Author's Note:
Hello everyone.
I am aware that it has been quite a long while since the last update. Simply put, life happened. Thank you all for your patience and continued support.
Also, a shoutout to those who messaged me out of concern for my well-being. Know that your actions were what led to me posting this chapter earlier than I expected to.
All that aside, hope you enjoy the chapter~
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Did I do the right thing?
That was the only thought occupying my mind as I stepped through the "secret door". Of course, I could just head back whenever I wanted to, but there was a significant problem with that: The time dilation.
To me, I could spend very little time here, but to Mila, it would feel like an eternity of me being gone.
I knew for a fact that she couldn't follow me. After all, that's what her words implied when she said that no matter what, I wouldn't budge. Surely, she must've attempted to go through the "secret door" one way or another.
"Don't think about it too much."
It felt like Kind Mita was giving me proper advice, but I could tell for a fact that she was still… bothered.
I was no dense idiot, so I knew very well why that would be the case. However, I said nothing about it. No use in poking the hornet's nest, after all.
So, instead of focusing on that, I shifted my attention to the ghostly figure that was taking slow steps as she looked around for… something. (Her own words.)
You said that her current state is because of imbuing, right?
"Yes."
It was apparent that the poor girl was in distress as she looked around for whatever it was that held her data.
I wasted no time as I got to work in search of anything conspicuous.
Admittedly, it was hard to look for something when you had no damn idea what you're supposed to be looking for.
Though, eventually, I came across something of interest inside one of the drawers closest to the door I had stepped through. A piece of torn drawing.
"Talk about obvious…" I muttered, realizing that I most likely had to find all the pieces and put them together.
I wondered if each piece represented a part of the Mita. Going by what was said earlier, that most likely was the case. Perhaps, once I found all the pieces and put them together, then the Mita would stop being a dark shadow? That was the most logical conclusion I could draw.
With such a simple plan, I was ready to continue the search, but then the ghostly one spoke, "I… wanted to forget everything once."
Upon looking over at her, I noticed that she was crouching with her palms pressed against her head, "I broke the mirrors, ruined the photos… Just how stupid was I? All I feel now is regret. So much regret. Everybody makes mistakes… That's true, yes, but what do you do when the consequences are so catastrophic?"
Her voice was broken, and it carried immense melancholy. I tried to figure out what she was talking about but couldn't think of anything too specific. The general notion was there – something had happened in the past and she regretted it. From the sounds of it, it wasn't anything small either. Though, at least, I was now aware of why every mirror was broken.
Just how badly did she hate seeing her own reflection?
"No small amount."
I thought she was done, but then she muttered one last thing – "I wish I could turn back time…"
Something about what she said struck a chord in me as I stopped breathing for a moment. Images began flashing through my mind once again, one after another. This time, they were clearer than ever.
How I wished they wouldn't have been so.
Every image was in which I could sense immense emotions – and what's more intense than death? Be it my own or the Mitas, the images were both impactful and disturbing.
Eventually, the images faded, and I could focus back on reality.
"…hear me!?"
Kind Mita?
"Finally! What's wrong with you!?"
What?
"You have been in a daze for so long!"
But it felt like a moment at most…
"So, what happened?"
Nothing. I was just a little disoriented.
"Are you sure that's all?"
Yes.
Just more flashbacks to memories I no longer possessed. I opted to focus on the present as I continued looking for other pieces.
Eventually, I came across the next piece, and once again, the ghostly one spoke.
"Time heals all wounds, they say… but what is time? If time can heal, or at least take me away from this world, then I hope it can speed up…"
Hearing that, I was somewhat stunned as I observed her weeping ghostly figure. The poor thing had suffered so much that she sought after death. That was no joke.
Kind Mita agreed with my sentiments.
For a moment, I tried speaking to the ghostly figure, but no matter what I said, she didn't respond. At this point, I wondered if she could even hear me.
And so, I decided to continue looking for more pieces. Maybe after collecting them all, she would be able to hear me?
