Chapter 1

Michael was swimming in the sea, riding on a dolphin while the sea-watered air blew through his black hair. On his right side, the girls were on the sandy beaches, wearing tight bikinis that left little to the imagination. Anne was playing volleyball with Tulip, scoring five-to-five against the redhead. She wiped her brow and walked to the palm trees. Its trunk lowered for the Thai girl to snatch a beer from the top, drink it, and resume the game. Laying on the sand, Luz sunbathed as Michael sailed past her. The Dominican girl shot up and waved vigorously, Anne and Tulip doing the same, blowing a kiss in his direction as well. The barbeque was cooking on the sandcastle grill, the pink skies illuminated the otherworldly Borealis, and the pineapple crabs scurried from the beaches into the seas (very trippy, to say the least).

This was all a dream. Michael knew it. How could he not know? The self-aware young man wasn't in Hekapoo's chambers, that's for sure, and why? Because nowhere would he ever book a trip to Fiji, nor did he recall bringing him and the girls to the tropical island itself. He also knew that the island didn't look like an acid trip, so that gave itself away instantly. To the young man, lucid dreaming was not unfamiliar territory. His training and discipline ensured that he differentiated reality from fantasy. Nonetheless, compared to his usual dreams, this one was far more pleasant.

Michael leaped off the dolphin and landed on the sand, shakily drying off like a dog out of the tub. The girls swarmed over, Anne kissing him first, her tongue swirling his own. Luz greeted next, and then Tulip. The redhead sneakily groped his ass for good measure. They led him to the picnic table as an octopus set up the dinnerware, pouring champagne.

"So, what do you think, Michael?" Luz asked with a caring grin, sitting down as the young man followed suit. "Is everything just how you want it? are you finally at peace?"

A strange sensation festered as Michael's blue eyes darted around him, drinking the exquisite steak dinner and the company to enjoy it with. Sitting opposite, Tulip held the tray as Anne picked up a knife. Her hands meticulously cut the large prime steak, giving Michael the first slice. Luz picked up a glass of champagne from the octopus, handing it directly to the young man. Eyeing his spread, everything looked amazing. As Michael was about to dig in, Luz placed a caressing hand on his thigh. The petite witch-in-training awaited his reply, the other two the same as they leaned forward. Their mouthwatering breasts in his view made it hard to think.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Michael finally spoke up, nodding. "Y-yeah, I am. For the first time in a long time, I'm once again at peace of mind, and nothing can ruin…" his voice trailed as he watched the world around him drastically change.

A voice echoed all around, vitriol dripping boldly.

"Michael Therman!"

"…oh, goddammit."

(Now Playing: "Asylum Demon" from Dark Souls Remastered)

Frowning, Michael sighed indicatively, lazily getting up. At the same time, the girls jumped to action, holding their ground and seeing what seemed to be the world ending. Everyone faced the ocean as the waters turned red like blood, the beach shook violently, and the sky turned hauntingly gray. Rising out of the red water was a monolithic and dark figure, the four's horrific faces rising slowly, staring from top to bottom. It was a man. A very demonic man, to be precise. His face and horns were shrouded in smoke, though his yellow eyes glowed like two bright lighthouses piercing through the fog.

The giant raised his right arm and thrust down, the girls dodging as his hand slammed onto the beach, grabbing a large handful of sand. Anne looked around and checked, making sure everyone was okay. Tulip and Luz accounted for it. Michael was absent as the three looked up in horror, seeing the young man struggling to break free from the giant's clutches.

The monolithic demon brought Michael close to his face, glowing eyes beaming down while snarling like an animal. "What is this I hear about you finding peace? Peace is for the dead, soldier, and a disgrace like you hasn't earn that yet."

"Oh, lay off it, dad. For the first time in my life, even since grandfather took me out of that hellhole of yours, I'm finally free from you. And with the help of the girls, I'm finding happiness and peace of mind," Michael spatted indignantly, glaring defiantly as the demon hissed.

"And just like your grandfather, those bitches poisoned your mind with a useless dribble of sentimentality and morality," Michael's father countered, smoke emanating from his jaws as the young man continued to wriggle out, to no avail. "I trained you to be beyond good and evil, Superman. Such insignificant emotions are beneath the perfect soldier I conceived. Like Prometheus, I will remold you from the clay, break you down, and you shall be what you're destined to be in this rudderless world."

