Minutes before Nith swallowed the seed.

Jess P.O.V

Raindrops platter on our umbrellas, drowning out our slow, wet footsteps. A sudden chill accompanies the autumn winds at night.

I look up. After the apocalypse started, the light pollution was reduced to a minimum, causing the stars to shine brighter than ever. The milky way's colors show me a sight I was never able to see before all this happened. It's ironic in a way.

Under normal circumstances, I would love this. Quiet nights like these I find the most relaxing.

'Fuck me, what am I supposed to say?'

But Nith's forced eviction has put me in a predicament here.

I try to look at Risa's face in hopes of figuring anything out from her expression but to no avail. Our height difference only lets me see the top of her umbrella, water trickling down its ends.

I shake my head, still groggy from Nith's hypnotism-thingy. Or maybe this is just me making excuses again. No matter what kind of resolve I have, the conversation I want to have with Risa will be a difficult one.

But I do want to help her...

I just don't know how.

"You..." (Risa)

Her sudden conversation starter made me jump a little. Of all people, Risa would usually be the last to take the initiative in this situation. Even I, who would call herself socially competent, struggled to get a single word out.

'If Nith ever heard me call myself "socially competent", he would never let me see the end of it.'

A thought disconnected from the topic slithers its way into my head, which I expel just as quickly as it appeared. Nith will make fun of me using any excuse he can get, no use thinking about it now.

I've got to focus on Risa's next few lines if I want to help her in any way possible.

"You saw what happened in that place, right? I think I saw a blurry image of you somewhere..." (Risa)

Her reluctance to calling "that place" home pains me. I can't help but compare myself to her. On one hand, a girl who got her whole life handed to her on a silver plate, on the other a girl who has had nothing.

Again, it won't make anyone feel better if I analyze whose life was worse, which she would win in a heartbeat, quite frankly. The only thing I want to know is how she will deal with it.

Of course, I will do anything in my power to help her in the process, even if I'm a coward who can't address the elephant in the room herself.

'EVeN tHOugH I hAVe sUcH rEsOLvE!'

I mock myself in a manner that Nith would. After all, I still can't even answer the sad little bean standing right next to me. If it didn't ruin the mood, I would love to just tuck her in and tell her everything will be oka-

'Stop it, Jess. Again, not the time to be simping.'

Repressing my own worldly desires, I take the first scary step. Ducking underneath her umbrella, I start by taking a steady look at her face.

"Hm?" (Risa)

It's hard to make out her facial expressions in the dead of the night, but I know that she's not exactly in a very good mood. The only thing glistening in the dark are her raven eyes, somehow elevating themselves from the default pitch of black around us. If it weren't for the umbrella, I could probably see a little more with the help of the moonlight, but I don't want the sad bean to get wet as well.

"Ya wanna talk about it, little one?" (Me)

"..." (Risa)

First, silence is the response I get. I have to take this slowly. I won't try to resolve her trauma in a single night over some drinks like Ms. Doubtfire. I won't just give her a little sugar to make the medicine go-

Maybe I can give her sugar? She's been a good girl? Would she even like-

'Wow, you really have a problem. Come on, eyes up front, dumbass.'

Only after waiting for a few minutes, which have admittedly been awkward with me staring at her, not knowing how to act, does she finally decide on an answer.

"Yeah..." (Risa)

Her hand travels to her right horn, rubbing it in stress. Now that I know where this habit comes from, it hurts all the more to watch it.

"Go on, then. No pressure. Keepin' it cool." (Me)

'The fuck am I talking about?'

And so, she starts talking about how she never fit in with her family in the first place.

Her black hair was the trigger for most of it. Everyone in her family had brown/blonde hair, leading them to believe that something was wrong with her. Being treated differently from the beginning wasn't really a great start. Discord was sowed across the family, starting with her parents.

Each of them blamed the other, arguing day and night. Risa was always in between, serving as a stress relief for any one of them. A small child, the scapegoat for something she had no influence over.

Not only did the parents blame her, but her siblings as well. From all sides, Risa was being shunned.

The situation gradually worsened. The abuse became worse day by day without a good reason. Shouting became beating, mocking of her sibling's bullying.

