Chapter 94: A colorless world [2]
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Chapter 94 A colorless world [2]
If there was one thing that I learned after entering Alexander's mind, it was that everyone's perception of reality was?different.
It was a simple concept.
Everyone perceived things differently.
In society, individuals who shared similar perceptions were more likely to form connections and get along.
But...
There were outliers.
People whose perception of reality was so different that they couldn't fit it anywhere.
Alexander was one such person. His world...
It was boring.
Completely devoid of anything. Usually, I'd be able to perceive the emotions of the person I used the skill against, but the moment I entered his mind, all I perceived was emptiness.
It was a strange feeling.
But at the same time dangerous. Addicting, almost. Once I saw just how peaceful a world without emotions was, I started to lose my sense of reality. I just wanted to bask in such a world for as long as possible.
But...
Such a peaceful world didn't truly exist.
It was merely a fake sense of tranquility. A world without emotions was a bland world.
Alexander's perception of emotions was much lower than a regular person's. It was for that reason that he sought to feel them.
It was to...
Not feel so alone anymore.
It was this fundamental understanding of his mind that made me immerse myself in the mind of Azarias.
His story wasn't much different from Alexander's.
He was a man who lived in a colorless world—someone whose world was entirely painted in gray.
.....It was hard for me to understand a world like that.
But now I understood.
Blinking my eyes, I looked around. Everything was gray, and monotone. The more I immersed myself in Alexander's emotions, the more I realized just how bland his world was.
I started to feel insignificant.
But within that insignificance, I spotted something.
'Red.'
A single rose that stood by the window of the room.
It was red.
And I could see it, starkly contrasting the monotonous world around me.
"...."
My lips trembled. I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to get rid of the gray that surrounded me.
"Haa... Haaa..."
I felt my breathing quicken the moment the thought entered my mind.
Looking around, I found a brush. I traced my finger over it, feeling its texture at my fingertips.
I started to paint the walls.
Stroke. Stroke—
My hands moved on their own. They danced across the gray walls, splashing the walls with the newfound color.
It was a refreshing feeling.
I didn't feel so lonely anymore.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 0.2%
Notifications appeared within my vision. I paid them no mind and basked myself in the feeling the red gave me.
"Haa... Haaa..."
Red had different shades to it.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 0.05%
From the textures to the shades, I wanted to see more.
Stroke. Stroke—
As if possessed, I started to move around while painting the walls by myself. I was fast, I was fluent, and I was free...
"Haa."
But...
That fleeting sense of joy didn't last for very long as I stopped my hand.
"....I need more."
I had run out of red.
Scratch. Scratch.
My neck felt itchy all of a sudden. I felt myself grow frantic as if a part of me was being snatched off and thrown away.
"No, no, no..."
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
[Do you like what I've drawn?]
Azarias's voice trembled slightly as his eyes gazed at the audience. For some reason, it felt as though he was looking at every one individually.
It sent shivers down the spines of some of the audience members, causing them to swallow nervously.
[Y-you're crazy. A monster.]
Joseph's words echoed the thoughts of all those watching.
His voice was smooth, and the audience could see the emotions contained in his tone. From anger to sadness.
It was all so vivid.
If only they knew...
Such were the true emotions Darius was feeling as he stared at the cadet before him. He was simply overwhelming.
It was taking every ounce of his experience to keep up.
[A monster]
Azarias curiously tilted his head as he swapped his gaze between him and the painting on the wall.
[Do you not like it? Is something missing?]
[....]
[Tell me.]
Gradually, Azarais's face started to twist.
[Is something missing?! Tell me!]
His powerful voice bellowed throughout the entire theater as some of the audience members flinched at the unexpected change.
His desperation was made clear to the audience.
Scratch. Scratch.
[What is it missing? What? I've done it well. It's good. There's not-]
Bang.
Azarias's voice stopped.
Looking down, he stared at his clothes where a small hole appeared. Gradually, red started to stain his clothes.
[Ah...]
In the silence that suddenly took over, he looked up.
Joseph met his gaze.
