Friday, May 22
10: 45 PM
Judecca(Location: South K-City, J-Line) <-> PAPARAGA(Location Unknown)
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
PAPARAGA:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
PAPARAGA:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA: <...YOU KNOW WHAT. I'M GOING TO END THIS CHAT BEFORE I BLOW UP AT YOU.>
>Chat End<
—------------------------------------------------------------
>Perspective: Peter Southpaw<
Move. That’s the one word pounding throughout my body, being screamed like a metal anthem inside my brain. I’m practically flying, as if my back sprouted wings, sending me farther and faster than I’ve ever sprinted. I turn left, right, right, left, left,right, and now I’m already back by Quake Street, far from my pursuer. I stop to rest in an alley, hiding to catch my breath. Fortunately, I know these streets better than him. There’s no faster route to this point that I can think of at this point.
“Hm. You are a fast runner.”
I jump, startled; turn around; and take an orthodox stance. But before I can throw a punch, I am completely caught off guard. It isn’t a punch or kick. It’s not a bite or kiss. It’s not a blow at all. In fact, what surprised me enough to leave me open was not even something with words: It was the things not expressed with them.
As I look on in horror, the man appears to be behind me, his lower half obscured by shadow. However, from any logical angle, the wall is in the way of where his legs would reasonably be. In fact, as I look closer…
He doesn’t have any visible legs at all.
This doesn’t seem to phase him, as he does finally take a swing. However, as I take the right hook to the jaw, something is strange. If the blow was any normal punch, it would have stung, but I wouldn’t be noting it. However, this blow felt… wrong. It was as if all the evil in the world had been concentrated into one point, and that point was the fist that just connected with my jawline. The blow knocks me back across the alley, and somehow, even across the street. I land across the way, in another alley wall.
—----------------------------------------------------
As I lay there, blood beginning to fall from the point where I was struck, a pounding sensation floods my head, as well as a thousand voices.
All of a sudden, another voice speaks out. A voice that isn’t mine.
I am alone, in the dark. I can't tell if Noctis had returned to finish me off, but…
I nodded.
I nod, more profusely this time, before stopping to clutch my head in pain.
—---------------------------------------------------------I open my eyes. In front of me, there is a dog. But not any dog. This dog is large, and black. It’s eyes are the color of blood, it’s mouth filled with razor sharp knives, it’s paws ending in shining daggers. I stare into it’s eyes, abandoning all logic…
But I am not afraid.
In this moment, at this time, I feel no fear. It’s as if it’s completely natural, like this was something I had waited for during my entire existence. It’s monumental, but not something I am unprepared for.
I stand up
and I walk to it
and I reach out
And it
—-----------------------------------------------------
I sit up in the alleyway. I don’t know how much time has passed, but it’s still night. I pick up my phone from my shirt pocket. Surprisingly, it’s still mostly intact, though the screen cover has practically turned to sand. I can barely make out anything through the particles of shattered glass. Thank goodness it protected my actual screen, though. I slowly peel back the cover and check the time: 2:30 AM.
Apparently, whatever happened, I passed out here. I reach to my head, and touch…
Dried blood.
Suddenly as my finger touches the blood, it all floods back. The fear, the confusion, and….
The black dog.
OKAY WHAT THE-
Okay. The voice is back. Why is the voice back.
What. Who is this “he”?
Not at all. Now, are you going to explain why I can hear you, or what?
…
I pause. Normally, I’d disagree. I don’t believe in that crazy stuff. It wouldn’t make sense for magic or monsters to exist…but I now have a very painful piece of information that disproves that disbelief.
Can you STOP reading my thoughts, please?
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
I don’t want to communicate with you, I want you to communicate to me what’s going on!!!
Spirit, huh…..Yep. I’m certain now.
I am now convinced I have received severe brain damage from that strike. I mean, in what world does ANY of that make sense?! This other voice is probably just some sorta representation of trauma I cooked up to cope with how hard I just got punched. Actually, maybe I’m still unconscious, and this is all in my head! I must have passed out when that hat weirdo turned to me. I just hope he brought me to some sort of hospital.
…What?
Better than just living out my life on the assumption that MAGIC EXISTS.
…true.
And a hospital.
Why would- I pause. My head doesn’t hurt anymore. The dried blood was from earlier, right as I received the blow.
Whaddya mean, “I can”? I’m no magician, dude.
What…?
Wha- hold on. A contract? Like, a job contract? I didn’t sign anything for any job contract.
