trial part 2: the emperor awakening
"talking"
[System]
*actions*
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akashi woke up in a dark space without any light.
the sky and the ground were completely black without any colors, the only colored thing in this place was akashi himself.
"where am I?" this is the first thought of akashi after waking in this place.
observing this place for a while akashi stood up and took a step forward checking if there was a ground or not.
"This place is weird" akashi said after his foot didn't make any sound when stepping on the ground.
"How did I get here in the first place?" akashi said while looking at the dark sky and taking few steps forward.
akashi stared at his front only to see darkness without boundaries.
"Maybe I should move...staying here won't change anything" akashi said as he started to move forwards without any goal.
the more akashi walked the more he feels this place weirdness and familiarity.
akashi didn't feel tired from walking for a while as he didn't have any way to know the time in this place.
"What is this feeling?" akashi said while frowning from this place.
akashi somehow was able to feel loneliness and sadness from this place and more importantly anger and hatred.
all the feelings were focusing on the surrounding like they were directed into something invisible around them.
akashi clutched his heart from the moment he felt these feelings like he knew about them and at the same time he didn't.
carrying these complex feelings akashi kept moving forward for a long time without finding anything in this place.
"how long do I have to walk here" akashi started to complain while moving as he didn't feel tired but walking without a goal is meaningless for him.
finally after walking for some time a different color in this dark space appeared.
gray...gray stairs appeared in the middle of nowhere extending to the sky.
"Okay, this place is getting weirder just where am I" akashi stared at the stairs wondering what this place.
"well, I guess it better than walking in the darkness without a goal" akashi said before starting to climb up the stairs.
akashi started to climb the stairs only to notice the stairs under him started to disappear with every step he takes.
<...no going back> akashi thought before moving again.
climbing these stairs for a while akashi started to feel the emotion on this place started to increase giving him a feeling that his answer should be up there.
after a while akashi spotted a thing from afar, moving closer it was a giant door in the last step of the stairs.
the door was very big for a normal human it was separated with two sides and have different panting on each side.
the left side had a picture of a king or a ruler watching over his kingdom like he knows every movement in his sight and nothing was hidden from him.
the right side was more complicated with a picture of a universe rotating crossed with red lines, but the lines were breaking apart when arriving at a cube-shaped thing.
akashi stared at the door without blinking and unable to move his eyes from it.
subconsciously akashi moved closer to the door and touched it.
the door started to shine as akashi touched it blinding him completely because of the light.
"my eyes!! " akashi held his eyes that hurt from the bright light before slowly opening them.
"Where am I now" akashi said with his eyes wide open staring at the room he is now.
The room was normal, Its walls are clean and white. There is no decoration except the flower pot in the room. The room floor was simply grey. At the far end are window in brown metal frames with a white curtain moving slightly with the wind basically a hospital room.
akashi recognized this place as he moved his sight to the only bed in the room.
a beautiful woman with red hair was holding a baby smiling happily with a man sitting next to her.
the man had a calm face with brown hair and eyes, everything about him showing the picture of a man in control, but he also had a small smile on his face.
the woman kept playing with the baby and the man was watching. akashi finally understood what this place is, it's the place where everything started.
"These are my memories" akashi moved forward only to find he can't touch anything here, so he just looked at his so-called parents.
"...it almost time" with akashi words the door opened showing a doctor and some nurses.
"mister seijuro your son is completely healthy but..." the doctor greeted akashi father before showing him a file in his hand.
the man watched the report as a surprise flashed in his eyes before his face became completely emotionless.
"...I see" the man looked at his wife and showed her the file.
the woman eyes gone wide open before looking at the baby in sadness, but that just for a moment as her expression became like her husband.
the doctor gave the man some papers as he signed them before calling the nurse to take the baby as his parents didn't bother to look at him another time.
akashi stared at the baby leaving with nurse without any expressions. this scene kept repeating in akashi mind for almost 4 years of his life so he didn't care about it anymore.
this day was his first day in this world and the day when he learned that life isn't equal and some people fate decided the moment they are born.
light flashed again with the scene changes to a small boy crying as an old man was comforting him.
"why...why grandpa they always pick on me... I didn't do anything to them" boy was crying while the old man caressed his hair gently.
"...*sigh*... akashi listens to me life isn't fair all people start with a different condition" the old man said.
"People will always look down on the weak as they can't look up and reach the strong, so they will only comfort themselves by saying someone is weaker or less talented than themselves." the old man raised the boy face and let him look at his eyes.
"akashi...do you know why I gave you that name because I saw it, the possibility in you.
akashi means the red commander it perfect name for a smart man with red eyes like you so never give up akashi and always believe in yourself and I will be always here to cheer you up, so stand up and show the world what you can do" the old man said with a smile while wiping the boy tears as the boy broke to crying again while hugging the old man.
akashi started at this scene with his entire body shaking, it was that moment akashi had a reason to fight a reason to be the best not just for showing this world, but just because someone believed in him. those words were bright, so bright they even ignited the flames of resistance in his heart.
the scene flashed again to a hospital room again with children's surrounding an old man in the bed and a doctor watching them.
"We did all that we could... his disease can't be cured normally" the doctor didn't complete his words as people in the room understood they can't afford a player to cure the old man.
"thank you...*cough*... I know my condition. children can I speak to akashi for a moment" the old man said as the children started to get noisy only to be dragged by the doctor and the nurses outside.
akashi moved closer to the old man as he held his hand.
