31 Episode 7-Ender's Game (5)

After this person made this declaration, I simply stood still on my Fragment/raft.

(If he's right, and this is the Underworld....)

Hypnos lifted his right hand in a placating manner, which also halted anything I was going to say.

"Have no fear. You are not dead, unlike the souls you encountered on your way here. You are here in mind and thought, instead of body and soul."

Hypnos's soothing, quiet voice eased my fears. I could understand why he was the deity of sleep. Everything about him told me to rest where I stood, and let my subconscious take control. After a moment, I decided to finally speak up.

"What you're doing is a violation of probability. It's only the Main 4th scenario. You'll suffer from a probability storm," I stated.

Hypnos smiled knowingly and gently, and said, "I am powerful enough to pay such a price, but smart enough to be discreet. By contacting you via dream, and simply anchoring you're floating consciousness in one place for a short moment, without anyone noticing, well.... I am able to get away with a lot of things..."

A stranger light flashed in Hypnos's dark eyes.

"Alas, you are still trapped in the simulation that you willfully entered, without anyone monitoring it. The Constellations and Dokkaebi that were watching you are gone now; all gazes have left you, except my own."

This statement sent a chill down my body. I wondered which body would feel it. My body that entered the simulation of "Ender's Game," or the false body I inhabited? It didn't matter. My natural instincts told me that Hypnos was a Constellation that I should be wary of. Essentially, he told me how he took me here, and also told me I was a hostage.

Right now, this was a battle of time. What would happen first? My Fragment of the 4th Wall kicks in, and I get out of here, or the two strongest authorities of the Underworld begin noticing my presence? What would happen if they did?

Hypnos seemed to read my concern and said, "Do not worry. The "King of Riches and Death" and the "Queen of the Darkest Spring" are currently busy. They have found another interesting Incarnation in an Oriental country; it seems to be called South Korea. They are watching this Incarnation intently, while also preparing themselves for... well, I shall not say."

(If the storyline is proceeding as it should be... then Hypnos is talking about Yu Junghyeok or-)

A headache began to besiege me.

(O-or the other Fragment Holder that's with the protagonist.)

I was about to say something again, but another thought came towards me at the speed of light.

(Wait, King of Riches and Death? Not Father of the Rich Night?)

"Excuse me, Deity of Sleep and Hypnosis, but are you talking about Persephone and Hades, the rulers of the Underworld?"

Hypnos looked at me, and brought a finger to his lips.

"Be careful of the names you utter, especially if you are in said person's domain," he whispered. "Also, yes, I do speak of the rulers of this land."

I needed to say something else.

"I thought that," I looked at the dreary landscape, "the King of this place would be called "Father of the Rich Night" in the [Star Stream.]"

After I said that, Hypnos blinked, and began laughing gently, as if I said something funny. Sadly, that weird glint in his eye came back, and his next words seemed much more sinister.

"No, no, no, King Hades may have agency over the dead and under-Earth, but to call him the Father of the Rich Night?" Hypnos chuckled again. "No, such a modifier would belong to someone else... my father or mother perhaps...."

I tried to comb my memory, and recall all of the mythology books I read. Sadly, I couldn't remember Hypnos and his parentage.

"I have come to warn you, Incarnation Ethan Nakamura. You are playing a very dangerous game."

"I know that."

"Well, do you know what I know? You have knowledge of [Star Stream] that you shouldn't, and you don't have an actual sponsor. The Black One, Lord of Muspellheim is only pretending to sponsor you; in reality, he's protecting you. I cannot fathom why he would give you his Stigma when he cannot fully control you."

"It seems you know a lot about me. Have you at least subscribed to #HE-2020?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yes, I have. I have been subscribed to Dokkaebi Herald's channel for a long time. I've been watching you since the First Scenario, my dear Ethan," Hypnos said smoothly. "I also know this. You say you can see the future, and you have knowledge that you shouldn't."

I smiled. It seems that Hypnos was a full-time watcher.

"I began to notice discrepancies whenever you had a near-death experience; the first time I noticed your fleeting conscience was when you stumbled upon the Aesir Prophet - Anna Croft - in a dream."

"Okay, that aside, what do you want to warn me about?" I asked casually.

Hypnos nodded at my question, as if reminded why he needed to get back on track.

"Many powerful gazes are watching you. The Black One, Lord of Muspellheim is a Myth-Grade Constellation, and his allies are at the same level. They are incredibly dangerous, and no meek Constellation or Demon King dares trifle with them. You also have powerful nebulae watching you as well, and this is no joking matter."

"I already know these things. May you tell me anything I don't know?"

"You are a cheeky Incarnation. I digress though. Primordial beings are watching you, Ethan Nakamura, and their mere presence can rupture your entire existence into nothing. I am one of those beings, but not as destructive, nor thoughtless."

I began to ponder his words.

"Are... your parents one of them?"

Hypnos nodded again and said, "Especially my parents. That is one reason why you are here. I didn't know this at first, but my mother has developed an unhealthily obsession with you. She shouldn't have done it, but she has chosen a human Incarnation for the Earth scenarios. This has not happened. Ever. In her entire existence, especially the Star Stream's, my mother has never had an Incarnation. If this continues on, this Incarnation will become more powerful than you, or anyone. My mother's Fable is that potent."

(This sounds dangerous. This variable can ruin my plans, and could pose a danger to the balance of the scenarios,) I thought.

"Who are they?" I asked seriously.

"I cannot say their exact name, for I do not know it. But my mother has been bragging about them - especially to my father - time to time. I've only heard snippets of these conversations, though."

The suspense was killing me now.

