Stream of Causality

White.

Surrounded by a colorless world, Xess finds himself standing in the middle of nothingness. He does not remember how he got here, he simply became aware of his current state and nothing more. He looks around to understand the place he is in, but there does not seem to be anything to see.

Xess: *Confused* Where am I?

Xess turns around and sees a red line far away, but he cannot seem to make out what it is. He decides to walk towards it.

Xess: *Confused* …

His steps are completely silent. It feels like he is walking on sand, yet all of these sensations seem to feel familiar to Xess. The confusion stems from the white and empty environment he finds himself on. After a long walk, he finally reaches his destination.

Xess: *Confused* What is this place?

Xess reaches what looks to be a large, scarlet lake that stretches from end and end. A confused Xess looks to both his sides and sees no end to the lake on either side.

Xess: It is endless. I can’t cross to the other side without getting inside.

As Xess says these words, a male voice is heard on the other side of the lake.

????: Don’t get ahead of yourself.

Xess: *Alerted* …!?

As soon as he hears the voice, Xess notices there is someone sitting down exactly in front of him, but on the other side of the lake. Xess is sure that individual was not there before. The person is completely covered in a black robe, preventing Xess from seeing any specific features. The distance between the two is about 100 feet. The voice speaks again.

????: That which lies in front is no ordinary lake. You would be wise to stay away from it.

Xess: Who are you?

????: Hmm… right. I guess “Ego” would be appropriate, then.

Xess: …

Ego: Tell me, do you remember… anything?

Xess: …

Ego: As expected. Do not fear, as it is important to understand why you are “here”.

Xess: *Confused* ‘Here’...?

Ego’s voice is extremely calm. Xess does not feel any sort of animosity from here. In fact, it could be said that Xess feels some sort of strange familiarity when listening to Ego. The mysterious man continues to speak.

Ego: You are in the middle of Dreamtraining. The reason you don’t remember this place nor how you got here is simply because this is your first time.

Xess: *Confused* Training? What for? What the hell are you talking about?

Ego: Let’s see… can you tell me anything about yourself?

Xess: What kind of question is that? Of course I can.

Ego: Really? How old are you?

Xess: *Faint smiles* Are you serious? I’m… I am… I…

Ego: …

Xess starts to struggle to remember his age. He quickly grabs the side of his head as if trying to remember.

Xess: *Confused* I am… I… How can I not know?

Ego: Let’s try something else. Name?

Xess: *Confused* What? My name…? Well, my name is… My name… that’s…

Coming from his head, Xess grabs his chest. It seems he starts to feel uncomfortable with his lack of recollection.

Ego: Do not panic. This is by design.

Xess: *Alerted* What… What is this place?

Xess asks the same question he asked before, however, this time there was clearly more anxiety behind it. Ego raises his left hand and points to his head as he answers Xess’s question.

Ego: All of this is happening inside your mind.

Xess: *Alerted* …?

Ego: Like I said, the reason you are here is because you have unlocked your first Dreamtraining. Your physical body is somewhere unconscious.

Xess: *Alerted* …

Ego: The reason you unlocked it was because prior to you going unconscious you were exposed to a situation in which you had no choice but to evolve… and managed to survive.

Xess: …

Xess listens closely to Ego’s words.

Ego: The mind is both: the most dangerous and most powerful resource mankind has to offer. If you control it, the body will follow. Hence, in order to accelerate the growth derived from such a critical situation, you have been given a way to realize the benefits eons faster… Generations’ worth of development seized within your own lifetime.

Xess: …

Ego: Evolution at the palm of your hands.

