Class Quest: Part 2

In the deep sea of nothingness, Adam wandered the void plane, in search of a way out of the endless torture.

He did not feel any hunger for food or thirst for water.

His body did not feel exhausted, even after hours of walking.

He did not know how much time passed since he started 'walking', could have been months, years, or even eons, but it sure didn't feel like a short time.

He tried everything he could think of.

He tried asking the system for answers, but there was no reply.

He tried calling out his record, but nothing appeared.

His inventory was inaccessible and his [Mana vision] skill showed nothing.

He was eventually exhausted and tried killing himself, but aside from feeling nothing, his body only regenerated to its former shape.

Whatever he did, there was no sound or feeling.

He tried screaming, but the only thing he heard was silence.

The only thing he could see was the body that he couldn't feel.

The only thing he could feel was the thirst for stimuli. The need to hear a voice, the need to touch anything, and the need to see something other than complete darkness.

'Why am I trapped here? Why did you bring me here?! ' The young man questioned with extreme anger apparent on his face.

'I want to hear something... ' He wished.

'I want to see something... '

'I want to feel something... '

'Please! Anything! ' He begged.

Before he plopped down.

'Hahaha! Hahaha! ' Adam laughed like a maniac. 'I'm going to rot here! Are you happy now?! Are you amused?! ' He looked up and asked, not sure if someone was even watching him anymore.

'I accepted all your ridiculous commands! I risked my life! ' His expression turned into a twisted maniacal smile. 'What you gave me does not even compare to the price I paid here! '

'Strength?! You think you're allowed to do this because you gave me strength?! ' Adam asked. 'I call this bullsh*t! You better pray I don't get out of here because I'll make sure I kill you when I do! ' He declared while standing back up.

'I will make you pay for this! ' His eyes shimmered with cold, killing intent. 'I'll kill whoever stands in my way! You can hide now, but I promise you this! ' Adam's smile turned to a deep frown.

'I promise I'll find you and show you a miserable death! ' He could not say it out loud, but the promise reverberated through his mind as if to tell Adam not to let go of this feeling.

*Whimper! *

Suddenly, a voice echoed in the distance and stole Adam's attention.

*Sob. *

'Who is this?! ' Adam turned in the voice's direction. 'Can you hear me?! '

*Sob. *

The voice continued sobbing and whimpering regretfully. It sounded like a small child crying.

*Sniffle. *

*Sob. *

'I'm here! Can you see me?! ' Adam grew desperate and started running around, trying to find the source of the sound. 'I'm here! I'm here! ' To him, the voice was like an oasis in the middle of a scorched desert.

*Sob. *

*Sob. *

*Whimper. *

"Mom?! Dad?! Janett?! Where are you?! I'm sorry! Please come back! " The childish voice wailed.

*Du-dum *

And Adam's forgotten heart thumped loudly when he heard the words it uttered. The things it said made him remember a long-forgotten memory.

'W-who are you?! ' Adam started slowing down and asked.

*Sob. *

*Sob. *

"Take me with you! I don't want to be alone! " The voice, however, kept wailing.

*DU-DUM! *

'No, stop! ' Adam's heart thumped louder.

He could remember a distant memory where he sat on the floor of a burnt house, crying and wailing, alone.

*Sob. *

"I'm sorry I wasn't there! I'm sorry I let the criminal go! " The voice apologized.

*DU-DUM! *

'No! Stop it! I don't want to hear it anymore! ' Adam started running again, but this time, he wanted to stop the voice.

He tried to reject the memories resurfacing in his mind.

*Sob. *

"I let them die! I could have helped them, but I didn't! " The voice did not stop. "I'm alone now! "

*DU-DUM! *

'Shut up! You're wrong! ' Adam's hands stretched forward as if to grab on to something before he tripped on his own feet and fell headfirst into the darkness.

*SPLASH! *

It was like diving into a deep ocean of darkness.

*DU-DUM! *

Adam's heart kept beating as he sank deeper into the darkness.

*FLASH! *

Before a dazzling beam of light invaded the space, blinding Adam.

_____________

Adam slowly opened his eyes to a familiar scene; a scene that he never thought he would get to see again.

*DU-DUM! *

A small, cozy two-story house in a peaceful-looking neighborhood in Queens. It had a small porch out front with a lovely set of flowers, bathing in the morning sun.

*DU-DUM! *

'Home... ' Adam thought with eyes full of tears, threatening to burst out at any moment. He could feel the emotions of anger and anguish being replaced with nostalgia and warmth while taking small steps towards the entrance with a heavy heart.

'Huh?! ' But to his surprise, Adam could not grab the knob. His hand just passed through it and he couldn't touch it. 'What the hell is going on?! ' Adam looked at his body, and his shock only increased when he saw through it.

'Is this another part of the class quest?! ' He questioned. 'Well, there's only one way to find out... ' Adam looked at the door before walking through it.

Inside, a lovely family of four was eating a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs.

'Mom. Dad. Janett... ' Adam stood there and looked at the family from a distance while various emotions of sadness and regret gripped his heart.

Adam knew this was an illusion, but he couldn't hold back his feelings at the sight of his long-lost family in front of his eyes.

"I don't want to go to school today~ " The beautiful young lady sitting at one end of the table with gentle green eyes and silky brown hair, complained to her parents. It's Janett, Adam's younger sister.

"How many times do we have to go through this, Janett? Even if you have abilities, you need to go to school and get a proper education. " The mesmerizing woman sitting across from Janett scolded her in a kind yet firm manner. She is Adam's mother, Diana. She had beautiful, flowing black hair and a captivating set of brown eyes.

"But I don't want to! " Janett did not back down.

"Listen to your mother, sweetie. We don't want to upset the baby, remember? " A deep voice came from the handsome man sitting at the head of the table. He is Adam's father, Raymond King, a handsome man with short brown hair and green eyes.

'Baby?! Mom was pregnant?! ' Adam's expression turned confused at his father's words.

"I'll just go till my little sister is born, but no more. " Janett said while crossing her hands.

"Okay, sweetie. " Raymond patted her head with a smile.

"I'm going to school now! " The young boy sitting across from Raymond announced before picking up his bag. It's the young Adam from before the incident, a brilliant boy with lively eyes.

"Make sure you come back home before 3, honey. The maintenance people are coming to check on the gas pipes and I want you here to help them out. " Diana spoke before her son stepped out of the house.

'Maintenance on gas pipes? ' Adam questioned his memory. He couldn't remember his mother mentioning maintenance on gas pipes before.

"But I have basketball practice, mom! " The young Adam complained, "can't they do it alone?! " He argued.

"No, you have to be here, Adam. " Diane shot down her son's complaints.

"It's okay, honey. Let the kid have his fun. I'll come by at lunch break to help. " Raymond cut in between the two and spoke. "Make sure you come back before dinner, though, okay? "

"Yes, dad! Thank you! " The young boy said while running towards the door, but suddenly, he stopped and looked into Adam's eyes and said, "do you remember? "

'What the hell is going on here...? ' Adam stepped back at the sudden question, 'who are you? '

"I'm you... " The young boy replied.

[Next stage]

Before Adam could question the shocking event, a system notification appeared before him.

*FLASH! *

Followed by yet another blinding light...