A chat between two.

Before the start of the final decision countdown.

"...That's all I know, or that's all I'm willing to give away, you are free to perceive it as you wish." The senior said.

"It's more than enough, thank you," I said tightening my fist. I had to prepare myself, it would be my first time playing the coming part after all.

As I was moving my thumb to hang up, I could hear a final warning coming from the senior, "Avery, do not push it."

No promises.

I took a deep breath, relaxed myself, and turned towards the camera, it was time to act.

For the first part, all I had to do was assert pressure, and to that, I had to stare at him until the next announcement. I couldn't know when he would look up at his display, so I couldn't risk looking away for even a second.

Eventually, as I was told by the senior, not that long after the static played signaling the return of the monotonous voice.

"The questionnaire will proceed once again." The voice said, "The rules and outcomes are to not differ. Once again, the participants will be given 10 seconds to prepare, followed by 30 to make their choice. This time they are to freely use all 40 seconds to communicate."

With this quick announcement, the static played again signaling the end of the voice.

I made sure not to turn away, and to not blink as much as possible, throughout the entire announcement. 

Was I overdoing it? Well, it's not like I had another choice.

Now that it was over, it was my turn to take over.

It was simple, I had to first give him hope. 

"Teodor, Feign ignorance for me." I asserted.

Then, I had to explain why such hope is his only option. I wonder, will I be able to pull it off?

"Allow me to cut to the chase," I turned away from the camera and faced the mirror.

I had made an educated guess while studying both our rooms, But I believe that they were made both facing each other, with the mirror sitting as the middle ground. As if it was a portal into a mirror world, both rooms were a perfect mirrored replica of the other.

As such, I believed with this move I would be staring at him. I wondered if he would understand my intention.

"You understand what they mean when they say Erased don't you?" I continued facing my reflection.

Now, I had to wait for a reply from Teodor. Up until now, I had either stared at a camera or at myself, so this will be his first input within our current conundrum. Hell, depending on what he says, I could be utterly destroyed.

Now, Teodor, it was your move.

"Y-yes."

I almost broke character, jumping in joy. His nervousness was the absolute best response I could have ever gotten. Now I could move on with confidence, it was time to make use of what I had learned from the senior.

"Then you know the free roam I will be given right?" I asked. I was planning to answer it myself, but surprisingly he had by himself.

"You will be allowed to choose anywhere except your home country, and you will be left as a no man. No background, No family, No past, and most likely no future. That's the erasure of NUR."

The development was for my benefit, after all, having him understand the hopelessness of erasure, and, what a minority would call benefits, is something that would help me. With that, I continued to place pressure on him, by closing in the distance between us.

"Indeed, that is how the erasure system works. So tell me, Teodor, if I were to get erased, most likely due to your own betrayal. Just where do you think I would go with all my anger towards you?" 

The senior had told me of a certain someone, a special existence, to Teodor that would make him risk even his afterlife for.

And, he understood clearly.

"You couldn't mean..." His sense of dread was clearly showing within his shaky voice.

With no more space to close, I came to a halt in front of the mirror. Now, it was time to throw the final piece of firewood supplied by the senior.

"**** street," I said slamming my hand into the mirror. With no space to close between, I decided to make him understand just how close we really were.

"Hospital *****, Room *****," I continued, "Patient number *********, Name Ozana Gavril." 

Now, all my cards were played. All I had to do was observe Teodor, will my ploy shake him, will it not? I wonder.

I turn towards the display and witness the patheticness of his being. His body was shaking as he hugged himself, he feared his own reflection which showcased his darkness, and hid his sorry excuse of a human expression.

He was utterly defeated.

I had to thank the senior once I was out, to think his information was accurate to such a degree.

"Teodor. It's simple, all you have to do is feign ignorance, and I promise you, I will not lay a hand on her." I said. Pity for the tiny being had overtaken my tone, I had turned gentle.

I gave him a clear dilemma, trust me, or give her hell. Looking at him, I believe that my answer was given to me before I had even asked. Such a weak existence could not fight on, it was already beyond help.

And, to no surprise, he answered.

"I will, I will feign ignorance," Teodor said. No wasting a second, He immediately headed towards the table to make his decision.

It was over, and as such I followed his example. We waited for the voting timer and made our decision.

The static came back without delay, after all, we both had made a decision, there would be no abstaining.

"The timer has ended. Both participants have made their decisions. The results were as such: Teodor Gavril, Feigns ignorance."

