Author: Destiny
Our Discord: https://discord[dot]gg/WfKqjeXN {replace [dot] with '.'}
i. Hope born from despair
...
"If our memories make us who we are...what is it that remains when the memories are not our own?"
"Ala..."
"Alaric..."
"HEY ALARIC!"
Lifting his head with a start, Alaric blinked a couple of times, washing away his drowsiness, and looked at the one calling him. It was a charming young man, looking in his twenties, only that the irritated expression on his face was not the least bit charming.
"W-What is it? Uhm Elias."
"I should be asking that! It is your birthday, why are you sleeping off in a corner like this? Come on, let's go to the cafeteria, my treat."
"W-wait, it's alright, you don't have to-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Elias took him by the arm and dragged him all the way to the cafeteria, clearly not open to any compromises. A while later, both sat at a table with a tray of not-so-healthy food in front of them.
"Happy birthday Alaric! Come on, dig in!"
Alaric sighed and took a fork resting near the food tray. He shook his head and smiled – albeit awkwardly.
"T-Thank you, it means a lot."
Elias returned the smile and after a moment of staring, he directly said: "You...You are still wasting your time with that auction myth or whatever right?"
"W-What? No-"
"Don't deny it, the bags under your eyes say it all. Sigh, you can't seriously believe such fairytale absurdity, right?"
"I-It is real! The senior at the church told me that he himself bought a memory from that auction house and as a result, dropped all his terrible habits and changed into a devout and saintly citizen overnight!"
"You mean Gerald? The scammer and drug addict? Yeah bullshit. Look, I know you have had it rough but to believe in such a nonsensical idea is just absurd."
"B-but I really-"
Alaric's response was rudely cut off by two knocks on the table. He looked up and saw a blonde man of similar age but of a more robust build - he quickly averted his gaze.
"Hey Ricky, what's up? Having a little party without me? How mean."
"N-No, it's just-"
"What do you want, Vance? If you are here to mess with Alaric again, you better go away - unless you were not satisfied with the recent disciplinary action taken against you."
Elias interjected, he crossed his arms and scowled at the man.
"Oh, fuck off."
Vance stared daggers at Elias but swiftly turned his attention back to Alaric, a smirk creeping up his face.
"Ricky, I only wanted to kindly relay a message. Boss wants to see you at his place tomorrow. I do wonder why though? Are you going to be awarded the most useless employee of the month or something? Hahaha"
Hearing that, Alaric's face creased a bit, anxiousness reflecting in his eyes. Elias was pissed off, but he knew he had to mind himself lest he wants to put his job on the line. He hissed through gritted teeth:
"Vance, I think you should go now."
"Oh well, catch you later losers."
After Vance left, Alaric put his fork down and stammered:
"S-Sorry, I will take my leave, the boss probably wants to see how my assignment is going, and I still have some things to wrap up. T-Thanks for the treat, Elias, I will catch you later."
Elias was about to protest but gently shook his head. He smiled at Alaric and jested:
"Alright Mr. Workaholic, I will be expecting a slice of cake later... and no more fairytale auction house craziness."
"S-Sure."
However, Alaric had a different thought inside:
"Sorry Elias, but I managed to find it. Tonight, I will change my life...this may be my only chance."
ii. Turning point
"Is this right?"
Alaric stood in front of a wooden door with a name plate stating, 'Dr. Richard Galvin, Psychologist'. He was wondering whether the address that the senior at the church gave was correct, or if the latter simply played a mischievous prank on him. Maybe he was really being absurd? Still, Alaric refused to believe that the man who had been so fervently talking about the dream auction house since last week would lie to him.
However, while Alaric was still contemplating, the door opened, and a stout man appeared. Alaric flinched, but the man smiled and said, "Good evening, you must be Alaric. Gerald told me about you."
"H-huh, mister did? B-but who are-"
"Wait. Look, I have appointments with people who pay me to send them to the auction house. Gerald seems to like you, so I will do you a favour and send you there free of charge just this once – only if you don't waste any more time."
Alaric was befuddled; a certain part of him still felt that this was a bad idea. But... how long would he have to live like shit? Will he have to rely on Elias each time to help him out? 'I am tired of being pathetic, ' he said to himself. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at the stout man whom he presumed was Dr. Richard and said:
"I would like to go to the auction house, please."
"Alright, come in."
