2nd August
Yuki leaned closer. "There's this post I found online.”
“What post?” Naomi asked, puzzled.
“I was just browsing around a website when I came across this one post… it was about Avalon. At first I thought it was just a coincidence, just another person trying to gain clout by spewing made up stories… until I dug deeper and found out more about it.” Yuki replied.
Naomi tilted her head, her brow furrowing slightly. The playful glint in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a flicker of something akin to surprise – or perhaps, apprehension.
“Avalon, huh?” she murmured, her voice losing its usual carefree lilt. “What did it say?”
Yuki hesitated. He decided to start slowly, gauge her reaction. “It was just some forum post.” he said, forcing a casualness he didn't quite feel. “It went something like this.”
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Have you guys heard about this place called Avalon!!!???
There were some talks about it in this community, but I thought it was just another creepypasta floating around. Like seriously??? An utopia in ANOTHER DIMENSION??? That's so cap!!!
Or that's what I was thinking. Until one day… I[16F] cam across this guy[17M]. He had just moved into my hood. There was something very sus about him. The house he moved into was also used to be abandoned. Nobody dared to go near it, there is always rumors of weird stuff going on around it. This new guy though, he came right in like he owned the place.
We bumped into each other a few times, and let me tell you, this dude was WEIRD. Always talking about hidden worlds and secret passages. One night, he dared me to follow him into his house. Yeah, HUGE mistake.
The inside was even creepier than the outside. It was very dusty and there were spider webs all over, like bro, you live HERE!!??
And then… he gave me a letter. THERE WAS MY NAME OVER THE LETTER!!! I couldn't read most of it but he told me I had this aura or something? And that I was selected to go to this MAGIC SCHOOL!! Just like it was in ‘Larry Glasses’ OMG.
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“Huh.” Naomi chuckled, a sound that lacked its usual warmth.
“What happened?” Yuki asked, his brow furrowed in concern.
“Nothing, I just thought it's funny you mentioned ‘Larry Glasses’ too when you saw the letter,” Naomi stated, her gaze flickering away from him.
“I mean, the letter did bear a strong resemblance to that in the book,” Yuki said, a seed of suspicion blossoming in his chest.
“Huh? That's interesting. I've never read it actually,” Naomi said, her voice quieter than usual.
“You've never read it? That's a shocker!” Yuki exclaimed. "It's kind of a classic, especially for someone who…" He trailed off, unsure how to complete his thought.
Naomi's hands clenched into fists, her knuckles turning white. "Someone who what?" she snapped, a flicker of anger replacing her earlier discomfort.
“Well, I've been on Avalon for most of my life…” Naomi said softly, her voice dropping to a whisper, her hands twitching as if yearning for a past that never was. The anger seemed to drain from her as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a profound sadness. “Why don't you continue the story.” she said, her voice barely a murmur.
“Yeah… sure.” Yuki hesitated, noticing Naomi's sudden shift in mood.
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So, you know what? I said YES! This weirdo dude raises his hand and chants something in another language (German, maybe? Sounded like "Vucere" or something). Next thing I know, we're somewhere AMAZING. Castles, floating islands, the whole shebang! He says he can make everyone forget about me here, and I can start a whole new life!
That's exactly what I'm gonna do! Leaving tomorrow, so this is probably my last post. Peace out, Readit and the Urban Legends fam!
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“And that's what led you to believe me about Avalon? That's hilarious!” Naomi laughed, a touch of relief flickering in her eyes.
Well, yeah, that," he mumbled, the words barely audible. "But also..." His voice trailed off, searching for a way to express the whirlwind of thoughts swirling in his head. Was he starting to believe Naomi's fantastical story? Or was the creepypasta story just too unsettling to argue against?
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"But also?" Naomi prompted gently, her earlier defensiveness replaced by a cautious curiosity that mirrored Yuki's own internal struggle.
Yuki took a shaky breath, his voice tight with the effort to articulate his jumbled thoughts. "The truth is, I..." he began, searching for the right words. "I was feeling guilty about yelling at you before." The confession tumbled out, a surprising admission that left him slightly breathless.
Naomi's laughter echoed through the room, a welcome change from the tense silence that had preceded it. "Guilty, huh?" she teased playfully, bumping her shoulder against his in a gesture that, while lighthearted, held a hint of reassurance. "Never would've guessed it from Mr. Stoic over here."
A hesitant smile tugged at the corner of Yuki's lips. A flicker of warmth returned to his eyes, battling against the lingering unease that still clung to him like a shadow. "Maybe I should lighten up a bit," he conceded, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice.
“But honestly, Naomi, after everything you've shown me…” he trailed off, his voice dropping to a whisper as the weight of the situation settled on him. “I don't even know what to think anymore.”