I couldn't help but sigh in relief. Now, there was nothing left but to allow the announcer to finish, and leave this hell.

"Avery Sky, Feigns ignorance." The announcer gave the expected result. I knew my own decision after all.

"As such, we have reached our conclusion with the first outcome having been reached. As a result, both parties are to leave the vicinity with neither a punishment nor benefit. Please, use the exit opening as we end, to leave. Thank you for your participation, and have a nice day."

What a normal send-off...

I stepped towards the opening exit as it slowly exposed the white bright hallway beyond it. As I stepped out, I glanced in both directions, it was nothing but emptiness.

To my right, I could find another door slightly ahead, it was most likely Teodor's room, and as such I went towards it.

As I walked in, I saw him.

Teodor sat lifeless in front of me.

As I took a step towards him, he crawled back in fear.

"I-I'm sorry, P-please don't touch her! I-I've already done as you've wanted!!!" He crawled towards me and then took hold of my legs.

"Calm down Teodor, I can't do anything now that you've played along. You and she will be safe." I lowered my gaze towards him.

"N-No! You're lying! I can tell! The way you are looking at me, the way you are speaking, the way you are seeing right through me! You do not even acknowledge that I'm here in front of you, don't you?! Just how do you want me to trust such a dead, inanimate, face!"

Within such a lifeless, empty, gray, withering room. I couldn't pity the man below me, as the reason he had fallen into such a state, was nothing but the fault of his own selfish actions.

The present.

Just how did he see me? As I looked deep into his gaze, I saw true fear. What he saw in me, was not human. I apologized to him in silence and turned away. As I walked out, he let go of me and crumbled down.

I turned towards the direction that had an end, I could see an exit out of the long hallway at the end.

The door to the exit was a normal glass door, pushing down on the handle, I could open it with ease. I step out, merging into the nature around me. The concrete bland white facility behind me had been constructed in the middle of a forest. I would guess we were still somewhere close enough to the campus, as I was left without transportation back, but rather an obvious path through the treelined opening.

I checked behind me quickly and could see that Teodor had still not moved, most likely in his room. I didn't want to waste time, so I just moved on on my own.

Following the tree-lined path, I started thinking to myself. I first made something certain to myself, after witnessing that whole play, I was of no interest in pursuing the case of every Naojimi Kashimo, at least not for his sake. I did not plan to save him or find him, I just wanted something set as a goal, and to think it was at such a scale. That all it had taken was a minor act of plagiarism for such a truth to materialize. I wondered if they had truly cared about hiding it.

Oh right.

I remember a person I had been indebted to, and as such I pulled out my cellular device to contact them, I had to thank them at the very least they had saved me from that stalemate.

I rang "The Senior." without delay, and he had denied it without delay. Did he wish to continue his act of strangers?

...

No, he didn't. He was right there, with a proud stance he grinned at me.

"Yo, freshman! Or should I call you, fresh-'meat'!" He said laughing at his sorry excuse of a joke.

His get-up was as weird as last time, except this time his shirt had: "five money, little honey" Written on it.  

"Congrats on your first time," he said applauding, "Let's go, drinks on me!"

"I don't drink, and underaged."

"Come on now, I had only meant a soda can or two, don't get too excited there!"

As I passed him, he turned around and followed me.

"Hey now, is that how you were supposed to treat someone who saved your life?!" he complained.

"It wasn't as if I was going to die," I replied, "Hell, I might have even liked getting erased under those terms better than staying here."

"Heh, well you wouldn't be thinking that if I hadn't explained it!"

"...Ok, true. Thanks."

"No problem!" He crossed his arms.

"Anyway, don't you have better questions to ask me? I left you on a cliff back there." I said. After his sudden declaration, I ran away by saying that I avoided leaking anything to the other participant.

"Hmmm... Not really."

"Not really, you say?"

"Yeah, it makes sense after all. You are kingsus69420, aren't you? With that, it all makes sense." The senior said.

He continued own, but I had come to a halt. My entire body stiffened.

"Hey now, don't get all scaredy cat on me. You wanted me to explain how I knew, didn't you?" The senior said not stopping.

I got myself together and hustled before him.

"You mean, that was you. Actually... Of course, it was you! How else would you know?! How else would you've made such an assumption?! It really was you!!" I claimed as I followed him.

"I wonder, just who could you be referring to, Avery?"