Alaric entered and followed Dr. Richard to a quiet and relatively dark room. He lied himself on a bed as per the psychologist's instruction and closed his eyes. He heard a hoarse voice soon after.
"Hmm, I did say I won't charge you, but do you have enough money to buy memories? They are of exorbitant price, you know?"
"I-I believe that I have enough to buy one."
"Alright, but do remember this: Cheap things are often the most expensive."
After that, Alaric heard a finger snap. Silence pervaded...
"Sir? U-Uh, can I open my eyes now?"
There was no response. Starting to feel anxious, Alaric opened his eyes, and he reeled in surprise from the scene that stood before him. The room was gone, Dr. Richard was gone, and only darkness remained. It was like he was alone in space without even the stars to shine light on his entourage. Only that, he wasn't alone. In front of him, a mysterious man sat on a simple wooden chair. He was wearing a business suit layered with a black trench coat, a black top hat, and a happy theatre mask. Before Alaric could let out a sound, he exclaimed in a joyful voice:
"Welcome to the Dream Auction House, dear customer. I am the auctioneer, people call me Mr. M. What kind of memories do you fancy, dear sir?"
Alaric was completely puzzled. What just happened? Is this real? Have I really-
His thoughts were interrupted as Mr. M exclaimed again:
"Ah, it seems you are a new customer. Well, to make things easier, how about we do this?"
The auctioneer snapped his fingers, and immediately after, Alaric held his head as if it was about to burst open. The pain was momentary, though, and subsided quickly. After Alaric regained some sense, Mr. M spoke again in his joyful tone.
"My apologies, dear customer, I have scanned your memories and as a result, I have determined the most suitable memories for you. Confidence, strength, unshakeable will – those are what you seek, right? Here, these are the memories that would provide you with the desired qualities."
The auctioneer waved his hand, and a dozen orbs of light appeared around Alaric, illuminating his pained face. Alaric saw the orbs and strangely felt it – resolve, determination, charisma, and all other things that he lacked. Slowly adapting to the situation, Alaric focused on one of the orbs. The orb shone a bit brighter, and a number appeared – 32,000,000.
"W-What is that number?"
"That's the price of the memory, dear customer. Don't worry, the price has been correctly adjusted to match your currency. After you choose the memory, please send the money to Dr. Galvin's bank account. You may choose more than one memory; you can even buy all of them if you have enough money."
Alaric winced after hearing the explanation. He guessed that memories would be quite costly, but this was beyond his expectations. He wondered how the memories were priced, and so he asked the auctioneer.
"Well, the more expensive a memory is, the better the quality. And better-quality memories have a slower rate of dissociation."
"D-Dissociation?"
"Haha, it is not a big deal, dissociation is when your memories and the foreign ones clash, hence giving you weird dreams from time to time. High quality memories decrease the time needed for the dreams to fade away and stop; some memories don't even cause any weird dreams."
After some more queries, Alaric decided to peruse the memories. In the end, he managed to find one – the only one – within his means. It was the cheapest one, at 5 million. He was a bit relieved, but a thought sprang up in his head, 'cheap things are often the most expensive'. The words left to him by Dr. Richard before he came here made him hesitate for quite a while. But... This might be the only chance for Alaric, and he knew it. The money he had was borrowed, and he could not even think of saving enough money to buy the next cheapest, let alone high-quality ones.
"I-I have decided. I will buy this one for 5 million."
Alaric pointed to the light orb. Mr. M clapped his hands once and spoke in the same manner as always.
"As you wish, dear customer. Let's begin the implantation. Hehe, it will only take a snap of a finger."
"U-Uhm, sir, how long would I have to deal with the weird dreams?"
The auctioneer's face was hidden behind the theatre mask, but Alaric could have sworn that he smiled when he heard this question.
"Hmm, in your case, dissociation will be over in...2 days."
"H-Huh? Only this-"
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Alaric. I hope you enjoy your new self."
After cutting him off, the auctioneer snapped his finger, and Alaric's vision went black again.
iii. Resurrection
Alaric's eyes shot open. An Unfamiliar scene presented itself before him yet again. The image was blurry, but Alaric could make out the outline of a young woman in a blue floral dress standing before him. He could not recognise who it was, though; her face was too blurry. The figure seemed gigantic, standing a few metres above him. He was trying to make sense of what was occurring when suddenly he felt his lips part, and a voice that did not belong to him rang out.
