Summer is finally here at last, which means I'm becoming super lazy!

Anywho, I really hate nightmares, especially when they become reality.


Night time would fall onto the kingdom and the MewMew Club would find themselves back at the MTT Hotel 2. Everything was nearly the same as they had left it before having gone to the arena, except Withern was gone. The group knew he was alive, given that no one found his corpse and the van he had rented was gone from the parking lot. As for where he went, no one knew. Everyone had tried texting him for an answer, but he never replied. Tulah and Hate worried something must've made him distraught as to take such irrational actions, it wasn't like him to never answer.

There was also a fish monster now guarding the gang with a spear, being one of their protectors assigned by Gaster. She was rather aggressive to say the very least, calling everyone punks and having an attitude that clearly elicits 'I can suplex a boulder with my sheer willpower'. The monster's personality was a bit too much for Agni, but thankfully she'd be sleeping outside the hotel room and guarding the door. No one was in the mood for her anyways, given how most of them were lost in thought or terribly tired.

Even Tulah was worn out, likely from all the experimenting she had been a part of recently to push for a new magical discovery. Hate had to drag her to a nearby bed when she passed out from exhaustion, Null was far too weak for the task. Thankfully, that'd be the only nuisance the humanoid had to deal with. Immediately after that, he was off to bed.

Hate took off the soul-reformed ribbon, Pat, it wore alongside its sword and phone embedded in its black mass. For a moment it checked its messages to see if Withern would reply, still getting no answer from the multiple messages it sent; each becoming progressively more aggressive yet desperate, before settling its items onto a nearby nightstand. The void-like being laid itself on the bed and pulled a blanket over its head.

Hate had a bad feeling creeping over as it drifted off to sleep. Given everything that has happened, tomorrow was sure to bring new headache-inducing issues. It didn't want to think about it.

What a shitfest today...Tomorrow I'll deal with it...

The world became dark.

And Hate was standing right in it, a void-like plane where the being stood.

In reaction, it looked down at itself and observed its now human body. It now had pale flesh and baggy, unkempt clothing, all of which were black. This could only mean one thing for Hate: it was in a dream. Its second one to be exact.

Something in its mind told the being it wasn't dreaming for no reason, otherwise it wouldn't be so hyper-aware of the desolate environment. The last time this happened, Hate had a sword near its throat in its sleep - no thanks to Betty. So why was the humanoid here again?

"Fuck, not this again..." Hate warily muttered and cautiously took a step forward. Apparently it made the wrong move, tripping onto the colorless floor from its foot caught and entangled by some sort of pitch-black tentacle.

The thing began dragging Hate back, and in a panic the being would dig its hands into the nonexistent ground. Unfortunately its actions failed to hinder the appendage in the slightest. Abruptly, it would then be lifted up in the air to hang upside down to face what it can only describe as a real mirror of its real-world self. The only difference was their facial features, which couldn't be seen with them facing away.

" Ah, finally, I can talk to you. About time I did once again." The reflection crossed their arms and tilted their head abnormally far back. Their singular, grotesquely constructed eyes stared right at Hate.

Sicko. "Y-You!" Hate, realizing it was in the depraved monster's grip, grabbed the vile tentacle coiled around its leg and tore away at the dark matter until it was released. It snarled and quickly scurried away until it was yards away from Sicko. If there was anyone it didn't ever want to see again, the copycat horror in front of it would be the one. "Fuck! I thought I killed you!"

Sicko's eye contorted into a grin. "And you did, but we're both the same being. Inevitably, some of my mass may have mixed up with your own mass during our 'squabble'."

"...What the hell are you talking about?" Hate wasn't following up with Sicko's words. Mixing up each other? The same being? It was absurd to the being, and honestly he could care less. What mattered to it was why they were here right now, in some nightmare-like void where only the two of them were. "Are you dead or not, you shitty copycat?!"

Sicko's grin dropped and twisted to a ticked-off scowl. "I'm dead. And who are you calling a shitty copycat? I want to be anything but you." They finally turned around, only to extend a claw out and give Hate the middle finger. "Besides, I'm far more superior than you in every aspect, asshole."

"Okay...? so, you're here to just insult me then? Feel better about yourself?" Hate scoffed, hardening its glare.

"No."

