Again, I dreamed of the old man, always repeating the same actions, hunched over his desk, lost in work, obsessed with his goal, and wasting what little health and life he had left in a futile effort.
The military man who questioned him, young, with a strong physique, perfect posture, and full of life, spoke in a cold tone, always demanding solutions to problems beyond his control.
The old man's life's work was always delivered with reverence by its creator, but treated with disdain by those who received it.
When the door to the room opened, the female figures appeared, small and thin, but full of care and gentleness. They handed a cane to the old man, concerned about his health, but the man always joked, to the confusion of both.
In the end, they guided him through white and sterile corridors, with the occasional room filled with pulsating machinery or a gloomy laboratory appearing in his path. The door before his destination would open and the dream would normally end, but at that moment, I saw statistics, flashes like a faulty TV.
There was a machine that went from floor to ceiling, a metallic gray cylinder covered in flashing lights and colored panels. At its base, a capsule of the same material, with a small rectangular window protected by semi-transparent glass.
With the press of a button by one of the figures, the capsule opened with a pressurized jet and the old man left his clothes behind, lying down inside the machine with the help of the other.
"Don't worry, the process has been perfected, everything will be fine."
Slowly, the lid closed with cracks and clicks, enveloping the old man in darkness. Outside, one could hear the beating of his vital signs and after a few commands on the control panel, the process began.
The machine shone and hummed, as did the capsule; light and steam appeared in the small window while the procedure was closely monitored.
BEEP!
BEEP!
BEEP!
The heartbeat was steady.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
However, something had happened; the green line had transformed into a pulsating red streak whose movement accelerated.
The figures exchanged frightened words, pressing button after button on the panel, but it was useless. Smoke and sparks gushed from the large machine, and the old man's muffled scream echoed through the chamber.
Alarms sounded, and a red light filled the room; more energy flowed through the large machine, forcing it beyond its limit. Panels came loose, circuits burned, screws popped from their sockets, and wires snapped.
In the midst of the chaos, they failed to notice that the old man had stopped screaming; a dark sludge oozed from the openings of the now swollen and cracked capsule, swaying as if something were trying to escape.
Security measures failed one by one, and in a moment of desperation, one of the figures ran to the capsule and ripped off its lid with frightening ease.
A mixture of smoke and scalding vapor obscured her view, but the figure didn't care, shouting the old man's name, though her words were nothing but noise to me.
Suddenly, the dark sludge moved, receding into the smoke, growing and growing, forming a shapeless outline full of rapidly moving appendages.
A tremor shook the chamber, and with it, a deafening roar.
-XXXXXXX-
"GHASP!"
I awoke gasping for air, a futile attempt considering I have no lungs. It took me half a second to realize what had happened: Junk Heap, Squad, AI, Book, House, Sleep, Dream.
Yes… Yes… We recovered one of the grimoires and returned home, letting the days pass and things calm down.
I slipped out of the body of a sleeping Hyde, spreading my form across the floor before assuming my new appearance, a tall, thin, and somber body, a pale imitation of a human being.
I walked toward the door, stopping along the way to look at myself in a full-length mirror.
I had forgotten to adjust my clothes; the coat and top hat formed in a blur. I had no mouth, but my bright yellow eyes showed a hint of satisfaction.
However, this soon gave way to sadness and disappointment. I brushed my "hair" away from my face, recoiling quickly when a different figure appeared in the mirror—a person, a human. But as quickly as it appeared, the figure vanished, leaving my reflection in its place.
I shook my head and brought a hand to rub my tired eyes, pausing briefly when I saw it tremble and lose its shape. With a simple gesture, I solidified it again and left the room, looking around the silent house.
I headed toward the kitchen, adjusting the curtain of one of the windows along the way to block out the sunlight. I spotted the Grimoires sleeping on the living room sofa, the two we knew and the third one we recovered, still showing no signs of life.
Leaving them aside, I grabbed an apron and started preparing breakfast: eggs, sausages, buttered toast, maybe some juice, and more.
I set the table and got everything ready for when the others woke up, but as I removed a gold pocket watch from my body, I saw it was still early.
