Chapter 25 - Ghost In The Machine

*ding*

An alert rang out from the laptop. I slowly opened my eyes, wiping away the tears that blurred my vision. The background of the laptop had changed. What was once just a blue background had changed to a note with a black clover in the middle of it. It looked like it had been taped to the screen, but it was just a simple image. I dried the rest of my tears and began to read what the note said:

"This is not over.

Regardless of what the entity told you, there is more to the story.

Documents\Games\OneShot

Look for the clover.

Once it is active, please relaunch the program.

See you soon."

I was speechless as I read the note over and over again. This wasn't over…? There was still a way to go back…?

Niko's sleeping image flashed within my mind. If there was a way for me to go back to save her, I had to take it. I followed the note's instructions, searching through my documents folder and the "Games" folder until I found what I was looking for.

A program with no name and a black clover as its icon, similar to the program used to send me to the other world. I clicked on it and a black screen popped up. The only image present was that of a clover. I set the window aside and went back to the original program. I didn't what was about to happen, but all I could do was trust that the Author was actually helping me.

"Hang on, Niko...I'm coming...", I steeled myself and clicked. The familiar wave of exhaustion washed over me as I felt myself be transported back to the world. Light filled my vision until it was all I could see.

Eventually, I began to feel something. It felt like...wind. I opened my eyes to a bright blue sky and I soon realized I was standing in the middle of a wheat field.

Niko's wheat field.

This was definitely different than before. Did this mean...I was inside Niko's dream? The one that she was currently in as she slept in the Tower? I spun around, looking for any sign of where she could be among the golden crops.

My eyes landed on the blue waves of a hand-knitted scarf that flowed in the wind. Their back was turned towards me and they were walking around with strands of wheat held within their arms, but I knew who it was.

It...was her. It was really her.

"Niko...," I called out to her.

She stopped and turned to me. Her eyes widened as soon as she saw me. The strands of wheat fluttered to the ground as she stared at me in shock, her eyes beginning to glisten as we both just stared at each other. Before I had the chance to move, our surroundings darkened as the dream came to an end.

I awakened to feel the familiar wetness of the Tower floor. I shot up onto my feet and looked around. I had been laying next to the bed that Niko was sleeping in, who was also wide awake.

I reached out to grab her, but like before, my hand phased right through her.

She still can't see me...So that hasn't changed...

"...Hello?...Alan?" She looked around into the darkness as she hopped off the bed, "Was that you just now? I thought I...saw you in my dream."

I knew that regardless of what I said, she wouldn't hear me, but that didn't stop me from responding, "That was me, Niko...I was there..."

Her eyes darkened, "...Ah, guess you're still not here…" She stared down at the floor as she fell silent. I wished there was a way for her to know I was here, but I had no idea what to do. The Author wasn't exactly specific about what was going to happen when I opened that clover program.

I stuck my hands in my pockets and began to pace around, hoping to think of some way we could get out of here. I had barely started to move when I felt something in my pocket. Something small. I reached around and pulled out a black clover. I didn't remember ever putting a clover in my pocket...How did this get here?

"Wait...there's something in my pocket…" Niko mumbled. I watched as she also pulled a black clover from her pocket. She tilted her head, "I don't remember putting this in here…"

Just then, both of our clovers began to shine with golden light. Not enough to pierce the darkness around us, but enough to feel comforting.

"[...You're still here…]"

Niko and I flinched as the Entity spoke again.

"[...Niko, why are you still here?]"

Searing pain shot through my head, making me cry out and fall to my knees, "[YOU.]" I heard the Entity scream inside my head, "[Why did you come back, Alan?! I told you to stay away!]"

I fought against the pain and stood back up again, "You're not...keeping Niko trapped here. It's not going to end like this..."

I heard it growl, "[...you KNEW I tried to cut the story short, is that it? You want more out of me, is that it?!]"

"What I want is for this world to be saved!" I yelled.

"[This world doesn't DESERVE to be saved!]" It snarled, "[FINE. If you don't want to leave...I'll make sure you never do!]"

Bursts of static deafened Niko and I. The bed vanished before a door appeared in its place. I looked over at Niko. Her face was etched with confusion and worry, but she didn't seem to be looking at the door. Instead, she seemed like she was staring...right at me, or rather, the glowing clover in my hand.

"...Niko?" I said, wondering if she could see me now, but she didn't respond. I slowly moved the hand holding the clover around. Her gaze followed the light as I moved it around my body.

So she can see the clover, but not me...That's better than nothing, I thought as I tightened my hold on the clover and turned back to the door, Just keep following the light, Niko...We'll make it through this.

I moved to the door and pushed it open, making sure Niko was right behind me. Our environment instantly changed from the pitch blackness to that of a series of hallways that looked to be neverending. Cracks splintered across the walls, allowing for dark purple light to creep its way into the halls.

I had barely moved when I felt a pulse from my headache, but this one wasn't painful like the others. It just felt...strange. My vision soon blurred as the laptop came into focus. I panicked. At first, I thought I was pulled out of the Tower, but I stopped when I still saw Niko next to me, her eyes never leaving the light that emanated from my clover. I was stuck between two worlds, but the pain was absent.

I focused back onto the Tower and looked down at the clover in my hand. Static flashed across my sight before I saw that I was now holding a piece of paper. The clover from before was at the bottom right of the sheet, filling in a hole that fit the clover perfectly. Most of the note had been cut out, almost as if on purpose, but there was something written on it:

"Back then, I told you about the Entity as little as possible."