His expression was twisted as his body trembled. Pointed at him was the barrel of a small gun.
[...]
With trembling lips, Joseph stared at Azarias. His expression contorted as his face showed nothing but hatred and disgust.
Thud—
Azarias's body fell shortly after.
In the gray world, he stared blankly at the ceiling as red began to stain his shirt, pooling around him and seeping toward the wall where he had painted.
Joseph's figure faded out of frame as all that remained was Azarias and the painting on the wall.
Gradually, the red coming from his body connected with the wall.
In the last moments, Azarias looked at the wall. His previously ecstatic expression changed.
"....."
What replaced it was a blank look. It was as if his breath was being taken away from him.
The audience held similar expressions as they stared at the painting on the wall.
It was a rose.
A thorny rose.
One that slowly connected with Azarias who lay on the opposite end. The rose now had a stem, symbolizing his integration into the painting.
It all clicked then.
[S-so that's what was missing...]
There was something poetic about the rose that the audience had a hard time describing.
Especially within the monochrome world. It stood out, and almost felt blinding, making one unable to take their gaze away from it.
And then...
Drip.
As something dripped down the corner of Azarias's eyes, his quiet voice still managed to reach the ears of all those present.
[It's... so beautiful.]
In death, he basked in the only color that gave meaning to his life.
It was...
A masterpiece.
His masterpiece.
Cli Cla—
The lights turned off.
A Colorless World.
Such was the name of his final Act.
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Chapter 94 A colorless world [2]
If there was one thing that I learned after entering Alexander's mind, it was that everyone's perception of reality was?different.
It was a simple concept.
Everyone perceived things differently.
In society, individuals who shared similar perceptions were more likely to form connections and get along.
But...
There were outliers.
People whose perception of reality was so different that they couldn't fit it anywhere.
Alexander was one such person. His world...
It was boring.
Completely devoid of anything. Usually, I'd be able to perceive the emotions of the person I used the skill against, but the moment I entered his mind, all I perceived was emptiness.
It was a strange feeling.
But at the same time dangerous. Addicting, almost. Once I saw just how peaceful a world without emotions was, I started to lose my sense of reality. I just wanted to bask in such a world for as long as possible.
But...
Such a peaceful world didn't truly exist.
It was merely a fake sense of tranquility. A world without emotions was a bland world.
Alexander's perception of emotions was much lower than a regular person's. It was for that reason that he sought to feel them.
It was to...
Not feel so alone anymore.
It was this fundamental understanding of his mind that made me immerse myself in the mind of Azarias.
His story wasn't much different from Alexander's.
He was a man who lived in a colorless world—someone whose world was entirely painted in gray.
.....It was hard for me to understand a world like that.
But now I understood.
Blinking my eyes, I looked around. Everything was gray, and monotone. The more I immersed myself in Alexander's emotions, the more I realized just how bland his world was.
I started to feel insignificant.
But within that insignificance, I spotted something.
'Red.'
A single rose that stood by the window of the room.
It was red.
And I could see it, starkly contrasting the monotonous world around me.
"...."
My lips trembled. I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to get rid of the gray that surrounded me.
"Haa... Haaa..."
I felt my breathing quicken the moment the thought entered my mind.
Looking around, I found a brush. I traced my finger over it, feeling its texture at my fingertips.
I started to paint the walls.
Stroke. Stroke—
My hands moved on their own. They danced across the gray walls, splashing the walls with the newfound color.
It was a refreshing feeling.
I didn't feel so lonely anymore.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 0.2%
Notifications appeared within my vision. I paid them no mind and basked myself in the feeling the red gave me.
"Haa... Haaa..."
Red had different shades to it.
?| Lvl 1. [Joy] EXP + 0.05%
From the textures to the shades, I wanted to see more.
Stroke. Stroke—
As if possessed, I started to move around while painting the walls by myself. I was fast, I was fluent, and I was free...
"Haa."
But...
That fleeting sense of joy didn't last for very long as I stopped my hand.
"....I need more."
I had run out of red.
Scratch. Scratch.
