A World of Nightmares

Several days had passed since Luigi arrived in the 12th Dimension. He had grown somewhat accustomed to its strange, otherworldly nature, though the weight of his guilt and the looming presence of Xeno Mario never left his mind. Today, however, was different. Princess Peach, accompanied by a group of Toad guards, led Luigi to a massive, glowing gate that radiated an otherworldly energy.

"This is it... beyond this gate lies the 13th Dimension... and the first of your challenges, Luigi," Princess Peach said, her voice tinged with both hope and fear.

Luigi stared at the gate, its light casting eerie shadows on his face. He nodded slowly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel it—a faint but unmistakable energy emanating from beyond the gate. It was Mario's energy, twisted and corrupted, but still familiar.

"I can... I can feel Mario's presence in this dimension too... and I haven't even entered yet," Luigi thought to himself, his hands trembling.

Princess Peach placed a hand on his shoulder, her expression solemn.

"This place... it's unlike anything you've ever seen before. It's... hell itself."

She paused, her voice growing quieter.

"From the first dimension to the infinite dimensions beyond... all of it is now Mario's domain, Luigi. And what helped him reshape the Third Dimension into what it is now... was the power of the Super Stars. Specifically... around 100 of them. That's what gave him unimaginable power, beyond anything words can describe."

Luigi's stomach churned at the thought. A hundred Super Stars? How had Mario gathered so many in just two years? The sheer magnitude of his brother's power was overwhelming, and Luigi felt a wave of dread wash over him.

Luigi stepped forward, ready to enter the gate, but Princess Peach grabbed his hand, her grip tight.

"Please... try to find a way... to bring him back to who he was, Luigi," she pleaded, her eyes filled with tears.

Luigi lowered his head, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him. He knew he was the reason for all of this. With a heavy heart, he nodded and stepped through the gate.

The 13th Dimension was unlike anything Luigi had ever seen. Buildings floated in the sky, their structures twisted and broken. Stones hovered aimlessly, and the sky was a deep, blood-red, with black clouds that bore grotesque, laughing faces. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the ground was littered with the corpses of Koopas, Toads, and Goombas. Some had been impaled by sharp metal spikes, their hearts pierced. Others had their heads torn off, their lifeless eyes staring into the void. Each creature had met a different, horrifying fate.

Luigi tried to steady himself, fighting the urge to vomit as he pressed forward. He climbed over blocks that formed a steep, uneven pyramid, his hands trembling with every step. At the top, he saw the flagpole of a castle and, standing beside it, Mario. For a moment, Mario looked normal, waving cheerfully at a Toad. The Toad waved back, oblivious to the danger.

"H-Hey!" Luigi called out, his voice shaky.

Mario turned to him, his smile widening unnaturally. Before Luigi could react, Mario's body began to distort, his form twisting and growing until he became Xeno Mario once more. In one swift motion, Xeno Mario grabbed the Toad's head and crushed it, blood splattering everywhere. He licked the blood from his face, his grin growing even wider.

"Mmm, I wonder... are there really any happy endings... in this miserable world?" Xeno Mario mused, his voice dripping with malice.

Luigi watched in horror, his face pale and his body frozen in fear. The colors around him seemed to drain away, leaving him as white as a ghost.

"There are no... happy endings... dear brother," Xeno Mario said, laughing maniacally.

The Chase

Suddenly, red words appeared in the air above Xeno Mario's head:

"Run!!"

Luigi hesitated for a moment, but Xeno Mario's laughter shook the entire dimension, snapping him out of his stupor. He turned and ran, his heart pounding as he leaped over blocks and dodged obstacles. Xeno Mario chased after him, his laughter echoing through the air.

"Where do you think you're running to? I'm everywhere! I move with the air itself!" Xeno Mario taunted, his voice growing louder with every word.

"Haven't you figured it out yet? There are no happy endings!" he screamed, his laughter growing more deranged.

Luigi ran faster, his legs burning with exertion. He spotted a green pipe ahead and sprinted toward it, but the pipe seemed to move farther away with every step. The world around him began to dissolve, replaced by bloody red words that spelled out:

"Are you really leaving so soon... dear brother? At least let's play a little game."

Suddenly, infinite copies of Xeno Mario appeared on either side of Luigi, all pointing at him with their grotesque, elongated fingers. The words in the air updated:

"The game is simple... follow my rules... because I make the rules! Just survive!?"

A red pipe appeared in the distance, and Xeno Mario emerged from it, blocking Luigi's path.

"The game has begun!!!" he shouted, his voice booming.

Luigi sprinted toward the red pipe, Xeno Mario hot on his heels. The infinite copies of Xeno Mario continued to point at him, their laughter filling the air. Just as Xeno Mario was about to grab him, Luigi leaped into the red pipe and disappeared.

The infinite copies vanished, and Xeno Mario's smile widened until it consumed his entire face. His eyes disappeared, leaving only empty voids as he spoke:

"There's no escape, little brother."

He turned to the player, his voice dripping with malice.

"Mario... will catch you next time~"

To Be Continued...

The screen faded to black, leaving only a single line of text:

"The game is far from over..."