The lady after reading the sentence, pushed up her glasses. As she did the light from the screen reflected on it.
"Could this be a bug?"
I thought to myself.
If it were to be poetic then wouldn't there be a continuation of sentences in Jean the Peasant Orphan's story?
At the same time if Jean the Peasant Orphan's story really did end it would've stated so.
I couldn't come to a single conclusion. Hence, I decided to just clock off and report about it tomorrow as the worker service is currently under maintenance.
I loudly sigh at the inconvenience. Afterwards, I clicked a button that was on the side of the screen.
[Log off?]
[Yes?] [No?]
I clicked yes whilst having a satisfied grin.
The screen made a sound similar to a computer shutting off before quickly turning black. The lighting of the room then changed.
I walked over, half blind due to the darker lighting over to the clothe stand. On the way I did accidentally stub my toe on the table leg. Ouch...
Nonetheless, I took my hand sewed scarf and wrapped it around my neck. But then I quickly realized I had forgotten to insert my narrator card into the check out machine.
The boss of our company really likes making things inconvenient for the sake of aesthetics.
I grabbed the card from my bag and headed over to the far corner of this room. There hanging on the wall, was a steampunk-like machine. It had a small, long hollow straight line to slide in my card.
I inserted it in and swiftly swiped it. The machine made an unpleasant sound.
[Error! You're swiping too fast dear employee! Take it slow!]
The machine spoke out in a somewhat muffled voice.
I felt like punching the screen.
"Ughhh..."
Though frustrated I gently swiped the card. The machine then made a sound that was pleasant to the ears.
[Thank you for working with us!]
"Finally."
I shuffled over to the room's exit and opened the door. The cold breeze of the air conditioner from outside quickly hit me.
I walked out and closed the door behind me before locking it with my key.
From the inside, the tech she didn't turn off automatically shut down. This was one of the convenient things her company provided.
Suddenly, I had a craving for coffee and something sweet to go along with it. The reason why being the aroma of coffee flowing in the air.
"Could Felix still be here?"
The only other person I could think off that is here is my co-worker, Felix. He usually stays late so its highly likely
Curious, I traced the aroma.
*Sniff sniff*
The aroma lead me to the break room near where my office is at. The entrance itself was quite big. There were very few lights opened in the room. Though it is enough to see how spacious the inside is.
However something stood out, an odd looking humanoid figure was walking over to a table. A sound of cupware being placed down was heard and the odd figure seemed to have sat down.
"Felix? Is that you? "
I asked in a polite tone
The call caught the figure's attention.
"Leola? You were still here?"
"I would have been home if you didn't make coffee."
"Your problem, I brew coffee whenever I want."
"Hah, that's rude."
"No, this is a well-brewed high quality coffee with milk."
His behavior was usually like this but today he really hit a nerve.
I walked over to a wall over to my left
"Don't you think its pretty dark in here?"
"This much is enough, thank you for caring, mom."
I angrily flicked several light switches up and the break room lit up brightly. I squinted because it was quite blinding.
"AE—"
Looks like I wasn't the only one.
I looked over to where Felix was sitting. His figure was finally revealed.
Felix wore a uniform with a red vest paired with a red tie around his neck. His fuzzy hands covered his face and he slowly seperated them but with slight hesitation. This revealed his emerald green eyes and his feline face. His cat ears were down but he reflexively lifted them up upon seeing me.
He quickly showed a dissatisfied face towards me.
"I told you that much was enough. Are you trying to make me blind and send me to the special care center?"
I chuckled lightly and a sly smile appeared on my face.
"Not my problem. Oh and I'm not your mother."
The look on Felix's face was quite laughable.
Felix clicked his tongue and averted his gaze away from me.
I was quite satisfied so I wanted to reward myself with a well brewed coffee.
I shuffled over to a desk that had the brewing machine.
"The milk's out by the way."
Felix noted while sipping his cup of coffee with a hint of redness on his cheek and a smile to follow up with.
"Of course it is—oh wait Felix can I just drink the coffee you brewed"
How didn't I notice?
"Go ahead."
I opened the cabinets and looked for my cup.
"Ah found it."
It was a white cup with a bunny pattern painted on it.
I poured the coffee Felix brewed and took a sip. It was quite... Sweet but it hits the spot nonetheless.
I carried the cup over and sat next to Felix who was sipping his drink quite loudly, almost tauntingly.
"How's work today?"
I asked Felix.
"Don't wanna talk about it."
He says while sipping again.
"Your coffee tastes nice."
"I know."
"He's good at ending conversations quickly."
Felix glanced over towards Leola with a sharp gaze.
"What?"
"How about you?"
"Pardon?"
"How is work for you?"
Leola paused for a moment.
That's...not his usual behavior.
"Hello? This yap machine broken?"
"No—"
"Then talk. I'm willing to listen."
I looked over to my cup and let out a sigh.
"Not good. My character's storyline might be bugged."
"Hm? How?"
I gritted my teeth before drinking the coffee.
"There is no sign of 'The End' in his storyline."
"Meaning?"
Felix expression still calm and his ears were standing straight.
"The word 'The End' wasn't there."
"Odd..."
"I'm planning to report this to the... Uhh what's that called again?"
"The Worker service? Correct? "
"Yea... You're the first one I told this about."
"There's no need to state the obvious, Leola."
This guy, no—cat annoys me.
"Don't make me pull your tongue."
Felix tapped the wooden table with his razor sharp claws.
*tap tap tap*
"Right now, your character has free will."
"Don't change the subject—"
"Keep him contained, Leola. Do not let him interact with anyone else. Lock him down. If he interacts with the other characters it'll make them drift off their storyline."
