NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 19 – The Beginning
…
Silence.
We continued our walk towards the hole.
Now that I got a closer view, it seemed as if it was endless.
To be honest…
At this point, I wouldn't be shocked if it was an infinite hole of darkness.
Step. Step. Step.
...
Right now, my Senior is dragging me towards it.
I turned my head towards my Senior.
Pretending not to notice my stare, she slightly blushed and turned her head away.
My Senior… The Bystander…
Did she really need to drop me in that hole..?
Based on what she said, I’m assuming that I wouldn’t die.
It’d conflict with what she said earlier.
‘As long as you’re alive… I will continue to exist…
For…
And only for you.’
Jeez…
If she truly believes that I’m her everything, then she shouldn’t be forcing me to go into the hole.
Was this really necessary..?
But, there’s not much I can do now.
Step. Step. Step. Step.
…
Step. Step. Step.
…
Step.
Ah.
We reached it.
I looked down into the hole.
Jesus christ…
Maybe it really is an endless hole.
And…
Turning my head towards my Senior,
“You’re really going to drop me in there, huh?”
…
Grip.
My Senior was tightly clutching onto the chain connected to the collar on my neck.
Well, it seems like she doesn’t want to do this as well.
I asked her, “Do I really need to go in there..?”
She turned her head towards me.
Her face bore a melancholic smile,
“I need to… But I want to spend more time with you.”
Welp.
She really was going to drop me in there.
…
I stepped forward.
“Well, if you feel pressured.
I’ll just do it myself.”
I propped myself in front of the hole, and turned back towards my Senior.
Who was still holding onto the chain connected to my collar.
Her eyes widened.
“It seems like you’re being forced to do this to me.
Are you being ordered to do this by someone else?
Or…
Is it the store?”
She remained quiet.
Just like the boy from earlier, she couldn’t tell me anything.
“Well, it’s okay if you can’t answer that.”
I had another important question to ask her.
“To be honest, I don’t get your feelings.
Who am I to you?
And just why exactly am I your reason for living?”
…
Silence.
“Can’t answer that either, huh?”
My eyes then looked at the dark abyss behind me.
…
Pure darkness.
Just like in the Storage Room.
“Senior… Just what exactly is going to happen to me when I go down this hole?”
…
She finally opened her mouth,
“Well… You can call it a checkpoint.
Once you’ve fallen, it will the be start of everything.”
A checkpoint?
And the start of everything..?
“Once you awaken once again…
Everything that has happened to you will slowly fade away as a faint dream.
Though, parts of the dream will still remain in your memory.”
…
Well, at least I won’t entirely forget everything.
“The store designated my trial to you, and you completed it.
So now, you are my Junior.
You will follow the same path as me, and I shall guide you towards the way…”
She walked up towards me.
Exuding her height, she loomed over me with those glowing dark blue eyes.
I stared up at her.
“In a way, I am simply a flashlight… And you are the light.
You will have to forge your own path with your own hands.”
Once again she caressed my cheek with her right hand.
“I believe that at the end of it all… You can survive.
No…
I know you will.”
She loosened her grip on the chain.
“Just…
Remember one thing for me…”
She let go of the chain… And my body was once more engulfed by black flames.
“You are mine.
Never forget that.”
Push-
And just like that…
I fell into the hole.
…
Submerged...
Everything is dark.
I feel like I’m drowning… But drowning in what?
My eyes, which I thought were open, are opened once again.
Now, I’m standing in a gray room, with a figure who isn’t far from me.
I cannot move, I cannot blink, and I cannot speak.
I calmly stare at the individual who is the only visible thing in this room.
Steadily and quietly, the figure makes its way towards me.
The figure is blurred. I cannot make out their appearance.
But I can obviously identify the item in its hand… It’s a weirdly disfigured pistol.
But strangely, I am not scared. Rather, I feel a sense of comfort with the stranger.
The stranger stands in front of me and opens their mouth:
“This will be the only time I can say this. So listen closely…”
A familiar voice.
“Do not stray from your role. Hide your intentions.”
What..?
“You will eventually uncover and realize the ugly truth of this place.”
“Though, you’re quite stupid so it might take you a while.”
The stranger mocks me, and laughs.
“That is all. See ya, loser.”
The figure points their gun at my head. But I’m unable to move or scream.
Their static face becomes more clear, and I recognize it immediately.
It’s my face. That person is me.
“Good luck.”
They pull the trigger.
And everything is dark.. Again…