"These are the two things I know," Hypnos stated, "they are in Washington State Dome and-"

I made sure to listen carefully; I even stopped my own breathing so I wouldn't make a sound.

"-they are a troubled teenage girl."

I waited to say something after this bombshell. I had to register this information. But, I knew what was the most appropriate phrase for this situation.

"Fuck."

"Indeed. Unlike Thanatos and I, our mother's other children can be... somewhat unstable. The Incarnation's mentality is declining, and will continue without intervention."

"Okay, what do I do? Do I kill them to restore balance to the Force?"

"Oh no, no. If you do that, you will incur my mother's wrath. My mother chose this Incarnation because of you."

"It's because of that unhealthy obsession, right? So, basically, this is just your mother's self-insertion fantasy? Is this correct, Hypnos?"

"You can call it that," Hypnos affirmed.

(Damnit... how famous am I?)

"How did you parents notice me in the first place?"

Hypnos pursed his soft lips, and scrunched his immaculate eyebrows in thought. After a moment, he finally spoke up.

"It was due to the nickname you made for yourself..."

All of a sudden, my dream started to shake. I heard the faint flapping of wings in the distance, and thought I saw a dark speck coming towards us.

[Fragment of the 4th Wall has reactivated!]

My Fragment of the 4th Wall, which still acted as my raft, began to shake at my feet. The river water that streamed by began to slosh.

"Oh dear... make sure not to fall in," Hypnos warned. "Anyways, as I was saying, it was due to the name you made for yourself..."

[You are waking up!]

[Time Dilation is deactivating!]

[Constellation "Secretive Plotter" has donated 100 coins to Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura."]

All of sudden, my surroundings began to distort, and different scenes began to merge. As I looked at Hypnos, I saw another scenery was superimposed on this reality; it was faint, but it was there.

"Oh, it seems you are waking up. Well, I have sequestered you for too long...."

The dream began to fade, and it felt as if I was floating through the air thanks to the Fragment I stood on.

"I'll tell you why my progenitors are watching you, Ethan..."

I was almost out of this dream, flying through the realms of my inner mind.

"It was due to this: you called yourself the 'King of Chaos and Revenge.'"

[Constellation "Deity of Sleep and Hypnosis" is glad that Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" has woken up!]

[Constellations wish for Incarnation "Ethan Nakamura" to continue the simulation!]

As I rose, these system messages got closer to me, as if I was rising through my body itself to wake up. I looked down towards Hypnos, who was becoming smaller and smaller as I rose upwards. I heard him speak some final words before I took my exodus. I also saw him watch a glowing blue screen.

"My dear Ethan Nakamura... you made an arrogant nickname for yourself... You don't know what true chaos is...." Hypnos said solemnly.

After that, I woke up.

***

I rose up from my bed. I checked my hands, and they were still white as hell, instead of the tan brown that belonged to my mixed-Asian ass. I checked the upper bunk, and found that Peter wasn't there.

(I'll guess I'll just go through the motions.)

I went through the Wiggin household, and used the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, peed, and went into the kitchen to have breakfast. I wanted to eat my food, but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. The entire Wiggin family sat around me, my supposed mother and father sat together, while Peter, Valentine and I sat in one group.

(If I'm right... this section of the story is supposed to be Chapter 3, which is titled Graff. This is when Ender is taken away for Battle School. Right now, he can't eat because he is too consumed by his thoughts.)

Right now, I could easily mirror this situation. I was too consumed by my thoughts, which concerned the warnings of Hypnos. For such a powerful person, he went through too much trouble to warn me personally. That just showed how dangerous and serious the situation suddenly became.

(Crap, who is his mother?)

I would have to search for the information when I got out of the hidden-scenario. Maybe a local library might be intact. Or, perhaps I could have access to Greek lore through the online libraries in "Ender's Game." I could read books while in a book.

(Seriously, though, how powerful are they to influence the scenarios that much...? Who am I kidding... It's probably some unfairly powerful Constellation that's going to have some overpowered Incarnation. Shit.... Their Incarnation is also a teenage girl as well. That just makes it worse....)

It was rare for children and teens to survive the First Scenario. Many of them couldn't handle the reality, nor the "Kill one organism" requirement to survive. It meant this: the girl had the mettle to survive, but also the talent to garner the attention of a potential Myth-Grade Constellation. Sadly, her mental-wellbeing isn't the best, if Hypnos said was true.

(Do they have the "Reflexive Killer" attribute? Or the Chuunibiyou/Edge-Lord attribute?)

It didn't matter. My plan didn't consist of much, but this meant I had to add something to my to-do list. My task was to quarrel a potential scenario-breaking problem.

(I feel like a Dokkaebi worrying about probability.)

If [Time Dilation] was in effect, then I had plenty of time to clear this simulation, get out, and become stronger with George. Then we would take the next step. As I thought this, there was a chime that everyone heard.

Ender Wiggin's father looked towards a screen, and saw an International Fleet officer standing at the front door. It was Harrison Ford, in a crisp, clean uniform.

"What is this?"

"Peter, did you do something?"

"No. Maybe they came to get the better sibling."

"I doubt it."

I knew why he was here. If the novel simulation was proceeding properly, then that was Colonel Hyrum Graff, and they were here to take Ender Wiggin to Battle School, which meant me.

[Constellation "Abyssal Black Flame Dragon" is watching this scenario with interest.]

[Constellation "Defender of Virginia" is watching this scenario with interest.]

[Nebula "The Congress of America" is watching this scenario with interest.]

I took a quick peek at the sky. I looked back at the small video screen of Colonel Graff. It was time to kick off the inciting incident now.