The next day, Ethan went to school, and today he felt watched. There is something strange going on, he sensed that the atmosphere was filled with primal fear.
Everyone was tense, they were all kind of fidget-y, slow, hesitant… like a prey trying to act normal when a predator is nearby.
Ethan became confused, what's with the people today?
When he arrived at his class and sat at his desk, he looked at Minami, who was fidgeting with her hair and tapping her foot at a constant speed.
Ethan: "You OK?"
Minami's head immediately jolted towards him, snapping out of some kind of trance.
Minami: "Huh? Oh yeah, A-OK."
Ethan lifted an eyebrow, noticing her sudden movements and how distracted she is.
Ethan: "You sure?"
Minami: "Just feeling tense from the vibes lately."
Ethan: "No idea why the vibes today are like this… it's kind of suspicious."
Ethan sighed and glanced at the window, and found some smoke that was frozen in one place, and two red dots staring at him…
Ethan stared at it in confusion, then he got up from his desk and got closer to it.
And as he got closer, the smoke disappeared. which made Ethan stare at where it was before change his mind and go back to his seat.
After school, he planned to go home, but as soon as he exited the school building.
Minami stopped him and asked Ethan to join her with her friends at a karaoke place.
Ethan agreed, and Minami gave him the address of the karaoke.
He went home and put down his bag, and that's when his eyes landed on his suit.
He hesitated, but he decided to put on the suit underneath his normal clothes; However, he cut off the gloves to make sure it was hidden, so he went to his parents to tell them about his plan for the day.
Ethan: "Hey, uhm… I was invited to a karaoke, and I'm gonna go… OK?"
Ethan's dad looks over from behind a laptop on the dinner table.
Ethan's dad: "When will you be back?"
Ethan: "Not sure, when I'm done, I guess."
Ethan's dad: "And that is when?"
Ethan just shrugged, his dad narrowed his eyes and sighed, and gestured for him to go.
Ethan left, and while walking towards the place, he thought of the songs he's gonna sing, he has a lot of songs but which is he gonna sing?
When Ethan arrived at the place, he entered the building. The shape of the building from the inside looked like a mixture between a living room and a Cafe.
The leather sofa with a coffee table in front of it, and right in front of it was a smaller sofa and a leather chair on the next to it.
So Ethan walked to the register and asked the woman behind the counter, she was wearing a uniform, which was expected.
Ethan: "Hey… uhm, is there a reservation for a girl named Minami?"
cashier: "Yes, there is. You must be Ethan, right? They told me to look out for a guy named Ethan who has an idiotic look and let him in as soon as I find him."
Ethan: "Yep, that's me… wait, idiotic look??"
cashier: "Room 7, just right there."
The cashier pointed at a hallway just next to the reception, it was kind of dark, but at the same time it was lit up by dim blue LED light strips that were headed forward towards the end of the hallway.
Ethan looked at where the cashier pointed and went there. He walked past doors, door 3, door 4, door 5… until he reached door 7.
He noticed that it was quiet on the inside, unlike other rooms that were filled with off-tone "singers"
So he decided to knock…. No answer, he knocked again…. Still nothing, he just opened the door and walked in.
Ethan: "Yo."
Ethan froze as soon as he went in. He saw everyone lying on the floor and couch, they all looked like they were in comfortable positions, probably forced to get knocked out.
He heard a slight shift behind him, so he turned and saw a smoke silhouette with red eyes, so he punched it, but his hand flew through it and he almost tripped, why didn't it do a thing this pile of smoke?
As Ethan inhaled the smoke by normal breathing, he got more and more tired, as he tried and tried to get it to go away by swinging his arms at it, but failing miserably.
He held his breath, trying to not breath it in, but he felt the oxygen in his lungs vanish quickly, he needed to breath…
So he exhaled and took an inhale and held his breath, still taking in more smoke.
After some time, he finally collapsed and became unconscious, and then he woke up in an all black space.
Ethan: "Where am I?"
???: "You are in a nightmare."
Ethan turned and saw himself, but his face was miserable and tired, and his eyes were glowing red, and his aura was thick, black smoke.
Ethan stared at himself and got closer, but with every step he got more and more scared, so he tackled it, but he phased through it, landing harshly on the all-black ground.
Ethan: "What the…?"
Ethan sat up, turning to it, him… Whatever.
???: "Just as I told you, you are in your nightmare, plus there is no escape from the ghost king…"
Ethan: "Ghost king? what? don't tell me you are-"
Ethan had used the name "Ghost king" in his imaginary made-up fights against villains, his nemesis being Ghost king.
Ghost king: "Evil version of you that separated from you, coming into being from your traumas and fears."
Ethan gritted his teeth. He wanted to attack, but he knew that he would phase through like he just did.
Ethan: "OK, I'll play your game, what is it…"
He got up, dusting his pants from a non-existent dust, it was muscle memory.
Ghost king: "You have to save your friends from their nightmares, of course… There will be some catches. like… if you die… then that's it… no more healing or coming back to life, and, oh, there are no second chances."
Ethan: "I refuse, so just let them go!"
Ethan's frustration boiled as he tried to attack him.
But Ghost king dodged him, phasing through Ethan until he was behind him.
Then Ghost king put his hand on the back of Ethan's head, and Ethan's memories flashed; they were all traumas, sad memories, things that affected his life.
Ghost king: "Good, good! more power! Give me more power!!"
Ethan began to tear up, this time… It was pure sadness, no frustration, just grief, regret, depression.