JUNE 17th, 2014.
This same tree that always haunts me.
This same hill that I’m always coming back to.
A young Seth sits atop a small hill with a large, dying oak tree in the middle of its peak, which casts a large shadow in front of him. There’s a vast, expansive plane of bright green grass stretching to the horizon in every direction. A pale blue sky complements painterly clouds, casting themselves in wisps against a calm, white sun.
To Seth, this place remained in his deepest, oldest memories. He viewed this world through eyes that belonged to him a long time ago, as if he was trapped in a cage: created from a body that was distorted in time.
These dreams should be moments of calm.
However…
…It was the opposite for him.
“Seth… Do you ever wonder what it’s like after you die?”
A pure-white-haired boy with piercing pinkish eyes who wears a white t-shirt and grey cargo shorts, around Seth’s age from when this memory originated, cuts through the silence of this dream-like world as if he used a blade to do so.
Why are you here…? Why are you always here…?
The boy looks at Seth again, slightly cocking his head.
“Hello? Seth…?”
You shouldn’t be here…
“Gabriel…” Seth begins to say, with his younger form made apparent by his voice.
“...Kinda? Doesn’t everybody?”
Stop… stop it…
Gabriel ponders on it for a moment, putting his index finger to his bottom lip.
“You think so…?”
The younger Seth nods his head approvingly.
“Yeah… Rena talks to me about it sometimes.”
Don’t… you’re not allowed to say that name.
Gabriel looks down at the grass, blowing against the wind as the light peering between the leaves above them dances off of the blades, creating a mesmerizing pattern.
“That’s surprising…” he begins to say, trying to figure out how he feels.
“I’m too scared to talk about it. I… don’t like thinking about it.”
“Really?” Seth asks.
“Why?”
Something… odd, happens when younger Seth asks this. It’s as if the world ‘glitches’, while not being something artificial. The atmosphere begins to shift, and the sunny sky that painted the sky begins to become covered by a menacing grey. Both of the boys’ voices are slightly altered at moments, distorted for only a split second.
“Aren’t you scared of dying?” Gabriel asks Seth, confused by his question.
“Well… yeah, of course I am.”
Don’t answer his questions, don’t look at him.
“The older care workers…” Gabriel says, a hint of sadness resting in his voice.
“They have it the worst. I can tell they’re scared of dying… of leaving all the children alone.”
Shut up… Just shut the hell up.
Gabriel’s tone shifts, leaving behind the facade he’d been wearing.
His lips parted, as if it was a different person entirely, who wore his skin like a suit.
“I can see you.”
A piercing feeling of dread stabs itself through Seth’s spine.
Gabriel, or at least, the figure who appears to be Gabriel, looks through the eyes of the young Seth in front of him as if there’s something behind them.
“You can’t die… How could you ever know their fear?”
Gabriel smirks, standing up as the clouds that surround the area swirl into storms, blotting out the light from the sun.
“God gives us the right to die as a way to appreciate the time we have alive. The inevitable will happen to everyone…” the thing behind Gabriel’s skin says, growing increasingly sinister. “...Except for you. You are a paradigm of God’s hatred.”
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding area was doused in flames, and the entire atmosphere of the world had shifted. The plains and everything else around Seth and Gabriel were slowly burning, even the great oak next to them had been altered to a crisp. Ash floats freely in the air, suffocating anything that hasn’t been touched by flame. The sky itself is black, as if God had angrily spread the darkest ink imaginable across it, cursing it for existing. Blotting out a mistake, refusing to accept that it could exist, an imperfection.
A scourge.
The thing uses Gabriel’s body, visibly made of a shell of porcelain-like material, to smile and cackle at Seth, gloating in his pain. Painful screams echo in every direction, bouncing off every surface they possibly can, exemplifying the desolation each of their owners feel. Even if the ones responsible were burning alive, they would not be able to scream for this long.
Their vocal cords would rip.
Their lungs would melt away.
Their bodies would char and be unable to move, helplessly accepting their fate.
