Derrick's restless slumber plunged him into a nightmarish realm, where the boundaries of time and reality warped. His surroundings morphed into a modern apartment, a stark contrast to the grim reality of The Hole. The room was immaculate, with a ceiling light illuminating the space, clean tile floors, and a large glass table adorned with his favorite meal—beef curry.
Confusion etched across his face as he observed his surroundings, realizing he was in the body of his 8-year-old self. The dolls labeled "daddy" and "mommy" in the seats next to him further emphasized the surreal nature of the scene
A familiar voice, filled with warmth and concern, called out to him. "Derrick! What's wrong? You've been zoning out for a while now. You should eat your food."
Before him stood a 12-year-old version of his older brother, Desmond, with a small scar on his right eyebrow. The wave of memories hit Derrick, and despite knowing this was an illusion, he couldn't help but be moved by the sight of his brother.
"What… what are you doing here?" Derrick questioned, tears welling up despite the rational understanding that this was a manifestation of madness, not reality.
Desmond, seemingly puzzled, responded, "Huh? What do you mean? You're acting weird."
Derrick, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, couldn't contain himself. "You aren't Desmond."
Desmond, undeterred, reached out to palm Derrick's forehead. "Maybe you have a cold? It was pretty chilly yesterday. Maybe we shouldn't have played outside so late..."
In response, Derrick instinctively slapped Desmond's hand away, his frustration and realization boiling over. "If that's your sorry attempt at mimicry, then you've done a pretty patchy job. Desmond's scar is on his left side, not his right."
As the illusion unraveled, Derrick grappled with the eerie mix of nostalgia and distortion, acutely aware that he was trapped in a nightmarish manifestation of his memories. The apartment room, once comforting, now felt like a twisted cage holding fragments of a past that had been warped by the horrors of The Hole.
"…"
Upon hearing those words, the light from Desmond's eyes vanished. His skin began to bubble and expand dramatically, revealing a black and oily interior. Its body sprouted numerous deformed clones that latched onto Derrick's body, dragging him down into the abyss.
"What's wrong Derrick?"
"What's wrong Derrick?"
"What's wrong Derrick?"
Derrick desperately struggled against the mysterious figure. He pulled the black tentacles off of his body as he uttered the words, "It hurts, I don't wanna die!"
Despite his struggles, the void grew exponentially larger until it completely engulfed him. In the darkness, he glimpsed a small flickering light at an infinite distance. Gathering the fragmented pieces of his consciousness, he moved forward toward the small purple spark radiating an ethereal glow, burning away the darkness with each step.
Derrick's flames gradually lost their erratic temper, and the harsh murmurs from the false world faded. A soothing sensation replaced the searing pain, taming his spirituality and bringing the nightmare to a close.
___
He opened his eyes and gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling. The remnants of the disturbing illusion lingered, leaving Derrick disoriented and breathless in the wake of the surreal journey through the twisted corridors of his memories.
"Ah, so you're awake, you damn brat."For some reason, this type of development feels nostalgic... Derrick noted this internally.
"What happened? Where are we? How long have I been asleep?"
Ying lit up his cigarette before deliberating the situation. "Man, I always seem to find myself in these situations. I'm not your encyclopedia you know? But since this is important...I'll make an exception this time."
You seem to make a lot of exceptions, Ying. Derrick lampooned.
"All I know is that you went out to get some snacks from the grocery store. You hadn't come home for a while, so I went out and looked for your sorry ass. Next thing I know, you're nearly dead and surrounded by the corpses of an entire family. For a moment...I believed you to be the killer, but I could sense the residual spirituality from someone else entirely. Someone far more disturbed. The police were on their way, so I went with my better judgment and took you to this hideout. It's been two days since you've been asleep."
Derrick felt his stomach turn as the traumatic memories of the illusion replayed vividly in his mind, causing him to convulse and vomit on the floor beside him. The disorienting blend of past horrors and distorted realities left him physically and emotionally overwhelmed.
Ying handed Derrick a bottle of water. "Your spirituality was exceptionally weak, weak enough to nearly halt your healing ability entirely. If it weren't for that Wraith Factor you were carrying, you would have died. Your body instinctively absorbed the Rank 6 Factor to save you." Ying put out the lit cigarette and asked, "Who did this? I can't know for sure who did this, but I'm certain it isn't you. You aren't a born killer."
Derrick looked at his mentor with an expression he rarely showed. He clenched his fist as he recalled the horrors of the apartment. "It was him...Callos. The executive of [Testament] that executed those two traitors. I met him in the corner store and he forced me to follow him. No...I followed him of my own volition. Then, he rambled on about pointless things as we walked through the city. We stopped at a random apartment door, and that is where the incident began..."
