A huge tongue whipped through the swamp, tearing up mud and snapping branches as it thrashed about. Dilek, crouched behind a half-rotten tree, dared to peek out—just before a flying tree stump hurtled past, missing him by only a couple of meters.
Dilek stopped peeking as he said, "That's a big ass tongue, gotta say."
"THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY?! WE ARE GOING TO DIE!" Marcus shouted.
"How did we even reach here?" Dilek asked.
Marcus looked at him. "Oh well, it kind of went like—"
—
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU, YOU BLONDE MAN—!" Dilek shouted as Tommy, still covering his mouth, said, "That's my tongue… don't… hit it."
"That's your tongue?" Dilek looked at him. "How come? Open your mouth, c'mon."
Tommy slowly did as his mouth had a tongue.
"Look at this guy bullshitting us. Diego, beat that tongue up!" Dilek shouted.
Diego bent down, striking a pose with his fist forward.
"...No, Diego, get closer. You are like 20 meters away from the tongue. Get a little closer."
"Oh," Diego said as he took a few steps forward and stood right in front of the tongue.
Dilek gave a thumbs-up.
"Wait—look, I'm Tommy, I'm a witch… that's my tongue…"
"A witch… that doesn't sound right… but that'll have to wait, because if that really is your tongue, I have a lot of questions for you!"
Tommy said, "I'll answer them, just calm down…"
"Yeah, totally, I'm calm," Dilek said.
"Okay, ask away."
"Why would your tongue remove my clothes?" Dilek asked, still shirtless.
Tommy apologized, saying, "I can't tell where my tongue is… it's kind of like your mouth — you can locate the food but can never reach it. So I can grab you, but I don't know what it does."
"OH YEAH?! Doesn't excuse you being a pervert! You could've stripped me naked! Hell, I look like a guy from that show Naked and Afra—"
"Hold on, hold on," Dilek stopped Marcus. "Too far behind. Why did he attack us — that's my question."
"Ohhh," Marcus realized. "Well, what happened was—"
"Hey, don't start another long flashbac—"
—
Tommy stood still as he kept muttering, "Mother… my house… the gravestone… the clock…"
"The clock? Gravestone? Sounds like he has a lot to buy."
"I'm not sure about him buying all that," Nandita said next to Dilek. "I think he's saying that his house is the gravestone to our clock."
Dilek and Marcus, who heard it, stopped for a moment.
Marcus said, "You know, Nandita, you seem really smart, but sometimes you just say random things, y'know?"
"Exactly what I was about to say," Dilek said softly.
Ami was telling Diego to drink a potion, and Diego was rejecting it, saying, "If you do it, I do it."
Tommy kept muttering as he remembered flashes of his past.
—
A hand guided him — through the cities, the crowded streets, the blur of rushing people. Everyone seemed to be running toward something, but the hand pulled him the other way, steady and firm amid the chaos.
Tommy — a little boy, bewildered by it all, glanced up at the hand. It looked funny to him somehow, and he laughed, letting it lead him onward.
The scene changed the hand was smoother. A beautiful lady smiled as she stood in front of a gravestone. She chuckled, but she noticed little Tommy as she told him to come closer. He ran toward her and hugged her legs.
Her black dress and black hat — she was in a grave, properly dressed.
As she picked up little Tommy, she said, "Do you know why we're here?"
Tommy shook his head.
The lady smiled with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Come on, guess."
Tommy looked at the gravestone. There was a muddy picture, but he recognized something — a smooth skin, a skin that resembled the lady holding him. Something so similar, yet so distant.
"◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️◻️?" the boy asked.
"Is it?" the lady said. "Not at all." She chuckled.
Tears fell from Tommy's eyes. She panicked. "Oh my… I didn't think you would cry. Here, cry on my shoulder." She let him cry softly as she patted his head — each pat making him forget why he cried.
—
Tommy's legs were wet. The cold muck clung to his skin as he remembered or maybe relived being led into the swamp. The air was heavy, damp, filled with the quiet buzz of unseen things. He didn't know why it felt so cold… or why his chest hurt so much. Fear pressed in, soft and shapeless.
He looked around, trembling, and tears slid down his cheeks before he even noticed.
"Mama… mama…" he cried, his voice small and lonely against the whispering reeds.
A pat on his head — the lady smiled, now dressed in a purple dress. "So you finally feel normal calling me Mother, huh? Tommy, why are you scared? This is your house, this swamp. This is our home, right?"
Tommy looked around. It was scary, so he put his head on his mother's shoulder, not wanting to look further ahead.
She chuckled. "Okay, let's go home."
—
The scene changed. He was in the hut — a small, single-room shelter where he and his mother slept on the floor. The air smelled faintly of smoke and damp earth. His mother sat beside him, her voice soft as she guided him through the words on the worn pages of a book.
"These are the funny curses, you know."
Tommy giggled. "Can I make a big tongue like this?" He tapped at the book with an illustration of a huge snake-like tongue.
