The doors of Mr. Jawsum's gilded office closed behind them with a dull finality, sealing away the artificial cheer and tension that had filled the room. The elevator, with its smooth wooden panels and dim aquatic like lighting, hummed softly as it descended—floor by floor, deeper into the heart of the Last Resort.
Dreamworld Mari, ever the heart of the group, wasted no time. With a quiet smile, she unfastened the lid of her picnic basket, revealing a neat assortment of sandwiches she had packed earlier. Nestled cozily between containers was Mewo, curled up in a dreamlike slumber, her black cat ears twitching now and then at the shifting weight of the elevator.
She hummed gently, placing the wrapped sandwiches into the hands of each friend.
"Here—elevator rides are best with something to munch on," she said lightly, hoping to lift the quiet that hung over them.
Kel accepted his with enthusiasm, already unwrapping it with a grin. "Yes! Mari's specials always hit the spot!"
Aubrey leaned on the rail, biting into hers without comment, eyes flicking toward the ceiling. Even Kel's usual optimism couldn't dispel the quiet tension floating in the air.
Hero took his sandwich with a quiet nod but didn't bite into it. His gaze had been steadily drifting toward the back of the elevator where Omori stood, facing the door in silence.
There was something different about him.
Omori's face was as unreadable as ever—his dark eyes fixed forward—but this time, it wasn't just stillness. There was a weight behind his silence, something Hero couldn't quite place. The kind of silence that wasn't peaceful. It felt… hollow.
Mari noticed it too. She paused mid-bite and turned her eyes to Omori, watching him for a moment.
"Omori?" she asked gently. "You okay?"
He didn't answer.
He didn't nod, didn't blink. Just stood, still and silent, clutching the handle of his blade loosely—almost like he didn't even know it was still in his hand.
Hero set his untouched sandwich down, stepping closer. "Something on your mind?" he asked quietly.
Still nothing.
For a moment, only the soft whirring of the elevator filled the silence.
Then, with a slow blink, Omori turned his head—just slightly—toward Hero. His expression didn't shift, but his eyes held a strange shadow to them. Not fear. Not confusion.
Emptiness.
"...It's quieter down here," Omori finally said. His voice was flat, but distant. "Even with all of you."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Hero swallowed, uncertain how to respond. Aubrey looked up, a frown forming between her brows. Mari's fingers froze on the ribbon of her sandwich wrapper.
They knew what he meant.
Somewhere—beneath the floors, behind the walls, or deep in the corners of this dream—the name Basil should've echoed.
But it didn't.
And the longer they stayed here, the more that silence spread.
As the elevator continued to descend, none of them spoke for a while. The only sound was Kel trying to chew quietly, eyes flicking between Omori and the others, unsure whether to break the mood or not.
They were going deeper—but into what, exactly?
And who would remember what they were looking for when they reached the bottom?
Furthermore , the details around the events is still fuzzy for them being employed still looms (except Mari & Omori besides Basil's absence). Dreamworld Kel finish his sandwich , but Dreamworld Aubrey as she ate first ask Omori something odd "Omori….Do you think it's a bad thing me , Kel and Hero barely remembered Basil besides his personality? Does he even exist? Was he our friend-" as Omori said nonchalantly "HE is our friend , he always has-he always…Carried.." as Dreamworld Hero bites off the sandwich once Dreamworld Mari nudge him after she close the lid of her picnic basket while eating a sandwich. Dreamworld Hero Interjects the answer of Omori with hesitation "But…why? Or how?…I remember us being under contract after that fog , you going missing briefly…Mari unable to be caught by those shady guys to look for you but—did Basil really escaped? Who is Basil again?" As both Dreamworld Mari & Omori silently nod as she finish her time To take all the wrappers for the sandwiches back to her basket once the rest finished eating the snack and the elevator went back to the first floor to open for the Last Resort's main lobby.
The elevator let out a soft chime.
Its doors parted with a mechanical hiss, revealing the familiar glamour of the Last Resort's main lobby—flashing neon, synthetic palm trees, workers pacing with fake grins, the same odd rhythm of showbiz relaxation masking something deeply unnatural. But the group stepped out slower than usual.
