'C'mon, (Y/n). You can do this.' You told yourself as you took a deep breath.
The rest of history class had been uneventful. You didn't dare speak to 'Mark' or whatever he was, but he didn't try to say anything to you either. You didn't know what was going on, but something told you that this wasn't something that the public eye should to know about.
Now, you're standing in front of Mark's apartment, hands becoming clammy.
Ignoring the red flags you'd felt for the past couple of hours, you knocked on the door twice.1
Soon, the door opened revealing a relaxed, and relieved 'Mark'. He smirked, as he no longer used his trademarked smile.
"What a pleasure to see you, (Y/n). Please, come in and make yourself comfortable." He offered, opening the door wider to allow you comfort. Holding the door open wider usually spoke that the host was welcoming your presence into the home.
Regardless of his manners, you couldn't help but feel afraid. This wasn't the way that Mark would act around you. He was always friendly, and loved cracking jokes.
Maybe the Mark that you knew really was gone.
Begrudgingly, you entered into his domain.
His house was very, meticulously clean. No speck of dust was seen by your eyes. His walls were covered in a dark red; crimson. It was a little unsettling combined with the dark brown floor below you.
Figuring that you weren't going to stay long, you debated on leaving your shoes on. But seeing how clean the room had become, you decided to deal with it for now. Your apartment was only a few steps away anyhow.
You took off your shoes and laid them neatly by the door.
"Thank you." Your host complimented, catching you off guard. You quickly recovered yourself by sending him a sharp scowl before heading into the living room, trailing behind him as he led.
He stopped as the two of you entered into the kitchen, right before the living room. He looked back at you, a neutral expression on his face.
"Would you like something to drink?" He asked. You responded with a huff.
"I don't trust you enough to take a beverage of your creation, thank you very much." You said, sarcasm covering your statement. He let out a small chuckle.
"Smart girl. How unfortunate that I'll be making you something anyways. After all, what kind of host would I be if I didn't make you feel at home?" He asked, walking further into the kitchen to grab a couple of things to make his chosen beverage, "So, how does chamomile tea with honey and milk sound?"
Thoroughly tempted by the drink he proposed, you answered.
"...Fine." You knew that he was going to make you drink something anyways.
Although he mentioned the fact that he wasn't Mark, you didn't necessarily believe that he was going to hurt you. And in such a weird method. If he wanted to kill you, he would've probably done it when he broke into your apartment.
Shuddering at the memory, you announced that you would wait for him in the living room. Pleased to know that you were comfortable to walk around in his place, he nodded in return.
You made your way over to your specified area before choosing a long, black couch that matched the feel of the rest of his home to sit on. You noticed that there was coffee table in front of it, so you maneuvered around it and sat down. You glided your hand over the object's fabric, pleased with the feel of it's well stitched leather.
In an attempt to fulfill your curiosities, you decided to look around the room. No matter the risk, you couldn't help it. It was just your instinct. People who don't want things to be seen hide them, but keep them close if they're important.
Unfortunately, the only that you ended up finding was in the drawer of one of the desks in the area. inside of it was a picture of Amy on Mark's back. She had wrapped her arms around his neck in order to hold her balance, while he wrapped his arms around her legs. the were running in what looked like a crowded street, but the pure joy on their faces prevented you from judging their actions. They had seemed happy together.
The sound of coffee mugs clanking alerted you that your search time may almost be up. You would've continued to search, but after his attack towards Amy the other day, you really didn't want to chance it.
You quickly put the picture back in the drawer and closed it before sitting yourself back on the couch. You fiddled with your hands until you saw your host come in the room, two mugs in hand.
"Thank you for waiting. I promise that it was worth the wait." Without hesitating, he sat down next to you and took a gentle drink of the tea, which warmed his cold body just a little bit more. He then put his mug on the coffee table in front of him.
"So, what did you find?" He asked, looking over at you.
Feeling an embarrassing heat rise to your cheeks, you looked away from him.
