(Part one is on Ancient Cultivation)
The group followed Matthew's directions and soon reached the private airport and boarded the jet. "Well, the ride should be between one-two hours." Mathew said. "Talk amongst yourselves I guess." He said lightly.
"1-2 hours? Usually, this kind of flight would be at least eight hours." Lizbeth said.
"Right, well, my technology allows for faster travel without harming the human body. Simple stuff really." Mathew said.
"No, not simple. That would imply that you figured out how to change certain physical laws." Lizbeth said. Mathew nodded.
"Yeah, simple stuff, like I said." Mathew said. Lizbeth's expression became a bit exasperated.
"So basically you've gone so far done the rabbit hole of physics you stopped thinking of this problem as complex, right?" Alphonse asked.
"That would be correct, I suppose. Though physics isn't the only subject." Mathew said.
"Mathew, I have a question." Elizabeth spoke up.
"What is it?" Mathew asked.
"Why... Do I have memories of someone that looks like you but isn't you?" She asked. A smirk appeared of Mathew's face.
"Well, since this isn't canon, might as well tell you, you'll forget anyway. You see, you are me, but I am also you. Furthermore, I am also Alphonse, but Alphonse is not you." Mathew said simply.
"But wait, wouldn't that mea-" Elizabeth was cut off.
"Yes, it would." Mathew said.
"I see..." Elizabeth said.
"Wait, I'm not keeping up!" Sarah spoke up.
"Okay, essentially what they're saying is, Mathew is like an originator, for some reason, there are a bunch of versions of him throughout time and space causing all sorts of shenanigans, myself included." Alphonse explained.
"I see..." Sarah stated.
"By the way, what caused this?" Alphonse asked.
"Tsk, tsk, not yet, the readers aren't supposed to know yet, and I've already said too much anyway." Alphonse said.
"What? Readers? What does that mean? Are you going to write a book based on this or something?" Sarah asked.
"It is already written, but it will also never be written." Mathew said.
"Okay, let's stop talking before people's brains start breaking." Prism said lightly. Everybody nodded in agreement and went into their own conversations. Soon enough they landed and rented a vehicle.
"It's pretty useful having someone with id's from across the world." Alphonse said as Lizbeth showed a Russian id.
"Yeah, it's kind of a necessity for her job." Mathew said. They continued into the car and drove to the location.
...
"It's a haunted house?" Lizbeth asked. as she stared at a foreboding and dark mansion, decorated to the brim with halloween decor. Mathew nodded.
"Appears so." He said.
"So we have to go in there and find the rift?" Alphonse asked.
"Eh, more like find the weak part of reality and cause a rift." Mathew said. Alphonse nodded.
"Alright, let's go then." He said as he jumped out of the car. Soon the others followed suit and left the car, then they all entered the haunted house. They were stopped in the entryway.
"Payment is required." A man said. Mathew grabbed a large stack of money from seemingly nowhere and handed it to the man.
"Keep the change, and yes, it's Russian." Mathew said in fluent Russian. The man looked at the bills and noticed they were all one thousand rubles each, then looked at Mathew.
"You may all proceed." He said.
"Let's go." Mathew said. They all proceeded to enter the haunted mansion.
"Hey, Mathew... Is this place actually haunted?" Sarah asked.
"I mean... Possible... This place is pretty much perfect for if you want to attach a restrained spirit to an object. A bloody knife that was used to murder the spirit? Use it as a decoration, no one would know the difference or care to look." Mathew said. Sarah felt a shiver go down her spine.
"O-okay..." She said. "That's not all that comforting..." She mumbled. They all walked through a hallway as screams and the cackling of a witch played through the loudspeakers.
"M-mom... This is kind of disturbing..." Elizabeth said as she held tightly to Lizbeth's clothes.
"It's fine. As you can see it's all fake." Lizbeth said.
"Well, I know that, but that doesn't stop it from being disturbing or creepy or scary. Plus, that floating woman doesn't make it easier." Elizabeth said as she pointed. Lizbeth looked confused as she looked to where Elizabeth is pointing.