Omori lingered near the back of the group.
His footsteps were light, almost silent, but his thoughts weren't.
Why was it just him and Mari?
Even with the shifting, dreamlike logic of Headspace—where playgrounds became forests and oceans could lead to deserts—Basil had always been there. Not just as a name. As a person. A presence.
The warmth of holding the photo album together… The awkward smile… The way his hands trembled slightly when passing flowers to someone... The voice calling out his name in a softer tone than the others ever used.
These weren't false. These weren't faded.
Omori gripped his hand lightly at his side. Not at his weapon—but as if trying to hold onto something intangible. A thread, maybe. One that felt thinner than before.
Kel and Hero were laughing again—trying to recall if the elevators here ever had music playing, or if it had just been in their heads all along.
Aubrey, though, walked slower. Her brows furrowed, still chewing on her earlier question as if it lingered more bitter than the sandwich.
Omori looked sideways at her. She looked confused, not unwilling.
But the worst part—the truly wrong part—was Hero.
Hero, who had been the most dependable, the kindest, the one who once knew how to mend others' pain with just the right words.
And even he asked, "Who is Basil again?"
A chill swept through Omori's mind.
Mari had noticed it too. She walked beside him now, her expression delicate but alert, like a candle guarding its flame. She didn't speak—but the closeness of her steps and the quiet touch of her fingertips to his arm said enough. She remembered. She always would.
As they reached the edge of the lobby, Omori paused. The group didn't notice—too busy planning where to check next. But Mari stopped with him.
His eyes didn't move, but his lips parted slightly.
"…Why are they forgetting?" he asked softly. It wasn't meant to be said aloud. Not even to Mari. It just… escaped.
Mari turned her head to look at him, hands folded neatly in front of her. The gentle smile she usually wore had dulled to something more thoughtful. Less light. More real.
"I don't think it's their fault," she said.
Omori turned to her slightly, his gaze sharp yet empty.
"I know it isn't," he replied.
There was a pause.
Mari's voice lowered, enough that only he could hear. "But I think whatever this place has become… it's making it harder to hold on. To him. Maybe to something more."
The words didn't sit right. Or maybe they sat too right.
Omori turned toward the group again. Kel, Hero, Aubrey—they still joked and debated which area would lead to less 'weird surprises' from Jawsum's staff. Their voices were distant. Detached.
As if someone important had never been with them in the first place.
He felt something ache—not in the head. Not even the heart. Somewhere deeper, rooted where no dream could reach.
"…He always carried it," Omori muttered again, more to himself now.
"Carried what?" Mari asked gently.
Omori's eyes flickered with a faint light. "Everything."
And for a moment—just a brief second—he thought he heard a faint laugh. Basil's laugh.
But when he turned, no one was there.
For now he is also processing another thing that Basil lookalike silhouette that he deems a STRANGER of sorts at this point before this entire sequence of events happen. This new adventure doesn't feel fun anymore. Firstly , Mr.Jawsum's condition to let his employee friends wander outside the Last Resort's until sunset he debates how does a place underwater have sunlight to begin with? It doesn't make sense although usually he never questions how things works.
As he remembers that crossword puzzle that now so far he has the KEYS in his arsenal are - K, O, N , C , and the latest so far is M. So far no
Hint of new keys to collect to complete the odd Crossword Puzzle back in whitespace where his laptop is.
It was building toward something. A word. A command. A memory?
But not yet.
Not yet.
"Omori?"
He turned.
Mari had fallen back beside him again. Her voice was quiet, gentle, and yet grounding—like the final hum of a piano chord fading into silence.
She smiled softly, but her eyes showed concern. Not fear. Not pity. But the kind of ache that knew the burden he carried.
Then she whispered her idea, carefully:
"We should draw him," she said. "Together."
Omori blinked.
"Basil," she clarified. "So we don't forget. Not even a little. Even if they forget pieces of him… we won't."
