The Cliche Continues

"Hello? Is anyone there? Hellooooo?"

I've been walking for some time now. Maybe for ten minutes? I can't really say. I looked around, and all I saw was the same landscape since I appeared here, it was all white and infinite.

How did I get to this completely white and totally cliche place? Well, all I remember was looking at those scarlet eyes that appeared from inside the coffin, and the next thing I knew, I was already here.

Anyone would panic and become anxious about staying in a place like this, but I was very calm. I was an Otaku after all.

What does being an Otaku have to do with me being calm? It's quite simple. As an avid reader and master of the arts of detecting cliches, this situation screams cliche. Only idiots wouldn't notice that.

I mean, come on. First I had to unlock my powers and memories which are sealed inside a coffin, which the original Rosalie herself sealed. And now I'm inside a blank space after releasing the power contained in the coffin.

This is clearly a cliche situation where I am suddenly transported to my subconscious and have to pass some test done by Rosalie to inherit her powers and memories.

I've been wandering around this white space for a while, so I'm sure at any moment Rosalie herself is going to show up for me.

As I was having my monologue, I felt something behind me and quickly turned around. Behind me was a humanoid-shaped shadow with a scarlet outline. There were also frightening scarlet eyes all over the shadow's body, the same as the ones who appeared inside the sealed coffin.

The shadow began to flick and began to take on a more concrete shape. The red eyes and smoke disappeared, and the shadow gained colors. After a few seconds, the shadow took my shape, or rather, Rosalie's shape.

I nodded proudly with a smile as I watched the shadow transform into Rosalie. See? I said this would happen. No cliche can escape my eyes!

"Oh? You seem rather calm in the face of an unfamiliar situation, youngling. I like it." The shadow, which took the form of Rosalie, said, and I snorted in response.

Unfamiliar situation? As if. I've lost count of how many shounen anime I watched in which the protagonist went through this same situation. Wait, does that mean I'm in an anime? Nah, that's impossible. Maybe in a fan-fic? Pfft! Yeah, no way.

Right?

"Are you something like a piece of the original Rosalie consciousness left inside the coffin for me I assume?" I said and got a slightly surprised expression from the other Rosalie in response.

I knew it! One more point for me, one less point for cliches!

"I'm surprised you can deduce that. I must confess that I was underestimating you, but seeing you now, I can say that even without our memories, you are still me, fufu." She smiled. "It's like you said. I am a piece of Rosalie's conscience, placed here to guide you."

"Wait, guide me? Not to test me?"

"Test you? And why would I do that? The powers and memories contained within the seal are rightfully yours." She replied with a raised eyebrow.

"So, no tests or tasks I must complete to regain my powers?"

"Yes, there are no tests. Well, if you want I can create a test for you. How about throwing you into one of our most horrible memories and seeing if you can take it?" She said thoughtfully. She really seems to like the idea.

"N-No! I was just joking! H-Haha!" I promptly denied the idea desperately.

Tsk! I messed up. Who would have thought I'd get my powers like that for free? I thought I would have a shounen development. One point for you, cliche.

Well, I can't really complain. I love getting things for free. I'm lazy, you know?

Shadow Rosalie sighs in disappointment. "Oh, well, that's a shame."

"So... How exactly are we going to do this?" I asked a little awkwardly and immediately regretted asking.

"It's quite simple! Let's begin!" The moment she said that she suddenly appeared in front of me, and her hand had turned into a sinister dark claw full of crimson eyes.

I trembled. What the fuck does she want to do with that?!

"W-What are you going to do?" I tried to move away from her, but my body was locked in place. Damn it!

"Fufu! Don't worry, youngling, just be quiet and let me transfer everything to you. Try not to fight the flow, because if you do, it's going to hurt a lot!"

"Wait what-?!"

Before I could ask what she meant by that, she grabbed my head with her claw, and I immediately felt my body being bathed in something thick, wet, and sticky.

I couldn't speak as the claw was covering my mouth, and I couldn't move. All I could do was look at my body being submerged in the nasty liquid of the crimson shadows and look at Shadow Rosalie who was staring at me with a crazy smile.

"Don't be scared~! Try not to fight it, just relax and let the darkness embrace you!" She said, her crimson eyes stared at me, and inside them, I could see a sea of ​​blood.

The liquid of darkness covered my entire body, and incredible as it may seem, it was a very comforting sensation. It was like going back to my mother's womb if that makes any sense.

Now that I think about it, I wrote that Rosalie was born from the darkness of the night, so the darkness is technically my mother, I think it makes sense.

Anyway, I can feel memories flashing inside my head slowly. Looks like this will take a while. Well, I'll just relax into the darkness, I don't want to resist at all, not least because Shadow Rosalie warned me it was going to hurt if I resisted, and I hate feeling pain.

As I closed my eyes and let the darkness embrace me, outside the black cocoon that had formed around me, Shadow Rosalie watched me with a warm smile.

"Well done, youngling, let the darkness become one with you. I wanted to spend some more time with you, but I can't. My only purpose here was to pass on your inheritance to you, and nothing else." She placed her hand on the cocoon and leaned her forehead against it with a melancholy expression. "I hope you live your life freely and don't make the same mistakes I did."

Shadow Rosalie continued to watch the black cocoon, which began to pulse with blood-red light, awaiting the rebirth of the new Rosalie.