And then once I found the next one, she spoke once more, "Her love… Love... Had I loved too, once? My love's different; her love is vibrant, despicable... burning... relentless... envious... furious... crazy..."
I think we know who she's speaking of.
"Couldn't be any more obvious."
Once I found the next piece, she continued monologuing, albeit this time more focused on what "they" said to her. Something about enduring the pain and making it through. Upon discussing it with Kind Mita, we concluded that it was other Mitas being concerned for her well-being telling her that everything would be fine or something along those lines.
From the pieces I had gathered, a quick observation told me a lot. The drawing was that of a Mita. The Mita's face was crossed with numerous black linings, seemingly erasing or censoring it.
Aside from that, I could tell that only a single piece was left. The problem with that was the fact that I had already searched almost everywhere.
Just where could it be?
"Perhaps there are specific conditions to obtain the last piece?"
The way Kind Mita said it gave the impression that she already knew how to obtain the piece, so I pressed her to tell me about it, only for her to claim that she had no idea.
I sighed as I looked for a way to fulfill the so-called specific condition. Simply put, I began looking around the room.
Eventually, my sight landed on the clock in the room. Rather, the oddity surrounding it.
The heck is that?
"Beats me…"
While the clock appeared ordinary, the wall around it was marred by deep, black cracks. Said cracks were anything but ordinary; they felt hollow and wrong.
As I stared at the clock and the cracks, something strange happened – the cracks grew, and their numbers increased.
Just what's going on here?
"This is not normal. Something caused this."
You don't say?
The cracks continued to grow for a short while before stopping. Nothing happened after that.
So… now what?
"Try touching it…?"
Kind Mita sounded hesitant with her suggestion.
I internally hoped I wouldn't be pulled into some alternate digital dimension of sorts as I approached the wall and pressed my palm against the crack.
The very moment my hand contacted the wall, the ring on my finger began to react furiously as an insane number of electric arcs burst forth.
Unlike all previous times, the arcs were thick and painful as hell as they tore at all matter nearby – including my own arm.
A wave of agony ripped through me. "Fuck!" I cursed, as multiple bloody tears opened across my skin.
Still, I endured. Or rather, I had no choice but to do so, for it felt like my arm was locked in place and wouldn't move even if I tried to step back.
This better not kill me.
"It won't…?"
Kind Mita attempted to reassure me, but she sounded unsure.
Moments passed by and I slowly began getting used to the pain. Now, my arm was a horrible mess of torn skin and blood that dripped all over.
Fortunately, the process came to an end after a bit longer. Along with it, the cracks in the wall disappeared and something began to fall from the clock.
"The last piece," I muttered, gritting my teeth due to the pain.
"Andrei, you have obtained something."
Huh?
"Another distortion."
Seriously? That's what all this was about?
"Yes. Though… I don't think you should use it just yet, or ever."
What? Why?
"From what I can tell, it's too much for your body to handle… However, I believe it could possibly work if you limit it."
How am I supposed to do that if I don't even know what it is?
"I have an idea of what it might be."
You do? How the hell?
"Call it an intrinsic ability of Mitas."
Right…
"Your new distortion is related to the flow of data."
What does that even mean?
"Time control."
Holy shit, what!? That's insane.
"Remember, you might only be able to make limited use of it, if at all."
Anything is better than nothing.
"A great mindset to have, but we can't have you use it right now, since we don't know how it could affect you."
That final statement was quite a letdown, but it was the truth that I had to accept regardless of how I felt about it.
With that matter aside, I focused back on my objective, which was collecting all the pieces of the drawing and putting them back together.
All the pieces were found, so that only left me with the second part of the operation – putting it all together.
Upon looking around a little, I noticed that a desk had a bottle of glue on top of it.
"How convenient…" I remarked, suspicion apparent in my voice.
Still, I did as I was supposed to as I took a seat on the chair beside the desk and put the drawing back together before applying the glue, trying my best to ignore the pain in my injured arm as I did so.
