Taking light steps, the two gently walked down to the floor below. Leiji came up behind him, standing straight up with no ounce of effort in trying to conceal his presence. Jimi pointed down as he went to go hug the wall, then in a swift and fluid motion dived down the railing, his rear gliding against the cold metal bar. Leiji took efficient, but somewhat slow steps as he walked carefully down the staircase. By the time he reached the bottom floor Leiji saw a shivering Jimi, his face turning grey. A horrid look was smeared over him, and just as Leiji came closer to examine his friend he noticed something in the corner of his eye. The hall was smeared with bloodied feces and the dismembered limbs of children just around the same age as Jimi and Leiji. Two large babies, like malformed grapes with rosy tusks, sat at the end of the hall, stacking heads as they giggled. Leiji and Jimi stared in horror as the two were recognising the faces that looked on at them. Jimi slammed to his knees, vile liquid gushing out his mouth as he panted in fear.
Dear God, what the fuck is going on. Jimi thought this as painful tears trickled down, his hyperventilating quickened and sweat began to sting the eyes. A hand was gently placed on his shoulder, Leiji looked at Jimi, the two would simply stare at one another. Both of them shaking violently, the amount of water pouring from them could fill a pool. Time of silence was soon closed as the two large babies twisted their heads around giggling as blue blood seeped from their optics. The widening smiles gleamed as the blood merged into the blood of Leiji and Jimi's compatriots, the purple liquid dribbling across the floor.
"W-w-what do we do?" Jimi whispered.
"…I…don't, I don't know. Hey Jimi, you were a really great friend to have," responded Leiji as the fear had fully sunken in and Leiji passed out cold.
A gunshot rang down the hall as one of the babies' heads blew apart, its internal matter spraying over, mixing into the puddles of rancid decay. As Jimi's body shook, thumping steps rippled behind him. A smoking barrel, the gun was held by a young woman with multiple scars rolling across her face. Wiping his face, Jimi could clearly see who it was.
"Laziryth…?" Jimi said. Just when he did, another figure came from behind in a sweeping flash eradicating the second baby without Jimi even figuring how it could have possibly died. "Hah…of course…it's you. Meti."
"Yo, Jimi. Laz, grab Leiji. C'mon Jimi, let's go, I'll show you my safe spot," Muriel Methuselah said with a charismatic smile. His shoulders pronounced an air of intimidation and comfort, a roaring energy that matched no other that Jimi had ever met. Like a lion that encompassed Sola Ute's light, a bright wave of force.
No wonder they call him the Chosen One. Jimi thought.
After recuperating and sitting in a seemingly large custodian's closet, Jimi asked as he looked over at the girl sitting beside him.
"Laziryth, what happened to you?"
"…Dime is dead, and I don't know where Mikel is." She gently scratched at her scars as Meti opened a can of beans whilst Leiji laid to the side.
"Want some Jimi?"
"Umm, no I'm alright…"
"Still a little shaken up, huh? Well that's completely normal. I'll cut straight to the chase then. Jimi we have no way of getting out of here…only the key to whomever has placed this veil over the island can get us out of this situation."
"What do you mean?"
"It would be difficult to explain to you now, but put it simply, somehow all the students who go to this academy are slowly being brought into a connective world."
"I still don't get it? Laziryth, you understand what he's been talking about?"
"Just let him finish Xyken," Laziryth said with agitation.
"Ya Jimi, give me sec, you'll understand soon. Just think of it like this, a thin candy coating has been slowly leaking onto all of us, each of us will let the coating harden at different times. Once hardened though, we arrive in the school. This way our consciousness is connected to the perpetrator's world. Resulting in us being in a dreamlike plain without our real bodies."
"Wait if that's the case, then…"
"Hold on, I was just about to get there. Although this is a dream-like world, to some degree it could even be a controlled collective consciousness between all of us. The very fact is, it connects our minds here. So once we die here, we'll die for real. I've been here for a couple of days. Our bodies only last so long here. Which brings us to the second problem both me and Laziryth have come across."
Jimi was speechless, there was nothing to save him from this nightmare.
"And what would that be…?" Jimi asked, already giving up.
"Look at Leiji."
"Ya, what about him?"
"When someone falls asleep here, they turn to dust and leave."
"What! We have to wake him up! What are we doing?"
"Sit! Relax, one doesn't die if they sleep. Once they wake up they come back here. The problem is, no recollection of the outside world comes in."
"What do you mean?"