"Then what is it?" Hate hissed with impatience.

"It's about our existence." Sicko stated, pointing at Hate and themselves back and forth with one hand.

"Ours? I don't mean to ruin the whole surprise, but you came from a loox unlike me." Hate looked down at itself and its current non-voided body. It couldn't be like Sicko, remembering its encounter with them and how they were nothing but sadistic and violent. It wasn't like that, nor did it ever exist like them.

"But why did I come from a loox? And why do you exist?" Sicko drew closer to Hate, tapping their head as it approached. "There's not a single memory about your manifestation, your first thoughts, you don't even know why your body is...That disgusting thing." it pointed out, referring to Hate's human form.

"You went through my memories?!" Hate questioned, bemused.

"That is the least of your concern." Sicko dismissed with annoyance tinged in their voice. "What I'm saying is I have a lead to your question, YOUR dilemma. I know where we can start finding answers!"

Hate took a step back. It refused to believe Sicko was telling the truth. Whatever they were saying was clearly just an attempt to lure the now-human into some unknown trap. It couldn't take chances even if that wasn't the case, especially when they had looked at its memories without consent. Who knows what kind of knowledge they had against Hate. The feeling in its mind became worse.

But...It always wanted to know why it even existed, why it wasn't exactly a human or monster but instead a thing. Hate hadn't ever had any luck getting an explanation, and occasionally the being would end up with more questions instead. Not to mention Sicko had reignited its dysphoria, amongst plenty of other awfully things such as almost killing Hate's entire friend group, so it was naturally obligated to get some sort of compensation from them. Shamefully, the being still had to decline the offer. "You are the last person I want to get answers from, let alone get aid. Leave me be, I can figure it out myself."

Sicko's eye ridged and their body became still, unmoving. " Don't you believe in second chances? Think about it, Hate, I can help you figure out all you want to know. I can be your ally, a friend if you just trust me this once. You have a knack for recruiting."

"What else do you know about me?" Hate cautiously asked with hostility irradiating in its voice.

"As much as you know about yourself..." Sicko's voice became threatening and deep while they gave a piercing stare at Hate. "So I'll say it one more time: I can help you." It seemed like they weren't going to take no for an answer. Normally it would be a good idea to just accept the deal and be on a merry way, but Hate felt sick to the stomach the more they spoke. The now-human felt like it was backed into a corner, forced between two options that wouldn't lead to a favorable outcome.

"I don't trust you." Hate said while stepping back once more, taking its chances.

"Oh come on, Hate. You and I can figure out our past, why we're here on this godforsaken world." Sicko took a step forward in response, claws out for a handshake. Their digits were tense and twitching, animosity seeping through the creature. They were on their last straw. " Please, I want to help you."

"Fuck. Off!" Hate bellowed, its mouth and eyes leaking with black as it screamed. It was getting enraged by the cyclops' attempts at becoming 'friends', noticing their red flags and all. Like hell the being would dare get near someone so deranged and manipulative. It wanted to get out of here, it knew how crazy Sicko was, but it found itself standing its ground instead. "You think I'll just be buddy-buddy with someone like you, especially when you saw all my memories?"

"Of course not, but we can-"

"Figure out my past 'together'? I'm not an idiotic child...You're going to manipulate me, use my own memories against me like the sicko you are." Hate's words were naturally flowing with anger and rage. It wasn't even speaking from its mind, it just came out without thought as if its subconsciousness had taken over. It was surprised by its own defiance, in any other situation it would've turned and ran.

"I wouldn't ever do that!" Sicko shouted, arms out wide in outrage.

"Yes you would! Do you think you're the first?! I won't be taken advantage of again!" Hate yelled before it overcame with silence, huffing and wiping the black substance off its face. Those weren't its own words, ones it didn't want to say at least. This...Isn't the first? What am I saying?

"But you've never had anything like that happen to yo-..." The black beast closed their eye and took a deep breath before exhaling with a snicker. "I give up. Either way, I was planning on figuring out the truth myself." They opened their eyelids, eye now bloodshot, as they devolved into a vexed titter. "You somehow know what's going on here, don't you...? You bastard."

Hate wanted to run away, but it was frozen in place. It looked down to see its own legs firmly planted to the ground as if they had a mind of their own. it was paralyzed with fear, locked in place as it saw Sicko's arms and claws morph disproportionally huge. Shit.