"You sent me here! You are him! The anonymous seller!" I couldn't contain my excitement, It was as if I was meeting the puppeteer as a puppet!

"hey hey, calm down now. What, do you want my autograph?" He said pulling out a marker from his pocket.

"If anything, I want to beat the hell out of you!" I replied.

"Woah, calm it, freshman, I'm sure I didn't do anything but as you had wanted. I didn't force you to buy that."

"Still, I do not know how. But, you contacted me. You knew full well who you were selling to. I would bet you even knew what selling it to me was going to bring."

"Hey, I saw your posts on that forum, and I knew it would lead to an interesting outcome. And, don't you agree, it has been interesting? Avery, you can't lie to me. Back there, you enjoyed it didn't you?"

...

I kept silent, whatever the senior was about to say next, would be of importance to find him out.

"To be honest, I fully expected you to disappear at first, up until you had contacted me, I was expecting to never see you again. I had felt that you would definitely give him the pass." The senior said.

"Pass? What do you mean?"

"As in, you would give up risking his erasure, and take it all for yourself. After all, your priority is not yourself."

I wanted to ask him, oh I wanted to ask him just what he meant. But, I knew that he would simply gloss over it, avoiding the answer effortlessly, as such I kept silent.

The senior continued, "But, then I had been contacted. And by you nonetheless. That was what I had needed, it was after that that I knew you the interloper you truly were."

"..." I kept silent, allowing him to continue his reveal.

"Avery, you are stuck, sitting on a fence, you're scared of the past allowing it to hold you back while trying to move on placing your entire self on an existence much weaker than yourself." The senior said, his tone as cheerful and bubbly as ever, "And, it was due to that, that you didn't accept the erasure of yourself. It's why you fought for 'Outcome A'"

"And who told you we got Outcome A? It could have been B, where I betrayed him, allowing him to be erased." I said.

The senior chuckled.

"Come on now, Avery! We both know you wouldn't even entertain such a thought, then how else would you be able to sleep at night? If the cause for your existence's pain was none other than yourself, how could you even live on?" The senior spoke with authority.

"Existence? Aren't you placing a tad bit too much credit on her?" I said.

"Am I now? Avery, she is your reason, and she is alive to be your reason. That is without a doubt."

"You sure are jumping it, all we are is roommates, nothing more nothing less," I said. For the first time, I had started doubting the senior's words. While I do not doubt, that she indeed accounts for a majority of my actions, his jumps, and his expression they were exaggerated.

"They are not exaggerated Avery, you should understand by now, that I do not throw words for the sake of throwing them."

I could feel a chill run down my spine, "How did you know? What did you just do?" I said fearing the anomaly next to me as I came to a halt.

He laughed and said, "Before you ask, no I'm not psychic, I'm just supposed to know." he kept walking.

"What...? Is that your answer? is that where you will leave me? You are just supposed to know?!"

"Avery, you will soon come to see that, many here hold a role. Some are made up, some are bestowed, and some are stolen. And, you are no exception. Today I understood your role, and you will someday understand it too."

This time, I really was lost. I wasn't acting, I wasn't convincing anyone, and neither was I not accepting it. I was just simply lost.

He had made distance between us, and I quickly ran after him.

As I reached him, he continued. "Back there, I only gave you surface-level details. I had only told you of the erasure system, where Teodor Gavril's sister, Ozana Gavril, stays, and her condition. Yet, you were able to use that to utterly destroy Teodor's morale. It was a battle of wits, given by the higher-ups, and you crushed your competition. They will no longer be able to ignore you, nor allow you to act freely. You have taken over Teodor's role, and many will place their sight upon you now that you have taken such a role. Be ready, Avery."

Roles, duties, understanding. Everything felt like a mystery when I walked with that man. He was a person foreign to me and will continue to do so.

I was but a miniature speck next to his overwhelming presence.

We continued our walk in silence and separated as we reached the campus.

...

That night.

I dug deep into my luggage bag trying to find the little piece of storage I was sure I had taken with me.

As I buried myself in the luggage I cried, "I'm sure it was here somewhere!" at some point, she had even laughed amused by how desperate I had been as searched through every zipper and corner of the little bag.

Eventually, I found it. I made sure she wouldn't see it, or know of what I was searching. I didn't want to risk her looking into it, after all, what was inside that USB was a secret between me and the senior.

Taking my laptop, I shut myself in the dorm's toilet. She had already gone to sleep, so I was sure that I would be left undisturbed.

