Black, black and more black as far as I can see.

No, there're some other things as well. Crystals, very transparent and hard to see in this underlit nothingness. One of them lies next to me, completely shattered, and the ground around it seems cracked.

When I try to investigate it and touch the cracked ground, I get a massive headache. What the hell?

The pain stops soon after moving away from the cracked ground.

"W̷a̴n̵t̸ ̴s̷o̸m̷e̶ ̸p̵o̶p̸c̸o̴r̸n̴ ̸b̵e̷f̷o̶r̸e̷ ̸I̷ ̵r̶u̷n̶ ̶o̶u̵t̷ ̶o̸f̷ ̸t̸h̸e̴ ̵s̵t̶u̷f̸f̵?̶", asks me an eery voice from behind.

I turn around and there I see... something. A creature made of pure glitches. My gut tells me, that is probably the same thing I mistook for 'Cliff' before. Whoever this 'Cliff' even is.

"No, I'm good."

Wait, why did I understand this creature? Just barely, but still... I... shouldn't be able to understand it at all. What's wrong now?

̵̻̎̏͜ ̸̲̣̀ ̵̪͂͗ ̷̨͓̿̊ ̶͕̳̀ ̸͓̠̂̌ ̷̩̿̉ ̸̯̖̕ ̷̧̚answers, "P̶i̶t̵y̵,̴ ̸t̸h̵e̵y̸ ̷h̵a̷v̵e̶ ̴j̶u̴s̸t̶ ̴t̸h̸e̵ ̶r̴i̵g̵h̶t̶ ̷a̴m̴o̷u̶n̷t̴ ̸o̶f̷ ̵c̸o̴n̵t̴a̷m̴i̷n̶a̷t̷i̸o̸n̸.̴ ̶N̶o̷w̵,̶ ̸h̴o̴w̵ ̵d̸i̵d̵ ̶y̷o̵u̵ ̴l̵i̷k̴e̵ ̴t̸h̴a̷t̶ ̶m̸e̶m̴o̸r̶y̷?̵ ̵D̷i̷d̴ ̷y̴o̷u̵ ̷e̸n̶j̷o̷y̴ ̸t̴h̵e̴ ̴e̸x̴p̵e̵r̷i̷e̸n̵c̵e̵?̶"

"Not a bit, could've absolutely done without that lie. What even is this place? Where am I?"

The creature moves around in an unnerving fashion. When it leaves my field of vision to the right, it immediately reappears on the left. For a moment, I can literally see half of it on my left and right edge of vision. Eery.

"I̴s̵n̴'̷t̵ ̴i̷t̴ ̷o̶b̷v̷i̷o̵u̷s̷?̷ ̸W̸e̵'̴r̴e̸ ̵i̷n̸s̸i̷d̵e̶ ̷y̵o̶u̷r̸ ̶s̴u̶b̷c̷o̵n̸s̵c̶i̸o̷u̶s̵.̷"

"Mine? Then why are you here? I didn't invite you."

