Xen opened his eyes once again, only to find himself still trapped in the endless white room. This time, however, something felt different. His senses seemed sharper, the cold air pressing against his skin like a reminder that he wasn't entirely free. The sterile, lifeless space seemed even more oppressive now, as if the walls themselves were closing in, growing tighter by the moment. He could feel the weight of the silence, and in it, an overwhelming sense of isolation that clawed at his mind.
No doors. No windows. No sound.
Time was absent, suspended in this space where nothing seemed to change.
Xen sat up, the cold floor beneath him offering no comfort, only a reminder of the strange reality he now found himself in. He had no memory of how long it had been since his death. Was he really dead? Was this some kind of afterlife, or had he entered a new kind of existence altogether?
His fingers brushed against the smooth surface of the floor, his mind racing. But before he could formulate another question, a low, echoing voice reverberated through the void, interrupting his thoughts.
"You've returned."
The voice was deep, almost haunting, and it felt like it was coming from all directions at once. Xen froze. He had heard that voice before, but now, it felt more... personal. More present.
"Who are you?" Xen asked, his voice steady despite the unease rising within him. The question had been on his lips since he first arrived in this place, and he demanded an answer.
"I am Eternis," the voice replied, its tone almost casual, as though it had anticipated Xen's question long ago. "I am the source of imagination, the very fabric that binds the worlds together. I create. I shape. And I grant life—though not in the way you might think."
Xen's brow furrowed, his confusion deepening. "Eternis? The source of imagination?" He repeated the words, trying to make sense of them. "What does that even mean? Why am I here?"
"You are here because your journey is not over," Eternis continued, its voice as calm as ever. "Your death was but a step. The task you must complete is not bound by the mortal realm. You are not truly alive, yet not fully dead either. You exist between these worlds, tasked with completing something unfinished."
"Unfinished?" Xen echoed, piecing the fragments together. "What do you mean by that? What task?"
"You have taken the body of Carl, a man with an obsession—a mission left incomplete. You will inherit his memories, his role, and you will continue his work. You will become Carl and solve the mysteries that he left behind," Eternis said, each word resonating with power, as if imprinted on the very air around Xen.
Xen felt a strange shiver run down his spine as the implications of Eternis's words began to sink in. "Carl? Who is he? Why did you choose me to take his place?"
Eternis paused for a long moment, and for the first time, Xen could feel the weight of something ancient and unknowable in the air. "Carl was once a detective, a seeker of truth in a world full of lies. He was investigating a series of disappearances in a small village. His obsession with uncovering the truth consumed him. But he died before he could complete his task. And now, you must finish what he started."
Xen's mind raced. His thoughts were chaotic, trying to grasp the enormity of the situation. He wasn't just a spectator in this strange world—he was part of it. Carl's life, Carl's mission, all of it had now been placed on his shoulders.
"I'm not Carl," Xen said, his voice filled with disbelief. "I'm Xen. Why am I being forced to live someone else's life?"
Eternis's voice grew softer, almost as if it were speaking directly to Xen's soul. "You are more than you know. Carl's fate is now intertwined with yours. You will become him, but you will also become something greater. You will uncover the truth about Carl's past, about the missing people, and about the Mimic. Only then will you truly understand your purpose."
Xen shook his head, the confusion threatening to overwhelm him. "The Mimic? What's that? And why is this my mission? Why me?"
"The Mimic is a being that plays with the fabric of reality, a creature born from the cracks in the world's design," Eternis explained. "It is tied to Carl's mission and your own. It is the key to the mystery you must solve. The Mimic holds the answers you seek. But to find them, you must first understand Carl's obsession. You must step into his shoes, live his life, and carry out his final duty."
A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over Xen, as if the weight of the task ahead was pressing him down. He tried to steady his breathing, to keep his mind from spiraling. But it was hard. Everything about this place felt wrong, unnatural. The silence, the emptiness—it all gnawed at him, leaving him with a growing sense of dread.
"So, what now?" Xen asked, his voice barely a whisper. "What do I have to do?"
"You will start by investigating the disappearances," Eternis's voice answered. "You will become Detective Carl. Use his memories, his connections. The pieces will fall into place if you have the courage to see them through."
The air around Xen seemed to thicken, and he felt a strange pull in his chest. It was as if the room itself was trying to drag him deeper into its void. His vision blurred, the edges of the white space fading into a swirling abyss.
Before he could react, Eternis's voice rang out again, its words carrying an undeniable command: "Are you ready, Xen?"
Xen swallowed hard, feeling his heart beat faster. He had no choice but to face this. No choice but to follow through with this strange, twisted mission.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I'm ready," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "I will complete the mission."
In that moment, the world around him shifted. The white room dissolved into nothingness, replaced by the sharp, cutting sensation of freefalling. He felt himself falling, falling endlessly, until finally, the darkness faded away and he found himself standing in a new place—a new reality.
As his feet touched the ground, Xen opened his eyes.
He was back. But this time, he wasn't alone.
A heavy file was in his hands, filled with cases of missing persons, each page weighed down with unanswered questions. He felt the heavy responsibility of the task ahead settle on his shoulders. There was no turning back now.