It wasn't before long til the three of us made it to one of many of the Villas by the Land of Dawning. The time was between 8 and 9pm, so we decided to stay for one night before teleporting early to the Isle of Lamentation.
With Epel and I greeted as guests, upon Rook's order, we were fed a dinner fit for a king with a few workers around the villa to boot: Rotisserie chicken, baked potatoes, fresh salad, hot bread and dessert. Before long, it was time to retire for the night. Rook and Epel had stayed in one room while I got my own, which I was SUPER grateful for. I really needed a nice quiet room so I could think straight.
However, what I got for sleepwear....well, let's just say I STILL think my clothes have a mind of their own...and had gotten bolder as time passed....
At least the robe got to cover my arms and legs from the cold temperatures......seriously, I think I'm starting to look like Heartslabyul's roses with this cherry red face.
So there I laid, draped across the sheets and the blankets pushed to my ankles as the book, opened to the same topic I discovered before I left, was hovering before me.
"Ugh.....it still says the same shit no matter how many times I read it over and over!" I groan, arching my back as I stretched lazily like a cat, hair tousled from ruffling it to soothe the tension my roots had put up with for being in a ponytail for so long. I waved my hand in a figure 8 motion and the book vanished into thin air. The lamp at my bedside was dimmed but the low lighting still hurt my eyes like hell. That's when I got annoyed and shut it off and sat there on the bed. Seriously, what the hell am I even sleeping on???
The moon was high up in the sky, luminescent rays glowing down on me through the glass window panes. I felt myself flop back onto the bed, arms thrown to my sides. I stayed like that staring up at the ceiling, anxiety swimming in my mind. I knew staying up late was a bad habit of mine. with so many all nighters I had to pull back at school with my girl friends.....but this one was far different and stress inducing.
Why was I so restless. Was it my energy? Maybe I had too much cake after dinner? Or was it.....
"Maybe....I'm just too worried about the guys being okay I can't seem to shut my eyes without endless scenarios of what they're going through sprinting in my mind...." I said softly and rolled over onto my right side, trying to picture seeing the family photo beside me. But couldn't. I left it back at Pomefiore...
My hand went to her neck unconsciously, and just as I began to panic, not feeling my necklace against my skin, I calmed down, remembering that I took it off when I went to shower and placed it on the dresser. This made me get up just to snatch it off the dresser. But just as I unclasped it and held it up to my neck, I stopped and let my arms drop. The fingers clutched the gold chain as the small circular pendant swung back and forth like a pendulum; I watched it. The face slowly turned between facing me and the window, catching bits of both shadow and moonlight between the gold detailing and the small crystal in its center.
I couldn't stand looking at it anymore, even if it was the last piece of my mother. I didn't know what I was doing....all I could remember was crumpling the necklace in my hand and I flew off the bed and snuck out the door; running through the halls as I flew straight to the veranda, facing the backyard. I felt myself drawing to the rail as my arm leered back, still clutching the necklace and I prepared to throw it into the gardens-
But I stopped before I could throw it....
What am I doing?!
Throwing away something that meant something to me.....if I throw that away...it's like I'm throwing away my family! My sister and brother! My aunt, my dad, My mom, everyone!! .....and I promised myself...I'd get back to them!.....but my parents.....can I still hold onto the belief that they're ACTUALLY alive??....
And now that there's secrets to this world, my magic and these visions for me to discover and get the answers to....I'm not sure if I want to.....until I know what's going on....I can't go back......not by a long shot.
I lowered my arm and kissed the necklace over and over and I breathed heavily with panic and regret over my actions. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry....!" I whispered over and over like a mantra. "......I lost people dear to me once.....I'm not gonna let it happen again........"
That same feeling came back so soon and I didn't find myself on the veranda of the Villa. It was...somewhere else entirely. A room....maps of the world hung on walls, swords and different war memorabilia, a fire crackled in the fireplace, flames licking the dry wood underneath it. Furniture hand crafted and painted with but the tiniest details showing galaxies and night skies stood elegantly on carpeted floors.
A man was sitting in the corner of the room. He was hunched over a desk, head in his hands. His aura spewed stressed. Behind him, a woman placed her hands on his shoulders and he relaxed under her touch.
"Hi, Darling." He smiled.
"Eos...." The woman said fondly and I almost stumbled back in shock.
'Eos?! The guy in the mirror?!' I thought. 'Why is my third eye showing me this of him??'
"Something on your mind?" The woman asked. Eos stands, pushing his chair back and he walks to a painting and looks up at it. A tall middle-aged man with a still strong figure stood behind a woman, sitting in a chair of silver, her face neutral but showed off her beauty and high radiance. Standing on either side of her were two young boys. One was a younger version of Eos, but the other had dark blonde hair, and beige skin surround cloud gray eyes.
'Acheron....' I thought. 'This must be a look into the past...'
"Just....wondering where did my brother go wrong...." Eos sighed, dragging a hand down his face. The woman, her face obscured by the shadows, sighed with him. "He was always a good man....he had such potential.....I don't want to follow in my father's footsteps of neutrality....he was so insistent on keeping the kingdom isolated whilst war, famine and death raged the lands of other civilizations....Acheron and my father never did see eye to eye at times....I was the only one who understood him....."
"You can't blame yourself for something that was not in your control." The woman sighed. "He was just insistent on liberation and giving people something your father didn't....I'm glad you want to change the direction your father wanted you to go in, but....this may lead to a war if he comes back...."
"....I know...." Eos sighed, dropping his gaze from the portrait. 'But trying to talk to him...would that still work or has he already lost his mind to the dark side....?' I could hear his thoughts as well as the woman's.
The woman looked as if she had more to say, but I heard her thoughts. 'What if he was likely corrupted by something into turning into the thing he sought to eliminate....? I know I'm jumping a long hurdle, but.....*sigh* I guess we'll wait and see.'
'That's right.....Malleus did explain Acheron's past....but....I don't understand....he was once a good guy so....MAYBE it's likely someone in influencing him into turning him like he is now...? I really don't know....' I bit my lip in thought. 'Maybe there'll be more answers soon....'
"Just know that...whatever happens to you...." The woman came up and hugged him by his waist. "...I will always be there to back you up...."
Eos smiled faintly. "Thank you, Darling. Thank you...."
But that happy air didn't last long. For me at least....
Everything around me went to darkness as I felt my magic act up once more. And different Images flashed behind my eyes, the third eye being more persistent than ever...for the images I saw...
The Blonde knight shields a woman.
The dark-skinned shaman healing the fallen soldiers.
And a woman wearing silvery armor dusted in ash, clashing against a hooded figure, swords drawn on combat.
Fire and smoke surrounded a city as people
screamed and fled for their lives.
It was the war Malleus mentioned....everything looked so grotesque....but the worst was for last....it was an image of Eos being stabbed by a sword as a stream of blood fell from his lips as the blade passed through his body.....
Fuck, I think I'm gonna be sick!!!
I felt myself swimming in the darkness around me, barely feeling arms catching and securing me to a warm body before I could plummet like a meteor....
———————————
Idia finally made it to the control room seeing two men at work.
"Subjects A,C and E are inside the room with Ortho." The first reports back.
"Preparation for data examination is prepared. Exp 2100 beginning." The second followed.
Idia clicks and holds the button close to the intercom and speaks, "Testing, testing: this is the command room. Do you copy?"
"Simulation room responding! We hear you!" Ortho calls back. "The MPMG is installed to each subject!"
"Excuse me, but can you please stop chatting like you own this place?" Vil's voice was heard from behind. "The moment we were brought in here, I got ambushed and a giant helmet's shielding my cone of vision! I can't see my own two hands!"
"What is he planning to do with us anyways??" Riddle asked.
"Wait a second...you're having us fight one another, aren't you?" Azul demanded, making Idia silently roll his eyes at their banter.
"Of course not!" Ortho denied. "What you're wearing right now is a virtual headset used for Magic Power Finder readings! You'll be battling enemies in a simulation instead of real life!"
"A battle simulator?? Virtual Reality?" Riddle clearly didn't get what was going on....
"Instead of explaining things to you, you'll just see what I mean firsthand." Idia spoke up.
"Hold on, Idia! We read the instructions back to back! You never said anything about VR!" Azul countered.
"Virtual Enemy Mode: Standby!" Ortho starts. "Begin Dive!" The room lit up, bright hue light filtered through the lines in the walls and floor as the systems booted up, much to the three's surprise. They could still see, but it...looked rather weird from their viewpoint.
"Where are we?!" Azul asked.
"This is the battle grounds you'll be using whilst in the headset!" Ortho, from the opposite side of the room, answered. "Although it's not allowed in the building, you can use it inside the simulation as you desire! No matter the violence, it won't affect your real bodies in real time! Don't worry and just do your best!"
"Well, if that's the case...I won't hold back." Vil took the challenge.
"And I won't have mercy!" Riddle seconds.
—————————
Swimming in darkness....that's something lots of people would be used to and me....well, I'm far from over it......
It's like the new norm for me to just pass out on the spot and get sucked into my own mind, waiting to see what horrors await me...
But there were none....at least.....I thought....
'Geez.....I think her fainting is something normal for her.....'
I didn't say that....it sounds like.....Epel???
What happened....after I fainted....?
I felt a cold cloth on my forehead. The cold....it felt good....I wish I had more.....I felt like I was in an oven...
"Hello.....S-Som.....elp....." I tried to talk, but my tongue felt like jello. I tried to force my eyes open, but it felt like they're glued shut.
'Milady, shhh. Don't speak. And don't try to sit up. You nearly hit your head, so rest, the doctor will be here soon.' I heard Rook shush.
I felt my body obey his word as I was lulled back to slumber.
——————————
"First test complete! Cool down in progress!" Ortho sounds over the intercom as the data came rolling in.
"All three subjects's vitals are normal and blot accumulation is within normal level." The first man reports looking over the several screens.
"Alright, so it's as I expected. But....let's see what happens when I take it up a notch....." Idia murmured.
"Battle simulation: 'Lachesis System'" is up and synchronized. Second test will commence." The second man reports.
"Alright. Ortho?"
"Right! Virtual Enemy Mode: Standby! Dive: Start!"
The headsets booted up....
Azul, Vil and Riddle were in the Cafeteria back at school....the air seemed rather calm....too calm, almost.
"What....?"
"Why are...we here???"
"What's going on??"
Three sets of footsteps sound behind them and over their shoulders, was Rook, Trey and Jade respectively.
"Roi du Poisson, there you are!"
"Riddle, good to see you. The leader's meeting's just starting."
"I've the documents you'll be meeting for the subject of the matter, Azul."
The three looked at one another with tension. It felt....so weird....seeing the three vice leaders standing before them.....even if there were just virtual copies of the real people they know....in a simulation of their academy when they are locked away in a place unfamiliar to them in a facility on an island miles from where they were. It felt rather morbidly mind-bending in a way they can't describe.
"Is something wrong? You seem rather puzzled." Rook spoke up with a small smile.
"Don't tell me there's something on our faces." Trey cracks a smile too.
"......No, it's just a trivial thing. Let's go, I suppose." Vil shrugged. They all moved with swift ease to the doors.
But something flickered in the corner of their vision. It looked like someone they know, but-
"̶̩̀̒̓̏...̵̲̮̑̽̏̈̀.̵͔̝͇͎̭͆̂͒͜.̶̡͖̹̑̉͋̂̊̍m̷̢̪͌́̕Ȍ̷̫n̵̝̲͖̫̈́͑̈́̎Ș̶͉͙̬̠͍̺̏̃t̸̮͍͐̄́̑͠Ě̶͉̫̮̖͔͌̚r̵̙̹͈̹̬̫̼̀̋̃Ś̷͉͛̌...̶̗̓̐̽͘.̸̥̭͇̩͉͊̎̒̏.̶̭̈̿͆̓̉̾͆"̶̬̠̲̲͉̅̍̽́͑
Vil froze. He couldn't recognize that voice. His head slowly turned to where he saw the person, but they're weren't there. Was it a glitch or-
"̴̧̜̙̗͗̀...̶̞̲͍͐́̈̊̀̓́͌͝.̶̢̪̩̰̿̂̌͂̂̚͝V̵͕́̐͜į̸̥̦̤̠͓͖͚̱͍̳͕̣̳͍͕̩̈́̉̽̏͆̈́̓̆̃̽́̎̇̄̕L̸͖̯̱͙̣̲̩͖͗̔̒́͒̈́͑́̍̿͒͂̍̾̄̓̔̚͜ͅę̶̨̛̻̦̖̗̞̭̮̻̯̺̥̲̯̘̪͊̂͑̊͂̈́͋͆̾͂̄͝ͅ ̴̛̹̺̜̱͉̗̩̜͇̭̹̹̠̍̒̅͛́͗̈́̾̾͐́̽̓́̀̋͠ͅB̸̹̲͉̘̺̿̃̂͑͂̾̚͘ę̷̛̰͙͎̺̲̼̪̣͚̥̝͂͂̍́̈́͊̍͐̚͜Ḭ̵̧̡̝̠̗̗̎̆͊͗̍͊̊͒͘͠n̸̲̘̙̭̋̅͂̈́͂͆̂̒̀́̓̉̚̚͝Ġ̷̨̳̤̹̲͖̥̲̊́͌̃̓̇́̐̏̎͆̇̈́̄̐͛͂̌̐s̷̢̨̡̪̻͙͇͇͇̞̜̲͍̅́̔́̍͆̑͘ͅ.̸̢̧̛͍̩̖̻̺̼̯͍̜̪̙͉̥̰̓̔̽͌̾͛̓́̾̑̐̈́̕̚͘͠.̶̢̡̡̧̛͉̬̺̙̹̹̫̥͈̥̲͛̽̾͒̉̒̀̈́̇̈͋͗͘̚͝ͅ!̷̣̻̱̄͛̀̾͋̋͛͋͂͒́͒̎͋̓̕͘ͅ"̵̧̧̢̯̮̘̭̜̮̦̼̱̝̫̀̇̋̔͐̾̐͛̿͘ͅͅ
Now the voice echoed everywhere and nowhere....it unnerved the three as they looked everywhere, stopping in their tracks as they tried to locate the voice. Riddle felt his skin crawl as he felt eyes watching him. 'What the hell is going on?!' He thought, feeling like he was starting to lose his mind.
"̶̥̫̳̈́̽̐̀̒̕.̵̮̺̆̃͋.̸̨̻͇̩̜̼̮̅̏͗͒͂̀̔̊̎̕̕͠͝ḑ̷̦̟̖͈̥͔̞̘̞͚̩̼̪̥͑̑͊́̋͑O̷̹͇̰͚̘͔̻̣̭͖̣̟͒͐͜ ̶̪̘͉̺͖̙͙̎͐̔̌̀̌̃͑́̃̌̓̍́͗͋͑̚͝͠y̴̨͔̙̎̈̀̄́̀̿́̚̕͠͠Ȍ̴̗̩͇͔͆͐͌͂̆u̷̧̱͍̭͋͋̈̂͝...̵̺̜̳͎̙̮͈̞̥̤̓̌͂͐̋̃̋͗͐͌̈̈́͋̆̚̕͝.̶̨̡̱̞̦͈̠̝̝̝̄͝H̴̨̧̹̜̱͕̠̥̬̭̜͍͚̞̅̃̑̍̔͋̍̈͌͊ơ̸͙̯̲̥̻̤̂͑̎̾̉̀̽̒̒͊̕N̵̢͚͉̬͔̻̬̱̗̹̮̪̙̹̎̄̽͗̀̓͂̿͒̂̋͂́́̃̊̿͝e̸̡̱̘̞͓̦͕̲̟̜̭͔̳̪͙͗̈́̌̍͛͜Ś̵̼͔̾̀͜t̷͉͇͉͎̜͈̖̺̙͐̄̕Ḽ̶̨̪̘͙͚̭̻͚̜͕͎̣̳̙͓̻͓̣̀̒̄͜ÿ̶͖͚̻̣́͌̄͋͌̅̆͑̐̏̏̓̅̀͘͝ ̵̢̦̘̱̻̟̉̎͂͂̾̐͐̾̽̅̽̊͝͝B̴̢̟̬̥̳̲̹̲̝̄̑ẹ̷͔͕̙̜̩̀͒̄̈́́͛͊͑̓̆̔̀̄̾̄̚L̸̨̯̟̖̘͕͚̖͓̯̺͉̳̝̒͋̓̃̈́͛̂̉̚i̶̤̱̩͆̔͠Ĕ̸̘̤̭͔̙̺͖̘̟͓̦͙̝̳͙͉͊̉͌̓v̵̧̗̥̘̹̭͖̞̲̬͍̰̙̄͋̈̒̉͜Ẹ̴̤̲̪̦̪͎̦̭̘̩̗͇͓̖͓̅̋̓̓͜͠...̴̨͎͆̏̇̏̈́͆̏̀ͅ"̴̗̬̗̜̠͔̀̆̃͂̀͑̇̂͗͗̋̃̓̎̚
"̵͓̘̦͉͍̳̿́̿͆͐̐͝...̴̢̙̟̩͈͕̞́̾̃̅̾͊̆͐̑͘͘ͅ.̴̛̤̝̟̲͓͂̐̐̓̽̄̌̽̀͑̀̕̕Y̷̛͎̥̾͛͌̂̈́̾͐̂̆̍͘͠o̵̧̨̦͖̅̆͑̅̓̂͑̎̌̕͘͝Ủ̶̡̡͓̞̱͖̦͉́̅͊ ̵͍͖̤͗̓̿̔̋͠d̷̢̨̢̢̥̭͕̠͈͇̜̩̙̦̗̔̄̏̀̊̆̿͂͂́̋̑̽͝E̶̢̛̜̤̯͇̽̀̑̿̓̂͌͑́ͅs̶̡̥̩̩̺̼͍̼̪̼̠͓̉̉̅́́̇͗̿͜͝Ē̶̙͆͝͝͝ͅr̸̡̜̗̻̙͓̂̐̌̐̍͆͌̔͗͝V̶̺͆͛̈́̓̚ȩ̸̧̩͉̹̠̯̭̜̞̝̲̫́̉̏̃̿̅̿͠ ̸̡̧͕͈͎̜͔͓̠͖͎̰̅̎̈͛̑́͛̏̾̀͘͘͝͝͝m̷̻͖̫̥̹͕͉̃̅͘͝Ę̶̭͇͍̦̺̝̖͖̦̇̌...̴̲̫͛̃̓̓̑͆̎̾̀͝?̵̠̟̗̰͈̭̜̗̲̤̘̩́̄̽̊͋̕͜ͅ!̶̢̰̩͎̀̅̈́̀̔̊͆̈́͠͝͝"̵̧̥̦̯̦̪̱͙̳͈͉̪͒́͊̊̎́͜͝ͅ ̶̡̧͇̬̜̰̯̺͔̮̮̥̹̱̽̅͐̓͋
ā̶̖͕̂̉̏̾̉̎͋̅͗̈́͂F̵̝͎͕̋ͅt̶̢̨̰̺̦̮͒̄͑͗́͝E̵̞͈̝̻͉̣͈̓ṛ̶̛̙̻̈́͂̅́͛͒̋̃͊ ̶̢̙̝̺̻̪͍̩͙̞̺̩͎̠͗̌̈͆̔̄W̵̨͎̰̻̞͇͊͜h̶̨͓͇̗̘̞̟̼̀̓̂̎̂́̓̒̈́̇̽̈́̕̕̚Ȃ̸͎̥̭̜̦͓͖̞̙̠͝ţ̷̨̯̫̝̯̦̋̐̇̍̄̇̄ ̸̧͎̺̰̺͑͐̐͐͠Y̵̡̳̬̪̭͓̰̣̝̙̏̋̄̓̔̽̆̿̚͝ò̷̥͓̦͔̖̟̈́̇̄͘Ư̸̦̞͇̞̺͕̞͈̭̾͒̆̓́̒̚͜͠ ̸̧̨̧̡̛̟̳̟͍̞̾̀̈́͗̐͘p̸͔͈͓͍̥̼̗͎͍̊́͊̀̒̿̐̕͝͝ͅṴ̴̡͔͉͚̼̘̭̗̩̻͈̫̔̓t̸̢̧̜̰̤̲̗̞̘͖͇̝̹̹̞̄̆͒ ̵̢̡̛̖̱̗̟͙͉̈̅͊͆̏͑̂͌̒̎̓̕͠m̴̧̼͉̘͉̰̮̤̲̼̤̀̑͒̇͌̔̀̈́̓̚E̴̮̩͉̞̘͔̾͑̽̑̒̐̉̅̕͜͝͝ ̸̮̯̭͇̪̯͎̻͚̥̞͈̈͂̇́̀͊̆̽͒̾t̴̛͇͕̤̰̼͕͕͒̓̋̌͋͘Ḧ̸̠͚̟̫̣̘͆̉͊r̴̰̭̲͈͇͙̔͑Ȏ̶͖̮̲̞͛́ṵ̷̟̤͇̌̆̃͗͋͝Ģ̵̲̦̘̻͉̜̦͊̆̅̿́̓̾̕h̴̡̛̙͔̥̲̆̍̊́̀͒̀̉͆̑͝͠͝͝?̸̠̠̬̹̘̯͚̫̹͇̻̱̣͔̃̅̈́̆!̷̨̖̙̘͖͖͈̻͇̺͍̽͊͂̍̈̀̂̀̓̀͌̕͝"̶̢̘̣̈́͐̂͑́͐͛͋͒̔̒̚̚ ̷̨̧͙̩̪̩͙͖̙͕͉̤̬̞̏̅͌̿̔̇̓̒͊͂͐
The being glitched through the space behind them, making them jump back in fright. Their mouths dropped open in shock as they saw who was there. Their face was glitched beyond comparison, following their body, limbs a mesh of pixels and human flesh. Lips replaced their right eye as said eye replaced their left ear. The eye narrowed down at them like they were bugs waiting to be squished. The figure spoke, the sounds of mixed audio with a human being speaking, it hurt their ears like nails dragging on a chalkboard.