"akashi...I know that this life never was easy for you...*cough*...you know I had a granddaughter with the same adaptation as you but... she commit suicide from the pressure" the old man said holding akashi hand.
"... maybe saw in you my granddaughter and felt guilty, but...*cough*... I was wrong... you are strong boy akashi no matter how life tries to break you down, you always stood up again...honestly, I feel proud of knowing someone like you" old man smiled as tears dropped from his eyes.
"I am sorry I couldn't stay with you, but please promise me...*cough*...promise me you will never give up on yourself...*cough*...please promise me" the old man said as his voice getting weaker and weaker.
"I...promise" the boy said with tears slipping from his eyes
the old man smiled his last smile at the boy before closing his eyes and dropping his hand down.
"grandpa...GRANDPA!!! NO PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!!!" the boy started crying as the doctor and nurses entered the room checking on the old man while nurses pulled the crying boy away as he screams.
akashi looked at this with tears slipping from his eyes. the only person that actually believed in him left, leaving a hole in his heart.
at that moment akashi felt something broken inside of him maybe it was his heart or maybe his entire self, he didn't know, but from that day akashi didn't shed one tear until now.
he put a mask on himself burying all his sadness in his heart and vowed to himself he will never be weak again but inside he always knew that he was already broken.
the picture started to change again showing all the bullying and rejection akashi experience in this life, and his determination and will to fight through it.
the orphanage where everyone was pushing him away because of his adaptation.
the school where he been rejected by everyone else even hitting him for getting the first place saying he doesn't deserve.
all those scenes flashed but akashi didn't care about them, he only wiped his tears before his eyes turn serious.
"come out... there no use in hiding anymore" akashi said to the surrounding as they started to break turning back to the dark space.
the space was the same with the giant door but there was another person facing akashi.
"The last part was really cruel from you...I" akashi(true) stared at the person that looked exactly the same as himself except the colors of the eyes.
"Is this your attempt for taking this body?" akashi(true) said.
"well...you can't blame me for trying" akashi(false) said waving his hand.
"so you did all of this even if you know you will fail" akashi(true) raised his eyebrow.
"of course, we are the same person... I know we will never give up, but I just wanted to make sure we are on the same page" akashi(false) said shrugging his shoulders.
"...I don't remember having a split personality... so are you a part of our talent?" akashi(true) said.
"yes, because of your talent me...your hate and anger everything you pushed away manifested like this" akashi(false) said as there no point in hiding it from his self.
"you don't have to worry after you wake up, you will awaken your second talent and I will disappear" akashi(false) said without caring about his fate.
"you know I... even if I was sure I can complete this mission...but that is not enough" akashi(true) said as akashi(false) nodded.
"if course it's not enough... the game will continue to get harder after the trial and with other players around even with our talent, I don't think we will make it" akashi(false) said.
"if this talent is not enough...what about two of them combined" akashi(true) said as akashi(false) open his eyes wide.
"you can't be serious" akashi(false) said in disbelieve.
"you know well I, I was always broken from the moment I saw the old man died, I pushed my feelings away creating a mask for myself and tricked my self with everything is okay phrase" akashi(false) stared at this scene with his eyes wide open.
"I...no matter how I tried this world keep rejecting me and dropping me down every time...so I will do what old man told me and believe in myself" akashi(true) said.
"The first step if someone knowing his goodness is to know his evil and embrace it. I can't keep running from myself" akashi(true) smiled.
"so, if one of me isn't enough... let's be one again I" akashi(true) extended his hand towards his other-self.
akashi(false) looked down for a while before laughing aloud.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!...I can't believe it are you crazy...HAHAHAHAHA!!... aren't you afraid I will betray you and take your body?" akashi(false) said.
"our...it our body we always were the same person so I can be sure we will never betray each other" akashi(true) said smiling.
"...*sigh*...I guess it better than disappearing" akashi(false) stared seriously at other him before taking his hand.
when both akashi hands combined the door behind them started to open slowly but both of them didn't notice.
" against the possible..." akashi(false) said to get a blank stare from akashi(true).
" ....you are really doing this" akashi(true) said.
" you are me and I know you want to do it" akashi(false) smiled.
"...*sigh*... fine...and the impossible" akashi(true) said.
"to this life that hates us" akashi(false).
"to this fate that chains us" akashi(true).
"to those who want to bring us down" akashi(false).
"to this world that wants to break us down" akashi(true).
"we will crush them" both akashi said at the same time as the door opened more showing bright light.
" and more importantly we will never..." both akashi said as the door opened completely drowning the whole space in light.
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akashi in the cell stood up slowly from the ground.
"lose again" akashi said before leaning his back against the wall.
[ the candidate skill natural reflexes are upgrading...error...skill is changing... congratulations for the candidate to get the skill ZONE].
"...looks like I was more than just a commander grandpa" akashi said raising his head with his eyes closed.
[the candidate skill observer is being erased]
[congratulations for the candidate to awaken his talent observati-..error..error..mutations..of the talent...processing the talent.... congratulations for the candidate to awaken his talent... EMPEROR EYE] akashi opened his eyes.
the red color in his left eye turned orange and glowing rings surrounding his pupils as the pupils turned vertical like snake eyes with lightning coming from both of his eyes and moving to the side.
"now...shall we start our game" akashi said with a grin before leaving the cell in silent waiting for the right moment.
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