I plugged in my earphones and USB and opened the MP4 that sat through multiple folders. I had bought it off of the dark web when a seller approached me. I used to frequently post on a blog there, as I completely threw myself on it. I wished it to not be traced, and I found the dark web as my greatest guarantee. I would have never guessed that it would lead me to stage golden footage, it felt as if I had the secret of the world right within my hands.

 For the who-knows-what-number-of-times, I analyzed the footage again.

Naojimi_Kashimo.mp4

Static played, and then a person was shown.

He was, pitiful.

The man was completely naked. His body was full of bruises and cuts, his eyes were blinded, with a bloody cloth, and his mouth was gagged with a wet cloth. His ears were covered with soundproof headphones. The wall behind him was of a construction site-like state, still on its bones. His hair was completely shaved, and his legs had sharp knives pierced into them from on top of his thighs.

The person in question cried and cried, yet the "human" behind the camera continued mechanically.

A clipboard took over the camera, and the "human" then spoke.

"Milgrim recreation, phase 2. Participant, Naojimi Kashimo." The monotonous voice said. "The aim of the recreation is not to find how far would people go under the order of another, nor if they could rationalize their actions due to having someone else take the blame. But, instead, this recreation is to find out when and how exactly will a human fall into utter despair."

The "human" showcased data that Avery couldn't make heads or tails of, and then continued.

"The participant has been asked impossible questions in the first phase, and punished for every wrong question. I will now remove his headgear, and continue."

As said, the experimenter removed the headpiece and started questioning Naojimi.

"Question #51: What is the name of the lower jaw?"

The person was sobbing as they answered, their body in the worst possible condition, yet it still somehow spoke, "I don't know... Please, I do not know..."

The experimenter then pulled the knife on the person's left leg towards themselves. 

A deafening cry.

"Question #52: What is the name of the animal family that lions belong to?"

The person's cry goes silent, as it was given hope, a question it believes it knows the answer to.

"I-It W-was Canine!" He says, as his smile disappears, "N-nO!noNononOn!On!---"

His plea was cut short by the immediate action of the experimenter.

This time he had pushed a rod into the cloth where one of his eyes should've been, and blood gushed out from under the cloth.

The pleas of the person continued.

"Please.... please... I'm sorry.... please...." his face and self a mess, the person begged.

"Question #53..."

It continued. Question after question.

Naojimi was either asked questions that he didn't know the answer to, questions he knew but messed up due to his situation, or not given the time to answer. And each time, the experimenter only got more cruel.

Until he was broken. 

"Question #94: What is two plus two."

Naojimi had long lost it.

He no longer responded to anything, but torture.

He had turned into a broken record, doing nothing but pleading with what of his voice he was left. "Please.... I'm sorry.... please.... I'm sorry...." Naojimi's muffled begging repeated over and over.

This time the experimenter, his hands garbed in black gloves, removed the gag, and pulled on his tongue, showcasing the miserable state of his mouth. he had barely any teeth left, his gums were bleeding, and his mouth was drowning in blood. The experimenter then, his left hand holding Naojimi's tongue, took hold of a pair of scissors with his right.

As the scissors rested on top of Naojimi's tongue, his body shook. What movement he could muster he did, whether it be wildly moving his face, rapidly throwing his tied legs, or weakly shaking his torso. He wanted to escape. That was his last piece of humanity, his only means of expression, and yet they were taking it away from him.

But, no matter how pathetically he shook, the experimenter, with a firm hold on his tongue, painstakingly removed the edge of Naojimi's tongue.

His cry was... Inhumane.

"After ninety-four questions, it could be confirmed that the participant has lost all will. To prove it, a final question is in order." The experimenter said.

"Question #95: What is your name?"

He didn't answer. it wasn't due to them taking away his ability to speak. He simply no longer held the will to. A shell of his former self. One of his eyes was gouged out during the experiment, one of his nostrils was penetrated, one of his ears was expanded while the other had multiple organisms crawl into it. All kinds of painkillers and anesthetics were mixed with his blood. Naojimi Kashimo had lost everything, and most importantly, his humanity. To the experimenters, he was no longer needed. As such, he kept silent.

"This concludes our experiment. The results are to be well processed and studied upon the upcoming week before the conclusion."

The experiment can be then heard walking away, as the camera gives one last frame of Naojimi Kashmio.

He was dead.

His back was hunched, his skin was shredded, and his body was defiled.

With a static, the mp4 came to an end.