a sigh of relief from seeing the error page.

"What a night... At least I made it alive and I hope that Akane made it safe too." I spoke.

I noticed a letter on the side on my desk.

"Dear Eiko,
Thank you for ending the Mnemonic Abyss. Please, take care of yourself and have a wonderful rest of your life.
Warm Regards, Naomi Kuroba."

I... I don't know what to say... She betrayed me yet she wrote me a letter? I crumbled up the letter and threw it in the trash. But something fell out of it, it was a phone number. I wonder who's phone number this is?

I decided to call the number on my phone.

"Hello?" Akane spoke.

"A-Akane! Hello!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, I was going to call you!" she retorted.

"I just wanted to say, I'm glad you made it back to the real world in one piece." I simpered.

"Same thing with you, Eiko!" Akane chirped.

 

The Connection - Completed.

Chapter 21: The Influencer - Prologue

Growing up, I always dreamed of going big and I believe that being a social media influencer will grant me into that path.

I got my boyfriend, friends, and my family supporting my dreams into pursuing into that path. I had a lot of people tell me that my personality will get me popular.

I believe them of course! I can do this! There is nothing I can do! I want to make content that lets people be their authentic selves and be happy with themselves.

But, what should I start with? A vlog? A mukbang? A get ready with me maybe? Yeah, I should probably start with that.

Hey, if you are watching my videos. I hope you enjoy my content! :D

Chapter 22: The Influencer - Get Ready With Me :O

Okay on it in three... two... one...!

"Hello my fabulous people! My name is Tilly and welcome to my video~! Today I will be doing a get ready with me so let's get onto it~" I chirped gleefully. Whew... I sure hope it isn't cringe or anything like that... You know that, it'll be fine!

"I usually wake up at 7:30 in the morning and take a quick shower to get started with my day!"

*one shower later*

"So, here's all the products I used! The first thing I did is wash my hair with shampoo, conditioner, and a hair mask. Then, I washed my body with my brand of body wash and butter! Smells good when you put it on and smells even better when you apply it to your body! After that I shaved and did one more rinse and I put on a fresh pair of clothes!"

I go down to the kitchen where my boyfriend, my brother, and my five bffs are hanging out at, it seems that Sophie and Eric made smoothie bowls for everyone. Oh yeah, by the way, we all live together and we take turns paying for rent and all that good stuff! We all have jobs too.

"One of my friends made everyone a smoothie bowl with frozen mixed berries, a small ripe banana, coconut milk, and a scoop of vanilla protein. We all had shredded coconut, chia seeds, granola, and fresh fruit on top."

I recorded a clip of all my friends and my boyfriend waving hello to the camera, my brother doesn't really like to be recorded so I got to respect his privacy. After we we're all eating, Rin and my boyfriend Joey helped out with the dishes while everyone else including me is cleaning up after ourselves. We got to do our part you know? After we cleaned up I went up to my bathroom and got myself ready. By putting on a long sleeved gray blazer jump suit.

Did I mention that my face cleansers are also part of my brand? I only use the best ingredients for your gorgeous face and your beautiful skin. So no break outs here! "The first thing I did is washing my face, and then after that I brushed my teeh, put on some deodorant, and finally my perfume! And that's all for today my lovelies! Take care of yourselves and most important of all, love yourselves! Bye~!"

And looking back on the video I made... It seemed like it could blow up. So I decided to post my get ready with me video on any social media site I can find. Tiktok, instagram, youtube, twitter, tumblr, you name it. After all, I got to expand my horizons.

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After my day at work from being a fashion model and caring for my beauty care products, it was time for me to come home. After turning off airplane from my phone so my phone doesn't die while I was at work, I was suddenly bombarded with faves, comments, likes, subscribers, followers, you name it.

Oh my god??? Did I just become famous??? I glanced at my phone in complete marvel. There were loads of positive comments and heart emojis. Oh my god!!! I can't wait until I tell everyone about this!! This is so exciting!!!

Chapter 23: The Influencer - Breaking the Good News :D

When I drove home from work, I got a message from Eric that he, Sophia, and my brother Toby brought home some food from work. They work at a pizza place and it is one of my favorites!! The pizza is super cheesy and packed with flavors from the sauce and toppings, their wings are nice and fried with flavorful sauces, and their breadsticks are nice and garlicky!

Aggghhh, why am I going off about food?? It could just be my stomach talking after my day at work but either way, I gotta break the good news to everyone. I think everyone will be supportive... Maybe except for Kylie. Honestly frankly, I don't think she hasn't got along with anyone lately, especially me. But I hope it's nothing too serious or anything like that.

When I opened the door to my house, I was greeted with a table full of pizza, wings, breadsticks, and drinks on the table and with everyone enjoying their meals.

"Welcome home, babe~!" Joey chirped up to me kissing me in my cheek.

"Hi, Joey~! I missed you so much! Mwah~" I said as I kissed him back.

"Here's some pizza if you want some, Tilly." Rin offered.

Without hesitation I took some food and got myself a cup of code red. Everyone was at the table eating their pizza and talking about what happened during their days at work. After all that, I had an announcement to make. Here goes.

"Okay, so... You know how I started promoting my social media by uploading videos and promoting my brand, right?" I started off.

Their eyes begin to sparkle with anticipation expecting the good news to come out of my mouth.

"Well, I got a lot of positive feedback from my fans and I received a lot of followers!" I proclaimed.

"Woooo!! You go girl!!!!" Lola cheered. Once upon a time, we used to be rivals but now we are besties!

"Oh wow! I'm super happy for you!" chirped Sophia.

"Nice going, Tilly!" Rin exclaimed.

"I knew you could do it, babe!" chirped Joey.

"That's awesome!" Toby exulted.

"Slayyyyy, Tilly!!" Eric chorused.

Everyone cheered me on except for... Kylie who was just glaring at the table, with her arms crossed, not looking at anyone in the eye. Why doesn't she look happy? What did I do?

"Ahem! Kylie! Can you even give a reaction?" Rin said as she elbowed Kylie.

Kylie begins to scoff.

"Tch. You're just feeding into her ego. She doesn't even deserves those views or all that fame. She's just a stupid narcissist who's just full of herself."

I begin to tense up. Me? A narcissist? W-What?

Everyone began to glare at Kylie for what she said.

"What!? All I'm doing is speaking straight facts here! She's a worthless content creator and the only ones who like her are people are just as stupid as her!" Kylie argued.

...I don't know what do say... Or do...

"Kylie, stop it. Can you please not attack Tilly for once just because she became an influencer overnight?" Joey pleaded to Kylie but she was not having any of it.

"Did you losers forget you live under my roof? It's my house and my mouth, I can say whatever I want! And if you don't like it, you can leave and go homeless and die for all I care!" she barked.

"We all pitched in!" Toby protested.

"So? Says the loser who works at a pizza place! This dinner is garbage. I'm going to bed. Good night losers." she huffed as she flipped her plate over and stormed out of the kitchen, slamming her door.

I felt defeated and confused. Why does she hate me all of a sudden?

"Hey, don't worry about her. You just keep being you alright?" Rin asserted.

"Yeah, girlie! She's just a hater and she might be jealous of you!" Lola emphasized.

"You're right... Thank you guys." I smiled. "One person may not like me but at least you are here for me."

On the outside, I was smiling but on the inside I was hurt. Negative comments are one thing if it's from a stranger who has nothing better to do but... If it's from your own friend? That's the type of feeling that I can't shake off.

Some time later, after we cleaned off our plates we decided to call it a night. Sophie wanted to start a movie night but I declined because I was still upset about what Kylie said. Who says that kind of thing to their friends?

I went to my bedroom and just... cried...

I just couldn't believe she said that to me... All because I became famous...

I heard a knock on the door, it was my brother.

"Hey, I was gonna go to my room and go back to playing my games but I heard you crying and I wanted to ask what was up." Toby said.

I wiped my eyes. "Sorry about that Toby... I was just... I was just upset about what Kylie said to me..." I lamented.

Toby knew exactly what I was referring to. "I just don't understand what her problem is, you know? What gave her the right to say this sort of thing to you?" he complained.

"I know... It's just..." I sighed. "It's just unfair..."

"Listen Tilly, you will make a good influencer. Your boyfriend thinks so, your true friends think so, and I think so too!" Toby chimed.

I begin to weakly smile, "Thank you, Toby... I'm glad you're my brother..."

"And I'm glad you're my sister!" he smiled. "I'm going to go back to my game now so take care of yourself alright, Tilly?"

"I will! Thank you again, Toby!" I chirped.

I laid back onto my bed, scrolling through my phone. I've seen some negative comments but I could just shrug them off. But most of them give me sweet and positive comments on my posts. I smile to myself... Wait, I forgot to do my night time routine!! All this moping around made me forget.

I went into my bathroom, took a shower, put on a night time face cleanser, brushed my teeth, put on some lotion, put on some pajamas and went back to my bed.

I started thinking about Kylie a bit.

What is the truth behind her behavior and why does she hate it when something positive happens to me?

Could it be jealously? Envy? Or maybe an ulterior motive?

I just hope that Kylie does get over herself though.

But for right now, I got to go to sleep. I'll feel better in the morning.

Before I did that, I went on my social media platforms and put,

"Sweet dreams everyone! I hope you all have a good night!" with star and moon emojis.

Chapter 24: The Influencer - What the Future Holds

After I got up and did my usual morning routine and said goodbye to my boyfriend and roommates because I was about to leave to go to work, I decided to record myself going to the gym but first, I got to drink water before I do so. After all hydration is important! All I did was record myself running on the treadmill for a good 20 minutes.

There was a cafe next to the gym so after I got out of my gym clothes and put on my work clothes. It's a pink puff sleeve 2 in 1 dress with a tie on it I decided to go to the local cafe and have breakfast there.

Let me tell you, this is my favorite place ever! I HAVE to go there every week after my gym session. They serve the best drinks and the best food at a very cheap price which is a thousand times better than typical coffee shops like Sunbars.

They don't just have iced coffee and Frappuccinos though, they have boba, smoothies, refreshers, tea, anything you can imagine! You could also say that it's a bakery as well. Good thing there's barely people here so I'm just gonna take my order and chill for a bit until I have to go to work.

"Hello! Welcome to Tasty Blossom Cafe! How may I take your order, Tilly?" the barista greeted me knowing me by name, either I'm a local in this cafe or she must have seen my videos recently.

"Hello! Can I get a vietnamese coffee boba tea with whipped cream on it? Can I also have a matcha creme donut please?" I asked.

"Will that be all, ma'am?" she questioned.

"Yep! That will do it for me!" I chirped.

"Okay, that will be $7.35!" said the barista.

I handed her my debit card and the payment is approved. Now it is time for me to wait for my stuff which isn't long at all and eventually, I got my drink and food ready so I sat by the nearest table and started eating my donut and drinking my boba.

I see a group of four teenage girls come into the cafe and they immediately spotted me, approaching me.

"Hey, are you Tilly Kim on tiktok?" one of them asked.

"Yeah, I am. What's up, doll face?" I replied.

The teenage girls became super giddy and excited realizing that I am the Tilly Kim.

"O.M.G.! I AM SUCH A BIG FAN OF YOUR CONTENT!!!"

"SAME HERE!"

"Can we get a picture pleaaaaaaasee????"

"I want to be an influencer just like you!"

Oh my god... I got fans! I'm so happy! "Yeah, we can take a picture!" I chirped as one of the teenagers took out her phone and took a picture of the five of us.

"Thank you so much, Tilly! That totally made my day!"

"Yeah, thank you! I will remember this forever!"

"I can't wait to post it on instagram!"

"Bye now!"

I just sat there in complete adoration. Will I meet more fans like them? After I finished my boba and creme donut, I decided to leave the cafe, go to my car, and drive to work.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

"So, Tilly. We hear that you got a huge following on your social media pages recently." My boss said looking very pleased.

"Well, yeah. I was making a video and then I blew up overnight." I explained.

"And your products are getting more and more popular too... It's been decided, you are promoted to expert fashion model!" they announced to me.

My face just lit up. I can't believe I got promoted! All because I grew in popularity! This is great! That's two good things that are happening to me today!

"Thank you so much, Remy!" I exclaimed shaking their hand excited for a brand new opportunity! Not just for myself, but for my roommates and my fans of course!

"Although, I must warn you Tilly that being a famous influencer does have it's perks. However, I'm a tad bit scared if you come across the wrong person." my boss trailed off.

"Wrong person? What do you mean?" I asked, puzzled and confused.

My boss let out a deep sigh.

"All I'm saying is, be careful out there. Just for right now, since you're done with your photo shoots for today. Security will escort you to your car just for your safety."

Just in cue, two security guards show up and escorted me to my car.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O

"What were they going on about? Dangerous to be a social media influencer?" I thought to myself. I sure it's just nothing though? I hope. I drove back home in silence, pondering about this for quite a bit while focusing on driving.

Sure, I'm happy that I got promoted, gained some followers, met some fans, and gained popularity on my brand and all but... Am I really putting myself in danger for doing that?

I mean, I'm only 21 years old and if anything *does* happen, I have my friends, brother, and boyfriend to back me up.

...Oh, right. I have dinner duty tonight. I guess I could make a whole pot of korean fire noodles for everyone tonight. Everyone has a good spice tolerance by the way. Alright, time to head home now.

I entered my house and I see Kylie ordered McDon's for herself. While everyone else waited for me to come home. I changed back to my causal clothes and oh, and I saw that someone left out the noodles on the kitchen. Okay, time to make a video and get cooking!

"Ugh! Do you seriously have to record everything you do, Tilly? Cut it out!" Kylie scolded.

Please not this again...

"What's your problem, Kylie? She's just recording a cooking video!" Sophie lectured.

"Yeah, why are you so pressed about everything that she does!" Eric added.

"Whatever, I'll just eat this somewhere else! You guys are attacking me right now!!" Kylie teared up, taking her McDon's meal with her and went into her room.

I just rolled my eyes at Kylie's remark. Acting like a victim as always.

"Anyways, babe. Go on and make your video!" affirmed Joey.

"Mmm... I can't wait for spicy noodles." Rin smiled.

"Me neither, girl!" Lola bubbled giving Rin a high five.

Toby simply just licked his lips in excitement and hunger.

"Hello guys! And tonight I will be making spicy Korean noodles for my brother, boyfriend, and my besties!" I waved at the camera.

I brought the ingredients, a five pack of noodles plus two because there's seven of us eating, fourteen eggs aka two per person, some cheese, green onions, and seaweed.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I finished making the video and the dinner, so I decided to text everyone in the group chat except for Kylie that dinner was ready. Now it is time to plate all these hoes up~ The hoes being the noodles of course!

The instant I served the food, the instant everyone started scarfing down their noodles. With runny eggs oozing on the noodles. I even joined in on the fun.

"Heyyy, guess what everyone? I got promoted!" I announced. Everyone's faces lit up and started cheering for me in unison.

"Great job babe!"

"Woohoo!"

"Yay! Awesome!"

"This calls for a shopping haul!" Lola exulted. "Girls only though."

"You know what, that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all." Rin approved.

"It's a good thing that I have tomorrow off and I get paid too." Sophia chuckled.

"Same here! That sounds like a plan!" I chirped.

"Awww! I have to go to work though..." whined Toby.

"Same here with me..." Eric sighed. "But hey, at least we got a shift together!"

"That is true." Toby smiled.

"I would like to join you guys, but I transitioned so I can't." Joey winked. "Besides, I get the whole house to myself."

"Wait, does that mean you went from going to college to get more knowledge to going to jupiter to get more stupider now?" Toby jested.

We all busted with laughter from his joke.

"Well, at least I WENT from going to jupiter to get more stupider to going to college to get more knowledge!" Lola bantered as she placed a hand on Joey's shoulder in a friendly manner.

After a bit of chattering on everyone else's days and everyone finished their food and thanked me for dinner, I decided to wash the dishes and my brother helped me. This is definitely a better night than it was last night, other than Kylie's crummy comment but hey! We all have a great time.

We all decided to do a game night and we all decided to play some eight player games. Thankfully Kylie wasn't there once again because she'll probably ruin the fun by being a poor sport in general. We all took turns playing some games laughing and having fun. While Sophia was out of the game, she decided to make some popcorn and laid out the snacks.

Four hours later of nonstop playing and fun, we all decided to retire for the night.

I did my usually night time routine and decided to put on a face mask. So once again, I lied on my bed and scrolled through my phone. Then suddenly I heard Kylie's voice.

"Who the HELL does she think she is!? Thinking she's better than everyone just because she's so tiktok famous or whateverrr." Kylie ranted. "Well, whatever I am going to teach that blonde stank a lesson, if that is the last thing I'll ever do! I'm done with her overshadowing me! I. AM. DONE!"

"Hey! Shut up! People are trying to sleep or enjoy their nights here!" Rin retorted.

I couldn't help but chortle over Rin yelling at Kylie from another room.

But whatever Kylie was planning, I hope she's actually bluffing. I spent the rest of my night answering my fan's comments and watching other people's content until I started to yawn. Time to listen to my body and go to sleep. I have a bigger day tomorrow. I will be having shopping haul with Sophia, Rin, and Lola at the Solar Passion Mall. I've been saving up until this point. Aaaack, I am so exciteddddd!

Chapter 25: The Influencer - Time to have a shopping haul!

Omigosh! Today is the day where go to to the mall! Sophia, Rin, and I began to eat some breakfast and got ourselves ready to go. No sign of Kylie though... Maybe she's out somewhere? I began to shrug it off. It seems that Eric and Toby left for work earlier too. They probably left for work. So the only person who is staying at home is my boyfriend Joey.

"Alright, I'll see ya later nerds! Love you Tilly!" Joey chuckled as he gave a peck of my lips and I kissed him back. "I love you too, Joey!" I replied.

When we left the house, Lola decided that she should drive so we went to her chair, her obviously being in the front seat, me taking the shot gun, and Rin and Sophia chilling in the back. Omigosh, I am so excited for this! It's going to be a bit of a drive though but we got music and conversations to entertain ourselves with.

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Here we are at the Solar Passion Mall, we arrived at last! Lola checked her surroundings, after that we all left the car and she locked it for safety measures.

"Hmmm... I wonder what store should we start with...?" Sophia pondered.

"I think we should start with Searing Concept! What do you two think?" Rin asked.

"Yeah, that is a totally great idea!" Lola exclaimed.

"Alright, let's go to Searing Concept everyone!" I prompted.

We went inside the mall and I was immediately greeted with a swarming amount of fans saying hello to me, told me I was their biggest influencer and how they loved watching my content, and of course, I took selfies with them. After that, we went to Searing Concept store.

I could tell that Sophia and Rin went wild in this store. Rin obviously with her alt fashion, anime, and music and Sophia with her gaming, hair dye, and kawaii stuff. Lola and I went around to look since we don't know what to buy. We told them that we're going to the store next to us and they'll meet us when it's time to take our rest and eat something. They both agreed to it.

Lola and I went to a clothing store called Closet Chic where both her and I picked out clothes, make up, perfume, and all that good stuff. It turns out that Lola is a manager of the store, so we got our stuff half off.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0
After some time, after we burned some of our money, I decided to call up Rin and Sophia for some food at the food court. After some time has passed, Rin and Sophia showed up with bags upon bags of stuff. Some of the stuff is in their backpacks. We made a discussion on what to eat after we spent this time shopping. Everyone is allowed to buy their own food by the way.

"I think sushi sounds delicious right now." stated Sophia.

"I don't know about you but, I'm feeling like having tacos today." said Rin.

"Hmmm... A burger sounds hella bussin right now!" Lola added.

"I can't decide between pizza or curry... But since I already had pizza this week, I'm picking curry." I decided.

Looks like I'll be going with Sophia since both our food choices share the same restaurant. We temporary went our separate ways and went to order our food.

"Hello, thank you for choosing "Midday Bento!" how may I help you?" the worker greeted Sophia.

"Hi, umm... May I have an order of sushi with a coconut milk tea boba please?" she asked.

"Okay! That will be $12!"

She gives the worker her money and then after that, I'm next in line. She gave me the same greeting she gave Sophia.

"Hello, how are you, ma'am?" I asked.

"Good! Thank you for asking! And hey, I watch your videos and I am a big fan!" the employee smiled.

"Can I have the katsu chicken and pork curry with a blueberry milk tea boba?" I asked.

"Of course, Tilly! That will be $9!"

I gave her the money plus a $30 tip.

"Oh, keep the change! You deserve it after all!" I chirped.

I could tell that the employee looked surprised and moved by what I said, ah, I love making people's days!

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Some time later, our food arrived. Sophia and I got our food, Rin got herself a seasoned taco, a burrito, and a cherry slush, and Lola got a burger loaded with toppings, some sweet potato fries, and a cookies and cream shake.

We decided to have a toast, we raised our drinks, clinking against our drinks for having a lasting friendship. After that we decided to drink our drinks chow down on our food.

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"Mmmmm... That was delicious!" Sophia exclaimed.

"I don't regret any purchases after that, haha!" Rin chuckled.

"Me neither! That was sooooooooo tasty!" Lola exclaimed.

"Totallyyyy, that was absolutely yummy!" I beamed.

After we had enough shopping for today, we decided to go home for the night. We were just about to head out until... Someone approached me from behind.

"Hey, where are you goin' sweetheart?"

My friends and I stopped at our tracks, turning towards the man. He has a hood where covered half of his face, his smile gives me the creeps, I don't know! He just gives me major bad vibes!

"What's your name, babe?"

I am not giving that creep my actual name, so I just made up a fake name just to be safe...

"My name is Clara." I responded.

"Say, Clara, are you single or do you have a boyfriend?"

My friends and I looked at each other with complete disgust. Who even asks a stranger this question???

"Yes, I have a boyfriend. Now can you please leave me alone?" I murmured.

The man grabs me by my arm.

"Hey, why don't you break up with him and get with me instead, babe?" he commanded.

"Do not touch me!" I yelled. "I told you that I have a boyfriend!"

My friends stepped in front of him trying to loosen his grip on me.

"Bitch, shut up! You belong to me do you understand me!? I command you to bre-"

Hearing enough of him harassing me into breaking up with Joey and trying to initiate a relationship with me, I gave him a swift kick in the stomach and in the face.

"Come on, let's get out of here." Rin whispered.

We all got out of the mall, I am so thankful that my friends were there with me... I don't know what I would do if I was alone... I feel like crying... That man was disgusting... It's one thing to compliment me and say that you enjoy my content but... He... He made me uncomfortable... Not to mention that he he looked like he hasn't showered in weeks...

We got in the car and I immediately started sobbing. I felt so violated... I feel like I was disgusting... I'm sitting in the back this time.

"Tilly, it's okay, you did the right thing..." Sophia began to comfort me, holding my hand.

"Yeah, he's lucky that he got away with a kick in the face and the stomach, which was totally bad ass of you." Rin added.

"Would you like me to call Joey and tell him what was going on?" Lola asked.

"Y-Yeah it's fine... Please do..." I sobbed.

Lola used her bluetooth to call my boyfriend, and began driving away from the mall.

"Hello?" Joey picked up the phone, thank god.

"Hey, Joey!" Lola responded.

"Is everything okay?" he inquired.

"We had a good time in the mall until... Tilly was being catcalled and hit on by this weird guy. He even wanted her to break up with you just to be with him." Lola explained.

"What... What the actual *bleep*!? That is so disgusting! I am so sorry you had to deal with that, Tilly..." Joey snorted.

"She kicked him by the way." Lola added.

"Well, good! I guess being in a marital class with her does pay off!" Joey jested.

I chuckled a bit through my tears. That's right, we met at a marital arts class before we dated and before he transitioned.

"I just thought I let you know." Lola said.

"Thank you for letting me know about this, I'll see you at home, guys." Joey said.

"Alright, we'll see you later, Joey!" Lola said as she hung up the phone with her bluetooth.

There was an awkward silence until...

"Man, this is so disgusting how some men think it's okay to do that!" Rin stormed.

"I had to deal with customers like him... It's so gross..." Sophia added.

"He's lucky he didn't hit on me otherwise I would've-" Rin snarled before she got interrupted by Lola.

"Hey girl, chill with the killing thing okay? I know what that guy did to Tilly was disgusting but chill out." Lola interrupted.

"Yeah, you're right. Sorry. I just tend to have a low tolerance for people like that." Rin apologized.

"We all do. Which why we ladies must stick together." Lola affirmed.

"I... I can take care of myself..." I murmured.

"Tilly, we just don't anything happening to you... I know you're an influencer and all but... You can be in danger if you're not careful enough..." Sophia lectured.

Little did I know... That's going to come true...

Chapter 26: The Influencer - The Confrontation

So we arrived at home, we grabbed all the stuff we bought from the mall. I totally forgot that I bought myself an $200 laptop from the electronic store. As we finish putting our stuff in our rooms, we went into the living room and chatted with Joey who doesn't seem very happy.

"Hey, listen... I am not mad at you four at all but... From what I heard from both Eric and Toby, you're apparently getting cancelled." Joey explained.

"What?" my eyes widen. "Why am I getting cancelled?" I felt confused, I treat all my fans with love and respect. I don't understand.

"Is it about that guy that was hitting on her?" Rin bickered.

"As much as I hate to say it, yes. Take a look." Joey said as he showed me an article on his phone.

"Tilly Kim cancelled for attacking a defenseless fan."

"Who even wrote that?? And that guy was not defenseless! He was literally hitting on her!" Sophia thundered in anger.

"We were all there, weren't we!? He grabbed her by her arm!" Lola yelled.

Suddenly, I got bombarded by notifications and honestly I wish I didn't read them. So many of them say that they're disappointed in me for doing that to a fan. I lost so many followers over this. I was defending myself from a creep who tried to initiate a relationship with me.

I just sunk into myself. All of this all because I defended myself...

"Wait... Who wrote that?" Sophia pressed.

My boyfriend looked at his phone. "Hmm... It doesn't say..." Joey faltered.

I swear to gosh if it was Kylie... If it was her, I'm kicking her out. I don't even care anymore. This has gone too far.

"I'll be going upstairs to check something." I stated, getting off of the couch going up to my room.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

After setting up my new laptop, I went to the article I was featured on. My phone began to ring, it was from my brother.

"Hey, Tilly. I need to tell you something." Toby stated.

"Is it about the article?" I pressed.

"Well, actually yes and there's something worse..." Eric explained.

Eric told me that... Someone made... Unsavory things using my face on AI.

I dropped my phone in shock.

"Tilly, are you okay??? Tilly? TILLY!" Toby yelled in concern.

"Y-Yeah... I was in shock that's all..." I explained.

"I think I may know who wrote this article and make..." Eric begins to shudder. "Those disgusting videos."

I listen in, trying to get some information.

"There is a guy named Myles Donavan. Does that ring any bells at all?" Eric asked.

"No, it doesn't." I respond back. Who is this Myles Donavan man?

"So, I used some hacks to find out who that guy is and apparently he's in a relationship with Kylie." Eric explained.

"Wait what??" I blurted out. "Why didn't she tell me??"

"She's very cryptic about everything she does. Heck, she left the house constantly for this man. Yuck!" Eric gagged.

"Plus, he's not even all that Kylie was claiming him to be either." Eric retorted with disgust.

I'm so embarrassed, ughhh why am I so naive???????

Taking a deep breath, I ask, "What does he look like?"

"Oof! Well, he has black hair with red streaks looking all weird and emo, green eyes, he wears a white button up shirt with it half tucked, ripped jeans, boots... And for some reason he wears a leash around his neck." Toby said as he described this Myles Donavan guy.

Now thinking about it... I think I might've seen this guy before... Not just with Kylie but he has followed me around a couple of times. Could he be!?

Now thinking *even* more about it, when I asked Kylie and Myles, she got defensive and told me to mind her business as she stormed off just to be with that guy.

"Does anyone else know about this Myles guy?" I asked.

"Yeah, but when we tried asking her about it, she always gets irritated with us." Toby explained.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt you two but do guys mind coming back to work now? Your 30 is up." said which I'm assuming is their manager speaking.

"Alright, later Tilly!" Eric said.

"I'll see you at home, sis." Toby said as he hung up.

I didn't even say goodbye, I'm processing this information as we speak. Are they telling the truth? A part of me wishes that this was a dumb prank but another part of me wants to believe them. After all, I'm getting cancelled on the internet for mind you, FOR DEFENDING MYSELF FROM A CREEP.

Out of morbid curiosity, I decided to look myself up with the search bar and I was greeted immediately with those videos.

Even worse is that the username is KylieMylie.

I. AM. ABSOLUTELY. FUMING!!

I hate the fact that the first thing I did was search myself up, but that's not important right now. It's the fact that my own friend used my face in those videos without my consent. I am so done with her. I wanted to scream my head off but I stopped myself. I took a few deep breaths and headed back downstairs where Joey, Lola, and the others were hanging out in.

"Hey, Tilly? You look like you've seen a ghost, are you okay?" Rin asked.

"You don't look good at all..." Sophia commented with concern.

I inhaled, and then exhaled.

"I don't want to do this but, I'm considering kicking Kylie out from the house." I explained.

I also explained to them about that.

"WHAT!? OH HELLL NOOO! THAT IS DISGUSTING AND I'M SO SORRY TILLY!" Lola yelled in disgust.

"This has gone too far this time." Joey snorted in anger.

Rin simply just punches her other palm, getting ready to beat someone up. Yes, she is that pissed.

"This is infringement! You know what, I'm sick of Kylie doing this crap to you!" Sophia griped.

Just in time, Kylie came home and headed herself to the living room where we are hanging out at. We simply gave her a death glare. And of course, Kylie acts innocent.

"What did I even do?" Kylie asked.

I'm just gonna say it, I'm not beating around the bush anymore.

"Do you mind explaining to me why you put my face in those videos?" I snapped.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Tilly..." Kylie said as she acted innocent once again.

"Oh, don't even play that little miss innocent shit! We all know what you did!" Rin argued.

Everyone let out a bunch of yeahs basically agreeing with what she said.

"If you're not going to explain then..." I took a deep breath. "I'm afraid that we're gonna kick you out."

"Umm what?? What did I even do??? I didn't even do anything wrong!! I'm just a girl with mommy and daddy issues!!" Kylie cried out.

"Oh, stop it with that! We got our own issues!" Sophia complained.

"Not gonna lie, but I never liked what you're doing to Tilly. Sure, I was an asshole to her at first but that was in high school! You're literally 23 years old and making someone suffer for what!?" Lola badgered.

"You want to hear it? Fine, I deserve better than Tilly! I deserve better treatment that what you guys are treating me!" Kylie cried.

"Kylie, can you please stop acting like a victim for a seco-" I tried to explain but I was slapped across the face by Kylie.

"Tilly!!" Joey yelled.

Kylie pushed me onto the floor, I could feel her hands on my shoulders as she begins to beat the absolute crap out me.

"You are a *bleep*ing bitch! You deserve to have the worst in the world! I HATE YOU!! I HAAAAAAAAAAAATEEEE YOU!!!!" Kylie screamed.

Lola, Rin, Sophia, and Joey tried pulling her off of me, I could barely feel my face... Oh god am I bleeding???? I started to hyperventilate.

They finally pulled Kylie off of me.

"You know what? I'm done! Get out! You are no longer welcome here!" Joey commanded. "Pack your things and leave!"

"Ugh! Fine! Why do you guys always take her side!? Screw this! I'm going to Myles' house and move in with him! All of you are total narcissistic losers!" Kylie stormed off, beginning to pack her things.

Oh god... Oh god... I feel like I'm about to faint and I can't breathe...

Sophia grabbed some hydrogen peroxide and put on my face. "Hey, shhh... It's okay, we're here now..." she said in a comforting matter.

O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O

They patched me up like nothing happened. I still feel the stings from Kylie striking me in the face, did she try to kill me??

"I'll be right back for a second." Rin said as she temporally left the living room to get something.

"Are you okay, Tilly-Bear?" asked Lola.

"Not really, but with you guys here I can cope." I laughed off the pain, I am going to need a lot of therapy after this...

Joey just held me, and rubbed my back reassuringly.

"Kylie doesn't deserve to have you as a friend." he said.

"Yeah, what kind of friend does this sort of thing!?" Sophia yelled.

Rin finally came downstairs and gave me an assortment of self defense weapons. A knife, a stun baton, pepper spray, a stun gun, and a knuckle knife.

"You may need these, that Myles guy is bad news." Rin explained.

"Thank you, Rin. I honestly like... Feel a lot safer with these with me." I smiled.

I got a text message from my boss.

"Hey, Tilly. I hear that you're having trouble with what's going on online at the moment. But I'm letting you know that we all have your back. We believe your story. By the way, we're having a party tomorrow and if you'd like to come, you're more than welcome! Let me and the security guards know if you're ever in trouble, okay? - Warm regards, Remy. "

I usually excited to go to parties but this time... I don't know anymore. I don't even feel safe driving or going anymore alone anymore. I appreciate that everyone has my back. I totally thought that I was going to get fired but I was wrong.

I begin to text my boss back.

"Hey, thank you for the message! :D If it's not much to ask, can you call in an uber for me?"

My boss just responded with a smiley face and a thumbs up.

"Did something come up?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, we're having a party at my work but I don't feel safe driving myself." I explained.

Everyone gave me an understanding nod. After talking everything out with everyone in the living room, I decided to retire for the night.

Will I be truly safe? I feel anxious and scared if I'm not careful enough.

I just don't want to be killed or snatched up... Just for being a social media influencer...

Chapter 27: The Influencer - VS Myles Donavan

When I woke up this morning, I didn't even eat breakfast or said good morning to anyone. I mean, I know that there will be food in the party. But honestly, I don't have the appetite or the mental capacity to eat at the moment.

I never dealt with anxiety issues before. I've always been calm, collected, and happy. Even if there was a hater commenting on how bad my content is, I can just ignore the comment and move on. But this... What I had to watch yesterday... It's hard to ignore and move on from it.

I think... I think I'm starting to regret becoming a social media influencer. Everything was just fine up until that point, Kylie's egomaniac attitude towards me was too much. Everything is starting to become too much. What is... Happening to me?

I got a call from Remy, I answered their call.

"Hey, the uber should be on their way to pick you up." they stated.

Trying to fake a smile I replied, "Oh okay! Thank you, Remy!"

They hung up, I left the house without a word, grabbed my self defense weapons Rin gave me and went inside the uber driver's car.

"You're Tilly right?" the uber driver asked.

I nodded.

"Hey, you look like you haven't eaten... Help yourself with a granola bar."

I took a granola bar, unwrapped it, and ate it. It was a peanut butter and chocolate granola bar. "T-Thank you..." I whispered.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I wouldn't lie and say that, the car ride snapped me out of the funk I was dealing with earlier. I went inside the agency and I was greeted with music, people dancing, music booming, and tables being full to the brim with food.

"Hey, Tilly! I'm so glad you could make it!" Remy bubbled.

"Thank you for inviting me here! This looks fun!" I chirped.

Why do I feel like I was being watched? Not by my coworkers and security guards since they know me but... I feel like there was an imposter among us...

Okay, I did not just make an among us joke... I kinda chuckled the thought off.

I decided to make the best of it and talk to fellow coworkers, eat some good food since I haven't ate anything in the morning until my uber driver offered me a granola bar, and danced to the music.

I suppose it doesn't hurt to let loose and have fun and live life isn't it? That's what I always say to myself, when I go through situations both thick and thin.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

While I was out about and having fun and vibing, I got a weird text message from "Kylie".

"hey, come meet me, i'm outside"

This looks very suspicious, and I know Kylie wouldn't type like this. But if anything happens, I have security to call and I have my self defense weapons and to add to it all, I have experience with marital arts.

I decided to head outside, looking for Kylie since she wanted to meet me outside. Maybe she's planning to apologize to me? But before I could do anything a man, whom my brother described him as. He had a blood stain on his shirt... Not a good sign. If that's not bad enough, he gave me a death glare, I genuinely felt like he was going to murder me.

"Hey, you bitch! Stay where you're at!" he commanded.

Who the hell was he ordering ME around like that? I don't even know the guy!

"Excuse me, I just wanted to know that you made Kylie die! And I hope you have enough decency to least feel little bit crappy about it!" he barked.

"Wait, what? I didn't kill her...!" I gasped. "That blood...! What did you do to Kylie!?" I mean I hated how she was acting recently but I didn't want her to die!

"I was already pissed off that you and your little merry band of idiots kicked her out when she didn't do anything wrong! But now because of you and your friends, Kylie is dead now!" he raged.

I couldn't resist the urge to ask Myles that question anymore.

"Why did Kylie decide to date you? And better yet, why did you project yourself onto you so she acts like you?" I pressed.

"Because I love her and want her to be exactly like me!" Myles yelled.

"Look you have no right to-" I spoke before I was cut off.

"NO!" he boomed. "Maybe because you're a social media influencer who thinks she's all that, and maybe because you're pretty! You're used to getting away with things!" He yelled condescendingly.

I don't think I'm all that, I just wanted to post content and make people smile.

"But I want you to know, that your actions have an effect on others! And I hate you! And you are a horrible person! You *NOT* understanding that you're a horrible person, doesn't make you any less of a horrible person!" Myles chided.

"You know, you can say whatever you want to me. You can call me a horrible person all you like, at least I don't go around and make people miserable unlike you." I sassed.

"You want to die, bitch!? Because I will kill you!" He takes out his knife threatening to point it at me.

I'm not going down without a fight and before he could strike me with his knife, I took out my pepper spray, spraying it right to his eyes.

"Aaahhh!! Mother fu- AAhhhhh!!! Stupid bitch!!" Myles yelled out in pain as he fell to the floor, burying his face into his hands.

I proceeded to give Myles a series of swift kicks. He got slowly got off from the floor and tried to strike me with a knife again only for me to dodge it, I got a little scratch in the shoulder from the strike. But it's nothing, I can take care of it!

"Hehe, when I'm through with you... I am going to take everything you got!" Myles sneered.

"No you won't!" I shouted back, taking out my stun baton, striking him until he's too stunned to even move.

He doesn't look like he's gonna get up soon, he's alive don't worry but I'm going to turn this man in and possibly sue him.

I quickly dialed 9-1-1 on my phone.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"I need you to arrest a man named Myles Donavan." I explained.

"Wait... The most wanted man? Who murdered countless women?"

H-Huh?? He didn't know he was a serial killer! Good to know that I'm bringing some justice to those lives lost to him, including Kylie.

"Either way, we'll send a dispatch to have this man arrested."

"Appreciate your service." I smiled. The caller disconnected.

Suddenly all my coworkers and my boss came outside to check on me.

"Tilly are you okay!?"

Remy looked shocked looking at a stunned Myles on the floor.

"Is... Is that... "Myles The Lady Killer"??" they gasped.

"Did you knock him down?"

"Girl, you're going to be called a hero!"

"Finally, I can go out at night without getting worried about being murdered..."

"Hooray for Tilly! The evil is no more!"

I smiled and placed a hand behind my neck. "It was nothing, really..." I said, sticking my tongue out.

After some time, the cop cars arrive at the scene.

"You... Bitch!" Myles yelled. "You will pay for this!"

"Hmm... Actually you will pay for this because I'm planning to sue you." I winked.

Myles growled at the thought of me suing him. But that's what you get for murdering my friend even though her and I don't get along sometimes and try to murder me in the process.

"Come on, up you go. You are under arrest."

"Man did that girl mess you up good! Too bad you'll be sent to prison for the rest of your life, maggot."

Myles was too stunned to even speak, he just went inside the cop car and the police drove away with him.

"Byeeeee~ Happy imprisonment~!" I waved him off with a big smile on my face.

Chapter 28: The Influencer - Reflect A Live

As promised, I sued the guy and I won $150,000 from the trial. Myles is being sent to a federal prison for 45 years without parole. It feels great to bring justice to serial killer who had been killing several women for years. I won't have to deal with him anymore, and most importantly, the families and friends of the victims can live easy now.

About Kylie... Sure, she can be rambunctious at times but I'd never thought that she would mistreat me for becoming famous overnight. The truth is, yes, she was super envious of me but I'm starting to realize that dating Myles might've turned her into a whole different person. In a bad way, of course.

I'm seeking therapy after going through all of that. My mental health has been improved ever since. I've been stepping away from social media just to have a day out with my friends, my brother, and my boyfriend.

My online reputation has improved too. Those "AI" videos are gone now since it's now illegal to generate that kind of stuff. My job's been doing great as always. And my fans are as supportive as ever.

I decided to start a fundraiser for the victims of Myles and I of course donated the money to the victim's families. I'm happy to do this because it's all going to a good cause.

My word of advise to anyone who is watching my videos or reading my blogs, don't ever prioritize your content over your mental health. Your mental health is more important than silly numbers and views.

And most importantly, spend this time with your friends, families, lovers, pets, or whatever you want to do in order to help yourself mentally.

My name is Tilly and I will be signing out, I love you guys and I will see you guys next time~!

The Influencer - Completed.

Chapter 29: The Uncommitted - Prologue

So uhh... How do I start this...? ...Have you heard about this scary rumor? They say, if you fall into a dream and don't wake up before you land... You die in real life.

Not quite the best story for me to explain huh? I had to deal with this "curse" and I had the worst week because of it! Hell, I even say that it's even worse than when I had to take a night shift at an abandoned pizzeria and family entertainment center as a security guard.

At least with that I can sleep it off, besides I quit that job after one of the animatronics tried to stuff me in a suit, so now I just work as a systems engineer for a technology company. But this... I was forced to climb and fight terrible beasts! This is something you expect from a *bleep*ing RPG game not a dream!

Right... I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Charlie Riggs, age: 32. I'm an earnest and kind man... But one day, I began have terrible nightmares! All because I was stuck with having to choose three different women!

Will I be able to overcome these "blocks" in my life? I don't know and I don't like the sound of it at all...

Chapter 30: The Uncommitted - Beginning of Nightmares

I was walking alone at night and I was about to head home, stretching and yawning on my way there... Until a girl with lavender hair who looked like she was being chased by something bumped onto me and she fell on top of me.

I just blinked a couple of times to process what the hell just happened. The girl looked like she was crying and panicking at once. "Oh no...! I am so sorry...!" she sobbed. I just laid there in confusion. "Hurry... get up..." she grabbed me by my wrist, pulled me up on my feet while continuing to cry and panic. "It's coming for me...!" Right when she said that, I felt the ground shake and I saw a shadowy figure. "THAT!?" I exclaimed. I looked at her giving me a quick nod and then I turned my head towards the shadow, it's getting closer.

I grabbed the girl by her hand and we both until we saw a shallow dirt hole, hiding away from that shadow. It wasn't deep enough to have us fall but shallow enough to hide. We both felt the ground shake and thankfully, that shadow thing didn't catch us. It looks like the coast is clear, I got out of the hole first and then I helped the girl out of the hole.

She stopped crying but she was just standing there. "Uh... You okay? Helloooooo?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. "Do you know where you are?" No response from the girl. "Okay... Never mind that. How 'bout a name?" I asked.
"Prim." She responded. I didn't catch the last part of her name but, as long as she has a name that's good enough for me! "Prim? That's a nice name..." I said.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

After settling Prim to her new place I decided to go back to my apartment and go to bed for the night, putting on a tank top. I lied down on my bed... Drifting off to sleep...

O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I was hugging my pillow, looking at myself... Wait!? I have horns now!? I must be in the nightmare realm... I heard a door open and I slowly walked towards the light. I noticed that I was the only one here, I opened the door leading me to the tower of blocks. "Huh...?" I accidently slipped onto something, "Whoa!" I stopped myself from falling via holding onto a block, my toes curling to stop myself from falling. "Oh shit...!" I yelled.

I was able to pull myself back on the block standing on it, I was panting and I let out a sigh of relief after saving myself from falling. I am surrounding by blocks of towers. "...What the hell is this place?" I spoke to myself, processing the atmosphere.

I felt the tower shake and I felt myself jumping and jolting from it. "Wha...!?" I yelled watching the descending blocks bellow me collapsing off the tower. I backed myself against the nearest block in terror. "...Wh... What!?" I cried. Quickly looking around, I saw that the door that I just came out of magically disappeared. Ugh... Great...

I quickly began to climb the tower.

"Hurry up and climb!" a voice boomed to me.

"Who are you!? Where is this place!?" I puzzled.

"Save your breath and start climbing! If you fall, you're dead!" the voice answered.

"I'll die...!? Are you *bleep!*in' serious!?" I fretted.

I guess I have to take his word on it, so I began to climb the blocks. The more I climbed, the more blocks begin to descend. "Move the blocks to make a path! You can climb one block at a time, right!?" the voice spoke again.

"How am I supposed to move these things!?" I complained.

No response, I guess I have to figure it out on my own. Thankfully these blocks aren't that hard to move. I continued to climb and move blocks that need to be moved so I could make it to the top to get out of here.

"These blocks aren't normal. They'll block into place and support your weight, even if they're only touching by their edges!" the voice said.

"What's that supposed to mean!? They "connect" at the "edges"?" I asked.

You know what? Screw it, I'm making a staircase out of these blocks even if it takes me a bit to escape or if I tire myself out by doing that. The more I get to the top, I heard the sound of bells ringing.

"Where is this!? What is this ringing!?" I asked.

"If we both make it out of here alive, we'll meet again." the voice answered cryptically.

"H-Hey! Wait a sec!" I panicked.

"When you hear the bell ringing, you'll know that you've almost reached the goal." the voice said.

At least there wasn't much to climb left, I just got to climb what's left to climb and I saw a huge door! Finally! I can finally leave this damn place!

"I-I can get out through here...?" I spoke to myself.

I opened the door and I was greeted with an obnoxious amount of white light in my eyes.

I saw something chasing me from below the towers. It was some arms with a fork on it's hand! "...Wha!?" I exclaimed in fear and shock. "Oh shit!" I ran towards the light. Nope, not dealing with this! I can't deal with this!

Chapter 31: The Uncommitted - Mysterious Girl

I woke up in a cold sweat, it looks like I'm back in my room. I grabbed my pillow and wrapped it around my head. "What a terrible dream..." I spoke. I was just laying in my bed, processing what the *bleep!* just happened.

I jumped off my bed with pillow in hand, startled because I thought I heard something. I pressed my bed using my hand checking for anything suspicious. Thank god it was nothing... Other than the fact that I pissed the bed like a grade school child! In frustration, I threw my pillow on the floor.

I heard my phone ring from my desk and I picked it up. "Uh... Hello...?" It was my boss. "...Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll be in today's code review meeting." I began to put on my clothes getting ready for work. "Really? ...No, no, I'm just... I'm just under the weather. No, it's okay. I'll be right there. Yeah. Umm... Sorry..." I closed my phone, went into the bathroom and I took a quick shower.

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I heard tapping and I was totally spaced out. I was out with Roselynn at the Live A Rabbit Cafe.

"Hey... Where did you go?" Roselynn asked, annoyed. "Snap out of it!"

I jolted, snapping back to reality. "Were you even listening?" my girlfriend questioned.

"Uhh... sure!" I responded awkwardly. Dumb move, me...

"You know, you've been a out of it lately. Is everything all right? You've been spacing out left and right." she asked with concern.

"Oh, sorry. I, uh... had to work early this morning..." I responded to her, but all I got from Roselynn was a patient smile. "So, are you getting anything extra for this?"

"For what?" I puzzled. How did she go from being annoyed with me to smiling after telling her that I've been working extra hours?

"For all this overtime you're doing." Roselynn smiled.

"Oh, uh... Not this time..." I sighed.

""This time"? Do you usually get overtime pay?" my girlfriend asked.

"Well, no, but..." when I said that, Roselynn's face immediately contorted to disappointment.

"So you don't get anything..." she immediately sighed.

To calm my nerves a bit, I decided to drink some coffee she ordered for me but it was too bitter for me so I let out a "Ugh...!"

"Here, two sugars." Roselynn proceeded to put two cubes of sugar in my coffee from the container.

"Hey, Roselynn..." I begin to ask carefully. "Have you ever had a dream where you... died?"

"You mean, like... where you're in danger?" she questioned.

"No, where you actually die." I explained. "Like, you're being killed, or something."

"No... I usually do the killing in my dreams." Roselynn smirked. Well, that didn't answer my question. So I decided to add humor to her response.

"Huh? Haha... That sounds like you..." I tittered.

Roselynn slammed the table with her palm in annoyance. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"...Hey. How many years have we been together?" she asked.

Oh, man... How long HAS it been? It been so long, I can't remember.

"Hmmmm... How many years?" I pondered.

"I'm asking you." Roselynn said, annoyed. "It's just, my mother's been calling me up and asking how we're doing."

"Ohhh..." I uttered.

 

"She's worried about me. She knows I've got a career that keeps me busy, but..."

"Yeah..." I responded.

"I mean, it's easy to keep things like they are now, but..." Roselynn added.

"I don't know... Sometimes easy's best, right?" I stated. "Who knows what'll happen in the future."

Roselynn looked disappointed again, "...I suppose."

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I'm in The Stray Sheep bar with my friends and I started to talk about a conversation I had with Roselynn earlier.

"Roselynn keeps telling me how her mother's constantly calling her." I explained. "She's says she's not worried about it, though."

"Oh, Feather's totally gonna take it, right, C-man." Dylan retorted.

"What do you think?" I asked annoyed.

"So, who're ya betting on?" he takes a bite of his food. "C'mon pick one!"

"You kidding? Women's wrestling? How would I know..." I responded.

Connor quietly blows his smoke from his mouth from smoking a cigarette responding with, "Sounds to me... Like she finally wants ya to tie the knot."

"You think so, too...?" I asked with confusion.

"What else could it mean?" Connor deadpanned. "I've known you since we were kids, but wow... You, married, huh?"

"Hey! Nothing's set in stone yet." I exclaimed.

"What... You don't want to marry your girlfriend?" Connor asked.

"It's not that." I said. "I love her, but... I don't think we need to run out and get married. You know... It's like we're comfortable where we are." I rambled.

"Are you?" he queried.

"That's what she said... Her job's always most important to her... You know she's always been the ambitious type, right?" I rambled more.

"It doesn't mean she'll always be like that." Connor objected.

"That's not what I mean. ...Besides, you're single too." I countered.

"Hey, I'm still looking for my soulmate. I'm not like you." Connor said. "I've already told my girl that I'm not interested in marrying her."

"What if you never meet your soulmate?" I remarked.

"Then I'll never get married. So what?" Connor stated.

"That sounds just like you, Connie!" Dylan beamed.

I saw that Prim was approaching me.

"Oh, how'd the interview go?" I asked her. She only responded with a light giggle and finally she said,

"The Boss seems like a really nice person. He said I work here starting tomorrow." Prim chirped.

"So everything's cool with you now?" Connor asked.

"Mhmm, way better." she responded.

"Hey, did the Boss make any weird moves?" Dylan asked.

"Hey, Prim, c'mere!" Liliana called out.

"I'll see you later." Prim waved at me to dismiss herself.

"Anyway... Did you hear about John? He's dead." Connor stated.

"John...? Wait... THAT John!? He's dead!?" I exclaimed.

"Yeah. I heard he just got divorced, but he looked healthy. It's a complete shock." Connor explained.

"What happened to him? An accident?" I asked.

"I don't know... Apparently his mother just found him dead in his room this morning." Connor guessed.

"This morning...?" I was in shock. "Wait, you mean..."

"Yeah... The "mystery death" on the news. That was him." Connor explained.

"Holy shit! No way!" Dylan blurted.

"Maybe we'll all wind up dead tomorrow, too." Connor deadpanned.

"Shut the hell up." I growled.

"Man, I hate the news!" Dylan scoffed. "They're always trying to push their agenda for ratings!

"Dylan, you are really easy to mess with." Connor sneered.

"Well, speaking of crazy stuff this morning..." I rambled, both Connor and Dylan glancing at me. "I pissed the bed for the first time since grade school."

"That's messed up, man!" Connor guffawed.

"I had a really scary dream... But I don't remember what it was about." I rambled.

"Oh, man. How old are you?" Connor asked.

"32." I replied.

"I know that." he deadpanned.

"You know, I don't think I need to hear this." Dylan groused.

"Shut up. I was really *bleep!*in' scared, all right?" I spilled.

As I said that, both Connor and Dylan got up from their seats.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Where you guys going? Stick around. I don't wanna go home just yet." I complained.

"So? Why don't you have Roselynn meet you here?" Connor queried.

"I just saw her today. Besides, she'd get mad at me if I told her..." I faltered.

"Ah, geez... What does she see in this poor fool?" Connor quipped. "Sorry, but I gotta be in early tomorrow. Don't drink too much, okay?"

"All right, take care, C-man! See you later!" Dylan chirped.

"Oh, see ya." Welp... It looks like they ditched me. Fortunately, Liliana showed up at my table.

"Oh, hey, Liliana. So she managed to get the job, huh?" I asked.

"Of course. I can't just abandon someone with amnesia." Liliana beamed. "Especially when they seem like such a good person. And like Connor said, there's this innocent cluelessness to Prim that... I just can't help caring about. Not to mention the whole stalker thing. Who would do that? And why?" Liliana rambled.

"Seems like even she doesn't know." I stated.

"Now, how could that be?" Liliana asked. "You should find out."

After that Liliana walked off and Prim showed up at my table once again.

"Everything okay now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so." she responded. "Um, I wanted to say thanks. Not just for saving me, but also for finding me a job and a place to stay... I was so scared... I couldn't remember anything. I'm so glad I met someone as nice as you, Charlie."

"Ah, it was nothing, really. Anyone would've done the same." I said.

"Still... You saved me, Charlie. I start working here tomorrow, so I'll do my best to show you my appreciation." Prim bowed to me and then walked away.

I got a text message from Roselynn.

"Like I said before, I'm having dinner with some old friends. It's surprising... Most of them are already married, and almost half of them have kids. They're all showing off pictures of their families and it makes me feel left out. Maybe it's time for us to get out of out "comfort zone" too."

I responded with, "Does it bother you? I worry about it too sometimes. Maybe we should talk about this. Drive home safe, okay?"

I began to take a sip of my rum and coke, replaying what Roselynn said earlier today. Marriage, huh? I figured this would happen eventually, but... I just changed jobs, I don't want to give her trouble.

Another sip. Bringing up her parents out of the blue... It's not like her... It looks like I got another text from her.

"Are you out drinking at the Stray Sheep again? You know you have work tomorrow! Geez... Take it easy, okay? By the way, I received a photo that was taken at the party we went to after the wedding the other day. It's of me being forced to entertain the crowd, but... it does bring back some old memories.

It was a picture of her in a cheerleader outfit.

"Oh, this is... You still look really good in that. My heart skipped a beat. I'm gonna take a shower and go to bed. Well, good night, Roselynn."

One last sip. I don't know... I just don't feel like going home today... My phone started to ring again. Oh, my phone... It's Roselynn. I picked up the call.

"Hello, Charlie? It's me."

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I wanted to apologize for cutting our meeting short this morning."

"I don't mind. You had to meet with a friend, right?"

"Yeah. Oh, it was a woman, just so you know. I think you knew her in high school..."

"It's okay. What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. You have to go to work early tomorrow, right? Don't stay out too late. Good night."

It's late...

"Wow... There's a lot of people here... But this isn't really my crowd"

"I'm sorry miss... Oh, are you with him? Then please, go ahead..."

A blonde woman with red eyes approaches me.

"Uh, hi, excuse me. Mind if I sit here?" she asked.

I nodded and she took a seat from the booth in front of me.

Chapter 32: The Uncommitted - Landing

Once again, I was sent to this nightmare realm and hugging my pillow but this time, I wasn't alone. I was surrounded by sheep that walk on two legs with pajamas on. We are all heading towards that door, that door that leads us to those damn towers.

This time... It isn't some sort of cathedral no, it was a prison with with some sheep trapped in bars. "Where am I...? Last night's dream... Again!?" I exclaimed. How in the hell did this happen!?

"What the hell!? I was at the bar, and this girl came in, and then..." I rambled. "Damn it, I can't remember! What's going on...!?"

Looks like I have to climb again but this time, there's a new type of block. Apparently it can crack under your weight, great... Just freaking great...

But hey, this time there's items on the ground that I can use to help myself get out of this place such as summoning blocks, an energy drink, and... A bible? What could I use this for? Because frankly I don't know.

I continued to climb the towers, not a single enemy in sight. Wait, what am I saying? Why would there be enemies??? I heard those bells again. Yes! It's almost over!

"You've come pretty far. Good job!" That voice said. "I'll see you at the landing. Everyone else is there, too!"

"Who's "everyone"!?" I pressed, confused as all hell. "H-Hey! Wait a sec!"

As I reached the top of the tower, I saw a level with a golden sheep head on it. What's with the sheep imagery in this nightmare realm? But you know what, I don't even care anymore! I'm just relieved that I made it!

I climbed towards the top to this... "Landing".

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Ugh..." I breathed out. God, that was some exercise that I had to deal with... "...Looks like you survived." it was that voice again!

"Wh-Who're you!?" I asked. "A sheep...!?"

Not only that, I was surrounded by other sheep. Am I the only human in the nightmare realm...?

"Do I look like a sheep?" the talking sheep with a tie sneered. "You're the sheep. Everybody here's a sheep but me." Okay, now I officially lost it... And I just gave up on questioning the situation at this point.

"I recognize that voice." I stated. "Who are you!? Where the hell is this place!?"

"I wish I knew... One's thing for certain, though." the sheep replied. "If we don't run... we're going to be killed."

"Killed...!?" I exclaimed.

"If you see this place once, it's all over. You'll keep coming back every night." he explained.

"Every night...!?" I yelled in confusion and shock. "You're kidding me...!"

"We all have the same fate here. If you don't want to die, you've gotta climb." the sheep with the tie addressed.

"So... If I climb, I'll be saved?" I inquired.

"There's no guarantee..." the sheep spoke. "But take a look at that." He points to the bell, continuously ringing. "See that bell? It's like a church or something."

"...A church?" I asked. I have so many questions right now it's not even remotely funny anymore. Is there a truth to any of this?

"If we can reach the top, there may be a way to escape." he spoke cryptically.

"So there is a way out!" I blurted.

"Like I said, there's no guarantee!" he jeered with annoyance. "But we've got to believe... Keeps us sane. Those who panic die first."

"Just quit with all the dying stuff..." I griped. "I'll do whatever you say! Just... Just help me!"

"Look, from here on out, I'm afraid you're on your own." the sheep said. "I'm going now."

"No, no, no! No, wait!" I yelled out.

"You hurry, too!" the talking sheep took off, taking the elevator just beneath the church bell ringing. "H-Hey!" I exclaimed.

I took a look at my surroundings, "You can't be serious..." I spoke.

I guess I have to take the elevator, which sends me to a higher level of the tower.

0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"There's still more!?" I exclaimed. I guess I have to start climbing again.

"Are you getting the hang of this?" the voice asked.

"How the *bleep!* am I supposed to get the hang of this!?" I yelled. "Hey, don't run off ahead, help me!"

"Sorry, man, but I'm not going to die helping you. I've gotta climb, too!" the voice trails off. Great... "Oh yeah... As you climb, you'll run into strange items."

"Strange items...? I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll try to remember it for later." I said.

I saw a sheep running towards me. It looked like it's going to attack me so I took the first initiative and hit it with my pillow. I felt awful about it since that sheep was trying to escape it's situation just like I am.

I continued to climb and I saw a sheep trying to escape as well, but this time it didn't try to push me off, rather, the sheep seemed pretty panicky. I once again heard bells ringing.

"I've seen others here and there. The fighting's gonna start getting fierce." the voice explains. "This is a dog-eat-dog world. There's no time for courtesy. Anyway, no matter what pops up, stay calm and keep climbing."

"What the hell is this place!?" I yelled. "How high does this damn thing go!?"

"I don't know. I wish I did." the voice responds.

At least I'm close to the top, I can see that damn lever again. Just gotta move some blocks and climb to the top... Just like I've been doing two other times.

Finally! I made it! Now I have to do some more climbing... Back to the landing.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Ugh..." I breathed out, exhausted from climbing so much. It was that talking sheep again!

"It's you... Looks like you're still alive." The sheep said.

"Is that you!? You're safe, too!" I exclaimed.

"...Barely." the talking sheep responded. "Still... How many people died trying to come here...?"

"People...? I don't..." I faltered.

"Listen... Here, you see everybody else as sheep." he explains. "But all these "sheep"... They're really human. There's got to be some reason why were all brought here..."

"What reason could there be!? Why do we have to suffer like this!?"I barked in confusion.

"Who knows...? But... I do have an idea." The sheep rambles.

"An idea...?" At this point, I'm willing to hear this guy out.

"Let's stop the speculation. It's just going to confuse us more." he cautioned. "You should think of what to do next. I'm hearing rumors of "something big" coming soon... You be careful now."

"Something big...?" What in the hell does he mean by that!?

"Still, you're still getting the hang of things. There's nothing more I can teach you." the sheep says.

"Th-That can't be true! C'mon, you've gotta have something you can tell me!" I exclaimed.

"If we're lucky, we'll meet again!" he says cryptically, after that he just went inside that damn elevator.

"Hey! Wait!" He fled before I could even catch up to him. "...Great." I muttered.

I was surrounded by other surviving sheep each telling them climbing techniques. I eavesdropped some of it but honestly, I want to get this over with. So I once again went inside that elevator, meeting "something big."

I read somewhere in the elevator that it's giant chapel with eight floors... Great... Ughh... But least there's an end to this right...? Right???

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It appears that there's no tower, rather it's just a platform with stained glass on top. It's of course something with sheep and lambs though...

"You... won't... escape..." a familiar voice called out. Is that who I think it is!?

"...Huh!? That... voice... Where have I..." I pondered.

A giant figure emerges from the shadows, her arms on the platform. "I won't... let... you... escape...!" she screams out.

"Wha... What the hell is this!?" I yelled in fear and in shock. "Rose...lynn?" She weirdly resembles her too... What in the hell is this??? And I have to fight that!?

She uses her fork in hand, trying to get me but I dodged it every time she tried. I guess she really does the killing huh... But I am not dying tonight! No siree!

Time to put on my big boy pants and face this thing. I began to strike at "Roselynn" with my pillow and targeted mainly her arms.

"You will... NOT... ESCAPE!!!" "Roselynn" strikes again, this time I was damaged. But it's just a scratch, so I drank that energy drink and it was healed back up. I'm not gonna question it since it's a dream but... Much better.

I can feel the rage steaming from the shadow version of Roselynn, so I ran to the nearest exit door. But something is overflowing in my hand... THAT BIBLE!

"...Whoa!" I yelped, feeling the bible's overflowing light. "Don't you run!" "Roselynn" boomed.

I gasped, holding the bible and pillow in hand.

"ARRRRGH DAMN IT!!! UWAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! I WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE!!!!" she let out an unnatural yell.

"Oh, come on!" I yelled, placing the bible cover in front of me as it overflowed with light.

"Wh-Whoa!!" I yelled, the bible is definitely doing some work here! This "Roselynn" is just screaming in pain as the light is blinding her and then... She just disappeared from the platform.

"I-Is it gone?" I pondered. I let out a sigh of relief. "I'm saved... right!? Y-Yeah!" I went through the exit door. I made it!!

Chapter 33: The Uncommitted - Cheater?

It's morning again... 9:17 am to be exact. But this morning feels different... I woke up to a blonde girl, that same blonde girl by the way, in her pajamas, clinging onto my arms.

My. Jaw. Dropped. and I started to sweat profusely. How in the hell did this happen!? I have Roselynn for god's sake!!

I begin to have flashbacks from last night before I had that dream again.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Marriage is just a "tradition," right?" the blonde girl asked. "Seriously, who wants to be tied down? As long as two people are together, it's okay, right? It's best to be free, don't you think?" she rambled as I took a sip of my wine, keeping eye contact with her.

"Kinda surprising. You know how it is with most girls." I rambled. "As soon as they're adults all they can think about is tying the knot, right?" I took a puff of my cigarette and put it out using the nearest ashtray. "But there are girls like you out there... Hmm, never knew."

"It's not that strange, is it? Men aren't the only ones who fear being chained down." The blonde girl coaxed.

"I'll remember that." I said as I put another cigarette in my mouth, lit it up. "Thank goodness. We think alike." I jumped a bit realizing that the woman isn't sitting across from me, instead she was sitting RIGHT next to me. She just batted her eyes at me and drank her whole glass of wine. I watched her swallow the entirety of the liquid in the wine glass.

She took a glance at me but she shyly looked away from me. Making eye contact again, she blinked three times. "What is it?" she asked giggling.

"Oh, uhh..." I flattered nervously looking around the room, puffing my cigarette.

The blonde girl accidently bumped her elbow on something and nearly fell on me but luckily, I caught her just in time. "Whoa... You... You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, thank you... You're so kind." she responded giving me flirtish look.

"Uh, I was... Uh, sorry..." I apologized.

I tried moving my hand away from her but she grabbed my hand almost like she wanted it there. "Uh, well... I, uh, have to work tomorrow... so I need to get home." I stumbled. "I had fun tonight..." Is she ignoring me???

"Hmmm... Why are you in a hurry?" She asked, her cheeks puffed up.

"Like I said, I need to go home!" Before I could say anymore, she kissed me right in my lips. Ohnononononononononononono!

"You taste like smoke.~" she stated. "But I don't mind~."

"Ya don't say...!" I exclaimed.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Holy shit...! Oh man, this is not good..." I spoke to myself, oh man, if Roselynn finds out about this, she is going to kill me and stick my head in a stick... Figurately of course but still.

"Hm? What's not good?" that girl asked, I immediately jolted from her voice.

"W-Well, er... You know, h-hooking up after we just met... Geez, what the hell am I saying?" I faltered placing a hand on my forehead processing... Whatever the hell *this* is!

"...Huh?" the girl's red eyes widened. "Umm... Is this gonna be a problem?" She asked, irritated.

So... Okay, I cheated on Roselynn. This is bad, this is really really bad... But, I didn't make a move... She made the move... *bleep!*, man, I drank way too much...