"He forced open the door before killing the child. Then, he murdered the father and mother of the household as well. We did it all without even blinking...without even hesitating. After witnessing that, I felt a strange urge I'd never felt before. For the first time in my life, I wanted to kill another person." Derrick's hands shook uncontrollably. "He isn't human. No...that person...he is a monster. A monster that I couldn't stop. I wasn't strong enough to save anyone. No...I probably could have saved at least one of them if I tried. So why? Why didn't I try to stop him? Even if I died, I would have been happy if I could save at least one more person."
"Kid..." Ying placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder, attempting to give him a sense of solidarity despite his troubled mental state. However, Derrick had no intention of receiving sympathy.
"No! You don't understand what I saw! I've seen people die in The Hole plenty of times since I arrived in this city, but they usually die for a reason. Whether it be backstabbing, stealing, or sexual crimes, they always have what they have coming to them, but Callos kills innocent people and doesn't even bat an eye. Just the thought of it makes me nauseous."
Ying stood up with an irritated continence, attempting to make Derrick understand the harsh reality. "Do you even understand what you're saying right now? I know that you've seen some rough shit, but we need to face reality. If any of us went up against Callos, we'd be lucky to survive in any less than 5 pieces. What can you do about that? This is why I told you to stay out of this mess, all of it. If you don't stop here, the tragedies will keep piling up until they break you. It breaks everyone."
Derrick sat on his bed in a moment of silence. After a brief few seconds, he responded, "No...that's exactly why I need to get more involved. If there are monsters like Callos that can roam the streets freely, then what good am I standing around doing nothing? I need to become stronger, stronger than even the most experienced of the residents of The Hole. That is why...I'm going to carry out the infiltration on the Alchemic Order. I can't run away with my tail between my legs simply because I'm afraid. If I could do something that cowardly, I could never look at my family again without feeling ashamed."
Ying winced upon hearing the predictable, yet cruel proclamation of Derrick's resolve. "So there is no talking you out of this..."
"I'm sorry, Ying, but this is something that I need to do."
After a length of silence, Ying replied to him, "Okay...I'll accept your decision. But remember...this road you walk will be a dangerous and narrow path. There is no guarantee that I can protect you from here on out. When you're out in the field, you're all alone."
Derrick's restless slumber plunged him into a nightmarish realm, where the boundaries of time and reality warped. His surroundings morphed into a modern apartment, a stark contrast to the grim reality of The Hole. The room was immaculate, with a ceiling light illuminating the space, clean tile floors, and a large glass table adorned with his favorite meal—beef curry.
Confusion etched across his face as he observed his surroundings, realizing he was in the body of his 8-year-old self. The dolls labeled "daddy" and "mommy" in the seats next to him further emphasized the surreal nature of the scene
A familiar voice, filled with warmth and concern, called out to him. "Derrick! What's wrong? You've been zoning out for a while now. You should eat your food."
Before him stood a 12-year-old version of his older brother, Desmond, with a small scar on his right eyebrow. The wave of memories hit Derrick, and despite knowing this was an illusion, he couldn't help but be moved by the sight of his brother.
"What… what are you doing here?" Derrick questioned, tears welling up despite the rational understanding that this was a manifestation of madness, not reality.
Desmond, seemingly puzzled, responded, "Huh? What do you mean? You're acting weird."
Derrick, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions, couldn't contain himself. "You aren't Desmond."
Desmond, undeterred, reached out to palm Derrick's forehead. "Maybe you have a cold? It was pretty chilly yesterday. Maybe we shouldn't have played outside so late..."
In response, Derrick instinctively slapped Desmond's hand away, his frustration and realization boiling over. "If that's your sorry attempt at mimicry, then you've done a pretty patchy job. Desmond's scar is on his left side, not his right."
As the illusion unraveled, Derrick grappled with the eerie mix of nostalgia and distortion, acutely aware that he was trapped in a nightmarish manifestation of his memories. The apartment room, once comforting, now felt like a twisted cage holding fragments of a past that had been warped by the horrors of The Hole.
"…"
Upon hearing those words, the light from Desmond's eyes vanished. His skin began to bubble and expand dramatically, revealing a black and oily interior. Its body sprouted numerous deformed clones that latched onto Derrick's body, dragging him down into the abyss.
"What's wrong Derrick?"
"What's wrong Derrick?"
"What's wrong Derrick?"
Derrick desperately struggled against the mysterious figure. He pulled the black tentacles off of his body as he uttered the words, "It hurts, I don't wanna die!"
