Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunny had screwed up, and he knew it.

It was the night of the recital. His first performance with Mari since taking up the violin again. She had been nagging him all week about practice, and, of course, he’d lost track of time anyways.

“I’m sorry!” Basil was running alongside him, a panicked look in his eyes. They had gone to get lunch after dropping off Basil’s belongings at Sunny’s house, so Basil still had to go back and pick up his things before they all headed off to the concert. Not to mention the fact that they still had to get ready, too. Sunny knew that his suit, set aside for this occasion, was waiting for him back at the house, and Mari had probably already changed into her recital dress already. His current clothes– a faded T-shirt for some old music group and shorts– were nowhere near impressive enough for the performance. “Ah, I should have seen what time it was…”

"Not your fault." Sunny grabbed his hand and they ran faster. Of course, of course it was today of all days that things went wrong. The pre-concert stress had already been mounting. Every missed note and false entrance would set Mari off these days, stressing about how things had to be perfect. That was the whole reason Basil had suggested they hang out in the first place, so Sunny could take his mind off the concert for a few hours. But then Sunny had dozed off and Basil had become absorbed with his book and by the time Basil realized that Sunny was asleep and shook him awake it was already a half-hour past the time Sunny had promised to be home by.

The driveway was empty as the two of them skidded to a stop by the front doorstep. Why had Mari wanted him home so early? It would be hours before either of their parents would be home to actually drive them in the first place. But then again, that was Mari. Practice, practice, practice. They'd done so much practice and she still wasn't satisfied. His sister wasn't trying to be pushy, he knew, but her patience wore thin rather quickly during their rehearsals.

She's so gonna kill me.

Sunny pushed open the door and ran inside. Mari was there instantly. She'd been sitting on the edge of the couch with a disgruntled look on her face, waiting, and at the sound of the door flew to her feet. Sunny elected to ignore her for the time being. “There you are! Sunny, you’re so late!”

Sunny wasn’t in the mood for this, so Basil answered instead. “We’re sorry… We lost track of time, and—”

“I wasn’t asking you, I was asking Sunny,” said Mari shortly. “Don’t you remember how important this is? Music isn’t a game!”

Rolling his eyes, Sunny ran up the stairs, motioning for Basil to follow. Mari trailed after them, continuing her lecture. “Look, Sunny, I don’t mean to be mean, but this is a really important day! It would be fine if it was any other day, but not today!”

Past the staircase, into their shared room. All of his things were laid out just as he'd left them. Not that it really made a difference when Mari wanted everyone ready three hours early. Who was she trying to impress? Sunny glared at her over his shoulder and grabbed his violin case from its corner. “I know the music.”

Basil ducked into Sunny’s room to grab his bag and hovered in the background as Mari went on. “But practice is important. We have to practice more before the recital!”

“I have practiced!”

Still bickering, they drew closer to the stairs, stopping by the top. Basil was still there; he was eyeing the long drop with nervous apprehension. “Um, you two, you’re a bit close to the edge… please be careful.”

“Basil, stay out of this.” Basil flinched, and Mari looked slightly regretful. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m just annoyed.”

Sunny crossed his arms. “We’ve got plenty of time. We can just practice now.”

“Yeah, but it’s about the principle! You have to take this seriously!”

Their words had gotten louder, their movement bigger, and Basil nervously stepped in between them. “Hey… hey, please stop…”

Both of them ignored him. “Just give it a rest,” Sunny seethed. “I practiced every other day. I’ll be fine.”

“But we need to practice together ! That’s the point of doing a song with two instruments!”

“Stop yelling!”

“I’m not yelling!”

“I’m telling Mom you yelled!”

“She won’t care! Just like you don't seem to care about our recital!”

He didn't care? How could she say that? Hadn't Sunny spent all that time working and practicing for this stupid concert? Enraged, Sunny backed up closer to the stairs, ready to toss the violin down, just to see the look on her face. A hand on his wrist stopped him. “Sunny, calm down,” Basil pleaded, grabbing the violin and attempting to steer Sunny away from the stairs. “This isn’t worth it.”

“Get out of the way, Basil,” Sunny snapped, trying to pull the violin back towards him.

Basil didn't let go. “If you’d both just calm down, I’m sure there’s no need to–”

“Just stay out of it!!!” Sunny wheeled on Basil and shoved him away.

It was only then he remembered how close to the staircase they had been.

"Sunny–!" Basil’s eyes widened as he toppled backwards. Sunny made a blind grab for his hand, but missed.

"Basil!"

"Su–"

A sickening thud cut his words short.

Time froze for a few seconds.

Then Sunny was leaping down the stairs five at a time, nearly falling down himself. “Basil!”

Mari came down slower, pale as a ghost. “Oh… oh my god…!”

From a distance, it didn’t look that bad, as if Basil had only tripped or was taking a nap on the ground. But up close Sunny could see much too clearly. His neck was bent at an odd angle, and the rise and fall of his chest had ceased. Sunny placed a hand on his chest anyway, hoping for a miracle, but found only silence.

Basil was dead.

—

Basil.

He was sitting on the ground, giggling as Kel placed a flower crown on his head.

Basil.

He was smiling brightly as he snapped a picture of everyone at the beach.

Basil.

He was beaming as Sunny unwrapped a new violin, a gift from all his friends.

Basil.

Basil.

Basil.

He was at the foot of the stairs, stiller than ever, with his neck at an odd angle.

Basil.

Sunny’s best friend, who was playful and sweet, who filled the space by talking while Sunny listened, who cried if someone else was crying because he hated seeing other people sad.

Basil.

Basil.

He was gone.

Sunny would never get him back.

“Basil…!” He has almost forgotten Mari was there. She was leaning on the banister for support, looking as if she might collapse at any moment. “Basil… is Basil…?”

He’s dead.

Sunny couldn’t bring himself to say it.

I killed him.

He tried to remember why he’d wanted to throw the violin. Whether or not he’d thought about it first, wondered if they should heed his warning to step away from the stairs.

Everything is going to be okay.

That was Basil’s go-to line when something was wrong. Even if he was crying so hard his eyes turned red, he would manage a smile and squeeze Sunny's hand. Everything is going to be okay.

Sunny didn’t know what happened to you when you killed another person. But murder— murder! He had murdered his best friend! —surely had one of the worst punishments imaginable.

Basil.

He couldn’t seem to get the name out of his mind.

Sunny turned away and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

When he returned, the shock gave way to panic.

The body of his best friend was lying in his house.

He couldn’t just leave Basil there. Gently, he picked up his friend’s still form, shuddering at the ghostly warmth left in his skin. Basil was fairly light, and Sunny shouldn’t have had a problem carrying him. But every step seemed to weigh him down.

Some of the weight eased as Mari came over to help, and together they gently laid Basil on the couch. In the dim light it was easy to pretend that he was just asleep, but they both knew better.

It’s not real.

Sunny drew his knees closer to his chest and willed Basil to wake up.

Why wouldn't he wake up?

More than that, why couldn't Sunny seem to wake up from this nightmare?

Something else was on the ground, something he hadn't noticed before. He scooted closer to see. The nausea returned full force as he saw it was Basil's photo album. It must have slipped out of his bag when he fell. All the photos had flown out, and now they lay scattered across the floor.

Mari saw where he was looking. Wordlessly, she began to pick up the fallen photos, the memories that now seemed long-gone. Sunny made the mistake of watching. His eyes caught on a photo of Basil smiling at the camera, and he quickly turned them away.

He didn’t remember crying, but Mari whispered, “oh, Sunny, don’t cry, please…” When he didn’t respond, she knelt next to him and said, “hey, Sunny, look at me… Don’t get lost, we’ve got to figure out what to do…”

“Mari, what do we do…?”

“It’s okay,” said Mari quietly. “I promised… I promised big sister would always be here to protect you, remember?” Blankly, Sunny nodded. Wake up. “Like I said, I’m the big sister… It’s my job to protect you…” Standing up shakily, she offered her hand. “Come on, Sunny… I know what to do.”

A dream.

Nothing more than a dream.

Feeling like a sleepwalker, Sunny nodded.

And so, they did it.

In the middle of the night, they placed Basil’s body in a toy wagon, dragged it over to their secret hangout spot, and dumped his body into the water. It was a foolproof plan. Basil couldn’t swim, and the water would wash away the blood.

They left his shoes on the edge of the dock and waited.

Waited for everything to shatter.

Chapter Text

Everything is going to be okay.

Welcome to White Space.

You have been here as long as you can remember.

Sunny opened his eyes.

It had been a long time since he’d dreamed. Usually it was just some strange combination of events from the day.

Basil.

Try as he might, he couldn’t get the sight of Basil’s body out of his head.

He made no move to get up. It was a dream, so why waste energy? Besides, he was just so tired.

Footsteps came from somewhere nearby, and Sunny turned his head slightly to look.

A boy. A boy who looked like him, but colorless, like an old black and white movie.

He walked over to where Sunny lay and crouched down so that their noses were almost touching.

Sunny knew what he wanted.

They were the same.

So he closed his eyes and let Omori take control.

—

Omori closed his eyes as the other boy vanished.

For some reason, he had been upset. But already that emotion was fading away.

His friends were waiting.

Omori walked over to the white door and opened it.

The rainbow room was empty, so he walked straight up the stairs that led to the stump. The rest of his friends would already be at the playground.

The air smelled sweet as he walked through the forest. Flowers lined the walkways and the wild trees in between, taking up almost the whole forest floor. As expected, Basil was there on the path, watering can in hand.

The flower crown on Basil’s head shifted alarmingly as he turned, and he put a hand on his head to keep it from falling off as he ran over to greet him. “Omori! Everyone was just looking for you!” Omori nodded in greeting, and Basil beamed. “I was just watering the flowers here. Careful not to stomp on them, okay? Even the wild flowers should be able to grow.”

“Your crown,” Omori noted.

Basil blushed slightly. “Ah, do you like it? Mari taught us how to make them, and everyone said it looked cute on me.”

Basil kept talking as they walked the rest of the way to the playground, stopping occasionally to water a patch of flowers. “I’m so happy that the forest is full of so much growth. There’s so much to do here! I have my gardens by my house, of course, but it’s nice to take care of something wild once in a while as well.”

The path widened, and through the trees Omori could see the others waiting, gathered around a tarp on the ground. A variety of gardening supplies were spread around; there was a basket of fertilizer, a watering can, pretty much anything he could imagine.

Kel noticed them first, and he jumped up. “Hey, Omori, Basil! You kept us waiting!”

“You’re always late, Kel, so you don’t get to talk,” quipped Aubrey.

“I am not ! That’s unfair!”

“Hi, you two!” Brightly, Mari waved hello. “It’s such a nice day today, isn’t it?”

Basil nodded. “It really is. Mari, did you bring your picnic basket? We could find a spot to sit!”

“Ah, I think I left it in the Neighbor's Room.”

Hero grabbed a handful of dirt from the bucket and slowly poured it out of his hand. “Ah, yes. The picnic essentials.”

“Don’t eat that,” said Basil, so seriously that everyone laughed. “I’m serious! It’s bad for you!”

Aubrey shot a pointed look at Kel. “You should be more worried about him. Kel probably eats dirt regularly.”

“I do not! I bet Aubrey eats dirt and that’s what makes her brain all mushy!”

“Shut your face!”

“Break it up, you two,” commanded Hero. “Basil’s right, it’s a beautiful day. Do you really want to fight on a day like this?”

Crossing her arms, Aubrey said, “yes.”

“Well, too bad. Come on! Let’s sit.”

A day with friends. That sounded nice.

Everything was okay.

Omori nodded.

It was barely fifteen minutes before Kel stood and announced, “I’m bored.” After that proclamation, he stared at them expectantly for a few seconds. Nobody offered a solution. Exasperated, Kel sighed. “Come on, we gotta do something!” he insisted. “I’m soooooo bored! I want to go on an adventure!”

Mari snapped her fingers. “Actually, I know a spot we could visit. I found it a few days ago when I was looking for good Hide-and-Seek spots! Want to go there?”

“That’s boring, Mari,” sighed Kel, dropping back to the tarp with a pouty expression. “I wanna do something exciting!”

Laughing slightly, Mari shrugged. “I see. Oh well, I guess we won’t get to see the waterfall.”

Instantly, Kel was interested again. “A waterfall? Where? I want to see!”

Aubrey was beginning to look excited too, bouncing up and down in her seat. “Where’s the waterfall, Mari? I want to see it too!”

“It’s a really beautiful view,” Mari agreed. Smiling slyly, she glanced over to Hero. “Though, if we all went together, the view wouldn’t be the nicest looking thing there.”

“Mari, not now,” muttered Hero. His whole face had flooded red; Aubrey and Kel were snickering in the background. “But sure, I’m up for an adventure. Omori, Basil, how about you?”

As they planned, Basil had pulled out his photo album and begun to flip through it. At the sound of his name, he glanced up. “Me? Hmm, I’ll stay here for now. Someone’s got to watch our stuff while you’re gone!”

“Oh, that makes sense.” Aubrey nodded. She jumped to her feet, grabbing her bat from where it had been sitting in the grass. “Omori, you’ll come, right?” Omori nodded, and she beamed. “Awesome! Lead the way, Mari!”

“Great!” Mari stood as well. The others followed suit, falling into line behind Omori. Still sitting by the edge of the blanket, Basil waved and went back to the photo album. “Alright, it’s not too far from here, but we’ve got to be careful. I had to go around some lost sprout moles and bunnies when I was exploring.”

Kel tossed his ball in the air, perhaps trying to spin it around on his finger, but ending up sending it flying into the bushes. He ran over and grabbed it. “Meant to do that. But don’t worry, Mari, we’ve got this!”

Mari clapped her hands to call them all to attention. “Alright! I know I can count on you all to watch my back, hehe. Hold down the fort for us, okay, Basil?”

“You can count on me!” Basil promised.

Mari’s ‘perfect spot’ was a lot further away than she’d let on. She directed them through the Vast Forest, past friends and enemies alike, through a path that looped every which way. She’d tell them to go left, then pause and decide it was right. She’d let Kel and Aubrey get distracted by any of the many interesting things the forest had to offer, getting them sidetracked once again. Omori was beginning to question if she actually remembered the way; it seemed more like a wild goose chase. “You really came all this way to look for a Hide-and-Seek spot?” he finally asked.

“Mhm,” said Mari seriously. “You know how Berly gets with Hide-and-Seek. I have to defend my crown.”

“Oh, oh, Mari!” burst out Aubrey. “I won yesterday! Did you see? And I didn’t have help from anyone either. It was all on my own!”

Eagerly, Aubrey glanced over at Mari, who smiled warmly. “That’s very impressive, Aubrey! Good job. It looks like I’ll have to step up my game next time.” At the praise, Aubrey beamed.

“I bet I could totally win again. Maybe I could even beat you this time!”

Kel burst out laughing. “Yeah right.”

“Shut up, Kel, you hid in a trash can last time!”

“I thought it was a genius idea! Nobody’s gonna look in there!”

“That’s why you’re all stinky!”

“I am not stinky!” They really couldn’t stop this for five seconds, huh. “Mari!” cried Kel, spinning around on his heel. “Do I stink?”

With the impression of being deep in thought, Mari scrutinized him. “Hmm… no, you don’t, Kel.”

Kel pumped his fist in the air and shouted “told you!” at the same time Aubrey called “not true!”

Hero put his head in his hands. “Are we almost there, Mari? I think everyone could use a distraction.”

“We’re close,” Mari promised. “It’s just through those trees over there.”

Nonchalantly, Omori slashed through the next couple roots and stepped aside to let the others pass. “Okay. So it’s right there?”

“Yeah. But you sound so serious, Omori,” said Mari with a sigh. “Come on, this will be fun, I promise! You should totally smile more.” Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she motioned for them all to squeeze closer together. “Everyone, stand over there!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out an object Omori recognized as Basil’s camera. “Say… cheese!”

Click. The momentary light blinded Omori as Mari took a photo. “Cheese!” shouted Kel. As soon as the shutter had clicked, he raced over to where Mari was standing, jumping up and down so he could see better. “Mari, can I see? Can I see?”

“You can see the photo once it comes out!” The two of them stared at the camera for a few seconds. Whirrrrrr… Though it seemed to be making noises, it didn’t do anything. After a few moments Mari frowned. “Whoops. I forgot that it’s out of film.”

Hero snapped his fingers. “That was what I forgot yesterday,” he realized. “Getting Basil new film. We’ve been meaning to do that for ages.”

Kel had been poking around the underbrush leading to Mari’s picnic spot. Now, as Omori cut through the roots in his way, he bounded on ahead. “It’s the waterfall!” he gasped. The next second he poked his head back through the trees, practically vibrating with excitement. “It’s so big! And so cool! Omori, Omori, you gotta see this!”

“I’m coming.” Omori allowed Kel to drag him through the trees into the new area. Just as Mari had said, it was a waterfall. The forest trail led to a small elevated rocky area where the rushing water ended in a rippling pool, shallow enough that he could see the bottom from where he stood. As the waterfall crashed into the pool, tiny droplets of water caught in the sky’s light, casting tiny rainbows everywhere. Mari was right. If she’d brought her basket, this would be the perfect picnic spot.

They didn’t have a picnic blanket, but someone else was already waiting for them, sitting by the edge of the water on the tarp. “Hey, Basil!” Kel waved, and Basil looked up and waved back.

“There you all are! I was wondering when you were going to get here. It’s so pretty, isn’t it?” Basil frowned slightly. “But… Mari stole my camera again! Oh well, I was out of film anyways.”

“I’ll ask Mari for your camera,” promised Kel, speeding back off in the direction they’d come. He almost ran right into Hero as him, Aubrey, and Mari entered the area. “Oh, there you are!”

“This is it,” Mari declared. “Isn’t it nice here? Oh, Basil, here. Your camera.” Mari tossed the camera over to Basil, who caught it with one hand.

“Thanks!”

Hero had paused between the trees, staring at the scenery with a wonderstruck expression. “Wow… you weren’t kidding, Mari. It’s so nice here.”

“It is, isn’t it?” As always, they sat in a circle on the tarp. Six friends. The way it had always been and the way it always would be.

Omori… was happy.

Mari seemed to notice his expression and smiled. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, Omori. I bet there’s a bunch of little spots like this we could look for another time!”

“Could we really?”

“Yeah. You don't need to be worried about anything. Smile! We're all right here.”

Everything is going to be okay.

Chapter Text

Sunny didn’t go to the funeral.

He didn’t go to much of anything anymore. The last time he’d left the house had been when he’d been searching for Basil with the rest of the group. When Kel and Hero had dragged Basil’s body out of the lake.

Part of him knew that White Space wasn’t real. That Basil had drowned himself for whatever reason and that there was no bringing him back.

But it was fine to live in a fantasy as long as you were happy, right?

As the thoughts crossed his mind, the darkness hovered in the mirror behind him accusingly. The single eye never blinked, but he felt it judging him.

Omori. It was the first name he’d thought of for his other side. The name on Mari’s piano. His mind kept flashing back to the night of the concert. The two of them had claimed they were sick and couldn’t perform. It hadn’t been too far of a stretch for Sunny; he’d felt sick ever since Basil vanished.

Omori didn’t know about Basil's death, so Sunny could sit back and relax while he wandered a world where the accident had never happened. Omori couldn’t feel real emotion, which meant that by extension, Sunny couldn’t be too sad when in White Space.

And in White Space he could see Basil happy. Nothing to cause him a panic attack or a nervous breakdown. A group of friends to protect him. A set of gardening supplies for him to watch over while the rest of them explored.

In White Space, Basil was safe.

He wasn’t quite sure how Mari was coping. They hadn’t spoken in a while. 

She had taken his death badly. Sunny should have gone to check on her.

But he couldn't. He always stopped himself for whatever reason, not able or not willing to talk to her.

Speaking of Basil, he would be waiting. Aubrey, Hero, and Kel had been waiting in the rainbow room, but Omori had had to settle another argument between Aubrey and Kel before they headed out. Mari had said they would wait by the playground, and he didn’t want to make Basil worry that they had left him behind.

Mari was dozing by the edge of the forest when they arrived. “Mari!” shouted Kel, startling her awake. “We’re here!”

“Ah, hi,” greeted Mari. “You’re late!”

“It’s their fault,” whispered Hero with a gesture at Aubrey and Kel.

Aubrey crossed her arms. “It’s not!”

Omori glanced around and saw they were missing someone. “Where’s Basil?”

“Hmm…” Mari looked thoughtful. “I don’t remember. I think he went back to his house?”

Basil had gone off alone. That was bad. Out of the six of them, he was the weakest in a fight, and while Omori knew he was capable of staying alive, him going off alone seemed like a bad idea.

Walking off, Omori motioned for the others to follow. “We’re finding Basil.”

“Whoa, an adventure?” Kel gasped. “I’ll come! Tag me in!”

“But we’re just going to Basil’s house. It’s not that far from here,” pointed out Mari.

Hero grinned. “Well, then we’ll make it an adventure. A quest to find Basil.” When she still looked unsure, he said, “come on, Mari, it’ll be fun!”

Glancing around the tarp, Mari shook her head. "I should probably stay back. You know, in case a big bad monster comes and attacks the blanket when Basil's not here to look after it!"

“But Mari— oh, bye!” Aubrey started to protest, but ran over to follow Omori, Kel, and Hero as they started to walk off. “See you, Mari!”

They didn’t slow down once as their party ran through the forest. As Omori had predicted, there were enemies scattered throughout the forest, but a few attacks from the group was enough to get rid of them. There was no sign of Basil yet. Hopefully, he was safe in his house.

“Omori, slow down!” Kel complained after a while. “I have to grab my ball after we defeat enemies or it’ll roll away!”

Hero nodded. “Why don’t we take a break, Omori? You seem stressed today. I’m sure Basil is fine.”

Omori didn’t answer, only walked faster. The path that led to Basil’s house was in sight. Along the way were the gardens he kept, which he carefully attended to every day. Running faster, Omori pushed through the branches and sped past the gardens until he saw the cluster of trees that concealed the small house.

At the foot of the entrance was a gigantic sprout mole. Unconcerned, Omori took it out with a single slash and kept moving. “Whoa,” gaped Kel from behind. “Omori, you’re being… kind of scary right now.”

As if Omori’s thoughts had summoned him, Basil peeked out from the darkness. “Oh, it’s you all! Sorry I didn’t show up… there was this big monster blocking the way, but it looks like you took care of it”

Basil was fine. Now that he was with everyone else, Omori could make sure that nothing hurt him. Just to be safe, he hovered near Basil as the five of them left the forest.

This didn’t escape Hero’s notice. “Omori, maybe you should calm down? You’re making Basil nervous.”

“Ah— Um, it’s fine,” Basil assured him, though he seemed slightly hesitant. “I’m sure Omori’s just worried!”

“Sorry, Basil.” Sensing he had made a mistake, Omori took a few steps away.

"It's fine," Basil assured him, swinging his arms back and forth as he walked. "Hmm... we should probably meet up with Mari. Sorry for disappearing like that, haha. is she watching our stuff while I'm gone?"

"She is." As always, the group fell into a line behind Omori. Most of the enemies disturbing the garden had been taken out on the way there, so walking back to the playground was much more peaceful. Basil didn't usually come with them; after a slight hesitation, he chose a spot in the line right behind Omori.

"You know," remarked Kel as they walked, "we should teach you to fight, Basil. Just in case something like that happens again." Excitedly, he tossed his ball to Basil, who caught it and blinked in polite confusion.

"Hmm, you think so? Maybe. Although I don't know if I'd be very good at it, haha."

"I'm sure you'd do fine. You just have to believe in yourself! And besides..." Kel struck a ridiculous pose, causing Aubrey to snicker at him. "You'd have the best teacher around! Me!"

Basil giggled. "Well, that's comforting. Maybe we could do that one of these days."

They arrived back at the playground, where Mari was waiting. "Welcome back, everyone!" Mari waved and patted the tarp beside her. Everyone sat down, the way they'd always done. "Good to see you're okay, Basil."

"I'm fine," Basil agreed, taking a seat next to her. Once again, Mari's picnic basket seemed to be absent. Either way, Omori knew that Basil kept some snacks hidden from the others('others' meaning 'just Kel') in case the party ran into trouble on an adventure. They'd have a supply of things to heal with if the time came. "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't go off on my own like that..."

"Nonsense, Basil, you just have to believe in yourself more! You could be as capable as Omori if you tried."

"As capable as Omori? Hehe, I don't know if I'd go that far... but thanks, Mari."

Looking at Basil and Mari sitting there together, a strange emotion took hold of Omori. It was an emotion he couldn't quite place. There was just... Something. Something about this that he didn't like.

But there was no reason for that. Basil was perfectly safe, sitting here as he eagerly rambled about plant facts to Mari. And Mari was fine as well, listening and nodding as she constructed a flower crown with her other hand. This was how things had always been.

Always the empath, Basil seemed to notice something was bothering him. "Hey, Omori, is everything okay?" he whispered across the tarp. Omori scooted closer to where Basil was sitting and nodded. This didn't seem to convince Basil. He frowned, twirling a strand of grass around his finger. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I was just worried when you were gone earlier."

"Oh," said Basil sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to freak you out."

"It's fine. Were you serious about learning to fight earlier?"

"Maybe. I mean, you never know what could happen here when all of you are out adventuring, right?"

Omori considered this for a few moments. "It should be safe here." Yes, Basil's tarp had always been the group's rest stop, their little corner of safety. He wasn't quite sure what Basil did when he was waiting around for them each day, but as far as Omori knew nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened. And learning to fight was dangerous. "It just seems risky. And unnecessary."

"Oh. Well, that's alright too." Basil resettled himself on the blanket and pulled his photo album from his pocket. Noticing Omori trying to see over his shoulder, he placed it on the ground in between them. "When you're not here, I've always got my photo album to look through, hehe."

"Do you ever get bored all alone here?"

"Sometimes," Basil admitted. "But you all come visit so often, I don't mind." His eyes lit up with an idea. "Hey, you should bring my camera with you one of these days! That way you could show me all the cool places you visit!"

"I'm really bad at using your camera."

"Don't worry, so was I at first. It just takes practice." Basil pulled the camera out of his pocket to demonstrate. "Here's the viewfinder..." he said, pointing out a spot on the camera. "...and here's the lens. You have to be careful you don't accidentally cover it with your hand when you're taking photos. So now, you just aim, hit the button, and..." Click. The camera flashed. "It's as easy as that!" Basil waited for the photo to dispense and passed the camera to Omori. "Your turn."

Hesitantly, Omori raised the camera, closing one eye so he could look through. Through the lens he saw Basil wave. Click. "Like this?"

"Yeah, just like that!" With a brrrrr... the photo dispensed, and Omori shook it until the picture began to fade in. It looked... super blurry. Clearly taken by an amateur. It was nowhere near as good as Basil's.

"It's all messed up."

"Can I see?" At Basil's request, Omori passed over the photo. Basil held it up to the light and peered at it. "This is pretty good! I think the blurriness gives it character."

"Hmm..." Omori wasn't so sure. "Maybe Hero could learn to do it. He's a fast learner."

"Or Mari. She steals my camera sometimes."

"Only sometimes!" Mari called, and Basil grinned.

"Haha, 'sometimes' is pretty often..."

Omori laid back in the grass and stared up at the slowly rotating constellations above. The world was so big. There was so much to explore, and they had an eternity to do it. Beyond the forest, there was all sorts of places; other planets, other forests, other adventures.

This... was perfect, wasn't it? An endless adventure with his friends. Exactly what he wanted to do.

We're still young, so we should dream big.

All six of them had so much time left.

Might as well make the most of it.

"Alright... so how do I make the photos less blurry?"

Chapter Text

Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. And eventually, months turned into years.

White Space. Headspace. The only places he could be okay. The only place where everything was okay. They had become twisted, somehow. Wrong.

When Omori went to find Basil by his gardening supplies, he was surprised to see he was alone. Mari usually hung around the area, but she was nowhere to be found. “Basil, where’s Mari?”

Apologetically, Basil shrugged. “Sorry, I don’t know. I think she thought you guys were coming later, so she went to get some fresh air.”

"But we're outside."

"...Fresher fresh air?"

Kel, Aubrey, and Hero had been tagging behind him, and as he spoke Hero’s expression turned worried. “Do you think she got lost?”

“Kel’s the only one who gets lost,” snickered Aubrey. “Mari knows what she’s doing.”

“Hey!” Kel protested.

Basil’s brow furrowed. “Actually… she walked off in the direction of the beach. Maybe you’ll find her there?”

“The beach?” Kel glanced at Omori, unsure. “But… Omori doesn’t like the water. Omori, are you going to be okay?”

Omori nodded, and Kel cheered. “Yay! We can all swim together!”

“But I can’t swim,” said Basil nervously.

Hero’s eyes lit up. “You could get those little floaty things that toddlers wear and float with us.”

“I’m not a toddler!” Basil crossed his arms and tried to look annoyed, but everyone could tell he was faking. “I’ll wait here for you, okay? Have fun!”

Omori was hesitant to leave Basil alone, but nothing bad had ever happened at the playground. It was probably the safest place to be for the moment, and either way, Basil was right when he pointed out he couldn’t swim. Right now they needed to find Mari. “Let’s go, everyone.”

“Field trip~” sang Aubrey, doing a little twirl. “Last one there’s a rotten egg!”

The forest was as beautiful as ever. Against the trees, the vast skies dotted with constellations looked almost like a painting, the endless flowers adding to the scene. None of them had explored all of it. There was simply so much of it(it was called the Vast Forest, after all) and there were parts that could only be accessed by climbing a tall ladder, which Omori would prefer to avoid, or through a sea of spiderwebs, which both Hero and Omori despised. But the scenery always had a sense of peace to it. There, everything would be okay.

There were a couple of enemies on the pathway to the ocean, but with everyone working together, they were swiftly defeated. Soon, Omori could hear the lapping of the waves.

Water… he had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, all living things needed it to survive. But on the other hand, thinking about what might be hiding in its depths… it made his knife seem a little too small.

As Basil had predicted, Mari was already there, sitting on the dock with her feet in the water. She turned around at the sound of their footsteps. “Oh, hi everyone!”

Hero grinned. “Hey, Mari! I’m glad we found you.”

“Since you were all away, I thought I might take a swim.” She noticed Omori standing near the back and frowned. “Ah, sorry, Omori… I know you don’t like water. We can do something else if you want.” Playfully, she splashed at them. “But if you reconsider, it’s not as scary as you think!”

“If Omori’s too nervous, we won’t, but it would be fun to go in the water…” Aubrey shot a hesitant glance at Omori. “What do you think? Your choice.”

After a few seconds of consideration, Omori nodded. “Do whatever you want.” He went to find a spot on the beach to sit. The water didn’t seem quite as menacing if he observed it from farther away.

“Okay, if you’re–” Hero cut off with a sputtering sound as Kel shoved him off the dock, causing Mari to burst out laughing.

“You’ve been caught off guard, Hero!”

Coughing, Hero broke the water’s surface. “Ugh, I think I swallowed, like, an entire lake… really, Kel?”

“Hehe.” Kel stuck out his tongue. “Victory!” Cheering, he took a running start and did a cannonball into the water.

Mari waded in as well as Aubrey took off her bow and tossed it onto the beach. “It’s nice! We should come to the beach more often!”

Back on dry land, Omori watched them splash around, being sure to keep his distance from the water. It did look like everyone was having fun. If Basil had joined them, he would definitely have been taking pictures. Perhaps he should go back and ask to borrow Basil’s camera to capture the moment.

"Hey, Omori, catch!"

Unprepared, Omori turned at the sound of his name to get bopped on my head by Kel's ball. "Kel, I wasn't ready."

"Oh, sorry." Kel grinned sheepishly. "Want to play catch? I've been working on some sweet new skills I want to show off!"

Omori grabbed the ball and tossed it back at Kel. "No thanks."

"Too bad," Kel sighed. He turned his attention back to the others, and Omori could practically see his mind spinning as a mischievous look dawned on him. "Hey, Hero!" Hero turned, and Kel hurled the rubber ball at him, shouting, "Run-and-Gun, go!"

Bloing. The ball bounced off Hero's face and ricocheted over to Mari, who caught it with one hand. "Careful, Kel," she chided. "I mean, you wouldn't want to mess up Hero's pretty face, would you?"

Once again, Hero had gone completely red. "Mari!"

"Sorry, Hero." Mari laughed. "You're just so cute when you get all flustered!"

"Save all the lovey-dovey stuff for when we're not around," complained Kel. He reached over and grabbed for the ball, only for Aubrey to snatch it from the water first. "Aubrey! Give that back!"

Aubrey ignored him and mimed winding up like a baseball pitcher. "Let's hear it for... Aubrey!" she cheered, throwing the ball and hitting Kel directly in the face. "What a throw!"

"Aubrey!!!"

Hero sighed. "You two, don't start this again."

"But Hero-" Kel insisted.

"Both of you, calm down. If you've got so much energy than why don't we play a game together? Aubrey's got her bat."

Annoyance forgotten, Aubrey's eyes lit up. "Someone throw it to me. I'm gonna knock that ball right out of the park!"

"Okay!" said Kel cheekily, splashing her with water and darting away.

"Kel!!!"

"I give up," Hero muttered as Aubrey began to chase Kel around the shallow water. "They seem like they're having fun."

With a shrug, Mari waded in deeper. "You don't always have to be responsible for everyone, you know. Let yourself have fun from time to time!"

"You're right, Mari. It really is a perfect day for a beach day."

Mari turned to look at Omori, who had been sitting on the sand observing the whole time. "Want to come in, Omori? If you can overcome your fears, it's not as scary as you think. Grow your mind!"

Omori hesitated. The water seemed shallow, but it got deeper as you went further in. He couldn't see the bottom thanks to the reflection of the sky against's the water's surface.

Maybe one day he'd get over his fear of drowning. Not today.

"No thanks."

"Okay. Well, that's fine. There are plenty of other fun places we could go after this."

"Actually," Hero mused, "we should teach Basil to swim one of these days. He doesn't leave the gardening tarp much, but maybe he'd want to come with us more if we could swim together."

Mari nodded. She was starting to stray further and further away from shore. Seeing how high the water went was starting to give Omori an anxious feeling he couldn't quite place. Mari was a strong swimmer. Mari would be fine. "We should! It would be fun to go on an adventure with all six of us."

Omori opened his mouth to respond only to jump as Aubrey seemingly appeared from thin air next to him. "Sorry, Omori, didn't mean to startle you!" She grabbed her bat from the beach and prepared to swing. "I'm ready!"

"Alright..." Back in the water, Kel made a dramatic show of winding up. "And.... go!"

Kel threw the ball to Aubrey, who whacked it with all her strength. It whizzed through the air and skipped across the water's surface a few times, landing a good ways away from the shore. "Yes!" Aubrey cheered. Eagerly, she turned to Omori. "Omori, did you see that?" After a moment's hesitation Omori gave her a thumbs up, and she beamed.

"Aubrey, you hit it way too far!" Kel complained. "I can't stand out there!"

"So swim. Duh."

"Well, maybe I don't want to."

Mari broke in. "Don't argue, 'kay? I'll get it."

"Okay, thank you Mari," muttered Aubrey. She was looking at her bat and then at Kel as if deciding who to take a swing at next.

Mari swam out further to where Kel's ball had flown as Aubrey jumped off the dock back into the water. This was nice. Everyone was happy. There were no enemies or anything by the beach, and they could swim(excluding Omori, of course), talk, build sand castles... maybe Mari had a point about coming here more often.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when a thunderous sound rolled across the sky.

Omori leapt to his feet, wondering if something was attacking, but the sound faded just as quickly as it had begun.

He hadn’t been the only one to hear the sound. In the water, the others were looking around in confusion. “Was that thunder?” wondered Aubrey. “Maybe we shouldn’t swim if it’s going to rain.”

Hero glanced up at the sky. “Yeah, you’re probably right. But that’s weird… I don’t see any rain clouds.”

A little ways away from everyone else, Mari was treading water with a quizzical expression. “That is weird. Maybe it was a sound coming from somewhere else? If there aren’t any clouds, I don’t think it could be thunder… huh?” She cut off and glanced down. “What’s that?”

Something that hadn’t been there a moment before seemed to have materialized in the water next to Mari, and before Omori could say anything about the sense of dread he was getting, she had reached down to see what it was.

A pale, thin arm, connected to a dark shape floating below the water’s surface.

Mari screamed.

And Headspace flickered away.

–

Back alone in White Space, Omori contemplated his knife.

What had gone wrong? Everything had always been peaceful in Headspace.

Something wrong with Sunny, perhaps?

In the silence, Omori could hear his heartbeat.

Headspace was starting to spiral out of control. Perhaps Sunny had been gone for too long. Hopefully, it would be fixed the next time he ventured out.

Everything is going to be okay.

Sunny would just have to deal with it, or Omori would have to find a way to fix the problem himself.

With that in mind, he didn’t hesitate before plunging the blade into his chest.

Wake up, Sunny.

Chapter Text

Sunny woke up in a cold sweat.

The room was pitch-dark, and for a few moments he flailed around in the blackness, wondering if something was wrong, but a glance at the clock showed him it was two AM, long before the sun rose. He must have woken up after having a nightmare.

Right. It was just a dream.

Quietly, as to not awaken any monsters, he slipped out of bed and over to his desk. His computer was shut down. The phone was beeping, indicating he had a voicemail. Sunny reached over and hit play.

“Hey Sunny, it’s Mommy. I’m still in the city setting things up for our new home. Did you finish packing yet? The movers are going to be at our house in a few days, so I left a list of things for you and Mari to do before they arrive. Also, sorry! Mommy messed up! I forgot to tell the electric company that we need a few extra days before we’re ready to move, so the lights might cut out sometime tonight. ”

He clicked off the recording before it ended, worried the noise might attract something. Demons? Shadows? He wasn’t sure. All sorts of evil things seemed to make themselves at home in his house.

He found himself glancing at the other side of the room out of habit, but it was empty. Mari's bed had been there once. Whenever he had a nightmare or a weird dream, Mari would be the one to calm him down. But a couple years back Mari had decided she wanted her own room and her things had been moved out of the space. Now it was just Sunny's room. While sometimes he enjoyed the solitude, other times it felt like too much.

The thundering sound hadn’t stopped, and he recognized it as Mari’s piano. She’d done this often since their mother had gone away, wandering the halls at night and playing music. It was loud, but Sunny was a deep sleeper, so it usually wasn't enough to wake him up. The music was always. Nothing like the calm waltzes Mari used to like before.

Then again, Mari and Sunny weren't anything like they'd been before either.

Sunny’s stomach complained as he sat in the dark. He was hungry. He didn’t want to go downstairs, but downstairs was where the kitchen was, and he couldn’t survive without food. He was already pushing it; the previous night, he'd been too tired to leave his room, so at this point it had been a few days since he'd eaten. Sometimes Mari left food by the door, but it didn't seem like she'd thought of doing that tonight. He'd have to go down and get something.

He carefully crept out of the room, easing the door shut behind him. The sound of Mari’s piano covered his footsteps. The stairs... nope, nope. There was something there blocking his way. Sunny couldn't even see the first floor from here. He'd learned from experience that there were hotspots for the shadows, sort of like on those ghost hunting shows he used to watch. The stairs, the bathtub, the piano room, Mari's new room... all of those were no-no zones. But if it was the only way down... Ugh, he really disliked this house sometimes. Tentatively, Sunny placed a foot on the stairs, then another, and slowly and carefully began to move down.

The hissing darkness behind him grew, and he picked up the pace, running down the stairs as fast as he could. Stairs, stairs, stairs. Why wouldn’t the staircase end? His heartbeat began to speed up, and Sunny squeezed his eyes shut and tried to move faster.

"Sunny..."

Sunny almost tripped as his foot kicked an object lying on one of the steps. Shink... The object skittered across the ground with the sound of metal on wood. Quickly, he grabbed it before it could fly off. A kitchen knife. Cold, solid(well, sort of; it was hard to get a good grip on it, almost like the knife was eluding him), and the perfect size for his hand.

