I woke up to a dark room. There's barely any light inside making it nearly impossible to see anything. Despite that, I could easily recognize something right in front me.
A small box with luxurious decorations. The box that 'locked' the plushie and the thing I needed to find. It was right there, in front of me.
"Well that was... convenient."
"Yup." [Plushie]
The plushie spoke as if congratulating me. I don't feel very accomplished though as I roughly know why things are so convenient.
"Did you do this?"
"I got bored waiting around so I gave you a shortcut!" [Plushie]
Talk about a being impatient. That was like, maybe an hour ago?
It's cheery voice couldn't help but make me feel more exhausted. In all honesty, I too was a bit excited about the illusion space and the supernatural.
It was an adventure waiting to happen and I just skipped it to wherever the hell I am. It's a childish thought but I'm also a young man, I still have the spirit of youth inside me!
But it is what it is. I still want to know more about the other side of the world but that hope seems a bit far fetched now.
Wait... couldn't I have just asked this plushie?
.....
I'm a real idiot aren't I? First let's confirm the situation. Opening the box through a conveniently placed button I pick up the small plushie and put it in my pocket.
"So can you tell me what happened after I fainted?"
With mysterious means, the plushie soon appeared on top my head, it's favorite spot.
"You died." [Plushie]
Huh? What? I'm dead?
"Mind explaining it carefully?"
"You basically died through a failed spacial teleportation. I got bored and brought you back here and revived you in the process. Took you something like a hour to wake up but that's about it." [Plushie]
That was a lot less dramatic then I thought it would be. I'm not really sure what I should expect out of this thing. The reality is it has broken all my expectations and more, partially because I never really expected anything from it.
"So where exactly are we?"
"The basement of the one called Waynes. There's a lot of fun stuff here! I even messed around with some of them! They should be inside the illusion space you were in." [Plushie]
This thing... it talks way too much. Or maybe it's just me.
"So how do we get out?"
"Well~ you can do that whenever you want after all you are in the real world right now.
I'm curious though, what do you think of the supernatural world?" [Plushie]
"Why the random question?"
"The world you lived in for 19 years has been calm and stable. But now faced with a much more chaotic side... aren't you interested?" [Plushie]
That's... sudden. Looks like it has completely see through me, how frustrating.
What can I say? The other side has an irresistible attraction, no matter the danger I can't say that I would prefer to turn a blind eye to it.
"I guess I'm interested..."
After listening to what I said, the plushie laughed uncontrollably. Inside the dark room, one could only hear a hallow laugh. Soon, the laugh distorted into something weirder until it couldn't be recognized as a noise anymore.
Strangely, I wasn't creeped out or horrified by the sudden changes. Instead, a feeling of familiarity and comradeship struck me.
And it was pleasant.
Inhuman 'voices' reverberated in my head, invading my every thoughts.
Everything returned to normal the next moment and the plushie was back on my head. It was like nothing has happened if not for the glasses on my hand.
"What's this?"
"Try it on. I could explain to you everything here and now but it wouldn't very fun is it? So I made something else! To learn about this new world from someone's else! Such genius idea coming from me. Try it on now!" [Plushie]
Annoyed by the pushy voice I decided to just put on the glasses and deal with whatever comes next.
My vision immediately changed into a different view once I put it on.
>[Salra POV]<
Waking up from the shock left by the dazzling light, I looked around the familiar cell. Inside was Mercy the nun who seemed to have been waiting for me. No one else was here, it seems like the others haven't returned yet.
Hm? Where's Dummy?
"Oh you woke up?" [Mercy]
I nod weakly. Looks like I'm having a headache as my head is hurting pretty badly. I give up trying to stand and laid down the floor. It might not be very clean but it's comfortable and that's all it matters right now.
"Where's Dummy? You know the boy we were with." [Sal]
Mercy didn't answer for some time, it seems like she's having a headache too. After a quick meditation did I receive my answer.
"He's probably dead. Unlucky guy, failing a teleport is a rare occurrence and in his first time too." [Mercy]
"What do you mean?" [Sal]
I'm throughly confused. I mean a person who was fine just seconds ago suddenly winded up dead by god know what is pretty hard to wrap my head around.
"Breaking the core destroy the illusion space it maintains while also teleport us back to it's connected space. Sometimes an error occurred and it fails to teleport correctly.