"Ì̶͇̳̩̘͉̬̟̝̺͔̥͆̏̈́̃͂ ̶̡̨̟̮͔̗͔̫̙͙̍̚s̴̳̖͎̋̈́͆̒͂̾̚͝ͅh̶̢̭͔̫͚͔̏̈̏̆͛̏̽̎̈́͜͠͝͝o̸̧͙̰̳̟̪̓̉̀͛̇͋͊̑͆͜u̵̹̮̖͖̫̗͇͋̀̔́͝͝ͅl̷̢̧̥̝̘͍͕̘̻̗͖͉̾́̅͋̈́̃̄̓̎̀̒̆̈͠ͅḏ̷̨͎͙̜͙̺̯̞͍̠̺͐̅̊́́̒͋̏'̶̛̬̙̈̔̉̒͂͊̔̆̏̽̀̾̊͠v̴̛̝̣̳̱͔̯͂͊͆̊͐̆͊̉͌̅ẻ̵̜̍̑̑́͊ ̵͚̽͆͘͝k̸̡̧̢̡̡̟̪̹͉̻͖͚̃͌́̄ͅn̶̘̺̩̜̩̼̙̗͔͇̂̏̔̉͌͊̒̕o̵͚͕̤̼̗̎͋̈́̑́͌̿̅̇͌̈́͜͜w̷̥̙̖̳̺͋̃̐̑̉̾n̶̮̪̜̳͈̯̯̫̯͍̳̹̯͒̈͗͜ͅ ̸̡̹̣̪͙̥͖̱̙̫̼̔̍w̴̡͎̹̗̞̬͇̺͍̦͈̻͑̌̓̓̊͐̌h̵̨̻̼̩̓̾̆͂ả̷̺̬̻̻͕̝͈̟̇̈́̽͜t̶̹͓̮̬̜̝͔̗̖̭͈̗̭̬͂͋̀̾̀̚ ̶̧̰̺̞̦̪͔͉̼̬̰̬̦̄́̓͐̃̈́͊̀͌͜͝I̸̧̨̧̲̰̪͓̯͙̻̋͂͆͋̐͐͒͑̀́̆͂͝ ̶̨̪̺̱͍͛̈́̃̽̎͜w̶̧̛̜̼͉̻̅̀͋͋̎̕ā̷̢̛̤͖͔̹͒̏͛͠͝s̴̡̏̂̍͆͛͆͛̾̔̐̓̄ ̴̨̧̡̬̦̤̘̲̦͎̼̰̝̭͆ĝ̶̨͇̭̚ë̶̲̹̲͍̣͕̖̩̥͔̬̼̜́̄̍̽̑̒̌͝t̸͈̤͚̝͉̰͍̆̅͌͗͋͗̚t̷̻̩̂̈́̈́͊͒͐̚í̶̛̫͇̼͕̗͕̖̋̓n̷̬̞͎̮͉̈́̓̈́̂̾͂̏͜g̵̡̢̳̞̭͍̦̋̽̓̚ ̵̨̡̨̬͈͙̘͖͍͈͇̂̐̇̅͆ͅm̶̞̜̊́͘͜ÿ̴̠̰͇̗͉̖̫͇͙̪̦̆͌̔̅ͅs̸̢̨̲̩̭̩̖̱͇̜̥̔̅̊̆̈́̒͐̊̂͘͜ͅę̸̺͇͈̣̰̬̈́̋͘̚l̷̨̬̝͌̒͒̚f̸̯̞͚̼͎̪̫̞̳̗̃ ̴̨͓̟̻̦̺͚̱̠̹̝̼͎̹̮̄̉̀͒̌̍͂͛̃͑̄̇̿̌̕į̶̢̛̞̭̥̘͓̖̳̞̭̔̆̿̓̑̓̄͊̄͜͝ń̷̛͍͙͈͋͑̈́̐̄̑̐̍̇͊̂͘͠ͅẗ̶̰̜͔̗͙̬͔́̾͂̀̎̉̅̅̒̒̒ǫ̸̼̟͓͙͖̘͙͍͚͛̈́̇̔̐̏̓̎͝...̴̢̡͕̣̱̳̺̪̩̜͉͉̝͚̇̑͠͝.̷̡̦̖͍̣̲̯͚͙̓̋̂̋͜ỹ̵̨̹͛̏͐̐̒̇͒͊̕͜͠ḙ̸͕̲̠̳̺̚͝t̴̡̛̝̱̱̣̜̖͈͚͔͍̫̪̖̃̑͊̌̌̊͂̇͛́̇̈́ ̸̲̼̬̜͙̩̞̲̏̑̉̊̔́͐́͛̉̿̋͊̐́͜͜I̷̢͕͙͚̞͉͓̦̳͙̬̳̭̕ ̴̼͙̫̝̈́͗̍̑́͂̅̒̓̓͊̏̓͋͊c̶̞͙̯̥͇̗̀̈̾́́̍̄́͆͆̂̿̚h̴̬̩͓̬̪̲̆̍̈́͂̃̌͜ọ̶͊ș̸̢̳̪̫̞͓͕̻͍̯͑͛̾e̶͈͍͎̪͇͇͈̯̓́͝ͅ ̶̖̘͗t̸̲̍̾̅̽̇̄ǫ̸̬͚͙̤͍͖̈́͋͑̀̍̈̈̈́̈́̀̕͝ ̸̡̗̣̮͕̯̋̂̅̒̔͆̉ş̵̢̛͓͇͍͇͖̿̈́̿̍̓̑͆̕͘͠ͅt̴̢̡̢̡̡̝͕̹̟͓̱̼̥̱͛͆͗̆͆̍̀̚i̴̞͉͌̊͒͑̄͝c̸̛̥̯̀̿͆̅͝͝k̵̠̝̞̠̪͈̭̟̼̐̀͋͒̉̌̕ ̷̤̱͕̟̉̿͋̓̅̄̑̋̎̇̓̄ḿ̴̺͕̮̰̺̹̩̣͍̏́̑̄̿̏͘ỹ̵͓̱̥̥̞̺̦̈́̿̉͛̏͌͒̓͗̕͜͠͝ ̷̡̞̜̝̼̞̔̈͘n̸̤̹̼̞̹̟͕̙̞̭̥͗̐̆̾̾͛̚ớ̷̜͕͍̜͑̒̀̋̈́̍̈̋̐̔̓͜s̵̛͈̜̙͈͔̖̙̫̹̏͋è̶̡̢̢̡̤̘̼̜̥̟͇̼̠̇̃͑͑̍̓̋̓̍͘̚ ̷̠̘͒̂͊ẅ̶̨̬̘̣̯͈͔͇̥̹͕̤́̓͋̿̊̈́̈́̔̿͋̓̏͒̚h̸̢̻̪̬͍̞̮̰̮̟͔̲̭̿̀͗e̵̤̠̠̩̣͍̓ȓ̴̰̲̺̹̟̺͍̯̦̹͓͖͚̻͍̿̅̽̏̒͝e̸̢̘̺͖̳͉͉͍̮̜̯̅͂̀͑͆͌͜ ̸̧̧̼͇̞̞̠̲͈̤͌̾̈͊̓̅̓̽i̵̮̋͋̂͌̏̑̔̈́̈̽́̆̚͝t̵̼̗̲͉̭̩̦̀̐̈́ ̵̡̘̻̱̝̣͔̟̂̾̉̅́̈́̔͊͒̍̚͘̚͠ͅd̵͈̳̱̞̉̍i̷̛̤̙̎͌͌̆͂̏̓̽͋d̵̩̮̘̂̑͋̿̋̑n̷̢̨͉̯̳͉͔̣̰̗̟̣̙̦͗̊̒͑̑̇̓̈̿'̸̩̪̦̻̌̿ţ̵̨̛͈͕̯̆̂̒͌̈́̿̔́͌̀ ̵͕̼͇̰̼̠̭̟̲̱̲̪̝̲͆̿̀̈̎̀͜b̴͖̣̱̀͗̒̆̚ę̶̨̞̜͕̟̲̹͉̦͔́͠ͅͅl̵̝̼̯͉̘͍͈͕͈̞͌̃́́͜͜ǫ̴̬͎͕̼̯̲̝̝͉̑͛̚n̸̨̧̧̬̟̝̦̘̥̹̠̙͑͊̚ģ̷̛̫̲̪̦̳͈̘͙̫̲͋̇̌̅̆͌̉̋̏̀͌̏̇̕!̷̡̛͇̮̽͠ ̴̩̈͊̆͂̓̾͝͝İ̸̯̻̲͉͙̘͍͐̓̑̋ͅ ̴͙̣͚̜̭̝̩̋̔̿̾̈͂̊͝w̵̢̯̬̼͊̃â̶͖̏̒̓͊̈́̐́̾̀̕̚s̸̨͔̲͕̝̯̞̻̤̈́̉͆́́̈͂̕͠ ̴̡̡̡̘͈̗͔̮̥̖͖̘̹͐ą̵̢̼̝̯̹̪̪͈̏̀̋̎ļ̵̜̖̳̥̫̭͙̼̰͚͌͊̆͋͘͝w̶̱̭̞̻͖̜͉̻̰̜͍̗̾̂̚̕á̴̝̖̅̀̏̌̚ÿ̵̥̘̠̖͖̬̱̙̞̬̺̻̈̔͝͝͠͝ͅs̴̛͙̳̬̽͊̓̎̏̃̿̓̌͘̚͝ ̷̞̭͖̰̰̗̝͊̔͑̾͒͒̂̓̓̀̒̓͝ȧ̴̡̙͔̭̖̞͖̝̰̦̩̤̎͗̈́ͅͅ ̶̧̨̤͖͖͔̯͚̞̳̪̯̟̓̇̓̈́̿̆̂̕ņ̸͚̲̟͙̖̣̺͍̭͑̑̈͐̃̔̐̔̀͂͛̀͋̐͘ͅå̵̧̨̡͖̭̹͍̝̜̗̻͗í̸͍͖́v̶̧̼̥̅̊̔͛͛̽̎ȩ̴̟̤͓̹̩̳̅̏̒̿͜ ̷̢̡̣̳͙͕̤̘͔̹̘̠̊̈́́́̾̇̍̍̚̚͜f̸͙͚̘̱͓̗͎͍͕̩̝̎̊̈́̈́̊̈́̇̎̐̉̈̍́̚ͅơ̷̝͕͙̜̫̣͓̿̉̂́͆̔̊̔̈́̀̚̕͝ơ̵̬̜̤͓̔͋͒̌͘͠ͅl̴͎̓̌̊̿̋̉̊̒̐̉͛̇͘͝...̶̖̜̰̰͇̋̓͂̅̿̐͘"̷̣̝̂̿̏̓̓̄̌̿̽̽̎͒́̏͠ ̵͉͔̪̝͖̙̘̟̽̎̇͗̾
Suddenly, the image distorted, showing the image of a girl, but only for a second, before it changed back into the pixelated creature that stood aggressively before them. The three leaders felt their bones shake at the flashed image before their eyes.
"No...." Azul's mouth felt dry for once in his life as he tried to grasp the strings of his confused mind.
"It can't be....!" Riddle's hands were sweating as his eyes gathered tears he didn't know were there. Vil was utterly speechless. He couldn't form coherent words as he stared on in surprise. Soon, a deep chuckle snapped him from his frozen suptor.
"...Vil....you should know better....letting your guard down like that~?" A stream of fire flared up and towards him, but Vil saw it coming from the corner of his eye and he ducked out of the way in time. He got back to his feet to glare at the huntsman.
"Rook! What the hell are you doing?!" He demands. He got no answer as Trey and Jade, flanking the third year's sides threw two magic bolts at Azul and Riddle. They threw themselves to the floor as the attacks flew over their heads.
"Jade!!"
"Trey, what has gotten into you?!"
"You don't know~? Every student roaming these grounds have the right to challenge the dorm leaders." "Rook" spoke, followed by "Jade".
"We've told the principal of our desire to take your places."
"So....that's why you found us....? You wish to kick us off our high thrones?" Vil clenched his teeth.
"Vil....you know I adore beautiful things...however, I cannot let you sit on a throne that you've soiled with the blood of ugly transgressions!" Rook smirked. The same figure from before had glitched behind the three as a sadistic smile went to their lips.
"̵̧̳̠̞̮̫̣͓̝̰͊̐̇͛̉̈́̔̾͂̓̌͗̀̇̾͘͘͜L̸̖̔̔͠e̸̟̦̱̰̜̼̱͗t̸̪̟̳̿̀͛'̸̨̫͕̺̜̩̞̝̟̼̼̱̺͙̌͆̑͑̈̆̈̉̍̍̕͜ş̴̪͎̗̳̄̐̈́̐̈̉͠ͅ ̸̧̧̛͚͖̖͈̥͖̝̃͘ͅș̷̢̮̦̯͙̯̲̼͔̗͖̜̜̬̜͖́́̈́̿̈́͘̚͠e̵̡̨̨̗̲͚͈̺͔͖͎̭̤̳̖̰̞͂̈́̋̀͜͝ĕ̸̢̲̗̩̜̭̜̰̣̲̈́́̚͜ ̴̦͙̺̙̝̘̗͆̒͂̍̀̇́̅̚͝h̸͕͈̽̏͊̄̑́̓͂̈́̾̚͝͝o̶͙̔̋ŵ̶̢͚̜͓͌̐̀̊̅̉ ̸̨̪͓͕̮̹̝̈́̔́͑́̍̇̀̅͗̾̚͜͝Y̴̡̘̮̲̭͚̑̽̒̕͝͠ͅƠ̶̧̡͕̦̩̱̲̖̤̫̥̰̂͂͘͝U̸̩̙̟̻͔͚͚̼͍͚̪̟͋̉̃̈́ ̵̦͊͑̿̌͝t̸͍̲̝͚͎͙̺͔̼͔̯̠̲̗̺̗̲͛͒̀̄͊̏́̎͗͝͝͝h̴̛̝̞͍̙̙̞̹̫̟̖̞̖̿r̴̛̘̰͚̙͉̮̝̀̎̐͜è̶̡̛̛̳͖́̿̊̓̇̑̉̓͗̚͘͠e̸̡͙̣̯̰͙͓̣̲͉͋͜͜͝ͅ ̴͍͙͖̖͖̈́̉̑́̈͒̾̓́̾̉̆̀e̴̬͇͓̹̦̣͎̹̠̜̐̿̃̈́̿̇̉̈́̏ͅn̴̯̬̻̂̋̔̂̔̾̔̎͂̔̆̍͗͋͌͝j̵̧̤̜̫̄̂͋͌̓͒̈́̐̇̈́͆̚ō̵̢̡̨͈̺̭̤̥͖̭̯͙̝̓̀̊͜͠y̸̞̘̰̥̥̱̖͎͈̳̺͈̿͠ ̴̼̲͋̇́̒͠b̷̲̣̮̐̓͌̆̽̈́̋͝ë̵̙̼͕̬̞̪͚̤͎͔̹̄̈́̈̇͒̑̚ỉ̸̼̯͙̻̯͆̏n̴̨̙͙̘̟̥̹͙̳̻̝͇̳͙̏͛̂̏͑̕g̵̜̗͓͚̺̓̄̓͒̕̕͝͠ ̷̢͎̘̰̖̠̼̠͊̈́t̶̨̰̣͔̦̮̖̦̜̦̻͓͔̱̓͊̀͛͋̉̊̌͌̃̋̾̃͊͘͜͝u̸̢̨͉̫̠̖̗̝̽̔̿̎̎̂͒̇̿̉̉r̶̡̪̳̱̼͈̜̦͉͉̙̪̥̱̱͎͍̱̂̂̀̾͒̈͋̀̀̾̄͛̄͝͝n̵̡̺̞̞̰̱̦͓͇̞͓̯͚̝̘̻̭͊͌̑́̃͜e̴̦̥̖̘̥̮̜̟̘̱̼̿̍́̒͗͆͒̇̃͛͗̍̆͂̍̕͠͝ͅd̸̡̫̙͓͍͉̯̲̞̭͖͆̐̒̑̽͊́͊̔̔̉͒̓͜͝͝ ̷̧̬͓͖̺̏̆͑̚a̷̢̲̺̝̹̘͕͎̥̐́̓͂͋̏̽́g̷̛̠͕̗̦̫̣̟͇̜̺̮̠̐ͅa̵̛͍͎̮͇͕̦͊͑͂̎̌͆̊̎̃͘͘i̵̗̻̬̝̓́̆̀̏̀ņ̷̧͓̦̝̟͓̳͍͒̇̌̒̀̓̄͑̄͒͌́̂̌̓̾̕͝ͅṡ̶͔̳̼̳̀̀̋͊̾̇̀̇̂͜ͅt̸̢̢͎̤͔̮͓̯̬̱̹̞̭̖̰̙͙̀̋́̌̋͂̕͝ͅ ̵̢̛͚̰͔̙͚̥͈̗͙͍̽͂͆̕͝b̷͙̜̩̞͕̪̙͐̿̾͊̆͛̀̍͂̂̑̑̽͌̂͝͠y̵͖͍̟̤͉͚̻͈̫̣͕̏͂̊̃̇̓̈̀̉̌͆͌̂̄͘̕̚͝ ̷̨͚͕͔̗̰͔̲͙͙̑̆͂̓͐̌̓͑̐̐͂̇̃͜͝͠͠y̷̨̡̢͇̖͔̮̠͍̲̝͔̠̠̗̭͊͋͑̎̏̃͗̽̈́̈̆̂̊̐̍͝ō̷̥̪̳̜͈̙̩̬̻͎̯̥̙̥̭̼͚͚̋͌̾̒̒̍̇̅̊̽̿͂̄̕̕ự̷̗͚̘͖͒͂͛̈̉̐̄̐̾͛̍͠͝r̶̨̛̳͓̠͍͈̯͍̀̑̊̀̀̈́́̾͆̿͝ͅ ̷̡̯͇͚̖͆̃̓̃̕͠ô̶̧̥̙̝̠̮͓̬̺̈́̽w̵̧̢̩̜̬̟̠͆͊̌̏̓̋̂̓̋͜͝ͅn̴͚̜̦̣̼̺͈̉̍͌͒͊̈́̕͝ ̷̟̝̣̣̝̘̬͙͎̫̭̱̻̖̲̀͘ͅå̵̛͙̒́͑̾l̷̺̬̯̻͇̭̟̜̫̀͑͗̈̆̂̓̀͌̓̉̑̈̄́̃͜͜͝͝l̷̥̠͓̣̼͇̫̺̳̳͚̖̗̱̐͝ͅį̸̨̨̳͍̩͚̞̭͖̹͙̓̌͆̑̂̓̿̿è̸̝̬̝͎͙̩͔̱͉̠͉͔͔͚̖͎͇̱̆͗̋͐s̷̱̲̜̟̩̖͔̙̖̔̄̃̐̿͋̉̓̇̔̀̃̇̚͠ͅ~̸̢͚̫̗̳͔͊̊̿̕!̴̨̨̛͚̣̩͖̳̲͎͓̤̼̼̣̭̜̹̈͗͑"̶̪̥͍̮̯̘͍̻̲̜͑̍͆̐ͅ
Inside the simulator room, Vil squirms with discomfort as Riddle and Azul, their eyes shut, whimpered like dogs being beaten by their masters.....
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How long was I asleep?...I feel like by the time I open my eyes, the clock would have barely moved....
My head....the pain's not leaving my head.....what's going on...?!
I kept seeing blackness. Nothing strange about that....
Wait, what was that?! I saw something....it looked like a flicker of...light or something....? Or was I just seeing things because the pain's taking ahold of me?
"Okay.....something not right...." I murmured as I kept looking around the darkness.
I saw it again! And it's-Agh! Shit, my head again! It felt like a knife sliding into my skull!
....now it's gone!....this is so confusing....is that image the thing that's causing my head to hurt every time it appears???
'Something screwy's definitely happening...." I murmured without doubt.
"̵̯͖̣̺̰́̉͂̾a̶͓͚̯̳̎͂ ̸̯̜͈͉̬̙͐̿̅̚M̵̗̥̬̱̦͔̱͕͋̇͐͑̂̓͂̿́͜͝͝ͅo̵͉͕̗͉̤̻̠̖̟̣̬̅͛N̶̘̱̈̐̂̏́̌͂̊̂͛̎̕ş̴̺̦̭̳͍͇͙͇̀̏̈́͛̔̓̕͝ͅT̷̡̡̩̦̹͍͂ͅë̸̡̡̳̩̣͉̝̯͎̜̤̩̙̹̭́̀̀͜͠Ṟ̶̨̗̩͖͉̜͕̬͎̼̘̎͗ͅ...̶̡̡̜̮̪̮̘̝̜͓̜̊͐͑́̈̂̑̄͛̀͑̒.̸̝̫̯͈͈͕͈̮͙̮̣͊̑̈͗̓̈́͋̊́̈́͛̚͘ḷ̵̘̹̊̓̎̈́͑̍̽͝I̷͖̯͈̬͕̮̣̳͉͈͍̫̝̍͆̀̂͝͝ͅḳ̷̞̚Ę̶̫̙̖̟̼̺̹̈́̐ ̴̧̠͇̣̣̙̠͗̉m̶̡̢̯͚̱̭͈͎̹̱̖̠͇̋͛͑̇́̀͗̐͝͝ͅE̷̗̠͓͇̫͌̍...̷̢̩̻̦̳̝̆̆̄̏̈́͐̃̀̋͗̇̇.̶̛̯̟͇̽̓̆̿́́̍͝͝͝.̶̡͓͓͚̼͇͎̫̻̱̙̳̫͑̓̎"̶̧̧̤͈̬̗̻̜̝̜̖̖̗̠̇̑̑͘̚̕ͅ
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"Second test complete! Cool down in progress!" Ortho sounds over the intercom.
"As before, their vital signs are normal. But confirmation of increased blot accumulation is spotted by 68%." The first worker noted down.
" 'Lachesis System' decreasing percentage of synchronization. 5....4....3....2....full discharge."
"Cool down is now complete! Beginning transfer of subjects to the healing room!"
"Good. Once they're gone, bring the last two subjects in." Idia ordered.
"Understood!"
Idia smirked lightly. "What a list from the dorm leaders from a prestigious academy....this is taking a rather intriguing turn..."
"I've been analyzing the data. The results are surprising!" Ortho added as they talk back and forth.
"Displaying of Measurement numbers on each subject on the monitor in progress." The code flowed in like water to a river.
"Wow. That's a huge difference in blot amount!" Ortho awed as he saw what his brother was seeing.
"True. First: Riddle.....he's fast when it comes to conjure magic. The amount of his power level is a step ahead from wizards his age, like a child prodigy blessed with a high mind for science since birth." Idia scanned the results. "Likely went through training regimes since childhood, he's artificially extended it further. How else could the results end up as of now? He's not an elite, he's an athlete."
"Within the battle simulation, he tends to go over the limit and increase it when he's hesitant." Ortho nods.
"Good quality to possess: pushing past your limits even when odds are against you. But it's in efficient. But aside from that....the blot accumulation is rather high...."
"According to the analysis, it's likely his mental state is the main cause by external factors. That clearly shows itself in the second test, result in high blot count."
"He may have an affinity towards magic, but his weak points are in both physical and mental decline. He may have high attack power, but his defense is thin like tissue paper. Keep note of that....." Idia murmured softly, "He's likely suited for Long-Distance attacking like in MMORPGs..."
"Moving on, Azul has rather intriguing results as well!" Azul's results were brought up on screen next as Idia scanned its content.
"Unlike Riddle, he's slow at magic formation, but what he lacks in that department is made up for in control. And different from Riddle, he often backs up others once the situation is observed. He may look calm and efficient but like cowards, he tries to buy time using others as human shields."
"I'd say he's pretty the healer type! Why else would he look through the problem and keep tabs on his comrades?"
"Indeed. He's faster mental recovery..."
"But his magic power level doesn't match with his diversity of spells."
"He's more the 'think before you act' kind of guy. His fast mind covers up his weak power level. A UM is the same as a one-time use tool; he saves his trump card for the right moment."
"He's the total opposite to Rosehearts!"
"And last, we've Vil...." The data was brought up. Idia nods once the conte t was looked through. "Not bad! He's rather stable."
"His use of magic, time used to form said magic, defensive force, all the numbers are maintained to a high degree!"
"But he lacks in the performance level...Yet offense and defense are his strongest alibis. It's likely Vil never got proper training all his life until NRC came into the picture. Yet despite that, he's ranking high."
"Another thing to note: physical strength and mental aspects are stable. With the latter affecting the blot by a slim margin."
"....He's one for the Tank option, I'd say."
"Tanks always confront the enemy forefront while the other Allies ready the assault. That's definitely Vil's Role type!"
"His UM... 'Fairest One of All' is a persistent debuff. Since his magic level is high, it's takes a while for it to vanish, which is something to keep in mind. I didn't wanna play games with real people, but...it's be interesting to see how all three appear as true soldiers~!..." Idia smiled darkly, almost as if he meant what he was saying....
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Back in the meeting room, an awkward silence was between both Leona and Jamil. Neither looked at one another as they tried to busy themselves. Jamil tries to strike up a conversation, "I wonder what happened to the others...." But he merely receives silence in exchange. 'He's ignoring me....no surprise. Not like it matters, anyway...."
".....Weird how that White Radish Sprout spewed his mouth." Leona spoke up after a while.
" 'White radi-' Oh, you mean, Idia...." Jamil realized. "Now that you mention it, He was more talkative than in class.....he rarely shows his face at leader meetings, but that's just a theory reflecting his behavior."
"That's not what I'm referring to." Leona objects. "It's about STYX....it's suppose to be an NGO, correct? Despite us signing the NDA, there'll be rumors spreading, Despite all Info dumped on us..."
"...You...have a point." Jamil but the inside of his cheek softly in thought.
"Remember how the guards destroyed almost half the school grounds just to find us?" Leona continued.
"Unfortunately. And there's the likelihood of other students posting videos of the destruction online for the whole world to see." Jamil adds.