"Just as I said, when you sleep you disappear from the dream, yet when you come back you remember nothing in the outside world."
"Then how did you figure out all the other shit you just told me?" Jimi said frustratingly.
"I can only remember prior to arriving here, but once I arrived here I no longer have any new experiences outside. We tested this with a few others. Laz experiences the same thing. Now that leads to Leiji," Meti pointed as Leiji began to get up and rub his eyes.
"Leiji!"
"Ugh, are we dead yet."
"No, not at all," Jimi responded with tears in his eyes.
"Why are you so emotional today?"
"Sup Leiji," Meti said.
"Who's he?"
"Huh? Hey you serious? How can you not know who I am?"
"Let's be honest, Meti, you're probably the least known," Jimi mentioned.
"Laz, back me up."
"I'm in the same class as them, how could I?"
"You damn brats. Well then, I guess I'll introduce myself, it is I after-all, the great, charming, golden skinned warrior of justice and valor—"
"Why are you so long winded and cringe, Jimi, is this guy really our upperclassmen? He seems foolish."
"Well?" Jimi pointed.
"You…I swear, if only I didn't get held back…well whatever, my name's Muriel Methuselah, but you can just call me Meti. Some folk also call me by the title The Chosen One!"
"Wow, that's incredibly embarrassing. Does this not give you heart palpitations with how cheesy you're being?"
"Does he always talk like this?"
Jimi shrugged, Meti looked long as his expression turned serious.
"Alright, anyway, let me get you up to speed."
About an hour went by as the four rested. That's when they decided to head out.
"Jeanne huh? I've heard of him, seems like an interesting guy."
"I'm surprised you don't think he's weird," Laz said.
"You don't like him, Laziryth?" Jimi asked.
"I just don't get how you all hang with such a violent nutjob, at least Yaffa is cute."
"Girls…" Jimi mumbled. "Ow! What the hell."
"I should've never saved you."
"Both ya cut it out. Man I swear, kids."
"Stop calling us kids, you're not much older," Jimi said.
"Ya right. I'm eighteen, to me y'all are children."
"Give me a year and a half and I'll be considered an adult."
"Hah! Alright…, but let's get quiet now. I haven't scoped the entire floor yet."
"Most people are already gone," Jimi motioned.
"Ya I know, Laz, quarter circle—"
A beam of light zipped around the corner and in the flash of seventh second Leiji was vaporized. In an instant his body vanished into dust.
"Shit!" Meti shouted.
Laziryth pulled up her shotgun as swiftly as she could. Tears rushed out as Jimi screamed hysterically, his blood shot eyes popped as his teeth crushed onto each other. Then a buzzing ring quelled him immediately, an odd wave focused into his vision as the ringing got louder and louder, soon everything went white.
Rubbing his eyes Jimi yawned and smacked his alarm on his nightstand. Rolling out of bed he got dressed appropriately, but quickly stopped, tears flushed his face.
"What the heck. Man, why am I crying like this."
As he opened the door to exit his room an overall only wearing individual with a cabbage as a head stood near the window watching him leave. Once Jimi was gone, the cabbage whistled to the birds, the birds chirped back and the golden ray of light made the room glow.
On the beach stood a man with a unicycle for a head, he was nude, the only thing covering up his frontal genitalia and leaving all else bare, was a simple pinwheel. How that pinwheel stays attached is unknown. Yet it exists, the spinning running with the coming breeze as the smell of burning cabbages perfumed the air. The briny ocean seasoning it well while the unicycle head wistfully frolicked across the sandy field. Skipping above the ignited vegetables, he zoomed around in circles, twirling till the sky turned grey. Booming lights shuttered in the air, the ignited twirls blossomed more and more, till waterspouts formed from the ocean. The pinwheel was twirling, and in the gang of winds the unicycle head popped out a lamp post from behind him. Where behind him? That is unknown. Yet he takes the post and floats into the air, flying off with the winds, using his lamp to slide along the skies.
In the classroom water slapped the glass every so often. The rumbling of nature shook the building. It was getting cold and a slight rumor had spread in this chilling morning about how students below them went on a sudden field trip. Jimi was pondering this, not paying much mind to the white noise from outside, or the freezing bars of his seat. An odd chill of deja vu scurried up his neck. By the time class came to a close the teacher announced something that shook Jimi's bones more than anything else.
"The school year hasn't been too long, but because of a multitude of reasons and resources. Some of the younger students will be partaking in some of our classes as the size is quite small. Though a month has gone by, the Council announced this to be a way to save time and money. So please get along from tomorrow, dismissed," he said in a dry almost Leiji like monotone.