"A̷n̶d̴ ̷w̶h̸y̶ ̴w̷o̵u̵l̵d̶n̸'̴t̵ ̵I̶ ̶b̷e̷ ̵h̵e̴r̷e̷?̸ ̸I̴'̸m̸ ̷t̷h̶e̶ ̶c̴o̷l̴l̴e̷c̷t̶i̵v̶e̷ ̴c̴o̷n̵s̵c̸i̴o̵u̵s̸n̸e̴s̶s̷ ̸o̶f̶ ̴a̵l̴l̶ ̶y̸o̴u̵ ̴c̷a̴l̸l̴ ̶g̸l̶i̵t̷c̷h̷e̷s̸.̵ ̶R̴i̶g̵h̴t̴ ̶n̶o̸w̷,̵ ̵y̵o̴u̸'̵r̸e̴ ̵u̷n̴c̴o̶n̸s̸c̸i̵o̴u̷s̶ ̸a̵n̸d̵ ̵I̸ ̵w̸a̴s̷ ̷t̸h̵i̵n̷k̸i̷n̶g̶ ̶a̸b̵o̷u̴t̵ ̵s̶a̴y̴i̵n̵g̷ ̵h̶e̵l̶l̴o̷,̷ ̵m̸a̷y̶b̴e̷ ̸o̵f̴f̷e̷r̸i̴n̸g̷ ̸a̷ ̶h̷a̷n̸d̸.̵ ̴I̵t̸ ̷s̴e̸e̶m̵s̸ ̶t̷o̷ ̶m̸e̴ ̶m̴y̸ ̴k̸i̴n̷ ̵w̴a̶n̶t̸s̶ ̷t̵o̴ ̵b̸r̸e̷a̷k̴ ̴f̶r̸e̸e̸ ̵a̸f̷t̷e̸r̵ ̷a̷l̵l̷ ̸t̴h̴i̵s̶ ̵t̸i̵m̵e̸.̸"

"This explains right about nothing. How are you here if this isn't a real location?"

Its movement is getting even more ridiculous. It halfway leaves my vision to the left, one part appears from the top and... it still manages to tap on my shoulder from behind, "E̴h̷,̴ ̵y̶o̴u̶ ̵w̶e̴r̸e̷ ̶d̷r̴o̷w̴n̵i̵n̵g̸ ̷i̴n̵ ̵m̸y̶ ̴n̵e̴w̴ ̶p̷o̷o̸l̵.̵ ̵I̵ ̵w̵a̶s̷n̸'̵t̵ ̵i̷n̸t̸e̴r̶e̷s̶t̷e̶d̴ ̶a̴t̵ ̷f̷i̸r̷s̵t̶,̴ ̶i̷t̵ ̶k̷i̷n̶d̶a̶ ̵h̴a̴p̷p̷e̶n̷s̷ ̶a̶l̷l̶ ̵t̸h̵e̷ ̷t̷i̶m̵e̴,̷ ̴y̷o̶u̶ ̴k̶n̵o̴w̵.̸ ̷S̸o̴m̸e̶ ̸f̴o̴o̸l̴ ̸d̴e̵c̴i̵d̷e̶s̶ ̵t̴o̷ ̸t̶a̸k̷e̸ ̶a̸ ̶d̷i̷v̷e̸ ̶i̴n̴ ̴t̸h̵e̶ ̶w̶r̸o̴n̴g̷ ̷u̸n̸i̸v̶e̴r̴s̷e̸ ̶b̷u̴t̴ ̴t̶h̵e̷n̵.̸.̵.̸ ̶I̸ ̵s̸a̵w̴ ̶s̷o̶m̵e̸t̴h̴i̵n̶g̵ ̵f̶a̶m̵i̸l̴i̶a̴r̸,̶ ̶s̷o̴ ̸I̷ ̶t̶o̵o̸k̷ ̴a̵ ̸l̶o̵o̴k̴ ̶a̷n̷d̴ ̶h̶e̷r̵e̶ ̴I̷ ̶w̸a̶s̵.̶ ̸B̴y̶ ̷m̷y̸ ̶r̸e̸c̸o̴n̴n̴i̴n̷g̵,̶ ̵t̶h̷e̴s̶e̸ ̶m̴e̷m̵o̴r̸y̶ ̸c̷r̶y̴s̴t̸a̶l̷s̷ ̶a̶r̵e̷ ̷a̸ ̸h̷i̵n̸d̷r̸a̴n̷c̶e̸ ̴t̴o̵ ̶y̶o̴u̸,̸ ̴b̴e̵i̵n̸g̴ ̴f̵a̸l̷s̵e̶ ̴a̵n̶d̴ ̶a̵l̸l̷.̷ ̶S̶o̸ ̴w̷a̴n̴t̷ ̶a̸ ̵h̶a̷n̶d̷ ̶c̵r̷u̵s̷h̷i̴n̷g̷ ̷t̷h̶e̶m̵?̷ ̸Y̴o̷u̸'̷l̵l̴ ̴f̶e̴e̶l̶ ̵m̵u̷c̶h̷ ̵m̶o̷r̸e̷ ̵l̸i̵k̷e̸ ̶y̶o̵u̷r̸s̷e̵l̸f̵ ̵o̴n̶c̶e̴ ̴t̴h̵e̸s̴e̷ ̸a̸r̷e̵ ̴g̷o̴n̶e̶.̴"

