Choice

When we reached the cafe again it was less livelier than before. People preferred coming in the afternoon compared to the night. 

While on my way to the back entrance, some people were coming out of the cafe's main entrance and I glanced a peek inside. There were only three staff members there and Myra was one of them. We left around the same time, no she left after us, still she arrived earlier. 

There were only a handful of customers present and perhaps they were also planning to leave.

While going up stairs I didn't notice the gaze from before. The one that had scared me a few hours ago was now gone. 

When I entered the room, I smelled the familiar incense. When I looked at the table I saw a new stick which had just been lit. And two refilled cups of coffee as well as two plates of white sauce pasta. 

I was in a bad mood before but now that I was relaxed my appetite also returned. Neil told me to eat first and then we will talk about the rest of the matters. 

I took him up on his offer, I couldn't concentrate with the plate before me anyways. He was the one treating me anyway, it was a free meal. 

Wait…, I wouldn't be having this meal here if I didn't have one of those nightmares stuck onto me. Then it isn't really free, this is the bare minimum they should treat me to. 

The pleasant smell made it hard for me to think about negative things and I decided to focus on the pasta instead. I have only come to the cafe downstairs twice. 

One time I had a date that my friends had arranged but I got ditched. The second time it was because I was bored at home, I wanted to come to this cafe again just for this pasta. 

All three times I have come here I tasted this pasta and it has always tasted as great as the first time I ate it. I wonder who makes it? If it is Myra then I'll have mixed emotions.

—x—

After we finished eating, I accompanied Neil to the terrace via lift. I asked him about the floors below us, the fourth and fifth floors. The fourth floor is for storing items from the cafe. The fifth floor is prohibited to everybody as it is Neil's personal storage. 

I think Neil is the richest man I have ever met. Before meeting him, my uncle was the richest man I knew but Neil is definitely richer. He may have generational wealth or he might be some kind of tycoon. This building definitely doesn't contain all of his assets. 

Now if he is this rich and he has been kicked by that organisation he worked for, why is he still involved in the matters of nightmares? He could definitely live a luxurious life. He seems to be older than 50. Maybe he just wants to work. If I asked him right now, I have a feeling he might not tell me the whole truth. 

Also, when I left the first floor room, the effects of that incense started disappearing slowly. The breeze out here has only fastened the process and I'm now able to think more calmly. 

Up until now, Neil has tried to appear as a figure with a mysterious past and trustworthy attitude. I should not trust him. If we were still under the effect of that incense, I would probably trust him wholeheartedly, but he must have his reasons to take me here.

Maybe he is… no, he is definitely encouraging me to doubt him. Is it a test or maybe he wants to figure me out.

As I was talking to myself while enjoying the breeze, Neil started speaking to me.

"Now I'll talk about your condition and what you should do. Listen carefully as this will decide your path for the rest of your life."

Then I started seriously listening to him. 

"You have two choices, The first is to go back to your usual life. You might be able to live for sometime without much trouble. But you'd be wrong if you think that avoiding mirrors would save you."

He looked me in the eyes and continued.

"If you choose the first option, you will die. It might be today or it might be years later. But 'it' will take control of your body. You can see them in reflections or dreams. Even if you avoid reflections you can't avoid dreams. If you don't sleep you will die too. If you sleep then it will slowly take over your body." 

I gulped hard. I was completely speechless. 

"When it takes control of you, nobody will be able to save you. Even if you ask for our help later, we might be unable to do anything for you. Many have taken the first option."

"And they all 'died'?" I asked.

Without missing a beat or looking away, he replied.

"Yes. Once they take over you, 'Nightwalkers', the organisation I have been talking about, will hunt you. Unlike us they don't try to save the infected. They only try to nip it in the bud." 

I was terrified, if Neil was telling the truth and he was a part of this organisation in the past, that means he has killed many people… no 'infected'. 

I really can't choose the first option. I have no choice but to pick the second one. He purposefully told me the worse one first so I would choose the second. 

He has been trying to win my trust all this time but he is not a simple or an honest man. Good for me that I'm a bastard too. 

"Tell me the second one."

I asked, knowing completely well what it would be.

"Work for me."

He is manipulating me to join his force… and I don't have a choice. From his tone, if I work under him, I could be saved.

"There are people like you. People who became infected but learned to use their parasite's powers. You have already met two today. Me and Myra have been making use of our parasites to survive."

So I have to make use of them to live? But how? If he just tells me the way I will leave and be done with them. But I doubt it will be that simple. Maybe I'll be hunted down or maybe the method is very complicated and I will need their help. 

"Us 'Dreamers' have a principle. Save to be saved. If you use the parasite's powers then it will keep losing energy, thus keeping it in check. The 'Nightwalkers' work with a similar principle but our methods differ."

He kept looking into my eyes, as if he understood what I was thinking. He said with an innocent smile that was almost scary.

"Now choose, will you die or will you live?"

I had a stiff expression on my face. My mind was filled with only one thought.

I don't want to die.