Despite his struggles, the void grew exponentially larger until it completely engulfed him. In the darkness, he glimpsed a small flickering light at an infinite distance. Gathering the fragmented pieces of his consciousness, he moved forward toward the small purple spark radiating an ethereal glow, burning away the darkness with each step.
Derrick's flames gradually lost their erratic temper, and the harsh murmurs from the false world faded. A soothing sensation replaced the searing pain, taming his spirituality and bringing the nightmare to a close.
___
He opened his eyes and gazed at the unfamiliar ceiling. The remnants of the disturbing illusion lingered, leaving Derrick disoriented and breathless in the wake of the surreal journey through the twisted corridors of his memories.
"Ah, so you're awake, you damn brat."For some reason, this type of development feels nostalgic... Derrick noted this internally.
"What happened? Where are we? How long have I been asleep?"
Ying lit up his cigarette before deliberating the situation. "Man, I always seem to find myself in these situations. I'm not your encyclopedia you know? But since this is important...I'll make an exception this time."
You seem to make a lot of exceptions, Ying. Derrick lampooned.
"All I know is that you went out to get some snacks from the grocery store. You hadn't come home for a while, so I went out and looked for your sorry ass. Next thing I know, you're nearly dead and surrounded by the corpses of an entire family. For a moment...I believed you to be the killer, but I could sense the residual spirituality from someone else entirely. Someone far more disturbed. The police were on their way, so I went with my better judgment and took you to this hideout. It's been two days since you've been asleep."
Derrick felt his stomach turn as the traumatic memories of the illusion replayed vividly in his mind, causing him to convulse and vomit on the floor beside him. The disorienting blend of past horrors and distorted realities left him physically and emotionally overwhelmed.
Ying handed Derrick a bottle of water. "Your spirituality was exceptionally weak, weak enough to nearly halt your healing ability entirely. If it weren't for that Wraith Factor you were carrying, you would have died. Your body instinctively absorbed the Rank 6 Factor to save you." Ying put out the lit cigarette and asked, "Who did this? I can't know for sure who did this, but I'm certain it isn't you. You aren't a born killer."
Derrick looked at his mentor with an expression he rarely showed. He clenched his fist as he recalled the horrors of the apartment. "It was him...Callos. The executive of [Testament] that executed those two traitors. I met him in the corner store and he forced me to follow him. No...I followed him of my own volition. Then, he rambled on about pointless things as we walked through the city. We stopped at a random apartment door, and that is where the incident began..."
"He forced open the door before killing the child. Then, he murdered the father and mother of the household as well. We did it all without even blinking...without even hesitating. After witnessing that, I felt a strange urge I'd never felt before. For the first time in my life, I wanted to kill another person." Derrick's hands shook uncontrollably. "He isn't human. No...that person...he is a monster. A monster that I couldn't stop. I wasn't strong enough to save anyone. No...I probably could have saved at least one of them if I tried. So why? Why didn't I try to stop him? Even if I died, I would have been happy if I could save at least one more person."
"Kid..." Ying placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder, attempting to give him a sense of solidarity despite his troubled mental state. However, Derrick had no intention of receiving sympathy.
"No! You don't understand what I saw! I've seen people die in The Hole plenty of times since I arrived in this city, but they usually die for a reason. Whether it be backstabbing, stealing, or sexual crimes, they always have what they have coming to them, but Callos kills innocent people and doesn't even bat an eye. Just the thought of it makes me nauseous."
Ying stood up with an irritated continence, attempting to make Derrick understand the harsh reality. "Do you even understand what you're saying right now? I know that you've seen some rough shit, but we need to face reality. If any of us went up against Callos, we'd be lucky to survive in any less than 5 pieces. What can you do about that? This is why I told you to stay out of this mess, all of it. If you don't stop here, the tragedies will keep piling up until they break you. It breaks everyone."
Derrick sat on his bed in a moment of silence. After a brief few seconds, he responded, "No...that's exactly why I need to get more involved. If there are monsters like Callos that can roam the streets freely, then what good am I standing around doing nothing? I need to become stronger, stronger than even the most experienced of the residents of The Hole. That is why...I'm going to carry out the infiltration on the Alchemic Order. I can't run away with my tail between my legs simply because I'm afraid. If I could do something that cowardly, I could never look at my family again without feeling ashamed."
Ying winced upon hearing the predictable, yet cruel proclamation of Derrick's resolve. "So there is no talking you out of this..."
"I'm sorry, Ying, but this is something that I need to do."
After a length of silence, Ying replied to him, "Okay...I'll accept your decision. But remember...this road you walk will be a dangerous and narrow path. There is no guarantee that I can protect you from here on out. When you're out in the field, you're all alone."
