As both boys strolled down the street, a door suddenly materialized out of nowhere, interrupting their conversation. It was the door to the hotel, glowing faintly as it floated in place, as if waiting for them. Len froze, wide-eyed, his heart jumping in surprise.
Len:
"AH—crap, that scared me! Is that... the door to the hotel? Do we really have to stay there?"
He grimaced slightly, reluctant about entering the place they'd call home for the night.
Miyoyu:
"Do you want to head back to your college dorm instead? Remember, you can't be away from me for too long, and I doubt your dorm allows outsiders. Besides, I thought you liked being rebellious."
Len:
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just get this over with... I just wish you could clean this place up."
Len pushed the door open, revealing a rundown hotel lobby that mirrored a building long forgotten, the walls covered in grime and vandalized graffiti. Dust swirled around their feet with every step. Len looked around in disgust, wrinkles forming on his brow.
Miyoyu:
"Clean it up yourself. This place can't be fixed normally, seeing as it's linked to your consciousness. I just activated it. Frankly, it says a lot about your mental health."
Len:
"Linked to me? No way! This filthy, vandalized wreck of a hotel represents me?! That's absurd."
Miyoyu:
"Believe it or not, this place embodies your soul, psyche, and power. This is your inner world, your personal dimension. I was surprised I could even enter it. Normally, it takes years for someone to gain access to their own plane, let alone allow someone else inside. You, on the other hand, haven't tapped into your abilities in so long that your soul's in disarray. Not surprising the place resembles a broken-down hotel instead of something more... I dunno, majestic like others I've seen."
Len:
"There are other planes like this?"
He took a moment to let Miyoyu's words sink in, half-distracted by the eerie silence of the desolate space.
Miyoyu:
"Yes, quite a few. But only I know of their existence. Even those who own these planes don't normally access them. These places serve as refuges—where people drift off to when they faint or fall unconscious. Normally, any memory of this space disappears once they wake up. You're one of the rare exceptions. Well, we are the exceptions."
Len:
"That's... interesting. Wait, do you have one too?"
Miyoyu:
"Of course. Everyone has one, but mine is bigger and... different. No one's been able to enter it, though, no matter how hard they try. But anyway, from now on, you'll need to start training your abilities. You have a destiny to fulfill, Len—an Incarnate to become."
Len:
"You make it sound so easy, but it's not. Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about it. Well, at least there's a TV here... Wait, how does that even work?"
Len eyed the dusty old television sitting in the corner, baffled by its presence in a place that supposedly reflected his inner psyche.
Miyoyu:
"Don't question the logic of a broken reality. But here, look—your phone. I fixed it."
Miyoyu tossed Len his phone, its screen lighting up.
Len:
"Oh, whoa—you're a model and a mechanic?"
Miyoyu:
"Not quite. I used magic to fix it."
Len:
"Wait, you're a magic user? I thought you had a different main ability."
Miyoyu:
"It's not my primary path, but I can wield it. Anyone can, if they try hard enough."
Len:
"Really...? I've gotta write that down. With all the knowledge I could milk from you, I'd be rich..."
Miyoyu:
"I'm standing right here, dude. Do whatever you want, but if you want to stop living in this dump, you'll have to grow stronger."
Len:
"Ugh, fine, but let me sleep first. I'm exhausted."
Miyoyu:
"Go ahead, there's a room down the hall. We'll start training tomorrow."
Miyoyu snapped his fingers, and in an instant, both of their forms shrank—growing younger, smaller, almost childlike.
Len:
"HUH?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?"
Miyoyu:
"Chill, dude. It's to conserve energy. Staying in these forms helps us generate more power. If you want a full explanation, you'll have to ask the Incarnate of Omniscience. She's the only one who knows the intricate details."
Len:
"Incarnate of Omniscience? You mean Klaire Rellette? The one from France?"
Miyoyu:
"So that's what she calls herself these days? Funny. I used to call her Evol. Guess she's changed."
Len:
"You know her?"
Miyoyu:
"Yeah, she was a senior of mine. We trained together for a bit. She's a pain in the ass, though. Total control freak."
Len:
"And you say I have a foul mouth."
Miyoyu:
"I speak the truth. Anyway, she'll definitely recognize me if we run into her, so we need to avoid getting spotted or photographed."