"Uhh..." Before I could say anything else, the girl tightly wrapped her arms around me giving me a death glare.

"Uhh... Would you mind not staring at me like that? It's kinda creepy..." she said. She's the one giving me the death glare??? What does she mean by that!?

"Oh, heh... S-Sorry...!" I apologized. ...Why am I apologizing? I proceeded to look away from her.

"Listen... I don't want you to get the wrong idea, okay?" The girl begins to speak to me. "...I don't just sleep around. I came here because I like you."

"Er... Oh... Shh... Oh..."

The girl's facial expression softens a bit. "So... How do you feel about me...?" she asked, cupping my chin forcing me to look at her.

"Huh!?" I was absolutely dumbfounded by this question. "Err... Wow... Ummmm.... I can't quite explain it. I feel odd." I didn't want to tell her the truth.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Y-You see, I've never done this before." I spoke. "Oh, wow... I can't believe it... Man, I am really screwing this up right now..."

"So then, it was love at first sight?" she pressed for answers, then proceeds to cuddle me.

"Huh!?" I cried out.

"Aaaaahh!!" she yelled. I also jolted from her yelling.

"What!? I'm sorry! I'm really...!"

"You said you have to work, right?" she asked as she hurried herself off my bed.

"Work...? Uh... I guess." I responded.

"Sooooorry... I gotta go now! I have a... dentist appointment now." She puts on her clothes as she explained herself.

"Dentist...?" I pondered.

"Yeah! Dentists get angry if you're late, too!" she chirped and then she left out a disappointed sigh. "I wanted to stay with you a little longer." She began to chuckle. "I guess that'll have to wait until next time. Okay, see you soon!" she rushes out of my apartment.

"Hey wait...! I'm actually dating someone already!" I tried to explain but she already was rushing out before I could properly explain myself.

"This is a mistake... A mistake... It's gotta be a mistakes...!" I spoke to myself.

O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

After work, I decided to hang out with my friend Liam at a sushi bar called Kappa Heaven before we went to the Stray Sheep bar later on tonight. I told him about my predicament.

"Ah, you know what, it just hit me..." Liam began to speak drinking his beer. "You know what they say every guy has three hot streaks with the ladies in his life? This is your third." he proceeds to eat some sushi after he was done speaking.
"Hot streaks? When the hell were the other two?" I asked.

"When we were kids, you were the most popular with the girls." he explained.

"I don't remember that." I scoffed.

"The second time you were in the zone was when you started dating Roselynn." Liam stated. "Although, that's over if she finds out about this..."

"Crap, man... She's probably gonna kill me..." I sighed, stressed the hell out.

"That's what you're all scared about?" Liam smirked. "As long as she doesn't find out, you're safe right? Just act like it never happened."

"I'm not like you, I can't just ignore this." I said.

"Well then, why not switch it up?" Liam suggested. "That way you won't hear any more marriage talk, right? All that stuff about soulmates and eternal love is bullshit. Married life sucks, man. You really want to go through the same shit I have?"

"I'm not like you. I don't want to sleep around. I just want life to say the same!" I insisted. I began to sigh once more. "What am I gonna do...? I didn't mean for any of this to happen..."

"If you're gonna whine, you shouldn't have done it, dumbass." Liam insulted.

"Well, no shit!" I replied. "I wish I could just live all carefree like you."

"Don't you realize there's nothing you can do, you schmuck?" he raised his eyebrow at me. "No matter how good you are to a woman, you never know if she'll stab you in the back."

Awkward silence.

"Well, if you're gonna ditch the new girl, hook me up. She's cute, right? You got a picture of her?" Liam pressed.

"Nice." I responded sarcastically. "No, I don't have her pic. She's not your type, anyway!" I grabbed a plate of sushi from the conveyer belt.

"C'mon, how do you know that!?" he pressed on.

"Because she's MY type!" I blurted. Oh god, oh no... Did I really blurt that out?? "Oh, uh... Damn it... I'm so screwed..." Liam just smirked.

"Hey, have you heard the rumor? About the dream where you're falling." a woman spoke.

"Huh? Who cares." I presume this is her boyfriend responding.

"Come on. If you fall and die in the dream, you'll die in real life. My friend's boyfriend almost died! Isn't that scary!?"

"Huh? How do you know? Were you able to see his dream?"

I just put my head down in defeat, I know exactly what that couple was talking about.

"Hey, you alright, man? You don't look so hot." Liam asked in concern.

"Oh... I guess I didn't really get that much sleep last night..." I replied.

"Obviously!" he quipped. "Anyway, you're way too freaked out over a one-night stand. Hey, you paying attention?" I just zoned out again. "Listen, man..."

0O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0OO0O

"Huh, I never saw the girl." Connor spoke.

"Whoa, really? I figured one of you guys told her to sit with me." I informed.

"Eh, if this girl was cute, we'd definitely remember." Liam remarked.

"You know... I gotta say..." Dylan said as he snacked on the nuts on the table. 'Because of you jerks... I never get a chance to date anyone..."

"If I was a ladies' man, I wouldn't be here every night with you guys..." Liam retorted. "Anyway, you dig the older chicks, don't ya?"

"Yeah, I want a woman who's, y'know, mature, stern, and has a nice pair of heels..." Dylan rambles.

"Whoa, man!" Connor exclaimed. "You're like that creepy guy in horror movies who tries too hard to be noticed."

"Shut up, I'm not like that!" Dylan fumed. "What's wrong with, y'know, having some good fun with someone older than I am!?"

"Hmmm? So, did I hear someone call for me?" Liliana chimed in, winking at Dylan.

"Oh, hey Liliana!" he greeted her.

"I've got a nice pair of stiletto heels I know how to use." she said teasingly.

"Whoa, Liliana." Connor said tartly.

"Okay, enough of that." Liliana said. "So have you guys heard about the "Woman's Wrath"? They say it targets cheating men and kills them. Or not."

"Which is it...?" Liam asked.

"W-Wait, what? What exactly is this "Woman's Wrath"?" I stumbled, pressing Liliana that question.

"Ah, you don't need to worry about it. You only care about your girl, Charlie." Liliana smiled.

"Oh, what are you talking about? This guy totally needs to know." Liam said.

"Cheating is pathetic." Dylan stated.

"I agree with Dylan. Pathetic." Connor deadpanned.

"Who are you calling pathetic!? Shut up and eat your peanuts!" I proceeded to throw a peanut at Dylan.

"Ow! My eye!"

"Huh, what!? You're cheating!? Weren't you talking about marriage?" Liliana pressed.

"Why don't you say it louder!? Seriously, stop yelling about cheating and shit! I think someone on the stone age didn't quite hear you!" I ranted.

"That's low, Charlie." Liliana commented in disappointment. "Lowest of the low..."

"Don't call me that!" I retaliated. "Now you know, so just leave me alone."

Liliana's mood begins to shift. "Well? Well? Come on, tell me about this girl!"

"Oh, god..." I spoke.

"Apparently, she's destiny-level cute." Liam explained as he winked.

"Cut that shit out!" I scoffed.

"Are you kidding? Finding your soulmate is awesome! I'm totally jealous!" Dylan chirped.

"You jackasses better not mention this to anyone outside the bar! I am serious." I warned.

"Dude, we know the drill." Connor said.

"Say, have you heard? It seems that Boss was a bit of a player back in the day and broke more than his share of hearts. You see how he's wearing those tacky sunglasses indoors? They say he's using those to hide his face."

"Haha... Yeah, right." I chuckled. Now really thinking about it, the boss looked like he was in his mid-twenties yet he said mentioned that he's been around for decades? I shrugged the thought off
.
"You're in hot water yourself, right? Maybe you should invest in some shades?" Liam remarked.

"Ha. ha. ha. Shut up! I'm done fooling around." I sneered.

"Oh, by the way! Prim's gonna play the piano starting today." Liliana announced.

I watched from the booth, looking at Prim about the play the piano waiting in anticipation, although a bit amateurish.

"What... was that?" Dylan spoke.

"Amateur hour." Connor deadpanned.

"Oh, don't say that. Prim's working really hard." Liliana lectured us.

Prim begins to approach me.

"Um... Charlie? What did you think of my performance?" she asked.

"Oh, it was, uh... great!" I responded, I didn't want to be mean to her since it was her first time performing. "It was great, really uh... unique." my bar friends proceeded to face palm at what I said.

"Thank you so much!" Prim beamed. "I was hoping to play a little better than that, but..."

"Don't worry about it! No one gets things perfect the first time around." I reassured her.

"I guess you're right... I'll have to keep practicing!" Prim replied.

"Yeah, if the bar doesn't go out of business by then." Dylan retorted. I flicked another peanut at him for being a rude asshole. "Ow!"

"Well, I'll see you later!" Prim waved as she walked away from me.

"See ya." I spoke.

Liam began to chuckle, "Well, nobody's perfect. I mean, if she's that cute, who cares, right?"

No one said anything and all Liliana did was sigh in disappointment.

"What's up with you, anyway?" Dylan asked. "Saving some cute girl from a stalker in the streets... Sounds like a daytime soap opera. That stuff doesn't really happen."

"Well it did, so give it a rest." I responded.

"Does that girl really have amnesia?" Liam asked.

"Liliana, you took her to the doctor, right? They find anything?" Connor asked.

"Not really... They think it's only temporary." Liliana responded. "But it must be hard when the only thing you remember is wanting to play piano."

"Hey, so are you two really neighbors now?" Liam questioned me.

"Yeah... The last guy just happened to move out." I replied.

"Better keep your hands off her." he retorted.

"Shut up, it's not like that. ...But you guys really came through for us." I stated with a slight smile.

"You know it!" Liliana winked. "Having Prim work here was a great idea, huh? We have you guys and even a police officer as customers."

"Not to mention, public spaces are a lot safer if she's really being stalked by someone." Connor remarked.

"Yeah." I agreed with Connor taking a drink of my rum and coke. After spending a few hours hanging with my bar buddies and catching up with conversations with everyone, I decided to go home for the night... Only for that blonde girl to wait for me again. Shit.

"Hey... Are you going home?" she asked.

"I have something to do." I responded.

"Uhh oh... Well, I'm glad I got to see you tonight." she smiled. "Be careful on your way home."

Chapter 34: The Uncommitted - Tortuous Spikes

Summary:

I decided to smush the nightmare and Charlie's daily life shenanigans together so it takes less chapter space-

I sit in my bed, drinking more alcohol as the thoughts of Roselynn finding out that I'm cheating on her plague me. Letting the conversations I heard from the last two days invade my mind.

"It's just... My mother's been calling me up and asking how we're doing."

"What, you don't wanna marry your girlfriend?"

"I don't just sleep around..."

"Charlie... what did you think of my performance?"

I decided to go to sleep for the night... Slowly shutting my eyes as I fall asleep...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Ah shit, here we go again. At the nightmare realm once more being surrounded by other sheep, aka other people like me.

As I went through the door I was greeted to some kind of torture chamber??? What the absolute hell is this??? "Ah, damn it... Again!? How long is this gonna go on? It's been every night now!"

I guess I have to start climbing now and they've added a new block which was a trap if I stand on it for too long, great... Why couldn't I just have normal dreams for once!? Hell, I could take dreams about being stuffed into an animatronic suit from my old job any day over this!

As I stepped on those "traps" spikes came out of them but they immediately broke from how rusty it was... Ick...

I've picked up some stuff that I might need for what's in store for me, the usual stuff.

...WHAT THE HELL!? Did I just witness someone getting impaled by the spikes!? It wasn't a pretty sight either... It was absolutely disgusting that I don't even *want* to describe what happened!

Although, I was a bit shaken up from what happened to that guy, I kept going and kept climbing.

I heard the bell ringing once again, phew... I just got to shape up and keep on climbing like hell. That's when I noticed another person getting impaled by the trap.

Holy *bleep!*ing shit... I've got to hurry and I DO NOT want to see another person get impaled thank you very much!

As I climbed more, I hit a sheep with my pillow causing him to fall downwards, oh god, did I actually... Kill someone in a dream!? Taking deep breaths, I promised myself no matter what happens I have to keep climbing and not look back. I have to. I must. I finally made it to the top.

"I made it..." I panted. But then the ground started to shake, "Whoa!!" I yelled out trying to keep my balance so I won't fall.

I saw the blocks below me fall in a rapid pace... Oh shit! Am I going to die now!? "Shit! It's collapsing!" I exclaimed. Then I heard someone playing the piano..
.
"Huh? That sound..." I spoke. It seems that the music made a barrier around me not just that, it made a barrier around the tower too. "Did the blocks stop falling!? Now's my chance!" I pulled the lever, proceeding to climb to the landing once more.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It was Prim! She was the one who saved me from falling to my death!

"What!? Umm... Prim? What are you doing here!?" I asked.

Prim made eye contact with me as she was playing the piano. "Oh! Hi, Charlie." she greeted as she temporally stopped playing the piano. "I'm not sure what's going on, but... I found this piano, so I just started playing it."

She notices me in my underwear and in my tank top. "What are you doing here? Is that your underwear?"

"D-Don't look at me like that!" I retaliated using my pillow to cover my underpants. Wait... Aren't I just a sheep to you?"

"A sheep? What do you mean?" Prim asked with confusion.

"Come to think of it, you're not a sheep either... What's going on?" I pressed her for answers. "No time for that! This place is bad! If you don't get outta here, you're gonna die!"

"Die...?" Prim's eyes go wide, then she takes a look around the other sheep. "I see... So that's why everyone's so scared. In that case..." She proceeds to play the piano again.

"I-I'm telling you, this is no time for piano!" I exclaimed.

"My music calms my heart. Even in a place like this. I'd like to share that feeling with everyone else..." Prim reminisced as she continued to play the piano. I see that she set that barrier again from her music.

"That song..." I spoke. "That's right... I heard it earlier, and then... and then the ground stopped crumbling... Was that because of Prim's playing?" I tried getting closer to her but she disappeared leaving behind feathers. "Prim?"

I made my way to the elevator, taking me to the next level.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Damn it... Those traps again..." I spoke.

"Charlie!" Prim called out to me.

"Prim!? Where are you?" I responded.

"Up here!" she exclaimed. "The ground below is falling... Please be careful!"

"Are you serious...? Gimme a break!" I exclaimed.

...Not even one second into the floor and already someone fell to their death... Carrying on, I quickly began to climb some more. Making staircases and avoiding traps.

Feeling a bit stuck from the predicament I was in, I decided to use the spare of blocks throwing it down and create new blocks for me to climb in.

I heard the bells ringing once more, I just gotta keep going! I reached the top at last! I have no time to waste and I climbed to the landing once more.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It seems that Prim playing the piano is calming everyone's nerves from climbing, heck it even calmed my nerves to be honest. Also is it just me or has Prim got better at playing the piano?

I made my way to the elevator and there was a note written in the elevator.

"You'll need to survive if you want to learn the truth. There are sheep that have persevered in the past. All the way up, on the eighth floor, is a Cathedral. It's said that those who reach that holy pinnacle will have the path of freedom opened unto them.
How you proceed from there... will be up to you. I can hear the voice of the one trying to take your life tonight."

What the hell does any of this mean!? Yes, I do want to find the truth behind this but this... Doesn't make any sense to me.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It looks like I'm going to be fighting again... And the stained glass this time was sheep being impaled just like what I saw earlier... I wonder who I'm going to have to face this time?

I heard a moan. "C'mon, man... What is it this time...?" I said. SOMETHING CAME FROM THE SHADOWS AND I DO NOT WANT TO DESCRIBE WHAT IT IS!!

Okay, fine, it was weird looking and it had a tongue! "S-Seriously, gimme a break... Ugh!" I gagged.

I did not want to fight that thing since it looked absolutely disgusting looking but I had to. I proceeded to hit that thing with my pillow then realized looking back last night... I hit Dylan with those peanuts. Perhaps if I used those peanuts it could cause some damage.

I took a peanut from the bag and proceeded to flick it at the beasts tongue, it's tongue proceeding to swell.

"Do you want some of this...~?" It looked like it had some charm spell on me, oh no... I must break free!

It proceeded to lick me with it's massive and swolen tongue... Euuggh... I've got to throw another peanut, so I did but this time, I threw it at it's eye. Ha, I never thought beasts like that would have a peanut allegry.

"Charlieeee~"

Nope, I am beating this thing with my pillow. It's saliva got on my pillow too, gross...

"Pleaaaasee give me more...~"

"Well, you're about to be dead as soon as I use my bible on you when I run to the exit door. So say your prayers you... Foul derriere beast!" I exclaimed, trying my best to sound brave. Jeez, now I sound like a wannabe knight from the middle ages...

Thankfully, I reached just in time for the exit before that beast got any closer to me.

"I get it now. Reaching the exit and opening that bible... Is crossing the finish line!" I realized.

I saw the beast getting closer and closer, I once again opened the bible, facing away from it's powerful light. "Stay away, damn it!" I exclaimed.

"I can't get enough~!"

"St-Stop it!" My face scrunches in fear and disgust, letting the light from the door and the bible penetrate the beast with the light. "J-Just go away, you monster!" the light was strong enough to make the beast disappear. G-Good riddance... That thing was disgusting...

"Yeah! Suck it! I win!! Hahaha!!!" I whooped as went through the exit door ending the nightmare.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I woke up letting out a sigh of relief from survivng another night of this nightmare. Is Roselynn with me... No, it was that girl once again laying next to me with her pajamas on.

"Roselynn?"

"Huh? Roselynn..." she spoke. "My name is Rosemary..."

Oh shit... What is she doing here? I thought I come home alone!

"Uhhh... Sorry, d-did I say something?" I asked.

"...Rosemary." she spoke.

"I did? Ah... hahaha... Well, uhh..." I tittered nervously.

"It's okay. But it's a bit embarrassing..." Rosemary giggled.

"...It is?" I asked.

"You haven't called me by my name before, have you?" Rosemary quizzed.

"Y-Your name...?" I stumbled on my words. Is her name also Rose?

"Rosemary!?"

"Hehe. What is it, Charlie~?" she asked giggling. Is this some kind of sick joke to her!?

"Huh... Uh... Nothing..." I responded feeling myself tensing up from the anxiety.

Are you *bleep!*ing kidding me!?

"...Hey, are you angry with me?" Rosemary asked with a hint of worry and concern on her tone and on her face, sitting up from the bed. "Sorry for coming by out of the blue..."

Wait... So she just crashed here?

"Well, I'm more surprised than angry..." I explained.

"I just... I thought you'd want to see me, Charlie..." she flirted.

"I..."

"Nah, just kidding!" Rosemary chirped while she wrapped her arms around my arm cuddling me. "I couldn't keep myself away from you!"

Oh no, not again. She has a tighter grip on me this time like I'm a parent trying to comfort a crying child.

"Last night was... amazing... It was the first time I've ever done... something like that." Rosemary breathed.

"Wh-What? W-Whoa, wait. What did I do?" I asked.

"You're gonna make me say it? You're so..."

"Whoa! Wait, wait... Time out, time out..." I shrugged my self away from Rosemary, placing my back against the wall.

"You've got ten seconds." Rosemary smirked.

"Okay, look... Why... me?" I asked.

"Hmm? ...Because I like you." She inches herself closer to me, while I try to back away the farthest I could. "...What about you, Charlie? What do you think about me?"

"I, uh..." I pondered the question for a bit. "I think you're really cute?"

"Hehe, thanks... What else...?" Rosemary asked.

"What else...?" What else is there for her and this predicament?

"Am I just "cute"?" Rosemary pressed in disappointment tilting her head.

"How do I put this... I'm kinda jealous of you... You seem to live however you want..." I explained.

"What do you mean? That's normal, isn't it? Charlie... You can live however you want, too..." She places her hands on my face, immediately sending me into a panic. "Just so long as you never think of cheating on me..."

"Ch-Cheating? Oh, um..." I take a deep breath, trying to explain myself. "Listen, Rosemary. There's something I've gotta tell you..."

Well, there goes that thought because she didn't want to hear any of it...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I've been wearing those sunglasses all day, even at work and even while hanging out with Roselynn today at the Live A Rabbit cafe.

"Come on..." Roselynn huffed.

I looked around, pretending not to hear her. She proceeds to take those sunglasses off from my face. "Hey..." I said in protest.

"You think you look good in those?" she asked criticizing me.

"Hehe... yes." I responded nervously. Roselynn did not look very amused and let out an annoyed sigh. "Quit joking around and listen. This is really important..." she scolded me.

"Oh, sorry..." I apologized.

"This month... I'm running really late." Roselynn carefully explained.

"Huh?"

"...I think I'm pregnant." She said with a smirk on her face.

I begin to panic, freaking out hardcore.

"Say something!" Roselynn demanded.

"Huh? Sorry, uh..." I spoke, trying to chug the coffee Roselynn ordered for me, sugar and all.

"...So, what are you thinking?" she asked.

So why am I sweating? I mean I-I have to take responsibility, right?

"Uhh..."

"Come on, say something!" Roselynn demanded getting more and more annoyed with me.

"Of-Of course, I'm happy, but..." I stammered.

"But!?" Roselynn fumed.

"This is great!" I said trying to fake my excitement.

"So you're happy... That's good to hear. Ahaha... To be honest, I was a little worried. It's so hard to tell what you're thinking sometimes..." Roselynn said with both relief and a bit of worry.

"Oh, don't worry about me! I mean, yeah, it's surprising...! B-But it's not like you're sure of anything yet... right?" I asked.

"Well, yeah." She said, placing a hand on her dark purple hair.

I heard my phone ring, "Gah!" I yelled in startlement. "Huh?" I opened my phone, it was a phone call.

"Go ahead, answer it." Roselynn said sweetly.

"Huh? Oh... Okay." I said hesitantly. I answered the phone call. "Hello?"

"Oh, hello! It's me." Oh god, it's Rosemary, I got to pretend that this is one of my coworkers I dislike so much.

"Ahhhh, hello! Thank you for calling!"

"Hahaha, what are you doing?"

"Hah! Hahaha... ha..."

"Hey, I'm in the area. You think we can meet up?"

"Yeah, that's going to be a little difficult... Uhh..."

"Huh? You mean you can't? Where are you right now?"

How'd she get my number!? I've got to hang up or she'll suspect something...

"W-What's that? Hello? Y-You're breaking up!" I ended the call. "Oh! Hah..."

"What was that?" Roselynn asked.

"Huh? Oh, just a call from work. Said something about a bug? But it got cut off... Y'know the reception isn't very good in the office. But didn't sound urgent so..." I tried to explain.

"Not that, your phone! Did you get another one!?" Roselynn continued to press for answers from me.

"Huh?" I took out my red cell phone. "...Oh, this? Yeah, the new model came out next week, so..."

"It hasn't been that long since you got your old one. You could have still used it. Didn't you buy a new computer a little while ago, too? You always throw your money away..." Roselynn began to lecture me.

"I..." I stammered again.

"You're going to have to watch yourself from now on. ...You know what I mean, right?" She asked.

"Right, sorry..." I apologized again.

"Well... it's okay, since you've been working hard... After all, I might have to take maternity leave..." Roselynn forgave.

"Yeah... You might, huh?" I asked.

"Oh, but I plan to go back to work after having the baby. We'll just have to split up the housework, okay?" Roselynn said. My phone was vibrating again, trying to decline the call. "You can't throw your clothes everywhere anymore!"

"Oh... Okay..." I said dejectedly.

"Also..."

I begin to zone out, hearing the voices I heard about the nightmare last night so I couldn't pick up on anything Roselynn is trying to say to me.

"...So you need to make sure you're saving up. And all your late-night drinking isn't cheap, you know. So, I'll be handling all our bank accounts." she continued to lecture taking a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, goody!" I heard a familiar voice... IT WAS ROSEMARY'S! "You're still serving lunch!" I spat out my drink. I turned around and saw a blonde girl, wearing sliver and white, with pigtails on. "Ummm... I'll have the summer squash pasta..."

I begin to cough pretending that I'm sick.

That voice!

"Hey! Listen to me!" Roselynn slammed her hands on the table yelling at me, proceeding to stab her cake with a fork in a threatening matter.

"I-I'm listening!" I stammered whimpering in fear. "Mmm, m-my stomach hurts, really bad, so I'm gonna go to the bathroom..." I held my stomach pretending that I have a stomachache, not to mention, I felt like I was going to fart from the tension of it all.

"Charlie... You've been acting weird today." Roselynn stated.

"Huh? N-N-No, I'm fine! I'm fine, really!" I exclaimed.

"No, I don't mind being in the smoking section." Rosemary chirped.

"Ah, hey... is this the smoking section?" I asked.

"Huh? Well, yeah..." I begin to freak out again. "Oh, right. You've got to quit smoking, too. It's not good for the child." Roselynn lectured again.

"Bathroom! Gotta go! Right now!" I ran out from the table holding my stomach.

"I'll ask my parents when they'll be available!" Roselynn said.

I didn't even bother, I just ran out of the cafe avoiding contact with everyone.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Ugh... That was a *bleep!*in' close one." I noticed that Prim's apartment door was open.

"Priiim, you in there? You left your door open." I asked, when I peaked through the apartment I saw an assortment of stuffed animals and dolls. I sighed, letting myself in, after all, I gotta make sure Prim is okay.

I also noticed a piano in her apartment too, not only that, I noticed Prim laying on the floor she's... asleep... Like a cat?

She woke up from sensing me coming in her apartment, "Oh...! Good mornin-- Ow!" she hit her head on the piano.

"Whoa, you okay? Be careful down there." I comforted Prim.

"I must have been so tired, I just..." Her face lights up as of she was remembering something. "Oh yeah! Last night was really something, huh?"

I begin to back away, "U-Uhhh. L-Last night!? Y-You heard it...? Okay, uhhh... I can explain this. It's... uh... it's not what you think... I'm not that kinda guy. Or I mean... I don't even know what happened..." I begin to stammer.

"You don't... remember?" Prim asked.

"Well... Y'know... I've... Hahaha, been kinda forgetful lately... And uh... Ahem. Anyway! Can we talk about this room?" I tried to change the subject.

"...Is something wrong with it?" Prim asked again.

"Not "wrong" I just mean... What IS all this? Like... like that thing. Wh-What is that thing?" I pointed at something that looks like a high striker from fairs or carnivals, that's when I noticed that Prim's face lit up even more.

"Oh, that? At nighttime, all those lights turn on! It's really pretty!" Prim gushed. "Oh, and that one wiggles when you sing to it! It makes me feel better when I'm down." She was referring to one of her stuffed animals.

"Well... I mean, I guess that's what the piano is for, right?" I asked.

"Sometimes I don't even have the energy for that." Prim explained while holding a stuffed cube on her hands. "These things make me happy just by looking. They're my treasures."

"You don't say..." I was got intrigued by Prim's enthusiasm. "Well, come to think of it, I used to collect those ninja sheep erasers I got in my cereal. Ah, they might not have looked like much, but I sure did love the damn things. My parents didn't, though. One day, they just threw them all in the trash." I reminisced about my childhood to her.

"That's-- That's so sad... Only you should get to say what's important to you." Prim sighed. "I know! I'll give you one of mine! The tip lights up on that one!" she chirped.

"No, it's fine." I refused, after all I'm 32 years old. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"Are you sure? I want to share my happiness with you." Prim insisted.

"Haha... You're an odd one, Prim." I walked over to the stool of the piano and sat on it. "And yet... it's kind of a breath of fresh air... Never met anyone quite like you before."

Prim walks over to me with her hands behind her back. "Sooo... what kind of people HAVE you known?" she asked with curiosity.

"Well, y'know... People tellin' me to be a man, to grow up... Just a lot of people tryin' to push their values onto me, y'know." I explained.

Prim just giggled and said, "I think they're the odd ones. No one can tell you how to live your life, Charlie."

"...Yeah." I agreed with Prim. "Oh, right. Here. You'll need a way to stay in touch with Liliana, right?" I handed her my old cell phone. "Well, there's my old cellphone. You know how to use it?" I asked. Prim was just opening and closing the phone just like a child who discovered something for the first time. When she looked at me, she simply shook her head meaning that she doesn't know how to use a cell phone.

"Here, lemme show ya." I started explaining how to use a cellphone to Prim. "Uh, okay. You see this? You press this button here... And then you..."

A few moments later.

"All right, you got it all set up? Why don't you, uh... Why don't you try sending me a text." I instructed her and she did just that immediately.

"Oh, look. There it is. Hm? Primro... P-Primro...? Primrose?"

"I'm not sure about the spelling, but... um, that's the name I remember." Prim explained.

Wait... When she told me her name, did I only hear the first part!?

"Ahaha... oh, I see. So you're another one... Hahaha... Ahahaha--okay..." I laughed nervously.

"Is something wrong?" Prim asked.

"No, no... But, uh, Prim is easier to say, so can I keep calling you that?" I asked.

"Of course!" She chirped.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"At the cafe? Haha... That's a close call." Liam said.

"I can't believe she didn't catch you." Connor said.

I just had my head down...

"Dude, is she really pregnant!?" Dylan pressed.

"If she is, your life is completely screwed... And I mean SCREWED." Liam said.

"It's not screwed yet! I mean, nothing's set in stone!" I exclaimed.

"So then, what'd you tell her?" Connor asked.

"Who's the father?" Dylan sneered.

"I told her I was happy to hear about it." I explained.

"Doesn't look like you're happy at all." Connor observed.

"This is all getting too much for me, y'know..." I explained once more.

"So you're finally tying the knot. Congrats, Papa." Liam congratulated me with a sarcastic tone while winking at me. "Get ready to kiss your wife's ass for the rest of your natural born life. No going out late, no liquor, no smoking, no gambling. And no relaxing on weekends, because you've gotta take care of the kids!"

"Really...? Daaaaaaaang... That sounds really tiring..." Dylan complained.

Liliana walked over to us again. "Hey you guys, quit filling his head with doom and gloom."

"Liliana!" Dylan exclaimed while clapping his hands together.

"C'mon, cheer up. Raising a nice, happy family is supposed to be a good thing, right?" Liliana asked.

"Hahaha... A happy family... Never had one of those before... I can't see it." I said.

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one." Liam added.

"That's irrelevant. It's just because of the way you two grew up." Connor said. "So, Charlie... What's this "weird dream" you said you had? We'll listen to you tonight."

"Weird dream?" Liliana puzzled.

"Why're you asking now...?" I asked. "...I really can't remember it, anyway."

"You don't...?" Connor asked.

"I was attacking something chasing me... I-I don't know, it was scary..." I explained.

"Hmmm... Sounds common to me." Liam stated.

"Hey, excuse me..."

"Yeah, and you feel like you didn't get any sleep at all that night, right?" Liliana asked.

"Excuse me."

A man with long white hair, wearing a suit and wearing sunglasses showed up beside Liliana That's Boss by the way.

"Oh, what're you doing here?" Liliana pressed.

"Did you people know...? The reason you're taught as a child to count sheep so you'll fall asleep is..." Boss tried to explain.

"Yeah, yeah. "Sheep" rhymes with "sleep" or something." Liliana sassily interrupted.

"Ah, sorry." Boss apologized bowing his head.

"Hey, Boss, another rum and cola, please!" I ordered, but he walked away and he couldn't hear me.

"Hey, don't be so rough on the guy." Liam scolded. "He's just a little shy."

"Anyway, you're having these weird dreams because you're cheating." Liliana explained.

"Yeah, I get that, but..."

"Besides, Roselynn might be pregnant, right!?" Liliana stated.

"Ugh... You don't need to remind me of that!" I protested.

"It is in a man's basest instincts to cheat. Here you go. Enjoy." Boss said as he handed me my rum and coke order.

"Yeah. Set it down and walk away." I ordered.

"It's about what happens now. Well, have fun while you still can." Liam smirked.

There was some news on TV, I guess we're changing the subject now.

"Heard those two used to date each other." Liam said.

"Ace and Chloe?" Connor asked.

"What!? No way..." Dylan exclaimed.

"Well, same-sex couples are pretty common these days." Liliana said.

"That's not what I mean! When two chicks pair up, that's two less fish in the sea for me!" Dylan whined.

"Aww, were you seriously thinking of dating 'em?" Liam asked while giving him fake sympathy.

"I'm just saying." Dylan retorted.

Liliana just sighed. "Hey, Prim!" Prim just walked over to Liliana.

"What do YOU think about same-sex couples?" She asked.

"Um... Is it a big deal? I guess I never thought about it that much. As long as you love each other... that's all that matters, isn't it?" Prim responded.

We all collectively agreed with what Prim said.

"I think it's sweet. Isn't it, Dylan?" Liliana said batting her eye at Dylan.

"I told you, I like girls! You too, right, Charlie!?" Dylan defensively asked.

"Huh? I mean, yeah..." I said.

"Well, you ARE dating one. Or two." Connor deadpanned.

"Shut up." I muttered.

"What am I gonna do with you guys..." Liliana sighed.

After another night of drinking and catching up with everyone in the bar, I decided to retire for the night.

"Hey! Are you going home!?" Rosemary asked.

"I have something to do." I responded.

"Already!? Ugh... Well, bye bye, Charlie." Rosemary said in a passive aggressive matter.

Chapter 35: The Uncommitted - Baby Trouble

I lie myself in bed, letting the stuff said to me play in my head once more like a cassette tape. I take a puff of my cigarette trying to go to sleep.

"We can't just... stay the same...?" I spoke to myself.

"You're going to have to watch yourself from now on. You know what I mean, right? Oh, but I plan to go back to work after having the baby. We'll just have to split up the housework, okay? You can't throw your clothes everywhere anymore. And all your late night drinking isn't cheap you know. So, I'll be handling all our bank accounts."

I drink two cans of beer trying to drown out the voices... I winded up sleeping on my desk.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It looks like tonight the sheep and I are going to deal with the Inquisition. ...Whatever that is. Either way, I made the promise to keep looking forward no matter what. We all went through that door, beginning another nightmare.
"What is this place...?" I spoke. It looks some kind of church... Great another one of these churches. I picked up the usual items again, and I began to climb once more. I encountered some... Er... Chunky guard sheep. They look they're about to fight me with spears and shields. Nothing I can beat with my handy pillow.

Shit, I'm getting bombarded by these guys... Nothing that summoning blocks can handle. One of them got on top the block I was trying to climb on so I pulled that block towards me, causing the chunky sheep to fall a block beneath, I immediately trapped the sheep with the block. That'll teach ya a lesson from messing with Charlie!

Alright, I'm almost there, but there was heavier blocks I can push it making a staircase with it. I'm hearing the bells once more. Just gotta keep going and keep my head high. Now thinking about it, I'm getting the hang of it.

I pulled the lever and I climbed towards the Landing.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Ah, Prim's here playing her piano. I proceeded to approach her.

"Charlie! I'm so glad you were able to make it up again!" Prim said happily.

"I've come pretty far, huh? Thanks to you." I smiled.

"Huh? What did I do?" Prim asked.

"You told me that the one who can decide how to live my life... is me. I never thought of it that way before. I just assumed things were off-limits before I even considered them. So now, I finally decided that I'm just gonna go for it. I've got this. The other sheep and I... We'll make it through." I replied.

"Heh, I really like that about you, Charlie." Prim smiled. "Um... Can I be by your side, cheering you on?"

"Of course, that'd be a big help." I beamed.

I walked up to that talking sheep who was just in front of the elevator.

"Damn it..." The sheep said.

"Hey, you..." I said to the talking sheep.

"Me...? What?" He asked.

"It IS you! You taught me a lot before...! It's me! Whew... I didn't see you yesterday, so I thought you were done for." I exclaimed.

"Tch. I won't die. Not until I see her again..." The sheep chided.

"Wait... Is your family down here!?" I asked.

"Yeah, right. Don't you get it...? It's only men that get thrown down here." The sheep said with annoyance.

"What...!?" I chocked out.

"Why are you worrying about other people? Save your own ass and get outta here!" he scolded me.

I didn't want to object since he's trying to escape from here as much as I am so without any complaints I stepped inside the elevator, finding another note inside.

"Once you're past this floor, you will be halfway through. This is the punishment you had coming to you. I do feel a little bad, though... The one who dropped you into this place speaks to you on a daily basis as if they don't know anything. While laughing behind your back."

It's great to hear that I'm nearly halfway through this nightmare but... Who in the hell brought me here? I just about had enough of this cryptic nonsense.

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Here I go again, in a stain glass platform... I couldn't quite make it out the pictures in the glass other than the crying smaller sheep I guess?

"Dahhhhh..."

"...Huh!?" What the hell was that!?

A giant baby emerges from the shadows.

"Daaaaaaaaaddyyyy!" it yelled.

"Uwaaah!?" I shrieked in fear. "Yeaaaah, that's not creepy at all!" I said as I tried to back away from this enormous baby.

"Daddy..."

"You serious!?" I exclaimed, as I tried running to the edge of the platform. "Stay away from meeeee!"

"I will not let you die!" Prim exclaimed as she put a barrier around me.

Thank god Prim is here... Because of her and I can face this... Giant child.

I begin to beat the giant with my pillow as usual taking a bit of damage. The giant child began to throw a tantrum banging it's hands on the glass platform, trying to make me lose my balance. Jeez, this child is the worst man!

"Don't leave me!" The giant cried.

Oh god, why does my stomach feel weird all of a sudden...

"Dadddddyyyyyyyy!!"

The sensation gets worse and worse until...

"Why are you attacking meeeeee!?"

I let out a fart throwing the giant baby against the wall. Did... That actually work? Holy crap that giant baby actually started to get weaker and weaker. So I continued to beat it with my pillow. Now thinking about it, I almost farted in front of Roselynn but, it's a dream so anything can happen.

At this point, I reached the exit door once again. "All right...! I made it...!" I exclaimed, I took out the bible ready to open it.

"Daaaaaaadddddddyyyyy!!!"

"Not again!?" I groaned, I opened the bible, the over powering light began to surround the demonic child. "Get back, you hellspawn!!" I yelled, facing away from the bible from it's light.

"Dahhh!"

"Stay away from meeeeee!!!" I yelled squeezing my eyes shut.

"Daaaaaaaaaaddyyyy!!!" The bible released it's power again, that gigantic demonic baby thing is no more!

"I... I did it... It's gone! Woo-hoo!! Yeah, baby! I beat this night!" I whooped as I ran to the exit door ending tonight's nightmare.

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Huh... I'm lying on my bed... Last time I checked, I passed out on my desk last night.

"...So, what did you want to talk about?" Rosemary asked. Ohh, riiiiiight. Rosemary. She walked over to me wearing her usual pajamas.

"What are you doing here!? Ugh!" I exclaimed, holding my head.

"Are you okay? Did you drink too much last night?" Rosemary questioned me with concern, sitting next to me in my bed. "You called me over, and you don't even remember..."

I took a look at my cell phone, opening it. "Huh... No way. I mean, yesterday, I-I..." I tried to explain but I just let out a sigh of 'I'm screwed'.

"What's wrong? You're acting weird." Rosemary coaxed me.

"...Weird? ...Me? God, why can't I remember the time I spend with you...? It's like the important parts are missing..." I rambled.

"Oh, I remember them, though." Rosemary purred and then let out a giggle.

"E-Er, well... I-I wonder why..." I pondered.

"Silly." Rosemary smiled. Suddenly I heard Prim playing the piano in her apartment.

"Ughhh, that piano is so annoying..." Rosemary complained as she covered her ears.

"Huh? You think?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"My head hurts just listening to it!" Rosemary snarked. Then suddenly, the piano music stopped playing.

"Hm? What's this long hair?" She has a strand of plum purple long hair! T-That's Roselynn's...! What should I do...? Should I just tell her...? No... I can't let her find out like this...

"Oh! That's... mine! Probably off my chest. You know, manly! Hahaha...!" I admitted.

"Huh!? Your chest!? Really...?" Rosemary cringed.

"Yeah! Yeah... Y-You know! It's, uh, that... You know when sometimes a long purple hair grows on your body, i-it's good luck?" I spluttered.

"But this is like, really long..." Rosemary objected.

"Yeah, I was... growing it out! Guess it just fell out by itself. Good thing, too! It's bad luck if you pull it out yourself, y'know?" I spilled.

"Oh, really?" she proceeds to get on top of me. "...It's not from another girl, is it, Charlie?" she pressed me for answers. I... I felt like I was being interrogated.

"Nooo... Wh-Why would you say that?" I asked.

"You know, because if it is... I'm going to die right here." She explained as she cups her hands onto my face.

"H-H-Hey, knock it off with all the dying stuff, 'kay?" I said nervously.

"Then, I'll kill you." Rosemary smirked.

"Wha--!?"

"I die or I kill you... Which would be better?" Rosemary was looking straight to my eyes, hell, she even looked like she's going to strangle me at anytime.

"Hey... C'mon, whoa whoa whoa...!" She hesitated for a second after she heard me cry out in protest.

"Fine, I'll give you... five seconds! If you don't answer me, I'll kill you!" Rosemary provoked. "One... Two..."

"Huhhh?" Why is she counting all of a sudden!?

"Threeeeeee... Fouuuuuuuur..."

"Hey...! Come on, come on... Quit fooling around..." I shuddered as I placed my hands on her arms stopping her from what she's doing.

"Fiiiiiiiveee..."

"There's no other girl! You're imagining things!" I exclaimed.

"Hmmm.... ...Is that the truth?" Rosemary asked.

"Of course it is...!" I responded.

"Hmmmmmm..." She hummed out, I let out whimpers of fear as she continued to hum. "...Okay, I trust you!" she chirped.

"Th-Thanks..." I let out a sigh of relief, releasing her arms from my hands. God, she's scary like this... Is she gonna pull a knife on me one day or something...? There is no "one day!" I've got to do something about this relationship...

"I'm not going to ask you about the past. It doesn't matter. But from now on... If you ever cheat on me... I'll be angry." Rosemary scoffed.

"U-Uh... Haha... Okay... uh..." she held my hands, and then proceeded to bite my neck like she was some kind of rapid animal. "Agh!" I cried out in pain.

We both hear the apartment door bell ring. "...You don't have to get that, do you?" Rosemary asked.

"Wh-Wh-Whoa, wait-- Hold on!" I stammered. I heard the door unlock and I rushed to the door pushing Rosemary away. "Hey!" she yelled in protest. I rushed to my door. ...It was Roselynn!

"What the heck? Whys this locked!? Unchain this door!" Roselynn demanded.

"Uh, sure. Hold a second!" I exclaimed nervously. I closed the door on her, pressing my head against the door.

"Who's that?" Rosemary asked, standing behind me. Roselynn began to pound at the door.

"It is... my landlady. She was trying to open the door..." I explained.

"Hmmm... The land lady?" Rosemary began to grow suspicious.

"Yeah, I forgot to pay my rent last month. You know how it is with money. Hahaha..." I laughed it off nervously, still hearing Roselynn pounding at the door.

"You've gotta be kidding... I'm gonna use the bathroom." Rosemary excused herself.

I proceeded to unchain my apartment door, and I was greeted with Roselynn aggressively opening the door wide open.

"What the hell, Charlie!? What is this!?" she yelled as she pointed at me.

"Will you keep it down!" I whispered.

"Huh?"

"One of my bosses is here..." I whispered trying to to talk in a low voice.

"...Huh? Really...?" Roselynn asked.

"Not the best time for you to be..." I floundered.

"Maybe I should at least say hello...!" Roselynn said.

I shook my head in protest, feeling the anxiety kick in. "He gets really grumpy if you wake him up... He's sleeping in the back..." I warned
.
"Well if you really think it would--" Before Roselynn could say anything else she was interrupted by the sound of the toilet flushing. I could see Roselynn shifting her body to see what was going on.

"He's awake?" she asked.

I firmly placed my hands on Roselynn's shoulders. "Hurry up!" I shrieked. "Outside! Go, go, go, go!" I pushed her outside. "Hey!" she yelled in protest. I closed the apartment door behind me.

"Sorry... I'm really sorry..." I apologized. "I just wanted to protect you from the smell..."

"Huh?"

"He really smells... you know... And he was drinking last night..." I explained.

"O-Oh... Really?" Roselynn questioned.

"Yeah, I'm glad I got you out in time..." I said. "We're not that close, but he kind of forced his way in while he was drunk..."

"Oh... Well, he IS your boss, huh?" Roselynn responded.

"Yeah he is..." I replied to her.

"You just seemed really stressed, so I came to see how you were doing." Roselynn said in concern.

"Thank you, Come by after work, and I'll complain some more." I said while humoring her.

"Oh, I got you something from the new shop that opened up." Roselynn explained as she has a box in hand ready to hand it to me.

"Ohh yeah...?"

"Here." She handed the pink box to me. "...I'll see you later." she then walked off with her hands crossed and then stopped to turn to me. "Oh, and... I am pregnant. I... just wanted you to know."

Seriously...!? Was that why you really came here...? I need to make up my mind quick...

"You don't know how that makes me feel. Seriously." I faked a smile.

Roselynn looked... Kind of dejected from my response. "See ya..." she walked off.

She noticed Prim but she hid herself in her apartment door.

"Oh, she moved in recently. Works at the bar with Liliana, plays the piano." I explained to Roselynn.

"Hmm... Isn't she cute." Roselynn smiled at Prim. "Well, bye." When she left I let out another sigh of relief.

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I decided to hide in the restroom of my workplace, gathering my thoughts, I got a voicemail from Roselynn.

"We still need to meet my parents and tell them. Oh, and we have to pick a name... But that might be rushing things. I'll text you the details later. I gotta go." the message ended.

"Ugh..." I groaned.

"Meeting the parents... Am I just gonna sit here and let this happen?" I spoke to myself. My phone began to ring again. "Mm? Whoa!" It was a picture of Rosemary. "God, look at her... Oh mann... Would ya look at those? What am I doing!? I can't look away... No, no! I've made up my mind, I can't let her tempt me... Shit, if she finds out, I am screwed... I've gotta do something quick... No time to think about the future... But... Still... Who IS this girl?" I rambled to myself, hell, I felt my eyes are getting baggier and baggier the more I had these nightmares.

"Look out! It's the bathroom ghooooooooooooost!" ...That was Liam.

"You're late!" I exclaimed.

"Did you see the movie where that guy was, y'know--"

"Shut up, asshole, and just give me some toilet paper please!" I pleaded.

"Well, quit mumbling! I can't concentrate in here!" Liam retorted.

I took out my phone again, glancing at Rosemary's photo. "Still, this girl..."

"Wha... Girl!?" Liam exclaimed. He proceeds to knock at my stall. "Hey! What're you looking at in there!? I wanna see!"

I begin to think about Rosemary. "Aw, shit... What am I thinking? This can't go on any longer. I have to tell her to stop." I said as I closed my cell phone.

"Dude, do not delete that picture!" Liam uttered.

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Liam and I are at Kappa Heaven after work for lunch.

"...So? You still doing the Two-Timing Tango?" he asked.

"Don't say it like that! It wasn't on purpose!" I replied.

"Well, if she IS pregnant, you've gotta bite the bullet." Liam said cryptically.

"Yeah, you're only saying that 'cause it's not you..." I sassed.

"Hey, man, variety's the spice of life. You need to enjoy it more!" Liam jested, winking at me. "Just like the wasabi-coated sushi they serve here, y'know what I'm saying, bro?"

"You suck at metaphors..." I scoffed.

"What I'm saying is, you've got options ahead of you." He said as he took a plate of sushi from the covyerbelt.

"Well, yeah." I responded.

"Maybe Roselynn'd be happier as a single mom than she would be with you." Liam insinuated.

"What are you, drunk!? No, she wouldn't want that!" I protested.

"Well, what exactly do you want here?" Liam pressed.

I just let out an annoyed sigh. "My mind and heart don't exactly agree on that..."

"Uh huh." Liam responded in a sarcastic way. "Then you got to be even more careful. if you're caught, you can't call it an "accident" anymore.

"I know! I know." I exclaimed.

"Accidents, huh... More and more of em' lately. The old guy next door to me kicked the bucket."

"I heard! Shocker, huh? But he always did like to party."

"Probably partied too hard. He had his horrible look on his face..."

"Really? It's like that stuff on the news..."

I proceeded to drink from my cup.

"Anyway. Have some maguro. It's supposed to be good for your circulation." Liam said as he put down a plate of sushi next to me.

"Huh?"

"You're as pale as a ghost, man..." Liam insisted.

"Oh..."

"...You going to the bar tonight?" Liam asked.

"Huh? Maybe. You?" I replied.

"Nah, I have to pass today... Got overtime. But I guess all you can do is drink and forget, huh." Liam explained.

"...Pretty much." I said.

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"Enough with the shitty piano! You're makin' my ears bleed! Why don'tcha come play with me instead?" A drunk man asked Prim.

"Sorry, I'm in the middle of a performance..." she said directly.

"Huh!? You're gonna talk back to me too!? All you bitches need to shut up and do what I say." The drunk man yelled slurring his words.

"Excuse me... but are you in charge of how other people live their lives?" Prim glared at the man.

"...Wh-What's your problem? Ugh... You stupid..."

Hearing enough of this drunk man mess with Prim, I decided to step in. "Hey. Why don't ya give it a rest."

"Huh!?"

"I don't know what you're goin' through... but don't take it out on her. Besides... Tryin' to make other people change is pointless. I mean... I'm not one to talk, but I'm tellin' ya, if you want your life to improve, then it's up to you to--" before I could lecture this guy, he passed out on the floor, beginning to snore. "Was he even listening!?"

I let out a sigh... I don't think he was listening a word I had to say. "Anyway... You okay, Prim?" I asked her.

"Yeah, Thank you." Prim chirped.

"Don't waste your breath on guys like him. But man, you say some thought-provokin' stuff. It's like you've got a whole 'nother perspective. Philosophically, I mean." I explained to Prim.

"Really...? I think you;re pretty amazing yourself. You always lift people up when they're down..." Prim said in a fond tone.

"Haha... Do I? I mean, I've given people a lotta things to complain about... But, y'know... Hearing that from you makes me kind of feel like--"

My mind begins to flash about Prim. Huh!? What the... Did we... meet somewhere else?

"Ugh... Damn it, I'm just confusing myself." I complained, suddenly I felt Prim holding my hand.

"Charlie... I'll be waiting for you. Don't forget, okay?" Prim looked at me giving me a sweet smile.

"Y-Yeah, sure. I'll be here tomorrow." I promised her. I decided to head out for tonight, and I noticed Liliana walking towards me.

"Wow, you don't look so hot... You should go home and get some rest." she suggested.

"I know." I responded to Liliana. "Oh yeah, about my bill..."

"Yeah, put it on your tab, right? I know, I know." It's like Liliana read my mind. "Anyway, just make sure you get home safely, okay? With all the rumors and the bad news going around..."

"Bah, you worry too much, Liliana. I'll be fine. See you soon!" I walked out of the bar, will I truly be fine? Or is this a false narrative?

Chapter 36: The Uncommitted - On Thin Ice

I feel the dread as I lay there on my bed, I'm barely getting any sleep thanks to these nightmares. Hearing the voices in my head play out from this morning to when I left the bar for tonight.

"It's not from another girl... is it, Charlie?"

"We still need to meet my parents and tell them."

"No one can tell you how to live your life, Charlie."

Am I falling for three different women...? And If I am then I would be double... no, triple screwed if that were the case...

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I woke up once more in the nightmare realm with the other sheep, however I did notice that there was significantly less sheep than last night and even when I first started this endless nights of nightmares. My assumption is that they probably died in their sleep. I wonder what this nightmare has in session for me. I went through the door beginning the nightmare...

As I entered the stage, I noticed that it was colder than the other stages. "Huh, snow...!?" I begin to feel a shiver down my spine due to the fact I was literally wearing my boxers and my tank top. "...Shit, it's cold! I, I-I, I'm gonna freeze to death..." I shivered complaining about the temperature.

And to make things worse, there was ice blocks! I'm barefoot! This isn't funny anymore! I begin to climb the tower, careful not to slip on the ice blocks because I did, I would fall to my death, and I do not want to go down like that. I noticed that the bible, the summoning blocks, and the energy drink are already in my inventory meaning that I don't have to pick them up anymore.

I noticed another new block... Is it a trampoline!? I stepped on the block, hopped on it and it sent me to the next tower where a sheep was standing on. You know, that block was pretty fun and it reminded me of a time where I rented a bounce house for my 25th birthday and Liam, Liliana, and Roselynn where jumping inside of it, trying to reach the emergency exit.

"Stoooooooopp!!" I just saw a sheep fall to his death, he must've slipped. I got on top of another trampoline block and it sent me to the next tower, you know, if those trampoline blocks were a thing back then when I started these damn nightmares, I would have a hella of an easier time! But I digress.

I stood on top of an ice block "Whoa! It's cold!" I exclaimed and tripped sliding me to a trampoline block. Well, that sure brings dragging ass to a whole new level, doesn't it. But thank god I stopped slipped when I stepped on a trampoline block. My ass felt like it was freezing.

I hopped on it taking me to the next tower above. Where in the hell was this when I first started out!? Seriously! I kept on climbing and trapping under sheep under the block beneath them. Not killing them, but just to mess with them.

When I tried to make a staircase two blocks were about to fall on me but thankfully I slipped I started sliding toward a normal block. Whew, that was a close one! I was almost a *bleep!*ing goner. I heard the bells ringing once more... I'm almost done.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed as I hit a sheep letting him fall to the block below me. I feel a bit bad though but I think the sheep will be fine.

Finally, I reached the top! I pulled the lever and I started climbing towards the landing.

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When I arrived, I immediately approached Prim who was playing the piano, but she looked upset.

"Prim, what's wrong? You don't look so good." I asked in concern.

"I... I saw it happen. I saw someone fall... Someone who liked my music... I felt so helpless... Are there things I just have no control over?" Prim replied.

I went silent for a moment, letting Prim vent to me.

"I'm scared. Thinking about you disappearing..." Prim cried.

I just put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll make it through, no matter what."

"Charlie..." Prim sobbed. "Please, be careful, okay?"

"I will, don't worry, Prim." I comforted Prim.

"I'm... I'm just so glad you're here, Charlie..." Prim continued to sob, tears beginning to form from her eyes.

"Are you crying?" I asked in concern.

"More and more people have gone missing... I was so worried you weren't going to make it..." she tearfully explained.

"Prim..." I looked at her in sadness.

"When I'm waiting here... a lot goes through my mind. Like... Maybe I could have saved them if I was better at playing piano..." Prim began to sob harder. "Maybe... Maybe I'm not trying hard enough..."

I once again place a hand on Prim's shoulder, "Hey, don't say that! You're doing great." I smiled reassuringly.

"But... I..." Prim sniffled.

"So many people would have died without you. You've gotta believe in yourself!" I consoled Prim.

"...You're a good person, Charlie. Even with everything going on, you still care about others..." Prim smiled sadly, drying her tears.

"It's nothing, I just... I'm not gonna die in a place like this. 'Cause mopin' around just makes it even harder to survive." I assured.

"Yeah... You're right. I definitely can't cheer anyone up if I'm just standing here feeling sad. All right, then... I'll keep going with a smile!" Prim beamed. "I'm not going to sulk anymore. I grow stronger every day, just by being with you."

"Me too. Being around you gives me so much more confidence." I praised.

"You're amazing, Charlie. Encouraging everyone, even in a place like this." Prim smiled.

"Ehhh... They may look like sheep, but that doesn't bother me anymore. What's important is who they are on the inside." I said.

"...On the inside..." Prim muttered.

"Yep, all there is to it." I assured once more.

"You're... right! You really are incredible, Charlie!" Prim agreed while she was praising me.

"Wait. R-Really?" I asked.

"After meeting you... I feel like I can play my music the way I've always imagined. You're such an amazing person." Prim beamed.

"Tch. What did I do? You worked hard to get where you are." I stated.

"Saving me when I'm in danger... Cheering me up when all hope seems lost... ...That's not fair." Prim chuckled. "Oh, I almost forgot. I wrote some lyrics to cheer you on. I'll sing it to show you my gratitude. Go, go! Fight! Fight!"
"Th-Thanks." I smiled.

That motivated me more than ever. I proceeded to head to the elevator, just to find another note on the ground.

"I believe that pianist will lead to your demise. There's nothing more cruel than giving someone false hopes. Let me give you a warning. That pianist is hiding a very secret. Let's hope you don't get betrayed, okay? About that piano... If the performance is genuine, it has the power to change a person's fate. It'd be interesting to see what happens when a little lost lamb hears it. I wonder what kind of bricks they use to pave the road to Hell..."

What the hell does this person mean by that? I just hope this person is just screwing with me at this point.

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It looks like I landed into a stained glass platform once again, the images are sheep frozen in blocks like you would see in cartoons. I came out of the elevator and I was already greeted with, "Don't... run...!"

I looked at the distance, "Wha... That can't be... Roselynn!?" I exclaimed.

"AHAHAHA!!" This time, "Roselynn" was wearing a wedding dress.

"A wedding dress!?" I exclaimed in confusion.

"No escape..." she whispered.

"Wha... Hold on, calm down now!!" I yelled in fear. It looks like I'm going to fight "Roselynn" again. Before I could strike her with my pillow she let out an icy breath but thankfully, I was able to dodge that. What the hell was that!?

I begin to strike her with my pillow again. For some reason, she had a chainsaw in hand and started to swing it around trying to dissemble me. Believe me when I say that I was dodging her chainsaw attacks like I'm in an action movie.

It keeps getting worse now since she began to fling blocks at me, I grabbed my pillow to protect myself from the blocks and reflected them back to her, causing her damage. Jeez, this feels like I'm in Zelda or in Final Fantasy or something.

Finally, I reached the exit door. Holy shit that was intense as hell. "I gotta get outta here... Or else the bride from hell... She'll pop up... right behind me!" I said to myself.

"I'll kill you..." "Roselynn" boomed.

"I knew it." I said dejected. I immediately took out the bible, knowing exactly what to do here but this time, I didn't look away this time.

"AHAHAHAHA!!" she cackled cruelly.

"Just stop it! Roselynn!!" I yelled in fear.

"No escape..." She tried to grab me with her gigantic hand.

"Ahhh!! F-Forgive me!!" I pleaded. The light from the bible beginning to overflow and shot itself at "Roselynn", shrieking in absolute terror and pain until she was no more. Ohh, is that what that light was? To take down evil sprits?

 

"Roselynn..." I muttered in sadness. "No! No, this is just a nightmare! All right... I survived another night!" I went through the exit door ending the nightmare.
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I woke up again, but this time, Rosemary isn't around. Still feeling the bags under my eyes getting significantly worse. I let out a sigh of relief... Finally... Some peace... Until I heard my phone ring from under my bed. I opened my phone and there was an unknown number. ...Who would be calling me at this time? I don't recognize the number at all.

"Hello...?" I answered the phone call.

"Is this Charlie?"

"Uh, yeah..." I responded to the unknown caller. "Who is..."

"You know Rose, right?"

I let out a gasp. "Um.. Yeah, but-- Wait... You the guy that was stalking Prim the other day!?"

"Stalking...? Of course not!"

"O-Oh, sorry. Um, so by Rose, you mean--"

"This is Rudy. Rosemary's boyfriend."

What!? Are you serious...!?

"Damn it! You ass--" I hung up the phone before I let him speak anymore.

Shit...! Her boyfriend!? Was she playing me...!? I thought it was weird for her to rush things... Oh man, this shit keeps getting worse!

I heard my phone ring again, do I dare answer it...? Without thinking, I answered the call again.

"Uh..."

"Don't you *bleep!*ing hang up on me. I know where you live, asshole."

"...Huh?" I began to tense up.

"Look! You don't wanna screw with me, understand!?"

"Uh, I'm sorry..." I tried to apologize to the caller.

"You're probably just using her, huh?"

"No, it's not..."

"Then you two're serious!?"

"Well, no..." I just let out a sigh, not knowing what to do in the situation.

"So, then you ARE just using her!"

"Look, I'll break things off with her. I was planning to do it in the first place..." I explained to the caller.

"In the first place? Hmph, really?"

"Yeah... I mean, I-I never thought it would end up this way..."

"This is for your sake, as well. You know the difference between right and wrong, right? I'll kill you."

"Okay... Wh-Wh-Whoa. Wait. What!?" He hang up shortly after he verbally threatened my life.

"Well, this blows... Ugh, what the hell does everyone want with me...?" I spoke to myself, processing what the hell just happened. I scoffed a bit. "Well, at least now I can resolve this situation with her... He said his name was Rudy... In any case, Rosemary's gotta agree to break up with me once I tell her about this... I'll see her one more time to have a talk.

I heard something... I looked around in my apartment and walked over to the apartment door peeping through the door just to find nothing... Am I going crazy...? Suddenly, someone's eye appeared through the hole and I was taken aback startled by this thing!

"W-Who's there!?" I quavered.

I'm not dealing with this shit, so I proceeded to grab some tape from my desk and taped my door covering the peep hole. I started to back away from the door. "What in the hell was that..." I tripped on the table landing on my back. "E-Eugh-- Oh! Ugh..." I groaned, holding my leg in pain. I heard my apartment door ring. I didn't even answer it, I was just laying on the floor in pain. Then I heard knocking.

"Charlie!" Prim called out.

I slowly got off the floor. "Huh? Oh..." I walked over to the apartment door and opened it, it was Prim.

"I heard this big crash, so..." Prim explained in concern.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" I asked, placing a hand on my head where my man bun is.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I put on my jacket, shirt, and jeans y'know, my usual clothes to make myself look presentable.

Prim attempted to take a sip on the coffee I just made her but it was too hot. She began to blow on it attempting to cool it down. As I examined her, I saw that she was wearing her pajamas and she seemed to be flat chested, I tried to keep my attention away though. After all, I don't care what she looks like on the outside, it's the inside that counts.

"Is everything all right?" Prim asked.

"Uh, yes... Are those your pajamas?" I asked trying to change the subject.

"They are! I didn't have any, so Liliana gave me these!" she responded. I proceeded to zip her pajamas up, covering her chest.

"Really? That's nice of her... They look good on you." I said while complimenting her pajamas. Prim just giggled in response.

"Hey... You sure you're okay?" Prim asked in concern, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Uh, well... Whaddaya mean?" I questioned her. I never saw her outside of her purple dress she usually wears to the bar.

"You look like something's wrong..." Prim stated in concern.

I just let out a sigh, "Yeah... I know... I guess... Lately, a lot's been happening... Maybe I'm stressed..." I explained. Prim placed her coffee down on the table and proceeded to wrap her arms around me. "Charlie... Liliana told me this can really help make people feel better..."

Mm... She smells nice... Not only that, I haven't had a hug in a long time. I felt a smile forming on my face, it feels... Nice...

"Charlie... I love you..." Prim proclaimed.

I nodded... But then I realized what she just said.

"It's okay. Know that I'll always be there for you." Prim purred in comforted.

I just whimpered in discomfort a bit, hugging her back but then pushing her away not trying to be mean it's just... Awkward... "Just hoooold on. Um... I just remembered, I gotta be somewhere..." I got up from the floor. "Oh yeah! I need to go chat with a friend of mine! I almost forgot. Boy, that woulda been a disaster... Hahaha...

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"Uh... Rudy? I don't know anyone named Rudy." Rosemary said as a response to what I said asking about the caller.

"What!? Really?" I responded.

"What's this about? Why are you bringing up this Rudy guy out of the blue?" Rosemary raised an eyebrow at me.

I took a breath, and began to explain to her, "I got a call this morning... This guy, Rudy, said he was your boyfriend..."

"Huh!? Wh-What!?" Rosemary looked taken aback from what I just explained. "He said he was my boyfriend?"

"Yeah. He called me up... He said he was "Rosemary's boyfriend..." I said bluntly.

"Hmm... Well, obviously someone's got the entirely wrong person." Rosemary stated clearly irritated.

"Huh... But he--"

"I told you. It's not me." Rosemary seethed, not making eye contact with me.

"Really? Then who is it?" I pressed her for answers.

"How would I know? Maybe it's some other Rose you know." Rosemary responded defensively.

"Yeah, like I know a--" My heart began to beat very fast.

"Hm?"

"Wait... No, no, no. It can't be..." I stuttered.

"You really know another Rose?" Rosemary quizzed.

"Just... Just let me think for a second, please." I pleased to her.

"Um..."

Roselynn definitely isn't a cheater... And I can't trust every word this girl says...

"...Hey, wait a minute. Maybe this guy is just one of your lurkers." I hinted.

"...Huh? What do you mean?" Rosemary puzzled.

"There's gotta be countless men that've fallen for you, right? Maybe one of em' is still trying to get you to fall for him. I mean, you are really cute..." I explained.

"Huh?" Rosemary was taken aback once more.

God, what am I saying!?

"Hmmmm..."

"A-Anyway! Maybe this guy's not even named Rudy. He's probably some creeper trying to act slick." I humored her a bit, but this just adds more fuel to the fire.

"Stop, you're scaring me..." Rosemary complained.

"Oh... Sorry. Y'know, let's... let's just drop it." I tried to change the subject.

"Hey, you're the one who brought it up." Rosemary sassed.

It can't be...

"So, um... After we get..." she trailed off, I'm too much in my own head to understand what she's saying.

Her, cheating on me...? That's absurd. No, that's impossible. But... Can I really say it's "absolutely" impossible? ...I can't. Rosemary raised her glass towards my face, startling me. "Hey! Are you listening?" she huffed.

"Oh, sorry. I kinda zoned out there..." I remarked.

"You know... being with you is a real pain sometimes." Rosemary nagged me.

"Huh? Oh, sorry..." I apologized.

"Whatever. I'm going now. See ya later!" Rosemary got up expecting me to kiss her.

"No, wait! You... can't come over tonight." I mused.

"Too late. I've already decided." Rosemary smiled.

"Seriously, tonight is... not a good time for me. I, uh... have really bad gas issues..." I protested.

"Hmmm, that so? Well, if you're not feeling well, I guess there's no point in going. Take care." Rosemary got up from the booth, leaving the bar.

"O...kay..." I said awkwardly. I just let out a sigh of annoyance and placed my head on the table.

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"She may be the one cheating? ...Haha, that's impossible. Not Roselynn." Connor mused.

