There was a stillness. A pitch black nothingness. However there was this voice of a child? The sound of wind blowing, the wind rushing, the seagulls gawking. But no sight, as if this sight was never supposed to be seen by the very eyes of those who dared to witness, but instead by those who wished to listen. The noise was reminiscent of a summer day, but the uncertainty was quite uncomfortable.
The voice of the little child grew louder.
"Hey big sis! When can we live in that palace?"
Who was this child? Color began bleeding through the darkness of this sightless scene. Revealing only the sandy beach, the toes of a little girl dancing throughout the wet sand.
Her face was unable to be seen, as if looking at her face was a blind spot that never should've been seen by anyone in the world. There was only one information about the little girl. It was simply a child. Who seemed no older than 12, in a grey patient gown.
Within the blink of an eye, the smell of blood and corpses filled the sinuses. Until another flash, and there was a puddle of blood. The same little girl was reflected through the puddle. Her face is still concealed by the blindspot. She spoke in a tone so calm, yet so lifeless to the point where it can wither any flower nearby.
"Hey… Was it all worth it? I've already died.. Why go through all this misery to kill one man, Big Sis?"
Satoya sprang up, his breathing was too quick, his heart beat too rapidly, and he was sweating profusely. He still felt shaken. He was unsure what that "Dream" was." When he tried to remember the whole thing, it grew more hazy, more vague. As if whatever he's reaching, it slowly escapes his grasp endlessly.
He made a brief groan as he got up. Surprisingly, he adjusted to the disgusting smell of this dungeon of a lab. However he is well aware he is likely not adjusted to seeing a decomposed corpse or freshly killed body.
He isn't really sure on how long he's been in this lab, but based on context clues, or well, his "sleep schedule." This is according to his estimations, his 2nd day.
However, after Julius, the man who told Satoya to basically off himself was strangled mercilessly by Yurina, Satoya felt that maybe..He shouldn't trust anyone? Well, quite frankly he should've figured that out sooner. Although Satoya justified the murder in front of him, as someone saving him from being corroded alive.
He still remembered that shortly after, Roland peeked through the door, then chuckling ever so slightly. Afterwards, he simply ordered Yurina to help him find something called "Trojan Male A448." Before he could even ask what that was, Yurina already left.
But if Roland is potentially across this grotesque disgusting filth of laboratory, Satoya would think it might be rational to go around finding information on this whole area, and perhaps the actual background of Roland.
Satoya begins opening every cabinet he can find, rummaging through garbage. Occasionally he would touch something mushy and wet, and nearly vomit from the assumption of it being flesh.
I'm surprised how I'm not being forced to do any experiment. But I realized how I'm not minding this stench.. Am I going insane?
He eventually found a journal. Or what's left of it. So he began frantically flipping through pages. These pages were wet, likely soaked in some ungodly odorless chemical. Some pages of this journal were simple sketches, some were just smeared in a putrid light red liquid that gave him the urge to throw the journal across the room, yet had no choice but to power through.
He briefly skimmed past a page with words written all over it. The handwriting was quite professional, like overly, and was something that would be written by a professor of a university.
"Im a fucking historian, and I'm not mistaking it, that blonde haired man is Saeonius Roland. Yet why is he alive? A disaster cannot end without the Cataclysm dying? How in the world did he cheat death?"
Upon reading this, Satoya was reminded of this system or belief. That like what he read, a Cataclysm had to be killed, or deceased for the Disaster of that time or era to truly end. Even if the Cataclysm hasn't done anything evil, they must be killed.
Thinking of it now, Satoya can't help but ponder. Is it possible for a loophole? Why not just make a Cataclysm be trapped or imprisoned, then no disaster can happen aside from the one occurring in that moment? Of course, Satoya would likely receive one hell of a lesson about history from Edward or maybe even Kohayuki. So he just took that question and pushed it to the back of his mind.