She laughed. "Yes, yes, someday you will."
There was a knock on the door.
He remembered his mother being visibly shocked as she told Tommy to stay. She stepped outside as Tommy heard faint voices and a ticking sound — the ticking of a clock.
"How did you find me? How come I didn't sense you? My senses haven't dulled, if I'm correct."
A sarcastic male voice said, "Oh, my dear, it seems I've startled you quite a bit."
"You did," Mother's voice sounded irritated.
The man said, "Well, it's just that I've heard a lot of rumors of people vanishing from this place, and, well, the old men sent me to check on what's going on — seeing how this swamp is supposed to be the Pillar's location."
"Just tell them it's being guarded by someone you know," she said.
"Sure, I suppose that would work well. But how are you? I was checking on my student."
The man stopped. "Ah… seems like someone inside is listening to us. Who is it? Hmm… with this frequency he's releasing… is he the son of Abe—"
"Shut up," she stopped him.
He laughed. "So it was you. No wonder this body of yours felt familiar. I knew it was his wife. Well, you look a tad bit different though. Does that boy know what happened to his mother?"
Her blood boiled as the man entered.
Little Tommy stumbled back as the man's head didn't exist — it was a clock, ticking.
He said, "Oh, I think he could hear too much. Just a little this and that—"
Tommy heard a clock ticking.
—
The memories...
The scene changed — the hand was wrinkly. An old lady smiled as she stood in front of a gravestone.
She chuckled, her voice hoarse, but she noticed little Tommy as she told him to come closer. He ran toward her and hugged her legs.
Her black dress and black hat — she was in a grave, properly dressed.
As she picked up little Tommy, she said, "Do you know why we're here?"
Tommy shook his head.
The lady smiled with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Come on, guess."
Tommy looked at the gravestone — a muddy picture. He recognized something… smooth skin… a skin that resembled the lady holding him.
Something so similar, yet so distant.
"◻️◻️T◻️◻️R?" the boy asked.
"Is it?" the lady said. "Not at all." She chuckled.
Tears fell from Tommy's eyes. She panicked. "Oh my… I didn't think you would cry. Here, cry on my shoulder." She let him cry softly as she patted his head — each pat making him forget why he cried.
—
Tommy's legs were wet. The cold muck clung to his skin as he remembered — or maybe relived — being led into the swamp. The air was heavy, damp, filled with the quiet buzz of unseen things. He didn't know why it felt so cold… or why his chest hurt so much. Fear pressed in, soft and shapeless.
He looked around, trembling, and tears slid down his cheeks before he even noticed.
"Mama… mama…" he cried, his voice small and lonely against the whispering reeds.
A pat on his head — a man smiled, dressed in a purple dress, as he said, "So you finally feel normal calling me M◻️T◻️◻️R, huh? Tommy, why are you scared? This is your house, this swamp. This is our home, right?"
Tommy looked around. It was scary, so he put his head on his shoulder, not wanting to look more ahead.
He chuckled. "Okay, let's go home."
Tick. Tock. Tick.
—
The scene changed again. The hand was small — a girl, around fifteen, smiled as she stood in front of a gravestone.
She chuckled, her voice cheeky, but she noticed little Tommy as she told him to come closer. He ran toward her and hugged her, reaching her stomach.
Her black dress and black hat — she was in a grave, properly dressed.
As she picked up little Tommy, she said, "Do you know why we're here?"
Tommy shook his head.
The girl smiled with a glint of mischief. "Come on, guess."
Tommy looked at the gravestone — the muddy picture. He recognized something…
"M◻️T◻️ER?" the boy asked.
"Is it?" the girl said. "Not at all." She chuckled.
Tears fell through Tommy's eyes.
She panicked. "Oh my… I didn't think you would cry. Here, cry on my shoulder." She let him cry softly as she patted his head. Each pat made him forget why he cried.
"It hurts… STOP PATTING MY HEAD!" Tommy shouted. "STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP!"
—
The scene changed. The hand was large, with nails. Something tall with sharp teeth smiled as it stood in front of a gravestone.
It chuckled, its voice hissing, but it noticed little Tommy as it told him to come closer. He ran toward it and hugged its knees.
Its black dress and black hat — it was in a grave, properly dressed.
As it picked up little Tommy, it said, "Do you know why we're here?"
Tommy shook his head.
The thing smiled with a glint of mischief in its eyes. "Come on, guess."
Tommy looked at the gravestone — the muddy picture. He recognized something so similar, yet so distant.
"MOTHER?" the boy asked.
"Is it?" the thing said. "Not at all." It chuckled.
Tears fell through Tommy's eyes as it smiled. "Oh my… I didn't think you would cry. Here, cry on my shoulder."
She let him cry softly as she patted his head. Each pat making him forget why he cried.
"STOP! NO! WHY?! STOP! MOTHER! HELP ME! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T! I CAN'T!"
—
Marcus, Dilek, Nandita, Ami, and Diego stared from a distance as Tommy screamed at nothing.