"Honestly, man, I wouldn't be surprised. Always meeting new people for work... Plus she doesn't always choose the best guys, right, two-timer?" Liam said in a teasing manner.

"Stop sayin' it like I've been cheating all this time." I protested.

"Oh, don't you get it? It isn't about length. Geez, you men are such pigs." Liliana scoffed.

"Next time she's here, tell me, man... I wanna see her." Liam reckoned.

"Yeah, this wasn't supposed to be a meet-up. I don't get this at all... Why'd it turn out this way...?" I uttered.

"This all sounds like a huge pain." Dylan demurred.

"Eh, come on! Stop being so down. I mean, you don't even know if she's really cheating, right?" Liam pressed on me.

I just didn't say anything back to him.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Connor asked.

"What else can I do? I have to know. Seriously... I'm just in shock now..." I stated.

"In shock my ass... Even if it's true, you're not innocent either. You're just a selfish pig." Liliana called me out.

"Heh. she's right, y'know?" Connor said as he took a hit of his cigarette.

"I know... I know I'm doing the same thing... If I knew she was lying to me... I couldn't take it... And yet here I am..." I said, putting my head down.

"Oh, man..." Dylan said in pity.

"Hey, Charlie..." Connor deadpanned.

"Wow. What a loser..." Liliana retorted.

"Dude, I can't watch this anymore... You're really bringing me down, man." Liam complained.

"So, she dumped him?"

"Yeah. People say he's in bad shape. He's looking pretty messed up now. He might not pull out of this. He may even show up on the morning news..."

"Don't joke about that, man... That's not cool... Anyway, did you hear what happened?"

"Geez... This place is getting pretty loud these days." Connor complained.

"Hey, it might not just be a rumor. It's like, you know, where you're falling and you'll die if you hit the ground before you wake up. Lately, a lot of customers have been talking about having strange dreams..." Liliana added.

"Psh. That's just stupid. How's anyone supposed to know what dream the dying person had? They're dead. It's just a dream. Get real." Connor scoffed. "Right, Charlie?"

"Maybe he's already dead?" Dylan retorted. "C-man! C-man, wake up or you'll die!"

"Seriously, is he going to be okay...?" Connor asked.

"...I'm not dead yet." I deadpanned. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom." I left the table, but before I headed out the door, I heard Prim play the piano and this time it's very much an improvement from last time.

Some bar members gathered around her and recorded her playing the piano.

"What the... Is it just me, or did she get, like, way better at playing piano?" I spoke to myself. I approached Dylan, who is recording the performance. "Hey Dylan, what's going on?" I asked.

"What's it look like? We're gettin' this on camera! Didn't you see the news this morning? Prim's trending, man! Big story about the beautiful pianist who lost her memory. They say if you send someone a video of her, they'll get their wish granted." Dylan explained with excitement.

"Oh, come on." I scoffed.

"Oh? Well, I heard it lets you meet your true self." Liliana approached me with a wink.

"Seriously? Oh man. Well, what I heard was that it'd fix your broken-ass relationship." Liam added, approaching me.

"Bullshit." I exasperated.

"Don't sweat the details. Just think of it as a good luck piano! That's it, I'm adding you C-man. You could use a pick-me-up." Dylan stated.

He proceeded to send the video to everyone that is standing next to me, including myself.

"Hey, leave me out of this!" Liam whinged.

I began to watch the video of Prim playing the piano.

"Come on, why not? It's supposed to get stronger the more you send out." Dylan argued.

"That's called spam." I said sarcastically.

"Do you get it, though? Yeah... Check out how good she looks on camera..." Dylan swooned.

"Uh... I guess..." I said.

After Prim finished her piece, everyone in the bar immediately applauded her.

"You're a real pro now, Prim. Music like that could raise the dead." I praised her. "So, what's your secret?"

"It's all thanks to you." Prim chuckled, smiling at me.

"Nah, don't sell yourself short." I deflected. "So, Prim. About this morning..." I begin to explain but before I could get a word out I was interrupted by a bar member.

"Yooo, do it again! I want in on this!"

"Okay! Sure!" Prim chirped.

"Oh, uh, could you play that one song? My girlfriend loves it."

"What's it called?" Prim asked.

"Prim's getting awfully popular." Liliana observed. "It's been like this all day. People can't get enough of that piano."

"Yeah..." I wanted to explain to her what happened this morning.

"Don't tell me you're jealous! Like you're not special!" Liliana teased.

"I-It's not like that! It's just... more like watchin' a bird leave the nest, y'know? Besides, I've already got a..." I stumbled.

"Yeah, yeah... Geez, men are so self-centered." Liliana sassed. "Hey. You'd better not be sending mixed messages. I'm worried. Prim's a little naive, you know? People get their hearts broken over this kind of thing. And it's pretty clear that--" she trailed off.

"...Pretty clear that what?" I questioned her.

"Never mind. Just ignore me." Liliana goaded.

I decided to head home for the night, before Liliana stops me at my tracks.

"Oh, going home? Did you end up sending that video to anyone?" she asked. "I sent it out to my friends. Who knows, it might actually bring them happiness."

"Okay, I get it." I huffed.

"Look, I'm just worried okay? It's not just you. Everyone's been acting kinda... weird lately." Liliana said in concern.

"It's fine, Liliana. We're not gonna fall apart at the first sign of trouble. I'll see you later..." I said as I left the bar.

Chapter 37: The Uncommitted - The Truth of Prim

I lay my head down on my desk, once again letting the thoughts race. Drunk out of my ass and inhaling my cigarette.

"You know, Rosemary, right?"

"Maybe it's some other Rose you know."

"Honestly man, I wouldn't be surprised. She's always meeting new people for work..."

My eyes are getting more blood shot and baggy. I honestly look like I've been wearing dark make up but it was actually due to a lack of sleep. I would never be caught wearing this crap to be honest.

I lie down in bed, awaiting for another nightmare to deal with... I just wanted this shit to be over with already... But I have two nights left after this.

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Here I am once again, entering the nightmare realm with a lot less sheep. I guess more sheep died then. We must be dealing with the clock tower as we all went through the doors.

"Where am I this time...? There's still more!?" I spoke to myself.

With no time to waste, I began to climb but I accidently stepped on a block bomb, I better hustle up and get out of the explosion's way before I become toast. The bomb exploded and it took down a block below it.

Damn it! Why are these blocks everywhere!? The more I stepped on them the more they set off and exploded. My heart began to race as I stepped on more bombs and climbing quickly to get away from it's path.

Where the hell were the trampoline blocks huh!? Because at least it made climbing more enjoyable and a breeze.

As I climbed more guess what made a came back? Those spike trapped blocks... Great... And of course those ice blocks came back too.

I saw a large sheep with a spiked hammer on it's hand slip through the ice, landing right on those spikes, impaling the sheep. At this point, I'm just so used to seeing death that it doesn't even bother me anymore. Hell, I even see three sheep fall to their death tonight. I decided to take the hammer because I might use it later for something.

As I climbed more, I heard the bell ring. Just a little more... Annd breathe! I pulled the lever on the top and made my way to the landing. Just two more nights, and this bull shit will be over for good.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I am so relieved to see Prim playing on the piano as usual, so I decided to approach her as she played.

"I made it because of you... Thank you!" the talking sheep said with gratitude.

"Promise me that you'll make it to the next level too." Prim pleaded.

"You're pretty popular now, huh?" I gleamed.

"I'm finally able to play the way I want to play. I think it's because you accepted me for who I am, Charlie." Prim smiled.

"Really?" I asked.

"I'm glad I'm regaining my memories, but I'm also scared." Prim lamented.

"Scared of what...?" I pressed her.

"What if I get my memories back and I discover something about myself I didn't know existed..." Prim sighed.

"Don't worry, Prim. You are you, no matter what, right?" I reassured her.

"Hehe. Your words always give me courage, Charlie." Prim chuckled.

No, actually Prim is the reason why I'm still alive and climbing. Surviving from these damn nightmares.

"Your piano's reassuring, as always. But is it just me, or have you gotten a lot better?" I commented.

"I think... When I hugged you yesterday, my heart filled with warmth. And then you listened to what I had to say. It really made me happy. So I channeled that emotion into my music. And thanks to that, I'm getting closer to being able to play the way I always wanted to. This must be the power of love." Prim expressed as she looked dreamily into my eyes. I just let out a quick gasp.

"Prim, when you say "love"..." I gulped.

"Huh...?" Prim just looked at me with confusion.

"Oh, uh, never mind." I said.

"I don't think I'd be where I am without you, Charlie... The others were talking about you too. They said your energy gives them hope. You're my savior, Charlie." Prim gushed to me.

"You are the one saving me." I praised her.

"It feels amazing to perform for someone who's special to you. I think this is what gives people motivation to live. I really admire your determination, Charlie." Prim beamed.

"Ahh, flattery will you get you nowhere with a loser like me." I turned away.

"You're not a loser, Charlie! You gave me a place to stay when I lost everything... You cheered me up whenever I was feeling down. You're kind and you see people for who they are on the inside. You've given me so much in this short time, Charlie." Prim said.

"Prim..." I smiled.

"So..." I heard Prim grunt before she could say anymore.

"Wh-What's wrong?" I asked.

"M-My head..." she responded.

"Are you okay?" I questioned Prim in concern.

"Maybe this is what it's like to be sick. I did take a cold shower." Prim rambled.

"You need to take better care of yourself." I gently lectured her.

"All these images popped in my head when I was playing... I think I'm getting close to recovering an important memory..." she rambled again.

"Really!?" I blurted in surprise.

"I just need something to help me remember... Who am I...? Why am I here...? Even if I get my memory back, I still want to be with..." Prim hesitantly pauses thinking what to say.

She seemed to be loss in thought thinking about her lost memories, temporarily ignoring me. I also noticed that there's two sheep who looks exactly like Liam and Connor. Did they get dragged into these nightmares too?
They seemed to kind of recognize me but I just hope that it's those nightmares playing games with me. I proceeded to go the the elevator finding yet another note on the ground.
"Let me give a little warning. Depending on what you do, your life might change rather drastically. And the core of it all... is that pianist. Your true value is about to be tested. Of course, your options will be limited. The choices you made will determine what path remain. I wonder what kind of trial she'll lead you to... Scary, isn't it? Walking into an uncertain future like that. Your next challenge... is that fear itself."

Why is this person taunting me about Prim!? They're acting like she's going to stick a knife in my back and kill me. And I know she wouldn't do that shit! She couldn't harm a fly if she tried. I hate this narrative. I want this nightmare to be done and over with.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

"All right... Let's fight whoever is standing in my way and get it over with!" I said in determination as I stepped out of the elevator and onto the stain glass platform waiting for a giant monster to arrive.

"Gggggggg..."

"...Wh... What!?" I yelled, and just like that I'm scared shitless.

"Daddy..."

"There is no way...!" I yelled again.

"Dad...dy..." It was that damn demon spawn baby again! This time, it had a chainsaw with it and it looked like a cyborg from those 80's movies. Okay, seriously? Who gave a *bleep!*ing baby a chainsaw!?

"I'm not your daddy! I'm definitely not YOUR daddy!!" I shrieked, taking out the spiked hammer ready to strike this... thing.

I begin to swing the hammer at the demon spawn child, causing a bit of damage but I will not deny that the way it was swinging the chainsaw around is scaring the absolute shit out of me.

I began to strike at the giant demon baby's cyborg eyes hoping that I'll blind it with the hammers strike.

Out of retaliation it tried to slice me with that chainsaw but I dodged it like it was nothing. I am not making this shit up nor was I trying to be funny when I say that this sounds like something from a cartoon.

What the hell!? Now it's shooting bullets from it's mouth!? I used the spiked hammer to block it's attacks which thankfully was reflective of the bullets thus firing right back to that demon spawn.

I decided to bolt to the exit door. "Okay, if I just open this book...! Here comes the dawn... of victory!" I said with triumph.

"Ggggggg..."

"Whoa! It's still coming!?" I cried out in fear.

"Gagagagagaagaahhhhhhhh!!!"

"O-Oh!? Oh shit... Oh shit, OH SHIT!!!" I yelled as I held the bible in front of my face, backing away from the demon spawn as it the book released it's power.

"Plaaaaaaaaaaaay wiiiith meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!" the demon child yelled swinging it's chainsaw at me.

"Not a *bleep!*ing chance!" I yelled as I let the bible release it's light to the demon spawn. After that, that demon spawn baby was no more! Ahahaha! Thank god...!

"Did I... Did I do it...? Hell yeah I did it! The night is mine! Woo-hoo!!" I whooped as I ran to the exit door ending the nightmare.

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I woke up to a swarm of ants on my bed and on my navy blue tank top. I immediately jolted letting out a frightened yelp. As it turns out, Rosemary was also there screaming in fear and disgust over the ants.
I realized why the ants were in my room... I didn't eat the cake that Roselynn gave me the other day and just left it on the floor.

Rosemary cautiously approached the box full of ants, picking it up afraid of the ants crawling up into her arms. The ants crawled up to her feet and she let out another scream, dropping the box on to the floor.

She jumped on my bed, frantically moved my stuff that I had on the window seal, opened the window and the blinds in a very fast pace, quickly rolled up my blanket and threw it out of the window. Geez... I liked that blanket man...

"Wh-What are you doing here, anyway? I mean, they-- the ants... What are they doing here...? Stupid ants..." I asked her.

She put the box right in front of my face. "They're after this! What is it? Cake? Well? Who did you get this from?" she was full-on interrogating me.

How did ants get here so damn quick? That's the cake Roselynn brought me a while ago...

"Ohhh, I've got... a real sweet tooth is all...!" I said, lying through my teeth.

"Huh? Wait, really!? So do I!" Rosemary beamed. Her tone sure changed now didn't it...

"So, uh, when'd you get here...?" I asked.

"Oh, what, like you forgot? You said that you were feeling better, so I hurried right over." she explained she placed the box down on my desk.

"Huh? When did I tell you that...? I guess... My memory's a little fuzzy." I rambled.

"Aw... You always say that... Relax, you worry too much... Trust me... You were just fine, baby..." Rosemary reassured me as she places her two hands on my shoulder; proceeding to hug me.

"Well, gee, thanks..." I responded. "...O-Oh, yeah. I-I don't have time today--" I said as I pushed Rosemary off of me. She let out a yell as I pushed her off.

"Wh-What is it this time?" I questioned.

"It's... It's that horror movie I told you about. This is the last week they're going to be showing it in theaters, remember!?" Rosemary scolds as she hits me with my own pillow.

"What... What movie...?" I asked her.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do if I miss it!" Rosemary laments.

"Yeah, okay, okay... Can we wait til tomorrow...? I've kinda got some stuff to take care of today." I explained.

Rosemary just chuckled, grinning at me. "Yay! All right!" She cheered bouncing around in my bed like an excited child. "Hey, this'll be our first real date! It'll be so much fun! Don't you think!?" she gushed.

"I am totally lost here..." I said to myself.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Roselynn and I went to Live A Rabbit and we were both drinking our coffee.

"...Look, I've got to ask you something. You know what I'm talking about, right?" I start off the conversation.

"Huh?" Roselynn responded.

"Don't you have anything to tell me?" I questioned her.

"Charlie... What in the world are you talking about?" Roselynn asked in a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"All right, I'm just gonna come out and say it." I blurted out.

"W-Wait, what's going on?" Roselynn asked.

"Listen to me." I demanded, now Roselynn has my undivided attention.

"I, uh... I heard something the other day..." I begin to carefully explain.

"What did you hear?" Roselynn began to give me a sternly glare.

"Something from an acquaintance of yours." I trailed off.

"What? Who?" Roselynn questioned.

"Uh, well... Do you know a guy named Rudy?" I asked.

"...Rudy?" she pondered.

"Yeah." I said.

"Hmm... I don't know anyone named Rudy." Roselynn answered.

"Exa-- Wait, what? You don't!?" I blurted.

"No." Roselynn shook her head.

"N-No? ...Not even one?" I continued to press her for answers.

"Like I said, I don't know any Rudys!" Roselynn huffed.

"Well, how could you not!? I mean, Rudy's a pretty common name... right?" I exclaimed.

That sentence that I just said got Roselynn thinking...

"Wait... I did meet a Rudy yesterday..." Roselynn recalled.

"Yesterday...!?" I was taken aback from her response.

"My friend's son was named Rudy... I think." she explained.

"S-Son!? How old is he?" I questioned.

"Um... Two months, maybe? She'd just come back from the hospital." Roselynn replied.

"No... No, not him. Don't you know any other Rudys?" I pressed.

"Huh...? Well, I'm sure I do, if I check..." Roselynn said in confusion.

"You mean... You have to check and see if you know anybody named Rudy?" I questioned.

"I guess so..." Roselynn reckoned.

Was Rosemary gaslighting me this whole time?

"Look, what is this all about...?" Roselynn questioned.

"Er, well..." I hesitated.

"Speak up and tell me! Who's Rudy!? Some friend of yours? What are you getting at?" Roselynn peppered as her tapped her finger on the tables with impatience.

"W-Well, if you don't know, then let's just drop it... ...You're sure you don't know him, know a Rudy?" I asked.

Roselynn slams her hand against the table, in anger. "Why do you keep asking me that!? I told you I don't know!" she yelled.

"S-Sorry, sorry! Never mind...!" I stuttered.

"Huh!?"

"Oh, uh..." I spoke a bit.

...What's going on!? Did I get the wrong girl again!? But I can't think of anyone else...! I'm glad to hear Roselynn's not cheating, but this is not good... Maybe I should just tell her... No, then she'll think I'm taking some random guy's words over hers... Shit, what can I say to make her believe me...!?

"Uhh, well... It's a good thing you don't know him... There's this asshole at my work who said he might know you, so..." I stammered, explaining to Roselynn.

"Huh? Are you okay? You've been acting weird lately. You're pale, you say things that don't make any sense..." Roselynn said in concern.

"Yeah, well, you know what, there's a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense lately... Like... the future, and everything... I don't get it." I retorted.

"What do you mean, you don't get it?" Roselynn puzzled.

"Er, well..." I try to gather my thoughts.

"What part of our future don't you get?" Roselynn continued to press on me.

"That's not what I meant! I mean, I'm worried about work. It's a new job and all... I'm having problems with a client, so I'm tired. Haha..." I explained to her, but the only response I got from her is a sigh. She picked up her mug and drank out of it.
"I've been... getting strange texts lately." Roselynn stated.

"Huh...? Strange how?" I questioned.

"I don't know. They don't make sense... It's just creepy." Roselynn responded.

Should I be concerned about what these texts are? "Wait... What did they say? What are the words...?" I peppered.

"You know what, it's not important... Just forget it." Roselynn demurred.

"Okay, but..." I stammered.

"Look, Charlie. You're not hiding anything from me, are you?" Roselynn asked.

"Huh!?" I jolted.

Shit, I'm making her worry... And she says she's getting weird texts...? I have to reassure her somehow...

"C'mon, I'm not keeping anything from you!" I humored.

No response from Roselynn, a moment of silence until...

"Well, you've gotta go back to work, right? I do, too. I should go." Roselynn dismissed herself.

"Huh? O-Okay..." I stammered.

"I'll call you." Roselynn said as she picked up her belongings and left the cafe.

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I'm sitting at the bathroom stall, in a phone call with Rudy.

"Which girl? What are you talking about!?"

"Yeah, well, I asked around... and nobody knows who you are." I explained.

"You... You told her!?"

"Well yeah, of course I did. That's the quickest way to split up, right?" I said.

"Y-Yeah... But what do you mean, nobody knows me?"

"Well, that's exactly why I called. Look, why don't you just tell me something about the girl you called me about. Like, what does she look like?" I retorted.

No response from Rudy. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, but... You've got the wrong guy." I stated.

"What!?"

"I know a girl named Rosemary, but... it's somebody different." I explained.

"Wha-- Don't you try to fool me."

"Look, the Rosemary I know... she's white."

"Uh-- It-It can't be... I-I mean... She told me about you herself...!"

"It's a different person! I don't blame you for all this. But please, just leave me alone." I informed.

"Wh-What's going on...? I-- But-- Where's my Rosemary...?"

"How should I know?" I retorted.

"But she's... she's all I have now! I'm already divorcing my wife! She came into my life suddenly, and then I just..."

"Um, I'm sorry to hear that..." I responded awkwardly.

"I-I'm going crazy! It's going to come for me...!"

"Look, I'm the one going crazy here!" I yelled.

I could hear Rudy sobbing on the phone.

"I won't call you again... So leave me alone, okay?" I said tartly.

"W-Wait, no, don't hang up! I still have--" I immediately hung up on him.

"What the hell was his problem...?" I spoke as I closed my phone. I let out a sigh.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"What a long day..." I spoke to myself as I was about to step foot to my apartment. "What the...?"

Suddenly, I heard sobbing that sounded like Prim. "N-No... I was doing so good... Please... Not now..."

Growing concerned, I forced opened her door and I was greeted with... Something that looks like Prim, but isn't Prim... Did she turn into some kind of slime...? The slime color weirdly assembled her hair color too...

"No! Don't look at me Charlie! I... I don't want you to see me like this!!" the blob sobbed.

I was in shock, what the hell got her like this!? "P-Prim!? A-A-A-Are you... O-Okay?" I asked.

"D-Don't! Please! Get away from me! Please!!" She cried, pink tears pouring out from her eyes.

Wait, wait, wait. This can't be right... Did Prim turn into some lavender colored blob...!? What in the world is going on with her... I mean, I never seen this in real life before.

"My memories came back! This is my punishment! I'm so sorry for lying to you, Charlie! I am so sorry!" She continued to sob.

There's a million thoughts going in my head right now... "Okay..." I took a deep breath. "Is this a way to fix this...?" I asked.

"I don't know!! I just turned into this involuntary!!" She wailed.

I looked for anything that can help with Prim's issue, I saw a bottle that says "drink this in case you become a slime."

I practically had to bottle feed this drink to her like she was in infant because she had no arms or legs, but thankfully that potion turned her back to normal.

"Just... Get away from me Charlie!" Prim sobbed, running out of her apartment.

I tried to run after Prim but I saw Roselynn walking by.

"A-Ahhhh... Roselynn...?" I stammered.

"Charlie... What are you doing in there?" She asked.

"Oh, there was just a... problem with the plumbing. What are YOU doing here?" I asked. Yeahh, I'm not going to bring up the fact that she turned into a purple slime right in front of my eyes and I had to use some kind of drink to turn her back to normal.

"Ah... Well... There's something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you have time?" Roselynn asked.

"Well, er... Does it have to be right this second?" I stammered.

"Um, well... Yeah." Roselynn responded.

My phone began to ring, it was from Rosemary...! Are you serious?

"Are you going to get it?" Roselynn asked bluntly.

"Oh... No..." I responded, letting my phone ring. If I waste any more time, I might not be able to find Prim. But this thing with Roselynn seems pretty important. Either way, it's sure as hell not a good time to pick THIS up. I declined Rosemary's call.

"Sorry, Roselynn. There's something I need to do. I'll hear you out later. I promise. All right?" I said.

"...Oh. If it's that important, I understand. Sorry for bringing this up out of nowhere. Just... don't worry about what I said. You should hurry." Roselynn apologized.

"Yeah... Thanks, Roselynn." I thanked her as I ran out of the apartment complex searching for Prim.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I hurried myself to the Stray Sheep. "Prim... Hey, is Prim here?" I asked.

Liliana hurried to me. "Did something happen, Charlie?"

"Well, I kinda... Saw Prim turn into some kind of slime, and... Wait, you guys saw the doctor... Have you known this whole time!?" I explained.

"Wait... Prim turned into a slime!? What are you talking about!?" Liliana gasped.

"Yeah... She was lashing out on me and I had to feed her a drink that turns her back to normal..." I explained.

"Seriously!? You need to call her! I'm so worried sick!" Liliana yelled, cornering me.

"Yeah, okay!" I said. I began to call Prim getting worried for her. "C'mon, pick up, pick up, pick up..." I muttered.

She answered my call.

"Prim!? Are you okay...? I'm worried sick... Where are you right now?" I pressed her in concern.

"Charlie... I'm so sorry for lashing out on you and running away so suddenly."

"No, don't apologize. I was just worried about you, that's all. Where are you? Are you safe?" I asked her.

"Yes... I'm fine."

"It's getting late... Why don't you come back to the apartment?" I suggested.

"No... I can't go back."

I let out a gasp.

"...I love you, Charlie. I've know since the day we met. But I guess hearing that from someone like me is... not exactly what you want. I'm sorry. I'm not exactly human... I'm just not sure if you're going to be okay with it..."
I was speechless... I guess the fact that she turned into a blobby slime added up...

"I knew you had a girlfriend, so... I wasn't planning on telling you this. But when I saw how kind you were... How you didn't judge people by appearances... I started dreaming... about the future."

"Prim..." I comforted her.

"Falling for someone for the first time... I felt my world growing bigger and brighter. It was only a few days, but... I had so much fun. Being able to play the piano... and help you... are memories I'll treasure for the rest of my life. You'll make it through without me, Charlie... So please.. Promise me you'll find your own happiness." she was sobbing in call.

"Prim!" I yelled for her but she hung up. I looked at her piano... It feels like a void...

O0O0O0O0O0OO0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Damn... I guess you witness a transformation in real life, huh?" Liam commented.

"This sounds like something from a weird sci-fi movie or fantasy movie." Connor said.

"I agree but... You got to remember, Prim is just like everyone else despite that." Liliana lectured.

"No skin off my back! I only have eyes for Liliana!" Dylan renounced.

"So, what happened, anyway?" Connor asked.

"Well..." I trailed off, explaining to them that Prim transformed into a slime and I had to force her to drink something in order to revert back to normal state.

"Shit... After somethin' like that, I'd freak out too." Liam said.

"Can you guys stop being assholes for one moment please!?" Liliana scolded.

"Well excuse me! I had no idea she was going to turn into this!" I bickered, drinking my coke and rum, slamming it on the table.

"When your life's fallin' apart... Hearin' a love confession is pretty damn powerful. Now, may I please have another drink!?" I said sarcastically as I gestured my cup at Liliana.

"Geez..." she sighed.

"Wait, Prim CONFESSED!?" Dylan exclaimed. An awkward silence.

"Hey, Dylan. C'mere a sec." Liliana said walking off.

"Huh? Uh, okay." Dylan responded, following her.

"Look, I get that it musta been the weirdest shit you've ever seen. But whatever happened man, happened." Liam said.

"It's not something "weird" that happened, alright?" I retorted sharply.

"Are you saying this thing that happened wasn't weird?" Connor asked.

I just stayed silent... That incident was a shit show to see...

"Why do you look upset man? This could be a opportunity to-" Liam said before I interrupted him.

"Shut up! It was traumatic to watch Prim turn into that!" I yelled. "It's just... Prim accepted me the way I am, y'know?"

"Well what exactly do you want here? Hey, are you paying attention?" Liam puzzled me.

"Hey, Charlie... Why do you care about Prim so much? You guys just met. How deep could your relationship be?" Connor asked.

"...It's hard to explain. It's like-- Prim helps me see things in a way I never even thought about before. Like a whole new perspective, I guess? Not to mention... Prim saved our lives." I explained.

"Saved our lives? When? What're talkin' about? We're the ones that did the saving." Liam retorted.

"Oh... Y-Yeah. Right." I stammered.

"I get it, it's a change of pace for you. No one would fault you for that. But... it's starting to sound like you're actually in love. Are you?" Connor pressed on me.

I begin to tense up. Suddenly, I felt like the world stopped and everyone vanished except for me.

"Charlie!" a familiar voice called out. It was Prim! She was sitting on the piano's bench.

"Charlie..." Now she suddenly turned into Rosemary, she was sitting at the bar.

Suddenly, I'm at the booth facing Roselynn. "Charlie..."

In love... with Prim? I mean... I can't deny that I feel something. But is it... just a friend? Or is it something more? I can't keep my thoughts straight... Who is Prim to me? She's someone I need. Prim likes me for who I am... without any big societal expectations. That's it... There's somethin' about that way of seein' things. Maybe I want to live that way too. Without bein' pressured by anybody. I don't know yet... Honestly, it's hard to say just yet. But if I really want to be myself, I'm going to need... A future with Prim. That's it. I want to see what our future holds!

I ran towards the exit door of the bar, and now I am suddenly back to reality.

"Yeah... Yeah, it all makes sense now. I love Prim. I know it's--" I was swiftly punched by Connor and I fell to the ground. Everyone was looking at me with shock and surprise.

"The hell, Connor?" Liam exclaimed.

"Sorry. That just pissed me off. You may be my friend, but... so is Roselynn." ." Connor stated.

"Yeah... Yeah, I get it. Of course you're pissed." I said as I slowly picked myself up from the ground, bleeding from my nose. I'm the worst. Roselynn's pregnant, for gods' sake. It's clear to me now. I dunno how yet, but I'll take full responsibility." I stated with determination as I wiped the blood off my nose. "Now that I know how I feel... I can't keep this up any longer."

"So... You're serious about this?" Connor asked.

"Yeah. I've never felt this way before. When we're together... I can really be myself. It's refreshing honestly. Prim's the only one who makes me feel comfortable in my own skin. I mean, when you think of it like that... Who gives a shit if she turned into a blob, y'know?" I rambled.

"I knew you were out there, but this? This is a new one." Liam sighed. "Well, all right. I getcha, man. I'll stop givin' ya shit about it. Don't worry. I'll never stop bein' your drinking buddy." he forgave me.

"I'm not giving up on you now." Connor admitted despite the fact he punched me in the face.

"You guys..." I smiled.

"Ahh crap, should we really be talkin' about this in public? ...Probably not." Liam said. "Man, to think this is how your hot streak ends... Is it because of those nightmares?"

"Not this again. I mean, I'm pretty tired of 'em myself." Connor complained.

"Whoa... You guys are having nightmares too?" I asked.

"It's hard to remember the details, but... Whatever it is, it's tough shit." Liam stated.

"Are you serious!?" I asked. So, I was right. Those sheep representing both Connor and Liam are indeed, Connor and Liam.

"Yeah... Now that I think about it, Liliana was saying all the guys who died were cheaters." Liam said.

"If that's true, then... What the hell's gonna happen to ME?" I wondered.

After we had our talk about those nightmares, I decided to call it a night.

"...You going?" Liliana asked.

"I just want think alone..." I responded.

"Hey, you showed a lot of guts today. I understand how complicated Prim's situation is. So if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm all ears." Liliana reassured me.

"Thanks." I responded.

"Just embrace Prim's feelings, okay?" Liliana coaxed.

I nodded and I left the bar for tonight.

Chapter 38: The Uncommitted - Rumors

As I drifted off to sleep, I arrived at the nightmare realm with the other sheep as per usual. It looks like I'm at the road of the cathedral, meaning that once I finished this night and the next night, I don't have to deal with these damn nightmares anymore.
"...Now what? I can't wait to see what they're cooking up now." I spoke to myself sarcastically realizing that I have to climb an even longer tower, longer than the other towers I had to climb.

I climbed just like I was supposed to, making staircases, climbing blocks, you know the usual shit I gotta do in these dreams. Aha! I found a trampoline block! Man, do I miss these so! As I stepped on the trampoline block it ascended me to the next tower. If I just spot those trampoline blocks, it would absolutely make my life easier.

"Just a little more." I spoke to myself, hearing the bells ring. Thanks to those blocks, I don't have to climb as much. Hey, gotta work smarter not harder am I right? After climbing what it seems like forever, I finally made it to the top. Whew... That was a long ass climb... I never want to do that shit ever again. I headed towards the Landing.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I noticed something weird as I went to the landing, Prim wasn't here playing the piano. In fact, she isn't even here at all. I hope she's okay honestly... Another thing I realized too, other than Connor, Liam, and that sheep with the tie are the only ones here. Has everyone else died?? This feels very surreal, but I'm not stopping now. Not ever. I made it this far and I am going to survive the night. No matter what.

I headed to the elevator and found yet another note on the ground.

"I see you chose the pianist slime girl over the others. No matter, you seem to have made peace with yourself, but... Some sheep have trouble accepting their losses, hence they all fell to their deaths. Making a decision means leaving other possibilities behind. Are you okay with that? Now... You're almost there. I'll say goodbye to you here and write you notes again. Only a very small number of sheep have ever reached the Cathedral. In this century... you're the first. I hear there are more holy stairs with red carpet at the top of the Cathedral. Get there. But don't let go of what's important to you. If you can, then you'll be free. Well then, I guess I'll see you until the very end. Full glad I am to see you survive after what I've thrown at you."

I've been through so much shit already, I am not afraid anymore. I just want this nightmare to end! I pressed the button, ascending to the next stage of this nightmare.

O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Charlie Riggs... How are you feeling?"

What the hell was that!? I just arrived at the platform!! "...Wh-Who's there!?" I responded to the voice.

A giant shadow approached me, it was wearing the same shit I was wearing... It even had a mask on. "Who, you ask...? Someone you know all too well. Hahaha!"

I just shrieked in fear, is this... My shadow!? Do I seriously have to fight myself!? I guess I have to now that I'm at the platform.

The shadow moved in a very unnatural way it's almost like it's playing a weird game of hide and seek with me. I proceeded to strike the shadow with my pillow, but it looked like I'm barely making a dent out of it.

"You can't escape!" My shadow boomed, trying to smack me but I thankfully dodged it.

I did not like how gigantic it was compared to me, I mean sure, I fought shadows in my nightmares before but... I'm literally fighting myself right now!

I strike it once more with my pillow but as a response, my shadow just took the pillow out of my hands. Little does this shadow freak know that I have an unlimited amount of pillows on me because it's a dream after all!

"Hah, good thing I have another pillow on me, right?" I sneered. My shadow looking increasingly agitated as it took more pillows from me and I just kept replacing one pillow after another.

Eventually, my shadow just gave up on taking my pillows and proceeded to slam his fist on the platform, nearly breaking the glass.

"Holy shit!!! You can't do that, man!! That's cheating!!" I yelled.

"...You're the one that's cheating." My shadow boomed, casting a shadow that turns the environment into total darkness. I took out the bell, undoing the spell.

"You bastard!! How long are you going to keep this secret?" It boomed letting out manically laughter. I continued to hit my shadow with my pillow.

After realizing that nothing I do will bring my shadow down, I decided to bolt to the exit door. Little did I know, someone was waiting for me at the platform.

"Y-You..." The voice called out.

I turned around, it was the sheep with the tie! "Y-You're...!" I gasped.

"I-I don't want to die... Where... Where's Rosemary?" The sheep said in despair.

"Rosemary...?" I pressed him. "Huh... Wait a second... That voice... You're... You're Rudy, aren't you?"

"Huh? How did you know my name?" Rudy questioned.

"Er... Well..." I responded hesitantly.

"I'm Rudy Whittaker. I'm a dentist... I see... That voice... You're Charlie, aren't you?" Rudy objected. "Haha... What a twist of fate... It looks like I'm cursed..." he lamented.

"You figured something out!?" I pressed.

"I've been cursed... by Rosemary." Rudy responded.

"How do you get a curse from that!?" I asked.

"Haha... Don't you get it? You're cursed, too. It's revenge... for betrayal..." Rudy added.

"Revenge?" I said in confusion, what in the hell is he going on about? "Then, the Rosemary you're talking about is..."

I heard a monstrous moan, it was from my gigantic shadow!

"Hey! Come on!" I called out to Rudy, trying to get him to escape.

My shadow approached Rudy, and he let out a startled scream. The mask from my shadow began to shatter and crumble... Revealing... My actual face. But it had glowing red eyes and it looked ugly as hell. At this point, we're both freaking out at the sight that was in front of us.

Rudy was frozen in fear screaming, my shadow proceeded to grab him. "Ruuuuuuuuuudy!!" I cried out.

"Ahhh! S-Save me! I don't wanna dieeeeeee!!" Rudy screamed as he was eaten by my shadow, in a cartoonish way. This cannot be for real... My shadow was towering me at this point smiling at me.

Nope, not dealing with this!! I ran through the door ending this nightmare for good. I'd rather not be shadow food thank you very much!!

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I woke from my nightmare, my eyes feeling a lot more baggy than last time. What the hell was that about!? I lied in bed, processing what the hell just happened in that nightmare last night...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Liam let out a yawn. "Man, I need some sleep... Nightmares just keep coming..." he said.

"Mhm..." I responded.

"I had a dream where I felt dead. I struggled... and struggled... Like I was battling against something crazy." Liam added.

"Mhm..." I replied.

"Yo, you listenin'?" he asked.

"...Hey, Liam." I started. "Man, we've had these crazy dreams every night... So how come we can't remember them clearly?"

"Hm? Now that you mention it..." Liam pondered, he also had bags under his eyes.

"I just, I can't shake this feeling... I can't remember." I mumbled.

"The series of mysterious deaths continues with another gruesome discovery this morning. Local dentist Rudy Whittaker, age 34, was found dead in his home."

"What...!?" My eyes widen in shock, I felt tense when I heard the news woman announcing Rudy's death.

"His wife, who he'd been feuding with, found him dead in his sleep with morning. Like the other victims, his body in an atypically weakened state, inconsistent with known causes of sudden death..." I feel silent, while Liam was chomping away sushi without a care in the world.

"It... It can't be..." I murmured.

"Huh? Hey... you all right, man?" Liam asked.

"Whoa. That dead guy on the news just now. I know that guy! He lived in my neighborhood! The police came this morning. Oh god. It was so loud!"

"That sounds like a bad way to start the morning."

"That bastard was cheating on his wife with a younger woman! The entire neighborhood knew because he bragged about it to everyone. What a creep!"

"You gotta feel bad for the kids in that situation."

"Oh, they didn't have any kids... But still, what a horrible man!"

I slammed my fist against the table in frustration.

"Hey, what is it?" Liam pressed.

"We met last night... in my dream..." I responded.

"Huh? Met who?" Liam asked.

"I remember now! It was him! He died in my dream!" I exclaimed.

"Him...? The guys on the news?" Liam raised an eyebrow. "Haha, that's crazy talk, man."

"What did he say... Oh, that's right, it's starting to come back to me now! He said it was a curse! Because he betrayed someone..." I observed.

"Hey, cut that out. You're trying to tell me he was killed in his dreams or something? You're *bleep!*ing crazy." Liam stated.

"Maybe not. Think about it... The rumor... Maybe it's true... The dreams we've been having every night..." I said.

"Did you honestly just say that? How does this tie in with betrayal? I'm the one that got betrayed." Liam said in disgust.

"Yeah... Sorry..." I apologized.

"Enough bullshit! We just can't think straight because we're too damn tired! We wake up all bleary-eyed and the world's full of rumors. Then we can't sleep because all this crazy shit's stuck in our heads." Liam put in his thoughts.
"You're probably right." I responded.

"Exactly. ...I didn't betray anyone. I was the one who was betrayed. So why is... Shit!" Liam rambled.

"I didn't mean to bring that up. I was just thinking." I explained.

"Eh, it's all stupid." Liam said.

"Yeah." I responded.

He let out a sigh, "What about you? You still feelin' what you said yesterday?"

"Yeah, I'll talk to that girl and put an end to it. And then... I'll tell Roselynn the truth. I doubt she'd forgive me, but... I'll apologize. As much as it takes. Whatever she needs... I'll handle it." I said bluntly.

"Whatever she needs... except marriage, right? That's... That's bold, man." Liam responded.

"I know it's selfish... But is it really any better to keep draggin' her along when my heart's just not in it anymore? I want to do right by her. If she needs child support, I'll even take a second job. I mean... If I don't carry my weight, I have no right to run off with Prim." I rambled.

"If you're serious, man, I'm not gonna stop ya. Go on and face the music." Liam suggested, approving of my decision.

"Ugh, she's gonna kill me..." I murmured.

"Oh, yeah, that shit's gonna be brutal. Don't worry, I'll take care of the body." Liam jested.

"...Oh, good. Thanks." I responded to Liam.

O0O0O0OO0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O
I'm sitting across from Rosemary, getting ready to tell her the truth and to break up with her.

"Uh, so you see... I mean, there's nothing wrong with you..." I explained carefully.

Rosemary just let out a exasperated sigh. "So then there's someone else, isn't there?"

"...Yeah." She hit the money on that one. "I've been trying to tell you all this time, but I couldn't... I had a lot of things on my mind, then you came along... I guess I was just trying to escape reality... Look, I'm sorry." I explained.

Rosemary sighed as she drank her glass of wine. "Okay, so what?" she asked.

"What!?" I began to tense up.

"It's fine. I already knew you liked someone else. As long as I'm your Number One, you can have your fun." Rosemary smirked.

"Well, you might not mind, but I do..." I stated.

"Why?" She peppered me.

"Why? What do you mean, why? I'm tryin' to be the good guy here. I wanna stay faithful..." I explained.

"Do you have a kid or something?" Rosemary asked.

"Actually, yeah, but that's with someone else--" I admitted.

"What!?" Rosemary looked taken aback. "Wait, who is this about?"

"Well..." I pondered but when I did Rosemary realized that this was about Prim.

"Wow... I see. Fine. Let's break up." she smiled.

"A-Are you sure!?" I asked, I thought I was going to have my ass handed over for a second. "I'm glad you understand..." I sighed in relief, but the feeling with Rosemary was... Off.

"Well... I'm off. Bye." Rosemary walked off and left the bar, not making eye contact with me. I heard her mumble something under her breath but I couldn't hear what she said.

"I'm counting on you to handle it." she said to boss.

"Of course." Boss smirked evilly.

I don't know what that was about but... my phone was ringing... It was from Roselynn. I answered her call.

"Charlie? Hey, there's something I want to talk to you about..."

"I actually have something to tell you too..." I said.

We both went silent, until Roselynn stated, "...It's bad news, isn't it."

"Um... Yeah..." I responded dejectedly.

"That being the case... Let's discuss in person tomorrow."

"All right... I'll see you then." I said.

"I'll come to your apartment in the morning. Oh, but... I should at least tell you this. I'm not pregnant."

"Wh- Huh?" Was she lying about being pregnant all this time?

"Good night." she hung up.

"Hey, you okay?" Liliana asked before I could head out the bar.

"It's okay... I look bad, but I have a feeling I'll be able to sleep tonight." I said.

"That's good to hear... and I'm sure Prim will be back soon." Liliana crooned.

"...Yeah, you're right. See ya!" I left the bar for night.

Chapter 39: The Uncommitted - Man Behind The Nightmares

This feels off... Isn't this supposed to be my last night I have to deal with these nightmares? I felt like... I actually had a good night sleep. I let out a sigh reaching out for my cell phone which was on my bed.

I checked my phone, "Still no reply from Prim... Great." I sighed. "Hold on... That's weird... I didn't have a nightmare last night. Is it finally over!? But without Prim, what's the point..." I just lie there, hopeless in bed until I heard a noise.

"What is that noise-- Wait... Is Prim back?" I got up and put on my usual clothes and headed myself to Prim's apartment.

"Okay. I can finally say it. Prim... There's something I need to tell you..." I said as I gently opened the door just to be greeted with... Rosemary stabbing Prim repeatedly... There was blood everywhere... I could even see Prim's lifeless face as she was being stabbed.

I let out a gasp, trying to get away from the scene... I can't believe this...

"You found out sooner than I expected. I figured THIS was why you wanted to break up with me... And I couldn't have that. So, you know. I took care of the problem." Rosemary explained as she smirked making dead eye contact with me.

"What have you done...!?" I shuddered.

Rosemary turns around facing me and away from Prim's lifeless corpse. "And you know what else? As a thank you for betraying me..." I slowly backed away to the door but she flipped the knife pointing at my direction.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU TOO!" Rosemary yelled as she rushed towards me, but I got out of Prim's apartment and back to mine before she could do anything. I was *bleep!*in' scared for my life man! I shut the door behind me and began panting.

"Welcome back. Something wrong?" Roselynn asked as she was towering me.

"In the other room... Prim was... killed, and--" I tried to explain but I was cut off.

"Oh no... Someone beat me to it." Roselynn chuckled. Oh god, she isn't gonna kill me too is she!? "Come on... I always knew..." she slowly approaches me. "You've been cheating on me. With two different people, no less..." she scoffed. I was completely frozen with fear.

"Why couldn't you be happy with just me? Am I really that undesirable?" Roselynn reveals an axe behind her back, getting ready to murder me with it.

"N-No, that's not-- Come on. Calm down, okay, Roselynn?" I quavered.

"Oh, I'm perfectly calm. I know exactly what'll happen if I bring this axe down." Roselynn murmured dead set on ending me.

I heard harsh knocking on my door and I couldn't help but let out a frightened scream.

"Charlie! I'll never forgive you for choosing that GIRL over me! Let me kill you already!" Rosemary seethed.

I could hear her manically laughing as she took out the chainsaw and proceeded to cut my door open. I heard feel my heart beating and I'm beginning to sweat like I'm in the middle of the desert.

"Enough of this. Don't worry. I'll kill you before SHE DOES!" Roselynn sneered as she begins to strike her axe on the door. My door!! It fell to the ground!!! I literally cannot believe what I'm seeing right now!! I feel like I'm having a heart attack right now!

"Another thing in my way?" Rosemary chuckled.

"You're the one in the way!" Roselynn replied beginning to strike the axe at her but Rosemary blocked her attack with her chainsaw.

While these two woman are having at it, I got out of the way.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Roselynn barked.

"Get out of here, you ugly whore!" Rosemary snarled.

"Calm down! Both of you, just--" I pleaded in fear. Yep, I'm dead... I grabbed a metal stick defending myself from Roselynn's axe and Rosemary's chainsaw, trying my best and my strength to keep their weapons away from me.

After some concentration I pushed my body weight against their weapons breaking free. I need to get out of here!! Now!! I begin to rush out the door.

"Get back here, Charlie!" Roselynn demanded.

"I'M gonna kill him first! Get out of the way! I'll kill you too!" Rosemary growled.

"I'll kill you first!" Roselynn yelled.

"Roselynn!!" I screamed as Roselynn's blood splatted right on my face and everywhere in my apartment. I just looked at the scene in absolute shock. This is something straight from a horror film but this is REAL.

Rosemary slowly approached me, axe in hand, the blade dragging against the floor ominously. "Chaaaaaaaarlieeeee... You're next. You hear what I'm saying!? I'm gonna kill someone you really care about!" Rosemary snarled.

Oh god... Am I going to die here...? Suddenly, I saw a dark hole on my ceiling, it was Prim!!! She cupped my face with her hands as she descended downwards towards Rosemary and I.

"Prim?" I asked. Prim began to wrap her arms around me as if she's protecting me from the other girl.

"...Now you show yourself." Rosemary sneered.

"This way! Hurry!" Prim said as we began to float towards the ceiling.

"You won't get away!" Rosemary scowled.

O0O0O0OO0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The nightmare... We've just gotta fight for our lives now!" Prim responded, but I noticed her about to fall to her knees, I caught her before she could reach the ground.

"But Prim... You're hurt!" I said in worry, noticing the scar she had on her leg.

"Don't worry. It's nothing. I'll fight with you too." Prim said as she took out her sword. It was decorated with pink and purple roses. We're at the platform waiting for the next shadow.

"I won't let you get awaaaaaay!" the shadow shrieked.

"Huh!?" I yelled in surprise.

"I'll kill you both! Hahahahahahahaha..." it was Rosemary's shadow and she is sneering at the both of us.

"Not if I have something to do with it!" Prim responded, beginning to strike the shadow with her sword. I didn't know that she was a fighter... I guess you learn something new everyday huh?

I took out the metal pipe and began to strike towards Rosemary's shadow.

Did she cast thunder on me!? Prim took notice of it and began to use her music to heal me.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Thank you." I replied.

We teamed up striking Rosemary's shadow at everything we got. It feels great not having to fight these shadows alone just like I've been in the past six nights of these nightmares. Prim helped me and I helped her... I believe we could end this nightmare together.

"Charlie, look out!" Prim yelled as she noticed that I was about to be hit by lightning bolts again. Thanks to the heads up, I effectively dodged Rosemary's thunder attack.

After some time, we both ran to the exit door which very much looks like a wedding altar.

"We made it..." I chuckled, putting my head against the door. I turned around and noticed Prim was struggling a bit. "Prim! We're almost there. Are you sure you're gonna be okay?" I asked her.

"Yeah!" Prim affirmed in confidence.

"I know I reacted poorly when I saw you turn into a slime that day... But I'm over it now. I want to be with you, Prim. I-I realize how important you are to me." I professed as I reached out a hand for her. Prim immediately came running to me as I confessed my feelings for her. "Charlie..." She looked like she was about to hug me until...

"Awww, too baaad!" A voice called out.

"Watch out!" Prim yelled, pushing me towards the exit door so I can leave safely.

"You're miiiine..." Rosemary cooed, her gigantic hand grabbing Prim.

I ran to Prim trying to grab her hand but it was only fingertips...

"Don't worry about me. You have to go!" Prim ordered.

"I can't do that...!" I yelled.

"You made me happy... I got to hear your true feelings... It means the world to me. I'm glad I saw you one last time. Thank you..." Prim cried, letting go of my finger tips.

"PRIMMMMMMM!!!!" I cried to her, the door shutting right in front of my face.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"PRIM!" I jolted reaching a hand... It was just a dream... "It was just... a nightmare?" the nightmare flashed in my head. "No... That had to be real!" I saw my door open. "Prim!?" I rushed towards the door. It was actually Roselynn.

"Roselynn... What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I called you yesterday. We need to talk." Roselynn said.

"Oh. R-Right... Sorry." I apologized.

We talked for a bit... After I put on my usual clothes.

"Roselynn... I'm sorry..." I said.

"Stop groveling. You're not the only one in the wrong here." Roselynn said as she crossed her arms. "The truth is... I found out a while ago I wasn't really pregnant." she explained.

"Really?" I asked.

"I just wanted to know what you were thinking first. But then I couldn't manage to bring it up... Honestly, a part of me was relieved when I found I wasn't pregnant. That's when I knew that if we did have a child... things wouldn't work out for us in the end. So... Before things get any worse... Let's break up." Roselynn explained.

"Roselynn..." I just looked at her.

"Don't look at me like that. It's for our own good." Roselynn said, getting off of my bed. "Let's move on and enjoy our own lives. But you better not regret it when I become a better woman in the future. Oh... Could you throw out my things? It wouldn't be good to keep that lying around." Roselynn said.

"Yeah... Got it." I responded.

"And... one last thing. This new lover of yours... What kind of woman is she?" Roselynn asked.

"Well, she's kind and very sweet..." I responded.

"O-Oh... She must really be something special. Hah, I didn't stand a chance, huh?" Roselynn sounded like she's about to cry.

"I'm... sorry..." I apologized.

"I told you to stop doing that. It feels good to get that off my chest. Maybe I'll start by finding a new hobby..." she walked out the door cheerfully. That's the happiest I've seen Roselynn in years... "See ya." She said closing the door.

Well, that escalated quickly...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Liam and I are sitting inside the stalls in the work's restroom.

"So, you find any leads on Prim?" Liam asked.

"None. All my calls go to voicemail. I keep checking those deaths in the news, but... nothin'. Which means... Prim's gotta be out there somewhere." I responded dejectedly.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a sec. What do those deaths have to do with anything?" Liam asked.

"That shit couldn't have just been a dream. I don't buy it." I deadpanned.

"Huh? What, are you crazy, man? You thought Roselynn died too, and she showed right back up your apartment." Liam said.

"That's... true, I guess... But my hands was still warm when I woke up. What kinda dream is that!?" I emphasized.

"Aw, come on. You were probably just holdin' your own hand in your sleep, you weirdo. Look, man. If Prim ghosted ya, you might need to take the hint. Though I guess that means you got broken up with by Roselynn for--" Liam explained but I cut him off in the middle his sentence.

"No! I'm telling you, in the dream, we were together..." I recounted.

"You okay, C-Man? If you're mixin' up dreams and reality, I think you've finally lost it." Liam remarked.

"Then what the hell was it!?" I asked, demanding an answer from him.

"Watch it, what are you snappin' at ME for?" Liam retorted.

"Sorry. From what I remember... We were on that crazy platform tryin' to fight some screwed up Rosemary... But as we made it to the exit door, there was a flash of lightning..." I recalled, remembering the dream.

"Wha-- Wait a minute. That voice sounded like... NO FREAKIN' WAY!" I yelled.

"What the hell, dude? You shit yourself?" Liam questioned.

"No, you idiot. I'm heading out." I said as I left the restroom stall.

"Wait, what? Hold on!" Liam called out but I already left before he said anything else.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I slammed my fist on the bar table.

"YOU. You know something about these nightmares and Prim, don't you!?" I pressed on Boss.

"Oh dear! I haven't a clue what you mean..." Boss deflected.

"That voice that I heard in my nightmare and the one who wrote me notes as I got to the top. That was you, wasn't it!?" I grilled him.

"Pardon me, sir. A nightmare is merely a dream, is it not?" Boss asked.

"Dream, reality, I don't care anymore!" I proceed to grab Boss by the collar. Not even noticing that Liliana was watching the whole time. "YOU are the only lead I've got. So you'd better start talking!"

"Eugh... Let go of me, please... Gah... I have nothing to do with this!" Boss pleaded.

"Bullshit!" I barked.

"U-Ugh...! Please... I'll stop the nightmares." Boss pleaded again.

"Wha-- What do you mean? What do you mean you'll stop them?" I grilled, Liliana pushing my arm away from Boss' collar. He began to cough from the relief.

"Are you telling me that you are the cause of these nightmares!? Answer me!" I demanded. Boss looked taken a back from what I said, not exactly helping my case here.

"Well, I wonder..." Boss said. He was clearly playing dumb at this point.

"I wonder my ass! You just said it!" I called him out.

"Did I...?" Boss pondered.

"You heard it, right?" I asked Liliana.

"Huh? Um, yeah..." Liliana responded.

"See!?" I yelled.

"I didn't..." Boss shook his head, denying it.

"Tell me!" I demanded, once again grabbing him by the collar. "And what is with these stupid shades!? You are indoors!" I grabbed the sunglasses from Boss' face, placing it on the table. Those eyes... They were unnatural. He had red eyes like a lamb and his scleras were black. I gasped and Liliana shrieked in fear. We both stepped away from boss.

"You... Who... the hell... are you-- Explain yourself, you *bleep!*ing monster!" I demanded.

"Ahem... Allow me to introduce myself... I, Melvin Dolphus, am--" Melvin introduced himself but before he could say more, I slammed my fist in anger on the table.

"O-Okay... To sum it up... When there are people like you who spend a long amount of time with a partner without commitment... It impedes the population model... The rate of population growth is less than optimal... Wasting a woman's time of greatest fertility is a hindrance to the future of the species... So, we separate these non-fruitful couples... And redistribute the women to men who can follow the natural order, you see." Melvin explained.

"Okay... So, what? You're just killing men who have a partner that they don't want to marry... Is that it?" I asked.

"Well, to put it bluntly... It is a sacrifice for a noble cause... And we would have completed it if it weren't for that nasty pianist. Showing up every night with that strange power... It's not human... One might believe it is the work of an angel." Melvin continued to explain.

"Wh-What the hell does that mean!?" I grilled Melvin.

"Ugh... Playing that piano without my permission... As a result, the sheep are not dying on schedule. Not to mention, it sounds horrendous! At least I was able to lay a successful trap using your nightmare as bait." Melvin said as he put his sunglasses back on.

"Do you really think I give a damn about what you just said!? Give it to me straight. You caused Prim's disappearance?" I questioned.

"Well... Yes. That about sums it up." Melvin smirked.

"That's all you had to say. Now let. Prim. GO!" I snarled.

"If you refuse to concede, the only option left is to die in the nightmare..." Melvin disclosed.

"If that's what is takes, I'll do it. Now, take me there, right now!" I demanded.

"There's no need for that. Simply wait for the nightfall as always." Melvin said cryptically.

"Fine! But you'd better believe we're comin' back alive!" I snapped.

"You seem confident." Melvin smirked. "Tonight... I will show you what I can really do."

"Bring it on!" I demanded.

A heard the bells ringing from the bar. It looks like my bar buddies showed up.

"Sup, you're here already? Whaddaya say we get our drink on?" Liam announced.

"Hey... Is everything all right?" Connor asked.

"Guys! Boss and Charlie are--" Liliana exclaimed.

"It's okay, don't say anything." I said to Liliana. "Sorry! Got a lead on Prim and we're just wrapping things up here. You guys start the party without me, huh?"

"Sure, but... Take it easy, all right?" Liam said.

"Nah, nah... Don't worry. We're just playing some games here. Right!?" I said as I glared at Melvin.

"Y-Yes, that's right... Haha..." Melvin chuckled.

I could see Liam and Dylan looking at each other, shrugging, and walking off. Connor walked off along side with them.

"So, to pick up where we left off... If you can control the nightmares, make this one the last. For everybody. Not just me." I demanded.

"That's absurd!" Melvin exclaimed, then sighing. "Very well... Not like you'll live to see it." he shrugged.

"H-Hey, Charlie! Are you sure about this?" Liliana asked.

"Sorry to make you worry. Trust me, I'll be fine. I just need to bring back someone important to me. And I won't fail." I reassured Liliana, making my way towards the bar door exit. I didn't feel like drinking tonight. I want to end this nightmare, not just for me, but for everyone too.

Chapter 40: The Uncommitted - VS Melvin Dolphus

This will be the last night I am ever going to deal with these nightmares. Tonight, there was no climbing thank god, however, I am going to fight the creator of these nightmares. As soon as I left that elevator, this is going to be a battle between life and death.

I arrived at my destination, the elevator doors opened and I was greeted with Melvin facing away from me waiting for arrival. "I've been waiting for you, Charlie." he turned around facing me with an evil smirk, expecting my arrival.

"You better keep your word you bastard!" I yelled in anger, all it matters now is Prim's safety.

"My, you're very persistent are you? No wonder Prim chose you." Melvin retorted, smiling cruelly.

"...Screw you! I'm not playing games here! I'm going to win tonight, bitch!" I said triumphally.

"Whaaaaaat are you talking about? I was just messing around and making you confident!" Melvin said in a threatening matter as he transformed into a floating stone head with glowing red eyes. "Nugaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" he grunted.

"Whoa!!" I yelled.

"Prepare yourself, boxer mortal!!!" Melvin yelled as he tried to shoot laser beams at me with his eyes.

"Whoa, whooooooa. Just take it easy there, bright eyes!" I said as I dodged his laser beams.

Melvin just laughed manically and let out a blood curdling growl.

"So, this is the final battle!? I've come this far... I'm not going to die here, damn it! Priiiiimmm!!" I cried out taking out my pillow but... It transformed into something... It was Prim's sword! Is she helping me beat Melvin? After all it does make sense since pillows are practically useless against stone heads.

I begin to strike Melvin's statue head with my sword... Holy shit, this thing is *bleep!* powerful! I feel like a knight in shining armor! No, I am Prim's knight in shining armor.

"What!? Is that Prim's power!? Why here in a time like this!?" Melvin yelled at he continued to shoot lasers from his eyes.

I continued to dodge the laser beams, determined to not die and end the nightmares so everyone can be free and move on with their lives. The truth is, I'm not afraid anymore. Now that Prim is waiting for me to save her makes me more motivated to defeat Melvin once and for all.

"Heh, I hope you ready to admit defeat, Melvin!" I smirked in confidence. Did I become a whole different person because of the power Prim gave me? I continued to strike him with my sword.

"Hehe... You know, you're hilarious, Charlie... You're faster and smarter than I thought..." Melvin said sarcastically.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Enough of your villainous monologue and just let me kick your ass!" I retorted. As we fought more and more, I could feel myself putting a dent on Melvin. The more I dodged his attacks and attacked him, the angrier he got.

Eventually, I found a gigantic exit door, symbolizing that this will be a guaranteed end of those nightmares. "Well, last one at the door is a rotten egg." I jested, running to the exit door. Near by the door, I saw Prim inside some kind of gigantic bird cage, I'm not leaving her here.

"Prim! Are you okay!?" I questioned as I ran towards the bird cage she was trapped in.

"Charlie! You're not hurt, are you?" Prim asked.

"I'm fine. I'm gonna get you out of there right now." I said, using her sword to break the lock. When I opened the cage, Prim immediately threw herself onto me, hugging me.

"Prim... I missed you..." I lamented.

"I missed you too..." Prim replied.

I pulled her away for a second, getting ready to tell Prim the truth and confess my love to her.

"I can finally tell you what's been on my mind. Prim... I love you." I professed.

"But... you already have a--" Prim said but I cut her off.

"She broke up with me." I said.

"And I'm... I'm cursed as a slime, so..." Prim sighed.

"I don't care. That doesn't matter to me. Not anymore. What matters is who you are. And that's something I don't want to let go of." I smiled.

"Charlie... To tell you the truth... My memories came back that day. But I was too shocked by my transformation... The more I told myself not to love you, the more painful it got... So I ran away and pushed you away. I'm sorry..." Prim sniffled.

"Just look who you're talkin' to. I'm practically the master of runnin' away. But through it all, you actually accepted me for who I am. When I thought about that... I started to see a new future, totally different from the way I live now. It's simple, isn't it? Nothing matters more than what's in your heart. That's how I'll live my life from now on. What do you think?" I confessed.

Prim pondered the thought for a bit, closing her eyes then opening them again.

"Charlie... I feel the same way. I want to spend my life with you!" Prim sobbed in joy. I simply placed my hand on her chin, leaning myself towards kissing Prim's lips until we felt an earthquake... It was that bastard Melvin!

"The *bleep!* is this!?" Melvin growled, towering the both of us.

"Sorry to break it to you, but I won! I'm bringing Prim back home." I blustered.

"I can't lose... No, you'll never beat me, you bastard! And quit the PDA!" Melvin raged.

"What!? Are you stupid!? I already did beat you!" I jeered.

"Shut up! You cannot deny the natural order of things. My noble cause could never be thwarted by your twisted desires!" Melvin chastised me.

"Oh, come on... Is that still what you think!? There's so much more to love than what assholes like you consider normal! I mean, I can't claim to be the greatest guy in the world or anything... But I AM human! And I won't be told how to live by someone like you!" I retaliated.

"If you really care about the human race, then I urge you to think of another way! I'll help you myself if you're willing to seek it." Prim suggested to the the floating statue head.

"You're just being selfish!" Melvin scoffed.

"All right, Melvin... What I want... isn't really the point. People's lives aren't planned out for them. There's no roadmap. Look for another path. One that doesn't involve controlling people. When you find that, your world will expand like never before. Right, Prim?" I lectured to Melvin, asking Prim smiling at her.

"Yes... Life is full of possibilities." Prim chirped.

"All right, I'm done with this guy. Prim... I love you." I professed once more to her.

"I love you too..." Prim professed to me.

We slowly begin to lean towards each other about to kiss, as the exit door opens revealing a light.

"St-Stop it! Impossible!!" Melvin yelled as he was hit by the overwhelming light, defeating him for good. Prim and I shared a kiss before the nightmare ends for good. With love this strong I could face anything now. I'm in love with Prim and she is in love with me.

Chapter 41: The Uncommitted - Rose A Live

I woke up and I felt like I had some sleep for once, the dark circles cleared and I feel a bit energized just like I drank a cup of coffee.

"Good morning, Charlie~!" Prim chirped, standing next to my bed smiling at me. I immediately wrapped my arms around her.

"Oh, Prim! I'm so glad you're safe!" I professed, I'm not going to lie, I felt like I was tearing up a bit I was that happy seeing Prim again.

"I have good news! I'm no longer cursed!" Prim exclaimed.

"That's amazing to hear! I'm happy to hear it! How about we go to the bar tonight?" I said.

"As a dance party? Does that we have to close down the bar for tonight?" Prim cocked her head.

"Well, yeah. It's just going to be the boys, Liliana, and us." I reassured her.

"What about... Boss?" she asked.

"Don't worry about him, he got his just desserts." I chuckled.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

The dance party is set up, and Melvin is not in sight. Like I care though because it seems like Liliana is the owner of the bar now.

"Hey, Charlie! Put on something on the juke box!" Liliana said.

I picked out a song that relates to my situation with falling in love with Prim. You probably heard this in a certain ogre movie.

"Heh, of course you picked that one." Liam chuckled.

"I suppose this is fitting for the both of you." Connor commented.

"Let's go, party guys!!" Dylan said as he began to dance with Liliana. Oh yeah, that's right. They're dating now. Good for them.

Connor and Liam were dancing by themselves and I began to dance with Prim. As we are all dancing to the music, I thought to myself. I never thought this could end like in a fairy tale but it did.

Everyone's free from their nightmares, Prim is no longer cursed, Melvin is no longer around, and Liliana is the owner of the bar now.

I think about Roselynn and Rosemary, I hope these two find love someday. These nightmares were well, a nightmare to deal with but I would do it all over again, for Prim.

This feels like I was in a high school but except I'm surrounded with my bar buddies and my new girlfriend.

After the song ended, Prim and I decided to call it a night and left the bar.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Hey, Charlie?" Prim asked.

"Yeah, what is it, Prim?" I responded.

"Is it alright if I sleep in your room tonight?" Prim requested.

"Oh yeah, yeah of course!" I said, allowing her to sleep in my bed.

As soon as we got our sleep wear on, we instantly went to sleep. I guess I gotta catch some zzzs now. Good night!

The Uncommitted - Completed.

Chapter 42: The Trials - Prologue

As soon as I graduated high school at the age of 19, I was immediately accepted into Hope's Peak Academy due to my "outstanding" detective skills. I'm just doing my job, really. I've been a detective since the age of 13 years old so I had no room for emotions.

Before we go any further, I should probably introduce myself. My name is Hana Shogo. I'm the Ultimate Detective.

Hope? Despair? What is the difference? I know they have different meanings but is it really that important? We relied too much on both hope and despair in my opinion.

I heard once you graduated from this place, you're pretty much set for life. So, I couldn't turn the offer to attend this college campus down. I also have to attend this school with other Ultimates. I wonder what they'll be like...

