Tick tock

The sound keeps ringing in my ears, the sound I hear every day

Tick Tock

It's a calming sound, especially when there are only silence without it

Tick Tock

I get up from my bed, even though I never sleep. I never understand sleep.

Tick Tock

I walk to my workplace. It's quite close from here, only three steps. It's actually the only room besides my bedroom. Inside the room is a simple white room, with countless black dots. You can call this outdoor if you want, but I think such concept doesn't exist here.

"System On."

With the phrase, thousands of semi-transparent bluish green panel appear, floating in the air. I grab the one in front of me. I sort through the thousands of panels. This has become an everyday job for me. I never know what is it for or whose is it for. Although, the better verb for this situation is 'forgot'.

After a whole 20.000 Tick Tock sounds, I finish my work.

"System Off"

The phrase dissipates any remaining panels. I sit on the ground, staring at the only background this place have. There are no one here, except me. No 'days' here, as there is no 'sun' or other 'celestial body'. The panels said there is others place, but I never find them. The world is only full of black dots.

But, In this place, nothings feels boring. Though I forgot why.

I continue my pastime staring. I stare at the black dots, wondering why were they here. One particular black dots caught my attention. It was a little bit bigger than the rest, and it continues to grow. It's not really black, more like purple and black. It grows until I can clearly see it.

It's not a black dot. It's a gate.

From the gate, black substances keep pouring out, covering the grounds. I try to remember what to do when there are black things pouring into here, but nothing comes up.

"System On" I try to summon the panels, but there are no signs of them appearing.

I run to my room, it's my only option. I don't know why, but the black substances seem so dangerous, even though I can hear sweets words from it. Before I can reach my room, I see some weird, black things coming out from the gate, their yellow eyes and black antennae almost make me recall something. I enter my room, sit on the bed and waiting for anything to happen. The tick tock sounds are still here, accompanying me. The panels mention of things like this. It's called scared. But my hands are not trembling. I can still think clearly. But I feel dissonance, not really in control.

The darkness begin to seeps into the room, and before I can react, my body fall down, and my consciousness fade.

Ouch, my head hurts. Was I sleeping? What was I doing?

I open my eyes, somehow it feels heavy like it's my first time doing it. I try to stand, but quickly fall down. I feel my legs, unlike before. Do I have different legs before? My hand also feels uncomfortable.

My eyes begin to adjust to the light. I'm in a dark alley, surrounded by stone walls. It's my first time seeing it, but I recall I heard about it somewhere.

Ouch, my head hurts again.

After a while, I'm finally able to walk, although not really what you call walk. It wore like limping. I realize when I was walking (limping) I can feel my body 'weight' and I have things besides arms and legs. I have eyes, unlike the eyes, I remember to have from my memory, This pair is connected to a face. Yes, now I have face, I don't know how it looks, though. It seems to have all the part of a 'human' faces. I also can feel a bunch of fibers connected to my head. It is my hair, longer than I used to remember from the picture in the panel. It seems I now have the characteristic of a human body.

But the weirdest thing in my body is the lower part. I could feel a bulge under my white robe, and recalling from the information I know, I don't want to check it any further, at least until later.

Although I love to test my new body, a more important problem arises. I don't know where I am right now. There are weird buildings that resemble 'house'. This place seems to be a town.

I follow the alleyway and found an exit to a square. I can hear sounds of metal clashing from there. As it's the only way, and the sound seems to indicate 'combat'. I peek from the alleyway and found a big man with an equally big sword fighting a teenager with a huge key.

Key? Key... blade? Where did I hear it before?

I continue to watch the fight. The big man seems to be on the losing side. The teenager continues to push him, but he also seems to be tired. Maybe this is what the panels call 'inexperienced'.

The battle finishes with the big man kneeling in defeat, but the teenager quickly falls unconscious.

"Aw, you're slipping, Leon." A girl land near the big man.

"I went easy on him, Looks like things are worse than we thought. A lot worse." Leon stands up without any sign of exhaustion.

I try to get a closer look, but because of my new body, I accidentally bump the wall.

"Who's there! Show yourself!" Leon calls out to my direction. He already wields his sword again and slowly walking to my direction.

My body begin to shiver and sweat. Isn't this 'scared'?

Not knowing what to do, I walk slowly out of the alleyway and look at Leon and the girl, who is carrying the unconscious teen.

"Oh, it's just a girl. Be careful outside, there are a lot of heartless." Leon sheath his sword.

"Hatles?" I try to answer, but my 'mouth' is not very easy to control.

"Hmm, you're not from around here are you? I never saw you before. How about you, Yuffie?"

"Same. Hey, where do you come from?" The girl named Yuffie asked me.

"B-b-black d-dots, Wh-white s-s-sky." I try to get my thought across, but once again, my inexperience from 'talking' becomes a wall.

"Okay, come with me, you already saw him, so I guess we have to explain to you as well."

And thus, begin my weird journey. In this 'world' they call Traverse Town.