If this happen there's only two outcomes. One: your body being destroyed and you most likely die. Two: you get transported into a totally unrelated space that's much more unstable than normal." [Mercy]
"So you're saying this happened to him and now he's... gone?" [Sal]
"Precisely." [Mercy]
How am I supposed to react to this? It just feel so out of the blue. A life gone in a matter of seconds and from what? A mistake, error? It could have been me.
My excitement of a new world quickly fades away, replaced by a rising sense of dread. I chased thrills but if I can simply die whenever then it's not worth it.
Perhaps sensing my unease, Mercy reaches out to my hand and clasped them together. A warm current flow through me as my chaotic thoughts slow down until my mind was calm, calmer than it has ever been.
"Better?" [Mercy]
She asked with a smile similar to that of an angel. A slight blush appears on my face followed by gratitude.
"Thanks. You must have done something right?" [Sal]
"It's a common thing so don't worry about it. Rather I want you to make a decision.
As you can see, the supernatural world is very unforgiving. You could lose your life from every simple things you do. I wish to say it would be easier for newcomers but the reality is: it's much harder.
Since you have interacted with this world I'll give you 2 choices: either gain power in this world or live ignorance to it. Both can protect you to a certain extent." [Mercy]
I wanted to give my answer, to say I'll join but the newly etched fear in my mind prevents me from saying a word. It's a cowardly side I didn't want to show to anyone else.
"It's not like I want an answer right away. Think about it and come to me after this is over ok? I'll try to help you out with either choices. And it seems we got company..." [Mercy]
A huge explosion erupted from one of the door, interrupting her words. Two figures appeared from the smoke. It was Jack and the missing prophet Star! Each one of them was holding an unconscious girl, Lena and Shina. Before I get the chance to ask anything Jack's urgent voice was heard.
"Don't question for now, we've got more company." [Jack]
Without needing anymore communication, Mercy, Jack and Star form a triangle around me and the 2 unconscious girls. From the door creatures start invading inside.
They were similar to bats but a huge mouth filled with razor sharp teeth replaced where the faces are. Claws protrude from all over the side giving the creatures a grotesque look.
There were dozens of these creatures and more keep on coming. However none of them managed to close in on us.
On Star's hand, two bracelets were shining brightly generated a dome of light to block any incoming attack. It seems that maintaining the dome took all of her focus as she couldn't move from where she was.
Jack started setting up a strange device around the hole that had grown into the size of a ball. Where the device came from or what it does is unknown.
Mercy has materialized 3 books around her. One spewed our fire while another shot out sharp 'bullet' hunting down any creatures they see. The last one stayed close by her side without doing anything. Corpse of the 'bats' piles up on the door.
The battle continued for 9 minutes when Jack's device stopped. Then, the hole started growing at a visible rate and quickly swallowed us whole.
* * * * * * * *
My head hit the ground. It wasn't very painful but enough to make me wide awake. Despite my dimly lit surroundings I was still able to figure out where I am.
'A storage room?'
I could see a large amount of boxes all over the place. Not knowing what to do I wander around the room trying to find and exit. The boxes were really hard to navigate through. It was then that something caught my attention.
Inside one of the boxes was a balance scale. The scale was decorated with glowing gem yet the light released from it seems much darker than the darkness surrounding me. On one side was a simple ring with a crystal flower and the other was a small dagger. The dagger contains a type of beauty that humans can't describe.
Simply looking at it made me muddle-headed. I reached for the dagger unconsciously.
When my mind becomes clear again the scale has lost an item. On my finger was a simple ring decorated with a crystal flower. Before I could realize what's happening the scale quickly disappeared in a flash of light.
Afterward, what could only be described as hell break loose in my body.
And there were voices. Many, many voices. They were all screaming, shouting, demanding me for their judgment. Sharp pain courses through my body as my blood veins burst open. I cried but no tears came, instead hot lava flow through my eye sockets. Very quickly my mind and body was on the verge of breaking.
Before that could happen though inhuman laugh reverberated throughout my head. The laugh sends shivers down my spine. No other noise could be heard as if the entire world shut up in fear. The laugh soon turned dreamlike and all memories of it started to disappear. In the end, it left me with a world of silence.
>[Dummy's POV]<
The glasses in my head turned into light particles as I awake from my 'dream'. Those 30 minutes of me 'living' as Salra felt like my own experience from my thoughts to actions. Now that I returned to being myself it felt incredibly scary.
"What the fuck man. You could have warned me about things like this!"