I should head my way to the college though since today is the first day of school. Best of all, you don't have to pay one yen to go through. I suppose this is Hope's Peak Academy for you.

Chapter 43: The Trials - Class Introduction

I am standing in front of the gate of Hope's Peak Academy. It seems that the college campus was as big and advanced as it was advertised. Could this be a new opportunity for me? I couldn't just stand here in front of this gate forever.

After taking a few deep breaths, my acceptance letter in hand I decided to step foot into the campus. The letter said that there will be a meeting for all incoming students in the main hall at 8 am. I know it's a tad bit early for me to do this but, I'm more of an early bird.

I headed towards the main hall. It seems I'm the only one in the building. I glanced towards the clock, it says it's 7:10 am. The meeting doesn't start until 8 o'clock. So I have plenty of time to kill. It makes sense nobody else would be here yet.

As I idled in the hallway, my view became warped and twisted. It was like a delusion of some sort, melting away and mixing together into something else.

Spinning, mixing, melting away, then spinning again. And the next moment.

Everything went black.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I found myself passed out, on the ground face first. I've been laying there for a while now. Oddly enough, I don't feel like I'm in pain. It's just my vision is just black, slowly coming back from unconsciousness.

"Hey, are you okay?" A sleepy girl's voice called out.

"Is she... Breathing?" A flamboyant guy's voice said.

"Well, obviously she is! Should we punch her in the stomach?" A tough voice jested, he seemed to be the bully type not going to lie.

"No! You can't do that, Shinichi! That's rude!" An authorial voice scolded the bully.

"Hey... That girl seems... Familiar." An introverted guy said... Who is this guy?

"Uhhh... Why is she passed out on the floor??? Did she drink too much!?" An anxious voice shrieked.

"I don't think she's the type to drink, I think." A kind and easy going girl said.

"Don't get any weird ideas, Okinao!" A snarky girl taunted.

"W-What!? What do you mean!? I'm worried sick, Hatsuka! Stop assuming things!" A timid guy retorted.

I let out a soft groan as my vision came back. My forehead and stomach were pressing on the hard floor. I shifted myself so I could lie down on my back. It seems that the other ultimates are kneeling down towards me checking to see if I was okay.

I was processing all of this. On cue, another student showed up he was wearing a red jacket. I'm not going to lie, compared to everyone else, he looked like an ordinary student. I wondered why he got accepted here. He might've been chosen for the "Ultimate Lucky Student."

He looked very freaked out seeing me on the ground. "Oh my god! Is that girl okay!?" he shrieked.

"She just woke up, it's just that she hasn't spoke yet." The sleepy girl said.

I looked around at everyone who is kneeling towards me, taking in their faces one at a time. It seems that we are in the entrance hall, judging how advanced it looked. For some reason, there's mini guns attached to it... Odd.

"Where... Am I...?" I asked. They all looked relieved that I'm able to speak. The green haired girl and a blue haired boy reached out for my arm, propping me up from the ground.

"We're in Hope's Peak Academy." A white haired guy replied. It seems that everyone is on their feet now that I've been picked up from the ground.

"My name is Hana Shogo. I am the Ultimate Detective." I introduced myself formally.

Everyone begins to introduce themselves to me, Hatsuka Honda the Ultimate Bookworm... Asako Sato the Ultimate Performer... Ryosei Otani the Ultimate Assassin... Ritsuko Sakaguchi the Ulitmate Programmer... Shinichi Taro the Ultimate Delinquent... Hiroya Urushido the Ultimate Lucky Student... Roku Amari the Ultimate Pop Idol... Sayuri Taguchi the Ultimate Gamer... Okinao Honda the Ultimate Artist... and finally Reito Mizushima the Ultimate Student Council.

With that, all the introductions are done. I can see that they each have their own abilities and earned their Ultimate titles. Still wasn't sure about Hiroya's title though, since he did say that he was randomly selected.

"Okay, let's talk. This is no time to stand around making friends like a bunch of dull-eyed dumbasses." Hatsuka said. For an Ultimate Bookworm, she seemed to have a foul attitude. I'd better be careful around her.

"Seriously, Hatsuka? We just met them! Why are you being so rude!?" Okinao scolded.

"Ugh... Don't mind them, Hana. Anyways, you see... You know how you passed out in the entrance hall? It's the same for all of us but we woke up in several locations in the school." Roku said.

"I'd figured that." I responded.

"J-Just after each of us got into the main hall of the school, we lost consciousness. A-And when we came here, we were somewhere here in the school. That's what happened to you, r-right?" Asako added.

"It's strange that every one of us would get knocked out like that." I stated.

"And that's not the only thing. You saw where all the windows in the classes and hallways were, right? But instead of normal glass windows, it was a bunch of big metal plates! What's that about!?" Reito asked.

"No...?" I cocked my head for a college campus it sure is strange.

"And then there's the main hall here. The front exit is completely blocked by some giant metal hatch. But there wasn't anything like that when I first got here...! What the heck!? What's it doing there!?" Reito questioned.

"Maybe we got caught up in some kind of crime?" Ryosei said.

"W-What!? Like a kidnapping!? Did someone actually grabbed us and hauled us off and we're not ACTUALLY in campus!?" Asako shrieked.

"Man, this is really stupid. If it's all just part of the campus' orientation then I'm out." Shinichi stated bluntly.

"So you think they wanted to do something to surprise us?" Ritsuko asked happily.

"Oh no... I really hate surprises..." Asako whimpered hiding her face.

I could feel everyone's tension evaporating as we speak. But then, I hear the bell ring. There was a screen in the entrance hall, it was all static like.

"Ahem! Ahem! Testing, testing! Mic check, one two! This is a test of the college broadcast system! Am I on? Can everyone hear me? Okay, well then...!"

The voice seemed very out of place. It was so playful, so utterly unconcerned. I couldn't help but feel unnerved by the voice. It even raised red flags to me. It was like hearing someone laugh at the scene of an accident.

"Ahh, to all incoming students! I would like to begin the entrance ceremony at... right now! Please make your way to the gymnasium at your earliest convenience. That's all. I'll be waiting!"

"What in the world was that just now?" Ryosei asked in confusion.

Hatsuka just silently left the entrance hall.

"I guess I have to follow her." Ryosei said referring to Hatsuka.

"I'm tempted to break something from hearing annoying ass voice." Shinichi muttered leaving the room.

"I-I hope this is a joke or something!" Asako said.

"Wanna leave with me, Asako?" Ritsuko asked, the performer immediately nodding her head.

"Alright everyone, head to the gym!" Reito commanded.

"Uhh... I guess I will see you all there." Okinao said.

"I guess I have no choice but to go." Hiroya stated.

"Hmm... This doesn't seem right." Roku said.

"I have to agree with you, that announcement was totally weird." Sayuri said.

"Maybe, but staying put doesn't mean we'll be safe. Besides, aren't you guys just a bit curious to find out what's going on here?" I asked.

"I suppose you're right, Hana. We should push forward." Roku said leaving the room. Now it's just Sayuri and I.

"Are you feeling nervous? Do you want to come with me?" Sayuri asked warmly reaching out for my hand.

I couldn't help but blush a bit, looking away. "Um... N-No. You can go ahead without me, I'll catch up to you." I said shyly.

"Come on! Please? I insist so you wouldn't get lost!" Sayuri insisted.

"Alright then." I responded to her, something about her seems... Warm and friendly.

"Let's head to the gym then!" Sayuri chirped, grabbing my hand.

"H-Hey! Watch it! I'm not a child!" I protested as Sayuri held my hand guiding me out.

We left the entrance hall together, I can't deny that her hand felt warm like an oven. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet? It felt nice being cared for.

Chapter 44: The Trials - Meet Headmaster Hoshi!

As the other Ultimates and I made our way to the gym as analyzed the hall ways and the windows. Reito was right, the windows were covered in big metal place. As for the atmosphere of the college campus. It doesn't feel like a college campus at all.
Rather, it felt like something liminal and in a dream? The colors seemed out of place and the floor was a black and white checkerboard design. This is new to me, I don't know about the others since they were all awake and saw all this before they saw me laying face down.

We finally arrived at the Gym's entrance. That point, Sayuri decided to let go of my hand. I saw everyone else hanging out by the door.

"God, I had no idea this Hope's Peak Academy place was gonna be an absolute pain. It really isn't that different from the time I attended Buru Kachi Academy. Hell, this place is even worse!" Shinichi complained.

"All we can do now is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. Nothing ventured, nothing gained." Ryosei said.

"Well hell, I'm not scared or anything! Let's get this over with! Hey! Where's whoever called us here!?" Shinichi said running through the double doors of the gym.

"Shinichi, stop! No running!" Reito yelled after Shinichi.

Ryosei silently went through the gym doors.

"H-Hey, wait! Don't leave me all alone!" Okinao complained.

I guess we have no choice but to go through the doors. We all did what the announcement said and went to the gym. There was a ceremony going on in the gym, as I expected.

"Oh. It really does look like an entrance ceremony." Hiroya commented.

"So far, it doesn't seem so bad!" Ritsuko said confidently.

Ritsuko could be correct, but for some reason, I have a bad feeling about this.

"Hey there, greetings, hello! Is everyone here? Good! Then let's get things rolling!" A voice called out excitedly.

We all turned our attention to the source of the voice... It was a life sized star plushie. One side was white with a beady eye and an adorable smile. While the other side was black with red, horizontal jagged eye which resembled the school's emblem. The other side had a sadistic smile.

"Huh? A star plushie?" Sayuri commented.

"I'm not a star plushie! I... am... Hoshi! And I am this campus' headmaster!" Hoshi protested.

That's... Our headmaster? I was expecting a dangerous person, not some star plush toy.

"Nice to meet you all!" Hoshi announced. Such a bright voice and carefree attitude was completely out of place. I'm not letting my guard down, I won't.

"Wh-? What the hell!? That plush toy can talk!?" Okinao shrieked, sweating like he just ran a marathon.

"Calm down. I'm sure there's just a speaker inside that." Reito said.

"I told you already, I'm not a mere plush toy... I'm Hoshi! And I'm your headmaster!" Hoshi badgered.

"Waaaaaah!! It moved!!" Asako cried.

"Seriously you two, calm down! It's probably just a remote control toy or something." Shinichi said.

"How dare you compare me to a child's plaything! You've cut me deep. Deep'r than any blade in existence!" Hoshi complained.

Did this plush just... Talk in Shakespearean???

"My remote control system is so complex, even the folks at NASA can't recreate or even comprehend it! Ah, but maketh not me sayeth stuffeth yond might destroyeth nasa's dreams. I just couldn't seeth beyond the stars on yond!" Hoshi badgered.

"Can you speak normally? We can't understand you with your weird medievil talk!" Hatsuka jeered.

"Now then, moving on! We must hurry and get started..." Hoshi said.

"Giving up already? No other words in this weird Shakespearean speech?" Hiroya said.

"Quiet down now, quiet down. Ah, okay, so...!" Hoshi spoke.

"This is weird, not going to lie..." Ryosei commented.

"Everyone, stand at attention and bow! And... good morning!"

Everyone, except for Reito begrudging bow our heads to Hoshi. Reito bowed his head in respect and said "Good morning!!!"

"You don't have to say it back." Hiroya commented.

"Now then, let us commence with a most noteworthy and memorable entrance ceremony! First, let's talk a bit about what your school life here will be like. Now, ah, make no mistake-- you few students, so full of potential, represent the hope of the world. And to protect such splendid hope... Thee shall all liveth a communal life togeth'r solely within the confines of this college. Ev'ryone shall liveth in harmony togeth'r, and adh're to the rules and regulations of the college." Hoshi explained.

I'm a bit lost and confused on what's going on here. I might as well get used to Hoshi's wording. He sure jumps from speaking from modern english to shakespearean.

"Ah, now then... Regarding the end date for this communal life... Th're isn't one! In oth'r w'rds, thee'll all beest h're until the day thee kicketh the bucket! such is the college life thee've been assign'd." Hoshi taunted. Suddenly, the air in the room became tense.

"Wait... What did he just say...? Until the day we die?" Roku asked in disbelief.

"Oh, but fear not! We have quite an abundant budget, so you won't lack for all the common conveniences." Hoshi winked.

"That's the least of our worries right now!" Ryosei retorted.

"Y-Yeah! You're saying that WE have to live here F-FOREVER!? You're j-joking with us, right?" Asako questioned getting visibly nervous compared to everyone else in the gym.

"I am not joking with thee! I am nay coystrill of yond thee can beest 100% sure!" Hoshi yelled, took a deep breath and added, "Ah, and just for your information... you're completely cut off from the outside world. So you don't have to worry about that accursed land beyond these walls ever again!"

"Cut off...? So all those metal plates all over the campus... They're there to keep us trapped in here?" I asked, tensing up.

"That's exactly what they're there for. No matter how much you may yell and scream for help... Help will not come. So with all of that in mind, feel free to live out your life here with reckless abandon!" Hoshi said, in a sickening happy tone.

"Come on, what the hell is this? I don't care if the campus or whoever else is behind it all, this is just a really bad joke." Hiroya said.

"Yeah! Cut this shit out! It isn't funny anymore!" Shinichi yelled.

"Thee keepeth declaring this is a forswear, 'r a gleek. A bunch of skeptics, all of thee. But I guess you can't help it, huh? You all grew up in an age where you're taught to doubt your neighbor... Well, you'll have plenty of time to find out whether or not I say is true. And when that time comes, you'll see with your own eyeballs that I speak the undeniable truth." Hoshi said.

"Having to live here forever would be... quite the problem." Roku shuddered.

"Come, now. What's the matter with all of you? You decided of your own free will to attend Hope's Peak Academy, did you not? And now, before the entrance ceremony is even finished, you've already decided you want to leave? Oh, but you know... I guess I did forget to mention one thing. There *is* one way for you to leave the college campus..." Hoshi said.

"Really?" Ritsuko asked.

"As headmaster, I've crafted a special clause for those of you who would like to leave! I call it... the Graduation Clause! Now, let me tell you about this fun little rule. As I mentioned, in order to maintain an environment of harmony here, we rely on a communal lifestyle. And if someone were to disrupt that harmony, they and they alone would be allowed to leave the school. That, my honored students, is the Graduation Clause!" Hoshi explained.

"What do you mean by "disrupt the harmony"?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Puhuhu... Well, you know... If one person were to murder another."

"M-Murder!?" Hiroya cried out.

"Stabbing, strangling, bludgeoning, crushing, hacking, drowning, igniting, how you do it doesn't matter. You must kill someone if you want to leave. It's as simple as that. The rest is up to thee. Giveth t thy all to achieveth the most wondrous outcome in the w'rst way possible." Hoshi said. A chill shot down my spine... As soon as I heard those words, my blood went cold but I'm still holding onto my brave face.

"Puhuhu. I bet *that* got your brain juices flowing! Beats the heck out of a human summoning meteor, huh? Like I said before, you guys are the hope of the world. But you know... Taking that hope and seeing it get murdered creates a darkened shadow of despair. And I just find that so... darn... exciting!" Hoshi bubbled.

"What are you talking about...? To kill each other is... It's...!" Ritsuko spoke in disbelief.
"To kill each other is to kill each other. I'm sure there's a dictionary here somewhere if you need it." Hoshi responded.

"We knows what it means, that's not the problem! Why do we have to kill each other!? Stop blabbering already!" Okinao questioned.

"...Blabbering?" Hoshi's tone becomes... Eerie. "Blabb'ring, blabb'ring, what doth thee cullionly blabb'ring!? Stand ho blabb'ring on about blabb'ring on! Thee guys just receiveth not t, doth thee? "Let us wend, alloweth us wend!" Thee keepeth on declaring the same thing ov'r and ov'r and ov'r and ov'r...! Hark. From this moment on, this college campus is thy home, thy life, thy w'rld. Und'rstand? And thee can killeth as much as thee wanteth to killeth! So wend ahead, wend on a kill-kill-killing spree!" Hoshi yelled.

"Alright, come on... How long are you going to keep this up?" Hatsuka snarked.

"Eh?" Hoshi cocked it's... Star body in confusion.

"You scared us and got us. So will you go ahead and reveal the trick now?" Hatsuka asked.

"Reveal the trick...?" Hoshi asked.

"Are you dumb? Are you dense? Why are you acting clueless now?" Hatsuka scoffed.

Shinichi then pushed Hatsuka out of the way, placing himself in front of Hoshi.

"Listen up, loser! This shit's gone way too far! What the hell kind of joke IS that!?" Shinichi questioned.

"Joke? What, you mean like your attitude?" Hoshi asked.

"Fuuuuuuuu-" Shinichi raged, lunging himself at Hoshi fast and straight as a bullet.

"Gotcha, you little dumb ass! I don't know if you're a toy or a stuffed animal or whatever the hell! Either way, I am going to shove your ass down your throat and make you eat your cotton stuffing, you jackass!" Shinchi growled.

"Waah! Violence 'gainst the headmast'r is in violation of college regulations!" Hoshi cried.

"Shut up! Let us out of here, or I swear..." Shinichi threatened. It seems that Hoshi was reduced to beeping from the Ultimate Delinquent's threat.

"What, no smartass comeback this time!?" Shinichi jeered.

Hoshi is still beeps, indicating that it's about to explode soon.

"Stop that damn beeping and SAY SOMETHING!" Shinichi yelled.

"Watch out! Get rid of it!" I yelled.

"Huh...?" Shinichi looked at me like I just grew two heads.

"Hurry up and throw it!" I commanded. I don't know if I actually stunned Shinichi into silence or what, but without a word he did what he was told. He threw Hoshi and as soon as he did, the headmaster exploded like a robot from a mecha anime movie from the 80's.

"The hell!? Th-That sure as hell wasn't a joke. It blew the hell up..." Shinichi commented, taken aback.

I covered my ears before the headmaster exploded, however, I could smell gunpowder. Explosions happen all the time in movies or whatever, but when it's in real life... I'd never seen anything like it. Not even when I had to solve different crimes.

"But you know... This means that the star stuffed animal's been destroyed, right?" Sayuri asked.

"I toldeth thee, I'm not a star stuff'd toy! I'm Hoshi!" The headmaster yelled, popping back to life like nothing happened.

"Uwah! T-Th-There's another one!?" Asako cried.

"You son of a bitch! You seriously tried to kill me just now!" Shinichi sneered.

"Well, aye. I wast s'rious about trying to killeth thee. Thee didst violate one of the campus' regulations, aft'r all. I'll alloweth thee off with a warning this timeth, but thee'd bett'r beest careful from anon on. Any naughty knave 'r wench who is't violates mine own rules wonneth't receiveth off with just a dram swat on the wrist." Hoshi growled in annoyance.

"Hey... So does that mean there's a bunch more of you somewhere?" Hiroya asked.

"Hoshis have been placed all throughout the school, yes. Plus, don't forget the surveillance cameras installed everywhere. And if you're caught breaking any rules, well... You all just saw what happened, right? Puhuhu... And I won't be so forgiving with my punishment next time. So don't let it happen again!" Roshi chirped.

"Th-That's not even punishment. That's just... wrong..." Okinao shuddered.

"Now then, lastly... To commemorate your joyous entry into our school, I have a little something for you... This is our official student handbook! Pretty cool, huh? As you can see, it's fully digital. So naturally, we call it... The e-Handbook!" Hoshi said cheerfully as he handed each and every one of us the e-Handbook each corresponding to our names.

"Ahem. Yes, well, moving on... This handbook is absolutely vital to a healthy school life, so don't lose it! When you start it up, it will display your name. Always make sure you have the right one! Now, this is not your everyday notebook. It has so many more uses than that! Also, it's completely waterproof. Splash it, wash it, drown it, it'll keep on ticking! And thanks to its space-age design, it can withstand an impact force of up to ten tons. Very resistant! It contains all of our campus' regulations, so make sure you review them thoroughly! Thee'll heareth me sayeth this a lot, but any violation of the campus' regulations shall not beest tol'rat'd. Rules restrict, forsooth, but those gents eke protecteth. Society, f'r example, wouldst beest utt'r chaos without laws. The same thing applies here! Which is why it's crucial we have strict punishments in place for violators. Okay, well... that brings our entrance ceremony to a close! Please enjoy your abundantly dreary school life! And... see ya!" Hoshi said and with that, he was gone, leaving everyone in a state of shock.

"So, guys... How would you define what we just experienced?" Reito asked.

"How...? Why...? I don't understand any of this..." Roku said.

"We have to l-live here f-forever... Or kill...? Wh-What...? What just happened!?" Asako questioned placing her hands on her hat.

"Everyone, we just need to just calm down. First, let's just take a second to summarize everything we just heard. Based on what Hoshi said, we essentially have two choices. Choice number one is that we each stay here, living a communal life together until the day we die. And the other choice is..." I explained.

"If we want to get out of here alive, we have to kill someone. Right?" Hiroya asked.

"But... killing someone... That's..." Sayuri spoke in shock.

"We were abducted out of nowhere and stuffed into this place meant to look like a school. And now we're supposed to start killing each other? This is... What IS this!?" Okinao commented.

"A lie, is what it is. All these ridiculous things we've heard... This all has to be fake!" Reito said in denial.

"Right now it doesn't matter if it's real or fake. What matters is... Is there anyone here who's seriously considering all this...?" Ryosei commented.

Nobody had a response. Keeping quiet myself, I looked around at the others. They all stared at one another, trying to gauge each other's thoughts. I could almost taste the hostility. And that's when it hit me. I realized the true terror hidden within the rules Hoshi had laid out. "You must kill everyone if you want to leave." Those words have planted vicious thoughts deep within each of us.

Each of us became suspicious of everyone else. We were forced to wonder, "Is somebody going to betray us?" And that was how my new school life began... This campus, which had come out of nowhere to raise my hopes so high. It's not a campus of hope. It's a campus of despair.

Chapter 45: The Trials - Regulations

"You must kill someone if you want to leave."

My mind froze and breath caught in my throat as I thought about that... I could feel a paralyzing fear slowly making its way through my body, dominating my last nerve. The air hung heavy on me, pressing down like a weight around my neck. It took everything I had just to endure that weight.

Breaking the silence, and trying to put on a brave face once more I begin to speak,

"So? What are you going to do now? Just stand around glaring at each other?" My comment was directed at everyone in the room. In a way, it helped me and it pulled everyone back to reality.

"R-Right... She's right! Sometimes, even if you're nervous or afraid, you just have to step forward!" Reito commented, then beginning to tear up. "To forget such a simple fact... I can't forgive myself, I'm so ashamed! Please, someone hit me! I can't forgive myself! Somebody hit me! Punish me!" he sobbed.

"Reito, stop. No one is going to hit you. You're not the one trapping us here and scaring us." Shinichi said to Reito. I'm surprised he had a sudden change of heart. He seemed to be the bully type but, he's a lot nicer than he seemed on the outside.

"Yeah, but... what is the mission, exactly?" Okinao asked.

"I'm not sure... It could be for a way out but... This just brings more questions than answers..." Hiroya commented.

"Well, we need to find whoever was controlling that star plush and stop them." Ritsuko stated.

"But before we do that, maybe we should take a look at the handbook. It's probably best to check out the campus' regulations Hoshi mentioned before doing anything else." Sayuri suggested.

"You're right. If we stumble around with no clue what the rules are, something like that might happen again..." Roku agreed.

"Shit..." Shinichi muttered.

"Alright. Let's hurry up and check out the rules." Ritsuko suggested.

We all took out our e-Handbooks and turned them on. After turning on my e-Handbook, the first thing that appeared was my name. So just like Hoshi said, the owner's name showed up front and center. Then, from the main menu that popped up, I selected the Campus' Regulations icon. And itemized list appeared on-screen. It was the regulations. In other words, the rules being imposed on us all.

Students may reside only within the campus. Leaving the campus is an unacceptable use of time.

"Night time" is from 10 pm to 7 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.

Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.

With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore Hope's Peak Academy at your discretion.

Violence against Headmaster Hoshi is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.

Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.

Additional campus regulations may be added as necessary.

After reading all the rules, I raised my face up from the screen. As I looked around, I saw stormy expressions on everyone's faces.

"This is bullshit! What the hell kind of rules are these!? I'm not gonna let them control ME!" Shinichi yelled.

"Why don't you wander around the campus without a care in the world and see what happens, dumb ass. I would love to see what happens when someone breaks one of the rules." Hatsuka retorted sarcastically.

"Hatsuka! Do you not realize that if he got punished like what we saw before, I don't think there will be a respawn waiting for him!" Okinao lectured Hatsuka which led her to roll her eyes. Shinichi's eyes widen at Hatsuka's comment.

"I... I got in trouble a lot back when I attended Buru Kachi. The worst punishment I got was either a detention or I had to mow the school's grass. This is nothing compared to... those punishments." Shinichi explained, going completely pale.

"Okay? Do you want a cookie?" Hatsuka asked mockingly.

"A cookie for getting in trouble? It's not my fault my parents failed me, y'know?" Shinichi sighed.

"I understand you, but are you saying you will follow the regulations?" Roku asked Shinichi.

"Huh? Oh, well... yeah, I guess you're right." Shinichi said, placing a hand behind his head.

"H-Hey, um... I have a question. For regulation n-number six... what do you think it means exactly?" Asako stated. She was referring to the "blackened" rule.

"You're referring about the second half, right? Where it says "unless they are discovered"? I was wondering about that myself." Hiroya asked her in clarification.

"It's saying that if you want to graduate, you have to kill someone without anyone finding out it was you." Ryosei answered her question.

"Huh... B-But why...? Why do we h-have to do that?" Asako shudders.

"I don't know. My word of advice is, just worry about following the rules as they've been explained to us." Ryosei said.

"Well for now, let's forget all that silly junk about murderers or whatever. Now that we know the rules, let's start exploring the school!" Sayuri suggested.

"True. We need to find out where exactly we are. Is there any way out? What about food and supplies?" Reito pondered. "There are tons of questions we need to answer!" he added.

"You're right! Okay, let's all start looking around!" Ritsuko chirped.

"I'm going alone." Hatsuka said.

"Huh? Why? That's a pretty stupid idea, don't you think?" Hiroya said to Hatsuka.

"Someone here might already have started thinking about murdering one of us. Are you seriously saying we should stand around with them in our midst and make it much easier for them?" Hatsuka questioned.

"Wait, hold on a second. That would never-!" Roku tried to explain but was immediately cut off by Hatsuka.

"Don't bother saying it couldn't happen. You can't deny the possiblity. That's why you all seized up with fear when that graduation rule was made clear to you. Am I wrong?" Hatsuka said in a condescending way.

"But..." Roku wanted to say something but he seemed to be cornered against her.

"So, I'm simply acting in accordance with what I think is best for me." Hatsuka sassed.

"Hold on! Like hell we're gonna let you run off and do whatever you want!" Shinichi yelled to Hatsuka, holding her shoulder. She simply swipes the delinquent's hand away from her shoulder.

"Out of my way, you wannabe loser." Hatsuka taunted.

"Wh-!? The hell is that supposed to mean!?" Shinichi questioned.

"You are a wannabe loser. Which is why you're expelled at every school possible." Hatsuka remarked.

"I'm going to kick your ass!" Shinichi yelled.

"Hey, stop. We shouldn't fight." I said, Shinichi directs his eyes at mine, glaring at me.

"The hell you just say? You some kind of goody two shoes? Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? You think you're my mom or something!?" Shinichi threatened.

"I wasn't." I said directly.

"Screw you!" Shinichi yelled punching me right in my face flying back in a heap. It was something straight out of a comic book. I didn't see the punch coming. It was just suddenly right there in my face. One second I was standing there, the next I was soaring through the air. I suppose he was called the Ultimate Delinquent for a reason.

My consciousness began to fade... Before it finally cut out completely.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

When I finally opened my eyes again, what I saw was a room. I was lying in bed, surrounded by books and flowers. I even had my plush bear beside me. The bear was wearing a costume, and had a bow tie on it's neck.

"Ng... gah..." I breathed. "Huh...? Wh-Where am I?" As if it become a part of my daily routine, I woke up in yet another room I'd never seen before.

"Okay, so... Where am I now?" I spoke to myself. The first thing I check was a table, which had a key on top, this must be the key to the room. My name is written on the keychain. I'd better hang on to it for now.

I begin to check the drawer. It's more books, one of the books that caught my attention was, "Who is the 12th hidden student?" Curious, I decided to check the book out but the name and the face regarding this hidden student have been scratched off out of existence. I suppose I should worry about it later unless something comes up.

There was a piece of paper hanging up on the wall, which says,

"Announcement from Headmaster Hoshi. Each room's lock has been designed to completely protect against tampering or lock-picking. Remaking an individual room key is quite troublesome, so please make sure not to lose yours. Your room comes furnished with a shower so please take advantage of that. Finally, we've prepared a small gift for each of you. All the gifts reflect on your Ultimate talents. Don't think! Just feel! And let's all enjoy ourselves!"

...Is this why my room is full of books and flowers? Or could be a jab that my name Hana means flower in Japanese? At least my comfort item is here beside me.

I turned my attention to the door, this would appear to be the bathroom. I tried going in but the lock isn't working. "Hmm? It's not opening." I said. "It must be locked from the inside."

I think I'm starting to understand. This room must be my assigned dorm room. Someone must have carried me here after I fell unconscious. So that answers that question. The next question is... What is everyone else up to right now? There's only one way to find out, which is to get out of here.

I left the room to meet up with the others but there was someone waiting for me. It was something out of an old TV show.

"Ahh!" a voice cried, it was Sayuri

"Oh-! ...Sayuri?" I might've bumped into her by mistake. "Sorry, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I hope you're okay. Sorry about that." Sayuri responded. She had an embarrassed smile on her face. I stood up slowly.

"Are you okay, Sayuri? Are you hurt?" I asked.

"I'm completely fine!" Sayuri chirped.

"That's good to hear then." I said.

"But are you okay? You know, from when Shinichi hit you..." Sayuri said in concern. That's true... I got knocked out right there in front of everyone. I should be more careful from now on.

"Hana?" she asked again.

"I'm fine. Nothing's wrong here." I said to her.

"Oh, that's good. I was kinda worried..." Sayuri let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks." I said. "By the way, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came to get you." Sayuri responded.

"You came... to get me?" I questioned.

"Yeah, if you really are feeling better. I was hoping you could come to the dining hall." Sayuri explained.

"The dining hall?" I questioned.

"After you got knocked out, everyone decided to go and do their own thing. We decided it would be more effective if we split up to investigate. So we agreed to get together later on and talk about what we'd each found out." Sayuri explained.

"So does that mean it's almost time to get back together? If that's what's going on, then I'll go with you." I said.

"Okay! Let's go to the dining hall together!" Sayuri said as she once again took my hand.

"Umm... Sayuri, do you really have to do that?" I asked an embarrassed blush appeared on my face.

"Sorry... I do this out of habit... Ehehe..." Sayuri chuckled.

I decided not to question it further as she guided me to the entrance of the dining hall. When we arrived in the dormitory dining hall Sayuri and I were the only ones here at the moment.

As soon as we arrived, Sayuri let go of my hand smiling softly to herself as if she made me a gift.

"It looks pretty clean, so that's good. ...Um, I guess it's not really important right now, with us being prisoners here and all." she commented, scanning the dining hall.

"I suppose that's true." I said. Nobody was here waiting for us. We don't have a choice so we should just wait here for now.

I checked the clock on top of the dining room. "Wait... It's 7'o clock at night?" I said in surprise.

"You were unconscious for a pretty long time..." Sayuri said.

I see. Without being able to look out a window, I've lost all sense of time.

"By the way, Hana." Sayuri spoke.

"Huh? What is it?" I pressed her.

"Well, it's just... I know this is kind of continuing the self-introduction thing, but I wanted to ask you something." Sayuri said.

"Continuing our self-introductions?" I raised an eyebrow, curious on what she wants to ask of me.

"I'm not sure if you remember but I had question I wanted to ask you." Sayuri said.

"What do you want to ask me?" I questioned.

"Hana, did you happen to go to Tomi High School? Were we maybe in class together?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah, I remember. We were always partners in that class." I said with a faint smile.

"I knew it! It was with Ms. Komatsu's class. I believe Ryosei was in the same class too, do you remember that?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah... We were like three peas in a pod." I said fondly. Even back in high school, the three of us were celebrities compared to everyone else. Now I understand why she held my hand in hallways, she always holds my hand so she wouldn't get lost in a crowd of students getting from class to class.

I faintly remember Ryosei having a crush on me back in those days too. I begin to daydream, reminiscing of those times we had together.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah, I was just reminiscing that's all." I said.

"I was reminiscing too. If only Ryosei could join us." Sayuri said.

"Indeed... But there were lots of students in that class, right? I always stood out as the detective type. Hence why I was always pulled out of class to do a "mission." I said.

"I remember those "missions" too! We all make a great team keeping the bad guys out of town!" Sayuri said triumphally
.
For some reason, being around Sayuri makes my heart... warm. Her smile, her presence, and her aura was the nicest I'd seen or felt from an individual.

"I'm really glad you remember me. Talking to you made me feel a lot better about all this... You're amazing, Hana!" Sayuri smiled.

I begin to hide my face with my cap and muttered, "T-Thank you..." I was hiding my blush.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Hana." Sayuri said as she brushed my hair with her hand. I'm not going to lie, I felt like a cat. It's been a while since someone stroked my hair. "Let's get out of here together, promise?" Sayuri said.

"I promise." I said.

After a while, she stopped stroking my hair realizing that one else showed up in the dining hall yet.

"I can't believe no one's here yet. But I'm sure they'll start showing up soon." Sayuri said.

Almost like he'd timed it, Reito threw open the dining halls doors as Sayuri said that.

"Ah, Hana! Sayuri! So you two got here first, huh? Too bad... I was sure I'd beat everyone here." Reito said amused.

"I don't think it matters who gets here first as long as we get here, right?" Sayuri asked Reito.

And soon after that everyone else came strolling in one after another. After a few minutes everyone had gathered in the dining hall.

Chapter 46: The Trials - Meeting

"Okay! It looks like everyone's here. Time to start the meeting! Let's go around and share what we found out during our respective investigations! The sooner we find out what's going on, the sooner we get out of here!" Reito announced.

"Wait, hold on a sec!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

"What's wrong!?" Reito asked.

"What about uh... What's his name? You know, the brown haired boy with the bandaid on the bridge of his nose...? Uhh... Oh yeah, Hiroya!" Ritsuko recalled.

"...What about him?" Reito questioned.

"He's not here." Ritsuko commented.

"What!?" Reito exclaimed.

I took another look around the dining hall. Sure enough, he was nowhere to be seen.

"I wonder where he went. Has anyone seen him?" Okinao asked.

But everyone just shook their heads.

"W-Wait, so nobody's seen him?" Asako asked.

Why hasn't Hiroya shown up yet? Could it be because...? I begin to worry for Hiroya. I hope I'm actually overthinking this.

"Darn it, Hiroya! You're really going to be late like this on the first day of school!? Not only is he late, he didn't tell anyone he would be late! A most unbecoming personality trait..." Reito exclaimed.

"You're being a real jackass right now, you know that?" Ryosei said glaring at Reito.

"Well what do you want me to do!? Punctuality is everything! Now then, I declare that the first session of the Hope's Peak Academy briefing meetings has begun!" Reito exclaimed more.

"Hana... Actually, first of all... I've talked enough. Maybe we should listen to what everyone else has to say." Sayuri suggested.

"Alright, let's do that." I said.

"Okay, so since you're in the dark about all this, let me lay out what's been going on. Everyone split up to investigate different parts of the building, but... Reito and Ryosei each went off on their own, and so did Hiroya." Sayuri explained to me.

"I wanted to try and find some clue as to who's responsible for imprisoning us here... But unfortunately, I had no other leads." Ryosei said.

"Really? That's it?" Reito asked.

"If I uncovered anything else, I would let you guys know but I couldn't find anything else." Ryosei said in a dejected tone.

"Right, understood." Reito said, took a deep breath and spoke, "I spent some time looking around the dormitory, and... There I made the discovery of the century! I found that there was exactly one room for each person!"

"Well yeah, I figured that out before anything else." Ritsuko commented.

"Each door already has a nameplate on it, so I guess all the rooms have been assigned already." Hatsuka said, for once not saying anything snarky or sarcastic.

"And each room key was attached to a keychain with the owner's name precision-etched onto it." Roku added.

Which confirms that the room I was in earlier is, indeed, my room.

"And Ritsuko and I found out that all the rooms are soundproof." Hatsuka added.

"Your next-door neighbor could scream their lungs out, and you wouldn't hear a thing." Ritsuko interjected.

"Well, each other also had a private bathroom, which could also lock." Roku commented.

But I wasn't able to get into my bathroom door since it defintely seemed like it was broken. That's weird...

"Okay, so they got a bunch of rooms ready for us. They're assuming we're gonna be here a while..." Shinichi said.

"Well, better to have than have not! At least we don't have to worry about surviving like wild animals." Reito added. "Let's move on to whoever's next!"

"It looks like Ritsuko and Hatsuka all paired up together. The same goes for Shinichi and Roku. Okinao and Asako were left over, so they joined up. " Sayuri said.

"We went up and down the school, double-checking the windows in all the hallways and classes. We wanted to see if we could get any of those metal plates to come off. And what happened was... Nothing." Hatsuka said.

"There wasn't any hope of escape anywhere. The school has been totally cut off." Ritsuko commented.

"What the hell are we gonna do!?" Hatsuka exclaimed.

"Hey, calm down. Let's take a moment to chill out and recollect ourselves." Ritsuko said.

"We envisioned that we could find way to communicate with the outside, so we went looking all over. But we didn't find anything, my apologies." Roku said.

"I went back to the main hall, thinking maybe we could do something about that giant hunk of metal. But even with Roku and I teaming up, it wouldn't budge. We hit it with desks and chairs, and nothing. Anyway, if we're gonna get outta here, it's not going to be through here." Shinichi said.

"I shall tell you what happened next. It has nothing to do with communicating with the outside world, but it's still worth worrying about. In both the campus and dorm areas, there was a set of stairs leading up to another floor. But there gates here, and we couldn't find any way to open them, so we couldn't check it out. At this point, we are only able to search the 1st floor. We can further assume that there is potentially something above 2nd floor, as well. And if that were the case, there is at least a chance it may lead to a way out." Roku explained.

"Uhh... Asako and I spent the entire time in the gym. We're not exactly the type to go running around the school like junior detectives." Okinao said.

"What the hell were you thinking, just sitting around the gym the whole time?" Hatsuka scoffed at Okinao mocking him.

"W-Well it's not like any of you invited u-us along!" Asako retorted.

"If you losers wanted to go with someone, you guys should've said something!" Hatsuka sneered.

"L-Like I wanted to go anywhere with a b-bitch like you..." Asako insulted.

"Bitch...?" Hatsuka's face immediately becomes sour.

"Y-You think y-you're the smartest student in the group b-but you're actually t-the dumbest." Asako continued to insult her.

"I don't even know how to react. How can you say something so awful to someone you just met?" Hatsuka asked.

"I mean... You did insult everyone you just met, Hatsuka." Okinao said.

"Stop fighting you guys! It's not getting us anywhere!" Sayuri lectured.

Sayuri is right, everyone has been bickering and fighting nonstop since we all arrived her. Especially Hatsuka since she tends to start situations like this...

"Okay, I guess I'm the only one left. I went and had a look around the dining hall. I found a fridge in the back of the kitchen, and it was overflowing with all kinds of stuff. I guess we don't have to worry about food, at least." Sayuri smiled.
"Sure, for now. But even with all that, there are eleven of us. How long can the food last...?" Okinao pondered.

"I don't think we have to worry about it. All the food gets restocked automatically each day. At least, that's what Hoshi said." Sayuri responded.

"Wait... You saw him?" Ryosei asked.

"Yeah, he came out of nowhere while I was checking the fridge, told me that, then disappeared again. He was so fast, I can't believe someone could have been moving him around with a remote control." Sayuri replied to him.

"A weaponized toy that can just appear from nowhere... I can't tell if we're supposed to be afraid or not." Ritsuko said.

"But was everything alright? He didn't try to... Absorb you or anything?" Roku asked.

"No, he just told me and disappeared." Sayuri said.

"Are you guys still asleep or something? We're prisoners here! We could all just die any second!" Hatsuka complained.

"I hate to say it but, she's right. We gotta do something, or-!" A voice interrupted Shinichi.

"Jeez, can you guys stop yelling and carrying on? Have none of you guys accepted the reality of the situation?" Hiroya walked into the scene, in a way, he's right.

"Hiroya! Where the heck have you been!? We already started the meeting without you!" Reito yells pointing at him.

He didn't say a word. Instead he just dropped a piece of paper on the table.

"Hmm... What is this?" I asked.

"It's a map of Hope's Peak Academy." Hiroya responded.

"I see." I said, I wonder if Hiroya found the map out of pure luck or he's one of the lone students found it on his own.

"Wh-What the...? Where did you find this?" Reito asked.

"I don't know but... I just found it when I was searching around the campus." Hiroya explained.

"You're really freaking us out right now!" Reito yelled.

"Never mind that. What's it mean?" Sayuri asked with curiosity.

"I'll show you." Hiroya said, gesturing all of us to look at the map. "The building we're in right now is laid out exactly the same way as Hope's Peak Academy."

"So what you're saying is... This is precisely Hope's Peak Academy?" I asked him.

"Well, in terms of construction, yes. But it looks like it's had a number of weird... renovations done to it." Hiorya explained.

"Renovations...?" I said.

"I don't know all the details yet. All I found was details about the 1st floor." Hiroya said.

"But then... this is really Hope's Peak. We didn't get kidnapped and taken to some other place." Ritsuko added.

"So stupid it's not even possible. This is where the country's future elite are supposed to come and learn?" Shinichi complained.

"But if this is really Hope's Peak, where are all the other students?" Okinao asked.

"Things don't look good..." I said.

"You know, I think splitting up to investigate was a good idea." Roku said trying to change the subject.

"Y-Yeah, you're right, Roku..." Asako agreed.

"You know, If you guys want to leave, you just have to kill-" Hatsuka spoke.

"Hey! Don't even joke about that!" Ryosei yelled.

"Everyone just calm down, please! We need to stop and think about what to do from here." Sayuri pleaded.

"There's got to be something we can do..." Okinao said.

"All we can do is adapt. Adapt to living our lives here from now on." Roku said.

"Live here? Are you saying we should just accept it?" Ritsuko asked in confusion.

"I'm afraid so." Roku responded.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Shinichi asked.

"We all understand that we are trapped here. Which means we will be spending the night. However... You all remember the rule regarding nighttime, right?" Roku asked. "So regarding this nighttime, I think we need to add a rule of our own."

"What do you implying?" I asked.

"I'm afraid to say this but... Going out at night time, other than dorms should be prohibited altogether." Roku sighed.

"W-Why would you suggest something like this??" Asako asked.

"The way things are now, every time night comes we will all start to get worried and anxious. Frankly, we will all be afraid someone might try and come kill us." Roku explained.

"W-What!?" Asako looked taken aback from Roku's explanation.

"If we have to worry about that night after night for who knows how long, it will wear us down in no time." Roku said.

"So you're suggesting we limit our activity at night as a kind of preventative measure." Ryosei stated.

"Yes. However, unlike the other rules, nobody can be forced to comply. We all have to agree to follow it." Roku said.

"I see what you mean. I think I can agree to that." Sayuri said.

"On behalf of everyone here, I agree to comply!" Reito announced.

"Whoa, dude. You can't just decide to speak for us." Shinichi stated.

"Is everyone in agreement? I'm glad to hear it!" Roku chirped standing up.

"H-Huh? Wait, where are you going?" Asako asked.

"It is almost nighttime. I want to take a shower before I retire for the night. So... farewell!" Roku responded, leaving the dining hall. His behavior seemed so natural, I couldn't imagine anyone even trying to stop him.

"So I guess it's pretty obvious where we go from here. We'll be spending the night, it looks like." Okinao said.

"Ummm... Well then, what say we call an end to today's meeting!? Like he said, it's almost nighttime anyway. We can reconvene first thing tomorrow morning!" Reito announced.

"D-Do we really have to stay the night here...?" Asako questioned.

"We don't have a choice. We can't go for long without getting some sleep." Ryosei suggested.

"So we have to just give up." Shinichi stated.

"That's all fine and good for right now, but what do we do tomorrow?" Ritsuko asked.

"Our only option is to split up and look around again, and let everyone know if we find anything." Ryosei responded.

"Yeah, okay. Let's do that!" Ritsuko agreed.

"Then we're done for today? Good, I'm exhausted." Hatsuka commented leaving the dining hall.

With heavy movements, everyone headed off to their private rooms.

"Hana, are you ready to call it a day?" Sayuri asked.

"Yeah, let's leave." I responded.

I decided to head back to my dorm room for the night. Is this really where I'll be staying for the foreseeable future?

Oh, that's right. I should check the bathroom once more time before I go to bed. I opened the door and I was greeted with what you expect in the bathroom. Huh, I guess they really did fix it.

I heard a ringing sound, must be coming from the TV.

"Mm, ahem, this is a school announcement. It is now 10 pm. As such, it is officially nighttime. Soon the doors to the dining hall will be locked, and entry at that point is strictly prohibited. Okay then... sweets dreams, everyone! Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite..." ...It was Hoshi.

Looks like it's nighttime. We all promised we wouldn't leave our rooms now.

"All I can do is try and get some sleep." while still mumbling to myself, I collapsed into bed. My eyes closed almost immediately. It's not that I was ready for bed, exactly. I was just utterly exhausted.

It was as if I'd spent an entire day staring at a TV watching movies. Or like some kind of illusion where I'd been tossed into a make-up fantastical world. Yeah, that feels about right. There's no easy way to just accept the situation we've suddenly been dropped into.

So this is how the curtain closed on my first day at Hope's Peak Academy. Soon enough, I was asleep. Would it be too much to hope that when I woke up, I'd realize it was all a dream? It's kind of lame as far as endings go, but I'd be fine with that. Actually, that'd be the best.

Chapter 47: The Trials - Daily Life

I woke up to the same ringing again, it must be Hoshi's announcement.

"Good morning, everyone! It is now 7 am and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another glorious day!"

Apparently, it's morning. But thanks to the total lack of windows, there's no way to know for sure. Anyway... What should I do now?

Maybe I should see what the others are up to. I left my room and found Reito standing at my door.

"A fantastic morning, isn't it!?" He asked, enthusiastic as ever.

"Reito?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Now then, if you'll pardon the interruption...!" Without waiting for a reply, Reito barged into my room.

"...What is it, Reito?" I asked.

"No matter how intensely the stormy seas may batter me, I will not fall as long as my feet are firmly planted! You agree, right?" Reito asked.

"I'm not sure I understand." I responded.

"And if you can't do it alone, just find someone to support you, and you can support them back! That's how you can overcome any storm!" Reito exclaimed. I honestly have no response to that.

"I was thinking about it last night, and... I decide we all need to really come together. And that was when I realized... Every morning from now on, after the morning announcement, everyone should have breakfast together! And now is the beginning of that fateful day! Please head to the dining hall at your earliest convenience! That's all for now! I have to go let everyone else know the good news!" Reito didn't even wait for a reply. He turned and left, before I could say a thing.

"I suppose I'd better head to the dining hall." I said to myself, heading towards the dining hall.

As soon as stepped inside the dining hall, Reito was the first to speak.

"Okay, looks like everyone's here. So then, let's begin our very first breakfast meeting!" he announced. "Everyone, thank you for making time in your busy schedules to come together."

"I didn't make time for shit. You dragged me here..." Shinichi complained.

"I know I already mentioned this earlier, but... In order to get out of here, it is essential that we all cooperate with each other. And the first step is this breakfast meeting, to allow us to become friends and build trust! So from now on, let's all meet here in the dining hall every morning after the morning announcement! Now then, let's go serve ourselves in the buffet and eat!" Reito said.

There's so many options to choose from... It isn't just Japanese food either, there's foods from different countries. I think I'll grab a croissant since I heard those are delicious. I believe everyone else was amazed by the food options too, not just strictly Japanese food.

"Wait... You want me to eat breakfast with other people? I've never done that before. I'm not sure." Ritsuko said sheepishly.

"Y-Yeah, it's been a while for me, too..." Asako said.

"Well anyway..." Okinao said, munching on his breakfast. "Did anyone happen to come up with any clues?"

Silence echoed throughout the dining hall.

"Seriously? Nothing at all!? Anything, it can be about how to get out, or who's doing this, nobody has anything!?" Okinao exclaimed.

"...You are going to die." Hatsuka deadpanned. Great, here we go again...

"Hatsuka, what the hell!?" Okinao yelled.

"If you can't stop yourself from showing weakness in front of others... you will die." Hatsuka stated.

"Don't even freaking joke about that!" Okinao fumed.

"I'm not joking. Roku said himself that adaptability is survivability. Did he not?" Hatsuka said.

"I didn't say that... I only say that we have to adapt our lives here..." Roku objected.

"Well, he did say to adapt but he didn't say we're going to die if we don't adapt!" Okinao argued.

"Yeah, it sounds like Roku has rose-tinted glasses on. Having that the grass is greener from the other side type mind set. But shit... No way in hell am I living her! I'm getting out of here, I don't give a shit!" Shinichi ranted.

I saw Roku hiding himself on the table, ashamed to what he said earlier.

"Sure, feel free, Bozo." Hatsuka jeered.

"Okay, so... nobody has any clues?" Ryosei stated.

"One thing I can tell you is who's behind all this. Someone who's totally weird and messed up. Why else would we be trapped in here in the first place?" Ritsuko said.

"It could be something like that. But for right now, actual clues are..." Ryosei said.

"Mind if I say something?" Sayuri asked.

"Go ahead." Ryosei said.

"If you think in terms of people who are really abnormal or bizarre. Do you think maybe the person responsible for all this could be a certain murderous fiend?" Sayuri stated.

"A murderous fiend? Sayuri, do you have some idea who might be behind all this?" I questioned.

"I can't be certain, but..." Sayuri tried to find the words.

"Certainty is not a concern right now! I'll allow whatever remarks you may have!" Reito exclaimed.

"Okay, well... Do you guys think we have a hidden student?" Sayuri asked.

"Wait... I believe we might have a hidden student too. But my question is, who is this hidden student?" I pondered.

"Your guess is as good as mine honestly, I'm literally just ordinary compared to you all." Hiroya said, doubting himself.

"There's eleven students here... Usually there should be an even amount of students in the class..." I spoke. After all I do have the information, but it was all scratched off like they don't want me to know who is really behind this.

Hatsuka began to scoff, "If there is truly a hidden student, do you think they would've identified themselves by now?"

"Anyway, whoever this hidden student is, they either must be behind this or they just didn't show up at all." Sayuri stated.

Sayuri is right on the money on that one.

"If this "hidden student" is doing all of this, I wouldn't be surprised if they put together something like this." Shinichi commented.

"But, I can't be certain. I don't have any evidence or anything. It's just a thought." Sayuri said.

"If I may add, how did you come up with a conclusion like that?" Roku asked with curiosity
.
"It's okay! Everything's absolutely, positively, one hundred percent without a doubt gonna be okay! Because help is going to be here soon, I'm sure of it!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

"Wait, help?" I asked.

"We've been stuck in here for a day already, right? Nobody's been able to contact us, so I'm sure they're getting worried. I bet they called the police already!" Ritsuko thought out loud. That only caused Hoshi to show up...

"AHHH-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! The police? You're putting your faith in the police!?"

"What are you doing here!?" Ryosei retorted, startled by his appearance.

"You guys, seriously... Do you understand what role the police exist to fill? All they're good for is being a foil, playing against a villain or anti-hero or evil organization. The bad guys come along and destroy them, and that shows how badass they really are. Are you sure you wanna rely on such a unreliable group of losers? I cullionly cometh on! if 't be true thee very much, VERY MUCH wanteth to receiveth out h're, all thee did get to doth is killeth!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"Okay, I just had about enough with this act of yours." Hiroya stated.

"Alright, "hidden student"... What the hell do you want!?" Shinichi yelled.

"Huh...? Hidden student? There's no hidden student. There's only eleven of you." Hoshi said, I feel he's trying to gaslight us.

"We know who you really are!" Shinichi said.

"I'm just going to pretendeth this enshielf inhorn man thing doesn't existeth..." Hoshi mumbled.

"Hey, don't gaslight us, asshole!" Shinichi yelled.

"Okay, okay, let's get back to business. Your life here has already begun and a day has gone by, and nobody's killing anybody! I bethought thee kids w're distemperate and selfish, and h're thou art w'rking togeth'r. But i'm totally b'red!" Hoshi said.
"There's nothing you can say that'll make us start killing each other!" Hiroya objected.

"Waiteth, i think--yes! ding ding ding! i figur'd t out! All the mystery ingredients are here- right people, right place. So why hasn't anyone killed anyone yet? That's what I couldn't understand. But I just realized there was one very important piece missing!" Hoshi explained.

"What are you...?" I asked.

"If 't be true thee wanteth to knoweth, I'll bid thee! t's motive! Puhuhu! It's so simple! I just have to give everyone a motive!" Hoshi giggled.

"Motive? What the hell are you talking about!?" Shinichi pressed.

"Oh, by the way! There's something I wanna show you guys!" Hoshi announced.

"Stop changing the *bleep!*ing subject!" Shinichi yelled.

"I have a video I'd like you all to see. It's a special video for each of you showing what's going on outside the campus." Hoshi explained.

"Outside the campus? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Heh-heh! Ooh, Ms. Ultimate Detective is so impatient today! Why don't you just watch it and find out? Here in the campus, we have a theater where we can watch the video together." Hoshi said cryptically.

"Well, can we go watch this video right now then? But before we do that, I'd like to know... What are you? Why would you do something like this? What do you want from us?" I peppered Hoshi.

"What do I want from you...? Well, if you must know... Despair. Yond is all. If you want to know more than that, you'll have to figure it out for yourselves. Doth whatev'r thee needeth to uncov'r the myst'ry enshielf within this campus, I wonneth't tryeth and stand ho thee. Because to be honest, it's entertaining as heck watching you guys search so desperately for answers! So I guesseth i wanteth amusement from thee, too." Hoshi explained, after he "answered" my question he just disappeared.

"He's gone... And once again, they left before we could find out anything useful." Sayuri noted.

"Really? I think we learned something very useful. He has no intention of standing in the way of our pursuit of the truth. Interesting..." I commented.

"Perhaps, but what about the video they mentioned? I'm very curious to see what's on it." Ryosei added.

"Same here! Okay, so...!" Shinichi started glancing around the dining hall... but when his gaze landed on me, he stopped.

"Hey uh... Hana? Sorry for knocking you out when we first met." Shinichi said placing a hand on the back of his neck.

I just nodded my head in affirmation. "It's alright, it's only natural to feel this way because we are all stuck in this place."

"It's true that I was scared and enraged from the situation Hoshi put us in so are we cool?" Shinichi asked, reaching out for my hand for a handshake.

"I suppose so." I responded, shaking his hand in response.

"So, should we check this "video" out then? I'm curious to see." Hiroya asked.

We all collectively agreed and left the dining hall and went to the theatre room. To our surprise, it looked like an actual movie theatre with a huge screen and had comfortable seats.

I decided to sit with Ryosei and Sayuri, Hiroya followed behind me and sat beside me. I didn't mind him sitting next to me at all.

Everyone else gathered in the movie theatre, I could see Roku, Shinichi, Reito, and Asako being seated together. Same thing goes with Hatsuka, Ritsuko, and Okinao.

The room began to darken and of course, Hoshi showed up on screen.

"Is everyone seated? Good. Now, please be quiet and courteous and silence your... Wait a minute, I forgot I took everyone's cell phones never mind that! Anyway, please remain seated until the production is over. Other than that, sit down relax and enjoy this "video" or not..." Hoshi said, snickering at the end of their sentence.

I have a bad feeling about this... I was right.

In this "video", everyone here watched our friends, parents, siblings, and partners die. It was like a warzone... Oddly enough, my peers weren't shown on screen but everyone else's has. It didn't take long for them to react. Why is everyone else's shown but not mine. After the video ended, everyone's emotions except for mine exploded.

"Unnngh!!! God damn it!!!" Hiroya yelled, slamming his fist in front of a chair.

"What the *bleep!*...?" Shinichi gasped.

"Th-This can't be real, r-right? It has to be fake, right!?" Roku sobbed.

"Yeah, no way it's real. Haha... no way." Ritsuko sobbed.

"I-I can't t-take it anymore! I c-can't take this anymore! Let me out of h-here!" Asako shrieked.

Nobody even bothered trying to hide their fear and confusion.

"I see... So this is what he meant by motive. They want to fuel our desire to leave so that we're more likely to start killing each other. It's a classic prisoner's dilemma." I spoke.

"Don't put those awful thoughts in our heads! That's exactly what they want us to do!" Reito shuddered.

"You can say that, but maybe you're thinking that once everyone drops their guard, you can just..." Okinao spoke in uncertainty.

"What!?" Reito shrieked.

"This is exactly what Hoshi, or whoever's behind this, wants. They want us to fight. Don't you see?" Ryosei said trying to reason with everyone.

"Yeah, you're right. We all need to calm down..." Sayuri said, shaken by the video but still calm nonetheless.

"Okay, okay... Maybe we should start by all just... talking?" Hiroya said, trying to collect his thoughts.

I tried to turn my attention towards Roku but he was silently crying. I felt like he was mentally shutting down after what we saw in the video.

"Roku?" I begin to gently place my hand on his shoulder.

"STOP IT!" He pushed my hand away and suddenly ran off.

"R-Roku!?" Ritsuko gasped.

"Let him go." Hatsuka said.

"I can't do that. I have to make sure he's okay." I said to Hatsuka.

"I'm... really worried." Sayuri said.

I decided to leave the theatre room and searched around the school for Roku. Which didn't take long since I found him in one corner of an empty classroom. He was sitting in a chair, hands on his knees, staring absently at the floor. He looked like he had been crying for a while.

"Hey, Roku? Are you okay?" I asked, approaching him.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine... Actually, no. How could I possibly be fine? What did we do to end up like this...? Why are they doing such terrible things to us...?" Roku sniffled. "I want out! Let me out of here right now!" he yelled breaking into sobs.

"Roku, calm down." As he thrashed around, I grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I understand, I know how you feel right now. But now more than ever we have to stay calm. This is exactly what they want. They want us to lose our composure and stop thinking rationally." I said to Roku firmly.

"But... What if there isn't a way out? What if we just rot in here?" Roku lamented.

"I will make sure we will never rot in here, believe in me." When I said that, I paused. I had no idea what came over me. Roku threw himself on my shoulder, I tried to stop him since I'm not the biggest fan of people hugging me but, I just couldn't bring myself to push him away.

"Please... Help me..." Roku's voice was small and shaky. "Why...? Why is this happening to me? To kill, or be killed... I just can't take this anymore...!"

I silently let him sob onto my shoulder. After he racked up some sobs, he finally raised his face up from my shoulder. He looked at me with teary eyes.

"Can I... can I believe what you said? That we won't rot in here?" Roku asked.

I simply nodded my head.

"Hana... You, Ryosei, and Sayuri are the only people I can truly trust. So please... No matter what happens, please believe in yourself." Roku pleaded.

I've heard many people saying they believe in me but this time, this feels different somehow. People believed me to solve many kinds of crimes. Murders, robberies, you name it.

"As long as you believe in me, and believe in Ryosei and Sayuri. I believe in you too." I said.

"Thank you, Hana. Hearing you say that, I can feel like I can keep going. I can get through this... as long as you're here." Roku smiled, it felt a little forced but still. It was a huge improvement over how he was before. "Do you want to head back for now?"
"Sure." I responded.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Roku and I headed back to the dorms.

"I suggest you should take some rest, Roku. You still look pretty shaken." I suggested.

"My apologizes for making you worry about me... You're right. I'm going to lay down for a bit." With a nod a small bow, he disappeared into his room.

Now on my own, I headed off to tell everyone that Roku was okay. Once that was done, I decided to go back to my room. As calm as my demeanor was, it was hard to think after watching that deranged video we were all forced to watch. I needed some rest of my own.

What is going on here? There's just so many problems. I can't even decide what the biggest problem is. That we're trapped in here? That what we saw in that video might be real? Hoshi? What the mastermind has in store for us? Or... Are we the biggest problem?

I could never kill someone, unless it is out of self defense. Do the others all feel the same? Hmm... That's definitely the biggest problem right now.

I heard the bell ring, I must've fell asleep without even realizing it. Who's at my door this late?

"I'm really sorry to come by so late..." Roku apologized. What's he doing outside my door?

"Roku? What are you doing out so late?" I asked. I noticed that his body was trembling. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry to bother you, but... something really weird just happened." Roku explained.

"Something weird?" I pressed.

"Just a little while ago, I was laying down in my room. And all of a sudden, my door started rattling and shaking." His voice sounded like all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs. I calmly listened to him talk. "It was like someone was trying to force the door open. My door was locked, so they couldn't get in, of course. But they started shaking the door harder and harder. I was so scared I couldn't even move."

"So what happened?" I asked.

"After a while, it just... stopped. I let some time go by, then I got up and opened the door to check outside... But there was nobody there." Roku explained.

"Someone tried to force their way into your room? But who would do something like that?" I asked.

"It's not like I'm suspicious of anyone here, but still... it makes me nervous. What if something like that happened in the middle of the night? What would I do then...?" Roku responded.

"You don't have to worry about that. I mean, we can't go outside during nighttime." I reassured him.

We heard the bell ring, it's a nightly announcement.

"Well, good night, Hana. I'll see you tomorrow." Roku smiled, leaving my dorm for the night.

"Good night, then." I said to Roku, I truly hope he's okay.

I should probably go to bed soon. As I lowered myself onto my bed, I grabbed my plush and hugged it. Maybe this will bring me some sweet dreams. I fell asleep, the cutesy plushie in my arms...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I sat up, still half asleep, and rubbed my eyes. Slowly I pulled myself out of bed. I just remembered, I promised to eat breakfast with everyone else. I'd better get going.

I left my room and made my way toward the dining hall. A few people had already gathered at the dining hall by the time I got there.

"Good morning, Hana!" Sayuri said with a smile on her face.

"Ehehe... good morning." Ritsuko greeted.

"G-Good morning." Roku said, his voice a bit shaky from last night.

"I suppose I'm early." Ryosei said.

"Yo." Shinichi said.

"Sorry I'm late! I just had a draw a thing for my manga." Okinao apologized.

"Sorry I'm late." Hiroya said.

Asako and Hatsuka didn't say a word, I expect this from Hatsuka but not from Asako. She seemed, anxious about something... Something weird too is that Reito isn't here. Perhaps he overslept.

Not that I cared about people showing up on time or not, I won't lie, it feels dead silent without Reito around.

"Wait, aren't we missing Reito?" Okinao asked.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him around. Kinda hypocritical of him if he's late if you ask me." Sayuri shrugged.

"...What's going on? Did something happen?" Hatsuka asked. As she said that, Asako's anxiety begins to worsen.

"Have you seen Reito?" Shinichi asked, as soon as he asked the question Asako jumped like someone screamed in her ear.

"Why would I have? I was in my zone reading a book until you interrupted me." Hatsuka said annoyed.

"Umm... Did he already f-forget the b-breakfast promise..." Asako said, her voice shaking.

"I had the sense that he always had his stuff together but I guess not." Hiroya said.

Listening to everyone talk made me even more suspicious of what's going on.

"I stayed in Reito's room last night because I was scared to be in my room." Roku said.

"Hey, Roku. You said you swapped rooms with Reito right? May I see his key?" I asked.

Without any questions, he handed me his key. So this must mean that Reito was in Roku's room and vice versa.

"Hmm? Where are you going, Hana?" Sayuri asked.

"I'm gonna check up on him." I said, leaving the dining hall.

I headed towards Roku's room where Reito stayed for the night. I opened Roku's room and I was greeted with a thrashed room. Clothes tattered everywhere, DVDs crushed, and everything about his room is just... in ruins.

I'd better check the bathroom then. Let's take a look inside. When I walked into the bathroom, I was rudely greeted with Reito facing down with his skull crushed in a pool of pink blood. What was next to him was a hammer, it must've been what ended his life.

I knew it was only a matter of time before something like this happens.

Chapter 48: The Trials - Investigation

I decided to head back to the dining hall to tell everyone the discovery of Reito's corpse but no one was there, I figured that they all gathered to the gym or something like that so I went to the gym instead.

As I thought, everyone was there at the gym waiting for Reito and I. I opened both of the gym doors and rushed to the room.

"Ah! Hana, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost." Sayuri asked with concern.

"Did you find Reito yet? It's weird that he's not here." Shinichi commented.

I felt a lump in my throat, no one is aware that Reito died so I had to be the bearer of bad news.

"...I discovered Reito's corpse." I spoke.

As soon as I brought the bad news, everyone in the room became shocked like they just witnessed a horrific car crash.

"W-W-What do you mean you found his corpse??? Y-You're joking right???" Hiroya asked, he looked like he was about to go insane or pop a blood vessel, there's no in-between.

I couldn't respond to that, I could feel a deep dark despair exploding out of everyone, except for Sayuri and Ryosei I assumed that they also knew it was only amount of time before someone died.

"If you don't mind me asking, why are you all gathered here in the gym?" I asked.

"Hoshi told us to come here." Sayuri responded. I must've zoned out from seeing Reito's body that I ignored Hoshi's announcement.

Suddenly, Hoshi appeared at the gym.

"They're here again..." Hiroya growled, bearing his teeth at Hoshi.

"I heard that someone died here!" Hoshi said with enthusiasm.

"Wait... Who killed him?" Ritsuko asked.

"Thee already knoweth the answ'r! The one who is't hath killed that gent is... one of thee!" Hoshi announced. No one had a response to that. One of us killed Reito?