"I've been thinkin' about the way they regulate all this information.....not to mention, 'No wizard returns once taken to the Isle of Lamentation.........what could it mean....?' But the thinking didn't last long when-
"Leona Kingscholar and Jamil Viper!" Ortho entered the doorway. "It's time to begin examination, please follow me."
"Fine, fine. Just go easy on me...." Leona sighed as he got up from the couch, following Jamil.
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I can't find that thing, whatever it was....I've used a few enchantments and a location spell but it won't appear! Maybe it's just on a whim....
Something was shining under my feet. I looked down. It was....
That same symbol I kept drawing back at the VDC! The sun-moon-star shape! It looked engraved into the floor. I knelt down to touch it.
"Why is this symbol back? Does it....mean something...??" I whispered. Suddenly, I felt a scream leave my lips as something yank my legs down and tried to bind my ankles together. I put up a rather strong fight until whatever tried to catch me vanished. "That wasn't real! It couldn't have been!!" I denied, scrambling back into my feet now on edge.
"Charlie!" "Squirt!"
I halted. No....those voices! Is it....
"Charlie, over here!!" I whipped around. My eyes widened.
"Shawn?! Elaine?!"
But wait....they look like them...but why are their eyes black sockets?! And...why is there blood in place of their tears?!
"Charlie!!" "Squirt!" "Help us....please!" Suddenly, they were lifted in the air as horrifying screams left them into the air like they were being possessed and their flesh turned into black ink and they vanished into puddles.....
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"Subjects B and D are within the simulation with Ortho."
"Preparation for Various data measurements is ready. 2100, recording begin."
"The MPM gear is installed!" Ortho confirmed.
"Alright, launch the first test."
"Got it! Virtual Enemy Mode: Standby!" Ortho starts. "Begin Dive!"
"Where the hell are we?!" Jamil demands. "This room's way different than the other!"
Leona snaps his fingers and one bolt of leaves and green sparks popped up before him. "We can use magic here....Ah, I get it. The VR set is transferring our conscious into this thing."
"Wow! You catch on fast!" Ortho commends. "Alright, time to begin the test!"
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I sunk to the floor, tears burning my corneas; I felt like throwing up....I just saw my own sister and brother get killed before my eyes!
This can't be real!!! I'm hallucinating!!! I have to be!!!
"Charlie....Help us....!"
I saw the puddle vibrating as it shook and moved into the shape of an arrow, pointing north. I shakily got to my feet and slowly trekked forward.
"G-Guys....?" My voice was meek.
"̵̡̲͙͕͎̗̬̪̮͕̜̟̇̀̈́̿͆́̂̿͆͒̉̇̏̓͛͗̎̕͜͠͝Ȳ̸̨̧̧̢̩̟͉̤͎̯͔͉͉̱̱͖͔͖̫̩͓̈́͌̒͛̽͒͂̆̐́̕̕͘o̶͍̰͋̀̿̑̀̂u̷̩̥̪͙͍̻̭͖̥͓͉̐̍͋͆͋ͅ ̷̢̨͉͚͙̯͓̺͔̱̫̤͉̳͙̖̼̖̼̫̭̎͆̍̋̀͑́̇͋̑̀͊̋͐͒͋̇͑̉͘͜͝c̵̱̦̳͇̦̹̗̘̹͙̬͕̬͍̘̖͍̊̾́́̎̽̕͝͝͝ͅa̵̛͔̻̱̘̪̘̩̥̪̤̓̂̔̒̀̈́̎̐̓̀̉͐̈̕̕͝ͅn̸̨̧̨̨̬̩͖̥̯̗̹̹̰̤͇͔͓̻͔̬̲̘̠̎͌̄͒̉̈́͂͋̏̽̇̃̊̊͘̚͠'̷̢͙̠̜̮͖͙̻̲̖̫̭̱̦̯̯̳̬̪̘͎̘̥͗̅̀̊͐̇̋̈̄̋̈́̓̓̅͘͘t̵͇̤̤̩͉̯̙̎̿̀́͊͋͌̓̚͠ ̵̧̡͙̹̬̲̭̘̼͇̟̪̊̇ͅs̶̨͔̟̫͖̤̙͓͖̲̟̦̗̪͎͈̹͕̀͌͆͊̀̽̉̄̒͋̕͘ą̷̡̦͍̞͉̻͚̱̞͎͍̝̼͕̾͆̏̑́͊̍͐͑̂̒̓̓͗͋͌́̌̅̿̒̚͝͠v̵̡̧̛̲̉̇͊̇̾̉̋͑̀͌͋́̏͛̃͒̆͗͌̒̉̒̕e̴̡̨̜͙̦͍̱͎͕͓̯̬͍̝͔̺̱̣̽̊͂͊̾̐́͂̀̓̈́̓͘͜͝͝͠ ̸̧̧̧̟̱̯̹̤̮̹̮͎̼̖̩̜͖͖͍̣̥͊͂͌̓̒̇͌̀̒̅̋͝t̸̨̲̺̠̭̲͍͓̞̦̻͕̫͖͔̺̼̍ͅh̶̢̡̹͍̠͈̎̄̅́̇̐͌͑̌̈́̈́̽̃̍̌̅́̓̕͝͝͝͝͠ͅë̸͍͖̣̪͚͈̻͓̼͙͉̟͔̟̣́͌̿̕ͅm̷̛͓̗͈̪̤̗̮͉̫̗̲͋̊͗̀̇̊͊̀͗͂͐̀̽̉́̓̇̚̚͠...̴̢̮̳͉̘̜͉͎̺͚͓͙̦̲̝̙̄́̈́͋͐̈́̌̐͂̿͝.̷͕̯͓̮͚͕̺̈́̊̃͗͗͌̌̓̚̚"̷͚͓̼̌̍͑̓͗͑̋͑̀̂̈́̒́͒͝͝͠
"No....I'm not going crazy, I'm not going crazy!" I repeated in a fierce whisper as I kept forcing myself forward with the stabbing headache.
Whispers began to float through the air the more I went forward.....until something passed my side and I stopped. An awfully familiar black and red dress caressed my bare legs.
̴̛̞̣̞̣̔͂̍̀̃̃̓̏͛̽͋̕͘W̸̢̨̧̥̣͖̖̻͇̮͖̦̰͙̱̟̠͓̎̈́̅̎̾̇̌͐̌̄̈́̈̅͊͑͘̚ȩ̴̛̦̞̥͙̥̞͎̹̳̠̘̹̰̟̜͙͊̆̏̚͜ͅ ̷̡̟̥͚͚̼̲͍͊̈́̄c̶͍͓̳̪̭̟̬̤͍̼̣͎̜̰͛́́̈́̈͆̌͑̾̐̑͆͜a̸̢̛̻̣̹͎̹̲̰̺̳̳͓̠͕̮͎̻͙̪̾̍͑̍̔́͑̿͌͘ͅn̴̛̛̲͌̈́̀͌̋͊̐̍̏̏̌̚͝ ̸̡̹̪̙̳͔̦͓̤͔̣̝̳̦̬̳̫́̌͛͛͂̊́̀̉̆́̿͐͋͘͜͠͝͠f̴̢̡̢̼͎̱̟̞̜̘̉̄͛́͒́̈́̓̚̕͠ǐ̷͍̌ň̷͖̮̺̭̗̝̞̑̀a̶̞͉̜̗̙̝͔͎̰̽̒͗̍̎̅̉͛͆l̶̛̛͖͚̟̣̔̍͐̇̿̇̌̄͘ͅļ̶̜͎̗̣̠͙͍̪̫̯͖̙̤̑́͑̀̃͒̈́̀̏̀̆̋̕̕͝͝͠y̶̛̦̘͖̰͓̞͌̍̍̐̉̈́̋̏͋̒͂͂̎͗͘͝͝͠ ̶̢̢̞̤̠͈̟̺̱̣͎̄͊̀̾̅́̀̍͑̕͜ͅḩ̴̡̧̛̰͇͍͎͚̳̪̫̖͇̜̥̪͚͎͔̾̓͘̚ả̴̛̛̺͓͈͕͈͙̣̼͕̿̈̊̿̍̾̇͋͌̀͋̓͂̄̔͑̄̚v̶̡̨̱͈̻̪̻̱͉̝̮̟͎̤̈́͠͝ę̶̡̳̺͍̜̹͔̮̳̝͇͎̮̝̮͕̏̈́́̃̈́͋͆̓̕ ̵̢͚̦̻̬̟͈̓̾͐̑̅̊͆̎̕̚ǫ̸̧̡̡̛̼̼̣̠͚̙̝̭̝̣̃̏̃̽̈́͆̑̒̓̔͆̔̒̆̒́̚͝ũ̷̻͖͋͒̐͗̂̋̃̀͒̀͠r̶̨͔̣̺̩̫̗̪̲̲͚̘̙̳̖̆͑̉̓͌͑͂̊̓͊̊̂̀̔̎́͐͌̚͝͠͝ ̸̨̨͖̙̬̲̱̮̺̬̳̥̯̬̣͈̓̈͜ͅW̶̨̟̣̟̭̥̗͇͎̹͚̬̭̜͈̮̩͙̼̏̎̎̅́̅̓̾̋͆̀͂̄̈͐̔́̕͘͝͝ͅơ̸͚̘̪̓̏́̀̆̇̀͑̈̓͛̌̆̽͊͛̀̇̀̈̍͘ņ̷͓̜͉̺̤̞̬̬͕̪̱̼̼̼̙̎̄̈́͗́̄̓̅̃̐́̃̿̉̈́̋̍̈̿̽͜ͅd̷̡̡̝̤͇̤͎̫̠̯͉̤͉͖̝̱͇͙̄͐̃̈́̈́̃̈́͆͊̇̓̋̈́̑̿͆͋͗͒͑̎̚̕͜ͅͅe̶̼͓͉̥̻̩̗̞͍͙͎͕̞͎͔͚̭̪͉̓̆͐̑́r̵̛̬̮̲͉̀̆̋́̋̑͆͑͌̉̏̿̐̂̕̕͝ļ̵̛̫͕̺̉̈́̎̍̈́̉̈̈́̔̿̾͒͑̔͑͊͜͝ǎ̵̧̻͕͎̺̌̎̉́̿̔͘͠ņ̷̘̗̣̲̱̹̜̩̙̝̩̠̰͈͕̿͂̔̆̓̆͊̑̃̚͝d̵̫̳̻̺̭̙̈́̋͒̋́̓!̴̧̡̡̦̥̖͖̯̼̘̪͌͑̂̊̓̀̎͂͗̀̓̈͛̾͒͠"̸̡̫̠͉̣̼̗͎̩͙͉̼͍͚̞̺͎̙̻̱̳̼͛̊̅̾͊̿ͅ ̴̨̛̟͇̭̈́́̉͊̏̏̄͊̆̉͛̃͑͝
"R-Riddle?!" I shook, turning back behind quickly. But he was gone. Why-Why did I see him when he overblotted???..... I have to be dreaming!!!
̷̢̨͈̮̼̩̺͈͍͖̼̦̼̑̉̏͊͂̑̒̇͒̆̅̇͂̍͐̚̕͘͠
̴̡̨͉̼̦̦͈̤̼̂̎͋̄͠"̸̛̛̰̪͔͖̬̼̪̣̘̹͕͉̑̄̍̇̈́͆̀̂̆͑͋Y̸̢̢̢̥͎̯̤̪̱̳̣͍̬̰̟̗̜̯̜͉͇̮̋͂̓͋̂͆̾̎͌̾̾̈́̅͂̍̊̅̓́̕̚̕͝ö̴̹͉̪̼̮̼͕́̑̔̏͗̓̐̔̉̈̆̑͋̈́̆̎̚͜ừ̷͈̟̦̆̐̈̈́͒̂̓͛́̚͝'̶̱͍͐̋̆̋̐̂r̷̢̡̧̛̳̳̭̯̙̪̳̻̯͓̰̩͇̪͇͍̟̽̋́̂͜ȇ̷̬͓̬̼̞̪̰͔̩̳͖̼̟̣̲̀́̄̆͊͒̕͝ͅ ̷̨̛͍̩̖̗̘͎̝̼͙̟̪͈̻͍̲̙̼̪̭̍͗͋͊̂̆͆̈́͋́̏̌͋̈́̓͘͘͝͝͝͝͝ͅs̶̢̨̛̼͙͈̄̎̽̔̎́̀̉̄͐̀͛̕̚͝t̴͈̫̙̞̙̞̪̰͙̝͉̅̐ͅį̴̧̨̛̖͉̤̱̼͉̰̻͊͌̈́̒̾̉̌̃̾͂̈́̈́̆̅̿̀̋̋̇̚͠l̵̰̭͈͔̞͙͉̞̜͇̰͐̀̈̂͠ļ̶̨̨̛̳͚̙͉͈̞̲̣̂͑͋͊͆͐̊̏̓͑̇ͅ ̵̛̜͕͓̒̓͋̑̿̆̈́́̓͐̈͑̔͐̔̀̇͗̕̚͝m̵̢̡̧̡̡͕͚͓̩̲̮̪͖̣͔̌y̸̡̨̳̺̟̪̼̹͚̺̖̩̙̯̘̭̳̳̻͇̖͈̆̋̏̏͐̃͐́̆͌̽͐̇͂̕͘͠ ̶̨̧̹͉̬͚̈́̽͜p̷̧̢̧̨͚̥̦̳̫̣̥̣̥̲̟̫̬̰̳̼͓͑̍̎̔͗̏͘͜r̸̦̓̉̅̀́̒̈̿̌͐̿͋̄̐͘̕̚ȩ̸͓̤̺̳̲̪̱͍̬̗͈̪̟̹̖̝̒̈͜ͅÿ̷̨̨͙̠̘̱̦̗̮̺͚̮̝̠̞̟͕́̉̈́́̒͠͠͝ͅ,̸̻͈̖͎͇͔̬̹͓̬̑͝͠ ̴͍̦̙̗̱̰̱̹̖͖̞̓͠L̴̡̨̡̡̧̠͈̻̜̃͗͌̊̀͆̚į̵̡̥̙̯͒̽̆̅͝͝ͅt̴̡̨̲͍͎̼̣͖̠̦̩̱̼͇̟̮̫̜̠͎̞̍̍̓̍̄́̋͊ț̷̥̱̞͐̒̀̓͋̈̀l̵̨̫̼͗̀́͛̉͋͐̀̑̈̂̀͊͐̈́̓̆̒͘͝͝ͅė̵̛̙͙̗̓̔ ̸̡̡̡̧͓͚̰̩̤̙̰͈͙̮͔͖̟̥͖͔͈̙͗́̈́̔̓̐͊́̈́́̂͋͆̅̏̀̾̑̚͘̚͠͝G̷̨̛̟̼̪̺̺̠͉̗̜͇̪̟̰̹͍͍̟̣̥̋͗̀̿̿̉ḯ̶͖̺̦̪̘̹͉̊̈́̽͌́̅͗̓̃͌̍͗̃̀̒̄̽̕͜͝r̴̢̛̲̣̠̙̣̈́̈́́͑̔̐͆͗̆͋͒̋̓̽͂̓̚̚̚l̶̹̰̯͇̼̞̀̉̆̈́̓̈́́̂̍̂̋͛̊̊̅̈́̈́͑̚͝͝͝.̵̥͔͔̥̗͙̟̫̬͓̬̱̪̌̅̑͒̇̀́́͊͆̊͋͗̈͒͐͘̕ͅ"̴̡̡̭̤͍͈̳̪̜̥̝͉̟͙͖͉̻̇̓͐̊̀͆̆̋̾̈́̊̑̂̅́̏̿̕͝͝ͅ ̴̫̥̱͈̮͖̿̋̓̈́́̂̀͛́͆̑͐̿́͆́̏̂͘̕͝͝
̴̡̢̡̛͓̠̯͗̎̂̑̍͊́̾͊͒͆́̋̆͆̀͌͊͘"̵͈̏͋̓͑M̵̢̢̥̫͍̭̤̬̹̰̲̺̘͓̩̌͋̽͒̏͊͂̌͗͗͗͋̚̕͜͝ͅy̴̧̫̭̼̞̱͕̦̽̈́̈́̆̃͛̾̓́̐̆̕͠͠ ̷̧̢̢̤͍͇̼̞͙̘̻̺̣̫̮̱̦̪̠̫̥̟̙͛͆͒̔́L̵̩̾͑̔į̴̢̗̟̫͕̹̠̦̺̲͇̩̭̩͓̥̙̺̩̙͇̭͋͌́͛̌͒̊̂́̑́̅͒̕͝͠ṭ̵̨̧̫̮̱͙͇̟̙̼̝̰̜̫̱̹͙̻̋͊͑̏̔̇͆̿͊̉̎̿̍̒̈́͋̈́̕͠ͅt̷͇̭̿̂̌̓́͘l̶̡̦͔͎̰̝̩͖̬̬̻̩̦̤̎̈̒̔̑̐͛̿͒͠ȩ̸̡̨̬̺̻͂̓̇͋͌̓͜ ̷̬̺̼̤̖͙̜̗̲̜͙̦͛̈̑ͅͅL̶̛̩͇͖̩͎̻̭̦̺̃̅̃̽̈́̋̈́͊͑̃͜ͅo̴̤̐̄̃͒̀̌͑̀͂́̔͆͝t̷̢̹̣͎̹͚̘͙̽̏̉̓́̀̉͂̄̍͑͂͌̊͐̆͝͝͝ț̵̨̻͔̦͓̎̒̅̇̌̈́̊͝e̸̢̧͇̬̼͐͑̎́̃̚͝ͅ...̴̨͖̙̝̮̞̭̻̜̫͖̪͒͂̉̈́̾̍͒̽̊̀̕͘.̶͍͍̻̼̮̞̤̟̖̃͌͂̃̆̅͊͋̒̃̚͠͝͝d̷̡͙̩͙̀̄̊̀̀͂̎̐̓́̏̈́͊̉̊̒̉̓̐̚͝͝ớ̶̝̥̞͋͌̾̉͗̓̄̓̔̎̄̌͘͜͝͝n̵̝̤͓̣̻̰̕'̷̡̣̯̣͓͈̖̫̻̬͓̳̫͖̪̮̮̦͇͉̾̎̓͐͆̾̒́̒͝͝t̷̛͙͓͇̄̓͛̀̉̾͗̿̈́̍̔̈́͑̕͝ ̸̡̤̟̗̈̾͐̅̽̑̿̍͗̈́̓̎͝͝͝e̵̥̣̹̹̿͆̈̓̑̿̋̽͗͛͜͠v̷̡̛̛̛̼̬̺̉͆́̉̒̓̃̆͛̕͘͝͝è̷͔͇͍̗̺̦̟͙̯̦̈́̾̇̎̎͑̀́̓͊̈́́͒͑̂̇̃̍͌̃͝͝ͅr̶̛̲̭͉̝̭̞̖̠͓̟̰̳͊̉͑͆̈̇̔́̑̂̂̎̈̔̈́́̿̚͜͠͝ ̵̨̛͔̗͕̫́̓̎̏̾́̋͂̾͂͊̆̓̕͜l̵̡̦̫̼̭͖͚̭͕͖̜̱̙͕̪̫̫̱̙̥̺̑̄̍͐̌̈̑̓̄̓́̾̓͛̀̿͒͊̀̍̆͝ͅͅę̴̨̪̻͎̳̺̻̍͌͗̈̓̐͂́͊́͐̃̃̅̋́̆̚̕̕̕͝͝à̸̯̳̙͐̏͌̋̄̐́̕̕̕͝͝v̵͇͒̇̊̇͊͒̒̎̀͂̀̾̋̓͠͝͝͠ȩ̶̨̢͓̠̣̪̲̺̞̻̬̩̲̦͚̖̃͂͛͒̐͆͋͊̉̏̂̈́̑̐͌̚̕͝ͅ ̶̨̩̥͈̺̦̼̦͔̎͂̈́̑̿̓͒̄͊͘͘m̸̲͉͇̖͇̥̈́̄̕ě̶̡̹̣̦̹̳̬̳͓͓̫̳̞͇̩͍͈̄͌̽...̵̢̧̛̩̻̳̜̹̙̥̱̻̻͖͙̓͐̇̂̇̆̎̐̈́̓͗͌̓͝͠ͅy̷̢̫͓̺͙͛͌͌̆̓̄̾̐̏͌̔͛̾ǫ̸͖͖̩̦̲͉̠͙̱̘̰̈́͝ū̴̢͎̻̻̣̫̲̣̳͕̮͓̦̙̇͂͝ ̴̧̟̜̳̜͈͕͇̹͖͙̲̘̣͔͉͆̀̉̈́̊̀͒̔̋͗͠w̵̗̦͎̰̺̠̞͋̐̑̎͗̐̉̒̒͌̍͗̓̎̕ō̴̧͎̜̙̝̤̥̻̖̰͔͖͔̜̣͍͔̓̀̐̎̑͑͒̕n̴̛͔̙̾̔͗̓͂̿̂̐̊̈́̽́̃̌̾̕̕̕̚͝͝'̶̧̡̛͙̥̗̪̤̤̪͚̳͙̼̺̟̐̂́͛́̎͊̿̊̌̀̐̉͑͘͠͝ͅț̸̫̇̐̈́͋̋̌͂̋̓͑̑̊̀͝ ̶̲̮͂̋͑̂͋͂̉̿͋̎̔̇̕̚͘͠l̵̛͙͔͎͈͖͕̜͖͛̈́̔̀̇̃͊̃̇̋̑̌̌̓̍̂̎̓͘͝͠ͅͅë̶̢̢̢̨̻̜̘͈̼̭̤͍̤͈̱̠̲̫͑̒͌̎͆͑̂̀̔̌̓͘a̶͔̜͍̘̝̹̎͆̎̈́͗̂̈̓̈́̋̇̅̚v̵̨̨̜͍͕̭̯̮̜̺͈̲͖̲̥͍̺̼͉͚̭̺͂̀̍̔̑̐̇̄̈́̚͜ȩ̶̡̢̟̫̞̤̼̖͔̹͇̜̜͍͕̘̰̼͖͌͒,̸̛̛̬̙̟͖̫͓͎̮̲̯̤̺̬̼̫̭̮̮͔̖̐̓͑͗͌͂̓̓́̈̈̓̊ ̸̢̛̦̙̰̜͕̜͉̫̓͌͆̊͐͂̒̂́́̈́̒͒̾͝͝W̶̠̺͎̪̾̐̂̆̓̀͌͊̈́̚I̸̢̧̨̛͔̬͇͚͚͙̱̬̖̻̹̠̣̤̮̮̞̫͓̿́̃̄͗́̑̊͆͐̿͛̍͌͌͜͝Ļ̷̛͙̓L̶̡̮͓̭̭͚̱̬̘͇̰̯̜̞̪͔̣͚̑̔̇̽̓̀̑́̅̄͑̈́̾̒͆̒̏̈́̏ͅͅ ̶̨̢̙̯͈̟͉̲̜̮͔̟̲̬̘̂̍̈̎̔̌̒̈̒͊̃̇̌̿͝ͅY̶͖̞̳͓̲͓͓̩̞̲͉͓̬̓̅̃͒Ǫ̴̛̰̜̣̟̘̞̗͕̩̳̥̗̮́͛̈́̍̽̓̈͗̎̅̊͐͠Ų̴͙͉̣̭̳̜̺͇͕̥̬̝͆̿̂̀͆̈́͆̔͂̈́̅͒̎̚͝͠͠͝ͅͅ...̵̧̛̗̰̫̦̘͖͙̮̯̘̰̦̊̐̃͋̆̾̈́̓͌̓͂̊̃̑̈́̿͊͂̌̓̚̚?̶͖̼̘̰͍͙͉͔̟̠̫͉̻̬̞̖̗͚̩̬͆̾̌̉̑͝ͅ"̸̨̻̗̺̳̣̗̲̝̜̟̭̞̰͇̝̲̬̬͑̾͐̌̀́̄ ̷̢̞͈͓͍͕̘̣̳͎̯͇̻̦̦̗̊̄̇́͆̃͂͒͌͂̾͜͠ͅ
"Leona?! Azul?!" I nearly lost my footing as they too appeared before me in their insanity. But they vanished after I spoke and behind me, two new faces replaced them, just the same.