And that’s something I would contract even less with. I sigh and stand up, brushing myself off. As I stare into a window pane using moonlight to reflect my face, I make a note to go wash myself off first. That's when I see it: A figure standing in the end of the alleyway. I’ve had enough of these weirdos popping up already.
Of course it is. Still, I take an orthodox stance.
“Ah! Peter. Just the man I was hoping to see.”
I relax a bit, but keep my guard up. It’s just Strange Guy A, from back at the boxing ring. Still, why is he here?
“Are you alright?”
Strange Guy A begins to step forward. I raise my fists slightly. Not letting him get the drop on me.
“Fine, thanks for asking.”
“Are you certain? That seems to be a dreadful wound…”
“I’ve had worse.”
“Then by any chance, have you seen a man in a black trench coat and hat nearby…?”
“Yeah. Where’d you think I got this papercut?”
“Then I’d doubt that’s a papercut.”
“Doesn’t sting as bad.”
Strange Guy A bursts out laughing. “As tough as ever.”
“I’m serious. Where do I know you from?”
“Hm. So you weren’t poking fun at me earlier…you seriously don’t remember.” Now, he’s somber. “Strange. If you healed that wound…Then you’ve awakened?”
“...uh, I’m noticeably awake.” What the hell does this guy want?
He laughs again. “Not to consciousness, Peter.” His face becomes more contemplative. I’m starting to notice this guy shifts a lot. “Hm… yes, it’s coming off of you now. More thickly than before, that energy.”
Energy? What the heck is he talking about?
“It might be easier to show you. Things like these are more easily shown than explained…” Strange Guy A closes his eyes, and raises his hands.
I take a guard position. Strange Guy A claps his hands together, then begins chanting in Latin. His hands proceed to take on a complex pattern of signs, as if weaving together an intricate ritual from thin air. Naturally, I begin to slowly back away. Before I can escape, however, a strange mark appears on the ground between us, illuminating the dark alleyway with an eerie purple glow. Behind me, I feel something closing, as if escape has become impossible. In turn, the alleyway becomes darker, yet darker, until all I can see is the mark, and the boy creating it. All of a sudden, I feel a strange pressure, weighing me down with it’s intensity. The mark on the ground widens and draws up a magic circle surrounding the boy, me, and all we can see; and thousands of bolts of deep purple lightning emanate from it, zipping past me like bullets. At once, my hairs stand on end. It feels like some sort of deep energy itself is being channeled into the area, like something bad is going to happen, determined to happen…
Strange Guy A suddenly stops chanting, his hands returning to his sides. All at once, the experience ends. The magic circle disappears, the sights of the alleyway and the star-and-moon-lit sky return, and the weight lifts off of my shoulders. Despite it all, I’m still rattled.
“Hm. That reaction….Yes, now I’m certain. You were subject to it, meaning you have Spirit.”
I can’t help but think out loud. “...so that’s what that voice was talking about…”
The boy tilts his head slightly. “You know, I’m aware that Magic Circle was intense, but…you don’t have to keep your guard up.”
I realize that I’ve been in a guard position since the head voice-
-..Sure, whatever. Since the “Familiar” called out to help. I take down my guard. Something tells me it wasn’t all that useful.
Strange Guy A chuckles a bit, cocking his head. “Hm. How amusing, this all is.”
“What? What’s so amusing?”
“That you, of all people, were the one to find Noctis first. It’s lucky you awakened tonight, or you’d be in quite serious trouble.”
“I’m pretty sure I was in serious trouble. That guy’s attacks were…off. They felt…”
“Like a concentrated evil, so deep and dark that it was beyond anything you could fathom?”
I pause. “...How’d you know that?”
“It’s the same power I used just now. Well, the same type of power. Of course, mine is different from his.”
“...”
Something tells me this guy is hiding something from me.
Man, I’m not used to doing that. Do you have, like, an off button?
Strange Guy A chuckles again.
“What’s so funny?”
“Your expression, it just became irritated. Judging by that, and your Spirit signature, you must have contracted with a demon.”
Huh. Guess I wasn’t hallucinating the voice in my head.
What even are you?
Ugh. You’re not any good.
“A demon? What’s that?”
Strange Guy A…man, he’s weirdly giggly. He smiles, a strangely offputting sight.
“The energy I used just now to create that Magic Circle…it’s called Kegare. It’s a power born from the darkness of the soul, something that all people have. However, as you may have noticed, normal people are incapable of using it. So, where does that darkness go?”
“I dunno…outward, I guess…? What does this have to do with demons?”
