Noel closed the door behind him, letting out a weary sigh as he gently stretched his joints that cracked in protest.
His gaze was distant, unfocused, as if wrestling with a question no one else could answer.
The lecture had gone smoothly. He had explained the concept with his usual calm precision, but now — as he walked through the long, dim corridor of the devil god's castle — he had started considering what he should do from now on, going from here.
A persistent sensation crawled beneath his skin.
What the hell had he taken?
He reached up, fingers brushing his lips, tasting the faint bitterness still lingering from the cigarette he'd smoked earlier — a reckless choice that now seemed to blur the line between reality and dream.
A sudden spell of dizziness had seized him atop a skyscraper just hours before, and then… he had ultimately met his demise. Now, here he was, in this odd place, this twisted castle that didn't quite belong to any time, or anything like what he had known.
He was unable to determine whether he was in the clutches of reality, or under the effect of some kind of hallucination drug. He was incapable of accepting that he had been transmigrated into a different world, a Devil God's, nonetheless.
And his worries were well founded.
The chances were less than 0.3%, according to his estimations. The chances were too low as they were, and putting in consideration his death which did not make any sense, a nagging sense in his mind kept on pestering him.
He died falling off a skyscraper. No doubt.
But that wasn't the issue.
The issue lied with how he had... died. If his memory served him correctly, he died slipping off the railing of the skyscraper, the slippery snow deciding to put an end to his miserable life. But how was that possible, even though the railings measured at least a meter tall as a safety precaution for anyone falling off?
Impossible. It was simply impossible for him to slip off a skyscraper with a railing that high.
So how?
A frown etched itself upon his face as he considered this point.
It was incredibly odd how the thought did not cross him until this moment. Almost... almost as if something was intentionally attempting to make him overlook the thought.
"... How odd... why haven't I thought of that except now... ?"
His eyes narrowed in suspicion.
'Something's off'
It was impossible for someone to attempt to kill him by taking of the railings. He was there the whole time, and no one had gone or came other than that strange woman and the guy with the firearm.
Wait a moment... the... woman?
However, Noel shook his head absentmindedly.
'As if. Even if she wanted to, she didn't seem to have the essential tools to take off the whole railing, forget even a part of it. I also didn't see her do anything that could warrant my suspicion. But... how is this possible? How is it that the railing disappeared suddenly?'
'... Perhaps a glitch in reality? Is that... even something possible?'
The idea seemed ludicrous at first. However, upon second thought, even the idea of transmigration sounded more like the rambling of a madman than reality. And what do you know? He was the lucky gentleman that got the free ticket to another world.
Suddenly, his eyes widened as if a fuzzy memory began appearing in his mind subtly without warning.
"These... aren't all my memories... There are some things missing? But.. but I was positive that I recalled all my memories. Are these even mine? More importantly, what is this... ?"
He squinted as he felt that something was wrong, almost as if for a part of a moment, his mind had forgotten a certain memory that was supposed to be there.
He squinted, as if trying to recall what he had seen, yet it seemed to slip his grasp no matter how hard he attempted to remember it. He was about to give up, when he suddenly felt his vision flicker for a part of a millisecond.
A pulsing, head-throbbing pain assaulted his mind violently, as he felt something warm in his temple area, almost as if there was bleeding.
"FUCK!"
Noel clenched his mind, as he felt himself quivering from the aftereffect of the partial memory he had seen, his body trembling in sheer agony.
Something was there. He saw it, even for a part of a second, he saw the 'thing'.
Something had made him fall.
And 'that'... just the shadow of the thing that appeared for the part of a millisecond.
Only a part of a millisecond.
Pain split his skull in jagged lines, like an axe made of light forcing its way through bone. His lungs cinched tight, refusing air, and the hollow corridors around him lurched and warped, stone bending like molten wax.
Somewhere in that warping space, his own heartbeat hammered louder than his boots.
It was then a horrifying realization poured down on him like a bucket of ice-cold water.
He was losing.
Losing.... himself. His identity. His sense of self.
No, the most accurate word would be he was being OVERWRITTEN.