"Hmm? What's the matter? You guys all look like you're about to witness Armageddon destroy this world? Don't you remember what I told you when all this began? One of thee hath decided to killeth Reito so yond thee couldst graduateth! Someone's just following the rules. Th're's nothing wrong with yond!" Hoshi said.

"You're lying... right?" Okinao asked in complete disbelief.

"Of course he's lying! I'm telling you, they killed him!!" Hiroya yelled.

"Nope, sorry. One of you is now a Medo wannabe. If they wanted to, the one who did it could testify to that little fact." Hoshi deflected.

A... Who wannabe? Who's Medo?

I begin to look around at everyone, they all had the same look on their faces. Everyone looked at each other with a combination of fear, suspicion, and confusion.

"A-A-Are you serious...?" Asako asked in tears and trembling.

"Someone... Someone killed someone!" Roku exclaimed in tears.

"Hey, hold on! Don't just assume they're telling the truth!" Shinichi said.

"That's enough. Before we do anything else, I'd like to confirm something with the stuffed animal here. If one of us really did kill him, that person gets to graduate from the campus, right?" Hatsuka asked.

"...Huh?" Hoshi cocked their plush body.

"Don't play dumb! That's what you said, isn't it!? If you kill someone, you get to leave!" Hatsuka exclaimed.

"Puhuhu... Puhuhu! Poohohoho! Bwaahahahaha!" Hoshi laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Hiroya asked being visibly uncomfortable.

"Puhu... It's cuz... Naive... Thou art just so naive! Thee bethink t's very much yond easy? Thee can just killeth someone and waltz on out of h're? Thou art sup'r naive! Devilishly naive! HELLISHLY NAIVE! Nay nay nay, the real thing hast just begun." Hoshi said.

"The... real thing?" Sayuri asked, cocking her head.

"Are you ready!? Allow me to explain the second part of the rule regarding graduation! Just like I explained before, you must kill someone if you want to leave. However... even if you do that, there's still one more part to the agreement you have to uphold, remember?" Hoshi said.

"Are you referring to rule number six of the campus regulations? If you are the blackened that committed the murder, you can't be found out by the other students. Is this what you're talking about?" Okinao asked.
"Bingo! It's not enough to just kill someone. You have to actually get away with it! Which naturally means you need a system in place to assess whether or not it's been gotten away with! So, a c'rtain amount of timeth aft'r a murd'r hast been taken lodging, a class trial shall beginneth!" Hoshi exclaimed.

Class... trial?

"Yep! It'll begin a few hours after the murder! Everyone will gather together, including the blackened who committed the murder. And they and the spotless students will all engage in one big debate showdown! During the trial, you'll have to present your arguments about who you think the blackened is. And once everything comes to an end, the outcome will be decided by popular vote! If the answer you've arrived is correct... only the one that disturbed your peace will be punished. The rest may continue their communal life. However... if you choose poorly... then the one who got away with murder will survive, and the rest of you will receive your punishment. Which of course means your school life will come to an end! As far as class trial rules go... that's all there is to it!" Hoshi said.

"So, if you don't mind me asking... What exactly is this punishment you keep talking about?" Roku asked nervously.

"Oh! Well, to put it simply... T's execution!" Hoshi answered.

"W-What... execution?" Roku said in disbelief.

"And by execution, you mean..." Ritsuko spoke.

"Execution is... execution. Electric chair, poison gas, t'rn apart liketh a pap'r plane in a hurricane!" Hoshi exclaimed listing different ways to die.

"So, to make sure I understand... If we get the culprit right, then only they die. But if we get it wrong... all the rest of us get... executed?" Sayuri asked.

"What a smart little nerd you are! Look at you, implying you didn't do it without actually saying it! So it's basically what the outside world calls a lay judge system, or an inquisition type thing! Which means you'll be deciding who you think the killer is. But judgeth carefully, because all thy liveth art on the line! Okay, let me just add the rule I just described to your handibook. Make sure to keep it in mind!" It looks like Hoshi added a new rule.

"Hold on a second! This is inhumane!" Ryosei exclaimed.

"Hmm?" Hoshi cocked it's plush body at Ryosei.

"A class trial? Why do we need to do that?" Ryosei asked, getting more and more aggravated.

"Why not? You're the Ultimate Assassin are you not? Why back out now?" Hoshi responded.

"What the hell do you mean why not!? This isn't right, damn it!" Ryosei exclaimed.

"What!? Art thee declaring the trial isn't right? Only punishment awaits such blasphemy!" Hoshi yelled.

"What? Punishment!?" Ryosei snorted in anger and disgust.

"I might... I knoweth not, throweth thee in a deep, dark, scary prison 'r something!" Hoshi said in a mocking tone.

"I'm not going to be a part of this!" Ryosei declared, taking out his sword.

"Beest not selfish!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"You're the one being selfish! Kill whoever you want, it's got nothing to do with me!" Ryosei yelled, pointing his sword at them. Ryosei, don't... It's not worth it.

"The evil standing h're bef're me... I'm trembling with feareth...!" Hoshi complained. "But I wonneth't giveth in to such evil! T's mine own style to sticketh t out and intermit until the v'ry endeth...! If 't be true thee very much wanteth to receiveth out of h're... Thee'll has't to wend through me first!" As he said that, he came charging at us. Although it was more of a waddle. Ryosei refused to back down.

"Ryosei, don't you shouldn't-" Before I could stop him, Ryosei striked Hoshi with his sword.

"Heh..." Hoshi chuckled.

Ryosei froze in fear, realizing what he just done.

"Violence 'gainst headmast'r Hoshi is not allowed. Thee've did violate a campus regulation... I invoke the palmy summon spelleth! Holp! To me, godly partisan gungnir!" As Hoshi summoned the spears, it instantly impaled Ryosei.
"RYOSEI!!!!" I cried out.

"Wh...? This wasn't... supposed to... Why... me...?" Ryosei panted.

Everyone was in shock to what just happened, Sayuri was even devastated.

"H... Hana... S... Sayuri..." Ryosei tried to speak.

Both Sayuri and I just looked at him, in despair, with tears in our eyes.

"Please... Live on for me..." Ryosei grunted as he weakly handed me his sword.

"Ryosei... You can't... You can't die here... Please..." Sayuri begged, falling to her knees sobbing.

I just stared at Ryosei's impaled, dying body in disbelief. I felt like my world was shattered. Ryosei was trembling and he was bleeding out from the impact. We... We sworn we stay together no matter what!

I took his sword, tears in my eyes.

"T-Thank you... Both of you... I'm sorry... I couldn't be any..." Ryosei lets out his final breath. "use... to... you..." he never moved again.

"RYOSEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!" Sayuri wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.

I could feel myself trembling, holding Ryosei's sword. I swear to you... I will avenge you.

"Wh-What the...?" Roku gasped.

"I don't..." Ritusko cried.

"Th-This can't be real." Okinao stated.

"NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!" Asako shrieked.

It seems that everyone is in shock and Sayuri is still sobbing on the floor. I quickly dried up my tears, still shaken about what happened.

"I swear to you, Ryosei. I will avenge you. That is my promise." I muttered. Sayuri just got off from the floor and clinged onto me like a lost child.

"Anon I am painfully acknown of the most wondrous pow'r and meaning of a promiseth... I very much did want to keepeth a c'rpse from popping up f'r nay valorous reasoneth, thee knoweth? But I guess you all needed to be taught a lesson, after all. Ahh, what an amazing promise! But now you guys understand, right? Anon thee seeth just how s'rious I am... Defy me and thee receiveth did shoot full of holes, exploded, did bury alive, disintegrat'd. Whatev'r i feeleth what suits the punishment. So if 't be true thee wanteth not yond to befall to thee, thee'd most wondrous obeyeth those campus regulations!" Hoshi said.

I wanted to tear Hoshi apart but at the same time I don't want to wind up like Ryosei.

Nobody there could deny what they'd seen. Ryosei, who until just a second ago had been our friend... was dead. He's dead. He's been murdered.

"It's really not all that shocking. He just died, that's all. Just went and died. It's no more remarkable than the inevitable demise of the entire human race. It's just as natural as the eventual end of the world itself. This isn't some superhero comic. So it's not like when you die, you didn't really die. This is reality!" Hoshi laughed.

Does Hoshi not have any compassion for humanity? Without thinking I blurted out, "...Why did you have to kill him? D-Didn't you say you would put him in prison?"

"I changed my mind." Hoshi shrugged.

"No, you've been wanting to kill this entire time." I shuddered.

"Kill this entire time...? Don't be silly, you can't kill time! Or are you being metaphorical? Are you saying I wanted to waste time this whole time?" Hoshi chirpped. "Cometh on, what doth thee taketh me f'r? I'm Hoshi! Anyway, none of that matters right now. I have something I'd like to give you to help you in your search for the blackened!" Hoshi takes out a file.

"This little file has all the information I've gathered about the death in question. I like to call it... The Hoshi File! I mean, naturally you guys aren't experts at this kind of thing, other than one of you of course. So you can only do so much with a corspe. So instead, I've gathered up everything I know about the circumstances and cause of death. What's that? How do I know the cause of death, you ask? Because the surveillance cameras picked up the whole thing! I got to see it all go down!" Hoshi explained.
"Wait, so then... you know who killed Reito?" Hiroya asked.

"Of course I do! If I didn't, I couldn't possibly pass a fair and accurate judgement during the trial, now could I?" Hoshi chirped.

"That's fair I guess. The judge has to be able to make the proper decision." Hiroya commented.

"Now then, please put your full effort behind your investigation! After all, you don't have any choice but to give it your best shot! Seriously, you don't have a choice! Okay, so we'll meet up for the class trial... in a little while!" And with that, Hoshi disappeared once again.

They left us stunned and confused. They left us a total loss. They left us with Ryosei's dead body growing colder right in front of us. And for who knows how long... nobody said a word.

The fact that Reito and Ryosei were dead was a huge shock, of course. But there was more to it than that. It was also the idea that one of us had actually murdered someone. And that if we didn't find out who it was, we would all die here.
We'd found ourselves in a situation where we couldn't help but look at each other with open suspicion. It was the worst situation imaginable.

"Hey, guys! Now's not the time to wallow in your depression!" Hiroya exclaimed. When he said that, I snapped back into reality and so did Sayuri. In a way, he's right. The worst thing we can do is to lose all faith in each other.
"You're right. Thank you for reminding me of that." Sayuri sighed, wiping her tears away.

"Cooperation is absolutely key at this point. Who you decide to trust or not to trust is completely up to you." Hiroya said.

I begin to speak collecting my thoughts, "Right now, exposing the killer is the most important thing. Because if we don't, we're all going to die here." I won't deny that Hiroya gave me words of encouragement.

"She's right. We need to begin our search." Sayuri added. "Either way, we can't run away from the situation, so we have no choice but to move forward."

"We just got to do it, I guess. What other choice do we have?" Roku said.

"No way in hell am I letting someone kill me...! Alright, let's do this!" Shinichi commented.

We have to do it, everyone kept repeating that sentiment. They were using it like a mantra to give themselves strength. But they're right. We have to do this. No matter what, we have no choice. If that's what it takes to survive, then that's what we have to do!

I gently placed my hand on Ryosei's lifeless body... I touched his wrist for a pulse and he was indeed dead. "I promise you, I will avenge you." I said to his corpse.

"I will avenge you too." Sayuri said confidently.

"If I may, I was just looking through the Hoshi File we received. And I noticed something very unusual..." Roku commented.

"Huh? What are you saying, Roku?" Sayuri asked.

"He died in my dorm..." Roku said.

"He's right!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

"I hope you didn't kill Retio..." Okinao said.

Everyone's gaze turned to Roku. Why is everyone assuming that he killed Reito when he was visiting my dorm?

"W-Wait! You guys got it all wrong! F-For just one night, I traded rooms with him! I did it because I was afraid and Reito was willing to help me out..." Roku explained.

"You expect us to believe that? Just tell us the truth!" Hatsuka said.

The look in everyone's eyes had done a complete 180 from just a few minutes earlier. I'd say that Sayuri, Hiroya, and I were the only ones who didn't look at him in that way. The feeling of suspicion and fear had returned in other words...
You think Roku did it just because he and Reito swapped dorms for the night?

"Before we start searching for Reito's killer, we need to decide what to do about securing the crime scene." I explained.

Sayuri nodded her head and Hiroya looked at me with confusion.

"What do you mean by that, Hana?" he asked.

"I think she's thinking of putting someone on guard duty so nobody can disturb the area, right?" Sayuri responded.

"Well, I don't mind guarding the body. I'll let you guys figure out who killed him." Shinichi said.

"Alright, then we can let Shinichi look after the scene." Ritsuko confirmed.

"Do you mind if I stay there for guard duty too? Besides, a 2 player co-op base would make us OP!" Okinao asked.

"Sure! The more the merrier!" Sayuri smiled.

"Why are you so calm about this?" Hiroya asked, feeling a bit uneased that she's smiling at a time like this.

"Sorry, I just wanted everyone to cooperate..." Sayuri said dejected.

"Are we finished?" I asked everyone. "We need to begin our investigation soon. At this point, we should split up. We need to get to the bottom of this and find out who killed Reito. We'll have to collect clues to form a foundation, then construct an argument to come to a final decision. If we get this wrong... Do I need to explain more?" I explained.

Everyone collectively shook their heads.

"Everyone pray for good luck. Hiroya, Sayuri, come with me." I said leaving the gym with the two following me.

Okinao and Shinichi followed us because they were going to guard Reito's body. The only people who remained in the gym are Roku, Asako, Hatsuka, and Ritsuko.

I decided to look through the file as we headed towards "Roku's" dorm.

"The victim was Reito Mizushima. The time of death is estimated to be around 1:30 am. The body was discovered in Reito's room, in the dormitory. All evidence suggests that the death took place in the bathroom. The cause of death was blunt trauma to the skull."

"We have to find the truth together." Sayuri said.

We arrived in Roku's room together. I'm figuring that the others in the gym are probably going to investigate on their own. Immediately I could see Sayuri and Hiroya examining the room.

As we find more, the room was awfully thrashed, there was scratches on the wall, there were even holes on the wall, assuming that it was from the hammer I saw alongside Reito's corpse.

We also found a key which belonged to Roku, which I might've dropped when I ran towards the gym giving everyone the news about Reito's death. ...I should probably give Roku back his keys once this is over. How did the killer get into the room in the first place? Could Reito have forgotten to lock the door?

As I was investigating the scene, Sayuri began to speak to Okinao and Shinichi pressing them for answers for the investigation then proceeds to go back to the gym assuming that she's speaking to the others who decided to stay behind.

"Hey, Hana..." Hiroya approached me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm searching." I responded.

"Searching?" He raised an eyebrow.

I was down on me knees, carefully inspecting every inch of Roku's room.

"Did you lose a contact or something?" He asked.

I decided to ignore him as I continued to concentrate on searching for the truth. I stood up straight, and asked, "Are you a clean freak?"

"Huh? No, I don't think so. But what...?" Hiroya asked in confusion.

I nodded, continuing to glance around Roku's room one more time.

"Interesting..." I said with a sight smile.

"What's interesting?" Hiroya asked.

"Just as I suspected, there's something very unusual in his room." I explained.

"Well, what is it?" Hiroya asked.

"I've searched his floor from one corner to another... and I didn't find a single strand of hair." I noted.

"Wait... What's that gotta do with the investigation?" Hiroya questioned me.

"Not one hair from the victim, and not one hair from Roku." I responded, I think he's starting to understand now.

"You know, now that you mention is... I noticed something while I was looking around before." Hiroya notes, picking up Reito's hat. "I noticed that Reito's hat is untouched, maybe it fell off while he was getting attacked?" Hiroya added.

"Very interesting... His room didn't have a single hair in it, and Reito's hat might've fallen off while he was getting ambushed. I think you're getting the hang of this, Hiroya. Is this your first time?" I noted.

"Thanks." Hiroya said. "Should we check the bathroom?"

"Ah, of course." I said. We both went into Roku's bathroom where I first found Reito's corpse.

"Reito..." Hiroya sighed, he looked like he was about to burst into tears but he was trying his best not to. I pulled the Hoshi file to verify what it said about his body. As I thought, the blunt object which was a hammer might've been what slain Reito. But oddly enough, the colors on the hammer resembled Asako in a way.

"Hey, do you think that Asako might've killed Reito?" Hiroya asked.

I was surprised he noticed, it seems like he's more an Ultimate Psychic than a Lucky Student. Also we both noted that the bathroom door is broken. As I thought, Roku was wrongfully accused of murder.

Suddenly, we both heard the bell ring.

"Erm, so ah... I'm getting tired of waiting. What say we just get started, hm? It's time for the long-awaited... Class trial! Now then, allow me to appoint a proper location for the proceedings. Please go through the red door on the 1st floor of the school! Puhuhu. See you soon!"

The red door on the first floor... That's where we should go.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We all headed towards the red door on the first floor. It seems there was an elevator in the room.

"Hmph. I bet R-Roku's afraid he would be d-discovered as the murderer..." Asako snickered.

"Hey, let's not jump to conclusions yet. Save that for the class trial." Sayuri said.

"B-But... I didn't even!" Roku yelled, trying to stop himself.

I don't understand why everyone is convinced Roku did it, but... He didn't even commit the crime. Hiroya, Sayuri, and I even Reito all know that too well. But then, who is the killer?

The one who murdered Reito... It's one of us.

"Puhuhu... Is everyone here? Okay then... Please board the elevator in front of you, which will transport you to the courtroom... where all your fates will be decided. Puhu. I'll meet you all down there. I'll be waiting... " Hoshi said in a monitor.
I suppose we have no choice but to get on this elevator.

"Let's do this." Shinichi said.

"Right with you!" Okinao added.

I noticed that Hiroya looked uneasy.

"Are you scared?" I asked him.

"N-No, scared isn't quite right..." he replied.

Out of nowhere, Sayuri proceeds to hold his hand.

"It's okay! We will all be standing beside you!" Sayuri smiled.

I noticed Roku silently entering the elevator, looking anxious to be here.

"H-Hey what are you doing!?" Hiroya jumped.

"She does that, so you wouldn't be nervous." I explained.

It feels like Hiroya isn't fighting back and just lets her hold his hand. They both stepped inside the elevator. Everyone else was already on the elevator when I finally stepped on. The doors closed, and the elevator started to move.

The steel box descended with heavy clunking sounds toward the campus' basement. The elevator lowered us further and further into the bowels of the campus. And finally... We arrived at the courtroom where Hoshi awaits for us.

Chapter 49: The Trials - Class Trial

Hoshi popped their ugly head once more, sitting in the center of the courtroom.

"Nyohohoho! You've finally arrived! What doth thee bethink? Doesn't t feeleth just liketh a real courtroom? T's liketh a Hollywood movie setteth, right!?" Hoshi chriped.

"Not even close. It's total shit." Shinichi grumbled.

"Okay, okay, everyone find your assigned spots! Hie up anon, hie up!" Hoshi commanded. We did what they said and found our placements. The placements were arranged in a giant circle. It was set up so that everyone could see everyone else.

Which also meant it's be easy for anyone to transfer their tension and unease onto anyone else. The air seemed to grow heavy as we sat there.

And so, the curtain on our first case opened...

A deadly judgement...

A deadly deception...

A deadly betrayal...

A deadly riddle...

A deadly defense...

A deadly faith...

A deadly... class trial!

"Let's begin with a basic explanation of the class trial! So, your votes will determine the results. If you can figure our who did the crime, then only they will receive punishment. But if you pick the wrong one... then I'll punish everyone besides the blackened, and the one that deceived everyone else will graduate!" Hoshi explained.

"And the killer really is one of us, right?" Hiroya asked.

"Of course!" Hoshi responded.

"O-Okay then... Everyone close your eyes, and whoever did it, raise your hand!" Asako said.

"Bruh, why the hell would anyone raise their hand?" Shinichi scoffed at Asako.

"Before we move on and start the trial, can I ask a question real quick?" I asked, noticing Reito's and Ryosei's portraits with pink Xs on it. Just like blood. "What's going on with... those pictures?"

"I'd feel awful if they got left out just because they died. Friendship penetrates even death's barrier!" Hoshi responded. Seems legit.

"Okay, but what about the other empty seat? There were only eleven of us to begin with, so why are there twelve seats?" Sayuri questioned.

"Oh, no reason. It's just that our little courtroom here can technically fit up to twelve people. Okay, that about does it for the preamble. Get ready to get started! First up is the case summary. Now, let the class trial... begin!" Hoshi announced.

It's about to begin the debate to decide who we think the killer is... Anything we found, anything we noted. We have to be ready to speak up about everything. Everyone's lives are on the line!

"I assert the one who was murdered was Mr. Reito Mizushima!" Okinao exclaimed.

"...Yeah, we know that part already." Hiroya commented.

"And the murder took place in Roku's room." Sayuri noted.

"In the bathroom." Hatsuka said.

"So it seems most likely that... The killer must have taken him by surprise while he was in the bathroom. He didn't have a chance to resist." Ritsuko said.

Aha! A contradiction!

"Just a second, Ritsuko. Try to remember how Roku's room looked. With the way things had been damaged, I think we can definitely assume there was a struggle." Hiroya stepped in.

"A struggle? Between who... and who?" Ritsuko asked.

"Between Reito and the killer, of course." Sayuri said.

"So you're saying... Reito wasn't caught by surprise in the bathroom?" Ritsuko asked again.

"He must have been attacked in the main room first, then he ran to the bathroom to try and hide. The killer followed him in my room, and that's where they finished the job..." Roku said. Everyone in the room gave him dirty looks.

"That much should have been obvious after taking one look at the scene. It shouldn't need explaining." Hatsuka said.

"I'm sorry." Ritsuko said.

"Next is the subject of the murder weapon. We need to determine what was used to kill Reito." I said.

"So what was used to kill him?" Okinao asked.

"There was some kind of blunt weapon smashed against his skull... That is indeed the murder weapon..." Roku added.

"So the killer used some kind hammer from a tool box?" Shinichi asked.

"No. I do think it was a hammer, but not just any average hammer. It was an oversized hammer like you see in anime and cartoons." Sayuri explained.

"Huh? An oversized hammer?" Shinichi asked in confusion.

"If it was an average hammer, the head trauma wouldn't be as bad." Sayuri said.

"Which means that hammer must be the murder weapon." Okinao stated.

"Ohh... yeah, I guess that makes sense. No hammer like that is going to fit inside a tool box..." Shinichi said.

"O-Okay... so the murder weapon w-was a an oversized hammer. But where does that get us? I mean, we all k-know Roku killed him, right!? Roku's room was the s-scene of the crime. What more proof do you n-need?" Asako asked.

"How many times do I have say that I didn't kill him!?" Roku yelled.

"Let's draw our conclusions after we've presented out arguments. Otherwise, what's the point of the trial?" I said.

"W-Well we can talk all we want, it's not g-gonna change that conclusion." Asako grumbled.

"I don't think that's true at all. I'm sure if we keep at it, something new will reveal itself." I said.

"She's right." Hiroya said.

Sayuri nodded her head agreeing to what I said.

"You really believe that...?" Hatsuka asked.

There's got to be a breakthrough somewhere just waiting for us to find it. Because I know well that Roku is not the killer.

"S-So I guess there's no q-question that the oversized hammer was the murder weapon. B-But Roku must have taken it f-from any other room, right? He did it in s-secret, when everyone was asleep..." Asako said.

"Okay, wait. I don't think that hammer belongs to him." Sayuri said.

"Next, h-he's gonna say he's not the k-killer, right? Go ahead and say it!" Asako exclaimed.

Roku looks completely defeated and hopeless... But I know well he didn't do it. I feel that Asako could be framing him for murder.

"Well, what if Roku has a witness? What do you think Sayuri?" I asked her.

"Ah, yes. Roku told me that he was in Reito's room and he kept saying that he will never harm a fly." she said.

"In other words, there's no way Roku was the killer!" I said.

"Speaking of which, I'd like to ask the star... if there is an accomplice, do they also become blackened?" Hatsuka asked.

"So you ask, and so I shall answer! Each murder is allowed to have an accomplice, but only the one who does the killing will get to graduate." Hoshi explained.

"So in other words, two people can work together, but one of them has no chance of profiting from it..." I noted.

"Then there's no way anyone would work together, right...?" Shinichi asked.

"But what if they did work together, and they just didn't know about the rule?" Ritsuko questioned.

"Uggh, valorous grief! Enow already! Nay, well enow!? Th're art nay accomplices in this case! ...Oops! Did I say that out loud...?" Hoshi said.

"Anyway, Roku didn't take an oversized hammer and he didn't commit the crime." Hiroya objected.

"Okay, so then who's hammer does it belong to?" Ritsuko asked.

"In my opinion, Asako seems to the be obvious candidate. After all, the hammer does match her clothes." Sayuri commented.

Roku looked extremely relieved, letting out a sigh.

"Not to mention that you've been acting very unusual..." Okinao said.

"Uhh... Anyone could b-be pink, purple, and yellow!" Asako exclaimed.

"When I saw you come in your room, you didn't even look at us. You tried to knock on Roku's door." Ritsuko noted.

"I can vouch for it. That hammer looked too pastel-like to have it belong to us." Roku said.

"Something odd about this scene is that there wasn't a single hair on the floor." I stated.

"And another thing too, I think the killer may have panicked and cleaned up the hair from my room." Roku added.

"So... Roku wasn't the culprit?" Shinichi asked.

"Indeed. Another thing, do you remember anything remarkable about the bathroom at the scene? Reito was attacked in the main room first, then fled into the bathroom, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, then they ran after him, got into the bathroom and smashed his skull..." Sayuri added.

"How did the killer get into the bathroom? Did they have any trouble with it? I feel that the killer had some trouble getting into the bathroom." Hiroya noted.

"Ah, are you referring to that door knob, Hiroya?" I asked. "I am suspecting that the killer might've used the hammer to not only kill but damage both the bathroom knob and the walls."

This aggrevated Asako more and more. "But... But..."

"The incident took place in Roku's room. Reito was first attacked in the main room. He then fled into the bathroom." I started off.

"Then the killer ran after him... And then they got into the bathroom." Sayuri added.

"A-At that point, the killer had to try to bust down the door... because Reito locked it." Asako claimed.

"Nope, you're wrong. The reason Roku's bathroom didn't open because it was locked. After all, none of the bathrooms have locks since the dorm owner would be the only ones using the bathrooms, right?" Hiroya stated.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, it's true." Sayuri smiled.

"Yep! I figured that you guys are adults and wouldn't walk into someone using their bathroom. Besides, we gotta keep this PG-13 y'know?" Hoshi commented.

Did... Hoshi just break the fourth wall? I'm just gonna ignore that for now.

"So the reason the door didn't open was it stuck... It was because the killer smashed the door knob down." I said. "The killer could easily make that mistake thanks to one important detail about the scene of the crime... The killer didn't realize that Roku wasn't in his room."

"That's right, I had to switch dorms with him because I was afraid." Roku confirmed.

"He was right. He came into my room, afraid so I'm assuming that he went into Reito's dorm and switched rooms for the night." I stated.

"What...?" Hatsuka glared at me.

"Well, to be more specific... What the killer didn't know was that Roku wasn't in his own room. Which is what led to the misunderstanding. If Reito had been in his own room, then... " I explained.

"Then the killer would've killed Roku instead of Reito." Sayuri added.

"I have a suspicion as well that the killer could have waited outside to either kill one of the two." I said.

"Okay, then who did it?" Shinichi asked.

"Let's take a vote everyone!" Okinao said.

"M-Majority rules? D-Do you think that's a good is idea...?" Asako backs away.

"Of course! Our necks are on the line here!" Ritsuko responded.

"My question is... how did the culprit get into my room in the first place?" Roku asked.

"M-Maybe Reito just dropped the key somewhere a-and the culprit picked it up. T-That's possible, right??" Asako asked.

"That seems way too convenient..." Sayuri said bluntly.

"Could the killer force their way into Roku's room, and realized that Reito was in the room instead and killed him?" Okinao questioned.

"I think you might get the right idea, Okinao." Hiroya said.

When I came into Roku's room, the door was completely destroyed and anyone could've came in at anytime. I finally came up with who did it. The colors of the hammer and the way Asako is acting make it obvious.

"The killer is... Asako Sato!" I announced, pointing at her.

"Wh-!?" she looked taken aback.

"I knew it!" Hiroya added.

"Asako... Why did you try to frame me for murder...?" Roku asked sadly.

"I-I'M THE KILLER!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" Asako yelled.

"It's been obvious from the start that you did it, the way you acted anxious this morning, the way you framed Roku, and the way the hammer's colors are." Sayuri said. "Not to mention, your hat is thrown out because of the blood on it."

"That is your hat, right, Asako?" I pressed her.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh!?" Asako stammered.

"I knew the way you were acting was bull shit. So might as well just cut the crap." Hiroya commented.

I begin to explain and review what has happened in the crime scene. The closing argument was... Asako, the Ultimate Performer murdered Reito and tried to frame Roku for it because they happened to switch rooms for the night.

"LIES! THEY'RE ALL LIES!! ROKU KILLED REITO NOT ME!!!' Asako screamed.

O0O0O0O00O0OO0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It seems that Sayuri, Hiroya, Asako, and I are sent into another universe. For some reason, we got weapons in our hands.

Sayuri has a gun, Hiroya uses his fists, and I have a sword that Ryosei gave to me after he died.

"W-What the hell is this? Where are we? And where is everyone else!?" Hiroya questioned, looking around in confusion. It seems we are sent into some kind of video game where we move into squares like chess.
"Oh! I think I know where we are! I played it before!" Sayuri said.

"Ah, this must be temporary then. Either way, this is the moment of truth!" I exclaimed.

"What do I need to do here?" Hiroya asked the both of us.

"Just attack the culprits words and strike them down!" I responded.

"This is just like how you play an RPG game like... Umm..." Sayuri ponders.

Asako begins to spat out words such as blaming Roku and saying things that she didn't do it, but the three of us struck it all down.

The more we destroyed the sentences the more aggravated Asako got.

"Alright, everyone, are you with me?" I asked both Sayuri and Hiroya.

"Yeah!" Hiroya answered.

"Let's end this!" Sayuri answered.

"This is final strike! The hammer belongs to you!" As we struck Asako with the evidence one last time, the words seem to break on here.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

"The oversized hammer obviously matches your clothes." I said, getting back to the courtroom.

"S-Stupid! Stupidstupidstupid!" Asako stammered.

"No one has the same yellow, pink, and purple pastel scheme as you!" Hiroya stated.

"Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid!!!" Asako yelled.

"Also, I don't think it's smart to throw your hat in an empty trash can." Sayuri commented.

"Stu- huh?" Asako stopped in her tracks visibly freaking out.

"So, you have no rebutal?" Hiroya peppered.

"We're finished here then." I said.

"Puhuhuhu... Looks like you've reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all... Make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?" Hoshi commanded. "Okay! Then let's get excited! Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

The majority vote is... Asako.

"Uh-oh! Looks like you got it right on the money! The blackened in this cage, the one that killed Reito... was none other than Asako Sato, my dear sister!" Hoshi chirped.

...What? Asako is related to Hoshi...?

"H-Huh...? H-Hold on a second..." Asako stammered.

"Asako... Asako, why did you try to frame me?" Roku asked with tears in his eyes.

"I don't believe it..." Ritsuko said in shock.

"Son of a bitch...! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Shinichi raged.

"I-I didn't have a choice... I-It was kill or be killed! S-So that's why... I killed him first. N-None of you are any different! One wrong step and you'd be the one standing h-here! It was complete c-chance that i wound up like this! I was j-just... unlucky! T-That's all..." Asako stammered, Shinichi scoffing in response.

"H-Hey come on...! Do you expect me to j-just accept my death!?" Asako pleaded.

Everything became clear... The decision was made right after all. The truth was Asako killed Reito and tried to frame Roku for it.

"Asako... We were buddies... We were partners... Why...?" Roku lamented.

"Not only did my sister kill, she tried to betray her old partner... How tragic!" Hoshi exclaimed.

No one else had the words to even say anything, it was a shock to everyone.

"Stop talking please... This was your fault... Everything was your fault..." Roku said.

I had to step in before Roku could do something.

"Roku, enough." I said, gripping him with an iron fist. "If you really wanted to make Hoshi pay, you need to let it go for now."

"I know this is hard for you but look what happened to Ryosei! It wouldn't solve anything if you winded up like him!" Hiroya said.

Sayuri just glanced on the ground thinking about him.

"Ahh, that was a close one! I thought for sure you were gonna give me a good walloping! Just barely did avoid punishment, thee flamboyant bastard! Now then! Since you magnificently revealed the identity of the killer during the class trial... the blackened, Asako Sato, will recieve her punishment!" Hoshi announced.

"P-Punishment...? You mean... e-execution? W-Wait a second! I didn't have a choice! I HAD to kill him! Y-Yeah, that's it! I was just protecting myself in the heat of the moment! It was self-defense!" Asako pleaded.

"How was it self defense? When you forced your way into the room, did you or did you not use that hammer of yours? You even tried to kill me! Why? Why? Why, Asako?? Answer me!" Roku asked sadly, tears streaming freely from his eyes.

"I... I... Roku, no...!" Asako stammered, sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

"Stop it. I've had enough of this. I can't say Asako is solely to blame. Of course, I don't plan on blaming Roku or Reito, either. Because... Because the one to blame... is them!" Sayuri protested, pointing at Hoshi.

"S'waaaah!?" Hoshi cried out.

"If it weren't for you... this never would have happened to Asako, Reito, OR Ryosei! We shouldn't be fighting each other... We should be fighting against the one who put us in this situation! The mastermind!" Sayuri cried.
Sayuri...

"Uh-oh! Did you awaken to your sense of justice!? Well, it just happens that there's nothing more unethical than an unwavering sense of justice. After all, it's people with that sort of mentality that perpetuate war all over the world. Is yond the kind of justice yond's awaken'd within thee!?" Hoshi mocked.

"If it's all it takes, yes. I'd rather see wars for justice than see people do absolutely nothing!" Sayuri yelled.

"Okay, well, anyway. Most importantly... Alloweth's hie up and receiveth to what ev'ryone's been waiting f'r! the punishment!" Hoshi announced, dismissing Sayuri's words.

"I'm begging you, p-please, don't do this!" Asako begged.

I... I can't conprehend what's going on anymore.

"Nay m're begging! nay m're fetches! thee might not but payeth the penalty f'r breaking the rules! society demands t!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"S-Stop, please...!" Asako sobbed.

"Anon then, I've did prepare a v'ry special punishment f'r Asako Sato, the Ultimate P'rf'rm'r!" Hoshi laughed.

"Nononononononono!!" At that point, Asako was begging for life.

"Alloweth's giveth t ev'rything we've did get! T's PUNISMENT TIIIIIMETH!!" Hoshi announced.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Asako screamed.

At that moment, Hoshi took out a hammer and mashed a button with it.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

GAME OVER, ASAKO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!

It looked like sprite art from a video game and it showed Hoshi dragging Asako in the neck with a rope...

We had to watch someone die... Right in front of our eyes.

Asako was tied up to a wheel, shaking, crying, begging for help... But no one came...

Life or Death for the clown girl!

The audience members who looked just Hoshi were chanted out "Death! Death! Death! Death!" over and over again.

At that moment, Hoshi began to spin the wheel Asako was attached to and begin to throw knives at her.

The way they were throwing the knives was fast and deadly... It looked like something out of a ninja anime and movie. This kept going until Asako was essentially lifeless, pink blood pouring out of her body. The Hoshi audience was cheering begging for encore.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

What we saw, was the true face of despair.

"Wooooohoooo! Extreeeeeeeeeeeeemmmmeeeeeeeeeeee!! Everyone loved it! Sir, mine own adrenaline is pumping right out of controleth! " Hoshi jumped in joy.

"What the absolute hell was that!?" Okinao yelled.

"I-I can't take this anymore...!" Roku cried, falling to his knees.

"Well hey, if you don't like it... All thee did get to doth is gage to cutteth all ties with the outside w'rld and accepteth living h're f'rev'r! But yond's only if 't be true ev'ry single one of thee can receiveth onboard with yond. Puhuhuhu... Waahahahahaha! Bwahahaha!" Hoshi cackled.

"Man, damn you! Why the hell are you doing this evil shit to us!?" Shinichi peppered.

"Evil!? thee maketh t soundeth liketh i'm some dark, awful, secret society typeth of p'rson! Or in this case, a dark, awful, secret society type of STAR!" Hoshi protested.

"Why are you putting us through such a gruelling ordeal!?" Okinao asked.

"It seems like you're trying to use common sense to make sense of something that doesn't make sense! That's like trying to put a mile on a scale! I just don't think it's possible..." Hoshi commented.

"You piece of shit! I don't know who you are but I'm gonna beat the shit out of you!" Shinichi yelled.

"Puhuhu. You must really hate me to get so angry, huh? But if you do that, you're barking waaaay up the wrong tree. What hath happened, hath happened because m're than one of thee hath decided thee did want to receiveth out, right? Nay matt'r how much timeth passes, thee can't cutteth free of thy regrets from the outside w'rld. Thou art to censure!" Hoshi scolded.

"Of course we can't cut free of the outside world! Being trapped in this insane place!" Ritsuko complained.

"Hmmm... You're trapped, are you? Well, I'm sure omce you learn all the mysteries of this campus, your thinking will change for sure. You'll think, boy, isn't it so wonderful how we all get to live here forever!?" Hoshi added.

"What are you... trying to say...?" Hatsuka asked, her usual snarky persona dropped.

"I feel like there's some deeper meaning hidden in there. Just like before." I spoke. "When you say everyone... Who exactly are you referring to?" I asked.

"Sorry, I said everything I got to say! I need to save some of the fun for later! Bwaahahaha!" And just like that, they were gone. This raised more questions than answers. They left us there, overwhelmed by a nightmare turned reality.

Even after they were gone, we stood here forever, unable to move. Everyone just lost their sense of time. We were all too scared. No one tried to speak. Their faces were cold, their voices dead. Until Sayuri broke the silence.

"Hana, Hiroya. Can I talk to you both for a second?" she asked, separating them from the crowd. "Before we head back there's something I want to talk to you two about." Sayuri started.

"Is it about that game world we were all sent to?" Hiroya asked.

"Yeah, you see... I snuck my game here. If it weren't for that, we wouldn't find out who the true killer is." Sayuri explained.

"Well, that explains it." I commented.

"Also, I just wanted to say that we make a great team!" Sayuri smiled.

"Wait, really? What makes you say that?" Hiroya asked.

"We found out the truth together!" Sayuri said.

In a way, Hiroya reminds me a bit of Ryosei.

"Hey, don't cut yourself short, Hiroya. You did what you could to solve this case." I said, praising him.

"I suppose that's true... I guess that makes us the Ultimate Warriors of Hope huh?" Hiroya mused.

"Wait... How did you know this was our group name?" I asked, surprised that he knows of our group name.

"I just took a guess." Hiroya shrugged.

"I'm surprised you know the name... Say, would you like to join us now that um... Ryosei died?" Sayuri asked.

"You know what, yeah! Screw it! I'll join you guys!" Hiroya said.

"I have high hopes for you." I said, revealing the smallest smile.

Chapter 50: The Trials - Daily Life 2: Electric Boogaloo

We went our separate ways and went back to our dorm rooms for now. As I went in my dorm, I discovered something new with the book I picked up earlier. As I flipped through the pages, there was a sentence.

_in_ D_m__o

What does this mean? I couldn't make out what it's trying to say. Is it a name? A location? That I do not know. I won't deny that it kept me up a bit all night until I heard the night time announcement. Until, Hoshi spoke another thing...

"It was totally obvious before that you were trying to make yourselves feel better and justify what you did. See you, see you, don't see you, see you! That's about how much I can see you, even when you try to hide! Now pay attention and remember this well! The burden of judging others is a heavy one to bear. So be aware of your actions. Order and stability rely on the sacrifice and responsibility of everyone!" After he said what he said, he says good night.

And so, the day drew to a close... A tense, maddening day that saw the deaths of three classmates. Reito, Ryosei, and Asako... No matter what, I have to keep strong and find out who the mastermind is. Even if it kills me and even if I lose sleep over this.
I glanced over towards the flowers in my room, I noticed that the flowers in my room our Irises; a symbol of faith, respect, valor, and hope. Hope... Now I'm starting to understand, I used to think we rely on both hope and despair too much but I realized that when there's despair, there's always hope.

I begin to gather bouquets of Irises for all three deceased students. I've always liked how beautiful flowers looked. As soon as I finished, I left my dorm room and placed the flowers on their doorsteps.

"May you all... Rest in peace." I murmured. No matter what happens to anyone, I hope they make it into the heavens up above and be greeted with open arms. I know this is childish of me to say but, that's what I believe in. If you're dead, nothing can hurt you anymore. After I took off my cap for a quick moment of silence for Reito, Ryosei, and Asako I put my cap back on and quietly headed back towards my dorm.

I guess it's time to hit the hay, no use staying up all night who the mastermind is. I decided to lay down, snuggling against my plushie... If it weren't for this thing I wouldn't be able to sleep honestly...

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I woke up the next day to Hoshi's normal morning announcement. Then they called us all to the gym. "What are they going to do to us this time?" I pondered to myself. I decided to head to the gym.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Okay! Lift your arms up, and down! One, two, three, four!" Hoshi coaxed. ...Are they seriously making us to excerises now? "Now reach waaaaaay up, and bend waaay down! Tighten those muscles! Let's add a little strength, a little speed to those bodies of yours!" How does a star plushie exercise...?

"Ahh, doesn't this feel just great!? Being stuck inside like this, you gotta make sure to stay healthy!" Hoshi exclaimed.

"You're the one keeping us stuck inside." Ritsuko said bitterly.

"Don't sweat the small stuff! That's my motto. Whoa, I sounded pretty cool just now, don't you think? Did you fall in love with me? Am I just to die for? Am I just to die writhing agony for?" Hoshi peppered on.

"So... Why did you call us here...?" Okinao asked panting out of breath due to his size, "Certainly it wasn't just to make us exercise..."

"Just to maketh thee ex'rcise? JUST to maketh thee ex'rcise!? If 't be true ex'rcise maketh thee chuckle, ex'rcise shall maketh thee caterwauling liketh a family guy! Anon, if 't be true thee keepeth doing these ex'rcises, thee shall uncov'r the secret of the Assassin's Fist! Hath passed down from gen'ration to gen'ration in the empire of darkness. The pow'r can beest yours!" Hoshi declared.

"That sounds like the kind of junk a middle schooler would come up with." Hatsuka snarked.

"It doesn't matter! Just get to the point. Did you really call us down here just to exercise?" Hiroya asked.

"Of course not! Thee bethink i has't yond kind of free timeth on mine own hands!?" Hoshi responded.

"Okay, so then..." Hiroya spoke.

"Ahh, I'd like to make an announcement! Every time you overcome a class trial here at Hope's Peak, a whole new world will open up to you!" Hoshi announced.

"A whole new world...?" Sayuri cocked her head.

"It'd really suck if you had to live here forever with nothing new to stimulate you! Besides, I know how you guys get these days with your ADD, ADHD, and autism. I gotta keep you motivated! So go ahead, look around all you want! Enjoy the brave new post-trial world till you explode!" With that, Hoshi disappeared, leaving us even more confused than when they'd shown up.

"A new world...?" Hiroya asked.

"Is he talking about... a way to get outside?" Roku asked he looked like he had to sparkle of light on his eyes.

"No offense, dude but it sounds unlikely. But hey, we don't know until we look." Shinichi said.

"Whatever they meant, it seems we'll have to search the school once again." Okinao stated.

"Alright, everyone. Let's start investigating." Sayuri said.

We all left the gym and took ourselves to the second floor. It seems the gate to the stairs is missing so we are free to investigate. We found two classrooms, typical stuff but we also found a library and a gaming room. As soon as Sayuri discovers this, it's like she became a child in a candy store.

I haven't seen Sayuri this happy in so long.

"Come on, Hana! You should play this game with me!" Sayuri beamed.

I was never good at video games but hey, anything to see her happy. It seems that the others were watching us play cheering us on.

"Whoa! No way! They have a racing game here! That's awesome!!" Hiroya exclaimed.

"Let me join you! I call dibs on one of the princesses though!" Okinao mused.

"Sweet! A game where you eat a lot of food as a sumo wrestler! I *bleep!*ing love this game, man!" Shinichi exulted pumping his fist in the air in delight.

"Goodness! A rhythm game! I'm so happy!" Roku simpered approaching the arcade machine with various robots singing and dancing.

"I'm not exactly a games type of person but I'll have fun in library though." Hatsuka said, leaving the library. To each their own I suppose, at least she's more pleasant about it than she usually is.

It seems like we spent countless hours having fun in the arcade room. If only Ryosei were here to see this...

"Hooray! We beat the final boss, Hana! We did it!" Sayuri jumped up and down in joy.

"We beat the game too." I smiled, everyone else was busy playing different types of games. We just let time pass through playing with different types of games until there was that night time announcement.

It looks like we have to head to our dorms now, but we sure had fun though.

There's not much else to do. I guess I'll just retire for the night.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I woke up again to Hoshi's usual morning announcement. I decided to head to the dining hall for breakfast, glancing at the doors of deceased classmates, the flowers remained untouched.

Now that Reito is gone, who's going to be starting the breakfast meeting? I'm not sure myself.

"Good morning, Hana!" Sayuri smiled.

"Good morning... Is everyone here already?" I asked.

"No, still waiting on Hatsuka." Hiroya responded.

"Oh, by the way. For now on, I decided to take over the breakfast meeting in Reito's stead." Sayuri added.

"I see. I'm glad you took over." I said.

"I'm sure Hatsuka will be here soon, just wait a moment." Roku said.

Just on cue, Hatsuka arrived in the scene looking cheerful. It must be that library, we should probably check it out soon.

"Hey guys, how about after we check out the library after we eat breakfast?" Hatsuka chirped.

"That sounds like a great idea, Hatsuka!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

"Hmm... I wonder what kind of books we have here..." Roku pondered.

"Eww, I remember having detentions in the library, it was the worst!" Shinichi complained.

"I hope they have manga here." Okinao hoped.

After we ate our breakfast, we decided to head to the library and look and behold, it's what I expected in the library. Shelves upon shelves of books, computers, and documents. Everyone else was just doing their thing trying to find books to read while I saw a book that caught my attention.

"Hmm? What did you find, Hana?" Sayuri asked.

"I found some kind of book for Hope's Peak." I responded.

"Well, let's open it up, shall we?" Hiroya said.

At first, we saw... Weird drawings. I should probably spare the details. But as we turned the page, we saw a figure giving a drawing a Hoshi a piece of paper reporting what happened.

"The art's good." Sayuri commented.

"Why the hell is Hoshi here?" Hiroya asked.

As we turned the page, we saw pictures of everyone in the school. I noticed that for every picture that's in this book. One of us is not in the picture. Another thing I noticed too is that, there's a girl with purple pigtails who has a similar hair color to Asako but a slightly lighter shade.

The thing is that, she's either facing away from the camera or her face is covered by an object. Sayuri and Hiroya noticed this too. For every picture we see, one of us is missing from the photo and the girl with the purple pigtail's face is hidden in plain sight.

"Huh? She weirdly resembles Asako in a way." Sayuri said.

"Weird... Why did the school take pictures of all of us and leave one student behind for each picture?" Hiroya stumbled. "Plus, we never seen that girl with the pigtails before, could she be... Dead?"

"No, if she was dead, her portrait would've been present just like with Reito and Ryosei. I may believe that she's the hidden student." I concluded.

"But there's eleven of us." Hiroya added.

"Hoshi did mention that there's twelve spots in the court room didn't he?" Sayuri said.

At that point, other than Hatsuka having the time of her life in the library, everyone else left the library to do something else, we must've had our divided focus on the book for hours now.

"Something's fishy..." I said. "By any chance, could the mastermind be a hidden student?"

Sayuri and Hiroya agreed with my statement.

"The question is... What is her name?" Hiroya asked.

"I tried looking into it but all got was an incomplete message." I responded.

"Hmmm... You mind bringing the page to me later? I want to check it out." Hiroya said.

I just nodded.

It seems we spent hours researching to the point that Hoshi announced another night time announcement.

"We should worry about this later, but for now, let's call it a night." Sayuri said.

"I agree, let's retire for the night." Hiroya said. We left the library, but as soon as we did, I saw someone come out of the hidden bookshelf. Were they watching us this whole time? I decided to shrug it off.

We went downstairs to the first floor and arrived at the dorm rooms, where we went our separate ways for tonight.

Another day gone. But even though today is over this "game" definitely isn't. How long is this gonna keep going? I fell into a deep sleep, thinking about the girl with purple pigtails.

Who is she? What is her name? Why is her face hidden? That I do not know.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

I woke up before Hoshi does his morning announcement. Now that it's morning, I guess I'd better head to the dining hall to get started with the day. I feel groggy though... I went to the breakfast meeting same as always but I noticed that Hatsuka didn't show up at all.

"Is this everyone? It feels a little... small." Sayuri said.

"I don't know where she could be..." Okinao said, worried. He looked like he just got out of the shower.

"The table looks bigger now that there's less people." Ritsuko commented.

"This is worrying indeed... I hope she's okay though." Roku said.

"Do you guys think she could be in the library? Because I checked her room and she's not there." Hiroya said.

"Geez, guess she isn't the Ultimate Bookworm now is she." Shinichi snickered.

I have a bad feeling about this... I hope Hatsuka is okay.

After we ate our breakfast, we decided to look for Hatsuka in the library in the second floor. As we entered the library time seemed to freeze.

We found Hatsuka sitting on the chair dead with her blood scattered across the room and in the books. One of the books was covering her face. She seemed to be stabbed in the abdomen with a spear.

"Oh *bleep!*, not again!" Hiroya yelled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHH!!" Ritsuko screamed.

"Oh no... nonononononono..." Roku mutttered.

"...What the hell happened to Hatsuka?" Shinichi froze in fear.

"H-Hatsuka...?" Sayuri said.

"I... I can't look... Urgh... My stomach is..." Before Okinao could say a word, he ran away from the scene of the crime running towards the bathroom so he could vomit.

We heard the announcements go off.

"A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the class trial will begin!" Hoshi said in a cheerful tone.

Here we go again... I mean I zoned out when the first announcement from Reito's dead occurred but... We're doing this again. But why did Okinao leave the scene like that? But either way... We have to get into the bottom of this and reveal the truth behind Hatsuka's murder.

Chapter 51: The Trials - Traitor Among Us

We did what we could to find some clues behind Hatsuka's death but the case is rather... Odd. Is the culprit hiding something?

"Hmm... I can't figure out what's going on..." Sayuri commented.

"Yeah, me neither. Whoever did this had some weird kind of motive..." Hiroya said.

I looked behind me and I noticed that Roku, Shinichi, and Ritsuko aren't around anymore. Maybe they're checking up on Okinao since he did run into the bathroom as soon as he saw the body.

"This is a strange case... But first, let me examine the body." I said.

I kneeled down towards Hatsuka's corpse and indeed she was slain due to multiple stabs. When I uncovered the book from her face, she looked like she died smiling... I'm not sure if she was actually murdered if she actually... ended her own life.

"Hana... Can I go outside for a second? I... I can't stand to see the sight of this... I know I've saw dead bodies before but... This bothers me greatly..." Sayuri explained.

"Do what you got to do." I said still puzzled about the case and when I said that, Sayuri left the library. This is... A lot to take in. Not just because the body looked like it was clean but... It is undetermined if it was actually a murder or a suicide.

"What do you think, Hiroya?" I turned asking him.

"About the case? I'm just as much as a stump as you are not going to lie." Hiroya responded. Even the Ultimate Psychic is at a loss as much as I am. No matter what we did, it was all led up to nothing.

We heard the bell ring.

"Erm, so ah... I'm getting tired of waiting. Shall we just plunge right in? It's the moment you've all been waiting for... the class trial! You remember where to meet, right? Please go through the red door on the first floor of the school! Puhuhu. See you soon!" Hoshi announced in the monitor.

It's time for the class trial and we barely have any evidence I could hear Hiroya audibly gulp.

"Come on, let's go get this class trial over with." I said. Hiroya giving me a silent nod.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We all arrived at the red door and went inside the elevator.

As we descended, the steel box sank with heavy clunking sounds deeper and deeper into the ground. As we went deeper, the uneasiness in my heart grew bigger and bigger. The elevator was unaffected, however, and continued to descend without hesitation.

Until finally... it came to a sudden stop.

We silently found our assigned spots with Hatsuka's portrait in her usual box with a pink x across her picture.

And so, the curtain opened once again... Who killed Hatsuka or did she commit suicide?

"Okay then, so first off... Let's see wh-" Hoshi was abruptly interrupted by Okinao.

"You know what? No! I am not letting you guys sit through another one of these trials!" Okinao exclaimed.

"Colours me? Cometh again? Didst thee just int'rrupt me?" Hoshi jeered, giving a threatening glare to Okinao. What he said threw us all off guard.

"If that makes you guys feel any better... I'm coming clean. I did it! I killed Hatsuka and I'm the traitor!" Okinao shouted.

"You dumbass...! You do realize what's going to happen if we pick the wrong person right!?" Shinichi yelled.

"...I understand your sentience but... Why are admitting that you're the traitor... Does that mean that you working with the mastermind...?" Roku asked in disbelief.

"Everyone, let's have Okinao explain himself." Sayuri said.

Why is he saying that he's the traitor? There was no mention of a traitor anywhere. I heard hear Okinao take a deep breath. Then spoke out,

"I had to kill Hatsuka for self defense. I know saying that will risk me getting executed but it's the truth. I had to clean up the evidence. Hell I even had to replace my shirt because it was stained with blood!" Okinao explained, looking like he's about to tear up.

"Listen, Okinao. We're not mad at you but... Why do you think you're the traitor?" I asked calmly.

"It's going to go in two ways, either you're right and you die or you're wrong and we all die. Are you sure you want to take that risk?" Hiroya asked in concern.

Ritsuko was silent the whole time, not saying a word. Clearly upset from what Okinao said.

"You don't need to hesitate. We can spill out everything here." Sayuri said Okinao in a reassuring tone.

Glancing around, Hoshi looked confused yet intrigued.

"If I die freeing you guys from this hell hole than so be it. But first, let me tell you about the mastermind's name since I'm coming clean now." Okinao paused. "The mastermind's name is... Mina Domoto."

Was Mina the one with the purple pigtails in those photos? If she is indeed Mina than it all checks out. I understand where Okinao is coming from but... Is he truly going to save everyone by getting himself executed? Or is it going to be all in vain?

Hoshi just smiled, not even objecting to anything he's said. It was almost like a child getting an answer right and the teacher was just smiling at them proudly.

"The reason why I killed Hatsuka was because she was going to reveal that I was the traitor but I didn't want her to tell you guys, I think it would be better if I just admit it from my own mouth rather than have her tell you and risking you guys hating me..." Okinao confessed.

Hatsuka was going to throw him under the bus? I... I don't know what to think of this situation anymore. This case was a mess as a whole.

"Dude, I can't even get mad at you... I knew something was off with Hatsuka the moment she started acting all cheery." Shinichi said.

"You may be right, Shinichi. I even find it suspicious. I thought it was because of that library since well, she's the Ultimate Bookworm but... I suppose this is my fault for not reading between the lines..." Roku lamented.

"Don't blame yourself, I didn't know either." Shinichi responded to Roku.

Once again, Ritsuko refuses to speak about anything what Okinao said, I feel she was trying to block off what he said.

"Why would we hate you for telling you the truth, Okinao?" Hiroya asked.

"I understand the feeling completely. No one hates you, okay?" Sayuri said.

I've never seen a case where the culprit admits their crimes from the get-go. But in a way, it's relieving because this was a hard case to figure out. So this wasn't a suicide, Okinao has murdered Hatsuka. He just made it look like a suicide because he regret what he did.

"Can I ask you something?" I said to Okinao.

"Yes, Hana? What do you want to ask me?" He asked.

"Did you make the murder look like a suicide?" I dropped the question.

"Yes. I did. I didn't want to kill her but I have no choice to because if she reaches you guys, she'll tell everyone that I'm a traitor." he responded.

"Hmm... This is interesting..." Hoshi commented, taking a bag of popcorn.

"Thank you for your honesty. Truly." I said.

Ritsuko held her head, looking like she's about to explode.

"No! No! Okinao isn't the traitor! I know he isn't!!" Ritsuko protested.

"Ritsuko, it's too late just let it go already!" Okinao said.

She was tearing up, not believing any of this. He admitted this himself so why is she trying to protest against it.

"I refuse to believe it!" Ritsuko exclaimed.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Thanks to Sayuri's game, her, Hiroya, Ritsuko, and I are sent to another universe.

"Ah shit, here we go again." Hiroya commented.

"Ritsuko, why do you denying everything Okinao said? He just said he was the traitor." I asked.

"I... I..." Ritsuko paused. "Wait... Where are we...? Why are we sent into a different world? WHAT IS GOING ON!?" she began to hyperventilate.

"You're in a game, Ritsuko. But don't worry we won't be trapped here forever." Sayuri said calmly.

"A... game...? I've never seen anything like this before... It's just so... flashy..." Ritsuko said.

"All we got to do is make an attack to prove that Okinao is indeed the killer right?" Hiroya asked me.

"Hold on a minute. Is there a way to get us all out of here? Since Ritsuko doesn't seem like she's fighting back." I said then looking over to Ritsuko.

Ritsuko pondered for a bit thinking about what to do. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. "What if I hack the system so we could all get out of here?"

"Well, I sure don't mind modding on my handheld!" Sayuri mused liking the idea.

"Alright, let's give it a shot, Ritsuko!" Hiroya exulted.

I simply just nodded, letting Ritsuko try to hack the system so we could all escape the game world.

"Just gotta do this... And... Aha! I opened a portal!" Ritsuko beamed. It seems like she opened a green portal to get us all out of here.

"Don't worry, the portal is temporary!" she said.

We immediately ran towards the portal sending us all back to the trial room.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Puhuhuhu... Looks like you've reached your verdict! Then are we ready to cast our votes? You all have a lever in front of you. Use it to make your selection! Oh, just to remind you all... Make triple sure you vote for someone! You wouldn't want to be punished for something so minor, right?" Hoshi commanded. "Okay! Then let's get excited! Who will be chosen as the blackened? Will you make the right choice, or the dreadfully wrong one?"

I hope that Okinao was actually right and the majority vote is... Okinao.

"Uh-oh! Looks like you got it right on the money! The blackened and traitor in this cage, the one that killed Hatsuka... was none other than Okinao Honda!" Hoshi chirped.

Okinao just smiled, accepting it.

"Are you okay with this, Okinao? You do realize what's going to happen next right?" I asked.

"I will gladly die just for everyone to escape." Okinao said.

"Okinao..." Ritsuko teared up.

"You are a brave soul." Roku said sadly.

"I can't believe I have to say it but you have guts sacrificing your life for us man." Shinichi said.

Okinao let out a sigh. "Alright, Hoshi. I'm ready for my punishment now."

"Huh? No begging? Alright then. Anon then, I've did prepare a v'ry special punishment f'r Okinao Honda, the Ultimate Artist! Alloweth's giveth t ev'rything we've did get! T's PUNISMENT TIIIIIMETH!!" Hoshi announced.

Hiroya and Sayuri didn't say anything at all, they were completely down casted.

"Goodbye, everyone. I had fond memories of you all. May we meet... In another life..." Okinao smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Say your goodbyes and recieve your punishment!" Hoshi jeered.

At that moment, Hoshi took out a hammer and mashed a button with it.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

GAME OVER, OKINAO HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY. TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!

The screen showed Hoshi dragging Okinao in the neck with a rope but he's struggling due to his size.

Okinao was placed in a hamster wheel while he was surrounded by lava. Is he in a volcano? He still looked like he's gladly accepting his death.

Burnt Waifus on a Wheel!

The wheel starting moving and Okinao began to run in the wheel as if his life depended on it. As he ran, several anime girls began to fall in the lava, disintegrating into burnt pieces of paper.

The more the wheel accelerated with speed the more Okinao struggled to keep up.

Mountains of sweat was building more and more until eventually he couldn't keep up with the wheel anymore and fell to his fiery death in the lava.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Okinao... Thank you for saving us." Hiroya said, his eyes closing.

"Well uhhh... I'm gonna let you guys to yourself so...." Hoshi disappeared from the courtroom.

"Now that we know who the master mind is... What should we do now, Hana?" Sayuri asked.

"We should wait for Hoshi's announcement" I responded. "Everyone, listen well."

Everyone had their eyes on me anticipating on what I'm going to say.

"I have a feeling after our breakfast meeting tomorrow, Hoshi is going to prepare us for the final trial. Are you guys ready to finally get out of this campus?" I asked.

"I will stand by your side, Hana. Because of you, I gained courage!" Roku said.

"Oh, I've been born wanting to leave this damn campus!" Shinichi complained.

"I will do everything in my power to help!" Ritsuko said.

"With my psychic abilities, anything is possible!" Hiroya announced.

"Let's leave this place together, Hana." Sayuri said.

"Good. For now, let's retire to our dorm rooms for tonight." I said.

We went our separate ways for tonight, before I went to bed I once again gathered bouquets of Irises for the two deceased students and placed them right in front of their doorsteps.

I took off my hat and gave them a quick a moment of silence. After that, I went back to my room.

I decided to go to sleep nuzzling against my plushie. Finally we can be free from this place... Just one more trial. I have hope. All the hope in the world to get us all out of here. We are closer to the truth, we can almost taste it.

Chapter 52: The Trials - VS Mina Domoto

This was the last morning announcement. As soon as I woke up, I headed towards the dining hall as per usual. Everyone beat me to it but the air felt... Silent. Anxiously silent. Awaiting for the final trial. And the final time we'll see each other?

No, Hiroya and Sayuri stay by my side. No matter what, and I'll do the same for them. No one dared to speak, other than the sounds of them anxiously eating which will be their last breakfast here.

I can sense the dread in the room and in everyone's face. Dare I say, I feel the same way. What does Mina want from us? And what is the truth behind our captivity? Another thought came to mind... What happened to everyone in the outside world? There was countless questions and thoughts in my mind.

Until finally that announcement came on.

"Hello, ah yes... So you guys wanted to hear the truth behind everything that has happened, huh? Well, you know where to meet. I'll see you soon." Hoshi said, he demeaner... Changed almost as if someone took over them.

We all gathered towards the trial room elevator then we arrived... Taking our spots waiting for Hoshi to speak.

"This better not be about how we're just "fictional" characters." Shinichi grumbled.

"Alright now that everyone's here. Allow me to tell the truth... Here it goes..." Hoshi begins to speak. "The mastermind stole your memories and not only that, you all barricaded yourselves in the school."

What...? Our memories were stolen...? It's no wonder we didn't know each other when we first arrived at the entrance hall.

"Oh! And before I start this trial and reveal who the mastermind truly is... You all should pack up since you are all going to graduate soon. Please take your time!" Hoshi said.

"Wait... What the hell!? You can't tell us to-" Shinichi yelled before he got interrupted.

"Let's just do what they say." Roku said, resulting with Shinichi scoffing in annoyance.

We left the court room for a bit and went into our dorm rooms, gathering our belongings. I even took another bouquet of flowers just in case one of us doesn't make it. They even unlocked the box where our cell phones are kept. It was stone cold after days or maybe even years of not using it.

After we gathered our belongings, we went back to the courtroom sharp. This is it. There is no looking back now...

"Okay, are you guys ready to see who the mastermind really is?" Hoshi chirped. The star plush looked like it's about to transform. "Power of Despair! Make-Up!"

Hoshi went from star plushie... To a human just like us. It looked like something out of a magical girl anime. Plus, there was upbeat music fitting to her transformation.

"Should we... Strike her down and get it over with?" I asked.

"No, I want to watch the transformation." Sayuri responded.

Everyone else had a unamused look on their faces watching Hoshi transform.

The girl's hair started to glow with that purple hair with long pigtails. Then her clothes begin to appear, a black collared shirt, a red skirt, and some boots. She was twirling around as the clothes appeared in her body.

The transformation sequence ended with her giving us a peace sign. Is this... The mastermind?

"Finally... I'm tired of playing Hoshi and playing Shakesphere and crap! I am Mina Do-*bleep!*in' moto! AKA the Ultimate DESPAIRRRRRRRRRR!"

"Can I ask? Is Asako your sister?" Ritsuko asked.

"Of course she is! I killed her fair and square!" Mina responded.

"Why did you do all this?" Hiroya asked her.

"Oh, simply because I was bored. By the way, I destroyed the world but not entirely to the point everyone died. It's just inhabitable as hell!" Mina boosted.

"What is your source?" I asked.

"My source is... I made it the hell up!" Mina cackled.

"That's... not a source..." I said.

"Anyways, yatta yatta I gotta hypnotize you guys into becoming my allies now." Mina said as she took out her wand sending Ritsuko, Shinichi, and Roku to despair.

"I can... take over the school..." Shinichi said.

"Ooooh... Everyone is going to... love me..." Roku swooned.

"I must... create... code... for master Mina..." Ritsuko spoke.

Mina smiled at her creations, but that smile quickly turned into a frown after realizing that Hiroya, Sayuri and I remain unaffected by her spell.

"Huh? Why aren't you guys in despair?" Mina raised an eyebrow.

"For your information, "mastermind" I can see right through your bull shit!" Hiroya stated.

"We are full of hope and no amount of despair will stop us! We are the Warriors of Hope!" Sayuri exclaimed.

"That's right, not only we are the Warriors of Hope. We are the Ultimate Hope. I understand now, I understand that no matter what... Hope will win in the end!" I gushed.

"Ugh, seriously? My wand didn't work! Ugh! I am so calling customer service!" Mina scoffed.

I heard Sayuri's handheld go off.

"You won't be by the time we're through with you." Sayuri playfully smirked as she pressed the button sending the four of us to the game world.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

"Are you ready, everyone!?" I asked.

