Day ???
My diary is gone.
I don't know what time it is anymore.
Why can I still see, breathe, and listen?
Is this what the others felt when they were forcefully transformed into broken dolls?
No, it was clear that this transformation, which turned my flesh into something otherworldly, was different.
"A-Aagh..." I tried to move, grunting at this foreign sensation.
My voice was hoarse, yet I felt no pain.
I still had full control of my body and understood what it meant to be alive, unlike the others.
I have been trapped in this dreadful cage for too long, and too many emotions flooded my mind, only for a giant void to occupy my stomach.
Even when I feasted on that black flesh, my hunger only grew.
Until my gaze fell upon them—
My old friends.
—Drip...!
A saliva-like substance dripped from my mouth, and upon noticing it, I raised my arms to examine them.
These… weren't human arms.
Ah...
I'm no longer human.
"A-Aah…!" I nearly succumbed to complete despair, longing to cry for as long as I needed.
But I know that won't change anything, and I can't do anything about it.
I'll be stuck here for eternity, with no one by my side, forever alone in this domain as a monster.
Yet despite my pleas, I try to resist being consumed by this hunger.
At the very least, I want to think like a human and leave my friends alone.
...What does the outside world look like again?
The last thing I can remember is holding hands with someone warm, surrounded by the deep blue ocean, in what seemed like a fortress.
I'm sorry, everyone.
But I can't do this anymore.
...
...
...
"Well, look who it is. It seems the experiment was a success!" A repulsive voice broke the silence, one I remember vividly even after all this time.
"I was under the impression that I was brought here to clean up this mess, but this was unexpected!" The man we all referred to as Father, whom I once thought of as kind, looked at me with interest.
Despair. Hatred. Starvation.
With each passing second, I felt my will slipping away as I prepared to embrace what lies beyond with this form.
But before that moment arrived, I opened my mouth, wanting to know the truth from him.
"F-Father... why?" I asked, my voice echoing as if Lucy had been brought back just for this moment.
Not expecting that I was still sentient, his repulsive smile transformed into one I had known before everything collapsed.
"Ah, is that you, Lucy!" He spread his arms, unaware that I had been the host all along.
"I'm truly sorry for leaving you all alone. Father had some… things to attend to outside, you see."
—Tap... Tap... Tap...
He walked towards me, trying to elicit empathy from me, to tame me, not realizing that I was aware of the truth the entire time.
"This may be hard to believe, but everyone—your friends—are all waiting for you on the other side!"
Liar.
"…Is that true?"
"Yes! When have I ever lied to you, to anyone, when I decided to take you all into my paradise?"
Everything you said was a lie.
"Hold my hand, Lucy. Let's get out of this place, together."
"Liar."
"...What?"
"Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar."
—Crumble...!
The world shook in response to my call.
It felt as though everything had led to this moment, revealing what it meant to be a host for this cage.
My purpose.
"Die."
—SHIIK!!!
...
...
...
"H-Hah?" He slowly glanced at his stomach, pierced by numerous tentacles.
They twisted and swirled, relentlessly inflicting agonizing pain.
"Ah... AAAAAAAAAH!!!" he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the entire house.
All my limbs—now transformed into tentacles—absorbed the nutrients from his body to become my own.
I could feel myself growing stronger, but it still wasn't enough.
"G-GET OFF ME!!!"
—Shing!
In retaliation, he sliced through my tentacles, taking a step back away from me.
"You... you insolent wench!"
—Clench...!
Like me, he refused to die despite my countless attempts; he regenerated the hole in his stomach.
"Forever... if you don't listen to me, you'll be confined here for eternity—"
—Shiik!
"K-KGAAAAH!!!" Countless tentacles wrapped around him, ensnaring him.
So what? Does he truly think I'll believe him after everything I've been through?
I wasn't trapped here with him.
He was trapped here with me.
—Voom...!
The Father, with all his might, tried to regenerate his limbs and fight back with the same blades he used to garner a reaction from me.
But since this whole house was my territory, his resistance was futile.
Hunger drove me to do something unspeakable, something I would have never even considered when I was 'Lucy'.
But the Lucy I once was is gone, sleeping forever inside me, hidden somewhere else as an empty vessel.
"N-No...! Stop this!" He struggled even more fiercely, realizing what I was planning to do.
I intended to drag him into hell with me, feeding on his essence for eternity, even if it meant having to kill.
"Dinner is ready."
—Vooom...!
The outside world, which I could not enter due to the sun's harmful rays, was completely blocked off until everything around me was covered in tar, turning into a cocoon.
Before we start our meal, the children—now turned into shades—raised their arms under my command once more and prayed. We all recited the words before partaking in our meal:
Thank you, Father, for granting us this meal.
May God always watch us over, for we are his children.
By His blessings, we are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
Amen.
—SQLUENCH!!!
"AAAAAAH!!!"
