Introduction of Inase 1: First Come, First Served

Inase had been told many times before to keep his eyes shut when going through the time machine's portal. He was skeptical of this command at first, but after much nagging from all the researchers in the Facility, he reluctantly had to comply. His curiosity didn't have a limit, though. Who wouldn't want to see what goes on inside the tunnel to the unknown, really?

So, despite all the warnings, he had to peek into it at least once.

Whenever the machine turned on to create a shimmering portal, he observed a kaleidoscope of colors swirl within its depths. Inside the portal's borders, time itself seemed to warp through dimensions, and the mesmerizing aurora defied the boundaries of perceived normality.

"Inase! How many times do I have to repeat-"

Upon noticing it, one of the scientists gave him a mouthful of her thoughts in a fading-into-the-background angry monologue. Wanting her to shut up, he chose not to contest.

"Fine, fine. I'll close them."

Inase waved off the rambling, fully making his dismissive attitude known before another crucial time jump.

"You know, it's funny y'all tell me not to challenge the unknown, and yet the very reason I was recruited was exactly because of it."

His mocking remark ticked off the scientist even more.

"This is an important matter. You can't do these things half-assedly. One mistake will cost you your life, and all the collected data will vanish. These are more important than anything else, so we need you to bring them back whether you're in one piece or not. Understood?" She still continued rambling. "If you die, we'd have to waste time finding another time-diver again, which will slow down the process of saving humanity from the apocalypse. You know what happened to the prototype-!"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I'm precious. You don't have to repeat it to me every week." Inase brushed her statements off with a crack of his neck. "I bring the data back to you just fine every time, don't I?"

He had a point.

"Just get in and do what you're supposed to." With an irritated sigh, the scientist pushed a few buttons and moved the sliders to boost up the machine. She had had enough of his attitude. "Portal ready! Is 02 prepared to conduct the jump?"

He could hear her audibly even through a thick wall of glass.

"That's… my cue~!"

Inase hummed when he passed through the door dividing the portal from the scientists. On his way, he casually robbed a bag of chips from another researcher, much to his displeasure revealed by a whine in his voice.

What a rookie, he should know better than to keep his snacks out in the open for Inase to take; everyone else knew it already.

"02, remember the rules."

The female scientist's words echoed in the room, fighting the loud clanking of a faulty portal. Per the rules, she repeated the usual process.

"The coordinates of your destination are unknown, which signifies that we cannot determine the specific timeline or location of your arrival. Upon arrival, you are to immediately identify any issues present and take swift action to resolve them. It is crucial to remain vigilant and aware of your surroundings, as you may encounter entities with unpredictable capabilities. Forming attachments with individuals from the era you enter is strictly prohibited during your time dive. Additionally, any attempts to alter future events are forbidden. Do you understand?"

Heard it clearly every time.

"Save the lecture for later."

Without sparing an extra glance at the trail of reminders, Inase went off.

Equipped with only a revolver and nine loaded rounds, a bag of chips, and a trusty army knife, he stepped closer to the whirring machine.

The institute couldn't afford to give him anything better, nor would they due to the restrictions of keeping the past as it was. So, he had to use his braincells and come up with something when a dire situation occurred.

Welp, he'd think of it when the time comes.

With a spring in his steps and a stretch of his back, Inase braced himself for the familiar unknown. He stood in front of the time machine, which was connected by many wires, vibrating metal pipes, shards of a broken mirror, and thick cables that barely held the parts together. If one didn't know better, they would think it was the work of a madman.

Without looking back, he entered the portal.

Time slowed down for a fleeting moment. The world around him distorted into a blur of motion—a sensation of having walked through a thin veil of silk embraced his body. It took a couple of seconds before the sound of mechanical clattering stopped messing with his senses. The distant hum of malfunctioning machinery faded once the portal had closed behind.

When Inase felt solid ground under his soles again, he opened his eyes and found himself standing in the middle of an enigma that is…

"...a museum. Haven't been to one in a while."

He noted before grimacing at the pervasive smell of old treasures.

This place was desolate. Dark crimson walls that should be adorned with expensive artworks bore marks of neglect. Each portrait frame was left completely blank with a yellow-tinted, peeling canvas that revealed aging and decay. Right above them, flickering fluorescent lights cast ghostly shadows that danced along the marbled floors.

"Hm. Not much of an art person myself."

Inase commented with a shrug while he loosely observed the blank canvases and empty showcases.