"Well then, you had your chance to comply. Now I'll have to make you-" Sicko launched their arm straight at Hate, gripping its entire body and raising the being into the air. "-Give up your soul!"

They hurled Hate into the pitch-black ground, the impact breaking the surface and leaving the humanoid in terrible shape. It tried to get back onto its legs all while wobbling and gasping from the pain coursing through its body, but Sicko had just started their assault. With one swift motion, it was sent flying with a solid backhand from the one-eyed beast. Mid-air, they appeared right above Hate and kicked them down with no room to react.

While this was supposed to be a dream, the injuries Hate sustained felt real and painful. it felt its ribs broken and its body bleed from multiple sections, the fight had barely even started. This wasn't the same Sicko it fought, the now-human was alone and their abilities were refined. It felt something horrifying creeping behind its skull; turning around it saw the cyclops ready to grab and crush its head. ducking, it narrowly avoided the massive hand and lurched forward for a counterattack, punching the creature's eye.

The attack barely phased Sicko; in fact, they'd mock the attack and grab its arm. "Seriously. that's all you can muster? You really are just inferior! It's almost embarrassing that I have to take over you."

"Takeover?" Hate rasped in confusion. They want to control me? the world turned upside down and its body was flipped back down, face first. blood began pouring out from the being's nose as it felt its head grabbed and pulled up, paralyzed by the pain and too helpless to do anything.

"Yes...Although I excepted more of a fight. Pitiful." Sicko dropped Hate and placed their foot over its back. "You're weak. How in the hell did you ever beat me?" they leaned and applied more pressure on their step, watching as the now-human gagged in pain. "It doesn't matter now. I can continue what we're supposed to be made for, maybe find out why I was made."

Hate knew what was to come, it was going to override of its body and be used to Sicko's discretion. it could feel Their overwhelming presence, there was no stopping what was to come. they never had the intention to help the being, and while it made the right call, it had no power to retaliate. They knew.

"Now-" Sicko kicked Hate over onto its back and bent down to grab its hand. "-Give me control!"

Hate expected something to happen following the action, losing some kind of power in the process or being tied down by some unknown force due to an exchange in control, but nothing happened.

"I said...Give me control!" Sicko said once again, squeezing its hand harder.

Nothing

"I said give me CONTROL!" Sicko crushed Hate's hand, causing the being to yell from the excruciating experience. They looked down at Hate and saw them helpless try to de-latch Sicko's grip.

There was only silence between the two... Then anger.

"Wha- Why hasn't anything happened?" Sicko's pupil dilated as they released Hate's hand. "No! No! Give me control you asshole! Why aren't you?!"

"How the hell I'm supposed to know...?" Hate managed to force out through its broken and lack of oxygen.

Sicko wouldn't take 'no' as an answer. It released Hate and got on top of the being to begin wrathfully bashing away at its body with their fists. "You're lying! Give me what I want, you lying fuck!"

"I can't-"

"Liar!" Sicko continued to pound at Hate's body. For minutes this'd continue, beating up the now-human with as much force as they could muster until they couldn't anymore. The being could only endure, nearly passing out from the harm inflicted on its body. It was too weak to fight back.

But Hate saw something in Sicko's eye, through its own blurry, pained vision. They lost their spark, their eye progressively becoming less bloodshot and softening as they continued their abuse. Whatever rage the one-eyed creature had festered slowly turn to despair and devastation. Tears of black pain began to form.

Sicko couldn't accept that its own plan had failed, having thought there would be no complications. What was worse was how easily Hate went down, everything went accordingly up until the very end. It internally killed them to see they were unable to succeed when they seemed so close. It was just like their fight before they died.

Each punch slowly became weaker and slower while Sicko's words became broken and disillusioned. "I- I want out of here! M-my goal, our purpose, it needs to be -to be- t-t-to..." their arms fells against their sides and they raised themselves off of Hate, looking down at the being with tears pouring. "Fuck. You're not kidding, you can't give me control, memories don't lie- but don't understand why. Why do you not remember?"

