Chương 16: 16-Entry and Reunion

[00: 19: 07. 29] [VIDEO FEED ADJUSTS TO A LABYRINTHIAN, STONE INTERIOR WITH SEVERAL LIT, WHITE FLAMES ON BLACKENED IRON SCONCES] ELNA: {Descriptions of the Grand Prison's interior are very brief due to potential corruptive effects. Sorry bud…} JOHN: > FRANTICALLY LOOKS AROUND, NOTICING NON-EUCLIDIAN NATURE > SCANS THE ROOM This is it? ELNA: > SHAKES HEAD No, this is just the lobby. JOHN: I see… > SUSPICIOUSLY STARES AT ELNA whispering Didn't Onarius say that he would be waiting here for us?

ELNA: > CONFUSED WHILE SEARCHING ROOM whispering Yeah, which he should've been here by- ONARIUS: Now. JOHN: > FLINGS BACKWARDS YELPING > PANTS HEAVILY yelling JESUS CHRIST, MAN! ONARIUS: Apologies, I had to deal with a certain inmate who attempted to corrupt his cell. JOHN: > GRITS TEETH exasperated You could have given us a warning in advance! ONARIUS: Apologies… > WALKS UP TO JOHN WITH A GENTLE SMILE AND HELPS HIM UP softly It's good to see you again, John… JOHN: > FROWNS muttering … Likewise.

ELNA: > FRANTICALLY STEPS BETWEEN JOHN AND ONARIUS frantically I'm really sorry! John is a bit untrustworthy because- ONARIUS: > STOPS ELNA slowly I know. > FORMS A BLACK CUBE slowly Elna, put this on, please? ELNA: > DOES AS TOLD {Fyi, the transcript is going to be made by an AI since I can't hear or see for shit} {AI TRANSCRIPT MODE ENABLED} JOHN: > STARES AT CUBE CURIOUSLY What did you do to her? ONARIUS: Nothing. It's a disruptor box; she cannot hear or see us. > INSPECTS JOHN AND HIS SUNGLASSES gently …

You have grown a lot since I last saw you. JOHN: > CALMS DOWN SLOWLY AND BLANKLY STARES AT ONARIUS … And I hear you've been doing things a lot differently than 15 years ago… > GLARES AT ONARIUS … Especially since 2020… ONARIUS: > SMILE FADES slowly Unfortunately, yes…

JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW There were a bunch of people who have disappeared, all related to the Malevolent Incidents, but some of them definitely read like they were fabricated, meaning some of these people were innocent; unless, of course, your superior- ONARIUS: You are correct in your assessment. > SADDENED SIGH slowly Unfortunately, there has been a slow but noticeable interest in finding the Eldrigital Void, something that Ned does not want. JOHN: > POINTS TO ELNA ANGRILY And you make a kid help you?

ONARIUS: >PROFUSELY SHAKES HEAD No… > OBSERVES ELNA gently Not with the Malevolent Incidents, only the Benevolent ones. JOHN: > GRIMACES AT ONARIUS The kid said she helps you imprison people. ONARIUS: gently Not humans, beings from this reality. > SHAKES HEAD AT ELNA gently She tends to leave some context out of her words. JOHN: > WORRIEDLY LOOKS AT ELNA Like how she has forgotten a lot of things. ONARIUS: > SADLY OBSERVES ELNA Ned's own doing, he views her as an asset.

A human who can easily travel between your world and the Eldrigital Void is very rare, and very dangerous. JOHN: > STARES AT ONARIUS, SUSPICIOUS A weapon then? ONARIUS: > NODS gently The things Elna does not remember are things that Ned does not want her to realize how dangerous she is… JOHN: You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. And you've been helping him. ONARIUS: > SIGHS Reluctantly… Though, the only reason I can't refuse is that he'll take her into his custody…

> DROOPS EYES … And use her to destroy your world as punishment. JOHN: > HORRIFIED Why did you bring me here with the kid? To say you're sorry for blinding me 15 years ago? ONARIUS: No… > STARES AT JOHN, DEFEATED That I can never change. And that, I deeply regret. > POINTS TO MOVEREC Though you seem intent on publishing that video because of her. JOHN: > NODS TENSELY That kid has been here for 250 years. I want people to know about that; not you.

> GLARES AT ONARIUS Do you still have a problem with that, like your "boss"? ONARIUS: > NODS SLOWLY No… > CHUFFS In fact, I welcome it. JOHN: > ANNOYED SIGH Then, what is your actual reason for bringing me here? It certainly isn't forgiveness or exposing some digital- ONARIUS: Eldrigital. JOHN: -"Eldrigital" being for horrific acts against humanity. ONARIUS: > TAKES OUT SHIELD AND LEANS ON IT slowly To get her out. JOHN: > EYES WIDEN slowly You want to get her out? ONARIUS: > NODS WITH A SOFT SMILE Yes.