"It's abandoned… Guess I can mess around as much as I want."

Letting out a dry chuckle, he looked around further. With a few big steps, he was able to leave the room focused on displaying empty paintings and found himself in a long corridor split into three directions.

"Huh…"

One of the paths cut straight off without a trace. That was… unusual. When turning his gaze in that direction, he saw it bend downward at a ninety-degree angle.

He got closer until he stood at the edge of what appeared to be a tall, man-made cliff, and peered down into the depths of the hallway. Even with how dimly it was illuminated, Inase could tell what awaited him ahead.

The museum's interior stretched in an endless, maze-like structure in all directions, with staircases leading up and down, entirely defying gravity. The abandoned architecture bent against any logical explanation. It was bizarre to see halls and arches contorted in absurd angles, making an outstanding optical illusion as if straight from Eschner's works. Yet, it was impossible to be inside of his paintings, he was pretty sure. This was a real building.

"Where the hell was I sent to?"

Puzzled, the man scratched the back of his head. His words bounced off the walls in a silent echo.

"Well, ain't nothing to it but to do it, am I right?"

With a smirk, he put one foot out.

"I wonder if the laws of physics apply to this place the same way."

…and he pushed himself off the current surface. 

All it took was one leap of faith for Inase to feel a wave of adrenaline surging through his body. One wrong move would result in a broken neck and a mangled corpse at the bottom of a pit. And then, no one would be able to retrieve him. He'd be left rotting here forever.

Luckily, he was able to stand on the angled path ahead.

"So it works." His eyes blinked. "Hah, that makes exploration so much easier." Each segment had its own field of gravity.

To travel around with confidence, he needed to know this place. If he didn't get used to his surroundings well, he wouldn't be able to find a way out.

Every place seemed completely normal when stepped on. Once he entered a specific plane, he couldn't hop across to the other side, float around the whole area, or fly in the air (he tried), though he could just plainly walk.

But thanks to his risk-taking personality, he knew exactly what he could and couldn't do.

"Onwards we go~"

This change-of-gravity gimmick was an otherworldly feeling he had never experienced before.

He had seen some unusual things in his life, or rather, he was used to the unusual. What was incomprehensible around twenty years ago was now a common occurrence. Still, in his young, twenty-one-year-old life, he hadn't met a structure this convoluted. It made him wonder: for how long had this area been destructured? What caused it to absurdly contort? And if it was a monster, then which one could it be?

Hardly did he know anything with the ability to change an environment in such a way. Usually, they affect the human mind rather than…

Rumble

Not long after he began his exploration, his mind trailed off, and soon enough, his stomach started to growl, too.

"I'm bored… and a bit hungry. What to do—?"

After mumbling to himself, Inase fell silent. He stopped in the middle of the inverted ceiling and rubbed his hand on his stomach… until he remembered the one thing that could brighten up his day.

"Ah, right! I still have the snack I stole from that researcher."

Oh? So he admitted to stealing it.

He took the bag out, twirling it playfully in his hand before it opened with a loud pop.

"Lucky~! At least I won't be starving."

And so, he reached into the bag to take a few chips and crunch one at a time in his mouth. He didn't care about leaving a trail of crumbs behind, as long as he had something to keep him busy in this desolate place.

Then, what about finding a solution to being lost?

"Whatever, I'll think about that later."

Inase showed a lack of concern. Right now, getting to know this place was more of a pressing issue. Besides...

He eyed the corner behind him with caution, thinking something shifted in his peripheral.

Silence followed.

Nah, it was nothing of importance.

Thus, he hopped further into the labyrinth on his own merry way.

Inase's sense of direction was comparable to that of a carrier pigeon. Instinctual but never wrong. Yet, even he had trouble with finding the right path.

Crunch

With how complicated the maze's structure was, he hardly had a chance to go back to where he started. And, even with his great sense of direction, he felt that he would get lost if he only tried to come back to his current location.

Crunch

It was such a bizarre place. Through the many twists and turns of the environment, Inase hummed as he went up the stairs only to find himself peeking out upside down from another entrance. Yet, when he thought he was going down, he appeared to be exiting through the door above. He couldn't find any rhyme or reason inside these structures.

Crunch

Behind many doors he passed, some rooms' furniture hung on the ceiling, some areas appeared to be tilted, and some paths guided him to a dead end. One of the corridors seemed to be moving on its own like the insides of a worm, pulsating and squishy. That one was NG to enter. Even the danger-loving Inase knew not to mess around when the desolate halls seemed to whisper their desire to entrap him for eternity as though they were alive.

