By the time I left the bathroom, Shinso's groaning had ceased completely. He had fallen asleep. The apartment room was silent, aside from the quiet, ambient humming of the The Automated Beverage and Victual Cooling Machine, or fridge.
Outside, the sun had already set, and the eerie crimson moon had already risen in the sky, casting crimson light through the curtains. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. I felt my heart jump in my chest, and I tucked away both the Whisper-Wishing Bone and Blood-Moon Charm inside the drawer beside my bed. After taking a few moments to collect myself, I took a deep breath and approached the door.
Ayumi was standing there, clad in more casual attire. "We're all eating downstairs." She said with a smile as she peeked into the dark room, looking behind me and spotting Shinso asleep in his bed.
"I think we can leave him."
Downstairs, in the dining area of the Parterre de Fleurs, Carter silently wrapped a napkin around his neck as he stared at the large plate he had received.
"And this is free..."
The apartment had supplied them with roasted pork for dinner. Since they ate with Oboro every Thursday, and today was a Sunday, it was a day of "worship," but they had initially skipped it due to the potion distribution.
"To Mother Nature!" Carter, Catherine and Aaron all toasted at the table, while me and Ayumi didn't move. I felt a little uncertainty in my gut watching them. What if not participating in a religious activity would lead to whatever Gods Isaiah had mentioned wrecking havoc upon me? I had already seen some illusory figures in my time here—even before, like in Shinso's bathroom mirror.
As if sensing our uncertainty, Catherine turned to us and smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. Mother Nature is known for "Her" gentleness."
I paused for a few seconds, feeling a lump in my throat. "How do you know that?"
"She doesn't know that for sure; no one does." Carter said, slicing the pork with his knife. "It's all myths and legends."
"So, it's merely speculation? Who made these myths?"
"Scholors who study the ancient times."
Upon hearing this, Ayumi was slightly confused and stunned. "And they just...make such information public?" She asked.
"Yes. It's what "They" would want; they would want "Their" teachings to be known." Catherine began to eat her pork.
"Their myths are also taught in the churches." Catherine pointed out the window towards one of the buildings in the skyline which towered over the rest. The building was made of dark stone, and a copious amount of vines and foliage.
"What about corruption?" I asked, feeling confused by the sudden contradictions.
"Teachings about deities won't lead to corruption. We don't know anything about their Pathways, age or any external knowledge aside from names."
"Oh, good to hear."
"Anyways..." Catherine turned to Ayumi, clasping her hands. "How are you feeling?"
"A little weird since I've consumed the potion." Ayumi replied.
"That's normal. Either tonight or tomorrow I'll be taking you, Shinso and Isaac for spirituality lessons."
...
That night, I dreamt of what had transpired in the kitchen. My mother was on the floor, dazed and incapacitated from my fathers attack. I held the knife in my hands, which were trembling immensely from the amount of rage and anger flowing through my veins. My father wore an animalistic smile, one that almost resembled a monster.
Suddenly, his low—almost guttural voice sounded in my ears. "You can't harm me, you'll forever be that weak boy I found in that dumpster."
"Quiet." I snarled, the grip around the knife's hilt tightening slightly.
At that moment my father's eyes seemed to widen in an inexplicable terror as he took a step back. My mother, who had partially recovered, crawled back and pressed her body against the wall. I felt that same burning sensation in my head, and a strange tingling in my back that bordered on stinging.
"What the hell..." My father took a step back, gripping the counter like a lifeline. His eyes were almost glazed over as he stared at my form. When I looked down at myself, my body was composed of illusory shadows that seemed to resemble tendrils, like writhing bugs. The knife in my hands had transformed into a large, blood-coated spear in a matter of milliseconds.
Around me, the kitchen melted into darkness, and ink-black pillars shot up from the ground. Above me, a spherical ceiling, bearing a crimson moon just outside the window could be seen. My father and mother looked around the environment, wide-eyed.
"What is this?" My father asked, his body uncharacteristically trembling.
I didn't take the time to respond. I raised the spear above my head, using the wings that had formed on my back to propel myself upwards, before bringing the spear down. I snapped awake, darting up in my bed in a cold sweat. Beside me, Shinso was still asleep, sleeping soundly regardless of his stomach problems. Inside my coat, which was hung on the rack beside my bed, the Blood-Moon Charm was buzzing loudly and shining brightly.
I reached into it and took it out, covering most of the radiant crimson light with my palms. The artifact had been buzzing like bees for an unknown point of time. But what primarily confused me was the dream that I had just experienced. At that moment, I suddenly felt the urge to relieve myself. Moving quietly, I slowly stood up, silently making my way to the bathroom and sitting down.
After a few minutes I stood back up from the toilet and pulled up my loose trousers. The lighting in the bathroom was insufficient for nighttime, as I almost tripped on the broom against the wall on the way out. When I caught sight of my reflection, I froze while my body turned pale. In the corner of the bathroom was the towering, hooded figure.
"We didn't finish last time." Their illusory voice sounded out, layered and complex. My body remained frozen, my limbs unable to move. I felt a strange—almost habitual urge to defend myself. After a few seconds of silence they spoke again.