̸̻̟̤͓͈̩̻̰͎̳̺̯̙̮̤͔͈͔̭̪͇̽́̓͂̋͂͐̑̀̈́͑̑̓̀̓̌͌͘
̶̢̢̨̛̹̤̫̹̯̜͇̹͇̳̮̙͉̬̺̭̙̠̰̠̄́̓͋̇̈́̅͌͋͘͝ͅͅ"̵̢̡̢̛̣̜̰̓̀̍̓̆̒̿Ì̵̧̨̞̣̺̬̤̱̲̮͖̘̣͙͖̱̹̼̟̌̄͆̊͌̂͜͜ ̵̡̢̛̻͓̩͙̭̽̂̈́̌̈́̎̏̃̈́̆̏̚̕͝͠ͅw̷̧̠̜͇̮̹̃̉̽̋͑͂̂̉̓̋̔͘͜͝į̷͈̭͎̙̏̃l̸̛̯̽́̈͗̚͘͝l̵̺̝̈́͂͂̐̒̀̽́́̚̕͜ ̸̡̨̧̡͕̜̤̦̤̠͍͖̱͎̼̞̣̮͚͙͎̭̳̱̌̅̎͋͋͐͐̈́̏͑̒͗͌̀͗̈́̈̊̅̊̓̋̉͠͝͝ͅg̸͖̞̲͇̩̰̔͆̽͂͗͂͑̒̑̋͑͋̄̉̆̚̕̕͝͝i̴͇̜̫͉̲̱͔͕͎̠̫̯̥̖̠̇̈̉̊̊͗̈́̀͌̂͊̔͒̑͒͒̂͝v̴̜̹͉͍͎̫͓͈̗̙̂́̾̿̌̽̈́̽̓̋̅̀͊́̈̈́̑͒͘͜͠͝͠ͅe̸͉͇̻̽͑̓́̿͗͑̀̉̅̂̎̄̚ ̷̧̧̧̼̣̯̘͚͓͚̦̫̠̬̻̥̭̔̒̈́̈́̈́͂̽̊̆̐̄͜͠͠ÿ̶̨̨͔͍͇̠̲̺̳̹͈̔͗̌̊́̅̀̐͊̆̇̃̋̋̇̒o̸̡̨̨͖̼̪̤̫͓͔̝̩̳̪͍̠̳͂̿̉̇̇̿̽̇̄̅͛̊̋͐̚̚͝ư̷̩̙̝͉͈̦̘͙̘̟̰̥͊̐̿͛̽̿̈̓̋͂́̒̈́͐̑̓͒̈̋͆̑͜ ̵̧̨͙̱͈͖̲͈̼͔͍̘̫͕̣̩̜̰͓̮̖̻̯̦̓̽̅̈̉̑̑͐͒̓͆̑́̍͂͝w̷̢̛̪͓̫͎̥̪̼̹̤̒͆̌̎̌̋͒̈́̌͛̊̓͛̚̕͝͝ͅh̸̢̡̬̠̝̺͎̰̩̖͉̹̼̣͇͕͇͇̱̳̀̇̿͊͆͌͐̽̀̇͝ą̶͙̲͉̫͔̳̘͎͓̤͇͇̣͔̰̙̳̊̀̀̑̕ͅͅt̸̡̡̡̪͕̖̜̝̬̉̂͑̑́̉͊̀͊́̈̅̓͗͋̅̆͂̀̇́͗͝͝ͅ ̴̰͔̜̣̦̍̉́̒̕͘͝y̴̢̪͖̣̠̌͂̂͝o̷̡̖̬̩̲̬͑̓͐̍̄̚͝ǔ̵͈̗̥̤͛̾̒͑̓̋͜ ̷̛͓̞̄̑̐́̾́̃̈́̏̇̅̇̅̚̚͘̚ẅ̶̨͖͓͚̼̹́̽̌́̒̀̿̚̕͝͝ą̴͎̪̤̙̈͂͒n̴̡̡̡̛̪̞̱̺̘̝̼̞͕͇̲̠̞̅̂́̾̾̐̅̾̈́̔͊̋̀̅͑̿̄͐͂̐̚̕̕͜͝͝ţ̷̨̧̜̖̲̜̥̩̗̮̀̌...̴̧͇̳͈̯̤̭̬͓͕̲̘͖̯̣͎͖̣͇͍͚̘̥͎̿̊͜͝.̸̨̢̡̛̺̩͓̬̝̰̠͈̖̬̻̗͎̑͌͗͊̌̑̕j̸̡̡̡̨̢̻̮̠̪̗͙͎̰̺̫͕͙̞́͜ͅu̵̗͈̺͎̺̘̞̤͗͂̒̊̈́̊̅̆̽͊͠͝s̸̡̭͈͎̼̬̣͔̙̻̯̦̹͔̝̫͕̙̖̲̱̭̈́͛̆t̴͚͖͕͙̦͈̯̞̝͚͔̀̉̈́̀̉̽́̊̈́̽̑͐͒̍͆̉̂̓͛̌͐̋͝͠͝ ̵̦̲͚̞̮͒͌̏͆͂̔̾š̴̡̢̙̱̱̣̠̫͕̳͍͇̺̠̮͓͈̘̥̻̼̟́̌̐͊̽ͅá̶̢̡̡͖͙̼̝͓̦̰̰͖͓͍̠͈̖̼̟̆̎͒̃̈͊̔͐̅͛̿̉̓̉̄͘͘͘̚̚͜ỹ̴̛̛̠̯̭̩̇̄̇̉͋̇̏͋̔̌͋͒̈́̋̕͝͝͝͠ ̴͖̥̪͇̙̮͎̰̪̗̫̾͗́͆̊̀̚ÿ̵̡̡̧̹̳̲̤̳͍̭̭̯̻̭̻͍͓̲͚̯́͆̄̌̈́͆͂ó̴̳̯̰͍̘͉̻͔̘͌͑͌̀̽̈́̀̋̉̈͒̓̑̌̚͜͠u̷̧̧̧̹͚̲̯̲̠̗̞͓̠͇͈̝̹̜̝͕̪̹̹͉̣̇̇̄̀̎̋'̸̨̥͖̱̬͍̖͚̻̮̟̫̱̠͖̯̩̥͉̮͔̞̦͈͓̒̇́̓̉͗͂̄̌̚̚͜ļ̵̛̜̺̫̼͙͍͇̬̜͒̍̄̊͂̾̃͂̽͆͝͝͝l̴͕͎̣̠͔̻͚͈̏̑̃̈̆͊̓͂̽͗̂̿͜͝͠ ̸̧̧̯̭̺̫̱͖̜̮̗̱͖̹̣͉̜̜̌͆͒̾́̇̔͑̂̓̇̀̽͆͐͒͒͂̈́͗̂̕͠ͅb̵̡̧̡̪͍̤̰͍̦̟̰̮͓͚̤̹̦̝͖́̿̑̊́͗́̌̈̑̓͊̀̚͜͝ͅê̴̡̢̛̛̛̠̥̩̟̤̺͙̹̻̬̱͆̊̒̽̏̓́ ̸̡̛͚̭̦̫͚̖͓̱͖͚̰̮̟͉́̓̌̍̉̽̍̈̏̋͐̍̈̾̄̒̀̚͘̚͝͝m̴̨͓̠͖͓̭̺̬̘̟̞̥͎̑̍̇́̓͑̋̑̎͐̓̐̆̊̓̚͜ͅi̵̧̢̛̳̘͇̗̣̼̼̙͑̑̀͊͒͐͒͗̉̏͋͂̈͘͘͝n̵̢̞͇͙̤̬͚͕͉̩̭͕̘̙̭̞̐e̴̘̹̺̣̖͙͙͚͚͚͚̹̞̔́͜...̷͖̥̅́̈́̋̉͛̓̅̒͆̌̂͛̀̎̿̚͘!̵̩̯̪͚̘̟̲͇̘̰̞͖̥͈͎̲̞̏̈́̃̾̅̏̋̉̄͆̃͛̏̈́͒̿̕͝͠"̸͉̯̪̼̤̎̓̿͗͗̍͐̎̿͊̽̀̕͠ ̴̢̦̗͙̦͔͔͓̟̤̰͙̦̤̼̳̥̳̜̤̜̜̄̑̐̎͆͐̍̿̄̕͝͝͠ͅ
̸̙̼̮̣́̽͗̍͑̽͛͑́̽͝
̵̧̢̖͕͕͕̝̲̭̩̣͖̰̤̳̯̖̺͓͔̟͇̿̂͗͗̋̋̋̈́̿̉̅̇̈̃̔̐̄̀̂̾͗͐͗̕̚̕ͅ"̷̡͎̦͉̝̱͉̟̗͎̹͕͈̟͎́̂̃̾T̶̨̡̠̫͉̖̺̤̤̬̪̬͔̜͙͓͓͖̲̣͉̿̓̀͝ö̸̠̤͙̝̟͈̭̤͓̭͈̙̠̉͒̏̓̎̍̌̀̆͊͜͝͝ͅ ̴̨̻͓̗̻̹̥͚̖̪̻̼͚̙̐̋̔̓̈͆́̏̍̈́̐̌́̈́́̌̈̃̕͝f̸̬̤͓͚̳̺͆͜ͅͅi̴̟̹͔̱͖͚̪̓̍̓̋̑͂͆̂̊̑͋̃͛͠͝͝͝͝n̴̢̢̡̧̝̞̙̤͖̗͎͇̤͈̩̲̳̮̤̞̹̰̤̯̾͆͗̾͜ͅd̸̡̻̘̝̥̠͈̲̟͚̖͍̤̯̤̈́̊͝ ̴̨̧͓͉͈̮̺͈́̃ͅm̸̨̦̬̰̠̯̘̭̙̬̱̮͚͚̣̦̻̥̭͈͕̓̄̈́̀̆́̉̇̌̐̉̊̒̚ỳ̵̢͕͑̔͛͒̌̓͊̑͊̿̊̑͌̏́̅̓̿͂̌̃̉̚͘ͅ ̵̧̦͕̞̮̺͚̱̳̱̬̣͎̥͚͍̟̐͛̄̓̄̓̌̿͐̑p̴̢͖̱̣͎͇͚̙̠͈̘͔͚̟̜̗̼̬̫̮̰̪̑̄̅̾̔̀̑̓̾̏̆͐͆͆́̾̎̕̕͝͠ͅe̸̪͇̪͇̙̼͇̎́̈̎͛̊́̓͐́̉̀̊̂̚̕̚r̶̘̠͈̗͕̺̦̝̦͎̳͓̦͙̈́͛̊́̒̀̀̿̔́̊̔̊̈͗̎̃͋͛͐̈́͋̑́̒̚͜f̸̢̹̱̳̘̀̿͊͌͝e̵̡̧̧̧̫͓̰̤̪̠͖͚͔̫̺̙͇͍̞̞̭̭͙̙̾̍̈́̃̏̋͗̅̑̏̂͊̓̀̈́̚͝͠ç̸̟̝̲̝̪̹̣̩͓̓̀͜ť̸̪͇͍̝̥̬̳̻̮̐̀̔́͊̓͋̃̐̾̃͝͝ͅ ̵̢̨͚̣͖̪̜͉̖̦̻̹̤̘͎̈̋̍́̌͗̊͌̈́́͒̓̚ͅb̵̗̻̆̑̓̿͑͑͑́͒͂̀̓͜͝͝͠ͅé̴̡̡̠̦̰̦͈̘̫͍̮̳̲̞͈͈͔̯̝̟̝͛̕͜͜͝͝a̷̡͙̙̭͙̬͓̺͓͓̮̗͙͉̮͚̫̦͉̝̠̦̱͙͂̿͆͐̋͆͌̑͂͋̎͐̓̇̅͜͜ù̸̢̳̱̫͇́ţ̷͕̟̬͖̅̂̅y̴̼̺̪̱̳͖̮͒...̵̢̻̖̪̥̫͖̭͔̱̦̘̦͖͇̻̞̾̉̄͛̀͋́̈́̃͊̑̎̇.̴̧̜̣͚̳̈́͌̏̄̋̐̑̍͗͊̊̑̋̔̋͐͐̐̚̚I̷̢̮̪̺̱̠̜̣̘̗͛̽͆̉̅͂̄̍̈́͋̃̋̽̄̏́̓̐̄̊͂̇́̌̏͘'̶̨̡̼͕͔̲̖̥̥͎̘̔̋̈́́̿͌͒̊̀͊͂͂̓͋͌͑̓̃̂͗̕̚̚͝͝͝ļ̵̔̂̉̀̓̈̈̈́͗̚͝͠l̶̨̦̜̫̤̫̞͎̮̭̹̞̭̆̈́̃͌̈́̈́͛͗͐͐̍̊͛͋̀̂̏̅͐̓͛̏̅̃͜͝ ̵̡̧̢̢̼̩̼͇̮͔̼̰͎̟͉͎̱͍̮̳̰͍̃̽n̴̢̧̡̘̬̱͈̥̖̗̳̫̺̏̄̊͗̽̂͂͂̉̓͗̿̓̓͌͘̕͝ȩ̵̖̮̗͉͓̮̖̩͕͛̌́͐̎̍̋̂̌͑͑̒̀́̈͂̓̓̆͐̽̏̎̎͝ȩ̸̢̛̛͖̰͙͚̞͍̤̪͉̗̗̹̠̦͙̖͇̖͇̥̥̍̿̆̾̎̋̒̀͑̀̋̚̕̕d̶̡̗̗͓̠̩͔̀̾̏͛͊͒̎͆̓̽̔̍̒͛̑̈́́̋̏̓̐̂̎̕̚͝ͅ ̵̧̨͕̻̩̭͎̜͂̾̽̓̓͑̂̈́̀̂̐͊̄͜ỷ̵̜̼̲͑̐̅̈́̀̍̀̓̈́̌̑͑̐̀̽͐͆͂̓̾̽̂͝ơ̶̡̧̧̛̝̭̺͇̐̈́̈́̾̉̑̎̈͜ū̵͙ŗ̷̣͇̜̖̹̪̘̝̠͙͎̲̰͇̟̼̮̪̹̕͝ ̸̮̩̮̻͙̓͑̀͆̽̎̅̍̀̒̾ḥ̴̨̧̨̼̱̥̙͚̙̠̞̝̣̥̩͉̮͓̤̲͓̞̟̊̈̿̾̔̄͒̎̀̀̍͊̈́͝͝ͅè̸̛̦̱̈̍̌̑͊̿̽̊̒̀̌̄̎͛̽̇͒͋̽̃͆̕a̶̡̨̡͕̯͍̬̪̿̃͆̂̍̾̄̒́́͛͛̀̿͘͝͠͠r̶̢̨̨͓̩̣̟̱̭̮̦͚̦̺̫̟̫̖̯̘̝̦̝̮̽̾͌͋̓̄̑̆͆͌̈̎͊̏̓̔̌́͆̐̀͒̽̕͝͝t̵̨̧̡̧̹̜̩̳̪̻̼͙͉̼̦͍͎͓͎̘̫͈̤́̓̇͐̈́̓̂̽̎̀̔́̋̿̄̚ͅ!̵̢̧̛̛͇̱͖̩̦̰̟̭̝̞͓͍̹̦͚̮̠̼͓̓̉͒͗͒̆́̎͛͊̒̈́̎̍̿̾͋́̍͘͘͜͝"̵͕̒̓̀͆͒͂͑͛͊̄͂́́̇̌͗͒̈́̕͘̕̚
"Wake the fuck up, Charlie!!" I slapped my cheeks over and over, trying to erase the images of the five of them looking at me like I was their prey. I kept moving forward, feeling the fear eating at me....what else am I gonna get tortured with?!
——————————
"First test complete! Cool down in progress!" Ortho announced.
"The two subject's vitals are normal and blot accumulation is within normal level, too."
"Lachesis System is ready to go."
"Do it."
"Got it! Virtual Enemy Mode: Standby! Dive: Start!" Before they knew it, the two were inside the greenhouse.
Leona looked around quizzically with an eyebrow up
"Why are we here...?" Jamil answered.
"Leona-San!"
"Jamil! There you are! Man, it's not like you to leave me behind!" The two look behind and saw Ruggie and Kalim respectively.
Leona merely looked at Ruggie with a unchanged facade as Jamil shook his head. "Apologies." The two get this was rather surreal, much like the other three before them. But unlike the others, this was too flawed for them.
"̶͙͕̺̬̇͘...̷̨͍͈̣̀.̵̧̞̟̏͒̇Ṣ̷̜͎̈́̆́̐o̵̱͂̌́̊...̷͓͓̃̂.̴̛͈̙̇͝.̷͉̭̺̞̕Ŷ̵̥̠͆̂̂o̴͎̜̎̕U̶̝̫͆̆͘ ̸̢̯̈͂͜͜ḵ̴̠̞̋N̶̠̹͇͊̽͑o̶̧̘̣̻̔̄̃͛W̴̹̝̽̄̽,̸̻͔̿ͅͅ ̴̠̭̈d̶̖̅O̶̲̎͑͝ň̵̠͒'̸̡̀́T̴̲̗̏́̄ ̷͖̇̂͘y̴̛̤̙̥͗͛Ő̷̹̯͋̀̉ṳ̴͉͓̮̕͠...̷͚̲̘̀̓?̷̺̣͈̏"̸̫̞͋̀͝ ̴̟̞̇
The figure, instead of toying with the two like the other three before them, appeared further behind the look alike of the second years. A scowl was on their lips with their one eye closed but opened to unveil a dark blue iris so deep it looked like there was barely any pupil there.
"̵̮̙́̉͆͝Ỳ̵̬͇̮͈͍̮̦̏͜ǒ̶͈̩̰̱̓̄̋̈́̓̆̕͝ͅu̵̧̝̬̳̺̪̝͌̎ ̸̤̉ͅc̸̡̰͙̈́̒̅̉͠ả̵̼̺̻̪͎̫̉ṋ̸̫͓̥̜͚̤̿̽̍̚͝͝'̸͔̖̟͎̳̐͂̂̇̾̆̍̆͘ţ̷̗́̊̄͐̿̒̕͝ ̸̨͎͕͉͎̑̾̐̐̐̓̊͌d̶͕̱͚̥̔̀͗͝ợ̴̖͇̳̏̿͋̈̋̕͘͠ͅ ̵̛͎̈́̄̏̌̾͆̍͝į̵͈̰̭̯̾̈́ͅẗ̷̳́̀̆̌́́͗̋͝...̵̢̰͓͕̝̻̹̓̇̇̑́̓̚͝.̶̮̥̲̳̘̞̯̈́̒̆̿̚y̸̧̖͍̯͇̹͔̏̅͗͋͂̿̀͂͘e̴̛̘͓̹̭͇͆͂͛̑̑t̴̘͔̪̊͂́̈́̇ ̷̝͉͔͋̾ͅͅỳ̸̙͇̜͖̱͓̇̍̓͌ȍ̶̼̽̔̓̈́́̊u̴͔̰̯͕͕̠̩̅ ̴͍̪̤́w̷̨̲͓̦̼͗̒̕͝ả̷̞̬̪͕̕n̴̛͙͍̞͓͚̱̙̂ţ̴̡̛̞̖̩̳͔̑̏̌̄̏͛̚̚ ̸͚͎̍̇̓̀̿͐͝ͅt̵̼̲̠͇̙̼̙͝ó̴̱̣̝̲̄̔̍̓̎̓͠,̶̛̖̖͎̯̗͒̔̒̿͗́ ̴͍̱̬̀͒̚̚d̴̪̜͔̱̱̫͍̹̓̈́̇̕͘ő̴̡̄͒̈͊͋̚̕ǹ̸̜̔ͅ'̵̨̲̓͋͊̇́̽͘ẗ̸̼̬̦͍̫͕̟̋̄͗͊͊̑̚ ̴͕̤̓͑̓́̓̽͗y̴̠̟͚̑̅͐͐̑̈̐̚͠ŏ̵͕͕̠̥͓̒͑ư̶̘͉̼̿͐̓͒̚?̸̳̟̠͕̳̣̒̉...̵̲̗͍̼̯̖̱̊̃̽̾͑̽.̷̨̢̹̜̱̭̤̻͊̇̋̅̇͆̕͝m̵̦̉a̷͉̫̓̊͆̈́͐͒̋͠k̴̥̗̮̮͍̣̤͝e̶̢̖̥̘̓͐̋̀͛ ̷̛͍̤͍̠͓̾̕͘͜t̷͖̀͊̔̊̎̚͝h̵͖͙̫̯̳̞̺̓ẽ̸̗̓̽̑̚m̶̲̞̞͔͙̖̮̔ ̴̬͙̮̈̅͐̑̐̀̑́͝p̴̧̢͙̥̞͇̟͇̜̒͗͛̎̑̇̅̔̏ą̸͇̝̜̰̜̥̏̐̂̌̐̎y̸̨̲͖̥̩̦̖͗̓̌̓̈́͘͜͠ͅ ̸̧̔͛̚͜f̸̢̧̞̫̣̫̎̏̔̓̄ͅơ̸̡̱̳͕̬̩̥̲̺̈́̄̒̾̓̚͠r̶̡͉͇͙͚̓̍͋ͅ ̴̪̹͚̺̦͉͎͕͆ä̶̳̱̤̺̾̎̍̕l̵̨̮͖̆͋̋l̶̨̗̣͈̠̱̳̑̾͒͘͜ ̷̢̡̘̹͍̲͗̿̒̒̾͝ṯ̵̮̟̣̹̈́̿̉́̆͂ͅḩ̵̫͇̖̩͇͈̞̌̔̓̎̕ͅe̸̦̮̘̾́̔̄į̵̗͕̦̲̹̲̪̠̐r̷̩̞͎͔̠̋͜ ̷̭́͆̏̍d̵̨̠̦̥̪̭̃͌̐̐̌͗͝ȍ̶̘͇̱̯̄͌͑̏̉̅͆ī̸̳̩͚̯̜͖̖̳̆̆̀̍̆ņ̷̳̺̤̝̗̟͛̑̀̑͆̕͝g̴̢̥̱̼̞̰̫̔̈́ͅ?̴̣̳̓̐̃̊͛͝ ̴̢̧̤̺̃̓̀͑̈L̷̨̧̞͖͍̘͉̹̎͛͂̓͝i̴̛͍͈̥̜̍͊̿͒͆͘̕k̷̢̢̢̛̛̤̱̊̽̆̄̀̿̈́e̴̻͙̹̙̩͝ ̸̨̡͖̣̩̺̮̞̏̾̃̈́͊̓̓̏̃y̴̰̜͆̍̏̐̌̓ŏ̸̡͍̀͠ǔ̸̡̼̟̠̝̅̀̇̋̈́͘ ̷̘̾͂̑̎̔ḑ̷͓͓͚̮̗̺͊͋͋̇̽̆̃͗̚i̴̢̡̛̛̯̻̠͍͎͒̐̈́̏̃͒͘d̷͕̖̳͓͈̥͉̻̺͛͒̅ ̴̡̺̀̓́̔͜͠t̶͓̞͖̀͛o̶̧̧̤̫̿̑͋̄͝ ̸̢͕̙͉̎͆̋̔͛m̴̦̹͖̤͋̎̽̈́̃e̸̛̳̣̫̭̲̰̱͐͐̓~̷̡̮͓̟̇̊͑̈͠͝?̴̡̘̘̮̪͖͚̟͓̊́͆́̈́͋͘ ̸͚̬̈́̂D̴̨͓̘̜̾͛̌̚o̷̪͖̖͖͒̏̀̆̎̊̐͂͠n̴̻̟͍̳͙͗̂̈́͒́̄͘͝͠'̵͇̩̻͈̯̻̬͈̳̉̀̒t̴̹̼̪̣̯̂̀͝ ̵̡̢͔̟͍͔͖̟͂̍̔̏̌͑ḥ̴̩̫́̾̊̚e̶̘͈͛̃̄s̶̬̱̭̖̘̩̲̼̤͝i̴̡̢̹̗͔̦͈̐̑̂͆͌̕ͅt̸̥͓͎̮͕̪̄ͅa̶̺͐͋̍͝t̷̬̿̅̈́̉̆̏͠͠ë̴̠͎́̈́͋̈́...̷̧̡͚̠̱͇̱͉́̿̿̈́̽̅͜͝.̵̧͍͙̰̰̖̜̲͇̽̀̓ų̷̡̱̬̤̹͍̫̭͆̇̒̔͛̊̑̚̕n̴͖̜̹͇̲͌̇͗̀̽̐̕͝l̷̩̗̩̙͛͌͛̌̾͐͝͝ę̸̧̨̜̼̭̺͌ŝ̷̡̛͉̜̑̒̑̅̈ͅs̷̞̗̃̀̊ ̸̘͓̦̝̹̀͠I̴̡͍͓͕̯̰̭̩͉͑̕'̸̬͕̆̓̆͒̍m̵̨̻̭̜̦̓͋̔̕͘͜ ̶̼͓̯̤̺̥͈̐̾̆̎̊̅w̸̢̹̜̟̩̐̅͊͌͌̆̇̔r̵͕͒̈́̐̐̊̚ǭ̵͓̩̣̻͙̪̲̦̑n̶̛̩̮̻̝͙̜̰͇͉͊͊̋̅͂g̶͔̼̩̰̰̦̿͐̓̑̍̊̓̎̕ ̵̖̣͉̮̘̖̲̒̀͌̑̿̀a̵̰̼͓̬͊͝b̵̡̪͈̌̎̀̉͂̄̆͋͝ͅỏ̶͙̹̳̹͠͝ū̸̡̜̊̑̿̀͛̾͜ț̴͙̪͒̓̽̿́̿ ̶̺̔̎̎͋̏͛̃̄͠y̷̡͍̍̇̈́̎ö̵͈́́ǘ̵̡̨̖̙̭͍̞̦̎̕̕͠!̴̛̤͔̪̥̠̈́͑̄̕͝"̷̧̱͉͙̻͖̫͕̆̾̊̈́̈͆̈́͘ ̸̼̍̈́̇̆̉̈́
"Leona! The deadline for the report in science is due today! Crewel needs you to hand it in ri-AGH!!" "Ruggie" flew back before Leona could snatch his arm as Sand began to submerge from the cracks in the ground. "Leona!! What the fuck, man?!"