Was this...The Author? I focused back on the laptop window as I reread the note. The cut-out part of the note seemed to show which path for us to take, guiding us through these neverending hallways. I took a deep breath and began to walk down the path the note showed for us to go. Niko followed behind me. She must have guessed the light of my clover was important. Just as long as we don't get separated anymore...

Walking down the path the note suggested, we were brought back to the same crossroads, but the note in my hand had now changed:

"Apologies for that...I did not want to put the librarian in danger."

I was right. This was The Author. Whatever that program from before was doing, it was guiding us through the Tower. I silently thanked him, made sure Niko was still with me and kept following the paths the note showed us as I continued to read the messages that appeared every time we arrived at the crossroads again:

"This being has a habit of silencing the people who learn of its true nature.

Regrettably, I have seen it happen to dear friends…

...Ah, but do not worry. The Entity cannot touch you.

...Nor can it do anything to me.

I already left the world on my own terms."

I stopped as I read that last line. He's left the world? But, he delivered the laptop to me...Does that mean he was in my world now? Or did he leave that one too? I shook my head. I probably wasn't going to figure that out anytime soon, so I kept moving. The hallway brought us to a different part of the Tower. The corridors from before were gone, replaced by doorways which led to other doorways, but the messages continued as it kept guiding us:

"...I never meant for the Entity to exist.

But now that it is fully sentient, one thing became clear.

The Entity seeks death."

I shivered. I had already figured that out for myself. He had already said the Entity was the spirit of this world, but I still couldn't wrap my head around why it would want to destroy everything in the first place. I kept reading as Niko followed behind:

"Death to itself, death to the world…

...A relentless desire that manifested physically.

You have already seen the scars."

He must have meant the squares. They were almost like rashes you could get on your skin when you were sick, but these were doing far more damage to the people in this world than just a simple cold:

"Right now, the Entity is doing everything it can to impede your progress...

Stalling for even a few minutes…before you inevitably bring the Sun to the Tower's summit."

So we were going to make it after all! I couldn't help but let a laugh escape. We'd save this world and Niko will get home! As the message changed again, I calmed down and continued reading:

"That is where you, Alan, will make the final judgment for the world.

Of course, the Entity will contact you again there.

And when it does, it will trick you into shattering the sun.

This will end the world instantly."

Chills went down my spine. I knew shattering the sun would end the world instantly, but I didn't think the Entity would try and trick us into shattering it. I doubt Niko would be okay with letting this world die.

The next two messages were blank. It still guided us where we needed to go, but there was no message, only ellipses. Moving through another door brought the words back, but something seemed wrong:

"...no, no...it is not that simple.

I am sorry. I do not know what to do in a situation like this.

...But I think I have to tell you the truth."

The...truth? Oh, I wasn't going to like this…

The room changed once again. This time, purple panels lined the floor, like the panels back when we saved Alula. The note showed the panels that needed to be lit up. I watched myself walk across the panels, lighting them up, as I continued to read:

"The sun is the messiah's tie to the world.

As long as the sun is intact, the messiah remains trapped here."

Wait...what...?

"Shattering the sun may terminate this world, but…

...it is also the only way for the messiah to return home."

A ring sounded out as I stepped on the last panel. Light began to fill up the room, but I was too stunned by what I had just read. Shattering the sun...was the only way for Niko to go home…? That...that couldn't be right…

One last message appeared as the note began to fade away:

"I did not realize things could end up like this…

...please forgive me."

With that, the laptop, along with the window and the clover in my hand, vanished from my sight. I found myself standing against a railing, overlooking a grey clouded sky. At least...I think it was a sky. The weight of the Author's message finally hit me as I gripped the railing for balance. This world and Niko...we...I couldn't save both...? No...no, weren't we suppose to save both?!

I heard a gasp from behind me, "The lightbulb! Thank goodness it's safe…"

I turned from the railing to see Niko's back towards me again. The lightbulb laid at her feet, though its light had disappeared. She was silent as I noticed a few tears fall down her cheek.

"I guess...Alan isn't coming back…"

Right then, I pushed aside the dread that had started to build following The Author's message and slowly walked up to her. I steeled myself and spoke, "...Niko, I'm here."

She gasped and spun around as fast as a bullet. Her eyes were wider than I had ever seen them as she stared up at me, "...Alan?"

I caught my breath, "...You can see me now?"

More tears began to fall as she nodded. I could hardly contain my joy as I felt myself start to come undone, my own eyes beginning to sting before I fell to my knees as my own tears began to fall. Niko launched herself at me as we both embraced each other, tears streaming down both our faces.

"I...I-I thought y-you were gone…" she cried as my shirt became stained with her tears.

I tightened my hold on her, "...I never left you."

She looked up at me, "O-Oh! S-So that light...was you?"

"Yeah, that was me." I smiled.

"I was...f-feeling a bit scared back there. I t-thought I was alone..."

"I'd never leave you alone," I pulled her closer, "...I'm just so glad you're okay, Niko…"

"You too, Alan…"

We stayed wrapped in each other, taking solace in each other's embrace, until Niko leaned back, "Ah, we should probably figure out where to go now, and-"

The lightbulb suddenly ignited, bathing us in yellow light. We both stared at it in shock before Niko moved out of my grip and back over to the lightbulb, "The sun! It lit up on its own!" She looked over at me, "Guess I should pick it up, right Alan?"

I nodded, but I felt my gaze lock-on to the lightbulb as I thought back to The Author's message...about shattering the sun and what that meant for Niko. Before I had any time to let my dread take over, Niko picked up the bulb and its light began to grow brighter and brighter.

"Oh, not again…" I mumbled, before grabbing onto Niko. I held onto her as the light washed over us. Whatever was about to happen, I wasn't going to be torn from her again.