The door he had used moments ago was gone, leaving no trace behind.
What was supposed to be the door was now just a plain wall.
Javier was left kneeling on the floor. He held his right eye which was bleeding slightly.
"Well, there goes my eye," he muttered, placing a hand over it. Using his other hand, he stood up and straightened his clothes.
"And to think there are bulbs here. Given the theme of this hall, I certainly didn't expect this". Javier looks at the white, yellow, red, green and more colored LED lights hung around the corridor.
"The doors here are sparse." Javier reached an intersection and there were more rooms by each side, although they were also sparse, they each had a color of lighting on them. He took the path on the right
The bulb beside Javier flickered. He instinctively ran to another door with its light on. "Uhh…red light, green light, 1, 2, 3,"
He didn't know why he said it. Just had the feeling of running away from bulbs that flicker and turn off. Javier tries turning open the door knob he stood in front of.
The bulb above it was green, so he mentally felt a sense of security. He twists the door handle- had a second thought.
What if those puppets lived inside the doors?
Javier turned around, and staring back at him was a wooden puppet with six arms. Each pair of hands carried two long swords, two sharpened axes, and two wickedly curved knives. It stared at Javier, unmoving.
'I didn't even hear it arrive' Javier held his breath
The puppet had one eye glowing red, as Javier could see, but nothing in the other socket. It turned its head to the right, and marched in that direction
The hallway here was endless, so it didn't matter if one strayed too far. Everywhere was the same, but there was a need to be cautious.
Javier watched the puppet march to wherever it was heading, until it stopped suddenly, two doors away from him and stared back at him.
Only then did he notice the green light above himself had turned off. He drowned in realization as he understood the gravity of the situation he was in.
The situation was quite familiar. Now that I think about it, the reaper during the invasion a few days ago was weak… a Grim reaper, a harbinger of death who brings fear into the minds of all… how did I even defeat it in the first place? The specter of it should have been terrifying. If anything, it should be on the level of Greater Specter.
He then started to wonder why he was thinking of something so unnecessary…
He made the only reasonable choice, and that was to run. In such an unpredictable place, his best option was to avoid unnecessary fights as much as possible.
All the bulbs in that section began to turn off one after the other, so he took to his heels, back to the corridor he had come from, only to be met with a little puppet hanging from the ceiling, arching its blade at him. He reflexively dodged it, only but a second too late…
The puppet cackled, before disappearing into the darkness.
Javier held his bleeding neck, staggering. He knew he still had to escape from the six-armed puppet following behind him. He staggered, painfully, smilingly, and fate brought him to a particular door.
He hadn't looked up at the bulb hanging above it before entering. If he knew it was a red light, would he still go in…?
No one knows for real. But for some reason, he still would have-
Javier staggered into the room which was like an ancient small room of some witch.
There was a center table with three chairs, a small woman sitting atop one of it. A window beyond which was a clear sky, was covered by a black curtain. Leaving behind only a small light that illuminated the whole room. At the right corner was a long couch where the bright light could not reach, while on the left was a brown cupboard.
"What are you standing there for? Come in". The short young woman said,
Javier fearlessly took steps forward.
"You're getting blood on my carpet" The young woman said,
Javier looked down at his leg and wiped the blood beneath his shoe. "Oh. I apologize"
"Come over here". The young woman said
Javier obediently came over. He sees the young woman's face, although the top half of it was covered with a black net, he could tell she was pretty. Her lips were thin and dark
She wasn't as young as a child or teenager, nor was she as old.
"Hi there," She said, putting a palm on his eye, healing it quickly along with the gash on his neck.
Javier felt his neck. "Had I known you were going to heal me, I wouldn't have come over" He stands up and straighten his clothes. "However, you have my gratitude"
The woman was silent. "Why is that" she asked
"I wouldn't know what sort of sorcery you have used. I'm not a fan of dark magic you see" Javier said his mind without reservations
"I see. Then I apologize, although I mean no harm". She said sincerely,
"You're not a puppet?" he asks,
"Do I look like I am?"
Javier, "..."
"Gentlemen, please, have a cup of tea with me". She said, picking up her kettle.
"..." Javier watched her pour tea.
"You're an emperor aren't you" The woman asked without turning back
Javier walks to the table and takes his seat. "What makes you think so?"
"You cloak" The witch looks up and passes him his tea
"Oh". Javier responded
Emperors of this generation are recognized by their long black coat and inner suit. Their Vassals are recognized by their tail suit, and Agents by their sort of military wear. They are all formal wears made of the most finest materials.