=======
...
...
...
—Squirm...
"That-human-finally-served-his-purpose." A voice I had never heard before spoke from behind me.
"...?" I turned around to see a strange, headless figure observing me, as if I were interesting.
"Subject-243, you-have-tried-to-kill-yourself-one-hundred-and-five-times. Taking-away-your-ability-to-die-seemed-to-have-abloomed-to-a-wonderful-specimen."
I didn't understand what they were saying, as I had long forgotten how to speak.
Yet, my instincts told me to remain still; the figure before me was no ordinary person.
"You-want-to-go-outside, don't-you?" they said, looking at me with great interest.
"..."
I didn't respond, no longer willing to listen to any more despicable lies.
"I-do-not-care-what-you-think. Subject-243."
—Thud!
With a flick of his fingers, the cocoon I had created to protect myself from the sun suddenly vanished.
"!!!" Surprised by how quickly that happened, a scorching sensation overwhelmed me, intensified by the sun's rays.
Though I cannot die, I still feel pain, so I immediately descended to shield myself with tar, encasing myself in hard metal.
But what I didn't realize was how deep the ocean floor was, how far down it extended.
—SPLASH!!!
...
...
...The ocean...?
I could hear the waves crashing, a completely foreign sound to me.
Unfamiliar buildings dominated the surrounding area, stretching beyond distances I had once thought unreachable.
This wasn't the house I remembered; it was something entirely different.
"This-is-your-domain. Subject-243," he said, still standing in the same position they had maintained until now.
Even after that statement, I was still wary of him—if anything, I was on higher alert.
For someone who could operate beyond my authority in my own domain, it was painfully clear to whom the greater power belonged. I couldn't even lay a finger on them, no matter how hard I tried.
"I-do-not-like-to-waste time, especially-when-this-body-is-a-mere-vessel-for-me-to-witness-your-progress."
—Flick!
With another flick of his fingers, the entire domain began to shake, transporting us somewhere else.
"Listen-to-this, Subject-243. There-will-be-adversaries-who-aim-to-kill-you-and-destroy-everything. You-do-not-wish-for-anyone-to-besmirch-your paradise, is-that-not-correct?"
The entity began to melt away, as their vessel was originally made from her black substances.
"I-shall-wait-for-further-results, and-I-do-not-break-promises."
In that moment, I sensed countless new presences surrounding me, growing more ravenous by the second.
"I-want-you-to-harvest-energy-to-become-stronger, and-I'll-grant-you-freedom."
With that final message, they vanished, leaving me in solitary once more.
—Thump...!
Having no choice but to accept the situation, I spread myself in all directions, aiming to quell my hunger.
I'm sure my other vessel will awaken as well, as my final act of defiance.
=======
...I feel sick.
"B-BLEEERGH!!!" I vomited all over the floor, unable to handle the mental stress any longer.
"Haaah...! Haaah...!" I touched my face, trying to see if I was still human, unable to determine who I truly am.
My name is... Aria.
Memories that do not belong to me flood my consciousness, as if I have lived her life from start to end.
I feel infinitely dreadful, as this overwhelming presence encompasses not only their memories but also their feelings and emotions.
I want all of these memories gone, to vanish before I lose myself entirely.
—BANG! BANG!
In an attempt to rid myself of the memories, I slammed my head against the floor, desperate to forget everything, even my own original memories.
Just before I struck my head for the third time, someone stopped me—the person who is the true victim of all of this.
"Stop!" she pleaded, holding my head and hugging me tightly.
It was Lucy, the very same Lucy I had met, who wanted me to kill her before everything descended into chaos.
"You…" I tilted my head, feeling as though I were looking into a mirror.
To break this distorted perspective, I shook my head and squinted, trying to understand my surroundings better.
I soon realized I was in a place that had become very familiar to me.
"The white space…" I began to relax, regaining my senses.
"Are you finally calm?"
I nodded silently.
"M-Mhmm... I'm sorry you had to see all of that..." She fidgeted with immense guilt.
I wasn't sure how or when I ended up here with Lucy, but since this place was not bound by time, I could take a moment to think, even though my mind felt hazy.
'...The ability,
I wished to forget, but I couldn't erase years of memories flooding my brain.
"Are you really okay...? Here, this might help...!"
Still frozen in fear, she sat down and placed my head in her lap.
—Caress...
Lucy began to stroke my head, trying to comfort me, even though her movements were a bit awkward.
"I'm sorry... I'm just trying to copy how Irene used to help me sleep during rainy nights."
"...Irene was our... was your roommate right?"
"Yes, I thought of her like a sister. She's the one who gave me these fancy clothes for when I grow older in the first place, after all."
"I see..."
"..."
"..."
The two of us stared at the empty white space, seeing nothing beyond it.
We were enjoying a well-deserved break from everything, as if all our problems had vanished in that moment.
"...I'm sorry for everything, Aria."
