"Ah… so the brat wakes up."
Zouken's voice slithers from the shadows.
He approaches with a Servant, hooded figure whose only visible part is obscured by a skull mask.
Wait, skull mask! I don't know which one he is but skull masks are related to the king of assassin Hassan.
"Zouken I understood why you were so cocky, who would have thought you summoned King Hassan's minion." My face stayed completely calm.
In truth I'm in panic but if I somehow trick them into thinking I had an ace would be great.
But nothing goes as planned.
A magical energy forms in the air beside them. Black and red cloth combine. It ripples as if alive.
I don't know what it is. I've never felt anything like it. My body screams at me to run, but I'm trapped.
The red-black veil lashes out.
It spears straight into my chest.
"—GGGHHHAAAH!"
There's no flame, but my insides burn. My blood feels like it's boiling. My vision darkening.
Worms crawl up my skin and force themselves into the wounds immediately, like they were hungry for me. My circuits flare and then collapse in on themselves.
The ceiling above me begins to stretch upward becoming farther, and farther as if I'm sinking.
Stay awake… can't lose…
But something in the dark reaches me.
Hands.
Dozens of them. Grabbing my wrists. My legs. My face. Cold fingers clawing and dragging me down into a place I can't see.
I struggle, but the restraints don't budge.
The worms keep digging. The burning keeps spreading.The hands pull harder.
Soon my eyes close in defeat.
---
Same as last time. Same smell of disinfectant. Same soft beeping that's too calm for a wasteland outside.
The kid lies there, motionless.
I pull the chair closer, out of habit more than anything.
"Hey," I say quietly. "It's me again."
No response. Not that I expected one.
I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "You know… every time I come here, I wonder what I'm supposed to say. You'd think after everything I've been through, I wouldn't get nervous talking to someone who's asleep…"
A weak laugh escapes from me.
"Turns out, I'm still clueless."
I glance at his face. "Your mom's doing her best. She's… scared. You probably know that."
My voice lowers. "I should've been nicer to her. Well lucky you have a mother that's worrying for you."
"I've been… wandering a lot these days. Losing track of time. Of places."
Rubbing my hair into a mess.
"I guess I'm just… stuck somewhere in between."
The machines keep their steady rhythm.
"I used to think I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Help people. Protect those I could."
Beep...beep...beep.
"But I'm starting to realize it's harder when you're… not really part of things anymore."
I smile faintly at him. "Funny, right? A guy like me is worrying about direction."
"Anyway… I didn't come to depress you. I just… didn't want you to stay alone tonight."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're not exactly a chatterbox." I let out a half-laugh.
I stretch back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. "I hope death for you is like falling asleep."
I look at him with dead eyes. "If there was nothing to fight for I could just lay my head down and rest."
A long breath escapes me.
"You'd probably scold me if you were awake. Actually, scratch that, you look too nice to scold anyone."
I glance at the side.
The beeping sound goes again and again.
"I've been strong every day but lately I have run out of hope."
"Anyway," I say, clapping my hands lightly, "you're the only one who just sits and listens. Thank you."
I lean forward, resting my arms on the bed rail.
"You know… things get confusing sometimes. I keep losing track of where I'm supposed to be. Where I came from. It's stupid, really. Sorcerer or not, I'm still just…"
I stop myself.
Shake my head.
"Never mind. You don't need my existential crisis dumped on you. You've got enough going on."
Silence again.
"It's all my fault that I'm here all alone. If only I could go back in time I wish to ask why he saved me. It would have been nice to die alongside my parents."
"…That beeping is a little annoying."
"I was 4 years old at the time my parents were magicians. I don't know how but I remember my house was burning and a mysterious man saved me. He didn't say anything just gave me a paper to come here."
Beep… beep… beep…
I try to ignore it.
I try.
I fail.
"Alright. You know what? No. I came here to talk, not to be outperformed by a glorified microwave."
I stand, rolling up my sleeve, preparing to smack the machine into submission.
"For the sake of peace and quiet!"
I swing.
My fist goes straight through the monitor.
Look at my own arm. Look at the untouched machine.
A sigh slips out.
"…This time you've won, you microwave."
I lower my hand slowly.
I turn back to the kid.
"Hey do you think this world deserves to be saved?"
I sit down again, looking at the boys face.
"If only you were here to tell me what should I do Junketsu Ryouma. Why did you give me all of your memories. Why did you die for me."