Archie walked home with a smile, his school bag on his back. He was mentally preparing to willingly summon a Night Terror. He turned the corner to his house and walked headfirst into Michael, slightly stumbling backwards. Beside Michael was a large, burly man that Archie didn't recognise. "Archibald, meet Ray. I told him all about what you did to me in school today, and he's not happy." Michael told Archie as Ray cracked his knuckles. Archie looked at Michael with the same disappointed expression he used earlier. It was almost as if he was saying, "Do you really need someone else to protect you when you get injured?" to Michael.
Upon seeing Archie's expression, Ray quickly appeared behind Archie, throwing a punch at the back of his head. Archie tried to duck, but Ray's fist hit the top of his head, sending him flying forward, barely missing Michael. Archie landed against a wall, feeling something in his chest snap as his nose leaked a small amount of blood. He presumed it was one of his ribs, although he couldn't be sure. Archie felt a sudden pressure behind him as the sheer weight of Michael's ego crushed him as they approached. "Hit him again, Ray!" Michael commanded Ray, only to be slapped on the back of his head by his older brother. "You don't get to tell me what to do. That's my job." Ray responded, walking over to Archie, grabbing him by the neck and lifting him into the air. His grip on Archie's throat was made in a way so that Archie could breathe but not escape.
"If you mess with my brother again, I'll mess you up harder than I did this time. Do you understand, dipshit?" Ray told Archie, who just stared into his eyes. Archie didn't respond at all, not even through a nod. 'I'm not surrendering to this bitch.' Archie thought, just smiling instead. "Oh look, we have a joker here." Ray chuckled, looking at his brother with a grin before punching Archie in the face, staining his hand with Archie's blood. Archie kept staring forwards as he watched the fists keep coming, his eyes red with blood. Archie couldn't take any more damage without risking death. However, this wouldn't be the end of his torment.
Michael stood beside Ray. He had his palm outstretched at Archie. A stream of flames erupted from his hand, Archie's body being burnt beyond recognition, revealing the bones in his head. His flesh dropped to the ground. "Nobody cares about the death of a systemless child, do they?" Michael asked Ray. Ray shrugged in response, dropping Archie's body and shaking his hand. It had been slightly burnt by Michael.
{Wake Up.}
Archie woke up in his bed, pale moonlight creeping through his window. 'What the fuck? I was walking home, wasn't I? How the fuck did I get here?!' Archie thought, his body shaking as he looked around, noticing a set of red eyes with black irises from the corner of his room.
{You just experienced one of the rarer types of Night Terror. They were nicknamed by a previous Wordless Warrior. He called them "Death Wishes". It means a powerful Night Terror is in this room, and I think you've seen it. What the hell did you write on that sticky note?}
'I don't know, I can't remember anything from when I left school to here! Now, give me a second to think. I have to try and talk with this Night Terror!' Archie yelled in response, closing his eyes as he tried to remember the words of the book. 'I have to try and talk with this Night Terror. How would I access their M-Port?'
{Try to ask questions in the open. You might connect with them through that method. Imagine the room like a large empty void with you and the Night Terror being the only inhabitants. You then have to try and ask them questions.}
Archie opened his eyes to ensure the Night Terror hadn't moved from his spot and tried to imagine the room as a large arena. An empty battleground with just him and the Night Terror. 'Hello? Can you hear me?' Archie asked the Night Terror, only to get no response. 'I want to make a deal with you. Let me know if you're open to discussions.' Archie asked the Night Terror. A quiet voice replied to him.
"...fine..." The Night Terror replied to him as the red eyes walked towards him, revealing themselves as a windup doll. Archie didn't comment on its appearance, as he didn't want to anger it. "...you're the first to not laugh at me when you saw me. Especially since I put you through that horrible nightmare." The windup doll told him, almost as if it was a surprise. Archie was more surprised that it was moving like a human. 'I don't want to insult you or anything. How many people have you seen like me that have laughed at you?' Archie asked with his thoughts, the doll sitting on the ground in front of him.
Archie hadn't noticed this before, but the doll's eyes had completely changed colours. She resembled some of the older windup dolls he had seen before, specifically on toy store shelves. "There have been many. Well, over ten. Your role is passed around often since you die so quickly as a human. I've never seen anyone enter this nightmare realm willingly, however." The doll sullenly responded, almost as if she was sad. 'Does that mean you've killed around ten of my predecessors?' Archie asked in shock, wondering how such power could come from a windup doll. The doll sighed as the clockwork motor in her back whirred. "Yes, it does. I've personally killed ten, but nobody has ever come to talk to me instead of fighting. They all immediately tried to kill me. I was only acting in self-defence..." She replied, almost as if she was about to start crying. 'Now, now, don't cry. I don't blame you for wanting to protect yourself. Do you have a name?' Archie asked, trying to console her.
The doll wasn't able to cry, but she appreciated the gesture. "...Ann...my name is Ann..." She said to him. Archie smiled slightly. 'Well, Ann, you don't have to worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't WANT to hurt you.' Archie told her, being honest with his words. 'Listen, I'll even drop my sword and throw it away.' Archie said as he activated his Silence Sword, grabbing the handle to make the blade emerge. He threw it to the side. Simply seeing the sword appeared to make something snap in Ann's mind. Her tiny body lifted into the air, electricity crackling around her as her clockwork spun faster and faster.
"What if you try to hurt me, though? One of the last people who wanted to kill me dropped his sword as if he was trying to make a deal with me! I wanted to believe him! I did! I stopped using my powers and walked over towards him, arms outstretched! The sword then flew to his hand as he stabbed me in the chest! You're going to do the same thing as him, aren't you?!" Ann yelled at Archie, electricity flying through the air as Archie tried his hardest to avoid those electrifying shocks. 'I promise you, I'm not going to do anything like that! Please, listen to me! We don't have to fight!' Archie shouted in response, trying to calm her down.
"No! I'm not going to be fooled again by a liar!" Ann screamed, and a notification appeared on the left-hand side of his vision followed by one on the right.
{M-Port Connection Lost.}
[New Quest: Defeat Ann, The Slayer Of Wordless Warriors!]