Just Another Fantasy

Ru felt as if he were suspended in cold water that stretched into infinity. He had no sensation in his body, only the wetness beneath his feet... and a tiny light shining far in the distance.

He couldn't move. He couldn't even wiggle a finger. All he could do was stare at the light. Now and then, he thought he heard muffled sounds, like bass notes coming from far away.

"What is this? Where am I?" Thoughts swirled around him, forming sentences of light.

"What should I do?"

"Am I in a coma again?" Questions kept sprouting up relentlessly.

Soon, he added statements like, "I might have been put into a coma."

And the sentences kept multiplying in Ru's mind.

"Oh no, I'm dead."

"But how did I die?"

"Never mind, even if I'm dead, I can come back."

"I need to find my body."

"I must find it now!"

"But I can't move, ugh!"

"Can anyone hear me?"

"You don't have a voice, idiot!"

"Argh!"

"Can't anyone read my thoughts?"

"Isn't there anyone?"

"Am I completely alone now?"

"Help me!"

"Please help!"

"No, I'm producing too many sentences."

"The sentences are wrapping around me!"

"The sentences are suffocating me."

"I need to move."

"Must move, but how?"

"I can't move!"

"What did that vampire say?"

"Which vampire?"

"The one with the cat mask, the painter."

"Yes! He said I'm not a spirit, I'm a wandering consciousness."

"I've gone from a wandering consciousness to a stuck one, ugh! Where am I stuck?"

"Wait a minute. I need to figure out what I can do as a consciousness."

"Besides thinking."

"I must be silent."

"If I'm not silent, the sentences will suffocate me."

"I will die by drowning in a book I wrote."

"I'm a musician, not an author. I need to compose a song right away."

"Why?"

"How should I know? Help!"

"Calm down."

"I can't! Dr. Noob isn't here!"

"Dr. Noob?"

"Stop calling him Noob!"

"Okay, Claude."

"Now calm down and imagine Claude."

"Claude."

"Claude!"

"Claude!!!!!!"

"Claude," the djinn sultan said in a low voice.

Anaxarete turned to face him, surprised, and asked, "Who's he?"

"It is a name Ru talks about in his sleep," the djinn sultan replied.

"Oh, never mind, darling. I have found a new flesh for you. It's in my bedroom, come on," Anaxarete said with an attractive attitude and a seductive voice.

The djinn sultan tried to move, but his step froze in mid-air. "Interesting," he said, squinting his eyes.

"It seems the child has awakened," Anaxarete said, tossing her hair back.

"It appears so," the djinn sultan grinned.

"No problem, we'll solve it," Anaxarete said and took Ru by the arm. "Come with me, my precious blue one."

Claude took Ru's arm and said, "Come with me, Lirui."

Ru couldn't feel Claude's touch, but he knew. He was sure Claude was beside him. He didn't resist and somehow drifted toward the light.

Now there was a heavy door in front of him. Ru was peeking through the keyhole. He could see everything through that tiny opening...

First, the tip of his nose appeared, then his hands. He tried to move his fingers slowly, but his body felt like stone. Without taking his eyes off the keyhole, he slowly slid down. His room was dimly lit. On the bed... no, it couldn't be. The bed had turned into a pile of ashes. Among the ashes, the face of Jenna... or at least her ashen remains vaguely took shape. Her eyes were wide open as if trying to let out one last scream. Ru's throat tightened, and tears streamed down his cheeks. "No..." he whispered. "No, no, no..."

"Why are you so sad, Lirui?" asked Claude.

"I'm not sad," Ru said, evaporating the tears and wiping them from his face. "I just failed, and I can't stand it."

Claude was surprised by Ru's words. "Lirui, why do you say that? I can see you're feeling down."

Ru let out a small, cynical laugh. "I'm not sad, Claude. I just... failed. I got Jenna involved in this and couldn't protect her. That makes me look weak and foolish," he said. There was a glint in his eyes. "I don't want to be weak anymore."

