Chapter 20- Back to the other world

Inside Arisa's prepared room, a large capsule-like bed was placed on both two sides of the room, far apart and opposite from each other.

"This place is too plain… you think you two can sleep comfortably here?" Reine said, feeling a little upset as she judges the room with crossed arms and a blank expression.

"It's better than what you suggested, at the very least," Arisa said blatantly, opening the capsule bed.

"It looks too similar to those cryogenic sleep pods you see in sci-fi movies… it makes me feel excited yet somewhat anxious…" Riyoko said.

"Don't worry, this cover is just a design," Arisa began opening and closing the door repeatedly as proof, "it's nothing but a cover to keep you in an enclosed space, there's no device or mechanism on it that could potentially lock you in or make you sleep forever,"

"Thanks for the quite specific reassurance…" He said with relief and somewhat mixed feelings.

"I wonder if we saw the same movie?" he thought, "that movie was adapted from one of the games I played though,"

"Also," Arisa added, "there's an air conditioner inside, I put some substances in it that will help us fall asleep,"

"Eh…?"

"Once again, don't worry. It's nothing illegal or dangerous to your health, it's just one of those scented substances that actually help you fall asleep," she raised her hand and put a thumbs up, "it's been tested by doctors and scientists and it was approved by this organization's main division, so I can guarantee you it's 100% safe,"

"I feel like I'm listening to one of those shady late-night advertising programs…" Riyoko thought as he nodded.

"Aside from that… I don't think there's anything else, is there?" Arisa said, looking at Reine.

"Nope, you two are free to go to another world now,"

Arisa then hopped inside her capsule bed and sat as she held the cover, "Riyoko, you should go to your bed also,"

"Eh? We're going just like that? We don't need to change our clothes into some sort of… something?"

"You either watched or played too many sci-fi stories, cousin…"

"There isn't really a need to change clothes, though you should wear something comfortable to avoid any kind of discomfort that could somehow affect our body while we're asleep, that's why I asked you to wear something comfortable, didn't I?"

"Now that you mention it," Riyoko said, observing his comfy attire, "then I guess I'll get going as well,"

As he turned around to go to his bed, Reine stopped him for a moment.

"Wait a minute, cousin! Good thing I remembered…" Reine said as she took out something from her pocket and threw it at Riyoko, "there! Take it and wear it on your neck while you sleep,"

Taking a good look at the item, Riyoko found it to be a familiar necklace as he sees a bright red crystal attracting his eyes at the end of it.

"huh?" as she was about to lie down, Arisa lifted herself up in curiosity, "I thought Riyoko didn't need that to travel?"

"So he told you, huh?" Reine said, "he doesn't but it could be somewhat unstable, so I gave it to him as a means of… just something like a stabilizer, to be honest,"

"I see," Arisa nodded with a slightly curious expression as if there was something else to ask.

"Umm, what do you mean by unstable?" Riyoko asked in concern.

"It's nothing that concerning, the most probable problem would just be the passage of time you travel through within the other worlds,"

"eh? Umm…" Riyoko felt confused yet hesitated to bother by asking further.

Observing his reaction Arisa let out a sigh, "if you need further explanation just say it, cousin…"

She once again sighed, "look, normally when you travel properly, somehow you arrive at the other world about one hour earlier than this one, it can change depending on the world you're traveling to, but it's mostly the case in every world, those are just parallel universes after all,"

"I see…" he said as if he realized something, "and if I don't have control over how I travel, it could affect the time of when I wake up to the other world, right?"

"as expected of my cousin! You catch on fast!" she said proudly, "though, in addition to that, it could also affect the time you'll be back in this world, so it's quite bad especially if you have school… or plans, which you normally don't have, so I guess that's nothing to worry about,"

"Was the second part really necessary…? He replied, feeling attacked.

"Now, now, both of you should go! It's getting late and I have tons of things planned for the two of you back there,"

"All right…" Riyoko said, hopping into his capsule bed.

"What about you, Reine?" Riyoko asked as he lay down.

"I'll be there in flash. As I said, I need to take care of some business here… I also don't need to sleep here to go back there, if you're going to ask,"

Reine then turned around and closed the lights as she opened the door, leaving only the tiny luminous lights on the bed and the light from outside the door as light sources.

"Well then… see you two there!" she smiled brightly as she left the room and closed the door.

"T… then off we go," Riyoko said, glancing back to back at Arisa, not being able to maintain eye contact due to embarrassment.

Arisa nodded, "yeah, see you on the other side,"

"Please don't say it like that…" Riyoko said with concern, "it feels like we're going to die or something,"

"Ah, sorry! I didn't think about that," Arisa sincerely apologized, "anyway, you can just close the hatch with your hands, and the button to turn on the ac should be just next to your pillow with the scented air freshener button should be next to it,"

"I see, noted," he said, locking eyes with Arisa as they made complete eye contact.

"See ya…"

Arisa let out a gentle smile. being lightly illuminated by the luminous lights, as if it emphasized her face's appeal, striking Riyoko as Arisa then went to bed and closed her hatch.

Feeling his heartbeat racing, he held his chest and took deep breaths.

"What the heck was that…? I just got directly smiled at by a girl I barely know and this!? Don't be so pathetic you stupid virgin!" Riyoko thought, somehow hurting himself with his thoughts.

"I should hurry up and sleep…" Realizing the weight and pain of his own thoughts, he felt hurt and decided to lie down and prepare to sleep.

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Feeling as if he was falling, he gently opened his eyes.

He looked around him with a heavy feeling as if he was still half asleep.

"What's going on… is this a dream…? Seems oddly familiar…"

The area around him looked like a dark tunnel of water as if it was pushing him upstream, yet he seemed to be in place or slowly sinking as his body weight continues to feel heavier.

"So… heavy…" he said, failing to move even a tiny bit as if his whole body was being pushed down.

As he slowly began grasping his full consciousness, cracks of vivid light began to appear on the sides of the dark tunnel. Slowly being more and more conscious, he noticed a small light in front of him. It was a strong and bright light paved by darkness as if it was located further above the long tunnel.

"Huh…?"

Looking directly at the light, it shined further, reaching deeper parts of the dark tunnel. As the light passes through him, he felt a sense of warmth and comfort, making him feel somewhat lighter.

"Find… it"

A voice of a woman emerged out of nowhere as if it was spoken directly into his ear in a distorted manner.

"huh…?"

"Fi…a@#5… find….*#@... it…."

The unknown voice suddenly became more distorted, making Riyoko further confused as his instincts drove him to be further curious.

"Find what…? What are you saying…?

"$%@#... y...@#$... want....$#w...i@#sh&"

"I… can't understand…" Riyoko thought, feeling a sense of heavy feeling within his chest.

He raised his right hand in an attempt to grab the light that was at a far and unknown distance, as he held his chest with his left hand, feeling a sense of aching.

"Keep…#$5… Going…"

Swoosh*

Suddenly, Riyoko opened his eyes in shock as he pushed his hand forward, removing the blanket placed on him.

"H… huh?"

Seeing a vaguely familiar ceiling, he blinked thrice then slowly got up from bed and looked around.

"This place…"

He then walked over to a full-body mirror on the side of the room as if it was natural.

"This brown hair and golden eyes… this is me… in another world…"