Until a man came to their door, offering them salvation. She says that she didn't get much of what they were talking about, but she only knows that they accepted his offer.

The rabbit hole led them down to a crooked version of religion which put a stigma on her as a demon.

Her parents and siblings continued to treat her worse, barely giving her food or social contact as punishment for a crime she did not commit. She wasn't even allowed to go to school but was rather taught in the basement we saw before, although just barely.

The more I hear her talk, the larger the pit in my stomach grows. As a rational person, I can deduce that her mother was probably just unfaithful and tried to shift the blame, but that makes it even worse.

If I just think about the dark hours she's spent alone, I feel rage welling up inside me.

But I suppress these useless feelings just as quickly as they came. Risa doesn't need anyone to tell her how bad her family was.

"After I got these horns, they became even worse. They called me names I didn't want to hear. They gave me food I would never want to eat." (Risa)

She chokes on her own words several times in mid-sentence, holding back any tears that might well up. I'm not gonna lie, even I am close to tears at this point. Just two girls having a fun time.

"Then I received the powers that came with my horns. So I took some clothes and ran. I didn't know where. Anything was better than that place." (Risa)

That's probably how she got inside the tower's room where we met her. Not the optimal hiding spot considering the several monsters, but I wouldn't be very picky in that situation either.

"That's it. Then I met you guys." (Risa)

"And we're so glad you did, little bean." (Me)

I try to lighten the mood. In between her story, unknown to me, it has stopped raining. Risa puts down the red umbrella in her hand, showing me a face I would never forget.

A sad smile after a heartbreaking story.

"Yeah, I'm glad as well." (Risa)

'Fuck me, I'll cherish her for life.'

"Fuck me, I'll cherish you for life." (Me)

Too late, I realize that I dared to swear in front of the pure little child in front of me.

Unexpectedly, Risa tackles me right into my abdomen, knocking the wind out of me for a few seconds. She might have been a bit rough, but I know that she's just searching for some kind of affection.

Her arms tighten around me, making my heart flutter with wholesomeness.

"Thanks, Jess. I'll cherish you guys too." (Risa)

"No problem, little buddy." (Me)

I put my own arms around her. I know that this is a cliché moment, with us bonding on a rainy night, but I'm still glad that she opened up a little.

We didn't solve anything. I can't imagine that she'll get over it any time soon. But sometimes, just talking about it helps at least a little.

For some reason, I think about Nith again and about the package he's been carrying around.

'Not that package, Jess. Get your mind out of the gutter. You're 18 years old, for fucks sake.'

Even with Risa in my arms, I can't help but wonder what happened to Nith. Maybe it's because I managed to scratch the top of Risa's problems that a more difficult case sought its way into the spotlight.

Why was he in hell? Why is he so adamant about keeping it secret? What was that golden light he used in the tower? Why hasn't he used it before? What other secrets does he have?

Questions bombard my mind, none of them answered. But with Risa in my arms, I somehow feel even more determined to crack that nutjob open.

'Man, I just sound like a shounen protagonist at this point.'

I squeeze the little girl in my arms tighter, knowing full well that this moment won't last forever.

"Jess, you're-" (Risa)

"Shush, don't ruin this moment." (Me)

A few seconds of silence pass by.

"You're starting to sound like Nith." (Risa)

"Am not." (Me)

And that's when the moment I feared appeared.

A sudden ripple goes through the ambient mana, forcing my hair to stand on end. Cold sweat runs down my back, my inner mana going into turmoil.

I release Risa, who's looking in the same direction as me. We both know where this sudden disturbance comes from, although we can't locate it just like that. There's only one person who could make this happen if you leave him alone for 10 minutes.

'Why did I ever leave him alone?'

We start running.

*

----------------------------------------

*

Back to our boy.

Nith P.O.V

"This is Ground Control to Major Tom.~" (Me)

For the several past hours, I've been floating through an endless void. At least I think that it's been hours. Could've been days. Ain't no clock here.

