Teatime

World Within.

Not every part of [World Within] is open for Active Shard carriers to explore. Only a small fraction of world unlocks piece by piece when Inactive Shard carrier describes the contents of the world as he talks to Active Shard carrier.

All parties that sit around the Prism become a part of [Partially Different Reality], a special state that mimics a state of sleeping.

Just like with sleeping, parties involved with the Prism can awake from PDR-state if disturbed. Known issues that occur in case of forceful awakening include migraine and nausea, short-term memory loss, and in rare cases severe hypothermia.

Each trip to the [World Within] and especially [Crimson Core] causes strain onto mental health of an Active Shard carriers. It is recommended that number of trips doesn't exceed once in four days.

It is of utmost importance that Active Shard carriers are COMPLETELY impartial toward Inactive Shard carriers.

Additional feelings will intensify the strain on mental health of all parties.

„...“

„I bet you didn't know some of those things, right?“ Dr.Chom handed over a cup of tea to Shiki.

Shiki read the papers Dr.Chom gave him for a couple of times now. He wasn't aware that entire science of inner worlds was being developed unbeknownst to him.

He knew that traversing such worlds is a dangerous sport, but there are so many small details that could easily complicate the entire process.

„I didn't know any of this, actually,“ Shiki was actively fighting against his wish of leaving the academy.

„I know that look. I had it when I figured out for the first time that I am the Shard Type 2 carrier,“ doctor said as he sipped the tea.

„But you are...“ Shiki was too perplexed to even form a coherent sentence.

„I'm a dude yeah, imagine that“ doctor laughed while wiping the eyes underneath his glasses.

„How did you figure it out?“ Shiki asked.

„You know how lone shards are grumpy shards right? It's worse for us Fighters. It sought battles that I wasn't able to lead alone, until I met her of course, my Prime Shard,“ doctor sighed.

„Our school nurse?“

„Who? Cyn? No! God forbid,“ doctor laughed and continued, „she is, well, was my wife. She had passed away unfortunately.“

„Oh no, I'm so sorry,“ Shiki felt horrible for automatically assuming things.

„Don't be! It was a long time ago and trust me when I said this, the two of us had one hell of a ride,“ doctor made a smile that felt forced, while reminiscing about all times.

„I can only imagine...“ Shiki added.

„Oh but you don't need to, you have a partner of your own! I bet she's driving your slim butt around!“ doctor laughed.

„You can say that..“ Shiki let out a tiny laugh.

„Anyway, what I was going to say is that I was scared shitless when Ryunna found me, she is an Omicron you know, those people can be a REAL pain let me tell you that,“ Shiki instantly thought of Omi and could easily confirm doctor's words.

„Yes, one of my club members is an Omicron.“

„Ah right! Say hi to him from me if he ever survives the Nana treatment,“ doctor laughed passionately.

„Nana?“ doctor's words confused Shiki.

„Oh! That was supposed to be a secret, whatever, you'll find out eventually,“ doctor fixed his lab coat and asked, „you want more tea?“

Shiki declined the offer by moving his hands.

„So you and your wife..“

Shiki wanted for doctor to continue talking. He was curious about this thing with Omi and wondered if it had something to do with that bickering between Ren and Ume.

„Ah right! You see, nobody gets to choose to be an Active Shard carrier. You become one by the cold-blooded hand of faith. In your case, you were lucky enough that your club members found you. I wasn't that lucky. By the time Ryunna found me my mind was already a dumpster truck so she had to scour for the parts that were worth salvaging. So be grateful.“

Various emotions blazed and grazed within Shiki while listening to doctor's speech. He was fractured and afraid, but deep down he knew that was the ultimate truth.

„What would've happened if she... I mean if they didn't found me?“ Shiki asked openly.

„And that's why I called you! What a nice introduction!“ Doctor stood up from the chair and grabbed small chip-like object.

It looked like a Prism they use at school but it had some strange objects already stuck into it.

„Okay so this is a Prism, but with a Simulation Chip inside it. It will stabilize our trip inside your [World Within],“ doctor started to explain the experiment.

„But we need other shard carriers..“ Shiki whined nervously.

„Pfft! You're a Prime Shard! You can create that bad boy from nothing!“ doctor nudged Shiki playfully.

Shiki was lost in thought.

„Right, right, so, have you ever found yourself pulled within the World without any reason whatsoever?“ doctor asked Shiki.

That strange phenomenon he was beating his mind all this time would finally be explained. Huge smile emerged on Shiki's face as he finally got a thumbs up that he isn't crazy and didn't do something wrongful.

