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[03] The Apprentice.

"Please, let me just talk to her once she wakes up. I need to confirm something important and I need to do it in private." Eli sighed, looking outside the window when-

You let a soft grunt escape your lips and opened your eyes slowly. The sunlight just had to land directly unto your eyes, irritating it and making you squint. You rolled to your side for a better position, only to be reminded that you were injured through stinging pain.

"Well, fuck!" As you cried out, you heard a facepalm behind you.

"Oh my, she does... have the mouth of a sailor," a voice in front of you said. You looked up to be greeted by brown eyes which were staring down at your figure with a syringe filled with god-knows-what. Whatever liquid that was- It made you concerned, to say the least. Thus, you slowly backed away from her with a lot of effort and pain.

Oh! She's an Emily kinnie! "Oh, Emily Dyer, right?"

And with that, Eli slapped your mouth to muffle your words once again. He smiled apologetically to the both of you, more so to Emily. Emily, on the other hand, did not seem bothered.

"I see. She's gifted with foresight as well. She already knows my name," Emily said with a chuckle, bringing a hand to her face in amusement.

"Y-Yes... Too gifted, in fact. That's why I must- uh- speak with her in private about her- er- capabilities! You see, it can be quite a handful when- well- she-" Eli struggled with words and you felt the urge to help him when the hand that covered your mouth loosened.

"Oh yeah, I have the ability to see your past so I need to control that! It's a thing, and er- it gives bad headaches to me that's why!" You bluntly spoke out. It was neither untrue nor true, as you did have very vague knowledge of their backstories and could spout some bullshit if they asked.

Emily's eyes darkened when you said such.

"I see... How does it work?"

"Dreams! Sometimes visions! Yeah..." Eli covered the bullet for you, nodding with a fake smile. "Not really foresight- the opposite of it, actually. It's much heavier because the past is set in stone, and every detail is presented to her at once if she does not control this ability."

"Yeah..." What in the reality-tv-show is this kind of bullshit, you questioned yourself. You felt a little uncomfortable playing along like this when you did not understand the situation. Clearly, you were still alive and this was no longer a fever dream at this rate but-

Why are you here? In this- In this place with such odd people and- Could it be...?

No no no no, don't think about it. If you think about it, you'll be stressed. No. No more thinking for today. Thinking is good for your brain but overthinking overworks your braincells.

"I'll leave the two of you, then. But I do have a favor to ask of you- rest well and please do not look into my past," Emily bowed her head before heading out of the room. You frowned at the last part because you knew what exactly what she had done from researching the game's lore the day before you were rammed by a truck.

Finally, you and Eli were alone.

"You do know I bullshitted half of that, right?" Eli's neck snapped towards your direction when you said so. "I mean- we have never met, that's-"

"That's for sure," Eli finished for you. He then grabbed a nearby chair, pulled it nearer and sat on it. "But by now, I am sure enough that I can tell you this- You are not from this world. I do not know how you got here, but I am assuming you were wounded and ended up here afterwards."

Panic bubbled in your chest. No no no no- no more thinking! This was exactly what you did NOT need to hear this shitty morning. "It can't be! All of you- you guys are not real?!" Even you sounded unsure to yourself, but Eli, Emily and Naib have all appeared in front of your eyes. You looked into his covered eyes for an answer, but his hood shadowed any expression he might have had.

"What...? Do you mean by we are not real?"

"All of you! You guys are part of some game, and it's just a story to me! I know you because you are part of that story?! All of you were invited through a letter to play a game for some reward. You are Eli Clark, the seer possessing the Great Eye, who came to the manor for his fia-"

"Enough! I'm just as confused as you are, but I am willing to protect you until you find a way home. It is up to you if you want to tell anyone this," Eli cut you off. Though he did not raise his voice, you heard the anger in his tone. "You clearly have knowledge about this manor, but play along as if you don't."

"Other than that, you will have to play matches as well," He said with much regret, not being able to meet your fearful gaze anymore after saying so. You gripped the linen sheets of your bed in simmering frustration, helpless. "It's the rule- As long as you are a resident of this manor, you will participate in its game."

"I guess... I'm not an exception to the game, am I? I don't have any special ability, though..." You felt genuinely troubled at this notion because you did not want to feel like a discount Lucky Guy who relied on chests.

"Not all of us figure it out at first. Some people like the Entomologist did not know what to do at first. I'm sure you are good at something, right...?" Eli attempted at consoling you. Damn, his voice does sound like ASMR though, you thought to yourself. It was soothing, in a way.

"Not really... I understand everyone else's abilities, but I don't really have a special talent..."

"Not a single one?"

"I guess I can do (insert talent), but it's not something I'm super confident in. But well- I DO know the weaknesses of the hunters if that helps?"

"Really?!" Now Eli was filled with hope, grasping your hands in his and inching his face a little to close to yours in his trance of excitement.

"Uh- yeah?! Every hunter is weak against a good cipher rush, that's for sure so grab a decoder in team! Wu chang is counterable as long as you don't feed his presence and Dream Witch is not as good in the circus looking map!" You happily told him, taking pride in your knowledge of identity five despite having only a day of experience and listening to Selena's rambling. You folded your arms and held you nose up high in the air. "See? I'm not useless at all!"

"Welcome aboard! Your knowledge will definitely be useful. But- what is your title as a survivor, I wonder?"

"In honor of the great Eli Clark that is oh so generous, I shall be the Seer's Apprentice!"

"Let's shorten that to The Apprentice, shall we?"

"Yeah, yeah, you get it!"

"The apprentice... huh? Welcome, indeed."