Len:
"Why? What's her ability?"
Miyoyu:
"Anything written, any image taken, any drawing made—she sees it. Her mind is a massive, infinite library. She never forgets anything. Her hunger for knowledge is just as limitless. She used to walk the Path of Spectators. Now, she's already reached the level of an Incarnate."
Len:
"Path of Spectators? Hm... I think I'm starting to understand these paths."
Miyoyu:
"I already explained it to you. A Path is what guides someone toward becoming a godlike being. It's the road you walk on to reach Incarnate status."
Len:
"Yeah, I know. But it's becoming clearer now. Are these Paths... sentient? Do they choose who to give power to?"
Miyoyu:
"Some are, some aren't. Some Paths are just forces of fate. Others are conscious entities. Some are ideas from imagination, like characters in a story."
Len:
"Examples?"
Miyoyu:
"Well, there's the Incarnate of True Power, Onyx—though you might know him as Trey Cleaves. He once walked the Path of Zeus. Then there's Zyphil, the Incarnate of Peace. She followed the Path of a Little Fairy, a creature from outside the SafeZone. And me—I'm the Incarnate of Omnipresence. I once walked the Path of Life and Death."
Len:
"Incarnate of Omnipresence? What does that even mean?"
Miyoyu:
"You don't want to get into that. Klaire—Evol—tried to figure it out herself, and she ended up in a coma for three days."
Len sighed, too tired to continue the conversation.
Len:
"Good... Now can you get off the bed? I need to sleep."
Miyoyu grinned, shifting closer to Len in a teasing manner.
Miyoyu:
"Why? Am I not allowed to sleep with you?"
Len scooted awkwardly away.
Len:
"Don't... phrase it like that."
Miyoyu:
"Like what?"
Len:
"Never mind... Just move a bit farther away."
Miyoyu snapped his fingers, turning off the lights, ignoring Len's plea. Slowly, they both drifted into sleep, with only the sound of a distant alarm clock breaking the silence hours later.
Miyoyu:
"Wake up, sleepyhead. You still have school... yawn..."
Len groggily opened his eyes, but as soon as Miyoyu's words registered, he bolted upright, scrambling to the bathroom. He rushed through his morning routine—showering, brushing his teeth, and dressing for class in a mad dash.
Len:
"WHAT TIME IS IT? WHY DIDN'T YOU WAKE ME UP EARLIER?"
Miyoyu:
"You looked too cute while sleeping. Besides, I've already changed your form back so you can go outside. I'll be waiting near the campus."
Without another word, Len burst through the door, sprinting toward his class. He was two minutes late, and as he slid into the lecture hall, whispers from his fellow students filled the air.
Lylin
"Hey... Didn't they pronounce him dead...?"
She whispered to her friend beside her.
Marvin:
"Oh, girl, maybe he was faking it, or it was some weird misunderstanding."
He whispered back with a playful smirk.
As the murmurs grew louder, the professor turned to face Len, his face a mixture of shock and confusion.
Professor Okuri:
"L-Len? Ahem, class, settle down! Now, Mr. Len Shou,
Len entered the classroom, heading straight to his usual seat. To his surprise, he found a small bouquet of flowers resting on the chair. This wasn't the first time it had happened—over the past few days, there had been flowers left for him in various spots. He paused, glancing around to see if anyone was watching, but the students around him were busy preparing for the lecture, indifferent to his confusion.
Len: "Are people putting flowers on every seat I sit in now? Weird..."
He took the flowers and placed them carefully into his bag, not wanting to draw attention. With a sigh, he sat down and settled in, trying to focus as the professor began the lecture.
---
Meanwhile, Miyoyu wandered aimlessly around the campus, thoroughly bored. He wasn't one to sit through lectures, and with Len occupied, he decided to explore. Dressed in his older form, with black hair and striking golden eyes, he inevitably drew attention. A group of girls quickly spotted him, mistaking him for a Korean celebrity.
Random girl 1: "Oh my gosh! Is that...?"
Random girl 2: "Wait! Isn't that the guy from that drama? You know, the one with the secret girlfriend?"
Random girl 1: "It totally is! We have to get a picture with him!"
