50
By: Aviantei
Act I: 50 Minutes/Abandonment
Scene VI: "They won't respawn here for a while."
Rhea knew lying around and sulking would just make her feel worse, but she lied around and sulked and let herself feel worse anyways. When she dragged over to the bed and flopped into the soft covers, the lighting dimmed down to a peaceful dark blue, just like it had done in Axel's room. A faint bruise had formed on her stomach from the Heartless attack. Roxas would heal their wounds at the end of the day, but he had skipped over that in his foul mood.
You'd think by now I'd know better than to leave my gut unguarded.
Her fingers poked over the wound, staring at the darkened sky across the ceiling. The clock broken, time slipped away without a way to track it. Could this whole event really take place within fifty minutes? When magic was involved, Rhea assumed anything was possible, but it still seemed hard to wrap her brain around.
"Well, the usual idea is to have breakfast in bed, but we do aim to please after all."
Madam had entered the room without a noticeable sound. Rhea jabbed her own wound as she sat up, grunting. The smell of pasta and alfredo sauce stirred up the dull thrum of hunger to accompany the fresh wave of pain. Madam balanced the meal tray on one hand and produced a small support table from the air, green fragments sparking at the edges. The featureless woman wasted no time in completing the setup, giving Rhea easy access to her meal.
Lunch in bed. Just as promised.
"Thanks, but you didn't have to," Rhea mumbled. Her appetite argued otherwise, so she picked up the fork. Less subtle in smell, pieces of chicken made the dish look all the better.
"Tut, tut, Dear," Madam scolded, not moving from her place beside the bed. "You forget that we have access to your idea of comfort here." Considering Rhea has seen its effects, it was a stupid thing to forget. Then again, with thoughts of Roxas, maybe it was the logical result. "I'm afraid I can't abide by a request to neglect someone. Not when their thoughts say otherwise."
Rhea grimaced as she chewed. As much as she could, Madam looked concerned. "It's fine. Just a bite of pepper," the girl lied, even though it was pointless. Sir and Madam had long since proved their ability to see into her mind. She couldn't tell whether to be relieved or terrified. "So no matter what, the things I really want will happen here."
Madam nodded, keeping her hands folded behind her back. "Yes. Within reason, of course."
So that meant that, no matter what she wanted, Roxas wouldn't appear here. The Fifty Minute Room could only help those inside with themselves. With that being the case, Rhea felt she would be inside for a very, very long time. And I went and ridiculed Axel like that. No, he had been a jerk about the situation. But then again, she had been just as bad back.
The hostess of the Fifty Minute Room stood by, not stepping away. Unlike her husband, her business must still have been by Rhea's side. Trying her best to follow the magic logic, Rhea put the pieces together.
I want company, I'm just being too insecure to reach out for it.
That had always been the case. When Rhea had been left behind by her friends, she went home and cried about it. A bit older, when plans had to be cancelled, she spent time by herself. The last time in the town with no name, she had ran away to the castle.
And now, so it followed a year later, Rhea's actions repeated once more. Being left alone meant the next stage was to abandon everything else, so it didn't hurt.
Roxas had stopped that the last time. But now—
Axel.
Rhea pushed tubes of noodle around her plate, eating half of what stuck to her fork. Meaningless patterns formed in the sauce before seeping shut. "You mentioned that we can't bother other guests as part of the rules, but Axel said something that we can't be perceived by them?" she chanced. "What does that mean?"
"Ah, the comfort algorithms." Madam tapped her fingers across her chin. "As you guessed, you have my company now because it's part of your desires. For others, some want and require solitude. For those that can withstand being seen, they will be, and those that don't want to be hidden. You will never encounter someone you don't want to, and the same will apply to you."
So if Axel really is pissed at me, I'll never see him again. What a comforting thought. But then again, she had seen others present, and there were a number of rooms in the hallway outside. She could, in theory, reach other people.
If she had the guts at all for that.
"This is in a way connected to the perception function," Madam continued, following a train of thought Rhea hadn't even realized she was having. "The Fifty Minute Room never turns away a guest, regardless of the current capacity." Rhea's own presence served as proof. "In order to prevent an overstimulation, not all guests are visible to you, even if they are present. If you were to enter a room, such as the dining area, but your perception of it were small, you would only see a number of people that could fit in that space, even if more were present."
"Right…" Madame opened her mouth again at the confusion, but Rhea held up a hand, the other massaging her temple. "It's okay. I don't need to know everything about this place. Thank you for trying to help, though."
Madame smiled with a small bow. "You're welcome, Dear." Rhea focused on eating the rest of her plate. The woman had to have better things to do than sit around and entertain her all day.
Figure out what it is you need and get yourself back together before Roxas forgets you, too. Got it memorized?
Rhea bit into her fork, sending a sharp sting up her molars. Never mind Axel being too pissed to see her. She might be too pissed to see him. Rhea scarfed down the rest of her plate, feeling the slightest bit of energy. "Hey, there's got to be places for entertainment in here, right?" No one person could pass all their time doing nothing, even wrapped in an aura of comfort. The urge to move would overcome them sooner or later. Madame nodded. "Which direction? I think I need to stretch my legs."