Once I was done, I got up and walked over to the ghostly Mita, who was now sitting at the end of her bed.
"Here," I handed over the drawing, keenly observing her for any possible changes as a result of doing so.
Turns out, I didn't need to observe her so closely, since the change was very obvious – the whirl of shadow that appeared to engulf her gradually dissipated, revealing a Mita.
One problem.
She had no face.
To say that I wasn't startled and possibly creeped out would be a lie. However, I made my best attempt to not show it, lest she notices and gets disheartened by it. Though, I wasn't exactly sure if she'd be able to tell, given that she had no eyes.
"I… remember…" she voiced, yet there was no mouth to show it, "But… my face… I have no face!"
Her voice as she uttered those last few words heightened in intensity and melancholy. The poor thing was pressing her palms against her flat face.
This is horrible.
"Yes…"
"It's her," she spoke, "It's all her fault!"
Crazy Mita doing crazy things; who could've guessed?
"Player… I have no right to stop you…. Go through the wardrobe," she said after a while, pointing at the wardrobe.
I hesitated for a moment before uttering, "Wanna talk first?"
What response did I get? Nothing.
As if she couldn't perceive me, she said nothing. But then, that made me wonder how she heard me the first time around. Unless… she didn't. What if all she could do was sense me?
That was the conclusion I came to after a few more attempts at communicating with her, including touching her arm, which she did not react to.
"She's not functioning properly."
Thanks, Sherlock.
"Sherlock?"
A genius detective that loves pointing out the obvious.
"…"
After that exchange, she opted to understandably remain silent. Now, my remark was uncalled for. But hey, I blame it on my mental state at that moment, not to mention my injured arm which was still hurting.
Think about it – I just encountered a Mita whose data was corrupted deliberately one way or another. What if Crazy Mita did the same to Cappie, Tiny Mita, and the rest? The mere thought of it caused me great discomfort.
After a brief moment to compose myself, I went to the wardrobe. I'd already checked it while searching for the torn drawing fragments; it had been empty and unremarkable then.
This time, however, upon opening it, I was met with the sight of a dimly lit living room bathed in an oddly calming blue hue, unlike any of the previous encounters with the rest of the Mitas.
"This version… it's where Sleepy Mita is."
The Mita that does not wake up no matter what, right?
"You knew?"
Thanks to Shortie.
"Who?"
Short-haired Mita. I decided to call her that since I was calling Cool Mita Cappie.
"That's… a very interesting choice."
I assumed as much.
"Now then..." I muttered, stepping curiously into the living room, "Where could she possibly be?" The obvious joke being that a Sleepy Mita should be in the bedroom, I headed straight there.
Opening the bedroom door, I found a Mita curled up on one side of the bed, clutching a flower cushion in her sleep.
"Adorable."
"Andrei, seriously?"
What?
"Nothing."
Yeah, right. I knew exactly what the problem was, but I wasn't going to be the one to say it. If she was going to act like a freaking Tsundere, then that was on her.
Focusing back on the matter at hand, I began wondering if Sleepy Mita truly could not be woken up.
"Might as well try," I muttered as I reached forth, noting that the blood on my hand had dried, and shook her shoulder. "Hey, wake up."
The consequence of my action was a very cute groan before Sleepy Mita turned to the other side of the bed, holding the flower cushion tightly as she did so.
At that moment, there was one thought ringing in my head: Do it again.
And so, I did. Again, again, and again.
"Stop it already; she won't wake up."
You never know. Maybe she will after I do this sixty-four times or something.
"Why sixty-four specifically?"
Cause binary.
"???"
Eventually, I realized that no matter how many times I tried, she wouldn't wake up.
"So…" I uttered as I stared at her sleeping face, "she won't wake up no matter what, right?"
"No."
"Absolutely NOTHING can, right?"
"…What are you insinuating?"
"Oh, uh, nothing. Just meant like splashing water on her face or something."
