Sunny morning and a door into the dark

'Waking up from bed can either be the worst, or best possible feeling you could ever have in the morning. Either you could wake up on the right side of the bed, or the wrong side of the bed. And which side am I on today? A bit of both to be honest.'

'I felt great, but I also knew I had stuff to do today. So yay, more work for me! At least I get to enjoy the morning without any worries.....yet. So, time to get out of bed and get active! ...And maybe have a couple dozen cups of coffee...'

'So reluctantly I yielded to the morning, sliding out of the bed and rubbing my eyes to get the gunk out. Always hated that nasty stuff that built up in your eyes as you slept. Never was a fan of it, nor do I think anyone else is or ever will be. Should have asked V to remove such a thing from being possible, mainly for me!'

'Looking around I tried to find my cloths, then glanced over to a corner and saw them messily strewn around. I knew they weren't dirty, but I was going to need a cloths hamper for clothing that could get dirty, meaning, I had to go shopping! Ugh, I already have to go back out into society? What a pain in the butt!'

'But before I even started doing anything that would make me busy, I would need some coffee to help me wake up!' "Which mean's I have to find a kitchen, or any kitchen really." 'At least I remembered I could shadow meld, so that removes the possibility of getting lost again.'

'Knowing I had to get dressed was a reminder of life being a bitch. Most people enjoyed going commando or naked in their home, I mean who wouldn't? You're free to be yourself and relax fully! But alas, I am not alone in my home. There's no way in hell, pun intended, that I would walk buck ass naked around people I didn't even know.'

'I sighed as I walked over to my cloths and picked them up, putting each and every piece on. It didn't take long, but it still felt like an eternity to me. So, with a few seconds I was ready for the day.' "Might as well get stuff done and over with." 'My face turned towards the door, frowning at the thought of leaving my comfy room.' "And also make sure to get some coffee or I swear I'm going to be mean on purpose." 'A coffee deprived me is a me you don't ever want to meet.'

'Reasons to stay in my room were plentiful, but the reasons to get stuff done was even more bountiful. Had to get busy or thing's would start going into the ground. Just some time to all of this and sooner or later I won't ever have to lift a finger again. Somewhere down the line I'll just be sitting in a comfy chair enjoying a bucket of ice cream and playing a game without a care in the world!'

'Just the thought of being able to be ultimately lazy was more then enough motivation to get my legs moving. Heh, the motivation I needed was the incentive of getting to live a lazy life down the line. Aren't I just a gift basket of weirdness? ...Dad would definitely sa yes...'

================================================================

'The walk to the kitchen was slow, but I was trying to get accustomed to my new home. Using my powers was something I did, mainly for the purpose of helping me spot the kitchen. But I didn't go the kitchen immediately, instead I just noted down the kitchens position from my own personal reality and decided to leg it instead. I may enjoy being lazy, but I won't be so lazy as to not route out my own home.'

'Each and every wall had a painting on them, old paintings that were faded and dusty just from sitting in place for so long. I didn't dislike the images of what was in the paintings, but I was fascinated by a good few of them. Many of which held portraits of previous owners of this place, demons who were friends of the previous owners and so on. There's so much history in just these paintings that it makes curious to know how old they truly are.'

'Yet I wasn't interested in getting a history lesson, especially not when I could be spending my time on something more productive and beneficial. Maybe when I have some free time I'll look into it. But until then, it was not on the list of things to do. So, with that idea of doing a history background check out the window, I continued down the long corridor to the kitchen.'

'It was quiet, a peaceful atmosphere through the corridor that was now mine. I mean, even with all the new workers that would be under my hire, it wouldn't even be close to being busy in this castle, it would still be impressively empty. And yes, they're going to be called my workers, assistants, and whatever other words I could use that would not even be closely relatable to slaves. I wouldn't do that to them, it's too harsh for my tastes.'

'They now all had a job, a job that was paying them in many ways. From payment in money, free food, housing, and to whatever else they needed. So there was no reason to really call them slaves anymore, seeing they were now free to live their lives if they so choose. But if they worked under me then they had to obey, no exceptions. I wouldn't abuse the power I now had with all of them being under my control, but if they wanted to solidify their services to me, then I would make them all do a soul contract and bound their wills to forever be under my control.'

'Yes, that could be a form of slavery, but it's also an insurance policy if any of them try to ever screw me over. No way would I allow myself to be fooled or outplayed by someone I gave a chance to. It would make me feel like an idiot if I got played in such a way. So there was no way that I would allow them to freely roam around my place without them giving their souls over to me to ensure that they didn't try pulling something on me.'

