12 Illusions

I'm... losing consciousness... and what's... that voice? Melancholy.. tomorrow?

It's dark... I can't move... What happened? Did I die? No! Please... I haven't... granted their wishes yet! And Ria... I have to... go back. Don't die, Miles! You bastard! You're the scum of... society! Don't die... asshole! I don't want to... die... I don't... want to die. I don't want to die!

As I struggle internally... A familiar, faint voice whispered...

"It's okay... I'll let you see."

It's the voice... before I... passed out... and... the door... she's the... voice.

"I'll let you see... I'll let you see... I'll let you see."

Shut up! I don't want to die!

"I'll let you see... I'll let you see... because... it's my fault."

Her... fault? I'm losing... consciou-.

"It's okay... this is... you'll see... because... it's my fault..."

|...|

I'm... back.

"Miles... you'll help me, right?! You're alive, right?! Liar!"

I'm standing next to Ria... and she's crying... over a dead body?! We're outside the restaurant... there are three corpses... and there's a guy with a... gun. Ria...

"Ria! Come here!"

"Liar! Liar! Liar! I hate you..."

I yelled her name and tried to hug her, but... she... didn't hear me? I went through her like a ghost... Why is this happening? No! What is happening?! Ria, come here... you'll die. You'll end up like that dead bo-.

Hahaha! You're kidding, right? This isn't real. She's crying over... my dead body? Cut the bullshit! Then I really did die! I'm just a ghost... I was in the toilet minutes ago! How?!

|...|

"You've... seen enough."

It's the voice.

"Who are you?! And what's happening?"

"You've... seen enough."

"Answer me! God damn it!"

"An illusion... of the tomorrow... you have to avoid."

"Who are you?"

"I'm your en-"

|...|

"Graaahh!"

What... was that?! I'm back in the toilet... An illusion? The instant I made eye contact with the mirror, everything blacked out. And the voice... is my what? Yet again, I underestimated this world's bizarreness. There has to be a logical explanation for this! It's trying to convey a message, but what could it be?

An illusion of tomorrow... I have to avoid? Behold, the melancholy of tomorrow? These sentences are eerily similar. If I dissect the nature of these sentences, it could mean something tragic will happen, but the manner it was conveyed is... disturbing. It's like I saw my greatest fear and most dreadful regret in an infinite loop.

For now, I'll figure out what I can. If I go by my conclusion of what happened, then the tragedy to occur is my death. I don't mind dying unless i-

Did I just say that right now? Get a hold of yourself, you piece of shit! For once, someone is relying on you!

All I have to do is avoid getting shot. Easier said than done! But at least I know the gun man's appearance; a long black coat with a Fedora. He looks like the cliché detective from a mystery movie. And lastly, a logo.

Two wings, black and white, intercrossing each other to form an X with a sword in the middle. Just the silhouette of his figure stands out like an elephant in a herd of sheep. The current Miles in the mirror should be able to evade that!

While grasping for my breathe with my hands on my knees, a deep voice interrupted... "Are you okay, young man?"

"Huh!"

Oh... It's just a stranger.

"You look like you've seen a dead body."

"I-I'm f-fine, sir."

Fine? Any person with a functioning brain and a good grasp of their sanity would be acting as if the world will end in a minute after seeing what I saw. Anybody except me...

I'm uncharacteristically calm and collected for a human being after watching themselves die, and I don't know why. Is it experience? It'd be easy to stamp a "case solved" and call it a day, but that's just a scapegoat. For now, I'll strive to achieve this level of calm no matter the emotional weight.

Human emotion continues to agitate me, and I disapprove of it in the first place. People are the most unpredictable creatures. So they created a system, a universal law, that allows them to anticipate themselves called emotion.

Why do that? Humans fear the unknown, the unexplainable, and the "unique." They're terrorized by whatever is outside their spectrum and what can't be explained. And if there's one thing mankind should fear the most, it's themselves.

We're the most unknown, unexplainable, and unique creatures; over a millennium of history tells that.

"Somethin' definitely wrong, young blood."

"S-Sorry. I was just thinking."

"Push through it. Life's tough young blood, but thinking about it next to a place full of shit is..."

"Oh! T-Thank you..."

This old man... I genuinely felt that. It's not the words, but the caring, wise old man air around him is infectious.

He's about three inches shorter than me. Has a "hood rapper" accent. Dark-skinned and looks like he's approximately forty years old.

He has a scar under his left eye, so I'd imagine this old man has been through the heavenly hellscape of life. Everyone I've met in this world so far has been nothing short of spectacular.