My neck felt itchy all of a sudden. I felt myself grow frantic as if a part of me was being snatched off and thrown away.
"No, no, no..."
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
[Do you like what I've drawn?]
Azarias's voice trembled slightly as his eyes gazed at the audience. For some reason, it felt as though he was looking at every one individually.
It sent shivers down the spines of some of the audience members, causing them to swallow nervously.
[Y-you're crazy. A monster.]
Joseph's words echoed the thoughts of all those watching.
His voice was smooth, and the audience could see the emotions contained in his tone. From anger to sadness.
It was all so vivid.
If only they knew...
Such were the true emotions Darius was feeling as he stared at the cadet before him. He was simply overwhelming.
It was taking every ounce of his experience to keep up.
[A monster]
Azarias curiously tilted his head as he swapped his gaze between him and the painting on the wall.
[Do you not like it? Is something missing?]
[....]
[Tell me.]
Gradually, Azarais's face started to twist.
[Is something missing?! Tell me!]
His powerful voice bellowed throughout the entire theater as some of the audience members flinched at the unexpected change.
His desperation was made clear to the audience.
Scratch. Scratch.
[What is it missing? What? I've done it well. It's good. There's not-]
Bang.
Azarias's voice stopped.
Looking down, he stared at his clothes where a small hole appeared. Gradually, red started to stain his clothes.
[Ah...]
In the silence that suddenly took over, he looked up.
Joseph met his gaze.
His expression was twisted as his body trembled. Pointed at him was the barrel of a small gun.
[...]
With trembling lips, Joseph stared at Azarias. His expression contorted as his face showed nothing but hatred and disgust.
Thud—
Azarias's body fell shortly after.
In the gray world, he stared blankly at the ceiling as red began to stain his shirt, pooling around him and seeping toward the wall where he had painted.
Joseph's figure faded out of frame as all that remained was Azarias and the painting on the wall.
Gradually, the red coming from his body connected with the wall.
In the last moments, Azarias looked at the wall. His previously ecstatic expression changed.
"....."
What replaced it was a blank look. It was as if his breath was being taken away from him.
The audience held similar expressions as they stared at the painting on the wall.
It was a rose.
A thorny rose.
One that slowly connected with Azarias who lay on the opposite end. The rose now had a stem, symbolizing his integration into the painting.
It all clicked then.
[S-so that's what was missing...]
There was something poetic about the rose that the audience had a hard time describing.
Especially within the monochrome world. It stood out, and almost felt blinding, making one unable to take their gaze away from it.
And then...
Drip.
As something dripped down the corner of Azarias's eyes, his quiet voice still managed to reach the ears of all those present.
[It's... so beautiful.]
In death, he basked in the only color that gave meaning to his life.
It was...
A masterpiece.
His masterpiece.
Cli Cla—
The lights turned off.
A Colorless World.
Such was the name of his final Act.
