Same White Wall

He woke up to the same white wall. Same white ceiling. Same white floor. The only window in the room was above his height and it was boarded shut with planks. He couldn't remember the last time he saw the sun, let alone a shimmer of light. He even forgot his own face in the pure darkness.

It's been two days since they locked him up. But to him, it was like two years.

Strangely, since being thrown into this cell, he hadn't had to satisfy the need to eat, use the restroom, or even take a shower.

"Please… let me out! I beg you, please!"

He'd gone mad from loneliness and helplessness. During the day, he would just stare at the wall, doing absolutely nothing. At night, he would scream at the top of his lungs, falling asleep while crying.

"Please! Please!"

Four days have passed. Still the same wall. Ceiling. Floor. Boarded window. Metal bars. Nothing in his life has changed since then.

Today was his ninth birthday.

With his dull and lifeless eyes, he looked at the ceiling. He wished his mother were there; he always loved the special cookies she made for his birthday.

"I'm tired… Please, let me out."

Four months have passed. And without a doubt, he'd truly gone mad. Sometimes he would wake up from his sleep laughing like a maniac. Sometimes he would make sounds even he didn't understand. He had finally lost his sense of reality and time.

As a result of this, he became more and more paranoiac. In the darkness, he could feel that he's been watched by some entity.

"Soul," whispered someone from the shadows, "Soul."

"My name – My name isn't Soul. Not Soul… what's my name?" He banged his head on the bar. "What's my name?"

Shadows left his question unanswered.

"What was my name?"

"Soul."

"Soul?"

He suddenly burst into laughter while ruffling his hair.

It's been just shy of one year. Night and day had merged into one another; the senseless words reverberating within his mind had ultimately fallen silent. He no longer wanted to live – but at the same time, he didn't want to die either. He felt like he was in a weird limbo.

His eyes were half open, no emotion or life was behind them. He wasn't happy, angry, sad – just empty.

"No, don't go there," yelled a little girl from outside, "it's forbidden!"

"I'm just going to pick our ball," said another girl, probably six or seven years old, "don't tell my mom!"

"Be careful!"

He opened his eyes in excitement. It was his first time hearing someone other than himself for so long. It felt so strange – so strange that he couldn't believe what he just heard was real and not his imagination.

"Help… please, help me!"

His heart pounded with renewed hope after hearing the voices outside.

"Huh?"

"I'm – I'm here! Please, help!"

"Hello? Anybody there?" The girl's voice was getting closer and closer. "Umm…"

"Please!" he banged the walls with his hands. "I'm here, can you hear me?"

He tried to remove the boards covering the window but failed. Ignoring the pain in his hands, he reached once more for the stubborn boards, determined to make himself heard.

"Must be nothing…"

"No, no!"

Outside, the voices grew fainter as the children moved away, leaving him once again enveloped in suffocating silence. Despair washed over him like a tidal wave, threatening to drag him under its crushing weight.

Tears stung his eyes as he sank to the cold stone floor, his body racked with exhaustion and defeat. The fleeting glimpse of hope was cruelly snatched away, leaving him stranded in the darkness once more.

"Soul." voices in the shadows were laughing. "Soul. Soul."

"That isn't my name. Shut up…" He was crying, eyes red.

"Soul."

"I'm…" He rested his head on the bars. "I'm tired. I've had enough…"

"Actually," said the girl outside, "I think I might've dropped my necklace by the cabin. You go, I'll catch up to you!"

"Okay, Ruby," answered the other one, "don't be late!"

"Got it!"

With an indescribable happiness, he rose to his feet and headed toward the window once again.

"Hel…"

"Psst," whispered the girl outside, "are you… stuck in there?"

"Oh –" He smiled. "Hello? No, they threw me in here! Please, please get me out of this place!"

"Who threw you there? Who are you?"

"My name is –" He didn't know his name anymore. "Soul. I'm Soul."

"Everyone here is named Soul. What's your 'real' name, you dummy?"

"I… I forgot."

"You forgot your own name?"

"Hey – is it day or night outside?" He asked in a desperate manner. "I… I don't know anymore. I lost track of everything… everything!"

"It's… day. Are you in the basement? I can see a boarded window."

"Yes, I'm in the basement. I also can see the window you're talking about. Can you… can you somehow remove the planks?"

"Not without tools, no. My dad taught me a few things about carpentry and stuff."

"Please, help me anyway you can. I'm… I'm sick of this place!" Soul's voice grew more desperate.

"Okay – I have to go now, my friend is waiting for me. I'll come back to you at night."

"No, no. Don't go, wait!"

"I'll be back, don't worry."

"I'm – I'm so alone. I can't take it anymore. I just can't!" His voice cracked, a mix of fear and loneliness.

"I won't leave you alone, Soul. Like I said, I'll be back."

"I…" He nodded his head. "Promise?"

"Promise."