"Huff.... Huff... Huff..." His nails digging into his scalp, Noel roughly breathed in and out as he tried to slowly piece up his memories to grasp on whatever he could.
But to his horror, there were no results. His past memories had already started blurring.
The feeling was terrifying to say the least.
'No, no, no, STOP, STOP, Get the fuck out of my head, GET OUT ! Don't forget who you are, Noe-'
Desperately looking around him with panic written across his face, Noel's eyes darted around him as if looking for something before they stopped at a nearby wall. Without hesitation he hurriedly approached it and-
BAM!
A sickening bam resounded, as Noel violently slammed his head into a wall. His vision obscured for a fraction of a second, as a dizzying sensation enveloped him entirely. Gritting his teeth forcefully, he shut his eyes tightly, his ragged breathing the only sound in the silent halls.
"Pant... pant... pant... " He leaned his head on the cold wall, as if soothing the sensation of something warm flowing down his head, yet he paid it no heed, as he slightly raised his trembling fingers to the side of his neck to measure his heart pulse.
His index and middle finger pressed on the side of his neck, feeling the violent thumping his sensors felt of his heart trying to escape his ribcage.
Time went by, and his rough breathing slowly calmed down, his vision going back to normal as he gently opened his eyes.
His eyes were half lidded before they completely opened up. He got off the wall to balance himself, yet staggered ever so slightly, as he felt his brain disoriented at the pain, not only from the wall, but also from the burning pain his brain experienced.
He let out a hollow chuckle.
"Haaah.. Still... here. I-i'm still.... me"
'Wh... what just happened? What is that thing? Is it.. Related to why I'm here?'
He stood for a few moments, his mind spiralling into confusion and disorientation, more questions increasing successfully, less being answered.
He had succeeded in preserving his self identity, yes, but even so, what he currently felt wasn't joy. To bath in the light of his success.
Rather, all he felt was dread and caution. However, he knew better than to keep thinking about his memories. He was not eager at all to experience that once more.
Drip.
Something warm, yet sticky dropped on the back of his hand. Noel's eyes fluttered immediately, his eyes simply taking in the image of a red coloured liquid dripping on his hand.
His lips twitched in wry amusement, as he laminated his pitiful situation.
His finger gently hovered upon the source of the thick liquid on his forehead, gently brushing a strand of hair aside. It gently pressed on it, which made him wince in pain.
"Sigh... what a way to start off my first day here"
His boots echoed softly on the cold stone floor, the only sound in the labyrinthine corridors stretching endlessly ahead.
There was no use overthinking reality.
Whether this was reality or a hallucination, he had no intentions of throwing it away. The pain was too real. Since he had a second chance to live, then he would happily take it.
He would figure out his missing memories later. It was enough that he knew that he was Noel and did not lose himself to some kind of unknown entity out there.
First things first, his most important goal was finding out where the f*ck he was.
Sure, a Devil God's world. But that didn't explain a single thing. And as they say, knowledge is power.
Noel's eyes looked around him, a childish morbid curiosity etched upon his face.
The walls were a patchwork of rough medieval stonework and odd, polished metal plates inscribed with glowing runes. Strange gears ticked quietly, turning slowly as if powered by an unseen clockwork heart.
He glanced at his reflection in a polished metal panel and blinked twice. No strange distortions—his golden monocle and graduation robe were perfectly real. The tassel swayed gently with his movement.
Suddenly, his footsteps came to a halt as he blinked twice, his brows ceased in a frown.
So far, there were no windows, only vases and painting here and there, put up for decor. The place was eerily silent for a castle, as if it had been abandoned for centuries. Was there really no one living here other than the Devil God and the three rebellious children?
Plus, Mr. Nothing seemed to be taking a short vacation of some sort, as he had informed Noel previously that he wouldn't be at the castle for a few days.
Huh, looks like even Gods need vacations.
So.... he was left with the three children. Yeah, he was royally f*cked.
It had slipped his mind that he had to ask about his personal room where he could sleep peacefully as if there was no tomorrow, the maids who would serve him at a moment's call, the kitchen that help a luxury of every type of dish, his payment for his 'hardwork', and, frankly, even what his job would be other than his job being a part-time teacher. Not even the bathroom. He was only informed that he would be a teacher for the children once a week.