Crunch

Hours had passed.

Inase had scavenged everything around this vast area, often changing sides and angles on the wall to walk on or across the ceiling. The corridors were twisted as if the dimension was forced to implode on itself.

Crunch

Not only that, but also the atmosphere was suffocating. Especially the creepy silence broken only by his footsteps. A haunting echo bounced off through the corridors of the labyrinths with every stride he took.

Crunch

Finally, after swallowing another chip, the bag was nearly empty, and crumbs stuck all over his mouth. Inase licked his thumb before he cast his gaze on the grand, two-winged door. It would gain the attention of whoever walked through. No one besides him was here, of course. Just silence passing.

"Time to check what's behind door number one."

Once opened, it led to a wide hallway, then, a room specifically intended for artifact exhibition. Again, the shelves were empty, and the glass showcases protected thin air. A blank slot on every placard supposed to contain a description turned this place was left blank, too.

"Such a desolate junkyard…" He groaned in frustration.

Honestly, it was quite boring for Inase to walk around only to observe these hollow hallways. Emptiness here, emptiness there… Who would even want to visit this place?

"So irritating."

Inase turned his bag of chips upside down, effectively dumping out in the middle of the room all of what was left (mostly crumbs) on the sheened marble ground. He tossed the bag aside. The leftovers stacked into a small pile of junk food and dust, a masterpiece to behold.

"There! A little wasteful for how tasty they are, but at least there will be something in this place!"

It would be nice if there was someone to feast their eyes on it, though.

"Seriously! What am I even supposed to do? I've been walking for hours to no avail. Give me a break!" He exclaimed, leaning back on one of the empty cabinet elbows first.

"?"

He felt something bump into his arm.

Gliding his hand further on the flat surface, he scanned for anything to see, even though there was nothing… That is, until his fingers touched a transparent matter.

Something was there, something invisible.

Inase carefully took hold of that certain thing, his fingers felt it up it inch by inch, gently touching its surface till he finally visualized its shape after taking it off the transparent display stands.

"It's a dagger." He thought out loud, lost in his own ponders. A rusty old artifact rested in his hands. "I see. So that's how it is."

From what he could deduce, the objects in this room were indeed present, though they weren't visible. All in their appropriate spots.

This room was a perfect place to get accustomed to the peculiar situation.

He took this as an opportunity to wander from cabinet to cabinet, thoroughly feeling for every object located on top. From what he touched, he could figure out a few old relics such as ancient ceremonial masks, old vases, and weapons such as spears or swords, all dull and rusty.

"Wouldn't be a museum if there weren't old garbage in it."

The man scoffed while examining each placement of things so he could visualize the whole area. The weapons seemed to be on the right, while sculptures, vases, and other heirlooms of the past were on the left. In the back, a huge globe (he felt a sphere spinning) and a big map on the wall beside it.

"Duly noted." With a nod of his head, he turned around to the entrance to leave the area. "Not that it will help me with anything." He was just bored.

However, once he approached the big door, he noticed that something was off… The path of crumbs he had paved on the marble floors had vanished.

"?" He tilted his head in confusion. "Hmm?"

How odd. Nothing should disappear on its own like that, so he knelt for a closer look.

Someone, or rather, something has been eating my trail.

He couldn't deny that the chips were very tasty. It surely wasn't a surprise for something following the trail took a liking to them as well.

The corner of his lips twitched with excitement when he wiped the remaining bits off his cheek. The anxiety of being watched mixed itself with the anticipation of uncovering the mysteries that lurked in the shadows. After all, Inase couldn't contain his curiosity.

You fell right into my trap, little horror.

He was sure it was nearby, tempted by his masterpiece, almost like a crow attracted to a grave's headstone. Pleased with the outcome, he retreated to the archway directly opposite, hiding in the shadows behind the wall.

A minute passed, before ten more, but his patience was not in vain.

Whatever was following him inched closer to the pile of crumbs left in the center. It was hard to pinpoint where it came from because its movement was completely silent—the only proof of its existence was a slight fluttering sound. It was invisible until it closed into the middle of the room.

Inase would have been in trouble if he hadn't felt its presence creeping close by earlier.

A childish grin spread across his lips as he watched it manifest, slowly unveiling its monstrous form while tentatively reaching for the pile of chips.

"Finally decided to show yourself, didn't you?"