I am floating in the nothingness. Yeah, nothing around my surroundings felt like it was real but at the same time, it also felt like it was existing too. Of course, I felt helpless in here. It might felt like I was floating in an endless sea but at the same time, it was more like attached to a wall. Moving is not possible.
Of course, I am not alone, the guy who was always bothering me who proclaims that he was my alter ego kept company to me.
"You don't feel lonely during this time? It's been a while since you are attached to this place," the alter ego said as he floated in the air while playing a game on his phone. I am wondering where he got the phone though.
"It's not a problem. I am used to this kind of situation where I am alone and solitary in my surroundings. It's not my perk to die whenever I am alone, in fact, I felt the opposite."
"I see. Still, this place was quite dark and lonesome. Do you even try to escape out of here at all? Any plans doing that?"
"Nah, I remember correctly I collapsed after the death of the tentacles that I controlled. If that was the case, my body might be recuperating right now somewhere safe," I said confidently.
"Hoh... How can you be so sure that you are not dead? The people who die don't even realize they are dead already and their souls are currently floating in the endless sea of Inferno, rather than climbing the mountain of Purgatorio, waiting for you to be judged by the seven terraces of Purgatorio. But hey, at least you don't have to suffer anymore," the alter ego enthusiastically said.
"Heh, that would be great but that is not something that happened to my body, unfortunately. Seeing you still around, I can still tell I am still alive. Unless you disappeared, I might think I am dead but seeing your existence here, that was not the case right now."
"What if I am the grim reaper ready to harvest your soul?"
"Nah, if you are indeed the reaper, you would have done that a long time ago. Don't take me for a fool."
"Hah, looks like you are indeed something else but heck, you can rejoice, the surrounding is starting to dissipate which means you are about to wake up. You can finally leave the hell hole here. Isn't that going to be a joyous occasion?"
"I guess so but it is not really what I wanted to happen but oh well."
"Heh, if you really want to die, just go die, but I can tell that you still have the will to survive. Oh well, I will just leave you here, you are about to wake up. I will not disturb you for now. The interactions I have done with you these past few days is enough. So adios my other me."
After that, he disappeared like a cloud of smoke and he didn't leave any trace of himself after that on where he was before, even the phone he was holding became a smoke too.
Just like what he said, the surroundings started to crack like a mirror. Similar to the Mirror Dimension's activation and deactivation, the whole place is starting to distort and my vision is starting to cover everything with a blinding light. I sighed as I welcomed what will happen to me.
...
Opening my eyes, I saw a familiar, yet looking different ceiling. It was somewhat a familiar one but at the same time, I can feel that something is not right. Then I realized what was making me feel that feeling while watching the ceiling. It was still the same ceiling as my old house that I inherited from my late parents, however, it was already a different thing. I found the gold color of the ceiling somewhat peculiar.
Those gold lines that looked like design on the ceiling are all engraved with Scandinavian runes. I have seen the Scandinavian runes before when I was researching about the Norse Mythology and seeing them engraved in my house made me freak out. I don't remember being proficient in runes and able to engrave them that will immediately deploy magic. From what I can see, the runes are currently part of a bigger magic formation.
I have no choice but to stand up and look for it myself what the hell is going on. As soon as I get up my bed, I saw Anya and Maple currently playing in my outdated Playstation console. If they are here, that means that the war in the Phantasmal Reality was already solved and done.
Then, I was dumbstruck once more. The location of my Playstation console and the television did not change, however, that was not the case to the surroundings at all. All of my old stuff was replaced with newer, better, and much more fabulous furniture. Just by looking around, this was supposed to be my room, but now it feels similar to the living room, in fact, the size is thrice the size of the old one.
Anya and Maple are all concentrated on the game they are playing that they did not notice me stood up from my bed and look outside the window. The yard also changed and the lawn is already trimmed from tall grasses since I remembered that the lawn's grasses are not that thinly cut. The neighboring houses didn't change at all which means this was actually my house.
Still, I am having second thoughts if this was really my house so to confirm it, I immediately cast Mana Scan.
POM!
My magic has been able to rise in leaps and bounds after the battle in the Phantasmal Reality so now that I cast the Mana Scan, the hologram that appeared in my mind was instantaneous unlike before that it needs quite a few more seconds to materialize.
As soon as I saw the instantaneous hologram remade the surroundings of where I was right now, I almost cursed out. It was the same place the house my parents allowed me to inherit, but for some reason, a tall building is now standing on where my house was built before.
"WHERE THE F*CK IS MY HOUSE?!"
[ol][li data-annotation-id="2bb6770d-a1dc-aabd-cca4-0be8c93efc1d"]The Seven terraces described in the "Dante's Divine Comedy"(Commonly known as "Dante's Inferno). Each terrace purges a particular sin in an appropriate manner. Those in Purgatory can leave their circle voluntarily, but may only do so when they have corrected the flaw within themselves that led to committing that sin. The list was the corresponding order of the seven terraces.First terrace (Pride) Second terrace (Envy)Third terrace (Wrath) Fourth terrace (Sloth)Fifth terrace (Avarice) Sixth terrace (Gluttony) Seventh terrace (Lust)[li data-annotation-id="6b4060b7-607f-6983-d1a4-fa4482d9bc4f"]Purgatorio is depicted as a mountain in the Southern Hemisphere, consisting of a bottom section (Ante-Purgatory), seven levels of suffering and spiritual growth (associated with the seven deadly sins), and finally the Earthly Paradise at the top in Dante's Divine Comedy(Dante's Inferno). Allegorically, the Purgatorio represents the penitent Christian life.[/ol]