Hate couldn't explain why to the deranged creature, not even it knew. "Remember... What?" It gurgled out, coughing out blood and black. The being would attempt to stand past the injuries its torso held, so many bones were broken and it was sure its organs had suffered damage too. Adrenaline was keeping most of the pain at bay.

"You really don't remember controlling someone? We all came from taking over a host, dense idiot. I was supposed to override yours!" Sicko clenched its claws. "But I can't and you didn't even realize! You don't even know why we were made! You just go around doing whatever like everything is a fucking sunshine!"

"This is about our existence?" Hate only had more questions than it originally did. It didn't know it came from someone else, but it also had no idea it had controlled someone - at least at one point. Right now was probably the worst time to get answers, but it was sure there was no better time than now, even with how hurt it was.

Maybe Sicko wasn't wrong, maybe they were the same being. Maybe it did control a host at one point, maybe it still did - the thought creeped it out. Neither of them really knew where they originated from, although it was left in the dark more than they were. They were so emotional about it, violent too. They didn't want to be here either, having aspirations as it did.

"You finally get that through your damn skull now?!" Sicko lashed out and placed their claws over their face. "Fuck! What's the point of doing this if I'm going to be trapped here forever and you're not even following our purpose!?

"Our...purpose?" Hate coughed. Just this once, it'd hear out Sicko. They might seriously have a lead to its origin, every bit of information could be groundbreaking answers to its own plight.

"Destruction." Sicko flatly revealed.

And just like that, Hate had lost any belief it and Sicko were the same being. It could hardly believe, again, that either of them was similar aside from appearances. "That can't be."

"Of course you'd say that! You don't remember a thing about yourself aside from what? Six months ago? The day after monsters emerged?" Sicko growled while wiping away their tears. "I'm talking to a brick wall who doesn't believe shit!"

"How the hell am I supposed to? You attacked out of nowhere, you nearly killed my friends, and now you just tried to take over me." Hate pointed out, putting a bloodied finger on Sicko's chest. It couldn't believe the audacity the cyclops had to complain right now when they weren't the one in a near bloody pulp. speak of which, it felt weak. Moments later it fell onto its knees, wheezing. "Maybe you deserve to be trapped here, you jerk..." God, this hurts.

"You think you have a right to say that? I'm not the inferior one going against everything they were made for!" Sicko snapped, angered and distraught.

"Yea, and I'm not the one killing and having no friends..! I'm not the blatant villain who fucks over people because of 'destiny'." Hate haplessly retaliated as it began to lay on the ground, the injuries becoming too much for its own body to handle. "Screw you, Sicko... I'll never trust you with everything you've done. I never was - nor will ever be - like you..."

Sicko said nothing for a good, long moment before a hopeless chortle left them. "Let's see how far that belief will go." Their tear-stained hands grabbed Hate by the head and applied an unbearable amount of pressure. "You're pointless!"

And then Hate would find itself back in the bedroom.

"Agh!" Hate yelled and shot up and out of the bedsheets. Heart racing and in a cold sweat, the being panned its eyes around the room to find itself back in bed. With jittering limbs, the humanoid crawled out of bed and stumbled its way to the bathroom, its stomach feeling awful. Its 'dream' felt too real, it could remember the pain it endured. "G-god..."

As it made its way out, there was that horrible feeling creeping up on it again. In reaction, it whirled around and grabbed whatever happened to be behind out of instinctual fear. Thankfully what it grabbed was nothing but a false alarm, being a patience wire from Pat, the ribbon on the nightstand. There was a glowing, cyan web attached to the wall behind her that read 'U k?'

I am so done with life... "Yeah, I'm fine, just a night terror." Hate released the wire and staggered its way towards the bathroom once more. "it's, uh, messing with me a bit. I'm going to run some water on my face or something."

Entering the tiled room, Hate closed the door behind itself. It approached the sink and collapsed onto the inanimate object, upper body hanging onto the white ceramic. Sickly, the being turned on the faucet and splashed some water on its face in hopes of calming itself down.

What happened was just a dream. Even if it was a dream, the experience to surreal and fresh in its mind from start to finish. It knew people could sometimes comprehend and remember parts of a dream or nightmare, but more often than not they forgot. Right now it was wishing it could forget, given all the agony it had to partake in.