"You didn't ask. It's a pretty Dummy move to not do so." [Plushie]
"Did you seriously make a pun out of my name in this situation!? And are we ignoring the fact that YOU annoyed me until I accept to wear it?"
"That's not the argument here is it? Anyway since you are not in a good state of mind right now let me help you." [Plushie]
"Begone anger! Kazam!" [Plushie]
...
Did it seriously said that out loud?
Before I noticed it, all my agitation and frustration was gone. My mind is calm, too calm. I feel like even if somebody were to murder my family, stab me and then steal all my stuff right now I wouldn't bat an eye.
In short, I barely feel any emotion right now.
"Never do that again."
"You sure? Well whatever. You've calm down yes? What do you think?" [Plushie]
I really considered giving it a punch but decided not to. It's not like it would let me do that given its disposition. Actually scratch that, it would totally let me punch it only to mock me about it.
Anyway enough distractions. Truthfully I haven't gotten much out of the experience. The only thing left an impression on me was that hellish.
"Wait, you said you have 'played around' with some stuff there does that mean the ring was your doing too?"
"Mhmm? Oh the scale. Right I did mess with it. I add a little something to reduce the effects." [Plushie]
"So what happened to her?"
"She's fine~. The others though, they aren't in a very good spot." [Plushie]
Others? Oh I almost forgot. Salra got separated in the end so I didn't paid attention to others.
"Right you can tell what's going to happen to them?"
"Eh. By this rate they'll all die?" [Plushie]
What the hell? I felt like I just heard a terrible joke. All dead. Doesn't this mean that without this thing, the death rate to this meeting is 100%?
"Then let's go. You can do something to help them right?"
"Go where?" [Plushie]
"Upstairs of course. I'm sure that the place Salra ended up in is the same basement we're at. Let's meet up and search..."
I noticed. I'm not in the basement right now. A familiar bed, a familiar desk. I'm back in my room?
"Hey... Why are we back home?"
"I felt like it." [Plushie]
...
"What? You really think I can't do anything about it just because I'm here?" [Plushie]
That's reasonable. Perhaps I'm still not very used to these superpower stuffs.
"Well. Can you do it?"
"No. I've done enough already." [Plushie]
Before I could voice my disagreement, the plushie made an offer.
"I wouldn't help them... but you can. I'll give you that chance. I must warn you though it might not be worth it." [Plushie]
Though I'm not very smart it's still easy to tell there's something sketchy with this offer. Such a roundabout way of doing things is not its style.
But what can I do about it? It's the one with the upper hand here. As for the reason I want to save them it's quite simple. Because I have a way to. An easy way at that. This thing has already saved me once effortlessly so why not more?
Perhaps if I were to look back at my life I would have regretted this moment. I would hate myself for not thinking more carefully about the matter. But I wasn't at the right state of mind.
"Sure. What do I have to do?"
The plushie smile. I can feel it's smiling at me. That moment, I realize everything was wrong.
* * * * * * * *
The world is created from carefully crafted rules. As everything seamlessly fit in place, reality was created. In the midst of the chaos, order appeared.
Now that very own order was unraveling before me eyes. At the same time, 'I' also started to unravel. As the infinite cosmo contains itself within me the vessel started to break down.
These short moments, this feeling of omnipotent. It was hell. As 'I' wander around the endlessness, I grabbed upon the last thing to keep me whole.
I don't remember what it is.
* * * * * * * *
If I had to use one word to describe what I'm feeling right now, it would probably be confusion.
"Forget it. Lock it in. Seal it. Erase it. Condition isn't good. Stop playing around [@/&!#^¥]"
Monotone voices came out of my mouth. I couldn't understand anything I'm saying. The confusion grew.
"Heh. Sorry I played around too much. I'll give him compensation later ok?" [Plushie]
Compensate who? Who are you talking to? I want to speak but no word came to my mind. All that's left is insanity.
* * * * * * * *
Huh? I wake up feeling confused. It's like waking up from a shitty dream only to realize it's actually your reality seeping in your sleep.
What day is today? The 12th of June? Weird, did I skip a day? And where's my plushie?
"Heya, got a good sleep?" [Plushie]
I touched my head to find a familiar fluffy toy there. Although I feel like something is out of place I couldn't care much about it.
"Sigh. I missed my break somehow. What the hell happened yesterday? Can't remember a single thing..."
"I know what happened." The plushie said with a sunny smile.
"Let me tell you about the amazing adventure you had..."