Sleepyhead

It was all swirling round and round at a speed that I had no hope of even attempting to keep up with. 

My consciousness, which by now was drowning in a sea of murky water, felt as though it was slipping out of my mind. 

I had no body or form, I could experience the things around and the place I was in through some sixth sense that I never knew I had.

What had happened? And why had it taken me so suddenly? 

Perhaps if my mind wasn't so sluggish I'd have a half decent answer, but as things stand I can't come up with much of anything. 

No—that's not entirely true. I've figured out at least one thing.

It's my earlier assumption—the one about my consciousness drowning. That's not quite right. This murky, black water... it's not just something I'm sinking into. It's me.

The sea of my soul or something along those lines at the very least. 

I don't have any proof, but that definitely feels about right. Then again, wouldn't that mean that I'm currently drowning in a sea of myself? Sounds kind of trippy, doesn't it?

If Cacophony or Fang were here, I'm certain that they would be able to give me a more concrete and detailed answer. They did say that magic had something to do with the soul, but I never really wrapped my head around that stuff.

Huh?

That's kind of weird isn't it? 

The super crazy magic fanatic has been so busy that he hasn't had the time to properly learn the ins and outs of magic. 

...

Next time I see them I'll make sure not to miss my chance and force them to explain every little detail about magic. Yup, even if it makes my head explode I'll make them spill the beans! 

... 

The drowsiness is spreading, seeping into me like ink in water. My thoughts are slowing, unraveling, becoming less frequent… less coherent.

It's like I'm falling asleep… only to wake up without ever realizing I was asleep in the first place.

…

I… what is… why is…

…

If this really is… the sea of my soul… then why…

…

Don't pretend you're not there.

I can see you.

Even through this murky blackness, those sharp, violet eyes cut through—watching me.

You don't belong here. This is my soul.

Who… are you?

Wordlessly, it felt my realization and silently, it smiled.

A devilish, knowing grin—twisted with a sly pleasure I'd never seen in a human. No… that expression couldn't belong to any human. It was something unnatural, something that should not exist in this place.

And yet, there it was.

Inside my soul.

Watching.

Slowly, a thought dawned on my mind.

'It was you, wasn't it? The cause of all of this. You dragged me here for some reason. What had I done? What do you want? What even are you?'

All at once my thoughts sped up fueled by an odd feeling that I couldn't quite place.

I would reach out to that thing, but I didn't have a hand to extend.

I would scream at that thing, but I didn't have a voice to reach it with.

I would expel that thing from here, but I didn't have the authority to do it. 

I would... no, I can't do much of anything can I?

And just like that, the black sea swallowed me whole.

Everything—my thoughts, my body, my very sense of self—dissolved into the abyss. There was no sound, no light, no up or down. Just an overwhelming nothingness, vast and endless.

All the while, that being stood silent at the edge of my inner world. It didn't make any sudden movements or even move its eyes. It watched me intensely, analyzing, checking for something that it desired. 

Why it is that even though I didn't have eyes, even though I didn't have a mouth, even though I didn't have a form... why does that thing have one? Even though this is my soul...

Finally, seemingly satisfied with its analysis, something shifted within that being. It was as though it issued a command.

Then—

A sharp breath. A jolt. The suffocating weight of water vanished, replaced by the firm yet familiar sensation of a mattress beneath me. My lungs heaved as I gasped for air, my fingers twitching against soft fabric.

I was awake. 

Blinking through the hazy remnants of sleep, I found myself staring at my bedroom ceiling. Slowly, I raised my right hand and put it over my face. For the first time in my life, I felt all over my face. I felt for every bump and crevice. 

'Ah, I have a form.'

Comforted by the realization that I was myself and no one else but myself, I began to look around. 

I was drenched in sweat from head to toe and my body had aches and pains that weren't there before. 

The most notable change was the amulet around my neck. 

The golden amulet, normally cool against my skin, was warm—almost hot. A faint glow pulsed from its surface, fading in and out like a quiet heartbeat. I frowned, gripping it tightly in my palm.

There was a sense of familiarity to it that I couldn't quite place.

As I touched the small red gem in the center, a thought passed through my head.

'Cacophony.'

As I thought that, I looked to the side and found that exact woman looking at me with wide eyes. 

Cacophony didn't move. She didn't speak.

For a moment, she simply stared, as though I had just done something that shattered the very foundation of her demeanor. 

Then—just like that—the moment passed.