"There's nothing there." She said. Mathew took not of the conversation and looked up. He saw a woman in a torn dress, her skin gray and dehydrated, almost mummified. She has black hair, or hair that lost all color. Her mouth is torn open on one half showing her yellow teeth.
"Oh, there's a ghost." Mathew said blandly. Alphonse and Sarah looked up.
"I can faintly see it, how about you, Sarah?" Alphonse asked, though no response came. "Sarah?" Alphonse asked as he looked to his left where Sarah is standing. Her expression is a mixture of shock and terror, her eyes glued to the origin of her fear. "Yep, she can see it." Alphonse mumbled.
"Yes, well, this explains the space-time anomaly at least." Mathew stated.
"Wait, so she's a real ghost?" Elizabeth asked. Mathew nodded.
"And I'm the only one that can't see it..." Lizbeth said blandly.
"Trust me, you aren't missing out on anything. I've seen worse, but it's pretty ugly. Ignore her, let's continue." Mathew said. They continued through the hallway and reached a room filled with bookcases, seemingly making a maze.
"Not a maze..." Sarah complained.
"It seems I agree with Sarah. Let's just climb them and get through as soon as possible." Mathew said. Alphonse and Sarah jumped up and landed perfectly on top of the bookshelves and Mathew stayed behind to Help Lizbeth and Elizabeth up.
They continued through and saw as several people got jump scared by decorations and pop-ups. After a few moments, they reached the next room. This one was wide open, but full of smoke.
"The anomaly is over there." Mathew said as he walked towards the center of the room. Everyone followed him as they would prefer no to get lost in the thick smoke which blocks their view.
They all reached the middle of the room where a sarcophagus lies. "What's next?" Sarah asked.
"Give me a moment." Mathew said as he pulled an orb and short pedestal out of thin air. He placed the pedestal on the center of the sarcophagus, then placed the orb on top of it. "Put some energy in it. Since Elizabeth needs assistance, I'll help her." Mathew said. Sarah and Alphonse did as he said and waited for Mathew and Elizabeth to do the same.
Elizabeth placed her hand on the orb and Mathew placed his palm on her back and moved her spiritual energy into the orb. "That's odd..." Mathew said quietly. "Why does she have so much energy?" Mathew mumbled. After a few moments he stopped and put his own energy in the orb. "Okay, it's ready to activate." Mathew said.
"Activate it then." Alphonse said.
"Oh shut it. I was about to tell you guys to at least say bye. It would be polite at the very least." Mathew said.
"He's right, Alphonse." Sarah said. "Plus, I was about to do that." She said lightly with a giggle.
"Fine." Alphonse said. "Bye you two. Mathew as well I guess." Alphonse said. Sarah sighed.
"It was nice meeting you guys. It was quite an interesting experience, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Well, I hope to meet you guys again someday!" Sarah said with a bright smile.
"Oh, don't worry, you will." Mathew mumbled.
"Hm?" Alphonse asked as he looked towards Mathew.
"Oh, nothing, I was just saying you couldn't have been colder with that goodbye." Mathew said.
"Fine, it was nice meeting you all EXCEPT Mathew, goodbye." Alphonse said.
"Well, it was better." Sarah said lightly.
"It was nice meeting you guys as well." Lizbeth said. "I do hope to meet you all again as it would be quite interesting. Partially because I want to see the differences between humans and beastmen, but still." Lizbeth said.
"Erm, it was fun. Bye." Elizabeth said.
"And you were saying I wasn't saying enough with my goodbye." Alphonse said as he looked at Mathew.
"What? Can't stand a little teasing?" Mathew asked as he activated the orb.
"Wait, what?" Alphonse asked as a giant vortex opened up and swallowed him and Sarah up.
...
"Alphonse. Wake up." Sarah said.
"When did I fall asleep?" Alphonse mumbled. "I just had a weird dream." Alphonse said.
"Mind telling me the details?" Sarah asked.