Chapter 94 A colorless world 2 If there was one thing that I learned after entering Alexander's mind, it was that everyone's perception of reality was?different. It was a simple concept. Everyone perceived things differently. In society, individuals who shared similar perceptions were more likely to form connections and get along. But... There were outliers. People whose perception of reality was so different that they couldn't fit it anywhere. Alexander was one such person. His world... It was boring. Completely devoid of anything. Usually, I'd be able to perceive the emotions of the person I used the skill against, but the moment I entered his mind, all I perceived was emptiness. It was a strange feeling. But at the same time dangerous. Addicting, almost. Once I saw just how peaceful a world without emotions was, I started to lose my sense of reality. I just wanted to bask in such a world for as long as possible. But... Such a peaceful world didn't truly exist. It was merely a fake sense of tranquility. A world without emotions was a bland world. Alexander's perception of emotions was much lower than a regular person's. It was for that reason that he sought to feel them. It was to... Not feel so alone anymore. It was this fundamental understanding of his mind that made me immerse myself in the mind of Azarias. His story wasn't much different from Alexander's. He was a man who lived in a colorless worldsomeone whose world was entirely painted in gray. .....It was hard for me to understand a world like that. But now I understood. Blinking my eyes, I looked around. Everything was gray, and monotone. The more I immersed myself in Alexander's emotions, the more I realized just how bland his world was. I started to feel insignificant. But within that insignificance, I spotted something. 'Red.' A single rose that stood by the window of the room. It was red. And I could see it, starkly contrasting the monotonous world around me. "...." My lips trembled. I wanted to see more of it. I wanted to get rid of the gray that surrounded me. "Haa... Haaa..." I felt my breathing quicken the moment the thought entered my mind. Looking around, I found a brush. I traced my finger over it, feeling its texture at my fingertips. I started to paint the walls. Stroke. Stroke My hands moved on their own. They danced across the gray walls, splashing the walls with the newfound color. It was a refreshing feeling. I didn't feel so lonely anymore. ?| Lvl 1. Joy EXP + 0.2% Notifications appeared within my vision. I paid them no mind and basked myself in the feeling the red gave me. "Haa... Haaa..." Red had different shades to it. ?| Lvl 1. Joy EXP + 0.05% From the textures to the shades, I wanted to see more. Stroke. Stroke As if possessed, I started to move around while painting the walls by myself. I was fast, I was fluent, and I was free... "Haa." But... That fleeting sense of joy didn't last for very long as I stopped my hand. "....I need more." I had run out of red. Scratch. Scratch. My neck felt itchy all of a sudden. I felt myself grow frantic as if a part of me was being snatched off and thrown away. "No, no, no..." Scratch. Scratch. Scratch. Do you like what I've drawn? Azarias's voice trembled slightly as his eyes gazed at the audience. For some reason, it felt as though he was looking at every one individually. It sent shivers down the spines of some of the audience members, causing them to swallow nervously. Y-you're crazy. A monster. Joseph's words echoed the thoughts of all those watching. His voice was smooth, and the audience could see the emotions contained in his tone. From anger to sadness. It was all so vivid. If only they knew... Such were the true emotions Darius was feeling as he stared at the cadet before him. He was simply overwhelming. It was taking every ounce of his experience to keep up. A monster Azarias curiously tilted his head as he swapped his gaze between him and the painting on the wall. Do you not like it? Is something missing? .... Tell me. Gradually, Azarais's face started to twist. Is something missing?! Tell me! His powerful voice bellowed throughout the entire theater as some of the audience members flinched at the unexpected change. His desperation was made clear to the audience. Scratch. Scratch. What is it missing? What? I've done it well. It's good. There's not- Bang. Azarias's voice stopped. Looking down, he stared at his clothes where a small hole appeared. Gradually, red started to stain his clothes. Ah... In the silence that suddenly took over, he looked up. Joseph met his gaze. His expression was twisted as his body trembled. Pointed at him was the barrel of a small gun. ... With trembling lips, Joseph stared at Azarias. His expression contorted as his face showed nothing but hatred and disgust. Thud Azarias's body fell shortly after. In the gray world, he stared blankly at the ceiling as red began to stain his shirt, pooling around him and seeping toward the wall where he had painted. Joseph's figure faded out of frame as all that remained was Azarias and the painting on the wall. Gradually, the red coming from his body connected with the wall. In the last moments, Azarias looked at the wall. His previously ecstatic expression changed. "....." What replaced it was a blank look. It was as if his breath was being taken away from him. The audience held similar expressions as they stared at the painting on the wall. It was a rose. A thorny rose. One that slowly connected with Azarias who lay on the opposite end. The rose now had a stem, symbolizing his integration into the painting. It all clicked then. S-so that's what was missing... There was something poetic about the rose that the audience had a hard time describing. Especially within the monochrome world. It stood out, and almost felt blinding, making one unable to take their gaze away from it. And then... Drip. As something dripped down the corner of Azarias's eyes, his quiet voice still managed to reach the ears of all those present. It's... so beautiful. In death, he basked in the only color that gave meaning to his life. It was... A masterpiece. His masterpiece. Cli Cla The lights turned off. A Colorless World. Such was the name of his final Act.