What? How could that be? He's acting like there weren't more than a hundred students. Impossible. Ah! My head is pounding, damn!
"Leiji seems alright," he whispered, "but, was all that really a dream," he mumbled even quieter. "Hey Leiji, y-you remember anything from last night?"
"Like what."
His dry demeanor is back, plus his eyes look as lifeless as usual. Haah, maybe it really was all a dream. But it couldn't be, could it?
"L, Ya know how many students are below us, or more likely how many are in Jinu, Yaffa, and Judar's class?"
"Hmm, I don't know who the Judar guy is, but if we're speaking purely on Jinu and Ya…"
"Wait! Stop right there. What the hell do you mean you don't know who Judar is?" Jimi shouted as he squeezed Leiji's shoulders.
"U-umm, could you let go of me, it kinda hurts."
"A-ah, sorry," Jimi then took a step back trying to calm his breathing.
Seriously what's going on, is this still a dream, or is… What would Hoyes think if…
"You do know who Hoyes is right?" Jimi said in a panicked and somewhat harsh tone.
"Ah ya, don't know anybody who doesn't know him. He's in the same class as Joe."
"O-okay, good. Then you should know he has a brother as well don't ya?"
"Umm, not really, pretty sure he said he was an only child."
"What?" His shivering began to beat with the rhythm of the storm, sweat as cold as ice trickled out of him. "That can't be…" Jimi said, sounding as if he were about to cry. "T-then could ya answer my question from early?"
"Umm, sure, but like, are you okay? You don't really look well."
"I'm fine," sounding almost breathless.
"Well I believe the number is a little less than twenty if we count each class in that level, but if we just had to say anything about Yaffa or Jinu, then only one other person should be in their actual class if I remember correctly. With all that being said, you really don't look alright. I don't really get what's going on, but maybe we should head to the nurse."
"A-ah, y-ya, maybe, of course, I think I just need to lie down a sec…umm actually hang on a moment." Jimi rushed over to Laziryth's desk, his quick pace was uncanny as his stomach crumpled into knots. Touching her shoulder a swift swivel made Jimi's body panic as he stepped back fearfully.
"What do you want Xyken?"
"I-I don't know…"
"Tch, well then leave me alone…"
Neither Dime or Mikel were sitting near like usual, a sharp pain awoke within him as he looked strongly at Laziryth's face till his mind finally realized what was wrong.
"Scars…"
"What? Seriously, what do you want Xyken, is this another of your dumb pranks. Unlike the rest of the girls, I don't have time to tolerate your nonsense."
Ignoring her completely, Jimi looked at the splattering rain against the windows. His reflection peered back at him. His sharp angular features were warping with the water.
"I'm ugly…"
Respectfully to most, Jimi was quite average, but within his mind he viewed his appearance far beyond others. For the first in his entire life, Jimi Xyken acknowledged a flaw of his.
"Why is my face so pointy, my eyes are so squinty…Laziryth has no scars…Leiji isn't dead…my god…it was all a dream after all."
The remaining classmates looked on at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Uh, Jimi, maybe we should take you to the nurse," Leiji suggested.
"Hmm, sure…"
The two then headed downstairs to the very bottom floor, passing by the office of the principal, then the trophy rack, and so on, doors seeming to continue forever on the first floor. Finally they reached the nurses' office. It was quick proceedings and Jimi was then allowed to lie on a bed only comfortable for someone who's never slept on a real bed.
I don't get what's going on at all. Does this mean they're all dead. Yet rumors of a field trip, but now an announcement and Leiji. It all sounds like there were never hundreds of students. How though, this just doesn't seem possible, should I have maybe asked Jeanne. Leiji was with me in the dream, and although his demeanor was somewhat off from what I'm used to, it still felt way too real. Does this mean the people who died back then, did Judar die then, but how? Well obviously how, he got eaten by a baby, or something. Just how is it possible to get rid of someone's entire existence. Seems even Hoyes isn't aware, should I ask him as well. Hoyes has always given me the creeps though, so I don't know. If someone else was aware of what was going on, would they speak up. Probably not, and if I say anything, it will just sound like I'm crazy. I feel like I'm missing something, missing someone. I'll take my luck then, I'll talk to Hoyes.
The building was shaking and the ceiling lights began to flicker as a gushing wave of water crashed through the window drowning the entire room. Bloody mist was swirling through the ocean's pinky as Jimi looked at the now apparent corpses of his school nurses and assistant students.
