So I've ended up spending the entire day with Mila. She kept asking questions after questions non-stop, each answer making her come up with ten more questions. She really meant it when she wanted to learn everything there is about me. Good thing I'm good at lying, I think. She kept asking questions, and I kept answering with lies, so I'm guessing she just believed everything. At least she has enough common sense to not watch me while I sleep… or maybe not. I feel a presence in my room. You know what, I'm more powerful than her. I can just kick her out.

I kicked down the door. "I have no more answers. You're not a guard!" I looked to see not Mila but instead a complete stranger. A stranger sitting on a chair in the middle of my room, facing me. Did I accidentally kidnap someone?

"Take a seat, do not fret. I have something to share before I forget." He snapped his fingers, creating a chair out of my room's carpet right in front of him. This seems interesting. Let's hear what he has to say.

"Ark Eisen is my name. Insanity is my game. A long journey I went through. So maid, how do you do?"

"I'm exhausted. Someone kept asking me questions like I was in those anti-interrogation classes again."

"Ah, the Maid School, made by a sinner. Graduate there, and become a winner."

"I don't really feel like a winner. Not a loser, though. I feel like… myself."

"Yourself, that's good to hear. Now, I have some news you'll have to bear."

"Do you intentionally rhyme?"

"Rhyme adds rhythm and sense. Helps my mind that's stuck on the fence. The fence between reality and delusion, or maybe everything is an illusion." He started coughing before pretending to take a sip from a cup in his hand. There's nothing there... I wonder what it tasted like. "Apologies for the sickness in my body. It reflects my mind, which is quite shoddy."

"Oh, no worries. I don't mind sick people. Do you want tissues? I always keep a box nearby."

"I'll decline the tissues. Those are for different issues." He grabbed out a pocket watch to see the time. "My time runs low. Let us begin the show."

"My mind plagues me with many things to see. A scheming witch, a deep dark ditch. A dragon filled with pride, the place where I died. An ever changing face, a long forgotten race. I cannot tell the truth from fiction, but there is one thing I can trust with conviction."

He stood up and pointed at me. "You who let us all survive, you whose story's end will make us die. You alone who can thrive, you who gets to say the final goodbye. To be by your side is a blessing, which I find depressing."

He turned his back to me. "The voices tell me everything, everything to know. Everything I can do to end this show." He grabbed a knife out of his pocket. Ooh… is he going to try to kill me? Interesting. "In my last moment of sanity, I shall end all of humanity! The death of you shall free us all! That's what he said in his call!" He slashed at a nearby mirror, completely missing me. Well, the slash was slow. I probably could've dodged it if he had correctly aimed.

"Night night, the one focused on." He knelt down and grabbed a part of the shattered mirror. "Now I can go back to who I love." He held the knife to his neck like he was about to cut himself. Actually… he is going to cut himself. Let's stop that.

I grabbed the knife and tucked it neatly into my throwing daggers stash. "Well, that was fun, but I'd like to sleep."

"You're alive, but how? Killing you was my vow."

"You slashed my mirror, which is the opposite way from me. Of course, you wou-" He pulled out a second knife and slashed at me. Fortunately, I was able to dodge, but barely. Ooh… was he getting my guard down?

"Euthanasia is a gift I shall give. With your death, all shall end!" He kept wildly flailing the knife at me, each swipe getting faster and faster. Oh man, any longer, and I think he cou- AH FUCK!!! I dashed back from me and grabbed my waist, which he managed to cut. 

"Your blood," he licked his knife, "its taste is exquisite, like what he said. I shall savour it," He licked the knife some more, "This is my last chance to have it, after all."

"What happened to the rhymes?" I quickly grabbed a nearby maid dress, ripping its sleeve and wrapping it around my waist. "I liked it better?"

"Haha… I have no need for that crutch. Delirium has taken me far into the stars! Chaos in the thoughts of my mind, death in the palm of my hands! The narrative shall fall, and our world will be consumed. Sit still… you cannot match my power!"

"Woah… and I thought I was crazy."

"Your madness pales compared to the men and women of fiction stuck in an endless loo- URGH!" I kicked him in the face whilst he was monologuing. Glad to know even insane people talk too much. I then threw daggers at him, pinning him to the wall. Time to take a breather. "A mere delay to the glory of the end! Accept your fate, so I can accept mine!"

"I'd rather not die. I haven't done my goals."

"Your goals mean nothing! Nothing to the eyes of faceless masses and Gods from beyond! The Creator is dead, and we've pissed on his grave! The Magical Girl is a fraud! The dragon lies about its true form!"

"Okay, shut up. I'm pretty sure you're just spouting out random things that have nothing to do with what we were talking about. Man… to think I liked you. Well, more like I liked your rhymes, but you got rid of that."

"The Seer sees more than she lets on! Those beyond the Edge are coming after you! The Chaos Storm misses your presence! The voices in your head are spectators! The Death God is fake! Cake is good for you! The bunny girl will destroy us all! Delirium is approaching! The Void calls! The ranger will plague us all!"

"That's a lot to take in." I have no idea what he was saying. I wasn't listening. I'm just trying to find the healing potion somewhere in my room. Ah! Found it. Mmm… fucking bitter, but at least my waist no longer hurts.

"Your Sacred Power hides too much! Climb a mountain and jump off! Close your eyes, you'll be here soon! Salt, pepper, birds and the thought police! Smack my bitch up! Ratgirl supremacy! Shut my mouth, it reveals too many secrets! DON'T TAKE ME DOWN INTO THE SHADOWS!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS CHARACTER DEVE-" And boom kicked through the wall into the room next to mine. It's a storage room, so I'm not interrupting anyone's sleep. Seems I knocked him out… time to look into his eyes!

Oh… that explains a lot. Guess I'll send him to the dungeon. I clap twice to summon some shadow maids. "To the Shadow Realm with this one!" The two shadow clones I summoned grabbed the man and dragged him into the shadows. Spooky.

Character profile: Ark Eisen

Sacred power: Becoming Insane

Current sanity (In mL): 0.005

Description: The insane stranger that suddenly appeared in Madeleine's room. Ark spent most of his life completely normal, the only abnormality being his strength. He was able to lift what an adult could when he was a teenager, and although he was a bit jumpy, overall he seemed completely normal. That is until his adulthood came. He was evidently stronger, being able to lift many times what an adult could lift, but some weird mannerisms he rarely showed a child became much more apparent. He'd talk to himself, random freeze up whilst walking, and do more and more suicidal acts. One day he disappeared from the village on a quest to find a specific maid. He was only 20.

Chapter namesake: Becoming Insane by Infected Mushroom