Claude took Ru's hand. "You are so strong, Lirui. My dear friend, I'll always be right here by your side." He gave Ru's hand a reassuring squeeze.

Ru looked at Claude. "Maybe I am," he said. "But first, I need to prove it."

"To whom?" Claude asked.

"Naturally, I'll prove it to myself. I'm a king," Ru said confidently.

The darkness in Ru's eyes took Claude aback. "Lirui, what are you talking about?"

Ru smiled coldly. "I'm a king, Claude. And kings cannot be weak. I will prove myself. And I will conquer this world!"

Claude held Ru's hand tightly. "Lirui, you need to come to your senses. This path will lead you to a dead end."

Ru pulled his hand away from Claude. "This is my decision, Claude. And you'll have to accept it. Why am I even talking to you? What a meaningless scenario! Damn it!" Ru The Great said, exasperated.

Ru The Great could sense his last clone being overtaken, making him crazy. He needed to take action fast, but what could he do?

"I'm trying to decide if I should send my daughters. There's also been a notable decline in their numbers. If they hunt them, I'll be completely isolated from the world."

Ru The Great was feeling overwhelmed. He was pacing in the Crystal Tower, thinking through the situation. He was muttering to himself.

"I'm having trouble finding someone to connect with in this big celestial wasteyard. How can I use my power to make an impact? What kind of ancient king do I am?"

"Are you asking me?" Claude said.

"Who the hell am I talking to?" Ru The Great asked.

"I'm Dr. Claude Leblanc."

"Oh, fuck you," Ru The Great said.

"You're being a bit rude, sir," Claude said gently.

"I'm a king, you idiot," Ru The Great yelled.

"I am aware because I created you," Claude whispered.

"Incredible! I've come across someone who thinks they're the god of the world," Ru The Great commented sarcastically.

"Ah, you are truly a useless character. I'm taking you out of my script," Claude murmured.

"Forget your scenario! You need to go to the Witch's Cafe now," Ru advised.

"Why should I go?" Claude asked.

"You've got balls for doing that!" Ru The Great said.

"What's this about a scenario, king, and conquer?" Claude said, pointing to the three words he'd scribbled on paper. "It's not something that science can explain. It's a fantasy," he whispered, standing up from his desk. He left the clinic, got into his car, and set the navigation to Witch's Cafe.

"Why am I going there?" the question shimmered on his glasses.

Finding the Witch's Cafe wasn't difficult for Claude. The gloom of the place was a dark aura rising to the sky between the tall buildings.

"Looks like this is the place calling me," he said.

He parked nearby and got out of the car.

"I'm chasing weird things again," he said, entering through the open door.

As Claude moved through the dim light of the Witch's Cafe, peculiar paintings on the walls caught his attention. The faces in the paintings bore a striking resemblance to Ru. All of them had the same vacant expression, the same pained look... Suddenly, he heard a whisper. "This is where you'll find the answers you seek."

When Claude turned around, he found an old woman sitting at a table. Her eyes were deep and wise.

"Who are you?" Claude asked.

The woman smiled. "I am someone who knows the secrets of this world. You can find the answers you're looking for with me. But it will cost you."

"That will be an interesting experience," Claude said, considering the woman's offer. He was trying to figure out what this was. Had he accidentally taken LSD and ended up in Wonderland?

After pausing for a moment, he inquired, "What do you want?"

The woman looked Claude in the eye and stated firmly, "A feather from your wing."

"Nonsense! Which wing? Am I a bird? Why would I give you my feather?" Claude said.

"I thought you wanted to save Lirui. I guess I was wrong," the old woman said.

"I want to treat Lirui."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a doctor, and he's my patient."

"Are you sure?"

"Quite sure."

"Then go," said the woman, pointing to the stairs.

Claude thanked her and proceeded. When he reached the top, he had no idea of the horror that awaited him.