"Mom..."
The woman who was staring into space, lost in thought, turned to Alaric. A trace of melancholy was subtly reflected in her eyes.
"What do you want? Se...."
Alaric was stupefied, and a sense of unease washed over him. He instinctively focused on the conversation, but it was hard as the words kept echoing endlessly, and some words felt like they were being said from miles away.
"Where is ..ther? Why is .. not coming ho...?"
"He won't be co.... any...., forg... about him. He got what h... wanted anyway, wh... Would ... come h..."
"B-but he prom... that-"
"ENOUGH!"
The woman strode to Alaric and knelt. She then grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. Alaric had no control over his body; he could only meet her gaze. Her face was still blurry, and her long raven hair covered part of it, making her more unrecognisable. He could make out one thing, though: tears. She was weeping. The woman shouted some words to Alaric, but the words were too incoherent and distant to make sense of. He could hear her final ravings, though.
"...promise me! Promise me that you will never become like him! Those hypocrites and liars deserve to rot in hell! PROMISE ME!"
Alaric felt his body shaking uncontrollably, his vision became blurrier, and he felt something streaming down his cheeks. A shaky voice rang out.
"I-I promise..."
Crack, crack. A piercing sound akin to mirrors shattering echoed around Alaric.
"I PROMISE!"
Alaric violently jerked out of bed. Tears rolled down his face, and he kept panting as if he had just run a marathon. He looked around, reeling from a mixture of emotions. "What the hell was that?"
Immediately after he spoke, his phone rang. Alaric looked at the caller's name and answered the call after he caught his breath. A voice roared from the phone.
"HEY ALARIC, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? GET HERE FAST IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PISS OFF THE BOSS!"
Alaric paused for a moment to digest the words and looked at the time after realising something.
"OH SHIT! Hey Elias, cover me, I will be there in ten minutes!"
...
"Why were you not taking my calls, man? I was worried!"
"Sorry, Elias, I overslept. The boss is not here today, huh? Seems like luck is on my side."
Elias remained silent for a moment and eyed Alaric in a weird manner.
Alaric noticed his behaviour and directly asked him:
"What is it? Are you checking me out or something? Haha."
"H-Huh? No, I was just thinking, you are different today. I mean, didn't you have chronic stammer or something?"
"Chronic? No, it was normal stuttering." Alaric paused, his eyes widening.
"I don't stammer anymore?"
"Yeah, that's what I am telling you, and you also feel...more grounded? What the hell happened to you, man?"
"Hmm, well, it's a bizarre story, but you've got to believe me, p-promise?"
Alaric stumbled on his word; he felt a strange sentiment when he spoke the word 'promise'. Elias looked at him curiously and nodded. Alaric then proceeded to recount the events from Dr. Richard's appearance to his purchase of the memory. He hesitated for a bit but decided to tell him about the nightmare, too.
"Okay...so you're telling me that the fairytale ended up being real and you changed yourself overnight? You never joked much before, so I doubt that you're messing with me, but seriously? That Richard is a psychologist, right? What if he hypnotised you or something?"
The two debated for a long while, but Elias finally accepted the words of Alaric. Elias looked at him with apprehension and worry.
"But that dissociation thing, it sounds ominous. Also, how come you don't remember how you got home from that psychologist's place?"
"I am not sure. My theory is that-ack!"
Alaric felt something bump into him from behind. He barely managed to maintain his balance. He quickly turned around with an annoyed look. But the annoyance turned into contemplation as he didn't recognise the young lady before him. "I don't remember someone like her working here," he thought. Before he could speak, however, the woman - who looked a year or two younger than him – flinched and whimpered:
"S-Sorry sir, I was in a rush a-and..."
"It's alright, miss. But I don't remember having seen you before. Are you a new employee?"
"Y-Yes, my name is Selene, N-Nice to meet you."
Selene was fidgeting, and she smiled warmly at Alaric. Alaric smiled back and spoke.
"Nice to meet you too, I am Alaric, and this is Elias. Listen, working here can be intimidating at first, but you can ask us for help anytime you want."
"T-Thank y-"
"HEY SELENE!"
Everyone turned towards the voice and saw a familiar figure walking towards them. It was Vance.
"What are you dawdling for? We are pressed on time, so start working." As he was talking, Vance caught sight of Alaric and Elias. He sneered:
"Oh, what? Are those two losers hitting on you or something?" Selene was about to answer, but Alaric intervened.