Fuck, this ain't a dream.
Holding his breath to the best of his ability and leveraging himself with the momentum of the waves. He smashed through the door riding on top of the continuous flow of water. Rolling down the hall with bodies crashing into him, bursting when blasted by the ferocious forces as they collided. He tucked in letting the chunks splatter the ceiling and walls, dying the waters red, it began to burn his eyes till he fell through the gym corridor. Slowly stopping, damp and in pain, Jimi waddled across the hardwood as he glanced back. Like an invisible wall had been set, the rushing river couldn't reach him, as it seemed to ignore the open door way entirely. Yet Jimi didn't look pleased as what was in front of him seemed even worse. A bright hot light that crackled, its body jittering with bolts of lightning. Shaped like two tigers twisted to become one, its double fanged head roared with a deafening thunder. Barely noticed within the light of fear, a man with a lion's mask, which was quite the cute mask. A poorly tucked in button up, a scraggly tie, skinny jeans, and two oversized sneakers. The lion's eyes pointed with lines across the gym. Instinctively Jimi followed those lines as bolts of lightning seared the gym apart, branches of fire erupted. The storming beast rolled through, melting the ceiling as Jimi shakily dodged the large blobs of liquid metal. Smoky holes forced Jimi to dance ever more around the gymnasium with claws of hyperactive molecules crashing over his head. Burning his hairs, incinerating his clothes, but his bizarre natural skill slowly slumped as his nonathletic frame finally fell. Giving way to the sweaty wobble of an exhausted teen. Jimi could no longer see the lion masked man. Shaking the gym around him, the ground beneath became hot, a flash passed through Jimi's chest. The sound zoomed out and all that was left to be heard was the sizzling of human flesh.
Jimi's body snapped back against the wall, his consciousness fading, soon his body drifted into a dark room. A young man a few years older in appearance sat on a chair, its back facing Jimi as the man leaned his arms over the neck. His figure was hard to make out in the shadows of the room, yet Jimi instinctively knew.
"Fachtna…" Jimi whispered, his breath going cold.
Fachtna, one of the five most dangerous people on the island. Technically six by some people, but he's definitely one, no doubt about it. From what Joe has mentioned, his epithet is the Fear.
"H-how did I…?"
"Relax…" Fachtna said with a cool tone. His chin resting on his arms as he stared with abyssal eyes.
"How did I get…? Can you explain what's going on? If you can't, just let me leave."
"Hmm…I see where you're coming from, youngest Xyken. Did you know my birthday was yesterday?"
"That isn't really necessary for me to know. I just want an answer to my question," Jimi's face then wrinkled in frustrated irritance.
"This is important. If I don't tell you, other than my secretary, who would listen. Now-now, before you try to interrupt me, just listen. Time is fixed in the reality we are living in, so you don't need to worry about anything. If you have a dentist appointment, you'll make it in time. You might not be able to tell, as it's quite dark, but I'm blind. I'm not blind naturally though. As you may have thought, my epithet is Fear. One must lose a sense to gain one. Now my secretary will help you. If you're wondering why I'm doing this, then I'll ask that you ask Otus, see."
He then clapped twice and a bright flame flickered between the two, with Helen walking out of the shadows behind Fachtna. Handing seven cards and an envelope to Jimi. He stared quietly as he took the gifts.
"Are you the one who is manipulating the school?" I can't recall how I know this, but a similar feeling to that dream is the same as this place.
"Hmm, sorry, but I can't answer that. I'll say this, I'm not directly involved. In all honesty, it's more of a detriment to me…that's why I want to help ya out."
"…"
"Seems ya don't believe me."
I need to be smart, if he is involved then I need to take him out. If he's not lying then I need to figure out a way to get information out of him. Think Jimi, think… I got it.
"No, it's fine. So what are these?"
"Hmm, you're pretty sharp, expected of a Xyken. Anyway, life is hard enough… Helen here has the gift premonition. She can steal the memory of someone in the future and provide it on a piece of paper in the present. This is simply my gift to you, think of it as a thanks to Otus."
"Well when you compare this to everything else… What about this envelope though, it says I can't open it."
"Ah, I have no idea, to obtain this ability of sorts, Helen lost the ability to speak, so cryptic things such as that is something I have no idea on. For as I said before, I can't see. So whatever is on those cards is up to you to figure out."
"Haah, fine. Is this all? I'm getting creeped out."
"Hm, oh yes, if you're alright with everything, Helen will send you back…"
"Alright, well then, hurry…"
Bam!