But there was nothing to worry about now, the experience is over and Hate was perfectly fine - physically at least. It rubbed its face and looked up at the mirror to gander at its current state. The humanoid was still that same, trademark black mass everyone knew. At first glance nothing was wrong, no deformities or injuries on its body, however its eyes were a different case.

Three triangular dots on each gray eye.

Hate gagged and backed up, threatening to throw up at the sight. It had Sicko's eyes. THEIR DAMN EYES! What did they do to it? Were they still trying to take over? Well, that couldn't be the case if it felt perfectly fine, but why the change in appearance?

The being had a lot of questions until the last words Sicko said played in its mind out of the blues. 'Let's see how far that belief will go'.

Suddenly the situation made sense to Hate, but it could barely accept it. Sicko, itself, they really were the same kind of creature. Normally it'd play the cyclops off as a copycat, but how can it now when they somehow managed to alter its appearance? When they were somewhere in its mind? When they were lost in the dark almost as much as it was? When they keep referring Hate as 'inferior'?

Was Sicko really serious when they told Hate their purpose was to destroy? That they came from a host? To imagine itself as nothing but a parasitical killer was an unfathomable outcome, especially when it had friends and a near-normal life before it met Betty. The evidence was becoming too hard to push away, the mental brick wall it had placed was slowly breaking away. Its existential crisis was returning, it was mortified.

Hate needed a long breather. It stepped out of the bathroom and walked past its ribbon, Pat, to head out of the bedroom. "I'm going outside. I'll be right back." It told just so she didn't get any ideas of getting in its way.

Walking into the living room, the black mass expected no one to be awake at this hour, but fate had other ideas. It could see Mila and Milo fully awake and on one of the couches, murmuring to each other about god knows what. It had the displeasure to see the two of them lean forward for a kiss, which it tried to use the time to sneak out of the hotel room. Unfortunately, Hate forgot to account for the fish lady guarding the outside door.

"Where do you think you're going?" The fish-like monster asked with a snarky grin upon Hate facing her. Milo and Mila stopped what they were doing to observe the scene.

"Agh! fish person-" Hate gave an irritated growl, clenching his hands. It tried to plaster a smile, but it came out as an equally snarky expression as the monster before him. "I...um... Going to get something to eat...?"

"...I'm not buying that. Also, my name is Undyne, punk, not 'fish person'." Undyne deadpanned with her arms crossed.

"W-well, uh-" Hate stammered, trying to formulate a quick excuse.

"Did you say food, Hate? Me and Mila are feeling a little peckish, ribbit." Milo croaked, hopping alongside Mila as they both approached Hate and Undyne. "None of us have really eaten since that whole...tragedy. Can we join?"

Hate didn't expect its words to have some truth backing it up, especially since it was just throwing out some random bullshit, but the being would roll along. Its only complaint was that it was now forced to have company along. "Uh...You know what? Sure, if Undyne would believe me now and let us through." It said with a prickly tone aimed towards the bipedal piranha.

Undyne narrowed her eyes.


At midnight - right next to an ice cream parlor near a nearby road in Determino city - Hate sat down on a metal bench alongside it's friends...And Undyne. Unfortunately for the humanoid, the blue-skinned monster had to tag along due to the whole protection plan Tulah and Gaster had agreed on. It wouldn't dare say this out loud, but it utterly hated the plan, which only intensified when Undyne watched over it and its two friends like a hawk. On the bright side, they didn't go asking for ice cream and bought their own, unlike Milo and Mila.

Milo and Mila, of course, were sharing one cone, a combination of vanilla and pecan. Meanwhile, Hate enjoyed some rocky road and Undyne enjoyed some weird purple-colored ice cream it would rather not ask about. The treats weren't Hate's first choice, it leaned towards stuff that was actual food; like burritos or fried rice, but all the places pertaining to those choices were closed for the night. The parlor just happened to be open 24-7 for some strange reason, owned and operated purely by monsters. In fact, every place ran by a monster was still open - aside from ones that only had one person running it. Some monsters were roaming around at night too...

"Hey, Milo. If you don't mind me asking, what's up with monsters being awake so late?" Hate asked out of curiosity as it watched some sort of bat monster float by.

Undyne looked at Hate as if the being had brain damage while Milo casually explained, unfazed. "Well, we've been in the underground for hundreds of years, we're not really all that used to night and day cycles. Some of kinda like the night too!"