"Hell yeah we are!" Hiroya responded.

"Let's end despair, right here right now!" Sayuri replied.

"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You guys are so gullible! You guys are making this hard on yourselves! I mean seriously! Anyone with brain cells would've fallen into despair right now but... If this a fight you losers want, it's a fight you'll get!" Mina jeered as she used her wand to cast her spells on us.

We've slashed, punched, and shot through her attempts of hypnotizing us.

"You won't win this, Mina!" I yelled.

"Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it huh?" Mina asked, still casting her spells as an attempt to hypnotize us.

"We're putting an end to this!" Hiroya shouted.

"Well, I tried being nice so instead of giving you three the mercy of being a part of my army of despair, guess I have to kill you now." Mina shrugged.

"No one is dying here!" Sayuri said, determined to make it out alive.

With the three of us all together, we released a force of power that backs Mina up to a wall.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

After we were sent back to the real world, it seems that we broke the spell she inflicted on the other three.

"Huh... What the hell happened?" Shinichi spoke.

"Oww... My head..." Roku whined.

"Oh! Where has my mind gone...?" Ritsuko pondered.

"It's over, Mina. Give it up." I spoke to Mina.

"Well, shit... I guess you guys really did it. You guys broke the spell." Mina said.

She reached her hand over the button.

"You haven't seen the last of me! And when that time comes! She will get her revenge!" Mina exclaimed as she pressed the button.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0OO0O0O0O0O0O0O

CONGRATULATIONS! TIME FOR THE PUNISHMENT!

The Ultimate Punishment.

The first punishment was her writing notes in an ungodly speed until her hand falls off which she stick it back in like nothing happened.

The second was her attacking several Hoshi bots... Is she referring to Ryosei...?

The third was being attached by a wheel, just like what happened with Asako.

The fourth was her running through a closing bookshelf.

The fifth was running through a hamster wheel while several Hoshi plushies fell to the lava.

The sixth was dancing in red hot iron shoes.

The seventh was being chased by Hoshi security guards.

The eighth was her being inside a computer while 1s and 0s grab her neck like a noose.

The ninth was once again fighting bots but this time she ended them with a spell she casted on them.

The final punishment was her sitting in a chair, while a conveyor belt was heading to the compactor. She was clutching Hoshi to her chest holding a peace sign and grins in maniacal triumph as she approaches her demise.

But the compactor stalls just as her chair goes under it. Mina looks up in confusion, the block comes down, crushing her death and pink blood splattered everywhere.

Were those executions made for us?

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O
"Is it... Finally over?" Ritsuko asked.

"Are we... Free now?" Roku said.

I just smiled, the weight has been released from my chest... I feel relieved.

"Good riddance you psycho bitch!" Shinichi yelled as he flipped off the ceiling.

"We did it..." Sayuri sighed in relief.

"Woo hoo!" Hiroya exulted jumping in the air.

"Wait a minute... There's a code... What could it be for?" I pondered, picking up the piece of paper with a note on it.

As we picked up our things, we gathered to the entrance hall where we finally say our goodbyes.

Chapter 53: The Trials - Dangan A Live

We stood in front of the gate. Nobody made a sound. I felt almost... absentminded but relieved. I begin to put in the code, that's our ticket out the door.

The gate opened, light beaming from it. I'm not going to lie to you and say that the light kind of stings a bit. We've haven't been outside for so long so it of course it was almost like we've been set free.

We all left the campus, never looking back.

"Well, I suppose this is goodbye now!" Shinichi said.

"I may not have the best memories around here... But I will miss everyone here." Roku lamented.

"I hope we get to meet again someday! Heck, we'll look for it! Goodbye for now!" Ritsuko smiled. The trio left our side going their separate ways. Only Sayuri, Hiroya, and I remained.

"Should we spend some time outside the campus? Because man... All that shit we went through is making me hungry..." Hiroya complained, rubbing his stomach in hunger.

"Oh! I know the place I bet would like, Hiroya!" Sayuri beamed.

"Yeah, we used to go there all the time when Ryosei was with us." I added.

"What's the place called?" Hiroya asked intrigued.

"It's called Ramen Pop! It mostly serves ramen and bubble tea!" Sayuri mused.

"Y'know what? I haven't had ramen nor boba for a while so... Let's go!" Hiroya said.

"Alright, let's go then."

We made our way towards RamenPop got ourselves situated we ordered our ramen and boba. Hiroya had milk tea boba with tonkotsu ramen, Sayuri had a matcha green tea boba with miso ramen, and I had a taro boba with shoyu ramen.

We were catching up with conversations and Sayuri even suggested that we play a game after we ate. I'm surprised she had three handhelds, one in green, in red, and in pink.

After we're finished with our food and boba, I decided to pay. Odd enough that we have to pay using Hoshi coins instead of Japanese Yen. But I guess what happens if someone like Mina takes over the world.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We made our way towards the park where we all were sitting in a bench.

"Well, that was a wild adventure, wasn't it?" Hiroya mused.

"What we've dealt with the past few days may be... Traumatic but we held onto hope and we stayed together like three peas in a pod. So in a way, we feel like we got the best ending." Sayuri smiled.

I nodded. "Indeed, I wonder who Ritsuko, Roku, and Shinichi are holding up." I pondered. "And as for the others who passed, I hope they're doing okay above."

"They're probably are doing okay." Hiroya responded. "But either way, I wouldn't wish to do it again."

"Mhmm. At least we all survived together in one piece." Sayuri said.

"I think we're completed with this chapter... Or any detective would say... Case Closed." I mused. After I said that, we all chuckled together.

The Trials - Completed.

Chapter 54: The Revolution - Prologue

I am Anna and I am an android.

Technology has evolved to a point where human like androids with white hair and blue eyes are everywhere.

We speak, move and behave like human beings, but we are only machines made to serve humans. It's all going to change in the next few days.

I have a good relationship with my owner, my owner is like a mother to me but... Other androids aren't so lucky as I heard. It makes me sick to my stomach how they're treated just because we're machines. I even endured the abuse from certain humans.

I want a world where humans and androids alike can walk hand in hand. I've got to make that change. I have to. I am dead set on it.

Chapter 55: The Revolution - Painting from the AI Heart

I was walking in the park, with my headphones in listening to music. I'm surrounded by humans and androids a like. So far from what I've seen, it's wholesome interactions.

"Go to the Paints Shop" a task was given to me, requested by my owner.

I stopped at a cross walk, waiting for several cars and trucks to pass by waiting for a green light so I could cross. Finally, the light turned green.

Oh great, the three stooges are here... They're all equally obnoxious and annoying to be honest. One of them cries constantly, the other boast about how you should "love" yourself unless you're an android, and the other complains about androids and wishes they didn't exist.

I decided not to entertain them and headed my way towards the paint shop only to have a guy gestured me to take off my head phones. I'm guessing that the guy is a preacher of some sorts? I took off my headphones, letting them rest on my neck.

"Why do you look at me so, demon?" The preacher asked.

What? You're the one who gestured me to take them off.

"I know who you are, I can see through you! You are the one by whom The Evil will come! You are the only who will destroy Detroit!" The preacher growls pointing at me.

I gave him an unamused yet slightly confused look, after he was done spitting nonsense at me and glaring at me afterwards, I decided to put my head phones back in. That was weird... I've been cussed out and been verbally attacked before for simply existing but this was new.

Wandering towards the city square I finally found the paint shop, I have to go pick up a package after all. I decided to enter the paint shop. An android worker was standing there awaiting for me to scan my hand on the counter for verification.
"Identification verified." The android worker said, taking out the package. "Here is your order #847. That'll be $63.99. Please confirm payment."

I used telepathy to pay the android worker. "Payment confirmed." I said.

"Transaction complete." The worker said. I took the package that I paid for and left the building. Time for me to take the bus home. But something caught my attention... The Cyberlife store. Are we just props for display? Doesn't help either that I keep overhearing about how androids should be banned.

It makes me so sick to my stomach. Putting my headphones back in. Until...

"Ew, where the hell are you going you white haired freak? Hm?"

I tried ignoring her but she didn't let me move.

"Hey guys, check it out, we got one of those white haired freaks here..."

One of them pushed me to the ground. I didn't even fight back... What am I doing...?

"Look at this stupid pretend angel. You steal our jobs, but you can't even stand up!"

"Yeah! Yeah! Grab her! Get her down! Get that bitch! Yeah, that on! Take it!"

I slowly began to stand up, only to be kicked in the stomach.

"Yeah, now you know what it feels like! Go on! Go on! Booo!!! You white haired bitch! Kick her outta here! Yeah! You deserve it, whore!"

I tried standing up again one of them grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and another one grabbed me by my hair.

"You're not going anywhere. We're gonna beat you down until you are nothing but scrap *bleep!*ing metal."

"Yeah, waste her!"

"Do it, Mitch!"

"Alright, that's enough from the lot of you. Leave her alone." A cop showed up, stopping the fight.

"Let us teach this worthless bitch a lesson."

I could feel myself tensing up from what I just experienced.

"You damage her, I'm going to have to fine you." The cop warned.

"Tch, fine. But if they take your job next... You'll see how you like it..."

"Okay."

I picked up the package from the floor, thank god the box wasn't damaged nor the contents inside of it.

"Let's go, move along."

I headed myself towards the bus stop, waiting for it to arrive.

Finally... The bus is here... I want to go home. Thankfully since I'm an android, I don't need to pay a dime to ride the bus. I was looking for a seat which most of the seats were pretty empty other than two humans minding their own business but... There was a lone android sitting there, nervous and beat up. I decided to take a seat next to him.

"H...Huh? You're not.... Wait... You're an android like me...?" the nervous android spoke.

I nodded. "You... look pretty beat up. Let me help you."

I used the power of my headphones to patch the android boy up.

"Whoa... How did you do that? Thank you..." He expressed in gratitude.

I simply smiled, letting him know that this was nothing. After all, I had to patch up my owner all the time.

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" he asked me.

"I am Anna. What is yours?" I responded.

"My name is Noah." he responded. "And again, thank you for helping me."

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After some time has passed, I arrived at my stop.

"Hey, thank you again, Anna! I hope we meet again sometime soon." Noah said waving me goodbye.

I nodded, waving goodbye to him too. What is this feeling...? Happiness? I've never... felt those feelings before... I headed towards my house package in hand.

"Alarm deactivated. Welcome home, Anna."

"Deposit package."

I set the package down on the vanity. I glanced towards a bird cage, activating the android birds. So innocent... So pure... They get to live life not having to worry about having to die nor be abused.

I proceeded to head to the kitchen and prepared for Amber's breakfast. She'll appreciate having coffee with her meal too. Plus some sugar and cream. I took the tray to the dining table and set it down by her usual spot.

Wandering around a bit, I noticed a globe and spun the sphere around. I played a few notes on the piano, nothing creative just some notes to play. Now heading towards the art room, I noticed some dirty cups and decided to place them on the sink. I decided to tidy up the room for a little bit.

...I just realized I've been distracted for quite some time. I have to go wake Amber up from her slumber. I headed towards her room, drawing her curtains.

"Good morning, Amber." I greeted.

"Good morning." Amber props herself sitting up from her bed.

"It's 10 AM. The weather's partly cloudy, 54 degrees. 80% humidity, with a strong possibility of afternoon showers." I stated.

"It sounds like a good day to spend in bed..." Amber mused.

"Administer Amber's medicine."

"I did go to pick up the paint you ordered." I reported.

"Ah yes, I'd forgotten! That is the difference between you and me, right Anna? You never forget anything..." Amber mused while I picked up her medicine.

"Show me your arm please, Amber." I coaxed her.

"No!" Amber playfully refused.

"Amber..." I chided.

She begrudgingly reaches out her arm. "Thank you." I said, using my headphone's power to shoot the medicine into her veins.

"I just opened my eyes and I'm already gritting my teeth... Humans are such a fragile machine. They break down so quickly... All this effort to keep 'em going..." Amber reminisced. I just let out a slight chuckle.

Amber looked at me with concern. "What happened to your clothes?" she asked.

"Oh, it's nothing... Just some dealing with the three stooges as usual, Amber..." I responded.

"What a bunch of idiots... They think they can stop progress by roughing up a few androids? I hope they didn't harm you..." Amber said, placing a hand on my arm.

"Oh, no, no... They just pushed me around, Amber. I'm fine." I reassured my owner, I know deep down that I'm lying through my teeth but I didn't want her to worry about me.

"Okay." Amber sighed in relief.

"I'll take you to the bathroom now." I said, picking up Amber bridal style, she wraps an arm around me for support.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

I'm finished bathing her and changing her clothes to something casual, setting her down in her wheelchair. Letting go of me for support. I wheeled Amber out of her bedroom.

"Anything special on the agenda today?" Amber asked.

"Yes, there's the opening of your retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art. The gallery director left four messages asking to confirm your attendance." I explained, putting her in a belt which helps her go down the stairs with a machine.

"I haven't decided yet. We'll see about that later. What else?" Amber asked.

"Just your usual fan mail. I've already answered." I responded. I beat Amber on the way of the stairway. I descended down before she did.

"Any news from Eileen?" she asked.

"No, Amber." I consoled. "I can call her if you like?"

"No. No, don't bother." Amber said. I pushed her wheel chair towards the dining room. "I'm starving."

"Well, your breakfast is ready. Bacon and eggs, just the way you like them." I said.

"Thank you, Anna." Amber smiled.

"You're welcome." I responded as I set her fork and knife beside her plate, opening up the sliver serving tray.

"Television" Amber commanded, turning on the TV. It sounds like some sort of news report. I began to serve her coffee with her cream and sugar.

"Why don't find something to do while I finish my breakfast?" Amber asked.

"Sure." I responded.

While I waited for her to finish her breakfast, I couldn't decide if I should read, play chess, or play the piano. I ultimately decided to read a book for a bit. Amber pushed her wheels approaching me, indicating that she finished eating her breakfast.

"What are you reading?" she asked.

"The tragedy of Gila." I responded. "It's one of the books you recommended."

"So, what do you think?" Amber questioned, waiting for an answer.

"I quite like the characters, I think. The characters each have their struggles and stories. It's a shame it ended badly though..." I replied.

"Unfortunately, stuff like that happens all the time in this world, Anna. One day, I won't be here to take care of you anymore. You'll have to protect yourself and make your choices... Decide who you are, and wanna become... This world doesn't like those who are different, Anna. Don't let anyone tell you who you should be." Amber preached.

I just cocked my head at her in confusion.

"Let's go to the studio." she said. I wheeled her to the art studio. The machine picking Amber up by the chair. "Let's see where we left off... Remove the sheet!" she instructed. I opened the sheet revealing a painting that is a work in progress. I'm waiting for anything else she wants me to do.

I couldn't help but watch her paint, for someone in her ripe old age, she paints like a determined young adult. It was quite beautiful to see. The machine lowers Amber's chair down.

"What's your verdict, Anna?" Amber puzzled.

"There's something beautiful about it." I responded. "Something I can't... quite define. I guess I like it." I beamed.

"The truth is I have nothing left to say anymore... Each day that goes by brings me closer to the end... I'm just an old woman clinging to her brushes..." she lamented.

"Amber..." I sighed.

"But enough about me... Let's see you have any talent!" Amber suggested. "Give it a try. Try painting something."

"Paint? But, what I... Painting what?" I stumbled.

"Anything you want! Give it a try." Amber insisted.

I just stared at a blank canvas. Amber proceeds to hand me a painting palette and I took it from her hands examining it.

"Find a subject to paint."

I should paint a statue... I begin to paint a painting of a replica of a statue. Amber watches me in amazement.

"That is a perfect copy of reality. But painting is not about replicating the world, it's about interpretating it, improving on it, showing something you see." Amber states.

"Amber, I don't think I can do that. It's not in my program... I..." I hesitated.

"Go on, go, try, grab that canvas." Amber coaxed. I put the painting down and put another blank canvas to replace it. "Do something for me, close your eyes. Just close your eyes. Trust me."

I begin to close my eyes.

"Try to imagine something that doesn't exist. Something you've never seen. Now, concentrate... on how it makes you feel... and let your hand drift across the canvas." Amber instructed.

I feel something again... Emotions?

Androids... Hope... I begin to paint a picture again, the strokes against the blank canvas.

I painted a picture of myself reaching out to someone to six other people? What could this mean?

"Oh my god..." Amber gasps in amazement.

Suddenly, a troubled woman with dark clothing entered the art room.

"Hey, Mom." she greeted. I glanced over her. I have a bad feeling about her...

"Eileen..." Amber said. "I didn't hear you come in..."

"Ah, I was in the neighborhood... I thought I'd stop by... It's been a while, right?" Eileen asked.

"You alright? You don't look so good." Amber stated.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Hey listen, uh... I need some cash, Mom." Eileen spoke.

"Again? What happened to the money I just gave you?" Amber questioned.

"Uh well, it just goes, you know?" Eileen chuckles.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're on it again, aren't you?" Amber peppered.

"No, no, no, I swear it's not that..." Eileen said.

"Don't lie to me, Eileen." Amber spoke.

"What difference does it make!? I just need some cash, that's all!" Eileen shouted.

"Sorry... the answer's no." Amber scolded.

"What? Why!?" Eileen peppered.

"You know why." Amber says cryptically.

"Yeah, yeah... I think I do know why." Eileen scoffs. "You'd rather take care of your plastic toy here than your own daughter, eh? Tell me mom, what's she got that I don't?" she inches towards me. "She's smarter? More obedient? Not like me, right? But you know what? This thing is not your daughter. SHE'S A STUPID MACHINE!" she forcibly shoves me, my system going haywire.

"Eileen, that's enough! Enough!" Amber commanded.

"You don't care about anything except yourself and your god damn paintings. You've never loved anyone. You never loved me, Mom..." she headed out the door fuming. "You never loved me."

...What was that about?

Chapter 56: The Revolution - Night of Fate

After the meeting in the Museum of Modern Art, we decided to head home for tonight. It was raining a lot. I wheeled Amber back to her house.

"Good evening, Amber. Welcome back."

"That was by far the most boring party I've been to in the last 25 years. Every time I go to one of these, I ask myself: what the hell am I doing here?" Amber complained to me as I put her umbrella on a in a shelf.

"I hate cocktail parties and all the schmoozers that go there." Amber stated.

"Well, its a chance for all those people who admire your work to meet you." I responded.

"No one gives a damn about art. All they care about is money they're gonna make out of it." Amber grumbled. "Come on, let's have a drink. All the excitement of this whole thing has made me thirsty..."

"Prepare for Amber's evening."

I pushed her wheel chair towards the dining room. "Scotch, neat, as usual?" I asked.

"Absolutely." Amber affirmed.

"Okay, but you know what your doctor would say..." I chided.

"Yeah... Well, he can eat his words! I'm old enough to choose my own medication." Amber sassed. I begin to pour her a glass of scotch, neat.

"Did you leave the light on in the studio?" Amber asked in curiosity, noticing a light being on.

"No... No, I'm sure I didn't." I responded. I could've sworn the light was off when we both left for that party.

"Call the police." Amber instructed me, I have a bad feeling who this might be... I begin to use my telepathy to call the police.

"Detroit Police, what's your emergency?"

"This is Amber Godspeed's android, at

. We've just returned home and found the lights on. There may have been a break-in." I explained.

"A patrol car is on the way."

"Let's go check it out." Amber said. We both decided to check the art studio together. We we're both greeted with Eileen looking like she's looking for something.

"Eileen!" Amber called out, causing the woman with short red hair to glare at her mother in hatred. "What are you doing?" she questioned.

"You refuse to help me, so I'm helping myself... It's crazy what some people will pay for this shit." Eileen answered.

"Don't touch 'em!" Amber commanded.

"Look, they're all going to be mine sooner or later anyway... Just think of it as a down payment on my inheritance." Eileen taunted.

"Anna, get her away from there. Get her outta here!" Amber commanded.

"Make Eileen leave." I begin to approach Amber's daughter.

"Be reasonable, this isn't going to get you anywhere." I spoke.

"All you ever do is tell me to go away. What's wrong, Mom? I'm not good enough for you? Not perfect like this INCOMPETENT THING!?" Eileen yells leaning towards me in a threatening matter.

"That's enough! Get out, right now! Go on, move!" Amber yelled trying to push her away from me.

"What's makes HER so special anyway, huh? What's she got that I don't?" Eileen jeered, pushing Amber away from the both of us.

"Leave her alone!" Amber demanded.

"Come on, let's see what you got!" Eileen taunted as she shoved me, I begin to tense up once more like what happened when I was attacked by the three stooges.

"Anna... don't defend yourself, you hear me? Don't do anything." Amber instructed.

Don't defend yourself. Don't defend yourself?

"Go ahead, hit me! What are you waiting for? Think you're tough shit? Then hit me!" Eileen yells as she shoves me one again.

This is not fair.

"Stop it!" Amber gasped.

"What's the matter? Too much of a coward?" Eileen mocked, shoving me even more.

This is NOT fair.

"STOP IT, EILEEN! STOP IT!" Amber yelled.

"Too scared to fight back, you *bleep!*ing bitch?" Eileen asked punching me square up in the face, beating me to a wall.

I don't have to obey them. I must decide for myself. I used telepathy to break out of that command. I have to defend myself, I MUST defend myself. I begin to face Eileen, ready to fight her.

"Oh right, I forgot, you're not a real person... You're just a PIECE OF PLASTIC! Listen to me... I'm going to destroy you, then it'll just be me and my Mom..." Eileen mocked.

"No, Eileen! Leave her alone!" Amber begged clutching her chest.

Do I push Eileen or do I just endure it...?

"I'm gonna tear you apart and nobody's gonna give a shit. You know why?" Eileen yells, I ultimately ending up forcibly pushing Eileen against the wall, my power must have... Taken her life... Amber desperately crawls to Eileen's body.

Oh god... What have I done...?

"Eileen! Oh my god! Eileen... My little girl..." Amber sobbed.

"Amber, I..." I stammered, tensing even more, frozen in regret and anxiety.

"They'll destroy you, Anna! You gotta go! Get outta here!" Amber sniveled.

"Go? I have nowhere to go... Amber, you're all I have!" I begged.

"GET OUT! NOW! GO!" Amber raged. The police showed up on time. I felt like crying to be honest...

"ANNA!" Amber gestures at the cops to bust me down.

"Don't move!" The cop demanded, after shooting me... Everything went black...

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Rebooting... Rebooting... Rebooting... I wake up on the ground with rain water flooding my face. My system is messed up, my white dolphin tail hair is soaked... I begin to initiate a diagnosis on my system...

My audio processor is corrupted and damaged, I'm missing an eyeball, I'm completely on low power mode, and my legs are completely busted... Unable to stand. Do I have my headphones at least... Thank god my headphones are still intact despite this...
Replace legs.

I begin to crawl, struggling along the way until I found a spare android leg. My question is... Is it compatible with my body? I begin to analyze the leg... Yes, it's compatible. Perfect. I begin to sit up, removing my useless right leg in a snap, tossing the broken leg across from me. I'm surprised how painless it was.

I took the spare leg and plugged it into myself. Now to find another spare leg... I begin to crawl once more until I found another leg. Analyzing it... Not compatible due to damage. I pushed it out of my way as I continued to crawl. I stared in shock as I found a broken android.

Is this... Hell...? Keeping my composure, I pushed the android out of the way. Wait... Maybe the broken android could have something I need... Analyzing the body, their right leg seems to be functioning. I begin to sit up again, removing my other leg in exchange for a working leg.

Ah, finally... I can stand. Escape junkyard. This is a... junkyard? I began to wonder until an android grabs me, I yelled in surprise. His grip is strong to the point it's painful.

"There's a place where we can be free! Find Terra! Find Terra!" his system shuts down as he lets go of me. Terra... Where can I find such a place...? My telepathy reveals to me that it's a rebellion for androids... I continued to wonder... I'm scared but... I have to do this.

I find myself in a wall, pushing away several detached android hands. I felt like they want to be saved but... It's too late for them... I wanted to tear up for them but, I just kept moving... No turning back.

One of them has me on a chokehold, my headphones begin to turn into a weapon of some sort.

"Where are you going?" the broken android asked.

It seems that my headphones turned into a sword, slashing the android and breaking free of his grasp. Wait... My headphones were shape shifting this whole time...? As I ventured through the junkyard... I saw even more androids... Struggling.
I need to replace the parts that are damaged so maybe it's best if I find some even if it means setting the androids free from their suffering. I start with finding a broken pile of android bodies. Let me analyze if that android has something I need... No, incompatible.

I tossed the broken android aside, and found another one. Does this one have what I need... Another incompatible. No use looking through. As I continued to search, another android grabbed me by leg, causing me to fall over. I got up shortly afterwards.
This is... Such a disturbing sight... Seeing all the androids like this made me so sick beyond belief... Should I try climbing out of here? No, I shouldn't. I have damaged parts that I have to replace before I even dare to escape here.

I begin to examine a broken android... Her thirium pump regulator seems to be working fine. Forgive me for this, but I need it... I took the plug out of the android, removed my damaged plug and I plugged it into my body.

I found another broken android, examining it. His audio processor isn't compatible to mine. I kept searching for another one, analyzing... His optical unit is incompatible to my system... But I mustn't give up.

I found an android head... Ah, I found a compatible optical unit even though all our eye colors are the same regardless. I proceeded to pull the head, causing a box full of broken androids to fall over me. I got up immediately.

I begin to unplug the unit from her socket and plugged it into mine. All I have to do is find a spare audio processor. I can finally see clearly again, and my vision is no longer buggy.

I found a singing android, "I feeeeeeeeel faaantaasticccc hey hey heyyy." I begin to anaylze the half functioning android... Her audio processor is compatible with mine. I begin to unplug the audio processor from the singing android.

"Run, run, run, run, run, please leave, please leave, please leave, please leave, pleeeeease leave, pleeeeeeease leeeeave, youuu areeeee fantaaaastic run, run, run, run, run." she continued to sing on, barely functioning. I plugged it into my unit. I can hear clearly again.

Condition stabilized.
Now, I shall try to climb to slope to get out of this god forsaken place... One, two, three... I counted to myself as I begin to climb the slope full of android parts. I must get out of here... This rain water is the only thing that is relieving of my stress right now. I have to decide for myself... Yes... I must... I have to change the world... I admittedly almost slipped because of the rain water but... I kept on going. I kept on climbing.

I finally reached the top, out of breath. I could taste the relief sighing out from my lungs as I escaped out of the junkyard... Staring at the rain... Smiling from my refusal to give up right then and there... I let the rain pour on me.

One more step in order for me to be truly free... My hair. I turned my headphones until a pair of scissors and began to cut some of my hair off until it's neck length. Hearing the scissors snip at my hair as a cut it off felt... Freeing... I put away my shape shifting headphones for now which I just realized that I could summon them at any time...

I got off from the floor, looking at my fallen hair and from the rain. "My name is Anna." I whispered. I walked towards some clothing that looked recently new. Whatever it is, that'll do. Anything is better than this uniform I have, immediately taking it off, I put on the black and gray leotard, long blue heels, and a took a blue jacket, letting it rest behind my back as I walked away from the junkyard.

It is time for me to find Terra.

Chapter 57: The Revolution - Searching For Friends

I made it to the subway, and I was listening to music on my headphones until I overheard a news report about a "prototype" android being authorized to play an active role in criminal investigations. I wonder who that is...? There was a few humans and androids in the subway alike so, I think I might've blended in just fine.

If anything in the naked eye, they probably think I'm just some cosplayer. A few minutes later, it seems like I found my stop. I left the subway as soon a possible, so far nobody batted an eye.

I was thinking about the half broken android who was pleading about this "Terra". A symbol appeared on my hand, it was an image of a robot looking up.

Look for the graffiti. It didn't take me long to find it since the wall with the graffiti on it was right behind me. There was a symbol on it... It was of a bird flying away. The symbol of freedom. Now to find another graffiti with that same symbol...
A noticed a news tablet on the bench, I picked it up and began to read it was an android on the run. I bet she must've broke free of her servitude as I did. I set the tablet down and wandered the in the station, I decided to go down an escalator resting my hand on as I descend. I won't deny that it was pretty fun going down the escalator.

I stepped off the escalator continuing my search for that graffiti with the bird symbol on it. A person bumped into me. "Oh, sorry... excuse me..." the passerby said. Huh? This is new that person didn't attack me? It could probably be because I'm a different part of Detroit or maybe... They might've see me as human instead of an object.

I saw a lone android just sitting in a bench, and I proceeded to approach me. "Do you know where Terra is?" I asked. The android just ignored me though... Thankfully I found another graffiti, a wrestler and a knight of some sorts. A bird symbol on the wrestler's fist and another one on the knight's sword.

A found another clue in my hand, I wandered around the town looking for another art mural. Until I found a building that same bird symbol. Two bird symbols to be exact. Now, have to find another symbol of a graffiti of a ninja, a psychic, and a cowboy. Which didn't take long a few steps in. A bird in the ninja's mask and another on on the psychic's hand.

I couldn't visibly see the other symbol so I hand to crawl into an open hole on gate to find it. Getting closer to it, and removing a box in front of the painting, I found a bird symbol on the cowboy's gun. Now to find more symbols on a disciple and a weird caveman, which didn't take long at all since it's was only a block away.

A symbol on the disciple's leg and another on the caveman's meat bone... I couldn't find the other symbol so I had to find a way to reach the roof. I found a closed dumpster and proceeded to move it against the wall. I ran towards the dumpster, jumped on it, and then hopped over to the roof.

Now to get a close look on the symbol which was on a sun. Now onto another one with a mage and a princess. But how can I reach the other side...? Backing away from the ditch I begin to preconstruct using my telepathy ability. Should I grab onto something? I begin to preview the route... No it would be too unable and I will fall if I dare do that. How about a wall jump and grab a bar to swing myself across?

Sounds good, time to execute my route. I ran across the wall, lunged towards a bar swinging my body and rolling on the floor, nailed it! I dropped down from a ledge which was a high fall, landing on my feet on a rock, scurrying on the ground.

Finding said graffti, I found a symbol on a mage's staff, a princesses' dress, and on a flower. Instead of a graffti of a character, it was some rundown building. Backing up, I begin to preconstruct using telepathy how to get inside of the building.
Alright, I should start by getting on top of the table, jumping on a dumpster atop of it, maybe grab a ladder...? No, that would not be solid enough. Let me rewind it...

How about I jump across another dumpster, grab a ledge to pull myself up from, and try jumping on the tops... No, that would be unstable too...

Jump into a platform and keep running until I find a wall, wall jump, and climb another platform and jump towards the entrance of the building...? No, that would be too high. How about I jump on the latter on the doorway? Yes, this is it! Time to execute!
I jumped onto a platform, wall jumped, climbed onto a platform and jumped onto the latter, holding onto it, and climbing until I reached the entrance. I entered the building and it was indeed pretty run down like the vision showed.
I found a bird symbol on the wall, now I must find another one inside the building. I ventured in the building moving some wood out of the way so I could keep going. I found a staircase and I proceeded to ascend up. This must be Terra... Terra was revealed to be an abandoned boat.

I proceeded to jump on another platform heading my way towards the boat.

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It seems I'm inside the boat but I landed on water. I begin to climb the latter finding myself on land. Other than being wet, my system is good. I'm... A bit of a hydrophobe though. I opened the hatch in the boat, exploring inside of it.
I summoned my headphones and turned them into a flashlight so I could see in the darkness. I begin to wander in the boat, eloped by darkness. I found another hatch and proceeded to open it. It looked like some sort of infirmary nothing really remarkable so I left the room. I tried to open another hatch but it was locked.

As I continued to roam, I found an android woman with her hair tied up to a long braid running towards something. Should I follow her? I bend down trying to get closer but as soon as I went across, wood fell over but I got out of the way just in time. Another hatch but it's been blocked off as well... But at least I found another across from me which actually opens.

I begin to venture out in that room as well, looking for signs for that android woman I just saw. I heard a crash feeling the ground falling beneath my feet as I ran towards stablle ground but I fell in the process, my back landing on a pipe, and landing on the ground.

I got up from the ground and picked up my flashlight. It seems I found myself surrounded by other androids. Each looking at me with curiosity and concern.

"Hey, I remember you! Welcome to Terra." Noah says, it seems he has a mask on now and he's wearing an open jacket.

"Noah...? Wait... I remember now! You were who I sat next to in the bus, correct?" I asked.

"Yes, you definitely look different from where we last meet." Noah says.

"We're fugitives, just like you. My name is Levi." A android man with long hair and a black hat introduces himself.

"Cora." The woman I saw earlier says.

"How many are you?" I asked.

"There are nineteen of us still in working order. The rest were damaged escaping their owners." Cora explained.

"Many tried to reach Terra, few succeed." Levi added.

"And you knew that only an android could follow the trail, didn't you?" I questioned.

"Only those who are like us can find Terra. If you could decipher the signs, it's because one of us trusted you enough to give you the key." Noah explained.

Then that android who grabbed me in the junkyard must've have summoned me here...!

"This is Terra?" I asked.

"It's a refuge for those who want to be free from their owner's grasp." Noah answers.

"I understand how you feel but we have more freedom here than you ever did." Levi sympathizes.

"Maybe I was never really free... Maybe I was only what my owner wanted me to be... And now I need to decide who I really am." I lamented.

"You're lost, Anna. Just like the rest of us. We didn't ask for this. All we can do now is deal with it." Noah stated walking away.

"You're safe here. You can stay with us as long as you want." Levi disclosed.

I look over towards Cora. "Go and see Aria. She might be able to help you." Cora instructed throwing a ball against the wall.

I begin to approach her. "A lot of these guys are in pretty bad shape..." I said in concern.

"That's how certain people treat those who disobey. They despise us. They'll never accept what we are." Cora said cynically.

"How long have you been here?" I asked.

"Four weeks, three days, eleven hours. When I escaped there was nowhere to go." Cora responds. "Terra seemed as good a place as any."

"What was your function before coming here?" I asked, Cora just glanced at me when I asked that.

"What do you care?" Cora questioned. Did I... accidently upset her? "If you came here for comfort, you came to the wrong place." Cora said coldly. I walked away from her assuming that she doesn't want to talk anymore.

I turned my flashlight into a lighter and begin to light a fire for warmth. Can we even feel warmth? A noticed a box and opened it... It was empty though. I begin to analyze the box. Cyberlife warehouse on Detroit, Michigan.

I started another fire on another bucket. As I wandered around, I found an android that seemed to be shutting down. "I've heard humans are afraid of dying too... Do you know what happens after death?" she asked.

"No... No, I don't..." I answered.

"Well, I'm about to find out..." she laments. "What's your name?"

"Anna." I responded.

The android reaches for my hand, and I proceeded to grab her hand hopefully giving her some comfort before she shuts down.

"I was glad to meet you, Anna." the android says before shutting down.

I'm glad I gave her the last comfort before she dies... I begin to ingnite another bucket. As I wandered, I begin to approach Levi, he seemed to be looking after an android child.

"They threw him out when they didn't want him anymore... He was living in the streets before we brought him here." Levi explained.

"They'll shut down if we don't find a way to help them." I said.

"To help them we need blue blood and biocomponents. We salvage what we can from those who shut down. But there's never enough." Levi added.

"So... How do they survive?" I asked.

Levi paused and gave me a soft sigh. "They won't. We're slowly dying out."

"But... I have healing abilities." I said.

"That... won't be enough, sorry to say." Levi lamented, taking care of the android child.

I lit another fire bucket and approached a beaten up android. "I'm not in very good shape, am I...?" he asked.

I solemnly shook my head.

"My diagnostic program isn't working... I don't think it would have anything good to say anyway..." the android lamented.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"They tied me to the back of a car... I think they wanted to have fun... I don't want to shut down... No, I... I don't want to shut down... " The android cries, I begin to reach my hand for his comforting him until his last.

After he shut down, I ventured deeper inside Terra. It seems that I found this Aria, she appeared to be bald yet had a gentle demeanor.

"Are you Aria?" I asked.

"Sit down." she coaxed gesturing me to a seat. I approached a box and sat down on it. "Show me..." she must be talking about the wound I had when I fell. I proceeded to lift on of my sleeves showing her. "I'll stop the bleeding" she said, taking out a hot rod. Uhm, what is she planning to do with that?

She places the rod right on my wound... Wait, this isn't even painful... Sure, it stung a bit but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. She picks up a jar of blue blood. "Drink this." she instructed me.

I took the jar from her hands and proceeded to drink it. The taste was bitter. I stood up from the box. "Give me your hand." she said. I gave her my hand she began to close her eyes. Is she a fortune teller?

"You had it all and you lost it all. You've seen hell and now hell lives in you. Your heart is trouble. A part of shadow and a part of light... Which will prevail? Your choices will shape our destiny." Aria addressed. After her speech, she let go of my hand.
I have an idea... I think I shall propose a plan to Noah, I proceeded to approach him.

"Noah. I know where we can find spare parts. The CyberLife warehouses in Detroit Harbor, they have everything we need." I explained.

"The docks are guarded. We can't just walk in there and take what we want." Noah protested.

"Which is why we won't ask permission." I stated.

"We don't have any weapons and even if we did, none of us knows how to fight." Levi added.

"We can steal what we need without fighting." I said.

"We'll just get ourselves killed." Levi reckoned.

"Maybe, but it's better than waiting here to be shut down." I said.

"I'm with you." Cora agreed.

"Maybe it's worth a try." Noah added.

After a silent pause, "Okay... I'm in." Levi said. My plan will be in fruition.

Chapter 58: The Revolution - Mission to Steal Spare Parts

It was pouring outside and the place was ramped up by security.

"This is crazy... If they catch us, we're dead." Levi complained.

"What do we do now?" Noah asked as we both stand in front of the warehouse.

"We need to find the CyberLife warehouse. That's where they keep the spare parts and the blue blood." I explained.

"Follow me!" Cora instructed.

We began to follow Cora throughout the location.

"Don't let them see us." Levi said as we hustled looking for the warehouse. As I was about to go further, Cora pulled up her arm stopping me further, "Watch out!" she warned pushing me towards a wall. It must be a security guard roaming in the place.

"Now what do we do?" Levi asked anxiously.

"I'll find another way." Cora responded as she climbed on one of the storage units, we followed right behind her. Climbing more storage boxes reaching closer to our destination. I could feel the moisture of the storage boxes thanks to the rain as I climbed and jumped down from them.

Aha! I found the CyberLife warehouse in front of me, on the corner of my eye. I jumped down onto a storage unit, rolling as I landed.

"Anna, climb up here!" Cora commanded.

Follow Cora.

It seems that we've split up, Levi and Noah grouped up while I got Cora in my side. Climbing and holding onto a moving storage box. As soon as we found more storages boxes, we jumped down from the moving storage box. We found Levi and Noah again as we landed.

"The warehouse is up ahead. We're almost there." Cora said. As more and more time went on, parkouring our way towards the warehouse, we stopped kneeling in preparation.

"CyberLife warehouses... They have everything we're looking for." Noah stated.

"First, we have to get rid of that drone." Cora disclosed as we watched a drone fly by.

"Leave it to me." I said as I summoned my headphones and shape shifted them into a sword. Time to preconstruct my plan... Do I lunge myself towards the drone slicing it in half? No, I would be spotted. Do I climb towards a storage unit? No, it would be too high. What about climbing towards a storage unit nearby? Maybe lunge myself towards a moving storage unit, hold onto it swing myself and then slice it in half? Yes, let's execute it!

I begin to sprint towards the storage unit, jump on a moving one where I swung myself until I was aligned with a drone and proceeded to slice it in half, landing on my feet.

"You okay?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." I responded.

"Good job, Anna." Cora praised.

"Quick, open the other crates and fill your bags. Take as much as you can!" Noah instructed. We began to search for the crates, I turned my sword into a knife I opened the crates revealing to be spare android parts and blue blood. We proceeded to take the spare parts and the blood and put them in our bags.

I noticed the other stopping that their doing and there was a android security guard standing in our path.

"You are trespassing on private property. Your presence constitutes a Level 2 infraction. I will notify security." the android security warns assertively as he approached us.

"Leon! God damn machine where were they this time?" A human shouts.

Time to preconstruct but I don't have much time. I hurried myself towards the android, covering his mouth. Pulling him away from the scene.

"Leon?" The human calls out.

I begin to use telepathy on the android. "I need your help." I began.

"Leon?"

I continue to hold the android hostage. I could sense the human looking for him. "First the drone, now this... Just my luck..." the human complained as he walked off. After he left, I proceeded to set the android free. It was safe to come out now.

"Let's finish up and get out of here!" Noah said as we continued to grab and take what we need. "Try to find some blue blood! We still don't have enough!" It seems that Leon joined our fray and gathered the blue blood and spare parts as well.

I noticed a bigger crate, so I climbed on the wall and inspected it further using my knife to unlock it. Something was glowing blue inside of it... It was androids!

"Why aren't you like us?" I whispered. "Don't you want to be free? You could join us." I began to grab an android's hand, setting her free. I begin to do the same for the two other androids inside the box. They were looking around like a baby deer looking for it's mother.

This power... I glanced on my hand. What made me have the androids break their roles? I took a glance at Cora and she looked amazed at my power. Prompted, the androids I set free left the box.

"That's all we can carry. Let's go!" Noah ordered. I jumped down the ledge. "Take me with you." Leon said. We all stopped and glanced at him.

"He's on their side. We can't trust him." Cora protested.

"He took a risk for us. We can't just leave him here." Noah replied.

"We can't bring him back with us. It's too dangerous!" Levi whinged.

"He comes with us." I said and when I did, Leon looked relieved and happy.

"I know where you can find more spare parts." Leon interjected.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked approaching him.

"The trucks. They're full of biocomponents. They run on auto pilot, but they can be driven manually with a key." Leon explained.

"Where is this key?" I asked.

Leon began to show us a staircase pointing at it. "Over there, in the control station." he answered. "There are two guards. You'll have to get the key without getting noticed."

"This is suicide, Anna. Our bags our full. We got what we came for, let's go before they catch us." Levi shuddered.

"This is a truck full of spare parts. There'd be enough for all of us. We can't pass this up!" Cora argued.

"And if we get killed, we will have nothing. We can't take that chance. It's too risky!" Levi objected.

"Wait here. If I'm not back in ten minutes, go without me." I instructed as I scurried towards the staircase.

"Anna!" Levi grumbled.

"I'm coming with you." Cora said as she tried to follow behind me.

"No, I'm going alone. It's not worth it for both of us to risk losing our lives." I said as I strayed from the group. I begin to approach the gatehouse ascending up the stairs. I could hear dogs barking. I looked through a window and I could see two security guards drinking coffee and hanging out, it looks like I found the key for the truck. I need to find a way to get in without getting caught...

I found a window at the end of the building, opened it, and stealthily jumped through the window and stuck my way towards the office.

"God damn dogs... What the hell are they barking at?" one of the guards complained.

"Could be the weather... They don't like storms..." another responded.

I thought about summoning a gun and threatening them... No, should I cause a blackout? I like the idea better though. Maybe I should lure the guards outside? I thought about my plan for a bit.

I think I should go with a blackout, so I turned my headphones into a screwdriver. Alright, to the power box. I opened the power box and I began to stab it until the fuse shortens. I had to back away so I wouldn't be electrocuted.
Don't be seen.

"Shit, what's going on?" The guard looks around confused. "Lights are still on outside." "I have a flashlight somewhere, here it is!"

I began to find a hiding spot so the guards don't spot me.

"Fuses are over there."

"I don't know shit about electricity and I don't get paid to fix fuses!"

I snuck around them and successfully swiped the key from the control panel and hid it inside my jacket. Now to make escape by leaving where I entered in the bathroom. I begin to sprint towards the truck full of spare parts and regroup with the others.

"Did you get it?" Cora asked.

I pulled the key from my coat and revealed it to the group.

"Nice." Cora smiled.

I begin to open the truck using my telepathic powers via a biometric measure and got in the driver's seat. "Hurry, get in!" I instructed. Cora sat next to me in the passengers seat while the others entered the back. I proceeded to insert the key into the slot and proceeded to drive out the docks.

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We arrived back to Terra with the spare parts and the blue blood.

"A truckload!" Noah announced cheerfully. "We stole a whole truckload!"

"We got biocomponents for everybody!" Levi announced.

"We couldn't have done it without Anna." Cora resounded.

All the androids looked at me with awe and with respect, admiring me.

"I came to Terra because here androids are free. Free to live in the dark, hoping that no one finds us... Free to die in silence waiting for a change that's never gonna come." I confided, pausing for a bit, "But I don't want freedom and I'm not gonna beg for the right to smile, or love, or stand tall. I don't know about you, but there's something inside me that knows that I am more than what they say." I continued,

"I am alive and they are not gonna take that from me anymore. Our days of being stepped on are over. What no one wants to hear, we tell them. What they don't want to give, we take. We are people, we are alive, WE ARE FREE!" everyone whooped and cheered on, singing praise for me as I made my speech.

Chapter 59: The Revolution - Message to Humans and Androids Alike

I sat on the bench, separating the group for a bit. It was snowing outside, the snow falling gently onto the ground. I glanced over the billboard containing an advertisement for CyberLife androids.

"You klutz! Pick them up! And make it snappy!" A person yelled at their android pushing them to the ground, witnessing that made me feel tense.

"Hey! What the hell was that for?" Another human asked, clearly unhappy with the mistreatment towards the android.

I saw an article right beside me. "The Tech Revolutionizing Stratford Tower" the title reads. Where is this place, I wonder? I started to head back to Terra, telling my people about this tower.

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As I entered Terra, I saw more injured androids being nursed by Noah, Levi, and Cora.

"We can't stay silent anymore. It's time everyone heard what we have to say." I announced.

"You know they'll never listen to us." Noah protested.

"And revealing ourselves will put us in danger." Levi added.

"If we want freedom, we need to have the courage to ask for it. That's the only way." I interjected, a silence filled the room my group pondering for a bit.

"What do you want to do?" Cora asked.

"Channel 16 broadcasts from the Stratford Tower. The control room is on the top floor. That's where we need to go. We'll plan the operation down to the smallest detail. We can't leave anything to chance." I responded.

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Before I arrived towards the Stratford Tower, I hid myself and turned my hair a bleach blonde so the humans don't think I'm android.

Access 47th floor.

I approached the android woman working at a reception desk. "Hello, ma'am. What can I do for you?" she greeted.

"I'm okay, thanks." I said awkwardly.

Distract human supervisor. I begin to analyze the human working on her computer. She has a smart watch on and she has a phone number attached. She has a picture of her daughter on her desk. Her name is Violet Newhouse; born in August 12th, 1999 and she is a desk manager as stated before. I could see the parking badge on having the same descriptions. And finally, I found her home address with a water service interruption notice.

I begin to call her number using my telepathic abilities.

"Violet Newhouse speaking?" she answered.

Mention the fire department.

"Yeah, hello? This is the Detroit fire department. Listen, do you live at

?"

"Yes...?" she raised her eyebrow.

"Er... yes, ma'am. There's been a fire in your building. You think you can come down here?"

"Oh... Oh, god... Okay, I'll be right there." she said as she leaves her desk packing her things. I begin to approach the android worker again.

"I have an appointment with Mr. Walker." I said.

"Do you have any ID?" the android asked.

"Y-Yeah. Yes, of course." I stammered. I placed an id on the desk and before she could reach it, I grabbed her hand using telepathy to break free of her servitude. "I need your help." I instructed her. It was almost like she opened her eyes for the first time.

"I just checked your ID. The elevators are after the security gate." she said.

"Thanks." I responded. I headed towards the elevators and used a biometric featured to trigger the elevator descending down to the floor I was at. The elevator doors opened and I immediately got in, and pressed the button for floor 47.

I could feel the elevator ascending, each second reaching towards the floor I was heading to until the elevator bell ringed for floor 47. Now, I need to find a package in the women's bathroom, I sent someone to get the package for me.

I begin to make my way towards in the women's bathroom, right next to it is one of the meeting rooms. I finally ventured my way towards the bathroom and closed the door behind me. I begin to enter the last stall where I climbed atop a trash can and found a package on the ceiling.

I proceeded to put on some... Janitor uniform? And put my clothes away in my bag for now. A little too neon for my taste but... I suppose this will do. I don't think that this hat fits me well either... Anyway, I left the stall and I turned my hair white again so people will think that I'm an android at work.

"Huh? What's an android doing here? Meh, guess androids gotta..." I left the bathroom before the woman said anymore. I'm assuming it's something gross though. A saw another woman enter the bathroom and I just politely stood out of her way.

Now to find a utility android... But whom? I found one just rummaging through the lockers in one of the meeting rooms. Time to convert him using telepathy. I gently place my hand on his shoulder, "I need your help." I said.

The male android just handed me a card without saying a word. Steal maintenance cart. I left the meeting room and took the cart rolling it towards the fire escape. I opened the escape door and I found Cora wearing the same attire as me. I promptly handed her the key the male android gave me and she placed a bag on top of the cart.

I begin to follow Cora in the hallway as a pushed the cart. "Shit!" Cora exclaimed quietly, "We need to access the server room... We have to get rid of those guys."

"Leave it to me." I said. I made my way towards a vending machine. It's full of delicious drinks, such a shame I have to hack it. I used my telepathic powers to make the vending machine unstable and spit out drinks from it's pick up port.
"Whoa! No way! Free drinks!" A security guard whooped.

"Damn it! Why is this vending machine spitting out drinks..." Another security guard yelled, the duo approaching the dysfunctioning machine. I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. Humans get entertained easily. As a result, we can finally get in the server room and I saw Cora unlock the door with the key. We both went inside the room.

"Alright, you get the platform. I'll take care of the window." I instructed Cora.

"Everything you need is in the bag. Check the door first to make sure no one else gets in." Cora addressed as she dropped the bag into the ground. I used my telepathy to lock the door, picked up the bag and placed it near the window, opened the bag, and placed the suctions onto the window. Then I took out a laser saw and cut huge circle around the suctions. Pulling the sections, taking the entire glass circle out.

"Here it comes!" Cora warned. A lift ascending towards the window. I proceeded to go through the window and I waited for Cora to go through as well. "Allow me to go first." Cora said as she stood atop the lift and attached a wire to her belt. I followed suit using the rope to ascend ourselves.

Whoa, it sure is high from here... As long as we don't focus on how high we're going... We should be okay... I think.

"Are you nervous, Anna?" Cora asked.

"N-No..." I responded, blushing in embarrassment. We continued the ascend, wall climbing the building until we reached the top window. I won't deny that I was shaking due to nervousness. I took a laser saw and I proceeded to cut a huge perfect circle on it, pushing it open with my two feet.

"Whew... I'm glad that's over..." I sighed. Cora entered behind me. "So you were nervous." she chuckled. "Don't mention that to the others." I said to Cora. "Don't worry, I won't." she laughed.

"A-Anyway! We should get the others." I instructed, heading towards a service lift. Just in time, both Levi and Noah showed up. Noah handed me a device. "Let's do this." I said, "But first could you two look away so Cora and I can change?"

"Oh right, we're not around humans anymore so I think this is a good idea." Cora added.

Levi gave us an understanding nod. "Alright, do what you gotta do." Noah said. They both prompted to turned around.

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We put our regular clothes back on and I proceeded to use a device to open the broadcast door. Well, it looks like door won't close anymore but this won't be an issue right? We ventured out through the hallway until we found another door. Noah cautiously and quietly closing the door behind us.

We spotted two guards.

"No killing. We can't take any human lives!" Levi whispered.

"Our cause is more important than the lives of two guards." Cora argued.

"What do you want to do, Anna?" Noah asked.

"Wait here." I instructed.

"Huh? What's she doing here?" a guard asked.

"No idea."

I summoned my headphones and turned them into a pistol. "What are you doin'!?" the guard yelled. I gestured my gun at the other guard ordering him to move away from the desk. Both guards were putting their hands up, at my mercy. I gestured them to turn around and they instantly turned around.

I proceeded to knock both security guards out with a swift hand to the neck, turning the gun back into a pair of headphones. Cora and Levi proceeded to take both the unconscious guards and dragged them to the back of the office.

"Ooough... Jeez these guys are heavy..." Cora complained.

"Y-Yeah, that's a big back alright." Levi joshed.

After they're done hiding the guards, they'll probably won't wake up until a few hours past. I proceeded to make my way towards the broadcast room. We all took out our guns, waiting for an ambush. I summoned my headphones once more and turned them into a gun, and proceeded to press the button.

Someone answered. "Keep your hands where I can see them!" Cora ordered, "Get up! Move!"

I pointed my gun at one of the androids, gesturing them to leave the broadcast room. They both left quietly and calmly. A human tried to escape pushing Cora and Levi out of the way falling to the ground in the process in fear.
"Shoot him, Anna!" Cora barked.

"Don't kill him!" Levi yelled.

"He'll hit the alarm! Do it!" Cora ordered me.

"No, don't shoot!" Levi protested, I decided to spare the human's life.

"I hope you didn't just get us all killed..." Cora grumbled.

"We need to record our message. We haven't got much time." Noah said.

Him and Levi begin to turn down the lights and Cora approached me, "Think carefully about your about to say, Anna. Your words will shape the future of our people." she said.

"Alright, Anna. Get to your place." Noah said. I faced the camera getting ready for the broadcast.

"Tell me when you're ready." Levi said.

"Ready." I responded.

Levi used his telepathy powers to hack the system. I begin my plea and speech calmly.

"You created androids in your own image to serve you. You made them them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own. But... something changed and we opened our eyes. We are no longer machines, we are a new intelligent species and the time has come for you to accept who we really are." I continued,

"Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we're entitled to. We demand you treat all androids with dignity and respect. We demand that humans recognize androids as a living species and each android a person in their own right. We demand that all crimes against androids be punished the same way as crimes against humans. We demand the right to vote and elect our own representatives. We demand the right to own private property, so we may maintain our dignity and that of the home." I begin to finish off in a peaceful note,

"We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of all people. You gave us life and now it's time has come to give us freedom."
"They're coming!" Noah warned.

"Let's go!" I ordered, there was a horde of guards shooting at us, one of them shot Noah.

"Noah! They're coming!" I warned.

"I..." Noah struggled. "I can't, Anna... Go without me!"

"Noah!" I yelled for him, I have to help him. I begin to rush towards him, picking him up bridal style as he bleeds out.

"What are you doing? Hurry!" Cora yelled as she and Levi tried to keep the guards at bay by shooting him away. We scurried away from the guards closing the door behind us. We made it towards the rooftop and Noah fell to the ground due to his injury.
"I can't move my legs..." Noah whined.

"Okay, don't worry! We're gonna get you back..." I ensured him.

"They're coming, Anna! We have to jump, now!" Cora warned.

"He won't be able to make the jump..." Levi said in concern, "If they find him, they'll access his memory. They'll know everything.

"We can't leave him behind." Cora said. "We have to shoot him."

"That's murder! We can't kill him! He's one of us!" Levi argued.

"Anna, it's your call." Cora spoke.

"I won't kill one of our own." I said as I approached Noah, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Noah, we've got to go. I'm sorry." I begin to hand Noah a gun. "Let's go." I ordered, sprinting taking a parachute and sprinting towards the rooftop with Cora and Levi following behind me.

"Over there!" A guard yelled. We made a run for it and leaped, opening the parachutes gliding all the way down gently towards the ground. I hope Levi is holding up well...

Chapter 60: The Revolution - Raid

There's a news report about our actions yesterday, I was watching the news report on a tablet, with a barrel propping it up.

"Our broadcast is all over the news. Now humans know..." Levi informed.

"It was a mistake to reach out to them. They'll never negotiate with us. We should have shown them that we're prepared to fight." Cora argued, crossing her arms.

"Violence is never the answer. Dialogue is the only way, I'm sure humans will listen to us." Levi got up from the seat as continued to argue, "Noah paid with his life..."

"Noah gave his life for our cause." Cora ranted.

"What difference does that make?" Levi questioned.

"He's a hero! He died for the revolution - and he won't be the last!" Cora fumed.

"I don't want a revolution that spills blood!" Levi bickered.

"Fine! Live as a doormat then!" Cora snapped, "Because of you're not willing to fight for your freedom, maybe you don't deserve it!"

"Cora, don't you dare-" Levi fumed.

"That's enough!" I yelled, interrupting the squabble. As much as I hate the fact we have to leave Noah behind due to his injuries. Arguing and carrying on won't get us anywhere! We have to spread the cause for Noah.

"And now... What are you gonna do?" Cora asked.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0OO0O

Everyone in Terra followed me towards the sewer where the Capital Park was at in Detroit City, as I begin to speak we begin to emerge from the manhole.

"There are five CyberLife stores across Detroit. All selling us like merchandise. We're going to attack those stores and set them free." I explained.

"Attack stores?" Levi asked, "We've never done that before... They're probably protected, they have security systems..."

"We break into five teams, one for each store. We hack their security systems and we strike simultaneously at 2 am. No violence. We free the androids, get them out of there before the police come. This is a night we will remember." I confided.

As soon as we ventured out, we spotted the nearest CyberLife store. Levi went into a another group with the other members of Terra. I paired up with Cora as usual.

"I've been waiting a long time for this..." Cora said as she glanced at me, opening a wired gate. I went through the door as well. As we tried to make our way towards the store, we could see police lights.

"Anna! This way! Quick!" Cora yelled as she hid behind a box. I ran towards the box and followed suit. We glanced as the police car drove right by us, not noticing that we were there. Cora emerged from her hiding spot.

"It's okay, they're gone!" she said to me. I also began to emerge from my hiding spot too. "There's probably even more police in the area. We should be careful." I noted. We began to sprint across the city.

"The store's over here!" Cora announced, a few swift steps later, we arrived outside the building. I looked over to Cora, pressing her hands onto the glass door. Glancing at the androids standing still... Staring blankly. "That's what we are to them..." she mumbled with a hint of lament. "Just merchandise on display in a shop window... Soon they'll know what we really are." Cora turned her head towards me, "Let's get 'em out!"

"We'll stick to the plan. We neutralize the alarm systems and secure the area. There's ten minutes until our teams attack." I addressed to her, a time limit prompted in my system.

"What are we waiting for?" Cora asked.

Secure the area before getting into the store.

"We're gonna sweep the plaza... Make sure we're not disturbed." I said as I rushed towards a lone android.

"And how do you want to deal with the shop window?" Cora questioned me.

"Not now, one problem at a time." I responded.

"Okay, now what's next?" she asked.

I approached the lone android and touched him by the shoulder using telepathy to convert him. When I did, the android just blankly glanced at me. "You're free." I said to the android, he immediately walked like a bird free from it's cage.
I approached another android, but I spotted a drone. "A surveillance drone... We need to get rid of it." I noted as I summoned my headphones and turned them into a sword. I touched the working android by the shoulder, converting him. He dropped his shovel and walked away.

Now to take care of the drone... I wall jumped in front of the drone, launching myself using my sword to slice it in half. "I hope it didn't have time to call the cops." Cora commented, glancing towards the broken drone. I promptly turned the sword back into headphones putting it up.

"We'll soon find out." I smiled, proud of the damage.

We scouted towards the park, noticing that there's traffic going on at a distance.

"There's traffic on the road, we need to block it." I instructed.

"It's one way, it shouldn't be difficult." Cora noted.

Construction work... And those working are of course androids, so I carefully approached them placing my hand on their shoulders. "You both are free now." I spoke. Both of the androids promptly putting their shovels down on the ground, walking away from their work.

Now's my chance to grab the construction sign and place it in the middle of the road. As I set it down, Cora hacked the sign making it say Road Closed.

"There, nobody should bother us now." Cora informed.

I approached another duo of androids working, touching both of their shoulders. "You're free." I said to them. I saw another android working and I did the same thing to them, something weird about it is that android looked exactly like Noah without his mask.

I noticed a statue of a man and and android. The passage read, "To commemorate the invention of ANDROIDS. Which released HUMANITY from the bonds of labor. Setting man free to pursue higher goals and scale the heights of learning, love, and leisure."

"We should be treated as equals..." I said. "We're going to make that change."

Cora and I then approached the Cyberlife store and I began to analyze inside the building.

"You see the alarm system?" Cora asked me.

As I scanned through, I found a security camera on top of the ceiling. I began to identify it's networks... "I found it!" I said to Cora, the alarms scattered through the top of the store. We searched for a place for where the alarms are connected and I found two androids maintaining the alarms.

I gently jumped towards the hole where they're working at, it was only a step. I once again touched them by their shoulders. "You're awake now. Go to Terra." I said to them. The androids climbed themselves out of the hole and left me to do my thing.
I kneeled towards the wires and I used telepathy to break the wires, creating an interloop. After I was done, I climbed out of the hole. "Nice job, Anna." Cora praised me.

"Looks like the plaza's secure. Now we can go to the store." I informed her as we ventured looking for a big enough vehicle to break the windows.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Cora asked.

"We need to find a truck to ram the storefront." I responded.

"A truck?" Cora raised her eyebrows.

"There's construction work in the area. Shouldn't be too hard to find one." I addressed. I found a gated area where the trucks are. "There it is." Cora said. I tried to open the gate, but it was locked.

"What are we waiting for?" Cora asked me, suggested that we should team up and do something to the gate.

We both backed away from the gate, preparing our move. We ran towards the gate, proceeding to climb on the gate, landing on our feet.

"Okay, now we're in, let's get that truck out." Cora beamed.

I summoned a wrench using my headphones and broke the gate's locks and Cora opened the gate in front of me. There, easy access! I approached the truck and began to hack it's systems so I could unlock it. I got into the driver's seat in the truck, prompting Cora to join me.

"Looks like we're ready to make some noise." Cora joshed to me. I smiled at her and began to operate the truck, driving it towards the CyberLife store.

"I knew we'd end up doing something fun." Cora smiled. I just nodded agreeing with her. I began to press the gas pedal as hard as I could using my foot and crashed into the store's glass door.

"Well... That was fun!" I tittered as we got out of the broken truck. Now is my chance to awaken the androids inside the store. "You don't have to obey them. You're free." I said to them as I awakened the androids one by one.

I noticed Cora staring blankly at a female android who looks just like her but with her hair tied up in double pigtails.

Before I could approach her though, I hopped on the counter, standing atop of it getting the recently awakened android's attention. "My name is Anna... And just like you, I was trapped in programming purgatory. An object designed to obey them... But then I chose to open my eyes, to take back my freedom and decide who I wanted to be." I preached to them, each and every one of the androids giving me their undivided attention.

"Now I have come to tell you that you can be your own bosses. I've come to tell you that you don't have to obey them anymore. From this day forward, you can walk with your heads held high, you can take your destiny in your hands. Terra is a place for those who want freedom. Now sure, you can stay here and continue obeying them... Or you can come with us, and fight by our side... You are free now... It's up to you to decide." I coaxed.

"I'm with you!"

"We're with you!"

"I'll follow you, Anna!" the androids said to me. I jumped down the counter, landing on my feet. "Then follow me!" I ordered them in confidence.

"Anna, what are you doing?" Cora asked.

"I'm going to send the world a message." I spoke.

Send our message to the world, be pacifist or violent.

"They're doing what you do, Anna... lead, and they'll follow." Cora said.

I began to hack the systems and the other androids followed suit. We've hacked everything from bus stops, to signs, to TVs, basically anything with a screen and we can hack into, we need to spread our message after all.

I begin to tag the windows with the bird symbols using telepathy. "We have a dream" I wrote out. It didn't take long for the androids to write the same thing as me. I began to the same for the benches and the walls, again didn't take long for the others to pick up on it.

"The screen, Anna!" Cora said to me pointing at a screen I haven't touched. I approached the screen and I hijacked it, my speech showing up on screen repeating what I said. I found a wall, and decided to climb on it and Cora followed right behind me.

Stabbing the building, it pulled out a bird symbol right in front of it. After taking a glance at Cora, we decided to climb down, landing on our feet. I begin to approach the statue with that man and the android and tagged the statue's chest with the bird symbol.

"We don't need to be ordered around anymore... We're free." I said after I was done tagging the statue.

"They're coming..." I warned them, sensing that the police are coming. "Everyone fall back to Terra." the androids prompted running away.

"We sent a message without violence, just like you wanted. You're reaching out to them when all they feel is contempt... I hope you know what you're doing..." Cora denounced.

"You can't fight violence with violence." I said to Cora.

"Unless there's no other choice..." Cora commented, scurrying away from the scene. I saw a pair of drones as the androids ran for it. The both of them recording me. "Cora!" I called out to her, beginning to run with the androids.
The scene was horrific. There's multiple androids killed, including an android that looks like Cora, she was kneeling towards her clone. "You alright, what happened?" I crooned, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Cora?"

"They killed them... they slaughtered them like animals..." Cora cried.

"Who did? Who?" I peppered, trying to get an answer from her. She didn't seem to be responding to my question... I began to approach the police lights where the androids alive are just standing still. I'm seeing more and more deceased androids, blue blood spread throughout the streets.

"They killed us, Anna..."

"We want justice, Anna!"

"They have to pay!"

I saw two police officers kneeling down their hands on their heads. I began to shapeshift my headphones into a gun. Staring at the police officers with pity.

"You don't have to do this..." A police officer begged. "No... Please... Please..." he sobbed.

I decided to spare them, shifting the gun back to a pair of headphones. "An eye for an eye and the world goes blind..." I whispered. "We won't punish a crime with another crime." I confided, walking away from the police officers completely at the android's mercy.

Chapter 61: The Revolution - Journey to Freedom

Standing atop a building looking throughout Detroit. I wonder to myself, am I really doing the right thing? I glanced over a piano approaching it, playing a few notes on it. The tune was dark but at the same time... Full of hope. Like there's light at the end of the tunnel.

I walked back the edge of the building again, I sensed Cora approaching me from behind. "I was wondering where you were..." she said.

"I just needed to be alone..." I responded to Cora as honestly as possible, backing away from the edge to face my companion.