"Hey Vance, fancy seeing you here, but I didn't think you would have the guts to say that when Katie rejected your advances in front of everyone during her birthday."
Alaric winked at him and crossed his arms. Vance halted and stood like a statue for a while, trying to comprehend the situation. Elias was laughing behind Alaric, and Selene looked uneasy. Finally, Vance muttered something. Surprisingly, however, it wasn't spite but incredulousness.
"H-Huh, what did you say? Y-You rebuked me?"
"Oh, what's the surprise for? Anyway, I have important work to do, unlike someone, so catch you later, little dunce. And hey, Selene, don't worry about that idiot, he's all bark but no bite. If he causes you trouble, do tell me."
Selene was still reeling from the sudden interaction, but she nodded with gratitude. Alaric was not sure exactly, but he felt a bit protective of Selene.
It was weird, but they shared some similarities. Alaric put the thought to the back of his mind and walked away with Elias.
"By the way, have you completed your assignment for the boss?" "Huh? Oh yes, I did. I will bring it to him tonight."
...
Knock, knock.
Alaric was in front of Davidson – his boss – residence. He was politely received by a maid, and after a while, he found himself seated on a couch before his boss. The latter was lighting a cigar. After he took a puff, he turned his attention to Alaric.
"Hello, dear employee, would you like some tea?"
"Sir, I apologise, but can we skip the pleasantries? I have some work to do after this."
Davidson looked surprised for a moment but smiled and nodded.
"How unlike you, but I don't dislike it. So, remember the money you borrowed from me some days ago?"
Alaric already expected this, so he met his gaze and answered:
"Yes, I have used it well. But I believe that I still have some time left before I need to repay you, right?"
"Yes, of course. It's just that you're not the only one who borrowed from me. You should know a certain Gerald, right? Such a zealot is hard to forget."
Alaric furrowed his brows.
"What about him?"
"Well, the fellow owes me quite a sum, but the bastard just had to die this afternoon."
Alaric was astounded. How did the mister die? And so, he asked Davidson of the cause of death.
"I am not sure; many say that he committed self-immolation inside the church. He was raving about wanting to wash away his sins or whatever."
If Alaric was surprised before, he was now completely flabbergasted. He had so many thoughts, so many questions, but now was not the time.
"...What does this have to do with me? Why are you telling me this?" Davidson took another puff, and his face turned sharp.
"His last words were addressed to you, Alaric. If the people there heard correctly, he kept apologising to 'Alaric' while on fire. He begged for forgiveness, saying some incomprehensible things like 'Memories carry emotions too' or something like that."
Alaric remained silent, he took in the information...and suddenly stood up. "I-I am sorry, can I use your bathroom?"
...
Alaric looked in the mirror, his mind going haywire after hearing everything that Davidson told him.
"What the hell happened to him? He didn't look the type to do such a thing."
"Why was he apologizing to me? What did he do? He actually helped me find a way to change myself... memories carry emotions too? Is this related to the Dream Auction House? A-Anyway, I need to talk to Elias about this."
Alaric wiped his sweat with the back of his palm and prepared to return when he heard a familiar but detached voice.
"Why?"
Alaric flinched and looked behind him... There was no one. Was he imagining things?
"Why do we have to tell Elias?"
This time, Alaric precisely turned towards the voice... his hand began twitching. He was looking at the mirror, at himself. Only that there was something strange... his reflection, it was still, and its expression didn't match Alaric's. The reflection had a cold, detached look. It raised an eyebrow and muttered: "Are you going to remain quiet?"
...
iv. Awakening
"Are you done?"
Alaric opened his eyes and turned to look at Dr. Galvin beside him.
"Y-Yes, I bought one."
Alaric paused for a moment, letting him digest the experience he had just gone through. He did feel that – no – he was sure that the auctioneer was hiding something. However, he couldn't undo what had transpired. He simply hoped that the psychologist would answer some of his questions.
"I don't have the time; I have a client coming over in five."
"A-Alright, but can you just clear one thing for me? If I correctly understood Mr. M's explanation, then the cheap quality memory I bought should give me weird dreams for a long time – dissociation, he called it. H-However, he said that it will last only 2 days for me."
Dr. Galvin remained silent for a while, his gaze felt slightly heavy for some reason.
"Memories carry many more things than you think."