The girls rushed over, giggling excitedly. Miyoyu, having dealt with situations like this before, simply sighed, mentally preparing himself for the awkward encounter. As the girls reached him, they eagerly pulled out their phones.
Random girl 1: "Can we take a picture with you?"
Miyoyu shook his head politely.
Miyoyu: "Sorry, my agency wouldn't want me doing that here. I'm only on campus to wait for someone."
Random girl 2, clearly a fan of the celebrity they thought Miyoyu was, gasped in excitement.
Random girl 2: "Wait, you're waiting for someone? Is it your secret girlfriend? Is it that weather forecaster everyone speculated was dating you?!"
Random girl 1: "No way! It's probably that idol who's been spotted here recently, right?"
Miyoyu blinked, caught off guard by their wild assumptions. He gave a small, amused smile and corrected them.
Miyoyu: "Uh, I think you've mistaken me for someone else... I'm not waiting for a girl."
Random girl 1: "Ohhh, okay then. But who are you waiting for?"
Miyoyu: "I'm waiting for a guy named Len Shou."
The girls exchanged glances, processing the name. Suddenly, Random girl 3 leaned in, her voice lowering as if she were revealing a piece of gossip.
Random girl 3: "Wait, didn't you hear...? Len died four weeks ago."
Random girl 2 quickly interjected, shaking her head.
Random girl 2: "No, girlie, Kairi told me he's alive! He just disappeared for a while."
Random girl 3: "Well, if Kairi said it, then it's gotta be true."
Miyoyu chuckled softly, amused by their casual talk of Len's supposed death.
Miyoyu: "It is true, by the way. I came in with him earlier today."
Random girl 2's eyes widened in surprise.
Random girl 2: "You came in with him earlier? Do you guys live together or something? You don't look like brothers... Len has blonde hair and black eyes. You've got black hair and gold eyes—by the way, those eyes are so pretty. Love them."
Miyoyu smiled at the compliment, nodding in thanks.
Miyoyu: "Thanks. But no, we're not brothers."
Random girl 1 glanced at her watch, realizing how much time had passed.
Random girl 1: "Guys, we're gonna be late for the lecture. We need to go!"
The group of girls waved goodbye, running off toward their class. Miyoyu waved back, chuckling to himself. As they disappeared into the building, he considered changing his face, blending into the crowd better. But he quickly dismissed the idea. Despite the attention, he didn't want to stray too far from his original form. He liked the way he looked—besides, it wasn't every day someone complimented his eyes.
With a smirk, he continued his leisurely stroll around the campus, waiting for Len to finish his class.
---
Back in the classroom, Len tried his best to pay attention, though his mind kept wandering to Miyoyu's earlier comments about his abilities and the strange world of planes. He had so many questions, but there wasn't much time to dwell on them right now. The lecture was in full swing, and Len forced himself to focus, jotting down notes and trying to keep up with the fast pace of the professor.
His thoughts were interrupted by a soft buzz from his phone. A quick glance down revealed a message from Miyoyu:
"Finished yet? I'm bored out here."
Len sighed. He knew Miyoyu wasn't the type to sit still, especially during something as mundane as a lecture. Still, he couldn't leave in the middle of class, and he didn't want to draw more attention by texting back. Instead, he shoved his phone into his pocket, hoping the lecture would end soon.
Miyoyu, bored with waiting, wandered back toward the building. He leaned against a wall, watching as students passed by, laughing and chatting. His golden eyes scanned the crowd, his thoughts drifting back to the conversation with the girls. He wasn't used to such attention in this world. In his previous incarnations, such interactions were rare, and certainly not as casual.
He smirked again at the thought of being mistaken for a celebrity. It wasn't a bad comparison, but he had much more important things to deal with than fan photos. Like Len.
Eventually, the lecture let out, and students began to spill from the classroom doors. Len, looking a bit tired but relieved to be free, spotted Miyoyu waiting for him.
Len: "Finally. That felt like the longest class ever."
Miyoyu grinned, pushing off the wall.
Miyoyu: "Took you long enough. So, are we heading back now, or do you have more classes?"
Len stretched, yawning.
Len: "Nope, that was the last one for today. Let's go."
Miyoyu fell into step beside him, their casual banter resuming as they headed off campus, off to go through the trial that Miyoyu had prepared