"My best friend..."

At the next whisper, he lashed out, slashing through the next set of tendrils as they tried to tangle around him. Some of the darkness dissipated, but it wasn't gone quite yet.

This wasn't something he could fight. Keep moving.

After what felt like an eternity his feet hit level ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, Sunny darted into the kitchen and grabbed the counter to steady himself.

At some point during his flight from the monster, he'd lost his grip on the knife. He searched the drawers until he found a new one. A steak knife, from the looks of it. He could practically see his reflection in the blade it was so shiny.

Okay, he had a weapon now. That was progress. Self-defense was always important. Sunny's rumbling stomach reminded him of why he'd come down in the first place, and he turned to find something to eat.

The fridge was fairly empty, but there was enough food to last a few days. Mari must have gone shopping, seeing as the previous day there had only been a single steak that Sunny had been saving. From the smell, it had gone bad, so he left the steak alone and grabbed a can of soup.

The quiet hum of the microwave was the only sound as Sunny stared at the rotating can. Thirty seconds. Twenty. Ten. Why was it still going? When the microwave finally beeped, he popped the lid of the cam off and grabbed a spoon.

Mari’s music had gotten louder, and he went over and shut the door to block out the sound. There were ghosts in the house. Wouldn’t want any of them coming in.

After finishing his midnight dinner, Sunny washed off the bowl and stuck it in the drying rack before venturing back out of the kitchen. The staircase stared back. Right, there was only one way to get to his room. Dang it. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

“ Sunny! ”

Click. Warm light spilled from behind Sunny as the front door clicked open. Basil ran in, a bright smile on his face. “ Sorry I’m so late, haha. I got a bit lost… but I’m here now! ”

He blinked, and Basil was gone. The light beneath the door had faded. But it hadn’t vanished entirely. Maybe Basil was still there.

Hesitantly, Sunny reached out and turned the doorknob.

A horrible creature stared back at him, a sick imitation of the face he’d seen every time he closed his eyes for the past four years, neck bent and stretched to horrifying lengths, green eyes wide and staring.

Scrambling away from the door, Sunny made for the stairs, but the darkness slithered ahead of him and blocked his path. A tendril of Something almost pulled him off-balance, and he slashed at it with the knife from the kitchen, but the blade passed right through.

“Leave me alone,” shouted Sunny, brandishing the knife at the darkness. It pooled together in front of him to form a sickening smile. He could no longer tell where the stairs ended and the monster began. “Get away from me!"

“ Deep breaths, Sunny. ” The other voice was coming from somewhere behind him. Sunny turned, hoping to see Basil, but there was nobody. “I know it's scary, but the only way to get over your fears is to face them. We can do it together… breathe in… and breathe out. ”

Vines spread from the shadowy mass, crisscrossing across the air in front of Sunny. The thundering of the piano had ceased, leaving a silence that was almost worse. Desperately, he jabbed the knife at the space in front of him, but there was nothing solid to hit.

Basil’s voice returned as Sunny struggled to control his breathing. “ Everything is going to be okay… it’s not as bad as it looks. Calm down and look again, and I bet it won’t be as scary! ”

“I’m trying,” Sunny croaked. “I… I can’t.”

“Don't give up yet, Sunny...”

Something smiled as it started to drag him down.

Thwack .

The thing was gone as suddenly as it had appeared. Heart pounding out of his chest, Sunny opened his eyes.

Mari had taken its place on the stairs. She was brandishing her book of music like a shield, which was probably what had made the noise and scared off the demon. Hands trembling slightly, she lowered the book to her side and they stood there for a few moments.

Sunny hadn’t really talked with Mari in years, and for a moment he wondered if she might see the things that haunted the house too.

But all Mari said was, “careful, you’ll fall.”

The next moment she had run back downstairs and Sunny heard the click of her door shutting as she left him alone in the darkness.

-

When Omori entered the Neighbor’s Room, the first thing he noticed was the worried expressions on everyone’s faces. They were talking among themselves in hushed voices, and he could practically feel the anxiety radiating from across the room. The card games they'd normally play to pass the time were abandoned on the floor. Aubrey was gripping her bat tightly; Kel had his ball, and Hero his frying pan, as if they were expecting a fight to break out.

Unconsciously, Omori shifted his hand to his pocket, where he knew his knife would be. Like always, it was there. Having it with him made him feel a little more secure. Whatever was bothering the others, maybe he could fix it. He shut the door to White Space behind him and started to walk over to where his friends stood.

Aubrey was the first to notice he had arrived. “Omori! You’re finally here!" She ran over to him, looking as if she might cry.  "We have to go right now!"

“What’s wrong?”

“Basil said that Mari went off on her own, and that she looked really upset,” explained Hero. “He tried to ask what was wrong, and she wouldn't say. But… she went up that huge ladder in the forest.”

Going off alone... that wasn't like Mari at all. "She didn't say anything about why?"

“No. She completely ignored Basil, and she ran so fast he couldn’t follow her any further.”

Looking anxious, Aubrey fidgeted with her bow. “Yesterday feels kinda fuzzy... And Mari wasn't here when we all woke up in the Neighbor's Room today. Do you think she's okay?"

Kel shrugged. It took a lot to make Kel worried, but he definitely was now. “I don’t know, but if something’s wrong, we should try to find her. She wouldn't run off like that normally... or she'd at least tell someone where she was going.”

"Okay. Let's go talk to Basil."

The playground looked the same as it had yesterday. Van and Berly hit a tether ball around, Ned built his puzzle, Mikal played on the swings. Basil's tarp was in the same spot as ever; this time, however, only one figure waited for them. Just as Aubrey had said, Mari was nowhere to be found.

Basil had been anxiously hovering near the edge of the tarp as they drew closer. From the look in his eyes, it seemed he hadn't heard back from Mari in the time it had taken the others to get Omori. "Basil, anything?" Aubrey asked anyway.

"No... I'm not sure where she went." Basil anxiously fiddled with the buttons on his camera as he spoke, glancing back at the tarp as if Mari might have materialized there in the time he had been looking away. “I’m glad you’re all here. Mari… I don’t know what happened, but something’s wrong. She wouldn’t even look at me when I asked her if something was the matter, and then she ran off all on her own!”

“But I don’t think Mari can fight,” worried Aubrey. “Oh, no… Omori, we’ve got to find Mari!”

The leaves crunched under Hero’s feet as he paced back and forth. “This isn’t good… Mari never gets upset. If she is trying to avoid us, then that means something’s really wrong.”

“We’ll find her,” proclaimed Kel. “Don’t worry, Hero! We’re seasoned adventurers! We’ll catch up with Mari in no time!”

“I’ll come with you,” Basil started to say, but Hero held him back.

“You shouldn’t. When we find Mari, we already have one person who can’t fight, so it’s safest for you to stay here.”

Basil’s shoulders drooped. “Oh. Okay. Well, I wouldn’t want to be a burden, haha.” He glanced over to Omori. “Omori... are you okay with going up the big ladder?"

Slightly apprehensive, Omori nodded. “We have to.”

“It’s okay to be scared,” said Basil thoughtfully, giving Omori's hand a reassuring squeeze. “Um… I feel like Mari would be better at this, haha… But I believe in you, Omori! You don’t have to never be scared. Nobody’s able to do that. But if you can forget to be scared in the moment and take a risk, you’ve faced your fears! And once you’ve done it once, you never forget how!”

“Thank you, Basil.”

Basil beamed. “I’ll do what I can to help. Don't push yourselves too hard, okay? You can always stop by my gardening supplies if you need a rest!”

“Let’s go,” said Aubrey anxiously. “I'm getting a bad feeling about this... Omori, are you ready?"

Omori was also getting a bad feeling about this, but he decided not to tell the others that. Everything that had happened yesterday... what had caused it? Would finding Mari make things better, or would everything take a turn for the worst?

She was his sister. If he went missing, she'd definitely look for him. He had to try and make sure Mari was okay.

"I'm ready."

And with that, they set off to search for Mari.

Chapter Text

Before he knew it, they were standing before the ladder in the forest. It wasn't that far; coming from the Neighbor's Room, it was even closer than the playground. Up until now they had always steered clear of it because of Omori's fear of heights.

Just looking at it was enough to make Omori’s heartbeat sped up. The only thing that connected them to the planet above was this thin, flimsy-looking piece of metal. It stretched all the way into the sky. If any of them were to fall…

Hero placed a hand on Omori’s shoulder. “You doing okay, Omori? Remember, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“It’s fine.” Breathe in, breathe out. Closing his eyes, Omori repeated Basil’s words inside his mind. Forget to be scared.

He just had to get past this and then they could find his sister and everything would be okay.

He reached out and placed a hand on the rungs of the ladder, feeling the cool metal beneath his skin. Slender, but strong enough to support their group. At least it wasn’t slippery. Someone would fall for sure.

Hesitantly, he stepped onto the lowest rung and began to pull himself up, little by little. The sounds from below told him his friends were climbing as well, but Omori didn’t dare look down, knowing that if he did he would lose his grip and plummet. One rung at a time. One rung at a time.

Soon the tips of the trees were level with his eyes, and he knew that the forest floor had long fallen away. They were up pretty high now. Too late to turn back.

From below, Kel’s voice streamed up. “Oh no… I think I dropped Hector!” Dropped. It sure was a long fall. Don’t think about it. Omori ignored Kel and kept on climbing.

A dark shape was floating right above them, and Omori sped up the pace, sensing they were close to solid ground. Sky shifted into rock. From the earth around them, he could hear the chatter of Sprout Moles. It was fairly dark beneath the ground, but much better then staring at open sky. After a few moments, all that was between them and Otherworld was a metal hatch, which he shoved open before scrambling out of the hole.

Thankful for the level ground, Omori waited by the hatch for a few moments to catch his breath. Kel nearly plowed right into him, leaping onto the surface and striking a pose. "First!"

"You were not first!" huffed Aubrey, pulling herself up. "Omori was first!"

"Well, I came in second, and that's practically first anyways."

"Your logic is flawed."

Omori shrugged. "We can share first place."

"Huff... Huff..." Hero came last, breathing heavily as he dragged himself to the surface. "Why is there not a more convenient way up here than a thousand-mile ladder...?"

Kel giggled. “Are you out of breath, Hero?”

“Shut… up.”

Omori passed Hero a bottle of water, which he gratefully accepted. "Thank you." Once they'd all caught their breath, Omori took a good look at their surroundings. It was... largely anticlimactic. A bunch of trees and a couple pathways leading in different directions. Still, he could hear noise coming from up ahead, as well as lights peeking through the thick branches The outline of buildings shone up ahead, most likely the tourist area he'd heard about.

To confirm, Omori led the group north of where they'd climbed up and towards the lights and sound. It was a far more crowded area then the woodsy one; people walked around chatting, oddly shaped buildings dotted the roads, and- was that a spaceship in the distance? People milled around among the attractions, chattering to one another. The stars were clearer then ever up here. Otherworld lived up to its name; compared to the quiet beauty of the Vast Forest, it was truly another place, one that was bursting with life and energy.

He walked over to Basil. His friend was sitting by the entrance to the campsite, snapping photos of a structure in the distance. He lowered the camera as the adventure party approached. "You made it! I'm glad. I was worried for a bit, haha."

"We nearly died," complained Hero, dropping down to sit by Basil. "The ladder is so long... my arms feel like noodles."

"Oh boy, is it really that high? I'm glad I didn't have to climb it..."

"I'm not tired at all," bragged Kel. Despite his words, a slight sheen of sweat was visable on his forehead as he sat down next to Hero. "It's 'cause I flexed beforehand! I feel super strong! Basil, do you dare me to do a million push-ups?"

Basil blinked. "A... million push-ups? Is that possible?"

"Probably!"

"Stop it, Kel, I'm tired from that climb." Aubrey carefully set Mr Plantegg down on the tarp before sitting down as well.

“It really was a long climb,” agreed Basil. “You should rest here for a bit. Mari couldn’t have gone too far.”

Omori tuned out their conversation. It was the same as always; arguing, banter, encouragement. He didn't join in on it. All the others were doing more than enough talking for him. He accepted some fresh fruit from Basil and felt some of his energy start to return as he munched on it, listening to Aubrey recount a story she'd heard about the captain of the Space Pirates and Princess Sweetheart. There was room for one more on the tarp. He tried not to think about why Mari's wasn't here.

Speaking of Mari...

Had he imagined it? Turning his head slightly, Omori squinted back in the direction they'd come. A familiar silhouette through the trees. His sister.

So she was just... what, taking a stroll? After all that worry about searching for her, too.

Everyone else was still occupied with their conversation. Good. Unnoticed by anyone, Omori slipped through the trees and after Mari.

The Otherworld was nothing like the Vast Forests or the Pinwheel Forests. The trees were short and thick, partially blocking his sight, and there was a constant chill in the air. Omori heard crows calling to one another amid the branches, ghostly cries like thunder in the near silence. Mari hadn’t stopped walking. She moved back and forth between the trees, ducking into hollows as if trying to hide. She was moving quickly; even as he speed walked after her, Omori had soon lost sight of Mari.

Maybe she'd gone into one of the open areas. Omori carefully examined the next area, one he could have sworn he saw Mari walk into, but there wasn't a person in sight. It did seem like someone had been there recently, however. An old picnic table sat nestled between the trees. Scattered across the table were a bunch of books, as well as what looked like a flower crown.

Hesitantly, Omori stepped closer. The items looked familiar. Did they belong to one of his friends, perhaps? Maybe he should bring them back with him in case someone had left them there accidentally. The thought had barely crossed his mind when the wind whistled and a voice rang out, seemingly from thin air.

"Me and him are the oldest, so that means it's our job to take care of you all. Big sis and big bro will look out for you no matter what!"

The voice faded before Omori could locate where it was coming from. In the split second he'd turned away, the books and flowers had faded too, leaving only an old picnic table sitting there.

Huh. That was... weird. Maybe he'd imagined it.

He'd probably looked in the wrong spot. There were a bunch of little clearings in the maze-like forest, so he could have easily mistaken the place Mari had gone. He'd literally just seen her. She was bound to be around here somewhere. It wasn't like a person could vanish as suddenly and totally as the books had.

Omori tried another area to find a group of pinwheels spinning in the wind. There were six of them, all different colors. Black, green, purple, pink, blue, and orange.

Another voice, from the air right in front of him. "Aw, don't be so nervous. We don't bite! Come on, you have to meet the best people in the whole wide world!"

Omori had made sure to keep his eyes peeled this time, but even so, the pinwheels faded out of view one by one. He counted them once again as they did, trying to remember. Black, green, purple, pink, blue, and orange. In barely five seconds all six were gone.

This was starting to get creepy. Omori didn't hesitate before checking the next area, hoping Mari would be there and all of this would stop, but once again it was empty. The only inhabitants were a pile of comics lying on the ground, right next to a giant blanket.

He tried to turn away, trying to avoid another voice, but it came nonetheless. "I'm not quite sure what I want to do... there's so many options! I guess it's good that we have so much time, haha."

In the blink of an eye, the comics and blanket were gone. Omori was gone as well, having ducked out of the clearing and back onto the main path. This wasn't going anywhere. All of these disappearing things and disembodied voices gave him a strange feeling. Almost like déjà vu, but not quite.

He ignored the next few areas and kept going forward. Mari already had a headstart, and he'd wasted time trying to find her in those odd areas. She had to be at the end of the path. Omori could find her and they could go back and have a picnic and things would be normal again, the way they were supposed to be.

A few more twisting turns, and Omori caught sight of a shadow ahead. Mari. There she was.

A patch of leaves crackled under Omori’s feet, and he froze. Mari turned around.

“Hi, little brother. I have to say I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Omori said nothing.

“Did you get over your fear of heights? Good job. I came here because I wanted to be alone, but I guess I underestimated you.”

Silence.

Mari frowned at his blank expression. “Oh, Omori… Something’s troubling you. Well… there’s something troubling me, too, but you wouldn’t know that. Right?” Her tone had become almost accusing. “I’m going to walk away now. Do you want to follow me, Omori?”

Omori finally spoke up. “Where are you going?”

“Away,” said Mari lightly. “Omori… you don’t know. You don’t remember. I’ve moved on, but you’re still here, waiting forever.”

“But I’ve–”

“Always been here?” Mari finished. “But… How true is that? What about the rest of us, Kel and Hero and Aubrey and me? And Basil? What about Basil, Omori?”

For whatever reason, her comment annoyed Omori. “What about everyone else? They’re fine.”

“ Here they are. Because you’ve been here as long as you can remember, and you can't remember a thing.”

A dark shape flickered into existence behind Mari. A door. She reached out and turned the handle.

“You can follow me if you want, Omori. But you won’t. Because while you’re here, everyone is a million worlds away.”

Mari stepped into the pure blackness beyond the doorway and pulled it shut behind her.

The slam resonated throughout the entire world, and Omori found himself back in White Space with the knife in his hands.

Chapter Text

Slam.

“...open… swear to god, if you don’t… door!!!”

When Sunny woke up, the slamming sound hadn’t ceased. Apparently someone was at the door. It wouldn’t be the first time; he knew Kel had dropped by from time to time, trying to get him to leave the house. But the voice didn’t sound like Kel’s. Whoever it was was shouting loudly enough he could hear them from his bedroom all the way across the house.

Sunny checked the clock. 8:49 A.M. Way earlier than he usually woke up. On a normal day, he'd wake up at around noon, find something to do with himself for a few hours, and then go back to sleep at around 8 P.M. From what he could tell, Mari was the opposite; he saw her sometimes on the rare nights when sleep eluded him, and it seemed like she was a bit of an insomniac.

Who could be knocking on his door at this hour of morning? Slowly, Sunny ventured down the stairs until he could hear the shouting more clearly. A girl's voice. Vaguely familiar, but different that the person he remembered. “Sunny! Get your ass out here! You can’t hide in your own little world forever!”

Another voice, this one less loud and angry, said something Sunny didn’t catch, and then the first voice was arguing back. "...need to be more gentle, you don't know what he's been through..." That was a different person. There were at least two people outside his house in the morning. Great. As he watched, the strange light was back and the door clicked open.

“Sunny! ” Aubrey complained, running in. “ Kel’s being dumb again! ”

Kel was right on her tail, arms crossed. “ I’m not! Sunny, wanna play with us today? ”

The projections vanished. However, the noise at the door certainly hadn’t. “Sunny! If you don’t get out here right now I swear to god I will break down this door!”

The second voice broke in. "Stop being so aggressive, or he's not going to want to come outside at all."

"Why don't you mind your own business?"

"Geez, I was just saying. It's so early that everyone's probably asleep."

Oh, what the hell. This had been coming for a long time anyway. For the first time in four years, Sunny opened the door.

Aubrey froze, her hand raised as if to knock again. “So you actually came out, huh.” She had changed a lot since Sunny had last seen her. Standing in the doorframe, she seemed to tower over him; not only was she taller, but her presence seemed a lot stronger. Aubrey's hair was a bright, eye-popping pink, pulled back by a ribbon with some sort of flower detailing on it. She was scowling, all of the bright smiles and encouraging words gone and instead replaced by a bitterness so strong Sunny could sense it from where he stood. She was leaning on the handle of a bat with nails stuck in it, points gleaming dangerously in the morning sun. Everything about her attitude seemed to scream mess with me, and you die. 

“Go easy on him, Aubrey! He hasn’t left the house for, like, four years!” Kel had changed as well. He had grown a lot taller, maybe even taller than Hero. He looked leaner, stronger. His hair was longer, tossed messily over his shoulder. Somehow it seemed to suit him. Everyone thought of Hero as the elegant one of the family, but Kel had always had his own charms as well; Despite the situation, he seemed at ease, trying to simultaneously calm Aubrey down and welcome Sunny back. He still had the kind of random energy Sunny associated with him. Constant movement, whether it be tapping his foot or drumming his hand against his side. Unyielding energy. “But Sunny, you’re here! I’m glad… I mean, I haven't seen you forever.”

Sunny didn’t say anything, just glanced between the two of them. Standing next to his old friends made him feel very small, and Aubrey’s murderous expression wasn’t helping. Seeing them looking so... old was weird. In his mind's eye they'd never grown up at all.

Then again, maybe it was Sunny who hadn't grown. He barely recognized his two friends and he felt as if he himself hadn't changed a bit.

Kel tried to ease the tension. “It’s, erm… it’s been a while, hasn’t it? I didn’t actually think you were going to come out today, so I don’t have a real plan… but I ran into Aubrey at your door, so I’m guessing she wants to talk to you.”

“You’re damn right I do,” Aubrey snapped. “You’re moving, Sunny? In three days? Three days? And you didn’t think to tell anyone, hell, leave the house? What is wrong with you?”

“Cool it, Aubrey!” said Kel, but Aubrey rounded on him.

“Oh, shut up, Kel. You’re not much better. You actually left your house. Good for you! Do you want a prize?!”

"You can't just yell at Sunny for no reason!"

"I've got a reason!"

“What do you want to talk to me about?” said Sunny finally.

Aubrey raised an eyebrow. “Wow, he speaks. I should beat the shit out of you for leaving us all, by the way.”

“Okay.”

“ Okay ,” she muttered, angrily grinding a leaf into powder beneath her heel. “You’re the worst, all of you. I can’t believe you just… disappeared.” She crossed her arms and tossed her hair, perhaps trying to hide the fact that her eyes were slightly shiny. “I came to yell at you, pretty much. Because it’s been four years , Sunny, and I know for a fact that you haven’t visited Basil once. And you’re leaving in three days. So… I wanted to make sure you went at least once before you left.”

Basil. The name hung in the air. “You want me… to go see Basil.”

Aubrey nodded. “Yeah. Because you called yourself his best friend and you’re sure not acting like it. So go see him. You owe it to him.”

You owe it to him . For some reason, Aubrey’s words sent a shiver down Sunny’s spine. He hadn’t been able to face the idea of the cemetery; of Basil, who had always been so bright and cheerful, sunken in a box deep below the ground.

But they had been best friends. It was kind of messed up that Sunny hadn’t gone to see him at all.

“Geez, Aubrey! Give him a break!” Kel stepped in between the two of them. For just a moment, Sunny flinched as the two of them were replaced by different faces, a different time, a different fight, but it was gone just as quickly. “Sunny, I’m really glad you’re okay. I mean, it’s been a long time, but… you’re out of the house!” Glancing at Aubrey, he went on, “if you’re up to it, we could go somewhere. It… might be good for you.”

“You know what, do whatever you want.” Angrily, Aubrey brushed past them and moved to leave. “But if I find out you didn’t go, Sunny, you’re gonna get it.”

“Wait, Aubrey!” called Kel, but Aubrey was already at the edge of the yard. A second later she had hopped onto her bike and sped off. “Oh… well, there she goes.” He turned back to Sunny. The mood had suddenly become very awkward. “Well, that was certainly something…” He cleared his throat and started over. “You look like hell… Um, no offense, haha. Do you want to go somewhere? We could visit the places we used to before you leave. Or, if you want, we could go to the church like Aubrey wanted.”

Hesitantly, Sunny slipped on his shoes and stepped through the doorway. The sunlight felt blinding after spending so long inside, and he guessed that he was probably deathly pale and thin, but he didn’t have the energy to care. “You choose.”

“Alright!” said Kel encouragingly. “Then… Do you want to go to Faraway Park? I’m guessing it’s been a while since you’ve gone there, since, you know, you haven’t left the house.”

Sunny nodded and followed Kel across the lawn. Mari’s bike was gone; he hadn’t heard her inside the house at all, so he assumed she’d gone out too. Unlike Sunny, she usually left once or twice a week. He wasn’t sure where she went, but he just knew it was out of the house.

Kel, at least, had enough enthusiasm for the both of them. “I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been so long, but… you’re still my best friend. And now we can spend your last couple days in Faraway together! Oh, and you have to say hi to Hero when he gets here tomorrow! I’m sure he’ll be glad to know you’re doing better too. He was pretty upset when Mari stopped going to school, you know, since they couldn’t go to college together like they were planning to, but now that she’s starting to catch up on her classes they might be at the same school for a couple years anyway.”

Sunny’s stomach complained as they walked, but he ignored it. He wasn’t sure he could eat anything right now without feeling sick. It was good to see Kel after so many years, but the constant sunlight was starting to make him feel dizzy. And after their conversation with Aubrey, a sour feeling had latched itself onto him, one he didn’t quite understand but couldn’t seem to shake.

“ Sunny! Kel! Wait for me! ” A familiar voice came from somewhere to Sunny’s right, and Basil ran over. “ Where are you going? ”

Sunny averted his eyes from Basil and focused on Kel again. “...and long story short, that’s why you don’t give monkeys the keys to your house, because they will find a way to lock you out and set off the fire alarm.” Yeah, Sunny had no clue how the conversation had ended up there, and he wasn’t really sure he wanted to know.

Beside him, Basil frowned slightly, seeing he was being ignored. “ Sunny? Kel? Hello? ” When neither of them replied, his expression grew more panicked. “ Sunny, why are you ignoring me? Did I…. Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you mad or anything! ”

“...but it’s been… well, it’s been kind of rough while you were gone. I know Mari’s been really worried about you. She came by the other day to see if Hero was back yet. I don’t think she’s fully…” Kel backtracked. “Well, I don’t really think any of us have fully accepted Basil's… gone. You saw Aubrey earlier. She’s been acting like that for a while. But… it’s good that you’re back, Sunny. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make the conversation all grim, but you seem preoccupied… and I just wanted you to know that I’m really, really glad you agreed to hang out today.”

“ Sunny! ” said Basil urgently. “ Why are you… why are you trying to leave me? Stop it!! Just tell me what I did wrong and I’ll fix it! ”

The pain in Sunny’s stomach grew, and he stumbled, almost walking into Kel. “Whoa, Sunny, you don’t look so good.” Kel caught Sunny's arm to did his best to steady him. "Are you okay?"

The sidewalk scraped painfully against his knees as Sunny sank to the ground. Above him, Basil’s image contorted into a horrifying darkness.

“ Why are you still ignoring me, Sunny?! ”

Chapter Text

“Sunny, wake up!”

Sunny ignored the voice and kept his eyes closed. He was incredibly tired. Five more minutes wouldn’t hurt anybody.

That might not have been entirely true, seeing as the next second something hit his chest with a painful thwack. “Kel!” someone exclaimed. “Please be careful!”

“Wah, I’m sorry, Sunny!”

“Maybe you should put the basketball down for two seconds while we see if Sunny’s okay?”

“Look, I need to do something when I’m anxious or I’ll explode!”

Tired of their commentary, Sunny sat up, and both Kel and Mari’s eyes snapped over to him. “Sunny!” Kel exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I wasn’t expecting you to just pass out like that…”

Mari nodded. Sunny wasn’t quite sure when she’d arrived, but she was here now. “Are you okay, Sunny? I heard Kel yelling, and I didn’t even know you’d left the house at first.”

“I’m okay,” he muttered.

“How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“Last night.”

Kel crossed his arms. “Sunny, you need to take better care of yourself, man. I thought you’d died or something!” In his hands was the basketball he’d been holding before, which Sunny assumed was the object that had whacked him. “Sorry about the basketball. Do you think you can walk?”

Sunny nodded, and the two of them hovered nearby as he unsteadily got to his feet. “I can walk.”

Relieved, Mari exhaled. “Geez, Sunny, don’t scare me like that! I find out that you left the house for the first time in years and the first thing that happens is you pass out?”

“We were headed to Faraway Park,” Kel explained. “And, well, you know the rest. By the way, Mari, I haven’t seen you in a long time either. How are you doing?”

Mari shrugged. “I’m doing fine. But clearly our old friends have descended into chaos.”

“They’re still our friends,” decided Kel. “Just… a bit estranged. But now that Sunny’s out of the house, Hero’s coming back, and Mari, you’re talking to us again…” His expression brightened. “Maybe things can be like the old days.”

For half a second, something dark flickered across Mari’s expression, but it was gone just as quickly. “Sorry, Kel. I don’t think that’s possible.”

Kel sighed. “Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right… Hero said that too. Did you know he’s coming back tomorrow?”

“No, I didn’t realize he was coming so soon.”

“We should all spend your last few days in Faraway together!” said Kel excitedly. “It’ll be fun. Sunny’s out of the house, and Hero’s back in town! The timing’s perfect!”

From Mari’s expression, she didn’t quite agree. “Thanks for the offer, Kel, but I’m feeling kind of tired. I was thinking of heading home soon anyways.”

Kel’s shoulders drooped. “Oh. Will you come back tomorrow?”

“Maybe, if I’m feeling any better,” Mari agreed. “For now, though, I’m going to head back. Sunny, take care of yourself, okay?” Quickly, she started to walk away, but Kel called after her.

“Wait! Where are you going in such a hurry?”

Apologetically, Mari turned and waved. “Just tired is all. Sorry!” She darted around the corner and out of sight before he could say anything else.

Kel watched with frustration as she disappeared.“...I guess I don’t know what I expected. She’s been like that ever since she started going to school again… she won’t talk to me, or Aubrey, and she talks with Hero sometimes, but barely.” He cast a hopeful glance at Sunny. “You’re her brother. Do you know what’s wrong?”

Why are you ignoring me?

Sunny shook his head, ignoring the sense of unease that spread through his body. “Sorry. I don’t.”

Kel sighed. “That’s too bad… oh well. It doesn’t seem like she wants our help. But she talked to me for like, five minutes, and she wanted to make sure you were okay! That’s a good sign, right?” When Sunny didn’t respond, he sighed. “Yeah… I’m just trying to stay positive. Because now that you’re here, we have a chance to get everyone together again!”

“Almost everyone.”

Sunny wasn’t quite sure why he said it, but the moment the words were out of his mouth Kel’s expression dimmed.

“Yeah…” he said quietly. “You’re right. I wish we could have all six of us together.”

Suddenly, realization flickered across Kel’s face. “Okay, hear me out. We don’t have to do this unless you want to. But… Basil had a photo album, right? With pictures of all of us. I think Aubrey has it right now, but it would be nice to look at all the photos again.” He shot a more hesitant glance at Sunny. “But if that’ll upset you again we don’t have to. Whaddaya say?”

Basil’s photo album. Sunny hadn’t seen that in years, but he remembered it with perfect clarity. “Sure.”

“Great!” exclaimed Kel. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen that photo album. I guess… It'll be a little sad to look through it, considering everything that happened. But maybe it can give you some closure on everything.”

“How are you going to get the photo album?”

“We’ll ask Aubrey,” Kel declared. “We used to be friends. And she’s got her new friends now, but I’m sure she’ll be willing to do us a favor… well, probably.”

Aubrey. She certainly hadn’t acted like they were friends earlier that day when she’d practically broken the door down, but trust Kel to be optimistic. “Do you even know where she is?”

Kel shrugged. “Not really. But she went off in this direction when she left, and I’ve seen her go to our old hangout spot sometimes. Maybe she’s there?”

Suddenly Sunny was less anxious to find Aubrey. “Let’s not go there.”

“Yeah…” murmured Kel. “I’ve… also avoided that spot. It’s still pretty painful… But if we want to find the photo album, it’s probably our best bet.”

Sunny was debating on how to respond when the sounds of shouting came from somewhere nearby. Aubrey. It was almost as if they’d summoned her. “That’s Aubrey,” he said out loud.

“It is!” Looking all around, Kel searched for the source of the sound and eventually pointed over to the trees. “I think… it is coming from over by the lake. Want to come with me, Sunny?”

Oh, what the hell. Kel wasn’t going to give up. “Fine.”

The entrance to their spot had long since been overtaken by bushes and leaves. If Sunny looked closely, it was just possible to distinguish the spots where their childhood footprints had smoothed the wilderness, but it was so overgrown it was hard to tell. Still, here and there were a few sets of footsteps, at least one of them likely Aubrey’s.

The shouting had ceased, but he could hear voices coming from the lake. At least two girls, one of them extremely upset. Kel seemed to also have sensed this was something they shouldn’t interrupt; he had slowed and then stopped once they were close enough to make out the words.

“...need to stop trying to avoid me!” That was Aubrey’s voice, slightly choked with emotion. “Mari… I know I said some stuff when you first came back, and to Sunny too… but please, just… I didn’t mean it, I promise…”

So Mari was there too. Why had she gone there after running off? “Oh, Aubrey, don’t cry,” came Mari’s voice, calm and gentle as ever. “I don’t blame you. You were upset.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?” A thump as if Aubrey had stomped her foot. “Mari, the five of you were like my family back then… and now we’ve all gone to pieces, and it’s not my fault. Everyone left. But… I thought you’d at least stick around. You and Basil, you were my best friends… and then Basil died, and you just… left…” A pause as Aubrey composed herself. “And I… I was so mad at you, I hated you… but you can’t just leave town and not say anything. Please, Mari, I can’t do this on my own…”

“Please don’t worry, Aubrey, nobody blames you. It’s just…” Mari seemed to be struggling to find the words. “Things have changed. A lot of things have changed. And leaving Faraway will be a new start. So I’m starting a clean slate after this.”

“You can’t just shut me out forever!” Aubrey shouted back. “I hated you… I hated everyone for a while after Basil died, and mostly I still do… because nobody cared. But once you started leaving the house again I started to hope. Because you’re what holds us together. But you didn’t even try… you didn’t do anything! You just went on with your life! Like nothing’s wrong, like your younger brother wasn’t a shut-in, like— like one of your best friends hadn’t just drowned himself –”

Aubrey cut off, and leaning a little way into the clearing, Sunny saw that Mari was giving her an awkward half-hug, still holding her at an arm’s length. “Oh, Aubrey…” she said quietly. “I’m so sorry that I made you so upset. But this… It’s for the best.”

Aubrey pushed her away and violently shook her head. “How is this for the best?! Kel’s unbothered, Hero’s not even here, Sunny’s in his own little world, Basil’s fucking dead … they’d listen to you, Mari, I know they would. Can’t you do anything?”

“No.”

Mari’s answer, so straight-up and definitive, left Aubrey speechless. “But Mari…” she said in a small voice. “You’re really just going to… let this go on…?”

“I’m sorry, Aubrey. It’s… too late. And believe me, you don’t want my help.”

A long silence. “I hate you,” Aubrey snarled. “You’re… you’re the worst . If you never want to talk to me again, then fine! Because I don’t know how I didn’t see that you’re just as bad as everyone else!”

Sunny jumped out of the way as Aubrey stormed through the path, almost bumping into them as she passed. “Out of my way,” she snapped, giving no indication she knew they’d overheard.

Kel gazed after her, looking conflicted. “Um… Well, I get the feeling we were not supposed to hear that. But Aubrey… She's really upset.” He craned his neck to look through the trees again. “Mari’s still there… Maybe we should talk to her too.”

“What do you think we should do, Sunny?”

Chapter Text

Taking a step away from the trees, Sunny contemplated the choice before him.

Mari was his sister, and she clearly wasn’t okay. Something was bothering her. Something had been bothering her for a while. But now she was alone and out of the house, which could be an opportunity to find out what was wrong.

He started to walk towards the lake but froze on the second step. A feeling of horrible dread had washed over him as soon as he got closer. Was it the lake? That was probably it. The last time he’d been there was with his five friends years ago, and that was something he preferred not to remember.

The memories didn’t care what he preferred, and Sunny flinched as the image he’d been trying to keep out of his head reappeared. A once-familiar face, half-rotted and eaten away by the inhabitants of the lake, the remaining skin pale and bloated from the water, one eye already gone, claimed by the waves.

Speaking of the eye. It had been hovering behind him the whole walk there, but now it drew closer, bringing its eerie chill with it. Sunny stared at it silently as it drifted towards the lake and Mari.

The next moment he spun on his heel and sprinted after Aubrey.

“Sunny, wait,” called Kel. “Make sure you’re being careful or you’ll pass out again…” He slowed as Sunny lingered near the edge of the park. “Oh, dang, I didn’t see which way Aubrey went. Did you see?”

“No.”

Kel shrugged as Sunny kept moving. “Well, I guess she couldn't have gone far. We can start by looking around the area.” He went quiet for a couple moments, falling into step beside Sunny. “Still… Do you think it’s okay to just leave Mari there alone?”

No, it wasn't, but Sunny didn’t want to face the alternative. “I’ll talk to her when I get home,” he lied instead.

“You’re going to come out of the house again tomorrow, right? We can spend your last couple days here together! It must be boring just staying inside all day, although I guess you’ve done that for, like, four years…”

Sunny didn’t really want to come outside again the next day, considering everything that had already happened when he chose to step outside, but Kel didn’t need to know that. “Sure.”

Kel still looked skeptical. “Are you sure? Not that I don’t believe you. I’m really glad you’re here right now! But especially after everything that we just heard, I think we need to stick together.”

“I won’t disappear again.” Not until three days had passed and he could leave Faraway, at least. “Let’s just keep going.”

They took a lap around the entire park, keeping an eye out for Aubrey, but she didn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. Still, Sunny was struck by how much things had changed. He supposed it made sense; while he had been frozen in time inside, the outside world kept spinning. But to see signs of that all around was unnerving.

“I don’t think Aubrey’s here,” Kel finally admitted after they had been searching for a good while. “We could check Gino’s, maybe? She and her gang like to hang out there.”

“Her gang?”

Kel nodded. “I keep forgetting you don’t know all this. Aubrey’s got a whole gang with her now, the Hooligans. She keeps avoiding us, too. I’m pretty sure today with you and Mari was the first time she’s voluntarily spoken to one of our friends.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I guess, based on what we overheard, she’s mad at us for leaving her… I guess that sort of makes sense. I’m realizing now that besides today, I haven’t really made an effort to reach out to anyone either.” Distractedly, Kel dribbled his basketball a few times. Sunny had almost forgotten he was holding it, but he seemed to bring it everywhere. “I guess… I could try harder from now on, too. Yeah, that’s right! I’ll make sure that everyone can be friends again once we find Aubrey!”

With newfound determination, Kel set off in the direction of the shopping district and motioned for Sunny to follow him. “Come on, Sunny, let’s go!”

–

Aubrey didn’t seem to be at Gino’s, or Hobeez, or any of the other places Kel suggested they check. After an hour or so, they decided to admit defeat. “I don’t understand how we haven’t found her yet,” complained Kel. “Faraway isn’t that big of a town. Where could she be?”

Sunny shrugged. “We could always just give up on finding the photo album and do something else.”

“Yeah, but she looked really upset when she stormed away from Mari. We should at least make sure she’s okay, right?” With a sigh, Kel sat down on a nearby bench. “I feel like Hero would know what to do. At least he’ll be back tomorrow. He’ll be glad to see you again, Sunny. Oh wait…” Kel froze. “Dang it, I forgot! I was supposed to go buy a gift for Hero today!” Guiltily, he stood up and glanced at Sunny. “So… Do you want to come to Hobeez with me?”

Sunny hesitated, then shook his head. “Um… no thanks. I’m going to go home.”

“Okay. That’s too bad.” A slight pause before Kel asked, “but you promise you’ll come back again tomorrow?”

Everything is going to be okay. “I promise.”

Kel grinned. “Well, that’s good to hear. I’m so glad that we got to hang out today, and– oh.” He cut off as Sunny started to walk away. “Uh… bye, Sunny. It was good to see you again.”

“Bye, Kel. See you soon.”

Sunny waited until he was out of Kel’s sight and sprinted the rest of the way back to his house, throwing the dead bolt behind him and sinking to the ground.

Going out was exhausting. Had that really only been a few hours? In that short time, the horrible feeling in his chest had only grown stronger, from Aubrey and Kel’s argument to Mari walking away to Aubrey’s anger by the lake.

A hissing noise came from near the staircase, and Sunny squeezed his eyes shut and ignored it. “Go away.” After a little while, the white noise faded, and he slowly got to his feet.

He could try to make tomorrow a better day. But he had promised Kel he would leave the house again, hadn’t he? And he’d had four years to steel himself for the moment everything went wrong, so why did it still feel so awful?

Sunny slowly walked back up the steps to his room and tried to forget what he had heard. Why are you still ignoring me? If only Aubrey had never mentioned the cemetery. If only Mari had never talked with Kel or Aubrey. If only Sunny wasn’t such a mess.