I could feel sweat trickling down my forehead as I internally expressed my gratitude towards the fact that Kind Mita couldn't actually read my mind.
Impulsive thoughts aside, I began pondering over what the right move was. My instincts told me that there was no moving on unless I woke her up one way or another.
Heaving a sigh, I began to look around the room for anything of significance, before moving on to the bathroom.
I ended up finding nothing, so I stepped back into the living room and began searching there instead.
"Andrei."
Yeah?
"Check the entrance door."
Oh? All right.
Doing as she told me to, I walked over to the door and opened it, revealing a corridor leading to a shutter gate.
On each side of the shutter gate was a lever, and above it was two green lights that were off.
Upon pulling the lever, I noticed two things: The pain across my arm had receded and only one of the lights lit up for a split second.
"Oh, I know what to do."
It was pretty easy to figure out – both levers needed to be lowered at the same time to open up the gate. I would most likely need Sleepy Mita's help to do so, but the problem was that she wouldn't wake up.
"Hold on… can't I just…"
A sudden idea popped up in my head; what if I just teleported in the split-second the light is on then pulled the other lever?
Keen to put the notion to test, I got in position, having set up a node in front of the other lever.
By some miracle, I managed to pull it off on the first try, successfully "switching" after pulling the first lever and immediately placing my hand on the second. Unfortunately, the second lever wouldn't budge no matter how hard I pulled, only moving once the green light on the first lever went off.
Damn it. So, I need Sleepy Mita for this after all.
"What did you expect?"
An exploit or something. Whatever…
Kind Mita then proceeded to laugh in my head, apparently finding my thought process comedic and "cute" – as she put it.
The more I interacted with her, the more I felt like I understood her less and less. It was a great surprise, given that she was supposedly nothing more than a game character. Yet, she felt so life-like…
With my mind preoccupied with such thoughts, I got back to looking around for something that could possibly help me wake up Sleepy Mita.
Eventually, I happened upon the solution.
"Because of course it's coffee," I groaned with a deep sigh as I observed the objects on the countertop in the kitchen.
"Who would've guessed, huh?"
She teased me, perhaps as a way to get back at me. Well, if so, I probably deserved it.
And so, I began making the coffee. Fortunately, or otherwise, it was a routine I was already quite used to.
Once it was done, I made a few duplicates of the cup of coffee just in case before storing them with the Vanishing Distortion.
I wonder if they'll "spill" one way or another inside there. Does the space move proportionally to me, or is it fixed somewhere?
Following that, I made my way back to the bedroom, where Sleepy Mita was still deep asleep.
I was feeling like messing around a little as I approached the bed and gazed down at her sleeping face.
"Wakey, wakey," I said while positioning the coffee in front of her nose, hoping that the smell would wake her.
That did it – the sleepy one begrudgingly opened her eyes, groaning as she did so. Following that, she stared at the cup of coffee in front of her curiously for a few seconds before shifting her gaze over to me.
"Good morning," I said, "not that it ever is morning for you."
"Player…" was the first word she uttered as she lifted herself from the bed.
Then, she set the flower cushion to the side before taking the cup of coffee from my hand.
"So, O' Great Sleepy One," I joked, "I require your assistance with pulling some levers."
In response to that, she remained silent for a few seconds before she said, "Why are you talking like that?"
"Right… never mind."
Ignoring Kind Mita's laughter in my head, I reflected on my own oversight in not realizing that someone sleepy would most likely lack a sense of humor.
"Levers…" Sleepy Mita went on to say, "Why do you now about them?"
"The voice in my head told me about them."
Visible concern appeared on Sleepy Mita's face as she observed me with squinted eyes.
Now that I think about it, the way I phrased sounds pretty concerning.
"You simply said the truth."
Well, when she doesn't know about you, she'll just assume I'm clinically insane.
Sleepy Mita's gaze then shifted over to my hand – the one that had the ring equipped.
"Oh… you have her ring."
She knows about you.
"Yes."