Leona merely smiled. "....hahaha....nice job, pretty damn realistic." He says as he stopped his spell. "You dug into my memories to create a realistic image of someone I know!"
"Uh....what are you talking about??" "Ruggie" scratched his head.
"You'll just jump us once we're left vulnerable, am I right? Like hell you'll do that."
"....That...actually makes sense." Jamil thought carefully. "They're trying to make us hesitate by using something we know against us....well this is gonna be fun~!"
"Uh, Jamil....you're smiling like you committed arson or something!" "Kalim" nearly backs away. The two look alikes didn't even notice the glitched figure behind them as it looked between Jamil and Leona before vanishing into the surroundings.
"Alright, you want results? I'll give you results." Leona cracks his knuckles.
"̸̛̮̰̈́̇̆̌́̊̕͠͝D̸̨̯̫͎͚͕̏̉̉̂̽͂̎͛o̵̧̢͖̺͓̩̰̖̬̐̏͛̅̀̑̾͊́̂͘n̴̛̗̙̭͗͐̉̅̽̈́͗́̔'̶̫͈̞̟̺̮̼͖̼̫̩̈́̈́̈́͗̒̈́̉͋͒̚͠t̷̥̳͔̯̲̻̠̥̘͈̮͎͑̔͛̐͋͆͋ ̵̱͛̏͆̔̾͒̈́̍͝g̶̢̩̽͌̌̅̈́́̓̓̍͐͘͜͝ë̵̘̫́̏̓͝͝t̷̺̂ ̵̲̹̙͉͚̮̲͐̿͑͂̎͒͝t̵͕̯̑̀̐͂̍͒̀̈́̕o̶̗͈̭̯͚̯̎͑̊o̷̬͍̘͚̤̤̫̮̊ ̴̞̟͙͚͔̦̖̥̖̦͓̝̾͐̋͊̔̀̇̀͗̄̚͠c̸̢̯͒͗̍̿̓̀̀̓͊̐͝͝ö̸͔̮̺̣̜̖̠̺͇͇̻́͌̚ċ̴̨̠̱̫͇̥͙̫̱̐́̇̇̂̀͒̅̿͜͝k̷͔͙͖̙̤̞͈̋̔y̴̠̪̤̱̯̫͚͇̔̉͊͌̄̔̿̿͐͠͝͠ͅ...̷̧̮͉̝̟̱͕͕̫̥̥̓̀̂"̷̢̼̜̠̥̜̳̟͙͈͇́́̈́̎͐̒͊͝
Outside the sets, visible frowns were on their faces as their secondary test started.
—————————
The images of all the overblot fights began to show up in the black as I stormed my way forward in this never-ending dark.
"None of this is real!!" I tried to assure myself.
"̷̼̹͐̌͌̑̃͘͘B̸̖̬͕͎͙̈́̔̈́̄͌͠͠ų̸̧̦̘̯̱̩͠ͅṭ̵̛͊͛͛͊͋̔̕ ̶͔̽̊̅̈̍̅͘͝͠į̶̬́̀͂̽̀͝͝t̸̢̛̺̠̣̼̺̦͗͛͒͐͜͜ͅ ̸̺͈̠͇͋͜i̷̡̛͇̲̭̲̒̔̌͑͂̈́̇ͅs̴͈͍̖̰͚͚̄̊̂̔̈̈̆̓̎͜͜...̴̧̱̎́̈̎̋͑̇̔͘͜͝.̴̡̦̗͖̲̮̟̲̗̱̜̀̏͘į̷̳̒t̵̫͎͍͊͛̈́̆̂̚͝'̸͕̯͒̐͋̐̽́̅͒̕̚͝ş̶̟͖̳̲͓̓̋̃́̈́͛͌̇͘͝͝ ̷̡͈̗͙͖̹̹̘̞̽̈̒̈́̆̕̕m̸̡̦̋̔̈́̾͊̊̂̃͗́ỏ̵̝͉̣͔̟͇r̷͚͕̯̮̗͎̤̯̗̭̽̈́̀̚͜͠e̵̻͎̰̓͒̃̏̎̄̉̚͝ ̷͙͓̠̳̲̺̌̾͜ͅr̷̛͚͔̦͋͋̓̎̽͘̚ͅe̴̲͎̍̿̄͛̔̂͝͝a̸͕͉̜̬̩̙̱̓̅l̶͓̪̬͔͙͌ͅ ̷̗̯̇̃̀̉̚͝͝͠ț̷͛̏̈́̽̏̕h̷̻̀̆̌̾̀̈̋͐a̸̛̰̰͍̿̈̑́̈́̂̇̚͠͠ņ̶̪̠̦̫̼̭͉̃͒̾͑͌̍͋͘͜͜ ̵̧͎͉̮͔̘̠̋͆̑͒͘ŷ̵͈̝͓̳̳̓̍̋̿͠o̶̢̜̰̫̖͌̅͆̽̾̚̚ų̴̨̥͍̘̳̫͈̺̆͐̊͗͠ ̶̨̳̮̭̱̙͉̩̳̱̇͆̌͑̈́̃̉͋͌͋͐w̴͓͖͉͎̘̯̦̰̔̔̒̈́̎̐̌ã̸̛͎̪͖̼̅͂͒̆̆͌̅̆͜͠n̴̨͎̹͍̠͓̟̖̓͊̈́̿͜͝t̴̨̗̮͉̰̺͓̮̿͜͝ ̵̥̲͇͑ţ̸̧̡̡̛͔͕̟̩̤̬͇̈́̓̀̂̃̓̌̌͆o̴̝͎̾̈́̈́́̾̐̌͠͠ ̸̼͓̖̯͒̑͋͠͝͝b̷̺̮̯̫̙̻͌̈̒́̽͊̔e̴̡̜̤̣̻̫̬̭͉̤͋̄̕ͅl̴̢̠͇͈̰͓͍̫͇̺͂̈́̾̊̉̔͝i̸̥̼̫̎̊̓̅̇̎̾͐͘͜͝è̶̡̦̤͙̖̩͇̘̆̒͂̏̏̏͒̕͝v̵͙̗͖̙̥̽͂̃̾̉̈́̏͗̓͘e̵͍̿̃͐̄!̷̠̮̈̌̅͌͘͝"̷̜̙̈̀͋̈̓̊͆͆͝͝ ̵̨̠͕̞͇̪͍̞̥̤͍̔͐͝
Suddenly, something wrapped around my throat, yanking me back from moving forward. It began to clench my windpipe and lifted me in the air. Fuck, I'm losing oxygen!! I tied to claw at whatever had me in its hold....
"̷̧̨̗̠̬͎̦͍͎͕̎Ą̴̛͎͚̱͔̜̝͓͍̝̲͐̽̔̄̄̂̇̓̐͐̀̈́̏͒̑̚͝͝͝͠ͅś̵̡̢̡̛͕̳̳͔̰̹̣͈͖̪̣̳͙̝̙̓͑̊͌͂̌̈́͘͝͝ ̵̢̱̝̬̝͙̼͓̾̓̓̽̾͛͗͐̆͗̀̏̔̎͘͝͝l̸̛̲̮̲͇̣̜̬͕̜͇̳̖̪͈̣̟̻̠̤͓̦̦͒̏̈́̈͒̌̓͗̃̓̽͊̇̌͘̚͠ơ̸̧̨̨̼̳͉͚̯̬͔̹͙̤̖̬̝͕̙͗̄̒̓̇͒̅̋̆͑̌̆͆̊́̎̈́͘̚̚͘͜͝͝n̸͙̪͈̭͎̙͇͇̰̫͚͔̑̆͛͑̾̊̿͒́̔̾̑̽̓̅̓͐͂̉g̸̦̘̜̩͇͚̦̹͈͖͋̐̿́́̎̃̎͊͌̋͘̚ ̸̨͙͚͖̳̞͖̟̜̟̫̳̦͒̾̀̇̃̈ă̴̛̱̝̣̰͖̩̞̭̰̺̤̘̻̼̦̼͇̯͚̏͑͑͛̊͊̌ͅs̶̨̧̧̧̜͎̬̝̪͕̩̱̥̗̞̯̙̟̙̩̭̦͇̲̎̄͐̈́͒̽̄̇͋͘͠ ̷̢̧̛̛̳̼̱͕̣̟̳̑̿̐͒̔̏̒̎̄̌͊̿̈̈́͘͝͝͝͠y̸̛̛͇̞̤̩̰̍͑̐̈́͒̋͑͋̓͆͂̒̉̚͝͝͠͝͝͝ỏ̸̜̦̼̺̫̼͚̱̬̗ȗ̷̡̨̨̧͔̪̭͕̙̭̱̣͉̦̺̦̱̻̰̋̏̈͗̑̔͒̕̕͠'̸̛̬̞͚̬̜̝̟̖̬̣̭̤̞̔̍̔̃̍̃̎͂̂̊̓͐̕͜ŗ̵̧͕͇̦̮̮͕͎͉̤͙͔̳̭̰̭̩̬̝͕̒͜͜ȩ̷̨̛͎̣̙͙̖͖̪͈̖͆̀͂̽̆̎̎̾̓̿͋̾̾̈́̿̈́̋̀̑ͅ ̷̢̛̻̩̫̗͎̤̭̮̩̬̂̾̒͌͑̂͗́͋̅́̐ḩ̵̧̤̻͚̻̦̹̇̔̌̔͐̍͛̾̈́̀͒͌̇̿̔͝͠ę̵̖͈̞̥͓̫̟̯̗̤̟̙̇̽͑̊̊̃̀̾̔̋͌̈́̀̅̊͊̀͋̚͠͝ŗ̷̧̨̦̲̗̩̬͍̥̙͙̳̼͙́̄̽̆̑̀̎̀̈̀̿́̀̌̊͊͘̚͘ē̵͙̻̣̥̼̼̲̲̮̺̘̘̳̍̕̚͜,̴͙̞̹͛͊͊͌̂́̄̀͑̌́́̿͋͊͂͆̔̒̈́́̋͘͝ͅ ̸̡̛͓͓̺̞̙̝͓͕͙̦̝̙̩̱̗͚̹͈̅͗̄͋͒̒̇̈́̑̒̂̈́̒̄̚̕̕͘ͅͅI̴̡̨̺̻̮̞͚̯̺̪͙̫̠̰̫̫͐̿̀̇̌̕͜ͅ ̵̢̨͇̪̦͇̣͍͇̳̻̙̪̥̥͕̞̳́̾̄͌̉̌͗ẘ̶̙͋̊͂̀͋́͂i̴̛͍̣̍͛̈́̑͆̃̑͋͛͌̾̓̏́̕͝l̸̡̲͙̲͎͉̯̦̠̤̳̭͚̜͆́͐́̎͘̕͝͠͠l̴̡̰͇̻͖̦̫̙͎̮̟̳͕̲̣͑̃͒̅͗̿͒̍̂͊̈͛̂͑̀̇̎̉̉̓ ̶̛̰͙̭͍̱͚̳̻̼̺̫͂̓͗͐̍͂̋͒̀̆͆̈́̌̓̄̕͝͝͝͝n̶̡̢̻̙̦̮͍͓͉̹̘͕̤͉̔̔̌̌͌͐̊̊̊͋͒̄̃̈̚̕͜͜e̵̛̛͇̼͇̼̻̖̝̺̗̔̽̿̾͋̏̌̽̈̒̓̌̈̋̓͘̚̚͝͝͠v̷̡̧̦̭͙̺͍͂̽͛é̴̟̞̞̜̹͈̦̱͍̖̭̗͋͌̍̾̕͝ŗ̴̧̥̦̜͈̘̙͚̳̝̤̖̪̗͑̇̔̀́̄̑̋̔̈́̚̚͠ͅ ̴̢̡̡̺͈͚͙̜̤̪̹̗̖͎̘͍̠̒̔͆͐͂͘͘ļ̸̨͈͍̮̗̣̞̳̪̼͙͉͔̪͇̽e̸͚̓́́͛͋̈̈̿̓͛̕͝t̶̡̯̞͊̾͂̏́̔̎̾̍̀͘̚͘̕͠ ̸̪͖̩̫̝̋̓̽̎͊̐̀̀̉̏̍̌̈́̌̄͠͠ͅy̷̡̛͍̤̮̦̝̰̦̯̤̤͎̒́̆̀̆̅̓̋̚͠ô̴̡̖͖̦͔̪͇̱͔͓͕̼̭͖͋͛̐͝ư̷̢͈̼͎̙̤̘͋͒̄͂̐̐̐͆̉́͑̑͑͜͠͝ ̴̢̧̛̰̜͖̟̮̲̗̦̺͇͇̙̠̜̻̭͍̖̖̖́͂̍̈͌̇̃̅̿̓͒͋̒̏͝͝ğ̴̨̡̡̞͓̼̣̻͇̤̟̣͚̈́ơ̸̬̯̹̰̙̤͍̱̫̜͙͈͂̽̾͒̂̋́̋̍͊̀͛̾!̸̡̩͍͈̂͗̒̔́̏̋̈̐̾"̶̢̧̡̮̳̝̖͚͕̉̐̓͋̿̍̇̿́ ̸̩̗̞̹̝̮̪̟̦̹̈̔̏̄͐ͅ
A hand appeared around my neck. The hand connected to an arm, which connected to a body. But that body....was something I didn't recognize....it looked like a mess of pixels and...human skin...? The face looked almost like a Picasso portrait but morbid....my head started to hurt, just as before....
"Wh-what...what are....you...doing...?" I wheezed out.
"̶͎́̾I̴̢̜̼̬̩̜̪̜̜̦̭̰̻͝ͅs̸̠̳͈̱̩̣͛̾͒͐̀̎̈́̌́̂͂̐́͋n̶͈͈͈͉̳͇̺̼̹̔̒̃̽̄̊̽͑́̉̈͝'̸̡̛̯͉̞̖̱͕̖̳̦̮̳̞̱̝̠̗̙̠̜̻̖́̍̑̆̌̓̓̃̈́͒̓̃͌̀̆̉͆͠ṭ̵́̐̈̋̍̌͌́̉͑̿̈́̌̋͒̐̿̽ ̴̖̹̙̗̅͛̂̀̐̍͛̔̌͘i̶͉̲̹͓̦̙̥͙͂̀̔̍̍͋̌̇͊͆͊̋͌̇́̕̕t̴̢̨̧̺̼̬̼̮̮̩̦̫͙̝͉̫͙̘̎̐͋̎̏̆̀͗̕̕͜ ̷̢̛̼̗̹̗̖̗͖͍͉̀̓͛̓͂̇̌͐̊̃̅̎̍͐̽o̴̡̘̻͈̥̳͇̦̲̾̈̽̎̑͋̕b̴͖̖̯̦͚͆̀̈́̚͜͠ͅv̵̧̛̹͉̣̤̤̠̥̙̥̥̞̗̲͖͓̹͎̜̎̔͑̍̊̆͐̈͛̓̈́̉͐̚͝͠ͅi̴̞̞̫̣͉͔͔̝̣̖̞͚̬̽̾͑̀̃͗̓̄̈́͑̍̚͝ö̴̢̡̗̣̳̳̺̣̠̣̜͕́̔̌̎͛̈̇̋̈́̔͗̍̔͆͛̍̕̕͜ṳ̶̧̻͍͎̦̗͓̞̱̯̘̫͚̔̔͆̆̏̍̋͛̃̾̅̃̋̍͌́͜͠͝ͅs̴̱̺͕̏̇͊́̐͂͂̂̇̔͂̉̄̊̓́̓͠͝?̶͈͇̗̈́̽́͆̓̋̾̀ ̷̡̺̻̺̟̘̲̠̬̮̝̥̙͚͈͎͈̟̤̾̓͋́͆͛̇̚̕͝ͅͅI̸̙̟̻̎̃͗̊͆͊'̵̡̢̢̞̺̮̟̖̲̙̘͓̜͛͗̓͆̾̏̿̑́͊̓́̓̑͘̚͘̕͘͝m̸̡͈̭͓̖͙̤̼͔̫̥̝̯͕̻̬̣̘͕̑̀̔̓̈͘͘͜͠͠ͅ ̸͇̯̠̳̪͍̗̲̰͓̟̯̇̉̓̉͒̊͑̏̕͘͝ͅt̴̨̢̛͈̙̪̭̣̜̖̞͍̲͔͖̞̥͚̠̩̻̫́̋̾͗́̓͗͗̀̿̐̌̐̀͆̚ŗ̸̰̺̦̝̺̼͙̠̥̩̝̥͗̐̎̾̎̾͝y̶̻̬͛̊̈́̒͐̐̑̐̀͝í̵̧̧͍̭̬̠̲̣͙̲̘͍͙͔͚̖̥̻̤̏͊̓̓̇́̚n̸̜̭̬̲͋̓͆͜ģ̴̧̢̢͓̼͇͓͕͖͍̦̤̳̻̤̦̦̜̌͒̽̒͒̄̕͝ ̴̧̡̥̟͓͎̫͎̲̣̣̮̘̹͙̗̘͙͈̋͝ͅṱ̷̡̡̧̢̛̹̥̘͔̹͕̙̬̙̠̿̃́ö̴̢̡͖͉̝͖̹̦͔̞͕̠̘̘̭̳̬̰̝̋̑̔̈́͆̃̄̈́̇̀̌̕͘͘͜ ̵̛̮̺͓̺̳̎̆̇̀̊̈̔̈́̽͘͘̕͠͝͠͠ķ̸̞̗͔̰͕̜̘̮̭̰͔̝̝͚̳͕̞͈̫̎̽̇̇͋̐͒́̈̑̉̌͑͑̃̓͂̋̕͝i̶̢̢̧͔͓͉͈̭̲̩̻̣̯̭͖̘̭͙̻͍̺͐̊͘͝͝ļ̸͕̐͊͂̉l̵̡͈̺͚͔͍̲̪͕͇̊͛̚͜͠ ̴̢̢̛̙̹̥͚̬̪̯͔̰̙̦͊̑̿̇̎͊̀̆̾͛̍̈́̕͘͝͠y̶̡̯͎̳̺̦̌̈́ȯ̸̼̠̼͌͑̀̚̕̕ư̴̧̰̟̦̯̜̻͙͈̜͎̖̼̼̊́̂̄̊̈́̅̉͌̉̑̎̐͌̈̐͐͘̕~̴̢̳̬̹̼̣͚̺̞͈͕̤̭͍͓̙̇͗̓̍͐́̈́̎͗̈̌́ͅͅͅ!̷̢̧̡̪̖̤̫͓͍̫͕̯̼̖̦͉̄̈̂̿̈́͜͜͝"̶̡̛͇̤̳̫͌͂͛̇̎̾͋̆̃́̈́̑͑̉̓̿ ̴̨͈͍́̓̈͒̔̓̉̄͊̓͌͒̾̌̊̂͌͠ͅͅ
"You can't....kill me! This...is a dreamscape!....I'm no one's....prisoner!"