> CLEARS THROAT AND PUTS AWAY SHIELD I have been searching for a way to break her free, mainly that "chain" she has on her forehead. JOHN: > STARES AT ONARIUS'S GEMSTONE mumbling That gem… ONARIUS: > NODS The chain that binds her to this plane of existence and lets Ned control us. JOHN: > INQUISITIVE What do you have in mind to free her? ONARIUS: > INTENSE Something that I need you for. Without you, I cannot free her. JOHN: > PAUSES AND SQUINTS AT ONARIUS What is it then?

ONARIUS: slowly A prisoner you know too well… > TURNS TO JOHN, ALARMED slowly … You know who I speak of. JOHN: > TURNS TO ELNA CONCERNED muttering I'm not letting the kid near that bastard. ONARIUS: > DEEP SIGH Unfortunately, it's the only option I have. But I will not let her get close to him. JOHN: > CLENCHES FISTS And where will she go then once she is free? I bet her family is- ONARIUS: > LOOKS AWAY JOHN: > EYES WIDEN STARING AT ONARIUS, ALARMED They're dead, aren't they?

ONARIUS: > SIGHS mumbling Ned does not like any interference with his plans… JOHN: > TURNS TO ELNA SILENTLY I guess then you want me to take care of her? ONARIUS: Yes, along with [REDACTED] > NODS I do not wish to tell her until she is freed. > EYES DROOP Ned has his attention turned away, but if he overhears her through channels, he has implanted through her sight and hearing, he will stop this. JOHN: > SIGHS So be it… ONARIUS: > SMILES AT JOHN Pretend this tour is your redemption.

You and I both know the real reason. JOHN: > SLOWLY NODS ONARIUS: > DIGITIZES BLACK CUBE {AI TRANSCRIPT MODE DISABLED} ELNA: {Finally! What took them so long?} > INQUISITIVE awkwardly So… what were you and John talking about? ONARIUS: > FAKE SMILE What happened 15 years ago… ELNA: > SUSPICIOUSLY RAISES EYEBROW JOHN: > CLEARS THROAT WHILE SCRATCHING EYES I want to see what is in the Grand Prison, end this nightmare, and move on. ELNA: > SUSPICIOUS While recording all of this?

JOHN: > INTENSE This reality exists, and the things you mentioned- > SIGHS -People need to know what this reality is. ONARIUS: Yes… > TURNS TO ELNA Which will happen… Through a tour of this prison; something I have not done actually for any human -save for her, of course. >POINTS TO {me} ELNA: > NERVOUSLY WAVES I'm not human though… ONARIUS: slowly You still are… ELNA: > ANNOYED STARE JOHN: > DEEP SIGH How bad are the prisoners here? The ones you incarcerated? ONARIUS: > STEPS AWAY AND PAUSES You will see…

> TURNS TO {me} slowly First, the knife: no weapons allowed in the Grand Prison. ELNA: > SURPRISED NOD AND HANDS ONARIUS JOHN'S KNIFE ONARIUS: slowly Second, we are all to be tied to this. > CREATES A BLACK ROPE AND HOLDS IT slowly This right here will keep us together, so that neither of you will get lost. > SMIRKS AT {me} She particularly gets lost easily. ELNA: > EYES TWITCH exasperated Having all of those stairs doesn't help!

JOHN: > GIGGLES ONARIUS: > CLEARS THROAT slowly The interior of the Grand Prison follows rules that are vastly different from the Lucid Layer or the Physical Layer. So, for your sake, John, that rope is to be tied to you and all of us. JOHN: > RAISES EYEBROW So, we are in the Dream Layer then? ONARIUS: > NODS Correct… But the energies in the prison your perception of time follow the Lucid Layer's. > TURNS TO ELNA … If you would give this to our friend, please?

ELNA: > DOES AS TOLD AND BECKONS JOHN TO TAKE HOLD OF THE ROPE [ROPE ANOMALOUSLY DISAPPEARS THEN REAPPEARS ON ONARIUS'S, ELNA'S, AND JOHN'S WAISTS] ONARIUS: slowly The rope will not break and will only become untethered to your person once we return here. ELNA: > SMUG SMILE Which should take an hour… right? ONARIUS: > SHAKES HEAD WHILE TURNING TO JOHN It's been expanded greatly since you last visited here, Elna. ELNA: > RAISES EYEBROW How much? ONARIUS: > CHUFFS A lot…

ELNA: > EYES FLARE OPEN JOHN: > EYES TWITCH So… how long are we talking then? ONARIUS: Much longer… > UNSETTLED There are things I want you and Elna to see; things Ned does not want humans to know of. ELNA: > SHAKING Like the prisoners…? ONARIUS: > SUBTLY GLARES muttering … Something else… > CLEARS THROAT AND TURNS TO JOHN slowly Third, you are not to interact with the prisoners; you can, however, look at them. Anything else is forbidden. The deeper we go, the worse the corruption is, so keep those spectacles on.

JOHN: > NODS [ROOM SHIFTS AND FORMS A WHITE OPENING TO THE RIGHT SIDE] ONARIUS: > BECKONS THE DUO TO FOLLOW If you would, please? > BEGINS WALKING JOHN: > FOLLOWS ONARIUS WITH {me} {SKIPPING FOOTAGE… DONE}