Hi! Let me drop this last one!

*Drop this*

See ya next week!

"Did you know it's possible to have the right passion, but have the wrong expression of the right passion?"

- Steven Furtick

"What's with the glum face?"

One of the locals asked her when she went to the city to gather things.

"Yeah, sure. Let me tell you about how I found a magical greyscale world that is actually a library and a girl is there! There's also this, talking wall that is said to be the "leader of this world"! Oh, and did I tell you that said girl proclaimed she's the only real deal and I'm just her dream!?" The Wanderer found herself panting as she found out she's been shouting as she writes her journal.

Currently, she's inside the cave entrance to the said world. Bonfire close to her, her only source of light besides the torches she placed around.

She checks the time on her watch and it's around noon now. But the idea of lunch doesn't interest her.

Should she go now or not? That's what she's been asking herself for a long while, from morning actually. She was arrived early in the morning and set changes there, and was about to march into that world when that thought came in.

"Uggghhhh… I don't like these kind of situation…" She speak to herself, poking the bonfire on process with stick.

Fire…

But as if the world is forcing her hands as the bonfire suddenly dim.

"Eh, hey hey! Don't you dare go off with me!"

Even as the Wanderer tries to rearrange the sticks, the bonfire runs out of its fire.

"Great, just great." Letting out a loud groan, the Wanderer decides that it's time to do what she'll do.

Walking along the rocks that form a road, the Wanderer easily made its way to the door.

This is it, no turning back this time…

But when she holds the knob, the thoughts come back to her.

Dammit, stop that!

Psyching herself up, she finally turned the knob and got inside the world.

And when she was greeted with the darkening hall, she immediately picked up the pace and straight up approached the door, almost looking like teleported in front of it.

"You've finally come, my child."

I was hoping to not talk to you. That's what the Wanderer wants to say, but decides to hold her tongue. Instead, she just managed to smile at the structure as genuinely as possible, and wave at them. "Sorry for not coming sooner, Rex. I got a hold by some… inconvenience."

"My child. There's no need to avoid your real reason. For I already sense your trouble." Ego Rex revealed.

Then why-! Grumbling, the Wanderer decides to stop the act, "What do you want, Rex?"

"For you to realize that I heard all your answers. And…"You have mistaken. You have failed."

"What?"

"You have failed. You failed to restrain Es. You have strayed from the right path."

The Wanderer felt mixed feelings now. Anger. Confusion. Sadness… Guilt.

"... Is that all?"

"Even though I am in disagreement, I cannot object to your choice. For your choice is yours alone."

"You can't change what happens now. Heed my last warning before you continue your path:"Walk the road unbending. Walk the road unbending." And the structure disappeared.

Click*

As the Wanderer walks in, she can't help but remember one of the lines in the books she reads.

"Hope cannot be eluded forever."

"Hope…"

"I've been waiting. I wanted to see you."

That's the voice the Wanderer didn't hear many days ago.

Her eyes quickly went to the source of voice and…

There, behind the counter is the girl she didn't see for quite a while.

And the said girl is staring at her, her book left on the counter.

She wants to smile at the girl. Tackling her with many questions plaguing her for days.

But her guts tell her to stand down.

"I'm feeling quite good these days."

"Uh… huh."

"The more I think about it, the more I come to think I'm right."

Oh… Then that means-

"That Façade is nothing but hot air, when it comes down to it. See, I'm the only one here, in this world. This world, everything in it… It's all me. Even the Façade. All me."

Throughout her speech, the Wanderer was quiet. But her face was expressing sadness, for all she knows, Es' beliefs got worse.

"They're a monster born of my guilty conscience. Even you must also be a figment of my dreams. Aren't you?"

"You're wrong." The Wanderer answered, but unable to follow her words as she can't think of the reason yet.

"You're very critical for a dream. Like that Façade."

"Alright, I can take it calling me as a dream. But would you not compare me to that structure?" Annoyingly, said the Wanderer.