Michael groaned and rolled his eyes. "You're still on about that Ubermensch crap? Face it, dad. That pipe dream was shot down when child services came. So, why don't you go and take your frustrations out on mom and leave me alone. It would be the first that miserable cow ever got anything from you."

Michael gasped for air. His father slowly clenched harder.

"Oh, no. Getting rid of me is never an option, son, and it seems that defiant attitude will be the first I need to beat out of you," the demonic giant led out a blood-curdling chuckle and opened his mouth, the young man motioning towards the unhinged maw of the beast. "You think you can just get rid of me? A few talk sessions and recreational exercises, and all go away. You can continue to deny it and find solace with your friends, but I'll always be in your mind, haunting the very precipice of your dreams. I'll always be hear reminding you of your destiny and the path you are meant to follow!"

The demon engulfed the young man. Michael screamed and flailed, desperately trying to crawl out of his throat as the monster swallowed him whole. The girls watched from the beach, screaming in horror with tears trailing their cheeks while Michael continued to struggle. And that's when everything went dark, and silence consumed him.

(Music ends)

Michael shot up from his slumber, sweat dripping from his forehead to his newly grown facial hair, and his body shivered, calming himself with deep breathing. Dr. Greene's exercises were enough to steady him despite being almost mumbo jumbo. The young man quickly darted all around, scanning his surroundings. Realization struck as he was relieved to be in his room, sunlight bleeding out of the curtains and piercing through the dark. He was in no mood to be isekai'd, though, and he had an inkling Hekapoo knew it. Regardless, such reassurance was not enough to quell his troubled thoughts.

What a nightmare.

Wait a minute? That doesn't make any sense. Michael mused while he settled back into the comforters. He placed an arm behind his head, his blue eyes narrowing to the ceiling in contemplation. You've had dreams like that before, Michael, but you never reacted so perturbed. Why is this one so different to you? You faced that son of a bitch many times, and although you've never been too superstitious, this seems too much like a premonition than a regular subconscious terror of the imagination.

Michael remained deep in thought when a soft moan erupted. He turned, and a young girl was lying peacefully on the right side of his bed. No, it was Luz Noceda. Her svelte figure snuggled up, slowly stirring in her sleep. All night, Luz had been with him, given that it was her turn on the wheel (the one that kept the girls from fighting). Even so, Michael was still on the fence about it, but he went along regardless.

They say sex is the best form of therapy, after all. Michael joked while recovering his bearings.

Luz slumbered through his outburst so hard not even an earthquake could shake it. Michael had almost forgotten the young witch-in-training was keeping him company, giving him the much-needed tender love and care for his recovery.

That's right. Michael forgot about that, too. It had been almost three weeks since that run-in with those soldiers. Since then, everything has been quite serene. Aside from the painful injuries and losing his kidney, the now relaxed young man was happy that the ordeal was over, his dearest friends safe and sound. The young woman smiled as Michael leaned forward and caressed her long, waving brunette hair trailing down to her caramel-brown face. Even in the semi-dark bedroom, her youthful and petite visage stood out, contrasting her adult age of nineteen. She was like a soft kitten that no one could resist petting as she twitched and giggled.

His gentle touch was enough to wake her. The young Latina's eyes fluttered open as she stood up, stretched her arms and backs, and turned to the young man with bedroom eyes.

"Good morning, big guy," she greeted, her cheerful demeanor exceptionally infectious as the young man accepted a peck on the lips. "I'm surprised you're up, and pretty early too. Did you sleep well last night? Had any good dreams? Maybe, ones about me?"

"Maybe…" Michael began, almost trailing while Luz eyed him.

Luz arched a brow, eyeing Michael perplexingly. "Are you sure? You have been tossing and turning a lot in your sleep, so if you want to talk about it…"

The young man quickly changed the subject. "Hey, wait a minute. Is that my shirt?"

Luz looked down, covering her was a white and red T-shirt, too big for her body. She chuckled and blushed, scooting a bit closer.

"Yeah, sorry Michael. After last night's fun, I didn't want to put my pajamas back on. So, I settle with your musky shirt as a substitute," she confessed, playfully twirling at his chest. "You're okay with that, right? You can have it back, if you want."