'Paranoia was never something I really ever had, but there were other feelings that differed from paranoia, such as the means to just naturally be concerned about your safety or just yourself in general. Thus, I would ensure my safety by speaking with every single of one of them. If some are to say no to my proposition, then they will be given the choice to leave.'

'Being fair to them was the least I could do, so they would get the option to leave or stay. There is no other way, either they listen or just get the boot. Having security risks inside my home is a no-go, especially with my rise to power being a steady occurrence that didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. Assassination attempts would happen sooner or later, so having someone who wasn't willing to pledge their loyalty was a major flaw in my life's personal safety.'

'But aside from that, I had nothing to worry about for now. Or maybe I did have to worry? There were a few things that I've done that could warrant someone wanting my head on a silver platter, but I don't want to list them. The list isn't long as far as I know, but it's still to long for my liking.'

'Speaking of what I like, time for some coffee! Which was exactly why I was inner monologuing to keep myself distracted from the snail like pace I was going at.' "Good morning, Franky." 'I said, walking past him and to the fridge. The fridge was decently sized, but I wasn't sure if it was packed full of food or not.'

'Opening the fridge, I looked inside, and what do ya know! It was filled to the brim with all sorts of food items. Some of which I've never even laid eyes on before.' "Good morning to you to, boss." 'Why didn't he go home?'

'Grabbing the milk and creamer from the fridge I shut the door with a bump of my waist and turned to him, a question already prepared for him.' "Can I ask why your here? It's a bit early for your services. Don't you, I don't know...have a home to go back to?" 'Hope I didn't come off rude.'

'He looked to me and just sighed, closing his eyes in irritation.' "My bitch of a wife won the house in the divorce, so I'm pretty much stuck homeless. Been living in a crappy apartment for a while. I...I hope you understand why I stayed over for the night." 'Said Franky, looking away with his ears folded back.'

'This was going way different than what I had originally thought. So, it was time to mend the situation.' "Well, if you want, I can give you enough money to get you situated." 'I offered, fixing myself my cup of coffee. Multitasking baby, multitasking!'

'My offer caused him to spit out his coffee, which directly splashed onto my face. Impressive shot, but....it was fucking burning!' "Ah! God damn it! My face! It's fucking burning!" 'Rushing over to the sink I turned on the faucet, splashing water onto my face to get the stuff off.'

'Franky got up and began to apologize profusely for his slip-up.' "I am, SO, SO, sorry boss! You just, eh, surprised me!" 'Yeah, apparently, I surprised you, when I'm the one getting attacked by coffee, one of the few things I love most.'

'It was certainly all good in the hood, mhm. At least he didn't get it on the suit. I'm not sure how far V went to make my suit clean proof, but I'm not willing to test it and find out.' "It's fine, just...make sure to keep your mouth shut more tightly, or I might have to bolt it shut." 'He handed me a few paper towels which I gladly took, didn't want my face being all wet.'

'My warning didn't go unheeded as he nodded his head at a speed that would make most people wince just from the sight alone, almost like a teeter-tot with two dumb kids on either side going faster than they should.' "You got it, boss man! I'll keep a tight seal on this mouth of mine!" 'Don't start being a brown noser Franky...'

'Just nodding was all I could give him for an answer. I needed my coffee, or I was going to blow my top! So, I turned back to the coffee machine and resumed what I was doing. Which was me making my coffee. I like my coffee sweet, not bitter. My sweet tooth craves sustenance!'

'So, with our little morning conversation over with, I continued to make my coffee in peace. No sounds besides the occasional slurping noises from Franky, which case, somewhat annoyed me. I don't know why, but it's just seeing him drink coffee while I was making it somewhat irritated me. Maybe because he didn't consider making a cup for me? That means no brownie point for him!'

'In which case, I had to address that.' "Franky, next time you're up before me, please consider making a cup of coffee for me as well. That's quite the norm for assistants, is it not?" 'I asked, not turning back to face him as I addressed his mistake, which was unforgivable! He didn't even consider my feelings, hmph!'

'In response, he just nodded. Still cleaning up any spilled coffee from his earlier accident, which involved me and a burning cup of delicious acid, which is coffee.' "Aside from that, I have nothing else to ask of you." 'But I wasn't done talking with him just yet!' "So, what's your response to what I offered? Are you fine with me giving you enough money to get yourself settled?" 'Such a question caused his head to snap towards me, a look of realization hitting him like a sack of bricks he forgot!'

