Chapter 67: Peridot and the Garden of Memories (3) [PART 1]
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9h
23
For a moment, I felt my heart stop. I longed to find something, but finding something in a place where clearly no one should be only filled me with fear.
"Should I approach? Or perhaps keep my distance?"
I thought to myself, my feet swinging back and forth in internal conflict. Yet my heart pounded with anticipation at the thought of encountering something different in this terribly dull place.
Before I knew it, I was trying to convince myself to approach the distant figure in the darkness, even though I knew it was dangerous.
"If I stay here, nothing will change. Hours have passed, and I haven't woken up. Nothing will improve, and certainly my mental state will worsen. However, if I approach that figure, perhaps I could get some answers, even if it means taking some risk…"
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. And I was already fed up with this place. What more did I have to lose?
"…Hello?"
With stiff legs and watchful eyes, I tried to make contact. I didn't speak particularly loudly, but in that completely empty space, my voice seemed to resonate incredibly.
The small figure trembled for a moment, then turned its face toward me.
Suddenly, emerald eyes stared at me expressionlessly. Its gaze seemed capable of reflecting all light like a mirror, and a gem rested on its forehead. A girl of similar stature, with green skin and an expressionless face, looked directly at me.
I already had an idea that it was similar to me, but getting closer made it even more unbelievable. I couldn't help but ask the first question that came to mind.
"Are you me?"
I was aware that this place wasn't truly physical, but something dreamlike. In that case, anything could happen, including my subconscious somehow taking physical form.
If that were true, was this girl a part of me? Did this place and the garden of memories still reside in my mental space? But then, where was the red figure from before? Couldn't it reach this level? And if not, why?
A flood of questions surged through my mind, and I didn't really expect an answer.
People in dreams often behaved strangely, and it was almost never worth trying to hold a conversation in a lucid dream.
[No.]
However, my "self" in this space surprisingly answered me. I felt a shiver at finally being able to have a dialogue with someone who wasn't trying to kill me or give me an existential crisis.
My lips and eyes trembled, as if I were looking at an exotic animal in the middle of a zoo. I knew this was strange, but I couldn't wait to dissect the foundations of the existence of this mental being in front of me.
Nevertheless, I restrained my out-of-control emotions with deep breaths and maintained a calm expression, trying to disguise my anticipation for good reason.
"So you are…?"
[You shouldn't be here.]
Although this figure was capable of answering questions, it didn't seem to be very patient. Its face furrowed slightly as it looked at me with irritation, cutting me off.
I ignored the rude attitude of the little gem staring at me with disdain and continued to ask:
"What do you mean?"
Even though I asked politely, the being in front of me just rolled its eyes and went back to hugging its knees, staring into nothingness.
Fortunately, she didn't keep me waiting long before responding again.
[You disappeared for a whole week.]
"What…? How is that possible?"
[I don't know. I don't care.]
"…"
For a moment, I felt a vein twitch as I watched the girl's carefree demeanor. It was as if I were dealing with a pubescent teenager in the middle of a rebellious phase. The lack of empathy and the tendency to see everything as an affront made her especially difficult to deal with.
Every word that came out of her mouth seemed perfectly calibrated to irritate.
If it weren't for the circumstances, I would have wanted to give her a good scolding.
Even so, I maintained my composure and took a deep breath.
"So, how do I get out of this place?"
[You came in and don't know how to get out?]
The little Peridot asked sarcastically, with a sideways smile and raised eyebrows, as if inviting a punch.
"Exactly. Can you show me the way out?"
The girl remained silent, looking at me with lazily furrowed brows, clearly uninterested in sympathizing with my situation. It was difficult to tell what was going through her mind, other than something rude, but finally she sighed and tapped the ground twice.
Where she tapped, a mysterious door emerged from the dark floor. From within it, a bright light emanated, so strong it could illuminate all the darkness.
My eyes widened as I finally saw something beyond the void. But before I could reach the door, my gaze fell on little Peridot, still staring into nothingness with disinterest.
"And you? Why don't you come with me?"
From this brief interaction, I had formed some ideas about the identity of this girl, or rather, this gem. It was just a hypothesis, but there was a good chance she might be the true owner of this body, or some kind of fragment of it.
I was aware of the distinct natures coexisting in my mind, and this girl might be one of them.
Her independence and demeanor supported this idea. But it was contradictory that she would help me just because I asked, without gaining anything or even showing interest in me.
More importantly, if she was capable of creating a way out, why did she choose to isolate herself here instead of taking possession of my body?
The short time I had spent here was worse than a week in that abandoned world. I couldn't imagine anyone choosing to remain in such a place of their own free will.
[Do you want me to leave?]
Little Peridot asked, with a mocking look, as if she had just heard the joke of the century.
"It's rude to answer a question with another question."
[Even if I wanted to, I couldn't leave.]
I listened to the girl's words, then looked at the door in confusion.
"You can't go through it?"
[…]
If silence could speak, it would be screaming loudly in this space right now. At least, that's what her silence was making me feel.
*
Author's note
Did you expect this kind of development? It's possible to find some hints in past chapters, but I myself never imagined it would appear so soon. But narratively, it makes a lot of sense. I just followed my instincts while planning this arc XD.
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