And yet, the screaming continued. It could not stop, as the only reason it existed was to remind a man of his mistakes. Of what he failed to do, failed to be, and could never redeem himself for.
If, by chance, there was a Hell made of fire and brimstone, ongoing for eternity…
…Seth would have rather chosen that, than even three seconds of this agony.
“Seth… When they burned up…”
Flashes of the scene enter Seth’s mind.
A burning two-story building in the plains, with large pillars surrounded by blocky four-pane windows and two large front doors. All on fire. Endless screaming.
“...Why didn’t you save them?”
Seth screams, internally. Not being able to speak through his younger self’s body, that’s all he can do. Just by the tone, someone could tell that he’d be digging his fingernails deep into the ash-ridden, burnt ground if he could move his body.
He would be slamming his forehead into the ruined ground until he fell unconscious… but he can’t do any of that.
All he can do is wait until he wakes up.
It hurts.
He can’t describe it in more detail, that will only validate his experience.
It has to be as simple as possible, to be something that won’t stick in his mind.
That can act like a fleeting memory, that his brain can erase long enough to stabilize in its absence.
It hurts.
Gabriel’s body stands over Seth, looking half-satisfied, and half-disgusted. Mocking him with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk, a noticeable crack forms under its left cheek.
“Oh…” it trails off, intrigued by circumstances unknown to anyone but it.
“Interesting. We’ll meet again… Seth.”
As the world twists and distorts around Seth, destroying the very structure it is made up of, he winces in pain one last time.
And then, all of it is a blinding white.
All of the sounds, fallen silent.
The ash, no longer present.
He finally, cautiously, begins to open his eyes.
. . . . .
Seth jolts forward, sitting up in his bed while gasping, feeling at his throat. He’s alive. Safe, and most importantly, out of that dream world.
He clenches his fists, angry at his own mind for forcing that pain onto him.
In the same moment, he realizes the futility of that way of thinking, and falls backward on his bed.
Shit… I don’t know how many more of those I can deal with.
Seth lay atop his bed, sprawled out uncomfortably in a star-shaped position.
His eyes wince toward the ceiling.
Seeing Gabriel again…
Seth feels a slight tug of his heart, seeing his old friend’s face, even in a nightmare…
No, that wasn’t him.
He clenches his fists, trying to push the idea out of his mind.
It’s just my brain haunting me with memories I don’t want.
Seth leans over to check the time on his watch, meekly raising his arm to his chest, and is surprised to be met with a very disappointing eight-thirty in the morning.
Right… Feno’s… gone. Nobody else around to get a job from.
He places his hand near the back of his head, scratching against his hair while contemplating his options.
There’s that convenience store down the corner… No, I can’t give up that easily.
He slowly moves his torso, then his legs off of the bed, dragging himself across the floor over toward his jacket.
Should probably start by investigating myself, I guess. The person in that mask that pushed me, and whatever that 'contract’ was.
Putting his arm through the right sleeve, he pauses to think for a moment.
If I ever slept with anything but that nightmare, I’d think it was all a dream.
After sluggishly getting dressed, he exits the door to his apartment.
. . . . .
The area outside of the internet cafe is the same as usual. The concrete that makes up the sidewalk is full of cracks and is poorly maintained, with weeds blossoming from beneath them. The two-story building is populated with countless signs of events and promotions, all of which he pays zero attention to.
I remember going to that one book signing a while ago… Didn’t that guy get outed for tax fraud? Makes sense, I guess, with all the Center’s media regulations in place.
As Seth walks inside the internet cafe, he’s met with a warm orange light surrounding the entrance, surrounded by shelves of various novels, comics, and cheap films The entire cafe smells of various instant-make and carry-out foods mixed with a hint of the pumpkin-spice candle that the manager always lights. To his right is a counter, with the usual employee missing, as to be expected at this point. Seth shrugs it off and walks forward.
One time when I was here, I remember thinking to myself: ‘oh, I wish my life wasn’t so mundane’...
I wish I’d never said anything, in hindsight.