"Could've at least put a plant in here. Like an aloe vera plant? Would've worked wonders for your skin." (Me)

Whose skin I'm referring to? No one knows. The only thing I do know, is that the loneliness is slowly eating at the back of my mind. I haven't realized it myself but I do enjoy Trick's company.

"OH, WHERE ART THOU, MY FORSAKEN FRIEND!?" (Me)

There's no response. I feel deserted and there is no way for our relationship to go back the way it was. In my dire times of peril, she doesn't stand by my side.

Poetry might be my only friend right now.

"A haiku by Nith." (Me)

What am I to do?

So unbelievably bored.

Jess has got nice thighs.

            -Nith, year unknown

Really, the only thing quite pleasant in this current of nothingness is the lack of voices bombarding my mind. Considering that their attempts to take over have increased recently, it's a nice break for once.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Others would take this opportunity of isolation to reflect on their future plans or atrocities done in the past, but I've had more than enough time to do that in hell already. Me-time bores me at this point.

"Santa, it's me again. I've been a good boy this year. I need someone to be my friend. Someone who won't run away. Maybe send me an angel- Come to think of it, not the best idea. Most of them don't like me that much." (Me)

Haphazardly, I drift along. There's nothing I can orientate myself with so it's just like I'm floating in space, take out all the stars. There's no light, no temperature, no sensation of torque or movement. It kind of reminds me of the time I was born, although the memories are extremely hazy. Quite some time has passed, after all.

"And now I'm stuck in Trick's body with a nut allergy. Stay positive, Nith." (Me)

Contradictory to my expectations, the idle time I would spend here doesn't last for long. Starting with a slight tuck at my toes, I start to feel some kind of sensation again.

"Playing with my feet? You kinky bitch." (Me)

With time, the feeling intensifies. A sensation of someone pulling me at my legs gets more prominent by the second and, since I'm bored, I just let it happen. If this space is what I expect it to be, there's nothing that can threaten me anyways.

"Please be gentle, it's my first time." (Me)

With sudden force, I get pulled from the place I was just busy decorating in my headspace. The whiplash I receive doesn't phase me much, but I rather start enjoying it. What can I say? It's a nice change after all this mindless floating.

I don't really know where I get dragged off to, although I am interested in who would be able to do this inside this place.

My soul isn't something you can invade easily. I made sure of that long ago.

"Come give Mama a big hug!" (???)

As if I'm thrown in a general direction, the feeling of something tugging me disappears and is replaced by crude centrifugal forces. Spinning like a frisbee does make the ride more fun, which seems to have been done with intent. My spinning vision does make me a bit woozy, though.

Slowly, my speed decreases. One after the other, objects come into my line of sight, which seem to be completely random. Ranging from playground sand-pits to amateurish paintings, I don't see any kind of structure or pattern in their existence. Just like I did only a few seconds ago, they levitate mid-space without intent or purpose.

And soon, I come to a complete halt.

"Again! Again!" (Me)

"The ride has closed for today. Come back another time." (???)

The familiar voice behind me didn't plan well enough to make a dramatic entrance since I can't hear a cat purring in her arms. Quite disappointing, considering that she's spent the last few months with an especially dramatic person.

"Suck a fat one, I do have a cat. It's a plushie though since I can't have anything alive here." (???)

"Fuck, she can still read my mind." (Me)

I go back to the loop that's usually playing for her.

"Monkey." (Me)

"Monkey." (???)

The telekinetic force from before appears again, spinning me gently towards the person I haven't seen once but known long enough to call her my sidekick.

"Am not a sidekick." (???)

"Whatever you say, pal." (Me)

A strange feeling overwhelms me, looking her in the face for the very first time after months passed. The bizarre experience of seeing yourself as a girl is definitely not something I'm going to get used to very soon.

"I pull the face off better than you, Trick." (Me)

"I was still the first one who had it, Nith." (Trick)

Trick stands in front of me.

I look inside her emerald eyes, uncanny from the ones I see in the mirror. The black, wavy hair I adopted flows like long silk over her shoulders, covering parts of her round, smiling face. If it wasn't basically masturbation, I would make a move on her.