On the same evening, twenty minutes after the frogs started to croak, she visited Soul and kept her promise.

"Hey, I'm back." She knocked on the boarded window. "Are you sleeping?"

"No. No I'm not."

"Okay. Give me a few seconds. I'll get rid of the planks."

"Thanks, please do."

He heard metallic tools hitting on the planks. Ruby was trying her best to remove the screws nailed into the boards.

The only thing Soul was able to focus on was the window. His hands and legs were shaking in excitement.

"So," Ruby said, "how… old are you?"

"Nine. You?"

"I'm eight."

A small chunk of plank got broken by Ruby. But it wasn't enough to let the light in; his cell was still in total darkness.

"Why are you there? Did you do something bad?"

"No. I swear I haven't done anything."

"Hmm, is that so…" She wasn't convinced.

With a strong pull, Ruby removed a big and rotten plank. It was sufficient to allow the light to enter.

With the dim light illuminating his cell through the opening, Soul lost control of his legs and fell down to the ground. He smiled through tears, disbelief washing over him. He never thought this day would ever come.

"I can see…" he covered his eyes with his hand. "So bright! I can see!"

"One last – plank…" Ruby used all of her power and removed the last plank from its place. "Phew. It's done!"

Behind the small and square window, he saw Ruby. She was a petite girl with brown hair that cascaded down her back in gentle waves. Her hazel eyes sparkled with curiosity and kindness, framed by long lashes. She was probably smaller and shorter than others her age.

Ruby kneeled down and looked at the cell Soul was in.

"Hey," She smiled, "nice to finally meet you, Soul!"

He woke up in sweat and could barely breathe. The first thing he saw was the white wall of the room.

'Nostalgic.'

Without disturbing Lilith, he got out of the bed and sat on the chair. He couldn't recall what kind of dream – or nightmare he was having. No matter how hard he tried, he just wasn't able to remember it.

It was still dark outside, maybe darker than before. Only some buildings had their lights on and 'Golden Pussies' was one of them. Apparently, it was a widely-known and well-maintained brothel.

"Ugh --" Lilith woke up, rubbing her eyes. "Soul?"

"Lilith? Did I wake you? Sorry."

"It's fine." She sat up on the bed, stretching her arms. "Still dark outside, huh?"

"Yeah. We probably slept for like two or three hours."

She yawned and adjusted her hair, her movements sluggish with sleep.

"You back to normal yet?"

"Hmm?" Soul looked at her with his boring eyes. "Normal?"

"I'm talking about the charm that girl put you on."

"I'm good, it's gone now. Thanks for asking."

"Yeah, becau..."

Suddenly, a woman burst into the room. She looked just like Soul; same age, dead and lifeless eyes and emotionless boring face. Also, part of her blonde hair was covering her left eye.

She was short, maybe only a bit taller than five feet. But despite her slender build, she had big breasts that would make every man turn their heads to her.

"Your sister's been worried about you, Soul," said the woman, "what happened? I sensed something bad."

"How did you find me -- nevermind. Look, I'm good. Was charmed by a Nierman-blessed student. It's gone now, You probably sensed that."

"Charmed? You mean you were dominated?"

She was clearly ignoring the Demon Queen.

"Let's… call that 'charmed'. I wasn't dominated by anyone. She accidently used a charm spell."

"Uuh – I got questions," Lilith intervened. "first of all – who are you?"

"Soul." she answered.

"Okay… what's your real name?" she pressed.

"Liana. Or Liliana, I use both."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Lilith."

"The name 'Lilith' is forbidden because of the Demon Queen. You have a bad name, friend." she said with a boring voice.

"Yeah…" Lilith smiled. "That damned bitch, demon, am I right?"

"I was just kidding." Liana closed the door behind her. "I know you're the real deal. Soul told me about his plan – his plan to resurrect you."

"Oh, really?"

"Demon Queen Lilith… What are you going to do now? Destroy Gum'n?" she gestured out the window. "Take your revenge on us, humans?"

"Eh, just wanna tie up some loose ends." She turned her head toward Soul. "I'm not sleepy. Let's go see your sister?"

"Sure." He got up from the chair. "Lead the way, Liana."

"By the way – how did you sense something was wrong with Soul?" Lilith inquired.

"How?" Liana looked at her with a flat expression. "Because Soul is mine."

"Hmm…" Her expression grew serious. "Yours, huh?"

KCO. This two-story hospital boasted an entirely Dierman-blessed staff, each endowed with the divine ability to wield powerful healing spells granted by the goddess of Beauty herself.

Within the snow-covered grounds, a small garden in front of the building lay silent. Its once vibrant flowers were now dormant beneath the wintry blanket.

Soul saw two people having a conversation in the garden. One was Ran Hyun-Ki, and the other one was a woman in her twenties. She had crimson hair and her body looked a tad bit muscular. Her left eye was fully white; the scar starting just above her eyebrow and extending down to her cheek signaled that she had been blinded by a wild beast in the past.

