96 Inside The Oneself.



In the midst of the empty, dark realm, my house stood before me, seemingly out of place yet eerily normal. It beckoned to me, its presence both familiar and unsettling.

Without hesitation, I made my way towards the house and stepped inside. The door swung open effortlessly, as if welcoming me home. As I crossed the threshold, I couldn't help but notice that the interior was an exact replica of my own house.

The furniture, the decorations, the layout—everything mirrored my reality. It was as if a snapshot of my own life had been transplanted into this mysterious realm. The rooms unfolded before me, each one holding memories and stories.

I walked through the house, tracing the well-known paths, my footsteps echoing in the stillness. Despite the familiarity, a sense of unease crept over me. How could this be? How did my house, my life, end up in this enigmatic realm?

As I ascended the stairs, anticipation and trepidation mingled within me. My destination was my room—the sanctuary where I sought solace and refuge. With cautious steps, I approached the door, my hand trembling slightly as I pushed it open.

But as the door creaked open, a chill ran down my spine. Something was different. The atmosphere in the room shifted, and a wave of unease washed over me.

With bated breath, I peered into the room. A silhouette, shrouded in darkness, sat in the chair by my desk. Its presence seemed to consume the room, casting an ominous aura that pierced the silence.

The air grew heavy as I strained to discern any details. The figure remained still, hunched over, its attention fixated on the desk. Shadows danced around it, concealing its features from view.

In the dimness, I could feel its gaze upon me, even though I couldn't see its eyes. A mixture of fear and curiosity coursed through my veins. Who is this?

Thud!

Startled, I jumped as the figure stood up abruptly. The chair crashed to the floor, the sound reverberating in the room. My heart skipped a beat as I saw the unknown entity before me, its intentions still shrouded in darkness.

Step by step, it closed the distance between us, moving with caution. I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, as if the silhouette was being wary of my presence. It was like a scene from a horror movie, and I was the unwitting protagonist.

As it approached, I raised the azure flame, its flickering glow revealing glimpses of its face. before I could fully comprehend its visage, I was shocked beyond the point of anything.

Gasping for breath, I mustered the courage to raise the azure flame once more, hoping to unravel the mystery before me. Its light danced upon the person's features, only to reveal something that shattered my expectations and plunged me deeper into the realm of........ confusion.

The boy possessed liquid golden eyes that shimmered with an otherworldly intensity. His dark hair cascaded down his face, obscuring half of it, giving him a mysterious and brooding appearance. His shabby clothes seemed out of place, as if he didn't quite belong in them.

There was a certain gloominess that surrounded him, an aura that whispered of hidden depths and untold stories. Despite his disheveled appearance, there was an undeniable allure to him, as if he held secrets and knowledge beyond ordinary comprehension.

"Ren?" I repeated, confirming his identity as Ren Hilton from the game, The Quest of the Mythical World.

His voice trembled as he responded, "Y-you must be Eric Luster, right? I-I'm sorry for scaring you. It's been a long time since I met someone." His fear was palpable, and I couldn't help but wonder what had brought him to this place.

Curiosity mingled with my unease as I questioned him, trying to maintain a calm demeanor despite the strange circumstances. "What are you doing here? And what is this place?"

Ren remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed upon me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine. I couldn't help but notice a peculiarity—the difference in our heights. I glanced down at myself and realized that I was no longer in the dungeon attire or the clothes of this world. Instead, I was adorned in the blood-stained three-piece suit I had worn in my previous life, a stark reminder of my past.

A realization struck me—my appearance now resembles that of my former self. I contemplated the implications of this revelation, my mind racing with questions and possibilities.

"Le-Let's take a walk outside," Ren suggested, and I nodded in agreement. We stepped out of the house and found ourselves once again surrounded by the endless darkness of this realm. There was no visible path, and the sky remained hidden from our sight.

Walking side by side, we embraced the quietude that hung in the air—an unspoken understanding between us.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, I decided to break the ice. "So, are you going to answer my questions?"

Ren's expression shifted, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face. "Oh, I... I nearly forgot, sorry," he apologized swiftly. "As for your previous questions, my answer is, I don't know exactly. But I believe we are inside your mind, perhaps even within your heart. It's confirmed that this place exists within yourself. As for why I am here, it's because I've been here since the moment you arrived." His voice trailed off, growing faint towards the end of his sentence.

His response only added to the enigma surrounding our situation, leaving me with more questions than before.