She paused, reaching into the folds of her picnic basket where, nestled beside the still-napping Mewo, were a few pencils and pages folded neatly.
"We'll sketch his hair, his clothes, the floral sunhat, the way he held the album close to his chest… Everything."
Omori didn't respond immediately.
But his hand moved on its own, brushing the air as if tracing a line. Memory guided the motion. He could picture it clearly still—the way Basil's eyes curved nervously when he smiled, the way his hair framed his cheeks, the way his socks always looked too long for his legs & feet.
"Okay," Omori said softly. "Let's draw him."
Mari smiled, kneeling quietly beside a bench near the exit hallway. She pulled out the paper, setting a fresh sheet down and handing him a pencil.
"Just like old times," she whispered, as she began sketching the outline of a familiar crown of various floral plants.
And as they sketched, the sounds of the Last Resort dimmed. Even if the world twisted around them, even if the others forgot, and even if the silhouette returned again...
This drawing—like a thread of memory inked in graphite—would hold.
At least for now.
While they were doing that , the other three Dreamworld friends returned curious as they atleast recognize both Dreamworld Mari & Omori were drawing something for safekeeping.
Dreamworld Hero ask to clarify "so we're looking a friend we forgotten named BASIL as we speak by letting our BOSS let us not work for him until Sunset?"
Dreamworld Mari lighten up as she let Omori safe keep the sketch in his inventory through he pockets of his striped shorts to turn and reply "Yes , but remember it is very needed we never forget our deadline of the deal with Mr.Jawsum"
As Dreamworld Kel pouts a complain "Although regardless , what if we don't find him even outside the resort?" As Dreamworld Aubrey bonk his head lightly with her umbrella in it's closed form "Hush , we can worry about that later and besides!!! Our skills aren't weak to not handle anything" as she paused and twirl her umbrella to her side to glance at Omori "right?"
As Omori nods , they proceed to take their time to leave the sunken looking ship shape of the Resort to the casino's entrance & exit.
As they did so , it seems Dreamworld Kel Reocgnize Mikal seems to just be an obedient monkey doing his employee duty as he gasp to notice that this time it isn't just Dreamworld Mari with Omori anymore.
He rushed bouncingly as his tail sways along for he cried out "So!!! Did it work? Are you guys free from the contra-I mean how did you—" as Omori blandly hand signs "Yeah , sort of" as he blinks confuse. While , Dreamworld Mari utters "My little brother means technically the others here aren't technically here" as Mikal ask them "oh? What's the condition?"
As they approach further & explain how Mr.Jawsum just let the 3 employed Dream world friends of the group under the condition until sunset they can't do no work for long looking for a friend.
For , it clicked for Mikal that was surprise even to say "wait wait—KEL…AUBREY…and HERO doesn't remember? Who Basil is?"
As Dreamworld Hero ask kindly "wait how do you even remember even though your hired too under contract?" As Mikal pause as his tail swirls around the sea floor "I just…It just..I dunno okay?!! It just feels you guys suppose to remember a guy who always love flowers!!!"
As Dreamworld Aubrey Interjects "We do recall…his..personality?" As Omori notice her head tilt & surprise to herself. As Omori brush it off at this point to just pass by Mikal as Dreamworld Kel excitedly says "eh…if we never find him atleast we tried , look Omori is taking charge!!!"
Mikal is concern yet just sighs as he keeps his post aside as he walk back to his position on the crossroad in the highway.
Then , for a brief moment a dark shadow crawls & whispers at the corner of the group's eye near the underwater highway that either branches to DEEP WELL areas or the ENDLESS highway , but he does recall the cab or some sort of taxi to some alligator & another alligator stopping a path to the DEEP well on the road for DEEPER WELL. The whisper that only Omori hears with Basil's voice yet more eerie says "Remember , don't runaway…" as he vowed to try to find Dreamworld Basil as soon as possible & figure out this "truth" the stranger that looks like a shadowy version of his close friend in this headspace claim for him to seek.
He decides briefly to turn to Dreamworld Mari as a silent gaze to question something in his head (I wonder how she truly manage to even be here yet also not recall an interaction by the lake…how odd) as she head tilts before asking "Omori? Tell me something what is Basil to you?"