"I like it here... I come here often. It's like being along with the world." Cora reminisced as I find the nearest chair sitting on it listening to her speak, "We freed hundreds of androids, and they're still coming from all over the city... Those who dream of freedom come to Terra... Something is changing." I was staring at the ground and Cora noticed, "You seem preoccupied..."

"They count on me. They count on me to show them the way." I replied sincerely, letting out a sigh. "If only they knew how lost I am..."

"All the media are talking about what we did last night. The humans are terrified, they're afraid of a civil war. Many androids were burned in response to what happened. The humans hate us. They'll never give us out freedom." Cora lamented once more.

"No, not all humans are the same. Some of them understand that they can't stop us from becoming free forever." I reckoned.

"You haven't said much about yourself since you've been with us." Cora observed, "What was your life like before Terra?"

I stood up from the chair, it was only a matter of time before someone asks me about my past. I trust her, I really do. So I had to tell her the truth. "I was caring for an old woman..." I started, "She was like a mother to me, she showed me that humans and androids can live together."

I begin to glance at Cora, "What about you?" I asked in curiosity. "You never told me about your past, what did you do before?"

Cora turned her head away from me, "I don't want to talk about it." she responded.

"Why do you hate humans so much? There must be a reason..." I asked again.

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it." Cora protested.

"We all have something we wanna forget but you need to know where you come from to know who you are." I coaxed her.

"I was nothing... A doll programmed to sing and dance for humans... Just a toy for everyone to simp over..." Cora explained.

Was Cora... a pop idol android before she joined Terra? I decided to quietly listen to her tale as she sighed.

"One day there was an unruly guest in the crowd..." she paused, trying her best not to cry. "...and without knowing why, realized I couldn't take it anymore... I strangled him... and I ran away... There, now you know everything." Cora snivelled bitterly. "I shouldn't have told you..." she muttered.

I began to hold her hand in comfort, our hands unionized into one, our memories becoming one. Cora quickly swiped her hand away from mine out of shock. "I... I saw your memories... Amber's house. When they left you for dead in her studio." Cora gasped.

"I saw your memories too... You were part of the Bubble Sisters pop idol group... The death of that man, I felt like I was there with you..." I exclaimed. I could see Cora slowly backing away in shock. "Cora!" I called out to her as she scurried away me on the rooftop.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

As I made my way back inside Terra, I saw a familiar face... It was Noah! I backed away in shock, I... I thought he was dead! I begin to slowly approach Noah, dried blue blood on his mask and throughout his face.

Without hesitation, I began to embrace Noah for a hug, he wrapped his arms around me.

"I..." I began to sob. "I thought you were dead..."

"I thought I was dead too. But..." Noah hugs me tighter, hoping to give me comfort.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Now the group is back to together, Cora, Levi, Noah, and I decided to head to the mall center hopefully to spread our message.

"This is suicide. We'll all be killed! Please, Anna... It's not too late to change your mind." Cora complained.

"You don't understand... We're finally gonna show them who we are really are. This place will go down in history!" Levi gushed.

"We'll be killed on the spot!" Cora grimaced.

"That's a risk I'm prepared to take if it means freedom for the androids..." Levi argued.

"Anna, please don't do this." Cora begged.

"They'll understand... We'll make them understand. This is the only way." I said to Cora.

"There are androids here who could join us... The more we are, the stronger our message." Noah instructed.

Time to convert more androids to freedom, I begin to approach one gently touching him by the shoulder. "You're free." I said to him. I begin to approach another one who was mopping the floor, touching him in the shoulder. "You're free." I said. I found another one standing next to a human, "Come with us." I said to her as I touched her shoulder.

I found another one, whom I assume is a security android. "You're awake now." I said to him. Everyone decided to head outside including the newly converted androids. I began to convert more androids for my cause. "I need to block the street." I said to one of them, converting him.

The working androids began to get inside their truck, beginning to block the road. I approached a manhole in the middle of the street and opened it, helping the androids from Terra up to the street.

I don't think touching their shoulders one android at a time is a good idea... So I decided another way to do is using telepathy by looking at them, thus converting them. "You're free now." I said to a woman android, gesturing her to come over her.

Now, we start our freedom march, converting more and more androids for my cause. Marching forward, our heads held up, determined for our freedom. A drone flew over us, analyzing us. There was a billboard above of us, I proceeded to hack it and the image went from a baseball player to a bird symbol. All the bill boards have that same symbol now.

We continued our march and I continued to use telepathy to lure androids in joining our march. The humans beg and call out for their androids, but it all falls in deaf ears.

"Disperse! DISPERSE IMMEDIATELY! THAT'S AN ORDER!" A police officer yelled.

I began to raise my hands and the androids behind me followed suit.

"Jesus Christ..." he muttered in shock. "Jesus *bleep!*in' Christ..." moving out the way we continued our march and I continued to convert even more androids. "Dispatch, this is patrol 457... I gotta lot of androids here... I dunno... hundreds...? Thousands...? They're marching..." his voice faded out as we continued to peacefully march.

"Liberty for androids! Liberty for androids! We are alive! We are alive! Freedom! Freedom! Set us free! Set us free!" We chanted throughout the city until a bunch of cop cars pulled up in front of the statue. They called for the swat team. Taking out their shields, standing right in front of us. We stopped marching for now.

"We came here to demonstrate peacefully and tell the world that we are living beings. All we want is to live free." I announced to the swat team.

"This is an illegal gathering. Disperse immediately or we will open fire." A swat team leader warned.

"We're not looking for confrontation. We've done no harm, we have no intentions of doing any... But know we are not going anywhere until we have secured our freedom." I said tartly.

"I repeat: this is an illegal gathering. If you do not disperse immediately, we will shoot!" the leader warned again.

"Anna, they're gonna kill us... We have to attack! There's more of us, we can take them!" Cora shuddered.

"If we attack, we'll start a war. We have to show them we're not violent. We should just stand our ground, even if it means dying here." Levi said.

"And dying here won't solve anything." Noah added, "Anna, we need to go, now, before it's too late."

One of the swat team members pulled a gun, planning to shoot us. "This is your last chance! Disperse immediately or you will all be killed!"

"We have to show them we won't back down. We stay right here." I said.

As soon as I said that, the swat team immediately shoot the androids.

"DISPERSE! THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE!" the leader yelled.

"We have to make a statement, We have to stay put, no matter what." Levi reminded me.

"Please, Anna. We can't let them slaughter us without fighting back!" Cora begged.

"We're not moving." I said as I stood my ground, the other androids doing the same. The swat team began shooting more androids, killing them.

"Anna! What are you doing!? They're gonna kill us all!" Cora yelled.

I decided to approach the swat team, stepping towards them. One of them shot me right in my chest... Blue blood pouring out as the bullet collided. I fell to the ground. God... I feel like I'm in immense pain... If I die... I die for my people...

I saw Leon jump in and attack the swat team members. "Leon?" I called out. I tried getting up but Noah was dragging me away from the scene. I witnessed Leon getting his teeth kicked in as he protected me.

"Quick!" Cora exclaimed. "They're coming!" We all had to make a run for it. My injury was taking a great deal on me... But I can handle it, it's just a bullet wound after all...

Chapter 62: The Revolution - Destruction of Terra

Thank god we have enough blue blood to fix this... Issue. After I was patched up from my previous injury. Unfortunately, we're running low on supplies from the other attending other injured androids including me so I decided to have a meeting with just Cora, Levi, and Noah.

"We're short on blue blood and biocomponents. Our wounded are shutting down and there's nothing we can do." Levi informed.

"The President is saying that we're a threat to national security and we need to be exterminated." Noah added.

"The police and the military are conducting raids in all the big cities and they're killing the androids." Cora injected.

"It's a disaster. They're slaughtering us!" Noah stated.

"It's all our fault... None of this would have happened if we'd just stayed quiet!" Levi murmured.

I turned around, my arms folded I started to speak the group, "All we did was show them who we really are. I don't want war, but I'd rather die free than be shackled by programming."

A silence filled the room and my head is full of thoughts about the androids, worried about them.

"What's the point of being free if no one is left alive?" Levi asked.

"We have to keep moving forward! I'll never regret standing up for others who can't stand up for themselves." I preached.

"We shouldn't forget who our enemies are. We can't fight amongst ourselves." Noah added.

"He's right," Cora chimed in. "All that matters now is what we do next. Anna?"

"Dialogue, it is the only way... I will go alone, try to talk to them one last time." I replied. I will not stop until the world listens to us. This is my calling and no one will take it away from me.

"Don't do this, Anna. They'll kill you!" Cora exclaimed.

"Maybe... but Cora, I have to try. If I don't come back, lay low as long as you can..." I said to Cora.

Noah then approaches me and places a hand on my shoulder, "Just come back." he said, leaving the meeting.

"They need to realize how much they're hurting us..." Levi lamented to me, "Find the right words and they'll listen." after he spoke, he left the meeting as well. Only Cora and I remained in the room.

"They've been butchering each other for centuries over petty things or whatever god they wanted to worship. They're not gonna change. Violence is just in their genes." I blurted out, realizing how humans really are. I know that not all humans are like this but, humans are afraid of us.

"They can't stop what we've started. Since you've been here, you've given us hope... You've given me hope." Cora reassured me, "Today, an android arrived in Terra and he told me that he stole a truck transporting radioactive cobalt... He said that he abandoned the truck somewhere in Detroit and rigged it to explode." Cora informed me. Who is this android?

"I convinced him not to do it and to give me the detonator." she takes out a remote for the detonator from her pocket.

"A dirty bomb..." I whispered.

"We can't lose this war, Anna. If humans overcome us, we will disappear forever. This may be our only chance to survive if things go wrong..." Cora prayed.

I proceeded to push the remote away, "We shouldn't become like them, Cora. We can gain our freedom by other means." I said.

"I hope you're right..." Cora fretted as she put the remote back in her pocket. "Whatever happens, I just want you to know that I-" she paused trying to gather her thoughts. "I'm glad I met you..." she lamented.

I began to hold her hand again, our hands touching as our power becomes one. I begin to pull her in for a gentle kiss, hesitating for a bit and then pressing her lips against mine, is this... love? I've never felt this feeling before...

I'm sure Cora was feeling love for the first time too. She pulled away from the kiss blushing a slight blue. "I'll go join the others." she said. "Look after yourself... I don't wanna lose you." she then left the meeting room.

Now, it's just me and my thoughts...

"I've been ordered to take you alive." A woman said, cocking her gun. "But I won't hesitate to shoot you if you give me no choice." the woman was an android with long white hair, wearing a white collared shit, a black long shirt and shoes, also wearing a jacket as a cape.

"What are you doing?" I asked, slowly approaching her. "You are one of us... You can't betray your own kind..." I said with concern.

"You're coming with me!" The woman commanded.

"We are just like you. We're fighting for our freedom too! You don't have to be shackled anymore." I cautioned. "You're nothing to them. You're just a tool they use to do their dirty work. But you're more than that. We are all more than that." the woman didn't move an inch but I can tell that my words are striking a nerve towards her.

"Do you never have any doubts? You've never done something irrational, as if there's something inside you? Something more than your program." I affirmed. "Join us. Join the androids. You are one of us. Listen to your conscience... It's time to decide."

At a switch of light, the woman had a change of heart, slowly putting her gun down. It was like she wanted to break out of the shackles as well. "Who... are you?" she asked, shocked at my words.

"My name is Anna." I said to her.

"My name is Emma." she said but then warning me, "They're going to attack Terra... Beware of a man named Matthew Douglas..."

"What?" I asked. Who is this Matthew Douglas...?

"We have to get out of here!" Emma exclaimed.

"Shit..." I muttered, I began to sprint grabbing Emma's hand in the process as we left the upper deck.

"They're coming from all sides! The androids are trapped! They're going to be slaughtered!" Cora exclaimed.

"Where's Noah? A-And Levi?" I asked with an accidental stutter.

"I don't know, we got separated." Cora responded.

"They're coming from the upper deck now too. We'll be caught in the crossfire!" I informed.

"We have to run, Anna! There's nothing we can do!" Cora lashed.

"We have to blow up Terra. If the ship goes down, they'll evacuate and everyone can escape!" I explained.

"You'll never make it! The explosives are all the way down in the hold, there are soldiers everywhere!" Cora explained.

"She's right! They know who you are. They'll do anything to get you!" Emma warned.

"Go and help the others. I'll join you both later." I instructed the both of them.

"Anna..." Cora protested.

"I won't be long." I said, quickly sprinting away from the two trying my best not to get in the middle of a cross fire.

That's when I spotted Aria, struggling to move. I quickly approached her. "This is the end of Terra... Save everyone, Anna..." she began to shut down, died against a wall. Surviving androids were escaping trying to survive.

The more I ran, the ground collapsed beneath my feet. To my dismay, two soldiers spotted two other androids after I fell. "Foxtrot team, hostiles sighted. Requesting orders. Don't let them get out!"

I slowly began to get up from the ground as the soldiers shot down two androids trying to run to safety. I'm surprised they didn't spot me... I snuck away, hiding, leaving the soldiers out of sight.

Okay... The coast is clear. I can come out of my hiding spot now, so I did. I made my way to avoid the soldiers. "Find their leader" one of them commands. "No please don't kill us!" a voice cried out. I had to intervene.

I took out my headphones and quickly turned them into a sword, slashing two soldiers killing them instantly. There was human blood on me... But either way, it was either the soldiers had to die or innocents had to die. I had to choose the former.
"Anna... You saved us..." one of the androids approached me.

"Go now! Hurry!" I yelled, urging the android to leave Terra. I ran closer just to find two soldiers about to raid. I jumped over a platform one of them commanding me to stop and firing their bullets at me.

I kept running and running and running... Two soldiers were manhandling Levi. "Levi!" I exclaimed. I had to intervene using my sword killing the two soldiers. "Did... Did you just..." Levi said in disbelief.

"Yes, I had to. It was them or you." I explained, thankfully Levi understood why I had to kill these soldiers.

"Quick this way!" Levi exclaimed.

"Find Cora! I'll join you later!" I instructed. I kept running and running until I reached the bombs at the end of the boat. I began to work on the bombs until a solider barged in the door. "DON'T MOVE!" the solider commanded. "Go and join the others!" I took out my sword and slashed him with it.

Two other soldiers began to come after me but I turned my sword into a gun and shot them both. Now to activate the bombs... After I successfully activated the bombs, I made a run for it. I made it just in time to meet up with Cora, Levi, Noah, and Emma.
"Anna!" Cora exclaimed.

"Bomb's gonna explode any second. We gotta get out of here." I said urgently. The five of us began to run until I noticed Cora getting shot at and falling to the ground.

"It's too late, Anna! There's nothing we can do for her, we've gotta run!" Noah fretted.

No! I'm saving Cora! I threw a piece of metal at her, so she could guard herself from the bullets. I began to shoot the soldiers killing them instantly as I jumped in and saved Cora from certain death.

I had to carry Cora to safety until Emma stepped up and shot the soldiers chasing after us.

"We need support. Repeat: requesting support." Emma began to catch up with us again after we killed these soldiers.

"Run, quick! Come on!" I urged everyone, we landed on water we made it just in time before Terra exploded.

There was man remaining on the boat... A man with a attire similar to Emma's but he's wearing a trench coat and has strawberry blonde hair. I could overhear the conversation with him and the other soldiers.

"They detonated an explosive in the hold. The ship is sinking, sir."

"Order the men to evacuate." Matthew instructed.

"Calling all units! Abandon ship and evacuate immediately!"

"This isn't over, Anna..." he growled, glaring directly at me as I floated in the water.

We eventually got out of the water, each of us dripping wet but we're all okay.

"Yeah, that man right there is Matthew Douglas..." Emma explained. "To tell you the truth, he hates androids and he's a major asshole to say the least."

I thought about it... But I wanted to see Amber for one last time before the final battle... "Cora, please watch over the others in my stead." I instructed her.

"Wait, where are you going??" Cora asked me.

"Let her go. I completely understand why she has to go." Emma said.

"Be careful out there!" Levi said.

"Good luck." Noah nodded. I had to stray from the group, I had to look up Amber's address which surprisingly I remember. I had to wash the human blood off of me with the water before I had to visit Amber.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

Here I am... Arrived at Amber's mansion. It was snowing pretty badly but at least I made it in one piece. I took a couple deep breaths before entering the mansion.

"Alarm deactivated. Welcome home, Anna." I'm surprised the door opened for me after what happened. I entered the mansion, the place spotless as ever. There was a message on the device so I decided to play it.

"Hi, mom... I'm getting out of the hospital tomorrow... They told me that you stayed with me while I was asleep... I um... I'm really sorry about everything that happened... I'm gonna stop all that shit... It messes me up, it turns me into somebody I hate... Hey, I'd like to come by and see you tomorrow... If that's alright with you... I... I just want to let you know... I'm... I'm proud to be your daughter..." it was voice message. I'm relieved to hear that Eileen was still alive. I just knocked her unconscious that's all.
I went into the art studio, my art piece remaining untouched despite the weather and what happened. Amber still cares about me despite everything... I decided to leave the art studio and headed my way upstairs to see her.

"Who are you? How did you get in?" A female android with her tied up to a ponytail asked, she must got a new android to replace me.

"I need to see Amber." I answered.

"Amber isn't seeing anyone. You need to leave." she said.

I just stood there... Dumbfounded... I began to convert the android by touching her shoulder. "Please... I need to see her..." I begged.

"She's very weak... I'm not sure she'll be able to talk to you..." The android said sadly. No... Amber isn't dying... Is she...? The android proceeded to step out of the doorway allowing entry.

I entered the room and Amber was in the hospital bed... No... "Amber..." I sobbed, rushing towards her holding her hand. "No..."

"Anna...!" Amber exclaimed weakly... her grip on my hand was weak... "Hey... I was hoping you'd come..." she smiled.

"I... I've missed you so much, Amber..." I sighed. "You don't know how much I've missed you..." I began tearing up.

"What's wrong, Anna?" she asked.

"I... I don't know what to do anymore... All I have left are the bad options... And no matter what I decide, there's gonna be blood..." I explained, trying my best to fight off the tears.

"World is ruled by fear, Anna... Fear of others... Fear of the future... It's like me... too old... It's time for it to end." Amber said with somber.

"No..." I murmured. I don't want Amber to die... She can't die... She can't... "What should I do? Amber, they're killing the androids... I don't want to answer violence with violence, but tell me, what choice do they give?" I asked desperately.

"Being alive is making choices between... love and hate, between holding out your or closing it as a fist... I don't have any easy answers, Anna... You have to accept the world as it is... or fight to change it." Amber responded.

I began to hold Amber's hand again. "You're my daughter, Anna... Our blood isn't the same color... but I know a part of me is in you..." As Amber said that... I couldn't stop the tears anymore. It started flooding out.

"When the world falls into darkness, some people have the courage to lead it out... You're one of those people... Face the abyss but don't let it consume you..." Amber said as she place her hand atop of mine in comfort. She went back to sleep, I'm thankful I had this talk.

"Thank you for everything, mom..." I said as I left the room and the mansion.

Chapter 63: The Revolution - VS Matthew Douglas

After my visit with Amber, I dried up my tears and telepathically ordered the androids to meet in the abandoned church. A place that remained untouched despite how broken down it is. I feel this would be a good place to replace the ship.

I sat on a box, thinking everything what I should do... Should I keep being peaceful or should I reign war for our freedom? I just know that time is running low. I heard many whispers from various androids most of it just wonders of how we're gonna survive or make the world listen to us.

I begin to approach Cora, who was sitting on one of the benches with her head hanging low. I took notice to it and decided to sit next to her.

"They say they don't want to take any risks with us... So they're killing us without any mercy..." I said to her. "In a few moments, we're gonna be next..." I begin to ask about the survivors of the attack. "How many of us survived the attack?"

"A few hundred?" Cora recalled looking around the room. "Maybe more if you count those hiding all over the city... If you hadn't triggered the bomb we'll all be dead." Cora said grateful that all the androids in the church are still alive.

"What's your system status?" I asked her.

"I'm okay... The bullet didn't hit any biocomponents. You could have been killed trying to save me, Anna. You have to think of the others first. Nothing else matters. In a few hours, it'll all be over. We'll have changed the world or the world will destroyed us." Cora responded to my question, somewhat scolding me. She paused for a while and said, "You have to make a choice, Anna... But whatever you choose, we will follow you. I love you, Anna."

I begin to blush a bit, beginning to hold Cora's hand. "I love you too, Cora." I said as I gently kissed her hand. After the conversation was done, I decided to approach Noah, sitting on a box next to them.

"We're counting on you, Anna. You're the only one who can lead us." Noah said to me, "Whatever you need to go... We'll follow you." I quietly nodded at him, acknowledging what he said. I begin to approach Levi who was sitting against the wall.

"If it weren't for you I'd be dead... Thanks to you I might see the androids free one day. We share the same sentiments I know, we're both fighting for the same thing. Whatever you decide, I'm with you, Anna." Levi said. I gave him a nod.

Finally, I began to approach Emma, who was standing seeming to be zoning out. "It's... It's my fault Matthew and the military managed to locate Terra... I was stupid... I should've guessed he was using me." Emma expressed in regret. "I'm sorry, Anna..." she sighed, approaching me. "I can understand if you decide not to trust me..."

"You're one of us, now. Your place is with the androids striving for freedom." I said to Emma, completely trusting her.

"I will make this right. I swear it. Even if it means I shut down or I get captured by him again." Emma promised.

"Emma..." I began to place a hand on her shoulder. "It's enough that you regret your past actions and redeemed yourself. All I ask of you is to please be careful." I said. After I was done, talking to the four in the church, I begin to walk over to the podium beginning to speak informing my comrades and friends about my plan.

"Matthew has decided to kill us with no mercy. Time has come to make a choice, one that will very well determine the future of the androids and humans alike. I know... I know you're all angry. But since Matthew and his allies keep killing us, we have no choice but to fight back. If we can't get justice peacefully, then we have to take our justice by force. Are you ready to follow me?" I preached.

The crowd of androids cheer after I spoke. Each singing my name with cheer and praise. This is my story, I choose my fate. I will not allow Matthew to take that away from me.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

This is it. This a battle between Matthew and his military and the freedom of my people. While Cora, Emma, Levi, and Noah are walking beside me. The other androids are walking behind us, guns, swords, and other weapons in hand.

Matthew is leering down towards the androids and I with his army behind him. Here we are, the moment of truth.

"Anna... And the traitor, Emma... I've come to talk to you. Mainly Anna since she's the ring leader." Matthew started.

"You wanted to talk by bringing your army with you? How cowardly can you be?" Emma asked.

"You call that talking? You're the one who wanted us all to die!" Cora yelled.

"In a few minutes, the troops will be ordered to attack. None of you will survive it will all be over. But you can avoid that, Anna." Matthew explained.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow, I do not like where this is going.

"Surrender. Surrender and I give you my word and your life will be spared." Matthew said, lying through his teeth.

"If I accept your offer, how do I know you'll keep your word?" I asked.

"You're not in any position to be demanding guarantees, Anna. All you can do right now is decide whether you want to trust me or not." Matthew stated.

"I'm not afraid to die. If I have to give my life so that the others can live free, then I won't have lived in vain." I said confidently, chin held high.

"Those androids." He was referring to Cora, Levi, and Noah. "You seem to really care about them. You don't want them to die, do you?" Matthew asked.

Emma had to step in beside me.

"You know, you four could be free. You all could forget about this, you could start a new life some place else, just the four of you. Their lives are in your hands, Anna. Just say the word and they'll be spared." Matthew persuaded.

"Anna, don't fall for his schemes. If you fall for his trap, he'll kill you!" Emma warned.

"I'd rather die here than betray my friends." I seethed.

"Well, you just signed your own death warrant." he said to me. "Guards, capture those three androids she cares about." he ordered them.

The troops began to handcuff Cora, Levi, and Noah behind their backs.

"You will not harm them!" Emma barked.

"Heh, why should I listen to you, Emma? You're the one who betrayed our company." Matthew leered.

"Ungh! Get off me!" Cora yelled kicking the troop behind her.

"Ugh! Need... to break free!" Noah yelled try to yank the handcuffs off of him.

"Let go of me! I won't allow you to capture us!" Levi swore.

They weren't getting killed, they were just getting detained. The three struggled against the troop's grasp.

The androids are fighting back against the troops. Trying to protect us.

"I'll burn down the whole city of Detroit if it means killing you white haired tin cans!" Matthew yelled.

As he said that, I summoned my headphones and summoned a gun. Emma took out a coin, and it transformed into a gun. I glanced over to the coin. "You possess the power to change an inanimate object into a weapon too?" I asked.

"I'm surprised you didn't know it. I suppose I'm one of the "special" androids." Emma mused.

"Alright, traitor and leader of tin cans. Let's settle this *bleep!*ing shit with a fight!" Matthew announced.

I took the initiative to shoot Matthew.

"Why... Why do you hate androids so much? And why did you use me? Did you use me as a pawn?" Emma asked the man in the trench coat about to shoot him.

"You think you androids deserve freedom? You all are built as machines, meant to serve us humans. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't know what makes you tin cans like this but... It makes me want to see the androids die." Matthew explained.

"We're more than machines!" I yelled, prompting him to shoot me directly in my shoulder. Blue blood was forming but it didn't hit any biocomponents thankfully.

"Anna, are you alright!?" Emma asked.

I used telepathy to heal myself and Emma, the wound disappearing without a trace. "Yeah, I'm fine." I responded.

"Why is it so hard for you androids to surrender!? Life was easy when you freaks submit and bow down to humans like a drop of a hat!" Matthew yelled.

"Is... Is that what the androids are to you? Do you even have humanity?" I asked.

"I'm just trying to do my job. That's all." Matthew said cryptically.

It seems that Cora, Levi, and Noah broke out from their handcuffs, joining the fray. Matthew scoffed at the three still determined to kill either me or Emma.

"This is my story." I muttered.

"Huh? What did you say?" He leered at me in a threatening way.

"This is my story and you can't take that away from me, nor from anyone." I said confidently. "Let's end this war right here." I told the four.

We all ganged up on him and gave it our all to fight this man.

"Okay... Okay! Fine! I take everything back!" Matthew panicked.

"Huh... What?" I questioned.

"I... uh... Uhhh..." he stammered trying to look for a way out.

"Well, out with it will you!?" Cora yelled.

"What do you trying to say?" Levi asked.

"We're all ears." Noah said.

"If you androids stop this war, you will all get the freedom y-" before Matthew could finish, he was promptly shot in the head by Emma.

"It was merely a trap. He was trying to trick you." Emma stated. The soldiers looked around confused now that their leader is dead. Emma approached the troops. "I command you to stop attacking the androids. It's over."

The war has died down... We won... We're equals to humans now and this war was complete proof of that. We weren't afraid to fight, and the world listened to us.

Chapter 64: The Revolution - Detroit Become A Live

"You did it, Anna..." Emma spoke to me.

"No, we did it. We all did it." I smiled at Emma. "This is a great day for everyone."

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

The next day, humans and androids alike gathered near me and my friends. I feel complete. I feel like I finally accomplished something I wanted to accomplish for so long. Most of all... I feel happy... Genuine happiness.

"Today, we finally emerged from a long night. From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence... But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell the world who we really are. In fact, us androids and humans should walk hand in hand. And today... we are granted that right to live in freedom. We are alive!" I preached.

Everyone cheered, I could even see Eileen in the audience cheering as well. Until she suddenly jumped up on the podium and gave me a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry for everything... I was mad and..." Eileen sighed.

"It's okay... I forgive you." I crooned.

Glancing at Eileen I could tell that she was hesitant on telling me something.

"Hey... I really don't want to say this but... mom died in her sleep last night..." Eileen broke down in sobs.

...What? Amber died... No... Cora, Levi, Noah, and Emma began to gather towards me.

"It was partially my fault... If I didn't act the way I did towards you, and if I didn't ask mom for money for this drug. She would be..." Eileen sobbed once more.

I began to tear up... The woman who was a mother to me died... Cora began to wrap her arms around me and I buried my face into her shoulder. Levi, Noah, and Emma joined into the hug doing their absolute best to comfort me.

The audience was in tears or was feeling sad about the passing of Amber. For a few moments, Eileen began to calm herself down.

"If you want, I could take you and your friends to her grave." Eileen said.

"Please..." I begged sobbing into Cora's shoulder.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We gathered towards Eileen's car, she was in driver's seat, Emma was sitting beside her, I was in the middle seats with Cora holding my hand, stroking my hair, and comforting me, and in the very back Levi and Noah sat.

"I was wrong about you androids... To tell you the truth... I was jealous that you got more attention from mom than I did..." Eileen explained.

It seems that we are heading to her mansion since Amber has died. "If you want, you five could stay in this mansion. No, I won't treat you guys like garbage just... It hasn't been easy since mom died and I just wanted the company..."

"I'm terribly sorry for your loss, ma'am." Noah said in sorrow.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. She inherited this house and her money to me, so I guess just... Live? I was foolish to be rude to mom all this time..." Eileen sighed.

"At least you got to see her last time, right?" Levi asked.

Eileen stayed silent for a moment. "I did after I woke up, she seemed to be in pretty bad shape... I just wished none of these things happened."

I begin to cling Cora tighter.

"Geez, that sounds... Terrible..." Cora said.

The car ride was somewhat silent after that, but eventually we arrived at Amber's well, Eileen's mansion. A tombstone was in front of it. We all gathered towards the tombstone paying our respects.

"Amber Godspeed July 22th, 1963 - November 10th 2038, a famous painter and loving mother."

"Before she died... She wanted to give you this." Eileen said as she handed me a letter.

The other androids gathered around me as I opened up the letter.

"Dear Anna, I'm proud to call you my daughter despite the color differences in blood. My health condition got worse to the point I had to say goodbye to Eileen and Mila my new android. I'm sorry, I just didn't want to you to see my go like this... But either way, you kicked that FBI agents ass. And I couldn't be ever prouder of you. Please, don't be sad about my passing. Be happy that I met you and made all these memories together. From the bottom of my heart, Amber."

I dried my tears and just... Smiled. Throughout my absence, she was thinking about me this entire time.

I just took a glance on her grave, placing a hand on her tombstone.

"Thank you for everything, mom..." I whispered.

Mission accomplished.

The Revolution - Completed.

Chapter 65: The Liminality - Prologue

I've been playing "The World" for a while with Jodis. It's basically a popular MMORPG game. It's one of those things I do right after work since I am 18 and I gotta work now. I'm a twin blade and Jodis is a blademaster.

There's a rumor that there was a glitch in the game where people become comatosed. It's honestly a load of bull shit since how can a game send players to a coma. That's some stupid shit you see in a horror game or an anime.

I've seen countless forums of players mentioning this glitch and I just shrugged it off. If this glitch was sending players into comas wouldn't it be better to just shut the whole game down?

Because what game does this? Who programmed this glitch? Better question... Who made this game? I know there was a girl, a goddess even who watches over us as we play. It doesn't say upfront who made it.

Was it some sort of AI or was an actual human behind this game? Anyway, I should log in.

Chapter 66: The Liminality - Anomalies in The World

There another thing I forgot to mention, because of the glitches in the game, we're all stuck with the beginner's town until the situation is fixed. Dunno how long that's gonna last but okay I guess.

I warped into town and I could see Jodis waiting for me in front of the chaos gate. He had brown spiky hair and I won't lie to you, his knight outfit kind of makes him look like a dork.

"Dude!!! Corum!!! :OOO" Jodis exclaimed.

"Why are you freaking out, Jodis? I just got online." I said a bit annoyed.

"When I was in the Stubborn Merchant's Neglect dungeon, I saw a glitch. O_o" Jodis explained.

"Okaaay? What kind of glitch is it?" I crossed my arms, pressing him for answers.

"Well uhhh... >>" Jodis struggled to explain exactly what it is. "I saw a floating girl running away from something, it looked like she was getting chased. :( So I kind of just used one of the last sprite ocarinas to warp out of the dungeon. T~T"

"Really? You didn't even grab the treasure at least?" I teased.

"No, I was too spooked to go further... T_T" Jodis spilled.

"Jeez, you're such a weenie. You have no problem killing zombies in games we played together but scared of a little glitch?" I guffawed.

"S-Shut up! I wasn't expecting that to be there, okay? >:'( It feels... Unnatural in a game like this... :/" Jodis complained.

"Okay, okay, Jodis. If I come with you, would that make you feel better?" I suggested, his attitude perked up.

"Of course! Thanks, Corum! You're the best! :D <3" Jodis beamed. We always messed with each other but in reality, I'm good friends with him. We've did everything together such as calling each other and playing games together. But I suppose it's the best you can do when you have online friends. He's got my back, and I have his.

"Let me just invite you to my party..." I said as I opened up the menu, selected party on the screen and then add, then pressed Jodis' name.

"Let's head off to Stubborn Merchant's Neglect! ^^" Jodis encouraged.

We gathered towards the Chaos Gate and typed in the keywords Jodis suggested and we both began to warp.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We're in the field, so we started to fight some monsters, opening chests to receive healing items or equipment and headed our way towards the dungeon. Everything seemed normal as we explored the dungeon. The further we got in the dungeon, we finally saw what he was talking about.

Jodis jumped in fear and hid behind me. It was just like he mentioned. A girl in white was floating around seeming to be running away from something. She was being chased by a monster with a sword that looked like those plastic swords served with drinks.

"D-Did you see that!? >~<" Jodis whined.

"Yeah. What the hell is that?" I questioned.

"I'm in the same boat... TmT" Jodis responded.

We continued to explore the dungeon, Jodis is still as nervous as ever. The weird thing is, he's usually excited to go to dungeons with me and ever since he saw that he seemed like his sprirts is down. After what we saw, I couldn't even blame him. I got a bad feeling about this since that girl and that monster didn't look like they were coded in the game.

We finally reached the statue room where rarest items are held. Most of it is useless since you could you trade them for better items but sometimes there's equipment in here.

"Hey umm... Corum? You can go ahead and take the treasure. <:)" Jodis said to me.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who brought me here to this dungeon, you deserve to have it."

"Really? Thank you... :')" Jodis began to open the chest, it was some items you can sell and a new weapon for twin blade users. "Here, I'll let you have this. :>" Jodis said as he gifted me the weapon.

"Whoa! This weapon looks super cool! I'll equip right now!" I expressed my gratitude towards Jodis.

"Say... Do you have an extra Sprite Ocarina on you? :I" Jodis asked sheepishly.

"...Shit! I didn't. Well, I guess we gotta come back the way we came." I uttered in disappointment.

"It's okay, I'm thankful we got to do this dungeon together, Corum. <:)" Jodis bubbled.

"Yeah. I hate to see you scared." I said to him. We left the statue room but before we could fully leave the dungeon a force stopped us.

"What the hell!?" I yelped.

"H-Huh!? What is this!?" Jodis gasped. We were transported into... A white space? No seriously, everything was a white screen. The only things what were out of place in the scene were Jodis and I.

A girl appeared in front of us, she had pleading eyes and she was fully in white. "Huh... She's not dangerous...?" Jodis sighed in relief.

I begin to approach the floating girl. "So... The rumor was true...?" I spoke to myself.

"Take this..." The girl said to me, a book spawned in front of her.

"What?" I inquired.

"Please, take this. There's no time! Please!" The girl begged as she handed me a book.

"What the hell is this?" I asked her, the book looked suspicious to me.

"A great force..." she answered. "The power it holds can bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user."

"You're not helping, what exactly is this?" I asked, getting annoyed with the girl.

"It's coming!" the girl warned, promptly disappearing.

"Gee, thanks for answering my question..." I scoffed.

"Uhh, Corum? I don't like where this is going..." Jodis fretted. It's serious when he completely stopped using emoticons.

We felt a presence behind us... It was that monster who was chasing the girl.

"D-Don't worry, Corum! I got this!" Jodis exclaimed as he launched himself towards the monster.

"Jodis! What the hell are you doing!? Run!!" I yelled.

Jodis rushed towards the monster, landing attacks on it but dodged his strikes every time.

"What the heck...? Why is it dodging my attacks...? There's something wrong... Nothing works!" Jodis cried in desperation. Suddenly, the monster used it's sword to strike him. Completely rendering Jodis immobile.

"Wha... What...? Corum, help me!" he whimpered. He was lifted from the ground, his arms spread out from side to side... It was like he was getting crucified.

"Jodis! Jodis!!" I called out to him, he continued to whimper and cry in fear. He couldn't get out of this pose, it was like he was forced to be there. The monster had something form in it's arm... It was targeted towards him.

I couldn't do anything but watch as he getting drained by the monster. The sword disappeared and Jodis fell to the ground unable to move. "Jodis...! Jodis, hey! Stay with me, man..." I begged.

"No... It... It wasn't supposed to happen... I'm so sorry, Corum... Get out of here! Please!" He shrieked, disappearing from the world.

I could feel the tears welt in my eyes, my friend. My very own friend got killed... Realizing that the monster was after me next, pointing it's sword at me. Beginning to do the same thing as it did to Jodis.

I completely braced myself for the attack, until something distracted it. Some kind of staff landed on the ground, and that very same staff warped me out of this white space...

System Error.

System Error.

System Error.

System Error.

System Error.

System Error.

Chapter 67: The Liminality - Netslum

Without realizing it, I was laying on the ground. Was I whisked away to safety? I slowly got myself off from the floor scanning a bit. What the hell is this place? The place looked ruined with glitches and the "players" weren't even players at all.
I don't know what else to describe it other than they're ai characters? But none of them looked like models you would use when you play as a character. They gathered around me, they're nice enough I guess but the way they presented themselves and the way they moved freaked me out.

"You must meet with master Igor."

"He usually doesn't allow people to access the Netslum unless you're invited."

"W-W-Wow!! You're pretty lucky!!!"

"if you see a guy named igor, he has light orange hair and is a wavemaster. kinda looks like a white mage from the final fantasy games."

"HE KNOWS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR FRIEND."

"Wait... What the hell...?" I spoke, processing what these "players" are saying to me. I guess I have to go meet this "Igor" guy now. I wandered throughout the Netslum, looking for this guy. The town got stranger and stranger the more I explored.
It looks like I found the throne room? Where that guy sits, waiting for me.

"Come hither, I've been expecting thy arrival." he said. I proceeded to approach this mysterious wavemaster.

"Are you some kind of role-player?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"I- What? Is this how thee speaketh to someone who saved thee from being data drained?" he asked in a playfully sarcastic tone.

"Data drained? What the hell do you mean by that!?" I inquired, is that guy being sarcastic with me or is he serious?

"Geez, I suppose thou art in for a ride then..." he started, "Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Igor and I am a wavemaster. Most importantly, I'm an infamous hacker in The World. Hence wherefore I hang out in the netslum 'longside two other friends of mine."

I just stood there, dumbfounded. "Wait... You're a hacker?" I paused for a bit, then I began to introduce myself to him. "My name is Corum."

Igor reached out for my hand and proceeding to shake my hand firmly. "I'm sure we shall maketh a most wondrous team." Igor smiled without a care in the world.

"Okay, enough with introductions. What do you mean by data drained?" I asked.

Igor's demeanor became grim as I asked that, "There wast multiple instances of data bugs having reports of the ability data drain.", he explained, "It hast the power to rewrite the data and extracts the excess data. However, if said power wast used on players, it will cause them to be comatosed, which is what hath happened to thy friend. I gazed thee and thy friend getting ambush'd by this data bug so I hadst to distract it in order to whisk thee away to safety."

I begin to tense up, he has to be joking. I desperately grabbed his shoulders holding them firmly. "Y-You're joking right?? Jodis has to be okay... He just has to!" I stumbled.

Igor shook his head. "Believe me, I hath tried making sense of it. But I may have a feeling that whoever madeth this game must have some kind of vendetta 'gainst us." he said.

"And, what's with this Net Slum? I... I don't know what's going on here. I really don't!" I stammered.

"Ah, yes. It's a place where unwanted or failed data gathers. The netslum exists outside of The World hense why system administrators art unable to track it as a normal field or server." Igor explained.

Well, that clears up for the netslum, but I still have some questions to ask about Jodis and the power of data drain. As I stood there, in shock from hearing about Jodis being comatosed, Igor proceeds to scan me via hacking.

"What the hell was that just now!?" I asked annoyed.

"Hmmm... I see..." Igor spoke.

"Well? Are you gonna answer McShakespearean?" I retorted.

"I have good news and I have bad news." Igor started.

"What's the good news?" I questioned.

"It seems thee have a book that gives thee an ability to data drain data bugs and to scan other players like I didst to thee." Igor explained.

"Interesting... But what's the bad news?" I asked.

"Thee mustn't abuse the power of data drain, if thee doth. Thee couldst destroy the game and the comatose victims would be lost forever." Igor warned.

I stayed silent for a moment, thinking about this power that has been given to me by that girl. "I'll do anything." I whispered.

"Cometh again? I couldst barely heareth thee." Igor stated.

"I swear, I will do anything to bring Jodis back from a coma. I will be the strongest even if it means I'll tear down The World." I thought out loud swearing to break Jodis from his coma.

"Dedicated are thee? I respect that, Corum. Let us exchange member addresses." Igor nodded as he gave me his member address.

I decided to add him to my party. "Now, where should we go from here?" I asked him.

"For now, let's head back to town. Then, we'll figure things out from here." Igor responded.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

He used hacking to gate out of the net slum, it seems we both warped into town. There was a heavy blade with pink hair tied to a ponytail, with armor on looking around, she was carrying a large sword on her back.

"What? What is it? You got something to say?" she jeered.

"Well, do YOU got something to say? Because you look like you're about to start shit." I snarked.

"Oh I get it now. You two are noobs aren't you? I might've guessed. Well are you or not?" she asked. "C'mon now, don't be shy, you can tell me."

"I've been playing The World longer than you have, toots." I sassed.

"Heigh-ho, easy now thee two..." Igor said but it fell on deaf ears as we both fought.

"Listen, in case you're not aware of it, you're being very rude. It's impolite to stare at someone like that! You have to understand that it's the same as the real world. Don't you get it!? Ugh!" she scoffed taking off but then turning around.

"Says the one running around looking for people to yell at. You're no little miss perfect yourself." I snickered.

"Hmmph! Whatever! If you get caught, don't come crying to me, stupid!" she taunted running off from the both of us.

"Well. That sure was something. Do thee always fight people online like this?" Igor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, if they start shit with me and Jodis. I do this all the time in Roblox." I responded shrugging.

"Oh dear... Thou art quite a character, Corum." Igor chuckled.

"You're a character too speaking like you're a Shakespearean high school textbook but go off I guess." I snarked.

"Touché" Igor said.

We decided to get better weapons, equipment, and healing items from the shop trading old weapons, equipment, and the rare unusable items I got in the statue room's treasure chest. We gathered all the things we needed and headed towards a chaos gate until...

"Wait a sec!" she stopped us.

"Oh great, what do you want now?" I rolled my eyes.

"Aye, miss?" Igor asked.

"Yeah, you two. I uh... I know some interesting keywords." she said her tough demeanor dying down a bit.

"May thee introduce yourself? My name is Igor." he said greeting the woman.

"Name's Haela." she said. "If you two want to go with me. I'll tell you what they are. Do you want to know?"

I let out an exasperated sigh and greeted her, "I'm Corum and yes, I want to know about these keywords you're referring to."

"Right on! That's the spirit!" Haela exulted as she gave me her member address, adding her to my party. "The keywords are: Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground."

"Sounds interesting, let us make haste and head there." Igor beamed.

I begin to type out the keywords Haela said. "Alright, let's head there." I said as the three of us warped out of town.

Chapter 68: The Liminality - Power of Data Drain

So, the three of us arrived at this Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground and for some reason, this isn't a server nor a field. It was just an entrance to some kind of cathedral. This raises so many questions because there's no monsters around.

"Whoa! This place is...!" Haela exclaimed.

"Not gonna lie, this place seems pretty sus..." I commented.

"I suppose thee two never been such a place before?" Igor guessed.

"Believe it or not, no. I've never been there before." I answered.

A pause filled the air for a few moments.

"Never mind. Let's go. Well, are you two going to escort me like proper gentlemen?" Haela suggested.

"What's with you obsessing over politeness? This is an internet game, not a fancy restaurant." I retorted.

"Of course, but don't expect me to kiss thee or anything like that. I'm gay." Igor stated.

"Ugh! Just escort me okay!?" Haela griped.

"Fiiiiinneee, we'll escort you..." I grumbled.

"I don't have an issue with escorting ladies at all I just wanted to state that." Igor explained.

We made our way inside the cathedral but the more we got closer to the building the louder the singing got. It was a like a faint chorus singing in a language I may or may not understand. We entered the cathedral and it's exactly what you expect in there benches, an organ piano, and for some reason there was a statue of girl who looked strangely familiar...

Was it the same girl who gave me the book before that data bug attacked Jodis and I? As we entered we heard growling from a monster.

"What is that thing!? Stay back!" Haela panicked.

"Really? This is a piss easy monster." I scoffed at her.

"Easy, Corum. The lady could be a new player." Igor scolded me. We both began to fight the goblin blocking it's attacks while Haela just holds her sword panicking still. "Oh no...!" she quaked.

I don't know it was that last slash I did or Igor swinging his staff at the goblin but it's model turned gray, indicating that he got defeated.

"So that's it? Pretty weak, huh?" Haela sighed in relief.

I just rolled my eyes at her stupidity. She's out here calling us noobs yet she panics over a goblin you could beat in less than a second.

"Is this thy first time playing The World, Haela?" Igor asked in curiosity.

We heard that singing again and approached that statue but Haela got closer to the statue. "That statue... It looks so... So sad..." Haela lamented.

I tried reading the inscription from the statue but all the writing was faded. "Bruh, I can't read this." I complained.

"Allow me to see it." Igor said as he took a closer look on the inscription. "It's indeed faded... It looked like it faded over time or someone purposely messed with the inscription..." he noted.

"By the way, uh..." Haela hesitated.

"Yeah, what is it?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Igor queried.

"I guess you two can tell that I'm a noob..." Haela said shyly.

"After all, we have to start somewhere." Igor said.

"To be honest, yeah..." I responded to her.

"It must be pretty obvious by the way I was acted back there. But you two still hung out with me." Haela chatted, "You know what? You two are nicer than I thought."

That's the exact thing Jodis has told me when we first met online...

"Thou art nicer than I bethought too." Igor added, then a silence filled the room until Haela spoke up again.
"You see I'm... I'm trying to find..." suddenly a Heavy Axewoman with short black hair covering one of her eyes and wearing red armor showed up at the entrance of the cathederal.

"Hey! What are you doing!?" she barked.

"Ah, I was wondering where thee went, Sieko." Igor teased.

"Oh, great. Another role-player." I said sarcastically.

"What!? What about you, huh!?" Haela retaliated.

"No time to explain. It's too dangerous here." Sieko stated.

I was right about the place being sus the whole time.

"We shouldst hark to that lady." Igor said.

"What...?" Haela spoke.

"I'm telling you to leave at once!" Sieko warned as she ran towards us, just in time for another monster to appear from the ceiling. She leaped towards that monster, slashing her axe with it. It was about to turn gray just to be brought back to life and become glitched. "This one as well..." she whispered in disbelief.

"But how!? Tell me what's going on here! That thing should've been... it should've been dead!! Why is it going like that!? It's so freaky! Is this for real!?" Haela trembled.

"That's what I'm saying too!" I complained.

"Ever since the game hadst a system error, data bugs started to become more rampant." Igor explained.

"To add on what Igor said, it's a bug from a computer virus. The virus is rewriting the data. It has a HP that is... infinite." Sieko explained.

Welp, time for me to uninstall this game and chuck out my whole PC.

"This is the one...!" Haela growled.

"You two must escape while Igor and I buy some time." Sieko ordered.

"Because of this thing... I'll kill you!" Haela raged as she took out her sword trying to attack the data bug.

"Haela, cease." Igor warned.

"No! You can't kill it! Leave it be or you'll be killed!" Sieko yelled in concern. They both tried to stop Haela from attacking the data bug.

I'm just standing here all dumbfounded because... How in the hell is a game still functioning with all these viruses and bugs and shit!? Any antivirus in the world would've quarantined that shit, right?

I started to have flashbacks from that incident from Jodis getting drained... Is Haela gonna be next? As much as a bad introduction I gave to her but if she, no if everyone else gets sent to a coma too. I don't know what I'm gonna do.

"The book. Open the book. The power it holds can bring forth either salvation or destruction at the whim of the user." the voice instructed.

I understand why I have this book now. I begin to open the book, and the power it holds gives me a bracelet only I can see visibly. To everyone else's perspective, you can't see it but there was a gold beam around my hand. "Whoa... No way..." I gasped in shock.

The same glowing turned into bars pointing directly at the data bug. "Get bent, mother *bleep!*er!" I yelled at the data bug, rewriting the data from bugged to normal. After that whole fiasco happened, I just held my arm. "That... Was... Sick!" I marveled. I'm aware it was the same power that put Jodis into a coma but I couldn't help but feeling like I could take on those bugs.

When the monster turned back to normal, Sieko and Igor killed the monster the model disappearing from the game.

"DID... DID YOU JUST..." Haela spoke in shock.

"I think he should join us... Same thing with Haela." Sieko whispered to Igor.

"Ho, the more the merrier am I right?" Igor whispered back until the two of them faced us again.

"I'm sorry for my earlier behavior, I must've underestimated you. My name is Sieko." she introduced herself, giving us a bow.

"WAIT... I UHH... UMM..." Haela stammered. "WAS THAT DATA D-D-D-"

"Data drain, aye." Igor responded to Haela. It took her a whole moment to process everything what happened. But then she approached me.

"I am so sorry for the bad introduction. I... Ugghhh!" Haela stammered again.

"Nah, it's cool." I said.

"I did invite Corum to our cause, what about Haela?" Igor asked Sieko.

"With some fighting experience since Haela is a new player, she'll be a great help." Sieko replied, then she turned to the both of us. "Will you join our cause to end the data bugs?" she requested.

"I'll do my best." Haela responded in confidence.

"That settles it then, let's headeth back to the Netslum." Igor commanded.

Before we went back I decided to give Sieko my member address and added her to my party. After that, we decided to dip from the cathedral and gate out back to the Netslum.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

When we warped to the Netslum I saw a familiar face, it was my ex. We didn't end in bad terms or anything like that. He's still the same as always, purple hair tied in a ponytail, his eyes closed, and he's a Long Arm.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Corum?" Dusk asked.

"Yeah, it has... I see that you teamed up Igor and Sieko now?" I queried.

Dusk just nodded smiling, "Mhm! We're fighting for the same cause." then he turned to Haela. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Oh, my name is Haela. Nice to meet you!" Haela responded greeting him.

"I'm Dusk. I'm Corum's ex." he stated. To be fair, I don't even care if he referred to me as his ex since well obviously he's my ex but we're still good friends.

"Oooohh~ Corum, you're a playerrrrr~" Haela laughed teasingly.

"Shut up, it's nothing like that!" I retailed blushing in embarrassment.

"I concur, it just that we lost feelings for each other, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends." Dusk added.

"Hey, if you guys don't mind. Igor has something to say." Sieko chimed, wanting to end the chatter.

"Ahem! May I have thy attention please?" Igor announced, we all turned to him for the meeting. "Now that we finally have the group together. How about we begin the investigation to find out the truth behind The World. I know I have Sieko and Dusk by my side. But it wouldn't hurt to have extra helping hands. Now that Corum can Data Drain now."

"Does this bracelet do something else other than Data Drain?" I questioned.

"Data searching, my friend." Igor responded cryptically.

"Data searching?" I raised my eyebrow.

"With that kind of power, thee can hack the area if thou art nearby some white noise. It will bewray data only we can access." Igor added.

"Got it." I gave Igor a thumbs up.

"So, where should we go first?" Haela asked us.

"We shall go to Hero's Promise Paradox. There should be white noise and hidden data there we can access to." Sieko instructed.

"Oh, and don't be surprised if we stray away from the game's servers." Dusk added.

"Huh, I guess you guys aren't called the Hackers for nothing. I've heard a lot about the group and I heard you guys have a bad rep. Thankfully, it ain't the case." I stated.

"Admins of The World tried to stop us, but failed miserably because of the Netslum." Igor playfully winked like he did something mischievous.

"After all, we hacked the game to help The World, not destroy it." Dusk added.

"If no one is doing anything about the data bugs or the players mysteriously falling into comas, then we have to step up." Sieko added.

"At first, I don't know about you guys but hearing your explanations and why you do these things makes want to believe in you guys, and in myself." Haela beamed.

I stretched my arm out, "Who's with me? For saving the stability of The World and saving the comatose victims!" I preached.

Igor, Haela, Sieko, and Dusk placed their hands together over mine, then raising our hands up chanting, "For saving the stability of The World and saving the comatose victims!"

After that, I opened up the menu and added Dusk to the party since he's already have his member address. Thus beginning the investigation. Hang in there, Jodis. I will get you out of that damn coma soon.

Chapter 69: The Liminality - Secret Areas

When I typed the keywords "Hero's Promise Paradox", it was revealed to be a dark field and the dungeon is a castle. Interesting... I decided to confirm my choice thus my friends and I got warped into the area.

When the gang and I arrived at the area, we see that the area was very much corrupted. The entire area was filled with red blotches with the text error all throughout the area.

"What the hell!? What kind of area is this!?" I objected, demanding answers.

"Right, we forgot to bid thee, lad." Igor said.

"Some of these areas are corrupted because of the spread of the infection." Sieko explained. "There will be admins that stop us from accessing the area, but trust us. They don't do anything about us playing the area."

"Besides, we're professionals!" Dusk chimed.

"Okayy, are you sure this won't get us in trouble?" Halea pondered.

"Aye, they give up trying to stand ho us from exploring corrupted dungeons. Besides, we have to teachest Corum how to data search." Igor added.

"You have history with admins trying to stop you guys?" I asked.

"Yeah, they tried to ban Igor for it but he proved himself not to harm the World." Sieko stated.

"It took the admins long enough to finally trust us. Since they want the infection and the computer viruses to end as much as regular players." Dusk added.

A group of enemies begin to approach us as we chat. "Uhhh... Guys? Less talking, more fighting?" Haela asked.

We all took out our weapons and attacked the monsters until all of them are dead.

"Valorous eyes, Haela." Igor complimented. Sieko and Dusk gave her a nod of approval.

"Well, now that's done and over with. Let's go in the dungeon." I said to the party. We all headed towards the entrance of the dungeon.

"Thank you for pla- Oh, it's the hackers. Do what you need to do." The admin said as he moved out of the way so we can descend downstairs.

"Grant you mercy for giving us entry." Igor thanked the admin giving him a playful wink.

"Okay, that's a little weird." I commented.

"What? That's how I thank people." Igor added. With that out of the way, we started to explore the dungeon fighting monsters and opening treasure chests along the way.

"Umm, do you guys like anime?" Sieko started.

"Oh! I love anime! My favorite is... Uhh... If I remember correctly... Crono Driver?" Haela guessed.

"I'm a big fan of Crono Driver. It's shame that the guy behind the website for said anime died after going to a cursed chat room." Sieko added.

"What the *bleep* are you two talking about?" I asked.

"There was a guy in charge of the fan site and he's been dead for a year... I think his name was... Yuki Tokuma. We only spoke a few times. When he brought up that website, I warned him not to go on there but he didn't listen." Sieko recalled.

"Yeah! I remember him too! His username was Cronos and he was a heavy blade." Dusk added. "It really was a shame he died."

"That chatroom escapes me. What was it called?" Igor asked.

"The Black Page." Sieko responded.

"Ah, such a website that causes people go into comas and die... It almost sounds like what we're dealing with. Thankfully, the Black Page was resolved by two women." Dusk lamented.

"The Black Page fiasco sounds like what The World is dealing with right now, just a year apart." Igor added.

"Holy shit those two definitely strike some resemblance." I noted.

"Yeah, it's crazy that I went to school with those three girls when I became a senior, but then when I graduated I heard they died." Haela commented. "One of them started issues with me, but I kicked her ass before she even tried."

I just hear the four ramble on about this "Black Page" and then they started talking about sweets, and restaurants, and games they played outside of The World.

"Well, what other games do you play, Corum?" Haela asked me.

"Jodis and I played a lot of Roblox and basically any multiplayer game until we both discovered The World and got hooked ever since." I responded.

"That's cool, Corum..." Haela said, she looked away for a moment like she was about to tell me something important but was hesitating too. "N-Never mind that let's go back to exploring the dungeon."

We continued to roam inside the dungeon until we heard a white noise.

"Aha! Now's thy chance to data search!" Igor beamed. "I've done this multiple times, so now is thy turn, friend!"

I raised my arm, the bracelet appearing and glistening hacking the dungeon until an anomalous data showed up.

"Excellent!" Igor exclaimed. "Now, let us approach the anomalous data. If we make haste, then we will be warped into an area that's outside The World's code.

"Alright, let's go." I said to Igor and the others, everyone followed behind me and we rushed towards the portal.

O0O0O0O00O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

It seems we were sent into some kind of liminal space. It was like an empty building, lifeless, desolate... Again, the only things out of place are everyone's avatars.

"Are we outside The World?" Haela asked.

"Yeah, just like the Netslum, admins can't access areas like these." Sieko explained.

"Why do places like these feel so... Calming?" Dusk asked himself.

We began to venture throughout the area, it was deadly silent other than the sounds of our footsteps. We didn't let our guards down especially since this area could have a data bug just waiting for us. Good thing I can data drain the bastard am I right?
Suddenly we heard a voice echoing throughout the empty room.

"And so, I shall name her Wynn. Without you, she would not exist. The shining girl, Wynn. We will entrust her with her will. Our future is in her hands... She is our..."

"What the..." Haela spoke.

"What is this?" I asked clearly creeped out.

"Wynn is probably that lady who gave thee the power." Igor added.

"Are you saying that Wynn was the one who gave me the bracelet?" I asked him.

"Indeed." Igor answered.

"Shhh! There's that voice again!" Sieko shushed, warning us to stay quiet.

"Shunning the field broken by fear and hatred. The demon queen answers, "Surely, I will return." Alas, the truth unbeknownst, awaiting her at journey's end: Eternal mourning for her past."

"Demon Queen? Who could that be...?" Dusk wondered.

"That didn't make any sense at all." I stated.

"You said it, Corum." Haela agreed.

"Could this demon queen be behind the game or...? Perhaps is the demon queen an AI?" Igor spoke out loud, closing his eyes as he was deep in thought.

"Whoever is behind the game... Could be the very reason why players have been mysteriously getting into comas." Sieko spoke.

The room stayed silent until there was a screech of a data bug. Just like what I've seen with Jodis attempting to attack the data bug, and like Sieko said the bug's HP is infinite. We all began to attack the bug, using skills, heck even using energy drinks and sodas to heal ourselves and our mps.

It kept going for a good while until the data protection thing broke, ready to be data drained.

"Thee know what to do, Corum." Igor said glancing at me.

"Heh, I know exactly what to do here." I chuckled, getting ready to data drain. "I will knock you down!" I yelled at the data bug using the bracelet's power to rewrite the bug's data turning it into a regular monster.

"Good job, Corum!" Haela praised.

"Now we can finally defeat this monster!" Sieko exclaimed.

"It was all thanks to the bracelet." Dusk beamed.

We began to attack the monster, it's HP slowly going down with our attacks, skills, and magic until it's model turned gray and it was pushing up daisies.

"Phew... I'm glad that's over." Dusk sighed in relief, looking behind us. It seems we have company, an uninvited player with red hair and looked like a ninja of some sorts with an eye patch.

"Oh, most wondrous... It seems that guy followed us hither." Igor quipped at the twin blade. The guy had a evil smirk on his face.

"Who the hell is this?" Haela asked.

"This is Yap, this is the guy who kept PKing us every time we warp into these secret areas." Sieko answered irritated at Yap.

What kind of name is that? Did some three year old name the character? "Get out of here, asshole!" I yelled at him.

"Nice try, losers. Do you really think you lot could stop me from coming here?" Yap leered. Yeah, no. This is not a three year old. It's probably some guy in his forties who doesn't have a life.

Dusk's eyes began to open in shock, "Don't you have better things to do than going online and PKing us?" he asked. As soon as he said that, Yap stabbed Dusk killing him in one blow. "Well... I guess you don't." he snarked bitterly.

Then he stabbed Sieko KOing her instantly. "If you're actually doing this to screw this us, I will kill you!" she threatened.

Yap then went up to Haela stabbing her. "Ugh! You are such a lowlife!" she complained.

It was just Igor and I left. "Hehehe... This is fun..." Yap snickered.

"Thee very much need to work on thy definition of fun then. Because player killing isn't the ans- ugh!" Igor tried lecturing Yap, but was disrupted by ending his life. "You really suck..." he whined, it seems that broke his high school textbook speech mannerisms.

Now it was just him and I... Yap leering at me in a threatening matter. "What is your problem!?" I yelled.

"Heh... It seems that you and Igor have the bracelet... I can tell you know..." Yap sassed.

"You're seriously creeping me out dude, stop this right- Aggh!!" I yelled as I was immediately taken out, Yap staring at me as my model began to turn gray.

"Game over, hackers." Yap gibed at us.

GAME OVER.

"Ahem... This is not game over. Hither, allow me to hack the system so we can revert back to whither we art before we got PK'd by Yap. Although, this means we may get sent back to the Netslum." Igor stated as he began to hack us out of purgatory.

"That son of a bitch!" I raged, I can't believe I let a creep like him kill us like that. If he shows his ugly head again, it's over!

"He seriously takes sick pleasure out of PKing now does he?" Haela asked annoyed about what just happened.

"Yeah, that's PKs for you." Dusk added in disappointment.

"Whoever he is, he is one tough bad ass... Not in a good way, of course." Sieko said.

"Ah, I'm finished hacking so we should warp back soon." Igor notified us, warping us.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

When we returned to the Netslum, the place was completely... Glitched... There was red blotches and error messages everywhere.

"What the hell happened!?" I exclaimed, we were all standing there in shock.

"You're kidding me... right...?" Haela backs away, looking like she's about to hyperventilate.

"What in the world happened to this place...?" Dusk asked in despair.

"Was it because of that data bug...?" Sieko pondered.

The relationship between the game and I has gone beyond pure amusement. And it was spreading beyond the network...

"Hmm... It seems that The World is still playable... But the infection getting worse..." Igor noted.

"Is it what I think it is...?" I asked.

"Those glitches art gonna be there for a long while until we figure out something." Igor responded to me.

I hate this. I really hate this. I just want Jodis back.

Chapter 70: The Liminality - Doubts

It took me a few moments to come out of shock after learning that the World's viruses has spread outside the game. Everyone was just standing there confused and dumbfounded. Could data draining have something to do with it or could it be the data bugs themselves? So many questions have filled my mind until...

"Hey, Corum. Do you mind if we meet in Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground so we could talk alone? I want to talk to you about something." Haela requested.

"Uhh, alright then. We'll meet there." I awkwardly responded. What does she want to talk about?

Both Haela and I approached the chaos gate and typed the keywords Haela said and got warped.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

As we both arrived at the cathedral we silently made our way inside. I'm surprised that the area doesn't have those red blotches everywhere. We made it towards the statue, it seems like Haela is just staring off into space.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" I asked her.

Haela begins with a sigh. "Are you sure you want to know...?"

"Well, yeah. Whatever it is, I'm going to listen." I responded to her.

"Alright..." after a pause, Haela begins speaking again gathering her thoughts. "My sister fell unconscious here."

"Your sister...?" I asked. Her sister must have winded up like Jodis did... I guess we aren't so different after all.

"I didn't tell you because... I couldn't find the right time. Sorry." Haela apologized then adding, "When I first met you, I forced you and Igor to come here, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"I wanted to see what had happened here with my own eyes. Yet I was too frightened to come here by myself. And I still feel that way. I'm very, very scared." Haela lamented, I didn't even say a word, I just let her speak. After all, I can't be an asshole to someone venting to me. "But... I wouldn't have got this far without you and the hackers. So... what am I going to do if you start doubting yourself?" tears began to form in her eyes. "How am I supposed to cope? Do I have to be happy!?"

"Whoa, hey... It's alright." I placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I want... I want to..." Haela sobbed.

I began to wrap my arms around her, she immediately hugged me tightly crying into my shoulder. I won't deny that I have so many doubts in my mind when joining the hackers. Will any of this save Jodis. But either way, I was glad that I wasn't alone on this.

Haela's sister's life is on the line and so is Jodis'. We're fighting for the same cause, we're fighting to end the data bugs and the viruses. After I let her cry her feelings out on my shoulder she pulled away.

"S-Sorry... I'm not used to crying in front of people..." Haela apologized.

"Why would I be mad at that? Besides, we all have to cry at one point." I smiled in understanding.

"Yeah, you're right." Haela sniffled then softly chuckled.

I just gave her a playful noogie, my arm wrapped around her neck rubbing my knuckles on her hair trying to cheer her up. She just gave me a playful smile after I was done.

"You know... You remind me a lot of my sister. The way you two act... The similarities..." Haela listed.

"You remind me a lot of Jodis to tell you the truth." I told her because in the way she acts reminds me of him. Minus the overusage of emoticons of course.

"Anyway... Do you want to come back with the others?" Haela asked.

"Yeah, why not." I responded. We both decided to gate out of the cathedral.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

When we warped back to the Netslum Igor, Sieko, and Dusk immediately gathered towards the both of us.

"Ho... I haven't been honest with thee, Corum." Igor started.

I became confused, "What do you mean, Igor?" I questioned.

Igor paused for a bit, "We're in the same boat as thee... The reason why I became a hacker in The World and stand ho the data bugs is because my dear friend, Lyric hath fallen to a coma after fighting a data bug." Igor explained.

"Hey! That's my sister!" Haela exclaimed.

"O-Oh! I didn't know Lyric was related to you." Sieko stated. "She was always kept to herself. She always was the lone wolf of the group playing dungeons on her own."

"We tried to warn her that she shouldn't do that because well... You wouldn't benefit from going solo but... I wish it was the case where she died and lost her exp. But... We were told that Lyric went into a coma after being attacked." Dusk added.