He paused on the stairs and moved back down, sliding open the door to the piano room. It was silent and still. Mari’s piano stood in the center. Off in one corner, his violin, which had grown dusty from lack of use.

Sunny hesitantly walked over and picked up the bow, feeling its familiar weight in his hands. They never had played that concert, had they? He and Mari had both gotten sick at the last minute, and so they’d rescheduled, and then the next day Kel brought the news that Basil was missing and all hell had broken loose.

A memory fought for his attention for a fraction of a second before it was buried again amidst the chaos. A pink flower hairclip at the foot of the stairs, cracked down the middle and stained with blood.

Everything is going to be okay.

Right. It was a hallucination. Just like the darkness, just like the monsters in the house. In the end, it wasn’t real, no matter how important it seemed.

Speaking of things that weren’t real, Sunny needed an escape. He set the bow down and sprinted back up the stairs to his room.

In Headspace, everything would be okay.

Chapter Text

For the second day in a row, when Omori opened the white door, he was greeted by anxious faces. “Omori!” Hero ran over as soon as he heard the sound of the door. “We’ve got to move quickly. Mari’s missing!”

“Mari’s missing? Since when?”

Helplessly, Kel shrugged. “We’re not sure. But we never did end up catching up to her yesterday, and now not even Basil has any clue where she is! She could be anywhere!”

“That’s not good,” agreed Omori. “Where are we going first?”

“To meet with Basil. He stayed behind in case she came back to the playground, since it’s closest to the stump, but I doubt she has.”

“Alright.” With a nod, Omori led the way as they sprinted through the forest. It struck him as they ran how the always-vibrant trees were starting to look a bit dull; the flowers lining the pathways were drooping as well, stems bent as they struggled to stay alive.

He was so busy wondering what that could mean that he ran right into Basil as he turned the corner. “Wah!” Basil tripped and fell backwards, his flower crown falling to the ground. “Oh, it’s you four. You scared me!”

“Sorry.” Omori helped Basil to his feet as he dusted himself off. “Any news about Mari?”

“No,” said Basil, his tone worried. “I don’t know where she could have gone this time! She seemed upset yesterday too, but you never actually found her, did you?”

Aubrey shrugged. “I’m not sure. We somehow all ended up back in the Neighbor’s Room, and then we came to talk to you and then went back to wait for Omori.”

Nervously, Basil crouched to look at the flowers, running his hands over the fading greenery. “I don’t like this… something’s wrong. Can’t you feel it?”

“There’s nothing wrong,” Omori interrupted, and Basil blinked in surprise. “We just need to find Mari, and I’m sure everything will be okay.”

“Um… okay, if you’re sure…” Abandoning the flowers, Basil stood up and pulled a set of gardening shears from his pocket. “Anyways… I think we should check Pyrefly Forest. If you already tried Otherworld, and she’s probably not anywhere in Pinwheel Forest or Vast Forest, that’s the next place I’d try.”

“We?” repeated Kel. “You’re coming with us, Basil?”

“Well… yeah! I can’t just stay behind when everyone else is helping!”

Hero frowned. “Is that really a good idea?”

“I mean, if you really think so, I can stay behind again.” From his tone, Basil didn’t like that idea much, but he didn’t object. “But mainly I’m worried about you two, Omori and Hero. All those spiders… are you going to be okay? I can take care of the webs if you need! I may not be able to fight, but these shears give me a decent chance!”

At the word spiders , Hero shuddered. “Oh… I didn’t think about that. Maybe you should come.”

“I’m not scared of spiders at all,” bragged Aubrey. “I can guide us all through the forest!”

“Ick… spiders.” Hero made a face. “I’m surprised you’re so willing to join us, Basil. All those creepy crawlies around… ugh.”

“Oh, I don’t mind the spiders,” said Basil. “They’re actually kinda cute! Plus, they help me when I’m gardening by getting rid of the bugs that eat my plants.”

“Why don’t we–” Omori started.

The next second he was cut off as a roar sounded through the trees, and something crashed down right in front of them. “What’s that?!” Basil managed to dive out of the way just in time as a huge shape descended from the sky.

Kel took a few steps back and readied his ball to attack. “It’s a big spider!” Big was an understatement. The thing was practically as tall as the treetops.

Clearly, Hero had already noticed this, seeing as he looked about ready to pass out. “Are you kidding me…?”

“Don’t worry, Hero, we’ve got this.” Aubrey started forward, but Basil stepped in front of her.

“Wait, please hold up! It’s not attacking yet!” Hesitantly, he took a step closer to the spider and waved. “Hi, mister or miss spider. It’s your friend Basil! You don’t need to attack us… Are you lost? The forest is right over there!”

“Stop it, Basil,” said Omori sharply, and Basil looked at him in surprise as he pulled him back over to the rest of the group.

“But–”

“Let us take care of this, Basil. You don’t need to do anything.”

“But I can try to–”

Kel cut off their discussion, lobbing his ball at the spider despite Basil’s panicked attempts to stop him.

“Kel, you’re going to provoke it!”

The spider let out a roar, and with a sigh, Aubrey hefted her bat. “Now you’ve done it, Kel!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop!” Basil shook off Omori and went to stand in between the two sides of the face-off. “Everyone, calm down! You’re escalating the situation– oh, shoot!” The spider roared again and slammed one of its legs into the ground where he had been standing, and Basil only managed to narrowly dodge. “See?”

Hero had retreated to the edge of the path, looking terrified. “Oh my god, what is that thing? Why is it here?”

Between the action and the spider before him, Omori’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding. “Basil,” he said sharply, “get behind us. It’s not safe.”

“Okay, just be—” Basil cut off as another leg slammed down inches from his face. “Hey, hey, please stop!” he shouted at the spider, but to no avail.

Hey… hey, please stop…

Omori blinked to realize that while he had spaced out, Kel and Aubrey had launched an attack on the spider, and in return it had thrown them back a few feet. “Ugh, that hurt…” Groaning, Kel stood up and looked back at the other three. “Everyone good?”

“Fine.” With slightly shaky hands, Hero lifted his frying pan. “Let’s… let’s do this.”

“You can do it, Omori,” Basil urged. “It’s big, but you’re stronger! There’s nothing to be afraid of!”

A giant rampaging spider in the middle of the path definitely seemed to Omori like something to be afraid of. Still, he took a deep breath and tried to calm himself as he had done with the ladder the previous day. Breathe in… breathe out.

It didn’t work, so he snapped his eyes open and dragged Hero and Basil out of the way just in time as the spider began thrashing around again. Aubrey and Kel were still attacking, but it seemed as if their attempts were doing nothing but aggravating it. They would need his and Hero’s help, he knew, but Omori couldn't seem to get his legs to move.

“Hey!”

Omori looked over and saw that while he’d been panicking, Basil had stepped back into the middle of the fray, a determined look in his eye. Urgently, Omori motioned for him to back away, but Basil shook his head and ran a bit further, drawing the spider’s attention away from the two of them. “Sorry, spider, but you’re causing us trouble…” As Kel’s ball struck the spider’s right side, Basil darted between its legs and slashed at it with his shears.

The spider bellowed in pain, and the three attackers scattered just in time to avoid its thrashing body as it rolled around the clearing. “Good job, Basil!” Aubrey cheered. “Let’s finish it off!”

“I don’t think it’s down quite yet!” Hero warned as the spider rose to its feet. “Kel, watch out!” As the beast lashed out again, he deflected it with his frying pan and whacked it in the leg, causing it to stagger once again. “We’re going to need to all work together for this one!”

Basil flinched slightly at the sight of blood on his shears but nodded. “Right… let’s do this.” Between everyone, they had managed to get the spider’s back turned to Omori, and Basil locked eyes with him. “Ready, Omori? I believe in you!”

All of a sudden, the spider reared up on its back legs and let out another roar. “It’s angry!” Kel lobbed his ball at its eye, but it spun around and swatted him away. He flew several feet before crashing to the ground.

Hero ran over. “Kel! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Kel started to sit up before groaning and dropping back to the ground. “Just gonna… wait here for the rainbows to disappear…”

“Over here, ya big meanie!” shouted Aubrey, taking a swing at one of its legs with her bat. “Omori! You can do it!”

Omori nodded and started forward, only to be seized by blind panic as the spider turned its reflective eyes towards him. All his instincts were screaming for him to run, to get somewhere far far away and let the others deal with it. But with Kel down for the count and Hero stuck taking care of him, that left only him and Aubrey as experienced fighters, and she couldn’t take it all on her own.

Then Basil stumbled slightly as he ran, just slightly, but enough. “Agh!” Two of the spider’s front legs lifted him into the air as he struggled against it. “Put me down!” He managed to wriggle around and get his arms free, and drove the shears right into the spider’s eye.

Omori covered his eyes as the creature let out a screech. “Omori!” Basil shouted. He looked pale and frightened, but his eyes met Omori’s from across the clearing. “Do it now!”

He meant for Omori to strike and take out the spider while it was occupied. Their positioning was perfect; in the chaos, Omori was out of its line of sight, and he was the strongest, the only one who would be able to kill it in one fell swoop.

But the seconds ticked by and nothing happened. “Omori?” called Basil anxiously.

The next second the monster tossed him like a ragdoll, sending him flying off into the trees. “Basil!” cried Aubrey. “Omori, what are you doing? This is our only chance!”

Basil. With a new sense of urgency, Omori unfroze and darted over to the monster and sank his knife into its head. It tried to shake him off, almost tossing him away as it had done to Kel and Basil, but he held his ground. He dragged the knife down the spider’s head and waited for it to go still.

The fight may have been over, but the panic sure wasn’t. “Kel! Basil!” As soon as the spider stopped moving, Aubrey ran over to the others. “Oh no… we’ve got to get them medical attention soon, or they’ll both be toast!”

Hero nodded and lifted Kel so he was carrying him on his back. “I’m so stupid… I left all of our snacks at the playground. Ugh, I was totally useless back there!”

“You weren’t,” Aubrey assured him, but her attention was mostly focused elsewhere. “Omori! Help me carry Basil!”

Nodding, Omori ran over, expecting the worst. Not only did Basil not usually fight, but he had been thrown pretty far. They would either have to get him and Kel to the playground fast or hope they had some Life Jam left.

But to his surprise, there was no blood, no signs of injury, no nothing. The next second, Basil stood up on his own. “That hurt… don’t worry so much about me, Aubrey. I’m okay!”

Aubrey blinked. “Oh, thank god.”

Seeing Kel was hurt, Basil ran over. “Oh no… Hero, is he going to be okay?”

“If we move fast, probably.”

“Then we should go,” urged Basil. “You can’t find Mari if someone’s injured that badly.”

Omori finally spoke up. “Nobody else is hurt?”

“A few scratches, but nothing that won’t heal.” Aubrey gave the spider an experimental poke with her bat and seemed satisfied it was dead. “But what was something like that doing over here?”

“I’m not sure. We were talking about Pyrefly Forest, so maybe that’s it? Although I guess that doesn’t make much sense, haha…” Basil seemed to notice Omori looking at him and nervously cut off. “Um… do you have any ideas, Omori?”

“No.” Omori shook his head. “You’re not hurt at all?”

“No,” said Basil, confused. “I’m totally fine. Is something wrong?”

Omori said nothing.

“Why are you staring at me like that, Omori?”

Chapter Text

Before Omori could ask Basil anything more, Hero was rushing them back to the playground, Kel slung over his shoulder in a limp bundle. Right. Kel actually was injured, and badly at that. He needed healing immediately. Basil was okay.

“It’s nothing.” Omori grabbed Basil’s hand and pulled him along with the group before everyone else could get too far ahead. “Just thinking.”

Something should have been wrong.

Something shouldn’t have been wrong.

Everything was okay.

When they arrived at the playground, Hero gently lowered Kel to the ground and began to search for their stash of supplies. “Where did we put the candy?”

“I think it’s over here!” called Basil, running over. “Is Kel going to be okay?”

Hero gave a helpless gesture and went back to searching for their stuff. “I hope so. We’ve just got to make sure that we take care of him.”

From where they’d laid him on Basil’s tarp, Kel stirred. “I’m feeling fine, you know… let’s go on an adventure…”

Basil put his hands on his hips and gave him a stern look. “You’re not going on any adventures until we’re sure you’re okay. Finding Mari can wait for now. We can’t lose anyone else!”

“Don’t say lose ,” complained Aubrey with a shudder. “You make it sound like someone died or something.”

“Sorry, I guess that does sound pretty morbid.”

“Found the candy!” Triumphantly, Hero lifted a bag full of brightly colored candies from their hiding spot in the bushes and tossed them over to Kel. “Here. These will restore your energy fast.”

Omori was beginning to question his medical knowledge. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

“I don’t see a reason it shouldn’t,” said Hero with a shrug.

“You’re going to kill him yourself.”

“Don’t say that! I’m not that bad at taking care of people!”

Shooting Omori’s knife a doubtful glance, Aubrey asked, “Omori, do you actually know anything about healing?”

“If you stab something it needs to heal before it can stab you back.”

“Whoa, you should go to medical school or something.”

After a while, the conversations around the tarp slowed, the quiet broken only by the occasional crinkle of wrappers. Kel seemed to be recovering his strength, which was good. The cut on the back of his head had stopped bleeding, and he was acting like his usual energetic self again. After a short while he was already nagging them to keep going.

“What are we waiting around for? We need to go look for Mari!”

“I’m making sure everyone else is okay,” said Hero. Luckily it seemed as if there were no other serious injuries from the fight. Aubrey had cut her hand when she swung her bat a bit too forcefully, and Basil had managed to lose his flower crown in the chaos, but other than that everyone seemed okay.

Click. Omori blinked at the sudden light. Smiling, Basil lowered the camera. “Sorry if I startled you. But you looked very thoughtful just now.”

“Did I?”

“Yeah! Do you want to see it?” He nodded, and Basil scooted closer so they could both watch as the camera dispensed the photo. “It came out nice!” said Basil happily. “I should add it to the photo album.”

Omori nodded and watched him as he took out the small book and slipped the photo into an empty space, humming to himself as he wrote down a sentence or two. Omori’s stoic as ever after a tough fight… I wonder what he’s thinking about.

“You know that I’m sitting right here,” Omori pointed out, and Basil looked up, confused.

“Hm?”

“The description. You could just ask me what I’m thinking about.”

Basil sighed. “But you’re always so unreadable, Omori! You never want to talk about your feelings or anything. Plus, I wouldn’t want to pry. But still… I’ll cherish these memories.” As he began to flip through the pages, Omori noticed something.

“When was the last time you added to the photo album?”

“Um… right now? You just watched me put a photo in…”

“May I?” With a nod, Basil passed over the photo album, and Omori began to leaf through it. Making flower crowns. Having a picnic. Eating watermelon. All things he’d seen before. All distant memories now. “What did you do with all the newer ones?”

“The… newer ones?”

“Besides the one from just now, they’re all from years ago. What did you do with all the newer ones?”

Basil’s brow furrowed as if that had never occurred to him. “Maybe I left them at my house? They should be here. But I haven’t taken that many recently, have I?” A tense pause. “Um… wait a second, I feel like I’m missing something… what did I do with all the recent ones?”

Suddenly Omori was regretting ever bringing the subject up. “Nevermind. It’s probably not important.”

“Are you sure? You were the one who asked, and I’d hate to find out that I lost some photos.”

“It’s probably nothing, just like you said.”

“Alright– whoa, Kel, careful!” Basil jumped out of the way as Kel’s ball almost hit him in the head. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, but you’re going to hit someone!”

“Ah, sorry!” Grinning, Kel grabbed the ball again and bounced it against the ground. “I feel good as new! Let’s go find Mari!”

Sighing, Hero gathered up the remaining candy. “Yeah, we gave him too much candy.”

“Right, Mari,” said Basil, reminding them all what they had been doing. “Are you going to Pyrefly Forest? She’s got a pretty big headstart by now, so if you want to catch up you’ll have to move fast.”

After the events of the previous day, Omori wasn’t sure that they would find Mari anywhere in Headspace.

What about Basil, Omori?

“Mari’s probably fine,” he said out loud, and the rest of the group looked over, surprised. “There’s not a huge rush to find her.”

This didn’t soothe Hero, who was looking worried once again. “But Mari can’t fight as well as the rest of us, and she’s on her own! Plus, she’s been by herself for over a day now… we need to try and look for her!”

Aubrey rolled her eyes and grinned. “Of course you’d say that, Hero, since you’re in looooooooove ~”

“What?! I, um–”

Snickering, Kel imitated Mari’s voice and said, “ you’re such a big strong man, Hero~ ”

“Stop it, Kel!”

Basil giggled. “I don’t think you need to be too worried, Hero. Mari will be okay! But I do agree you should move fast. Otherwise it’ll take you forever to catch up with her.”

“Take me away from these two,” muttered Hero, covering his ears as Aubrey and Kel mimed kissing motions at him. “Can you do anything about them, Basil?”

“I think it’s cute how you and Mari act like sweethearts! Sorry, can’t help you, hehe.”

“How dare you.”

Noticing Omori still seemed hesitant, Basil said, “you’ll be okay, Omori. You were scared earlier and you managed to take out that huge spider! And remember, you can always check in with me if you need help.”

“Okay.” Omori nodded and stood up. Of course they had to find Mari. She was his sister. And it probably didn’t mean much, what she’d said the day before. And if it did, who said he had to remember?

Stranger things had happened in Headspace then a couple lost memories.

Chapter Text

Omori regretted ever listening to his friends.

Spiders? Awful. Dark creepy forest? Made everything worse. But if he had to listen to Kel sing that stupid song about Orange Joe any longer he was going to stab someone.

“Kel,” he groaned for the thousandth time. “Please shut up.”

“But I’m bored,” Kel complained. “And you and Hero said you wanted to take your mind off the spiders! So I’m helping distract you!” He inhaled deeply before singing, “ one thousand eight hundred fifty four bottles of Orange Joe on the wall, one thousand eight hundred fifty four– ”

He cut off as Aubrey bopped him on the head with Mr. Plantegg. “Shut upppppppp!”

“You’re just mad that I’m a better singer than you!”

“You are not!”

“Well, excuse me for trying to keep our spirits up, princess.”

“Listening to you fills me with a murderous rage.”

“Then mission accomplished!”

“Can you both be quiet?” interrupted Hero. He’d been jumping at every sound since they’d entered the forest, and pressed his hands over his ears as soon as Kel started singing. “This forest is probably already filled with ghosts. We don’t need Kel joining them.”

“Hehe.”

A spider landed on Omori’s sleeve, and he leapt back, waving his knife at it. “Geez–” The tiny creature was thrown off into the darkness. “These things are everywhere.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t go after them with a knife?” suggested Hero. “You’re going to hit one of us instead!”

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Sure you do.”

In the bushes nearby, something crackled, sending Kel scrambling back. “ What was that?! ”

Aubrey snickered slightly as a frog jumped out of the bushes. “That’s not even a spider… I thought you weren’t scared, Kel?”

“I’m not!” Kel insisted, puffing out his chest. “Look at how not-scared I am right now.”

Pyrefly Forest really did give off an eerie vibe; that plus the fact that it was lousy with bugs was the reason they had never gone in very deep before. Now, however, Omori was wishing they had, if only so the scenery wasn’t completely unfamiliar. Off in the distance, he could see bright lights coming from some unknown source, and the very tip of Sweetheart Castle, but it was so foggy that even those landmarks were faint.

“Look out,” warned Hero as a bunny with spiderlike legs leapt towards them. Unconcerned, Omori took it out with his knife and kept walking. “Um… Omori, hold up.” The group paused as Hero went to stand in the middle of the clearing, turning in all directions. “Is it just me, or have we been here before?”

Kel shrugged. “I’m not sure. Everything looks the same here. I thought we’d have seen Basil at least once by now…”

Shuddering, Aubrey frowned and glanced furtively around at the trees as if they might be hiding something sinister(and Omori had no doubt they probably did). “Guys, I’m starting to get creeped out… Where could Mari be? She’d always be calm in scary situations.”

“I don’t know.” Looking defeated, Hero rejoined the group. “Why would she go off on her own like that…? Is she mad at us? Why would she leave when she knows it’s not safe?”

Do you want to follow me, Omori?

Mari wasn’t in Pyrefly Forest. She wasn’t anywhere in Headspace at all.

Stop that. Of course she is.

“Let’s try this way.” Omori set off in a random direction and waited for the others to follow.

They trekked down the paths for what felt like hours, stopping and backtracking, losing their way and finding it again. No matter how many monsters they took down, more quickly appeared, and without Basil’s supplies, all four of them were starting to tire out. Still, they kept moving.

After a while, something caught Omori’s eye. In the sea of blues and purples, a flash of white. A lily of the valley was standing alone by the edge of the clearing, waving in the wind.

As soon as he’d walked over for a closer look, another one came into view, this one on the other side of the clearing. The trees were starting to look less familiar. Perhaps they’d stopped walking in circles at last.

The second flower led him to notice two more, standing side by side a little ways away, then a clump of three, then four, and so on. A new path became visible among the stems, and he followed it, walking in between rows of the ghostly flower.

Only when Omori turned to check on the others did he notice they were gone. Perhaps they’d lost their way when he’d first gone to the flowers, not realizing it was a bread crumb trail of sorts. Oh well. He would find them again later.

From the sound of footsteps, it seemed he wasn’t quite as alone as he’d thought.

A shadow was walking in front of him, a shadow he’d recognize anywhere. She paid no mind to him as he followed after her. The sweet scent of the flowers was starting to seem suffocating, so Omori picked up the pace and kept chasing after her.

After a while, the shadow stopped, as did the path. At the end among the white flowers was a different plant: a single sunflower. But something was wrong with it. The flowers seemed dry and brittle, and the stem was snapped clean in half so that instead of standing tall, the flower was practically laying on the ground.

The person he both recognized and didn’t recognize finally spoke. “Was it nice here? Not knowing what’s real… I couldn’t bring myself to think that. It would have been fun for a while. But sooner or later the truth gets in.”

Something fluttered to the ground. A photo. The stranger picked it up and regarded it for a few seconds. “Omori… no, Sunny.” The name sent a flicker of annoyance down Omori’s spine. “It’s not too late. Face it with me like we should have before, and we can try to fix our mistakes.”

She placed the photo into his hand, and after a moment of hesitation, Omori glanced at it.

A photo of him, Mari, and Basil, all the faces scratched out. Across Basil’s neck someone had drawn a line.

That couldn’t be true.

The sunflower, always looking for a bright side and facing towards the sun.

It wasn’t true.

Seeing his reaction. Stranger moved to stop him.

Omori tore the photo in two before she could.

At the edge of the path, a couple of leaves broke off the sunflower and fluttered to the ground.

And Headspace was gone.

Chapter Text

Kel was already at the door when Sunny woke up, and this time, he was glad.

He could hear the knocking all the way from his room, so the instant his eyes were open Sunny scrambled out of bed to turn on the lights. It didn’t seem to scare away the things in the room, but at least they didn’t seem as large as they did when it was dark. Yesterday had been... interesting. Even walking around outside, he'd felt stuck in that same haze that seemed to obscure Headspace. Kel was probably getting worried. He could try to be a little more present today.

He started to walk towards the door but stopped as a stabbing pain shot through his leg. A quick glance into his pocket revealed the culprit. He’d almost forgotten he’d grabbed that knife the previous night, and apparently it had been in his pocket the whole time. Oh well. Wasn’t like he was going to die from that injury.

Sunny limped over to the bathroom and grabbed a roll of gauze, tearing off a section and wrapping it around the cuts on his leg after the blood was washed off. The house seemed quiet. A bit too quiet, even. Just to break the silence, he turned the faucet back on and let it run for a while, listening to the rushing of the water.

A knock at the door. No matter how many times he ignored it, it never went away. Sunny was content to leave it be, but after a while Mari went over and opened the door to reveal Kel, his face tight with anxiety. “You finally responded! Look, we’ve got a problem… Basil’s missing. Your family was supposed to drive him to the concert before it got cancelled, right?” he asked hopefully. “Have you seen him? Did he stay the night again?”

A hesitation, and then Mari had shaken her head. “I’m sorry, Kel. I haven’t seen him since yesterday.”

Kel’s shoulders drooped. “Oh, too bad. Um, I sorta forgot until now that you’re both sick… but if you’re feeling up to it, can you help us look for him?”

Suddenly Sunny was less glad that Kel had come back.

He messily wrapped the rest of his leg and left the bathroom, averting his eyes from the mirror.

The lights were already on in the rest of the house, which made him wonder if Mari was home. Sure enough, she was sitting in the kitchen when he went down the stairs, spreading jam on a piece of toast. At his arrival, she glanced up. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Sunny hovered in the doorway for a few seconds, unsure what to do next, but ended up ducking back into the hallway and towards the door. Breakfast was the most optional meal of the day. He didn’t say anything more, and Mari didn’t ask.

“Sunny?” came Kel’s voice from the door. “Yo, Sunny! You there?”

“Yes,” Sunny called back, dusting off his shirt in an attempt to look like he’d bothered to put himself together or at the very least change his shirt. It didn’t work. Well, old habits die hard. He would change his shirt tomorrow.

For the second time in two days(what had to be a new personal record) Sunny opened the door and stepped outside. Kel waved as he did so. “Good morning! I know I showed up kinda early, haha, but I wanted to get going. Hero’s coming back today! He’ll be glad to see you again!” He glanced past Sunny into the house as if hoping to see someone. “Does Mari want to come? I’m sure Hero will be really happy to see her.”

Sunny shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Then we should ask her! Hey, Mari!” Kel shouted into the house. “Do you want to come hang out with us today? Hero’s coming back!”

Silence. Mari was close enough to hear, Sunny knew, but she ignored them.

With a sigh, Kel gave up and backed away from the door. “Too bad… I was hoping we could get all of our old friends together. You know, since we’re going to talk to Aubrey today!”

Sunny blinked. “We’re going to talk to Aubrey? She’ll bash my face in with her nail bat.”

“I’m sure she won’t,” said Kel, but he sounded a little less certain than Sunny would have liked. “We’re looking for Basil’s photo album, remember? Plus, I’d like for us all to be friends again. That can’t be too hard, right?”

“She looked ready to kill me yesterday.”

“Oh, I’m sure she won’t. I’ll protect you with my fearsome…” Kel glanced around for a possible weapon and realized that he didn’t have one. “...basketball?”

“I’m screaming in fear.”

“Let’s go find Aubrey,” declared Kel before Sunny could think of some excuse for not being able to go. “Come on. You promised we’d hang out, so you’re not getting out of this that easily!”

Sunny trailed behind Kel down the walkway, pausing to shut the door behind him. “You’re certainly enthusiastic about this.”

“Hehe, yeah.” Kel beamed. “Hero comes back today! You came out just in time to see him! Not to mention the fact that you left the house at all, and for two whole days? Now it almost feels like the old days.”

The old days. Kel had used that phrase a few times. He’d seemed pretty upbeat the majority of the time, but his mood flipped for just a bit whenever a mention of Basil or four years ago came up. Any longer than that and his cheerful attitude was unwavering. It made Sunny think of something Basil had said, a long while ago: Kel reminded him of a cactus. They could survive for a long time with hardly any water. Still, it made Sunny wonder if that ever took a toll on the plant, always making do with so little.

Humming, Kel dribbled his basketball as they walked, occasionally darting around in circles as he did so. He certainly wasn’t acting very bothered right now, but Sunny wondered if he should ask if he was okay or something.

Before he could make up his mind, Kel straightened up and ran ahead. Sunny hadn’t been paying attention while they were walking, but now he saw they were back in Faraway Park. Kel waited by the gate for Sunny to catch up before proclaiming, “I do not have a plan.” He looked hopefully at Sunny for a few seconds before groaning, “that’s your cue to announce that you do have a plan.”

“I’d be lying.”

“Well, dang it. I guess we just walk around until we find her?”

“Alright, so I don’t really have a plan,” admitted Kel sheepishly. “We just… walk around and hope we find him?”

Aubrey scoffed. “Are you kidding me? If Basil’s really missing, then we’ve got to look for him.”

“Obviously! Do you have a better idea?”

“Check the places he goes often? I don’t know, he could have fallen asleep somewhere again.”

"That's a Sunny thing to do, not a Basil thing. No offense, Sunny."

Mari had finally spoken up. “Wait, how do you even know he’s missing?”

“After you two got sick, the rest of us decided to go on with the post-concert sleepover, but Basil never showed up,” Hero explained. “We figured maybe he spent the night at your house again, but it seems like that wasn’t it.”

“Did you check his house?”

“Nobody’s home. His parents are never in town and I think his grandma’s visiting a friend for a week or so.”

Mari pressed her lips into a thin line before saying, “maybe check our hangout spot? He could be there.”

“Earth to Sunny?” Sunny blinked back to attention as Kel waved a hand in front of his face. “You there?”

“Yeah. What were you saying?”

“I was saying we could try to talk to the Hooligans. They’d probably know where Aubrey is.”

“Alright. And they won’t murder us?”

“...Probably not?”

"Glad you're so confident about it."

“Hey, nerds.”

Another voice interrupted their conversation, and the next second Kim stormed over. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was sharp as always, but Sunny would have sworn she almost seemed a little bit nervous.

“Kim!” Kel greeted. “We were just looking for you.”

Kim raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I was looking for you two as well.”

“Oh, really? Well, what a coincidence! We were wondering–”

“About Aubrey?” finished Kim. “Yeah, I figured.”

“Sunny, Kel, we need to talk.”

Chapter Text

Kim led them to a bench near the shops and sat down with a tired sigh, motioning for them to follow. “First let me make it clear that I don’t like having to ask for your help. You’ve been causing Aubrey a lot of stress and I’m pissed at you for that. But you’d know what’s wrong better than me.”

“Um… well, I haven’t actually talked with Aubrey too much recently,” Kel admitted. “She spends all her time with you guys.”

Kim nodded. “I know. But you two were friends with that kid with the camera… Basil, right?” At the sound of the familiar name, the tension in the air tripled. “Aubrey doesn’t like to admit it, but she clearly never got over his suicide. She won’t talk to us about it, though. But… well, she goes to church every Sunday, I’ve seen her planting flowers in the graveyard… it’s obvious.” Sunny could see Kim’s frustration growing the more she spoke, and as he watched she took a deep breath. “She won’t let us help because she doesn’t want to admit anything’s bothering her. But you both knew Basil too. I guess I was wondering if you could help me out to help Aubs out.”

At the nickname, a smile flickered across Kel’s face. “‘Aubs?’” Kim punched him in the shoulder, and he quickly added, “yeah, yeah, not the time, I know. But yeah, of course we’ll help! Aubrey’s pretty angry that Sunny only left the house now when he’s moving so soon, but if we can talk with her, I’m sure we can become friends again.”

“Just do whatever you can,” Kim muttered. Now that she had spoken her mind, she looked slightly uncomfortable, as if they might suddenly turn on her. “And don’t tell Aubrey I asked you, okay?”

“Sure. But why ask us? Couldn’t you help her out yourself, since you were so insistent on us leaving her alone before?”

Narrowing her eyes, Kim hmphed. “Well, all I know about Basil is that he liked flowers and taking photos, and I only learned his name after I found out he was dead, so excuse me if I’m not an expert at this.”

Sunny spoke up. “How long has this been going on?”

“Hell if I know.” Kim shrugged. On the surface, she was trying to appear nonchalant, but Sunny could feel genuine anxiety and concern radiating from her. “We became friends about… three and a half years ago, I think? She was still pretty shaken up then. It’s gotten… not worse, exactly, but more noticeable. She never says it’s about Basil. Mostly just claims that she’s angry at someone or something, which more often than that is one of her old friends or the world for being unfair.”

“Maybe we should wait until Hero gets here,” mused Kel. “We could try to convince Mari to come with us and all go talk to her together. I mean, now I feel like we should have done this a long time ago… geez, I’m so stupid for thinking it would just be okay to go on like normal…”

Most of the edge had left Kim’s voice over the course of their conversation. Now, she just appeared tired. Sighing again, she swung her legs back and forth a few times before standing up. “I don’t care who goes. Just find out what’s wrong.” She made as if to walk away, then paused and added, “and let me know what happens. I want to make sure Aubs is doing okay.” Before Sunny or Kel could say anything else, Kim had crossed the pathway over to the water fountain and was soon out of sight.

As she walked away, Kel crossed his arms and sighed. “Would it kill her to be a little grateful? I mean, we did agree to help her.”

“I think she’s just worried,” said Sunny with a shrug.

“Yeah… Doesn’t mean I can’t be annoyed about it...” Standing up, Kel paced back and forth a few times. “We never found Aubrey yesterday, but today’s Sunday. Kim said she goes to church every Sunday, so we could look for her there?”

“Sure.”

The walk to the church was quiet. Sunny could tell that both of them were thinking; whether or not they were thinking about the same thing, he wasn’t sure.

Of course everything from four years ago had to come back to haunt him right when he was about to be free of it all. Maybe Mari had the right idea: a clean slate. A new start. When he could completely forget about everything and pretend it had never happened, that their friends had just drifted apart with time, that Basil was alive in Faraway. Freedom from the constant reminders of the outside world to make him wonder if there was anything more to it than that.

“BASIL!” shouted Kel, startling Aubrey, who had been standing right in front of him.

“Geez, Kel, do you have to be so noisy?!”

Kel ignored her and ran ahead of the group, shouting Basil’s name again. “Basil, are you here?”

Trailing after him, Hero carefully examined their surroundings. The blanket they all used for picnics was still sitting on the grass where they’d left it, along with one of Mari’s picnic baskets. Beyond that, the surface of the lake looked almost like a mirror in the sun’s reflection. “Hey, Basil,” called Hero, “are you here?”

“I’m not feeling well,” murmured Mari, and Hero cast a concerned glance back at her.

“If you’re still feeling sick, make sure to take care of yourself. You too, Sunny. Sorry, I know we kind of dragged you out here today.”

But Mari shook her head. “It’s… fine. I’ll be okay. What about you, Sunny?” Sunny lowered his eyes to the ground and said nothing.

Something at the end of the dock caught Kel’s attention. “Guys, look! I found a clue!” Triumphantly, he held his prize in the air so they could see. “Basil’s shoes. He’s got to be close by.”

“We’re here,” Kel announced, snapping Sunny back to reality. “Do we have to, like, wait until mass ends to enter or do we just barge in?”

Sunny moved closer to the door, trying to listen if mass was still in progress, but the doors were too thick. “Barge in, I suppose. But quietly.”

That didn’t go very well, seeing as when they tried to silently push open the door it let out a shrieking screech that Basil could have heard from the afterlife. Heads turned, and Sunny quickly lifted his hands in an apologetic gesture before darting into the nearest pew, dragging Kel along with him.

“That was so loud,” he muttered. “Do you think Aubrey’s here? If she is, she knows that we’re here too.”

Kel shrugged and craned his neck to look around at the sea of heads in the church. How had he gotten so tall in four years? “I don’t see her. Maybe she’s in the cemetery?”

“Let’s wait here for her.”

“We could wait here for him,” Aubrey suggested. “If he left his stuff here he can’t be gone for long.”

As soon as Kel had found the shoes, Hero’s expression had morphed into one of worry. “Why would he take his shoes off here? I’m starting to get worried.”

Aubrey inhaled deeply before yelling, “BASIL! You’re making Hero nervous!!!”

She moved closer to the edge of the water and grabbed Sunny’s hand to pull him along, but he let her hand drop and kept his distance. The surface of the lake was still. It looked pristine and glasslike. Where was the noise of rushing water coming from? Was any of this even real at all?

A figure at his side startled him. “Sunny, are you okay?” asked Mari. From her expression, she already knew the answer. “You… you shouldn’t worry so much. Big sister will always be here to protect you.”

“Hey,” said Kel, pointing at something floating in the center of the lake. “Is that Basil’s photo album?”

“Wait, what?” Aubrey ran over to get a closer look. “What’s that doing in the water?! It’s going to get ruined!”

Kel shed his jacket and tossed it behind him. “I’ll get it. Basil would be so upset if something happened to his photo album when he wasn’t here.”

“But you’re not even wearing a swimsuit.”

“It’s fine!” With that, Kel dived into the lake, surfacing a few moments later and doggy paddling towards the center of the lake. Now that Sunny took a closer look, he saw Kel was right. Basil’s photo album was bobbing precariously on the surface of the water, the plastic pages glinting in the early morning light.

Reaching the floating object, Kel grabbed the book and flipped it open, treading water. “Oh, good, it’s empty. We might have to get Basil a new book to keep the photos in, but at least the pictures weren’t here to get ruined!”

“But that’s just confusing,” argued Aubrey. “Why the heck is it empty?”

“I’m not sure– huh?” Kel glanced down at the water, and Sunny averted his eyes. “Ow, I kicked something…” Curiously, he reached down for a closer look. “Wait, what is that?”

A moment later he screamed.

Hero, ever the responsible one, jumped in to save the day.

And one way or another, they’d found Basil.

Chapter Text

Sunny blinked, unable to remember what he had been doing. A church? His family had never been very religious, so why would he want to go to a church? Glancing on either side of him, he saw Kel and Basil sitting quietly, listening to the preacher. So he’d come with the two of them for some reason. Well, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d spaced out like that.

As always, Basil seemed to sense that something was wrong. “ Sunny, are you okay? ” he whispered. “ You look pale. ”

“I’m fine,” he whispered back. On his other side, Kel glanced over, confused.

“What?”

“Nevermind.” In the two seconds he’d looked away, Basil had vanished, but he’d had a habit of doing that recently, slipping away from the group every time they hung out. Nothing to worry about.

Of course there’s something to worry about.

Frustrated, Sunny shook his head and regathered himself. Stop that. Basil wasn’t here. Basil was dead. Basil had killed himself.

Quietly, Kel stood up and motioned for Sunny to follow. “Come on. Let’s go see if Aubrey’s back there.” It took a few moments for Sunny to realize that back there was referring to the cemetery, and by the time he’d realized that he didn’t want to, his legs were already moving, following after Kel.

The cemetery was pretty much silent. That was probably to be expected, seeing as it was a place of death and all, but Sunny had expected it to be more… Sinister. Evil. Daunting. But it was just a stretch of land dotted with grave markers, no monsters at the moment.

Kel immediately crossed to a stone near the corner. He’d been there before. It was only Sunny who hadn’t gone. This had been a long time coming. Either way, Sunny couldn’t bring himself to look at first. He was afraid; afraid he’d look up and find himself staring into Basil’s eyes once again, or that suddenly the monsters would pop out of hiding and reveal they’d never left. If the past few days were any indication, he wouldn’t be surprised.

But that didn’t happen, and after a few moments Sunny raised his eyes to look at the tombstone.

Our dearest Basil. May he live on in an eternal spring.

He glanced over a bit more and almost choked when he noticed the plants towering above the headstone. Sunflowers. Someone had planted a whole group of them around Basil’s grave.

Kel seemed to notice where he was looking. “I was surprised when I saw them at first too…” He trailed off, his expression faltered slightly. “It was when Basil compared us all to plants, remember? I was the cactus! Aubrey said it was ‘cause I was a prick, but she was just being annoying.” A pause. “Actually… I’m pretty sure Aubrey was the one who planted these.”

“Really?” Kim had mentioned Aubrey planting flowers, but Sunny couldn’t imagine her coming here to this place of death and planting them.

“Yeah. It was a pretty long time ago, so these probably aren’t the original ones. She wanted us to all plant them together, but I was busy, you and Mari hadn’t left the house yet, and Hero had too much work… I think that was the last straw, since she only started acting pissed with us after that.”

“Oh.” The guilt sank its claws into his heart once again. Trying to shake it, Sunny asked, “do you come here often?”

“No,” admitted Kel. “I tried at first. Just… I didn't want to face it, I guess. Me and Hero kept ourselves busy after Basil died. It was easier that way. A bit cowardly, though…”

Another silence. “You know,” Sunny said, “I’m the biggest coward for not showing up here until now.”