"̷͉̜͎͚̐͆Ý̵̢̡̧̛̤̦̞̗̼̝̱͔̺͍̎̊͑̊̈́õ̷̡̺͓͍̖̫͖̝̞̥̪̫̔͋̀͒̎̿u̷̦͉̤̖̹̳̫̱͑͊̅͐͌̌͘̕'̸̰͈͔̯̒ŗ̵̧̟̃̃̉̎̑̄̀̀͒͐ȩ̵̨̡͖̭̥̞͇̟̤̏̏͘ ̵͖͂̽w̵̧̢̻͙̖̯̺̙͔̻̒̽̓̃̚r̵̨͕̯̪̙̣̓̆̋͆͐o̶̡̦̹̼̒͌͌̏̅̑̈́͑̑̆̂͝͝͠n̷̹̺̥͇͎͑ĝ̵̡̪͎̗̫̱͙̈͛̂͗̈́̀͊̽̈̆̕...̷̡̝̐͝.̵̯̈͋̇̂̀̀̑̐̌̏̚͝y̷̛̛̝͇̏͗̇̔̑̊̀̓͝ȭ̷̼̙͔̽́ủ̴̢͈̬̬̻͍̗̻͚̳̇͆̀͒ ̵̡̥̳̼̯̭̠̺̤̥̣̩̔͋͛͑͛̊̈̕ç̵̰͇̝̓̏͂̿̾á̷̛̛̻͎̹̟̬͈̹̩̻̬͂͋̈́̇̐̂̄̏͛̒͠͝ǹ̸͎̯͖̫̠̯͍̬͎̱͔͉̍̋̒ ̴̩͍͍̈̑̈́̏̇̈̏͛̌e̸̳̬͓̺̓̿̉̆͂̅̾̓s̶̯̻͖̥͙̫̓̽̆͝c̵̙̮̣͍̈́͑̾̅̃̀͋̚̚͜ͅą̸̢̢̛͓̪͕̮̖͚͔̟̫̹̐͊̅̔̎̀̃̄̊͜͝p̷̨̧̢̼͕̖̳̜̣̪͓̘̼̀̋͗̈́̏̑͐͌͘̕ĕ̴̱̗̰̦̲͍̻̱̯͔ ̴̧̦̦̣̰̻̺͚͓̮̩̫̐̍̍̿̑̇̾́ţ̷̜̫̩͎̲͚͎̳̱̦͐̇̊̓͋̈́̏̅́̾̄̆̃͜ͅh̴͍͔̰̝̭̳̤̳̫̫̖̲͔͕̳͋̌̔̅̚î̴̡̡̠̥͙͈̮̞̙̯͈͓͈͕̀̊́s̶̢͈͓̘̬̠̫͙̎̇̃͑́͝͝ ̸͔͎̬̼̳̮̝̰͇̼͚̺̆͂͒̈́̉̿̒́͆̅̈́̕̚͘p̵̧̧̛̹̩̞͕̟̖̝͍͉̖̾̽͋̒͌́͊̚͜ͅl̴̙͓̀̆͆̾̀̍̅̑̔͘a̸̭̺̦͕̼̹͔̱͈̮͈͎̿̋̒ĉ̸̢̧̡̦̘͖͓̜̝̻̬̣̙̺̜͋͒͛͋̐ȩ̸̧̛͓̱͈̹̰̖͓̖̈̌̍͂͋́̃̓̿̕ͅ,̴̨̬̣͙͈͈͕̹̠̳̮̥̥̥̑͐̍̒̀́ͅ ̷̲͓͓̭̘͚̻̽͆͂͋̐̃̍̾̒͐̀̕͝ͅḅ̵̢̓̐͑͑̔́͋̌̍̇́͘̕͠ų̷̢̲͍͖͖̞͇̭̪̣̈̂͐̈́́̾̅̾̽͝t̸̡̢̛̮̦̻͔̻̲̪͈̜̓̿̀̽̎̈́͋̔͒̒͝͠ͅ ̶̢͖͒̂̇̓̈́ÿ̵̢̫̪͔̝̝̜̯̳͕͇̺́̂͑̊̔̑͐̀̓̕o̶͎̓̏̏͐͌̉̌́͗̈́͛̆̆̚͝ú̷̦͔̖̲̜͉̘̝̦̺̺̫̄̃̔̔́̆̃̍͌͐̋͘͘͜͜ ̷̨̖̖͚̬̯̦͉̩̝̲̥͈͖̓̏̿̐͋̇̅̀̇͒͑̔̚͜͝ċ̶̢̡̫̯̦̹͓̣̺̳̥͜͠a̶̡̢̛̹̬͖̱̘̹̳̯̬̥̟̖̔̓̂̓̈̅͛̀́̇̇̄͘ͅn̸̡̧̲̣͚͙̫̗̰̯͇̳̖͂̉͐̎'̷̨̘̬̲̬̞̮͚̺̪̒̂̽t̸̩͍͆ ̷̦̭̺͙̮̊͋̽̈́̽̃̿̕͘͝e̵̢̱̦̦̲̟͙͉̞̹̐̋͛̏́́̚͜͝ș̷̡̛̛̗̅̉́̒̀̈́̿̉͛͆̈́͠c̵̢̺̱̙͑̈́͛̆̂̈̈́̓͊͐̓͝ã̵̡̳̬̳̘̖̯̭̫̹̯̦̟̓̓͒̾ͅͅp̷̣̘͇͓͖̟͉͕͍͈͛͌̈́͋̓̅̅̊͘̕ę̶̛͖̯͔͖͍̗̹̭̠̲͖̜̺̄̈́͌͆̏̄͑͒͂̒͘ͅ ̵̧͗̎͋̒̉̔̎̆̃̀̆̕f̶͍̮̤̦̫̗̫͊͂̌͐̈́͘ṙ̸̫̞̯̱̂̓̈͘o̸͇̘̞͕̺̯͗̓m̵̛̜͖͙̪̗̳͎͈̳̬͇̰̦̥̻͂͑ ̵͖̗̪̤̳̏͗̎̀́̆̑̒m̵̢̢̼̙̳̻̙̼̯͛̋̈́̕ḙ̶̛͕̻̻̟͉̘̼͎͖͔̜̈́̓̋͗̋͒̅͠...̴̹͚̩͖̔͗́̚!̵̢̢̦̖͔̘̝̘͕̦̹̩͐̐̒͊̏ͅ Ï̴̙̗̗̬͚͊'̸̣̩̰̣͋͌́͛̒͝m̸̙̰͊̿̂̒͜ ̶̼̳̦͓̺̼̎̈͘ͅl̸͔͚̓̇̾̍́͜i̴̞͇͓̭͛̒ḵ̷͆e̷̲͉̮̤̺̾ ̸͓͋̅̏̽͊y̵̡̟̦̙̫̤̾́ỏ̴̧̙̫̤̮͎̅͑̿̀̈́ư̴̼͙̭̱̒̌́̌̌̕ ̴̧̨̜̹̥̯̞̈́̚͝a̷̟͉̪̥̗̲͋̀͆̋̋̃͘ṉ̶̦̼͎̭͛̃̿͂d̸͓̟͈̱̋̒͠ ̶͈͎̪̫͔̌͋͒̓̓̉͜y̴̮͈̻͒̓̚͝o̷̤̖͕̟̩̯̎͐̇̆̏̀̒u̴̯͍͔̺͌͌̈́͂̄͜ ̴͇̪̩̀͂̊̅̈́̀̄ä̷̢̛͖̥̥̮́͛͊r̸̛͈͌̓͒̿̓e̴̟̲̼̟͈̼̘̅͒̂̎̀̽͝ ̶̨͖͂̽̈́͠ͅl̴͔̖̩̇͐̈́̆̈́̚͝i̷͎̦͔̔̑̆͌́͛k̶͗́̆͋̚͜ę̶̹̯̘̼̜̊ͅ ̴̤́̀m̵̢͍̫͍͑e̴̛͙̺̖͐͐͒̅...̵̙̣̠̅̅̉͋͌!̸͚͔̺̀͊̑̽"̶̢̱̜͎͕̭́̀̀̈̕ ̵̡̬͙̒̑̂͗̾̆̚͜
"I'm not....whatever you are!" I sneered despite the losing oxygen. "I will never be a monster!"
"̵̥̗͙̔̊̈́̆̓̀͗͜͠͠I̸̧̧̺̞͕͓͎̤͓̣͆̃̽̋͗͝͝͠f̸̳̍͜ ̸̨̨̹̥̩̮̙̜̘̒̇͂́̐͊̐͘ͅy̷̡̟̯̺̱̚ȏ̶̡͇̣͚̇u̸͙͋͂͋̃̽̀̓̄͊͊́̇́̊̕͝ ̷͕̝̹͖͈͇̑́̅̚ͅṭ̷̇̊̈́̏̈̏͘h̴̡̻͕̘̲͔̼̀͋͌̽͊͋͗͗̒̌̀̈́̕̚̕͜i̴̢̡̢̛͚̣̠͔̻͓̹̽̐̃̅̈́̒͑̀͜͝͠n̴̨̳͉̪͚̭̺͚̙͉͍̮͕̠̹͉̟̿k̶̢̧͕̲̤̭̙̣̼̳͗̊̽̀̀͊̍͗̓̊̄͛̔̓̽͝ ̶̡̢̗̯͈̘̜̯͛͊̊̀̈́͗́̄y̸̢̢̘̞̲͚̲̞̻͚̰̤͂o̵̝̓͂̑̎̀̽̓̿̈́̇͋͘u̴͙̥̹̣̪̻̯̬͒̉̾̋̎̆̄͝ͅ ̵̛̣̗̻̅̓͗́̋̌͛̅͌̕͠͝c̸̝̠̲̳̦̻̟̱͊́͠͝ȁ̴̙̞̝̪̥̖͓͕̦̰͓͎̼̈͂̐̅̽̀͛͊̍̕͘ͅń̷͚̼̝̱̱̺̠̹̪̞̤̑̍̈́̋̓̌͋̈́ ̶̡̧̤͔̱̼̲̥͇͉̙̅ḑ̵̛̘̞̻̿̄̆̋̽͋̅͋̈̍̏̚͘͘e̷̤̲̝̭͑̾̓̊̀̑̈́̊͂͂͐͘͝͝ḟ̵̨̜͎̗̖͚͇̥̱̜̳̜̥͋̽͐̃̇̏̈̑̍͑͝ý̶̛̲͕͍̰̪͕͔̤̹̋̀͊̒͋͂̿͗͑̓̈́͘͠͝ ̵̡̪̼̥̝̞͍́͒͜ͅf̶̛̝̮̳̤̝̗́́̉̄͑͊̓̽̚a̵̹̹̝͇̽̾̔͊͌̀̈̋͗͗̔͘͠t̵̡̻͉́̈́̂̅͆͛̄̍̌̾̈́͗͂̾̄͜e̸̪͍̖̺͌͗̍̋̃͑͛́̅͛͌̂̅̚͝͝ ̴̢͈͎̼̽̅̌͛͗͑̄́ṭ̴̛̞͋̍̑̈́͂̑̃̚̚͜͠ḧ̸̨̨̨̪̲͔̗̹̫̼̠͕̘̩̏̀̋͐͑̈̀̌̉͌̐̃̕̚ͅë̶̩̱̣͇͍̰́̓͑͑͗̅n̵̨̡̡̛̖͖͎̠̗̯̻̳̗̖̣͚͗͗͑̀͆̏̽͝ ̴͕͔̺̦̥͚͇̒̀̉̈́̋̑̈́͛̓y̷̨̯̻͇̲͔̳̪̙̣͇̥̩̳͙̽̆̃̀̍̿̄͛͐ͅo̵̧͈͚͍͛̆͑͒̆̒̽̇͑͒͋̔̽͘͝͠u̸̘̞̭̩͚̟̗͔̯̯͚͔̟̯͈͓̦͑'̸̢̢̢̛̩͍͚̗̘̺̭̩͍̫͓̆̀̈̑̉̾̽̓̐͒̀r̴͓͖̭͈̫̥͍͇̦̳̤̬̙͔͂̏̾̄͋̽͑̾̒e̷̡̧̛͉̣̻̮̔́͊́̄̆̈͐͒̽̀͛̅̿͂͝ͅ ̷̛̳͙̟͚̤̼̖͔̮̪̈́̈̃̽͘á̵̞̫͖͙̺̲̭̬̲̙̬̀͐̉̈́͛́̈́ͅ ̴͉͈̹̳̣̱̠̗̹̝̣͍͔̞̙̤̔́̿̆̕ͅb̶̠̯͔̯̭̞͍͇͑̊́̅̓̂́͋̆̌͗̅̆̍͘ï̶̧̡̢̠̜̺͙̦͓̙͎̱͓͓̺͑͘ͅg̶̫̠̟̱̙͇̪̤̖̦͖̰̈́̔͐͆̍̒̾͆͐͒̿̋̕̚g̴̨͖͉͙̘̜̬̤̘̬̬̙̭͕̦͖̒̽̿̂̅͒̑̆̇͝ĕ̸̛̬̞͇̌͆́͑̀͌͑̚̚r̸̳̹͔̫̱̘̼̱̹̥͎̫̅͠ ̷̯̭͖͈̝͕͎̪̟̰̖̳͎͚̮̬͑̇̔̀̈́͋̾̒̈̊̅̚͠͝͠ͅf̴̧̢̛͈͉̎̾͐̔̈̀͛̈̎̉̃̂̎͘̕͝o̷̺̜̙̰̘̳̖̝̠̗̐ǫ̸̨͉̟̭͓̺͉̬͙̲̩̗͍̟̰͆̇̒̔̅̊̔̕͠͠-̸̤̘̬͓̘͇̘͕̝̜̳̟̗͓̰̎͑͂͊͐̓̽̾͐͘ͅͅU̵̧̨̢̻̳̜̳̹̰͗̒̍̐̓͒̈́̐͗͌̀̀̀͊̕G̵̱͚͔̱̣̺̤͕̺̜̖̳̻͊͒ͅH̶̡̙̜̼͇̯̰̲̝̯̻̠͓̹̦̻́̏͂̈̽͊͐̄́!̵̱̥͎͚͕̮̥̩͕̮̪̼̣̫͚͖́̊́̾̍́͂̐̈́́͠͝͠"̸̱͍͔̱̭̣̹̳̩̘͇̽̈́̋̇̉̈̽̈̌̾̕͠͝͠ͅ ̸̡̛̛͍̣̦͍̞̩̰̼̜̦̒̔͂͋̆̑͆͒̏̽̚͘͝͝
The figure's hold on me released and I slipped out of their grasp as they began to convulse in pain. They fell to the floor as their 'skin' began to burn off, fizzling and crackling til a mess of muscle and bones began to protrude through the glitchified layer.
I had to! They're vulnerable! The sword's in my hand. And I screamed,
"Just leave me ALONE!!!" The sword went down. The creature screams so loud I felt my eardrums were close to bursting. They vanished into sparks as the light broke through the dark haze.
—————————
Idia could scarcely believe his ears. Or eyes. Whichever. "No way....they knew from the moment they started the structure of how the test worked?! Leona...Even if he's in sleep mode, he's still realizing there are nothing hit dreams....Ugh. And Jamil....his mental stress had almost no effect on the numbers.... So why did they overblot, along with Vil....?"
" 'Lachesis System' decreasing percentage of synchronization. 5....4....3....2....full discharge."
"Cool down is now complete! Beginning transfer of subjects to the healing room!"
"Process 2245 is complete."
"Alright. You may leave once the data is backed up."
"Understood."
A few minutes after, the two operators left the room as Ortho came back into the room. "All subjects are transported to the healing room. As of now, all five are asleep."
"Good to hear, Ortho. You did well."
"You've done well, too, Nii-San! What's the test results of the last two?"
"Let's find out." Idia brings up the last two charts of results on the screen for them to analyze.
"Amazing...both have perfect scores!"
"Leona's the definition of rotten, but he has Royal blood. It's clear as day that he's had some level of education in advanced magic since childhood." Idia points out. "He's the speed of a cheetah when conjuring, and his score of power's highly unreachable. Above all, adjustment force is perfect. And his defensive marks on the enemy fight is superb. He's not one for magic waste. So he accumulated little blot."
"Adding onto, his stress levels don't affect it as much!" Ortho nods.
"Just don't say anything about this. Leona's a force to be reckoned with...he's capable of overpowering external challenges, but if it were internal factors, we do t know of his emotions of both anger and sadness will control him so it's safe to not go with assumptions."
"So then his mental state's stable...." Ortho noted down. "Blot accumulation would increase rapidly should his emotions get the better of him..."
"Leona and Vil are the same....keeping that in mind for future reference.... He may not seem like the one for the Tank category, and their personas clash like magnets with the same charged ends, kinda fits with the "UPK" theme, all the more."
"And...what of Jamil?"
"....He'd do well with any, tbh.he's a tendency to match Azul, but not with speed, he has eye on efficiency. According to the file, he never got special training like Vil. I feel like he'd take precautions since he doesn't wanna throw spells mindlessly. He's almost like Azul and Vil: someone who'll let others do the first part of the work and then he'll strike when ready. But the activation of defensive side both fast and accurate. Maybe it's due to his role as a shield to Kalim?"
"Maybe a healer or attacker?"
"Most likely. It's a role for beginners yet it can come with shortcomings. So it can only be achievable through the high ranking."
"Yet....no matter the options, it's be cool to see how the game plays out, no?"
"True.... 'Raven's Night Quest'....that's a got a good ring...."
"Ooh! What if it's open world?! Seven kingdoms for seven leaders!"
"Ah....no, not really. Keep it an inside joke, okay? Maybe the development cost could be in the ten thousands range? Unless we're using a 64kb rom cassette then we'll see if it's a likelihood for expansion."
"Aww, but it'd be nice to see how long we'd make in with shortcuts!"
"True. But I'm not one for jumping into projects on a whim."
"......By the way, Ni-San, what about that one game you played with that user: Crimson Muscler? You could get others to try it out."
"What?! No, no way!!! Why are you even asking?! They'd never be into what I'm into!" Idia shook his head. He stopped, looking away. "Besides....anyone, outsiders mainly, who have come across STYX will be sent through the Lethe River, where everything they've seen and known about our system will be erased from their memory as if it never happened......it'd be a waste of time to deepen a relationship with 'the living' from outside these walls....soon, this'll be nothing more than a fleeting dream...."
"̸̡̺̱͓̖̠̒͋̒̾̃̐̕͘͝M̴̡̧̛̛͚̞͎͈͖̱͎͖͓̥̫̜̠͉̻̦̫͗͒͛̀̈́͜ͅͅâ̴̢̛̫͖͎̲͓̼̠͈̬̔̒͒̀̎̿̐̈́͋̀͊͛́̋͐͛̌̀͆̃̂̆͂͠y̵̢̭̫̻̻̖͈̤̌͆͛͂̃͗̈͋̂̂͆ͅb̵̹̪̝̗̗͙͇͚͚̪̪̬̯͐̊̓́͜e̶̡̛͔̩̳͆̈̓̋̐͌̍̃̀̒̊̈́̎̃̄͆͗͛͂͒̕͝͝ ̴̡̤͈̺̰͓̜̮̟̹͎̮̜̜̜̳̠͈̥̇͌̀̆̈́̈́̎̾̑̿̈́̒̾̕̚͜͝t̴̛̩̉̓͑̍͊̈́̃̊̏͗̈̀̈́̚͠͝h̴̛̤̼͍̻̬̾̇̀̅̀̒͂̔̃̾̃̄̀͘͠͝ẻ̵̮̬̥̻̟̦̪͑͑̑͑̈͗̊͐̃̈́͝y̴̧͉̖͎͖̗̞̯̘̭̍̓́̽̈́͂͘̕ͅ'̴̢̛̲̜̬͚̝̱̘̬͙̯͈̮͇̻̖̲͋͂̓̈͌̈́̈́͆͆̏̔̽͗͠ļ̵̛̛͉̪̲̼͉̦͍͕̻͚̜̙͔̥̭̮̀͒̀̿͊͌̔̎̉̉͝ḷ̵̢̝̳̹̙͎͇͚̦̙̦̺̲̯̹̳̟̻̈́́̈́́̀͆̉̂̇̐̄̋̔͛̋̑̓͘͝͝ͅ ̴̛̰̣̘͓͖͇́̏̓̐͐̔̍͛̌̓̋͗͆̈́̂͋́̍̈̊͠͝͝f̸̧̢̧̦͎̩̫̗̟̗̫͓̞͙̹̩̖͈̳͎͙̖̫̳͕͛̔͋̎̔̈́̉̏̌̾̓͜ờ̴̡͈͎̬̟̗̺̥͚͕̗̝͕̱͖̱̬̞̎̾̔̉̇̄̔̌̋̿̈̑̏̀̀̐̕͝͝ͅͅͅr̵̯͇̣͔̰͖̝̝̎́̌̈́͑̿̑̎̃͋͌̇̄̈̈́̀̈́̋͂͐́͗͝͝g̴̩̖͙̰̱̺̙̎̅͂̕e̴̢̺̦̽̒̅̎̂̾͌̓͂ţ̶̨̧̡̡̢̛͙̬͉͉̝̫̪͇̞̤̰̬͕͍̲̝̺̩̱̖̊̓̆̒̀̎̄͆̏̅̆̅̈́̏͛̊͊̚̚,̴̡̡̢͔̭̱̬̲̗̲̣̊ͅ ̸̨̨͚͎͉͖͕̖̰͖̟̬̤̝̞̲̙̭̰̜͉̤̲͕̼̿́̈́͗͛́̐̓̌͘͠ḇ̵̼̭͌û̶̧͈̼͉͖͍͚̹̲̙̖̮͈̻̺̞̖̳̗̟̫̋̾͗̈́͆̈́̈́́̌̈́ṫ̶̨̛̲̖̫̞̪̣̾̅̌̇̍̍̀̈́̌͗͘̕ ̶̧̨̧̡̢̧̝͓̲̥͙͔̮͉̤̟̙͚̱͇͇̫̟̲̟́̑̔͗̀̓͆́̅̑̉̉͘͘͝͠ͅI̷̡̲̰͇̦͉̝̘̺̲͚͍̣̣͍͎͇͉̿͐̈́̏͗̇̒͐̃̂̍͋̄̃̔͜͝ ̶̨̰̘̯͇̫̙͙͕͉̣̠̮̜̱͖͙̥̼̝͇̯̯͙̜͐͐̐̄̾͝ç̴̧̡̛̗͉̙͈͖͓͇̱̼͓̝̟͕̞̮̪̥̳̖̐͗̎̒̀̄̔͗̎͆̃̀́̎́̿̋͌̄̿̈͜ͅḝ̷̛̝̬͈̭̠̰̫̮̦͚̠̹̙̟̎͐̒̐̀̀̾̅̌̓͋͘͠r̵̢̡̨̧͚̭̲̼͓̹͓͚̦̼̰͕̫͉͓̣͓͎͉͔͌̇̀͋̋͊̍̋͐ͅť̶̢̛̜̗͙̳̠̼͉̦͂̉̈̔͐͛̒̉͗̈́͜͜ą̷̡̳̞̰̙͔͉̦̯̥͙͙̙̭͎̪͎͇̈́͋̏͜͝ḯ̷̬̤̼̝̱̳̬͙̍̀̀̏̅́̌͋̽̇͑́̍́̊̇͗̄́͌̿̊̅͝͝ͅṉ̶̰̲̜̳̘̹̞͇̳͈̟̟͈̬̲͈̲̟͙̲̹̫̝̥̽̏̀̀̊̍̔̓̈́͐̈́͛̄͂͐͑͒̊̌̀͊̚̚͝͠l̶̨̛͈̱͖͙͍̼̬̣͍͕̼͂͋̏͊͛̎͛͘̚͝͝͠ÿ̵̨̞̬̤͚͍͚̣̩̜́̏́͜ͅ ̸̨̢̛̯͖̤̱̤͎̼̙̻̪̯͖͍̒̑̆̑́̀̿͆̅̏̉̑͆́̈͒̊̕̚͠w̷̙̃̃̽̈̍̿̀̿́͌̇́͘ơ̵͍̱̠̹̳̻͔͓͎̫͍̠͙̘͔̠̬̰͎͎̖͖̊͛̽͂̽̓̄ͅņ̸̗̲̥͉͚̪̲͎̱͕̑̓̂͊͗̔͊̆̓̆͐͘͝'̵̢̧̗̩̤̞͚͕̗̲̜͒̉͛͠ţ̵̨͚̙̹̣͓͕͉͈͈̻̥͚͖̐͋͊̈~̵̢̡̬̩̺͓̘̣̹̮̩͗̈̐̅́̈̈́͐̇͒̐͐͘͜͠"̶̧̡̢̞̰̞̘̦̙̩̼̥̟̻̰̺̘͖͉͕̤̥̮͗̃̎͜͠ͅ
The two freeze as they turn around to see that the screens had been wiped clean of the profiles of the captured. The same glitched figure smiled eerily down at them like slaughtered lambs.
"What the-?!" Idia nearly had a heart attack as he flew backwards, almost hitting his head on the wall, his eyes never leaving the screens.