„Yes! Yes!“ Shiki confirmed excitedly.

„Ahh great! But don't act so happily, that is your own shard wanting to tear your mind apart from within.“

Shiki's enthusiasm was trashed beyond repair.He sunk into the chair and counted drops of tea left in his cup.

„Hey hey! No sulking! We're here to prevent further damage okay? You're fine! You're able to walk on your own and everything!“ Doctor laughed.

Doctor's words of encouragement didn't help.

„Why did nobody tell me about all this?“ Shiki's face shriveled.

„You might've heard a lot of times the saying [Ignorance is Bliss], right?“ Doctor put the Prism on a small table between them.

At least this explained the weird relationship everyone has in the Psychology Club. They all dealt with those horrifying truths in their own way.

„Now we will start this Simulation okay? Ready?“ doctor asked Shiki.

„I am,“ Shiki's thoughts played a game of cat and mouse, but he felt like saying that he is ready was the only option anyway.

He wanted to find out more about himself.

But on the other hand, he was afraid of being exposed.

„Did I do something wrong?“

-It depends.

A voice broke out from his lips, but his tongue wasn't moving. Doctor Chom was still sitting across Shiki, writing something on his papers.

„Who are you?“

-You don't recognize me? I'm offended.

Yet again, he felt the vibration of every single word. Doctor Chom was still in the middle of writing.

„Doctor, has the simulation started?“

-Doctour, hass thsy simulashone startied?“

The voice repeated after him mockingly. It laughed playfully at the end. He cooked a name within himself, but was afraid to get it out of the oven.

„Utari?“

-It sounds like poetry, does it? Your words!

The tone changed with each word bit by bit, until a completely new voice finished the sentence. It was a voice that belonged to certain girl he used to talk to.

„Why are you here?“

-Well, you wanted me here.

Shiki paused for a while. He realized he couldn't feel his fingers nor his feat. His head took up a single position and didn't move an inch. The only thing he felt was a warm breath coming from his mouth.

„Are you hurt?“

-Not really, but I can't wake up.

„What do you mean?“

-You wanted me so badly, and then you ran away.

„Sorry, I had to, it was all my fault“

-You still keep saying that.

„What was I supposed to do?“

-Another familiar line.

„Tell me, what should I do?“

-You only think about yourself.

„Lies! I only ever thought of you!“

-No, I was just a mean for your escapism.

„I love you!“

-No, you only love yourself.

„I miss you..“

-No, you only miss the misery.

„Don't say that, please“

-Then prove it to me.

„Prove what?“

-Prove me that you love me and you miss me.

A voice of a girl deepened significantly. It was atrociously different than before but Shiki was too stubborn to admit that. So he acted like he was talking to his dearest like that used to.

„How?“

-Come with me, into this darkness.

„I will, how will I find you?“

-See? Your self-righteousness is spewing lies again.

„What do you mean?“

-I tried to call you so many times.

„When?“

-But you escaped from my hug every single time.

„The red strings? That was you?“

-Say hello to Nagisa from me.

The voice abruptly ended. Shiki jumped from the chair onto the floor with strong cramps in his limbs.

„Calm down soldier, are you okay?“ doctor jumped towards Shiki.

„Everything... hurts...“ Shiki barely muttered the words.

„Calm down, let me get you on the bed,“ doctor grabbed the immovable body of Shiki and put him on a pure white medical bed.

„Here, take these for the pain,“ doctor pulled couple of pills from his pocket and helped Shiki swallow the pills with some tea.

„Everything is okay, you did great. Get some rest now,“ doctor said gently and left the room.

He took a smartphone from his pocket and typed a number.

„Hey Cyn, yeah, don't worry, he's strong, he'll survive. But there is something else...“

„....“

„Is this a haunted house?“ Omi asked while taking a peak at every nook and cranny of a half-dilapidated house.

„You scared Omes?“ Nana giggled, „ooh I like that, Sherlock Omes!“

„You're enjoying yourself are you?“ Omi sighed, „so what's the point of being here? To scare me?“

Omi build a defensive walls around his true feeling. In reality he was scared beyond belief. He was never a fan of horror movies and the only thing that came even remotely to horror was smacking pixelated enemies on the console screen.

They stood in a giant hall with dusty stairs that led to the second floor of the house. On both sides of the stairs were wooden stands and atop of them stood baroque candelabra with an astounding amount of spider web that aided the eerie atmosphere of the house.

A pair of big doors stood on the both ends of the hall and occasionally a creek of an old floor could be heard.

