Episode 7-Ender's Game (9)

I must've been dreaming. Where else could I see a white star and a flaming eye? I found myself floating on a surface; this time, I was lying on my back. It seems that Fragment of the 4th Wall was acting as my raft again.

[Da mn it, he ' s co ming bac k....]

I felt my dream shake after [Fragment of the 4th Wall] said that.

(Is it Hypnos again?)

[Ye p. Ti me Di la ti on ha pp en ed, whi ch lo cks out all th e Dokkae bi.... He es sen tial ly ha s fr ee ra n ge whe never yo u sle ep.]

(It's pretty creepy.)

[Yep.]

I decided to ignore Hypnos's attempt to talk to me. Talking to him again would be similar to opening the door to those missionaries; those people who always come to your house on a Sunday to convert you to their religion. People know that you never open the door for those missionaries that try to convert you.

That was my plan of action, until I started hearing Fragment of the 4th Wall cry out in shock.

[Hey!!! Va n d al. Pr i ck!!]

After that, my Fragment of the 4th Wall began to narrate.

[As Ethan "Ender" Nakamura fell asleep, he drifted through the safe place of his inner mind. He was greeted with familiar sights, and felt content. Sadly, he felt the tremors of an intruding god, but decided to ignore the nuisance. Alas, the prick forcibly wrote onto the wall that protected Ethan.]

After that paragraph, I heard another message. Whenever I heard Fragment of the 4th Wall's voice, I felt as if they were a little kid talking. The new voice I heard though.... it felt as if the male version of Google Translate was speaking.

[He ll o Et han. I w ou ld li ke to ta lk wi th yo u ag ai n.]

(This feels really reminiscent of those times whenever Jehovah witnesses would knock on my door.)

[I do n't thi nk you sho uld do it.] Fragment of the 4th Wall said in their own voice.

I wanted to listen to Fragment of the 4th Wall, but in all honesty, he probably wasn't strong enough to resist against Hypnos's power.

[Bruh,] he said. [Scr ew y ou....]

(I would prefer if you weren't damaged any further,) I reasoned. (You are still a Fragment,) I thought outwardly.

Speaking of which.... if I gathered all of the Fragments of the 4th Wall, what would happen? How strong would I become? How does 4th Wall protect me, and empower me?

(What agency does my Fragment give me in this grand story...?) I thought randomly.

[Fine. But yo u c an on ly ta lk to hi m fo r a litt le bit. A few min utes....]

I laughed out loud. It felt as if [Fragment of the 4th Wall] was a parent giving me a curfew.

Suddenly, my thought space began to shift and warp. It was time to meet Hypnos again.

***

I was floating through the strange river a second time, which appeared to be a milky white. I didn't notice the color last time.

(Is this fucking river made from cum?)

[What's that?] My Fragment asked.

(Nothing....)

"No, Ethan Nakamura, the River Lethe isn't made from male semen. The River Lethe is a milky white because warm milk is a general representation of falling asleep when you need to."

I turned to look at the speaker. It was Hypnos, and he seemed to have woken up from a slumber. He did seem a little tired, but for some reason, he still appeared beautifully handsome. Hypnos looked like someone who was still attractive as they slept. He was one of those.

"Hello, Hypnos," I greeted. "What brings us together on this-"

I looked at the landscape of the Underworld, which was dark as a city without lights. I looked upwards and saw the fog, which probably blocked the roof of the cavern.

"On this fine - probably - day."

"It's not day for you, my dear Ethan."

"Well, I stuck in Time Dilation, so I don't know. I'm also in orbit in the Battle Station, and I don't follow conventional Earth rotations and sleep cycles. Your time zone is different than mine. Does the Underworld work on Pacific Standard Time?"

My little joke brought a laugh from Hypnos.

"You are still cheeky as ever. I will attribute that to your youth."

"Hey, my mental age is at least in its late twenties. I took a test for this on YouTube."

"Mortals these days, especially children... they move too fast," Hypnos said as he shook his head. "You should enjoy the finer things in life, such as a good nights sleep."

"Yeah, you can't really do that in an Apocalypse."

"Is that how you view the situation you are in?"

"Well, yeah. We have zombies, monsters, freaking beings from a higher plane staring down at us. It's pretty apocalyptic."