And for a while, for a moment, it was like before, the Wanderer goofed and Es… smiles…

Before it goes back to the present.

"Dream or not, I do enjoy your company. A precious dream… that voices my thoughts."

The Wanderer gave up pursuing her for this moment and just let out a sigh.

"Well then. See you when you save up more EGO…"

That's different. "Won't you give me any test?"

Es halted for a moment as she was about to pick her book. "Hm? A personality test?"

"Yeah. You give me a test every time I come after from outside?"

"Ah, yes… That's why you're here, after all." Es realized. "You wander about here, searching for yourself. Such is what drives you, my own, dear dream."

"Keep talking like that. Cause I really like it." The Wanderer grumbled without moving her mouth, the result became a muffled growl.

"There will be no more of that."

"Eh?"

"Why should there? It's all just a farce. I am what I am. That is the only truth. Come back again when you have more EGO."

"I-" But when the Wanderer noticed that the girl was already actively ignoring her. Given the sign from days ago.

The wanderer felt… sadness. But not only that, but a hint of… anger?

I… I need to clear my mind.

Without a word, the Wanderer straight up goes to the Record room, finding herself slamming the door in process.

As the door closed, she couldn't help but slide her back against it as she sat down. If the situation is different, she would have snicker at herself for the act, but right now it's different.

"This day will be interesting alright." The Wanderer mumbled to herself.

Later…

"Hey." The Wanderer called to the girl who lazily raised her eyes to meet hers.

"Hm." The librarian hummed, her silver eyes going back and forth from Wanderer to her book.

"Eh, something wrong?"

"It's an odd thing, but I can't read anymore."

"You? Can't read?" The Wanderer spoke in disbelief. "You're the librarian here. No way you can't read."

"That is true. But my eyes scan the words, but they don't reach my brain. It's hard to believe I used to read as easily as I breathe."

So she does know the words, but her brain seems to deny it?

"Now, I only keep turning pages out of boredom. How could this have happened? I don't understand it. If I really try to read, it's as if the words are dancing around the page. All I see are letters. Words have no meaning."

Why do I suddenly feel like that news is far from good?

"Any contemplation of the meaning, or attempt to combine the letter. And I forgot the letters I had tried to read. I can talk, as I am doing now… But my mind is buzzing."

"It seems many things are going through your mind."

The girl nods in agreement. "I guess. Words manifest in droves and then disappear. It's like a meaningless, free thought exercise."

Es sighed, then looked at the Wanderer with a glint of interest in her eyes.

"Do you think… I've gone a bit mad?"

You have no idea how much I want to say you are. That's what the Wanderer wants to say. But her mind paused for a moment and contented to go with-

"Beats me."

"You neither confirm nor deny... Because you'll be revealed as a fool?"

Ouch.

"I… desperately… want to destroy… I can't suppress my impulses. Even you… Even now… I still want… to…"

The Wanderer can't help but gulp at the statement. Don't get her wrong, she can stand up for herself, being the Wanderer she is, she does learn how to fight and defend for herself. But it does make you uncomfortable if someone actively says they want to harm you.

"Relax. I will refrain. One enemy is enough."

"So you see me as a possible enemy?" The Wanderer said sadly that the initial thought of friendship reduced to becoming a possible enemy.

"Like I said, relax. Come back when you're in possession of more EGO."

"But-"

But the girl is avoiding her again, even though she pokes the girl multiple times there's no response.

And that sensation came back again, the mix of sadness and anger.

With a huff, the Wanderer decides this is not worth it and leaves the librarian in her own world.

"Fine. See you soon Es."

This time instead of going to the Record room, she decides to go to the hall instead.

On the other side of the door, the Wanderer pulls her bag close to her face and screams. It just doesn't feel right for the Wanderer to openly scream if certain someone knows she's there. So she tries to reduce the volume by muffling it.

"I don't like any of this. Not one bit."