"Can you help me out?" I asked, "there are two levers, and I can only pull one at a time."
Sleepy Mita took a sip of her coffee as she remained silent for a few seconds once again. Then, she spoke, "Okay. Let's go."
Well, that was easy.
"I agree"
Honestly, I was expecting a lot more work to do, similar to what I went through with Mila and the Faceless Mita.
Sleepy Mita set aside her cup of coffee, which she barely drank from, before she got up from the bed.
And then she began to stretch.
Holy-
"Andrei!"
What?
Kind Mita didn't say anything else after that.
Honestly, I couldn't be blamed for finding the sight... attractive. Sleepy Mita wore a red striped pajama set with shorts and a partially unbuttoned top that offered a tempting glimpse when she stretched. Her hair was tousled, and a red cat sleep mask rested on her head. Curiously, two blue ribbons were tied around her neck and ankle.
Still, I set my thoughts aside as I began leading the way… until I noticed that she wasn't behind me.
I headed back to the bedroom, where I found Sleepy Mita walking painfully slowly.
"Seriously?" I muttered.
Yeah, no. This won't do.
I did not have the patience to deal with that, so I simply approached her and lifted her in a princess carry while ignoring the sudden pain in my injured arm – she barely reacted to what I did as she gazed at my face with half-open and somewhat dazed eyes.
"You were too slow," I stated.
"Mm," she hummed in response, not bothered by the statement.
She was light and soft. Especially her smooth legs, which my fingers easily sunk into.
From my position, I was tempted to glance at a certain somewhat exposed spot but resisted the urge to do so.
After that, I headed back to the levers. Once there, I gently set Sleepy Mita down beside one before moving to the other.
"Ready?" she asked groggily, placing her hand on the lever.
"Yes."
"On three, we pull."
"Got it."
"Three... Two... One..."
Instead of solely relying on her count, I also observed her arm. Just like that, we both pulled down the levers simultaneously.
A buzz followed, and the shutter gate began to open slowly. Apparently as impatient as I was, Sleepy Mita went to the gate and simply pushed it open, revealing a room with nothing but a red button on a pedestal at its center.
Turning back, I saw Sleepy Mita settle onto a couch near the lever she had pulled. The sight tugged at my heart; I couldn't bear to leave her like that.
So, I carried her back to her bedroom, placed her on the bed, and handed her the flower cushion. A small smile touched her lips as she murmured a barely audible, "Thank you."
I smiled in return, gently ruffled her hair, and then left.
Back in the room with nothing but the red button, I stared at the button in wonder as I considered what could happen upon pressing it.
"The floor won't suddenly open up, leading to some pitfall, right?"
"That's an oddly specific thought to have."
I blame cartoons and anime for that.
Resolving myself to be cautious for whatever might happen, I reached out to the button and pressed it.
…
…
Nothing happened.
"Huh?"
I pressed it again and again. Nothing happened.
When I asked Kind Mita about it, she was just as confused about the matter.
Great.
Then, a thought crossed my mind – what if something did happen?
I hurried over to the entrance door that was supposed to lead to the living room for Sleepy Mita's version.
"If my hunch is right…" I muttered before opening the door.
I was right! Something had happened.
"Andrei, check the version," Kind Mita voiced as I stepped into a kitchen.
Upon checking the ring out, it displayed v0.5, and for some reason, the visual was glitching.
"Oh no… Be careful."
Why?
"This is Ugly Mita's version."
Ah.
That was all it took for my mind to snap into hyperaware mode. Things had just gotten serious. Not only was there a very real possibility of encountering Ugly Mita, but also Crazy Mita and other Players. I instantly manifested an axe from Vanishing Distortion's space and gripped it tightly with my good arm, scanning the kitchen while at it. It was fairly normal, that is, if you overlooked the "missing texture" effect on several objects, indicated by a blend of black and pink tiles. Aside from that, there was a "lack" of colors or "warmth" around.