The volume of his voice was louder. He looks at me straight in the eyes. His pupils dilated and his gaze gave off a menacing feel.
"That's... Obvious."
"Did you give him the 'Observer'?"
"Yes, I did. "
"He is an anomaly. I'll try and reach out to the higher ups—"
"Wait."
Felix tilted his head slightly and showed his confusion through his face.
"Hm?"
"What if I kill him myself?"
"That is a choice but it would be safer if we reported this to the higher ups."
"It wouldn't make that much of a difference. This method... Would be faster."
Felix hit the table causing a loud thud sound.
"Listen! Leola this could get you fired so why don't you stop being prideful and stubborn and just listen!?"
I jolted slightly. Did I unknowingly hit a nerve?
"You... Don't have to get so angry."
"Bah! You don't know what you are doing!"
"I know what I'm doing! I just need some time to—"
"There! That's it! That's the sentence! You need some time!—"
At this point I was already pretty stressed out. This just added fuel tobthe fire.
I slammed the table in response before getting up and walked away with my back faced against him.
"Hey! Your coffee! Atleast have the decency to clean up!"
I paused mid way and mumbled to myself.
"You don't understand."
Felix's ears twitched.
"I would if you told me properly!"
Frustrated I walked away without looking back.
Felix looked at Leola's cup of coffee and saw his reflection in it.
He sighed and massaged his temple.
In his mind he wondered about something.
"What could possibly make you so stubborn?"
***
"AAAAAGH"
I hunched my back over in response to the sudden pain spreading all over my body like raging wildfire dropping a musty old book in the process.
*thud*
The pages were visible on the ground, the contents inside were no longer protected by the leather cover.
A sudden burst of unfamiliar memories starter flowing into my head. Voices I've never heard of became familiar, places I've never seen became nostalgic, someone I never knew became familiar. It was almost as if I'm becoming someone else.
Not long after I felt a concoction of multiple emotions mashed together into one indescribable feeling. I felt happy, sad, angry satisfied and-
"AAAH"
I felt my eyes tightening and my vision became crimson red.
An uncontrollable scream from the indescribable concoction of emotions exited my mouth.
I pathetically fell onto my knees and started hearing what sounded like a mantra being chanted. Whatever it is, it was chanting the mantra in a language alien to me.
"P-PLEASE SOMEONE, HELP"
Someone had to be nearby, they can help right? I desperately tried to cope by feeding myself a false sense of hope.
I couldn't care less who heard me, I just wanted to have this excruciating pain go away immediately.
I called out again afterwards.
"PLEASE, ANYONE! AAAAH"
To no avail.
My own memories naturally started flowing into my head. However, this only added salt to the wound.
My head became more flooded with more and more memories, I couldn't keep track of all of it.
I reflexively pressed my hand against my chest. I felt my fast, beating heart.
This was torturous.
Slowly, I started to lose hope.
This was the the day I'll die. Crap.
I'll die in a foreign land, with unfamiliar people. Will I even get burried as a peasant?
Guess this is a good thing for that lady, It'll go her way. Good for her... Good for her.
I face planted onto the wooden floor.
*thud*
My temple and nose was hurting from the unrestrained fall.
"Agh... "
I could barely muster up strength to grunt from pain anymore.
My consciousness began to fade and drift away.
Suddenly, I heard a voice. Though my hearing was worsening alongside my conscience I still knew it was a voice.
️
"N̴̟̬̠̣͍̹̜̠̘̮͎̥̜̳̖̋͋͛̆́̂̀̅̓̕ͅͅo̶̯͎̱͐̇͋̅̃̈́͋̽̊̀̓͊̃́͋̓t̵̏͛̃̍́̈̚͜͝ y̷̧̰̲͍̝̘̗̩̑̇͐̾̽̏͊͑̇̃̉͜ẹ̷͓̺̰̽̍͛̉̐̔͋̓̚͜t̵̏͛̃̍́̈̚͜͝"
That sentence echoed across the room and the surrounding began to change.
Buildings of different architecture rose from the ground and the wooden shed was destroyed.
The sky was painted a beautiful orange with the sunset. Then the sky shifted to a gloomy grey. Then it switched again, again and again.
The sun kept setting and rising.
Buildings appeared in the sky, tall and small. Some were even somehow the same size as me.
Multiple pillars rose from the ground. One of them lifted me upwards.
When the pillars stopped rising I started to float and fly across this mysterious realm.
My body was practically flying all over the place.
I didn't realize it from of all this chaos but, my consciousness was back. Pain was still present alongside the other negative effects.
Before I realized, everything went dark and I was no longer flying.
I fell down with the fall being surprisingly short.
I landed on my knees. With realization of my consciousness I tried standing up.
*thud*
In which I failed.
I scanned my surrounding. There was no presence of light in this void devoid of life. Well even so, my body was somehow still visible despite having no light coming from anywhere.
"WHAT IS THIS!?"
A minute ago I was on the brink of death and now I was somehow alive. Strange really really strange.
When those words left my mouth I was suddenly in a room. Not just an ordinary room but a room beautifully decorated with silk curtains dyed with blue alongside a glass flooring with glowing blue liquid flowing under it.
My knees were on the ground and this unbearable pain still hasn't gone away and then a strange voice was heard.
"P̴̘̤̯͙͐̔̍͊̑̏́̌̇̎̓̀͘l̷̢̨̨̫̼͙̞͉̗͉̖̲̖̞̿̉â̸̙͐͑̌̿͛̽y̷̧̰̲͍̝̘̗̩̑̇͐̾̽̏͊͑̇̃̉͜"