Ego’s words leave Xess completely perplexed. From within, he wrestles his own denial of his current situation. As no words are further spoken, the white world feels like a coffin to Xess’s idea to leave. Was all of this true? Xess feels he has no choice but to believe the individual in front of him. As if trying to convince himself, he turns and scans the world around him. Nothing is ever so present in this colorless realm. Was this really a dream? How could it feel so real? Barring the lack of physical transparency, Xess finds no reason to distrust the words of Ego. After all, no real world could look like this. He has no recollection of his real life, but his instinct tells him this is not what he would call “real”. A single drop of common sense becomes the key to maintaining is own sanity. He then proceeds to look at the one thing that does have some color: the scarlet lake dividing them.

Ego: Seat down, there are things you need to be aware of.

Xess: …

Xess has found no words to resist. He proceeds to sit down while resting his right hand on top of his right knee. Ego speaks once again.

Ego: The number of times you end up in “here” will depend on the “you” that rests in the outside world. When… and if… you come back, you would have remembered everything that transpired here. The Dreamtraining. The Stream. Me.

Xess: …

Ego: However… when you do regain consciousness “out there”, you will lose any recollection of ever “being here”.

Xess: Just like a dream.

Ego: Indeed. But…

Ego raises is right index finger has he says this word.

Ego: Your physical body “outside” will remember…

Xess: *Confused*… How so?

A confused Xess seems to be caught off guard by this particular topic. Ego closes his right fist has he continues.

Ego: I guess the best way to put it would be… your body would have evolved.

Xess: *Confused* In what sense?

Ego: No one knows. Every human being is unique. It will be up to you on the other side to discover that on your own. After all, if you are “here” it means you are in an environment where you will most likely have no choice but to do so.

Xess: *Serious* Are you implying that I’m being experimented on?

Ego: …

Xess: *Serious* If what you are saying is true, then what point is there for me to even “be here”? If I am not going to remember anything, why would I need to “be” in this place?

Ego: …

Xess: …

During the short silence, the stream starts to move slightly, as if it was just hit by a small rock creating a ripple throughout. Then, Xess notices that Ego is glaring back at him. He cannot make the individual’s face, but he can clearly feel the glare.

Ego: Before your arrival, this stream was larger. The distance between you and I would have been far greater.

Xess: *Confused*…?

Ego: This stream holds the key to your own evolution. As you progress, the distance between you and I will get shorter.

Xess: *Confused* And what will happen then…?

Ego: Never mind about that.

Xess: *Irritated* Tch…

Ego evades this question and proceeds to comment on Xess’s question from earlier.

Ego: You wanted to know the point of you “being here”.

Xess: *Serious* I want to know many things, asshole.

Xess answers in a sarcastic way, however, he feels he cannot force the individual to answer. Ego seems to ignore his comment.

Ego: The only way to finish the Dreamtraining… thus, waking up on the other side… is to go through The Immersion.

Xess: *Serious* What the hell are you going on about now?

Ego: I do apologize, but this is all you are allowed to know… for now.

Xess: *Confused*…?

Ego: It is time. Walk into the stream.

Suddenly, the entire scarlet lake rises violently like a fountain, creating a huge wall between Xess and Ego.

Xess: *Alerted*…!?

Ego: …

Xess stands up and stares at the wall trying to figure out the recent turn of events. In an instant, he has lost sight of Ego.

Xess: *Serious* …

With no one to interact with anymore, he speaks to himself.

Xess: *Serious* Something is not right. How is all this even possible? I’ve never had a dream where I’ve felt…

Xess looks at both his hands as if examining his own body.

Xess: … this aware.

After carefully examining the rising lake, Xess approaches it to the point where he stands inches away from it. From here, he can feel the force coming from the rising stream. He can even see a faint reflection of his face.

Xess: *Alerted*…

Xess stares at the stream in sign of total distrust.

Xess: *Alerted*……………………………………

Finally, he slowly inserts his left hand into the lake.

Xess: *Serious* What choice do I have?

After convincing himself, Xess steps inside the red stream and disappears. As soon as he does, the lake quiets down once again and returns to its initial place. Ego stays on the ground motionless.

