Charlie tried to do good; as best as he could. But there was no retreating from fate, no escape from what life would bring. How would he know? Of what the Nihilion was planning to wreak. How would he know? That for three years he sat comfortably, unbeknownst of the tragedy he had caused.
The battle with the Nihilion ended in a stalemate. Charlie was too distraught to finish it, and the Nihilion just stopped giving a fuck. He allowed Haru to take him away. As they escaped, the otaku girl could still hear his chuckle in her head. The smell of petrichor stayed in her nose even days after the fight.
There was no conclusion yet it was evident the battle was a disaster. Nobody but her and Charlie survived that day. What’s worse was that the Nihilion remained unbeaten – still alive and still powerful. Ready to continue his torment on the two who had remained.
Everything went hazy afterwards. Haru wanted to bring Charlie back to Otaku Academy but the American geek suddenly vanished. She panicked and worried at what happened to him, and whether the Nihilion had anything to do with it. For days she tried to find him, searching all the areas of the Escapist Dream. Thankfully, the monsters were gone and the Escapist Dream was safe. But as Haru searched, she kept in her mind to be careful, for the Nihilion might be watching.
After so many weeks of fruitless searching, Haru’s will was finally giving up. Her whole search had put so much strain on her body and soul. Nothing but frustration filled her head. She was alone, scared, and almost at her limit. She wanted it all to end. As Haru wept inside her club room, she thought, Charlie-kun, please… Where are you? I need you…
A portal suddenly opened inside the room. The surprised Haru stared at the black vortex slightly pulling everything in. She didn’t know who or what summoned it but she could not let it pass. It was the first sign she had been desperately seeking.
Haru arrived inside a bedroom the moment she went in. This place was new; a world separated but connected to the Escapist Dream, just like the Lobby. Haru had little information about Charlie’s new item and powers. But she wouldn’t be surprised the person who easily destroyed all the bosses in one sitting, could have the power to create his own pocket dimension.
The place looked like a typical nerd’s bedroom, filled with shelves containing books and video game titles, as well as posters of movies and rock bands taped on the walls. There was a bed on the side, neatly furnished, with a red and blue blanket. In front of her was a white desk, with pencils, pens, and laptops with pads and styluses for digital art. All around it was Western comic books, thrown around messily, used for references and models.
Finally, Haru noticed Charlie sitting cross-legged on a corner, staring at the floor. She cried the moment she saw him, her hands covering her mouth, her heart inflating after a hole in it was plugged.
“Charlie-kun…”
Charlie, however, continued to stare blankly, giving no welcoming to his friend. But the Japanese otaku didn’t care. She ran to him and hugged him from behind, the tightest she had ever embraced anyone. She rubbed her face on his back, her tears dripping on the geek as he continued to do what he was doing.
“Please say something, Charlie, please…” Haru pleaded.
“I’m sorry,” Charlie finally spoke. “It’s all my fault. It’s always been my fault.”
“No, it’s not! It was never!”
Charlie raised his head but did not look at Haru. He continued, “It was me, Haru. Not you. I was the one all along who got everyone killed. I am the reason why you are here right now sufferin’. I should have never stepped foot in this virtual reality world… I… I should have never been born…”
“Don’t say that! Please don’t say that!”
Haru’s sobbing intensified. She could feel the bleakness and hopelessness in the air; two things she knew well enough. Her heart had begun to pound stronger and stronger as she continued to embrace Charlie – not letting him go, trying her best to reel him back. This feeling… it was as if she was losing yet another important person in her life.
“Life is nothin’ but a series of mistakes,” Charlie said. “We are the fools and the real viruses of this world. We exist primarily to cause trouble wherever we go. We live only to fuck everythin’ up. You were right. Everythin’ I do, no matter how much I try my best, no matter how much I do it for the better good, will always fail. It will only end up causin’ problems to people.”
Before Haru could say something, her arms suddenly felt nothing. Charlie disappeared again. She herself had been teleported back to her club room. She stood up and looked around, trying her best to find the portal but to no avail. Before she could burst in grief, her forearm beeped, and she saw a notification in her menu panel. When she opened it, she was shocked to see her level had become level ∞.
I’m givin’ this item to you Haru. This is the program that allows you to take control of the whole Escapist Dream, givin’ you unlimited power in any design that you want. I don’t know if you can use it to get out of here, but maybe it can. You only have to study it more. I’m giving it to you because I’ve been pretty useless with it. Use it to get out of here Haru. Please, forget about me…
Charlie's voice disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Everything about him that Haru adored was gone. The cheerfulness and enthusiasm... the person who once brimmed with positivity… the one who barreled through whatever problems and failures they went... he was gone. He became the thing Haru feared. He became just like her. A broken hopeless husk. A stiff corpse walking.
Haru knelt and continued to let her tears fall. She was alone again. They had gone this far only to see it all crumble down. Why was the world unfair? Why did redemption and happy endings only exist in fiction? Why did all of this hard work go to waste? Why were there people in this world whose sole purpose was to suffer? Haru dreamed of getting at least one thing in her life right. But what was she thinking? That would go against the theme of her existence.
Charlie said she should use this new power to try to get out. But Haru didn’t want to get out. What the hell would she do the moment she got back? Tell the world what happened here? Tell them how everyone died? And only the stupidest of them all – the Great Idiot – was the one who survived?
No. She would not be getting out. She was going to die here, amongst the warriors who bled and perished. Like Cal, Catherine, Ryūji, Captain Mulholland, and the others. Like Charlie. Especially like Charlie.
She stayed in her club room first to plan everything out. She could feel the power Charlie had sent her. It was indeed a godlike feeling. Every code and every data, all she could grab and turn into something else. She could even create a big bang with just a snap.
The first thing she did with her new power was to change her costume to better resemble her new level. With a thought, her clothes changed, now sporting a puffy pink dress with a wide skirt, complimented with white gloves, white knee-length socks, and red doll shoes. Frills adorned her dress, giving her the appearance of a pretty budding flower. She turned her hair pink and tied it into twin buns with red ribbons. On her chest hung a red pendant.
It was fitting for her to take the appearance of Madoka Kaname from Puella Magi Madoka Magica – one of the most iconic magical girls in anime history. She hoped her look would grant her the same confidence as Madoka. She hoped too that she would be able to change this world the same way as the mighty magical girl.
Besides getting to know her new power, she also meditated her mind and spirit. This was going to be a difficult mission; something she might not be able to come back from. But she would die furiously fighting. She would go out in a blaze of glory, dishing as many jabs at the Nihilion as she could.
Before heading out, she made a final prayer. She was never religious, nor was religion and spirituality something that was still beloved in her era, which followed only logic and the criticisms of the old culture. But challenges like these where no one was at her side? No family, friends, or any loved ones to support her? It was not her fault to ask for help from someone from beyond. She didn't know what to do. She needed all the help she could get, no matter how imaginary they seemed.
And then… show time…