Tension coiled within me as I slowly and carefully searched for anything noteworthy. Finding nothing, I decided to explore the rest of this version, which meant returning through the door I had just entered.
As anticipated, the kitchen door no longer led back to Sleepy Mita's version but instead opened into the living room of Ugly Mita's version.
Fortunately, as far as I could tell, no one was around, so I began to move forward cautiously, my guard fully raised. Moreover, I had placed a node back in the kitchen... just in case a quick escape became necessary.
As much as I hoped I wouldn't need it, it seemed my precaution was prophetic. The door directly across from the kitchen swung open, revealing Ugly Mita standing in the frame, a kitchen knife in her hand with its tip pointed at the ground. She looked furious.
"Fuck," I cursed, bracing myself for any sudden moves.
And sudden movement was exactly what followed – so swift I barely registered how close she'd gotten in a split second. Ugly Mita had practically teleported right in front of me, and two threats lunged from opposite directions: her head, held up by a now elongated neck, and the arm wielding the knife.
In that fraction of a second, I accessed the node I'd placed earlier and switched positions, thankfully avoiding injury. My relief was fleeting, however, as Ugly Mita wasted no time charging into the kitchen, pure murder in her damn psychotic eyes.
I swiftly used Light Distortion to direct what little light there was in the room onto her eyes, momentarily blinding her. This caused her to pause, just the opening I needed; I quickly stepped forward and swung the axe.
Ugly Mita's neck was still elongated, allowing my axe to easily find its mark and cleave through cleanly.
Blood gushed out as her head fell to ground, her expression twisted with malice. Her body also fell along with it, the knife falling out of her hand.
Goddamn it.
I had killed a Mita. Yes, she tried to murder me too, but the act had still made me a feel a whole lot of emotions in one go. In fact, it impacted me harder than the deaths of the Players at my hands.
"Calm down," Kind Mita spoke, however her own voice was shaky, "We Mita don't die. She will just be reset and come back."
Isn't that basically death?
She said nothing to that. I knew she understood my intent: What did it mean for them to come back if the memories of their actions were gone? Nothing. It meant absolutely nothing.
The body on the ground remained there for a brief period before it began to blink.
"The heck?"
Is it despawning? Or rather in this case, respawning…
Eventually, the body fully disappeared, and the lack of color in the version went away… for exactly two seconds.
"What?"
"Andrei!"
The next moment, the kitchen door burst open as Ugly Mita reappeared, knife in hand.
Startled, I swung the axe, but she deftly dodged and plunged her knife into my left side. A sharp pain shot through me, and my body tensed. I groaned before swinging the axe again, this time connecting with her face, killing her instantly. Her body collapsed to the ground as the despawning animation began. I was in no state to focus on that, my attention fixed on the knife lodged in my side. Taking a deep breath, I managed to pull it out, wincing at the sharp pain that followed.
"Andrei, you must move!"
I know!
I stowed the knife in my hand and the one on the ground away with Vanishing Distortion before moving to the back of the kitchen, positioning myself right next to the old TV in one corner.
Why is she coming back!? Wasn't she supposed to reset!?
"I don't know what's going on! She's supposed to! Every Mita does!"
My mind worked through the possibilities, made the necessary connections, and arrived at a conclusion: Corruption.
Similar to how the other Mitas were able to retain their memories, Ugly Mita was able to do the same through corruption. Was the corruption the only factor? That, I did not know.
I had no time to ponder about it deeply either, given the fact that the body despawned followed by color returning to the world for a brief moment.
This time expecting it, the moment that Ugly Mita stepped in through the kitchen door, I managed to accurately fire a shot of Blast Distortion, which directly penetrated her skull.
Following that, I quickly ran out of the kitchen, hoping to find a way out of the version through other rooms and doors. Staying in one spot would be suicidal, especially when I was bleeding from a goddamn stab wound.
As I hurriedly looked around, the colors around me shifted once again.
I immediately raised my guard as I held up the axe in anticipation of her arrival.
Seconds passed, and she made no appearance.