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Xess: ………………………………………………

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Xess: ………………………………………………

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Xess: ………………………………………………

As if waking up to a different dream, Xess feels like he is sinking at an extremely slow pace with a sensation of pressure pushing every inch of his body. He feels extremely numb, as he slowly opens his eyes and finds himself in absolute darkness.

Xess: *Faint* Where… am I?

Unlike where he came from, Xess cannot see anything in this world. No floor. No ceiling. No horizon. The only thing Xess can feel is that he keeps sinking in a very dense environment.

Xess: *Faint* Am I… dead?

After what it feels like eternity for Xess, he starts seeing several images flashing in front of him. It is very hard for Xess to make up what they are, as the images alternate and appear for only a second. Large Eyes. Homicidal eyes. Large hands. Large Bodies. Uneven broken bodies. Some female. Some male. Yet, none of these appear to be human. The images do not make any sense at all. For Xess it feels like a hallucination. Nevertheless, an extreme sensation of fear surfaces from within him. He cannot understand the reason. Yet, the fear is so strong the chest starts to hurt.

Xess: *Faint* Is this… anxiety… I am feeling?

The young man continues to sink when, suddenly, the images abruptly stop. Pitch black darkness returns to the dense field. Xess does not lose his fear at all, however.

Xess: *Scared * …

Then, he hears it. A calm yet extremely threatening voice.

‘Many lifetimes ago… humanity fulfilled its purpose...’

‘Their world was of use no longer.’

‘Yet, on a whim, it was recalled amidst its pieces.’

‘At the edge of a borrowed time… humanity longs for closure…’

Xess: *Scared* ……………………………………

‘Answer…!!!!’

Xess: * Scared* ……………………………………

‘What is your role… in humanity’s extinction?’

Xess: *Scared* ……………… My ….. role?

The threatening voice does not speak again and silence returns to Xess. As numb as he is, he continues to dwell on the question.

Xess: *Scared* My role is …. My role is….

Just then, as Xess keeps falling, a dim light can be seen at the “bottom” of this vast darkness. Xess’s numbness prevents him from being able to properly discern the source. However, he seems to be “falling” towards it, albeit at an extremely slow pace. Xess’s fear and anxiety grows ever so slightly as he continues to fall. Finally, just when he starts to feel like this is an endless nightmare, it happens.

Xess: *Scared* My role is…………………

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…

Xess wakes up on a bed inside the facility.

Xess: …

A few seconds after, he raises his body and sits down on the bed. He finds himself inside a well-lit room. No windows anywhere. Another empty bed is next to him on the other side of the small room. Xess stays sited and proceeds to grab his forehead. He seems to feel tired, as he lowers his neck just enough to massage it.

Xess: ((How long was I out?))

Immediately, as if by an act of Fate, Xess recalls the moment he was stabbing Reese to death in the Forest of Hollows.

Xess: …

This memory changes Xess’s expression to a more neutral one. As the light on the room dims back and forth for a few seconds, the young man sits motionless on the bed. The room is completely silent. On the contrary, inside of Xess’s head were the screams of his victim.

Xess: …

Looking down on the bed, Xess can perfectly hear Reese’s scream from within.

Xess: …

This memory reminded him to check something on his Tracer. Xess proceeds to look at his tracer and scrolls the information of the Hunt. He finds the information he was looking for and reads it to himself.

Xess: ((‘Total number of Prey hunted: 3. Total number of Prey forgiven: 0’… That’s right…))

Xess closes the Tracer information and stares at the door, leading into the main hall of the facility.

Xess: ((We got them all…))

Xess gets up from his bed and leaves the room and starts walking through the long hall. All the rooms in the facility have a pair of beds. As Xess traverses the hall, however, he notices that he does not run into anyone.

Xess: ((Are they all in the hall?))

Finally, he reaches a door leading to the main hall. This is where everyone was when they first heard the news about the Hunts. Still, when Xess reaches the hall.

Xess: *Confused* …? Where is everybody?