Alaric didn't seem to understand his words. He was about to speak but Dr. Galvin continued.
"Alaric, memories are vital to any being. That is because they are what makes the beings who they are. A man can forgive evil because he remembers kindness."
He paused, looked at the time, and sighed. Then he returned his gaze to Alaric.
"Of course, there are more factors in play. A man can commit evil despite being treated with nothing but kindness. Why would he do that, though? The thing is, when different beings first experience a certain emotion, they each have a different reaction to it. And the soul remembers that first reaction. The person who was showered with kindness may feel wicked joy instead of repulsion when seeing violence for the first time. As a result, that person may develop a violent personality, for his memories remind him of joy."
...Alaric didn't know what to say. He wasn't versed in psychology or philosophy, but he did feel the weight behind those words. What that man just said had wider implications that he couldn't conceive. Still.
"B-But how is this related to my question?"
"...Time's up, you should go home now. Remember this, though: you woke up at 8:21 pm. When it is 8:21 pm tomorrow, it will mean that a day has passed."
...
Alaric came home around 9 pm. He was laying on his bed and ruminated about Dr. Galvin's words.
"I should probably see if Senior Gerald can tell me more."
"...I feel anxious for some reason. Maybe I should call Elias and talk to him about this, having a different perspective can help me find answers on my own."
Alaric jumped out of bed. He decided to call Elias. However, as he took his phone, he felt a chill run through his entire body, and his mind became lethargic. His eyes became unfocused, and his ears seemingly heard whispers. No one knew how long he remained like that. Suddenly, he moved. A confused Alaric was looking around himself, his right hand moving up to massage his temple as if he had just had a headache.
"When did I get home? What was I doing?"
...
"Are you going to remain quiet?"
Alaric grabbed his head like a madman; his head was hurting excruciatingly, but he remembered! His face was a chaotic mess of bewilderment, denial, and horror. Did Mr. Davidson drug him or something? What should he do? Cry for help? Talk to his reflection? Maybe he was in a nightmare and should try to pinch himself? The reflection looked at him, and Alaric could unexplainably feel a hint of amusement emanating from within himself. This emotion felt both familiar and foreign at the same time.
"W-What the hell is wrong with me!"
Alaric quickly opened the tap and began to frantically splash water on his face. When he looked up, the reflection was gone. It was totally gone – he was looking at the mirror, but he wasn't being reflected. Everything else behind him was visible, though – the wall, the clock, the toiletries.
"A-AH, H-HELP! HELP ME!"
Alaric screamed and dashed out of the bathroom. However, if he paid more attention to the reflection of the clock, he would see that it was 8:25 pm.
As he ran back to where Mr. Davidson was, a force suddenly assaulted his left cheek. Alaric crashed on the floor, his previous momentum causing him to slide a bit. He grabbed his cheek and winced in pain, but still looked up to determine what hit him. It was one of Davidson's bodyguards. Matter of fact, Davidson himself was behind the bulky man in black. He spoke with alarm:
"Shit! Did he realise we were going to push that bastard's debt to him? Quick! Tie him up!"
Alaric couldn't believe his ears – well, actually he had already guessed that his boss was a scumbag long before, but his mind was still in complete disarray from the horrific experience he just went through. There was so much in Alaric's mind - Gerald's death, Gerald's last words, his recovered memory, his uncanny reflection – and now this. Alaric had no idea what to do now; he didn't know what to think, nor did he want to. He just needed some respite; his mind was exhausted. However, he suddenly felt an emotion surging from within, and just like earlier, the emotion felt alien to him. It was malice...something Alaric never felt before. Then he heard his own voice.
"This is Davidson's true face. A liar and a hypocrite, just like him. He deserves to rot in hell. We need to kill him."
Alaric's eyes widened. Why was he thinking that? While he was lost in thought, Davidson sneered:
"Looks like he received quite a blow, ha-ha. What are you waiting for? Lift him up and tie him to a chair or something."
The bodyguard nodded and bent to grab Alaric. The latter was still hearing weird and sinister thoughts.
"He has a gun holstered by his side; this is the only way to get out of this."
"W-What are you talking about? A-Are you the reflection? Am I going crazy?"
"We are not crazy, they are. We can't believe that they will let us go after this. The big guy thinks we are weak, so he will lower his guard. He is stronger, though, so we only have one chance to take the gun."