"Is he good?" Dilek asked.
Nandita said, "He seems to be inflicted with PTSD."
Dilek scoffed. "What? No way it's PTSD. He's probably remembering some bad songs that keep ringing in your head. If he had PTSD, he'd be screaming like a dog."
"AHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Tommy screamed.
"Okay, it's PTSD. Now what?" Dilek said.
"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU! CLOCK—!"
—
"And then he destroyed the hut with some sort of explosion we jumped out of, and, well, that's how we're here."
"Why would you go in a long flashback? All you had to say was he got angry. And why do I feel like there was a flashback inside that flashback?"
Marcus shrugged as Diego shouted, "SAINT, HELP MEEEEE!"
A tongue grabbed him, slamming him into a tree. Diego fainted as saliva dropped on him — his shirt started melting.
"Woah, fanservice," Dilek said.
Ami shouted, "HELP ME! I DON'T WANNA DIEEEEEE!" She cried as she sneezed loudly — she had caught a cold. She got slammed into the tree, barely awake, as saliva dropped on her.
Dilek covered Marcus's eyes. "Don't see, Marcus. You're too young."
The saliva dropped on Ami, but nothing melted — it just floated on her. Ami vomited from disgust.
Nandita shouted, "AMI, DON'T DIE!"
Nandita started clapping. "+0.01 morale! +0.01 morale! +0.01 morale! +0.01 morale! +0.01 morale! +0.01 morale!"
"Stop clapping… save meee…" Ami said weakly.
Nandita pulled out her sword and stabbed the tongue. The tongue twitched in the air as Marcus rushed to aid Nandita.
Dilek stood there, thinking. "Weird… it only melted mine and Diego's shirt… not Ami's." Dilek looked up. "Could it be the key to defeat Tommy?"
"It isn't."
Dilek rushed to Tommy as multiple tongues flew here and there. He looked for a way to beat Tommy as Tommy shouted,
"INTRUDERS… THE PILLAR… MOTHER… HELP… I… NEED… KILL… THEM…"
"Jumbled words?" Dilek thought as he ran toward the tongue Nandita had stabbed.
Marcus pulled Nandita away as the two were thrown back by the tongue. Dilek reached the tongue and grabbed it as he activated his skill.
Skill: Painful Healer (activated)
Dilek had a split second to think. He realized he wasn't built for this. In that instant, he thought about how to calm Tommy down. Since he'd given up on beating a tongue monster, the plan he came up with was to apologize — but he couldn't yet, since Tommy was in a trance, not thinking straight.
He thought of his skills. He could use Fullbright, stunning Tommy, but doubted it would help — it could probably trigger him worse. Then he thought of a skill: Painful Healer — the very skill that could heal any injury, but the pain was unbearable. Any wound could be healed if it wasn't too big, and Nandita had made a small cut on the tongue.
If he was right, Tommy would wake up.
A gamble.
Which worked.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tommy screamed in pain, covering his mouth as his tongue fell silent. Tears fell down as he slumped.
—
"Tommy, be a good boy…"
He couldn't tell what voice it was, but he knew it was Mother.
"Be a good boy and protect this Pillar… if you don't, Mother will die… Don't worry. If someone strong is beating you, check the drawers. There's something that will drive them away…"
His eyes opened wide as he gasped for air. He looked around and saw Dilek sitting next to him.
"Morning…well I dunno...is it morning?" Dilek asked.
Tommy sat up and looked around. "My house…"
"Well… you broke it," Dilek said.
Marcus, Nandita, Ami, and Diego were asleep, resting on the floor of what remained of the house.
Dilek sighed. "Look, I get it's your home and you're a squatter, but I've decided I'm leav—"
"Wait," Tommy said. He got up and ran to the drawers. Somehow, the drawers weren't broken. He opened them — there he saw multiple papers. He pulled one out and gave it to Dilek.
"What's this? Are you giving me trash?" Dilek said, taking it and reading. "Oh… Ohhh… is this your land ownership paper—?"
—
Diego's eyes opened wide as he looked up. He saw the orange sky.
He sat up and saw Marcus, Nandita, and Ami sleeping in a group of wheat. He looked ahead — he was on a cart, and Dilek was sitting up front.
Dilek noticed Diego waking up. "Oh, you're up? How are you?"
Diego looked around, then at the distance — the walls of Portrident.
"How come we reached here? What about the quest?" he thought.
Dilek said, "Don't think too much, Diego." He smiled. "We completed the quest, and now we're going home."
The old man riding the cart paid them no mind, despite Dilek sitting next to him.
"How? All I remember was chaos… Saint, what did you do?
"Oh well… call it a peace treaty," Dilek said. "Anyway, you'll have to wake Marcus up soon so you two can carry Ami and Nandita back to the tavern. I'll be going to the guild to claim the rewards."
"Kind of a long day, y'know," Dilek said as Diego smiled at a distance.
A single thought came to his mind 'Why am I shirtless?'