The Splinter of Delusion; Part-2

The floor beneath Kaia twisted and spun, as if reality itself had decided to take a dance class. The walls melted into liquid, and colours swirled and blended in a dizzying array of hues.

"What is happening?!" Kaia yelped, her legs slipping beneath her. She reached for a nearby door handle for support—but it melted away the second her fingers touched it.

"Seriously, I am so screwed," she muttered, staring at her now-empty hand, utterly unimpressed by the situation.

Meanwhile, Zero was locked in a fierce glare with the faceless kid, his eyes burning with intensity. But just as he lost his balance and stumbled, Thalia quickly caught him, hands gripping his waist to steady him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice soft but filled with concern.

Zero's usually fierce expression froze, his face turning an alarming shade of red. He stuttered, trying to regain some semblance of dignity, but failed miserably.

"I-I'm fine!" he managed to say, though the blush on his face said otherwise. (She's... a goddess,) he thought, staring at Thalia like she was some divine being sent to save him from the abyss of his own clumsiness.

"Sis!" Kaia called to Thalia, her instincts jumped behind in, pulling Zero with her. In a flash, a vivid wall materialized, separating the two groups with a flash of colour so bright it practically screamed, Welcome to a psychedelic nightmare!

The rainbow of swirling hues assaulted Kaia's eyes, making her wince in pain.

(This is way too much colour for a shut-in like me!) Her vision blurred as she squinted, desperately trying to escape the overload of neon chaos.

***

"Oops!" Kiki squealed as she knocked a mountain of papers off the desk, sending them fluttering to the floor in a chaotic mess.

"No, no, no!" she cried, frantically scooping them up. "I made it more difficult for Sir Kiaan! I'm so useless!"

Her hands trembled as she tried to gather the scattered sheets, her self-pity reaching new heights. But then, a hand appeared from the side, helping her collect the papers. She looked up, eyes wide, and froze.

The black eyes of the person next to her met hers—silent, intense, and... familiar.

"Sir Kiaan?" she stammered, barely holding back a fresh wave of tears. "Why... why are you helping me? I'll do it myself—!"

"It's alright, Kiki," Kiaan interrupted gently, his voice calm. "No need to burden yourself. Please, go. There's a special task I need you for. Each unit is sending someone, and I've chosen you."

Kiki's heart nearly exploded. Sir Kiaan... choosing her? His gentle smile made her tear up even more.

(Sir Kiaan~...He's the nicest person in the world. How kind he is!) she thought, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

"I won't sully your name, sir!" she sobbed, wiping her tears frantically. "At the president's office, right? I'm on my way!" She turned and dashed toward the door, still crying, but now in sheer excitement.

"Yes, exactly. And take care—watch your steps," he called after her, giving a small wave as she disappeared down the hallway.

As soon as Kiki was out of sight, a loud crash echoed from the hallway. Thud!

Kiaan slapped his forehead in exasperation. "I swear, someone's always falling around here..."

He sighed, looking out the window, a deep worry creeping into his chest. "I hope Kaia's doing alright."

Without wasting a second, he activated his clairvoyance, his eyes flickering gold, pupils elongating like a cat's. A vision appeared before him—a bright, colorful watery vortex—Kaia caught in it, struggling, gasping for air.

"No. That's bad," Kiaan muttered, his eyes returning to normal with a flicker of urgency. He grabbed his trench coat in one smooth motion.

"I need to get there, now," he said, practically flying out of the room, coat flapping behind him like the dramatic hero he was.

***

Kaia's breath hitched as the water closed around her neck, its cold, unrelenting grip cutting off her air. Her chest tightened, desperate for a breath that wouldn't come.

(Think! Think!)

Her mind screamed, but the cold pressure suffocated her thoughts. Is this it?

A bitter laugh bubbled up, even as her limbs weakened. How can someone like me—

Her thoughts fractured as a flash of a face pierced the dark. "Ananya?"

She jerked, shaking her head. No. I can't...

The bitter taste of defeat soured her mouth. She'd be disappointed. Everyone would be. If I die, no one will ever admire her again...

The kid watching her from a distance grinned wider, his expression gleeful as he savoured her struggle. But then, something shifted in his gaze. His smile faltered, replaced by a scowl.

"Why are you taking so long?" His voice spat, a growl filled with frustration. "YOU'RE NO FUN!"

Kaia's lips twitched, defiance flaring even as the water closed in around her. "Fun, huh?"

Her grin stretched, sharp and dangerous.

Without warning, the pressure on her neck snapped, the water collapsing as if it had never been there. The kid's eyes widened in shock.

Kaia surged forward, her foot connecting with the floor as she launched herself toward him. A wave of vibrant water shot at her like a spear, but she dodged it effortlessly, moving like lightning. She grabbed the faceless child by the throat, lifting him off the ground with a single motion.

Her gaze never wavered as she held him up, her eyes dark and fierce, almost feral. His wide, terrified gaze met the crimson fire in her eyes. His body shook.

"Tell me," she growled, voice low, "How many of you are here?"

The kid's breath hitched, barely able to speak as he stared into the void of her eyes.

"M-Mom and Dad are on the terrace." His words tumbled out, desperate.

Kaia's grip tightened slightly, her gaze sharpening.

"So they're the ones pulling the strings?" she hissed, tilting her head, a cruel smile curling her lips.

"Y-yes..." he whispered, trembling.

She released him. The kid dropped to the ground, crumpling in a heap. He stayed there, too scared to move, eyes wide with fear.

Kaia turned without a second glance, her voice cold and commanding. "Don't even think about running. I'll make sure you regret it."

With that, she sprinted toward the elevator. As she reached for the door, the world around her twisted, the building's structure warping as the apartment melted away into something new.

***

Kiaan stood frozen, staring at the grotesque slime that had overtaken the apartment. It was everywhere—slimy, colourful, and dripping in all the wrong places.

"What is that?!" He recoiled, disgusted.

"No way they're inside that." His voice cracked, as if even the thought of it was too much to handle.

He extended his hand, ready to deal with this mess. A blue beam shot from his palm, slicing through the slime like a hot knife through butter. A passage revealed itself, dark and inviting.

(Find her. Just don't think about the slime.)

He didn't waste another second, charging forward—until his foot sank straight into the gooey mess.

"Ugh!" His leg was stuck. He tried to pull it out, but the slime just clung to him like it had personal beef. "Gross, gross, gross!" He twisted and jerked, trying to free himself, but the slime was not having it.

Seriously? I'm stuck in slime?

He yanked his foot again with a pop, finally freeing himself. But now his shoe was half-sunk in the goo, and he was left standing there, one shoe-less, one foot in slime.

"Well, this is great," he muttered, his face scrunching up. "This is definitely not how I imagined today going."

What he didn't notice was a woman, casually watching from a doorway. Brown hair, sunglasses, a face mask—because, apparently, that's how people rolled in this neighbourhood.

She tilted her head, eyeing him with a look somewhere between amusement and curiosity.

"Look how much you've grown..." she muttered, as if reminiscing about the good ol' days. Then, with a shrug, she turned and disappeared back into the shadows.