"Is that why you and Mila were awake, kissing like some crappy romance movie?" Hate lightly teased.

Milo lightly blushed. "That wasn't our original intention... We couldn't sleep out of worry. I know we're safe now, but we don't know where Withern is and those strange humans could come back any moment."

"Did you two check under the bed for monsters just in case?" Hate asked with a growing grin.

Milo bursted out into laughter while Milo groaned and rolls his eyes. "Monsters? Nope. Humans? Yeah."

"hold on, time out." Undyne declared out loud, making an 'x' symbol with her arms. She gave Hate a confused expression, a question clearly itching her mind pretty bad. "Why the hell are you speaking like you aren't a monster?"

Everyone looked at Undyne, perplexed for just a moment before relaxing and giving her an 'Oh, she doesn't know' look at each other.

"Cause I'm not." Hate simply replied.

"So you're a human?" Undyne concluded. " You, uh, don't really meet all the criteria for one."

"Not a human either. I'm Hate." Hate corrected with a prideful huff, only for it to twist to conflict. It was reminded of the recent 'dream' it had alongside its unknown past, which it had tried to forget at the moment. "At least that's my name...I don't really know what I am. I've tried to figure it out but I haven't gotten far and I've nearly died one too many times before I will.

"Oh damn, I didn't know! Uh- Am I opening a can of worms that I should've?" Undyne was a little wary of their word choice now, given Hate's somber reaction.

"Nah. It's just that lately a lot has happened. I feel like I have a lot of unfinished business, there's that tragedy, and recently I had a bad dream." Hate leaned back in its seat and took a moment to lick on its ice cream. It remembered when it was back in that pocket dimension it was trapped in, how they sulked in a dark cave for a minute about its friends and life. It wanted to figure out its origins... And maybe learn to be a little nicer. The humanoid would hate to die feeling like a jerk to its friends, it rarely ever contributed to the group. It was what possessed the being to pay for Milo and Mila's cone.

"With your relationship with Betty, there's bound to be a lot more issues soon. That attack was historically terrible!" Undyne muttered before taking a teeth-hurting bite out of her frozen treat. "I've tried to help as many civilians during it all, but I feel like I didn't do enough...Unfortunately, I just have to live with that pain."

"A friend of ours could use that advice." Mila quietly said, justice magic sparking out of her mouth. "I fear the event did a toll on him mentally.."

"Oh wow, it's rare for you to speak this much, Mila." Hate commented in awe.

"A lot is on my mind..."

Mila was rather emotional as well as emotionally sensitive, being a combination of integrity and justice made her opinions and situational awareness rather strong. There was no doubt in Hate's mind she had her own heavy baggage to deal with, especially if it was enough to keep her awake at night and talking. At least she wasn't the only one having a bad night. "Yea, I get it, don't stress yourself."

"Seems like someone's going soft, Mila." Milo mewed and pawed at Mila's shoulder, trying to lighten the mood for everyone.

Hate's face scrunched. Seems like someone's taking notice. "Don't get used to it. We've all been through a damn lot, I might as well give you all the liberty of being nicer by one percent at least."

"Awwww, Hate!" Milo hopped over to Hate and hugged the black mass, croaking happily.

"If I was any less nice, I'd punt you off of me..." Hate growled lowly with a tinge of embarrassment.

"I'll punt you if you try harming a civilian froggit." Undyne casually warned.

"Try me." Hate hissed, calling the fish monster's bluff.

"Hate, I wouldn't challenge Undyne of all monsters. She was the former leader of monsterkind's royal guard for a reason." Milo pointed out, looking up at Hate with a nervous glance.

"damn...I guess you get to live another day." Hate wasn't going to take chances, not that it was ever going to punt Milo anyways. It would never go that far, even as thoughts of its apparent 'true purpose' for destruction filled its mind again. It wouldn't dare become something like Sicko in the slightest, finding the idea of causing harm to everyone without prejudice an outrageous outcome.

Snap out of it, Hate. The possibility, even if it was small, kept haunting Hate and resurfacing no matter how many times it tried to shove it aside. That horrid feeling was crawling up its spine again.

Thankfully Mila's phone ringing was enough to keep its thoughts at bay for just a moment longer.