There is no one in the hall. The white door leading to the forest, as expected, remains opened. It is here when he hears someone from his left side.

Cross: Finally up, I see, Xess.

Xess turns around and sees Cross leaning to the wall next to the door with his arms crossed.

Xess: You are…

Cross: …

Xess: …

Cross: …

Xess: …

An uncomfortable silence is broken by Cross.

Cross: You going to finish that sentence or what?

Xess: Well, you know, I was expecting you’d…

Cross: Give you a clue? Like a puzzle?

Xess turns his head away from Cross as a sign of embarrassment.

Xess: ((Who the hell was this guy, again?))

Cross: Barney--

Xess: “Barney”, that’s right, I forgot.

As soon as Xess hears Cross say “Barney”, he repeats the name out loud immediately after without thinking.

Cross: Yeah, that’s right, “Barney”, that’s my fucking name.

Cross moves his head slightly while he says these words, as if agreeing with Xess.

Xess: …

Cross: …

Xess catches Cross’s sarcastic tone.

Xess: … It’s not Barney.

Cross: Of course not, you lunatic.

Xess: …

As soon as Cross uses the word “lunatic”, he seems to recall the moment Cross spoke to Reese as he approached him. Before he could say anything, though, Cross speaks once again.

Cross: *Serious* You killed a man inches away from me. So close that I can still smell his blood on me. All of this after I introduced myself to everyone out there… including you.

Xess: …

Cross: *Serious* The name is “Cross”. Don’t you forget my name… because I sure won’t forget yours.

Xess: …

Cross: *Serious* …

Xess: Fair enough.

The noticeable tension is immediately lowered as Cross’s expression shifts to a calmer one.

Cross: You were asleep so it figures you don’t know.

Xess: …?

Cross: There are only three of us here in the facility right now. The rest are out in the Forest.

Xess: *Confused* What for?

Cross: The second Hunt.

Xess: *Alarmed* WHAT!? But I have no cluster assigned I just checked my Tracer!

Cross: It seems those who kill at least one prey are excluded from the following hunt…

Xess: *Alarmed* So… that means…

Cross: …

Xess immediately understands what Cross’s words imply.

Cross: You left us no other choice.

Cross backs away from the wall, this allows Xess to see the left side of his face.

Xess: *Alarmed*…!

Cross’s left side of his face is extremely injured. Signs of cuts and bruises catch Xess’s attention. He does not mention anything, though. Cross continues.

Cross: After you killed the first target, every single cluster was on the hook. So… we ran as fast as we could, with no plan on how to react the moment we’d find the other two.

Cross’s words echo deeply within him, as he remembers feeling the same way as they were searching around the forest.

Cross: The way we searched that forest. Only the power of absolute terror and fear could make us move like that. If we’d miss either of the two…

Xess: …

Cross takes out a knife very similar to the one Xess used to kill Reese. He stares at it with an expression of loss. Curious, Xess asks Cross about it.

Xess: Is that the one …?

Cross: *Sad* No. This is the one the target I killed had.

Xess: …

Cross: *Sad* Her name was Ellie.

Xess: …

Xess turns his sight towards the white door to the forest. It is daytime outside. He can see a strong sunlight coming through the facility as a shadow is cast where they stand.

Xess: What was she in for?

Cross: *Faint laugh*…

Cross gently plays with the knife as he continues to stare at it.

Cross: *Faint laugh* I didn’t ask. Whatever she was in for… *Sad* We… I…

Xess: …

Cross: *Sad* I didn’t have a choice anymore.

Xess: …

Cross: …

Xess: I understand…

Xess turns to Cross once again and finishes his thought.

Xess: … I took that away from you.

Cross: …

Xess: …

Cross: *Sad* Did you know? In the past, if you’d choke someone to death, you’d be penalized with the toughest sentence of all. The victim is so close to the aggressor, they say it takes a psychopath to kill someone like that… The aggressor, also human, should feel the victim’s life slowly fading away… instant by instant… with no choice but to feel some sort of empathy…

Xess: …

Cross: *Sad* Not letting go would mean the aggressor was not able to feel such empathy… thus… a psychopath.