“Don’t say that, dude! You’re here now! And you agreed to spend your last couple days with me, and we can use that time to fix things with everyone else!”

Sunny doubted that three days was enough to fix four years' worth of damage. Not wanting to squash Kel’s hopes, he only shrugged. “We can try. When will Hero be back?”

“Let me see…” Kel whipped out his phone to check the time. “Pretty soon! He’s going to be so glad to see you again. He went with me to your house a few times before he left, and he was really concerned when you wouldn’t answer. But now we know that you’re okay!”

‘Okay’ was probably the opposite of how Sunny felt.

Everything is going to be okay.

“How do you deal with it?” asked Sunny, suddenly anxious to know how Kel had been coping without going insane. Surely Sunny wasn’t the only one who felt this awful sense of everything being wrong. It was because of Basil’s death, nothing more. There had to be someone who knew something about how to fix it.

Do you want to follow me?

At his question, Kel went quiet for a few seconds. “I guess… I don’t? That’s not a very helpful answer, haha. Staying angry or sad has never been something I’m good at, because if you stew in anything too long then it’ll destroy you… I guess you just have to go with it, keep yourself busy, find a way to keep living.” Distracted now, Kel’s eyes drifted back to the church. “I played basketball. Made some new friends. Stuff like that. I tried not to think about it too much.”

“Doesn’t that grate on you at all?”

“Yeah.” Sunny paused as Kel frowned, unsure if he was done or not. Then Kel kept speaking and began to recount a story.

“Hero and I got in a big fight a little while after Basil died,” said Kel quietly. “It was my fault. I was stressed with everything that had been happening, so I kept egging him on… he and Mari were always like the parents of the group, you know? I thought that I wouldn’t have to pretend as much around him, seeing as he and I were the ones who… you know.” Sighing, Kel twirled a strand of grass around his finger and went on. “Hero was pretty much doing what I’d been doing, focusing on his studies and stuff like that, so I thought he’d get it.

“I thought that if we talked about Basil, our happy memories and stuff, it could help us move on, but after a while he asked me to stop. That just… annoyed me. Basil was really quiet, so not many people really knew who he was except for our friends… I figured it was our job to help everyone remember him, you know? So I said we couldn’t just act like Basil didn’t exist. We were both on edge and getting mad at that point, and Hero called me naive for thinking we could make any difference if Basil was already gone.

“I blocked out most of our fight, but near the end I got it into my head that he didn’t care… I thought it was unfair to Basil that nobody wanted to talk about him anymore, and I wanted Hero to understand how it was unfair, so I had a really stupid thought and I shouted at him that he’d be singing a different tune if Mari was the one in the lake that day.

“It was a really low thing to do. He just sorta froze, and then after a few minutes he just walked away… I started crying, but he didn’t care, probably because I yelled that at him. But we both apologized for the things we said the next day after we were calmer. It just… stayed on my mind, I guess.”

Kel seemed to be finished, leaving a silence. So he and Hero had both been struggling too. Of course they had. Everyone had. Sunny wasn’t sure how he hadn’t considered it before. Maybe Aubrey had a point about living in his own little world.

“I’m sorry, Kel.”

“Oh, it’s fine! Like I said, it was a long time ago. Besides, sometimes you just gotta bounce back. Like a basketball!”

Bounce back. After four years, Sunny wasn’t sure there was a way to do that. “Don’t you ever get tired?”

“Of what?”

“Of… everything.”

“Sometimes.” The cemetery had begun to empty out as they talked. “But we’ve got to keep going. Because… we already lost one of us… and I don’t think anyone could bear to lose someone else. And even if I haven’t done a great job of checking up on everyone before, we have the chance now before you leave!”

Kel seemed to remember why they’d come in the first place. “It doesn't seem like Aubrey’s here. We should search somewhere else.”

Sunny nodded. “Should we talk to–”

He was interrupted as Kel’s phone chimed. “Hey, it’s from Hero!” Excitedly, Kel opened the notification to read it. As he did, a hopeful look dawned in his eyes.

“Hero’s back in Faraway. And guess what? Mari's with him!”

Chapter Text

The fact that Mari was speaking to one of them, and voluntarily at that, was enough to send both of them running back to the park. It seemed as if they’d met by coincidence, but Mari had always had a soft spot for Hero, so she’d agreed to hang out a bit. “This is great!” cheered Kel, slowing slightly to let Sunny catch up to him. “Now as soon as we find Aubrey, we can really have everyone again.”

“Wait for me, I haven’t run in four years.”

“Oh yeah, sorry.” Kel paused until Sunny was no longer lagging behind. “Do you think Mari’s doing okay? She seemed pretty insistent on keeping her distance yesterday, but if she’s okay with seeing us now…”

Sunny shrugged. “Hero, probably.”

“Yeah, I thought so. It’s too bad they spent so much time apart… I always thought they were gonna be the couple of the group.” Mischievously, Kel glanced at Sunny. “Maybe there’s still hope for them.”

“Are you asking me to help you set up my sister and your brother?”

“Not exactly! Well… yes exactly.”

“We’re going to need a lot of Hero Sandwiches and possibly a cat.”

“Hell yeah.”

When they arrived back at the park, they found Hero talking with Mari by the picnic tables. Mari looked up at their arrival, a surprised look on her face. “Oh, hi, you two. Hero, you didn’t tell me everyone else was coming.”

“Hi again, Mari!” greeted Kel enthusiastically. “Are you feeling any better now? I didn’t realize you were planning on going out today!”

“Oh, it’s nothing too big,” sighed Mari. “I just wanted to talk to Hero. You know, since I’m moving in a couple days and all. But yes, I’m feeling a bit better.”

“And Hero, look!” With a flourish, Kel stepped aside and motioned at Sunny. “Sunny’s here!”

“Hi, Sunny!” Mari certainly sounded a lot more cheerful then she had that morning. “It’s good to see you’re going out again.”

“You too,” responded Sunny.

“Hey, Sunny! It’s been a while!” Hero raised his hand for a high-five. After a few moments, Sunny reluctantly returned it. “It’s good to see you out of the house again! How have you been?”

Sunny shrugged. “Normal. Mari, you’re coming with us?”

Returning his shrug, Mari said, “I don’t know how long I’ll stay. Really I just wanted to give this to Hero.” She slung her bag off her shoulder and withdrew something. “Here. Remember this?” She handed Hero some sort of book. For a fleeting moment, Sunny thought it was Basil’s photo album, but then Hero flipped it open and he saw music notes and realized it was just a book of music.

“This is your favorite sheet music, isn’t it?” asked Hero. “Are you sure you want to give this to me?”

“Yeah!” Mari reached over his shoulder and flipped to a specific song. It was hard to see, but Sunny was fairly certain it was the song they had been meant to play at the concert all those years ago. “See this one? It’s my favorite. I bet you’d be able to play it.”

“Wow, Mari… Thank you. But I haven’t played in years, haha, so you might have to teach me.”

“I don’t know if I’ll have time before I leave.” Mari raised her eyebrows, a ghost of her old teasing tone back. “Why? You want me to put my hands over yours as we play? Sneaky~”

“Wha–” Hero went red. “That’s not the reason, I just– I’d feel bad if I took your music and couldn’t even play it–”

Mari laughed. It had been a long time since Sunny had heard her laugh. Still, something about it sounded hollow. “You’ll be fine, Hero. It’s a gift! Anyways, you’ll use it more than me. I don’t even know if my piano will fit in the new apartment.”

Are you okay? The question was on the tip of Sunny’s tongue, but before he could say it Kel broke in.

“Let’s go somewhere! Yesterday Sunny and I went to Hobeez, and it was super fun.”

“Oh yeah,” remembered Sunny. “You are going to pay me back, right?”

Kel’s face flushed as both Hero and Mari turned a suspicious gaze towards him. “What’s this about, Kel?”

“I forgot my wallet yesterday! A mistake, I promise!” Under their stares, Kel patted his pockets before admitting, “I think I forgot it again.”

Hero sighed and reached for his own wallet. “Really, Kel? How much does he owe you, Sunny?”

After Hero had paid off Kel's debt and Kel had promised to never forget again(which Sunny seriously doubted), they ended up walking to Fix-It to get flowers for Hero and Kel’s mother. Mari seemed to have achieved what she had come to do; after dropping off the book, she had tried to make an excuse about having something to do, but after a bit of pestering from Kel she agreed to join them for a little longer. The talkative, flirty person she had been acting like faded so quickly, Sunny kept glancing over his shoulder to make sure it was the same Mari. Once again, she had resumed her distant attitude.

This wasn’t lost on the others, who kept trying to bring her into the conversation. “So, Mari,” said Kel, slowing so that they were all walking in one line. “Do any good… um… piano-ing lately?”

“I haven’t been practicing as much as I should have,” Mari admitted. “You play basketball, right? How’s that been?”

“It’s been pretty good.” An awkward silence. “I’m taller than Hero now.”

“That’s debatable,” said Hero with a shrug. “But… geez, the mood went down so fast… did something happen while I was gone? Are you all okay?”

Kel’s mood quickly rebounded. “Yeah! We’re all… going to be okay.” At his choice of words, Sunny flinched slightly, but Kel didn’t seem to notice. “I mean, things have to start getting better… we’re all together again. Right?”

“But Mari and I are moving,” Sunny pointed out.

“Then we’ll make a groupchat,” decided Kel. “You’ll both call, right? We can’t split up right after we became friends again!”

“Um… we could try, I guess.”

After a few more attempts by Kel to break the silence, they arrived at Fix-It, the jingle of the bell announcing their arrival. Spotting Hero, the shopkeeper waved. “It’s been a while, Hero! Whattaya need?”

“I guess it’s been a while since I was back here, huh? We’re–” Hero gestured around the group. “–looking for a bouquet.”

“Oh. Well, I’m fresh out, but you can grab some flowers from the back and I’ll put one together for you.”

Sunny could smell the sweet scent of flowers from the back of the shop. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been here; he hadn’t visited much even before he shut himself inside. Still, there were a couple memories that stood out from the times when he’d tagged along with someone else. Look, Sunny! Sunflowers. They’re my favorites.

As the rest of the group started to walk towards the back, Mari paused. “Oh no… I think I might’ve left the oven on. I have to go!”

Hero’s eyes widened with alarm. “That’s not good.”

“Yeah… so I guess I’ll leave you now.” Already halfway to the door, Mari waved. “It was good to see you again. Bye!”

“Bye–” The door shut, Mari’s abrupt exit leaving Hero speechless. “Um… bye, Mari…”

Kel sidled up to Sunny and whispered, “that was so awkward.”

“Yeah.”

After a few moments, Hero turned towards the back. “Well, I guess we should go get the flowers now.”

“Yeah!” Kel darted after him, Sunny right behind him. “What kind of flowers do you think we should– oh, whoops,” he said, stepping back as he almost crashed into someone coming into the shop’s main area. “Sor– wait, it’s you!”

Suddenly Sunny understood why Mari had bolted so suddenly; she’d recognized the person who was now standing in front of them and wanted to avoid confrontation.

Aubrey froze in the doorway as she saw them. “What are you all doing here!?”

Chapter Text

Aubrey’s arms were overflowing with flowers.

A pang went through Sunny’s heart as he recognized that they were mostly sunflowers. In his peripheral vision, the eye stared through him, unblinking as ever. Past the tall stems, it was difficult to see Aubrey’s expression, but he could at least gather that she looked mad. That wasn’t surprising considering how their last interaction had gone.

Aubrey shifted the flowers around in her arms so she could glare at them properly. “You following me or something?”

“We were actually looking for you,” admitted Kel. “Where were you all morning? Sunny and I spent forever trying to find you!”

Aubrey smirked slightly. “Out of the house twice in two days, huh? Wow. You must be proud of yourself. Only took you, I don’t know, four years.”

“That’s not nice, Aubrey,” chided Hero. “It has been a long time, though. How are you?”

“How am I?” repeated Aubrey. “Fine. No thanks to you.”

Hero blinked in surprise. “I was just asking.”

Rolling her eyes, Aubrey pushes past the group towards the counter. “Well, don’t know if you’ve noticed, but times have changed.” When she turned around, Sunny noticed she had a spiked bat poking out of her bag. How he had managed to miss that, he wasn’t quite sure.

Aubrey was ignoring them again. Pointedly not looking at any of them, she turned to talk to the cashier. “Just these.”

Kel either didn’t notice her trying to give them the cold shoulder or didn’t care. Knowing Kel, probably a mix of both. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m shopping.” When he didn’t leave, Aubrey shifted her bag so that one hand casually rested on the handle of her bat. “Don’t you have someone else to bother?”

“At the moment, no.”

A packet of seeds slipped from Aubrey’s grip, and she let out a frustrated sigh and leaned down to pick them up. Before she could, Kel darted over and snatched them off the ground. “Want us to help you carry any of that?”

“I don’t need your help,” snarled Aubrey. Carefully, she set the rest of the flowers on the counter. The next second she lunged for the seeds. It seemed Kel had been anticipating that; he darted away and held them out of her reach. “Give me those. I paid for them.”

“I’m just saying, you won’t be able to bring all of those to the church on your own!”

Grumbling, Aubrey yanked her bat free and turned back to Kel, a murderous look in her eye. “Well, I don’t want your help. Suddenly you care so much, huh? It’s a bit too late for that.”

“Miss!” the shopkeeper interjected. “No weapons in the store!”

For a moment neither Aubrey nor Kel moved, not wanting to be the first to back down. But after a few moments Kel sighed. “Here.” He tossed the seeds to Aubrey, who caught them in her free hand. She shoved the bat back into her bag and moved closer to the counter to grab her things. A few petals fluttered off the tulips as she aggressively gathered all of the flowers into her arms. It really was a lot for one person to carry, but if Aubrey didn’t want help then there wasn’t much they could do.

Seeing that she was headed for the door, Hero moved to open it for her. “You sure you’ll be alright on your own, Aubrey? You’re carrying all of those across town.”

“I don’t want your help!” shouted Aubrey suddenly. The outburst cost her a few more petals, and she took a moment to breathe before going on. When she opened her eyes, Sunny saw pure loathing. “Funny you care so much about a bunch of fucking flowers. Not the more important things.”

Sunny decided to speak up. “I don’t think it’s the flowers.”

“Wow, detective,” muttered Aubrey. Careful not to let any of the sunflowers get caught in the doorframe, she turned sideways and began to maneuver her purchases out of the shop. It wasn’t going very well; leaves and petals were dropping left and right. After a moment, Hero propped the door open with his foot and gently lifted one of the stems safely outside.

“Gentle, Aubrey. You’ll break them.”

“I told you, I got it.” With an annoyed expression, Aubrey turned to snap at Hero, only to freeze as one of the sunflowers got caught in the doorframe. Snap. Sunny stared, transfixed, as the stem bent in half. A moment later the bright yellow flower fell to the ground.

For a few moments, Aubrey didn’t move. “Dammit.” Slower now, she managed to get the rest of the flowers outside unscathed before placing them on a bench and running back in to grab the broken flower off the floor. Carefully, she tucked it into her pocket.

The other three followed as she went to pick up the rest of them. Hearing their footsteps, Aubrey spun around and crossed her arms. “What do you want? Piss off.”

Kel glanced warily at the bat in her bag. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “Well. We were wondering if we could borrow Basil’s photo album.”

“You were wondering if…?” Aubrey repeated. The fire in her eyes grew into a supernova. “ That’s what you wanted to ask? No. Stop bothering me.”

“Why don’t we help you bring these to the church, and then we look at the album together?” suggested Hero. “I doubt you’ll make it there with all of these intact. And if we can’t borrow it, why don’t we look at it as a friend group one last time before Sunny and Mari leave?”

Aubrey shook her head. From her expression, it was clear that she wouldn’t budge on this. “No. You all don’t deserve to look at it.”

“We don’t deserve to? But Aubrey, we’re literally the ones in the photos!” Kel protested. “Is it because we annoyed you? Look, I’m sorry, but Sunny wants to look at the photos one last time before he goes.”

Aubrey’s cold stare seemed to cut through him. “You want to see it one last time, huh. You had four years. That’s plenty of time.”

Protectively, Hero stood in front of Kel and Sunny. “Go easy on him, Aubrey. It was difficult for everyone.”

“And you had it the entire time, and you weren’t exactly being friendly,” muttered Kel, almost to himself.

Still, Aubrey heard. “Oh, so this is my fault. You could have looked it over when Mari had it.” She met his gaze, daring him to disagree. “And what did you do? Nothing.”

Kel blinked. “But Mari only had it for like, a couple weeks! I don’t even think you were acting all pissy with us at that point!”

“That’s not the problem, Kel,” snapped Aubrey. “My problem is all of you. So we’re friends, huh? Where were you when Basil died?!” That shocked everyone into silence. Aubrey smirked again, but without pleasure. More like it was something she’d been waiting to say for a while. She looked a lot more tired than Sunny had realized; the dark circles under her eyes almost rivaled his.

Despite this, she kept shouting. “I didn’t lose one friend, I lost all of them. None of you acted like a friend when he died. None of you were there. You turned your backs on each other, on everyone , not just me. I’m just the only one who cares.” At the end of her tirade, her shoulders slumped slightly. With a frustrated sigh, she turned away from them, the fury in her eyes fading to a dull, pained look. Sunny knew that look. He saw it every time he looked in the mirror. “Nice to know you’ll all be there to help when I need to carry some fucking flowers. Next time try doing it four years earlier.”

Aubrey’s speech was hard to follow up. What was there to say to that? Sorry that we weren’t there for you emotionally, but is that a yes or a no about the photo album? No way.

Sunny couldn’t seem to get his mind off the broken sunflower on the ground.

I want to be like a sunflower. They always face towards the sun. Is that silly? Just a thought I had, haha.

The uncomfortable silence was broken as Hero stepped forward. “Aubrey… you’re right. It’s way too late for this, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. We all went through grief in our own way… but for us as a group, it hurt us more than it helped.” Aubrey looked taken aback by his sudden apology and opened her mouth to respond, but Hero wasn’t done. “Did I ever tell you about my first week at college? It felt so strange. A different place, different people. But I kind of liked it. It was so easy to pretend that back home everyone was fine.” A pause. “I did the same thing the week after the funeral. Constantly working, taking higher classes, trying to make myself think it was okay. It worked for a little bit. But… I didn’t think about how it affected all of you. Aubrey, I’m sorry for not being there.”

Unconsciously, Aubrey took a step back. “It’s… it’s a little late for ‘sorry,’ Hero.”

Hero nodded. “I know. But for what it’s worth, know that I mean it.”

“I’m sorry too,” Kel announced, and Aubrey’s head snapped over to him in disbelief. “I did the same thing, trying to make myself forget to be sad. But… for all that crap about teamwork, I did a shitty job, haha. I’m sorry.”

After a slight hesitation, Sunny added, “I went to the graveyard, like you said.”

“Oh.” Aubrey’s face was impossible to read. Shame, guilt, anger, shame, sadness, and a thousand more emotions flickered across her face. “Well… good. It’s about time.”

“I should have come outside earlier and talked to you all.”

Aubrey stood frozen for a moment. She hadn’t been anticipating that reaction to her outburst, Sunny could tell; she’d been holding it in for so long, and probably expected a fight to follow. Now she just seemed lost.

As they watched, Aubrey pulled something from her bag and threw it at Kel with force. “Just… just take it. Stay out of my sight.” Kel managed to catch the small book, barely stopping the corner from going right into his eye, and in that time Aubrey had gathered up her flowers and was walking away as fast as she could while carrying them.

“Um– thanks, Aubrey.” Basil’s photo album. It was smaller than Sunny remembered. But Kel wasn’t focused on it anymore, his attention on Aubrey. “Uh, you’re sure you don’t want any help?”

“No!” came Aubrey’s shouted response, and she ran off, leaving a trail of petals behind her like a floral breadcrumb trail.

“Should we just let her go like that?” Hero sounded concerned. “We still need to talk about everything that was just said.”

Kel shrugged, staring after Aubrey. “Well… we know where she’s going. Maybe we should give her some time to cool off.”

Sunny nodded. While Kel was distracted, he walked over and tugged the book from his hands.

The photo album. Their last remnant of Basil.

Everything is going to be okay.

Overwhelmed with exhaustion, Sunny sat down on the bench. It was the same one where Aubrey had placed her flowers. Next to him, the empty seat was outlined with petals.

Almost like a flower crown.

Chapter Text

The moment broke as Kel sat down in the spot where Aubrey’s flowers had been, blocking Sunny’s view of the petals. Hero sat down on his opposite side, and Sunny realized they were waiting for him to open the photo album. Kel was staring at it, a slightly sad look in his eyes. “I haven’t looked at this in so long.”

Hero nodded. “Yeah… it’s going to be pretty nostalgic, huh? We were all so young.”

“I was… twelve, I think,” said Sunny hesitantly. “You too, Kel… Hero, you’d’ve been fifteen?”

“Yeah,” said Hero. With a sigh, he propped his chin up on his hands. “It’s strange to think about. That was only four years ago… It seems like a lifetime.”

Kel scooted closer so he could see better. “Want to do the honors, Sunny?”

Everything is going to be okay.

“Sure.”

Alright. He could do this. It was just a bunch of old memories that had happened before Basil died. Nothing bad, just the happy things.

That resolution was immediately shattered as soon as he saw the first photo. Sunny with his violin, in one of those horrid Christmas sweaters they’d all bought for that year. There was a description too, written in Basil’s careful handwriting.

My first photo! It’s my best friend, Sunny, trying out his new violin. He’s starting to take lessons again so he can play at recitals with his sister, Mari. So exciting!

They’d never played that recital. Before it could be rescheduled everything had gone to shit because the album’s original owner was dead.

His best friend.

Liar.

No. Forcing himself to tear his eyes from the photo, Sunny moved down the page to the next. This one was just as bad; everyone sitting around the table at Basil’s house, preparing to sing Happy Birthday. Basil was in the center, sitting in front of a large pink cake Hero and Mari had prepared. 

He skimmed through most of the description, but got caught on one line. This year is looking to be a good year! Without telling him, Sunny had made a wish as Basil blew out his candles: that all of his friends would be happy. That they could keep their little found family for as long as possible.

By the end of the year, Basil was dead.

By the end of the year, Sunny had disappeared.

By the end of the year, Mari turned her back on everyone.

By the end of the year, their little family they’d all cherished was completely shattered.

Two photos in and Sunny already felt like he was losing his mind. Great going.

Simply to take his eyes off the photos, he glanced up at his friends. Kel had fallen silent for once. His brow was furrowed into a neutral expression slightly tinged with sadness, like the way he’d looked at the graveyard. Sunny followed his gaze as he glanced at the photo of himself with an unbelievable amount of party hats on. What Sunny would trade for the days when their biggest problems were that Kel stole all the party hats…

Hero’s face was similar, his practiced mask slipping to reveal sadness. Besides what he’d said to Aubrey, he hadn’t mentioned much about how he’d coped, but Sunny guessed it had been hard on him too. Hero was one of the parents of the group, the oldest and the most responsible. Whenever something went wrong they’d look to him or Mari for comfort. Since Mari had been out of the picture, it had all been Hero. Even in their shattered state, he’d tried to act as the role model. Calm and cool when the rest of the world went up in flames.

Unconsciously, Sunny turned the page to take in the next six snapshots. Ah, it was the weekend when they all stayed over. Sleepovers hadn’t been uncommon in their group– more often than not, when someone came over for the day, they would end up staying the night as well –but that had been when they spent the whole weekend together.

He turned another page, then another, then another, unsure if he was looking through each memory or just trying to get to the end. The photos with Basil in them were less numerous the closer he got to the end, as Basil had gotten the hang of his camera and embraced his role as the group’s photographer.

Reading. The photo was too zoomed-out to tell what book Basil was reading out loud, but he looked excited about it. Sunny wished he could remember what book it was he’d been so enthusiastic about.

Picnics. Mari’s favorite pastime. She’d gathered a whole collection of identical red picnic baskets, which they’d teased her about. Still, they’d come in handy for carrying all the food.

Flower crowns. Basil had always been passionate about gardening, so it was no surprise he’d enjoyed that activity. He’d been so pleased with his finished product, weaving different types of flowers together each day and wearing them around to their hangouts. Once he’d seen how quickly they wilted, however, he’d swapped them back out for those flower hair clips that appeared so frequently in the photos.

Rain. Right, he and Basil had showed up late after having an intense Pet Rock competition. That was another time Basil had stayed the night. Kel and Aubrey had argued about whether or not pink was a gross color(though they found some way to work it into pretty much every discussion from there on out, so that wasn’t a unique occasion). Though he hadn’t told many people for the fear they’d make fun of him for it, Basil had once said to Sunny that pink was his favorite color as well. There are a lot of nice flowers that are pink. Plus, I just think it’s a fun color, haha.

The beach. It had taken a week of begging, but they’d convinced Mari and Sunny’s mom to drive them all down for the day. For some reason Sunny and Kel had had the ‘brilliant’ idea to bury Sunny up to his neck in the sand. It had been entertaining to watch Basil and Mari try to figure out how to get him out after that. He was pretty sure he’d even taken a nap in the sand.

His birthday. Sunny had almost forgotten about the giant box he’d claimed as his new home. It had been thrown out a week or so later, to which he’d been greatly disappointed.

The treehouse. It was probably still there, way back behind his house, though he hadn’t checked on it in years. He couldn’t imagine the condition it had fallen into, unless Mari had been taking care of it.

And then the photos leading up to the recital, but he skipped over those.

Hero and Kel had finished before him. They were quiet, probably lost in thought as Sunny had been. They looked back over and Sunny closed the album.

“It’s been such a long time.” Kel fiddled with the straps of his bag. “I’d forgotten about some of those times.”

“Me too,” said Hero quietly. “May I?” Sunny nodded, and he gently picked up the album and opened it again, running his hands across the pages. “I can’t believe so much has changed in four years.”

A hand brushed Sunny’s. He glanced over, half-expecting to see Basil, but it was only Kel. “You okay, Sunny? You look a little pale.”

“I’m okay.”

“It really was a journey to look at all those,” sighed Kel. “I mean, look at me! Look how short I am!”

Hero raised an eyebrow. “That hasn’t changed.”

“I’m almost as tall as you now! Hehe, Sunny, I’m taller than you.”

“Are you sure about that?” asked Sunny, standing up. “Look.” He moved his hand from the top of his head to Kel. “Taller.”

“Well, that’s ‘cause you’re standing and I’m sitting.”

“No excuses. You’re short.” Without realizing it, Sunny had cracked a small smile. Perhaps Kel and Hero were rubbing off on him. Joking around with them again felt good, almost like the old days. Still, it filled him with an indescribable feeling of guilt he couldn’t seem to shake.

Liar.

Kel was talking again. “Man, I’m surprised the album’s in such good shape. It was totally soaked last time I saw it.”

“I don’t think this is the same one,” Hero mused. “Remember when Basil’s grandmother had us all come over and look through his things to see if we wanted any of it? I think Aubrey found the extra album in his bookshelf. I’m pretty sure Mari showed up earlier, before we were there, and took the photos.”

“Oh yeah.” Kel went quiet for a minute. “I’m glad the photos weren’t ruined… now we have something to remember Basil by.”

At that, Something drew closer, eye boring into Sunny.

Liar.

Sunny’s stomach began to grumble. Without realizing it, they’d been out for hours, and lunch had long since passed. This was not lost on Hero. “Did you two eat?”

Kel coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like the word “no.”

“Well, then we’ve got to go get some sort of lunch!” decided Hero. “Sunny, you look like you could use some food. Come on. Let’s go to our house. I’ll cook.”

“Ooh, Hero’s cooking?” Kel’s eyes lit up. “Score! Sunny, remember how good of a chef Hero was?”

That was true. Even Hero’s nickname came from the Hero Sandwich. “Alright.”

“Perfect.” Hero stood up before realizing the photo album was still on his lap. “Hmm… Sunny, why don’t you hold onto this? That way you can take some of us with you when you leave Faraway.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Sunny accepted it. For such a small book, the album felt heavy in his hands.

“Sure.”

Chapter Text

Hero didn’t disappoint with lunch, producing a whole tray of sandwiches from seemingly thin air. Kel devoured most of them, but working together he and Hero managed to convince Sunny to eat a couple. Once they were satisfied he’d had lunch Kel suggested they go out again. “It’s not even very dark yet, and we’ve only got a few days! Might as well make the most of it, right?”

“Actually…” Distractedly, Hero drummed his fingers against the counter. “I know you two went earlier, but do you mind if we go back to the church? I haven’t been there in a while, and after today, I feel like I should.”

Kel nodded. “Yeah, why not? Sunny, you don’t mind making another stop, do you?”

“I guess not,” said Sunny with a shrug.

“Great, then let’s get out of here before mom jumps on us for staying out all day.”

Hero and Kel chatted as they walked to the church, but Sunny stayed mostly quiet, choosing instead to listen. He hadn’t realized it, but he had pretty much no clue about the world he had stepped into when he left the house again. Four years… it had passed in the blink of an eye, but it might as well have been forever. The comics he and Kel had snuck out to buy were finished and outdated. The shows they all watched together every weekend had been replaced by newer programs. And yet, Sunny didn’t feel any older than he had when he was twelve.

He blinked, and they’d arrived back at the church. This time it was quiet; no mass to interrupt, at least. Still, it was a bit eerie to walk through it when it was so empty. Every sound they made seemed amplified times a hundred by the high ceiling.

Why are you still ignoring me, Sunny?

Hero had gone quiet as they entered. After a few moments Kel did as well, leaving an empty silence. Wordlessly they fell into a line and walked out the door to the cemetery.

The place was more deserted then it had been earlier, barely any other people in sight. The quiet was nice, at least. Without the flood of people coming from mass, there were a lot less strangers to mourn alongside.

Glancing up towards the corner where Basil lay, Sunny spotted a spot of pink among the headstones. So Aubrey was here after all. He sincerely hoped this wouldn’t escalate into a fight; Aubrey had a bat, not to mention the fact that they were in a cemetery. Even though he wasn’t religious Sunny felt like that had to be hugely disrespectful to fight in a cemetery.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Crap. Aubrey must have seen them. She wasn’t even facing in their direction, but perhaps she’d heard their footsteps as they came closer. Sunny was debating how to respond when a different voice responded, “it’s a public place.”

At the sound of that voice, Hero raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t that Mari?” It was hard to see between the tombstones. However, Hero was a good bit taller than Sunny, so he probably had a better view. Standing on his toes, Sunny could at least gather that Aubrey was still faced away from them, speaking to someone mostly obscured by the headstones. Someone whose voice he recognized as that of his sister, who had made an excuse to leave an hour earlier and apparently gone home. Why had she come here instead?

“That’s not what I meant. What makes you think you have the right to show your face around here?” Aubrey’s indecisiveness from earlier seemed to have faded. Once again, she sounded completely livid, anger once again directed at Mari. “I thought you said you wanted a clean slate . Came crawling back here to say goodbye?”

Mari, at least, was making an effort to stay calm. “Well, I am leaving in two days.”

Aubrey seethed for a few moments. “Well, you’ll be able to leave everything behind for good then, won’t you? Get out of here.”

“Aubrey, if you’re upset about what I said yesterday–”

“Just leave!” Aubrey shouted. “I’ve had enough of this crap between you and the others.”

“Oh, dang,” muttered Kel. He started to move again, picking up the pace. “They’re arguing again.”

“Again?” Right, Sunny had forgotten Hero was absent the previous day when they had run into Aubrey and Mari the first time. During their lunch break it hadn’t crossed their minds to fill him in.

“We’ll tell you about it later,” Sunny whispered to him. Again, he wasn’t quite sure why he felt the need to whisper. Maybe hoping that he could somehow get out of this quickly approaching encounter. Right now he was really starting to wish he’d stayed home.

Through the tombstones, he saw Mari cross her arms. “Aubrey… I’m just trying to mind my own business right now. You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to.”

Challengingly, Aubrey raised her eyebrows. “Now you’re fine with this. Now you’re fine with me. Now you’re fine with talking about Basil. Bullshit! ” she shouted.

Kel chose that moment to run over, drawing Aubrey’s attention. “Aubrey, leave Mari alone!”

Aubrey did a double take at his voice and spun around to face them, her hair a pink blur behind her. “Kel, what the heck?!” She noticed Hero and Sunny trailing behind him and scowled. Her fists were clenched so tightly around her bat that her fingers were practically white. “I thought I told you all to piss off.”

Mari didn’t greet them as they walked over. Her eyes roved over the group once before settling back on the ground.

“We never got to thank you for giving us the photo album, Aubrey,” said Hero. Under his calm expression, Sunny could sense his emotions were all over the place. But Hero had always been an expert at hiding that. “Please calm down. I’m sure we can talk about this.”

“We?” Aubrey repeated. “I don’t remember saying this was any of your business.”

“So you’ve made up your mind, huh? I’ve made up mine too.” Aubrey stared Kel dead in the eyes and smirked slightly. She drew her bat suddenly, and Sunny flinched, thinking she was going to attack them, but instead she slammed it into the ground in front of her. “Go to hell, Mari. In fact, all of you can wither away and see if I care.”

Kel took an angry step forward, Hero there to back him up. As they did so, Sunny took an equally small step back. Mari still hadn’t moved, but she was staring at their fight with her arms crossed. “Seriously, Aubrey? What about everything we said before? It was only, like, an hour ago! How’d you forget so fast?!”

“I didn’t forget,” Aubrey snarled back. “It doesn’t change anything. Maybe you’ve changed, but I’ve changed too. This Aubrey doesn’t need you anymore. She never did!”

It was at this moment Mari chose to make her move, walking to stand in between the two sides. Gently, she placed one hand on Aubrey’s shoulder and the other on Kel’s. “Calm down.”

Someone else would normally have been the one to do that, wouldn’t he?

Sunny couldn’t remember.

Aubrey threw down her bat, but her eyes were still burning with leftover fury. “Shut up, Mari!” Wildly, she threw Mari’s hand away.

Sunny had forgotten how much stronger Aubrey was now, and apparently Aubrey had too, because Aubrey’s push not only threw Mari’s hand away but Mari as well. For anyone else, it wouldn’t have been an issue. But Mari stumbled back, and Sunny saw her bad knee fold under her, and she slipped backwards, right into Basil’s tombstone.

Crack.

Sunny froze.

No.

What is this…?

Mari’s head slammed into the corner of the stone. She made no move to get up.

It isn’t real.

“Oh god, oh god– Mari!”

Hero seemed to disagree, immediately running forward to Mari’s side.

He shouldn't worry so much.

It was a bad dream, right?

Aubrey was equally frozen, all her bravado gone. Face stricken, she started to kneel next to Hero, only for Kel to block her way.

“Aubrey, what the hell?!”

“I didn’t– I didn’t mean to push her!”

“She’s not wearing her knee brace!” shouted Kel. Despite the force behind his words, his voice came out high and reedy, threaded with panic. “Of course she was going to slip if you did that!”

“Well I didn’t mean to, Kel!!”

“Stop it!” interrupted Hero loudly. “Both of you, stop it! Can’t you see what happens when we fight like this?” Mari didn’t seem to be bleeding, but she also hadn’t woken up. Sunny couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad sign.

Wake up.

It’s a bad dream.

He waited for the flickering, the static that should have drowned out the world when things went wrong, but it didn’t appear.

What was going on?

Carefully, Hero gathered Mari in his arms and stood up, being careful not to let her hair drag on the ground. “We’ve got to get her home. Sunny, can you call your mother?”

Wake up.

Wake up.

Why can’t I wake up?

Someone nudged Sunny’s shoulder, startling him. “Sunny, buddy, you okay?” murmured Kel. “Mari’s gonna be fine, don’t worry. But can you call your mom so we can get her home?”

His mother. Home. It took a few seconds for Sunny to process what Kel was asking. “She’s not here. My mom, I mean. But I have a house key.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“Um… two days, I think.”

“Two days…?” Hero repeated. “Wait, Sunny, you and Mari have been home alone? For how long?”

In all honesty, Sunny wasn’t sure. Every day in the past four years has become a blur of nothingness. “Mari’s nineteen. She took care of us.”

Hero pursed his lips. “Still, she shouldn’t leave you alone like that… well, we can talk about this issue later. Let’s get Mari home.”

Aubrey made as if to follow, but Kel frowned at her. “You’ve done enough. Let’s go.”

“But–”

“I thought you didn’t want to be around us!”

“Well– well it’s not like I did that on purpose!”

Great. They were arguing again. Sunny averted his eyes and drowned them out.

Over by Basil’s grave, someone else had appeared. Basil. He was sitting on top of the headstone, swinging his legs back and forth while he surveyed the scene with a worried expression. After a few moments, he seemed to notice Sunny looking. He jumped down and moved to stand by Sunny’s side.

“ Be careful, Sunny… you’re running out of time. ”

Chapter Text

This time, when Omori entered the Neighbor’s Room, it was empty.

He expected to see Aubrey, Kel, and Hero playing cards or arguing or playing some strange game they’d made up. Basil and Mari would be there too; maybe they’d act as the referees to prevent the games from getting out of hand, or maybe Mari would join in simply to tease Hero.

But it was just empty.

He climbed the stairs anyway and walked through the forest. The flowers had definitely gotten duller; Omori could have sworn that at first, they had been all the colors of the rainbow, but now most of their brightness had faded. The sky seemed a bit duller too, but it was the sky. That couldn’t be possible.

You must be imagining things.

The playground was abandoned as well, the colorful toys left sitting where they were. The air, usually bursting with noise, hung eerily silent. Thinking he might have missed something, Omori walked over to Basil’s tarp. It was still sitting in the usual spot. As he drew closer, the wind picked up and the corners fluttered in the breeze. Nobody there.

Maybe they’d all gone to Basil’s house. That wouldn’t explain where all of the other children had gone, but it could explain why his friends had left without him. Usually they were so insistent on sticking together. It would make sense they had left together too.

That plan quickly went down the drain. Even before stepping out onto the path, Omori saw a thick white fog curling from the Vast Forest, obscuring everything. He walked a few steps in, trying to peer through the mist, but it was no use. Trying to see through the fog was like staring at a blank white wall.

Omori retreated to the playground and tried again. Pyrefly Forest, the ladder to Otherworld, all of them were covered in the fog as well. He wouldn’t be able to get there until the fog cleared.

What was going on? This shouldn’t have been possible. Sure, there had been mishaps like the one with Mari, but for every single living thing to vanish shouldn’t have been possible.

Without much hope, Omori turned around and headed down the last path, the one to the beach. If they were there, he should have been able to hear them; the beach wasn’t big, and a crowd like that would certainly be noisy.

As he walked forward, Omori realized the fog wasn’t as thick here. Experimentally, he stepped forward. It was still possible to see the ground. In all the other areas, the fog had erased everything. It was progress. Carefully, he made his way over to the beach.

Through the mist, Omori could see he was right. There was no crowd of missing children waiting on the sand. The beach was dead silent. However, it wasn’t completely empty. A single figure was sitting by the dock, braiding a row of daisies together.

Basil seemed to sense his approach; Omori had been trying to be quiet, but as he got closer Basil turned. “Oh, it’s you, Omori. I was just wondering where you were.”

“Hi, Basil. What are you doing?”

Basil shrugged. “Waiting for you.” To Omori’s surprise, he tossed the unfinished daisy chain into the water. It floated at the surface for a few moments before disappearing beneath the waves. “All the others are gone, and I know you hate being alone. So I figured we should go on together! That way, things won’t seem as scary."

“They just… left?”

“Well, I don’t actually know… I went to water the flowers in my garden, and by the time I got back, all that weird fog was there and everyone was gone. But I managed to make it back to the playground, and I figured you’d show up sooner or later.”

A few leaves skittered across the dock as Omori hesitated. “Alright. Where do you think they went?”

Basil pointed off at the water. “There’s only one way to go. It’s too foggy to search the forest, so they must be somewhere over there.”