"I-I can't kill someone!"
"But he can, and he will. What will happen then? We still owe him money. Will he push our debt to Elias? Maybe he will go for Selene? Bastards like him are not human, kill him and everyone will be safe."
Alaric's eyes trembled. Elias? He couldn't make Elias suffer because of him, right? He was the only one who supported him throughout many ordeals. He was his only friend. And that girl Selene, she... she reminded Alaric so much of himself.
"B-But there's no way I can take that gun easily."
"The neck. Under the jaw and beside the windpipe, there is the carotid artery. Bite it off."
"W-What?"
"He will die in minutes, but will definitely lose consciousness within seconds."
"N-No, I can't do this!"
"We must. The lives of Elias and Selene are also on the line. And we promised..." "P-Promised?"
"DO IT! DO IT NOW!"
The bodyguard lifted him up. Alaric showed no resistance, so he had no thoughts of being careful. What could a frail man like him even hope to accomplish by resisting? What the bodyguard didn't know was that he would forever regret being this careless. When Alaric was lifted enough to stand before the bodyguard's chest, he rapidly pounced towards the man's neck and bit exactly where he said. Coursing with adrenaline, he pulled with all his might, and there, a fountain of hot blood smeared his face.
"...W-What? What the fuck!"
A shrill scream echoed. It was Davidson, pure bewilderment and horror written all over his face; his cigar fell from his mouth. However, without missing a beat, Alaric reached for the handgun of the bodyguard – unholstered it, aimed at Davidson, and pressed the trigger – BANG!
"Huff-huff, d-damn it."
Alaric tried to wipe the blood on his face with his hand, but instead smeared it more. Was it because his hand was trembling like crazy? His eyes continued to linger on Davidson – he was lying on the floor facing up, his body occasionally twitching, and a pool of crimson blood formed around his head – he died just like that.
"It's not over, there are more bodyguards and servants in this house, and they definitely heard the gunshot. You should-"
Before 'he' finished talking, Alaric suddenly dropped to his knees, bent over, and vomited. This gory and nauseous scene would make any normal person run away as fast as possible; Alaric looked like a demon covered in blood and vomit. But he stood up. His will to survive has overtaken his other emotions, but one thing still contended – the unfamiliar malice brewing inside him.
"T-This malice...is yours, right?"
"...they have arrived."
Indeed, Alaric could hear footsteps. Bizarrely, they didn't feel rushed at all.
Maybe this wasn't the first time a gunshot was heard in this residence.
Who knew what atrocities that devil in disguise could have committed. Alaric hardened his grip on the handgun and slowly made his way towards the footsteps. "I want to go home..."
v. Descent
...
"Mom?"
There was no response. Before Alaric stood a dark corridor, and at the end was an ajar door. The only reason that it wasn't pitch black was because strips of lights fought to escape from the room that was practically blocked by the door. Alaric didn't mind the bizarre atmosphere much anymore. He knew he was in one of those weird dreams – or more precisely, one of 'his' memories. He had already gone through a dozen of them; it didn't matter whether he was asleep or awake, he would be randomly pulled into the memory.
"Mom, I brought food."
Still no response. Alaric felt his body slowly walk towards the room. His point of view was much higher than in the first dream, 'he' must have been at least in high school in this one. As they became more frequent, the dreams got less blurry, and 'he' could perfectly hear almost all conversations. He still didn't know their names, though; 'he' only called 'his' mother 'mom' and the mother never said 'his' name as it was given by 'his' father, whom she hated more than anything.
The mom and dad were not married. From what Alaric could deduce from the vague memories, the two had dated young, and three months after one of their numerous frolicking, the girl found out that she was pregnant. She knew her conservative parents would never forgive her, and believing in the sweet words and promises the boy offered her, she ran away with him, gave birth to the child, and stayed together for three years. She dedicated all she had to her small family, but in the end, the dad went away and never returned.
"Mom, are you here?"
The door was pushed open. In the previous dream, Alaric saw the mother fall into despair after she finally heard from him again. The boy was from quite a prestigious family, and his wedding was fixed recently. He sent a sum of money to her, with a letter requesting her to keep their relationship a secret forever. Even Alaric felt infuriated with the man; how could someone be this cruel and cowardly. Anyway, Alaric, who was an adult, could already guess what was coming.
"M-M-MOM!"
