When mind becomes a prison p3

"Hey, I don't know what has happened in your life that makes you feel like you're...well, an ugly monster.

Unfortunately I'm not a mind reader, but..." Kimberly spoke-up, "I'll tell you this much...I've met quite the amount of people who thought of themselves as monsters, but most of the time they were the furthest thing from a monster.

And although I don't know much about you, you don't seem like a monster to me." She said making Tacito look at her.

With a curious raised eyebrow, "Why don't I...seem like a...monster to you?" Tacito asked.

Kimberly wasn't really expecting that question, so she took a minute to think.

Sighing, "It's okay no...need to give...me an answer ." Tacito said.

"Actually...it's true that it's difficult to see someone as a monster when they...look as good as you...but..." Kimberly spoke-up.

"But?..."

"Honestly? When I take a shallow look at you Tacito, like a quick glance, I think to myself, 'Wow! So beautiful!'...But then I look again Only this time I dig deeper with my eyes, and what I see is suddenly so different."

"What changes when...you look deeper?"

"From a shallow glance, all I see is supernatural beauty, but the deeper I look, the easier I see it...that pain hidden in plain sight.

A pain so deep lies within your eyes Tacito, you seem like you're always one step closer to bursting into tears.

A monster's eyes would look cold, empty, devoided of emotions yet yours they seem so full with feelings, overwhelmed with emotions." Kimberly explained, "You have the eyes of a kind overthinker who gets hurt as hard as he loves..." Kimberly said.

Biting his lips, Tacito looked away from Kimberly, "A kind overthinking...what the hell..." He mumbled as his lips began trembling and his eyes welled-up with hot red tears all of the sudden.

Kimberly noticed his body shake a little so she felt worried, she tried to get a look at Tacito's face again while asking, "Hey? Are you alright?" but Tacito wouldn't let her see his face just yet.

Swallowing his urge to cry, Tacito did his best to sound normal as he asked, "Let's not talk...about me anymore...So how exactly...are we gonna...leave this place?"

"You still haven't answered me, are you alright? Do you want to cry? You can do that! You don't have to hide your face from me!" Kimberly said gently.

"Tch...damn it Kim...stop being sweet...I might really...take you up...on your offer."

"Then do it!...cry, I'm here for you Tacito."

"I'll be wasting...both of our...time..

so let's just...focus on escaping...out of here."

"This isn't healthy you know, holding it back all the time like this."

"I know, I'm...sorry for being...too much right...now...I just wanna...get back home..."

"No, don't apologize, it's okay." Kimberly replied, then she smiled, "Hey Taci? Is it okay if I call you that?"

"Sure...*sniffles*...i guess." Tacito replied.

"Since you're saying we don't have the time right now, When we get out of here...can I take you out sometime? we can shop together and have a talk, maybe you can open-up to me then!" Kimberly suggested.

Slowing turning to look at her, "That would be...nice of you...Kim." Tacito said smiling, finally allowing his tears to fall.

As the crimson drops started falling one after another, Kimberly watched with surprised eyes, the red line forming on Tacito's cheek, "I knew it...You're not a monster Taci." She mumbled before she smiled back.

...Few minutes later...

"7 days? Are...you sure about...that?" Tacito asked.

"Yeah, we have to wait 7 days before my powers can activate again." Kimberly replied.

"7 here or...there?...I don't understand?"

"Here actually, uhh okay let me explain again!"

Now sitting in His bedroom, Kimberly was trying to explain how her powers worked to a very confused Tacito.

"Like I said, my powers sometimes would randomly throw me into a new World, one that I've never been in before, that's how I usually discover new worlds.

Normally, I can travel between worlds that I've already been to, freely! Like at any given moment I want to.

But when the world in question is a new one, my powers sorta disactivate on their own for 7 days." Kimberly explained.

"Okay...this part I...understand...I think so." Tacito said.

"Good, now! The biggest problem with getting thrown randomly into a new world, other than getting randomly thrown into a new world, is how time flows.

For example, in some worlds time flows exactly like ours, but in some worlds it flows faster and sometimes slower.

Plus you don't always arrive to a new world to find yourself in the same day as the world you left, you could arrive days, months and even years compared to when you left.

You could teleport from a world in winter to land in another during summer!

Sometimes the date is the same but The time is different like for an example it could be morning in one world, night in another on the same day!" Kimberly said.

"That's terrifying!...but I see...it makes sense...in this world...only 11 years...passed since the...trap party happened...or pretty much...it didn't happen...meanwhile it's been...like 60 years...in our original...world." Tacito replied.

"Now you understand! Time and timelines are different between each word.

And to be honest right now, we don't even don't know how much time has currently passed in the world where we came from, but that's a detail to worry about for later, because it doesn't matter how different the time runs in each and every world, my Powers work according to new world we're currently in." Kimberly explained.

"So after 7...days...we can travel...again." Tacito said.

"Bingo! We have to spend 7 whole days in this place before I'll be able to get us out of here." Kimberly replied.