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken questions. Finally, Yuki lifted his head, his gaze locking with Naomi's. “So what now?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. “Avalon is real, I am here... what am I supposed to do now?”
“Now…” Naomi began, leaning herself over the marble railing, “Yuki, now there's only a decision to be taken.” Naomi drew out both of her hands, opening them to reveal a blue tablet and a red tablet. “Yuki, if you decide to take the blue tablet, then you will continue with your normal life the way it was, you along with everyone else will forget I ever existed and everything will go back to how it was.” Naomi declared.
“And what if I take the red tablet?” Yuki asked.
“If you do that… everyone will forget that you existed. And the very next day,” Naomi glanced over to the fortified construction, “You will be enrolled in ‘The Avalon Athenaeum’ and a new life will begin for you.”
Yuki fell short for a response. He looked at Naomi, conflicted emotions appearing on his face. “Think about this Yuki, about theー” Before Naomi could finish, Yuki took the red tablet from her hand and ingested it. “It's sweet.” He commented leaning forward, his eyes gazing at Naomi’s face. He raised an eyebrow, “Why didn't anything happen? Isn't this supposed to be like it was in the movie?”
Naomi gazed at Yuki in disbelief, then began laughing hysterically, “You really thought that would do something?” She struggled to speak while trying to hold her laughter. “It was just candy, Yuki.” She said as she calmed down.
“Why did you even do it in the first place?” Yuki sighed. “Theatricals Yuki, theatricals.” Naomi said while wiping off a tear. “So you've made your decision huh? I didn't think you'd be so quick at it.” She commented. “Let's send you back home now.”
“What do you mean send me back?”
“There's some procedures we need to carry out, Yuki. To roll you into the academy. We will come back here tomorrow to have you enrolled.”
Yuki's sigh escaped his lips, a mixture of relief and… something else. Disappointment? Hesitation? But the idea of facing a whole new world, a new school, was daunting.
“Alright,” he said, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness. “Let's go home, Naomi.” Naomi offered him a warm smile with a determined glint in her eyes. “Welcome to the first step of your new life.”
As Naomi guided him back through the hidden passage, a flicker of unease crossed Yuki's mind. He wasn't sure what awaited him at this academy, or even if he could trust Naomi entirely. But the die was cast. He had taken the leap of faith. There was no turning back now.
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7:30 PM
Humid air settled over the streets of a lonely neighbourhood where houses stood shoulder to shoulder, some of them illuminating soft glow from the curtained windows. A lone cat strolled around the streets, its figure-a dark silhouette in the darkened alley. Its emerald eyes glowed, reflecting a far away street lamp. Two long shadows crawled under the lamp, one taller than the other. Yuki and Naomi saunter down the street, taking in the views for one last time.
Yuki stole a glance at Naomi, her profile illuminated by the flickering gaslight. Her expression was unreadable, a mask that offered no clues about the emotions swirling beneath. He felt a pang of something akin to loss – a farewell to the life he knew, a world that seemed to be slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.
“This is it, huh?” Yuki pondered, “My whole life is going to disappear now just like that. Not that I've done anything notable to begin with.” He chuckled.
“Oh that can't be true!” Naomi exclaimed, “You must have achieved something, right? Maybe something in sports?”
Yuki was taken aback by Naomi's guess, “Why would you think that?” He asked, surprised.
“Your arms are unusually toned for someone who hasn't done anything notable.” She deduced. A faint blush crept up Yuki's neck. He hadn't realised how toned his arms had become. A forgotten memory flickered at the edge of his mindーthe dribbling of balls and squeaking of shoes ran through his mind.
Yuki scoffed, a touch of defensiveness creeping into his voice. “These? They're not that toned. Maybe I just carry my groceries a lot.” He forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow even to his own ears. Naomi's keen observation had unsettled him. What else did she know about him, or was it just a lucky guess?
“Look,” he said abruptly, cutting off whatever response Naomi might have had, “we've reached already.” Their feet stopped before a small apartment complex. “Impressive house you got here.” Naomi chuckled.
“Uhh, I guess.” Yuki replied, not sure if she was being sarcastic. “We'll meet tomorrow, it seems.”
“Yes, Yuki. You won't exist for the world tomorrow on.” The words hit Yuki like a physical blow, sending shivers down his spine. “Meet me at my house tomorrow. Goodnight, Yuki.” Naomi turned around and swayed through the streets, disappearing into the distance like a gust of wind.
Yuki, still struck by her statement, watched in shock as she left, “Goodnight.” He murmured under his breath.
<8 - Run, run, run away babyーEpisode 2 - Fin>