Of course it had to be water. Had their friends really all just up and swam across an entire ocean and left the two of them behind? Omori was considering the idea of putting together some sort of raft when Basil added, “you don’t have to be so afraid. Remember, I’ll always be right next to you!”

“But you can’t swim.”

Basil blinked. “Yeah, we’ll take the boat.” He moved aside to reveal a small floating object Omori had never seen before. It… sort of looked like a boat. There was no motor, no paddles, no anything, pretty much, besides a small area for sitting. On either side of the bow a painted eye stared at the two of them. “I know you hate the water. We’ll probably have to swim eventually, but this is the safest way for now.”

“Wait, since when do we have a boat?”

“Hmm, I’m not really sure. I know Aubrey mentioned we should get one a while back.” Basil regarded the boat suspiciously as if concerned it might disappear. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Omori could have sworn the boat’s eyes blinked back at them. “Or maybe the others left it for us so we wouldn’t be stranded back here. They’re thoughtful like that.”

A creepy mysterious boat to match with the rest of this creepy mysterious day. Well, he’d seen weirder. Omori reached over and squeezed Basil’s hand. “Promise me you’ll stay?”

“Of course,” Basil assured him. “Even if nobody else is by your side… you’ve got me.”

“Thanks.”

“Anytime.” Basil stood up and dusted off his overalls. “We can go whenever you’re ready.”

“I’m ready.”

“Perfect.”

Basil stepped on board and held out his hand to steady Omori as he stepped over the gap between the dock and the boat. At least he more or less had his sea legs. Falling the moment he stepped on board would have been humiliating. As soon as he was safely inside, the vessel seemed to come to life beneath their feet. Brrrrrr… Some invisible engine seemed to rev to life. The gentle vibrations of the boat fell into a rhythm, and they drifted away from the dock on their own.

There didn’t seem to be any way to steer. The boat seemed to have its own destination in mind, though. It was already moving at a sharp pace considering they’d been still only moments before. The dock was beginning to fall away the further they went on. Pretty soon, all Omori could see was ocean.

Trees dotted the watery scenery, but they looked too similar to use as landmarks. Omori could only count how many had gone by and wonder how big this ocean really was. Technically, Headspace would stretch on indefinitely if it needed to. They could stay on this boat forever and never arrive anywhere.

Well, he’d been here as long as he could remember. He had time to spare.

More waiting.

A ghostly sound reached Omori’s ears. He turned, searching for the source, to realize that it was only Basil humming to himself as they skimmed across the water’s surface. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet the entire way. The boat wasn’t big, but it wasn’t tiny either, which meant there was enough room for them plus about four other people if they wanted.

Omori had taken a seat by the back, while Basil perched on the side by the bow. The slight wind set his hair fluttering as they rode on, carrying the scent of flowers over to Omori. He hadn’t noticed, but today Basil’s flower crown was made from tulips, a whole bunch of white tulips strung together.

The tulip. Plain, simple, and cute.

That song Basil was humming… where had he heard it before?

Those thoughts fled his mind as Basil leaned precariously over the side to dip his hand in the water. “It’s freezing… good thing we don’t have to swim.”

One good shake of the boat and he’d go flying off into who-knows-where. “Careful, Basil.”

“Ah, you’re right. Sorry.” Basil withdrew his hand and leaned back so he was once again safely inside the boat.

“Where do you think we’re going?”

Omori wasn’t quite sure why he asked Basil, since Basil had no way of knowing any more than he did. But Basil didn’t seem to mind. “To wherever the others went? I’m not sure. But it’s kind of calming here, isn’t it? I feel like I might fall asleep or something.”

“I’d prefer dry land.”

“I guess that makes sense.” A few leaves slipped from Basil’s flower crown. Absently-mindedly, he reached out again and placed them on the surface of the water, watching as they were overtaken by the speed of their boat and left behind.

“Hey, Omori, I’ve been meaning to ask… why do you hate the water so much?”

Omori blinked. He certainly hadn’t anticipated Basil would ask something like that. Usually, his friend wouldn’t ask such personal questions.

“It just… freaks me out. It’s not really a fear of water itself. I’m afraid of drowning.”

“Hmm,” said Basil thoughtfully. “You got over your fears of heights and spiders. I bet you can get over this one too. I can help if you need.”

“And…” Omori smiled slightly. “How exactly are you going to help? Only one of us can swim, and it’s not you.”

Basil rolled his eyes. “Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t learn. I want to learn to swim eventually. Maybe we can learn together and you can face your fears once we find the others.”

“Perhaps.”

They lapsed back into silence, and after a few more minutes Basil started to hum again. The same song. Omori had the maddening feeling that whatever the song reminded him of was just out of reach in his memory.

“Basil, where’d you learn that song?”

Basil glanced over. “I picked it up from you, actually.”

“Really? I don’t think I remember that.”

“Well, it was a pretty long while ago. Want me to keep going? Maybe it’ll jog your memory.”

“Sure.”

Omori scooted closer to Basil so he could hear better as Basil went on with the song. Yes, he’d heard this somewhere before. But Basil said he had learned it from Omori. Weird. Well, Basil picked up a lot of things from other people. Maybe he’d heard it from someone else and mixed them up?

Parts of the music seemed to be missing. Probably there was meant to be another line sung at the same time, but Basil could only hum one at once. Omori half-wished he could remember what the second part was supposed to sound like so the music wouldn’t feel so incomplete.

He hadn’t realized it, but between the gentle rocking of the boat and Basil’s music his eyelids had begun to droop. Less than an hour since he’d gotten here and he was already feeling utterly drained.

But they couldn’t stop now. They had to catch up with the others and find out what was going on.

Without realizing it, Omori let his head drop onto Basil’s shoulder, startling him. “Omori, you look exhausted,” Basil fretted, the song forgotten for the time being. “You should rest while you have the chance. It’s been a long couple days… Plus, I get the feeling you’ve got a lot more of a journey ahead of you.”

No. He wasn’t ready to leave Headspace just yet. “I can keep going.”

“You’ve got a chance to take a break now before we arrive. You’re going to need all your energy once we get there,” Basil insisted. “I’ll wake you up when we stop, don’t worry.”

Omori had never actually tried to sleep in Headspace, considering, well, it would be like double-sleep. Sleep squared? Sleep to the second power? Ugh, no, he didn’t want to think about math. Then again, it was usually a shock that would kick him out of Headspace, not tiredness. A short rest probably wouldn’t hurt.

“Alright. Don’t let me fall off the boat.”

“I won’t, don’t worry. Do you want me to move?”

“No.”

“Alright.” Basil resettled himself as Omori elected to keep using his shoulder as a pillow rather than laying down on the ground.

“Rest while you can. I get the feeling you won’t have much of a chance once we arrive.”

Chapter Text

Apparently, dreaming in Headspace was possible after all.

Omori couldn’t quite remember his dream. It was a blur, but he recalled running through an empty darkened space. Searching. Always searching.

Sleep didn’t seem to make much difference. By the time Basil shook him awake, Omori felt just as exhausted, maybe even more tired than before.

“We’re here,” Basil announced.

Opening his eyes, Omori saw he was right. The rocking of the boat hadn’t ceased, but now they were gently bumping against the side of an unfamiliar dock.

Seeing this area made him want to turn back. The fog was back, only thinner here. They’d been able to see where they were going. Still, it gave off a sinister feeling.

You were wrong. Turn back.

The dock seemed to lead into some sort of grassy area. A faint outline of a path was visible through the soupy air. At least there was a clear way to go. Glancing back over the water, Omori couldn’t even see the forest they’d come from. The boat had no engine. If they wanted to go back, they’d have to swim for it. By doing that he’d basically be stranding Basil here alone, since he couldn’t swim, and that felt wrong.

Walking it is.

Basil climbed out of the boat first. As he had before, he held out his hand and pulled Omori safely to shore. “Looks like we made it. You were asleep for a while… I thought we were going to be floating out there forever, haha.”

“Good thing we’re not. We need to find the others.”

Basil nodded. “Mhm. You’ve still got to save Mari.”

“You mean find Mari?”

“Both.”

What was he talking about? Basil seemed to be waiting for Omori to say something. From his expression, he didn’t plan on explaining.

Well, whatever. It was time to move.

“Let’s go.”

Basil nodded. “Right behind you.”

While Omori had been asleep, the sky had changed. The constellations were no longer visible. Instead, grey clouds obscured the whole sky, with only faint patches of light leaking through every here and there. It certainly set an ominous mood as they kept on walking.

Omori didn’t like this. Whatever was happening, he didn’t trust it at all. Not this weird area, not that creepy boat, and least of all this lingering feeling of nostalgia. He was fairly certain he’d never been here before. He had never been to this area of Headspace before, certainly not. Never crossed that ocean, never adventured without all of his friends by his side. But that eerie feeling of nostalgia still lingered.

Welcome back.

Before long, something became visible in the distance. Against the plain grassy landscape, a splash of color. Was that their destination? Omori sped up, hearing Basil do the same.

As he drew closer, Omori slowed to a stop.

A garden.

That wasn’t too unusual. Flowers grew everywhere in Headspace; they were as common as the dirt they grew in. But those were wild flowers. The only other place Omori could think of where the flowers appeared to have been lovingly cared for and tended to was Basil’s garden, all the way on the other side of the ocean.

And yet here it was. Surrounded by an ornate white fence, a perfectly nice garden. He inhaled deeply. The scent of flowers was everywhere.

Quietly, Basil walked forward past Omori and through the gate, into the garden. Compared to the rapidly fading colors in the rest of Headspace, it was beautifully vibrant; hues of blue, red, green, pink, every color Omori could imagine, growing together in a wild tangle. Some of the flowers he recognized. There were gladiolus, roses, cacti, and more. Some were unfamiliar. He had no doubt that Basil could probably tell him the name of every plant here, along with some interesting trivia about each one.

As Omori trailed after him, Basil reached out and gently lifted a white tulip from where it had been slumped close to the ground, removing some of the tension from the stem. After a few moments he began to speak. “I can’t stand seeing you like this, Sunny.”

“You mean Omori.”

“No, I don’t mean Omori. I miss Sunny .”

Abruptly, Basil let the flower drop and strode through the field again. Some of the fallen petals danced in his wake as he began to wander.

After a slight hesitation, Omori leaned over a plucked a tulip from the ground. The one he'd chosen wasn't in full bloom yet, but instead just beginning to open. He walked over and handed it to Basil. “These are tulips.”

“Yeah,” said Basil with a small smile. “Plain, simple, and cute, like you. That’s what I said, right?”

“I think so.”

“I think a different flower might fit you better,” decided Basil. He set the tulip down, hands wandering over the hundreds of petals, before selecting a flower Omori didn’t recognize. He wasn’t sure it could even be called a single flower; rows and rows of tiny buds were attached to the stem.

“I think you’re more like the purple hyacinth. They symbolize regret, sorrow… and forgiveness.” Basil pulled his gardening shears from his pocket and neatly severed the stem. The leaves around them rustled as he turned and presented the flower to Omori. “Here. It’s for you.”

Hesitantly, Omori accepted it. “Why all this now? We’ll find the others soon enough, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Frowning now, Basil drummed his fingers against the ground. “I don’t really think I’m supposed to be here… but I needed to talk to you again. Talk to you for real.” A few rays of sunlight were beginning to poke through spots in the clouds. They almost made Basil’s green hair appear blond. “I just thought you might need a reminder. No matter what, I’m always by your side.”

“Are you sure?”

“I promise.” Basil squeezed Omori’s hand before standing up. “Remember what I said, okay? And hold onto the flower.”

“It’s all fine, Basil. Everything is going to be okay.”

At that, Basil’s expression dimmed. “I used to say that.”

“You did. You always help us stay positive.”

“ Everything is going to be okay… ” Basil repeated. “Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch. It hasn’t been okay for a long time. And it’s good to hope… but eventually, you’re just deluding yourself.”

He went silent, leaving Omori to think of something to say. He couldn’t. Everything Basil had said… it made no sense and yet all the sense in the world at the same time.

Today was certainly shaping up to be a strange day.

“So how do I stop… ‘deluding myself’, as you’ve put it?”

“I don’t know,” Basil admitted. “It’s not really something I can just tell you… you’ve got to figure it out on your own. But hey, I know you’ll be able to do it. I believe in you!”

Omori lifted the flower into the light so he could see it better. Purple. Purple was a nice color. It was his favorite color, actually. The rows of tiny buds fluttered in the wind as he considered them. Some were just beginning to open, while others were already in full bloom.

Basil had said it stood for… regret. Sorrow. Forgiveness.

When all was said and done, would Omori regret taking this journey yet again?

It was too soon to tell.

“You said… regret, sorrow, and forgiveness.”

Basil nodded. “Yeah. Sunny, I want to make sure you know… you’ve always had my forgiveness. Please… forgive yourself, too.”

“How?”

“By letting go.” Basil gazed back off in the direction they’d come. It was too far away to see the ocean, but back there was everything Omori had known. The playground. The forest. Otherworld. All of it. Far, far away from here.

“Being here forever… It seems nice. I get it. I always kind of wanted things to be easy… and whenever they weren’t, I didn’t know what to do. You’ve made mistakes. Everyone has." Basil hesitated slightly, then reached out and gave Omori a hug. Caught off guard, Omori stood there for a few moments before hugging Basil back. "It’s time to let go.”

Basil had moved to the other side of the garden. The exit reminded Omori of why they had come. Find everyone. Find Mari. He would have to add figuring out what Basil meant to the list of confusing occurrences.

Basil met his eyes and seemed to sense he was ready to leave. “Do you want to keep going? I think we’re getting close.”

Omori hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Neither of them said much as they walked.

The pathway was identical to the first path. A grassy slope, dotted with the occasional tree. Omori was suddenly aware of how deadly quiet it was.

The ringing in his ears was beginning again, so Omori sped up, even though he knew it wasn’t something he could just outrun.

After a while he was aware of another sound. Waves lapping against sand. The path had begun to slope down, and Omori saw they had come to another beach. This time, however, there was no boat.

“Oh, it’s more ocean,” Basil murmured. “Is there any other way to go?”

“I don’t think so.” Omori walked out onto the beach and squinted into the fog. It was faint, but he could see land on the other side. “It’s not as far as the last one… but how are we going to cross? You can’t swim.”

Splish. Basil gave the water an experimental kick. “It’s shallow over here. We could try to walk across, maybe? Oh, but you don’t like water, so that could be a problem…”

“If it’s the only way, I guess we can try.”

Trying to build up his courage, Omori took a few steps forward. The freezing wave lapped at his feet, and he quickly withdrew. What if there was some sort of creature waiting in the depths? He couldn't wield a knife and swim at the same time. Well, perhaps he could. Omori had never actually tried that. But it seemed much more likely he’d impale himself instead, and dying in the water was definitely not how he wanted to go.

After a few seconds, Omori hesitantly walked forward again until he was knee-deep in the cold. Liar. At the whisper, he scrambled back again.

Basil had been watching, and after a couple more failed attempts came to stand by Omori. “You okay? It’s not as scary as it looks.”

“We’re the worst pair to have to do a swimming adventure.”

“Yeah, we kind of are… But I know you can do it! You know how to swim. Stay calm, keep treading water, and don’t let yourself sink. If you can do that, it won’t seem so scary.”

“But you can’t swim.”

“Um… yeah, I’ll find a way to make it work.”

Cautiously, Omori slipped into the water, hearing the slight splash behind him as Basil entered as well. “Basil, are you sure you’re going to be okay? It’s not very far, but it might get deeper.”

“I think so. It’s still shallow enough for me to stand.”

Automatically, Omori reached for Basil’s hand. He’d never noticed it, but Basil’s hands were really cold. Then again, Omori’s didn’t have much warmth to them either, and they were half-submerged in a freezing ocean, so it made sense. “Okay. Just be careful.”

“I will.”

From where they were standing, the opposite shoreline wasn’t too far away. It was still enough of a distance to make Omori nervous. It looked like… the length of a football field, maybe? No, there was all that weird stuff about perspective, so it was probably bigger. Either way, a decently large area, and who had to cross it? Someone who was terrified of water and someone who couldn’t swim. Fabulous.

At least the water didn’t seem to be crazy deep. Basil was right; The sandy ocean bottom wasn’t very far down. The water only reached his waist here.

This would be fine.

Omori fixed his eyes on their destination and started forward.

God, he hated this. The water was freezing, the current kept trying to tug him every which way, his clothes clung to his skin. Why anyone would want to do this voluntarily, he had no clue. 

Move faster.

He sped up and felt the ground start to slope down. Great, it was getting deeper. They were barely a quarter of the way there. The waves reached his shoulders now. Omori tilted his head back to avoid inhaling a mouthful of water and glanced back to look at Basil, who seemed to be having a similar problem.

“You okay?”

Basil spat out a mouthful of seawater and nodded. “Yeah. I keep swallowing salt water.”

“Me too.”

“I think we’re getting closer!” said Basil encouragingly. “The others will probably be somewhere over there. If we can catch up to them, I’m sure you’ll be able to find Mari soon too.”

“Hopefully.”

Omori was distracted as he took the next step and found that the ground dropped off completely. Caught off guard, he began to tread water furiously, struggling to stay afloat.

Keep treading water and don’t let yourself sink.

Right. Swimming was something he’d done before. He couldn’t let the fear get the better of him this time.

They were about halfway across the gap by now. He could make it.

Keep swimming.

Three-quarters of the way there.

Just a bit left.

After a few more moments, Omori’s foot bumped into sand. The water was becoming shallow again. He could walk.

With a start, he realized that at some point he’d lost his grip on Basil’s hand. “Basil, you okay?”

No response. Omori turned, silently cursing himself for not being more vigilant. Basil couldn’t swim. What had he been thinking, letting him come out here?

“Basil? Are you there?” Frantically, he scanned the rippling surface, searching for a disturbance in the water, a stream of bubbles, anything that might indicate where Basil had gone. Nothing. Besides the small waves, the water was calm. Basil had simply… vanished. Disappeared as if he’d never been there at all.

“Basil?” Omori called once more, already anticipating he wouldn’t get a response. “Basil. Are you okay?”

Omori knew nobody would answer, but he waited a couple seconds anyways, hoping it was just a prank or something.

So he’d lost track of his best friend and only companion for the time being. That… was not comforting. At all. Was Basil okay? If he was in trouble, surely Omori would have at least seen him in the water. He’d just vanished into thin air.

Hesitantly, Omori turned back to the new area. It wasn’t very big. A single wishing well stood alone on the tiny island, with a ladder leading down into the darkness.

If it led underwater, perhaps Basil had ended up there, or maybe the others would be waiting when he reached the bottom.

He’d be happy with either of those. Being alone right now was the last thing Omori wanted.

With that thought in mind, Omori turned away from the ocean and began to climb into the depths of the well.

Chapter Text

The ladder was just as tall and slippery as the one to Otherworld had been. To top it all off, after a while the circle of light from the top of the well faded, leaving Omori to climb in almost complete darkness. He could barely make out his hands in the dim light. At least going down was faster than going up.

Doing it all alone felt lonely. Omori missed the way that Kel would laugh at his own jokes, how Aubrey always found some way to strike up conversation, how Hero would offer encouragement and praise when they felt down. He missed Mari’s pranks on the others and Basil’s random plant facts.

He’d always liked Headspace. It was bright, colorful, and full of life. Apparently, all it took to change that was being without the ones he shared it with.

Splish. As Omori stepped down to the next rung on the ladder, a chill brushed his leg. Water. He’d come so far down that the lapping waves had reached up here. Still, something about it felt weird, not like the raging ocean above.

The ladder went below the water level, so Omori kept on climbing until he was fully submerged. ‘Submerged’ might not have been the right word. Besides the chill from the cool water, it didn’t feel like he was underwater at all. He could breathe. He could move like normal. The water might as well have been an illusion.

This… was probably Deep Well, now that he thought about it. Not a place he remembered visiting before. It was always blocked by the ocean, so he’d always ruled it out in terms of places to go. Now it seemed he’d ended up there anyways.

At the very least, it was a good place to start searching for his friends. Apparently this place was a huge tourist trap just like Otherworld. It seemed like a place the rest of the group would be drawn to.

A slight glow had appeared along the walls as he descended, better illuminating his cramped surroundings. The slimy walls of the well flickered every now and then with strange images that hurt Omori’s head. It was impossible to say how long he’d been climbing for; time was always weird here.

When the bottom of the ladder finally came into view, he doubled his pace, not stopping until he had set foot on solid ground. Here at last.

The space was just as narrow as it had been above, but on one side a small hole led to a more open area. Omori ducked through it and stepped out into a different place. It was much brighter outside, and it gave him a better view of the surrounding area. A long highway amidst a deep blue ocean. In the distance, pillars of colored lights flickered from side to side. From the looks of it, they belonged to some sort of huge building.

There didn’t seem to be any cars going by, so Omori walked out into the street. From the looks of it, it stretched on for a long long way. He could see a toll bridge in the distance on one side; on the other, there was nothing but an endless road for as far as he could see. A couple of parked taxis sat on either side of the street, but they didn’t seem to be going anywhere.

Across the way was a huge billboard. It showed what looked like a sunken ship decked out in a fancy manner, with the caption The Last Resort. That was probably the place he’d seen in the distance. It was the main reason so many people had come to Deep Well in recent memory. Apparently, it was supposed to be the best of the best, though their employment methods were dubious at times. It probably qualified as an adventure for the rest of his friends. Perhaps they’d come here while waiting for him to arrive.

It was hard to tell exactly where the hotel’s lights were coming from, but the Gator Guys working at the toll bride looked promising. Omori had a good amount of clams on him from their adventures. The fee itself shouldn’t become a problem. He approached the toll booth, standing on his toes to be seen over the counter. “Excuse me. I’d like to get by here.”

The Gator Guy had been typing away at a computer, but at Omori’s voice turned to the window. “Yeah? I can’t let you by alone, kid. You gotta have at least three others.”

“It’s a toll bride.” Omori shook his bag of clams, letting the jingling money speak for him. “I’ll pay.”

The operator’s eyes gleamed. “Alright, kid, you know how to bargain. Kekeke…” He leaned back in the chair and chuckled to himself. In hindsight, revealing just how much money he had probably hadn’t been the best plan. Omori was willing to pay clams to get by, but a reasonable amount.

The Gator Guy didn’t seem to share his opinion of a reasonable amount. “Call it 10,000 clams and you’re free to go.”

“What?” Omori demanded. “Ten thousand clams is ridiculous.”

“Ten thousand clams is business. If I bend the rules for ya the boss’ll have my tail.” Dismissively, the operator waved his hand and turned back to the computer. “Either cough up the cash or move along.”

Omori was fuming by now. How hard did it have to be to get past a stupid toll bridge? “Just let me pass.”

“Like I said, show me the clams and you’re free to go.”

Omori glared at him for a few seconds before reluctantly pulling out his pouch of money. The Gator Guy grinned as he started to empty clams onto the counter, carefully keeping track to make sure he didn’t give this crook a cent more than he was requiring. Ten thousand clams down the drain. What a waste.

“Omori, hold up!”

A familiar voice broke in as Omori counted out the money. Kel. His friends were here after all.

Kel was waving at him as he ran over, motioning for Omori to stop. There was no sign of Aubrey or Hero yet, but at least Omori had one familiar face to rely on.

“Huff… huff…” Kel slowed to a stop, panting. He straightened up and gave the Gator Guy a stern look. “Omori, don’t give him all your money. That’s not the way to the Last Resort! Come on, save your clams and I’ll show you how to get there!”

The Gator Guy sighed. “Kel, didn’t the boss send you far far away from here?”

“Yeah. I’m supposed to guide people to the Last Resort. I’m doing my job! I’m gonna show Omori where it is!” Kel narrowed his eyes. “But I’m also keeping an eye on you. I’m not going to let you scam Omori like you scammed Aubrey and I!”

“Well, I suppose it’s not that easy,” sighed the Gator Guy. Dejectedly, he turned back to his work. “Alright, keep your clams. Come back only when you have at least four people total and I’ll let you by.”

Omori hurriedly shoved all his clams back into his pocket as Kel hovered nearby. “Thanks, Kel.”

Kel puffed out his chest slightly. “No problem. I gotta help out my friends when I can!” Looking slightly annoyed now, he placed his hands on his hips. “Can you believe Aubrey and I lost all our money here earlier? It’s so dumb… but now we have jobs so we can earn it back, at least.”

“I was looking for all of you. Where’d you go?”

“It’s a long story.” Omori followed Kel as he headed in the other direction, towards one of the parked taxis. “So basically, everyone else on the playground decided to get jobs at the Last Resort. And we were going to too, but Hero said it was a bad idea and that the contracts were unfair or something. So we all came down here to warn everyone… but then Hero had to go to the bathroom and Aubrey and I accidentally lost all our clams while he was gone. So now we work for the Last Resort too.”

Kel held the door open for Omori as he slipped into the taxi, shutting it behind him as he climbed into the backseat. “Take us to the Last Resort, please!” he called. Thankfully, the Gator Guy driving didn’t seem so eager to scam them. He nodded, and a second later the car was tearing across the pavement.

It was difficult to hear over the screeching tires, so Kel raised his voice. “Anyways… I’m really sorry we were gone when you got here. It must have been scary to be all on your own. I swear, we won’t disappear like that again.”

Alone. Omori hadn’t been entirely alone, not for all of the journey, at least. “It’s okay. It wasn’t on purpose. Although speaking of everyone… where are they?”

“Aubrey’s still at the Last Resort,” recalled Kel, squinting out the window at the rapidly growing structure in the distance. “Hero’s there too. He didn’t really want to sign the contract, but apparently the boss really wants him to work here. He might have gotten a job in the time I’ve been out here.”

The car lurched to a stop. “Here we are: The Last Resort!” called the Gator Guy from the front seat.

“Thanks, mister!” Kel opened the door and jumped out, offering his hand to Omori and pulling him to his feet. The doors slammed behind him and Omori found himself staring up at the Last Resort.

If he was being honest, it wasn’t extraordinarily impressive. Omori kept that opinion to himself as he followed Kel through the entrance, down a long walkway to the bottom of a staircase. The hotel’s entrance sat at the top. There was a mailbox next to the door, which Omori made a mental notes of in case they needed supplies later.

“Hey look, it’s Basil!” Kel was right. A little ways in front of the Last Resort, Basil’s gardening tarp was off to the side. There was still no sign of Hero or Aubrey, but Basil was sitting alone, slipping a new roll of film into his camera. Kel veered over to talk to him, closely followed by Omori. “Basil, Omori’s here!”

Omori nodded. Automatically, the three of them had sat down in a circle. Without Hero and Aubrey, there were some empty spots, but it was way better than being alone. “There you are, Basil.”

“Kel, Omori!” greeted Basil. He snapped the back of the camera shut and set it aside. “I’m glad you’re here. Hero came by a little while ago. I think he was looking for you and Aubrey.”

Kel nodded. “Right, the contract. Hero didn’t want us to sign it. I think he said we had to go look for someone? But we found Omori, so we’re all together now. I think it would be fun to work all together.”

“And after work is over…” said Basil patiently. “You’re still going to search for Mari, right?”

“Mari!" Kel realized. "Oh yeah, how could I forget? We can't be working now. Mari could be in danger." He turned to Omori, a determined look in his eyes. "Omori, we have to get the others out of work so we can find Mari!"

“Alright,” agreed Omori, getting to his feet. From the outside, the Last Resort didn’t look very big, but he had no doubt it was probably huge on the inside. There would be a ton of places to search. Splitting up was always an option, but after just reuniting with his friends Omori wasn’t quite ready to split up again. “Do you have any idea where everyone else is?”

Kel considered this for a second before snapping his fingers. “If Hero’s dodging the contract, he’s probably hiding somewhere on the fourth floor, since it’s under construction. I bet we could find him. As for Aubrey, I think she’s working the front desk.”

“Alright,” Omori mused. “We should be able to find them pretty easily.”

“Yeah! Mari’s probably going to be more difficult, since she’s been missing for longer… But I know we can do it.”

Omori nodded and took the lead, giving the big ship an unimpressed look. “Piece of cake.” In case things went badly, he always had his trusty knife. Kel’s skills weren’t to be underestimated either. While he’d prefer a full party, this was good too. A few steps closer to normal.

Hopefully, once they found them all, all of this weirdness would finally end.

Chapter Text

As Kel had predicted, Aubrey was sitting at the front desk when they arrived, scooting around in a swivel chair to talk to all the guests. “Here’s your room key. No– no, ma’am, I’m afraid I don’t know how to do that, you’d have to ask a Gator Guy– Sir, if you’d give me one second, we’re trying to locate your bags, I don’t know how they got lost–”

“Aubrey,” called Kel, but Aubrey shot him an annoyed glance and raised her hand in a one moment gesture.

“Kel, I’m working. You’re supposed to be working too.” An impatient man tapped on the desk bell several times, and Aubrey turned to talk to him with an exasperated “one second, sir, I’m a bit busy.” The phone rang once again. Waving the crowd of people away so she could reach the receiver, she picked up the phone and said “Hello? No, to do that you’d need to call–”

“This isn't going anywhere.” Much to Aubrey’s annoyance, Kel leaned over the desk and plucked the phone from her hand.

“Kel, give me that! You’re going to get me fired!”

Kel grinned. “Well, do ya really want to work this boring job any longer? We’re going to find Hero and Mari, and then we’ll kiss this snoozefest goodbye and get back to real adventures!”

“Mari?” Aubrey blinked, and Omori could practically see the light bulb go off above her head as she remembered. “Right, Mari’s missing!” she gasped. “She’s been on her own for a few days now… she might be in danger or something! You’re right, we’ve got to go look for her. And where’d Hero go? He must be worried sick…”

“Hiding from Mr. Jawsum’s goons, probably.”

“Then he’s probably close by.” Kel placed the phone back on the receiver as Aubrey grabbed her bat, which had been leaning against the desk. Looking much more at ease with her weapon back in hand, she waved away the people crowding her desk and ran over to join them. “You think we should call in sick or something?”

Omori shrugged. “I don’t really think it matters. It sounds like your contracts were illegal on at least ten different levels, so they’re probably not binding.”

“I have a feeling the boss might disagree… but sure, that sounds good,” agreed Kel. “I bet we could all show Mr. Jawsum who’s boss if we wanted too!” He snickered at his own joke and paused for a moment, sighing when they didn’t laugh along. “You know, ‘cause he’s the boss, and we’re going to show him who’s boss… come on, that was funny!”

Ignoring him, Aubrey pulled a map of the Last Resort out of her pocket and held it up so she could see. “Hmm… Where do you think Hero could be?”

“Fourth floor, probably.” Kel’s eyes had started to wander over to the bright lights of the slot machines, so Omori snapped his fingers in front of his face to get him to focus. He jumped back to attention with a guilty grin. “Yep, fourth floor, like I said. It’s full of good spots to hide! I bet if we played Hide-and-Seek there, Mari could totally stay hidden for days and days!”

Despite the fancy-looking ground floor, there didn’t seem to be any staircases. There were elevators, however, which would have to do. “I mean, she has been gone for days. At this point I seriously doubt she’s just playing around.” The crowds of people felt suffocating as they pushed their way through, and Omori made sure to keep a careful eye on Aubrey and Kel in case one of them got lost in the crowd. Luckily, the people thinned out near the elevator.

“I know… just trying to lighten the mood.”

Omori pressed the button to call the elevator, and with a screeching sound the doors slid open.

“Hi, everyone!” As always, Basil greeted them excitedly, pushing aside a stack of flowerpots so all four of them could fit in the elevator. “Aubrey, you found them? That’s good.”

It was kind of weird that he was just sitting around here– inside an elevator in a giant underwater casino definitely wasn’t the kind of place Omori would have expected to see his plant-loving friend. For whatever reason Basil had brought all his gardening things into the elevator with him. The assortment of random items on the floor made finding a place to stand harder. Basil seemed to notice this and sheepishly grinned at Omori, shoving a stack of gardening tools into the corner so he could stand next to him.

“Basil, do you work here too?”

“Me? Oh, no, I don’t think I could handle a real job.” The elevator button dinged as Omori reached out to press the circle marked 4 . Shuddering slightly, the elevator began to move upwards. “I was just hanging around here waiting for you all. I didn’t want to stay at the playground by myself. It gets kind of lonely sometimes.”

“You probably made the right choice.” Kel sighed dramatically, and Basil gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder. “Working is hard! All that setup for the stupid tofu fundraiser and helping guests and everything else is so tedious, and we don’t even get paid.”

At the word tofu , Basil’s eyes lit up. “They’re selling tofu? Where?”

“Not this again! You can’t eat cardboard!”

“It’s not cardboard! I like it!”

“Basil, you know we all love you and I mean this in the kindest way possible, but you have terrible taste.”

“Not just me.” Basil let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like “ Orange Joe .”

“Orange Joe is what gives me the energy to adventure every day!”

“You could come on an adventure with us one of these days,” Aubrey suggested. Grinning, she nudged Basil in the shoulder. “You’ve got it in you to be tough! Plus, it’s super fun!”

Basil giggled along with her, but shrugged Aubrey’s hand off his shoulder. “I think I’ll pass. I’d probably just end up slowing you down, haha.” Seeing Aubrey’s face drop with disappointment, he quickly added “but I’ll always do my best to help you out and stuff! You all come visit so often that we see each other all the time.”

“Okay. Maybe someday!”

Ding. The numbers on the display screen changed to 4 , and the elevator doors screeched open once again.

This floor was way less intricate than the lobby. Planks of wood were sitting around the hallway, a cloud of sawdust was hanging in the air, and he could hear the sound of power tools coming from somewhere nearby. Kel had mentioned it was under construction still. This was probably the right place.

Kel sneezed as he stepped out of the elevator. “Yep, we’re here. It’s so loud. You okay, Omori?”

“Fine.” In truth, the splitting racket made Omori feel as if his head was splitting open, but there wasn’t really anything they could do to change that. Just get Hero, get out of here, and find Mari. It sounded so simple put that way, but he already knew it wouldn’t be that easy. “Bye, Basil. Hold down the fort while we’re gone.”

“On it,” Basil promised, and the elevator doors slid shut again, blocking him from Omori’s view.

Aubrey ran a few steps ahead and peered through one of the unfinished doorways. As she did so, a trickle of dust fell from the top onto her face. She jumped back and scrunched up her nose. “Ugh, it’s so messy out there. I can’t believe the boss is expanding this place even more when sales are already plummeting.”

“I can’t– achoo! ” Kel sneezed again so violently he almost fell over, and Omori reached out a hand to steady him. “Thanks, Omori. There’s so much dust I can hardly– achoo! ”

Omori paused for him. “You good, Kel?”

“Yeah!” Suppressing another sneeze, Kel gave Omori a thumbs-up. His hair was sticking up in all directions, but he didn’t seem to mind. “A little dust is no match for me.”

Omori nodded, and he and Kel navigated around the piles of wood on the floor to join Aubrey. She was lingering in the doorway, waiting. As the two caught up, they fell into their familiar line and moved onwards.

Aubrey really hadn’t been exaggerating when she said it was messy. The outside area was a complete disaster. Whatever architect designed the layout deserved to be fired; once again, there were no stairs, only ladders leading up to platform after platform. The platforms were stacked precariously on top of one another, stretching so far into the sky that Omori had to crane his neck to see them all.

Half of the paths seemed to be blocked as well, by barrels or random assortments of junk. It was already clear that getting around here would be super inconvenient. For all their sakes, Omori hoped Hero was hiding somewhere near the door, or it might take hours to reach him.

There were a couple of Gators Guys loitering around, but they all seemed engrossed by their walkie-talkies. It seemed safe enough to just call for Hero. Omori raised his voice and shouted, “Hero? Are you there?”

His voice echoed back to him in the wide space. Weird that would happen in the ocean, but Deep Well was kind of like a big underwater cavern. After a few moments, a different voice echoed back to him.

“Is that you, Omori?”

“Yes.” Omori turned in a slow circle but didn’t see Hero anywhere. “Where are you?”

“Over here,” came the Hero’s voice. The plants by the edge of the platform rustled, and their fourth party member emerged. He plucked a piece of seaweed off his head and carefully fixed his hair before addressing Omori. “Good to see you’re okay, Omori. You didn’t get tricked into signing a contract, did you?” Omori shook his head, and Hero’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. Everyone else from the playground ended up here as well.”

“Have you been here the whole time?”

“Mostly. I went to the lobby to try and find Kel and Aubrey earlier, so I asked Basil to pass on a message.”

With a tired sigh, Hero absentmindedly spun his frying pan around in his hands. He cast a stern glance at the other two, who shrunk back in shame. “You two, try to be more careful next time, okay? If something like this happens again, Omori and I won’t always be there to help you out.”

“We know, Hero…” muttered Kel. As soon as Hero had looked away, he stuck his tongue out at Aubrey, who made a face at him in return. Rolling his eyes, Omori tried to mimic Hero’s older-brother glare. Both of them quickly turned their eyes to the floor. “But we’ve got a way to get out of work. We’re just gonna run and hope nobody stops us.”

“Is that gonna work?” said Aubrey doubtfully.

Kel shrugged. “It should! We’ve been here all day… we have to go!”

“Are we really in such a rush?”

“Yeah… yeah?” With a slight frown, Kel tossed his ball from hand to hand. “I mean, yeah, I’m pretty sure Hero was annoyed at us for the contracts ‘cause he wanted us to get out of here fast.”

“You’re usually the one who wants to rush everywhere,” Hero argued. “I don’t really care where we go after this, as long as you and Aubrey don’t start any more fights.”

Do you want to follow me?

Something was wrong, wasn’t it?

The rest of the group kept on talking, oblivious to Omori’s distraction. “But we’ve gone to Vast Forest, like, a million times,” Aubrey was arguing. “We should try somewhere new.”

“Where?” Kel shot back. “I’m pretty sure we’ve explored almost everywhere by now.”

“Wasn’t there a pair of bread deities in the desert? That sounded cool. I heard there were lots of bunnies there.”

Hero nodded, looking thoughtful. “We’d need a train ticket, but I bet we could get our hands on one if we tried. Is everyone up for that?”

Aubrey and Kel voiced their agreements, and Omori realized they’d all turned to him. “What do you say, Omori?” exclaimed Aubrey. “Let’s go adventuring!”

I can’t stand seeing you like this, Sunny.

“...Mari.”

One word. At his response, three confused faces stared back at him. “Mari?” Hero repeated. “What about Mari? She’s not here, is she?”

Aubrey shook her head. “No, Mari’s at the playground with Basil.”

“No she’s not,” Kel argued. “Mari’s in Otherworld, isn’t she?”

“You’re confusing me,” interrupted Hero. “I thought she went to the forest?”

Kel broke in. “Omori, quit confusing us,” he complained. “Do you want to go see Mari or something?”

Omori crossed his arms. “We don’t know where Mari is.”

“Um…” Aubrey blinked and gleaned between Hero and Kel. “We don’t? She’s usually hanging out with Basil.”

Hero snapped his fingers. “We could just ask Basil. He’d know where Mari is.”

Omori doubted he did. Kel seemed to disagree. “Oh yeah, that’s a good idea! Should we wait for him by the tarp?”

“Wait for him?” Omori repeated. Besides a couple of… mishaps in the past few days, Basil always stayed where he was: on the sidelines, away from danger. They’d seen him just a few minutes ago, and he was never far from wherever the party happened to be.

It didn’t seem like the others had heard his question; they were already going on ahead. Omori had no choice but to chase after them as they scaled one of the ladders to an elevated area. The view was decent, he supposed. It mostly just looked out at a deep and endless ocean.

Even if nobody else is by your side… you’ve got me.

In the center of the platform sat a familiar tarp. Aubrey, Kel, and Hero gathered around it, seemingly unbothered, chatting amongst themselves as they walked.

Basil himself was nowhere to be found, as well as most of his stuff. The potted plants were missing; the photo album wasn’t there either, nor were the large assortment of tools Basil always seemed to have on hand. The tarp looked bare and empty without them.

There was no wind, but the edges of the tarp seemed to be fluttering slightly. After a slight hesitation, Omori joined the others standing by it. He kneeled beside it and carefully lifted the corner.