As Xess listens to Cross, he notices how Cross switches his grip on the knife and grabs it by the blade with strength. Cross continues.

Cross: *Sad* Yet, it’s funny…

Xess: …?

Cross: *Sad* All those things I wasn’t supposed to feel… I did.

Xess: *Shocked* …

Cross: *Sad* Their pain. Their grief. Their fear. Scared she was living the very last moments of her life. Scared she was not going to see her loved ones ever again. Scared their loved ones would find out she was gone. Everything… I could feel it all…

Xess: *Shocked* …

Cross: *Sad* Yet… I was able to take her life anyway…

Blood appears on Cross’s hand, as the knife’s blade starts to cut him. Still, Cross does not seem to mind or even stop his strong grip. It is clear, Cross’s pain is far greater within his soul.

Cross: *Sad* Tell me, Xess…

Xess: …

Cross slowly approaches Xess and, with knife still in hand, places both his fist against Xess’s chest. Cross raises his head and shows Xess an expression of the worst grief and agony a human being could ever have. In the middle of his pain, Cross cries to Xess in total desperation.

Cross: *Crying* WHY DID YOU KILL HIM!!!!????????? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM!!!!????????? DON’T YOU SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!!?????????

Xess: …

Cross continues to show his frustration as he hits Xess on the chest with both fists closed multiple times. With each hit, some of the blood on Cross’s hand gets onto Xess. Nevertheless, he does not react nor does he defend himself. Xess simply listens closely.

Cross: *Crying* We only had one chance… one chance to prevent all of this from going to shit…

Xess: …

Cross begins to loosen up on the punches, as he continues to speak with his focus on Xess.

Cross: *Crying* Was there really no other way for us to figure it out…?

Xess: …

Cross drops the knife and stares at the floor, as it seems he has let all of his emotions out. He stops crying, yet he still has a clear hollow expression. Then, Xess answers.

Xess: If you feel that the reason for my choices will somehow help you to cope with your life from now on…

Cross: *Sad* …

Xess: *Serious* Then survive the situation you’re currently in…

Cross: *Sad* …

Xess: *Serious*… and then ask yourself if you still feel that it matters anymore.

Cross: *Sad* …

Xess: *Serious* …

It is in this exact moment when another person approaches from the white door.

????: *Aggressive* Who gave you the right to play with my life like that?

Xess: …?

Both Xess and Cross turn to see a girl approach.

????: *Aggressive* If you think we’re all like that crying bastard over there then you are an even greater moron than I’d thought.

Xess: Excuse me?

????: *Aggressive* Are you dumb now? I’m not going to repeat myself.

The girl approaches with a very defiant attitude. She portrays clear anger at Xess, who, on closer look, seems to recognize her.

Xess: I know you. You’re that girl I tried talking to back at the forest.

Cross: *Sad* She’s “Mayu”. She’s the one who got the third target.

Xess quickly turns to Cross to answer him. Still, the girl called “Mayu” continues to approach Xess in a very menacing way.

Xess: She’s incredibly unpleasant.

Cross: *Sad* See those injuries on my face?

Xess: *Alerted* That was her? I thought those were from the Hunt!

Xess turns around again and notices that Mayu has gotten very close. However, as soon as he does.

Xess: *Shocked* …!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mayu hits Xess on the face with a straight punch and sends him flying with extreme force towards the wall next to the door hallway. The strength with which Xess hits the wall of the facility is so strong that it leaves a crack, essentially breaking it. Cross is in disbelief of Mayu’s strength. As she approaches the now on the ground Xess, he stares down to him with a very violent expression.

Mayu: *Aggressive* Fuck you.

Chapter 03 – Stream of Causality: END

to be continued…