Noel bit his lips in irritation at his own idiocy.
But because he was a fool who tried to appear strong outwardly, ignoring his body that kept screaming to make a run for it, he took too much effort in maintaining his image in front of Steve, and in the end, ended up forgetting to ask all the necessary questions.
"Tsk, I really am one hell of a fool, it seems"
He wasn't even sure if he was allowed to leave the castle for one. All he currently wanted to do was curse himself for his illogical actions that would have made Karl Marx himself slap his forehead in first-hand embarrassment.
Noel brought a hand up as he gently took off his monocle, before he rubbed his eyes tiredly, as he felt an incoming headache.
"What am I even supposed to do in my free time... "
A tired sigh escaped his mouth, before he placed the monocle on his eye once more. Slapping his face gently, he shook his head, a resilient glint shining in his eyes.
"No, no, I can't be this pessimistic on my first day! I won't last a week at this rate. I.. need to find a way to cheer up."
Noel forced himself to be positive, as he forced a smile on his face. It looked like today would be quite the interesting day.
----------------------
Or Not.
"Huff. Huff.. Huff..."
A young man stopped, pressing a palm to the cool wall.
His eyes slightly teared, as he placed his back on the wall, slightly moving down to the floor before he slumped in exhaustion, his chest heaving as his lungs greedily sucked in air.
"I'm lost,"
He murmured to himself. The words felt strange, like admitting defeat in a place that should have been familiar.
With a sigh, he stood up again, navigating his way through the endless halls.
He tried retracing his steps, but the hallways only multiplied, folding in on themselves like a Möbius strip.
Everything looked the same to him no matter where he went. The same extravagant hallways which were a blend of modernity with a hint of medieval design. It looked weird, but acceptable in a peculiar way that Noel was unable to completely wrap his mind around.
He set off with his hands tucked behind his back, affecting the air of a man who absolutely wasn't lost.
Of course, the castle didn't make it easy. Every turn looked suspiciously like the last: same flickering sconces, same elaborate vases (all of which seemed to glare at him with silent disapproval), and at least three identical portraits of a dour-looking man with a moustache that could smother a small village.
"Charming fellow," Noel murmured as he passed the third one, half-expecting it to wink at him.
The air here was cooler, scented faintly with parchment, dust, and something that might've been cinnamon — which gave him some hope that he was getting closer. Or perhaps the kitchens were nearby.
He was quite hungry after all. It wouldn't hurt for him to make something for himself tol eat. Preferably something with meat like chicken or beef.
Either would be acceptable.
He peeked through an open doorway and found… a room entirely filled with hourglasses. Hundreds of them, lined up in neat rows, the sand whispering down in unison. He backed out slowly, deciding that whatever business those hourglasses had, it was best left uninterrupted.
"Left, right, right, left…" He muttered his turns like a poorly rehearsed dance step, boots clicking lightly on the stone. His mood, surprisingly, was lifting.
There was something about wandering in a silent, half-abandoned castle that reminded him of his student days — minus the Devil God tenancy, of course.
Finally, just as he was beginning to suspect the library was an elaborate myth meant to haze newcomers, the corridor ahead widened into a set of grand double doors.
Noel stopped in front of it as if in awe of the magnificent size of the doors and the intricate and unmistakable patterns and emblems carved upon it of two creatures that resembled something like a hybrid of an ancient dragon, shark, and a serpent, his eyes practically gleaming and sparkling in undisguised interest.
His hand gently touched the door, as if trying to evaluate its ancientness.
"There really was a library... and here I thought the poor me was imagining everything in his mind"
And through the faint gap, he could smell it: that rich, unmistakable perfume of old books. Ah, how could he ever mistake this.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" he said to himself with a grin, "Either that's the library… or the largest, oldest kitchen in existence."
Ruuuuuumbble...
With a mischievous grin, he pushed the door open with tremendous effort, giving sight to the view in front of him.
It would be a long day.