A blast of cold air hit him as soon as he did, and Omori jumped back, dropping the corner of the tarp to the ground. It shivered in the air for a few seconds before drifting to a stop.

Black Space.

That… wasn’t supposed to be there. It wasn’t supposed to be anywhere. That was the point; none of that could reach here. For Sunny’s well-being, it was for the better.

Kel, Aubrey, and Hero hadn’t said anything, despite the fact that Omori had so obviously flinched back. They didn’t seem to notice at all.

He found himself glancing back at where he knew the hole was, almost tempted.

For Sunny’s sake… It was imperative he resist the pull.

But… Sunny and Omori were linked. Sunny’s curiosity tugged Omori onward.

What was it that he’d banished to Black Space, all the way back when Headspace had first been created?

Omori… couldn’t remember.

You’ve been here as long as you can remember. You can’t remember.

Why couldn’t he remember?

Perhaps… the answer to the strange things that had been happening lay there, in the place Omori had sworn never to set foot in again.

He spared another glance at his friends.

They couldn’t notice.

The only ones who did notice…

Basil and Mari. They were different from his other friends.

They could help him stop this.

He lifted the tarp away completely, revealing the puddle of darkness beneath.

Why are you still ignoring me?

Omori took a deep breath and jumped.

Chapter Text

He thought he’d already overcome his fear of heights, but the fall down into the abyss was terrifying in a whole new way. The moment he had the chance to regret it, gravity was already dragging him into the yawning abyss. The sensation of being weightless and powerless was too much to bear. Cold air rushed past Omori’s face as he plummeted, floundering around in any attempt to save himself.

Omori couldn’t see a thing; not where he was, how far he’d gone, where the drop would end. The lights from the Last Resort had vanished the moment he’d jumped, the tarp falling back down to conceal the entrance. Not a single one of his friends had followed him. Despite only just reuniting with them, Omori was once again alone.

But… it didn’t feel much different. The friends who accompanied him… they were flat and lifeless. All he’d had to do to see that was look a little closer and it became obvious. The ugly truth was hidden in plain sight; it wasn’t something he could face alongside them.

This place that he’d sealed away was for Omori and Omori only.

Welcome back, Dreamer.

A faint spot of light became visible below, and Omori fell right into it. The next moment he was standing upright again. The surrounding area was almost completely dark, but he seemed to be in some sort of small room. Light from nowhere illuminated the area he stood on enough for him to see a few steps in front of him. The sudden stability was almost as jarring as the sudden fall, and Omori almost fell again, barely managing to right himself. He reached out and grabbed onto the banister for support, hanging onto it like a lifeline.

It took him a moment to realize the significance of that.

Contrary to his original thoughts, the place he was standing wasn’t a room at all. Rather, it was a narrow landing. There wasn’t much room to walk; on three sides, it dropped off into nothingness.

The last side had a wide staircase leading downwards. He couldn’t see how far it went.

A single banister was mounted to the side, a banister Omori was currently clinging to. He shoved it away as if it was a poisonous snake.

There was only one way down, wasn’t there?

No. There had to be another path.

Omori retreated from the edge of the staircase and stared off the other ledges, straining to see how far they stretched. If it was only a short drop… he wouldn’t have to go through that fall again, and he could skip the staircase. Because the staircase was bad. That he was sure of. Some primal fear had awoken as soon as he’d realized where he was standing.

The staircase was bad. There had to be a different path.

But falling was also bad. Omori didn’t want to do that again.

It was impossible to see a thing through the blackness. Why he could see the staircase, it was hard to say. There was no lightbulb; this wasn’t like White Space, where everything was clearly visible in the stark light. No, this was the opposite, total darkness all around.

His instincts had been wrong. That had to be it. Omori had sealed this place for a reason, and that secret had been lost along with it.

Coming here had been a bad idea. He needed to leave, right now.

But leaving meant either jumping off the side and hoping for the best or walking down that staircase.

The staircase is bad.

It should have been an easy choice. A leap of faith or a normal walk.

But the staircase was bad. That thought kept bugging him, stopping Omori from going any further.

Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea. Bad idea.

“What are you waiting for?”

That voice. Omori whirled around and saw Stranger standing there by the edge. Her silhouette was practically invisible in the surrounding darkness. All he could see were the pale pinpricks of light that must have been her eyes.

“You’ve come this far. You’re close… It’s time to find the truth. Only then can you finally be free.”

This stranger’s words… they sparked a mixture of emotions Omori didn't quite recognize. It didn’t make sense. He… didn’t know this person. He didn’t.

“Who are you?”

"To you... just as you see me. A Stranger." Stranger took a moment to think before continuing. “When you chose to become nothing, I hid myself away. Your sister… she will be difficult to save. If you do not wish to find her, you will be doomed to fail from the start, because she herself does not want to be found.” She paused to let that sink in. “Tell me. Is this what you truly wish?”

“Where’s Mari?”

Stranger raised an eyebrow. “Right here. However, I suppose you wouldn’t recognize me. I am a stranger to you by now. Not truly Mari, but closer than that… copy.” She sighed and took a step back, ushering Omori towards the staircase. “There’s nothing else I can say for now. From here on in, whether or not you find your sister will be up to you. To find the truth of four years ago.”

“I just want to find my sister,” Omori insisted. “It’s dangerous here.”

“Do you remember why it is so dangerous to you?”

Omori opened his mouth to respond but quickly realized he couldn’t.

He sealed away Black Space… because it was harmful to Sunny. Things that were harmful to Sunny were bad.

Bad… like the staircase.

He put the bad things here. That way couldn’t hurt Sunny. What those things were…

Even Omori wasn’t sure what lay within.

“There are… bad things. Nobody is supposed to come here.”

“Hmm…” Stranger crossed the landing and placed her hand on the banister, staring down into the emptiness. “Those bad things… they’re no longer contained down here. Sunny, my little brother… They’ve become too strong for you. If you want to find a way out of here, you can’t keep searching for ways to undo the past. You have to accept it.”

That was the wrong name.

“Omori.”

This… was Omori’s domain. To protect the Dreamer… he was the one who dealt with these types of things.

Stranger seemed to disagree, just as Basil had in the garden earlier. “I’m speaking to Sunny, if he can hear me.”

Can you hear me, little brother?

There was more to ask, more to say. Before Omori could, however, Stranger had walked off. She moved down the staircase and within a few seconds had disappeared into the darkness.

Down there were bad, evil things.

Omori was afraid of them. Sunny was curious about them. What made them so bad? What had motivated him to go this far to lock them away?

The answer was down there. Mari might be down there.

Plus… it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go. The staircase was the safest. Hurling himself off the edge and hoping for the best was stupid and more dangerous than walking down a simple staircase.

This simple staircase made him want to curl up and hide, but logically, it was the best choice.

Staircase it was, then.

Omori kept one hand on the banister for support and started down. It was just a couple of stairs. Nothing to be afraid of. Nothing he should be afraid of.

He’d been right not to jump; this passage went deep. From the top, the stairs had appeared to be a straight shot to the area below, but they stretched on for what seemed like forever. The further he went, the more twists and curves there were and the smaller the steps seemed to grow. The initially wide stairs quickly morphed into a thin, circular path that still spiraled too far below to see.

After a few more steps Omori paused. There had been noise behind him. Footsteps. Not his own. Was Stranger back? He’d been certain she was in front of him, but maybe she’d found a way to loop around and sneak up on him. He waited a moment, but the sounds had stopped.

Maybe he’d imagined it. Yet when Omori resumed walking, he heard them again, footsteps behind him. He stopped again and the footsteps cut off. That wasn’t a coincidence.

“ Sunny… ”

This time he didn’t bother being subtle, whirling around as soon as he heard the voice. “Basil? Where are you?” Only the darkness responded. Besides the strange glow that always seemed to light the few steps in front of him, the darkness stubbornly remained. Omori could barely even see the steps he’d passed at this point.

Nothing behind him. False alarm.

Get it together.

He turned around and nearly stopped breathing.

It was there, blocking his way. Something.

Or perhaps he should say… Basil. What had started as Basil, at least. But the decayed and blackened skin, the soaked and wrinkled hair, the single eye… it had all come together into the nightmarish abomination that seemed to follow him around. Under the shadows that usually hid the familiar features, he could see it. His best friend's face.

His dead face.

“ Sunny… I miss you… ”

Basil–

He couldn't swim. Kel and Hero had to drag him out of the lake that day.

He hadn’t woken up when they brought him back to shore.

That day… Basil never woke up.

By that point he was already long gone.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no

Basil should have known better than to go swimming alone.

Basil would have known what was going to happen to him if he did that.

Basil left his things at the edge of the dock because he must have known.

Basil killed himself.

What reason would have Basil do that?

Nobody suspected a thing beforehand.

There was nothing to suspect

Omori blinked and found himself in a different place.

There was no sign of the staircase or Something. Somehow he’d ended up in what seemed to be an entirely new area. Too anxious to look around yet, Omori took a few moments to calm himself down.

It was Black Space, so of course it was going to be bad. The nightmarish creations he conjured up became real here, along with who knew what else housed in the shadows. Sunny’s mind was a dark place. There was a reason Omori sealed this part of it away. Now that he’d ended up so deep within, it would be difficult to find a way out without disrupting a few things.

Someone tapped on his shoulder, and Omori nearly jumped out of his skin.

“There you are, little brother!”

Not a monster. Not a Stranger. Mari.

Mari looked exactly the same as she had before her disappearance, purple hair. pale skin, and wide smile. Her picnic basket was nowhere to be found, but the pockets of her skirt were crowded with knickknacks. Gifts from their friends. They ranged from strange rocks to dried flowers, but she kept them all.

“Mari?”

“Tada,” said Mari grandly. She had a flashlight in her hands, which Omori hadn’t noticed at first. The light from it didn’t reach very far at all. A small white blip in the sea of darkness.

“Took you long enough, Omori,” Mari sighed. With a feigned expression of hurt, she added, “I’ve been waiting here for ages! You haven’t forgotten the rules of Hide-and-Seek, have you?”

“Hide… and Seek?”

Was it actually like Kel had said earlier? Mari was just messing around?

No. A game wouldn’t screw up everything for three whole days.

Mari gasped. “Omori, how could you? I went to all this trouble of finding the perfect spot, too!” The light on her flashlight flickered out. Mari didn’t seem to notice. “I came out to see you because you looked lost. We’re going to have to start all over again!”

We can’t start this again. “No.”

“Rules are rules, Omori.” Mari shrugged. “You wrote the rules yourself. Since you never technically found me… we’ll play another round!” It was starting to become a bit off-putting. How… unbothered Mari was by everything. No mention of the thing in the water, or their conversation in Otherworld. Even the fact that they were in a place Mari definitely shouldn’t be able to enter didn't phase her. “How about it? There’s a ton of places to hide here, hehe… and don’t think I’ll give you another hint like I did this time!”

“We don’t have time for games.”

Mari only grinned. Once she got an idea into her head, there was no turning back. The boundless energy she’d had at fifteen… Where had it gone in his real sister?

“Come on, Omori, it’ll be fine.” Mari gestured off into the darkness behind her. Omori tried to squint to see where she was motioning to, but there didn’t seem to be anything. “You can seek the exit, seek the truth… but don’t go forgetting to seek for me, little brother!”

Mari looked off into the emptiness a second time, and Omori followed her gaze to try and see what she was staring at. There wasn’t anything there, but Mari seemed to disagree; after a moment, a slight frown rose to her lips.

“Hmm… but maybe you don’t have much time? You can ask the others to help. I’m sure they’d be happy to play.”

Mari… was right here. There was no reason for her to disappear again. All they needed to do was find an exit.

Before he could say anything, Mari kept on talking. “I’m going to hide… make sure you don’t get lost too, okay?”

“Wait, Mari–”

He reached out to grab Mari’s hand, but she was gone as suddenly as if she’d vanished into smoke.

She had been right there. What was Mari thinking, running off on her own again in a place like this?

You will be doomed to fail from the start.

He was not… doomed , as Stranger had put it. He did want to find Mari. She was his sister. The stranger’s words… they must have been meant to confuse him. Black Space was a place of mind games and tricks. This weird game had to be one of them.

Shapes had begun to rise from the ground on all sides. Omori drew his knife, but quickly realized they weren’t enemies.

Six gates. Not small gates but big, fancy gates made of white metal curled together in elaborate patterns. They were all arranged in a circle, with him in the center. All six appeared to be completely freestanding. Omori couldn’t see what was past them despite the holes in the gratings, but he could sense a different type of energy radiating from beyond each door.

Now that he looked a bit closer, Omori saw that the gates were not completely identical. The patterns in the metal were different; the area at the top, which he’d just thought showed plants at first, changed from door to door, with each one showing a slightly different scene. The handles were different too, decorative flowers cast in metal.

He recognized all of them. Six doors. Roses, gladiolus, cacti, sunflowers, lily of the valley, and tulips. One of each.

On the ground in front of Omori, a key had risen to the surface as if it were water. Moments later the ground became solid and firm again. He picked up the key and contemplated the choice before him. Six gates and only one key. Which one first?

His legs carried him over to the sunflower gate, but he found himself wavering. After a moment Omori turned around and went for the rose gate instead. There could be bad things behind those doors. If it was another Something… for now, he’d prefer to avoid that. Knowing what kind of place he was in, it was inevitable. But a different door might offer a calmer start.

The Dreamer was growing curious again. Omori could sense it. That was the reason he wasn’t more hesitant to open these gates, like the sense that had pushed him to jump down into the dark earlier.

Curiosity like that was dangerous, but it wasn’t really something either of them could control.

The key fit perfectly into the lock, and Omori gave the rose gate a shove. It swung open. A sliver of light poked through the opening that hadn’t been there before, the first light he’d seen in Black Space.

This was as good a place to start as any.

Sunny…

Everything is going to be okay…

Chapter Text

The gate’s hinges complained as Omori stepped through. Up close, the perfectly crafted metal was dotted with rust. It seemed these gates hadn’t been used in a long time. Despite this, the gate opened fully with no problems besides an obnoxious squeaking sound.

It wasn’t as dark here. The sky was nowhere near as bright as the purple Headspace sky Omori was used to, but the pitch darkness had let up a bit. He could see the stars now. They gave off an unearthly light against the gray sky. The slowly rocking constellations were able to lessen his tension, but only a little. Against the horizon, a pale glow was visible. The sun would rise soon.

What did the sun look like in Headspace? Omori had lived here for as long as he could remember, but night had always stretched on. That wasn’t really a bad thing. Night was beautiful here. Against the purple sky, you could see a million stars.

There had been a lot of things he couldn’t help but wonder about lately. Maybe Black Space was starting to get to his head.

The light from the sky illuminated his surroundings. Instead of the smooth black floor from the previous area, the ground had shifted to some sort of gravel. The gate had let him out in what looked like the center of a walkway. The path on either side of him was lined with roses of every color. Against the monochrome background, they seemed especially bright. The vibrant colors seemed to have been fading in Headspace as of late, but these were as vivid as ever, rustling softly in the slight breeze. There were trees as well, further off in the distance. The whole area sort of resembled Vast Forest, but a quieter, more subdued version. This path was a lot wider than the one to the Neighbor’s Room.

The path led forward, but the area was more or less open. There wasn’t a person in sight. In such a flat area, he would have seen Mari immediately if she was here. The roses weren’t tall enough for someone to hide in.

She’d mentioned Hide-and-Seek. Where would be a good place to hide?

The trees, maybe? Omori hesitantly took a step towards the forest that lined the field of flowers, but quickly ruled it out. The roses were so tightly clustered he’d have to walk right over them to get to the forest. Anyone hiding in the trees would have surely left a trail of crushed flowers.

There wasn’t much else he could do but follow the path.

It was more or less silent as Omori walked down the gravely road. The only sounds were the rustling of the roses and his own footsteps. The quiet felt lonely. On a journey like this, he had grown accustomed to the murmuring of his friends by him. No matter the situation, he could count on a clever remark from Kel, a word of assurance from Hero, encouragement from Aubrey.

He missed them.

There was a reason they had been split up. Something had broken their group a long time ago.

Was it the same thing that broke Sunny?

“Mari?” The roses were fluttering again, disturbed by a gust of wind that swept across the planes. Omori shivered as its cold touch sent a shiver down his spine. There was no sun to guide the way, not yet. In the wind it almost sounded like the roses were whispering to one another. He wouldn’t be surprised if they held secrets too. Down here, everything did.

There was no response. The sweet smell of the flowers was beginning to feel suffocating, but there was still no sign of Mari.

Perhaps he should check the trees anyway. It was possible Mari had managed to get over there without leaving a visible trail. She had just disappeared into thin air earlier, after all. The shadowy branches would provide plenty of cover; there would be lots of places for a person to hide.

He glanced at the ground and blinked in surprise. Color seemed to be seeping through the gray gravel. Gradually, the blurs took shape, and Omori realized what they were. A set of bright red footprints.

They couldn’t be his own. The prints stretched far ahead onto the path, way ahead of where Omori had been when he saw them. Someone else had been here, and he had a pretty good idea of who.

“Mari?” he called again, louder this time. The footprints themselves most likely didn’t belong to Mari. They felt too sinister for that. This was more likely the work of Stranger. She had seemed to know something about Mari’s whereabouts. If she was nearby, perhaps Mari was as well. “Mari? Are you here?”

No response. A few moments passed in silence. Omori had elected to simply keep walking. The pathway couldn’t go on forever, so there had to be an end in sight. He just had to keep going until he found it.

The wind changed directions, and another, fainter scent reached his nose. It was gone just as quickly, but enough to make him pause.

It had to mean something. Omori closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to discern the weaker smell buried among the flowers.

It was there. He was sure of it now. The smell of freshly baked cookies, coming from somewhere up ahead. Omori opened his eyes and sped up his pace, eager to reach the end of this trail.

It had to mean Mari was nearby. Who else would it be? Everyone agreed Mari’s cookies were the best. Whenever someone was having a bad day, that was her cure. She’d breeze into the room with a smile, and soon enough things would be better.

The footprints led in the same direction he’d smelled the cookies from. In his hurry to move forward, he’d trampled a few of them. They seemed even brighter now, like they were burned into his vision. Omori noticed something he hadn’t before: among all the colors of roses in the field, he couldn’t spot a single red one.

There.

Up ahead. Shapes had begun to appear against the horizon. It was too far for him to see properly, but it looked to be the silhouette of a person.

Could this be it? Omori hoped so. Maybe he’d gotten lucky and chosen the right door first. That was assuming there even was a right door, but at least one of them had to contain the way out, didn’t it?

As he got closer his heart sank. That definitely wasn’t Mari up ahead. A familiar face, but not quite the one he’d hoped to see.

This was fine too. Omori had been hoping for company. What Hero was doing all the way out here, he had no idea, but Hero was good with directions. He probably knew the way home.

The other shapes turned out to be an old wooden picnic table, set a little ways off the path. Hero was sitting at one end. From his posture, he’d been waiting a while; he looked half asleep, his head resting on the top of the table. He blinked and sat up as Omori approached, looking embarrassed to be caught.

“Oh, hello, Omori.”

“Hi, Hero.” The smell of cookies was coming from a platter sitting on one side of the table, across from Hero. Chocolate chip cookies, just as he’d thought, only Mari was nowhere to be found. The platter looked fresh. In fact, there was still steam rising from it.

After a slight hesitation Omori took a seat across from Hero.

“What are you doing?”

“Waiting for Mari to get back,” explained Hero. There was nothing urgent in his tone. “You’re welcome to join us, Omori. I made cookies! Although… I doubt they’re as good as Mari’s, haha. Hers have much more love baked into them.”

Omori wasn’t hungry, but reached over and accepted a cookie anyways. He’d expected them to be hot. They were still steaming, after all. But no warmth seeped into his hands, no sense of home. He set the cookie back down.

“Can you help me find Mari?”

Hero blinked. He glanced over at the rose field, then back to Omori. “Did you get separated earlier? She went to get something, but she’ll be back soon.”

They had been separated. They lived in the same house, passed by each other day after day, but a wall had been driven between them. If he didn’t catch up to Mari he might never figure out what that was.

“Yeah. Can we look for her?”

“Of course.” Hero stood up, dusting off his pajamas. “I’m pretty sure Mari went back to where the others are. I can help you find her.”

“Thank you.”

Hero skirted around the table, careful not to crush any of the flowers. As he did, Omori noticed a single blossom sticking from his pocket. A purple rose. It bobbed up and down as he moved over to where Omori was standing.

Now that he had a companion, Omori felt a little more secure. Hero’s presence had that effect on people; he just seemed to have a way of calming people down. It was no wonder Basil had matched him with the popular flower that was currently blooming in the thousands around the area.

“Ready, Omori?” Omori nodded, and the two of them set off down the path. The red footprints hadn’t faded. Like before, they led away from the way he’d come, off in the direction of the rising light.

Hero hadn’t said anything about the prints, so Omori didn’t either. He had more than enough questions without considering that particular mystery.

“Hero, why were you alone all the way out here?”

“I was just saving the spot until the others got back. Aubrey fell out of a tree and scratched her leg, so Mari went back with her to find some Band-Aids.”

“Is Aubrey okay?”

“She’s fine,” Hero assured him. “She took a pretty bad fall, but she’ll be alright. Kel and Basil tagged along too… although on second thought, maybe I should have told them to stay here, or it might turn into a bigger mess… Hopefully they’ll be fine. Kel might not listen to me, but he’ll usually listen to Mari.”

If anyone knew about Mari, it would be Hero. It was worth a shot. “Are you sure we’ll find her there?”

Hero seemed to sense the worry in his tone. “Yeah. I didn’t mean to worry you. Aubrey’s not seriously injured– Mari just wanted to make sure she was okay. You know how she is with taking care of everyone.”

“How long ago did she leave?”

“Um…” For the first time, Hero paused. He seemed unsure of his answer as he said, “not too long ago, I think? I might’ve dozed off, so it’s hard to say for sure.” He stopped walking and glanced over at Omori, seeming to finally pick up on his mood. “Is something the matter?”

Would Hero understand, even if Omori tried to explain?

“Mari’s hiding. I don’t know where to find her.”

“Oh.” Hero’s expression relaxed. “Actually, I think she might have mentioned something like that. I can help you look. Although, Mari’s the defending Hide-and-Seek champion for a reason.”

In the time they’d been walking, the path had opened up, widening until it was mostly gravel. In the center was a set of steps leading up to a door. It wasn’t like the doors he had seen in Black Space, or even in White Space. It was just… a door. A normal-looking door. Omori paused in front of it, as did Hero.

Omori grasped the handle but hesitated. This didn’t seem like a way out, but he also had no idea what might be behind here. The door was freestanding; though it looked nonthreatening, he had no idea what might lie behind it.

“You’re sure this is the right way?”

“Pretty sure, at least.” Hero frowned slightly. “Do you want me to go first?”

“No, I’ll go.” The path ended after reaching the door. Once again, he didn’t really have another option. Through the door it was.

–

This time, entering the new area was much more unpleasant.

As he stepped through the door, Omori felt his stomach flip as the light overtook his vision. He closed his eyes, but it didn’t make much of a difference. The light seemed to burn right through his eyelids, sending pain through his skull.

It was over just as soon as it had begun. The light vanished like it had never been there at all, and Omori found himself sitting on the ground of a familiar house. Though he hadn’t been there in forever, he knew the spot. Kel and Hero’s house.

He wasn’t alone either. Kel, Aubrey, and Basil were hovering by the doorframe, just close enough so they wouldn’t be seen by anyone inside. There were voices coming from within the kitchen that seemed to belong to Hero and Mari. Ah, so they were eavesdropping. There were no bright colors, no purple overlay, just their normal old selves.

He’d seen this before. This was a memory.

It wasn’t the version Omori normally saw here. They looked… real. No filter, no rose-colored glass, just a simple unedited memory.

Huh.

Omori’s gaze lingered on Basil for a few seconds. Different, yet the same. It had been a long time since he saw Basil… real , like this. Even if a memory couldn’t technically be counted as real, it felt more real than the teal-haired copy and definitely more real than the nightmare demon.

That didn’t change anything. He tore his eyes away from Basil and crept over to listen alongside the others.

“...didn’t think it would be this difficult to keep up.” Hero was sitting by the counter, head lying on his hands. He looked exhausted. “I knew what I was getting into, but I’m still having way more trouble than I expected. Maybe I’m not cut out for this after all.”

“Don’t say that, Hero,” said Mari gently. She’d been standing by the window, but crossed the kitchen to sit next to Hero. “You’re taking so many advanced courses, it would be hard for anyone to keep up. But you’ve been doing really well so far.”

“But I haven’t.” Hero’s response was muffled; he’d slumped over entirely with his head in his hands and made no move to sit back up. “I completely screwed up both my tests last week… I’d really hate to quit at this point, but I just don’t know if I’ll be able to balance everything like this or my grades are going to plummet again.” He let out a sigh. “This is pathetic, isn’t it… ugh, I thought I’d be able to do this, but I just keep screwing up.”

Mari sat by him in silence for a few seconds. In the doorframe, the other three seemed torn on whether to sneak away or stay. Kel and Aubrey exchanged a glance, and after a moment they seemed to settle on staying put.

“It’s not pathetic. Even with all the after-school stuff you do, you’ve been doing really well in class up until now. And you’re taking a ton of college-level courses, probably more than anyone else in our year, which is definitely nothing to sneeze at.” Hero nodded distractedly, and Mari frowned, her gaze softening. “That’s not all, is it? Did one of your parents say something?”

“It’s not them.” At Mari’s doubtful glance, Hero added, “my mom had a few things to say about my test grades, but it’s not her. I think I’m just getting in my head again.”

Mari gave Hero’s hand a reassuring squeeze as Hero sat up. “I know it’s easier said than done, but you put too much pressure on yourself.” She smiled slightly. “You know why I like you so much, Hero? It’s not because of your grades or your hair or any reason like that. I like you because you’re the guy who made me feel welcome in this town when I didn’t know anyone at all. I like you because you’re the one who helped my brother get home when he was lost even though you didn’t know him. I like you because you’re one of the greatest people I’ve ever met, and things always feel better when you’re around.” Hero had buried his face in his hands again, but this time it was to conceal the slight blush that had risen to his cheeks. “You can do this. I can help you study if you want, or I could distract the younger ones so you can have some time to prepare.” At this, Kel, Aubrey, and Basil glanced at one another and moved further from the door, trying to make sure Hero and Mari couldn’t see them crouching there. “Chin up. Things feel awful sometimes, but eventually, they do get better.”

A few moments passed. “Thank you, Mari.”

“Anytime. Let me know if you need anything.”

The voice from the kitchen faded to a quiet murmur, and the next moment Omori felt his surroundings violently shift again, depositing him back into darkness.

That had been something. While many of Omori’s memories had become clouded with time, some were still vivid, like that one. Hero stressing about his classes, and Mari knowing exactly what to say. That was shortly before they got together- or, at least, shortly before they revealed it to the younger ones, anyways. For all the time they spent hanging out with the younger members of the group, Mari and Hero had had a lot on their plates with school, especially with Mari's piano practices and the sheer amount of classes Hero was taking. That was how they'd gotten close, helping each other out when times got tough. When Mari was discouraged prepping for a solo recital, Hero was always there to cheer her on. When Hero crashed from stress the way he had in the memory, Mari helped him get back on his feet. 

If that were to happen now, how would it end up? Not the same, that was for sure. Hero and Mari barely spoke anymore. Not to mention, Mari had put up some sort of wall between herself and everyone else. She wasn’t the same as she had been before.

The same way Sunny would never be the same.

That thing… the mystery that broke their friends, broke Sunny. Why had Mari been broken so much more than the others? Why did her joyous younger self haunt his memories?

That was one of the reasons Omori hated Black Space. Instead of answers, he only got a thousand more questions. Deciphering the truth from within this intricate web of illusions and memories seemed impossible.

The flower gates were back. Five remained: sunflower, tulip, cactus, gladiolus, and lily of the valley. The rose gate had vanished. In its place was another key and another choice.

Where to next?

“ Lost, Dreamer? ” Omori couldn’t see the Stranger, but he heard her voice. Of course. She must be seeing as of it, all his confusion over this. She knew. She had to know. And yet, she wouldn’t tell him.

He raised his voice and shouted, “where’s Mari?”

The only response he got was a sigh. “ If you open your eyes, the answer has been before you all along. But in order to do that, there is more you must face. I won’t be able to help you through all of it. Some of it you must face alone. ”

Help. Omori scoffed. If the Stranger really wanted to help, she would lead him to Mari. But no. That would be too easy.

Omori picked up the key from the ground and turned back to the five flowery gates. Five chances to find his sister and get out of this hellhole.

Five more gates max, and maybe this madness would finally end.

Chapter Text

The intense feeling of loneliness had returned along with the gates. Omori had lost track of Hero at some point; his Headspace self hadn’t followed Omori into the memory, and it seemed his real world self had vanished as well once the memory ended. It was as he’d seen before, Hero, Aubrey, and Kel weren’t so closely tied to their real-world counterparts. Basil was different because, well… he didn’t have one.

And then there was Mari, who he still had to find.

The memory from before, brought to the front of his mind, remained, and Omori took a few moments to ponder it again. He’d been hoping Hero might be able to help. After all, he’d been the closest to Mari. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had much luck. Maybe it was a bad thing that Omori couldn’t return to that area; Hero’s company could have been more helpful out here, where there were more directions to choose from. But the rose gate didn’t seem to be coming back.

It wasn’t like he had nowhere to go, but the question was which one next. Once again he’d found himself with a single key, so Omori would have to take this one step at a time.

Now, at least, he had a better sense of what he might be facing in there. Hero had accompanied him throughout the rose area, but he hadn’t gotten any information on where Mari might be.

Logically that meant Mari must be behind the Lily of the Valley door. Omori had been a bit wary of that one at first, since it seemed likely he might find himself pursued by Something or Stranger, but seeing Hero had been a good sign.

If Mari was here, she was probably somewhere behind that gate.

With that in mind, Omori made for the Lily of the Valley door. Just as before, he inserted the lock into the keyhole.

The metal groaned in protest as he pushed it, still decidedly closed. The key wouldn’t turn. Omori gave it another shove, hoping it might just be stuck, but the gate remained shut. Upon closer inspection, the key didn’t fit the keyhole.

He gave the bars one last push, hoping the old metal might give way, but no such luck. He wouldn't be able to go this way, not until he found a key that fit this lock. Hero’s gate had granted him one. If Omori were to pass through another area, perhaps he would be able to get the key he needed.

That left four options.

Cacti. Kel. That door was closest. No matter the situation, Kel never gave up. His enthusiasm might be just what Omori needed to find a way out of here. Of course, that was assuming he’d be there at all, but if Hero had been behind the rose door it seemed like a safe bet. Kel was determined, that was for sure. Alongside him Omori always felt more secure, knowing that someone had his back.

The cacti door was definitely a solid option, but he’d have to be careful about this.

Gladiolus could be a good choice as well. Though the Aubrey from the real world hadn’t been on the best terms with Sunny, her twelve-year old self wasn’t affected by any of that. Aubrey was fierce when she wanted to be, and she looked up to Mari more than anyone. She would make sure that they found Mari safely. Like Kel, she knew how to keep everyone’s spirits up.

What else?

Tulip. That door stood directly across from Omori, the shadows casting the darkness behind it into sharper relief. If Hero had been by the rose door, then what would be behind that one if Omori was out here?

Technically, the tulip represented Sunny, not Omori. Though they were one in the same, they definitely had their differences as well. This was Omori’s domain, the things he had to shield Sunny from. If there was a chance that the tulip door might trigger some sort of negative reaction from Sunny, it was too big a risk.

Last was sunflower, the door he both did and didn’t want to open. After attempting Mari’s door, who knew if the key would even fit, but Omori was hesitant to try it. It was hard to say who would be beyond that door. Would it be Basil, or would it be a nightmare? Even if it was the normal version of Basil, that would mean that he’d been dragged down here as well, and though Omori was unsure that Basil(or anyone) would even acknowledge this awful place, that outcome was far from ideal. He’d seen where Something came from earlier. Basil, the way his body had appeared as he’d been dragged from the water. Basil might die, or decompose, or something equally horrible if Omori couldn’t keep his wits about him.

Sunflower was out. So was tulip, for the time being. That left two.

Gladiolus next.

Hero hadn’t been able to reveal anything, but Aubrey might know more.

The key slid in with no problems, and Omori was able to part the wide metal gates until the same light as before peeked through.

–

There were no walkways this time, and Omori found himself standing in a field. The gate had disappeared as soon as he’d stepped through; when he turned around in a circle, the only thing visible was the flowers, brightly colored blossoms that stretched as far as the eye could see. Not that that was very far to begin with. The light had been blinding when he first stepped through the double doors, but similar to the first time, it dimmed once he got his bearings, fading to a soft glow beyond the horizon, almost like a monochrome sunrise.

It wasn’t very hard to identify that the field was composed entirely of gladiolus, thousands of them packed together so tightly Omori could barely move without crushing them. The vibrant array was just as out of place as it had been in the last area. Normally he would welcome something like this, but in a place like Black Space, it just felt eerie.

There really wasn’t much to look at. Every direction looked the same; in turning around to see if the gate was still there, Omori had lost track of which direction he’d been facing when he arrived. With no path and no guide, he’d be on his own.

Hesitantly, he began to work his way forward. The stems bent under his feet but didn’t snap, springing back into place as soon as he stepped away. It didn’t seem like his footsteps would damage the flowers too badly. With this in mind, Omori began to move a bit faster, choosing a random direction and taking a couple experimental steps forward.

There didn’t seem to be anything hidden in the flowers. It didn’t appear to be a trap. Like the roses, they were simply there, a part of the background.

It was more appropriate to say they were the only background. Even after taking a slow circle and peering off in each direction, Omori couldn’t see anything that looked like it might be a clue. The flowers brushed against his legs as he stared at the blank sky, contemplating what to do.

Was he just supposed to guess? If he was expected to explore what seemed to be an endless field all on his own, he’d be here for ages. Initially, Omori had thought it was a good thing that the flowers popped back up after he stepped on them. That was quickly becoming a nuisance. There was no way to tell how far he’d traveled or where he’d already been. If he were to wander too far he might become hopelessly lost.

Footprints. In the last area, footprints had appeared on the path and led him to Hero. Perhaps that could happen again. Omori dropped to his knees as pushed aside the stems, searching the ground for similar marks. It was difficult to discern anything; between the dim light and the sheer amount of flowers rooted in the soil, Omori wasn’t sure if there was nothing or if he’d simply missed it.

He was ready to give up on the idea when something else caught his eye. Red. That was how the footprints had looked earlier, a shade of blood-like crimson that made his stomach turn. There was no such liquid this time around, but the gladiolus seemed to hold some secrets of their own.

Most of the colors were random, all but the red, which were scattered into familiar blotches. A line of closely condensed groups leading off into the distance. Among the huge fields, they were the only places Omori could see red flowers, and the only spots where the colors came in clumps instead of randomly scattered as they had been before. Looking from above like this, the spots mimicked footprints.

The ‘footprints’(flowerprints?) all led in the same direction, and it was in that direction that Omori began to walk.

There wasn’t much to do while he walked besides make sure he was following the red path and try to guess how far he’d gone. It was dead quiet here; every now and then, the wind would whistle through the flowers with a ghostly sound, but for the most part the only sounds were Omori as he made his way through the field. He’d long stopped being careful walking on the flowers. They wouldn't be damaged, so he might as well go fast. His socked feet didn’t make much noise as he walked, but every sound seemed to turn into a roar in the void.

Without realizing it, he began to hum Basil’s song. It had been playing in the background of his mind ever since he arrived. Calling it ‘Basil’s’ might have been wrong. Basil had said Omori was the one to teach it to him, and that it had been a long time ago, but the memory wouldn’t surface.

No matter who’d come up with it first, it was a nice tune, and the only one Omori could think of at the moment. It broke the silence, and that was enough for now.

Alright, pop quiz. Here’s the music I chose for us. What kind of piece is it?

Classical?

Sort of. More specifically, it’s a waltz. Waltzes are my favorite, so I might be biased, but I think it’s a great duet for our first time playing together. It’s tricky, but I know we can get it if we practice.

After what felt like forever, the empty planes took shape into a distance silhouette. From afar, the spiny form was similar to that of a spider. Approaching, Omori saw it wasn’t a spider at all. Rather, it was a swing set.

There were two swings, but only one was occupied. Aubrey had one hand wrapped around Mr. Plantegg and the other on the swing’s chain, kicking her feet against the ground so that she was gently rocking back and forth. The gladiolus still covered the ground around her.

Aubrey didn’t say anything as Omori walked over to her. Her brow was furrowed, appearing deep in thought as she automatically pushed out with her heels again to keep her momentum going. She wasn’t going very fast at all, but rather swaying back and forth as she loosely held on.

Omori took a seat on the second swing, and only then did Aubrey seem to notice him. Her gaze brightened once she realized she had company.

“Hey, Omori! I didn’t see you there.”

“Hi, Aubrey. What are you doing here?”

Aubrey smiled and dragged her feet across the ground, slowing her swing to a stop. “Just waiting for Mari.” She leaned forward, cupping her hands around her mouth as if revealing a secret. “We’re gonna have a sleepover at your place tonight. But don’t tell Kel or Hero, okay? Mari said we should make a big sign for their game tomorrow, but it’s a surprise!”

Omori nodded. “Alright, I won’t tell.” With a satisfied nod, Aubrey leaned back and kicked off the ground, swinging higher than before. She ground her heels against the dirt again, however, when Omori asked, “can you help me find Mari?”

“Find Mari?” Aubrey repeated. “I think she’s out gathering supplies for tonight, so I’m not really sure where she is. But she’ll be back later, if you want to wait with me.”

“I need to find her soon.” Aubrey gave him a quizzical look as Omori puzzled how to explain this to her without revealing too much. “She’s hiding. You’re good at Hide-and-Seek. Can you help me look for her?”

“Oh, so it’s a game. Sure!” The explanation seemed to satisfy Aubrey. She stood up and glanced at Omori over her shoulder. “Any idea which direction she went?”

“No. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I bet we’ll be able to find her.” Thoughtfully, Aubrey’s gaze roved from the swingset to the horizon before settling on a point in the distance. “I know a couple of good spots around here. Mari might be somewhere nearby.”

Omori opened his mouth to speak, but to his surprise Aubrey didn’t wait, darting off immediately and pausing a few feet away. “C’mon. I’m pretty sure I know the way!”

“Alright.” Aubrey didn’t give him much time before she’d bounded away, leaving Omori to keep up with her. They were still following the red splotches, though they’d changed direction. Aubrey didn’t look at them, though, just kept running off in a set direction. It was hard to say what she was looking for, but she seemed confident in herself, so Omori decided to follow, asking questions along the way.

“How long ago did Mari leave?”

“Oh, it was…” Aubrey’s words trailed off. She slowed slightly but didn’t stop. “Not too long ago… I think? I was getting pretty tired, so I might’ve been here for longer than I realized… oh no, I hope she wasn’t didn’t go looking for me or something…”

A small jab of pain near his lower leg pulled Omori’s attention away before he could ask anything more. It was one of the gladiolus. Somehow, it had poked through his sock and now scratched against his skin. Basil had said they were also called sword flowers, but Omori doubted it was supposed to be so literal.

The flowers had been fine to walk on earlier, but all of a sudden they all seemed unfriendly, almost like their pointed stems had sharpened into actual swords. They were thin enough that they couldn’t do very much damage. Mostly it was an annoyance, especially considering how many of them were in the field. The sudden shift made it so that every step felt like being scratched with a bunch of razor-thin needles; not particularly painful, but unsettling and bothersome.

Aubrey was barefoot. Despite this, it didn’t seem like the flowers’ sudden sharpness bothered her at all. She kept speeding up the pace, and Omori kept running after her, ignoring the uncomfortable scratching sensation that came with every step.

“You should come help us with the signs, Omori! We can’t let Kel and Hero find out about it, but I bet Basil will want to help too. It’ll be fun.”