The hostess perked up at the request, gathering Rhea's dishes the second the girl dropped her now empty glass of apple juice to the tray. "Back towards the dining area. There's several doors. With your programming complete, you should be able to figure out which one is which easily."
No longer in danger of knocking things over, Rhea shuffled out of the bedcovers and hopped to the floor. Unlike Sir's sudden disappearance, Madam crossed to the door and, still balancing her meal set up, opened it for Rhea as she approached. Rhea nodded her thanks and headed down the hall, fiddling with the silver strings of her hoodie as she went.
Rhea's feet slapped against the stairs, and she almost slipped as the fresh trickle of blood leaked down to the sole of her foot. Her palm caught against the floor, but she managed to push herself around the bend and to the third floor. The halls looking near identical to those before them, Rhea prepared to run as fast as she could still manage.
Wait. You don't need to go any farther.
"But they'll still be coming after me." She mouthed the words more than she spoke them.
It's okay. They can't move past the staircases.
Rhea paused. It seemed unbelievable, but there hadn't been any sign of a follow-up attack. Using the nearby wall for support, she turned around, expecting to see an eruption of black limbs, waiting for the sting of pain. Neither came. Cautious, Rhea took small steps forward, boots still clutched in her hands and ready to swing.
Several minutes must have passed. Still no monsters, no death. Given she had followed the voice in the opposite direction she needed to go, she might as well trust the advice given. It was believe or become trapped.
"Okay," she agreed, though she didn't dare look down the stairs further. Whether the monsters were stupid or something about the castle kept them from advancing, Rhea didn't want to chance stepping into their range. "So which way do I go now?"
The voice remained silent, though Rhea's ears popped.
The girl kicked at the floor, wondering if the voice just needed a moment to figure out directions. The floor scraped at the bottom of her foot, and the sting of pain from the cut in her leg resurfaced. Rhea swiped her palm against the wound, blood sticking to her fingers and soaking into her pant leg. The cut was shallow, and the flow had already stymied. It would need cleaned to avoid infection, but she'd otherwise be okay.
Rhea rolled up her pants midway up her calves, ready to put back on her boots, but stopped. Running around without proper support didn't bode well, but the footwear served as the only weapon she had. Wearing just one would throw off her balance. Not willing to go without some form of protection, Rhea sighed and hefted her boots up in one hand.
The girl's voice hadn't spoken again.
Rhea focused on double-checking her surroundings.
Like her precursory glance, the hall did look identical to the one below it, down to the one-way staircase Rhea had come up. Lit torches hung from the walls, but lacked any smell of smoke or burning. There were no windows from her position. It would have been nice to have a clue of how deep into the building she was, but there were no distinguishable landmarks.
Well, the girl said someone up here would help me get out. Assuming it wasn't a lie or that Rhea hadn't hallucinated the whole thing. No, she needed to stay positive. But who the heck would come into a place like this? There's no way someone lives here. Not with monsters all over the place. Rhea hadn't even come across a proper room once. This castle just appeared one day. What in the world is it for?
If she had had those answers, she wouldn't be standing inside now. She would have found another way to disappear. Rhea shuddered at the thought and stepped forward. She wouldn't find anyone by just standing around. And on the off chance that more monsters passed by, she at least didn't want to be cornered between them and the ones on the floor below.
Rhea kept her right hand to the stone wall as she walked, boots dangling from her left. She kept her steps quiet and once again paused every so often to listen. Now that she knew what dangers were in store, she wouldn't get caught off guard again. She would make it out of this, no matter what.
Her idle thoughts on what she would do when she returned home were cut off by the sound of a shout. Rhea jumped and pressed her back against the wall, eyes flicking to both ends of the hallway. Nothing appeared from the corners, but a second shout came from the direction Rhea had been heading, followed by a crash. She couldn't tell what had been hit or where, but something had made an impact.
"Haaah!" When Rhea focused, she could make out the tone of voice to be tenor. Furthermore, it didn't sound afraid. Another triumphant shout echoed down the hall. Was it the boy the voice had mentioned? Curiosity and hope overrode any doubts, and she sprinted forward, following the growing racket.
Is he…fighting?
Fighting was the correct word for it. Catching up to the source, Rhea recoiled at the sight of several of the black creatures came into view, one the same shape but much bigger than the rest included. Facing them down alone was a boy swinging some sort of sword. A broad swing knocked several of the creatures out of the way, then he focused on one, striking it until it disappeared.
It had vanished.
Gone up in fragments of darkness.
The boy didn't stop. With another shout, he did the same to another monster before catching several of them in the following swing. The largest monster took the chance, swiping its claws at the boy and catching him in the side. Rhea gasped; the boy grunted and returned the hit, even as the smaller ones surrounded them.
