Chương 10: 10-The Meeting of Two Souls

[1359 HOURS: 01. 04. 2026] [SCENE SHOWS JOHN {fixing that to show his real name when I decrypt some stuff; it's going to take a bit} IN COMPUTER CHAIR IN ANTICIPATION FOR THE INTERVIEW] JOHN: > WHISTLING AND TWIDDLING THUMBS > CAUTIOUSLY ADJUSTS GLASSES WHILE INTENTLY OBSERVING SCREEN whispering She should be here by now… ELNA: > {I} APPEAR ON SCREEN WITH A SOFT WAVE Hey dude.

JOHN: > YELPS AND JUMPS BACK AGAINST THE WALL [LOUD, AUDIBLE SOUND FOLLOWED BY THE VISIBLE SIGHT OF A LARGE HOLE IN DRYWALL ALONG WITH BROKEN GLASSES] ELNA: > FRANTICALLY REACHES FOR SCREEN Oh shit! Are you alright, man?! JOHN: > RUBS BACK OF HEAD Yeah, I just startle easily. Plus, you appeared on Rabble on short notice. ELNA: > ROLLS EYES Blame Hansha… >SNEERING Freaking software sucks ass… ONARIUS: {Language!} ELNA: {I don't think he minds} ONARIUS: {He will when he can see you} ELNA: > EYES WIDEN JOHN: > DISAPPOINTED SIGH I know that feeling… I nearly had to replace my entire setup. > LOOKS AT GLASSES, SIGHING mumbling Good thing I have about 10 extra pairs… > GRABS A PAIR OF GLASSES FROM A DRESSER DRAWER These things… they aren't cheap, ya know? They cost 250 bucks. I'm blind as a bat without these things… ELNA: > EMBARASSED Sorry man… JOHN: > ADJUSTS GLASSES AND CLEARS THROAT Apologies.

> SUSPICIOUSLY STARES AT {me} very slowly Are you really the OP of that thread on 5San? ELNA: > NERVOUS SMILE Yep! JOHN: > SQUINTS CONCERTEDLY AT {me} You look like someone who isn't even 40. ELNA: > STAMMERING PROFUSELY It's uh- > MENTAL REALIZATION MAKEUP! JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW slowly The so-called OP that I am talking to, who is wearing a baggy sweatshirt, sweatpants, a green headband on their forehead, and more, looks like someone that just got out of bed. Looks young because of some magical makeup brand?

ELNA: > EYES DART AROUND Well, I mean, I just got out of bed and-! JOHN: Shouldn't you be in school, kid? ELNA: > WORRIED It's been years since I was last in school- JOHN: > FROWNS WHILE SHAKING HEAD Nuh uh! You are way too young to even talk to some rando on the internet… ELNA: {Uh, a little help?} JOHN: … Also, why do you need a headband if you look like some shut-in? ONARIUS: {Mention the bug you and I found} JOHN: … And furthermore, your writing style within that email is more like a high schooler's.

> FROWNING So, I suggest you buzz off right now and- ELNA: Then I don't suppose you know of the "punching priest bag" bug! A kid wouldn't know anything about that! [NOTICEABLE VIDEO STATIC DETECTED] JOHN: > FREEZES WHILE BECOMING CURIOUS Wasn't that patched though? Not to mention, the web pages that documented it barely mention it nowadays… > SCRATCHES CHIN mumbling There was the pirated version though… ELNA: > CALMS {slightly} exasperated Yeah, on February 9th, 2001. That one priest in Agreggo, Father Nylem.

If you use a paralysis poison that also regenerates health on him, you can farm multiple combat skills, sneak, and alchemy. I got to level 37 in 4 hours because of it, because the Cestrannan monsters were so goddamn annoying to deal with their spongy health. I had to reload a save file because I accidentally caused him to glitch through a wall, causing his death. > HEAVY BREATHING JOHN: > STUDIES {me} QUIETLY BEFORE CLEARING THROAT I apologize; I misjudged you.

> ADJUSTS GLASSES Though I will say you are quite immature… ELNA: {I seriously want to scream at this little-} ONARIUS: {You will ruin what we have planned. He was only making a note of your behavior, and John is a very good man at heart} ELNA: {Fine…} > CLEARS THROAT I, uh… don't get out much. JOHN: > CONCERNED Clearly… > SQUINTS Though you do have enough time to dye your hair a bright orange. ELNA: Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

> EMBARASSED It's natural. JOHN > NODS SUSPICIOUSLY Juxtaposed with your dark skin, and...? > SQUINTS INTENSELY... Magenta eyes? ELNA: > NERVOUS The hair's "reflective", that's why I appear darker on your screen. Also, ever heard of "eye strain"? JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW Makes sense... > SCUFFS Funny, I have a friend who gets painful eye strain just from looking at the screen… > CHECKS HAND-WRITTEN NOTES Give me a sec, I need to check the notes for my interview.

ELNA: > CONFUSED Can't you just, like, read them on your computer? JOHN: > SHAKES HEAD AND SMILES Hurts my head. Also, it's unprofessional. > IGNORES {me} WHILE CHECKING THE NOTES ONARIUS: {Begin the initial decryption process; he's at ease from the orange light bulb. Once the interview starts, I want you to focus on decrypting the remaining journal entries he hid on his hard drive} ELNA: {What if he figures out though if I'm-} > EYES WIDEN {LIGHT BULB?!} ONARIUS: {You did say your hair was "reflective" Elna} ELNA: > PLANTS FACE IN HANDS {Goddamn it…} {BEGINNING PRELIMINARY DECRYPTION SUBROUTINE…} {I think Onarius is going to hear me…} ONARIUS: {I am, but continue} ELNA: {… But please ignore the fact that John's name is now corrupted. This is the standard decryption process. And no, I cannot change it while it is ongoing} [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > MUMBLES TO SELF WHILE PUTTING AWAY NOTES > CLEARS THROAT Alrighty then…

> ADJUSTS GLASSES So, this interview is probably going to last awhile. I'm thinking probably at least 30 minutes, so I would probably get some food and water as- ELNA: exasperated I'm good! > CREATES RAMEN AND A WATER BOTTLE OUT OF VIEW AND SHOWS JOHN See?! [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > CONCERNED If you say so… mumbling No wonder she looks like that… > RELAXES AND CLEARS THROAT Okay, so first things first: names. > POINTS TO SELF I'm John Bielik, host of Digital Investigations … > CONFUSED And you are?