"No wonder I'm hot." (Me)

She covers the distance between her and me in the blink of an eye. Her thin, frail, white arms spread out, forcefully wrapping themselves around me. Only now do I realize that even our height is the same, which makes her even taller than Jess.

"Fucking hell, it's been so long since I could feel the warmth of someone." (Trick)

"You must've been thirsty as hell, huh?" (Me)

The conversation between us feels as natural as if we've been friends for years. Although it's admittedly strange to see the bodiless voice in my head right in front of me, I feel a strange excitement welling up. Even if I've seen her in her memories, it's something different to finally see her in the flesh (well... soul... but you get the point).

She lets go of me, allowing me to look at her once more. The desire to see yourself, just completely different, is a twisted one, but I can't stop checking her from top to bottom. From the face that looks so similar to mine, to the long black dress covering her slender body.

"Not as thirsty as you, it seems." (Trick)

"I've been in hell longer than you could ever imagine. Tantalus ain't got shit against me." (Me)

Tantalus and I actually became friends at one point. He's a nice guy, but it's impossible to go out for a drink with him. If you don't know what I'm talking about, google it, you dickhead.

For a second, we look at each other, fascinated. It's unusual for both of us to see each other, so it's at least a bit reasonable.

"So, how have ya been?" (Trick)

"You really should've told me that you have a nut allergy. Still pretty pissed at that." (Me)

"I don't- you know what? Fuck you." (Trick)

We enjoy our first time actually meeting. The disembodied conversation I always have in my head feels much more real now that she's in front of me. Her wisp-like existence feels graspable now.

Like that, we start talking. About what happened since we met as if she wasn't with me all the way. About the weird situation going on with Jess and Risa after the tower. What the tower entails. Of course, we still give each other shit from time to time, but it's still nice.

Together, we float through space cross-legged. Crossing paths by coming closer to each other and when we're far apart from each other, we communicate with our thoughts again.

This continues for a while.

"I tell you. A plant works wonders in places like these. I've had experiences with infinite void and an aloe vera plant will at least do something about that crackly ass skin of yours." (Me)

"We've been together for months now and it's still like I'm talking to a daft brick wall. NO LIVING THINGS ALLOWED! Just like your love-life!" (Trick)

"Or, you know, your life-life." (Me)

"Suck a wobbly, fat cock." (Trick)

"Wow, what a comeback." (Me)

With a snap of her fingers, a bookshelf wills itself into existence in this space, flying towards me with mach 2.

"Oh, cool! So that's how you do it!" (Me)

I already wondered how all the furniture and toys got here, but apparently, you can just manifest things in here. Should've been my first thought, considering that this is literally my own soul. Now that I think of it, something in the back of my mind tells me that I already did something similar once.

Contrary to popular belief, I can't remember everything that happened in the last couple of billion years. I tend to forget stuff.

Before the bookshelf can hit me, I teleport behind Trick, who immediately gasps for air in surprise.

"I needed several months to figure that out, you dickhead!" (Trick)

"What? You think you're the only one who can manifest things in this darkness? You think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man." (Me)

I manifest a kitchen sink and shoot it towards Trick, whose reflexes aren't as fast as mine. It hits her in the back of the head, ending in a concussion on her part.

"Nith 2, Trick 0." (Me)

"You cheated." (Trick)

"Gonna cry? Piss your pants? Maybe shit and cum?" (Me)

But this exchange reminded me of a question that's become more important the more time I spent with Trick here.

"Come to think of it. How are you here." (Me)

Although she's been rubbing her head in pain just a second ago, most likely due to the kitchen furniture kissing her forehead in the most gentle way, she stops abruptly. She's probably been expecting this question since she doesn't look very surprised.

This realm here is the core of my soul. Something that I've fortified after the first few clashes with the cunt above. There's nothing I know that can invade this place, or else I would've been broken more times than I can remember. Opposite to my outer soul, which is still vulnerable to the outside, my core should be inaccessible even to Trick. I made sure of that the moment we merged. Our souls ultimately ended up as two in one body.