After the door was opened, 'he' finally saw his mother. Alaric guessed right. The pitiful woman had a noose tied around her neck and was swinging gently with the breeze. He could feel 'his' emotions too – shock, pain, denial – but he also felt something else. On that day, something 'broke' inside the child.
BAM, BAM, BAM!
"HEY ALARIC! ARE YOU HERE?"
Alaric opened his eyes, his dark circles became deeper. He felt lethargic, but he still got up to open the door. He really needed someone to talk to.
Click.
"Hey Alaric! Where were you today? I was worrying like mad since I heard of the incident at the boss's house, everyone was murdered! And I remembered you had a meeting with the boss yesterday, are you alright?"
"...Hey, Elias. You can come in."
Alaric turned his body to let Elias inside. The latter had a perturbed look; he must have found Alaric's attitude to be bizarre. Once inside, he was astounded. The whole house was a mess - broken vases and windows, and even the television wasn't spared. Click. Alaric closed the door, locked it, and slumped on the floor.
"W-What in the world happened here? What happened to you?"
Alaric looked at Elias with tired eyes, and he grinned. He must have looked like a madman.
"Well, it's quite a short story, but a totally absurd one. However, if it's you, you will believe me."
Alaric proceeded to recount everything that happened after he arrived at Davidson's.
...
In a well illuminated room, a blonde man of robust build was being interrogated by two police officers.
"...I see, would this Mr. Alaric definitely have gone there?"
"Definitely! Unless he wanted to lose his job."
"Can you provide us with his address?"
"Sure thing. He's a friend of mine."
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Vance, that will be all."
...
"T-This is quite hard to digest..."
Elias had patiently listened to Alaric's story without interrupting him. When he was done, Elias had a difficult look, clearly that was above anything he had expected to hear from Alaric.
"I was worried for you after you told me about the auction thing. So, I researched a bit, and something strongly caught my attention. Dissociative identity disorder."
Elias paused to recall what he read.
"This disorder involves switching to other identities. You may feel as if you have two or more people talking or living inside your head. You may feel like you're possessed by other identities. Each identity may have a unique name, personal history, and features." Alaric's eyes widened.
"T-This is exactly what I am going through! But I don't believe that it is just something conjured by my mind."
"Well, I think I have a hypothesis about that. Memories carry emotions, too. The most common cause of the disorder is trauma. And trauma can come in different forms, but there is one common point: very intense emotions. I think that you inherited 'his' trauma from 'his' memory, and this infected your emotions, causing a split personality."
Alaric had an enlightening look, but as he was about to speak, he heard his own voice.
"Do you really believe all this? Aren't you too trusting of him?"
"...Elias has been my friend for a long time; he always had my back."
"And you never asked yourself why? Isn't it funny that he would befriend someone shunned by society? After all, what can he get from this?" Alaric heard Elias's voice again.
"I believe the infection takes time, and the length depends on how strong the trauma is. Two days, if that auctioneer didn't lie and your countdown really started at 8:21 pm the day before... we have around two and a half hours left before the infection is complete."
Alaric turned to look at the clock. Elias finished work at five, and by the time he came here and after all the discussions, it was already 6 pm. What would happen when the time is up? Would the other personality take complete control of his body? At that time, 'he' spoke again.
"Befriending a pitiful person would make one look good to others, right?
Has he ever helped you out when it wasn't in front of other people?"
"...Shut up."
"Will he actually help someone who murdered a dozen people overnight?"
"You made me do it! You said they deserved it, and it was the only way to protect Elias and Selene!"
"It was indeed, but will he be okay with that? Let's say he truly believes you and wants to help. What would be the best way to help a person going insane who has murdered men and women alike? It's to get them in a jail or an asylum, so they won't hurt anybody else. Your dear friend will definitely snitch on you."
"STOP INSTIGATING ME! Elias would never harm me! I believe in -" Knock, knock, knock.
Hearing the knocks, both Elias and Alaric remained quiet. Soon, a deep voice rang out.
"Mr. Alaric, are you there? It is the Brighton County police, Please open the door. We need to speak to you urgently."
Alaric was astounded; his gaze instinctively fell on Elias.
"Oh? It seems our dear friend has already snitched."
"...It can't be."
The voice of the policeman rang again.
"Mr. Alaric, we know you are in there. Your friend has already told us that you were at Davidson's place yesterday. If you don't want to give us more reasons to suspect you, please come out and cooperate with us."