'Franky rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of how to respond to what I said.' "I appreciate that you're looking out for me, but don't you think you've done enough for me? You did save my son after all, which is worth a lot to me, more than you probably realize." 'Laying in on a little too thick man. Secondly, I didn't save your son just by helping him only, I helped multiple hospitals, in which case allowed them to treat your son seeing they were now financially stable enough to even do the operation that was needed.'

'Also, him thinking that I had done enough wasn't accurate. I barely did anything for him. Sure, I saved his son, but would I have done it if I met him directly? Of course I would have! With the money I've got, I could save his son a gazillion times over!' "Franky, it's fine. Money is no object when it comes to those who are in need. So, I'll give you a small loan that you can pay back once your settled." 'Snapping my fingers a briefcase plopped onto the table, luckily not smacking anything to the side.'

'I walked over and placed a hand onto the case, unlocking the two latches and flipping it open, then I turned it around and showed it to him.' "This is more than enough to get you a condo in a nice high-rise building. I want you to live the good life while you work for me." 'And once I said that, I slid it over to him, just barely stopping within arm's length from where he was sitting.'

'Looking inside he saw more money than he's ever seen up close in his life. More than he's ever been paid in a single day, or even given at all.' "I-uh, boss! Th-this is too much! I'll be practically stealing from ya!" 'You stubborn mule, take the money and shut up!'

'With his words I sighed, plopping myself down onto a chair next to him.' "Fine, if you think it's too much, then we can make a deal between each other." 'That got his attention, enough to where he seemed willing to say yes to it without even thinking on what I was going to ask him.'

'So, I snapped my fingers for a second time and a contract appeared before us. This time I was prepared and ready for soul binding contracts. It wouldn't be like last time, which was the binding I did...with...Collin..., uh, I forgot to call him! Shit! Going to have to deal with that mess later...' "If you think you can't make up for everything I've done, then sign your soul over to me and become a loyal follower. Once you sign this, there's no going back. I will not undo the contract, nor tear it, burn it, or even negotiate any terms in the future." 'I had to take my sunglasses off to show my dead serious look that I was trying to imprint on him.'

'Offering such a deal made him audibly gulp, almost looked as if he going to sweat any minute now.' "R-really? I...eh...ok. I guess that's more than reasonable." 'This man just can't seem to understand the term 'negotiation', especially if you're literally signing your soul off as payment.'

'Seeing he was already to sign the contract I snapped my diners again, a pen appeared as it floated before his face.' "Then sign your name, and that's it." 'He could read the contract if he wanted to, but I highly doubt he would.'

'Reaching out he took the pen, looking to floating scroll. It was just there, slowly bobbing up and down. Right at the very end of the page he could see the area that needed to be signed. So, with all his resolve he signed the contract. Not wavering once as he wrote every single letter of his name down.'

'Before he could finish I stopped him by grabbing the hand he was writing with.' "You need to put some blood onto the contract." 'There was a simple reason as to why I needed him to do that. It was mainly so that if anyone had the same first name, it would help differentiate who's who. Meaning if Franky signed his name, then another Franky did the same, it would help me find which contract I want more easily. Magic and all that funky stuff.'

'Franky looked to me, almost against it. But then he saw my gaze, a one that wouldn't take no for an answer. So with a resigned sigh he bit one of his fingers and pushed it down onto the paper. Leaving behind an imprint of a bloody fingerprint. Gross, but also very necessary. '

'As soon as the bloody signature dried, the scroll vanished from sight in a puff of smoke. These were already on me, don't know how I never found them before. It would have been less awkward doing the contract sigh Collin back then. Maybe I could do it again, but this time make it more official?'

' I looked to Frank to see how he was handling it. First glance I could already tell that what just happened didn't affect him much. Which means no need for some sort of closure! Thus, making my day a bit easier to deal with and less time to waste! So yay, no need to give him some means of therapy.

'Of course, seeing neither of us were talking I decided just to give him a nod and get back to making my coffee. It's already been long enough, no reason to keep wasting time when it comes to me some coffee. Hopefully I'm not interrupted by anything, or I swear I'm going to blow a gasket. And I'm all out of replacements.'

'Some time passed as we both stayed silent. It was somewhat awkward, like one of those weird mornings most don't want happening. A conversation with him would be a bad idea at this point. Letting bygones be bygones for now was the best solution. Didn't want to accidentally piss off my bodyguard.'