"Well, Ethan, things such as this are normal. The peace you had for centuries wouldn't last forever."

"I know. I'm glad for the scenarios."

"Really? Why?"

Would I show how perverse I was? I decided not to hide anything.

"Simply for one reason. I got to see humanity die. I got to see the arrogant humans suffer, and die for their sloth. I saw them become the monsters that they were, while trying to deny the fact that it was happening. It was refreshing to see."

"I do not know if you are more of a Constellation than I am, Ethan. Why do you hate your race so much?"

"Because I was born into this world... and this world is cruel."

"I see. That is interesting to know. Alas, I didn't bring you here to talk. We don't know have much time."

Hypnos's voice shifted from a casual tone, to an urgent one.

"What's happening?"

"I felt the probability, Ethan. Right now, you are in a precarious situation. If you stay stuck in that simulation without real-world contact, you'll start to think that "Ender's Game" is your story. It's not, though."

"Okay, so what is my story?" I quipped.

"It's this one," Hypnos said with a snap of his fingers.

After that, I heard the Fragment of the 4th Wall griping.

[Cr ap we a re go ing some wh e re else.....]

"Wait!! Where are you sending me, Hypnos?!"

I saw Hypnos smile devilishly. He was quick to answer me.

"I'm sending you to a place to receive exposition, my dear Ethan. Isn't information and hidden knowledge important to you?" Hypnos asked with a rhetorical tone. "I won't take up too much of your time."

All of sudden, my consciousness warped.

***

(Fragment of the 4th Wall?)

Fragment of the 4th Wall was silent. That wasn't good. They protected my being from the Constellations and their probability.... but what did Hypnos do to exhaust the probability again? What caused him to exhaust my Fragment?

I was floating in a sterile hall. My soul floated through it, and I came across rooms that looked like work offices. I also saw desks and holograms opened, but completely abandoned. I was afraid. I was alone right now. The eeriness I felt... what could I compare it too?

After a moment, I found an example. I felt like Rick Grimes from the first episode of The Walking Dead, especially after he woke up from his coma, and explored the abandoned hospital he was kept in.

The empty, sterile hallways of this place mirrored the hospital, and the dead silence made this place feel like a graveyard. I was a soul form but... I was still afraid. I didn't know if I could shiver and feel chills in my soul form, but I bet my physical body was reacting to it.

I wandered and floated through these halls, which were a mixture of white, shining metal, to dark, black steel.

(It reminds me of Battle School.)

I floated by a window. Instead of seeing a physical landscape, I saw the stars again. I saw the Milky Way, and the individual stars that shone dimly, separately from the rest. Usually, the night sky would calm my ever-growing fears, but it only aroused more.

(This means I'm not in a normal place. Is this Battle School?)

I continued to float. It wasn't until a few minutes later, but I began to hear shouting from several... beings. Sadly, I couldn't make it out though.

[■■■■■■■!!!]

[They are ruining the probability!! It could corrupt the ■■■!!]

[It's not in our jurisdiction, Paul! They are in the Korean scenarios, which is being overseen by Baram.]

[Dokkaebi Kjellberg!! As senior Dokkaebi, what do you have to saw? They are consuming too much probability!!]

[Calm yourself, Paul. Aren't you being hypocritical? You have jurisdiction in Washington State, and there are several insanely powerful Constellations there.]

I floated into the room. I caught my metaphysical breath. It was a room filled with dozens of Dokkaebi, who were sitting around a table.

(Are they... having a meeting?)

It was surreal to see Dokkaebi together as if this was a business meeting. Switch the Dokkaebi with humans clothed in work suits, and it wouldn't appear any different from an ordinary company meeting.

I continued to watch after I shook away my thoughts. I needed to pay attention.

[We have many Myth-Grade Constellations in Washington State, which threatens the scenario balance.]

[Yes.]

[Dokkaebi Herald, do you have the list you have compiled?]

[Yes, Senior Dokkaebi Kjellberg.]

I was surprised from the uttered name, and turned to the Dokkaebi that spoken. I saw him. It was Herald, with his dark fur, but instead of wearing the cheap shawl that they usually wore.... he was adorned in a tailored business suit.

(How in the bloody frick did I get here?)

It was official. I was now spying on the Dokkaebi with Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint.

(This is too overpowered.)