"Nah, you can keep as long as you want. I don't really mind," said Michael with a generous edge.

Michael pivoted to the side of his bed. The sight of his boxers still being on gave him relief. He winced and gripped at his throbbing side. It wasn't that it hurt; it was mostly a reflex, with Michael being able to shirk off the excruciating sensation. Strangely, he didn't feel quite as empty as he didn't before, almost like he still had all his vital organs intact. Phantom pains, probably, which the young man concluded.

Luz watched Michael, frowning as she reached over. His stomach rumbled before she could ask if he was okay, snapping the young man out of his consternation.

"Come on, let's get some breakfast. I'm pretty sure Anne and Tulip are already up as well, so let's greet the day together, shall we?"

Michael got up, and Luz followed, wanting the young man to carry her. "You're awfully affectionate today," he remarked, picking the young woman up princess-style in his arms, both smiling. "Any reason, or is this your way of hoping to get some extra beacon and eggs?"

Luz playfully blew a raspberry. "Of course, not. What? A girl can't be affectionate with her boytoy? I mean, it's not like I'm trying to keep you preoccupied and distract you, or anything like that," Michael rolled his eyes in response, her innocent façade not fooling him, simply laughing it off. As he marched out of the room, Luz suggested: "I've been thinking, Michael, but what if I get a crack on cooking again and make you and the others something special?"

Michael's jovial laughter faltered, a deadpanned glare replacing his smiling expression.

"No. Never again."

"Hey, I promise I won't burn the milk this time, and I'll make sure to not use the whole bottle of grease," Luz begged and pleaded, going so far as to use puppy dog eyes, her tone growing sing-song. "~Oh, please. big daddy."

"Please, don't call me that," Michael politely demanded.

The duo made their way down the hall, Luz refusing to relent as she continued teasing the young man, biting her bottom lip, much to his chagrin.

"~Okay. How about papa?"

"No."

"Ey papi?"

"Quit it."

"Daddykins?"

"Maybe."

"How about big brother, or onii-chan?"

Luz giggled and was finished teasing. Her cheek nuzzled against his chest as Michael had difficulty retaining his serious demeanor, a grim expression overshadowing him. That, and the apparent hard-on the young man had difficulty concealing in his boxers. It was a good thing, though, that the walk to the kitchen wasn't such a long trek. The rustic planks creaked from their combined weight with each step down the stairs.

Michael sighed. Hopefully, my agitated nerves will finally calm down with some food in my system. Afterward, I can put that horrendous dream behind me.

"Surprise!"

Michael spoke too soon. He entered the kitchen before putting Luz down; the young man stared blankly as exploding confetti and streamers fell from the ceiling. A large banner that read "Recovery Party" also fell open as the familiar brown bushy hair and red ponytail appeared. Anne and Tulip had jumped out and cheered in jubilee. Both were dressed casually, the former in her shorts and T-shirt and the latter in her leggings and green hoodie. Michael couldn't say where they were hiding, but those two sure made one hell of an entrance.

"What is all this?" Michael asked, eyeing Anne and Tulip before shifting to the decadent spread on the breakfast nook.

Luz comically jumped in front of his view, arms spread open with a giddy grin plastered. "It's your recovery party, Michael! You know, to celebrate your full-time recovery and surviving the horrendous ordeal a while back," she explained as Anne and Tulip interjected, standing side by side.

Anne nodded and smiled weakly, looking just as tired as the redhead. "Yeah, babe. This is all for you. With everything you've done for us, and the sacrifices you made, we'all thought this would be the appropriate gift. It took us from midnight to morning to set everything up, which is why I gave Luz my turn on the wheel to keep you busy," she glared daggers at Luz, a dark veil forming over her eyes before muttering through gritted teeth. "You owe me your turn and another after that one, Noceda!"

Luz nervously shrunk, evading eye contact.

"Anyways," Tulip jumped into the conversation, her chipper tone lighting up the awkward atmosphere. "With you feeling all better, and no longer requiring further stitching and supervision, what better way to give this whole escapade a proper sendoff than a party, right?" She lazily swung her right hand to the side and sighed in relief, Anne and Luz nodding in agreement, adding. "Not saying we hated nursing you back to health, but watching over you and making sure you get better was challenge in itself, I tell ya."

