Ryuji looked nervous to tell me what he wanted me to do. I reassured him that I wouldn't judge him for whatever job he wanted me to do.
Ryuji finally spoke about what he wanted me to do. “Clouds. I need you to head to the clouds."
“The dollhouse?”
"Look, a friend of mine went there, and I haven't heard from him since then, and I'm worried in case something bad has happened to him, so could you please check it out?”
I expressed that I needed more information.
“My friend started going to Clouds eight days ago, and ever since then, he’s been acting really strange. I tried asking him if he had family working there and was trying to get them to quit, but he just remained silent.”
“Okay, how am I going to recognize him?” I asked.
“He’s medium height, not got a lot of muscle, short black spikey hair... Oh, the skin in between his thumb and index finger is a tattoo of a dragon.”
“That should be enough.” I left Ryuji with my car while I headed over to the clouds. All I knew about Clouds was that it's a dollhouse and the incident that transpired there in 2077.
Arriving at Megabuilding H8, the place was heavily watched over by Tyger Claws. I walked into the elevator and pressed the cloud button on the elevator’s display.
Getting out of the elevator, I was greeted by a neon sign saying clouds, but the door was labeled "closed.”
I thought that they would be open 24/7, but it turns out I was wrong. With no other option, the nearby bench was calling my name, so I decided to take a nap, as there was nothing else at the moment that needed my attention.
Some time later
I woke up still feeling tired and with bad neck pain. I looked over at the door and noticed that the closed label was gone, suggesting that it was open. I make my way inside, walking past pictures of male and female dolls before arriving at the front desk.
“Welcome to Clouds. Where we know what you're looking for. Would you care to place your hand on the scanner?”
The receptionist was blue-haired with tattoos all over her arms, in the style that Tyger Claws has.
Before placing my hand on the scanner, I had a few questions that I wanted to get off my chest about this place.
“So, how does this work? You give me a menu, and I get to pick whatever one I want.”
The receptionist replied back, "No, the scanner creates a profile that will find you the doll you are most compatible with.”
“Fine,” I said, placing my hand on the scanner.
“This will be a live session, so please keep in mind that events may take a certain turn. But don't quit if you feel uncomfortable; you may miss out on something truly remarkable. In case you’re uncomfortable with what may happen next, you will have a safeword that will interrupt the session at any given time. So? What will be your safeword?”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
I struggled to think of something generic until it hit me: “Afterlife.”
“Now bear with me a moment. Scanning your personal profile... You should see compatible dolls on the monitor to your right.”
The monitor displayed the names and faces of each doll, slowly disappearing one after the other until I was left with one. Someone called Persephone
“Interesting...”
“What is it?”
“You’re matched with Persephone, who’s a VIP doll. Could you give me a moment?”
The receptionist left to make a call, and a short while later she returned, “Sorry about that. We’ve never had this sort of issue before, but you’re free to continue. Now for the payment. And you'll venture off into the clouds.”
I handed over the number of eddies that were required.
“Thank you. Here is your VIP card. Persephone awaits you in booth V5. Please remove your hand.”
I removed my hand and started to make my way into the VIP area before the receptionist yelled out,
“Ahem. We have a very strict no-weapons policy here at Clouds. Please deposit any and all hazardous items with me.”
With much hesitation, I handed over Eve and Ivy to the receptionist.
“Thank you. We hope you enjoy your stay.”
I approached the VIP door, and after a quick scan, I was granted access to the VIP room. Walking upstairs, I spotted the room labeled V5.
Before I entered the booth, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for what lay ahead.
As the doors opened, a black-haired woman with red lipstick and brown piercing eyes was lying on the bed with one hand on her head and the other on the bed sheet.
“Hi. I'm Persephone. And you must be...Leo?”
“Max. Just Max; no one ever calls me that name.”
Persephone began slowly approaching me.
“So, Max, you’ve had one busy life so far. A former member of the Almano crime family, Knight Rider, a key figure in the Arasaka bank heist, is now mixed up with The Patriots.”
“How do you know all this?” I asked,
Persephone started walking around me, lightly caressing parts of my body. “At Clouds, we know everything there is to know about you. Your deepest desires, who you are, and what you are seeking... Come. Join me on the bed.”
I followed her instructions and lay down beside her.
“You need to relax; take time for yourself. When was the last time you truly relaxed?”
I couldn't think of the last time I relaxed. All I've mostly done was either killing or acting out in a fit of rage.
Persephone continued in her calming yet soothing voice, “I want you to close your eyes and relax. Eliminate all thoughts of killing and anger from your mind. Focus on my voice. Let my voice suppress all the anger you have been building up.”
While she was saying this, I felt a hand around my stomach, then slowly moving down.
“Hang on! As much as I appreciate what you're trying to do, I'm not here for sex.”
Persephone was understanding, reassured me that she wouldn’t do anything without telling me, and asked if I would close my eyes again.
“Why do you kill Max? What is it that you enjoy about it?”
“It’s something that I've done all my life, even as far back as my Almano days.”
“You must come to terms with the fact that not all solutions require killing. There are fates worse than death. Has there been times when you felt as though you shouldn’t have killed them?”
“What are you, my therapist?”
“No. I’m here to help you. The darkness you have building up inside you needs to be contained; that is what I intend to do. I want you to be the best version of yourself.”
“But how can I be the best version of myself after all that I’ve done?”
“The people you put in your life have been key in helping you.” Persephone looked at my hand and noticed the ring on my finger.
“You still carry that ring your grandparents gave you?”
“It's the only members of my family that looked after me... My mother and father were too busy arguing then to take care of their own son.”
Persephone started playing with my hair, “That's good. You're eliminating the bad people in your life and keeping the good in your life.”
As I lay on the bed, I almost didn't want to get up. I wanted to lay here and just listen to Persephone talk to me. But I had a job to do.
“Afterlife”