"How would an ancient witch know that". Javier picks up the black tea and looks inside, seeing his reflection- in a black tea!
He drops the tea cup. "Although some specters may be intelligent, that doesn't mean they would have automatic knowledge of the current state of the world. Explain a bit more, would you"
"As you know, I am a specter. Probably because this is an instance, I am able to retain a physical form. A form I chose"
"Answer my question". Javier taps on the table
"What would you expect?" The young witch smiled, "I am not just intelligent, isn't that something you would expect of an elder specter? Is that what you classify us as? Those great figures from ancient times?" Her smile grew even wider
Having heard the word Elder Specter, Javier felt a chill run down his spine. Specters like that are almost on the level of the supreme emperor.
This witch though, Javier felt she was not on that level yet. At most, she should be on the level of Greater Specter. Elder Specters are those of ancient gods and demons, apocalypse related machinations and the likes.
"Unfortunately, I don't belong to that group" she takes a sip of tea. "There are many many humans, and there are many versions of the way they think about their made up creations. Some think of witches as old and wicked, while others think of us as cute and friendly- I belong to that category you see". She smiled slightly
"Yeah, sure". Javier listened on
"And as for your question, that isn't something I am obliged to tell you". She sips her tea, continuing,
"You know, up until now I curse, hex and poison humans I come across. Afterall I am a witch. Until… a few days ago, where I almost met my end. By the hands of a fellow emperor like you". She takes another sip of her tea.
"Drink up, it's not poisoned"
"You expect me to believe that" Javier looked at the tea like it was made out of something he didn't know
"The emperor I know, he always drinks my tea. I poison it a lot of times but he is always unbothered. He even thanks me for it." She gushed
After hearing her talk, one name came to mind. "Julius"
Javier smacked his face, his doctor personality coming into place. "I always warn that idiot. He's the type that will take whatever you give to him and swallow it without hesitation. Whether poisoned or not- rather he would want it to poisoned"
"Exactly! He eats almost anything, even toxic plants too, and he's so short and cuute~ I love his eyes~ not to mention–"
"--Nonchalant attitude and naïvety just makes you want to protect him" Javier couldn't have wanted to drink that tea, so much so even if it kills him, he at least wouldn't have to listen to an ancient witch gush.
"You know your stuff! I love him!! He can be quite stupid but I love him! If I see him cuddle with Hope again, I'll kill that bitch! Their relationship is too one-sided, he doesn't like her so she should just leave him alone" She stands up and hits the table, stumbling about in a mad chant before finally sitting down.
An obsessed fangirl. She reminds me of Kelvin. Javier thought,
"You said you almost met your end at his hands. How did that happen?" Javier finally drinks the tea. If he gets poisoned, he could always go to the supreme emperor. Hopefully, he would have the time for that…. Ah… hopefully he would survive until then
"About that" The witch calmed down. "I arrived with the 'Invasion' as you call it. At the 6th empire." She finishes her tea and pours out a new one, "The 6th emperor, Julius deemed me as the strongest on the battlefield. So he came after me first."
She paused, probably gushing again,
"Well, we fought for a whole day till even the invasion was cleared."
The witch recalled that specific day,
[It was dark, and the sun was barely out yet. She stood above the battlefield, looking down at the emperor beneath her
His Vassals all clutched their weapons and got ready to use their abilities as they waited at the sidelines for a command. Among them was a tall girl with a short black hair and eyes so black it glints silver. She glared daggers at the witch but the witch couldn't seem to care less.
"Get down here, witch". The sixth emperor looked up at her
"Do you seriously expect me to obey you" She had said with confidence
The sixth emperor lowered his head and whispered, as if talking to someone beside him. And before the witch could react, something struck her from behind and crashed her to the ground,
While she was still trying to pull her thoughts together, Julius stood before her.
"I only waited till you were a bit weakened. It seems I have you now". He said,
A sort of vortex formed beneath his feet and countless arms started to pull her in.
It was an underworld, a dark void containing what shouldn't exist in this materialistic world.]
She muttered,
What did he call it again? Shadows-
Javier snapped her out of her thoughts as he drops his tea cup with a clatter. "You stopped talking a while ago and started muttering"
"Huh? What?" She blurted, "Oh. Yeah, yeah"
Javier archs his brows, "You seem confused. What did you say he dragged you into?"