I leaned against the kitchen counter, pondering what I should do with my free time. Looking around, I dragged my index finger across the counter, frowning at the amount of dust on my finger.
Sighing, I went to the pantry, returning with a broom, duster, and brush. I put on a pair of gloves, a cap, and a mask before starting to clean the house, beginning with the kitchen.
I stretched my arms and adjusted my body as I pleased, opening cupboards and rearranging their interiors, removing dirt and dust, cobwebs and small insects.
I did the same with the other rooms, putting scattered objects back in their places, gathering the trash to throw away, and doing a general cleaning.
Stretching my leg, I stopped in the center of the house and observed with satisfaction how everything shone, and looking at the clock again, I realized it was time.
Hyde's bedroom door opened and the young man stepped out, hunched over, with messy clothes and hair and a sleepy face.
With a yawn, he wiped his eyes and went towards the bathroom, murmuring a good morning as he passed me. Simultaneously, Zon and Blank floated, standing upright in the air as they chased away the sleepiness.
Returning to the kitchen, I saw everyone sitting at the table, exchanging greetings and enjoying the food. I picked up my plate and started eating too. I would smile if I could, because these little moments made my life so much brighter.
-XXXXXXX-
Hyde closed the door of our house and walked towards the village.
The morning sun shone high in the sky and the workers made their way to the fields, exchanging words with the young man along the way. Their tones were more pleasant than before, a sign that they had grown accustomed to the presence of a stranger in the vicinity.
"Is it my imagination or are there more people here?"
"It's not your imagination, Hyde."
Amidst the commerce, there were people talking, buying and selling, more individuals than usual.
Their appearance and clothing were ordinary, but in a place where everyone knew each other, new faces stood out. However, the merchants seemed happy with the new customers.
"There's a chance they aren't human."
Hyde nodded in response, knowing the names of those hiding among the Replicants, androids. We chose to go about our day as if nothing had happened, buying food, tools, and other supplies, including maps and travel items.
Eventually, we found a white-haired figure walking through the crowd.
"Nier!"
Hyde waved to the boy, who turned toward us, returning the gesture with a smile.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. Any news?"
"No, I just had to take a quick trip. And you, do you need anything? And Yonah, how is she?"
"No, I've been managing for the moment, and Yonah… Her health has been fluctuating, some days it's like nothing's wrong, but on others…"
Hyde's face turned serious, while I grumbled in frustration. Of course, while we enjoy our lives, people die from the incurable "disease."
"Listen, if you need help…"
"No, you've already helped us enough, but if possible, pay a visit, Yonah likes to play with you."
"Sure thing."
"Oh, before I forget, I kept an eye on the rumors just like you asked, and I wrote everything down."
Nier handed Hyde a bundle of papers, which he accepted with some surprise before nodding and putting everything in his bag.
"I won't lie, I didn't think you'd actually do this."
"You paid me, didn't you?"
"Yes, but I don't think you should get involved with something potentially dangerous."
"Don't worry, this is far from the most dangerous thing I've ever done."
Hyde frowned as Nier offered a tired smile, then they both said goodbye, going their separate ways.
"Is it strange that I feel like a monster?"
"No, it's a sign that you haven't lost your morals yet."
Unlike me.
-XXXXXX-
Mysterious voices emanating from a building in the ruined city. Travelers and explorers believe them to be the laments of spirits.
This was one of the items in Nier's notes; in the end, it turned out to be an abandoned radio station playing music with what little power it had left.
The deteriorated equipment and low power gave the vocals an almost paranormal distortion.
This also implied that power was being generated somewhere and that the electrical grid was still functioning somehow. More mysteries to uncover.
"Do you think it would be possible to play some old-world music? I'm curious to know what people listened to in the past."
"Unfortunately not, the equipment here is beyond repair and the tapes and vinyl records are almost turning to dust."
Hyde made a noise of disappointment and we continued exploring the place with Zon and Blank accompanying us, debating which was the best musical genre, with rock facing rap in this dispute.
Along the way, Hyde collected some of the posters of artists and events, at least those that didn't slip through his fingers when touched.
