The sun had arisen, its gentle, warm rays scattering over the town. Zack was sleeping calmly over his bed but suddenly he felt sunlight striking over his eye. He opens to see Ruis was the one brushing the curtains to the other side. Entering light on the whole room.
He gets up on his back, scrubbing his eyes as his gaze went over Ender's bed to see it was empty and perfectly tidy. Like he hadn't slept last night or had woke up early.
Zack leaned back to bed, his expression a bit worn out like he was recalling what happened last night.
***
"So what should we do now?"
Zack muttered, standing before him were Misha and Lisa. They were on the rooftop. It was quite night almost midnight, the blue moon shimmering its gentle beam over them like a crystal shard.
"Well time works a bit differently here right now on Earth, only a few hours would have passed."
Lisa mused, hearing that Zack's skin crawled.
"Damn it! We should act fast!"
"Quite yelling. Pufferfish."
He was completely bewildered by Misha's statement. It seemed like she had found a new name for him. Though her face was composed seeing the situation.
"Well I have a plan."
She declared, both got intrigued.
Moments Later...
Zack was strolling around a room, it was a modern style room aboard with everything modern in it. Even in his hand he had a phone and he was trying to video call in it. Trying to find the best lighting spot for a better call.
At last it connected, Zack took a deep breath. In it Anne's face appeared from the other side, she was delighted that he called her and didn't forget about it.
"Hello?"
Zack spoke in a raspy voice, bemused if she had heard him or not.
"Yes I can hear you."
She spoke in her gentle soft voice from the other side. Zack giggled like an idiot before showing around the room.
"Not bad. Now show the outside. I wanna see what your neighborhood is like.."
He moved the curtains to the other side and moved his phone closer to the window, careful not to drop it. It had a beautiful view, big houses and clean streets with street lights.
"Alright you can turn around."
Zack shoved his arm back and smiled in front of the camera.
"I like it, not that bad. Anyways, what time is it there."
She asked with a relaxed, easy tone.
"Uh.."
Zack looked around his surroundings and quickly turned his head towards the camera.
"11:38 PM."
He muttered, his voice almost cracked but he held it in, maintaining his composure.
"Ohhh. Well when did you arrive?"
"Around 10, sorry if I called you late."
"Ahh. No worries, it's only 10:38. Seems like you're an hour ahead."
Zack giggled, mirroring her who was also giggling on the other side.
"Well you should sleep early tonight, and make sure to wake up early tomorrow."
She spoke to her in her soft, gentle tone.
"Yeah. Alright."
Zack cut the call. Suddenly a portal appeared in front as soon as he did it. There Misha and Lisa came out of it.
"Perfect! Your plan really worked!"
Zack cried at Misha, relieved for a moment. Though Lisa wasn't much flustered about it, Misha kept her grave composure.
"Well.. It's a one time use. You know if she calls again it won't work."
She blurted out without care, Zack's face went apprehensive.
"So what can we do about it?"
He mumbled after a few seconds.
"Either leave it like that or tell her the truth."
Misha replied without a pause. Lisa was in between, watching where the conservation was going.
"Are you baiting? You know what will happen if she comes to know the truth."
Zack agitated.
"I know.. That leaves us the only way."
She continued without a pause.
"You have to accept and stay away, for her own safety."
The room went silent, still. Zack's eyes went to a deep thought. Lisa cleared her throat, trying to make things easy.
"Let's go."
Both girls went through the portal, Zack only noticed it when they're both gone and he came leaping.
The entire world was Misha's dimension. As every Astran has their own pocket dimension. She just renovated her world temporarily to this world structure.
[ Present Scene ]
Zack was still lying on his bed, lost in his own thoughts. His mind was flooding with so many thoughts he can't focus on one anymore. Until suddenly he heard unnatural echoes within himself.
– W e t o l d y o u. T h i s i s y o u r c u r s e.
They started getting louder, muttering in languages he can't understand. His ears started ringing as well, he clenched his hair. Shivering like he was on a fever.
"Go away!"
He screamed, at last they all stopped. Gasping for air he gets up and goes to the washroom. Ruis wasn't in the room.as he had already departed.
***
On the outside. Ender was strolling around the streets, he was completely nonchalant. Coming around the bridge side, seeing the water rippling over the surface as it was washing to the other side.
The breeze here was chilling cool as it struck Ender but he wasn't even flinched by it. His attention was elsewhere. Staring at the water where his reflection was distorted but still visible to the naked eye.
He stared there for a while, at his distorted reflection barely holding its appearance. Yet it was still there. After a while, he sighed and walked away.
***
The girls came to a room, their pace was hurried and the expression pasted over their faces showed signs of worry. It was a medical treatment room.
Iris was lying on bed with Leon beside her. His expression was unreadable.
Miss Rose was here too, scanning her body with a small scanner type machine in her hand. After a while, she took a pause and declared.