"M-My friend?"
Crack.
Alaric pointed at himself with a shaky hand. Elias met his gaze.
"Y-You betrayed me?" Crack, crack.
"W-What are you saying, Alaric? I didn't-"
Elias tried to explain his innocence, but it was for nought. Alaric couldn't hear him; the wailings were too loud. At some point, Alaric started to experience another dream. This one was overlaying with reality itself.
"I-I DIDN'T MEAN TO ABANDON HER! I CONFESSED TO MY FAMILY AND BEGGED THEM TO ACCEPT HER!"
A man with raven hair was leaning against a wall, tears streaming down his face. A knife was lodged in his abdomen, the blood was painting his white shirt red.
...
"Alaric! W-What are you doing?"
Alaric's head hung low, he slowly walked towards Elias.
"Hey man! Get your shit together!"
Alaric paused. On the floor, a piece of wood – probably broken off from the table when Alaric was smashing it to pieces – touched his foot.
"Sir! This is the last warning, if you do not open the door, we will have to break in!"
...
The raven-haired man was on the floor, gripping his wound and trying to crawl back – away from the perpetrator. While he moved further, Alaric felt him move closer, a familiar emotion was brewing inside. Malice.
"T-They wanted to kill her, to remove this stain on the family's reputation. I couldn't let them. S-So, we reached a consensus." Alaric was getting closer.
...
Elias was on the floor. Alaric just threw the fucking television at him. He was still disoriented and was instinctively crawling backward while crying for help.
"Please, Alaric! I know you're in there! You've got to take back control!"
"..."
"I am hearing someone shouting, Corporal, break this door now! Officer Philip, break in through the window!"
...
The raven-haired man was sprawled on his back. Alaric was keeping hold of his arm with his knee. He raised his arms, a dagger intertwined between his hands. The man was sobbing, but a smile found its way on his blood-smeared face.
"I-I see. I deserve this. I-I killed her. I killed Maria!"
"Ah, my son. I hope you forgive me."
Alaric let the dagger fall, like a guillotine, directly piercing his chest.
...
Elias was sprawled on his back. Alaric held his arm in place with his knee. A wooden stake was clenched in both his hands. It hovered above Elias's chest, like a guillotine.
"T-This isn't you, Alaric. Please come back." Crash.
A man broke through the window, he was wearing a police uniform. Looking at the scene before him, he immediately took out his handgun from his holster.
"FREEZE! If you move even an inch, I will be forced to shoot you! Get off that per-!"
Alaric plunged the stake in Elias's chest.
...
The raven-haired man was grasping for air. He could feel his life slowly seeping away. But his face had no tinge of anger or indignation. Only regret. He looked at his son and muttered his last words. Then, he died.
...
Bang!
Elias looked up in shock, ignoring the pain caused by the stake that pierced him. Warm blood was dripping down his face.
"A-ALARIC!"
Alaric fell to the side. Elias could see his pained face, blood seeping out from the gaping hole in his temple. Elias closed his eyes, then said his last words to him.
...
"I love you, Sevrin."
...
"I forgive you, Alaric."
Alaric's life came to an end. So did Sevrin's emotions.
...
vi. Epilogue
It's been a month since the tragic end of Alaric. He didn't have many relatives, and his parents passed away long ago. His funeral was attended by a few people, though. Some of them were people who owed money to Davidson, they believed Alaric simply enacted punishment to those devils in disguise. Only two people knew him personally: a charming young man with bandages and patches all over his body, and a woman who looked a year or two younger than the man. It was pitiful, but it was better than having no one.
A month later.
A young woman was changing the dried flowers in front of a tombstone with fresh ones. She suddenly felt a presence beside her. She looked up and saw a weird man. He was wearing a business suit layered with a black trench coat, a black top hat, and a happy theatre mask. He held a bouquet of flowers.
"Uhm? Excuse me, d-did you know him?"
The man turned towards her and answered in an unsettling, joyful tone.
"Oh yes. He was someone who gave me very valuable memories."
...
Knock, knock.
After a series of knocks, a door opened, and a stout man appeared.
"Oh, Elias. You're already back?"
A charming young man stood in front of the stout man. However, he had cold, detached eyes, which made his charm uncanny. "Good evening, Dr. Galvin. I wish to meet that bastard again."
"Mr. M?"
"...Mephistopheles."
The End.