'Minutes ticked by, me waiting for my coffee, and Franky no longer being in the room. He decided to go and wake up all the other residents. Smart decision on his end, he had stuff to do, and so did I. Obviously he had to stay at the mansion with me having to leave. He's the one I trust the most right now, even if I've barely known him for a day.'

'Leaving all my new residents to wander around all willy-nilly was not ok. Which means Franky was on guard duty, instead of bodyguard duty. It's ironic with how he's gone from a bodyguard to a house guard in under a few single minutes. At least he was ok with it, even if he doesn't really have a choice anymore.'

'Glancing back to the coffee machine I smiled. It was done and ready, about damn time.' "Warm, delicious coffee." 'Lowering my mouth, I blew on it a bit. And after a few more blows it was about a lukewarm feeling temperature. So, I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip. My eyes widened slightly at the flavor.'

'Sweetness, no bitterness, absolute perfection at its finest! Yummy wasn't a word that could even describe how good it tastes. So with a happy grin I continued to drink my coffee, walking out of the kitchen while taking occasional sips.'

'Time to start exploring, no stone is to be left unturned!' "Guess it's time to purposely get lost I suppose." 'Yep, I was going to just wander aimlessly and see what there is to see.'

'With a goal set in mind I began to walk through my castle corridors and halls. Each step I took was a step that would happen a billion times over in this castle within the coming days. I wonder if I should even buy another mansion at this point. Well, not a mansion, but a castle in another ring. If there even was one available to buy.'

'I'd allow myself to get situated with this new place before I even think about having a second place to call my own. No reason to waste time searching for a home I won't really need. It'd just be a waste of time and money. Why buy another home if I might never use it?'

'Aside from that, it was all nice and dandy. One giant castle that was now mine, how nice is that? Who would ever want to buy another home if they were to ever have one so large as this castle? That's why I'm hesitant towards buying a new home, seeing I would never need it.'

'So, my point in all of this is to just say how I don't feel like I need another place. Yes, it's a lengthy explanation, but sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get your point across. However, I had already gone the extra mile, so talking more on this subject would be pointless. Somewhat pointless, but not really, seeing I had distracted all of you long enough for me to arrive at a room that had piqued my interest!'

'Hehe, am I good at being distracting or what! My genius knows no bounds! ...e-hem, so...let's just...explore it and stop goofing off.' "What's behind door number one..." 'I hadn't even opened the door yet! I said I had found a room, but I never said I was inside the room. A form of deceit at its finest.'

'In response to my deceitful little act, the reason I had become so engrossed in this room was because of how the door was designed. The wood was something I couldn't name, seeing I was no professional carpenter or plant's expert in general. And yet I could tell that the door was old, like the type of old that look's too beautiful to actually consider it as something so aged. That was the exact reason why it had caught my attention.'

'Inscriptions were written on the door, words I couldn't read and yet they seemed so delicately inscribed into the door. No jagged cuts, bumps, nothing. So, I leaned in closer and ran a hand down the strangely spelled unknown words. Whoever did all of the carving was an expert who cherished their craft.'

'Wish I could meet whoever did it. Pick up a few tips and maybe some tricks when it comes to carpentry!' "At least I can do them the honors of admiring their work..." 'Being respectful to the dead wills always be a common virtue for me, I will never not mourn for one's own death. Even the most wicked deserve a final prayer or goodbye to ensure they live a better life in their next life. I know it sounds silly, seeing if anyone were to die in heaven or hell, they'd die forever. Seeing one's soul must be extinguished for them to truly leave this realm for good.'

'How saddening to think on such a horrible way of dying. It's something that constantly plagues my mind and heart, yet it's the best way in culling the sheep. So, with that dark thought now stuck in my head, I looked to the door and decided to try opening it.' "Let's see what's inside, no harm in doing what the door was intended to be used for." 'Doors were meant to be opened, so let's just see what's waiting inside.'

'Reaching out I grabbed the golden colored handle, turning it and pulling the door open. Which is what I wanted to happen, but the door didn't even budge an inch. Is it locked from the other side?' "Strange, usually for a door to be locked on the other side, one would have to be on the other side to do so." 'Glancing around I tried to find some other means of entrance, but nothing.'

'So, with no other way in, I decided to shadow meld into the room. Yet I couldn't even get past the start of the door. Nothing would work, every attempt I tried failed with just a capital F in failure. It was as if something was pushing back, not wanting me to go inside. Seeing I couldn't go in through the walls, I decided to go in through underneath by going into my shadow realm. Which also turned out to be a bust. I couldn't' see inside the room! Every time I tried moving into the room it wouldn't work. As if it was made to deny entry in that form of getting in.'