"Her spirituality is barely unstable, it's just the child is causing an unbalance between her spirituality and dimensionality. If not looked out properly it can cause more imbalance in the future."
She spoke almost mechanically. Leon covered his forehead.
"Ahhh Iris, I told you to take a rest."
He mumbled, tapping his forehead now. Iris shoved her hand and put it in Leon's hand.
"I'm sorry."
She spoke in a soft voice, her expression disappointed. At herself.
The girls were completely baffled by the situation because they didn't know anything about it. Someone had to ask it but didn't have the guts to, until.
"What even happened?"
Sara finally asked, shattering the silence from their side.
"She had some severe headaches these days and today she fainted while working."
Leon stated, continuing.
"I'd like to show you around, but I'm afraid I can't make it this time."
He said in a darkened tone. The girls didn't say anything, so did Miss Rose. Suddenly Leon's pearls spark like an idea had come to him.
"Why don't you ask your brother?"
Miss Rose was startled by this question.
"You know him... and you expect him to do this."
She spoke in a dull tone.
"Then we can just cancel the tour. Is that what you want?"
"Absolutely not. Just..."
She let out a hitch.
".. Fine. I'll talk to him."
"I will go."
Suddenly the door opened and Azon entered. Leon wanted to say something but keep his mouth shut.
~ Lurking around as always.
Though he did think about it.
Miss Rose was astonished, looking at his brother.
"You will?"
She murmured, unsure. What if her ears betrayed her? That's what she thought.
"I'm only stepping in to guide them on tour because they're completely unaware about this world."
He spoke mechanically, the girls had mixed up emotions lingering over their faces, though most of them were surprising and apprehensive.
"Can I go with you all?"
Lisa inquired, pleading with her face. Azon took a pause and declared.
"Alright. You can come, you're also a kid too."
Her expression went annoyed, irritated in an instant. Azon left the room. Miss Rose went after him.
"I'm so sorry. Because of me Leon isn't coming with you."
Iris spoke in a low and dismayed voice.
"It's okay. Mr Azon is coming with us and our tour hasn't been cancelled yet."
Misha spoke with her usual soft tone, offering her sweet smile.
"Where are the boys?"
Seeing Leon's question. Sara shrugged nonchalantly. He sighed.
"They're not here at this moment."
Lisa stated, Leon leaned to the chair. Misha leaves the room first then Sara after some time Lisa leaves.
***
Ruis was in a bar with Zack sitting before him. Both didn't have anything to do today so they just decided to come here in the end.
A waiter comes in and places two big wooden cups of beer.
Ruis effortlessly lifts it up and takes a sip. Then put it gently over the table.
"Just chill here, get drunk and reach enlightenment."
He spoke with a smirk to Zack who had a troubled expression as usual.
"I will try."
He lifts the cup and takes a huge gulp. Ruis was flustered seeing this. But then an idea flowed through his rippling thoughts.
"Hmmm.. Let's make it interesting. The last one standing doesn't pay a dime; the loser covers the tab."
Zack got excited and nodded.
"Waiter! Bring out more! The match is about to start!"
Ruis ordered, the people over the bar got intrigued to see who would win among both young men.
And they started drinking without stopping. 3, 7, 12, 20, 23...
"Hahaha! Look at you. Alr– ready dozzzing."
"Huh!? See yoursself brat! You– are over in twooo more!"
27, 32...
"Ahhhhhh... Crrrappp. E– nd it."
"Hehehehehe. Get it– brat?"
But Zack didn't stop. At last they reached till 38...
"Aghhh..."
"H– ell."
Ruis was the first to collapse, Zack fell a second after. The people on the bar exclaimed in cheers.
Moments Later...
"Dang it."
Ruis was washing his hands in front of the sink. They had reached home somehow.
~ How can I lose against him!? That kiddo! Arghhh!
He had some stains over his clothes where he fell down, so he was washing his shirt with detergent and water pouring from the sink.
~ They don't even clean the bar properly, dirtballs.
But suddenly out of nowhere, a weird, absurd thought flowed through his mind. Along with a weird sensation.
The cold water washed over his hands. The alcohol had mostly faded, leaving behind an unusual clarity. Ruis stared at the soap sliding across his fingers.
It was like he was seeing his hands rubbing the stain over his shirt with some detergent. But then were the hands him or just the flesh he had worn?
He couldn't answer the question about it.
~ Deep down what makes us truly us? The flesh? The bounds? The emotions?
~ Maybe the ugliness of emotions makes us what we are... or am I wrong? Did I make this illusion to prevent myself from seeing the truth?
Ruis took some steps back, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
~ I know I'm not from this world yet I'm no different than anyone here. Then what makes me truly me?
Suddenly a ripple of thought flowed within him. Rising up to the surface where he could hear it.
– Your consciousness.