„What are we waiting for? Ghosts?“ whined Omi while reacting on every single creek he heard.

„If only!“ Nana yelled.

Suddenly one of the doors opened and an oddly-dressed man approached the pair.

„Good evening, young mister and miss. I am Mr.Schtein, a butler of this humble home, let me have the honor to take you to the master of the manor.“

„Yay, a butler!“ Nana said while following him.

Omi wanted to walk right beside her, but his knees had a mind of their own.

„I didn't even say good bye to my sister, shit,“ Omi cursed as he was persuading his legs to start working again.

They have entered a beautiful hallway embellished with an astonishing number of paintings. Butler walked elegantly in front of them, with some spider web stuck on the back of his pants.

„Why are they so grumpy?“ Nana asked while inspecting every single painting one by one.

„These are the noblemen, the past owners of this manor. They had no sense of humor, you see,“ butler chuckled to his fake-looking beard.

„Is that so? Good one!“ Nana laughed with him in a tandem.

Omi rolled his eyes and occasionally jumped from one side to another just in case nothing grabs him by the leg.

When they had reached the end of a long hallway, butler opened the door.

„Master Eden, the guests have arrived,“ he said while taking a bow.

„I told you, they are the chasm cleaners!“ blond-haired guy around Nana's age complained to butler.

„You must excuse master Eden, he likes his Halloween throughout the month of November,“ said the butler while leaving the room and closing the doors in front of him.

„Ah, that Schtein, he is always in the character but then with a small detail ruins the scene,“ Eden took a small metal brush and wiped his golden-colored tuxedo.

Omi immediately liked the guy for his taste in clothes.

„Greetings darling and good sir,“ he bowed graciously.

„Hey Ed, sup?“ Nana giggled.

Omi opened his mouth like a fish stranded on a dry land.

„Not you too Nana-chan!“ guy whined, „ahh never mind, you always tease me anyway.“

Omi felt a bit out of place so decided to speak up.

„So, what's the story here?“

„Man on the mission I see! Very nice, he's already way better than the last guy you brought here,“ guy inspected Omi from head to toe, „although your attire is kinda meh.“

Nana and Eden laughed together.

„I usually wear nice stuff, she grabbed me and drove me all the way here,“ Omi pointed at Nana.

„How dare you! You were totally oozing at my bottom all the way to here!“ Nana sat on the expensive-looking chair and crossed her legs.

„Oh my, trouble in the love nest already..“ Eden mumbled while turning his head around.

„I wasn't oozing at you! I was scared shitless cause you kidnapped me and brought me to a haunted haus!“ Omi swayed his arms around like a baby bird learning to fly.

„Oh so it is that good! Thank you very much, I'm glad that you like it.“

„See? He's thrilled,“ Nana added.

„You know what, never mind, tell me why I'm here,“ Omi lost patience due to all the nervousness he felt.

„Nana, darling, was coming to my home in order to help me with my... issues. We were having these sessions for the past year, but each time she would bring someone with her, the guy wasn't good enough so we would have to start over next time,“ guy poured himself strange colored liquid into a tea cup.

„Should I be worried?“ Omi gulped heavily.

„Noo, you see, you're the seventh guy, you're the one,“ Nana smiled innocently.

„Yay?“ Omi acted surprised.

„There's the strange connection between this lady and number seven. She messes up something six times and succeeds on the seventh out of nowhere,“ guy explained while sipping down the tea.

„Is this a joke or?“ Omi looked at Eden and then at Nana.

„No, we're serious. She wanted to plant tulips. She messed them up six times and then the seventh time, poof, garden filled with tulips and it was basically winter!“ Eden mimicked explosions with his hands.

„Ed speaks truth, I am the Seven!“ Nana chuckled.

„Great story, so when do we start?“ inpatient Omi wanted to get on with business when he realized it's past 9 O'Clock and his sister will be extremely worried.

„Whenever you folks are ready,“ said Eden.

„Okay here's the Prism,“ Nana put the chip-like object from the pocket and placed it on the table.

„Allow me to call my butler first,“ at the very second that Eden finished his sentence, the door behind them opened.

„You called me, master?“ butler asked with a rubber toy in his hand.

Sunbar happily followed him.

„How did he...?“ Omi was thoroughly confused.

„Oh, I took a liberty to pull this adorable creature out of that tin can of a car,“ said the butler.

„Isn't he the best?“ said Eden

„You broke into my car? Savage!“ Nana seemed astonished.

So the first trip to the [World Within] for the newfound pair has begun.