“Mhm.” Distractedly, Omori nodded. “Was this Mari’s idea?”

“Yep. She said we should do something special, since it’s the only year Kel and Hero will be on the same team.” Aubrey had begun to veer to one side. Squinting, Omori could finally see what she was headed for. A freestanding door, like last time.

The last door had probably been Kel and Hero’s front door, but Omori recognized this one for sure. The inside of Sunny’s front door. In the real world, it was the door he’d stepped through when Kel and Aubrey showed up outside, the door he hadn’t touched for four long years.

Whether or not Aubrey knew this, it was hard to say, but she stopped beside it and motioned at the handle.

“Here’s the spot. I bet Mari’s somewhere nearby.”

The unpleasant scratching at his heels continued as Omori trailed after her, stepping into the shadow cast by the doorframe. “Here?”

“Yeah, here! Should we go check it out?”

Judging from what happened last time, ‘we’ seemed unlikely, but if it was possible for her to come along, Omori would have agreed. “Sure.”

Omori turned the handle, and the world dissolved.

–

He entered with the same stomach-flipping sensation as the previous door, light assaulting every bit of his brain as he struggled to get his bearings.

Thankfully, it ended just as quickly, leaving Omori sitting among a familiar group of people. It was clearly another memory, this one even older than the first; Kel barely looked nine, and Basil was entirely absent. Hero and Mari were younger as well, most likely middle schoolers.

All three of them plus Sunny were huddled by the curb around the final member of their group, Aubrey, who was furiously wiping her eyes. She’d been sitting there the longest, Omori recalled. This was when they’d first met Aubrey, when a bout of misfortune brought her into their little friend group.

“Please don’t cry,” Hero was saying in a gentle tone. “Did something happen?”

“I-I’m not crying,” Aubrey sniffled, crossing her arms tightly. “It’s nothing…”

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Mari moved so she was sitting on the curb beside Aubrey, but not too close, giving her space. Aubrey eyed her warily but didn’t pull away. “We’d like to help, if we can. What’s your name?”

Aubrey hesitated. “I’m Aubrey.”

“Well, that’s a lovely name. I’m Mari, and this is my brother Sunny!” Mari motioned around the group as she went around with introductions. “This here is Kel, and that handsome man over there is Hero. Now, Aubrey, can you tell us what’s wrong?”

A few seconds passed before Aubrey burst out “I lost my shoe… I don’t know where it went, and my mom’s gonna get really mad if she finds out it’s missing…!” More tears sprung into her eyes, but she hurriedly wiped them away. Mari dug into her pocket and offered her a tissue, which Aubrey accepted.

“We can help you find it,” Hero offered. “It couldn’t have gone far. If we all search together we’re bound to find it eventually.”

Kel jumped to his feet. “I’m on it. When we accept a mission, we always make sure it gets done!” At this, Aubrey gave a small smile before blowing her nose with the borrowed tissue. “I think I saw a shoe in the drain over there before! Aubrey, wanna investigate with me?”

“Okay.” Aubrey got to her feet, and the rest of the group did so as well. Without waiting, Kel raced up the street to the grate. Before anyone else could move, he called, “hey, I think this is it! Aubrey, this yours?”

The next moment he’d hurled the object over to them instead of running back. Mari caught it with one hand, shooting Kel a behave look. “Careful, Kel, this isn’t yours.” She turned to Aubrey, who’d stayed near her. “Is this yours?”

“It is,” said Aubrey, relieved. “That’s mine. Thank you…”

“No problem. I’m glad we could help.”

They stayed nearby as Aubrey sat down and pulled her other shoe on, clumsily redoing the laces. Now that the worry was over, she seemed a bit more talkative.

“They're kind of dirty, but they're pink, and they’re my favorite shoes. Pink’s my favorite color.”

Kel stuck his tongue out. “No way, orange is way better than pink!”

“Purple’s my favorite, but pink’s my second-favorite,” said Mari thoughtfully.

Aubrey grinned. “I like purple too! It’s not as good as pink, but it’s close.” Finished now, she stood up and dusted herself off. “And, uh, thank you for your help.” A chorus of “no problem”s went up around the group.

Omori's leg brushed against the curb as he stepped onto the sidewalk and out of the road, scratching against his foot. It was familiar. Another time and another place, but when?

He realized his mistake too late, and with another painful jolt, the memory shifted.

–

Sunny winced as the loose twigs scratched at his legs, threatening to tear through the long socks he'd worn to combat the chill. The walk to the park normally wasn’t this prickly, but following Aubrey’s lead, they’d ended up cutting right through the trees(as well as several backyards, which in hindsight probably wasn’t the best idea) to take the shortest route to the hangout spot. The constant sting of loose branches was enough to remind Sunny this wasn’t the way they were supposed to go.

Aubrey was anxious the whole walk over; it was obvious from the way she ran ahead of the group, pausing every now and then to usher them on. What began as a walk soon turned into a jog, then a run as Aubrey cut through the middle of the park, making a straight shot for the hangout spot.

When she began to sprint, outpacing them by far and shooting the rest of them irritated glances over her shoulder, Hero spoke up.

“Aubrey, I’m sure Basil’s fine, okay? He probably just had something come up and forgot to let us know.”

Aubrey slowed but didn't stop. She turned to face them so that she was walking backwards, almost tripping over a tree branch on the ground. “But Basil’s been looking forward to the recital for months. And we haven’t heard from him for almost an entire day!”

“Maybe he overslept,” Kel offered. “Or maybe he just wanted a day to himself? Cause Basil likes quiet, and let’s be honest, we’re not very quiet.”

This didn’t soothe Aubrey, who shoved her hands in her pockets and spun around again. Even without seeing her face, Sunny could tell Kel and Hero’s comfort wasn’t working. “But Basil always lets us know when things change, and I talk with him pretty much every night. Something’s wrong , I know it . ”

They passed through the hidden entrance. The ground had been tamed by footsteps from many visits past, but the loose twigs still scratched at Sunny’s legs as he walked. Aubrey was still in the front, but Kel broke into a run and burst into the clearing right after her. “BASIL!” he shouted, and Aubrey jumped, shooting him a nasty look. Her apprehension had worn off on him, it was clear. No matter how good of an actor Kel was, Sunny could sense when he was nervous.

“Geez, Kel, do you have to be so noisy?!” Aubrey snapped, but Kel ignored her, and she gave an affronted sigh as he ran past her and into the clearing.

“Basil, are you here?”

The rest of them came slower. Hero, carefully examining their surroundings. Mari, who’d fixed her eyes on a spot on the ground and hadn’t looked up since. And Sunny, observing.

They were past the entrance now, but the feeling of scratching hadn’t gone away. It was as if the twigs had burrowed into his skin, leaving an uncomfortable sensation that Sunny disliked but couldn’t seem to shake.

You should not be here it isn’t safe

The sun’s bright light was starting to become blinding, and Sunny averted his eyes to the ground. The earth seemed to be spinning; silently, he wondered if he was about to be sick. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it was never pleasant, and the light was only adding to his growing sense of nausa.

“Hey, Basil, are you here?” Hero, walking after Kel and Aubrey.

“I’m not feeling well.” That was Mari.

“If you’re still feeling sick, make sure to take care of yourself. You too, Sunny. Sorry, I know we kind of dragged you out here today.”

“It’s… fine. I’ll be okay. What about you, Sunny?”

The memory was still playing out. He’d had to relive this same moment only days earlier. He knew how this day ended.

GetoutofheregetoutofhereGETOUTOFHERE

There had to be a way out.

Any moment now, Kel would take notice of Basil’s shoes and the rest of the events would be triggered. He couldn’t change the memory.

GETOUTOFHERE

There. By the water, near Basil’s shoes, was a key. That wasn’t part of the memory.

A way out

Kel was starting to near the dock, so Sunny made a run for it. The key was propped up against Basil’s bag; he grabbed it easily.

As soon as he’d made contact with the key, the red hands were everywhere, swarming around in the bushes. They’d always dragged him back to White Space. Maybe now they could drag him out of here.

Getoutheregetoutofherenownownownow

One of the red hands spotted him at the same time Kel spotted Basil’s things, and as his friend bent down for a closer look the scene glitched away like a grainy television.

–

With another gut-wrenching jolt, Black Space reappeared, the four remaining gates pale as ghosts against the dark backdrop.

Omori had dropped to his knees as soon as he’d arrived, one hand still tightly clutched around the key.

That’s not supposed to happen.

Slowly but surely, he was beginning to move deeper and deeper into this forbidden place. The more he searched, the more dangers would be uncovered. Instead of answers, Sunny’s mind might show things he didn’t want to see, things he couldn't accept.

Omori had known it would be bad, and yet he couldn’t stop himself shaking there in the dark. Images swam into his mind uninvited. He’d managed to get back before Sunny relived the full memory yet again, but it crept in anyway, the visions that came from knowing how it ended.

After a few moments he forced himself to stand upright. These were the bad things that lurked down here. Black Space was trying to upset him, throw him off.

Omori hated the fact that it was working.

Chapter Text

Omori was built off of emptiness.

White Space, his homebase, was blank for a reason. It was quiet; it wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it was good enough. In that vast white landscape he could simply close his eyes and forget himself, untethering his mind from reality. Sunny’s vessel, to protect himself from things that could cause him pain. Emotions weren’t something that came naturally to him. They were too flat, or too forced, or sometimes not at all. Depending on the situation, they could be helpful, but too much and things could quickly get out of hand.

Once, after a battle, he’d glimpsed his face in a mirror, the face that Mari called manic . It had looked freakish and wrong, an unstable emotion stretched to a terrifying limit. He hated the face. He hated how whenever he tried to mimic Kel’s ecstatic smile, it looked wrong. He hated the dizzying rush that accompanied every emotion, the rush that blurred his mind and blinded his common sense. Manic, Furious, and Miserable, the states Omori rarely slipped into, were equally uncontrollable.

He preferred to do without it altogether. After every emotional event, it didn’t take long to revert back to what he called his normal state, the neutral state. Maintaining any sort of emotion for too long became painful, so letting them fade away was just fine. The rush from a battle didn’t last forever; after the confetti rolled, it was just another part of the day. The emotions wore off, and Omori returned to what he was: an empty shell. And that was fine.

There was one emotional state that he couldn’t ignore so easily. It was one that Omori rarely experienced, but was one of the more difficult ones to fight off. Fear.

Fear wasn’t like the shallow frightened sensation Hero, Kel, or Aubrey felt.

Fear came quickly and violently, choking out other emotions and chasing away rational thoughts. Fear was the tunnel vision that sent Omori staggering to recover; It made him struggle to breath, to think, to act.

As much as he hated to admit it, fear was his true default state, buried under all the other emotions. Fear lurked under the starry cosmos surrounding Headspace, invisible but not gone. Fear found its home in the darkest crevices of Omori’s escape.

Fear lived here, in Black Space. No matter how many times he buried it, no matter how often he sealed it away, it was here . Beneath the world above, it would always fester, and Omori would always find himself back here.

That emotion, that poison, had to be what was corrupting the memories here.

Sitting next to the cacti gate, Omori tried to make himself believe it. If he were to keep losing his cool like this he’d never find Mari, let alone find a way out of here.

His battle-trained instincts were all screaming the same things: flee. Find a way out now . Searching for Mari in this death trap would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

An involuntary shiver ran down Omori’s spine, and he curled further in on himself, feeling the chilly air brush his skin. There wasn’t much here in the void; the sound of absolutely nothing had become a dull ringing in his ears, a reminder of how completely isolated he was down here. How ironic. This was a prison of his own making, and here he was shivering like a child after taking a risky leap into the unknown. He’d piled world after world above it, drowning the darkness in a sea of distraction, yet it still wasn’t enough. Every single time he’d end up here.

Because this wasn’t the first time. He could recall it more clearly now; with each gate he opened, the hazy sense of deja vu solidified into a picture he didn’t want to see. Black Space would always call him back, and every time he’d forget. How many times had he watched Mari reach into the water with an unexplained sense of dread? Come back to find the playground deserted? Walked those stairs and run from the demons that haunted them? His own power over this space had turned against him. They were bad memories, things Omori didn’t want to remember.

So he simply didn’t.

All of it was buried here. Countless resets, corpses, failures. A monument to Omori’s failures.

A blade and his own two hands. Down here, they were the only things Omori could count on.

You built this cage yourself.

Time had little meaning here; he let it tick by, counting and recounting the amount of stripes on his shorts to occupy his mind. The dizzying rush of powerlessness had shaken him to his very core. It was about time to get up, to keep moving. Waiting around wouldn’t cause an exit to suddenly appear, and there were more gates to try.

But Omori sat there for a while longer anyways, hoping the time might drain his sorrows.

At some point, he became aware of the soreness in his arms. The handle of the knife had been pressed against his arm, and when he pulled away, the indent remained.

He couldn’t get out of here by doing nothing. He still had to move.

Cacti. Kel. The third of his adventuring companions as well as lifelong friend.

Back in Last Resort, Kel had led Omori to the rest of their friends. He’d led Sunny outside.

Perhaps Kel could lead him out of here.

An impossible hope, but one Omori chose to cling to anyways.

There’s no escaping the truth

Steeling himself, he took a few deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. With each exhale Omori tried to imagine the fear draining away.

In. Out. In. Out.

It didn’t work, but he couldn’t afford to waste any more time sitting around.

The key fit perfectly into the lock of the cactus gate, so Omori pushed it open and let the light overtake his vision.

–

A breath of warm air greeted Omori as he entered the new area, a stark contrast from the chilliness that was the norm in Black Space. He almost slipped as he stepped forward again; as he passed into the new area, the solid ground had given way to something more unstable. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, Omori saw ashy black sand beneath his feet. The gate was already gone; the only indication it had ever been there was a faint indent in the sand that was already fading away.

Something was different here, he could see right away. Not all of the light had vanished with the gate closing. More than just leftover light, the area was illuminated by a collection tiny objects sticking randomly from the sand.

Omori knelt to get a closer look at the nearest lantern-ish thing to find it wasn’t a lantern at all. Glowing cacti. That was what surrounded the area, casting the normally murky shadows of Black Space into sharper relief with their glow. It seemed they were also the source of the heat; the closer he drew, the more Omori felt the heat wash over his face.

Aside from the cacti and a whole lot of sand, there wasn’t much else to see. Occasionally something would flicker in the distance, causing Omori’s heart rate to spike, but it was simply the breeze stirring up sand. It had already erased the few footsteps he’d taken as well as the mark where the gate had been. The cacti weren’t very tall. This place was an empty stretch, without a soul in sight as far as Omori could see.

Cacti were resilient. They’d managed to survive down here, and so could he.

It didn’t take very long to spot the pattern. While most of the cacti glowed with a whitish hue, some stood out red against the dark sand. Their heat was more intense than the other cacti; Omori was thankful he only had his tank top and shorts. Anything more would have quickly become an annoyance in the heat.

After the gladiolus from the last area, Omori was wary of completely trusting these plants. The cacti were more spread out then the other flowers had been, so he kept close but not too close, following the trail but skirting around their spikes. Walking on sand in socks wasn’t very pleasant, especially since it felt a lot more like ash than sand. Considering where he was, it was a possibility. He shoved the thought away and resolved to think of it simply as sand to spare himself the mental torment.

The trail of red cacti had begun to lead away from the heart of the group. Omori began to notice fewer and fewer white lights surrounding him until eventually he’d completely left them behind. Aside from the half-lit sky, his only source of light was that eerie shade of red. He could see from here that the trail didn’t end anytime soon. Little spots of red stretched far off into the distance in a linear pattern, his only landmark now that the rest of the field was behind him.

A new spot of light flashing across the ground startled Omori, but it had only been the cacti reflecting in the blade of his knife. In this landscape, every little movement seemed to turn into something jumping out at him. Slightly miffed at how much he’d managed to get into his own head, Omori walked faster.

Kel had to be around here somewhere. He’d always been there when Omori needed him; he couldn’t be too difficult to find. Still, even as the distant white spots of the area he’d begun in fell away, the desert remained barren. The faint glow of the cacti ahead of him sort of looked like a stoplight. Red meant stop.

Unfortunately, here, red was his only guide. Red footprints, red flowers, red doors… Omori felt as if he was piecing together some sort of puzzle, only he had no idea what the finished picture was supposed to look like. The mindless games he was forced to play in Black Space weren’t so mindless if he bothered to really think them through, except that thinking about them was dangerous. Something was different this time then the other time. He was branching out further, diving into uncharted territory and finding things he’d never seen before. The short-term goal was the same: find Mari and escape from here, whichever came first. But still the buildup continued. Omori could only hope that the way out came before the piece fell together and revealed a picture he didn’t want to see.

Omori crouched at the nearest cacti and began to hack away at the stem, biting back the pain as the spines nipped at his hands. It only took a few seconds before he’d severed the stem. Gingerly, he lifted the newly detached plant above the ground and waved it around the landscape. It was like holding a miniature sun; he could feel the heat emanating from it as he tried to see more of his surroundings. It was intense, but not unbearable.

In an attempt to not miss anything, Omori used the makeshift lantern to illuminate further than the red trail did, hoping it might reveal something. There was nothing but sand as far as he could see; it seemed to stretch on forever, and he didn’t dare wander too far from the trail. This sphere of light would have to do as a companion for now. The brightness it gave off was as red and eerie as the rest, but light was light.

After a while, Omori became aware of a disturbance in the sand. The wind stirring up the earth made it difficult to discern, but there was a pattern of indents that grew clearer and clearer. Footsteps. They followed the same way he’d been going, towards the red cacti. They themselves weren’t red, which made him think it might be a friend. Kel, most likely.

The faster Omori walked, the easier the footprints became to see. He must have begun to catch up to the person, to see their trail before the wind could erase it. A companion. Maybe a way out.

Omori squinted and saw that some of the red glows in the distance had become momentarily invisible. A moment later they reappeared as the shadow that had been blocking them moved. Someone was walking up there. Kel? It was too dark to tell, but Omori was able to glean what seemed to be pale skin up ahead. It wasn’t Stranger; her whole form was obscured by shadows. It had to be Kel. Well, technically it could be any of his Headspace friends(aside from Basil, they all shared the same pale skin and purple hair) but who else would it be?

“Kel?” Omori called. The wind howled in response as he waited for the figure to respond. They were still walking away from him; if they heard, maybe they would stop. “Kel, is that you?”

Kel(?) didn’t seem to hear, only kept walking. The shadow was still pretty far away, so far he could barely make out their silhouette. Maybe they hadn’t heard.

“Boo!”

Omori was beginning to speed up again when a hand tapped his shoulder, and he whirled around so fast he nearly whacked Kel in the face. Kel took a hasty step back, grinning sheepishly. “Whoa, buddy, it’s just me! Didn’t mean to scare you so bad, hehe.”

“Kel.” Normally Omori would be annoyed with Kel for startling him like that, but the rush of relief at his appearance overpowered it. “You surprised me.”

“Sorry, sorry. Just saying hi!” Kel tossed his ball from hand to hand as he spoke. He’d approached from behind; Omori hadn’t even heard him sneak up. “What happened to your hands?”

Omori hadn’t even noticed, but his hands had become all scratched up when he’d pulled the glowing cactus from the ground. It was still clutched loosely in one hand, emitting a steady light. Kel’s eyes took it in, and he raised his eyebrows.

“Did you pull that out of the ground with your hands?! Why’d you do that?”

“It’s not super prickly.” Omori waved the glowing sphere around a bit. “I’m using it to see.”

Kel searched his pockets for a few seconds before giving up. “I don’t have any food on me.  You got anything to heal with? If we go back like this Hero’s totally gonna think it’s my fault!”

“It’s not that bad.” A few cactus spines were the least of Omori’s worries right now. “Do you know where to find Mari?”

“Um… I think so?” Kel mused. “She and everyone else are at the park, I think. But she got all worried when you were late, so I came to find you!”

There it was. Everyone down here had run into Mari, it seemed. So why couldn’t any of them show him where she was?

Maybe this time would be different. “Can you take me to her?”

“Sure!” Kel grinned. “So we get to do another adventure together! Someday Aubrey’s gotta admit that we’re the strongest team, hehe.”

As Kel took the lead, Omori couldn’t help but notice some of the trail he’d been following had faded. The path in the distance was no longer visible –the red had been replaced by the original white plants, turning the path back into a field– but it was as if Kel could still see it. He walked in the same direction, filling the silence with chatter.

“What’re you doing out here, Omori? Find anything cool?”

“Mari’s hiding. I’m looking for her. You know, like Hide-and-Seek.”

“Oh! She didn’t mention that before. Hiding in plain sight, I guess. Hmm, you think that strategy would actually work?”

The further they went on, the more intense the heat from the cacti became. The miniature sun in Omori’s hand was growing into more of a supernova. A moment later, a burning sensation flared through his palm. With a hiss of pain, he let the plant drop to the ground.

“You okay?” This hadn’t been lost on Kel. He paused, the glowing plants throwing sharp shadows onto his face.

“Fine,” Omori muttered. “Stupid thing burned me.”

Kel blinked. “Wait, right, your hands got all scratched up before! Need any help?”

“Sure.”

The low light sources made it hard to see exactly, so they paused and sat down. Kel was doing his best to be careful, picking stray spines out of Omori’s hands, but it wasn’t entirely painless. They hurt a lot more coming out then they had going in, as if each spike had been barbed. Then again, maybe that was Omori’s fault for picking up a cactus.

Even as Omori sat he was aware of the uncomfortable heat. What had started as a nice warmth was growing into a burning heat. The mini suns were almost painful to look at now, their intensity blinding. Kel could feel it too; a sheen of sweat had appeared across his forehead. He didn’t complain, however, his energy never dipping.

Kel winced as he dug a particularly large spine out of Omori’s hand. “You okay?” He nodded, but Omori pulled Kel’s hand toward him anyways. In removing the spike from Omori’s hand, Kel had accidentally scratched his own, drawing a tin line of blood. “Kel, you’re hurt.”

Kel shrugged, brushing the blood off against his shorts. “Just a scratch. I’ll live.” He dusted off his hands and tossed the last of the spiked away. “Anyways, Doctor Kel thinks that you’re good to go! Should we keep moving?”

Anxious to get out of the heat, Omori nodded. “Okay.” Even he was beginning to sweat in this temperature. The sooner they moved on, the better.

Kel offered his hand, and they stood up and continued walking. At least the higher light meant Omori could see more without having to use his makeshift flashlight. Now he could see the door in the distance, one that cast a heavy shadow on the already dark sand. Glowing cacti dotted the area all around it, making it more pronounced against the blank backdrop.

The door seemed to be Kel’s destination. He made a beeline for it, leaving Omori to chase after him. The heat made it hard to find energy, but he mustered up enough to run some more and managed to catch up.

From the looks of it, it was the inside of Sunny’s front door again. More memories. All of it had been very sudden; Omori hesitated as they approached. He needed to talk to Kel some more, sort a few things out.

Unfortunately, Kel didn’t seem to share his hesitation. “Right through here!” Without another word, he opened the door and darted through, the resounding slam echoing across the landscape.

Fine. This was fine. Even better, he could talk to the real Kel once they met up again. There was nothing to feel guilty about.

The sinking dread was only growing, but despite it, Omori passed through the door after Kel.

–

Even after the last few experiences, Omori could never grow used to the sensation that accompanied these doorways. It left his insides feeling scrambled, and he kept his eyes closed a few seconds after the light faded to try and fight the quickly rising headache. In. Out.

Once the nausea had faded, he opened his eyes to find himself indoors once again. It seemed they were in the treehouse this time; the slight breeze that snuck in through the doorway tousled Omori’s hair. From the light streaming in the window, it was midday, probably around summer or fall.

The only ones present were Kel and Mari. Kel seemed to have been there a while, leaning against a wall and apparently stewing about something. He was wearing a wrinkled orange basketball jersey, his hair tied back out of his face. Mari was at the top of the ladder about to enter the treehouse, a slower process for her considering her knee injury. From the looks of it, Omori had already been there by the time Mari arrived. He was seated near Kel, but giving him some space to cool off.

“There you are, Kel, Sunny. What happened? Hero’s been worried sick ever since you ran off.”

Kel shrugged. “Nothing.”

Carefully, Mari managed to cross the last rung of the ladder onto the treehouse’s floor. “If it was ‘nothing,’ you wouldn’t be hiding in here from all of us.” Kel averted his eyes, which was as good as a confession. “Mind if I sit?”

“Sure.”

Mari took a seat on the ground near Kel, and Omori moved closer so he could hear as well.

“Is this about the basketball game?”

“No.” Kel wasn’t a very good liar; his face had flushed red with shame, and he propped his head up with his hands in an attempt to conceal it. “We won.”

“You don’t seem very happy about it,” Mari noted. “You deserve to be proud, though! You had some great plays today.”

Kel glowered at the floor. “I didn’t score as much as Hero, and I’ve been playing the stupid game for way longer than him.”

Mari’s expression softened. “Oh… is that why you ran off? You shouldn’t compare yourself to him. You’ve both got your strengths.”

“ Everything is Hero’s strength,” Kel seethed. “I know I’m not smart like him, but basketball is something I can do! I just wanted to be good at one thing that he wasn’t, but he’s perfect at everything.”

Mari was quiet for a few moments, reaching for the right thing to say. It wasn’t often Kel got genuinely upset. When he did, cheering him up could be tricky.

“You should be really proud of your performance. Not just today! You’ve worked really hard at all your practices, and you’ve spent so much time trying to get better. That takes grit. And nobody’s good at everything. Hero was just telling me the other day how he was worried about this game as well, since it’s the last one of the season. Actually… he was trying to find time to practice more because he was worried he’d mess it up for you."

Kel blinked. “Hero was worried about not being good at something? But he’s, like, great at everything.”

“Like I said, nobody’s good at everything. You’ve both got your strengths. This is definitely a strength of yours. You had a great game, and the fact that someone else had a great game too shouldn’t take away from that. And think about it, how many of Hero’s points were possible because you were playing great defense? It’s not just about who scored more points, you’re a great player overall and you know how to be a team player.”

Kel smiled slightly. “I mean, my awesome blocking did help him out a lot.”

“Exactly! And also,” said Mari casually, “a little bird told me that Aubrey and Basil have a party planned for you tonight, and it can’t go on without the guest of honor. But if you’re still not feeling up to it, I guess I’ll just tell them to call it off…”

“Party?” Kel repeated. “Really?”

“Yep! Basil was saying yesterday we ought to do something for your last game. And I think Sunny helped plan it too.”

Kel beamed. “Really, Sunny? Hehe, that’s sweet.” He paused. “You’re… not gonna tell Hero all this, right?”

Mari mimed turning a key and throwing it away. “My lips are sealed, but only if you promise you’ll work things out with Hero.”

“Pshhhhh… Fine, I’ll try.”

Kel stood up, offering his hand to Omori, who stood up as well. “Alright, so over to Basil’s house?”

He’s already gone

The treehouse began to fade around Omori, Mari and Kel flickering away. He grabbed for their hands, trying to grab hold of them before they disappeared again, but his hands slipped right through theirs. The white light returned, burning so brightly it seemed to reach from his eyes to his brain, and the scene changed yet again.

–

It was the same spot as before. The trees, the path, and the sky were all the same. The branches that hid the way back to the park hadn’t been moved; it was still just his friends in their secret place.

Kel was sitting by the edge of the water, the old blue picnic blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a towel. It was dirty, but it was all they’d been able to find. Among everything else that had just happened, Kel catching hypothermia would be the cherry on top of a truly horrible situation. His lips were slightly blue; it was the middle of October, and the water was freezing. But the cold seemed to be the last thing on Kel’s mind.

Behind them, Sunny could hear Hero’s voice, having a one-sided conversation in a strangled tone. It took a few moments to realize he must be on the phone.

“ The area behind Faraway Park– Yes, one of my friends– In the water– M-my brother found him–”

Sunny didn’t turn around, torn between whether or not to look. Hero was on the phone, probably with the police. Mari was pacing in and out of his line of sight, crying quietly. Aubrey was openly sobbing, shuddering and hiccoping from somewhere behind Sunny.

And Basil… Basil was here too. On the dock. Out of sight at the moment, but Sunny could imagine him well enough.

GetoutofheregetoutofhereRIGHTNOW

Kel was soaked because he’d just been in the water. He wasn’t responding because of a shock. It certainly hadn’t been from the cold. Though the water was freezing, the sun was hot overhead.

The shock hadn’t been from the water itself, but what –or rather who – he found beneath its depths.

Bile rose in Sunny’s throat. Anything but this. Anything but this.

A key. He needed a key. Somehow his muddled thoughts managed to piece that information together. To leave this memory he would need to find the key. Right now light and shapes and everything was blurring before his eyes, but he tried to search for it anyway.

Getoutofherefastrunaway

Nothing by the trees. Nothing by the path to the park. That was all Sunny could see.

Basil was on the dock, he remembered grimly. Keeping his back to the lake, Sunny turned around so he could see a little further. Nothing by those bushes. Nothing by Aubrey, who was curled up by the edge of the trees. He risked looking a little further, until he could just barely see wood in his peripheral vision. Nothing there.

He didn’t want to look further than that.

There was still no key, no matter how many times Sunny’s eyes swept the area. If it wasn’t somewhere he could see, it was in a place he couldn't see yet.

Feeling sick, he turned a bit more. A soaked set of shoes lay limped upon the wood, filthy with lake water. No key.

A tiny bit further. Basil’s hands were flopped unnaturally to the side, pale and still. His skin had become swollen with water, a few parts already picked away by the inhabitants of the lake.

Pale and limp because he was dead.

NonononononoNONONONONONONOGETOUTNOW

Tears stung at Sunny’s eyes. He couldn’t do this. His will had crumbled the moment he’d looked at the photo album. Now it was completely shattered. The distant roar that constantly lived in his head had become a screaming that made it impossible to think.

Still no key.

He had to get out of here.

He couldn’t get out here.

He couldn’t stay.

He couldn’t leave.

Sunny wrenched his head around and scanned the dock.

Don’tlookhimintheeyesdon’tlookathiseyes .

No key.

But Basil was still there.

Sunny snapped away from the lake and buried his head in his arms, letting out a guttural cry. The thoughts were crashing back into his mind, images that haunted his every waking hour.

It’s in the lake.

There’d been a faint glow in the lake. That was where he’d find his key.

Sunny would have to descend below the water’s surface, the surface where Basil had gone down and never come back up. It meant struggling through the water the way he must have, until he either broke the surface or didn’t.

You are afraid of drowning.

Maybe he’d faced that fear in the main area of Headspace, but even the thoughts of going down there sent alarm bells off in Sunny’s mind, screeching through all his thoughts. No. It wasn’t safe. Bad things could happen in the water.

But… it was sink or stay here.

He could stay here or he might lose his mind.

Shakily, Sunny got to his feet. Kel hadn’t moved the whole time. The picnic blanket was still draped around his shoulders. Sunny fixed his eyes on the blue and white squares for a few moments before taking off.

Grass turned to wood. The dock. Don’t look down.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he hurled himself off the edge and into the water.

A feeling of numbness overwhelmed Sunny’s entire body as the water closed around him, threatening to close his throat along with it. Sunny struggled to propel himself through the murky depths, forcing his limbs to comply. The key’s faint outline was visible sitting at the bottom. It was much too far away. He’d run out of oxygen before he reached it.

Swim.

He was going down, further and further down. The pressure was beginning to make his ears ring. The bottom was his destination, not the surface. It felt opposite of how it should have been. You were supposed to swim up, not speed up the process of sinking, but here he was, doing it anyways.

A stream of bubbles erupted from Sunny’s mouth as he struggled to propel himself further. How would he get back up, even if he managed to grab this key? There were no red hands down here to bring him back. He might simply suffocate, drown in water that didn’t exist.

Just a little further.

With one final push, he felt his hand connect with the key. Another gasp of bubbles, and he pulled it close to his chest, unwilling to let his prize fall from his grip.

The pressure was already too much. Sunny’s whole head was pounding, and spots were beginning to dance in front of his vision.

From here, the light from the surface was barely visible.

He had no strength to swim up, only to sink further. His feet brushed the slimy bottom of the lake, no energy left to even kick.

Swim down

Swim down

Swim down

In between the spots parading through his head, Sunny glimpsed someone else. 

Mari.

She was swimming down as well. He opened his mouth to try and warn her, forgetting that any words would be stolen by the bubbles down here.

Swim away while you still can.

Mari grabbed his hand and guided him through the water.

Sunny couldn’t tell if she was pulling him to the surface or dragging him further down.

–

Omori opened his eyes to Black Space with a half-rusted key in his hands and three gates remaining.

Chapter Text

Tulips.

That was the gate Omori's feet led him to.

This was the flower someone had compared him to a long time ago. Simple, not too flashy, but cute and sweet.

Anyone else might have been offended, thinking they were being called plain or dull, but not Omori. Basil's explanations hadn't gone over everything he was thinking. When put on the spot, he often had trouble expressing everything he was thinking and opted for a shorter, condensed version. Omori knew Basil put thought into each choice he'd made for them, even if it seemed like just a silly comparison. Basil had told him more about white tulips on a later occasion. White represented purity and new beginnings. It was unassuming but beautiful in its own way.

Omori liked being compared to things. It made him feel whole, like people had been paying attention.

Basil... he'd always paid attention. The two of them knew practically everything about one another.

For the millionth time Omori wished his real-world counterpart was still alive.

Still, he found himself turning his back to the sunflower gate as he moved the key towards the lock on the tulip one.

He’d face Basil soon. Not quite yet.

The light from this gate wasn’t quite as strong as the others had been, Omori noticed as it opened. More muted somehow.

He walked through automatically. Best to try and get this over with.

–

The area that appeared around him was barren.

No field of flowers. No grass. Not even dirt. Nothing could grow here.

It looked like White Space, but Omori knew it wasn’t. Though the ground was white and flat, stretching so far he couldn’t see the end, the sky was still pitch-dark. His little rectangle of belongings sat on the floor, right where the door would normally have been. Laptop, sketchbook, tissues. He knew each object and its placement by heart, having spent hours on end sitting in that blank white area. He’d spent more time there then all of Headspace combined; there had been days when he craved the quiet, or just simply couldn’t will his body to move, staring at the black lightbulb that hung from nowhere.

There was no lightbulb here. No door either.

Just a quiet emptiness.

The black lightbulb represented the repression of an idea. Though there was a string hanging from where it would normally be, the end hung empty. Omori would not be allowed to escape his own mind here.

The only other living thing besides Omori was Mewo, snoring away beside where he stood. He envied her a bit. How nice it must feel not to have a care in the world.

Everything was monochrome here, just like it was in the real White Space. Omori saw no trace of footprints, or red, or anything. The only miniscule spots of color he could see were from the sketchbook. With no other leads, Omori sat down and opened it.

The pictures were garbled, distorted. He never really understood his emotions when he drew in here; half the time he never remembered drawing the pictures at all. Some of them were dark scribbles Omori had created when he couldn’t bring himself to enter Headspace and stuck around in White Space all day, while others had simply seemed to appear over time. He never wrote the dates on any of them, so he couldn’t tell how old each drawing was.

Omori squinted at the first page. Perhaps the sketchbook could give him some clues? Each of the drawings were so messy, he could barely guess what they were supposed to be. They were done all in red and black pencil. There were a couple spots where the pencil had been pressed down so hard it had torn right through the paper, wrinkling the surrounding page. It was hard to tell, but under the scribbles were… faces? Six vaguely humanoid shapes stood out against the rest of the chaos. Three were drawn with black pencil. Two were drawn with red. One had been drawn in black, but scribbled out almost completely with the red pencil that it was hard to make out it had ever been there to begin with.

Staring at it made Omori’s head hurt.

With no real clue as to what it might mean, he switched to the next page. This one was a little less chaotic. He could generally make out most of the shapes, and this one hadn’t been scribbled over. The bottom seemed to be a field made of flowers, black and red alike. Above the field, however, dark clouds obscured the sky. Rain was pouring down, pelting the single figured depicted in the field. The person in the drawing wore the same clothes as Omori. They carried the same knife.

Next page. A boxlike object, overflowing with smaller shapes. It sat on a red square against the white background. The curved shape near the middle gave Omori the idea that perhaps this was meant to be a picnic basket. It held none of the calmness he associated with picnics, but it had the same general shape as the object. The food drawn within the basket seemed to be disgusting and rotted, the shapes deformed and crushed. Spots that might have been flies dotted the whole scene; the red square the basket sat on almost looked like a bloodstain. Instead of being empty, the remainder of the page was filled with scribbles. It was the same shape, repeated over and over and growing messier as they went on. An eye. They surrounded the crudely drawn basket, staring at it and Omori from the page.

Rotten food.

Broken promises. 

The basket-like shape was repeated on the following page. This one was empty save the red splotches seeping from within. A bunch of tulips were scattered around it(what looked like tulips, anyway; it was a very simplified version, only two or so lines making up the form).

That was the last of the coherent drawings. The rest were mostly scribbles, thick angry lines covering entire pages. It seemed there had been a couple drawings beneath them, but Omori couldn’t make anything out below the pencil.

The book wasn’t even complete; the back half was still empty. Omori flipped through the blank pages anyway. He was right to have done so. On the very last page was a small drawing he’d almost missed. A vaguely familiar shape with a large eye in the center. That was all.

That eye made him feel queasy.

When he looked up at his surroundings once again, however, the queasiness only worsened.

No longer blank, the landscape was dotted with shifting shapes that drifted in and out of sight. They seemed to be composed of pencil marks, just like the scribbles he’d seen in the sketchbook. A faint whispering emanate from them, almost like a garbled voice. Whatever they were saying, it was too scrambled for him to understand.

Omori hadn’t seen anything else that could be a path, so… maybe. Worth a shot.

He looked up at a patch of scribbles in a blurry humanoid shape, outlined in black besides the bright red hands and eyes.

“Which way do I go from here?”

To his disappointment, the figure didn’t answer, just dissipated without a word.

He tried again. A many-eyed outline near the box of tissues.

“Where do I go?”

No response, just another quick disappearance.

Omori no longer liked his sketchbook. 

Maybe he should just get rid of it.

“It’s not as quiet as it used to be in here.”

Omori knew that voice. Even before he looked he could tell it was Stranger. He turned anyway, just to make sure. She’d appeared in her sudden, quiet way, and was now stroking Mewo as if she’d always been there. The cat purred at her touch, nuzzling her hand. For a moment Omori was jealous. Mewo never acted like that around him. The only one she had a soft spot for was Mari, and now apparently Stranger.

“The noise you repressed is beginning to return.”

Omori didn’t respond, just stared back until she continued.

“You’ve been running from your actions until now. No matter how much you forget, I can’t do the same. I’ll always be here, a remnant of what you pushed away, until you acknowledge me.”

Silence.

“The time before everything went wrong… I miss it too. Even as I wait here, I find myself wishing things could go back to how they were. But they can’t, and they never will.

“While you stayed within these rooms, I was left outside, always thinking about the choice I made. How in trying to protect you… I failed, worse than I could ever have imagined. Things became much, much worse. You retreated here. I stayed behind.

“I waited for you to come back. I hoped that soon, my little brother would be himself again and we could sort out everything that had happened. But four years passed and nothing changed. Every day I saw less and less of you, and less and less of myself. We let our own actions consume us; I was trapped by the grief, guilt, and fear, so much that I didn’t dare do anything until I could talk to you about it. At least, that was what I told myself. Now I think I was just afraid. I am the oldest; I should have known what to do. But on that day, I didn’t. And because of that, we both lost our way.

“For the first time in a very long while, you’re moving back into the world you rejected, while I continue to wait. Before you leave the past behind for good… maybe you can come to terms with it. And maybe… you can forgive me for failing you as a sister.

“I’m very proud of you for coming this far.”

A strange knot of emotions came undone as Stranger finished speaking. Her face was difficult to read, as most of her features were obscured by the constant darkness around her, but Omori could almost make out what looked like a bittersweet smile.