Jimi's body was sent flying back as Helen's green eyes folded into the shape of butterflies. A soldering slice stole his sight and yanked his body up, whipping his neck forward. A cold sweat dampened his sheets as he kicked off his duvet.
"W-what the hell… H-how… I'm back."
He flicked his pained body, searching the room, it was his. Gripped tightly in his right hand were seven cards with bizarre symbols. The envelope laid across the glass table near the door.
Another dream, but it felt so real. T-the cards, I have to check the cards! Huh! What is this?
"These look ridiculous," Jimi muttered.
The first card was grey with a hand of five digits that had two thumbs and three ringed. An eye that was moving stapled in the palm. The second had a hammer and anvil. The third was a black sun with a white 'V' in the middle. The fourth was a thin serpent with bat wings and twelve eyes. The fifth was a sacrificial cross as a crown dangled over it with a clock in its center. The sixth was a bird's skull which cried six black feathered wings. The last one of the deck had a blank face with a tree that stretched from the neck like vine-like veins coming over the mannequin-esque face.
"What the hell are these? I thought he said they were memories from the future, how are any of these useful. I can't even tell if there is something I've seen that could even be somewhat correlated to any of these. Seriously, I'm getting jittery, my stomach hurts… I'll go eat something… Ah! Now that I think of it, shouldn't…damn, Mildred!" Jimi shouted.
Silence permeated for minutes. Not a sign of anything was happening.
"Shit! This is another dream. Then I'll just find a way to permanently get out of this weird loop."
He then stood up in a flash, rushing to his dresser and throwing on whatever was in front of him. He then pulled the door open, slamming it against the wall and sprinting down the hall, bolting towards the kitchen. Before he could enter though, he saw a chef with the head of a cabbage and fingers made of some sort of...
Molten rocks? Cabbage? Fuck me! He thought with a disgruntled look.
"Who are you?" Jimi asked.
"Me?" The cabbage pointed to his face with their slimy fingers.
Jimi nodded, the cabbage turned and removed his finger in the direction facing Jimi before speaking.
"I am who I am, what I am is what you are, and what I have in mind is you and you are. Be one and be none as they say. My lord god is no longer, my nibling, he's going to bring about a true God. Are you joining us futured Leo of Light?"
What is this guy talking about? I need to get out of here. Quick. Trying to run, space took still as Jimi stumbled over himself, fumbling to the floor like a well groomed deer. The cabbage chuckled.
"If you wish to leave, then you may, but know that we are all connected. Well, love ya the same. Try not to die, oh! But here is some advice before you—" Jimi threw his shoe, but it simply phased past Cabbage. "Well that was rude. I guess I gotta kill ya." Cabbage came forward as the walls around them began to crumble like separated snow. A black void filled the sight. Jimi bumbled up to his feet looking at the flaming eye in the middle of the cabbage. The vegetable's body consumed itself in malnutrition rock, burning bright as it spewed bubbling lava. A wave of heat came over Jimi, his skin melting whilst heroing screams sizzled his ears. Eyes falling apart, scalp deflating, his skull caving into his brain as it boiled; the souping of the brain cooked at literal blinding speed. Fingers folded over themselves as they merged into one another, his shouts of pain scraped the void as nothing he said could be heard. Jimi watched as he was dying.
Sitting back into his desk he looked over and saw Leiji appearing before him. The blazing corpses of his classmates leered at him. Their swift necks creaked over their chairs, the crackling flames engulfing his vision. Their soulful gaze of fire made his heart pound like lightning made by a metal drum in the most chaotic thunderstorm. He awoke once more in the cabin, then stood upon a mountain looking over the ocean. Saw hundreds of dead children on pikes, everything seeped in and soon left. Jimi could feel nothing, his broken mind shattered many times over. Blood could no longer nauseate him as his face could only express the world into the frightened beating of a small cat.
"Poor child, but time flows in ways we know not of. To control relativity, rummage your mind to find it."
Jimi got out of bed, his morning routine was simple, clean, and precise. He took his guitar off the wall. Reminiscing over how Leiji and him first met, how they talked to a clerk with a bizarre head, somewhat like a frog and somewhat like a magi. He fiddled with it, playing a couple chords. It was the first time the mansion would hear such somber playing, he was still. A lack of calm consumed him. Jimi couldn't express if it was anger, fear, maybe a mix or something else. The wilted strums were like that of a dying rock star stooping to his last.
"Man, I'm lonely."