'Even with trying to see if the there was a room connected to it was a failure. No matter where I tried, it was always a failed attempt. Darkness was all I could see each and every time I looked at the room from my own personal realm. As if a veil was placed over it to prevent prying eyes from seeing what was inside.'

'Irritated with being denied entry I decided to try using the handle again, warping out of my realm and walking up to the door and grabbing the handle. But still no response to budging. Not even the slightest movement as I pulled and pulled. So it was going to be that way, huh? A door isn't going to stop me from getting what I want! Which is me, getting inside that room!'

'Gritting my teeth I set my coffee down, reaching my hands out and placing both of them onto the handle, then I began bracing both feet against the wall as I pulled with all I could. Straining my arms to their limit so much that I began to seethe; this was just so fucking ridiculous! I know there's armored doors and stuff, but it was just a damn wooden door! How secure did the previous owners of this castle make it?!'

'Tugging and pulling was all I could do, yet no end results besides wasted effort. Irritated with the fact I was denied entry at every trick I used and concocted, I decided to just let go of the door handle and look around for something that would indicate some sort of hidden keyhole. There's no way this door opens from the inside, which means there must be something on the outside that I'm just not seeing!'

'I began to check every single aspect about the door, from its coloring to it shape. Even the words were going to be looked at thoroughly. Nothing was going to escape my eyes, nothing!' "There has to be something, anything." 'Hate to admit it, but I was at a roadblock with about a zero percent chance of success when it came to passing it.'

'Not one to give up I continued to investigate the door. If anyone were to see me now, they'd surely think I was some sort of weirdo. In which case I am a very big weirdo, sue me!' "This is just stupid, it's a door, why don't I just...mmm, no. That wouldn't be respectful to whoever made this door." 'Wanna know what I wanted to do? Kick down the door with all the force I could muster. Just thinking about the option makes me want to try, but I don't know what would break first. My shoulder, a foot, my entire leg?'

'Continuing to look at the door was becoming bothersome. I had already double checked it, even triple checked it! How was a singular door ruining my mood this badly? How truly and utterly embarrassing to be bested at every corner by a door!' 

'Narrowing my eyes I leaned in to look at the door, pretty much pressing my face against it. It was time for something new!' "Open up, it's the pizza guy!" '...no response, figured as much...'

'What if it needs blood like one of those weird altars that requires blood to function?' "Fine, let's give it some blood." 'Taking off a glove I bit my finger, swinging my hand towards the door as blood splashed onto it.'

'Stepping back I waited, watching and waiting for something to happen. A few seconds, a few minutes, I'd wait however long it takes. And the waiting game was boring, I was almost out of coffee. But finally, something began to happen.'

'The blood on the door was slowly being absorbed into the wood. One would think that the blood was just drying, but no, it was definitely being pulled into the door. Watching was all I could do, not understanding how any of this worked. Was it supposed to even work this way? Is my blood going to work at all? What if the door was somehow programmed to only accept the blood of the previous owner? How would I get in then?'

'So, with no other options to work with, I approached the door again. Reaching out and grasping the handle, twisting and pulling. ...No resistance to it at all, it just opened for me as if it now understood who I was.' "Took long enough, almost as if you were waiting for me to do that." 'Why was I even talking to a door?'

'Pulling the door open all the way I tried to peer inside, but nothing besides darkness. Guess I'm going to need some form of light. Oh wait! I'm a walking source of light! No reason to get in a tizzy when I'm the light to guide the way, heheh!'

'Knowing I had to turn up the brightness of my hair was easy to do, seeing it was part of my body. It only took a second for my hair to turn a few degrees hotter and a bit brighter.' "Now let's go see what's waiting inside..." 'Reaching into my pocket I took out my glove, putting it back on as I stepped inside, disappearing into the darkness within.'

.

.

.

'Seconds passed, silence, nothing. The door continued to stay open, but, not forever. Slowly it began to close, creaking as it silently moved until it was tightly shut. Wood began to fall, eroding away, the walls folding and mending. And where once stood a door, was now just a normal ordinary wall. As if there was nothing ever there from the start...'

==================================================================

HEHEHE-HA! A new chapter for you wonderful people! Enjoy this chapter, because it might be the last thing you ever see! MUAHAHAHA! *cough* Anyways, how's your day been?

(Support me on patreon ya silly billies! patreon.com/optimistic_playerandwriter