Michael crossed his arms, arching a brow. "Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad. It sounds a bit of a stretch to call it a challenge."

"Oh, really?" Tulip huffed, pursing her lip with a hand on her hip. "Remember the time when you tried going to the garage to fix up your grandfather's Cadillac instead of staying in bed and resting?"

Michael headed out of his room for the garage and strutted down the stairs. In his current condition, it is a herculean effort. It hadn't been too long since his incapacitation, but he had grown tired of lying in bed and needed to find a better way to kill time. And with the feeling in his right leg returning, what better way than doing a little auto shop? Turning right, Michael walked down the hall when a certain redhead stood in his way.

"Just where do you think you're going?" asked Tulip, eyes narrowing with her arms crossing her impressive chest, trying to appear authoritative.

Michael wasn't the least bit intimidated. "I'm going to the garage to fix up what's left of my grandfather's Cadillac car," he straightforwardly answered. "I might be able to get the old girl up and running again, though given that replacement parts aren't cheap, I'll probably have to Frankenstein her with some temporary stuff before getting the good stuff."

"Oh, no. You won't, mister. The doctor explicitly told you to do no menial labor until the stitching is healed up. We can't risk you having it burst open and dragging your ass to the hospital, again," Tulip pointed as she pointed upward. She goes full mom mode on the young man, albeit slightly suggestive at the end. "So, you better get back upstairs and go back to bed. If you're lucky, I'll come up there and give you some company, but that's only if you're a good boy, you hear me?"

Michael tilted his head, giving a half-shrug. "I'm pretty sure that's going to make my injuries worse, Tulip, and I've already finished watching One Piece, Sandman, and Season 2 of Invincible," he said, tone borderline sardonic. "Laying down and resting is not in my nature. I'm a man of action, and I've got to keep myself occupied if I'm going to get through this recovery period, or I'm going to go stark-raving mad. Besides, having been through a lot worse, I can handle a few…"

Michael walked past the redhead and stepped towards the door, one foot past the entryway before getting tased by an invisible fence. His body convulsed with each jolt, twitching, and wreathing. The comatose young man passed out on the hardwood floor; Tulip strolled over and almost skipped. She grinned smugly, staring down while Michael felt her face close to his by an inch.

"I installed a little security measure because I knew you'd be too stubborn to listen to reason. Sorry, handsome, but times like these call for some tough love," Tulip stated, kissing his cheek. She grew concerned as Michael wasn't breathing.

"Oh crap!"

With a moment to lose, the redhead got on her knees and began applying CPR on the young man. Her hands were firmly placed on Michael's chest, pushing down and breathing into his mouth, resuscitating him. In a few seconds, Michael sprung back to life, gasping for breath as Tulip was relieved, rubbing his chest while the young man groaned irritably.

"Did you really have to use such a high voltage setting?" Michael eyed the redhead as Tulip lowered her head, twiddling her thumbs while looking guilty.

Tulip then raised her hand, conceding with a nod. "Okay, sorry, I went a little overboard on the invisible electric fence. The thing has a bit of bugs to be worked out, but I was still able to save your life."

"Regardless, it's a miracle I survived a second near-death experience, I tell you what, and proves I can handle myself. On a sour note, though, because that voltage rattled my brain a bit, I'm still trying to recall the very concept of Arbor Day." Scratching the back of his head, his gaze shifted back and forth, everyone sharing mixed reactions, adding, "Now, refresh my memory, is that the holiday where we worship trees, or am I still out of the ballpark?"

That only made Tulip feel more guilty, her lips thinning while her eyes lowered. Anne interjected, hands on her curvy hips.

"Potential brain damage aside, Tulip isn't wrong and it's not just keeping you sedentary. Let me remind you of how frustrating it was keeping you eating a healthy diet, like that one time when we all went out for dinner, and I thought you were going to have a heart attack with what you ordered."

The local Golden Corral had reopened. Having been shut down during the pandemic, its doors were now officially available to the public as Michael didn't waste a single opportunity after seeing it on TV. On the other hand, the girls didn't know how to feel about such a grease trap, especially with the buffet they saw in the commercial. Nonetheless, having dinner out was better than staying in. Moreover, Michael was buying, so that's a plus for sure.