"Aight. I got to get goin'. Push through it, young fella! Don't lose your privilege."

Don't lose what? What privilege do I have to lose? Is it a native term? But it feels like I've heard of it before... Ahhh! My mind is full! I'll die about it later! I have to go back to Ria...

Speaking of her, do I tell her about this? She may be a ball of stupidly genuine kindness, but I can't worry her. I'll ask one question, I suppose.

|...|

I've managed to catch my breath, and now I'm heading back to my seat... I can't tell anyone what I saw...

|...|

Woah... walking through that barrier or something will never get old, and breathing the air of this epitome of luxury still feels wrong.

|...|

"Took you long enough! The food is getting cold!"

Woah... scolding me now? It's a trillion years too early for that! And she sounds like... mother. Wait! I can say the word "mother" now! At this rate, a scar will patch itself this year, I suppose.

I sat down and apologized, "Ria, sorry for the wait... there was a line."

Originating from father's once in a blue moon wise words book, arguing with a female is a MONUMENTAL pain in the ass, so the only logical approach is to bite your pride and apologize even though it's as clear as a blue sky that you're a pure, innocent child.

"Hmmph... Let's eat."

The food appears easy to eat. Nifty prediction, Miles! Now, it's time to make a move.

"Ria, I have a question."

"Yes?"

The following words carry a decent amount of weight. It may seem like it's too much for this idiot to reciprocate but through a precise selection of discreet word choices...

"Can enhancements talk?"

It appears as one of those dumb, insignificant questions that, for some reason, keeps you awake at night, but I'm hitting three birds with one stone.

"Hmmm... yeah, they can, but there's only a handful of cases. It hasn't been intimately studied, so I can't give any more information, but that means you have a brain enhancement, Miles!"

Woah... I suppose her earlier remarks of intelligence aren't for show. Well, that was anti-climactic! The only remaining ordeals are to avoid getting shot. Figure out a way to trigger an ominously overpowered ability, and find a place to settle in.

Now I feel like the president of the United States! In fact, it appears I carry more burden. President Kennedy got shot, so what weird chain of thought made me think I can avoid that same outcome? I'll die about that later. Hopefully not literally...

"Miles, say ahh..."

"Oi! What are you doing?!"

"You're not eating your food."

"I know that, but why are you feeding me?!"

"Say ahh..."

No good! Nobody is getting through her thick skull! It's a bit embarrassing, but...

"It's good!"

I look like an infant being fed vegetables. Screw it! This is practically a therapy session for me, so I should en-...

Before I finished chewing the food Ria gave me, a woman yelled, "Apprehend him!"

"Y-You got it all wrong! It ain't me!"

It's the wise old man of the toilet and a manager, I suppose? The word choice of the supervisor sounds racist, I guess. Don't tell me... even good ol' racism also made the transfer? It was about time this world showed its foul odor.

The sudden appearance of a stench full of melancholy is... disturbing. If things take a three-sixty turn off a cliff, perhaps I'll butt in, but silently.

"Opening up this restaurant for you people was a mistake after all!"

"Perhaps you should calm down, Ms. Manager..."

Another presence entered, a commanding one.

"And who might you be, ma'am?"

"Do you not recognize this presence? What blasphemy."

"Oh! I apologize for my rudeness, ma'am! But this filth tried to pay with a counterfeit bill."

What an entrance from Ms. Princess. She had the manager on her knees just by existing! I should've ordered popcorn, and it seems like Ria is enjoying the show too. That's an uncanny connection.

"You are mistaken, Ms. Manager... He didn't."

"But these people are-"

"You dare question my authority?"

"N-No, ma'am!"

It appears that the leak in the ship has been plugged. It hasn't sunk into a dire situation where most black people in the previous world would've.

The old man responded with, "T-Thank you for saving my life!"

"You better be grateful! You may take your leave!"

Ms. Princess saved the old man's life? It was only a common misunderstanding! But then again, my former world would kill a black man over a counterfeit bill.

That girl must be of high position. She appears to be that bitchy, spoiled daughter of a rich man, but what she did just now was... compassionate, relatively speaking.

"Miles... eat."

I forgot about the food...

"I'm feeding myself, Ri-... Woah! you're already finished!"

"Hurry up... I want more!"

She's unexpectedly a glutton. And with her thin frame?! If god was a programmer, she's the bug!

As Ria and I dine in peace, a loud noise echoed throughout the restaurant...

"*BANG!"