As he turns confuse with a blink as they walk around the area together in their line up of the group. As she clarified with a chuckle "Oh little brother , hmm….I suppose I mean is compare Basil to the others" whispers "what is HE to you?" As she steps back when Omori's eyes lit up briefly to glance at her as he silently thinks (I definitely assume Mari knows well especially before this whole mess she somehow always seem to remember Basil the most like right now compare to the others-she truly is the best avoiding being caught)
As the other 3 dreamworld friends in the background are just conversing party plans in advance for what can they do if they encounter any new enemies to fight again this time underwater.
As the silence of Omori says enough to Mari she concludes saying swaying her piano skirt "yep , I digress…you care about Basil that I have a feeling we can get through this issue"
He nods as they stop at a nearby alligator he recalls he can't pass through without his friends as everyone is placed in a halt.
The alligator employee at the crossing shifted his weight, the polished shades over his snout gleaming faintly under the neon reflection of the underwater highway signage. With one scaly hand, he tilted his sunglasses just slightly downward, his eyes peeking out with laid-back recognition.
"Ey, you," he grunted. "You finally got yer crew back together, huh?"
Omori stood a moment, quiet.
He glanced to his side—to Dream world friends: Mari, then Kel, Aubrey, and Hero, who were still murmuring about combat formations and party lineups.
They weren't fighting right now, but something about prepping made it feel like old times again. Safer.
"…Close enough," Omori answered plainly.
The alligator snorted in amusement. "Heh. Close enough counts, kid."
He began to step aside—but paused again as Mari stepped forward with a light grace, hands clasped neatly in front of her skirt.
"We're looking for someone else," she added with a smile. "One more friend."
The alligator arched a brow. "Friend, huh? Don't get many passin' through here who ain't already listed."
Mari's expression didn't falter. "He's not on any list."
Omori remained still as she continued.
"He's someone kind, quiet, a bit shy—loves taking care of flowers and people. You wouldn't forget someone like that if you saw him."
The alligator scratched his jaw. "Well, you're not the first to go wanderin' down this road lookin' for someone they swear was real."
Omori's gaze lowered at that—his hand subtly touching the pocket of his striped shorts. The folded sketch rested securely inside.
Dreamworld Mari didn't reply right away. Neither did Omori. But the silence between them was different—an understanding one. Something shared.
The alligator finally shrugged.
"Well, far be it from me to stop a group on a mission. But just a heads-up—Deep Well's a weird place even by our standards. If you're lookin' for someone you mighta forgot, you might also find stuff you never wanted to remember."
Hero stepped up beside them, catching the tail end of the conversation.
"We'll take that risk."
The alligator gave a toothy grin and nodded, fully stepping aside to let the group pass.
"Alright then. Path's open. Don't lose your heads out there."
With a creak and a wet mechanical groan, the tollgate.
The team stepped forward as one—Omori near the front, Dreamworld Mari walking softly beside him, her smile distant but warm.
In the distance, the Deep Well stretched out in slow gradients of blue and black. Strange silhouettes blinked between fluorescent seaweed and unmarked ruins. The cab stop flickered nearby—an old, beaten vehicle waiting in eerie stillness beneath the distorted glow of artificial signage.
As they approached the edge of the walkway, a pressure settled in Omori's chest again— that pressure. Like he was being watched, or expected. That presence, or memory, or shadow that wore Basil's face but not his soul.
He heard the whisper again.
"Don't run away…"
This time, it echoed louder.
His hand clenched unconsciously around the sketch in his pocket.
Dreamworld Mari leaned in gently, her voice just above the murmur of the artificial tides. "No matter what happens… remember why we started this."
Omori didn't answer. He only nodded.
And together—with fractured memories, a fading name, and the weight of truth swimming closer—they took their first steps toward the Deep Well.
For a brief moment comically speaking they notice Dreamworld Hero seems to negotiates some discounted clams to pay for the alligator that easily just let them through the easy excuse.
THE toll-gator….?