Mindscape

For a while, there was nothing.

No sensations.

No thoughts.

No emotions.

Noah just was, but that changed in the next second, or hour - he didn't know, time was meanless in that state. His stomach went cold, almost like in a roller-coaster drop, and a force pulled him down. Despite not feeling air running against his skin, he knew he was being pulled down... where? That remained a mystery for him.

'Where am I?' He asked himself as his diving stopped, and his conscious dripped into a dark landscape. Small motes of light traveled across the horizon, going about their own business. Noah didn't see anything other than those little wisps, so he chose to start walking in search for an exit. Hours passed like that, but no matter what he did, there were no signs of an end. Slowly, despair started to set in as he started to wonder if he was in the afterlife.

'No, this isn't it.' He reassured himself before resuming his wandering.

More hours passed, and the scenery still remained the same. Even more doubts made their way to his thoughts.

'Am I dead? Is this really it?

When I finally have a second try at life, this is what I get?

Is this what I get for trying to... do what?! Save people?!

Since when did I become like this? Throwing my life away to save others?

This isn't me.'

The terrain he stepped on, defying all logic, became even darker than it already was, and the dots were farther away from Noah.

'September 3th.

Day at which the Hogwarts student, Noah, died.'

A distant otherworldly voice crept into Noah's mind as he traveled deeper into the dark.

'I don't believe it. There must be another explanation.' He replied.

"I can't believe it, how did this happen?" New words came from far away.

"Poor boy. I've only seen a case like this in Belgium." Someone muttered.

"And?" The others asked with hopeful tones.

"Dead in less than a week, without exceptions. No one survives after breaking their own core." It said. "No one." It repeated.

'I don't believe it!' Despite all facts put over the table, Noah adamantly refused to believe them. Not even he knew why such a thing. After all, it was only logical to assume he would die under such circumstances.

'Don't believe those lies.' Another voice said, but instead of coming from far away, this one sounded from deep inside him - almost like Noah was talking to himself. Now completely in the dark, the only light available glowed from inside Noah.

In less than a heartbeat, the light separated itself from Noah's body, staying face to face with him.

"There isn't time to explain." It said, the words carrying themselves all over the place.

"What are you?!" Noah asked in defense.

"A part of you - a part of Noah."

'Is he the kid, before I came to this world?' That was the only explanation Noah could come with.

"That doesn't matter now though. A bad person wants to take hold of our body. I've tried fighting it for a while, but she is too strong, and she finally dragged you in here..."

"Here?" Noah asked.

"How can I explain it? She pulled you inside your own mind - mindscape actually." It said. "See those little lights? Those are other people."

'Another part of me...' Noah thought as another drip went on the distance.

"She is here. We gotta go back from where we came." It muttered, and the two of them started running. Steps were heard from the distance, growing louder by each second.

'So that's how Lily's friend was controlled'! He shouted inside his head as all the puzzle pieces arranged themselves into place.

'But how did I survive after breaking my own magic core? I am pretty sure those voices were real.' Their pursuer was already at their necks when they found a white door, which was likely the exit. Noah opened the door and looked behind. His other part ran towards the door as darkness engulfed his body.

Noah muttered something before stepping through the door and closing it, leaving his counterpart to destruction.

'I gave you a chance.' He repeated Noah's words as his conscious went blank, vanishing into the void.

After allowing the old Noah to continue existing at the Ollivander's shop, something inside Noah changed, something he never had before became one of his traits - selflessness.

'And it almost got me killed.' Noah thought as he came back to his body's senses. There was no remorse or guilt on leaving the old Noah behind, for he would die sooner or later if they continued to sacrifice themselves for others. At the very least, being pulled into his mindscape was quite enlightening.

'I probably have only one week left though.' He remarked coldly as he assessed his new condition, chuckling darkly at his own stupidity. There were no responses from the rest of his body, not even to close or open his eyes. The only thing he still had control over was his mana, ready for any commands.

'Dead under a week...' He repeated the voice's words as he stared at the ceiling with dead fish eyes.