"Wait, you mean to say that even after our souls merged, you chose to remain separate?" I asked, a mix of confusion and realization dawning upon me.

Ren averted his gaze, his eyes fixated on the ground. "Yes, that's correct. I was there during those moments—when my... when Mary slapped you....I mean me, when Marylin taught you magic, and even when you took a life and we're struggling to improve your strength by training at night when everyone was sleeping in the mercenary group.I was there because I wanted to be. I fought against merging completely, persisting to maintain my own existence... to live," he confessed, his words heavy with a sense of longing and determination.

As Ren spoke, his words resonated with me on a profound level. It explained the lingering emotions I felt, particularly those tied to friendship and familial love. I had attributed those feelings to the influence of Ren's soul within me, but it turned out that he had consciously chosen to retain his own identity and experiences, never fully merging with me.

The realization washed over me, stirring a strange mix of gratitude, confusion, and a newfound understanding. Ren's presence in this mysterious realm took on a deeper significance, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship with him—a connection forged through shared experiences, even if they were experienced separately.

"And why is that?" I asked, I know I might sound stupid for asking him after I am the one who kicked him out of control of his own body and life.

***Silence***

There was a long series of silence,we kept walking and walking ahead but whenever we looked back we never got too far from the house itself,it felt like we were being followed by the house or the house wasn't letting us get out of a certain zone.

Fwip

Ren looked at me with a determined expression,"I remained because I wanted to apologise and ...... also because I wanted to ask a favour, I can't do anything since you are in control of my body......no I am sorry, I am asking because I don't think I'll be able to do it." 

"?"It took me a second to digest his words completely before I uttered."Apologise for what?"

Ren...his eyes still fixed on the ground. "Yes, it was me. When you felt uneasy about seeing Mary, it wasn't your own emotions, but mine that influenced you. And it was my fear that haunted you in the face of the monsters," he confessed, his voice filled with a tinge of remorse.

"Okay, now the favour, what favour you want to ask." I asked immediately.

"Huh?" Ren looks at me stupidly.

"I don't think there's a need for you to apologise because of these things, it doesn't matter if you manipulated them a few times since it didn't do any actual damage." I explained"now ask the favour."

"You're... calm," Ren muttered, his words trailing off. "It's the one thing I wanted -"

"Stop. Let me be clear: you're not getting Mary," I interrupted him, cutting off his sentence. If this was going to be an unreasonable request, like asking me to retrieve his fiancée or something of the sort, I wanted to make it clear that I wouldn't comply.

"No! That's not what I want!" Ren denied, hastily raising both of his hands in front of himself.

I paused, taken aback by Ren's vehement denial. His response caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but feel a mixture of relief and confusion.

"I don't understand," I admitted, furrowing my brow. "If you're not seeking to reclaim your relationship with Mary, then what is it that you want? besides wanting to take control of the body."

Ren took a deep breath, his gaze unwavering. "What I want... , I want you to protect everyone." He said.

"Okay," I agreed, my voice filled with empathy and understanding.

Ren seemed to be lost in his emotions, as if he hadn't heard my agreement. He continued pouring out his thoughts, his voice choked with despair.

"I'm not that strong... I'm a loser. I can't do anything. When I look through your memories, I see how things will unfold, and I know I'm weak. I can't protect my family, my mom, my dad... I just can't. I'm a coward. I'm a coward for taking my own life, for loving someone... I'm just a coward." Tears streamed down his cheeks, his sobs consuming him like a child overwhelmed with grief.

'He looks like a child.' this random thought crossed my mind as I saw Ren crying.

"Hey, Ren!" I shouted, it looked like he could hear me this time,"I'll protect them, everyone you love but........in my own way."

"Thank you!" Ren sobbed, his tears flowing uncontrollably. The sight of his vulnerability tugged at my heart.

The Ren before me wasn't the character from the game, but a version shaped by his upbringing with Rose and Chris. He was the one Marylin cared for deeply, like her own child, and the one who cherished Mary with all his heart.

In that moment, witnessing his raw innocence and pain, it became clear to me that,' He is too innocent to be the villain.'

After some time, he managed to calm down, and I asked, "Is that all?"

From the start, I had no intention of abandoning anyone in Ren's family. I genuinely believed they were good people... Well, I suppose I must admit that I had grown somewhat attached to them.

"Please, don't kill Mary," Ren pleaded.

Now, this was going to be a tough request to fulfill.

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