"But you said...the longer I...stay in here..

the harder it'll...be to fight...off the possession." Tacito said.

"Well yeah, but we really don't have that much of a choice." Kimberly replied, "Because of your new body, it's almost impossible for you to save yourself without someone else's help!

Your body makes it even difficult to fight off the possession.

in most cases like yours, you need an exorcist someone like Socorro's grandmother but because that option is unavailable and I am here.

I will try to pull you out with me once my powers activate again.

However you're still gonna have to be resilient and fight off as much as you can." Kimberly explained.

"Are you afraid...that I might...change my mind...after a week...and decide to...stay here instead?" Tacito asked.

"It's a possibility! and to be honest I'm worried you might even stop me from helping you eventually.

You're the only one I can touch, and I've seen how you threw away Garrick like he weighs nothing, I'm afraid you might try to physically stop me from helping you!" Kimberly replied.

"Worry not kim...I don't wanna...stay here at...all.

This world doesn't...have a lot...things including people....that I care...about.

I'm not going...to accept this...place as my...reality just yet.

Maybe if you...didn't show-up...i would've believed...this place was...the real deal...but now that...you're here and...i know this...isn't real so...i need to...get back to...everyone and everything...I left behind... Yurei, Ned and...my child too." Tacito said touching his belly gently.

Smiling, "Then it settled! we'll spend a week here, let my Powers recharge and then we get the hell out!" Kimberly replied.

...Few minutes Later...

Going back to the royal kitchen, "Hey! you're back Son! Food is ready!" Thorn said smiling, "I'm not sure...I'm that hungry...father." Tacito replied while staring at a table fully fulled with all sort of dishes.

"HUH?! You're joking! You love eating this much! Just like me!" Thorn said.

"Tacito baby at least eat something! Do you want us to take your food to the dinning room?" Yurei asked.

"No!...Here is fine... I'll just grab...a quick bite." Tacito replied sitting down.

"I'm going to explore like usual! Enjoy your meal Taci!" Kimberly said before walking away.

Taking off their aprons, Thorn and Yurei sat down to eat a little as well.

"How's the food?" Thorn asked as Tacito took his first bite.

"Just like I...imagined... it's really good!" Tacito replied.

Satisfied, "Eat then! Make sure to eat well." Thorn said, "Btw Taci! I heard you knocked Garrick!" Yurei spoke-up.

"How did you...hear about that?" Tacito asked.

"I heard it too! From Ned! Apparently Garrick payed him a visit and told him what happened!" Thorn said.

"Well we were...just having a...friendly fight." Tacito replied while eating more, he was really enjoying the food.

"I'm proud of you son! You're like a perfect mix of me and Muriel! You got both strength and skills! Like a true warrior and king!" Thorn said, "Unlike someone I know!" He added while glaring at Yurei.

"HEY! you and I are both riding the same wave!" Yurei replied to Thorn.

Curious, "Yurei mi amor...I heard from...Aroon...that you're planning...to be a...stay at home...husband like my...father.

Why did you...drop being king?...you can rule... alongside me?" Tacito asked.

"I'm just not cutout to be king!" Yurei replied.

"For once I agree with Yurei!...Everyone in our kingdoms know that Muriel is a better king than I'll ever be, that's why I gave him reign over Junglaya too.

I can't be a good king so i decided to support Muriel, by taking care of him and our children instead.

Yurei realized he's just like me when it comes to you, after all you do take after Muriel even though he's your stepmom.

You two are perfect for the royal job, and guys like Yurei And me would only hold you back if we interfered.

Although I do feel guilty, it's unfair to lay all the serious responsibilities on Muriel's shoulders." Thorn said looking down.

"I had no...idea you were...feeling like this." Tacito replied.

"It is shameful for me to say this, but being born as a beta also added to my feelings of unworthiness." Yurei spoke-up.

"Huh? Why's that?" Tacito asked.

"It was a blessing at the beginning, knowing I wasn't affected by what's happening with the alphas and omegas, I was just happy to be out of the whole equation, but then I started to realize how much people assign power to genders.

In our world beta are treated like extras, almost non-existent and too ordinary, Omega are treated as fragile little things.

Meanwhile Alpha's get all the respects, recognition and power they desire, and because of that guys like me are insecure and guys like you and Muriel feel the need to work too hard to prove themselves." Yurei replied.

"So true! In the past, Muriel used to hate me because of all my alpha privileges.

It was unfair how the board of royals treated us differently based on gender." Thorn said.

"Though I can't really blame those idiots, This Kingdom had a long standing line of alpha kings and queens, so Muriel made history by being the first omega monarch in a long ass while." He added.

"Truth, I could've made history myself by being a beta monarch, but as much as I love getting attention, this isn't the kind of attention I should seek.

The kingdom needs a king not a celebrity,

I'm not putting the kingdom's well-being in my hands knowing very well I'm irresponsible, immature and most importantly, self-centered.

Our Kingdom can only be ruled by someone as kind and selfless as you Taci." Yurei said.