The cafe is mostly silent, though there’s a few regulars minding their own business, searching through various forms of media here and there. Ignoring them, Seth opens the door belonging to the fourth booth: practically his home away from home. A singular computer tower stands to the right of the desk, with a monitor to the left of it and a keyboard and mouse combo close to the edge. They rest on a plain wooden table, surrounded by red fabric-lined walls and a soundproof foam ceiling. Seth pulls the rolling chair in front of the desk out and sits down, reaching for the computer’s power button.
Wait, I almost forgot…
After reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulls out a small dongle that’s around the width of half his palm, with a button on the top. Pressing it with his thumb, he attempts to insert it into a USB-B slot near the back of the computer.
That’s the wrong side. Of course.
He flips the dongle, and fully inserts it this time.
And… there. No risk of unwanted eyes seeing anything.
Booting up the computer, it whirrs on after a few moments.
First things first…
Seth pulls up the search browser, and types in the word “progenitor”.
Scrolling through the results that pop up, he clicks on a dictionary site and reads the first interpretation under his breath.
“...A person or thing that first indicates a direction, originates something, or serves as a model… also known as a ‘predecessor’ or a ‘precursor’.”
That… doesn’t make any sense.
This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Seth has his hand resting against his right cheek, with his elbow propped up on the table.
When that person pushed me… they said, ‘Welcome to the free world.’
Then... what am I the ‘progenitor’ of?
Seth leans forward, placing both hands’ fingers on the middle keys of the keyboard.
This probably won’t pull up any results, but…
He presses backspace with his right pinky finger, clearing the search bar before typing “criminal with smiley face mask” as a replacement. The enter key lowers down under his finger, activating the switch below it.
Scrolling down, Seth lets out a long, almost comedically disappointed sigh.
Yeah, should’ve guessed... it’s just a bunch of character art. Either they’re a first-time criminal, they’re really good at hiding their tracks, or…
…Maybe they don’t exist here.
He hangs his head, annoyed by the possibility and the lack of an internal rebuttal.
That still doesn’t make sense. They would’ve known that I’d end up like this if they said I was entering the ‘free world’.
…Free from death, maybe?
Kck-clk-clk, klk-clk-clk-kck
He inputs yet another keyword into the search, this time, “Samsara”.
The scroll wheel quickly moves downward underneath his index finger.
Vrr-vrr-vrr-vrr.
A cycle of death and rebirth…
After a collection of keyboard clicks later, Seth followed up his theory.
…But there’s no organizations that go by the name.
Wait, no. It’s supposed to be a prison.
‘Welcome to the free world’... That couldn’t relate to Samsara, could it?
KNOCK.
KNOCK.
His thoughts are abruptly interrupted by two firm knocks on the booth’s door.
“Seth? You in there?”
A young woman’s muffled voice comes from behind the door, into the room.
“Miki? Is that you?” Seth asks.
“Oh, it is you! Hiya! I noticed the door was shut, so I figured it was you in here…”
“Yeah, nobody was upfront, so I let myself in,” he replies.
“No worries! I’ll try and catch you later before you leave. Bye!”
“See you.”
Seth slumps back in his chair, contemplating his results so far.
I don’t get any of this.
Tapping his index and middle fingers against the chair’s armrest, he attempts to distract his subconscious while fully focusing on the case.
A mysterious figure, a ‘free world’, a ‘contract’, a cycle of death and rebirth…
Does any of it connect together? Is it all just a coincidence?
He shakes his head, well aware that no one else can see him.
No, that can’t be… it feels too wrong. I can just tell.
There has to be somethi—
Something flashes on the monitor to the north of Seth’s eyes, instantly catching him off guard.
…Huh?
A window had opened up on Seth’s desktop, despite him not having his hands on the keyboard or the mouse. It was a computer terminal, with text beginning to appear in the top left corner in real-time that reads:
past the first test, the second future lies in entrapments of the mind
suffering awaits the failure who attempts to play God
password:
The messenger’s inputs go still, as the blinking light of the cursor continues in their stead.
Seth remains quiet, staring at the screen and gripped by the throat, as if he just saw a corpse.
