Side Chapter: The New Player

Years had passed since the last encounter between Luigi and Xeno Mario. The cursed game had been passed from person to person, each player unknowingly stepping into a nightmare. Now, it had found its way to Marcus, a 29-year-old man living a quiet life.

One evening, the doorbell rang. Marcus opened the door to find no one there. Confused, he looked down and saw a copy of Super Mario Bros sitting on his doorstep. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Oh man, this brings back memories!"

Excited, Marcus took the game inside and set up his console. As he inserted the cartridge, the classic Super Mario Bros theme began to play. He pressed the button to select Player 1, hoping to play as Mario, but the option was locked. Reluctantly, he chose Luigi instead.

The game started normally, and Marcus began moving Luigi through the first level. But when he accidentally hit a Goomba and lost a life, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the console—a scream that didn't belong in the game. Marcus froze, his heart racing.

"What the hell was that?!"

He tried to restart the game, but the option was gone. The screen turned black, and red text appeared:

"A new soul? ...Ready to perish?"

Marcus's anxiety spiked. He tried to turn off the console, but it wouldn't respond. He unplugged it, but the game continued to run, the screen flickering red. Against his will, Marcus felt himself drawn closer to the screen. Suddenly, a long, grotesque hand reached out—Xeno Mario's hand—and yanked Marcus into the game.

Marcus opened his eyes to find himself in a nightmarish version of a city. The streets were littered with blood and corpses, the buildings twisted and crumbling. Cars were overturned, and the air was thick with the stench of death. He looked down and realized he was wearing a purple plumber's outfit, complete with a long black mustache.

"What the hell is this?! Where am I?!" Marcus screamed, his voice echoing through the desolate streets.

He began to walk, hoping to find help or at least some clue about where he was. Everywhere he looked, there were more bodies—civilians, police officers, all dead. He knelt beside a fallen officer and muttered,

"Rest in peace..."

Searching the officer's body, Marcus found a pistol and some ammunition. He gripped the weapon tightly, a small sense of relief washing over him.

"Oh... this is good."

As he continued, he spotted another figure in a plumber's outfit—Mario. But something was wrong. Mario was kneeling on the ground, holding a wooden spike with a human head impaled on it. Marcus approached cautiously.

"Hey... what are you doing?" Marcus asked, his voice trembling.

Mario didn't respond at first, then spoke in a calm, eerie tone.

"Have you heard the riddle before?"

Marcus stayed silent, his hand tightening around the pistol.

Mario continued, "Once, there were two happy brothers. But one let go of the other's hand, leaving him to burn in the lava. That betrayal led to his death."

Marcus's eyes widened as he noticed the dozens of wooden spikes around Mario, each one bearing a human head. He raised his pistol, aiming it at Mario's back.

"Oh... I see. A gun in your hand, ready to shoot Mario... It's your choice, little man," Mario said, his voice dripping with malice.

"If you wanna take a shot... just remember, there will be consequences... awaiting..."

Marcus's finger hovered over the trigger, his heart pounding. Suddenly, Mario's smile widened unnaturally, and he turned around in a flash. His body twisted and grew, transforming into Xeno Mario, his grotesque form towering over Marcus.

"What the fuck is that thing?!" Marcus screamed, backing away as he aimed the pistol at the monstrous figure.

Xeno Mario laughed, his empty eyes staring into Marcus's soul.

"You can't kill something that's already dead."

Marcus fired the pistol, but the bullets passed harmlessly through Xeno Mario's body.

"What the—?!"

"You will suffer... and regret... so don't even try," Xeno Mario said, advancing slowly.

In a moment of clarity, Marcus saw a vision of Luigi letting go of Mario's hand, the betrayal that started it all. He remembered the riddle Mario had told him, and his heart sank.

"Mario, stay back! I'm innocent!" Marcus shouted, his voice desperate.

"Innocent? Are you sure about that?" Xeno Mario sneered, his grin widening.

"You're already finished, now that you've entered my world!"

"Damn you!" Marcus screamed, turning to run. But as he did, the world around him turned to darkness. Infinite copies of Xeno Mario lined the path, their laughter echoing as Marcus sprinted for his life.

"Come on, come on, run faster! Entertain me more!" Xeno Mario taunted, his voice growing louder.

Marcus ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding with terror. Xeno Mario's words echoed in his mind:

"You'll soon see... the torment and pain that I can cause. For I make the rules!"

"You cannot choose! And to think... you really thought you had a single chance? There are no happy endings in this cruel world!" Xeno Mario's laughter grew louder as he closed the distance.

Just as Marcus felt his strength fading, he spotted a blue pipe ahead. Summoning the last of his energy, he sprinted toward it, Xeno Mario right behind him. At the last moment, Marcus jumped into the pipe and disappeared.

Xeno Mario stopped at the pipe, his grin widening.

"So, the player escaped... this time. No matter."

The dark world returned to normal, the infinite copies of Xeno Mario vanishing. He turned to the player, his voice dripping with malice.

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

To Be Continued...