Anne, Luz, and Tulip stood in front of the grill area, sharing looks of worry and dismay as Michael happily ordered.

Reading the menu hovering overhead, Michael told the chef what he wanted, saying, "I'll have some skirt steak, some brisket, a little bit of that New York steak, couple of them steak fingers, and a cheeseburger."

"Please, babe. You need to order some veggies. Obvi, eating all that meat is totes not going to make you feel better, you know?" Anne insisted as she motioned over, touching Michael's chest while tenderly caressing his back.

The young man rolled his eyes, sighing. "All right. Fine," Michael began, pointing to the side of the buffet. "Could you put some macaroni and cheese on the side, there, too?"

The chef nodded and got right to cooking, slicing meat, and placing them on the hot stove; Michael's mouth practically started drooling from watching. Luz and Tulip groaned while Anne facepalmed, shaking their head at her lover's complete misunderstanding of her plea.

Anne pinched the bridge of her face with a grim expression and then eyed Michael before swatting her hand down. "A high protein diet isn't good for you, Michael and one with zero fiber is even worse. Also, mac n cheese is not a vegetable."

"Agree to disagree!"

Be that as it may, the meal was delicious. Typical since it was Carolina-style barbecue, the best in the south, Michael mused, but that's beside the point. Opening his mouth, he was about to deliver his rebuttal, but Luz beat him to it, raising a fork to his face in a lecturing manner.

"Oh, and let's not forget the time when you sneaked out of the house and we had to track you down to that karaoke bar on the other side of town," Luz recalled with puffed cheeks, her aggravated expression almost covered in pancake syrup.

The dive bar in the town's commercial district had a packed house, the busiest it had in a long time. However, it wasn't the mediocre food nor the cheap beer that caught passersby's attention; it was the newly installed karaoke machine. Flyers were posted throughout the mountain town, from stores to the campus university. "Karaoke Night at Dave's Fish Shack!" was printed, all in red and blue. In no time, everyone from all walks of life flooded in. That is the typical tone-death singer wannabe who couldn't cut it on American Idol. Luckily, everyone was too drunk to care for the horrid squaller.

When a confident black-haired young man caught wind, finding one flyer sticking out of his mailbox, Michael decided to sneak off before his housemates realized he was gone. A sense of Déjà vu washed over, but he immediately shrugged it off.

As Michael stepped on stage, the music started playing. The spotlight shone as everyone stared at the young man, waiting for the show to begin.

He grabbed the mic from its stand and held it closely to his lips, humming to the guitar opening and tapping his feet as the audience listened, following along to the familiar rhythm.

Rebel Rebel, you've torn your dress! Rebel Rebel, your hair is a mess! Rebel Rebel, how could they know? Hot tramp, I love you so! Michael was already halfway through the song, sounding melodious and unscathed. The young man sang to his heart's content as the crowd cheered, the boozehounds and cheapskates craning their necks toward the stage.

It was the most fun Michael had in a while. He enjoyed the sights and sounds as the adrenaline coursed through his system. Dancing on the black wooden stage, he knew he should have eased up on the air guitars and one-legged jumps, feeling his side pinching a bit. Still, the young man couldn't get enough of the applause. It wasn't that his ego inflated, though. The dreaded sense of ennui he felt started washing away. Sadly, the show ended when a large net flew over and engulfed Michael as he was about to finish, knocking him to the hardwood surface while he struggled to break free. The crowd gasped as three young women ran and surrounded the young man, glaring angrily and reaching a boiling point.

"Seriously, Michael?" Anne began, sneering irritably. Her toned arms picked up the young man by the legs, seemingly effortless to her nubile figure. "Do you have a death wish, or do you get off having us worry about your wellbeing?"

Tulip watched Anne chastise Michael, adjusting her glasses before moseying in front of the two.

The redhead grabbed the disgruntled young man's arms and head. "You two can bicker like a married couple when we return home. Right now, there are too many witnesses here, and we need to leave before we draw even more attention," stated Tulip, her tone strict and assertive.

As the two dragged the defiant young man off the stage, making their way towards the exit, Luz stayed behind for a bit. She turned to the audience and narrowed her eyes, her index and middle finger gesturing from her face to the crowd while giving them the evil eye.

