The space Miko found himself in was a pitch-black void that stretched on for eternity, without even the slightest hint of light.

Then, spontaneously, specs of light, like stars began to poke holes in the black facade. These specs grew, and crystallized, they gained shape and color. They were objects, but nothing like one could recognize. They had confusing forms, unfinished geometries, impossible shades. They were so foreign, Miko’s brain had a difficult time processing them.

It's almost as if it was pointless to imagine an object which specifically cannot be imagined.

Slowly, the objects began to shift, closing their shapes and fixing their colors. The world shifted back into appearance, the air strange but acceptable. There was something different about this world. The room he found himself in was very much like his, except strange paper-like objects seemed to be hanging on the walls. On these papers were shapes that formed images of strangely dressed people in all black.

Not only that, odd paraphernalia were scattered around the once-familiar room. They seemed relatively harmless, but one could not be so sure in this other world.

A figure then appears from the door. A man dressed in all black. He covers his face with a hand wrapped in black gloves. The curl of his lips pokes out from underneath.

“And who are you?” he said, playfully.

“?” Miko replied, non-verbally of course.

“You’re an interesting one, aren’t you” he snickered. “Not from around here I assume?”

Miko looked at the man with genuine confusion.

“People around here avoid me keke” he laughed strangely. “You are not afraid?”

Miko looked with even more confusion.

“And that's what makes you interesting” he replied.

“You and I seem to be cut from the same cloth, two sides of the same coin. Let me show you something you might find interesting instead.”

He snapped his fingers and a large shadow appeared, shifting its shape and forming into a large wolf. The wolf gave a mighty roar.

“This is my friend, he will escort us, care to join?” He asked politely.

Miko nodded his head, his mind completely empty.

When Miko touched the wolf, they all began to sink into the shadows. When light returned, Miko found himself in front of a large mansion.

“There is some business I must attend to at this place, it will truly be an enjoyable night.” he smiled freakily. "You see, tonight is a new moon, darkness shrouds the night. Shadows loom between the cracks and crevices seldom watched by mortal eyes. These nights, only dead men walk."

Miko finally got a good look at the man now that they were outside. It seemed like he was in a jet-black suit and tie, with a bit of white from a dress shirt peeking through. A black mask covered the upper half of his face and the top of his nose.

He stepped forwards and ushered Miko along. They entered the mansion together.

Immediately inside was a large gathering of people wearing extravagant clothing and jewelry, along with each having a unique and elegant mask. It seemed like these were the elite and wealthy of this society.

Few heads turned towards the recently opened door, most were busy chatting, eating, or dancing. The hall was big, with a large fountain as its centerpiece and two large staircases on either side connecting it to an overhang and the rest of the property. It seemed that this room was a small part of a very large mansion. An opulent chandelier hung from the ceiling and the room was furnished with only the finest leather and decorated with flat multi-colored boards.

"I'm looking for a certain someone amongst this crowd or within the many rooms of this house. She wears a red mask in the form of a fox. Now, let us search."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The man walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

Miko stood there, in a significant amount of awe at the fact that this man just assumed that he would help. Miko instead wandered aimlessly, thinking of nothing but how to end this tiring adventure. He had a few ideas, but some would likely violate the rules.

He stared at the people in front of him, wondering if they were real. How could an entirely separate reality exist within a small tear in the world? Is his memory being altered somehow, maybe by this Green Zone thing?

He reached out his hand aiming to touch someone when he spotted something. A woman, with a red fox mask. She was slender, wearing an elegant white dress. She was surrounded by a large group of people, yet she seemed so alone.

Miko understood, it was how he felt, how those around him only made him feel lonelier. If they disappeared… well it wouldn't matter either way. Miko knew he couldn't help her, after all, if he could help her, why had he yet to help himself?

Should he warn her? That shady human surely was looking to start trouble, she looked too fragile to deserve it. But then again, looks can be deceiving. And with that thought, both sympathy and rage clashed through him.

He reached out his hand towards her.

Then, the world went black. The lights had been extinguished, plunging the venue into complete darkness. Shrill screams pierced through the worried chatter. It was then that a single light appeared. A candle dimly lit on the edge of the overhang. A smile could be seen, illuminated menacingly by the faint orange glow. The flame suddenly got brighter, revealing the face of the terror. It was the masked man from earlier, obviously. His voice rang through the hall.

"Elena… I've found you…" he said playfully.

The light vanished, only to be replaced by the room lights moments later. Except, he was gone.

Miko looked around for the fox lady, only to see her hurriedly making her way to a side door. He quickly followed, running at a modest yet surprisingly passionate pace.

The door opened to a small circular courtyard with a gazebo at its center. Around the outside of the circle was a garden filled with flowers of all colors. In this beautiful place, he spotted the woman through a large rosebush She was looking upwards. A man was standing on the roof of the gazebo looking down. It was him. They stared at each other. Neither backing away nor showing any kind of emotion.

Slowly, they both take off their masks to reveal their expressionless faces. Their eyes were full of resolve.

“I see you recognize me…” he said, breaking the silence.

“As if I could forget,” she replied, unwavering.

“Then you understand what this is all for. You understand what you have done.”

“If only it was so simple,” she scoffed.

“Oh? And if it was?”

“It wasn’t.” The woman seemed adamant, yet her eyes were screaming with guilt.”

“It isn’t nice to lie.” he chided, suddenly jumping down right in front of her.

He slowly pulled out his sword and pointed at her.

“I know you have no way of defending yourself. It would be so easy to just…”

He swings his sword stopping just shy of her neck.

Her face was still unwavering with the sword to her neck.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. I had to do it. I had no other choice.”

A look of anger rushed across the man's face. In an instant he swings at the supports of the gazebo, slicing the top off and causing it to crash to the ground.

“No other choice…” he giggled.

“Do you really think that would excuse you? That it would make it okay?”

“Of course,” he looks up to the sky and smiles, “It was your life against mine, and you chose your own.”

“That’s why… You can’t complain that I do the same,” he said as he stepped towards her.

Once again he raises his sword.

“Please,” she muttered, unable to get the words out properly.

He swings. It was over. Her head lay motionless on the floor, cleanly separated from her body.

She was undeniably dead. Miko’s heart sank. In that moment, he was crushed by the unfairness of the world.

“You too,” Miko said, walking forwards.

“What?” the man replied, “I didn’t realize you were watching. Did you enjoy my judgment?”

“It’s incomplete,” Miko said, looking straight down.

“What do you mean? Incomplete how?”

Miko held out his hand and grasped. In the next moment, the man’s heart was crushed.

“You can’t complain either,” Miko said as the man’s body hit the floor lifeless.

“This world, it’s... sad” Miko closes his eyes and clenches his fists.

A deep rumbling began. Cracks then started to appear, first on the ground and slowly propagating to the mansion above. Then the entire world. The cracks grew, shifting the ground along with it. The wood planks began to shatter, and parts of the mansion began to fall. Terrified screams could be heard in the distance. Countless corpses lay amongst the rubble. Next, even the air seemed to crack, and the sky too. Then the heavens. They continued to multiply, shredding the mansion and the world around it.

And then suddenly, everything shattered, revealing the black void behind. It seemed he was going home, as the black void slowly transformed into the shape of his room.