"My, oh my." She clasps her cheek and grinned, "I seem to have forgotten what I was talking about"
"Not like I can force you to tell me". Javier got set to leave
"You have a secret ability, don't you" she asks
Javier thinks, "I won't exactly call it secret if my Vassals know about it"
"Hell's gate, right?." The witch asks, "You could say it's similar" she pulls out a set of taorat cards. "What destiny has for some people is very promising. And sad"
Javier remains silent,
"You're not the type to do cards right?"
"Yes". Javier immediately replied
"I suppose my role is still not changing". The witch smiled slightly. "Your future is one that brings-"
"Let's get through the present first. The future can come later as it always does". Javier draws the black curtain, bright light spilling into all corners of the room.
"I'm not in the mood for that. I know my life is shitty and I don't expect it to get any better so I'll just live it all to the end. One is better in oblivion than to live in constant of worry."
The corners of the witch's eyes curved and she laughed softly. "That's what you said before."
"Before? Have we met?" Javier was genuinely surprised. He felt like he had seen her lots of times before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it
If I say anything more, he will probably have his memory re-written. She smiled, "This world…"
The witch spoke major details which captivated him to the core. Was this something he should know?
His face froze, and the expression disappeared only a second later. "Wuh? S-sorry? Were you saying something just now?"
"Haa" The witch grinned, "Julius seemed to have remembered a lot~ he's hurting the most right now–"
Boom!!
Lightning struck down from the ceiling and it landed on the witch. She shivered from the bolts and knelt immediately as it receded.
"What the- are you okay?" Javier rushes to her aid, He found that there was nothing to heal on her. It only lasted for two seconds, and the signs of just recently being struck by lightning were gone after those two seconds.
"Ahaha it's my fault for crossing my boundaries. And it's their fault for not concealing my memories". She moves away from Javier and takes her seat
"How did you cross your boundaries?" Javier stands back up. I should get going by now,
The witch remains silent, "You two are literally obsessed with each other" she glares at him before drinking her tea. "At least it's you" her mood eased right back
"....who?" Javier was confused
"Get out, I have another guest". She says
"...Okay". Javier silently leaves. He just had this subtle feeling to respond to her
"How many times are you going to die?." The witch turns her head back menacingly
"How do you mean?" Javier asks back
There's no way he wouldn't remember nearly passing to the afterlife either during training in HQ, back when he was an emperor-in-training, or his death mission where they met a predecessor no one knows about. A red haired royal.
"But I guess It's not your fault though" She sips her tea
Javier was about to turn the knob to the door, but it was instead twisted the other way and the person outside came in.
It was a tall girl, Royal like Javier to be precise. She had short black hair and eyes, so black they glint silver.
"Where is here" her cool voice which had a hint of immaturity asked
Javier looks back at the witch,
The witch spread her palms. "My next guest."
"I'll be on my way then" Javier pushes open the door.
"Wait, Hope!?" He snaps his head back and asks
"... It's Ivory…" The witch said,
"Not you" He dismissed her
"Hope!?" The witch also stood up to look at the girl's face
"Me?" The black haired girl cocks her head. "What's that? Who's that?"
"You're not Hope?" Javier asks, "Julius' Vassal, Hope?"
"I don't think she is". The witch sat back down, "If she was, my rage radar would have spiked. Plus, Hope's hair is much shorter"
"I guess that's true. It's been a while since I have seen her. As for your name, I'll remember it". Javier leaves
The girl folds her arms as she watches Javier close the door. Aren't we from the same kingdom? She thought
"Welcome, guest" The witch spread her palms wide. "Would you like to play a game?"
Since it was Javier, the witch didn't carry out her purpose in trying to kill him..
Javier was back in the hallway. The light in the section he was in previously was already back on. This time, he went in the opposite direction
"That witch sure is weird. Not only didn't she try to kill me, she also talked to me with familiarity. Is it because I know Julius?"
That can't be it…
In the distance was another fork leading to two more sections, although there was still the straight path ahead where he didn't have to go through any of the two sections. "It's like I'm the one deciding my fate with these doors"
Whoosh!
Something passed by in the shadows behind Javier. It jumped from one place to another with speed he couldn't see… probably because it was in the dark
The more it moved about, the more the bulbs in that section seemed to flicker and off. And it passed on down to more sections
Javier was a few sections away from it, but he still couldn't be too careful. He hurried his steps further and decided to go straight down.
How do I find the exit, Javier thought.
"It's all endless" He realizes there was no point walking about the corridor, so he decides to enter a door.
"Hopefully, this isn't dangerous". Javier turns the knob to a door opposite him.