"Only a Nethrax?" She shouted. "And you're this much hurt?"

"But, Sis –"

"Don't 'but' me, Ki. Are you kidding – is this a joke? Instead of getting stronger, you're getting weaker by the day!"

"There were more than one Nethraxes and I was…" His voice was a lot quieter compared to her. "They caught me off guard."

"Ah just… Get out of my sight." She pushed Hyun-Ki with her shoulder. "Get stronger for the next Family Match. I won't be losing the next one because of you again."

"But…"

"If we lose this… I'll have you disowned, Ki. You are nothing but an obstacle for our family. Father agrees."

"I…" He couldn't say anything. Just watched his sister walk off.

Lilith, walking behind Soul and Liana, quickened her steps and catched up with the woman. They were three or four feet apart from each other.

"Hey, you," Lilith called out to get her attention, "were you there when the monsters attacked?"

"Huh," Hyun-Ki's sister paused mid-stride, turning to face Lilith. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yes. Were you there when the monsters attacked? Don't talk so low of your brother, that boy tried his best to hold his ground."

"What are you doing?" Soul whispered with his boring voice. "Don't blow our cover, Demon Queen."

"Oh, you are just heartless, Soul." She shifted her focus to the woman. "Would you have done the same thing, whatever your name is?"

"Ran Ji-Hye. And yours?"

"Lili –"

"She's Lily, my cousin." Soul joined the conversation. "Sorry for all the trouble we caused, have a good night."

Ji-Hye ignored Soul, "You talk so sure of yourself as if you were there, Lily."

"Maybe I was. Answer my question, Ji-Hye. Would you have don…"

"I don't answer questions to those beneath me, Lily. Weak should know their place and let strong protect them."

"Weak? That's funny coming from you." Lilith laughed. "You're trying to pin all the blame on your brother for losing in the Family Match… or whatever that is."

"That's enough. You wouldn't understand it."

She turned her back to hear and kept walking.

Ran Hyun-Ki bowed down as a thanks to Lilith and went behind her sister. While all that argument was happening, Soul realised that the staff of KCO was watching Lilith and Ji-Hye in the windows with curious eyes.

"Come on, Demon Queen." Soul said quietly. "Let's go."

"You're right… Let's go."

But as soon as Lilith's sentence ended, Ji-Hye threw a fireball spell at her. She wasn't able to dodge it and had to tank the damage. To anybody but Soul's surprise, she wasn't hurt – even her clothes were still in pristine condition.

Ruby, Soul's sister, opened her third-floor window. Unlike her younger days, she had very short hair in a pixie cut style. The area under her eyes was black due to tiredness.

"Soul? What's going on?" Ruby asked. "Are you good?"

"Get inside!" He yelled in a monotone voice.

"The spell didn't work, huh?" Ji-Hye smirked. "Just as I thought."

"Sneaky," Lilith softly grinned, "so honourable."

"Soul, come inside!" yelled Ruby.

This time, Ji-Hye threw a fireball spell at Soul's sister from the window. It wasn't a direct hit, as she only wanted to get rid of the 'annoying girl'.

When Soul heard Ruby scream in pain, something inside his mind got broken. Like millions of mirrors were shattered at the same time. And in each and every one of the mirrors, he could see different reflections of himself in that cell.

Black branches rose under the ground and held Ji-Hye in a still position. Something was off in the air – it felt disturbing whatever that is.

"I…" Soul's dead-looking eyes were half open. "I remember my name."

Some of the black branches wrapped themselves around Ji-Hye's neck.

Whispers, barely audible at first, began to weave through the air, gradually gaining strength with each passing moment. Alongside the unsettling murmurs, a piercing, siren-like sound echoed through the sky. Amidst the cacophony, the once peaceful symphony of nature was shattered by the terrified screams of animals.

And as if from the depths of their nightmares, uncanny figures flickered at the edges of everyone's vision, vanishing into the darkness whenever they dared to meet their gaze head-on.

"I remember my name."

"What is going on?" Ji-Hye tried to use a number of spells but didn't work. She was still stuck and wrapped around the branches tightly.

"Sister!" Hyun-Ki tried to remove the branches. When that didn't work, he unsheathed his sword. "What is that? Who's doing this?"

"Everyone, get inside!" The hospital staff were trying to keep things under control. "Don't panic."

Liana smacked Soul at the back of his head and made him pass out. She was so nonchalant about it, too, like this just was a normal Tuesday for her.

Black branches disappeared into thin air and Ji-Hye was released.

Everything went back to normal as if nothing had happened.

"Up we go." Liana picked up Soul and put him on her shoulders. "Let's visit his sister -- 'Lily'."

"Oh –" Lilith nodded her head. She was in awe. "Yeah… let's."