Eons spent in research, blood, sweat, and hard work were ripped apart by Trick. This process wasn't an easy one, even for me, as tinkering with your own soul is incredibly hard. Not only is it the root and very source of your existence, but additionally not much is known about it yet. I pride myself in my extensive knowledge of how the universe works, but something primordial like the soul is hard to figure out. It's so complicated that the oldest beings in every universe are still researching it. We're talking about beings that are billions of years old.

"You wanna know why I'm here?" (Trick)

"That's what I just said. That's our problem! You're never listening!" (Me)

"I... fucking hate you. I wanted to be dramatic." (Trick)

"Uno reverse card." (Me)

Yes, I manifested one as I said it. You can't out-drama the king of acting, especially when Trick can't do her job anymore.

"Well..." (Trick)

She shrugs. A gesture that I expected but I'm still disappointed by.

"I don't know, to be perfectly honest." (Trick)

At some point in my life, I learned to read faces pretty well. Don't wanna toot my own horn again, but I can guess decently if someone's lying or not.

"I told you to keep your hands off the booze. No wonder you don't remember." (Me)

Another piece of furniture flies at me, which I dodged easily. I don't know why we're only picking furniture to throw at each other, but the rules hath therefore been established.

"You missed." (Me)

"Thanks for the info." (Trick)

"You're welcome!" (Me)

Idly, we continue to bombard each other with various types of furniture. Chairs, tables, couches, toilets, name it, we have it. At a huge discount of 20%.

"Just imagine opening a shop-" (Me)

"I do definitely know that the "Me" outside-" (Trick)

"Just interrupt me, that's okay too." (Me)

"-and the "Me" in here is different." (Trick)

A split soul. Something that I have never heard of. It's not like people haven't tried in the history of existence, but none of them succeeded in doing so. The soul is a fundamental product of nature and isn't to be meddled with. If I wasn't such a bad boy, I could've gotten in all sorts of trouble for it. I only play by my own rulez.

The trouble would namely be an untimely death, but what's life without a bit of spice, eh?

"It's kinda like I'm disconnected from the outside Trick. While she experiences everything that goes on outside, I only get snippets of it. It's mostly thighs and cute Risa moments, which I do appreciate though." (Trick)

I nod in admiration. As long as the important stuff gets through, I can sleep peacefully.

"But meanwhile, I get to see more of what's going on inside here." (Trick)

"Not cool. I told you, I didn't know what a "Furry Friday" was and I got curi-" (Me)

"Not that. Much to my regret, that was one of the conversations that wasn't filtered. I mean, Zootopia? Really?" (Trick)

"THAT WAS THE FIRST LINK!" (Me)

My stomach churns at the thought of what she might've seen in here. Even if Trick does know more about me than others, there are still memories that you can only watch with a parent. See the succubus who tried to sneak a peak.

"It's not like I really see memories." (Trick)

"Thank fucking Christ." (Me)

"Furry Friday" was by far not the worst thing in my search history.

"Fuck me sideways, it wasn't?" (Trick)

"Right, the whole "mind-reading" thing." (Me)

"Furry Friday" was by far the worst thing in my search history.

"Alright, I'm gonna continue the explanation of my existence and experiences and ignore that. Cool?" (Trick)

"Furry Friday was by far not the worst thing in my search history." (Me)

"I even gave you a chance." (Trick)

But at that point, the smile on her face vanishes. The joyful, but still annoyed, expression changes into a stern frown from one second to another. I can already predict why that is. No one wouldn't bat an eye after being in my head for a prolonged amount of time.

"Except for a few snippets, I don't see anything that's going on in the outside world. I barely see your memories, nor from the outside Trick. It's more like... I feel them. Sometimes, in your case, I feel simple emotions like... terror, guilt, regret. But then I'd get overwhelmed with other, more complicated things." (Trick)

"Yeah, come on. Tell me how deep I am." (Me)

She looks at her milky-white hands, trying to find words to describe her next sentence. She stammers out a few gasps before finally deciding how she could describe it.

"I feel... strings. All over me." (Trick)

"That's probably cause I liked playing with dolls at one point. Nothing to be embarrassed about." (Me)

"Like I can't control my own fate. Everything is just a repetition that leads to the same outcome. I try, and I try, and I try, and I try and I fail, and I fail, and I fail, and I fail again. Every single effort seems to be futile." (Trick)

Once again, she hesitates. I won't try to interrupt her since it would be rude, but she's really taking her time.