"Why are you sorry when you're the one who's been wronged? Are you stupid?"
"Hehe... I don't know. I think I just want to lie down and sleep."
She took something from her pocket and showed me a picture that we both cherished.
"Is this...?"
"Mhmm, it's the picture of me and my..."
"Your true father, I'd reckon."
"My dad?"
"Yeah, weren't you always curious about what was written on the back?"
I flipped the picture around. There, I saw a signature with someone's first and last name.
"Darrien Rouge... and if I recall correctly, your last name is Rouge as well."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah, you were too busy playing back then, but since all your haunting memories were transferred into my mind, I could at least deduce this much for sure."
"Haha... hahahah!"
Lucy laughed out loud, unable to contain herself.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Haha! N-Nothing, it's sweet how kind and cute you are, Aria~."
—Snuggle...
Unable to hold back the urge, Lucy hugged me tightly, even going so far as to bury her head in my chest.
Only for her to slow down and stop moving, savouring this moment.
...
...
...
"I want to be free, Aria."
"I know."
"Do you think I'll be able to go outside in the future?"
"...I'm not so sure, maybe."
"Hehe, I didn't mean to put you in a tough spot; it's fine."
—Ving...!
Running out of time, my hand—the one that had brought me through all this—began to gleam vibrantly.
"I guess it's time for me to go," she said, smiling, a moment she had anticipated for so long.
"It appears so." I stood up from the ground, still haunted by memories.
But just like I dealt with my problems, I closed my eyes and focused on the present, refusing to dwell on the past for too long before I fell apart.
I raised my left arm, reacting even more as I pointed it at Lucy.
"Aria, before I go, promise me one thing."
"Hmm? What is it?"
Lucy looked at me with sadness, not because of her tragic past, but because of me.
"If things get too hard in the future, don't forget you're not alone anymore."
"W-What?"
I tilted my head, wondering what she was trying to say.
Then, I noticed something strange about her words and why she had said that.
"Wait, don't tell me you...!"
"Teehee~! You were pretty handsome, but I think I prefer the cute you!"
"GYAAAAH!!!"
I screamed in agony, not realizing that she had caught a glimpse of my memories.
"D-Don't worry! I only saw small snippets, just the ones that were special to you."
"A-Ah... I see..."
I sighed in relief. I didn't want anyone to find out about what I did when people knew an old man was acting like a little girl; I couldn't bear that.
"Anyways, as I was saying, make sure you explore the world a lot, okay?"
She came up to me and held my hand, placing it gently on her cheek.
As it reacted to her touch, her figure began to lose colour, blending into my arm as if it were doing whatever it wished.
"What, because you're going to be inside my arm?"
"That's part of it, but I'm not sure if I'll exist here anymore... but it would be nice to walk under the sunlight again."
"..."
—Ving...!
With her departure, she smiled brightly, something she had forgotten how to do until now.
"Thank you so much, Aria, for everything."
—Shaaa...!
As she gradually disappeared into my embrace, I felt an unknown source of energy swell within me, swirling with malice until it eventually converted to Ichor.
「Absorption complete. A small portion of the Ichor's powers has been regained.」
"...You were here all along?"
「...I didn't want to disturb you two.」
"That's fair."
—Crack!
Fully intending not to interrupt us, the white space collapsed the moment Lucy vanished, thrusting me back into reality.
Before this happened, my melancholic gaze turned cold as I looked at the sky.
"Why did you do that to me?"
「I assure you, you shall forget most of those memories.」
"That isn't an excuse, whoever you are."
「...I'm sorry.」
Feeling guilty, she had no further excuses and chose to remain silent, as she hadn't lied about it being entirely her doing.
"Tch, next time tell me if you're going to do this again."
「Now that you have enough power to do so, I shall.」
Intrigued by what she said about power, I felt something obviously different about myself.
But before I could explore what it was, I ran out of time and fell to the ground, as usual.
「May we meet again, □□□□□□.」
=======
"W-Whoa!" I opened my eyes, finding myself in the same position I was in before I entered Lucy's memories.
I looked around, trying to see if I was still inside the house Anellia and I were originally in, but instead of the cramped, underground basement... we were outside.
"Vice-Leader...?" Anellia lowered her weapon, realizing that we were outside as well.
—CRACK!!!
Anellia and I looked up, noticing the sky shattering like glass, signifying that the Pylon had been successfully destroyed.
Humanity had won.
"We... we did it..." I took a deep breath and flopped onto the ground.
—Thonk!
"...Was the sky always this beautiful?" I smiled, admiring the vibrant yellow sky.
As I watched the sky, three familiar angels flew by, noticing the two of us on the ground.
It was about to get noisy soon, so I wanted to savour this moment, even if just for a little while.
In the sky was a bright, shooting star, soaring in the skies, no longer bound by anything, no more.
You're free now, Lucy.