After the incident with Arek's uncle, the duo drives into their community, arriving at their familiar villa. Arek gets out of the car, his eyes glued to the familiar sight in front of him. After parking, the two head inside and immediately Arek freezes at the doorway, taking in the rush of memories filling his head. From the messy child's portrait on the wall to the mahogany table at the side to the glazed blue bowl in the center of the table, everything contains memories.
This is where Arek lived the first seventeen years of his life: first with his father and brother and eventually just with his brother. He feels his throat bob as he swallows, his eyes glistening.
"Ahem." Arek blinks, realizing that his brother is behind him and hastily moves to the side to allow him passage in.
"Your room is the same as you left it but since you're taller now you may need a larger bed. Other than that, it's been cleaned and your magazines tossed out-" Sayan says in a businesslike tone, moving inside and placing his keys on the key rack and hanging up his coat.
Immediately Arek feels his melancholy mood vanish. "You tossed my comics???!"
"It was a good opportunity." Sayan replies, shrugging with no hint of remorse.
"You-" Arek starts, but before he can finish Sayan is gone into the depths of his room. Fuming, Arek walks into his own room-and pauses. On the bed is a stack of familiar comics. He lied? Sweet. Let's take a look. Arek pops on the bed and opens one. Immediately, an image of a man-eating octopus getting killed assaults his senses. Snap. He shuts the page and picks up another one.
This one involves a person getting involved in a crazy scientist's experiment and eventually turning into a monster. Snap. Arek shuts it. The next one Arek picks up is about a superhero protecting his city. Gazing at the drawing of the grateful people thanking the hero Arek lets out a sarcastic laugh. He shuts it. The next it about a boy finding a magical amulet and following it to "face his destiny". Destiny? Bullshit. Arek shuts that one too. Did I really love this stuff before? Arek wonders as he picks another up.
Several moments later Sayan, who came back out to grab something from the kitchen, notices Arek walking out of his room with a huge stack of comics in hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Tossing them." Sayan blinks, question marks practically hanging above his head.
"Wow I had bad taste." Arek remarks, dusting his hands off and heading back inside his room.
The rest of the evening passes surprisingly quietly as if Arek never left the house. Sayan stays cooped up in his room, likely engaging in company affairs. Meanwhile, Arek spends his time examining each feature of his once familiar red and black room. A certain sleeping mongoose wakes up and slips out to examine his new territory. Glancing at the dark and gloomy colors Arek feels a headache coming on. Just the colors remind me of things I'd rather not relive. I should change it...but to what? What would feel like home? As he contemplates this, an image comes to mind: one of softly bobbing, lapping waves and an octopus drifting around.
Alright, let's go with that theme! Arek plops onto his bed and starts plotting his future room. That night, Arek struggles to sleep, even after pulling out his sleeping charm. After gaining his roommate and going through his years as a slave to Lennox, Arek's sleep schedule deteriorated to two or three hours a day, his body never actually able to relax or adjust. The sleeping charm was procured for him by a wizard he met during his travels. It works similarly to sleeping pills and managed to extend Arek's sleep to four to five hours. However, even with the charm Arek struggles to sleep comfortably on the bed, eventually settling for the floor and thinking, I should also get a harder bed...is that even a thing? I mean, most people usually get softer ones right?
With these thoughts he slowly drifts off (Arthur sleeping on his forehead) and comes to a familiar sea of consciousness. Seeing his roommate, drifting along as usual Arek excitedly rushes towards her, speaking like a child sharing news with its parent.
"Guess what, we're back home! Isn't that amazing?" Naturally she doesn't respond however Arek continues. "We're home, we're no longer stuck in that world! I heard octopuses are really territorial right? I'm sure you want to go home and it's true you're still in my body but-" Arek pauses.
"Oh...this-this isn't your world is it? This isn't your home and even if it was you're stuck in my body. I-"
"I'm sorry I-" Arek stares at her as the realization hits him. I thought - I thought everything would be fine, would be perfect once I came back but- Looking at the octopus who should be lively, curious, and hyperactive but is instead drifting aimlessly along, Arek feels his heart clench. He looks down and once again has the illusion of blood dripping from his hands. His mind flashes to the event with the comic books. Crumpling to his knees, Arek has the illusion that the sea of consciousness is a sea of blood.
I thought everything would magically become perfect once I came back but...it's not and I can never to back to that innocent boy who lies in his red and black room with a pile of comic books worrying about nothing but his lunch for the next day...Never.