"I must say your dreams are getting...bolder."
They remained in the corner, refraining from any sudden movements. I too remained as still as he was, it was like two statues were in the bathroom. Sweat began to gather on my face, like looking at the cloaked figure exposed to the heat of the sun.
"I'll ask you...t-this again..." The words left my mouth in a low, shaky whisper. "Who are you?"
At that moment, I blinked—and they were behind me. My heart tightened, and I closed my eyes tightly, grabbing a brush which had been sitting on the counter. With a mighty effort, I turned around and swung the item at the figure. My heart sank the moment I felt the object freeze midair, being telekinetically stopped mid-attack.
"Such actions aren't necessary for the time being." They said, the wormholes resembling their eyes lit up a little more, the crimson and black spirals reflecting my image.
"What do you want with me?" My voice was a pathetic, shaky whisper. I was too afraid to open my eyes, my body tensing even more as I backed into the corner.
Their gaze remained fixed on me, I could feel their presence in the room regardless of my vision. They let out a low sigh. "You received the necessary ingredients, did you not?"
"Huh?" I slowly opened my eyes, gazing at the shadowy figure. "Ingredients?"
"For the Apocalypse potion. You've been ready to ascend since this morning."
They snapped their fingers, and the bottle of red powder bolted out of my black coat pocket, zipping into the room and landing in the illusory, bony hand of the figure. They stared coldly at the small bottle for a few moments before looking down at me.
"All you need is to turn on the faucet." They extended their finger, pointing to the sink which was partially visible in the dim lighting. My hands seemed to move on their own. I felt like a puppet as I twisted both of the knobs, turning on the faucet. The warm water accumulated in the sink for about twenty seconds before they spoke again.
"Now inject the characteristic." They held out the vial of red powder in my direction. I slowly reached my hand out, my heart pounding in my chest as I took the object from them. I habitually thanked them, I was still terrified by their presence, so any gesture of thankfulness would surely appease them.
They didn't say a word as I unscrewed the cap and sprinkled the powder into the water. The water then turned a bright red color, much like the potions I had seen Ayumi and Shinso consume. I took a deep breath as I turned back to the figure, feeling a tiny more bit of confidence.
"Why...who...why are you doing this with me?"
I was taken aback when they knelt down, meeting me eye-to-eye. "You know why you want this."
"Huh?..."
They waved their left hand, I saw my environment turn illusory, complex and layered. Around me the bathroom diffused into darkness, and iron-black pillars erected from the darkness, standing at an infinite height. The floor beneath me was stone, and a long black rug with red swirl patterns led to a massive throne at the end of the chamber. Behind the throne was a pair of large stone wings.
"I don't know why I'm giving you the answer, when in reality you know it with your heart."
A ball of crimson energy descended from above, materializing out of nowhere. Within the sphere, I could hear noises and see faint images and shapes.
"Quirkless loser, maybe I'll only beat you until you're blue and not black just to save you some trouble."
"Have a good day, Mr. Nauseous."
My eyes widened when I caught sight of the repeated, familiar scenes. All of them were focused on me...and all the pain I had been feeling, every moment of guilt and deprecation.
"You come from a world where power defines your placement...but here..." They paused for a beat, and I felt the air around me gradually cool, and an inexplicable chin coursed down my spine.
"Power is a necessity."
My gaze remained fixated on the sphere of illusory light. Just then, another scene flashed by. My father was asleep in the chair, his body slumping. I approached him slowly, carrying the butcher knife in my right hand, which was trembling.
"I can't be a victim anymore..." I whispered, sticking the knife into my fathers throat.
The illusory sphere of light gradually faded, along with any trace of its existence. After a few seconds of silence, I turned back to the figure standing behind me. My voice trembled slightly as I spoke.
"You want me to drink that potion?"
The shadowy figure nodded as they waved their hand again. A transparent circular bottle suddenly appeared. It contained the glowing crimson liquid that seemed to look like blood.
"Unfortanlty the other Pathways that your companions had at their disposal weren't compatible with your spirituality. So this is the next best option."
Upon hearing this, I was instantly overcome with confusion. "Why this potion in particular, why the Apocalypse Pathway? That sounds...rather dark."
Just then they took two steps forward, their wormhole-like gaze never leaving my form. "I said power is a necessity in this world. You're merely a bug in the grand scheme of existence, the only way to defy this scheme is learning how. Everyone forges their own destiny."
The illusory, shadow-like figure handed me the potion of glowing crimson liquid. I paused for a few moments before hesitantly taking the bottle from their grip. When I did so, I felt a strange tingling in my hands as I held the potion up, observing it in the dim lights for a few moments. My environment gradually reverted to the previous bathroom, and the figures' reflection no longer appeared in the mirror—or in the real world.
"I don't want to be a victim." I whispered, bringing the bottle to my lips as I began gulping down the liquid. I gagged, almost dropping the bottle as I tasted the bitter, almost rotten flavor on my tongue. After I finished I felt like throwing up, but the Blood-Moon Charm quickly removed any of those side effects.
Just then, the familiar illusory voice sounded again in my ears, but their reflection wasn't seen in the mirror.
"Welcome, Doomweaver."