We passed abandoned storerooms, empty cleaning cabinets, dilapidated bathrooms, and an office until we reached the transmission room where all the equipment was located.
I examined the equipment, the various panels and buttons whose paint had faded with time, and after a few attempts, I found the power button, stopping the music echoing through the speakers.
"It's a shame, I wish I had seen this place alive."
The young man leaned against a wall, crossing his arms and looking around curiously.
As for me, I dragged my hands across the panel as if it were about to disappear, and sat in the swivel chair that creaked under my weight. I rested my hands in my lap and looked up, thinking about the past that was gone.
-XXXXXXX-
An unknown cemetery on a cliff overlooking the sea in Seafront.
"What are they doing?"
Hyde whispered to me.
"They are praying."
I replied, observing the actions of Zon and Blank, who were now floating close to the ground, almost touching the stone slabs in front of them.
"Do you understand what they are saying?"
"No, they are both speaking different languages, I suppose they also follow different religions. Both forgotten, except by them."
Both Grimoires recognized this place, as they had buried some of their war companions here in the past; now they paid their respects to the deceased.
"Are you religious, Jekyll?"
"Currently, no. But I probably was in the past, though I don't remember which religion I followed. And you?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I never thought much about it; I was more concerned with surviving than praying to a God. After all, I never saw that work. I don't think I've ever seen a church or anything like that that wasn't in ruins, so I have no idea what religion people follow nowadays."
"Hm… We could visit some, but considering our location, Buddhist and Shinto temples should be more common."
"I'd love that. Do you think we should say something?"
"Our silence is enough. Respect the sacrifice of these people; they are in a better place now, far from the problems of this world."
-XXXXXX-
A gigantic castle surrounded by a city and strange machines near a forest.
"I wish I had a camera right now."
"What is this place?"
"An amusement park, a place full of attractions, games, and food to entertain people. It reminds me of when I went to Disn… Disn… I forgot the name!"
I heard Hyde laughing at my suffering as we explored the place, a stylized city to match the rest of the location.
There was a roller coaster that encircled the entire area and a massive, now-decommissioned Ferris wheel; however, the main attraction was the large castle in the distance, with a roughly heart-shaped hole dividing it into two sections.
However, we visited some of the smaller attractions before heading to the main one. First, we entered the house of mirrors, laughing at the bizarre appearance of our reflections.
In a role reversal, Hyde's reflection became thin and long while mine became flat and wide. The Grimoires, meanwhile, had the masks on their covers enlarged while the rest of their bodies shrank.
After a few laughs, we visited the ghost train next, but to our disappointment, there was no electricity in the place, so the cardboard cutouts, lights, and spooky sounds refused to appear.
Target practice was next, however, while Hyde and Blank used stones to hit the wooden planks shaped like ducks, Zon had the brilliant idea of reducing the tent to ashes with a beam, ruining our fun.
As we walked towards the castle, we found the attraction where you had to test your strength by striking a button with a mallet, making the weight hit a bell at the top of the mast.
Hyde grinned broadly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation before raising one of the mallets above his head.
"Don't overdo it."
"Leave it to me."
I should have guessed he wouldn't listen to me; with a quick, crushing blow, Hyde shattered the button, cracking the ground below and destroying the base of the mast. The weight shot up like a rocket, shattering the bell and flying away until it disappeared into the distance.
"Oops!"
At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.
"I'm sure I could do better if I still had arms."
"Keep dreaming."
The Grimoires passed by us, and we followed them, entering the castle through its now collapsed main gate.
The interior wasn't much better: broken windows, peeling wallpaper, faded paint, torn carpets, fallen chandeliers, and much more. It looked like a haunted castle instead of the luxury it once displayed.
Walking through corridors adorned with suits of armor, we passed kitchens, ballrooms, massive bathrooms, luxurious bedrooms until we reached the highest tower where the throne room was located, with the objective in question on the other side of a large chamber adorned with tapestries displaying a faded coat of arms.
"I know this castle was built for fun and all that, but isn't this a bit much? You could fit the entire population of Seafront in here!"