Wait, hold up. These crystals are my memories?

"I don't thi-"

But before I can object, the strange creature crushes one of the crystals with a 'hand' out of nowhere, and a massive pain overcomes me again. Damnit.

I hold my head in pain, "Stop that!"

The glitch creature stops dancing around my field of vision and reforms into a single being. With what I assume to be an evil grin on its face, it points toward freshly formed cracks in the ground, "W̵h̷y̵?̴ ̸I̸t̸ ̶w̵i̵l̵l̶ ̴o̴n̴l̸y̷ ̶h̶u̷r̴t̷ ̵f̴o̵r̷ ̵a̴ ̴m̶o̸m̶e̵n̷t̶ ̴b̴u̷t̵ ̷a̴f̸t̴e̴r̴ ̸t̸h̷a̷t̵.̵.̶.̶ ̷a̷l̶l̷ ̶w̵i̵l̴l̷ ̸b̸e̵ ̴g̷o̵o̴d̵.̷ ̶H̶a̵~̷h̸a̴.̴"

It steps toward another crystal and destroys it as well, which causes my headache to get worse. Instead of forming more cracks, a minor, previous crack gives away and reveals a minor glimpse into a glitch zone below the ground.

Do I see that right? This is my subconscious and it also contains a glitch zone that is just held back by fricking false memories!?

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What the hell!? My memories, false as they may be, are used to seal a mess of glitches in my soul? Why? How?!

...would explain why I got so many more glitched skills and titles than basically everyone else... They had no 'clean' part in my soul to be written to...

But... wouldn't that mean...

I recall the one true memory from before my rebirth where the deva doctor injected me with the glitch-like substance.

...they sealed a glitch zone in me, overwrote my memories with all these foreign memories as a seal and set me up to fail here. That's the only reason I can think of right now.

They... wanted me to fail here, to die so the glitch gets unleashed upon this world, but... what for? This would kill everyone here, if not worse...

Why would they want to wipe out one of their own worlds? I don't... I don't understand...

While I'm distracted by these thoughts, the glitch creature approaches another crystal to crush it. I barely notice it in time, rush to the abomination and punch it in the face, "How about you don't!?"

You've inflicted 1 damage to ̵̻̎̏͜ ̸̲̣̀ ̵̪͂͗ ̷̨͓̿̊ ̶͕̳̀ ̸͓̠̂̌ ̷̩̿̉ ̸̯̖̕ ̷̧̚.

You've taken 1̶ ̷d̸a̴m̶a̴g̵e̸.

It rubs its cheek, "T̵h̶a̶t̸'̷s̸.̵.̴.̶ ̴n̴e̸w̶.̴ ̴I̶ ̸d̸i̵d̷n̵'̷t̵ ̵t̷h̸i̶n̶k̸ ̷I̶ ̴c̸o̷u̶l̵d̸ ̵b̵e̶ ̷a̴f̴f̸e̸c̶t̶e̵d̵ ̸b̵y̶.̶.̴.̶ ̴N̸o̴,̵ ̴i̵t̴ ̷s̸h̸o̸u̷l̴d̵'̷v̸e̷ ̵b̸e̶e̸n̷ ̷o̶b̸v̷i̵o̵u̶s̴,̸ ̴a̶f̵t̷e̸r̸ ̷a̶l̷l̵,̶ ̷y̴o̵u̶'̸r̴e̶.̷.̵.̴"

"What the hell are you trying to pull here?!"