“Wonderful. You’re a fast learner. It exits the body passively. But, that energy can’t disappear, as per natural laws.”
“What does this even have to do with demons?”
“Well, Kegare is constantly exiting the bodies of billions of humans around the world. Where do you think it goes?”
“...You’re not answering the question.”
“It exits the physical realm.”
“But you just said it can’t disappear, idiot!”
Another chuckle. “I did, didn’t I? That’s because it isn’t disappearing. It goes somewhere else. I believe the proper term is Yomi, the underworld.”
The…underworld? Like, from mythology? The place where souls go when they die?
I’m supposed to believe in literal HELL MAGIC now?
Am I tripping?
“What?”
“When Kegare reaches Yomi, it collects and pools. Then, from the primordial soup of all of humanity’s darkness…they emerge.”
“They….?”
“Demons. They are a reflection of our dark desires, our fears, our hatred. They emerge from the depths of our subconscious, blacker than darkness.”
“...okay. Now I KNOW I’ve gone mad.”
“Hm. Well, if you’ve gone mad, I’d ask you to permit me something.”
“What?”
“Now that you exist in our world, you’ll need the training to survive it. There’s more sorcerers, like me and Noctis. Now, your soul is engulfed in darkness. If you wish to survive…you will have to dive headfirst into that darkness.”
“...How do I do that?”
“Very good, Peter! That fearlessness! It may lead to your end, but it could also serve you well. Hold on to that courage!”
“...I’m not interested in courage or praise. Just tell me what to do.”
The boy stops smiling. “There’s somewhere you have to go.” He hands me a business card, with a name and address.
“Magatsu Metropolitan Technical High-” I groan. “A school? You want me to transfer mid-May?”
“Actually, I want you to begin next year!”
“And when does that start?”
“June 1st!”
I begin glowering. “Dude, that’s in 10 days. You want me to transfer schools in 10 days?!”
“You would do that for an old friend, wouldn’t you…?”
“I don’t recognize you! We’ve been over this! Either tell me who you are, or go away!!!”
“Hm. Fine. I’ll take my leave. Still, consider it…Peter.”
Strange Guy A finally turns to leave, leaving my head swimming in thoughts. I have no clue if what he’s saying is true or not, or even to what degree. I look down at the postcard again, but before I can reread the address to look it up…
“A shame you don’t recognize your old friend Lucas McAcre.”
The second it exits his lips, the name hits me like a bullet to the head. How? What? Why? Huh? I reach out to stop him, to ask him the thousands of questions I’ve built up in this place over those years, but…he’s already left. And now I’m alone again.
How- why- wha-
What?
—-----------—----------------------------------------------
>Perspective: Peter<
As I finally get home to my apartment, I look around the place. It’s got pretty much anything a teenager would need to live alone. Technically, I’m a “ward of the state”, since my dad’s too sick to take care of me, but we managed to work a deal out like this, mainly because I wanted to visit him in the hospital and he got sick about a month ago. Also definitely helps that there aren’t any orphanages in the nearby town, and my social worker is weirdly chill.
The apartment is rather clean, a result of several Saturday mornings spent cleaning it. My dad and I aren’t slobs, but we aren’t the cleanest people around either. Did help a whole lot when we got a Roomba a few years ago.
I step into the kitchen to alleviate my hunger. It’s too late to make the rice I wanted, but I can at least put together a sandwich. Getting 2 slices of bread from the fridge, I put some butter and jam on each side, and then slap them together. I also get a glass of milk. It tastes nice. Now, I can go off to bed.
I go off to bed to deal with the headache I’ve accrued. It almost sounds like I’m hearing voices.
Okay, the tinnitus agrees.
…Is there any way to get you out of my head?
Only because you won’t shut up.
Not now. I’m too tired to think up a conversation.
…Ugh. Fine.
I walk to my bedroom, take off my shoes, and crawl into the covers, never to be heard from again….
Until tomorrow morning, I guess.
As I slowly drift off, my fingers trace the edge of the notecard. I might as well look into this. At the least, maybe I can get this voice to shut up…
Hey, since when were you allowed to narrate?!
—------------------------------------------------------------------------
SuperChat Log
Saturday, May 23
3: 01 AM
Judecca(Location: South K-City, J-Line) <-> PAPARAGA(Location Unknown)
Judecca:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca: <...>
PAPARAGA:
Judecca:
PAPARAGA:
Judecca: <...I couldn’t find him...>
PAPARAGA:
Judecca ended the chat while PAPARAGA was typing.
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Although, it's less of a "prologue", and more of an "intro"...