Rhea tried to move, to swing her boots again in what little help she could muster, but her feet refused from fear. She tried to shout a warning, but her voice did the same.
It didn't matter. The boy retreated a few steps, then started up his assault again. If the monster's strike had done any damage, the boy didn't show it. He kept fighting at the enemies, taking them down one by one. Rhea stared in awe.
The voice had been right; the boy could help her get out of the castle.
But what's he doing here in the first place?
That didn't matter so much as what he could do for her. Rhea decided not to ask him, so long as he wouldn't ask her. It didn't seem like a pleasant conversation on either part. Her hope cracked as the largest monster got another hit in, this one sending the boy down and rolling across the ground.
The dam in Rhea's throat broke free. "Please! Get up!"
The boy's eyes shot open, leaving Rhea stunned by their vibrant blue. The remaining monsters noticed her, too, torn between going after their downed opponent or new prey. Rhea stepped back towards her exit, but didn't regret her choice to speak.
The three remaining smaller monsters stepped towards Rhea. The boy moved faster.
His weapon—was that…a giant key?—flashed in the firelight, clanging into the nearest monster and scattering it into darkness. The next monster met the same fate. The large one, which had never abandoned pursuit of its original target, swung at the boy's back. He turned to dodge. The last small monster besieged Rhea, who stood ready.
The satisfaction of the impact left a grin across the girl's face, even if the monster didn't disappear like the others. She couldn't do much, but at least she wasn't entirely dead weight. The monster took another shot at her, and Rhea retaliated in kind. The larger black creature continued to swing at the blonde boy, but was stopped as he snuck in multiple strikes under its guard.
The large monster went up in darkness moments later, and Rhea knocked her enemy across the floor. The blonde boy wasted no time in defeating that one, too, and soon it was only him and Rhea in the room. They both caught their breath, staring at each other, in disbelief someone else existed in front of them.
The boy's stern expression from battle cracked as his eyes flicked over Rhea's leg. "You're hurt!" he said, crossing the room to her in seconds. "Sit down. I'll treat it."
Unsure of what to do, Rhea stammered, "B-but the monsters." You knew things were a mess when fighting made more sense than actual human interaction. The voice from earlier, being disembodied, didn't count.
"They won't respawn here for a while," the boy assured, already leaning down to attempt to look at Rhea's calf. "Please, let me help you." Overwhelmed by the fussing, Rhea sat down, heat burning at her cheeks.
This is dumb.
But he really is kind.
For a moment, nothing happened, though the boy mouthed silent words. "Cura," he whispered after a few moments, and a green light washed over Rhea. When it faded, her injury had closed and she felt much lighter, like she hadn't climbed for several hours to get to the castle before running for her life inside it. The boy smiled. "There. All good."
Rhea nodded like an idiot, not sure of what to do next. She needed to get out, but it would be rude to demand something like that. Did she need to introduce herself? Did it matter? Just what was she supposed to do now? The voice from before didn't have any input to the situation.
"Thanks," she decided on. A smile formed on her own lips without thinking about it. "I couldn't even hurt those things, but you took them out like they were nothing. You were amazing." She didn't even consider how her words could sound like empty praise to gain his favor. She was that impressed.
The boy grimaced a bit. "Ah…not really." Rhea looked away. Had she said something wrong already? "I just have the right tools for the job is all." That made sense. Comparing a boot to…whatever kind of sword he had been using didn't seem fair. Speaking of the weapon, it was already gone from sight.
Rhea decided not to ask. She'd experienced enough strangeness for one day.
"But how'd you get up here?" Rhea stiffened at the question. "I mean, I know I cleared out the lower floors, but there still should have been some Heartless…" The girl relaxed, realizing the boy had meant inside the castle, not getting up to it. That made much more sense. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. I shouldn't bug you like that." He cleared his throat, then offered a gloved hand. "I'm Roxas. Thanks for helping me."
Rhea let out a self-depreciating laugh before she could stop it. "I'm sure I wasn't much help." She tapped the side of her discarded footwear. "Boot warrior here can't do much here."
"You still tried," Roxas insisted, and Rhea looked at him. Really looked at him. Aside from his hair and eyes, which both stuck out as a rare dash of color in the castle, he was skinny, though a black and silver hoodie covered most of his physique. If she had to guess, he was close to her age, though the rounded edges of his face made it hard to tell. "You could've just used me as a decoy and moved on, but you didn't."
She couldn't read the emotion in his voice, though it sounded an awful lot like hurt. Saying that she had been looking for him seemed to be the best option, but also would lead to awkward questions. Strategy had never been Rhea's strong point, even less so when referring to the social variety. So she put those thoughts aside the moment, and said what she thought she should.
"I'm Rhea and…thank you for saving me."
[Avi's Notes]
Things seem to be moving smoothly.
Thanks to everyone who read this story in the past week. You guys are truly the best.
Next Scene: "Of course it's blank. Now stop making such a ruckus."
Please look forward to it!
-Avi
[09.18.2017]