Where is this? Everything is so bright.. my eyes— no. My head, it felt like a thousand needles are constantly being punctured into my skull.. a throbbing sensation that ran through every nerve system in my body..
Ugh.. is this a dream? Am I still dreaming…? I need to wake up. Somehow.
"They've already noticed you."
Who..?
"You must see the end of the story."
Who's talking..? Who's there? Everything is so dizzying, so eerie.. as if a fork is scratching against a ceramic plate.
...….
For a long time, there was no answer but silence, then;
"I must go now. Listen; O child whose name is absent. In two realities where death is the final resting, you shall live in the moment among those who have accepted fate."
"Yet trials shall find its way towards you to perplex and trouble you."
The mysterious voice turned into a distance whisper, as if the unseen figure was leaving this liminal space.
"But do not fret, for throughout this bizarre journey of yours, you shall gain companions who will treat you like family and more. The choice will be on your side this time."
The melodious voice gently rang in my ears, its soothing tone is like a silver thread grazing against my earlobes. I need to run. My family, they're waiting for me. But these legs are too heavy.. Am I bound? Is paradise truly unreachable for me?
"At the end of your story, you will remember; every stop is a memory, and every ride a second chance. Treasure it. Indeed, it is the only treasure that exists in our worlds."
What choice do I have..? The question remained unanswered — carried away by the passage of time. I can feel it... A hand pulling on my wrist, guiding me somewhere out of this boundless ocean.. back to reality.
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Somewhere, in a place that depicts the world I have never seen before...
...…..
"Esteemed residents, please line up for the Origin Signature scan and district designation."
Am I back to reality?
With enough effort, my eyes slowly fluttered open, freeing my vision from the emptiness of staring into an endless void. The first ray of light seeped through the opened eyelids, blinding me temporarily before I adjusted to the brightness.
Once my ability to see return, I observed my surroundings — taking in every detail of this unfamiliar station. This isn't Shin-Osaka, is it?
"Where.. am I..?"
This world.. the air, the surroundings. Everything felt so out of place. Have I been dragged into a dystopian sci-fi movie or something? The air was buzzing with liveliness as people waited in line towards some sort of security checkpoint.
"This is all too weird for me.. I need to ask someone where this is."
With that, I pushed myself off the ground and started roaming this unfamiliar station. It's nothing like I've ever seen before, the decorations are very imaginative, weird, but astounding nevertheless.
Like the giant chandelier above us. It's quite awkward to have a chandelier in a train station in the first place, but I can't deny the craftsmanship of its delicate structure was almost otherworldly and time bound. A fine art at the worst location possible.
"What am I saying? No no no! I need to ask someone where I am first."
I shook my head and kept on searching for someone to talk to, but.. I forgot that talking isn't my forte… Although, there is a long line leading to the exit. I guess I could ask the security or the staff here..?
What choices do I have? It's not like I'm going to suddenly gain social skills if I 'tried my best'. Welp, off to the checkpoint. Thankfully, this time the line wasn't as long, but still.
After a few minutes, I finally got closer to the checkpoint. However, something was off. There was no security officer at the checkpoint, only some sort of talking machine with a weird logo on the screen.
"Tch, this was a waste of time."
I tried to excuse myself from the line entirely, but I was held by a mechanical arm that suddenly appeared from the ceiling — blocking my way.
"Please return to your designated queue and wait for a stamp scan." The machine said with a robotic-like voice.
"Where did you come from? H-hey! Let me through!"
I tried to retort, placing my hand on the mechanical arm.
"Return to your queue or we will have to neutralize you by force."
The threat hung in the air as the robotic arms pushed me back into the line. Others who also waited in line with me were drawing glances of annoyance and curiosity at me, yet turning a blind eye. Right now, the situation is escalating, it's best to keep a low profile for now.
"Hmph, fine. Be that way, see if I care." I crossed my arms below my chest.
Left with no other choice, I decided to get back in the line and wait, again. To be honest, this whole run has been a whole waiting simulator.. it's getting repetitive!
But in the end, I was finally able to reach the security checkpoint. Before that, I turned around to see if there were still people waiting behind me — just in case...
After confirming other's presence, I turned towards the automated assistance system in front of me.
"Please extend your right forearm."
"My.. right..?"
I hesitantly hold out my hand in front of the screen, letting it do whatever scanning it's trying to do. And my guess was right, rays of blue light shone from the screen with delicate precision, making a thorough scanning all over my right forearm.
"This looks so weird.. it's messing with my eyes.. What kind of technology does this place have?"
The machine continued on scanning, forming precise straight lines across my arm like a checked pattern for a blueprint. But then…
"ERROR: Origin Signature undetectable. Executing Protocol-0, alerting the available rapid response team immediately."
The screen suddenly turned red, and the emergency red light was online, blaring in the air. Did my appearance trigger a sudden national emergency?
"W-what did I do?!"
I tried to ask the screen, but everyone else in the line started to panic as if something unusual was unfolding before them — the atmosphere was turning restless by the minute until..
"Everyone, please calm down."
A man's voice cut through the rising tension, his voice was calm but never lacked its authority in every word. I turned to face the guy, he was wearing a long coat white coat and a black armband. Is this.. some kind of modern cult robe?
"Miss, please exit the line cautiously. You're required by the law to oblige, any and all forms of resistance will be treated as threats."
A chill ran down my spine, his voice.. It's very deep. Almost the narrator-like voice in those scary movies. Maybe this guy was a voice actor. Wait what am I saying? No Fumiko! This isn't the time for that, get your priority straight!
"O-okay.. I.. didn't do anything wrong did I..?"
I awkwardly and slowly removed myself from the line and slowly approached the man with careful steps. Just please don't suddenly kidnap me, I don't even know which party island I accidentally got shoved into.
"This way Miss, and try not to get lost. We won't hurt you, that's a promise."
He gestured with his palm politely towards the exit. At first I thought he was going to knock me out cold and bring me to places in this.. wherever this place is. I followed the direction he was pointing at and began to walk down the hall as he fell in step beside me, keeping up with my uneven rhythm.
But I can't help myself from asking; where is he taking me? And more importantly, what is this alien city?