"I wonder the same thing. Maybe it's for show? Look at the majestic castle we've built!"
"Do you think we could ask P33 to fix this place up?"
"Why? Do you want to declare yourself king?"
"It wouldn't be a bad idea. Who says I can't be one? The place is abandoned, and there's a city right below for people to live in."
"But who would you rule?"
"I don't know, whoever wants to be ruled?"
"You have no idea how many people would sacrifice freedom for stability."
We stood near one of the windows of the throne room for a few minutes, observing how small everything seemed from up here.
Yes, this castle really was an exaggeration.
-XXXXXXX-
The exploration continued, this time to the lower levels, where we passed through pantries, armories, cellars, and dungeons.
Eventually, we saw something moving in the darkness, something we hadn't encountered in a long time, SHADES, or Gestalts, as I prefer to call them.
The shadowy beings staggered through the corridors, their sanity lost to the point of no longer being able to speak.
Exchanging a stern look, we delved deeper into the place, following them, as they all seemed to be going in the same direction. With slow, cautious steps, hiding in the shadows, we entered a peculiar area, an opera house deep within the castle.
The seating was circular, with several rows of seats around a large stage hidden by red curtains.
Strangely, the center of the chamber was circular and filled with sand, creating an improvised arena; even worse was the thing that lay at the center of this arena.
A dark mass covered in shimmering yellow lines pulsed in the center of the place, with Gestalts touching its form, their bodies fused and added to the formation that slowly grew with each added body.
"What the hell is this…"
Zon took the words right out of our mouths, but I knew the truth.
"Hyde, there's something you need to know about Gestalts. When many lose their sanity, in other words, completely relapse, there's a chance they'll merge into a powerful being to try and maintain a stable form and regain the mental capacity they've lost. What we're seeing now is this process underway."
"So shouldn't we kill this thing before it's ready?"
"I don't know, I've seen Gestalts merge to protect themselves or to save their kind. They usually develop bizarre forms and strange powers, but they aren't evil. Who knows what will emerge from this cocoon? It could be a friend who will help us save the world, or a monster that will spread death and destruction. I suggest we monitor its progress and, when the transformation is complete, judge its fate."
Hyde passed the information on to the Grimoires, however, this caused a division within the group. The books wanted to end the threat here and now, but I wanted to see the result before acting.
"Are you all crazy?! It was the lack of immediate action that turned the world into what it is now! Don't waste time trying to understand strange things, but destroy them before they become a problem!"
"I agree with Zon, although I don't share the same words. What guarantees that this thing won't go around killing people?"
The books awaited my answer, however, I had nothing more to say. I knew it was a risk, but I didn't want to condemn so many Gestalt lives without good reason. However, Hyde came to my rescue in this situation.
"Please, guys! Jekyll has been helping us so far! He brought me to you! Isn't that proof that he knows what he's doing?"
"But how long will this last? You can't depend on him forever, kid. At some point your luck will run out. At some point he'll make a mistake, more than he already has in the past."
I cringed at Zon's words, because he was right.
"How about we do this: we monitor and study this thing, but we also prepare for the worst. We can fill this place with bombs and oil, burning and collapsing everything on top of the cocoon. And if he somehow survives, we can kill him when he's wounded."
I don't know if I should be proud or scared; Hyde is learning a lot from our teachings.
"That's a terrible idea! I'm warning you, a terrible idea!"
Our discussion would have continued if it weren't for the noises coming from the cocoon. It sounded like someone singing.
The pulsing of the dark mass accelerated, the lines glowed intensely, something was moving beneath the thin, tearing layer, spewing dark smoke.
"Well, it's time to find out if this thing is friend or foe!"
"Combat stances, now!"
Zon prepared a energy bolt, Blank created a protective barrier, Hyde drew his sword, and I drew my axe.
"Don't you find it strange how our luck has its peaks and troughs, Jekyll?"
"Perhaps there's a God watching us, throwing challenges in our path."
The cocoon finally opened, and with it, a voice resonated throughout the opera house, revealing a new life to the world.
END OF CHAPTER