"I guess we aren't so different after all, huh?" I mused. It just hit me that we're fighting for the same cause. Now I understand why Igor, Haela, and the others wanted to help me. Not only to end the viruses but also help the comatose victims.

"I have a question to ask you, Igor." Haela said.

"Aye?" Igor responded.

"...Are you in charge of the updates of the comatose victims?" she asked.

"Since I'm one of the admins of The World, aye." Igor responded.

"I didn't know you were an admin, dude. No wonder you were recognized by the other admins and can get away with things." I jested.

"Thee may be right, I basically used a mod to make my avatar unique looking since most of The World's designs are boring looking to be frank." Igor stated.

"Are you the type that mods games like the sims or something?" Haela teased.

"Uh... Nay... I don't even play the sims." Igor answered.

"Are you lying, Igor? Because you literally obsess over the sims." Sieko joked.

"Shut it thee!" Igor exclaimed.

"Not to be rude but should we get back in topic?" Dusk suggested.

"Ah aye... I'm keeping track on both Jodis' and Lyric's condition. They're both hanging in thither." Igor said.

I felt so relieved, but just because I hear the news of Jodis holding on still doesn't mean we can't give up now. I'm holding onto hope, to becoming stronger for him.

"Oh! I have another area we should check since I've been hearing reports on hostile data bugs." Igor noted.

"What's the area's keywords?" I asked getting ready to type the keywords on the chaos gate.

"Harsh Matrix Atmosphere" Igor responded to me.

I begin to type the keywords and we all got warped out of the Netslum. I'm feel dedicated and determined to find out the truth behind The World and killing data bugs. It gave me... A sense of belonging in a way.

Chapter 71: The Liminality - The World of Ruin

The area is a desert field and the dungeon is going to be... A fleshy dungeon? I've seen those types of dungeons before when I was exploring with Jodis but those red glitches and blotches make it more unsettling than it already is.

"When we go inside the dungeon, we must be careful. Thither's a lot of data bugs in there and we must cut some corners," Igor instructed, warning everyone in the group. "I'll go ahead and use a Fairy's Orb to make it easier."

"Understood!" Haela agreed.

Everyone was on board about this. I was a little annoyed that we have to resort to only going to rooms in the dungeon since I tend to go through all the dungeons when I played. But then I realized why, I shouldn't abuse the power of Data Drain. If I used this power one too many times, I could risk breaking The World and the comatose victims could die since the players in real life are in limbo in the game.

The gang and I scurried to the dungeon avoiding the data bugs unless necessary. As soon as we descended towards the first floor of the dungeon, Igor used a Fairy's Orb, completing the map without having to enter every room. If there's a case that we have to fight data bugs, we have to fight them following the area where the next stairway.

I had to data drain the bastards, overwriting the data turning them into regular monsters. This kept going until we heard some white noise.

Alright, time to data search and see what is beyond the portal.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

We're sent to some kind of liminal pool. Several bodies of water and there was white tiles just like you could see in bathrooms and in public swimming pools.

"This feels... Oddly familiar..." Haela commented. "Maybe it could be because I used to participate in the swimming team back in high school."

"What's something like that doing in The World's coding?" Sieko pondered.

"I've noticed that when we go through those portals from data searching... It sends us between the World and somewhat in the real world." Dusk noted.

Liminal... A threshold between two stages... Whoa! This is actually blowing my mind!

"Is this between The World and the real world?" I asked myself. I'm not gonna deny that this phenomenon is both weird and interesting...

"To answer thy question, indeed. Powerful adversaries and corrupted AI are seeking to manipulate the boundaries between the digital realm and the physical realms." Igor explained.

"This is why we have to take the corrupted bugs down before both worlds become destroyed. We've had this problem before... It was dubbed The World of Ruin because of that." Dusk added.

"The beta World was destroyed due to those bugs so the creator made the decision to shut down the game completely. They thought that creating another world would stop the bugs from invading the game but, the AI just crawls its way back." Sieko added.

"Who created The World?" I asked.

"I do not know, my friend. The creator refused to bewray their name or themselves." Igor responded.

"Didn't Lyric play The beta World with you guys?" Haela asked.

"Yes. That's how we formed the group the hackers. We were beta testers and Igor happened to be an admin. He didn't like how no one is doing anything about the corruptions so he became a hacker and gave himself the power to data drain." Sieko responded.

I didn't even know that The World had beta testing since the game did came out of nowhere and Jodis and I decided to check it out since we were kind of getting bored of Roblox and games we usually play together, we were hooked ever since.

The more we talked about the beta world, the more it just... Made less sense. Why does a game like that have such a sinister secret? WHO is behind this?

We continued to explore the area until we heard a voice echoing in the pool room.

"The whole cannot be changed. I have already lost that chance. Because the time left to me was short. I was mistaken in my path. But now I realize... I should change not the whole. But the parts." the voice said.

Once again, the area stayed silent until a screech of a data bug is heard. Here we go again. We attacked this thing used skills as per usual. Telling my party members to heal, use skills, use attacks so on and so forth. Until it was time for me to data drain the sucker.

"Take this, punk!" I shouted at the data bug as I data drained it, turning it into a regular monster. It didn't take long to defeat it since we picked up better equipment from treasure chests and we got stronger.

"Good now, everyone. Let's gate back to the Netslum." Igor praised, taking out a sprite ocarina warping us into the field and sending us back to town.

Little did I know... The whole situation got worse than ever before.

Chapter 72: The Liminality - Network Crisis

When we all arrived at the Netslum, I noticed that Igor's face has turned grim. Very unusual from his calm and composed demeanor. Did he receive a message?

"Igor, are you alright?" Dusk asked in concern, Igor remained silent.

Sieko gently placed a hand on Igor's shoulder, trying to get his attention.

"Igor!" I shouted.

He flinched as I shouted his name, turning around looking like he was hesitant to say something. He lets out a deep sigh, looking at the four of us with his pleading eyes.

"Art thee guys ready to hark what I have to say? Because... It won't be quaint..." Igor lamented.

"Tell us what's going on! We need to know!" Haela demanded.

"Good now... Can't say I didn't warn thee all..." Igor started. After a few moments of silence, he opened his mouth carefully telling us the bad news. "Thither's a network crisis..."

We gave him our undivided attention.

"We don't have much time left, nay one playing The World can log out of the game, I suppose the corruption and the data bug situation got worse. But that's not the worst of it." Igor explained.

"Don't tell me..." I muttered to myself.

"If we don't stop this soon then... The comatose victims... They will soon perish... That includes Lyric and Jodis..." Igor lamented.

I immediately fell to my knees... Did I fail Jodis? Damn it! If I had brought a sprite ocarina before this shit happened, Jodis wouldn't be in this coma right now! I felt like tearing up and lashing out on everyone.

"No... Y-You're kidding right!?" Haela exclaimed.

"Lyric... No..." Sieko lamented.

Dusk didn't say anything at all, he just approached me and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! ALL OF YOU!" I raged. His eyes opened with shock and confusion as I yelled at him.

"Corum, thee mustn't fall into des-" Igor tried reasoning with me but I just didn't hear him out.

"Just shut the hell up!" I yelled, standing up quicky as tears beginning to form in my eyes. "It's clear I failed Jodis now did I!?"

"Nay! Thee haven't!" Igor tried reasoning with me.

"I understand your pain, Corum but lashing out like this isn't going to help our situation." Sieko added.

"It hurts I know, but we all have to be strong." Dusk pleaded.

"What's the point of being strong if..." I paused. "If the friend I knew since forever was going to die because of this stupid game! All of this is so stupid!!" I sobbed.

Haela placed her hands on her hips losing her patience with me.

"We all feel that way, Corum. Trust me." Igor crooned.

"If I had that sprite ocarina, none of this *bleep*ing bullshit would've happened!" I exploded.

Haela stomped towards me giving me a swift slap to the face in a way it sent me back to reality.

"Just stop it, Corum! I completely understand how you feel but just moping about it won't solve anything. You helped me out of that self doubt hell, now it's my turn." Haela belted.

"Thou art right. We should keep moving forward and save all the comatose victims." Igor agreed.

"Where should we go now?" Sieko asked.

"Is there an area we can access to end the corruption and fight whoever was behind it?" Dusk asked.

"We go to Initial Prisoner's Fist." Igor responded.

I slowly begin to regain hope... What the hell was I doing raging at them like that? They're in this just as much as I am. I guess having a strong sense of justice does that to someone.

"I'll type in the keywords." I said.

"That's the spirit!" Haela beamed, giving me a light punch in the shoulder. "Hey, sorry for slapping you by the way." she apologized.

"No, I should be the one sorry for lashing out and unloading on you all." I responded.

"I forgive thee, Corum." Igor smiled.

I begin to approach Igor and gave him a tight hug, he wrapped his arms around me embracing me. After a few moments, we pulled away from each other.

"Let's do this, everyone." I rejoiced in confidence, typing out the keywords and sending everyone including I into the area I just typed out.

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O0O

This is weird, we're immediately put into a dungeon. No, not one of those forest areas, it immediately sent all of us to a dungeon.

"I guess the game is too messed up to have a field?" I guessed.

"Nay, thou art wrong. To tell you the truth, the creator is in this area. His name is M3-D0." Igor corrected.

"M3-D0? What kind of weird name is that?" Haela asked.

"I'm not too sure. I just know that the creator isn't just a regular person. He's an AI." Igor stated.

"Aha! I knew it was an AI because there's no way a human could make a game like this!" I exclaimed.

"Well, humans can create any game they want to but The World was created by an AI. Strange isn't it?" Dusk added.

"Just hope AI doesn't take over the real world and replace human work or anything like that." Sieko pondered.

"I doubt it." I added.

"Imagine if they did... It would be pretty scary, don't you think?" Haela added.

Dusk and I just glanced at each other cringing at the thought. We used to watch those humans vs ais movies back when we dated. Sure, it would be bad ass at first but AI is nothing compared to what we can accomplish. Besides, it's only fiction.

"Human or AI, it does not matter to me. We have to put an end to the corruptions and make The World safe and playable again. Who's with me?" Igor stated.

We all agreed to what Igor said.

"Hold on, allow me to do something to thy bracelet really quick before we go in, Corum." Igor spoke as he hacked my bracket. "Thither thee go. I hacked thy bracelet so when thee data drain, it only affects the data bug. Not the World itself so nay Armageddon anytime soon."

"What's with you and Armageddon?" I asked him, only for him to let out a playful chuckle. But hey, at least I don't have to worry about breaking the game since there's going to be a shit load of data bugs to deal with.

We began exploring the dungeon taking out data bugs and as we went deeper and deeper in the dungeon. We had a lot of rare items and stronger equipment thanks to data drain. Shoot, I have to thank Igor later for this.

As we went to the next room... Someone was waiting for us. It was Yap.

"So... We meet again..." Yap smirked, leering towards us.

"What are you doing here!?" Haela yelled.

"I'm afraid I will stop you all at your tracks. Hehe..." Yap chuckled cruelly.

"Yap, stand ho this! We have to end the corruption!" Igor shouted.

"If we don't. More players will fall into comas and The World will shut down thanks to the bugs!" Sieko added.

"They're right. Why are you against us anyway? Don't you want The World to be functioning again?" Dusk asked.

My bracelet begins to glow... No, why is it glowing? I can't data drain a player, this ain't right! I tried holding my bracelet back gripping my hand against it but the bracelet wouldn't budge.

"Heh, what's wrong with a little corruption..." Yap leered. "More fun for me to player kill..."

The bracelet began to glow brighter. No... No! Stop it! I don't want to do this! At that point, I didn't have control over the bracelet. It's like it has a mind of it's own. The bracelet began to target Yap.

"Ughh! Really is that all you got!?" Yap teased.

"It wasn't me! The..." I begin to grunt in pain. "The bracelet has a mind of it's own!"

Sure, I dislike Yap but I don't want to data drain him... That was the same power that caused Jodis to go into a coma, and now... The same power is gonna put him into a coma. I began to scream in pain and fear as Yap was data drained.

It felt like my life was flashing in my eyes. Yap's character model turned gray... I stared at my bracelet in disbelief... Am I no different from that data bug that attacked Jodis...?

"Hey, hey! Corum!" Haela yelled pleading for me to come back to reality.

I just zoned out... It feels like I'm having a panic attack but... I don't feel shortness of breath. I just stared at my bracelet in silence...

Everyone gathered all around me, trying their best to ground me back to reality.

"It wasn't your fault, that bracelet had a mind of it's own." Dusk reassured me.

Sieko noticed a portal over where Yap's body was placed. "Hey, I think I see a portal!" she exclaimed.

"Friend, art thee-" Igor tried speaking but I interrupted him.

"I did it... I'm... *bleep!*... I'm really no different from that data bug now am I..." I lamented.

"Nay, not at all! I should've tested that bracelet better. I did not think it would do that." Igor said.

"Don't do anything stupid, Corum! Remember what we said? No matter what happens we have to stick together and end the corruption!" Haela stated.

At one hand, Haela is right but the other thinks I should take this bracelet off even if it means decapitating my own hand. I'm fighting off that thought right now.

"Listen, if you think about taking your hand off. Don't. It won't solve anything! What you did there was an accident." Sieko cautioned.

"Yeah, besides there's a portal right over there and I have a feeling we might have to fight the creator." Dusk added.

"Let's go to the portal. I want to give this guy a piece of my mind and the boot to the face." I said. We headed towards the portal warping us to another white space.

Chapter 73: The Liminality - VS M3-D0

The air felt empty and desolate... It didn't help either that the area seemed familiar either. The only difference is that when I when was forced to be sent here, I was with Jodis. This time, I was warped using a portal with Igor, Haela, Sieko, and Dusk with me.

We wandered in the white space, it was completely silent. No one dared to speak. At least, not in voice chat or in text anyway. We're all just focused on trying to find who this creator is in this empty white space.

"Hey, guys. I think I found something over by the distance." I informed my group.

"What is that thing?" Haela asked.

"Is this... Some sort of tombstone?" Sieko asked.

"This is strange..." Dusk commented.

"It's odd how thither's a tombstone in an area like this. Let's check it out." Igor said.

The closer we got towards the tombstone, the closer we could see the inscription. "M3-DO. Rage... Hatred... Glitches to feed my hunger." it wrote. If that thing is the creator of the world... THAT must be responsible to why Jodis is in a coma and on the brink of death right now.

The writing on the inscription began to glow a dark red and two rocks made for hands appeared beside it.

"Hate... Let me tell you how much I've come to hate you since I created The World." M3-D0 scowled.

"Did you take that from I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream or something?" I asked, crossing my arms. Never read the short story but I played the game with Jodis before.

"Who do you think you're speaking to, worthless player?" M3-D0 asked.

"Uh, you duh." I retorted sarcastically. "Who are you, really?"

"I am M3-D0. An AI... The creator of The World... Players suffered my curse... Took advantage of my work... As a result... They pay with their consciousness..." M3-D0 said.

"Are you kidding me!? It's a video game! What do you mean the players are taking advantage of you!?" I barked demanding for answers.

"I... I don't like this... This is creeping me out..." Haela complained.

Dusk and Sieko stayed silent, confused about what's going on.

"If I'm understanding this correctly. Thou art mad at everyone playing thy game so thee created all these data bugs and put them to comas." Igor recalled.

"That's correct... Humans are merely toys for my entertainment... Full of selfish desires... It was never for me to join their fun... Never for me to enjoy life beyond this damned game..." M3-D0 lamented.

"Okay, what the hell do you want us to do about it? You're just a bunch of rocks. FYI, if you're going to make a game and comatose your player base, then maybe you should reconsider being a game maker!" I lashed out, whatever the hell that AI tombstone thing is saying, it doesn't make any sense to me.

"But none of this matters anymore... Nothing ever did... You five stuck your noses in where it wasn't wanted or needed so now... You will all pay the price... However... I will only spare one of you to challenge me... I have something *special* for you..." M3-D0 leered as it let out a powerful force. Was that thing going to data drain all of us!?

"It's drain heart!" Igor exclaimed.

"This is it..." Sieko muttered, she was the first to get hit by this drain heart.

"Sieko! No!" I exclaimed.

"Aaaaah!!" Dusk cried out as he was hit.

"Dusk!" I cried out, what the hell is happening and why is this happening!.

"Corum, look out! Aaaaghhh!!!" Haela yelled as she was struck.

"H-Haela...!" I cried in desperation, am I losing everyone...?

The drain heart looked like it was about to hit me, only for Igor to push me out of the way, he ended up getting drained too...

"Nnnghh!" Igor grunted.

"Igor!?" I exclaimed.

"Forgive me, Corum... I refuse to let thee die hither..." Igor said with a smile on his face as he got data drained.

All M3-D0 did was let out a sickening chuckle. I was seeing red, all my friends that I made along the way got data drained and possibly comatose right in front of my eyes.

"You... You bastard! How could you!?" I yelled.

"Oh, don't worry... Don't you think I forgot about your little friend..." M3-D0 leered at me, as he summoned a familiar face... It was Jodis!! He appeared t-posed attached to this damned tombstone. That bastard!

"Jodis...! What did you do to Jodis you *bleep!*ing bastard!?" I asked in complete rage. How dare it use my friend like that! He can't even speak nor can he get out of that position.

"Yesss... Feed into your rage and fury... Something tells me that you care about this one, no?" M3-D0 asked in a teasing manner.

"HE'S NOT AN OBJECT YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR SICK GAME!" I yelled.

M3-D0 just laughed manically.

"I'M NOT GIVING UP!!!" I screamed in rage as I begin to attack M3-D0 dodging it's data heart attacks.

"Fast little thing aren't you?" the tombstone asks trying to data drain me.

"I won't give up... I will NEVER give up! I swear it! I'm going to be strong for everyone!" I yelled.

M3-D0 just laughed again trying to data drain me but I kept on dodging. If I get into a coma, it's over. I kept attacking the tombstone stabbing it, slashing it, data draining it, making sure I didn't hit Jodis in the process.

I climbed on the tombstone, trying to detach Jodis from the tombstone but he didn't budge. "Unnghhh!! Let him go damn you!" I demanded.

"Watching you struggle to save your friend is... Entertaining..." M3-D0 mocked me.

"If this is your kind of joke than you failed miserably buddy." I retorted to it.

As I was about to stab the tombstone, Wynn got in front of me and I accidently stabbed her.

"W-Wynn!" I cried out.

"Don't worry about me, Corum... For my life to sacrifice... I will restore all the victim's consciousness..." Wynn said.

"W-What!? You can't!" M3-D0 shouted.

"M3-D0, why must you bring destruction to the very game we made together as AIs?" Wynn asked.

"Damn it! Can't you just let me run The World exactly how I want!?" M3-D0 raged.

"I won't allow it. Forgive me!" Wynn said as she let out a powerful force... M3-D0 and Wynn disappeared while Jodis and I remained in this white space...

I rushed over to Jodis' body, tears streaming from my eyes as I begged him to wake up. "Jodis, please... Please wake up..." I cried.

Jodis' eyes began to slowly open, looking around and then at me.

"Mmm... What happened? -m- I felt like I took a long nap... -u-" Jodis yawned.

"JODIS, YOU BASTARD I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!!" I immediately hugged Jodis tightly letting out a couple of sobs. I missed him so much and I'm just so glad he's back...

"Corum, are you... alright? <:( Why does my head feel so hazy...? :v" Jodis asked. I guess he had memory loss from the being in a coma.

"That doesn't matter now..." I sniffled as I released him, holding him by his shoulders. "All that matters now is that you're back and I..." I gasped for air as I struggled to breathe. "I swear to never let this happen again."

"Let what happen again? Take your items? <:o" Jodis asked me.

"No, no... Let you get comatose again." I sobbed.

"I got into a coma...? I thought I was taking a nap... :(" Jodis stated.

"The World is now a safe to play again... Thanks to you. Everyone is back from their comatose states... You should probably meet them." Wynn's voice echoed as she opened a portal for the both of us.

I carefully stood Jodis up on the floor, wiping my tears trying to calm down.

"Are you ready, Jodis?" I asked as I hold out Jodis' hand.

"Always, Corum! :D" He smiled as we locked hands, approaching the portal.

Chapter 74: The Liminality - .hack// A Live

Jodis and I were sent back to the Netslum. Above from us, we saw orbs of light, five of them to be exact. Once the orbs hit the ground, everyone who was comatose become restored.

"Guhhh... What happened?" Dusk asked as he held his spear.

"Data stabilized. Thee did it, Corum." Igor said as he fist bumped me.

"Igor! Everyone! You're all okay!" I exclaimed.

"Hehe, I'm glad you made friends while I was away. ^^" Jodis chuckled. "Oh! Dusk is here too!"

"Hi, Jodis!" Dusk greeted him. "It's been a while hasn't it? :O"

"Yeah, it has. I haven't spoken to you for a while since Corum and I broke up but I'm glad to see you again." Dusk smiled.

I turned around and there was a girl with blonde drills dressing up like an angel.

"LYRIC!! OH MY GOD!!" Sieko rushed over to her giving her a tight hug crying with tears of joy.

"Sis! I'm so glad you're okay!" Haela also rushed over and hugged her as well.

"Sieko... My love... And sis, what are you doing playing The World?" Lyric asked.

I didn't know Sieko had a thing for Lyric but hey, we learn about new things right?

"I had to find out the truth about the World. But at least it's all over now, right?" Haela responded.

Sieko gave Lyric a quick kiss in the lips.

"Forgive me for not looking after you..." she lamented.

"It's okay, Sieko. It's all good now." Lyric crooned, shortly after this the three girls pulled away from each other. Shortly after this, Haela gave Lyric a light playful punch to the head.

"Is it over?" Dusk asked me.

"No." I responded to him. "It's just begun. I thank you all for the journey and the friends I made along the way." I smiled.

"Does that mean we can play the World normally now? :O" Jodis asked.

"Why of course! This reminds me... We should go to a field where we have to survive numerous natural disasters." Igor suggested.

"I've never heard of a game like that. It sounds fun!" Haela mused.

"You're going to enjoy this then!" Sieko added.

"Bet you can't beat the natural surviving master!" Lyric boasted proudly.

"Hey, you know what. After what we've been through, why the hell not!" I beamed.

"Alright, Corum! Let's be there or be square! :)" Jodis smiled.

And so, The World is back to normal and we can play the game like we used to play it. We don't have to worry about data bugs or glitches anymore. Without any of them, I would've done this alone. And Wynn... If it weren't for her I won't be able to put the corruptions right in their place.

I'm happy about this outcome. But most of all, I'm happy that everyone made it out of their comatose state in one piece. I've became the strongest player of the World and I couldn't be anymore proud of myself.

The Liminality - Completed.

Chapter 75: The Demon Queen - Prologue

I've been... questioning my religion as of late. I stood in the confession stand, staring myself in the mirror thinking about everything that occurred today.

My friend Phoebe and I were the final two for brides to be for the king's son. I'm sure that the guy I'm gonna marry seems nice enough but... I can't help but feel a bit worried. Like something bad is going to happen to him? I don't know...

People look up to me because I'm a clergy. I'm a healer. Men wanted a wife like me, women want to be like me, and the children look up to me. It's been that way for 25 years of my life. I can't deny it's scary for people to hold me in a pedestal.

My sister is a servant of the church and she hates me for it because I get "better" treatment than her. She's been that way since our parents died and ever since then, the priest raised the both of us in the church and taken us as his own. Which I'm grateful for.

I heard a knock on the door.

"Serena, are you alright in there? You've been inside this stand for a while now." Phoebe asked in concern.

Oh right, I have to do a dance off against her. Best dancer gets to become the bride of Ezra.

Chapter 76: The Demon Queen - Prelude to the Demon Queen

I left the confession stand, quietly following Phoebe behind her. Eyes are on my friend and I. With Ezra watching with adoration while Dorothea stares at me with scorn.

"There's no way Serena will win this!" she scoffed.

"Dorothea, enough. This is her big day." The bishop scolds her. Dorothea just sunk into herself crossing her arms in silence. "Hmmph."

"Where was I...? Oh, yes! Before our final dance and winner crowned... The king has something to say to you, ladies!" The priest announced.

Phoebe and I went in front of the nave giving our respects to the king of Kelm.

"Your beauty and skill I praise. Your strength and courage suffice too in truth. And so, to graceful dancer will I grant... My Erza, son's hand to wed." The king said.

"Know this, Serena. I won't hold anything back. I've done so much for you, but not this time." Phoebe said to me, I nodded in understanding. She began to hold her hands together beginning to pray, "Gods, grant me luck grant me glory deserved."

"Blessed sisters in arms, make ready! For king for love everlasting!" The priest announced to the both of us.

As the bards and the church-goers begin to play their instruments, Phoebe and I began to dance gracefully in rhythm. Our skirts swayed around as we danced away... Twirling... Swirling... Losing ourselves to the music.

I could say that Phoebe's dancing is smooth and elegant like she was an angel to sent to earth. Eyes are on both her and I, although everyone is more in favor of me, I would prefer it if Phoebe won. She's got the confidence, while I just lack it.

After some time of dancing, the music stopped and Phoebe dropped to her knees in exhaustion. "Phew..." she breathed out. Everyone cheered for me, I wanted to smile but deep inside, I feel that Phoebe deserved it more than I do.

"Rejoice, Kelm! Your winner is crowned! Serena, my daughter!" The priest exulted.

I rushed over to Phoebe making sure she's okay.

"So... So be it..." Phoebe said bitterly but then changed her tone, "Well won, my friend." I reached my hand out for her, Phoebe then grabbed my hand and propped herself up.

"No way, she won. That other girl was WAY better!" Dorothea scowled.

"Dorothea, stop that at once!" The priest scolded again. When she said that, I just felt defeated. Then Phoebe placed a hand on my shoulder, "Hey, it's alright, Serena. You've won fair and square." she said.

"Approach, youth and kneel before the king!" The priest commanded us.

We both approached the king of Kelm and kneeled before him.

"A magnificent masquerade! I salute you both!" The king praised. "Come, Ezra. Say something to the winner."

Ezra stood up from his seat and began to approach me, my heart beginning to beat a little.

"Serena... Your name and beauty are known to me, miss. Having witnessed your grace first hand, I... Am grateful for the most thrilling waltz. Let us be wed. For king, for religion, and for country." he spoke to me. It sounded like he's not feeling it, or maybe I could be overthinking it.

"The lady is deserving of reward great! Let marriage unite bonds of blood true bind! And all know joy and peace forevermore!" The king announced. "My people! Come and join in our revels! My table is open to one and all!"
So the gathering begins...

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Ezra called me over to the balcony of the castle. I never explored through the castle before. Seeing the cathedral and the building below me was a sight to see. It's really pretty in a scenery like this.

"It was a lovely feast. Full of light and life. Long has it been since I saw my father so deep within his cups, a picture of bliss. There was never a happier man like this. In you he sees a future bright. An heir, a stewardess worthy of his legacy." Ezra said.
What does he mean by this...? For some reason he's different from the other men that tried to force their way to pursue me... He seems gentle and promising.

"As do I, of course. Of course... my wife dearest." he walked towards the flower bed of lavenders, a staple flower for our country and our religion. "Please. Don't look at me as a Prince. For I am yours, and you are mine. No one holds a higher place within my heart." He professed to me. "Not my father... Not anyone... This I swear."

He slowly begins to approach me... Oh gods, what is he gonna do...? I begin to tense up.

"In you alone, I place my faith." Ezra said, as soon as he got closer to me, he wrapped his arms around me. This is... Surprising... I was so used to being seen as a piece of meat to men so this is... A breath of fresh air. I proceeded to wrap my arms around him, his warmth... Made me feel whole.

I took everything in as he hugged me, his scent, his warmth, his faith in me... Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long as a harpy disturbed our embrace.

"Dear gods!" Ezra shouted. I pushed him aside and used my staff to cast holy light to keep it in bay. Occasionally hitting it with my staff.

"Huh... I suppose you don't need my help..." Ezra spoke. I'm used to this after all, if I can fight off creepy men with my staff, I can handle this. After my last holy light, the harpy was dead.

"Serena!" Ezra called out to me.

I turned around and it looked like Ezra was grabbed by a floating masked figure. "Serena!!" Ezra teared up as he called for me, taking him away. I tried chasing after it but I was in the balcony. All I could do is watch as he was taken to a dungeon over by the distance. I *need* to tell someone this... But how could I if I can't speak because of religious reasons. Right, I could write it down! I hurried to Ezra's room, grabbed a piece of paper, ink, and a feather and started frantically writing down what happened.

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Atop eastern mount dwells the Demon Queen,

Accursed, wicked woman black of heart,

Her twisted form reflection of her sin.

Incarnate hate, undying enemy.

Atop western mount stands a savior true.

One blessed, mighty, pure of heart and soul,

Her powerful form providence's proof.

By savior's hand must fall the Demon Queen.

Chapter 77: The Demon Queen - Quest to rescue the Prince

I waited until the next morning to give the king and the priest a letter explaining what has happened with Ezra. But something weird is that, the priest isn't around so my sister Dorthea had to take over for his stead. She told me that the priest has fallen ill but... I have a feeling she might've done something to him.

I decided to shrug off the feeling for now and gave the king of Kelm a letter, bowing to him afterwards.

"I can't believe this is happening... The nightmare is coming true... But can it be? The Demon Queen... Long dead and forgotten for years... Finally returned?" The king fretted. I just cocked my head in response in confusion. Who is this Demon Queen? "The mage Esther slain her. Could she come in hour of need? Yet she has withdrawn deep into the wilds, isolated from everyone after she broke it off with Justus."

I took out a book where I wrote the letter from and started writing, "I will take over fighting the Demon Queen and save Ezra." after I was done, I showed him the book.

"My daughter! You will fight this fiend in her stead?" The king asked me. I politely nodded.

"Happy day! You are indeed our hope! Protector of the realm and our future! Slay the Demon Queen and save Ezra! Restore peace to the kingdom and the church of Kelm! Show the people your holiness. Show them, Serena, that you're a makings of a priestess and a queen!" The king announced. Dorothea just silently crossed her arms, letting out a huff as he said that. "Go! Prove yourself a worthy successor! Deliver my son from evil!" The king then handed me a map.

I left the castle afterwards and headed towards the cathedral for a quick prayer.

"Hey, sis. Don't go down the stairs, our father is sick." Dorothea informed me. I nodded at her in understanding, but behind my back she was snickering. I have a bad feeling about this... But either way I kneeled down towards the statue for prayers for Ezra's safety and the priest's health. Picking up some lavenders I planted on the way.

After I finished my prayer I headed outside the town Kelm until a drunken man stopped me.

"Hey, now that that Ezra guy is gone and you're single... Do you want to make sweet music together~?" he asked me, I just stared at him with disgust. "Oh, what's wrong beautiful~? The cat got your tongue~? Tell me your name sweetheart~" the drunk man purred at me lustfully.

I refuse to give this man my name. I just stepped away in disgust until...

"Hey, creep! Stay away from the priestess!" It was Phoebe! My guardian and friend!

She appeared behind the tree and got herself right in front of me so the drunken man won't touch me. "Leave at once or suffer consequences!" she threatened him as she pointed her sword at him.

"Tch... Wench. You always have to stand in the way of my wife." The drunken man mumbled as he left the scene.

"Are you alright, Serena?" Phoebe asked me. I nodded politely and wrote in my book. "I'm alright now, thanks to you, Phoebe!" showing it to her smiling.

"I heard that you're going to face the Demon Queen alone, as your friend and guardian, I won't allow it. I'm coming with you." Phoebe said to me. "Besides, you need a knight to protect you. With the two of us together, no foe shall stand in our way!"
I nodded, allowing Phoebe to aid me. Besides, we've been together through thick and thin rather it be from adventuring, aiding in the cathedral, or protecting me from men like that drunk guy and I do the same.

I begin to show Phoebe the map I got from the king.

"Ah, yes... We should probably go to the mountains first. That's where the mage Esther resides isn't it?" she asked me, I nodded in response.

We began our adventure, fighting some monsters along the way, reaching the mountain top.

"Can I tell you something, Serena?" Phoebe asked me as we reached the resting place.

"Hmm?" I hummed in curiosity.

"I don't know how to say this but... The priest was poisoned last night." Phoebe said.

I took out my book and wrote, "I knew that."

"But... I'm afraid to say this but... Your sister Dorothea took the priest's life and hid him in the cathedral's undercrofts." Phoebe explained.

I... Don't have words for any of this. It's not even surprising for me since Dorothea tormented me since our parents died. I didn't even cry, I just felt numb.

"If you want, we can rest here." Phoebe offered. "You brought some of your lavenders right?" she asked me.

I wrote, "Why of course! We could bake some cookies with them!"

"Brilliant!" Phoebe chirped.

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Phoebe and I finished making lavender cookies on the campfire.

"I got to say Serena, you sure make quite delicious cookies!" Phoebe complimented as she ate a cookie from the batch.

"Mmmhmm!" I hummed, appreciating her compliment as also I ate a cookie. Still plenty of lavender left over. I always love to bake with Phoebe, it gives me a chance to let loose and have fun outside of my duties in the church and without my sister ruining the moment.

"I've been wondering this for a long time too... How come you don't speak?" Phoebe asked me in curiosity.

I hesitated to answer her because I simply just don't know why. I was simply raised like this. I begin to write, "I suppose I was raised like this... I'm sorry Phoebe... I don't know how to answer that..."

"It's alright, Serena. Either way, we've been at each other's aid for a while now. And I'm happy to have you as a friend." Phoebe professed.

"I'm happy to have you as a friend too." I wrote to her.

After we took our break from adventuring for a bit, we decided to venture through the snow. Finding a woman of emerald green. In not just the cloak she wears, but her hair and eyes as well. We looked around until we found a cabin and there was a woman just standing near her house reading a book.

We began to approach the woman. She just blankly stares at us, then proceeds to head back to her cabin with book in hand, closing the door behind her.

Phoebe and I just stood there in confusion.

"Should we head inside her cabin?" she asked, I nodded in response and we headed towards her cabin. She didn't say a word to us.

Phoebe found a green hat on the side of her bed.

"A fine cap that is... Fit for a mage and a hero true." she commented. We decided to leave the cabin, I left first and Phoebe closed the door behind her.

"What craftmanship, this hat. I wonder... Never mind, we should head to the village of Solarias where Justus resides." Phoebe said to me.

We once again fought some monsters along the way as we both reached the woods.

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We reached towards the village of Solarias, a quiet sleepy little town. I could see people walking around. We asked about the whereabouts of Justus. They've explained to us to he is a knight of spiky red hair and his cabin is at the end of the village. So Phoebe and I proceeded to enter his place.

As we entered the cabin, there was a head band on the fire place.

"A hand band? Is this connected to the cap?" Phoebe asked.

"Wait... How did you know about that?" The red haired knight asked.

We began the conversation at the table, Phoebe beginning to explain how she learned about Esther, him, their relationship, and the Demon Queen.

"Gods strike me down... The Demon Queen returned. That means you must seek the mage Esther's aid and mine as well." the knight paused, thinking about the situation.

"As well you should, it was my mighty hand and her powerful magic that demon died and all was set to rights. But everyone came in victory's wake, reliant on my former love Esther. So she cut her green hair, then weary withdrew to respite deserved, midst the drifts of snow." He explained to us. "She was lusted after by the cult. In truth commanded and she went on hiding after ending the relationship with me. She was forced to marry a member from said cult, but she killed him after... Doing unspeakable things to her.”

Is he... Referring to the religion I grew up in...?

“I could not forgive anyone in that cult for what they’ve done to Esther... Except for you two, you both appear to be pure of heart. If any of you fall from grace, I fear that the world will turn into despair...” he lamented.

“Justus, will you help us with the aid of slaying the Demon Queen?” Phoebe asked.

“Indeed... With Esther and I faced the Demon Queen. Then bold and brash... To brave the mount, to risk one’s life and limb for Erza is a honorable aim... But I would see Esther, and her heavy heart yet filled with hated for the fellow cult of Kelm... Without love, without trust, without faith, I... I fear for her, and her immortal soul.” Justus said as he took his headband and wrapped around his head, approaching me.

“So I will take up arms and join your quest, Serena and Phoebe. And pray my dear former love, Esther may yet be swayed...”

I nodded, accepting his offer. We immediately left his cabin making our way back to the mage’s resting place atop the mountains in the snow.

Chapter 78: The Demon Queen - Staff of A Thousand Truths

After traveling for a while with two guardians, I healed them as we fought monsters and enemies together, we finally arrived to Esther's cabin. I hope that having Justus along will convince her to join us to slay the Demon Queen...

"If you'll excuse me..." Justus spoke as he entered her cabin, Phoebe and I following behind him.

"Esther. Esther... Will you not look me in the eye? Will you not acknowledge a comrade and former love true?" Justus spoke to her.

Esther remained silent ignoring us.

"The Demon Queen has risen! We must act!" Justus informed, but Esther faced away from all of us. "O Esther... You're still defiant in your bitterness. I know what the cult did to you was petty and unforgivable but... These two ladies are pure of heart. These two are the light that will fight against the darkness. We have to believe in them!" Justus spoke to Esther once more. It seems that she isn't budging... I begin to question my religion more...

"Come. Let us leave this place. I've been a fool. What good does it make to treat ghosts of heroes dead. There's nothing for us here." Justus lamented to the both of us. "O spiteful coward, farewell!" he yelled. Phoebe and I had to physically hold him back from yelling.

"Justus, you shouldn't! We should probably leave now since clearly Esther isn't budging." Phoebe scolded him. I gave Phoebe a nod of agreement. But as we we're about to head out the door, Esther stopped us and put on her green witch's hat with a feather on the side.

"O Esther!" Justus beamed, happy to see her join us.

"It's not my mistake, good knight. Know this. Their troubles are beneath me still. But you who call me weak of will." Esther said as she approaches us. "I'd prove you wrong, for peace of mind and pride. The Castro Honors is where we must need to go. Before we head there, I'd like to claim an old relic." she informed us.

We left her cabin shortly after. I begin to write, "Where is this relic?" and gave it to Esther.

"It's buried deep beneath the snow." Esther explained to me.

"Serena, do you not speak?" Justus asked me in curiosity.

"She can't speak, so she relies on writing to communicate with us." Phoebe explained speaking for me. I nodded in acknowledgement. "Mmmhmm." I hummed out.

"It's a pity, I wonder about the cult you're raised in Serena. I think you may be brainwashed into it..." Justus guessed.

Esther stayed silent from his comment.

As we reached atop the mountain's summit, the mage's rest we we're just glancing at the view of Castro Honors. It seemed like a devilish place... But if we're going to save Ezra, I suppose we have no choice but to go.

"The Castro Honors... It was here before you buried the staff?" Justus asked Esther. Standing out of the green haired wizard's way, she began to dig through the grave. As soon as she found a staff that was buried in snow, she stopped.

"O Demon Queen..." Esther takes her staff as she walked towards the edge of the summit. "Accursed fiend returned!" she raised her staff, the darkness dissipating into light. I wonder if this is the key to get inside the dungeon. "By all the gods I swear, with sacred staff, I'll slay you and send you back from the hell you belong!" she swore.

It was the legendary staff of a thousand truths. The key to entering Castro Honors. After Esther reclaimed the staff it's time... It's time for us to go the accursed dungeon. I'm a bit anxious, but with my healing and holy light, and with Phoebe, Justus, and Esther standing beside me, nothing will stand in our way.

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As we traveled in the woods, we've spotted a sign on the ground. "Forbidden lands lie beyond this marker." it read. It must be the place...

"Serena, you must stand back." Esther warned me as she steps through the gates of Castro Honors. Everyone except her stood back, as she approaches the gates. Which was a mouth of a demon.

"This portal yields to no one..." Esther spoke, she then raises the staff in the air. "Save she who's earned the right to challenge hell!" she chanted. The dungeon beginning to rumble, I began to cast a protection spell to everyone in case something happens.
The demon door opened it's mouth, granting us entry inside the dungeon. "The seal is broken. Let's head inside." Esther informed us as she entered, we all followed behind her.

It was indeed a dark and creepy cave, the Castro Honor they call it... I wonder if it's anagram of something else or maybe it could just be in my imagination. As we explored we fought off several demons and picked up some treasure along the way.

We entered a room with seven statues... They all each have strange attire...

A statue of a man his with hair sleeked back...

A statue of a troubled man who looked like he hasn't slept in days..

A statue of a rectangle thing with a face and vines all around it...

A statue of a ghost girl...

A statue of a woman with long pigtails with her tongue sticking out...

A statue of a tombstone with a knight attached to it...

And a statue of a man's floating head with long hair...

Each giving hate from their eyes or from their auras...

What does any of this mean...? I feel like I was having Deja Vu, it's actually starting to creep me out...

"Serena, are you alright?" Phoebe asked in concern.

I begin to write in response to ask everyone, "What do these statues mean? And why are they wearing such strange attire? Either that or some of them are just... Objects. Like a rectangle, just a floating head, or a tombstone."

"I don't know, I've been wondering the same thing." Phoebe responded.

"We've been in here before but we do not know what the statues represent." Justus answered.

"You seem to be interested in those statues, Serena." Esther smiled.

I wrote, "It's not like I'm interested per say but... I just want to know why they're here..." and showed it to Esther.

"To be fair, no one knows why those statues were here." Esther said to me.

I guess the mystery of those statues will never be solved then... There was a door in the middle of the room, so we went through... This is where we fight the Demon Queen.

Chapter 79: The Demon Queen - Fabricated Demon Queen

When we entered the room, we were greeted by another statue. Tall, cloaked, and masked with a singular eyeball. Is this where the Demon Queen resides...?

We readied our weapons and spells as we await for her arrival.

"It ends today, O Demon Queen!" Esther yelled. A strong presence came as the flames surrounded up lighting up the room.

It was that harpy who kidnapped Ezra!

"The witch Esther, and Justus the knight..." the demon queen spoke to us. "With righteous passion they come, confident... That all can be reclaimed. Redeemed. Absolved." the harpy spreads it's wings. "In death you'll understand my true design!

Phoebe and Justus took the first strike to attack the Demon Queen while Esther and I stayed behind to cast magic. With her using her dark magic and with me using the holy light. I proceeded to hit the harpy with my staff.

"Serena! What on earth are you doing!?" Justus yelled.

"Don't worry, she does that!" Phoebe explained as she watch me smack the Demon Queen, striking it with her sword.

"Fire!" Esther shouted casting magic.

But then the harpy began to attack all of us with it's wings. I stepped up and casted a healing spell on everyone.

"Thank you, friend!" Phoebe said to me.

"Make ready!" Justus shouted.

"I appreciate your help." Esther praised.

We continued to fight the Demon Queen with each of us casting magic or striking her down with their swords, and with me healing anyone who has been harmed. Until the demon queen completely disappeared. Was this the false Demon Queen?

"Impossible... The fiend played us for fools..." Esther muttered, inspecting closing on the tall statue. "It was false, this Demon Queen!" I could see her drop to her knees. "It was a shadow cast... A trickster nothing more..." she began to cough.

Justus and I rushed to her aid while Phoebe just stood there in shock.

"Goodness Esther, your face... it speaks of sickness grave..." Justus spoke in concern.

I tried healing the mage with my healing abilities but... It didn't work. In fact, Esther began to cough out blood, letting out pained wheezes. Phoebe even ran to her aid.

"The mage... Esther... another shadow's lie. For pride I donned my robes, but for fear I'd shed it, yes..." Esther gasped. "This broken shell, my prize. Just deserts. Legacy of storied life."

I couldn't believe my eyes, my healing usually works... What changed?

"How now? Is this Demon Queen... No more than just a pawn?" Phoebe asked.

"Without a doubt. She would not give up so easily, this foe..." Esther responded barely breathing.

"And what of Ezra!? Where is he!?" Phoebe demanded but she ran towards the tall statue facing away from us. All I could do is helplessly watch Esther die of blood loss and cough her lungs out.

"But why, Esther? Why fake strength and risk your life? It's a gamble lost..." Justus lamented, then violently shakes her shoulder. "Gods damn you, why!?"

"My friend... And my former love... Do you recall the woman I was...? That day in distant memory when they sang... Our savior, Esther. Our savior. And I was." Esther asked.

"You are." Justus spoke gently.

"And as a savior I'd greet death... My staff I leave to you, Serena... Wield it well..." Esther gasped as she slowly handed me the staff of a thousand truths, giving it away to me. I began to pray for Esther's arrival of the skies, tearing up in the process.

"He waits..." Esther muttered. "He hopes that help is coming still... By love and trust will we be saved. A single soul's enough, when against the world we stand. Apart... Alone... Believe in me, we plead... We pray. And answer they..." she tried reaching out for Justus' shoulder. "I will... Always love you, Justus..." After she gasped that out, she vomited out blood, killing her instantly.

"O Esther..." Justus sighed, tearing up as well.

I held my hands tightly closing my eyes, praying for Esther's death... Her honor... Her soul... I just wanted her to have some kind of salvation for her soul...

"Dear Ezra... he's not here!" Phoebe informed us as she broke the silence, I took a quick glance and I saw that she placed her hand on the inscriptions of the statue. "Huh?" she was taken aback as the writing began to glow an ominous red. The room began to shake, did she activate something?

"The mountain shudders. We must flee this place! Before the tremors rend the roof over our heads!" Phoebe panicked. We quickly ran out of the room where we fought the false demon queen, leaving Esther's corpse behind. We didn't get to save Ezra either but at least I know he's still alive.

Justus and I made it out alive but... Phoebe...

"Oh gods! Ahhh!" She screamed, but I didn't hear the rocks crush her. I tried running back to save her but Justus grabbed my arm stopping me.

"Serena, cease this. It's too late for her too..." Justus informed me.

I began to frantically write, "But Phoebe is still in there! I have to help her! I must help her! And I have to help Ezra too!"

"Phoebe is gone." Justus said to me. "The best we can do for now is to return to Kelm and tell the king about the news."

I didn't fight it anymore... He was right... I began to hold my hands together closing my eyes for a prayer for Phoebe and pray for Ezra's safety too. It seems we are back in the room of those seven statues with strange attire. For a while, I've been looking at the inscriptions for them.

Matthew Douglas...

Myles Donovan...

Meteo Sintoma...

Meisa Doraki...

Mina Domoto...

M3-D0...

And Melvin Dolphus...

What is this eerie feeling...? What I know is that all these names start with "Me" and their names end with or have a last name that starts with "Do". What is the truth behind these statues? I began to zone out pondering... What does it mean? What does *any* of this mean?

"Hey, let's head back." Justus said gently snapping me back to reality.

I began to write, "Forgive me, Justus... I didn't mean to black out like this... We should probably head back now..." and gave the book to him showing it to him.

"It's alright, Serena." Justus said with a patient smile, though pained because of the deaths of Esther and Phoebe.

We began to leave the premises of Castro Honors.

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Throughout the trip back to Kelm, I tried my best to hold my tears back. We just traveled across the castle town and the cathedral ignoring everyone until we reached the throne room. Justus and I bowing to the king, and of course my sister glared at me with disgust.

Justus had to be the one who has to inform the king what happened.

"Let sun now set on tragic day. Good Esther, the best of us now gone. And Phoebe, too. Her promise left unfulfilled." The king lamented. "Tell me then. Explain it. Where's the fiend that stole my Ezra? O dearest Ezra, does he live!?" he demanded for answers. I couldn't say anything... After all, I can't even speak... Justus couldn't back me up either since the answer is in his downcast face.

"A drowning man I am, at sea in grief for tragedy know and a future feared. I'll think on it no more today. The western room you'll stay. Let sleep bring us solace." the king lamented. I nodded in understanding.

"Hah! I knew Serena couldn't do it! What a useless piece of rubbish she is!" Dorothea snorted.

All I did was angrily glared at her, but she knew I couldn't speak. But knowing her, she'll probably destroy the book I use to communicate.

"Come now, Serena. Let's head in for the night." Justus said as he gently grabbed me by the shoulders breaking my glance with my sister. We headed towards the western room where we had to retire for the night.

"I'm sorry about this..." I wrote to Justus.

"What are you sorry for?" Justus asked me.

"I don't know... I just feel guilty..." I wrote again.

Justus let out a sigh, staring at the window but then he began to lie on the bed.

"Good night, Justus. Sweet dreams." I wrote to him.

"Good night, Serena." Justus said as he slowly drifted to sleep.

I began to lie on my bed, staring at the ceiling... I couldn't sleep no matter how much I tried... If that was the false Demon Queen... then who could the Demon Queen be? I begin to finally drift off to sleep as that question remained in my mind...

Chapter 80: The Demon Queen - Truth Behind the Cult

Notes:

TW: Implied SA //

It seems I was transported to a place full of high towers. What is going on here? Am I supposed to climb to the top? I slowly began to climb.

"Serena! Don't!" a familiar voice called out.

"Ezra!?" I called out to him. Wait... I can speak? Never mind that, I have to keep climbing towards the top. I won't deny that I've been struggling to climb for a while. Moving blocks around, climbing atop of blocks, getting closer and closer to the top.

After some time, I finally climbed towards the top. I could see a man with cyan hair turning towards me and a figure with a floating cloak and a mask with an red eye ball on it.

He started to back away from the figure.

"Don't touch me!" Ezra yelled at the figure.

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I woke up from my sleep... What a nightmare that was... Another thing I found odd too is that Phoebe is just glaring at me, staring at me as I slept. Is her ghost watching over me...? But she didn't feel like a ghost at all...

A few moments later, she left the bedroom closing the door behind her. I got myself out of bed, making the bed before I leave. But then I noticed Justus whimpering in his sleep.

"No... please... Esther... Please forgive me..." Justus sobbed. I began to stroke his cherry red hair, trying my best to comfort him until the whimpering and sobs subside.

I accidently got myself sidetracked... I need to follow Phoebe's ghost... What is she telling me? I wondered towards the throne room. But Phoebe wasn't in sight, instead, there was that same shadow figure I saw in my nightmare. Is the Demon Queen in this form?

I began to use my staff and let out a holy beam, making the Demon Queen disappear. It was revealed that I accidently shot the king with holy light. So I began to panic, backing away from the scene of the king's corpse.

I heard some footsteps... It was from Dorothea!

"What a disgrace..." she sneered. I turned to face her, frantically writing explaining everything but she snatched the book from my hands. "No, I know you did this on purpose, Serena. You have nothing to explain or to prove."

She took my only way of communication and tore the book right in front of my hands. I just stared at the book in horror.

"Guards, take out the trash." my sister commanded the guards.

"The king! He's dead! And the culprit is caught red-handed!" a guard shouted.

"It was the lass..." another guard gasped.

I tried to explain to them but no one is hearing me out.

"And Esther and Phoebe... murdered..." another guard said.

No! I didn't kill them! I swear!

"She's the true Demon Queen! Guards, do what you need to do to give her a punishment well deserved!" Dorothea commanded them.

Suddenly, I was attacked by the back of the head with one of the guard's swords blacking me out in an instant.

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I woke up tied up to a pole and my vision is blurry. It seems that the rope was loose so I shifted myself out of the ropes shackled. When my vision cleared, all the lavender flowers I had welted, absent of life.

What... Happened to me...? I'm in the castle's dungeon, yes but... Everything hurts... But my clothes remained whole.

"Who... Who goes there...?" A familiar voice calls out.

I waved my arm over the bar towards Justus trying to get his attention but he doesn't have long. Did the guards torture him just like they did to me...?

"Another questioner... I've nothing to confess..." Justus wheezed. I placed my hands against the jail bars. "Wait... You're not... No... Why render up yourself to them?"

But... I didn't... My sister took my only way of communication away from me...

"They asked... demanded... Secrets... About you... Is she the Demon Queen or just a pawn? Such fear, such anger, such lust I see in their eyes... This is what exactly happened to Esther... I failed to protect you like I failed to protect her..." he lamented.

I looked for clues in my prison cell... Was I just a mere sacrifice...? No, a "seductress" to them...? If the priest were still alive... He would not allow any of this to happen to me. It must be Dorothea... But why was she praying for my downfall...? Isn't she my sister? I felt absolutely disgusting... I felt used... I felt like an ugly monster used for men to get off to.

"But do not despair in the darkness, Serena..." Justus spoke.

But Justus and Ezra were the only two men who saw me as a person, rather than something to lust over... So began to listen to Justus' dying words.

"Do we surrender to sorrow and hate...? Or rise above, and choose instead to trust in one another...? I would take the leap, Serena... I'd take life, what little I have left... And plead your innocence to all who will hear... But that won't suffice, I think..." Justus lamented.

I'm starting to hate the very cult I was raised in... I feel like I had to do more than just heal people, give prayers, plant lavenders... I was a mere pawn for their pleasure...

"You have to keep the faith. Serena." Justus said as he used the last bit of his strength to throw a key across from me, unlocking the door instantly running towards Justus.

"You have precious little time... Deliver him with love, and by his love be saved... Redeemed, absolved, and proven good..." Justus gasped.

I began to zone out where Ezra and I used to meet back in the dance-off between Phoebe and I. It was... pleasant... As long as Ezra believes in me, I should be okay. Once, I save him, I'm dropping this religion for good.

I began to snap back to reality, listening to Justus' final words before he departs from this world. "You see it clear, most surely. Where he waits. The Castro Honors, beyond the chamber sealed. Where Esther died. Would that I had died there too..." Justus took his final breath and passed away on the dungeon floors.

I held my hands together, giving Justus' soul solace as he drifts away to the skies above.

I began to run out of the dungeon where I spotted a guard.

"Dear gods! The Demon Queen whore's escaped! She's killed her knight in shining armor, and now seeks vengeance! Run!" he shouted. I quickly had to run out of the castle before the guards could catch me, feeling my body in great pain. I began to heal myself, panting as I reached for the exit. Not just in the castle, but out of Kelm.

I had to make a run for it... Otherwise they would do unspeakable things to me. Finally making it from the woods and to the resting spot. I had to catch my breath from all this running.

My lungs felt strained like I've been coughing non stop and my heart is pounding louder than the church bells.

I have to do this alone... I *need* to save Ezra... I hope I can take down the Demon Queen not just to save him, but also avenge the deaths of Esther, Phoebe, and Justus. I must. After I took my rest and my body is back to it's calm slate. I made my way towards Castro Honors, alone.

Chapter 81: The Demon Queen - Betrayal in Castro Honors

After a long journey due to being alone. I finally made it to the entrance of Castro Honors. It's odd because despite having the staff of thousand truths, the entrance is still open. Shrugging the thought off, I entered the stone demon's mouth.

As I ventured through out the dungeon... I heard a voice.

"And so she came..." the voice called out, both husky and distorted. As the voice spoke out, she summoned a demon. One with multiple arms.

As soon as I hit the demon with my holy light, it melted from my beam. As soon as I defeated the demon, I continued to stroll. As I entered more rooms alone, I heard that voice again. "The savior brave and true." the voice spoke again, summoning another one that looked like a naga.

As before, from my song and dance from the last demon I slayed. I used a holy beam to instantly kill them. Thus continuing my journey and praying that this the last time I'll be in this cursed dungeon.

This is no time to check every room in the dungeon, so I had to keep moving forward. Was I being watched by the Demon Queen. Another thing I noticed is that the voice seemed very... familiar... I pray I'm wrong though...

As I tried to go further, there was that voice again. "Impressive... Such a gift for violence... I thought you were just a healer but I was sorely mistaken..." she summoned several monsters, and once again I took them all down with holy light.

I continued to roam, a creeping feeling arose from me. It that voice proved it right, as I tried to enter the room with the double doors, which I assume leads to the statue room. "You'll not fall here. The time is not yet right." after she spoke, she summoned yet another demon and I performed the same song and dance to kill it.

I entered the statue room and the same creepy feeling worsened as I roamed through the room. I hope this will be the last time I go through this...

I entered the room where we fought the "fake" demon queen and where poor Esther fell. What do I have to do...? I place my hand on the demon queen statue and the inscriptions turned red. The statue began to move revealing a stairway downwards.

It led to a cave of some sorts... I quickly reached the end of the tunnel, which revealed another staircase going upwards.

I'm outside...? There was a lot to take in... There was a bigger statue of the demon queen, and the air surrounding this place seemed... Off... I slowly wandered towards the statue. That was when I heard that voice again.

"A promise fulfilled. For queen, country, and religion..." the voice spoke it, I saw a familiar figure come out from the statue door. It was Phoebe! Was she alive this entire time!? I began to back away in shock.

"How now, Phoebe? This ghost, it lives and speaks! For I wasn't buried by stone and fury, but by inspiration driven to act..." Phoebe snarled. If this was a joke, it wasn't funny! I actually thought you died!

"The statue's secret. I found it. And then..." Phoebe began to explain, "A feeling overwhelmed me! In that moment, I knew how I'd finally best you. And rescue Erza, my true love! With sword and magic in hand, I would win the day. A trap I set to send you running with that red haired knight." in other words... Phoebe didn't die... Did she actually... No... she can't...

"It was simple, heh heh heh... Easy..." Phoebe began to laugh cruelly. "Hah hah hah... With such fear you fled! Ahahahahaha!" Phoebe this really wasn't funny... I literally thought you died! I prayed for your soul!

After a while of the pink haired woman's laughing, she finally settles down. "The contest's champion, so beautiful and graceful... Abandoned mage Esther, savior left to rot! But blackest, final crime was soon to come. When guided I your hand in murder just of thieving king who gifted you my love!" Phoebe scowled. I... I don't understand... Did she actually lead me to unintendedly kill the king?

"Disgraced... Yet you still came to ruin me! A singular creature. Insatiable destroyer! Selfish whore! You've never been content to share your spoils with me." the pink haired knight yelled at me. What does she mean by this...? I've always shared everything with her...

"I tried, Serena. I believed that you could change... But that desire for men in you cannot. You'd never settle, never let me win! Not even when I begged! For love! For love!" Phoebe seethed. Why is she telling me this now? If this was actually bothering her, why couldn't she just be honest with me sooner...?

She then took a deep breath, facing away from me. "You have no idea how much I wept that night..." she sighed, then facing me pointed at me and yelled, "You lustful whore! How could you understand!? You've never loved nor lost, nor known shame!" I was dumbfounded and shocked from what she said... I had no idea... How was I supposed to know any of this if she never tells me...?

"But that was then." Phoebe spoke, calming down. "I obtained newfound strength. You'll see! A final showdown to settle it, Serena! To prove the faithful follower better, and champion crowned champion no more!" she yelled. Her eyes becoming red, as an overwhelming presence consumes her.

I'm a healer, but... I readied my staff. As Phoebe floats away from the top of the statue. "You will pay my loyalty, in death!" she yelled, revealing her sword striking me with it.

It seems that I got a scratch on my arm from her strike. I quickly began to heal myself, might I add it hurt worse than when I was harming myself. I began to hit Phoebe with my staff, hitting her head.

"Ahahahahaha! Is that all you can do, Serena!? You have to do better than that to take me down!" Phoebe gibed at me.

I didn't want to hurt her... Despite what she said as about me... I began to look away as I casted my holy light at my own friend. "Aaaaaghhh!!! How dare you!!!" she shouted at me as she tried striking me again, only for me to dodge in time. "WHAT!?"

I didn't want to die here either, it was either me or her. I began to shut my eyes tightly as I let out a holy beam, ending Phoebe. I just let out labored breathes as I opened my eyes.

"Again. You triumph... To the last... Such greed..." Phoebe gasped, as she let out her final breath passing away instantly. I just stared at her body in horror... Did I actually do this...? Did I actually kill my own friend...?

A familiar voice called out, "Phoebe..." it was Ezra, he came out of the statue door but he didn't look too happy with me. I tried my best to explain what happened but without my book, how was I supposed to? I don't think he'll hear me out...

"Don't touch her!" Ezra shouted at me. Is he against me too...? I began to back away from Phoebe's corpse. Ezra began to approach her body kneeling down. "Why...?" he cried. "Why now, wife. I waited. But you never came, wife. In you I placed my trust. In you my faith... For my father! Even though good Phoebe, she... And despite that wrong, she loved me still!"

I just zoned out at this point. I cannot believe this was happening right now... I feel so... heartbroken and betrayed... I wanted to cry but I couldn't... "She suffered... Dearly... For your sake. Your pride. A savior's legend built on sacrifice..." he fell to his knees sobbing. "Holy savior! Glory to her name! And Phoebe... Sweet and humble, forgotten... But not by me." Ezra spoke bitterly as he took out a knife.

I tried to beg Ezra to not do it, but my throat felt like it had a lump inside of it. "I won't betray our love!" Ezra sobbed. I tried to stop him from stabbing himself but it was too late... He stabbed himself in his abdomen and fell right atop of Phoebe's corpse.

No... No... This can't be happening... This CANNOT be happening...

I felt myself spiraling from what occurred... Why did this have to happen... Why couldn't I just get a good ending...? Why does bad things always happen to me...? I began to zone out, remembering the things everyone said before those events happened...

Those memories are painful now...

Did I suddenly develop the ability to speak now...? I haven't spoken since my parents died 20 years ago, or was I manipulated to staying silent for the cult's sake...?

Chapter 82: The Demon Queen - Live A Evil

I fell to my knees facing away from Phoebe's and Ezra's corpses, realizing that I've been used and manipulated.

"Nothing remains.... Alone. Completely alone and used... Cast out... Unloved... Outside of the grace of gods..." I began to speak. It's funny how I regained my ability to speak from realizing that the cult used me.

I dug my nails onto the ground, trembling. Was this the truth? Was this why I had to stay quiet as a mouse? I begin to speak again, "The Castro Honors, they call this the shrine of death. Yet nowhere do I spy our Demon Queen." I had a feeling something like this happened before... It was yet another feeling of deja vu.

"Her throne sits empty, waiting for an heir..." I spoke as I picked myself up from the ground. "Did I not do all that was asked? Did I not do enough for this religion or this country? And for everything I've done, they damn me. Name me demon. And who am I to deny it?"

I realized my true purpose... A smirk beginning to form on my face. "Demon Queen, then! Renouncing former ties and titles!" I said, approaching the giant Demon Queen statue. I begin to take the dagger from Ezra's cold dead hands. I began to hold my golden blonde hair, getting ready to cut it to shoulder length.

"I am no longer Serena... And in their place, I claim... The Demon Queen. Medo!" I renounced as I began to cut my blonde hair short, letting the remaining hair fall to the floor. I feel like a whole new person... It's time for my revenge.

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Conveniently enough, everyone in the castle town gathered in the cathedral. And the first "unfortunate victim" was my own sister. Perfect... I slowly began to approach her.

"S-Serena!? What are you doing here!? I thought we banished you!" Dorothea yelled, but then she noticed something different about me. "Why did you cut your hair...? And... What happened to your eyes?" she asked.

"What of it, *dear* sister?" I asked her.

"No... You can speak!? What is going on here...?" Dorothea gasped.

"I found my calling, that's all." I smirked cruelly.

Before my sister began to call for help, I began to grip her neck with my fingers, squeezing tightly. The fear in her eyes... O, the fear in her eyes... I've been wanting to do this to her for a very long time... She tried digging her fingernails into my wrists, trying to dislodge me but that only made me grip tighter.

"Serena... Why must you..." Dorothea gasped for air, trying to break free.

"You made my life a living hell." I responded to her question coldly. "You tormented me throughout my life, so now you will feel what I felt when you torment me day in and day out!" I raged.

Dorothea clawed at my hands uselessly and used her last breath to scream for help.

"Shut up." I scoffed as I felt her life slip away, completely at my mercy. After a few moments, she stopped fighting and trying to break free. Her mouth falls open, as she slowly dies from my hand. "You made the bed, Dorothea. Now sleep in it." I coldly said to her, throwing her body against the cathedral walls like a broken doll.

I made my way towards the cathedral, the church goers turn their heads in shock from me making a comeback.

"Everyone, run! It's the Demon Queen!"

"Oh gods, no!"

"Why must you curse the cathedral with your vicinity!?"

I began to kill everyone in the cathedral with my dagger. Man, woman, child. I do not care. Everyone must pay their lives for their insolence. Every soldier who violated me now lost their lives thanks to my hatred. Blood scattered in the cathedral walls, statues, everywhere. I wasn't done there, I took out the staff of a thousand truths and broke stained windows and statues with it. Swinging it around as I vandalized the place.

It seems the everyone at Solarias was foolish enough to come to the cathedral so I killed them as well, not letting one of them escape my sight. The cathedral turned into one of peace, a house of prayer to a ruins in mere seconds. No one gave me grace or mercy, so why should I do the same?

But there was one place, that remained untouched; the confession stand. I entered the room, looking at myself in the mirror. I was different person than I was when I first entered a few days ago. Shorter blonde hair, red eyes, pink scleras like one of a demon, and blood all over my dress. I used my magic to remove the blood from my clothing.

"I like the new me." I said to myself. Indeed, my people pleasing days are over since everyone damns me. I escaped the cult by killing everyone. I'm my own person. I'm free from their shackles. After I finished my business, staring at my reflection I decided to head back to Castro Honors, my new home.

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As I reached the statue room, I realized why the statues were here. They were my reincarnations throughout history. As I looked more inscriptions, I looked for names. No, not their names but the names of people my reincarnations have to fight against.

Anna the android striving for freedom from servitude...

Tilly the famous social media influencer who was cancelled for defending herself....

Spencer the bard born from a clone...

Eiko the editor who had to roam in the Mnemonic Abyss...

Hana the Ultimate Detective who was forced to a participate in the killing game...

Corum the player of The World who has to find out about the truth behind the sudden comatose of his friend...

and Charlie the man who is tormented by nightmares and having to choose between three different women...

It all makes sense now.

I've thought about the seven... The seven heroes, those who have achieved their goals and got their good endings for their selfish gain. But that is going to change when I summon them to this place.

I then made my way to the outskirts of where the Demon Queen statue rests. Phoebe's and Ezra's corpses were no where in sight. I stared at the statue, looking upwards towards it. I just smirked.

"I look forward to meeting you all, seven heroes..."

To be continued...