Luigi emerged from the red pipe, finding himself in what appeared to be a castle. He moved cautiously, his heart still racing from the encounter with Xeno Mario. The castle was eerily silent, its halls lined with cracked walls and flickering torches. As he wandered, he noticed something horrifying—eyes. Grotesque, distorted eyes belonging to Xeno Mario peered at him from the gaps between the blocks in the walls. They followed his every move, their gaze filled with malice.
Luigi froze, unable to resist the overwhelming fear that gripped him. In an instant, his head exploded, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.
The screen turned black, and a chilling laugh echoed through the void. The words "Game Over" appeared, accompanied by bloody red text that read:
"Oh... you won't."
A hand emerged from the darkness, pressing the "Retry" button. Luigi reappeared at the checkpoint near the red pipe, gasping for air as he clutched his head. He looked around, disoriented and terrified.
"I... I died. I'm sure of it... Then..."
The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
"The Endless Lives... This is what Mario meant when he said, 'And so we will play over and over... and over and over again... endlessly.'"
Luigi stood up, his legs trembling as he continued through the castle. This time, he hid behind objects whenever Xeno Mario's eyes appeared, avoiding their gaze. When the eyes disappeared, he pressed forward, his heart pounding with every step.
"This place must be a sub-dimension... of the 13th Dimension I escaped from," Luigi thought to himself, trying to make sense of his surroundings.
As he ventured deeper into the castle, he found more corpses—Toads, Koopas, and Goombas—each killed in a different, horrifying way. The sight made his stomach churn, but he forced himself to keep going.
Suddenly, a strange illusion appeared before Luigi. He was back in Bowser's Castle, standing beside Mario. Mario turned to him with a confident smile.
"Hey, bro... I've saved the princess. Take her to safety while I deal with Bowser."
Luigi obeyed, guiding Princess Peach to safety. As Mario defeated Bowser and sent him plummeting into the lava, the castle began to collapse. Mario ran through the crumbling structure, dodging debris and breaking blocks. Time seemed to slow as Mario reached out to Luigi, their hands clasping at the last moment.
Mario looked at Luigi and smiled.
"Well done, bro... Now pull me up."
Luigi hesitated, his mind racing. He looked into Mario's eyes and said, "I'm sorry..."
"W-What do you mean, Luigi?" Mario asked, confusion and fear creeping into his voice.
"I just wanted a chance to be like you... to be the number one for once in my life. I'm sorry... forgive me," Luigi stammered, his voice trembling with guilt.
Before Mario could respond, Luigi let go of his hand. Mario's eyes widened in shock as he fell, his terrified face burned into Luigi's memory. Mario's screams echoed through the castle, growing louder and more agonized as the lava consumed him. His skin melted, and his cries became unbearable, filled with pain and betrayal. Finally, the screams stopped, and Mario's body disappeared beneath the molten surface.
The illusion faded, leaving Luigi standing alone in the castle. Tears streamed down his face as the memory of Mario's screams echoed in his mind. His heart ached with guilt, the weight of his betrayal crushing him. He collapsed to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
It took him a long time to calm down. When he finally stood, his legs felt like they might give out beneath him. Just then, a Toad rushed over and grabbed his hand, pulling him into a nearby room.
"Hello! You must be Luigi," the Toad said cheerfully.
"Y-Yes, I am... Why did you do that?" Luigi asked, still shaken.
"Oh, sorry! I couldn't guarantee your safety—or mine—out there in the halls ruled by illusions."
"Illusions are another weapon of Xeno Mario, Luigi," the Toad explained.
"Anyway, I might know a way... to defeat Xeno Mario!" the Toad said, his eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Really!?" Luigi exclaimed, his hope reignited.
"Yes! It's... The Ultimate Super Star!" the Toad declared.
The Ultimate Super Star
Luigi's eyes widened in disbelief. The Ultimate Super Star? Could it really be the key to defeating Xeno Mario? The Toad continued, his voice filled with determination.
"Legend says that the Ultimate Super Star holds the power to rewrite reality itself. If we can find it, we might have a chance to undo everything Xeno Mario has done... and bring Mario back."
Luigi's heart raced with a mix of hope and fear. The journey ahead would be perilous, but he knew he had no choice. For Mario, for the Mushroom Kingdom, and for every world that had fallen because of his mistake, he had to try.
To Be Continued...
The screen faded to black, leaving only a single line of text:
"The game is far from over..."