Dark Maze

A hologram screen disappeared as Souhait leaned back against his chair and released a deep sigh. As he was looking through Ras's memories, he had also been observing what had transpired in reality on a separate screen. He wanted to see the faces of the enemy so he could relay them onto Nova when he awakened. He also hoped that there wouldn't be any casualties; he couldn't bear to see the faces of people he once saw alive in the Contract Room as a passing soul. Fortunately, no one died.

Letting out another deep sigh, he leaned forward and held his forehead with his hands. Focusing on both Ras's memories and reality had stressed him out mentally. He needed to relax before resuming his duties. He started thinking about the things that made him happy: Polaris, Nova and Arcturus. He thought about the peaceful times he spent with them and how their smiles urged him to keep moving forward. The tension in his body slowly alleviated, making himself feel light and airy.

He slammed his hands onto the table and helped himself up. He was prepared to go into Ras's memories and help him find his wish. He turned around to be face to face with a gray door. This was Ras's door to his Realm of Desires. It could take the form of anything. As he mentally prepared himself, he just hoped that he would stay composed when it came to this man. His wrist twisted, letting his hand turn the knob as he used his arm strength to pull it back and let himself enter as he closed the door once he stepped foot inside.

He was in a dark area with very dim lighting. An ordinary human would struggle to get by in this darkness, but Souhait was anything but ordinary. He reached a hand out and summoned a familiar violet fireball. It circled around him as if it was a joyful sentient being and then floated in front of him, illuminating the path in front of him.

He started walking. The area around him left like a maze of sorts–it had reminded him of the labyrinth that he made Castle Lavender out to be. It was much different from Arcturus's apple tree meadow, Kori and Sayaka's snow-covered forest and Nova's field of aster flowers. He wondered where Ras could be hiding in this maze.

The fireball started reacting as if it saw something and then it started moving faster, causing Souahit to move faster. Running was a little hard for him due to the weight of his long hair, but he did his best to keep up. He saw a dim light and as he got closer, it revealed to be Ras who was carrying a lantern.

"I found you, Ras."

"What took you so long?"

"It was hard to find you in this maze." There was no way he would tell Ras that he had been preoccupied with reality.

"I see." He stared at the darkness in front of him. "Why are we in a maze, by the way?" He turned to Souhait. "Care to explain?"

"Well, this is a place called the Realm of Desires. It is a place that determines what your heart and soul truly desires. Since yours is like this, I believe that you yourself think that you are trapped in an endless, dark maze."

"That is true…"

The Realm of Desires did not allow people to lie, so Souhait knew he was telling the truth. Normally, people would deny such claims, but Ras did not. It amazed Souhait, honestly. He then reached a hand out to show Ras five medicinal white tablets.

"The Realm of Desires also allows you to look into fragments of your memories to see what sort of wish you have in your heart. I have gathered five instances of your life where a wish could be formed from. In order to leave here, both of us need to look through your memories, so you cannot say no to me."

Ras stared at the tablets and then at Souhait. "I already have a wish."

"You say that, but I sense uncertainty within you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I can sense your emotions. It is one of my abilities–to feel people's emotions. When I look into someone's eyes, their emotions surge within me. If someone is sad, I feel sad. If someone feels happy, I feel happy. Their emotions bounce off onto me."

Souhait saw Ras's eyebrow furrow at his statement. He asked, "Isn't that normal for human standards? What makes you so special?"

"Well, it is. However, the emotions come with a certain type of feeling too. For me, not only does sadness make me feel sad, it also makes me feel distraught, as if someone is squeezing my heart, forcing me to become as sad as they are. Happiness feels like a floating sensation, as if I am flying with them. It is a lot more complex than you would expect, since you are not me."

"How does uncertainty feel, then?"

"Your uncertainty feels like being dirty despite taking a shower and cleansing yourself. No matter how much you try to clean yourself, there is a feeling that will not go away."

Ras just stared at him; Souhait could tell he was taking his words in, soaking them up like a sponge absorbing water. He pursed his lips before speaking up.

"Let's see my first memory, then."

Souhait smiled as he reached his hand back, took a tablet to his mouth and broke it with his teeth. The dark maze slowly changed its shape. Ras was surprised by the sight while Souhait remained composed. He glanced over at his temporary companion, taking in his expressions with silent glee.