"No matter what I do, I do it in vain. I don't even know how I can just feel attempts at something. The only thing I know is the feeling they cause... despair." (Trick)

"Ever heard of the inevitable heat death of the universe? We are all running towards it. No wonder I feel despair." (Me)

"What happened to you? How many times have you tried thi-" (Trick)

"Wait for my book to be written!" (Me)

"LET ME BE DRAMATIC ONCE!" (Trick)

"I REFUSE!" (Me)

[https://i.imgflip.com/3fk7bu.jpg]

I manifest a solid 40x60 portrait in my hand since Trick won't do it in here herself.

"Do your job properly." (Me)

"Ooohhhh, a Jojo reference." (Trick)

It might be rude to change the topic like this, although I'm generally a very polite person, but there's no reason for me to listen. There's no reason for me to hear it any more than I usually do. It's resounding in my head over and over again. Year after year. Millenia after millennia. For most of my life, I've had the same thoughts rampage inside my body. No one knows them more than me. No one's been confronted by them more than me. No one had to live with them longer than me.

I don't need someone to repeat them to me as well. The voices inside me are enough. The memories are enough. The dreams are enough. The sleepless nights are enough.

Although Trick does sound better than most of those voices.

"You got a voice-pack for the voices in my head?" (Me)

"Now on Sp*tify and I-T*nes." (Trick)

If only the Internet worked in an apocalypse. But I wouldn't be myself if I didn't know a way around it, would I?

"Good news, buddy." (Me)

We both know what's about to come. A slowly pulsating light in the distance has been getting brighter for a while now. This signal makes her evidently sadder by the second.

It's time for her to be left alone again. Alone in the darkness.

Taking all things into consideration, before all this she was just a normal kid. Admittedly, she didn't have many friends or other connections, but she was still someone. Even if her identity is questionable.

It feels like the questions have been piling up recently. Not only does the tower have more secrets than I originally thought, but Trick's also not as simple as she seems. In the first place, several questions should've been apparent to me from the start.

In the end, one of those questions stands out the most.

Why did I merge with her?

"Bro, I'm about to be left alone again for at least a few months... or until you decide to eat nuts again. You better make it count." (Trick)

"Lmao, nuts." (Me)

"Not those kinda- Well... maybe? I never tried 'em? Might be allergic to those, too?" (Trick)

But the questions that could brand her, in the end, don't bother me, to be exact. I have long learned the value of other lives in comparison to my own. I know who takes precedence in the end.

The light that seems to suck me in grows more radiant with every second. Soon, the dickhead in front of me and I will be separated.

"You'll get your body. Might not be your own body, but I promise I'll get you out of the dark." (Me)

"Could've just given me my own body back." (Trick)

"I REFUSE!" (Me)

> [https://i.imgflip.com/3fk7bu.jpg]

"I'm looking forward to seeing the other Trick again. You're a lazy dickhead for letting me do all the work." (Me)

"Choke on a cock." (Trick)

"Ooohhh, charming." (Me)

The light that's expanding behind Trick fills my eyes while it avoids her completely. Way to rub in the whole "I'm leaving her in the dark" thing, but even my unconscious is dramatic to the core.

"Alright then, see you later, dear. Don't touch yourself while I'm gone." (Me)

"I'm only experiencing emotions from the other Trick and you. 90% is pure arousal. I will do whatever the fucking duck I please." (Trick)

"If you wanna blame someone, blame Jess with her thunderclap-thighs." (Me)

"I WOULD IF I-" (Trick)

Without letting her finish, the light drowns her voice out with a shrilling shriek. Her ghostly silhouette fades into the background. The face that's so similar to my own smiles at me sadly. Even in the end, bitch tries to make me feel guilty but doesn't realize that she's failing miserably.

The last, vanishing thing I see from her is a pale middle finger.

"This place is getting 0 stars on Yelp. Customer service is abysmal." (Me)