Any unusual emotions on her face diminished and she returned to her usual self. 

She scoffed, arms crossing over her chest, her usual air of superiority snapping back into place.

"I see that you've finally recovered. It took you long enough. Acting dead is ill suited to the living so try not to repeat this stunt again."

I let out a weak chuckle, though my throat burned like I had swallowed embers. I placed two fingers around my aching throat and took a moment to think. 

As I did, I heard rushed footsteps and by the time that I looked up, Cacophony was standing overhead. In one hand was a glass filled to the brim with water and her other hand was prying my mouth open. 

Given no time to protest, a glass worth of water was poured down my throat. 

When she finally pulled back I was gasping for air. 

"H-Hey! Are you trying to drown me or something? Don't tell me this whole time you were one of those evil mermaids that lure people in to drown them! Actually, back in the day I had a run in with one of them and—" 

Cacophony gave a yard long stare. 

Then she let out an exhale that she seemed to have been holding in for some time. 

"…You were out for four days," she muttered. "Though it seems that you've fully returned to being your usual self." 

"Four days?" 

Had it really been that long? It certainly didn't feel like it. It felt like I'd been out for only ten minutes at the most.

Now that I had time to think about it... What I experienced when I was knocked out, was it all a dream?

No, without a doubt it wasn't. 

How can I be so sure? 

Well, naturally it's because a Dark King such as myself could never dream in the first place. 

I reached for the amulet again, the warmth of it still lingering against my skin. "Did you make this?"

Cacophony's expression stiffened for just a fraction of a second. It was a shift so subtle and quick that I was shocked that I noticed it. I guess all my time with Cacophony has allowed me to understand her just a tad bit better.

"Think nothing of it. The others brought you things as well." 

Looking to the side I saw all sorts of small things placed at my bedside that I hadn't noticed before.

I blinked, my gaze sweeping over the assortment of objects. A neatly folded blanket, a small bouquet of brightly colored flowers, even a basket of small candies. 

Charlotte, Jean, Kana, Tiana, and Fang without a doubt left these.

A lump formed in my throat, though whether it was from the soreness or something else entirely, I couldn't tell.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself. My mind was a jumbled up mess of all sorts of weird and unusual thoughts, but none of that really mattered. Why make things so complex when there was something obvious that I hadn't done yet. 

Something so important that I was shocked that I hadn't done it by now.

With a sudden burst of energy I threw off my blanket and leapt onto the bed, striking the most dramatic pose I could manage. One arm extended to the sky, the other across my chest, my head tilted downward just enough to cast a shadow over my eyes.

"FOUR DAYS OF SLUMBER? HA! MERE MOMENTS IN THE GRAND CHRONICLE OF THE DARK KING!" I declared, my voice booming with all the authority of a man who definitely wasn't lightheaded and on the verge of falling over.

Cacophony raised an eyebrow, but her lips twitched ever so slightly.

I wasn't done yet.

"Fear not my dearest empress. Your sworn servant has ventured into the endless abyss and returned to tell the tale. The universe itself trembles and fate averts its eyes as to not be blinded by the overwhelming strength of my aura."

I threw a dramatic swirl of my hand, pretending to summon some kind of mystical force. It probably would've looked cooler if I didn't wobble halfway through.

Shifting my head up, I got a peek at Cacophony's face.

Her head was tilted slightly to the side, but she had a warm smile across her lips. 

"Oh? Is that so? And here I thought you were a fragile little thing barely clinging to consciousness."

"Fragile?!", I gasped in an over dramatic manner. "Such a crude comment must be a result of dire folly. Don't tell me... Are you... Yes, you must be under the influence of the Angellic Order! Don't you worry empress, I'll save you from their evil clutches."

Flinging my arms up into the air I—

My vision spun.

The next thing I knew, my balance wavered, my body tipping forward like a grand tower finally crumbling under its own weight.

Cacophony caught me effortlessly, her arms steady as she kept me from face-planting onto the bed. "Oh, how mighty the Dark King stands," she mused, clearly enjoying this.

I groaned, resting against her shoulder for a moment before weakly lifting a hand, fingers barely twitching. "This time," I mumbled, "I'm still conscious… so that's an improvement."

Cacophony sighed, "It seems as though you're still a weakling. We'll have to go back to those magic lessons."

Hearing her words, I was reminded of the vow that I'd made while in the depths of my soul.

I'd have to tell her—

Actually, there's a lot of things we'll have to go over.