"̷̜̟͎̠͖͕̥͙̖͊̐͐̾̀̈̃Ï̵̩̈́t̵͚̳̖̿̍͂̃̌̔'̸̛̼͖͚̠͉̳̤̜͚̽͛s̸̳̤̣̃͂̉ ̷̨̣͛̉͆̈̃͐̑ť̵̨̧͓͍͗̉͂͐͠͠ŗ̸͕̦͚͈̍̃͋̕͠ư̴̟̰̗̩͍̓̌̏͝ḷ̶͉̝̲̤͈́̎͗̎̈́͘̕͜͠ͅỳ̶̨̺̱͈̦̰͒ ̵̘͍͌̊̑́̀̽͑͝n̵̹̲͋͆̽̓͒̄͂̂i̸͔̹͙̫̥̙̇c̵̯̤̝̺͕̼̩͔͒̈́͋e̴̡̨̛͚̱͎͐̒͂͛̔̓̏͝ͅ ̷̫͕̅͆͂̎͐͋̃͌̒t̴̪͍̼̂̀̑̂̚͘͝o̷̮̫̱̪͌̉͒̓̌͑̚͜͝ ̸̡͍̘̼̬͐͂̉ḩ̸͐̓͘͝ặ̵̛̙̱̤͇̋̊̊͗͝v̸͉̩̞̰̖̣̯̲͛́̒̀ͅę̶̖̭͎̬̦̪͗̎͛͊̽̐͗͝͝ͅ ̷͓̻̼̥̜̖͙̮̅̂́́̋̕͝n̶̢̪̘̫̮̙̓̓̐ë̶̥̫̞͇͎̗́̊͋͛̉̚͝ͅw̵̨̮͐ ̴̡̡͚͔͔͖̣̩̼̓̔̀̆̇t̷̫̖̀͊̓o̸̧͖̤̭̭̮͓̖̅̈́̓͜͝y̴̡̪̬͙̥̱̣͉͛s̵̡̢̡̼͖̮̼̠̗̍͂͒͝ ̶̧̩̫̠̩̤̰͙̒̈͝ẗ̶̹͉̥͉̙́͘ö̶̬̹́͑̀̔̄̄̍͜͝ ̷̢̞͔̼̯͎̙̱̞̾̑̌̓̈́̚p̵̯̾ĺ̷̛̪̰͈͚͊̐̓͗̕͝͝ͅả̵̟͇͙̳̈̓̎́͌͌̚͠ȳ̶̢̨̝͓͉̘̻̼̈́̇̅ ̸͚̭̈́̎̔͌̋̐͒ẁ̶̢͉͉̗͕̪͈͋̎̈́̽̒͛̉͜i̷̗̲̠̬͒̔̇̚͘͜t̶̹͊̿͝͝h̵͚̱̖̰̩̳̫̎̒̍͆͛~̴̡̢̎̊!̷͈͔̯̿̏̽ ̸̡͔̗͔̎̿͒͌̓̀͊́̑J̴̛͇̅̌̿̕u̵̗̇̋̐̅́̚ͅs̶̭͓̖̣̹̰̘̰̀̀̆̓͝t̷̻̪̺̜́́͒̆͌̆ ̴̡̢̛̈́͂̓̽̍͜d̴̛̻̰̤͊̿̀̆̕ọ̵̻͎̉̋͐͝n̸̢̢̘̥͓̠͔͇͌̋̔̃́̑'̵̞̺͚́ţ̶͎̱̑͝͝ ̴̹̱͕̱̮͐̽͛̈́̌͆̀̎͒ť̸͎̗͉̞͖̫̆̽̌̇̇̍͠ͅe̵̢̦̗͔̹̔̾̄͗̀͊̃͑͜ĺ̸̤̼̜̱̥̭͈͋̓̕ͅĺ̸̡̻̗ ̴̨̠̭͈̎̇͑̓͐̕ț̸͑̍̏̍h̷͔̪̀̇̊̓̚e̵̢̹̤̗͍̥̗̳͊̆̈́̔͆͠ͅ ̴̼̜̝̭͍̦̞͊͛o̴̧̱̤̟̥̔͗͌̈̄t̸͉̬̍h̷̩͕͇̋͋̒ê̵̢̡͎̱̫̞͂ͅṟ̸̛͗͌̓̅̋͠͝s̸̼̦̟͙̭͓̫͇͜͝,̶̥͖͓̜͈̜̞̎͗͋̆͒͂̑̐̕ͅ ̵̡̢̩̲̈́͐̌b̷̦̟͙͖̳̊̉̾͗̋͑̂̈͠ư̶̙̌̅̽͐̉̉̐͠t̵̙̪̲̦͐̓͒̽͝͝...̶̺̤̩̿͜.̵̛̹̪̞͙̦̺͇͓̱͆̽͛͆̈̀́t̶̢̬̰̭̒͛̇́͝h̶̫͙̭̙̲̽̈́͗̏̀̀̋͘͘ͅe̷͚̳̤̞̠̊͘͘y̵͖̥̆́̀̀̓͘͝͝ͅ'̴̟̬̲̒̿̄̏́͐̕͜v̷̡͎͓̬̹̟͆͑̀̋̆̽͘ͅͅë̶̯́͆̿̈͊̂͝ͅ ̵̨̡͎̬̱̲̞͍̈́͜b̴̯͚̮͝ẽ̸̯̘͙̫̖̳͇̫͇̀͌̑ë̸͓̈͑̽̕n̶͖̩̖̥͚͗͒ ̴̨̡̧̮̥͔͖̃ͅg̶̼̟̼̤̃̊e̸͈͌́́̃̐̆̄͠t̵̛͈͐͒̊̅́t̸̞̼̠̦̝̻͖̊̿͐̆͋̓̕̚͜ͅi̴̢̡̫̘͚̖̋̔ň̸̪͖̜͋̀͌̐͠͠͝ǧ̷̱̗̀ ̵̨̡̞̰͖̫̼̀͆ä̷̭̻͍̮͓̞͓̟́̓͊̇͑̅̈͆́ͅ ̵̢̥͙͕͛͊́̈́̐͘l̴̛̰̙̠͙͔̀͐͛́̉̕͝ï̷͇̩̋̋͋̓͛͠t̸̯̬̪͗̿̅̿͋ť̸̨̨͖̰̰̓͂͊̆͐̉̎͜l̷̨̦̻͍̗̳̼̪̑̂͜ȩ̸̻̖̊̒̋͗̋̇̂ ̷͇̫̗̦͗͗͐̐b̸̧̖̾̇̈̔̈́̕͠ȍ̸̫̠̘͍̺̋̏̑̂̓̎̚͜͠ŕ̴̢̧̛̛̥͚̗̪͈̤̳̾͋i̴̹̦̣͕̍̀̈́̿̚n̶̬͍̖̗͍̲̖̬͊͛̈́̋̒̎̅̾́g̵͇͎̱̼̮͕̓̎̈́̈́̀̑̓͊͠ ̸̡̭̙̼̝̝͉̱̈́̂̇̃̄͛̕̕ͅf̵̱͎̰̐͂̿͛̓̽̐͝o̴̢͉̟͔̝͖̞̠̜͑̓͝r̵͙̩̪̮͆ ̵̡̦̠̣̙̖̩̙͔̆̇̔̇m̷̩̭͌̿͑͐y̶̻͉̲̻̭͍̝̱̪͒̉͐̍ ̶̫̤̜̼̯̯̗̹̃̋̋͗̍̿́̈́ͅt̴̨̧̢̗͎̙̹͚͂̎̇͐̀͑͝a̷͕̥̤͇͍̙͉͔̍̆̀̐s̴̢̟̣̩̗̑̆͠͝t̴̟̘̻̺̼͔͂̍͋̐ẽ̵͜~̶̛̙̗͉͚̾͑̉͐̃.̴̞͙͔̣̂͛̈́̂̅ ̸̤̹̗͊B̴͔̰͇̥͙͂̎͂̊̃̂̀͒̕ű̴̡̳̤̙̹͍̲̈́̆͂̇̋̀͝t̷̰̱̥̣͕͗̋͝ ̴̹͚̻̟͈͕̱̇͆͒͊̑̓͂̈́ͅI̸̢̢̡̻͔̺͔͇̗̊͛̈ ̴̱̼̼̼̙̈́̈́̏̓͑t̶̜͊̃̇͐́̆͂͠h̶͔̰̳̣̝́̃̑͒͛͂̒͋͝ì̸̥͇͎̿͑̾̐̄̌͒͂n̶͖͓͚̟̻͙͐͊̍k̶̛̻̝̫͇̺̭̇́̿́...̵͇͙̰̝̱̰͋͆͑̐ͅ.̵̨͇̩̼̰̄̽̂̍̀̚̕͠Ỳ̷̞͙͓͘O̵̗̿͑̈́̍̇̒̍̋̿U̴̡̫͔̦̭̞̐͂̕ ̸̨̣̹̮̞͆͋̚̕w̶͉̪̺̜̠̝̣͙̦͊ĩ̴̛̫͖̐̊̂̅̏͝͝l̸̙͍̤̮̺̰͚͌͋̓͝ḷ̴̟̣̫̏̎ ̴̺̣͑̏̊̾m̶̡̦̬̘̗̀̂͆̅̕̕͝͠ͅa̷̹̰̥͖̮͈̯͎̋͐k̶̢̛̮̝̪̃̑͒́̌ḙ̵̞̍͒͝ ̴̘͌̊̐̎̍͐͛a̵͍̳̪͔̤̩̓̒̂̀̈͗͒̕͝ ̴̲̱̀͒̿̿̋̅̿̃̾G̵̛̯̹͌̈́͑̕Ŗ̴̙̝̍E̶̻͕͙̙̟̼͖͆̐̋͂̓͠Ǎ̴̛̠̃̓͋T̸̰͕̣͖̯̥̪͓͊͛͊̍̕ ̴̧̛̖̳̤̀̀e̵̡̡͔̠̹̝͎͉͖͑͘x̵̢̧̧̦̰̱̱̲̾͆̾̇̎̈̉̓ć̸̦̟̺̫̝̐̍̉͋̐́͑̑ͅe̵̘̖̎́̿̍͘͝p̵̯͒̎̓͌̏̃̚͠͝ͅt̶̛̲̝̼͉͊́̎̎̕į̴̛̝̺͓̌̽ͅo̶̭̦̳̹̻̪̦͓̭͋̈́ñ̶̼̫̗̘͊͑́́̎~̶̧̫̭͙͚̋̓̆͋̓̌̾!̵̤̫̲͍̭͘"̴͔͐͋̅͌͠͝ ̶̛̣̹̜̳͚̰̠̋̀̓̑̚͜. The glitched figure's eye glared at Idia with bloodlust. "̵̤͕̹̹̾B̵̡͙͊̏̇̓͝u̵̥̙̭̣͘ṱ̸̯͉̠͈̌̀͑̄̽̍̽̋̃ ̶͙̣̬̼̻̥̯̔̃d̵̨̛̛̺̄̈̊̊̉̕o̸̢̢͈̲̒͛́ņ̶̢̛̛̲͙̱̮͚̉̆͐͗͊̒̊'̷̞͉͉̬̜̙̏̀̈́̑̿̚͝t̴̛̬̀͝ ̵̭̘͔́͂͒̈g̵̡̻̣̰̮̜͛̿͛̋̉̕̕͘ͅȅ̷͔͝t̴͔͖̻̉̎̈́̐͜ ̶̡͖̥̮̪͕̹̪̋̏ͅt̶̢̬̪̫̤̹͓̐̈́́̎̓͑̂o̶̢̪͕̲̱̹̓̓͛̏̑͂́̕͜͝o̸̢̢̳͕̣̺͕͍̥͘ ̴̘̪͔̋̒͌̆͠c̶̞͖͈͇̭͍͉̮̏̈͊̉͜͝ǒ̵̼͉̫̗̮̫̥̗͋̆̒̅̀͝m̶͍̭̑͒̅̊̔̏̕͝f̵̧͚͈̣͔͈̈́̌͂̚͘͘ơ̸̢̟̳͗̊͛̃̓̀͝͝r̷̯̦̫̜͔̲̬̘̊̒̓̐̍̍́́͑t̸̮̘̺̯͎̫͗̔̐̌̆a̸͚̣̗̓̾̈́͝ḅ̸̊̇̈̔̔́̎̆ḽ̵̨̰̝̩̽͐e̵̡͖̝̼̤͉̥̭̝̔̍͐͌͘͠͝͝~̴̭̜͊̎,̵͔̭̹̰̙̐̏̑͗̌́̏̄͝ ̶̤̻̌͂̃j̸̟̭̦͉͑̄̇̑͜u̴̪͖̫̰̭̘͆͌͠s̴̻̗͔̚ṯ̴̢̫̳̦͕̺̰̅̂͘ ̴̢̢̩̳̲͗̿̀̈ľ̷͚͂̐̄̋̎͝͝i̴̘̾̿͌͆k̸̨̰̰͍̫̗͈̼͑̑͌̀̏̀͝ͅḛ̸̜̖͚̯̩͓͊̊̒̾̕ ̵̘̔̇̑̉͌̓̏̓͌t̵̪͈̜̀̊̀͆͜ȏ̵̬͌y̶͖̹̞̮͍͔̩͋͜s̵̡̡̧̛̗̲̹̓̓̄̅̀̿ ̸̧̧̡̤̝̝̘̗̣͒̈́̕Ĭ̵̡̛̙̱̺̙͉̣̥͖̐̅͝ ̶̨͚̱̺̀c̸̨͍̼̍̌̕͜à̶͈̳̆̐̔̅̀̈́̓n̴̳̮̰̯̍̎̇̾̾̑ͅ ̶̺̣̪̻͕̻̠̄́b̷̨̳͉̘̜̫̲̭̠̏r̶̼̖̼̗̉̏̾͐̕͠ȩ̷̰͚̄̑̔a̸̝͖͇̘͉͍̺͙̐̾̍ḱ̷̨̼͖̯͚̬̪̝̪̎̃͛̅̕ ̶̡͎̱̤̳̲͛̈́̏̍̀y̵͕̹̍̒̃̑ͅo̸̝̙̳̓͗̽u̸͈͉̬͔̓̾̇̈́̍̃ͅ ̸͎̫͊͜h̴̜͐́͆̀̑o̷̢̢͓͉͕̭̘̘̭̍̑ẃ̶̹̞̳̹̽̕͜͝ě̷̢̊̓́́̒̏v̸̬͌̆̈̏̕ȇ̴͕̺̪̿̚͠r̵̼͕̹͙̊̍ ̵̙̹͐̑͐̿̚͠I̸͈̙͎͊̔ ̵̛͙̱̟̘̞̖̦̼͆́̅̃͜͝͝w̸̟̳̤͇̓͆͊͑̾͗̔̆ī̴̢̀̿s̶̪̥̈h̸̢͕͉̠͕̮̼̤͕̀̄̑̈̒̕~̷̟̰͇̈́̔͊ͅ.̸̬̋ ̸͉͈̖̜͖̳̳̪̓̓̒̆͋͜Ḯ̸̥̖͕͠ͅ'̴̟̦̉͒̽̕̕͝l̵͇̯͗̋̀͆̚̚͝ļ̸̛̰͔̬̠̂̌͒̈́̕ ̷̯̮̜̃͗̀͋͗͝͝f̸̢̡̘̱̫̆͒̏̅͑͑͆̉͘i̵̡̬̓̉͗͒̑͊ǹ̸̻̼̗͠d̵͔͎̙̮̊ ̸̨̈́͋̐͘ḛ̵̤͎͍̏͑v̴̫̰̣̮̬̳̭̄̅e̷̬͓͓̰̫̹̤̗͐̍̓͒r̴̳̎͋y̷̻̔̓̇t̷̨͚̯͙͓̝̽̿͑̇̿̀h̴̳̕͝ì̵͍̹̭̮̺̈́̀̅̄̀̎n̴̡̼̠̬̞̟̙̠̻͂̊g̷̢͔͙͕͉̊͋̉̄̓̂͘̚ ̶̠̌̍͘ý̷̛̪͈̯̋̔͒͘͝ö̸̟̟̳̼̥̬̩͓́͛̎͜u̵͕͍̒ ̵̺̀̀̈́̅̄̔̍̕h̷̨͆̐̅i̸̻̱̫͖̯̇̈́́̆̇͒͝͠d̷͎̥͒ͅȩ̴͍̦̖͗̏̔͑͜ ̴̞͖͇̩͍̝͎̗́͜d̵̼̲͗̾̒̏̇̓̀ẹ̸̰̔͒̈́̅̕e̸̟̫͛̿́̕͠ͅp̶̨̲̈́͛̈́ ̴̟̯͇̪̮̮͙̖̩̓͂̓̉̎͑̈́͛̚i̴̡̜̪̣̟̫̗̅͛͜n̵̨̖̻̯̈s̶̗̤͒̋̽̊̎i̵̡̅d̵̟̖̱̝̒̒̓̆͌̚ȅ̸̬̤̭̄͌̈́ͅ ̴̢̡͔͍̥̟͚̜̜͐̅͠t̶̹͔͗͑̏̿̿̿͜ḣ̸̠͓̜͙͉̦͆̊̐͒͝a̸̹͉̣̮͆̀̽̅̈́̍͌̚͘t̴͕̗̂̇̆͘ ̴̨̬̙̗͠ͅb̴̨̢̛͖͚̀̒̋͗̄l̸̛̙̮̥̬̜̖̞̯̰̄̕á̶̧͔̠̻̞͑͒͒͋͗̇͐͋c̷͔̹͕̲̄̒̌̒ḱ̶̟̠̺̳̖̾̇̎ ̷̡̛̹̪̺͍̲̿͌͌̄͐h̶̺̫̠̪̅̈́̏́̐e̷̡̬̬͂͊a̸̳̞͚̩̗͆͛͊̃̕͝r̷̢̦̰͎̳̃́͊̾͜ṯ̷̠̳̘͇̠̹͎͆͌̊̒͝ ̸̛̦͔͇͕̪̱͖͐̈́̀͠ó̴̼̩ͅͅf̷͚̗̆̇̋̄̏̔̆͆͠ ỵ̶̛́̊́͘ŏ̷͔̩͖͖͇̹̗͎͔̾̕ư̷͕͈͍̪̈r̵̢̧̲̔̎̀͌̊̀̑ş̴̡̛͕̰̝̤͒̈͘͠:̸̧͇̹͍͖͛̈́̈́͂̒̕͜͜ ̷̩̝̠̮̦̍̔ǎ̶̡̡̭̊͝l̸̨̪̫̳̿̎̆̑̌͋͜͜ͅl̷̖̦̻̯̳̗͙̗̽̔̓͂̿̾́͜͠ ̸͇̣͉͎̣̖̑͌̌̐͠ẏ̶̱̯͈̤̼̜̞͙̊̏̈́̌ö̶̗̳͉́ȕ̷͑̾̈́̄̀ͅr̸̨͚̗̈́́̑̊̎̊͒͘͜͠ ̵̱̬͑̈s̸͍̟̳͙͈̮͈̤̩͗ȇ̷̢͎̩̤̜̗̿̌͆̽̊̍̓̈͜ç̶͍̺͙̝̱̳̎́r̴͈̪̝͚͙̐̂̌̒̽͌͐͘̕e̶̞̟̟͙̓̒͝͝͝ͅẗ̶̛͍̬̰́s̴̪̠̳̟̺̻͖̋͠,̵̡̙͍̀́̚̚ͅ ̸̹̯̗͇̰̜̹̉͗̽â̸̜̤̪̹̣̈́͐͑̇̚͝l̵̡͇̥̭̯̦͚̹̐̅͒̽͘l̵̹̬̜̄̊̀̒̇̆̂̚ ̷͙̪̜͌́̑̒y̶̼͙͖̍͂͠ơ̵͇͉̽̐͊̔̑̚u̶̝̎̿̚ ̸̹̳̌̑̄̑͆̇̚m̴̛̟̠͂̒͋̍į̷̧͇̝̪̮̹͉̗̑̊̀̿͌̐́͝s̸̙̯̄̄̑̆̀t̶̩̤̱̳͎͇̻̎͝͠ä̴̝̞͙̥̻k̶̼͈̾͒͝e̷̡͎̰̘̦̥̫͗s̸̰̼̦̙̭̞̅̾͋̕...̸̛͚͔͈̦̯̆̊̒͒̀́̈́̎a̶͎͒͗͛̀̌̍̑̽l̷̲̯̮̖̽́̈́͒̓̂͝͠͠l̸̡̡͋͌ ̵̢̧͖̩̤̟͖͚͋̂̍̓̑̄̽̓̊y̷̞̍̽̓͝͠͝ọ̵̧̬̠̩̙̖͋̉̑̅́̓̓͊͘u̷̹̜̬̟̙̱̩͎̇̃̓̒̒̔̅̚ͅr̶̛̩̞̅̋͂͛̈́̿̐͘ͅ ̷͍͉̪̦̻̝̲̱̞͆̎̏͊͋̑̚̕͝P̷̫͔̈́̓̒̊̐̆͛͝ȁ̷̲͓͕͎̍̈́͒̑Į̸͖̻͍̣͓̀̋̌̌ͅͅņ̸̮̀̓̓̿̑̎͗̀!̷̡͕́͛͛̈̎ "̴̛̤̟̘͈̘̼̺̞͔͕̲̜͕͈͔̠̽̅́̏̈́͛̈̀͒͘͝G̷̱̅͒͛͂̐̈́͒̾͒̊͘͠͝å̷͉̖̣̤̟̭̫̓͆̌̍̿́̎̕̕͝͝m̵̛͍͚̼͓̦̩̮̝̘̰̟̫̒̔̀̆̔͑͌̈́͊̚̚̕͘͜ͅȩ̴̢̬͇̻̖͍̗̘̱̲̓̈́̽̉͆͂͊̔̋̀̂̕͘͜ ̶̝̭̟̝͇̤̭̞͗o̴̖̭͓̰̞̤͌̾̓̔͗̀̎͛̓̐́͆̉̈̓̕̚͝ņ̴͍̳̲̦͉͙̖͎̅̾̚...̵̧̢̛̼̟̫̱̩̭̝̝͖̮̻̟̼͋̀̉́͐͑͝ͅͅ.̸̡̛̠̬̻̦̦͍̺͕̙̞̟͚̪̘̤̑͋̀̽̇̉̽͊̓̈́͌́͐͝͝b̵̞͍͎͕̫̳̙̜̜̠̯̻̝̙̣̖͍͈̉̀́̓͗̀̾̅̕̚I̴̧̮̲̲̾t̷̬̯̻̥̽̽̍̑̊̇̅̉̃̔̈̏̆̃̀͑̓͋̚C̴͎͆̋́́͐̕ḩ̵̛̝͔̙̫͔͇̼͕̐̏̈́͗̃̄̋͘̚̕͜͝!̸̖̖̳̲͉̖̲̟̟̌"̸̘̳͙̦̘͙͙̗͂̎́̆̂ͅ ̸͍̠͂̇̇͂̆͗̍̕͘The glitched being vanished, with a shut off of the main screen as they robotic laugh echoed in the room. Idia felt a shiver to hitched violently up his back as the giggling hurt his ears.
"Unidentified foreign code recognized! I-It's not suppose to be in the system, but I think it hacked its way in!" Ortho scanned the circuits of the system but found very little to no trace of the foreign thing. "I'll look into this, Nii-San! Just stay here!" Ortho flew out of the room towards the main control room as Idia's eyes never left the screen.
He couldn't help but feel...like one thing was eerily familiar about the thing....
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I gasped as I was freed from my sleeping state. I looked around seeing I was back in my room but Epel was nearby in one of the chairs.
"Charlie!" He stood as he ran for me. "Don't push yourself! You took quite a fall when we found you!"
"H-Huh?? I...I fainted...?"
Epel told me what happened after they found me passed out on the veranda. He was the one who found me first, and struggled to carry me as he screamed his lungs raw for help. Rook heard him and he, with a few servants, carried me back to my room. They scrambled to get me as comfortable as possible. As Rook put a wet cloth on my forehead and watched over me whilst some of the servants had called for a doctor. After the doctor arrived, a woman in her 30s, she checked my heartbeat and breathing, as well as my eyes for any signs of being lethargic or dizziness. She told Rook that I had merely fainted and passed out yet some rest would do some good. Both Rook and Epel took turns watching over me as I rested. And by the time I had gotten up, the sun was halfway over the horizon line.
That made me feel guilty. I kept them up all night because of my overbearing gift.
"I'm sorry, Epel....my third eye was acting funny again and I....." I choked on the words, but he shushed me and hugged me carefully.
"Don't apologize for something out of your control. We promised to help you find what you needed." He smiled sweetly. "We know this power of yours is a strong gift, and we said we'd help you through it, no matter what."
"Hime Ringo is right, Milady." We looked up to see Rook enter with a serene smile. His hair was slightly ruffled, no doubt from his sleep and he sat at the edge of her bed to place his warm hands on hers. "You said it yourself; You're here in this world for a reason, non? What's the point in ending the journey when you haven't begun? Don't lose sight of what's vital here and now, Oui?"
"S-Si....." I nod. "I'm still a little worried...."