"I... Nothing." You corrected. He chuckled before bringing the cup up to his lips, but before drinking it, he spoke.
"Now, now. I'm no fool. It's only human nature to be curious." He took another drink before setting it down on the coffee table once more, "So please, share your findings. Was is what you had hoped for?"
You looked over at him, terrified. He knew your impulses. Maybe they were predictable. but all of his other actions on top of this? You were thoroughly freaked out.
You felt fear begin to run through your body. In response to both that and your shame, you hung your head down.
"I.. Found a picture of Mark and Amy when they were still together." You admitted.
He stared at your face for a moment before getting up and moving to a nearby chair covered with the same material as the couch.
"Well, why don't we get started?" He proposed, taking another sip of his tea.
"...Okay.." You responded, not sure how to start up the conversation.
"To make some things clear, I am not Mark. It's a little hard to explain, but bear with me."
You stared at him, more confused than afraid. Regardless, you gestured for him to continue.
"Well, there are a couple of different parallel universes in this particular world. One of them is where I come from. It's not much different than your version of 'Earth', but with more darkness and despair, I suppose."
"Sometimes, depending on the popularity or status of the creatures in these universes, we can breach into other worlds. Now keep in mind, all of these people must have some sort of copious power. In Mark's case, it's because of his famous career on YouTube."
"YouTube? He never told me about that." You interrupted.
"Well, at the time you met him, he friend recently committed suicide, so he was a bit preoccupied, which brings us to our next condition. Everything understandable so far?"
"Keep going" You announced with interest, taking another sip of your drink.
"In order for one of the life forms to visit a parallel world, one of the two must become weak. Mostly in an emotional or spiritual aspect. Again, in Mark's case, he was suffering the loss of a dear friend. These were all perfect conditions for a parallel to enter. I had been craving some change in scenery, so I decided to visit." He explained.
"Wait, so you're not Mark then. Are you like, a completely different version of Mark??" You asked. He nodded.
"Of course, all of us have different personalities. So, we may look like Mark, but we would never act like him." He responded, raising more questions for you.
"Wait, how many parallel universes are there?" You asked, concerned for the planet itself. What if these 'parallels' decided to try to take over. Could it be stopped? And how many does each person have?
"I don't know how many universes there are, but I know that Mark has quite a few parallels. Though, I've never met any outside of mine and this universe."
"So, you said that all of you are parallel's, but there has to be an original, right? So who is that?" You asked.
"That would be Earthlings. All of the other universes are secondary. As a result, all of us have immense respect for your planet and what it has become, but the people can sometimes irk me. But of course, that's not necessarily a problem that I have to deal with."
"What do you mean?" You questioned. He took a sip of his drink before answering.
"Well, my 'source of power' are my subjects. I suppose that you would call me a 'king' in your world's terms, but there are many that rule like me back where I'm from. Though. things between us and our subject's are usually quite cut-and-dry. if there is any disobedience, the outcome is usually not great. And of course, I'm sure that you've noticed by now that I have something like an 'otherworldly power'?" He mocked.
"I'm well aware.." You said, bringing the tea up to your lips again.
"I had quite a lot of fun doing that." He smirked as he watched you drink your beverage.
"So." You harshly put your mug down on the coffee table and leaned forward, "You said that 'all' of you are different from Mark. I'm starting to understand the concept of parallel universes, as it's been mentioned in our sciences before. But I am curious about one thing."
"Since you don't address yourselves as 'Marks', I'm assuming that you all have different names?"
He put his cup down on the coffee table, playfully challenging your gaze. He also leaned forward, matching your intensity.
"You are correct."
"So, what's your name?" You asked, fiddling your thumbs in nervousness. You didn't want to set 'His Royal Highness' off. He may have some way of transferring you into his universe, and you didn't want to be a part of his justice system from the way he had described it.
Nonetheless, he quelled your curiosity.
"You can call me 'Dark'."