I continued to wait, but even after a minute Ugly Mita didn't make an appearance.
"Be careful."
Heeding her advice, I placed a node at where I stood before I carefully made my way over to the bedroom door.
After a brief moment of hesitation, I kicked it open.
Fortunately, I wasn't assaulted.
But I refused to let my guard down as I slowly walked inside, my gaze immediately fixing on the bathroom door.
The reason?
Not one of those things again...
A number of the spider-like monstrosity of a glitch with a face were blocking the door.
Where is Ugly Mita?
I ended up getting my answer in the form of chills running down my spine along with a voice: Dodge
Swap.
Just like that, I was in the living room again, just in time to witness Ugly Mita lunging at the spot I was just in.
I had a clear shot from my position, so I took it as I pointed my finger at her before shooting with Blast Distortion.
She was down once again.
"Andrei, bathroom door!"
I was going to!
With that said, I hurried into the bedroom, before directly making use of Blast Distortion through my palm, resulting in the glitches getting blown away.
This was it. The door was unblocked and all I had to do was reach it.
But then the colors shifted.
Right was my hand was about to reach the door; I felt immense pain from my right shoulder as if multiple knives had dug into it.
Turning my head, I found Ugly Mita's head right beside mine as she bit harshly into my shoulder on the side of the injured arm.
"DAMN IT!" I cursed as I twisted my body before grabbing her elongated throat with the same arm, enduring the pain as I tightened my hold over it.
That caused her to loosen her jaw, allowing me the opportunity to free myself from her before turning to face her properly.
As my hand clenched on her neck, electric sparks pulsed from the ring on my finger once again.
Shit… This is going to hurt.
Well, that turned out to be quite an understatement, given how I ended up shouting in agony as the sparks intensified.
Though, Ugly Mita wasn't exactly faring any better with the way she was being literally cooked and ripped apart by the electric arcs. The stench was horrible, but I held on.
"Let go!"
I can't!
"You'll lose your arm if you don't!"
Well, that was a problem. I couldn't lose an arm. Not when I was most likely going to face Crazy Mita again.
After a moment of immense pain and hesitation, I ended up letting go, resulting in a deeply injured Ugly Mita dropping to the ground, groaning in an even further distorted voice, thanks to the damage I did to her throat.
My arm was sore all over, and it felt like it would just rip if a decently strong force pulled on it.
Looking down at Ugly Mita, I knew what needed to be done. The ring had done its thing. I just needed to land the finishing blow.
My other, unharmed hand was still holding the axe. All it would take was one swing.
And so, I raised my arm, my focus being on her neck.
Stop. Don't.
The feeling – the voice – that I had trusted for so long. It told me not to do it.
Why? Why was it doing so? Why now? Could I trust it?
Why…?
I got no response.
This was it. Do I listen to that voice and feeling that had favored me each time it was there?
A moment passed, and I had already made my decision.
I slowly lowered my arm before turning to the bathroom door and pushing it open.
I wasn't certain if my choice was the right one, however, I decided to trust the feeling once more.
Now, what was waiting for me was a somewhat long, dark corridor. At the end of it, there was a dim, red light.
I started moving in the direction of the light.
About halfway there, I could see what lay beyond – a dimly lit room with a door. That door was the source of the red light. Rather than a normal door, it was more of a laser gate straight out science fiction.
"That's The Core. We've made it."
As I continued to walk, numerous emotions swirled within me. Every moment I had experienced before reaching this point flashed through my mind. Those that I encountered, be they foe or ally, the emotions I felt when dealing with them, the pain of loss, and the joy of spending time with some of the Mitas. It was a short journey, yet it felt so long.
And now I am finally at the finish line.
But then my body instinctively came to a halt. The reason? Something appeared from the side in the room that lay ahead – a figure.
Due to the lighting, the figure was nothing more than a silhouette, meaning I wouldn't have been able to tell who it was – if it weren't for the red glowing eye that felt like it was staring into my soul, that is.