"Mila, your phone." Milo pointed out, to which Mila nodded and took out her device. Eyes widened, she gave an audible gasp. The froggit would move over to his girlfriend and look over her shoulder. His reaction was just as shocked. "Withern?!"

For real?! "Wait are you two waiting for? Answer it!" Hate rushed. Finally, the being and its friends would get some closure on the mohawked human's state. It had been searching for him for what felt like forever, this was an opportunity it couldn't have anyone wasting. However, while this was a great turn of events, that sense of dread remained in its head.

Why did it matter? Withern was back and that's all the humanoid cared about. With all the crazy stuff that has happened, it would take all the good news it could.

Mila answered the phone call. "Hey?"

"Mila."

Everyone recoiled from the voice on the other side of the phone. It was Withern's voice, sure, but it was...different. His voice lost all sense of emotion, deprived of feeling and replaced with a gloomy, straightforward undertone. It was enough to send shivers down anyone listening, casting over the crackling in the background.

"I-Is everything alright..?" Milo struggled past his initial shock.

"Our home..." Withern fell silent for just a moment, his trudging footsteps becoming audible and the crackling got louder...Until the sound turned to the dancing of fire.

"It's burning."

And with that, the call ended.

Mila dropped her phone.


Super Short Story!

Soul Corruption.

Welcome to the Soul Corruption entry. Before you read the information below, I must warn you that what you learn here is highly advised never to orchestrate unless you are fully aware of the drawbacks explained in the Consequences Entry. Failure to adhere to my warnings could lead to the potential destruction of innocent lives, both physically and mentally, and the possible destruction of our kingdom.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Now, with that out of the way, I should begin with the discovery of this wretched art. It is no secret by now that I do not possess the strongest morals and I'm willing to go to any length for the sake of science and research regarding souls. With such a mentality, I was bound to find new discoveries that most people would otherwise never find without the disregard for one's own perception of justice and integrity. I'm not above the use of living beings to push the boundaries of my ongoing studies, granted I ensured they all are of considerable grotesque crimes or have no relatives who would dearly miss them. And as such with any living being, they are prone to retaliation and rebellion.

One such mishap happened that led to this written text you are currently reading. It was a perseverance soul I happened to experiment upon, at the time they were rather defiant and aggressive. I had to make them stop if I wanted to proceed with altering their very being, so I did. It was a lengthy process to deter and disintegrate their willpower, considering they were so focused on getting out, but once I did something strange happened. I thought I had subdued them, for they were drained of their trait and nature, but I had done something far more than that.

I had irreparably turned them into something they weren't. To my surprise, their trait suddenly came back, except it wasn't truly their trait. Their soul was the color of perseverance, but it had become darker in color and the bearer had become the complete opposite of what had defined them. Aimlessness, senseless violence, lack of self-preservation, and bouts of pure mania spewed from human - if you can even call them that anymore. I was dealing with a shell of someone bastardized to something even I had a hard time comprehending. I tried ending their life altogether since they had become increasingly dangerous by the minute (I had never seen someone become so powerful in such a short time), but they ultimately escaped.

While I would never them again (and I pray none of you will either), they had left behind a considerable amount of black liquid from their body. Taking these samples, I tried to decipher what it was and its capabilities.

It was a mistake.

I found the horrible substance to be extremely aggressive when applied to humans and monsters, it makes the host unreasonably violent as if controlled like a puppet. They had no regard for their own lives and only sought destruction. Sometimes death wasn't enough to subdue them and their goal, at one point I had almost lost my life due to the unexpected resurrections.

If there is one thing I regret about all this, it'd be the spell I made to recreate the process of a soul becoming corrupted.

I call it the Inversion Spell.

It forcefully generates that hateful substance within the target's soul, stripping them of their identity and replacing it with something that completely opposes the host's original state. It has a 100% success rate, but your chances of surviving it are so low that none of the subjects I've used this spell on had lasted more than 5 days.

Heaven forbid any of you use this spell. But if there's some ungodly reason you need to use this spell, I've written out the process below.

.

Looking at the next page, you find the spell nowhere to be seen. Someone tore it out.


Notes:

•Hate and Sicko are the same type of being.

• I remade this chapter twice cuz I had no idea how I wanted the story to proceed.