Parallel Worlds, My Fault Apparently (Chapter 1)

"Rhea!" shouted Inoue in the most delightfully irritating tone possible. "I'm so glad you're finally back!"

Rhea rolled her eyes but smiled on the inside. "At least one of us is. I begged the parental units to let me stay in Holland but-no. I had to come back for worthless education."

"Speaking of worthless education…" Rhea put her hand up.

"Are you going to make me tutor you? I JUST got back!" She put on a serious face.

"I know, I know! But finals are almost here and I got so behind without you! Please, please, please!?"

"Okay fine! Just stop, okay? Let me get back to my book…I'll see you at your place after_"

"Oh! Yeah, my place is…uh unavailable right now-"

"Unavailable how?!-"

"-But yours is okay right? Because-"

"Uh NO. It really isn't-"

"-Because! You said you would help already! So, I will see you at your place!"

"Don't walk away from me Inoue! I. Am. Your. SENOR!"

"Thanks again Rhea!" Rhea sat both irritated and amused. The truth was that she, on occasion, actually enjoyed her company. Her parents were good friends with her brother Sora and since his passing Rhea and Orihime had stayed close. Rhea was not the affectionate type however and was often annoyed at her childishness. Despite this she did care for Orihime and had silently vowed to be there for her since her brother could not be. With this in mind she rushed home to make her disaster of an apartment accessible for a study session.

Orihime's jaw dropped as she entered the once clean apartment. Stacks of organized chaos lined every available wall. The furniture looked to be moved into a spare bedroom so as to not get in the way of this new interior design. An 8x8 space had been created in the middle of the room and a small espresso colored coffee table sat lonely accompanied by only two small pillows on the ground. Through the archway one could see the disaster that was the kitchen table. It was an emulsified horror of wires, chips, springs, buttons, gears, dials and other bits of matter. The monster sat, straining the table with its weight. The archway itself was surrounded by wires and switches as well.

"You've…uh. Redecorated?"

"I tried to tell you." She replied matter of factly. "I worked on the plans for this experiment the entire time I was gone. Life is meant to be lived, not overthought!" Rhea sat at the coffee table and beckoned her over with her hand, eager to get started.

After only an hour Orihime could no longer control her curiosity.

"What is all this anyway?"

"Na ah ah!" Rhea replied scoldingly "Off task! Not what you came here for."

"Come on! Let's just take a little break. Tell me what's going on!"

Rhea was in no mood to waste time arguing. "Fine. But then we go for the next hour and a half without interruption. Understand?" Orihime nodded her head excitedly.

"I was studying supernatural phenomena in Holland. I drew up the design for what I think is a teleportation device to the other side." Orihime looked at her blankly.

"Like heaven?" Rhea rolled her eyes.

"To make it easy for your small mind, yes. I have reason to believe, based on my research, that there are worlds parallel to ours. All it should take is the right amount and kind of energy to open a hole to them."

Orihime froze mid-sentence, her curious smile fading as the atmosphere in the apartment shifted. The hum of the devices and wires seemed to grow quieter, as though the room itself were holding its breath. Rhea's neck prickled, her instincts screaming at her before her mind could catch up. She glanced at Orihime, who sat wide-eyed, her face pale.

"Do you feel that?" Rhea asked, her voice a tense whisper.

Orihime opened her mouth to answer but could only point a trembling finger toward the kitchen archway. Rhea followed her finger, her stomach dropping at the sight of the towering figure emerging from the chaos of wires and circuits. The creature's body was a grotesque red, its skeletal white mask stark against its stringy black hair. Its hollow, glowing eyes locked onto Orihime with an unsettling intensity.

It tilted its head, its voice low and guttural as it croaked, "Orihime."

Rhea didn't have time to question how it knew her name. The creature lunged, its clawed hand crashing down where they had been sitting. Rhea grabbed Orihime's wrist, yanking her into a roll as the coffee table splintered under the impact.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Rhea demanded, dragging Orihime behind a stack of equipment. Orihime's breath came in short gasps.

"I-I don't know! It shouldn't be possible! Did your—did your device—"

"Oh, so now it's my fault?!" Rhea snapped, peeking over the edge of the equipment pile. The creature snarled, swiping at the stacks of parts, scattering them like leaves in a storm.

"You said it was for teleportation!" Orihime shot back.

"To parallel worlds, for us to go! Not to bring something here!"

The creature slammed its fist into the floor, the force shaking the room. Wires sparked and the lights flickered, plunging the room into a series of erratic shadows.

"We need to get out of here!" Orihime urged, her voice cracking.

Rhea shook her head, her mind racing. "You think this thing is going to let us just walk out? We need to figure out how to stop it. Is there anything about this that rings a bell for you?"

"No!" Orihime's voice broke with frustration, tears welling in her eyes. "I've never seen anything like it! I don't even know what it is!"

Rhea's analytical mind kicked into overdrive, scanning the room for options. Her gaze landed on a half-finished device sitting against the wall, its exposed wires sparking faintly. An idea began to form.

"Keep it distracted," Rhea said, her tone sharp with determination. Orihime stared at her in disbelief.

"Distracted?! How am I supposed to—"

"Figure it out!" Rhea interrupted, already crawling toward the device.

The creature growled again, its attention snapping back to Orihime. She stumbled to her feet, raising her hands defensively.

"Uh, hey! Over here!" she called, her voice trembling but loud. The Hollow turned, its glowing eyes narrowing. It lunged toward her, and Orihime dodged, narrowly avoiding its claws as they slammed into the floor.

Rhea reached the device, her hands moving quickly. She rewired a capacitor and twisted a few loose components into place, her movements precise despite the chaos around her.

"Just a little longer!" Rhea shouted over her shoulder.

"I'm trying!" Orihime yelled back, scrambling to keep the creature's attention without getting caught.

With a final twist of a wire, Rhea completed the makeshift weapon. She held it up—a crackling metal rod connected to the device by a thick coil.

"Hey, ugly!" Rhea shouted, standing tall. The creature turned toward her, its hollow eyes narrowing. "You're about to be real sorry you showed up in my apartment."

As the creature lunged, Rhea jabbed the electrified rod forward. The energy surged, striking the Hollow with a deafening crack. The creature shrieked, its body convulsing as arcs of electricity danced across its skin.

"Now, Orihime!" Rhea shouted.

Orihime didn't hesitate, rushing forward and grabbing a loose panel from the floor. With all her strength, she slammed it into the creature's head, sending it crashing into the wall. The impact caused the wiring around the archway to spark violently, and with a blinding flash, the creature vanished.

The room fell silent except for the crackling of damaged wires.

"What… what just happened?" Orihime whispered, trembling as she looked at the now-empty space where the creature had been. Rhea collapsed onto the floor, her chest heaving. "You tell me, Sunshine. That was your supernatural crap. I just build things."