______________________________________
I can't help but ponder. Is this draft of the story even good? I'm wasting all that effort, all those countless drafts of this simple story just to fulfill a goal. Everytime I write, I can't help but repeat the same words that I had already written prior to that very scene. I can already tell this draft is failed. Yet I have no choice but to keep going. I must fulfill these endless attempts to write a draft perfect enough to eradicate The Black Star.
_______________________________________
Satoya decided to creep open the door, barely letting a small gap open to peek through the crack and analyze the surroundings. Upon realizing there was no one in sight, he immediately left the room and went to explore further.
Room F490:
This room was clean, maybe too eerily clean. Upon opening the cabinets, Satoya realized that.
Every single drawer in this lab room contained a bisected part of a human body. There was surprisingly no odor, aside from the odor of the hallways itself. Satoya began to walk around, searching the counters, and even the computers that somehow worked.
The computers however required a password, that of course, Satoya didn't know. And so, Satoya had no choice but to leave this room for the next.
Room F468:
The last 22 rooms Satoya went in, were filled to the brim with the foul stench of rotting corpses and chemicals that Satoya vomited several times after opening these rooms. One of the rooms was filled with the hanged corpses of people in clothing that looked quite like the locals of Rieamaius.
However this room was a viewing room. With nothing but a poorly cleaned up bloody window. There was also a notebook in the center of a large desk that was attached to the window.
The notebook had no name, yet the contents were quite disturbing, despite the handwriting being extremely neat compared to the environment. Satoya skimmed through the pages.
Page 17:
"Discovered that there is a small possibility of being able to extract the consciousness of the deceased. However I must test this further."
Page 20:
"If only there were a direct explanation on what The Ceaseless Network theory is, instead of the vague "The Theory on consciousness conceived by the Cataclysm of the 11th Disaster."
Page 33:
"Had successfully transferred the consciousness of a male to a freshly deceased Wrehtched. The Wrehtched was only alive for a mere 18 seconds before dying."
Page 40:
"I wonder. Is it possible to extract the consciousness of someone who isn't alive anymore? I was able to transfer that male's consciousness to a Wrehtched by replicating a process that [The rest of this page was smudged by blood]"
This was unfortunately the last page that contained anything. The notebook still had another half worth of pages to document things. So it must mean that this sort of "research" was performed quite recently, considering the blood smudge isn't dried fully.
Satoya looked ahead, cautiously peering through the window, but discovered that there was nothing in there. The only noteworthy thing about the room the window overlooked was a sterile room.
Satoya decided to leave, but took a mental note regarding that notebook's contents. Although he had no one to really speak to regarding it, his only option was Yurina, but he isn't exactly sure if he should put his whole trust in someone who killed a man in front of him in cold sweat, while also telling him "a Truth Seeker isn't supposed to be here."
He found it very odd about how no one found him. However the incomprehensible size of this place is likely the reason. So he assumed he must be somewhere far from anyone or potentially across everyone.
Room F500:
This room was a typical lab room. And unlike the rest of the last rooms, this one was… Strangely ordinary?
But ordinary in a place that is far deranged from that term is already weird enough. So Satoya explored this with even more caution.
If only I had my katana, but I don't know where I left it, did Roland take it?
Satoya saw a sheet of notebook paper. Next to it was a small firearm. He looked at the gun, and due to him having no knowledge regarding "what type of firearm is this." "What bullets does this gun need?" So Satoya just left it alone. But the sheet of paper was the most peculiar.
4/02/10023
"I had enough. The voices of guilt flood my mind. I can't speak. I can't see.
ALL I SEE IS ROTTING FLESH
ALL I SEE IS BLOOD
ALL I SEE IS SIN
ALL I SE
Could it be the doing of that thing?"
Satoya heard the creaking noise of something behind him. And instinctively spun behind him.
Leaning against the counter. With his blood stained blonde hair, his morbid smug smile, and his lab coat blemished in the color of crimson. was Roland, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. In an optimistic tone, that managed to sound barely hollow, he spoke.
"Interesting location to be residing in."