Undeserved Fate

Tokita: "Sorry for waking you up at night, Nebula."

Nebula: "No, it's okay, brother."

Tokita: "Am I... really Sun?"

Nebula: "Of course you are. Is something wrong?"

Tokita: "Yeah, something's very wrong... I'm not your brother. I may be inside his body right now, but my mind is someone else's."

Nebula: "What do you mean, Sun? Are you okay? Maybe you had a strange dream?"

Tokita: "That was not a dream, I'm sure of it. This is a dream."

Nebula: "This is not a dream, brother. Are you confused, perhaps?"

Tokita: "Look, I know you won't believe this, but this is the truth. This entire place only existed in my imagination. The floating island, this castle, you and Burier... everything here is my creation."

Nebula: "Sun, you haven't been sleeping you, have you?"

Tokita: "I'm serious, Nebula. You know magic, don't you? How could it be impossible for someone to inhabit your brother's body?"

Nebula: "I'm sure you're my brother. You look like him, you talk like him."

Tokita: "That's because he's the protagonist of this story. I created him based on myself."

Nebula: "Why don't we sleep a little more? Maybe your mind needs to relax a bit."

Tokita: "Sorry, Nebula, but that can wait. We have to see Burier."

Nebula: "Why her?"

Tokita: "Because we fought earlier. She must have noticed something if she left me alive."

Nebula: "You guys fought? I didn't hear anything."

Tokita: "Maybe because you were tired?"

Nebula: "So were you. Why did you fight her?"

Tokita: "She buried me alive. When I escaped from the coffin, she saw me as an enemy, for some reason."

Nebula: "She buried you alive? But you were sleeping with me just a few moments ago."

Tokita: "What? No, I was deep underground. Maybe she snatched me while I was sleeping? Anyway, we need to see her before jumping to conclusions."

I jump out of bed and run to the door.

Nebula: "Wait, brother! Why are you in such a hurry?"

Tokita: "Come with me! We have no time to waste."

I storm out of the castle. A light breeze greets my face. For a moment, I feel at peace. Nebula catches with me.

Nebula: "Brother, calm down! We shouldn't leave the castle at this hour..."

Tokita: "Nebula, can we just sit at the border a little?"

Nebula: "What? But you were in a rush to meet Burier."

Tokita: "I just realized something. I don't get to have this kind of dream often, so I have to enjoy it before I wake up."

I run to the edge of the island and sit on the very edge, swinging my legs like a child. I look down and feel a tingling sensation. My fear and love of heights increase as I face danger. Cities, rivers, the landscape... everything is visible from up here. Nebula stops a few meters behind me.

Nebula: "Brother, come back here! You're scaring me!"

Tokita: "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill myself. I'm just remembering... why I made this island. I've always loved beautiful scenery, so this was a kind of gift to my creations."

Nebula: "What? Dad paid wizards to take this island to the sky. Are you saying you're one of them?"

Tokita: "You still don't believe me, huh? Alright, let's go meet Burier before I get used to this."

I run past Nebula and towards the graveyard.

Nebula: "W-Where's all your stamina coming from?!"

I enter the cemetery. The woman I'm looking for is digging a hole and filling it back in with dirt. I stop a few meters away, afraid of putting myself in danger.

Tokita: "Burier! We have to talk."

She stops her action and sticks the shovel in the ground. Then she slowly turns around. I brace myself for the worst. The moonlight reveals a sinister smile on her face.

Burier: "Ara, young master? Do you need my assistance with anything?"

Tokita: "Y-Young master?"

Burier: "Yes! You're my master, Sun Dial, son of Albert Dial."

I let out a deep, relieved sigh.

Tokita: "Sorry about earlier... I didn't mean to hurt you. But you should have listened to me instead of trying to kill me."

Burier: "Me, trying to hurt my young master? That's unthinkable! I would never commit such disloyalty."

Tokita: "What? Then why were you angry at me?"

Burier: "Angry? I'm afraid I don't understand what you're insinuating, young master."

Tokita: "I'm not insinuating anything! I'm just spitting straight facts! You tried to kill me, don't play dumb."

Burier: "Ara, I apologize for angering you, young master. However, I implore you to clarify your intentions. Are you testing my loyalty?"

Tokita: "Huh? I'm not testing you..."

I finally notice Nebula standing next to me, with a worried expression.

Tokita: "Ah, yes, the coffin! Why did you bury me alive?"

Burier: "Forgive me, young master, but I have no memories of such event."

Tokita: "What? Where's the hole I came from?"

I walk around the graves, trying to find the one I came from. There wasn't a single trace of destruction. The cemetery was completely clean and intact.

Huh...? Did she cover the hole or what? Is she plotting against me?

I sigh, clearly irritated.

Tokita: "Burier, you're an expert in necromancy, right? I want you to test my body and soul."

Burier: "Understood. But first, may you please move to the morgue? The bed I use to perform autopsies will prove itself useful for the test."

Tokita: "You don't have to speak to me like a politician. We're friends, right? Don't tell me you're a spy."

Burier: "Of course I'm not a spy, young master! But I'm really glad you recognize me as a friend."

Nebula: "Sun, are you okay? You seem to be out of patience..."

Tokita: "It's nothing. Let's go to the morgue."

We go the suspiciously dark place. The walls are greenish, soulless and ominous. I lay on the cold metal bed.

Burier: "Young master, may I ask you to remove your clothes? This may increase the effectiveness of the spell."

Tokita: "Uh... Sorry, but I don't feel comfortable enough for that."

Burier: "Understood. I will cast the spell now. Please speak if you feel pain."

She places her cold hand on my forehead. A magical red circle appears on the ground around me. She closes her eyes and remains silent for a few seconds, then opens them again, her expression unreadable.

She quickly grabs a scalpel from a table and presses it against my neck.

Burier: "Who are you? What are your intentions?"

Tokita: "There you go, the hostile Burier I remember."

Nebula: "B-Burier? What are you doing? He's my brother, Sun!"

Burier: "Where's the real Sun?"

Tokita: "Wait, please. You knocked me out before I could explain last time. I am Unmei Tokita, creator of this world. Well, I don't know about the rest of the world, but this island is part of a story I created."

Burier: "Are you a cultist? Where's the cult?"

Tokita: "I'm telling the truth. Well, I expected this outcome. I don't know what happened to my original body. I woke up in Sun's body inside a coffin buried deep undeground."

Burier: "That's impossible. Sun was never buried."

Tokita: "Look, I'm just as confused as you are. I want to know what happened to Sun, since my old body is empty. If we switched places, I feel really bad for him."

Nebula: "Sun, what's gotten into you? You may be having an existential crisis, but you're starting to worry me."

Tokita: "Your skull is thick, huh, Nebula? But it's my fault. I made you this way."

Burier: "Bring Sun back."

Tokita: "Don't worry, I was thinking that I don't deserve to be here. This place is too good for me. Burier, do you know how to exchange souls?"

Burier: "The easiest way is to kill the body so another soul can inhabit it. But if it takes too long, the corpse may become incompatible."

Tokita: "That's what I want you to do with me. Sun's soul might be floating around here. It might still have a chance to return to this body."

Nebula: "Sun, what are you saying? You're joking, right?"

Tokita: "I'm not Sun, Nebula. He'll be returning soon, don't worry."

Nebula: "No, I can't let you do that! Burier, get away from him!"

Tokita: "Burier, can you proceed?"

She places her hand on my forehead again. A magic circle appears. Nebula lunges at Burier, who kicks her and throws her against the wall.

Tokita: "Sorry, Nebula, Burier... I'm going back to my world. I will never forget you."

My consciousness fades.

???: "Six..."