ELNA: > NERVOUSLY E-Elna! [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > PAUSES AND AWKWARDLY STARES AT {me} Elna? > RAISES EYEBROW That's a weird name? Is it named after a character you made in Lethe? ELNA: > NERVOUS LAUGHTER Nah man! > SMILE FADES Besides, I mainly played as dudes, and they were just a bunch of gibberish. I hated the female armor sets… They didn't look cool. [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SUSPICIOUS That doesn't explain the name…

ELNA: > SADDENED I'm not going into it, but all I know is that I ran away from home due to a lot of things. The other name, I don't feel comfortable sharing it with a stranger… [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > PAUSES AND OBSERVES ELNA CONCERNED I see… > NODS I won't bring that up again. ELNA: {Onarius, why did my name change again?} ONARIUS: {I would not question something you know Ned does not want you to think about} [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SMIRKS Well, that deal earlier about the whole character thing, it's kind of funny as you played male characters while someone like me always played a female in Lethe and all the Forgotten Tomes games. ELNA: > NERVOUS LAUGHTER Yeah, that is funny… > CLEARS THROAT IN EMBARRASSMENT [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: I see… > STARES CURIOUSLY AT {me} Though, do you mind if I just call you El?

Like the Spanish word for "the"; the masculine version of it. ELNA: > WEIRDED OUT Sure? > QUICK SMILE I actually never had anyone call me that before. [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SMUG Then it's settled then. > CLICKING MOUSE One more thing, though… ELNA: > EYES DART AROUND FRANTICALLY {Oh God…} [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > FOCUSED I'm going to pull up a screenshot of the original post you allegedly made on January 2, 2001. Can you confirm or deny that you wrote this? >SHARES {1. 2. 2001_incident. png} ELNA: > CRINGES {in embarrassment} [NOTICEABLE VIDEO STATIC] [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > CONCERNED Uh, is there something wrong with your camera, El? ONARIUS: {Relax…} ELNA: > DEEP SIGH Can't believe that post was about 25 years ago… >RELAXES … Yes, that was me, John… > COLLAPSES FACE INTO HANDS GROANING *mumbling*… God, my writing was so bad! [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SMUG LOOK Well, judging from how you've interacted with me so far, that confirms it. > RELAXES AND CLASPS HANDS Welp!

This interview is going to be a very good one! ELNA: > NERVOUSLY NODS Y-Yeah… [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SURPRISED Though I'm actually more surprised you reached out to some rando for an interview regarding an investigation on an anomaly going on for-? ELNA: > SUSPICIOUS Rando? > RAISES EYEBROW Dude, you have a WeVid account with over 1, 500, 000 subscribers with videos in the millions talking about internet mysteries/anomalies. I've seen all of your videos.

[FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > MOUTH OPENS AGAPE Every single one of them? > IN DISBELIEF mumbling Good lord, lady… ELNA: {I want to punch this guy in the [EXPLETIVE]-} [WARDEN]: {-"Correct" him} ELNA: > ANNOYED Look, I spend most of my time doing- {What was again, Onarius?} ONARIUS: {Remote work} ELNA: -Remote work as a programmer. I have a lot of time on my hands, bro! [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > WORRIED Alright. > TURNS AWAY You are getting your tasks done, right? ELNA: >CONTENT Yep!

>DEEP BREATH But to kind of explain why I reached out, I saw the teaser that showed you were planning on making a video on our friend here in a community post back in late August. I kind of wanted to clarify more as I- [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: Friend? > SQUINTS IN CONFUSION You mean the Warden, right? I'm not sure if it's appropriate to call an unknown entity a friend- ELNA: > DEEP SIGH I know him, personally. [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > EYES WIDEN Really? ELNA: {I'M SO SORRY!} ONARIUS: {For telling the truth? You don't have to apologize} ELNA: > NODS Yep. I'll explain during this interview, but look, man, given the fact that you are researching him, you've definitely been scrolling on Warden Watch. [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SUSPICOUS But the malevolent incidents- ELNA: > CONFIDENTLY STANDS UP And all of them say the same thing, he usually does things for the greater good! [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > SCRATCHES HEAD Okay then… > AWKWARDLY STARES AT {me} I would sit down, though.

ELNA: > DOES AS TOLD ONARIUS: {We need to work on your manners, Elna} ELNA: {Dude, you made me do an interview with that jackass right here. I am trying to ensure you aren't seen as some weirdo} ONARIUS: {The decryption…} ELNA: {Oh yeah! When the interview starts, right?} ONARIUS: {Yes} [FILE_NAME_ERROR]: > CHECKS RECORDING EQUIPMENT Everything is good. > TURNS TO ELNA Alright, I'm going to begin the interview. Do you have any objections to doing this?

ELNA: > PROFUSELY SHAKING HEAD WHILE GIVING A WIDE SMILE NOPE! [FILE_NAME ERROR]: > ALARMED Okay then… ELNA: {BEGINNING STANDARD DECRYPTION PROCESS}