"You didn't see anything, alright?" Luz threatened before motioning away, the audience watching flabbergasted as the witch-in-training chased after her friends, running so fast she almost dropped her beanie.

With no further argument, Michael's eyes cooled, waving both hands, "Okay, Okay. I get it. I'm sorry if I caused you so much trouble, and that I was so much of a pain," Michael apologized, combing his neck-length black hair in frustration. "I'm not used to staying in one place for a long period of time, and I guess I was just sick and tired of being trapped. Be that as it may, I'm a big enough man to admit when I'm in the wrong."

Anne lowered her arms to her side, placing both on his shoulders and nodding. "Well, I'm glad to hear that, Michael, and I also want to apologize for going overboard. You worried us a lot and we didn't mean to make it worse. The girls and I totes wanted to make sure you didn't hurt yourself, again, and we got carried away," Amile chuckled sheepishly, which was replaced with a smug expression. "Now that I think about it, isn't there something familiar about all of this? You know, a certain stubborn young man who didn't allow his guests to roam freely a while ago?"

"Yeah, I had that one coming, too," the young man said as Tulip and Luz leered the same way. You should have known this is karma getting back at you for turning your own house into a prison, Michael. With that out of the way, though, you got more pressing matters to deal with, but how?

Michael grumbled and pondered, feeling a headache coming on. At the same time, Anne, Tulip, and Luz brought over a box, the red and yellow wrapping held up to his vision. The three noticed his discomfort and decided it was the perfect opportunity to give him his present. Seeing this, he stepped back and reluctantly took the gift, shaking it to hear its contents like a curious child sneaking at his presents on Christmas Eve.

Anne shook her head and snatched it back, unwrapping the gift and meticulously removing the bow and paper. "Here. If you won't open it fast enough, let me save you the trouble. I know we gave you so much trouble, and God knows you almost gave all of us a heart attack, both at the hospital and still gallivanting to who knows where. So, for everything the four of us went through, Tulip, Luz, and I thought it would be appropriate to give you this as a way of making it all up, both for you and for me."

Tulip and Luz nodded in agreement.

Michael's eyes widened as Anne pulled out a pair of tickets and handed them over. The young took a peek and looked at the words printed on the two gold and black sheets of paper.

"You guys got me tickets to the newly built local arcade?" Michael asked incredulously, his blank expression hiding his internal excitement.

Anne threw the box away before returning, smiling sheepishly with her left arm rubbing the other. "That's right. It took a lot of mailing and box tops to go through, but it was worth it. And with you all up and about, I thought that after we finish breakfast, we could all go out on a date," she paused with a flushed face and tried her best to backtrack, stammering a little before continuing as she still was not used to saying such words. "Y-you know what I mean, Michael. We kept you here for far too long, and it is definitely starting to show. So, let's get you out of the house and let the memory foam mattress have a chance to forget you," Anne winked as Michael shrugged, smiling.

"I think I can get by with that, and I'll you up on that date offer to see where that goes next," Michael's teasing rendered Anne flustered, but as the room was filled with mirthful laughter, the young man retreated into his mind. A fun day at the arcade with your girls is what your disturbed mind truly needs, Michael. With all those games and lights being such a distraction, you can finally put that horrible dream to rest. Also, we haven't seen eyes or hair of anything unusual for a while now, so who knows? Maybe, for once, we'll have a normal day and not have to deal with any breaching weirdness.

Or, so he would assume, but his desire for a peaceful day will always be nothing more than wishful thinking. As he and the girls ate the breakfast spread and disposed of their plates, Michael proceeded to head to the showers and get ready, unaware that a new headache was on the horizon in the form of a silver-haired fox of a con artist and her skull-headed furball of a sidekick.

A/N: Hey, everyone. This is Kman134. I'm here with a new chapter of Intruders from the Other Side. Honestly, this chapter formed in my head slightly differently when contemplating, but I'll let you all be the judge. Other than that, this first chapter is a bit long and trippy, and it was meant to both be a time skip from the first volume and a recap of what happened around the time. There are times of pop culture references, along with some glimpses of Michael's father, mainly his obsession with the Nietzchean Unbermenschen as well. This chapter also shows Tulip having fully integrated into the Therman household and being accepted as a lover within the harem. Anyway, I hope you like it and tell me what you liked and hated about this chapter.