That’s not possible. The VPN gateway should’ve intercepted...
…I need to get out of here.
As soon as he pulls the chair out backward, more text begins to appear on the terminal.
exit your room and the girl dies
yell and the girl dies
you are not safe
past the first test, the second future lies in entrapments of the mind
suffering awaits the failure who attempts to play God
password:
The cursor blinks again, mockingly. An aura of extreme dread floods Seth’s mind, as he realizes the severity of the situation without further delay.
Miki… you bastards…!
“Who are you?” Seth says, withholding any anger from his voice so as to not risk it being taken out on Miki. Text appears on the screen once again.
not relevant
past the first test, the second future lies in entrapments of the mind
suffering awaits the failure who attempts to play God
password:
He stares at the screen, seeing the same hint for the third time.
That’s all I’m going to get out of you, huh?
He pulls his chair forward yet again, staring at the blinking cursor to the right of “password:”.
The first test… must be related to the train. I’ve already “passed” it. ‘The second future’...
A second test? ‘Lies in entrapments of the mind’.
The second test that lies in entrapments of the mind.
Seth recalls the searching he’d just gone through minutes prior to this.
Death and rebirth both have significant impacts…
‘Suffering awaits the failure who attempts to play God’...
A cycle of death and rebirth… awaits those who attempt to play God.
Seth hesitantly types in the word “Samsara” into the terminal, and presses the enter key. More text arrives on the screen.
[X] [ ] [ ]
You have: 2:30 minutes remaining.
SHIT! Shit, shit, shit! I’m on the clock now?!
Seth puts his hands to his forehead, pushing his hair back to feel it. The stress begins to seep its way under his skin, influencing his mind. He breathes in, knowing he doesn’t have the time for doubt.
Okay… If I ignore the possibility of it referring to me specifically, the only way to escape Samsara is to follow the eight-fold path…
Right view, Right Resolve, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration.
While counting each one, Seth does so with his fingers as well.
Resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
In logical order, that would be…
Mindfulness, View, Concentration, Resolve, Speech, Action, Effort, and Livelihood. I think…
So, M-V-C-R-S-A-E-L…
Seth types the arranged letters into the terminal, and presses enter.
An unhelpful message shows itself in response.
[X] [X] [ ]
You have: 1:45 minutes remaining.
Shit… Then it has to be a cipher… Think, Seth, THINK!
He pinches his forehead, trying his hardest not to panic.
Samsara, a new world, the eight-fold path, death and rebirth…
He taps his foot stressfully against the ground.
Wait. Samsara… Could be a letter-to-number cipher? The eight-fold path… if I use eight as the value for “A”…
Looking at the letters on the keyboard for reference, he taps them in accordance with their number.
That’s twenty-six... eight... twenty... twenty-six. Eight. Twenty-five… eight.
Twenty-six appears twice… a cycle of death and rebirth, Yin and Yang… Groups of two?
Eight. Twenty. Twenty-five.
The ‘free world’ would be an escape from Samsara.
So, twenty-six represents Samsara. The only number that repeats twice: a cycle.
Eight. Twenty. Twenty-five. These numbers either don’t repeat, or repeat more than once.
…That’s it. All of the eight paths are “right”, “absolute”, even… Meaning there’s only one way through them. Only sets of absolutes.
Twenty and twenty-five.
Seth quickly types the set of numbers into the terminal, and finally presses the enter key, betting everything on this last deduction with only ten seconds remaining on the timer. Text appears on the screen yet again.
congratulations, progenitor
you view a world unbiased by God
this is what we expected
rest assured
the girl will not be harmed
The text pauses for a moment as the monitor seems to lag in its absence. In less than a few seconds, it continues:
we have a reward for you
Another window opens up atop the monitor, and Seth’s pupils expand in fear.
That’s… my apartment.
A cold sweat begins to run down his back as a camera positioned from the ceiling of his apartment is looking down at around a sixty-degree angle, at a large metal box sitting on the floor, with a white envelope sitting on top of it.
