"Haah... we... finally did it." Ailza sighed. The group managed to defeat that mummy, though not without a struggle.
"Jeez. I thought I was gonna die!" Beo yelled out.
"Come on, Beo. With the great student council member Ailza, you didn't really think you would be in harm's way, did you?" Jurizah said.
Beo rubbed his chin. "You're right.
Ailza giggled.
"Guys, where's Eudora?" Julian asked, yet again.
[Cast: Inner Chamber]
Suddenly, a cast was placed on the group. In an instant, Beo, Julian, Shaw, and Jurizah fainted. But Ailza managed to stay awake, although a little drained.
"Eh? It seems my ability didn't work on you?"
A cloaked figure appeared from the shadows.
"I sensed that freak energy here. Are you [Envy]?"
Ailza was immediately on guard.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"... Listen. We can make this quick and simple. You just let me go on through, without causing me trouble, and I'll let you live! I've already cast this on all the other students in here, so it's not like you'll be able to get help."
"..."
"Phew! Thank goodness-"
Swsh!
Ailza dashed at the cloaked individual, throwing a kick at them.
The wind blew the cloaked individual's hood off.
It was a long, pink-haired woman, with dark orange eyes. Although you couldn't see it at the moment, her teeth were especially sharp. Yuna!
"Ah, you almost hit me. That would've been especially bad for me, with speed like that."
"!"
Yuna grabbed Ailza, digging her knee into her gut.
"Ack!"
She fell onto the floor, quickly getting up.
'I... swear the attack landed?'
[Cast: Steel Chains]
In Yuna's hand, a sort of purple void formed. Out of it, chains flew out, shooting toward Ailza.
[Cast: Wind Burst]
The chains must've been fragile, as they scattered away at a single wind burst.
"You shouldn't pay so much attention on those chains!" Yuna yelled.
"Eh?-"
Psh!
Before Ailza even knew it, Yuna threw a punch at the jaw, connecting.
It sent her back just a little bit.
Normally, Ailza would not have this much trouble with her speed. But fighting with the dungeon's creations, and having to mentally defend against that previous cast was a little hard.
"I need to... get serious."
"You haven't been taking me seriously this whole time? Rookie mistake."
[Cast: Gale Force]
A strong breeze started to blow throughout Ailza's body.
In an instant, she cleared the distance between Yuna and herself.
"!"
Yuna raised her guard.
"Above you!"
A few seconds before Yuna raised her guard, Ailza jumped into the air.
[Cast: Tempest Claw Strike]
Ailza swung her palm, with three strong, sharp gales coming toward Yuna.
She was not fast enough, and couldn't block it.
"Keuk!" …
Yuna quickly recovered, throwing a punch right back at Ailza.
"Ack!"
. . .
. .
.
(Julian)
It was quiet. Incredibly silent. I was alone in this… colorless void.
Where am I? Just a few seconds ago, I was in that dungeon. Now I'm here.
Did I… die?
I looked at my arms. They were full of scars that I don't remember having at the time I entered the dungeon.
Suddenly, I took notice of a small fire, in front of me. Was it always there?
"I was always here, Julian."
The fire spoke!
"Huh?" I exclaimed.
"After all, I am you, and you are me."
The colorless void began to fill with white.
"…"
"I've been watching this whole time. When you were born, when you entered this… alternate world, and now."
"So… I'm in my head right now, I assume."
"Correct. That woman must've used a [cast] that would trap you in your head."
"So how am I supposed to get out?"
The scenery changed. Into an extremely familiar scenario.
It was the slave camp that I had first been taken into when I came to this world. Now the scars were starting to make sense. It was that day…
(---)
The wind blew.
"How dirty."
"!"
Julian sat there, with not a single cloth on his body. He tried to cover himself up with the nearest piece of cloth he could find.
"D-don't look!"
"So this is what you were doing this whole time?" Elyse asked a hint of disgust in her voice and face.
"It was… the only choice! If we all wanted to become free!"
Ailen stepped in. "You're disgusting, Julian. You probably enjoyed it more than you think, didn't you?"
"I-I didn't… you don't understand."
"I understand full and well! Boys like you are really the worst. That's all you care about, huh?" Elyse yelled.
"I swear, it's not what you guys think!"
"Hm. Who knows what you did. Maybe you even forced yourself onto that lady. You could've just killed her, Julian." Ailen said, equally disgusted.
The pair looked at Julian with eyes of complete disgust and contempt.
"H-huh?"
"It makes sense now. You're disgusting, Julian."
"I-I'm disgusting…"
There wasn't really much going on inside Julian's head besides that thought.
How did that day really go?
"You act like you're the victim, but you probably enjoyed it more than her, right?"
'Are they… right?'
The scars on his body started to sting, reminiscing about the event.
"I-I just wanna… forget about that day…"
"You can't forget, Julian. Deep down you know that it was a good experience for you. So why pretend?" Elyse laughed.
"Just… let me forget."
"You can't forget, Julian." Oscar crouched down to Julian's level on the floor, giving him a slap on the cheek.
Julian kept his head turned.
"If you forget, then it wouldn't be fair to her. You disgust me."
That was the most emotion Oscar had shown on his face.
'They aren't wrong… at all.'
'That day… I must've enjoyed it. What am I complaining for?'
'I'm disgusting.'
'Disgusting.'
"Huh. So this is how you really think, Julian? You're a sick monster?" that little fire spoke.
Julian's head stayed down.
"I doubt I'll be able to change your mind with the short time we likely have. You desperately want to forget so badly, but someone has to remember, no?"
"…"
"I'll be that person. I'll remember."
A hand stretched out to Julian. It was warm and bright, almost a little transparent.
Julian lifted his head, staring at the hand.
"Take my hand, god damn it!" the fire yelled.
"…"
The fire pushed its hand through Julian's head.
. . .
. .
.