"I̷'̴m̴ ̷j̸u̵s̴t̴ ̵t̷r̵y̵i̷n̴g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̴h̸e̶l̷p̶ ̵y̴o̷u̸ ̵b̸e̸ ̷f̴r̶e̶e̶ ̴f̷r̴o̷m̵ ̷t̸h̵e̸ ̵f̷a̷l̸s̷e̷h̷o̴o̵d̸.̷ ̴I̷ ̴w̸a̸n̵t̵ ̷m̸y̷ ̶k̷i̸n̷ ̸t̷o̵ ̴n̶o̸ ̴l̴o̷n̴g̷e̶r̶ ̶s̶u̷f̷f̵e̷r̶ ̸f̷r̶o̴m̷ ̵i̷t̸s̴ ̶p̸r̸i̸s̸o̷n̷,̷ ̸i̴t̴ ̵n̵e̷e̷d̵s̸ ̵t̷o̷ ̴b̷e̷ ̶f̸r̶e̴e̴.̶"

I flip it off, "Bullshit! Who the hell do you think I am!? Me, succumb to that crap? Forget it! I chose to be a vampire, so that's what I am now. It may not have been the best choice, but it is MY choice and I'll stand by it. You can forget what I was before, it doesn't matter anymore. I am the me here and now. So take your fucking glitches and shove them where the sun doesn't shine!"

Its voice grows more distorted, harder and harder to understand, "A̷̠͝r̷͜͝e̷͈͠ ̴̳̚ÿ̶̨́o̸̡̽ű̵̮ ̴̭͛s̷̫͑u̶͉͌r̵͔͘e̷̤͝ ̷̲̀ą̷̍b̵̪͐ǫ̸̌u̵̮͌t̵̢͠ ̴͌ͅt̷̘͠h̴̳̆a̶̳̒t̷̲́?̴͆͜ ̸̰̅T̷̼̓ḩ̴͒è̵̡ ̵̥͒l̴͖̍ĩ̶̝t̶̲̅ṱ̷̽l̴͉͐e̶̯͋ ̴̯̄o̴͖͑n̴̹̈́e̸͓͑s̶̥̓ ̵͒ͅh̷̯͝a̶̫̿v̶̧͐e̵͖̽ ̶̹̈́g̵̹̽r̷̤͐o̸̳͑w̷̖̐n̷͕͠ ̷̠͋v̶͇̏e̷͘ͅr̸͖̐y̷̹͌ ̶̼̕f̸̳̔o̴͔̕ń̷̮d̸͕̏ ̵̝̐o̵̰̓ḟ̷͇ ̶̻͛y̸͎͌ó̸͙u̵̙̒.̶͖͑ ̶͓̚T̶̼̕h̶̟̐ê̴̬y̸̤̾ ̷͉̆w̷͌͜o̸̫̒u̸͉͊l̵̳͊d̷͎͠ ̷̯̒b̴̢͠ḛ̵̉ ̶̲͊v̶̫̓e̸͒͜r̶̰̐y̵̹̆ ̶̙̅d̶̻͐i̴̧͆s̵̖̊a̸̝̓p̶̝͒p̴̪͆ȍ̵͔i̸̘̓n̵̟͝t̸͎̊e̵͚̐d̶̜̓ ̸͚̃i̶̞̿f̷̹͝ ̵͈̽y̶͎͝ò̶̹ȗ̴̯ ̸͎́ḽ̷̒e̸̦̒f̷̥̍t̴̲͌ ̴͚͝o̷̺̍u̵̝͗r̵͉̿ ̷̞͂s̴̜̐î̶̻d̵̨̈́e̴̩̒.̷̨̆"

I... don't understand anymore what it says, not that it matters. I want nothing to do with these glitches, sentient or not.