As he stares, unable to speak, the terminal closes and the camera feed follows shortly after it.
I shouldn’t go. I should just stay here. Call the police, something.
But they wouldn’t believe me.
I don’t have any other choice but to play into the palm of their hand.
He had an unnerving, staying feeling that the ones behind this knew that already.
Rushing out of the fourth booth, he bolts to the desk and places his hands on top of the counter, quickly leaning half his body over.
“MIKI?! YOU THERE?!”
“H-huh?!” Miki, busy with something in the employee’s closet and out of Seth’s field of vision, sounds startled by the urgency in Seth’s voice.
“I’ve… I’ve gotta go! I’ll try and come back sometime soon!”
That’s a lie. As long as these people are following me… it’s obvious she’d be in danger just by knowing me.
Miki, still not showing herself, laughs to herself a little.
“That’s okay, Seth! You’re always welcome here, whenever!”
Without saying another word, Seth runs out of the internet cafe and down the sidewalk in the direction of his apartment.
I’m sorry, Miki. I never expected any of this to happen.
. . . . .
Seth quickly shoves his key into the lock belonging to his apartment door, but unsurprisingly, it’s already unlocked. Turning the knob, he slams it open, checking the apartment immediately for any disturbances. The white, thin camera can be seen taped on top of the wall.
It’s too large and obvious… This wasn’t here before I left earlier this morning. Even I wouldn’t be able to miss that.
Seth walks around underneath the camera, examining it.
An SD card slot and USB port on its side… they must’ve recorded a small snippet of footage… the way they presented it made it seem like a live feed, but…
Seth looks around the apartment once again, searching for any wires or additional devices.
…There’s nothing else here. I guess that’s a relief.
He crouches down, then quickly springs up and grabs the camera with his right hand, tossing it onto the bed as he hits the ground.
“I’ll look at you later.”
He turns his head toward the metal box on the ground, around one meter in length and width, half a meter in height. There’s a large keyhole near the front, close to the top, but the box seems machinery-sealed otherwise. On top of it, as he saw in the video, is an envelope in white. It has nothing written on its front-facing side.
Seth crouches down, picking it up and examining it. As soon as he turns it, he realizes the opposite side is black.
A black and white envelope? I’ve never seen this before.
More importantly…
On the black side of the letter, there’s writing in white.
‘To The Future’...?
I was expecting “To The Free World” or pretty much anything else.
Setting it down next to the box, he attempts to pick it up. This didn’t work whatsoever.
What… the hell… is in this box?! Ugh…! It’s so… damn… heavy…!
Seth’s hands slip against the cool metal, causing him to trip forward. He catches himself before he falls flat on his face.
I wish I had a screwdriver or something… I can’t try to shoot the locking mechanism inside.
Picking up the letter again, he tears the flap back and opens it. It’s a blank piece of copy paper with writing on it, with a metal key cut for the box taped to the bottom right. It reads as follows:
Dear Progenitor,
You have been found.
Rejoice, for the future is here. The Free World.
Your life is to begin anew. You will understand in due time.
We have prepared a gift for you. Please take the key attached and open the box provided with this letter.
Seth rips the key off of the letter, removing the excess tape.
Probably a trap, but I have absolutely zero leads, so…
He tightens the grip around the key in his hand.
I might as well do as it says.
He sets the key into the box’s lock, combing over the pins and turning it to the right as soon as it’s set in place.
A blinding white light engulfed the entirety of Seth’s apartment, originating from the box. It became hotter at an incomprehensibly fast rate, burning the air around it.
Molten metal shards left from the pieces remaining of the box shot outward in every direction, piercing Seth’s skin countless times.
Pain instantly flooded over his entire body for only a moment, until his vision was overtaken by a burning hot white. His senses stopped working as soon as he realized that this was the work of a bomb.
A highly volatile explosive reaction— rigged to detonate by letting oxygen through a vacuum-sealed interior that a person unlocking the box with a key would break— engulfed Seth’s entire apartment in flame, destroying everything inside of it…
…Including him.