"Here: let's make a promise." Rook sat up taller. "If I promise to help you in any time of need, be it your magic or any clues given to you, and you in turn, must promise to not give up, never surrender, for my sake and everyone else's." He held up his pinky and I got to see it. His hands. They were rough, and yet they looked so strong despite the calloused knuckles he possessed. I noticed a few burn marks here and there, maybe from rope or possibly a fire, but each was faded yet prominent, like a piece of a story told. Epel was as surprised as I. We know he wears gloves to hide his hands, either in his school Uniform or the indigo robes we wore. I usually assumed he didn't want anyone to see any scarring, But at this point in time, we didn't seem to care. So, when he held out his pinky, I linked with mine and nod.
"I promise."
"Me too." Epel placed a hand on my shoulder and nods. Rook took his hand away and looked at me,
"Now tell me: What did you see that made you freak out?"
"It was a man and...a woman....do you remember when Malleus told us about the Sparx Kingdom and how it rose and fell?"
"Oui. Was it the king you saw in that vision and the one who helped you escape from Bierce and Malak?"
"The same one." I confirm. "But then I saw images of the Kingdom at War....and....I saw Eos....being stabbed....and lookalikes of...you and Kalim....on the battlefield! I-I don't know what it means, unless....."
"Shhh, it's fine. You don't have to confirm about that. Tell me: we're you fine when you slept?"
"Not exactly...." I told them: Elaine and Shawn disappearing before my eyes, seeing the five in their overblot forms and the worst of all: the thing that invaded my dreams. Whatever it was, it's like it was draining my energy the closer it got to me....
"Well, we must be on guard today when we get to our destination." Rook said after a tense silence. "Milady, are you sure you can fight?"
"I didn't come all this way for nothing." I bore my teeth defiantly. "I won't let something like this keep me down. I promise."
"Alright. Breakfast should be ready soon. Let's dress and be on our way as fast as we can!" Rook got to his feet. "Epel, hurry!"
"Right!" The smaller boy went with as Rook called over his shoulder that he'd send some maids to help dress me, even when I said I didn't need them.
"That must be STYX HQ...." I thought. Well, at least I'll know what to expect when we get inside....I hope...
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Grim tossed and turned on the bedding as his mind swarmed with horrifying dreams."Ngh.....let go....let go of me....! No!!!" He screamed as he awoke from the nightmare he was having. Breathing heavily, he looked around, the room unfamiliar to him. "Where...where am I?!" He pants as he noticed that his collar and gem were disposed of, leaving him in the same collar as the other captured. "I....I don't...remember what happened for a while....it was vague.... after the VDC, it was around midnight...I felt...my stomach growl....And then..." his eyes closed as he tried to remember something, anything, a few days back. Suddenly, as if something clicked into his mind, what he saw next scared him....
-flashback-
She ran through the archway and inside, pausing to breath at the top of the steps. The wind blew in her ears as she scanned the grounds for any sign of Grim, keeping her guard up if she had to fight.
"Where is he..?" she murmured lowly as she descended the stairs quietly, summoning her Vorpal
Blade as precautionary. The sound of scuffling feet was heard and she ducked down to avoid being spotted, sucking in air through her teeth.
"Here...it's here~.......heeheeheehee~!!!" she heard Grim's voice sing eerily. "It got buried here when the stage was fixed~...." she saw his little body dart across the stage to a certain spot, back facing her. Her eyes lit up and she grasped her blade with tight knuckles. The sounds of stone being dug through crackled in the air as she slipped down the stairs with zero sound. His back stood straight as he turned around, already devouring the rock in his paws. What Charlie saw made her adrenaline spike.
A dark shadow crossed over Grim's face, his eyes small pinpoints of blue...
Grim breathed heavily, as Charlie prepared to defend herself if needed. She didn't want to fight
Grim, but she will if she has to. But with being too caught in her head, she slipped and stumbled a bit, kicking up some dust in the process.
"Who's there?! GRRRRRRRRRRR...." Grim's eyes grew angered. His eyes were completely blank, no sign of life inside of them. His irises had swallowed his pupils and sclera, leaving only blue behind. Canines and teeth bared from pulled back lips as he scanned the area with malice, looking for the intruder. Then his eyes went to Charlie in a millisecond
"The Stone......is MINE!!!!" he snarled and jumped at her, claws out.
"Enchanto Eclipse!!" she summoned. But as soon as the bright gold dome came up to protect her, Grim had produced his own counter. Black and blue claw attacks scratch the shield, breaking it on the second strike. The shield vanished in glitter, pushing Charlie back from the burst. "Agh!" she screamed, holding her arm at her side, looking at Grim in surprise. "He broke my attack like nothing! This had to be the result of those rocks!"
Grim launched himself at her again, sending two more attacks her way, but Charlie dove away just in time. She ran towards one of the side entrances where players would enter upon the start of the games, hoping to find refuge until then. She didn't look where she was going and found herself cornered by one of the walls.
"No where to go~" she turned around and saw Grim slowly stalk his way up to her, eyes looking up at her with anger. She backed up against the wall and brandished the blade, ready to get serious. "Lights out, Princess!" He jumped at her one last time, claws raised up and over his head, preparing to scratch her eyes out.
"Solas L'atemma!" From out of nowhere, a bright bolt of gray hits Grim. He screams in pain at the impact, slamming into the ground with force as the bright bolt disappeared and became a mess of constricting magic chains. He snarled and growled as the chains constricted him on the ground. "GRRR, what the hell is this?!" he tried to wrench free. From the shadows, a gray-haired figure appeared, hand lit up with grayish-blue light as she looks down at the squirming Grim.
"Looks like I came just in time." she sighed. Charlie looked at her in confusion until another person taps her shoulder. She looks behind her. The blonde had grabbed her arm and starts to pull her towards one of the nearby exits.
"Hurry, Miss! Or We'll be good as Cat food!" she begged. Charlie didn't hesitate and followed her with equal running speed, Luna following behind them. "Relocatus!" Just as the three had vanished in a cloud of light, the chains around Grim snapped, and he climbs to his feet.
"GRRRR, where did you go?!" he growled as he ran off somewhere else, trying to sense Charlie's magical aura and finish her off. "You won't escape that easily, Princess!!!"
-end-
Grim gasped as he tried to accept what he just saw but he was in too much disbelief to believe what he saw was the truth. Soon, sadness planted itself into his stomach. "I...I tried to Kill Charlie.... why did I do that!" He quivered, "Was I taken here because I almost hurt her?" Then, he heard...voices....
"No!! We need to stop them!!"
"Hang on, Grim! We're coming for you!!"
"We can't just-.....ugh, fuck it!"
"No...guys....!"
But moments later all of them had passed out from the pain as Charlie leaning against a busted-up wall weakly raised her arm towards them helpless to save them or Grim.
"N-No......guys... ..." Charlie whispers as she tried to reach out her hand for them. "Grim...no!" she breathed as she finally bit the dust, her form slumping to the ground, lifeless and not breathing as if she were shot.....
Grim felt tears well in his eyes as he choked on the memory, "They...they all got hurt...because of me....Ace, Deuce, Epel........Charlie....!"
He wept, curling into a ball on the bed as his tears fell......realizing, much like the dorm leaders, he too, is losing his mind to the darkness. "I'm sorry....I just wanna go back....... please!!" He begged as the tears flowed freely.
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Charlie felt her head hurt as she felt like someone was calling out to her, their cries echoing like somber wails. But she kept herself strong as her wings flutter with vigor. With the weather now warm, she was able to use her Secondary form for the rest of the journey.
"Blue sky, warm sunlight....Today is a perfect day to fly!" Rook smiled as he breathed in the crisp air around him.
"Uh. Y-Yeah..." Epel nods, looking away.
"Something wrong, Epel? Getting motion sick from the teleporting?" Rook looks over his shoulder.
"Well that's one reason..." he admitted. "But the other is the villas, how do stand living in those kinds of mansions?!"
"Oh, that? Well, if it's to your liking, you're welcome to visit anytime! All of you!" Rook smiled.
"It kinda made me feel minuscule. Staying in above places like that...Charlie, what about you?"
"We'll, I'll say one thing: not my first time staying in a place like that and it won't be the last." Charlie was truthful, recalling how she and her family would travel out of the country and staying in luxurious places akin to the Villa they were at.
"Ahahaha....just think: we could all gather there for a sleepover one of these days. You could meet my siblings if you're lucky, but should we contact them beforehand, I'm sure they won't mind us using it wherever we wish."
"You have siblings?" Charlie smiled. "That's SO COOl!"
"How many?" Epel adds.
"Two older and three younger, so including me, were six altogether." Rook was honest.
"Six?! That's still too many!" Epel was close to passing out.
"It's true. I do have that many, yet I meet with them once every year. It's hard to align the days where we can meet at the same time. But I'll tell you this much: it's quite the gathering once we're all in the same room!"
"The more I learn about Rook, the more the mysterious air around him deepens...." Epel shook.
Suddenly, Rook stopped as he held up a hand, shushing all talk. He nods after a while. "We're here." He says. "The coordinates of the map are precise and we should be just above the HQ."
"Wait...so it's-"
"Oui. Andiamo, as you'd say, Milady!" Rook flew ahead as the three descended from above the clouds as their lone source of camouflage.
"Charlie!" Fawkes, who was still hiding in her ponytail, had gripped onto the small hairs at the nape of her neck and clung to her for safety. "I know you said you'd go ahead with Rook's plan, so are you?"
"Are you blind? No!" she whispered fiercely. "I'm storming that place and taking out anything and everything that tries to kill me!"
"HUH! But you promised Rook-!"
"I know I promised Rook. But I could care less about what happens to Vil! Right now, my only goals are to get the others out of there and take down that son of a bitch Idia! And I won't let him or Epel stop me from obtaining those goals! Now, you're either with me or against me, Fawkes! Make your decision!" Fawkes could only look at her, wordlessly. He wasn't aware Charlie would go along with allies' plans only to betray those close to her for what she wants. But he sympathized with her: these were people she had grown closer to so it was no surprise she'd pull a stunt like this for her own whims. So he sighed and said,
"I'll follow wherever you go, Lady Charlie."
"Good. Now hide!" she ordered and hide he did just as the last cloud was broken. And they were faced with the sea. Miles of it....
"Uh....There's nothing but water, though...Rook, you're sure it's here?!" Epel scratched his head.
"Oui. My senses are NEVER wrong!" Rook nods firmly.
"Lemme try something." Charlie offered as her winged form flies closer to the water surface. Hovering over the surface, she placed her fingers on her temples as she puts her enchantments into overdrive. "Mortifer fatalis silenti!" Her form began to glow with blue and yellow lights as the rings of magic energy formed around her body and started to pulsate, sending waves of energy around the area as well as into the sea.
The shockwaves became rather violently as she poured her energy into the vibration waves, and they began to shake Epel and Rook whilst on their brooms, nearly making them lose balance. Her eyes opened as the sonic pulse waves stopped. She looks up at the two. "He's right!" She nods. "They're here! But the whole island.....it's underwater!!" Epel nearly fell off his broom when he heard what just left Charlie's lips.
She flew up and away as the waves lapped beneath her feet. "I think you may have overdone it, Charlie..." Epel worried as she flew up next to him.
"It's fine!" She said back. "I was just trying to sense where everything was with my third eye, it's not like it's gonna cause something catastrophic!"
——————————
Idia saw everything. The figure's emergence and the destruction that they brought with destroying a few of the guards sent for Jamil and Vil. His lower lip was shaking as the camera feed went to static when the thing destroyed the last guard and he lost his grip on his phone, his hands going to his hair and clenching the strands to the point of ripping. "I-I-I don't understand! The Charons guard had anti-magic armor yet they got destroyed like they were level 5 trolls! This unknown player...they must've installed some sort of cheat code and leveled up beyond an extent to overpower then in ten seconds! But who...?" The sounds of sliding doors opened and Ortho walks in. "Ortho, did you find whatever hacked into the system?"
"No! It disappeared without a trace!" Ortho sounded scared. "I tried to locate the source of where it started, but the glitch must've wiped away any and all traces left behind so I wouldn't track it!"
"We can worry about it later." Idia sighed, although he too was scared for the glitch targeting him. "It's half the day gone by. Let's move on to-" the sound of an alarm blared through the room as red lights flashed.
"What's going on?!' He started freaking out.
"Deputy! Are you there?!" Someone called in from the other room.
"Yea, I'm here." Shroud actives the com link to speak. "What's going on?"
"Our sensors just picked up an abnormal amount of magic energy as well as three foreign bodies outside. It disrupted the sensors of the facility and triggered the alarms! They could be attacking for all we know!"
Ida's eyes widened comically. "What?! But what of the Invisi-shield?!"
"Still functioning." Ortho checked from his own data. "But this can't be! It's impossible for anyone to see where we are!"
"Team Hepta is being launched to see who's invading the fortress. And we'll send out a drone in advance!" The other person on the other end responds
"I'll connect to the drone to see who it is. And display the video on the monitor!" Ortho nods. After a minute or so, it wasn't before long til the video feed was on screen and Rook's face popped up.
"Bonjour! Everyone upon the Isle of Lamentation! I seek beauty and help those who possess it! I am Le chasseur d'amour, Rook Hunt!!" Rook stood up expertly on his broom and he started to go all Will Shakespeare to the drones. "You've taken my ally, so I'm here to save him from this catastrophic event!"
Charlie spoke up next, "And if anything in here for Shroud's head so I can put it on a stake and parade it around the whole school!"
Ida practically pissed his pants at both. "Rook-shi!! How is-why is he here!!!"
"Team Hepta has arrived. We'll eliminate the threat now!"
"No. do not fire!!" Idia ordered, nearly digging this thumb into the response button." As much as I'd like that, we can't afford casualties!! Just subdue them!"
As soon as that was said, three robots emerged from the seas as they flew towards the intruders. "We've spotted all three . Beginning subjugation!"
"It's them! The robots who arrested Vil!" Epel recognized. "Wow. Rook, Charlie, I'll never doubt you two again!"
"Listen, you two. We must surrender after keeping them busy. We're not to defeat them. We're here to infiltrate their facilities. At this angle, we're at an extreme disadvantage-!" Rook stopped taking as he felt the sharp and cold blade press against the back of his neck. His eyes widened as he looked behind to see Charlie holding her knife against the back of his neck. Her eyes were cold and dark as she sneered up at Rook. "M-Milady, what's the meaning of this?! What are you doing?!"
"....You really are that stupid, aren't you?" She chuckled dryly. "I'm only here for one thing: Revenge. And I'll gladly step on you just to get what I want." She spat. "Stay out of my way if you know what's good for you!"
She pockets the blade and blasting off at light speed, she zoomed towards the Charon guards and reeling a fist back, she punched through five of them, leaving gaping holes in their chest cavities like Saitama.
"Holy shit!!!" Epel screamed.
The Shrouds, having witnessed this, immediately deemed her a threat. "Code Black! Code Black!! We have a threat on hand! Send in more guards!!" Idia was shaking.
"Shroooooooud!!! I'm coming for you!!" She snarled as she threw her blade at the drone and stabbing it through its video camera, she disabled one of them as it malfunctioned and spinning out of control, dropped straight into the ocean, but not before Charlie retrieved her weapon from it.
"Hostile intention detected. Surrender!" A fleet of more guards came up from the water and started to fly towards Charlie, surrounding her in seconds. Tightening her grip on her blade, she powers it up for the fight.
Five fired stun rays at her but deflects them and flies forward the guards, as the beams kept coming. She flew around each fired at her, and shorting under their feet she sliced them clean across like fruits. Their bodies frazzle and shutter before they fell into the ocean, powered off.
The next three she dealt rather serious hits, breaking off their arms which held their stun oars and stabbing them with their own weapons, electrocuting them til they exploded. Ripping out one from a guard he just destroyed, she proceeded to use the Stun feature on the oars and instead of aiming for their chest cavities, where the armor was imbued, she aimed for their heads, overriding the chips installed and whilst some exploded, she commanded others into fighting one another and destroying themselves.
"What are you idiots doing?! Fight her, not each other!!" Idia commands when he saw the carnage out there.
Charlie tried to get some air into her lungs as she watched the Charons still fought one another.
"Charlie, what the hell?!" Epel flew up to her. "You'd just betray us like that?! I thought you were on our side!"
"Believe me, my intentions are justified!" She snapped back, glaring coldly at Epel. "I want to save the others as much as you, but I'm not one to just stand by and wait for things to play out. It's either make the first move or nothing!" Rook didn't say anything as he watched her with a calm gaze. From the corner of his eye, more Charons flew out from the water and joined the fray, only to get caught up in the fight with their own whilst several went towards the three. "Talk later, fight now!" She huffed as she continued to battle, Rook and Epel were on their own.
Idia could only watch in horror the display that was taking place. This was something out of a epic multi-player battle simulator. Android vs Android, Human vs Human, Android vs Human. Until his eyes went to Charlie. He....he could've sworn he felt like something was...vaguely familiar about the way she fought...
Then it hit him. It was her! SHE was the one that destroyed the Guards sent for capture back at Night Raven! "Her power....it's unparalleled!" He murmured, his eyes glued to her flying figure as she ripped off one of the guard's arms and beat him down with it.
Charlie blasted away two who tried to lunge at her with the oar, but not seeing the one from behind, she didn't have time to react. Until a strong volt of white power blasted it into the ocean, never to be seen again.
"Just when we told you not to go after, you defy our orders! Are you that stubborn?!" Charlie turned and saw Sol and Luna were making their way towards her. Like her, the two were wearing similar outfits of magenta and green-turquoise colors, but differing styles.
"Ah! H-How'd you two-! And what are you-?!"
"We followed your magic trail." Luna answers with a huff. "Honestly, you can't follow one simple command?!"
"These are my FRIENDS, Luna!" Charlie argued. "I'm not going to stand by and watch them suffer! Now, stay out of my way!" She shoved past Luna and picked up the pace as more guards appeared. Sol joined her as Luna dealt her own battle. But she felt a harsh shove to her back and turned to see Charlie fuming, putting her attention on her again. "IM TALKING TO YOU! Fuck, you know I don't even
know WHY I considered letting you stay with me when you can't even pay attention to what I'm saying!!" She huffed.
"I thought you wanted to fight to save your friends, yet you choose to argue with me during this fight? No wonder you don't let things go!" Luna sneers. "I see why Vil hates you."
"Funny how you say Vil hates me when you should go look in a mirror. That way you'll see that she-male facing you!"
"How dare you!" Luna scoffed. "Comparing me to that scum, who by the way, sold you out just for a chance to be the vainest?!"
"And that's why I could care less if I saw his rotting corpse in the fucking hallways!" Charlie bit back. "I'm only here to get Riddle and everyone else out!"
"Oh, there you go again! You're always so focused on the fucking tasks your so called 'caregiver' gives you! You're his little errand girl, can't you see it?!"
"I saw it long ago, alright?! Don't lecture me when you haven't been here for half a damn year!"
"Sisters, please! This is not the time and place for fighting!" Sol begged as she power-kicked one robot away.
"Reine du Sol is right: Please stop!!" Rook begged. But Luna and Charlie were too angered at one another to acknowledge them.
"You don't understand what it means seeing people you've grown close to being taken away from you right in front of your eyes and you're too powerless to save them! It's your fault I couldn't get to Jamil or the others in time! If you didn't hold me back I would've stopped the STYX guards from taking them!"
"So then, that is why you're afraid of being alone after witnessing your parents die?! You just want to save them as a means for coping?!" But Luna didn't let Charlie answer. "You're hopeless! You don't even realize what's at stake here! You're life is on the line! And if you die here and now, your mother would never forgive herself since she's alive and trapped away in limbo and you're the key to freeing her!" Luna's hands flew to her mouth as soon as she spat out that last sentence, her eyes widening in tear. Sol was frozen as Rook and Epel's mouth dropped open.
Charlie felt everything go mute around her, eyes wide and looking right at Luna. Her mom....was alive?! But that can't be!!! She's....dead? Mediating between worlds?! She couldn't think straight with what was just thrown at her. Her mom was alive....Her mom was alive....Her mom was alive!!! "What....?" Her voice was but a breath; she was shaking violently like ice water was dumped on her. "She.....she's....!" Charlie started to breathe heavily, bordering onto the edge of a panic attack. Her breaths became puffs of air, visible in the cold. She sucked in another breath and then.....she screamed.
((1:41))
HyperSonic waves of ear splitting screams vibrated through the entire space. Epel and Rook and the Sisters covered their ears when they felt their eardrums almost burst from the high pitched sound.
The robot guards began to lose focus, the sonic waves making their systems malfunction as they began to shake, tremors of electricity making them short out and eventually explode.
In HQ, the rooms began to shake violently from the tremors as both Shrouds could almost hear the deafening shrieks. Idia tired to cover his ears and talk on the intercom but it wasn't easy having to press on the talk button with one hand while covering you hears with the other.
"Deputy!! The woman's screams are making the robots malfunction!!"
"Use one of the drone and Tranquilize her!!" Idia demands as he tried to not wince at the sounds of the screams coming through the other end. Even Ortho felt the same effects as the Charons did. The drone that was with the guards zipped through the treacherous winds as it focused in on Charlie and from one of the rotor spaces, a small syringe of blue liquid was shot as pressurized speed and implanted
itself into Charlie's neck, stunning her as it ejected the serum into her veins. Her screams stopped and her eyelids fluttered shut as she fell towards the ocean, her guardian form vanishing back into the deep purple robes.
"Charlie!!!" Epel flew down to try and catch her as Rook was fast to create a foothold of ice as he tried to stop her from hitting the frozen waters. She nearly hit her head on the glassy ice had Epel not nearly leaned over to the point of falling off and catching her by her feet. He strained to lower her on the ground as gently as possible. Once she was, he flung himself off the broom and cried trying to wake up Charlie.
"Luna what did you do?!" Sol screamed as the former looked at her in fear.
"I-I didn't do anything, I-!!!" Then, there was pain. Pain like a life was lodged and twisting in her stomach, like she had touched a hot iron. Like she was being electrocuted....Which she was. She lost control of her wings and fell forward. Sol flew as fast as she could to catch her sister. The blonde barely nabbed her wrist before she could let her hit the waters and dragged her to the ice foothold. Rook zoomed down and tried to see if both were alive.
Idia tried to recover from the screaming as he saw all five gathering. "Shit....more UPK's from NRC are added....what the hell was that screech???
"Deputy, the threats are down. What do we do?"
"Send them back to Night Raven!" Someone argued on the other end with the control board operator.
"'No, hold on." Idia stops them. "Ortho, why the hell would Rook and the others come all the way here to chase after us? Aside from...one of the girls trying to kill me..." he was still shaking as he through that.
"Maybe he was to bring the teachers or others with him for some reason?" Ortho shrugged. "But the drones indicate there's no other living organisms out there with them!"
Idia looked away before staring back up at the screen. "Team, Check and see if they've a tracker device or communication com." He orders.
"We've found a phone but it's shut off." The team reports.
"So, no, it's likely they disabled it before they came all the way here...." Idia theorized.
"Rook mentioned he's here for Vil. But why? Maybe he's got a physical or mental illness?" Ortho asked.
"Well, being a model, it's likely secrets will not be exposed from him..." Idia agreed. "No...We can't have any secrets getting out...... we've decided. We'll give them a chance to explain themselves. But we'll have to put the collars on the other three; they're too powerful if they were able to take down the Charons. But afterwards, send them to Lethe river. We still
can't let the subjects go despite their protests."
"...Very well." Ortho nods.
"Take all five to the Hecate area using the monorail."
"Got it. Entrance gate: airlock decompression started. Open the Oceanus wall!"
From the sea, the floors began to move, exposing a giant circle as the water poured in at a waterfall's pace.
"Whoa...Charlie was right! It's underwater!" Epel gasped, holding her close as he stared down at her sleeping face.
"We will transports the power users. Blind stunning the other three." The guard spoke as the oars were raised.
"No, wait!!" Sol shouted but they were soon out cold. She faded in and out of consciousness as she held Luna close to her.
Idia watches as all five were taken to the gate, but his eyes remained on Charlie far longer than most. He sensed something completely off about her as his brains swarmed with theories. 'Is it likely she's....but it's gone! Unless.....hmm....but maybe....maybe she's a compatible...." his eyes narrowed as the water wall sealed them away.