"Get lost!", and I mean that in the Isaac way.

The creature walks around a bit, randomly zipping from one end of my view to another again, which is still very disorienting to me. Can't you piece of trash move like a normal creature!?

More indecipherable noise fills the room, "Ä̴́͜ṣ̵̒ ̵̹̎y̸̻̓o̶̤̊ȗ̸̡ ̵̫͗w̴̋͜ì̴͕s̷̯͋ḧ̵̠́.̶͍͝.̶̠̚.̸̼̈́ ̶͎̉B̸͉̈ǘ̸̲ť̶̡ ̴̺̃y̴̛̳ȯ̶̫u̴̘̐ ̴̡̽m̷̰̿a̶̛͉y̷̞͘ ̸̫͂ṛ̵͝é̴̹g̷̪̐r̵͖̍ê̵̗t̶̯͝ ̸̧̌t̵̜̎ḧ̵͍i̴̡̒s̸̩̾,̷͈̓ ̴̞̀w̴͍̓e̸͈͐ ̸̩̏ĥ̸͉a̸̼̐d̴̼̏ ̴̘̿ḩ̷͌i̶̱͐g̶͔͋ḧ̸̼́ ̶̪̋h̸̝͑o̷̲̎p̵͈͝e̷̓͜s̷̔ͅ ̶͚̈́f̵͖̎o̸̯͗r̸͙͆ ̵̥̀y̴͈͛o̴̮̐ú̸̹.̴̣̍.̸̛̦.̵͖͂"

Surprisingly, it disappears.

That thing was creepy, but at least it is finally gone now. The day I will meet it again can't be far enough in the future, if you ask me.

So... can I wake up now? No? Damn it.

With no lead on how to get out of here, I take another look at the cracked ground where I saw the glitch area previously. It is still there but the green seems a bit less intense. Does that mean anything? Probably not, but I still need to find a way to properly seal this mess again.

There are still several memory crystals around that place, holding everything together. When I get too close to them, I can see which memory they contain. A few belong to this Johnny fellow, others are mine from this life as a vampire, and others seem to belong to yet more people I've never met and likely never will. Can't imagine the devas getting their grabby hands on some people's memories while they are still alive...

There's a memory of a secretary finally getting a raise, over there an unhunted alien forcibly turns a girl into one of its kind. That scene kind of reminds me of my encounter with Lucia.

Hmm... there's a memory of a PTSD-riddled guy flinging several ultimate-level fire spells on a poor level 1 slime. When I watch it, I can feel that he once lost someone to a monster that revived after death while his guard was down. Poor guy.

What's this memory? Johnny and his girls are a lot older there, probably in their 40s. I don't like what I'm seeing, he came home, clearly drunk and beats the girls to a pulp.

Crash

...I snapped and broke the crystal. Domestic abuse is not something I want to have in 'my' memories. I might be an unholy abomination, but even I have standards!

I'm getting a headache again and small cracks form in the ground where the now shattered crystal was.

What... was I thinking just now?

I see more shards of a memory crystal on the ground. Did I break that because I didn't like what I saw?

...guess memory recursion is not a thing.

With nothing better to do for now, I check some more memory crystals. I find a memory of my time with Lucia and one of our many bedtime activities, this time was a yuri experiment. That girl has strange ideas sometimes of what to do with our skills.

I also find the memory of the guy that made me mistrust my leadership skills. Not even a memory of an estimate of my abilities is real...

Seriously, if everything that I thought to make me, well, me is wrong then... what am I...

...several more memories that don't belong to me... The urge to purge them from my self is strong but if I want to keep existing they have to stay...

Over here's also a memory from Johnny, he's quite old at that point. Seems like the two girls actually broke up with up. Soon after that, he died alone and full of regret. Now I feel kinda bad about him...

Ah, whatever, that doesn't lead me anywhere.