He cautiously enters inside, his hand still on the knob. But it spiraled out of control and Javier had to let go- and the door slammed shut by itself.
Javier watched the knob for a while, before turning back to face the dark room.
{Duck} The voice in his head said,
"Woah" Javier didn't know whether he should be crying or laughing. "So you can speak to me now, even when I'm not weakened"
{You'll die}
Javier was alert. "Duck?" He asks
{Yes,} the glitching voice replied
Boom!
The moment Javier arched his back, something flying went past where his chest had just been and crashed into the door.
{This instance, this particular hall rather, and this door to be precise, seems to dull your senses. That's why I am able to make my way to your consciousness with little effort}
"What is the percentage of my consciousness to yours?" Javier asks, glancing around the dark room
{About 50-50. But given how strong I am, I am able to perceive more than you.} The voice said, {Give me your mind, and I shall help you get out of this place-}
"Absolutely not. I know exactly nothing about who or what you are, you refuse to tell me anything. And I thought you wanted my soul, now you want my mind?" He said, wary of the moving objects on the walls
{You are more stupid than I thought.}
"Painful, but do tell me why"
{If you give me your mind, or in other words, lose your own consciousness, I can take control of your body. Although if I do so, and we do leave leave this place, I will find my way and take your soul before you regain consciousness}
"You're telling me because you know I won't agree to it" Javier picks up a blade on the floor
{Yes.} The voice said
"Glad you know that." Javier nods
Clang!
He clashes daggers with the puppet coming down from the ceiling behind.
"But if our consciousness is 50-50, I should be able to sense the same as you, given it's my body. Your mental fortitude or strength should have no place here".
The puppet retreats, and Javier throws the blade he had picked up to the ground. It had at some point cut a deep gash in his palm. "Some things just don't make sense here" I can't even feel the pain well.
Javier clenches his palm and looks back at it attempting to heal it. It worked for a split second before stopping.
"This door is dangerous." He muttered, "Out we go"
Javier made sure to take out his daggers and keep them in hand as he watched out for those puppets, especially the ones on the ceiling. They're the most unpredictable.
As he had expected, the one from earlier came back to attack. Probably trying to stop him from leaving,
Would that witch have answered me if I asked her how to get out of here? He thought, "I can't even remember what door she's in"
Plus, what's the possibility that the doors don't change? There was too much risk to consider and time was running out.
Javier casually blocked the puppet's attack, he then grabbed its wooden arm and smacked it to the wall, breaking it apart. It made crackling noises as it made a last minute effort to piece itself together.
Without a shred of mercy, Javier raises his booted foot and breaks the puppet into smaller pieces.
As he proceeds to open the door, he notices the blade the puppet had thrown at him earlier which was still stuck to the door was now just a wooden dagger. Completely made out of wood and no blade.
He reaches out and pulls the wood from its slant hole. "Everything makes less and less sense," he said, opening the door and walking out.
Back in the corridor, all the lights were out. The yellow, green, red and all other LED lights placed on every door were now gone leaving the hallway very dark.
A slight gust of wind carried his coat up and he squinted his eyes. Soon after came the sounds of electric buzzing,
To his left was a section where a faint light flickered on. It was a small electric-blue lighting emanating from a tiny silver bulb. The lighting was astonishingly beautiful, casting a mesmerizing radiance on dear Javier. The bulb carried with it an intermittent buzzing, sometimes loud, sometimes faint.
The first light appeared, followed almost immediately by many others, spreading across every section. Each light was moderately bright, with one positioned for every three doors. Despite their subtle glow, the lights provided just enough illumination to see the bare minimum.
As the bright silvery blue light danced upon Javier's face and reflected on his silvery black hair, he squinted his eyes once again as he felt another gust of wind brush past him.
A thought suddenly came to mind…., "Now that I think about it…."
Plank-like noises echoed from the walls and ceilings as countless small puppets scurried about, cackling.
They were very meticulously hidden in the shadows, where the lights could not reach, occasionally showing themselves only once in a while,
Javier felt the presence of something ahead walking towards him. He subconsciously gripped his daggers lightly but the wound on his palm was starting to burn. It made him unable to grip his weapon any more tightly.
With light steps, the six-armed puppet with one red glowing eye from earlier marched into the section where Javier was.
Its arms moving independently of one another, the master puppet stopped directly in front of him.
Another gust of wind swept past, but this time, Javier didn't dare squint or furrow his brows. Instead, he raised his daggers as the master puppet brought down its weapons.
A hellish fight broke out, but Javier still wondered….
"The puppets distract from….what?"