Illusion.

The sight in front of me brought back nostalgic memories. Maybe my past life wasn't that bad, just that I failed in seeing the bright side.

"Now you understand, you're already in your room. Or do you want me to take you in?" She said sarcastically.

Not minding her words I headed for the doorknob, twisting it the moment my hands caught a grip.

Pushing the door open, I walked into the room. The room's interior came into sight. Though it still had the hospital look, it was rather large and well-furnished, and the air inside gave a rejuvenating feeling.

It seemed as if the room could wash away fatigue, giving me some peace of mind.

"Seems you're enjoying the room now," said Claudia giggling. "I kind of thought it frightened you."

Her words were said to tease me, but her theory was not wrong… I always hated this room, and no matter how hard I tried to manage it, I ended up leaving the room without realizing it.

"Rest well, there are a lot of procedures tomorrow," she said, closing the door as she left.

After she closed the door, I could hear her footsteps moving further with every second that passed till I couldn't pick up any sound.

Moving to the hospital bed, which was larger than the norm, its fanciness was on a whole different level. 

I sat comfortably with my legs crossed, working on confirming my current situation.

Back on 'Kosmos', I could hardly connect with the abundant energy. If this place is an illusion of mine or a test, then connecting with any form of energy would be near impossible. If I'm on Earth, then… Mission impossible.

Though it won't hurt to try. 'Test and failure', is an important factor in improving oneself; so I'm all in.

Focusing on my surroundings, working on capturing any supernatural force around me. No need to talk much… it was pointless.

Walking to the window, I looked outside briefly. It was still daytime; I used to wonder a lot in the past why my room had no time-telling machine, even my device time wasn't set.

Remembering my device, I searched through the room for any trace of it, but I couldn't find any; it was so sad and frustrating, I would have loved to play a little.

*Knock, knock*

Hearing the knocking sound, I jerked up in fright. I was so focused on finding the device that I got absent-minded.

"Hello," came a soft voice from the other side. I'm not sure I'll forget that voice in years to come.

"Grace?!" I called out, moving toward the door.

Twisting the knob, I opened the door, meeting the beautifully shaped face of Grace. 

"Don't give me that look," she said, pushing my encroaching face away.

"Ahh! You're in a feisty mood, right?" I said giggling. Her company was the only thing that kept me happy… no! I have to pass the test, no hard feelings.

"I already figured it out," she said solemnly, sending chills down my spine.

"What?!" I exclaimed in horror. 

No way, she can't know about everything, right? Looking at her closely, sweat dripped from my forehead.

"You are such a naughty boy," she said, pinching my nose. "You forgot your device outside," she continued, handing me a phone.

"Keep it well. Though the hospital may seem secure… we have a lot of individuals… coming and going," she said, whispering the last part.

"..."

"Now, go to sleep," she said, shooing me away.

"Grace, can…"

"Ah, ah. We can't talk now," she wagged her fingers at me. "Things are rough, talking now can cause a problem."

Turning immediately, she walked away in steady steps, not bothering to give me a last glance; though she had tried to hide it, I could still feel the pain in her voice.

My heart ached to go after her while my mind kicked against the motion, giving valid reasons why I shouldn't.

"Old man?" I called out, surveying the entire surrounding. "Isn't this enough or at least if you want to do this kind of test, wipe my memory!!"

"..."

I only got silence from my taunts. Wait! I haven't told anyone about my circumstances, the old man that showed me the way might know, but this 'Merlin' guy, surely doesn't have an idea.

Then how did he construct these… What if it's not him? He had said that the 'token' holds the power.

Putting on my mobile, I inputted the password, going straight to Google. What other applications can I use?

I typed down the keywords needed to find my intended subject.

"Error!"

Written boldly on the screen was an error signal. It was a very annoying situation.

I tapped on the retry button repeatedly, hoping for a miracle. To my dissatisfaction, nothing came up; it was all the same.

"Error!"

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!!!" I yelled out, almost throwing the mobile.

Breathing deeply, I checked my network settings for any errors. After searching for minutes, I couldn't discover any faults increasing my frustration.

Waking to the door, I pulled it open, about to go outside. There is a chance I'll find something helpful outside.

"I'll advise against that," said a male, standing by the wall.

"You again?!" I said in exasperation, glaring at the new arrival.

"Yes, me," he said, moving to me. "I'll advise you to stay away from Grace, it'll be for the best."

"What if I don't?" I asked in a mocking tone.

"Then things won't end well. Trust me, you don't want that end," he said, stopping in front of me.

Placing an arm on my shoulder, he hunched; coming too close for comfort. "It's your choice."

Patting me, he stepped backward. "Remember to be a good boy."

I could only watch in frustration as he walked down the hallway, leaving me to the eerie silence.

Why can't I possess that will? The will to always fight no matter the circumstances.

I always felt that without 'strength', 'will' becomes nothing. My flabby body won't be able to handle a single punch from him, so why should I provoke him?

Or is this my main weakness, one that keeps eating me from within; no matter how hard I try? Why can't I break through this chain of self-doubt and pity?

What a curse! I'm now the 'Pleasure Emperor'. Big Mom chose me for a reason, if I can't even face my past… then how can I face the future.

This world is my past, the future is Kosmos!

Not minding his warnings, I left my room. Walking past many individuals, with different reactions toward my presence.

Eyeing the digital clock, hung on the wall. I could see the date and time on it.

That was not the main issue. The date the clock displayed gave me goosebumps… It was the same day I met that old man, just hours after I met the man on the terrace.

50 PS= 1 extra chap.

100 PS= 2 extra chap.

150 PS= 3 extra chap.

200 PS= 4 extra chap.

5 GT= 1 extra chap.

10 GT= 2 extra chap.

For gifts, I will release chapters at the end of the week, depending on the situation.