Silence hung in the air; Stranger was done, and looking to him to continue.

Omori’s voice caught, but he managed to ask, “where do I go from here?”

Giving Mewo one last rub to the ears, Stranger got to her feet. She walked over to the spot where the tissues, sketchbook, and laptop sat. In the space between them, a door faded into view. It looked similar to the door Omori passed through to leave White Space and go to the Neighbor’s Room.

Stranger motioned to the handle.

“This way.”

She moved out of the way as Omori gave a silent nod and walked to the  center of the area, taking her place in front of the door.

“...thank you.”

This time it was Stranger who nodded quietly, gesturing for him to go.

The now-familiar lurch sent Omori’s heart jumping into his throat as he passed through the doorway, the world dissolving around him as he did.

–

Sunny woke up in his own bed.

Somewhere in his head he knee he hadn’t actually woken up yet, that this was the memory bit, but it felt much more real then the others since the room was almost deserted beside him.

The room was pitch dark, and he shuddered a bit at the silence. The whole house seemed to be quiet, save the faint ticking of the clock on the nightstand. Mari was invisible at the moment, buried beneath the giant pile of blankets she liked to keep around. She was most likely asleep, judging from the faint rise and fall of the covers. The nostalgia came suddenly; in the present day, they hadn’t shared a room in years, not since Mari moved into the renovated space that had once been a storage closet and eventually gone off to college.

Sunny was watching the scene from his own perspective, huddled in his bed, but unlike the other times, couldn’t move freely. Then again, he hadn’t really said or done much in the past memories beyond being present. Just like the other memories had starred Hero, Aubrey, and Kel, this must have been his. He could faintly feel the stirring of emotions coming from the nostalgia of the moment, what his younger self must have been feeling at the time. Fear and anxiety, not too different from how Sunny actually felt.

He let the past and present emotions blend together. His younger self was scared as well. He seemed to have just woken up. Sunny felt his heart race, wishing it was due to as simple a reason it was for his younger self.

“ Mari… ” past-Sunny whispered.

The mountain of blankets on Mari’s bed shifted as she turned over. Sunny’s sister emerged, blinking groggily at him. She’d already been asleep until a few seconds ago, and Sunny felt a bit guilty for waking her up like this. He’d thought that by now, he would have outgrown waking up with his heart pounding and scared stiff, but unfortunately, that hadn’t happened.

“ What is it? ” she whispered back, voice low as to not wake their parents. The clock showed that it was one in the morning, well past when they were supposed to be asleep.

Shivering slightly under the covers, Sunny squeezed his Spaceboy plush tighter. Nights like these he regretted not cleaning his part of their room. The pile of clothes he’d dumped in the corner always looked suspiciously like a person. “ Can I sleep in your bed tonight? ”

Still half-asleep, Mari brushed hair out of her face as she processed his question. “ Nightmare? ” He nodded. “ Can you ask mom? I’ve got a big test tomorrow and I need the sleep. ”

Sunny shook his head. “ She and dad were arguing again while you were with your study group. ” He didn’t need to elaborate any further for Mari to understand. Mom’s not going to be any help. Her face melted into a sort of neutral disappointment. Mari was out of the house more than Sunny, which meant she was absent when a lot of those arguments took place, but he knew she still hated them.

“ Alright. Come on. ”

Gratefully, Sunny nodded and pushed back his own covers so he could grab his plushies. After making sure they were all accounted for, he jumped down from his own bed and quickly clambered into Mari’s before whatever lurked under the beds at night could grab his ankles. Mari muttered an unintelligent complaint as Sunny’s stuffed animals smacked her in the face, but shifted over to make room. “ If you kick me awake in the middle of the night, I’m moving to the floor, ” she murmured sleepily, but they both knew it was an empty threat. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and it probably wouldn’t be the last either. One day Sunny hoped he would be brave enough to face his nightmares on his own. For now he had the Captain Spaceboy plush and his sister to protect him.

“ Want me to switch on the white noise machine? ” asked Mari, and Sunny nodded. She reached over to the dresser and hit a button on the small box sitting there. A few moments later, a calming hum filled the air.

Mari always slept with a comically large pile of blankets, so Sunny tugged one over and wrapped it tightly around himself. Mari already looked ready to fall back asleep. She started to lay back down before glancing at Sunny questioningly with a ‘ you okay? ’ look. He nodded, leaning back onto the pillow. It was warm; Mari was there, and he was safe.

“G’night, Mari,” murmured Sunny, already feeling himself becoming drowsy. The adrenaline from the nightmare had worn off, leaving him more tired than before. Mari yawned, and a few seconds later he yawned as well as if her drowsiness was contagious.

“Night, Sunny,” Mari muttered. “Sleep well.”

For a brief moment, past-Sunny’s emotions were enough to convince Sunny to be calm.

Sunny felt safe.

But of course, it couldn’t last.

–

–calm down, you’ll send yourself into another panic attack–

Everything hurt.

–you should stay in the house, just let me–

The house was covered in bright red scribbles that screamed and grew and shattered until every one of Sunny’s senses seemed to be on fire.

There was something in his hand.

He looked down.

A book?

Basil’s photo album.

Sunny opened it up, but it was empty.

–don’t want you to watch this, wait by the trees, okay–

The house was gone, buried in the scribbles, and now he was outside, but the sky was red and the trees seemed to be burning and it was all wrong .

–where is he WHERE IS HE WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM–

Pain gripped his hand, and Sunny glanced down.

The photo album seemed to be attacking him, its covers slamming shut against his hand with more power than should have been possible.

It hurt.

It hurt.

GET IT AWAY GET IT AWAY FROM ME NOWNOWNOW

Sunny managed to pry the book off his hand and threw it away from his body with as much force as he could muster.

It landed a few feet away in a puddle of liquid, sending red splattering back onto Sunny’s shoes.

STOP IT STOP IT STOPITSTOPITSTOPIT

The book lunged for him again, and with some difficulty Sunny caught it before it could snap at him and threw it away again.

It landed in the water with a splat and didn’t resurface.

Only then did Sunny realize that water had begun to seep from the ground, lapping at his feet, or maybe he’d moved again without realizing it, but either way he was in the water except the water looked like blood and it was rising fast.

The rest of his surroundings were scribbled out, but he couldn’t see anything he might be able to use to save himself.

Then the red hands lifted him from the waves, and the sick feeling carried him away.

–

There were tear tracks on Omori’s face by the time he opened his eyes again.

Whether they were from anger or sadness, he couldn’t tell.

They had been such close siblings. Mari cared about him, always stepping up when their parents didn’t. Now they had lost that. It had been fuzzy, and Omori hadn’t even remembered everything they’d lost until just now, but now that he knew, he was angry.

It wasn’t fair. Mari was missing, Omori was stuck here, and Sunny’s life was a confusing mess.

Omori wanted his older sister back.

Even in the real world, she’d grown distant, her and Sunny going their separate ways.

Mari had always known what to do. She’d been a constant in his life, a comforting presence. He’d lost her in both worlds, one way or another.

Why?

Why?!

So many bad things happened.

Basil was gone.

Mari was gone.

His friends were broken.

Nothing stayed the way it was.

Nothing stayed the way Omori wished it had.

Everything was wrong and nothing was okay and he wished it would just stop.

Stranger had warned him. She’d warned him, and he hadn’t wanted to listen.

If you want to find a way out of here, you can’t keep searching for ways to undo the past. You have to accept it.

No matter how much Omori had tried to repress everything, it never worked. Again and again he came here and it never went away.

It wasn’t fair.

He was supposed to help Sunny, protect Sunny, and that was the way to do it.

But… could he really do that without Mari? Without the sister who had been so important to him growing up, and important to Omori too?

Omori clenched his hands into fists, so frustrated he almost wanted to cry again. It wasn’t fair. Everything had to be so complicated.

The key was sitting right in front of him, tempting him to pick it up. He obliged, turning the metal over and over in his hands.

Just in case, he tried the Lily of the Valley gate again. No luck. The key wouldn’t turn.

There was only one choice, then. Sunflowers. Basil’s favorite flower. The other door he’d been trying to avoid, because he had absolutely no idea what could be in store.

Would he see him? Would he get to hear the real Basil speak, from some long-forgotten snapshot of their everyday lives? Or would he find himself by that lake again, staring at his rotting, lifeless face? Chances were it would be both.

Because… When he stepped out of the house with Kel that day, part of him had clung to the idea that he was wrong. That Basil would be going about his day, alive and well. He should be at his house, telling stories to his grandmother and watering the massive collections of plants scattered throughout his house. 

But that simply wasn’t the case.

Even though Omori wanted that fact to change, nothing could undo it.

The things Stranger said, hadn’t Basil said something similar on the boat? Acceptance, moving on, forgiveness…

But it hurt.

It hurt so much, even though Omori got the sense that it was going to get a whole lot worse.

He hated that everything was so complicated and difficult.

He hated that everything had changed.

He was still a kid, for god's sake. And here he was, wasting away his childhood on nightmares, hallucinations, and memories.

And it wasn't even over yet.

He had promised himself he'd face Basil. So... he couldn't wait outside forever.

Omori slipped the key into the lock of the sunflower gate, letting it swing open to reveal the light beyond.

He still couldn’t decide what he ‘truly wanted,’ as Stranger had said. He wanted to find Mari and leave this place, but she’d made it sound like he couldn’t do that without plunging even deeper. Well, here he was, passing through gate after gate. Sunny was still curious; Omori was still afraid.

Just like Mari, Basil was part of the answer, so it was time Omori paid his area a visit.

Chapter Text

No light shone from behind the sunflower gate.

With the other four, opening the door had caused a glow from beyond to spill out, but no such light came even after Omori let the key drop from his hand to push it open all the way.

Hesitantly, he stepped across the threshold. Nothing appeared to whisk him away. He took yet another step. Beyond the area of the gate, the space he’d been standing began to shrink out of sight. This gate did lead somewhere. Seemed it would just require a bit more walking.

He heard the sound of screeching metal as the gate swung closed on its own behind him. The landscape was the same in every direction; the only change was the softness beneath his feet, as if he were walking on a carpet. On closer inspection, the ground was covered in dark grass that nearly blended in with the dirt below it.

The texture became slightly different, the ground dipping ever so gently downward as Omori took another step. It felt different here too, without the grass’s soft padding. A dirt path, most likely. In the darkness it was almost completely obscured.

Omori did his best to follow the path, stopping to find his way every time he felt himself treading on grass that indicated he had gone off-trail. Before long he’d spotted another landmark in the distance: a tall stem reaching upwards. In the low light, the bright yellow petals practically glowed.

He slowed down as he reached the place where the sunflower grew. The plant was taller than Omori, its leaves brushing the top of his head as he stopped right next to it. No red blotches marred the sunflower’s surface. It seemed perfectly normal, other than the fact that such a happy-looking plant was growing in this utter wasteland.

One sunflower became two, and two became four, and four eight, multiplying rapidly the further Omori walked. What he’d thought was a line seemed to be another path of sorts. He weaved past green and yellow, skimming through the plants that were surrounding him with ever-increasing density. It wasn’t long before the only thing he could see was sunflowers, replacing any trace of the dark landscape beyond them.

The sunflowers were tall, taller than Omori; he couldn’t see over them, only follow the direction they led in. Even if he had tried to walk through them, the stems were too tightly packed for him to move. Best to stick with the trail for now.

Omori rounded a corner and paused. The trail split into two here, separate paths moving in opposite directions. Craning his neck, he tried to peek down through them. There didn’t appear to be an end to the flowers in either direction, nor any sort of clue. He scoured either side for any trace of red, a hint of the color that had been his clue in the past, but there was only the bright green stems of the sunflowers.

With no other choice, Omori decided to leave it to chance. Left it was. He set off in that direction as the path snaked on. The further he went, the more twists and turns the trail had, until any semblance of walking in a straight line was gone. He had no clue which direction he was headed at this point; for all he knew, he could be right back where he started.

The scent of the flowers pressing from all directions was becoming dizzying. Omori was beginning to question if there even was an end when he realized he’d come to another fork in the road. This one had three branching paths, heading left, straight ahead, and right.

A maze of some sort? Omori didn’t like what that implied. Without a single clue, he might wander here forever before he found wherever he was supposed to be heading. He had no guide, no ideas, and nerves that had been frayed to the breaking point already.

Omori’s luck when it came to puzzles like this had always been poor. There was no strategy to be employed in a maze, just turning and turning and hoping you’d get lucky. The only thing he could think of was to move in one direction. If he took enough turns in the same direction, the maze was bound to spit him out eventually, right?

The first time he’d gone… left, hadn’t he? So he would go left again, and again, until he reached the exit. Omori ignored the center and right trails and stayed to the left again. It didn’t take long until he reached another split(four trails this time; they were multiplying fast) and took the left path once more.

This only led to a dead end, however, and Omori stared silently at the wall of flowers in front of him. There wasn’t enough space for him to squeeze through. As an afterthought, he tried to slice through the first row of stems with his knife, but the blade just slipped uselessly against the plants. That wasn’t going to work.

It was hard to say where the point he’d gone wrong was. This one had led to a dead end, obviously, but what if all the paths in the last fork had led in the wrong directions? Maybe he’d taken a wrong turn at the very start, setting himself up to fail. Omori balled his hands into fists in frustration and tried to cut through the stems again. No luck.

So he just had to guess, pretty much. That was impossible! Omori had no clue how big this maze was, or how many exits it had. Hell, maybe it didn’t even have an exit!

He spun on his heel, storming back the way he’d come until he was at the four-way split once more. Was there really no way to tell which way was correct? If there wasn’t, Omori didn’t like those odds one bit. That was assuming he’d managed to pick correctly the first two splits, too. Should he backtrack and retry those?

Omori tried to remember which path he’d come from, but they all looked the same now that he’d gotten himself turned around. The one that hadn’t worked was all the way to the left coming from the direction he’d walked in… so that meant the one directly to his right was where he’d come from. Right? They all looked the same at this point.

Omori took a slow lap around the place where the paths split off and inspected the area he could see, searching for spots of red. As far as he could see, there were none. Not on the ground, not on the leaves, not on the petals, nothing. Just a sea of green and yellow.

He hadn’t seen any sign of Basil yet, either. As far as Omori could tell, he was the only living soul around. Basil’s situation was definitely… different then Aubrey, Kel, and Hero, but him being totally absent didn’t do a thing to settle Omori’s nerves. 

Omori glared at the sunflowers boxing him in. Thanks to their height, he couldn’t see anything outside the maze. Maybe Basil or a way to move forward was right out there. But he couldn’t see it at all because he’d wandered into this maze.

It was then that Omori noticed a detail he hadn’t before. He hadn’t paid much mind to the flowers themselves, since he was eye-level with the stems. Every single one of the flowers was facing the same direction.

Looking closer, they faced the direction of one of the paths.

All the paths looked the same. The direction of the flowers was the only thing that set this one apart. Perhaps it was connected.

Sunflowers always faced towards the sun, but there was no sun here. Could it be that they weren’t facing the sun, but rather Omori’s way out?

There was still no sign of a red trail, but this seemed promising. Omori cast one last look at the center of the fork where he’d been pacing and set off down the path the flowers faced.

Nothing was different on that path than it had been the first two times. Surrounded on either side by flora, with no exit in sight. After a minute or so Omori came to another fork. Three options. He glanced up, electing to use the flower’s guidance once again. They’d shifted their course since the last crossroad, this time indicating to the rightmost one. Alright, so that was where he’d go.

He repeated this pattern at the next crossroad, and the next one, and the next, all the while without a clue whether or not he was approaching the exit or just wandering like a fool.

After a small eternity, something caught his eye.

A break in the wall of sunflowers. An exit. The path widened out ahead, the trail luxuriously wide as it freed Omori from that flowery prison.

Omori didn’t slow down until he was well past the maze’s exit, pausing to breathe in normal, unscented air. Too much of the sunflower’s scent had only made him claustrophobic. He really didn’t need another phobia to deal with right now, so thank god that maze was behind him.

The flowers hadn’t vanished completely. After the dropoff where the maze stopped, they picked up again a short while ahead. There were nowhere near as many this time; the path was made up of individual flowers, almost like signs on a road.

Omori was a bit wary of following them, lest he become trapped again, but it didn’t seem likely. Now that he was on his guard, he made sure to look ahead at where he was going. If there was another maze like section, it would be visible from afar, and he sure wouldn’t be charging right into it again.

Nothing stood out in the distance. The flowers were spaced a good distance apart, nothing like the giant clusters that had made up the maze.

Omori ruled it safe enough just as a sound from ahead caught his attention.

Someone was humming.

The sound was as faint and fragile as the wind that carried it, but grew stronger as Omori walked forward.

He was here.

Omori was able to spot Basil from a good distance away. His tarp was spread across the ground, gardening supplies stacked as neatly as ever, even in a place of such disorder. His camera and photo album were nowhere to be seen, but he paid no mind to their absence. 

“Basil. You’re here.”

Basil got to his feet, smiling warmly. “Omori! I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

Omori gave Basil a wary once-over. Basil seemed normal. His appearance was the same it had always been when the group met with him after an adventure. He showed no signs of injury or anything nightmarish or out of the ordinary.

He was okay for now. Thank god.

Omori squeezed Basil’s hands, hoping to feel the comfort of human warmth, but they were cold.

“Have you been waiting long?”

Basil shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s kinda hard to tell the time when you can’t see the sun, heh. But it couldn't have been too long! I took some pictures of the sunflowers before I decided to rest here, and the film hasn’t even developed yet.”

Apparently time in Black Space was just as much of a mystery to everyone else as it was to Omori. “Okay. Do you have any idea where Mari might be?”

“Mari?” Basil’s eyes temporarily clouded with confusion before remembering the situation. He snapped his fingers and exclaimed, “oh! I saw her a little while ago!”

“You did?”

“Yeah! I thought it was a bit strange, since she’s been missing and all, but she must not have heard when I called out to her, because she just kept walking. I didn’t want to risk getting lost in the dark, so I stayed put.”

“I’ll stick with you.” Omori held out his hand to Basil, who accepted with a smile on his face.

“Great! If we go together, it’ll be harder to lose our way.”

Their hands stayed linked as Basil led them on. Walking that way meant Omori would have less mobility to grab his knife if danger arose. It wasn’t practical, but he didn’t care. Even if Basil’s hands were cold, the sensation of knowing another person was right there was grounding, and Omori wanted to stay as grounded as possible right now.

The sunflowers guided the way yet again as they walked. They hadn’t stopped by the tarp, still stretching far into the distance. Occasionally Basil would pull the photos he’d mentioned from his pockets to check if they’d developed(though there was terrible lighting down here; Basil was a good photographer, but Omori wasn’t sure if even he could make Black Space photogenic). He offered some conversation as they walked, mostly mundane topics they’d exhausted in the past, and Omori responded with what little enthusiasm he could muster.

“Basil,” Omori said after a while, “if there’s no sun here, where do you think the sunflowers point instead? What do they do when there’s no light?”

Basil slowed, expression turning thoughtful as he considered the question.

“Hmm. I don’t totally remember, but I think they face east, because that’s where the sun will rise again the next day. I think it’s pretty cool, how they know where it’s going to be. Even when it’s completely dark, they remember where the sun will be once it rises again.”

“I see.” In the absence of the maze, the sunflowers had reverted to pointing random directions. Omori could find no pattern between them. If they were trying to face the place where the sun would rise, they weren’t doing a very good job.

Or perhaps they just knew that there was no chance the sun would rise here and were taking their chances to try and survive.

“Have you been holding onto my photo album for me, Omori?”

Basil had evidently decided to shift gears and change the topic, interrupting Omori’s train of thought. His friend was staring at him. Omori wished he would stop. Basil’s eyes were unnerving when he stared like that, almost like he was seeing right through Omori’s mind.

“I’m… taking care of it. Aubrey held onto it for a while.”

Basil nodded, seemingly satisfied. “That’s nice of her to do.” His eyes brightened. “I wonder if we could make a new photo album! I never finished teaching you how to use the camera last time, but I bet you’d be a natural.”

“I don’t think I could… you’ve always been the best at it.” The temperature seemed to have dropped twenty degrees, which was what Omori chose to blame for the chills running up and down his spine. “I don’t think we could ever really replicate the original.”

“I get what you’re saying. I guess we’ll just have to make a bunch of new memories.”

Thankfully, Basil let the conversation die out. Omori’s relief was short-lived, however. Instead of letting the silence sit, Basil started humming again.

Same notes. Same rhythm.

Omori did his best to drown it out.

Wherever Mari had apparently gone, it was far. They’d been walking a long while with no results. Omori searched every flower they passed for signs of red, but all he could see was the same green and yellow.

Basil was still humming, and it was starting to become irritating, but Omori didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop. He just wished Basil would find a new melody to repeat. This one was giving Omori a headache.

At this point he was certain his ears were playing tricks on him, filling in the gaps his mind was puzzling over, because Omori could have sworn that there was a second voice too, singing a different yet overlapping line. It was incredibly faint. Honestly, it might not have been there at all. Even when he strained his ears, trying to identify the voice, it was too far-off to hear very well.

Red.

The humming and singing were forgotten as the color registered in Omori’s mind.

In the corner of his eye, Omori caught sight of a brightly colored patch on the ground.

The path was here.

Omori changed directions to follow it, seeing Basil do the same out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t tell what the shapes were supposed to be; they were too blotchy and inconsistent to be footsteps, which was what his mind had initially turned to. The spacing and sizes of the red spots were inconsistent, but led in a single direction.

The red patches were becoming bigger, more numerous. Similarly, Omori’s anticipation(though anxiety was a much better word for it) continued to multiply. Their placement was erratic but somewhat linear, randomly splattered on the ground but leading in a set direction. Not only that, but is was as if the red had sucked the color from the rest of their surroundings. The sunflowers were fainted now, many of them wilted. Petals had begun to flutter to the ground. One landed in the red; within a moment it had become saturated in the liquid.

They were getting closer. Omori could feel it.

Basil was keeping up, despite Omori’s hurried pace. His feet had become stained with red as they walked on; to keep up with his determined companion, he’d given up on going around the puddles and just ran straight through. Omori could feel his socks growing heavy and wet as well, which was very much not a comfortable sensation and almost enough to make him slow down. 

But not quite. The urgency outweighed the discomfort.

The metallic stench had only grown. The red was everywhere now. More of the path was colored than monochrome at this point, almost like the smell was coming from there. 

Actually…

It was.

The realization was almost enough to make Omori sick.

Blood. It was blood. A trail of blood splatters.

He hadn’t even thought to consider a possibility, because it seemed too bright, too plentiful, too garish and altogether wrong , but the red he’d been following was unmistakable now.

Overly vivid and disgustingly bright and everywhere.

He came to a stop just before a slight rise in the terrain. A slab of wood, set into the ground. The threshold of a doorframe poked out from the earth, along with the empty frame of a door. Beyond it, a whole field of sunflowers, dry and dead.

This was where the red trail led, where he would move on.

It didn’t feel like a way forward. More like a plunge into darkness.

Speaking of darkness, he couldn’t see a thing beyond the wooden structure. Though the doorframe was there, the actual door was absent. Omori was free to walk through whenever.

He had almost forgotten Basil was still behind him. His friend nearly knocked into Omori as he paused before the doorframe.

“Why have you stopped?”

Because. Because it was wrong. Because he was scared. Because he knew that all of this was off and that once he left this area he’d be thrust into another awful reminder that his best friend was dead and there was something wrong with his sister and that there was something wrong with himself and that he had no idea how to fix any of it.

“I’m afraid.”

Omori didn’t even bother to conceal it this time.

Basil wasn’t like the others.

He couldn’t hide from those blue eyes.

Basil’s expression hadn’t shifted.

“Go on.”

He nudged Omori forward.

Omori didn’t want to move.

“Go ahead, Sunny .”

Not so gentle this time. Basil practically shoved him forward.

It was too dark to see beyond the door from where Omori had been standing.

When Basil pushed him he’d caught sight of what was beyond it.

Standing in the middle of the threshold, he could see the whole scene.

And it was a scene that he absolutely did not want to see.

Blonde hair so stained with blood that it was practically dyed red, lying in a twisted halo around a face that was all too familiar.

Eyes that looked back at Omori without truly seeing, too blank for a living human.

And red, everywhere, everywhere , around the knife, Omori’s knife, sunken in Basil’s chest–

Omori closed his eyes but the image was burned into his eyelids. That knife, it was his and it wasn’t, it looked like his, in fact it was identical to the one in his pocket, but it couldn’t be, it couldn’t because Omori would never hurt Basil, never in a million years, but someone was to blame–

He turned around to escape the sight to find that the other Basil had vanished, save the photos he’d mentioned before, the ones of the sunflowers that hadn't developed yet.

The photos sat on the ground, clear enough for him to see, the same image printed over and over of Basil injured, Basil hurt, Basil dead because of Omori, because he just couldn’t do anything right couldn’t save a single person –

A loud slamming sound echoed across the landscape as Omori tripped backwards into the doorway and was promptly pulled into the past.

–

The floor felt cold beneath Sunny’s hands.

Shivering at the sensation, he pulled his arms closer to his chest. He was seated on a tiled floor, back pressed against the wall. Beside him, Basil was in a similar position, head buried in his knees so Sunny couldn’t see his face. The dim surroundings made it difficult to place where he was; not a single light seemed to be on.

The shapes around them became familiar, and Sunny realized that the two of them must have been hiding in the bathroom. The chill he’d been feeling was from the AC breathing down on the spot his hands had been.

The AC’s humming wasn’t enough to drown out Basil’s quick and panicky breaths. He was still curled in on himself, not acknowledging Sunny at all. He seemed to be trying to stay quiet; every breath he took was shallow, as if he was trying to hide himself.

A panic attack, most likely. Basil had had a few of those in the past. Though he could be bubbly and sweet, he was sensitive, and above all, didn’t know how to ask for help when he became overwhelmed. So sometimes, it ended up like this: Basil running off to be alone and Sunny following with no idea how to actually help.

Sunny tried to wrack his brain but pulled a blank. In the past, Mari had had to calm him down from similar episodes. Sunny had been in Basil’s shoes, so he should know what to do. But perhaps it was the panic of seeing a friend so upset, or maybe the faint voice that knew this wasn’t actually happening; whatever it was, Sunny didn’t know what to do.

He was still moving more or less automatically, being a part of the memory, but his past self didn’t have any more ideas than his current self. All he succeeded in doing was giving Basil an awkward pat on the arm that he didn’t acknowledge. 

From the hallway, hushed voices started up. They were too quiet for Sunny to make out any words. Basil seemed to have heard them as well; he’d lifted his head for the first time since the memory started, eyeing the door warily. He was still freaking out, but seemed ashamed of being seen in that state.

A few minutes passed, and then footsteps approached the bathroom door. Shadows appeared in the light from beneath the door as a single person stopped in front of it.

“Basil?” Mari’s voice was gentle; she gave the door a couple of quiet knocks. “Are you in here?”

Basil said nothing. Mari let the silence sit for a second or two.

“I’m coming in, okay?”

After a few more seconds, the handle squeaked as Mari cautiously opened the door. The hallway was empty. Presumably, she’d sent the others away. For Basil’s sake, Sunny was thankful.

Mari shut the door behind her. “I’m going to turn on the lights, if that’s alright with you.” Basil gave the slightest nod, and the next second light flooded the bathroom. As Sunny blinked spots out of his eyes, Mari sat down so she was eye-level with the two of them.

“Basil.” Mari’s voice was gentle but firm. She placed a careful hand on Basil’s shoulder, moving so that she was looking him in the eyes. “Can you breathe with me? Nice and slow. In…” Mari took a slow breath in to demonstrate. “...and out.”

Basil tried to copy Mari’s example– in, out, in, out– but his breaths were still rapid and shallow. Noticing this, Mari glanced imploringly at Sunny.

Tentatively, Sunny began to speak, trying to keep his voice steady. “Basil, remember… remember the comic you were telling me about yesterday…? The one with the spaceships, and Pluto…” He paused, feeling Basil’s attention shifting to him. Mari was motioning for him to keep it up. Haltingly, Sunny tried. “You said we should read it together next time… We could do that soon, o-or you could just tell me more about it…”

The distraction had helped; Basil wasn’t gasping as much anymore, breathing at a slower tempo as he focused on Sunny’s words. Unfortunately, Sunny had run out of things to say. Words were evading him, so he shot Mari a help look, asking her to take the lead again.

She did, gently inserting herself back into the conversation. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

Basil furiously wiped his eyes, looking ashamed.

“It’s… it’s nothing, it’s stupid… I’m sorry…”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” chided Mari, and Basil ducked his head again, seemingly taking that as criticism. “Basil, you’ve done nothing wrong.” Basil didn’t answer. “Can you tell Sunny and I what’s wrong so we can try to help? If you’re not up to it, you don’t have to, but it could help. The others are all in the backyard, if you’re worried they’ll overhear. If you want us to stay quiet we won’t tell a soul, pinky swear.”

Basil hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t know why it’s all just… bad.”

Bad . It did feel bad. Apparently past-Sunny agreed, because he quietly echoed, “bad?”

“Sometimes when everything is good I just remember how some things are bad , and then… I just can’t stop thinking about the bad things, and what could happen, and I feel like I can’t breathe… A-And I don’t want to ruin the mood for everyone, because they’re having fun, but then I remember how many bad things there are and that I can’t do anything to stop them… Like grandma, and my parents… One day I’m going to be all alone, and– and I don’t want to be alone , I really don’t…”

Having admitted all that, Basil buried his head in his knees again, quietly sobbing as Mari and Sunny did their best to comfort him. He gripped Basil’s hand and gave it a small squeeze, hoping it might convey what words couldn’t. Basil squeezed back a second later.

Mari had been quiet for a few moments, contemplating what to say. Sometimes Sunny forgot she was only three years older than him. She was the group’s caretaker, the person who kept them all in one piece. Basil was in pieces right now; Sunny hoped she would be able to say what he couldn’t find the words for.

Sure enough, Mari found the words. “Being a person is really, really hard sometimes. It’s scary, confusing, and can be really overwhelming when you’re young. And honestly, I don’t think people get enough credit for just existing, because that in itself can be so, so difficult.” Basil’s breathing had slowed; he was quiet, listening as Mari kept speaking. “There’s always going to be bad. There’s nothing we can do about that. But you can’t let the fear and negative emotions overpower the good. Say to yourself, ‘everything is going to be okay.’ Alright? Can you say it with me?”

“Everything is g-going to be okay,” said Basil hesitantly, stumbling on the words in the middle.

“One more time. Nice and strong. Everything is going to be okay. ”

“Everything… is going to be okay.”

Sunny realized he’d been clutching Basil’s hand so tightly it had turned white. Quickly, he loosened his grip, not wanting to let go entirely just yet.

“I wish things could be perfect all the time, too, but… they can’t. Sometimes I have trouble accepting that too. But no matter what happens, nothing will change the fact that we’re your friends. Me and Sunny and Kel and Hero and Aubrey. We care about you, and we want you to be happy, just as much as you want us to be happy.”

Basil was crying again. He nodded silently, tears slipping down his cheeks, before pulling both Sunny and Mari into a hug. ‘Thank you for being my friends,” he whispered.

Mari hugged them back, looking close to tears herself. “Of course. Never forget that we care about you.”

Before Sunny knew it he was crying too, without knowing if it was him him or the past him, or maybe a mixture of both. He hugged Basil and Mari tightly, not wanting to let go. He wanted to just stay here, in this time. Where there were problems, but they didn’t seem like mountains that overtook everything in his view. Where there was sorrow, but family and friends to remedy it. Where everything was okay, the way Mari had promised it would be.

The light that shoved him out of that timeline didn’t care what he wanted.

Sunny tried to hold onto the warmth of Basil and Mari’s hug as they melted away beneath his fingers.

–

The turbulence(or whatever it was called when you shifted from memory to memory) was worse than it had ever been before, and bile rose in Sunny’s throat as he was shoved back into reality. His stomach was threatening to upend itself as he steadied himself with his arms; he felt sick, horribly sick, like his insides had been replaced by wriggling snakes.

It was cold here too. A breeze snuck through the thin fabric of Sunny’s sweater, wracking his body with chills once again. They were outside, but the fresh air wasn’t doing a bit of good.

Sunny could feel that sensation of being on autopilot. He was moving according to the memory just as he had the past few times. It certainly wasn’t doing a thing for his queasiness, which if anything seemed worse because of that. Fleetingly, he wondered if it was possible to be sick within a memory/dream/nightmare/whatever it was at this point.

The sky was overcast. A storm seemed to be approaching, hence the wind buffeting Sunny’s arms. He seemed to be sitting on a bench. The one in front of the park, from the looks of it. A sound he couldn’t identify was coming from beside him.

That sound turned out to be the sound of pages caught in the wind. Basil was beside him, book perched on his knees as he tried to pin down the page he’d been on before the wind sent half of them fluttering wildly, erasing the spot he’d been trying to save. After a few moments he gave up. With a sigh, he leaned his head against the back of the bench.

The rolling thunder in the distance matched the rolling nausea in Sunny’s chest.

Basil’s eyes met his, black instead of their normal blue.

“When will you stop running from me?”

The book sat forgotten on his lap as Basil waited for an answer.

Neither Omori nor Sunny could give him one.

“I was your best friend. Does that mean nothing to you?”

That wasn’t true.

It meant everything.

It had meant everything to Aubrey, to Kel, to Hero.

So why was Sunny the one with this horrible feeling in his chest?

Water was dripping from Basil’s hair.

The feeling of autopilot had vanished, but Sunny couldn’t bring himself to move.

“Face me.”

Basil’s flesh had begun to deteriorate. Sunny could do nothing but watch in horror as he was slowly replaced by the being that haunted his waking and sleeping hours.

Something stared him down.

“ I cared for you, but you never cared for me, did you? ”

He did care for Basil. Of course he did.

A key had appeared on the bench, but Sunny lacked the strength to grab it. His lungs seemed to have stopped working. He felt as if he were drowning, drowning , dying the same way Basil had–

“ You brought this upon yourself. ”

Weakly, Sunny managed to extend an arm towards the key. He only succeeded in knocking it away. Sunny practically fell off the bench as he leaned to try and grab it, restricted by the suffocating feeling.

Something had morphed again. No longer the ambiguous, one-eyed form it usually took, it had come into clearer focus, allowing Omori to clearly see Basil’s corpse, how he looked after being submerged in the lake, eaten away by fish and bacteria and god knows what else–

Sunny's fingers closed around the key, gripping it so tightly the jagged metal threatened to break his skin. His only response was to clutch it tighter, afraid it might melt away at any moment the way the last memory had. Silently, Something loomed over him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to gasp in painful breaths. The air seemed to have become liquid as he struggled to keep his balance, and Sunny wondered fleetingly if this was how Basil had felt, if he'd tried to reach the shoreline as his lungs filled with water, if he had struggled once he realized his fate was really, truly set. Because no matter what he had been thinking before he went to the lake, how could he not have panicked? When the water closed above his head and showed him there was really no escape, how could he not feel fear?

The red hands appeared a moment later to whisk him away, but it felt like more of a betrayal than an escape.

–

“It’s not over yet, Dreamer.”

The voice barely reached Omori’s ears as he remained on the ground, unwilling to stand up just yet.

He was tired of this.

God, he was tired of this.

He glared in Stranger’s direction, forcing himself to rise. That awful experience hadn’t exactly left him in a good mood. Right now what he truly wished was for some actual advice, instead of more ominous cryptic nonsense.

“This is necessary to find what has been buried. To bring the truth to the top you have to sift through everything that has built up in here, to clear the noise and reveal the unfiltered truth.”

Omori didn’t think it should have been necessary to see his friend’s corpse– several times over , no less. After that, he still had to go deeper? Every gate he passed through had led Omori through another layer of Black Space, past its defenses and into its heart. The defenses were there for a reason, one that had just been demonstrated: Omori could not handle being here.

The culminations of his memories and nightmares… The absolute worst of it was still to come.

“I can tell you’re not ready, but this is the only way. You will have to find the strength within yourself to keep moving, no matter what you may see.”

Omori would have to revisit all the horrors and nightmares that had come from it, wade through a pool of misery and regret that would pull him in like quicksand. To find the raw, unfiltered memories, he had to see the others, too.

Sunny had always been an imaginative kid, and thanks to that, Omori would have to walk through the hell they’d built.

He wasn’t sure if he could take much more of this.

The final gate stood before him, emitting a strange light that stood out starkly against the background black. It might have been Omori’s imagination, but it somehow seemed to have become taller, more imposing.

Before, Omori had uncovered the memories and escaped(ran?) from them. There would be no escape this time, just a plunge into the darkness.

He would either sift through the nightmares, or be consumed by them.

Omori ran his fingers over the key’s ornament pattern, doing his best to slow his jumping heart. He wasn’t sure why he bothered; any calm he managed to achieve now would certainly be shattered very soon.

He walked slowly over to the Lily of the Valley gate. With the careful hesitation of approaching a wild animal, he slid the key into the lock.

Click.

A perfect fit.

Omori let go of the key. The gate’s door slowly drifted away from his hand, opening with an ominous creaking. Behind it was not the white light he’d seen from the other areas, but rather a bloodred spotlight. The light leaked from beyond the gate, tinting Omori’s white skin and clothing with the eerie sheen.

He left it like that, half-open and not-so-inviting, for a few moments before someone else stepped before him. Stranger’s silhouette passed in front of the red light as she walked past Omori and into the threshold of the gate. With another eerie creak , she pushed the gate fully open and paused to look back at him.

“The things you wish to remember are buried deep. You can only find them if you’re brave enough to pass through the fear and horror that surround them.”

The slivers of cold air that snuck out from the depths of the gate were enough to send a shiver down Omori’s spine.

Every new horror made it easy to forget he’d walked through hell for a reason.

Find Mari, and find out what happened to her.

How did she connect to the truth?

You couldn’t put together a puzzle without the pieces. There had been pieces behind the gates, pieces that had been handed or thrust upon him. These would be much harder to identify.

“Are you afraid, Dreamer?”

It wasn’t a challenge, merely a question, so Omori answered as honestly as possible.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to turn back?”

Even if he did, there was nowhere else to go.

Hadn’t that been proven over and over?

“I can’t.”

Stranger nodded. She walked back towards the light, an expression that might have been pity on her face.

“Then go.”

It was as if Omori was in the lake all over again. He had to sink just low enough to reach what he needed, but not low enough to drown.

Unfortunate that Sunny had never been a great swimmer.

The gate was still standing open the way Stranger had left it. The red light was overly bright and sickening, but it also drew Omori in in a strange way.

Something was in there. And if he hadn’t woken up by this point, well… it seemed Omori wasn’t getting any escape from whatever was down here.

Omori stared at the gate.

He’d never liked the color red.

He let it overtake his vision, following Stranger through the no-longer-locked gate.

The gate gave a final-sounding click behind him, and then all was silent.

Chapter Text

The harsh red glow of the surrounding area slowly melted into a more solid image. Curtains, thick, red curtains that stretched from the sky Sunny could not see all the way to the ground. They pooled in large piles that almost seemed more liquid than fabric. Somewhere up ahead, an intense light cast every shadow into sharp relief and reflected the curtain’s bright red onto the floor, so much that Sunny could barely tell where the fabric stopped and the ground began.

Speaking of the light, it was the brightest he had seen in Black Space. That wasn’t necessarily a good thing, however. This light held no warmth to it. Against the red curtains it was so bright it was practically headache-inducing. It must have had some source; the beams were very focused, but bounced off the curtains so they seemed to be coming from everywhere.

Sunny followed the dizzying path. The curtains were soft, or maybe that was the ground. At the very least, they weren’t the cramped jungle he’d initially feared. A short distance ahead the path opened up, widening into a sort of semi-circle. The curtains on the far end were shorter, brushing the ground rather than pooling upon it. A sliver of that intense light shone through the center where the two sides parted. 

Cautiously, Sunny brushed a hand against one of the curtains and stepped through the opening.

The lights in his eyes left him dazzled for several moments, blinded to his surroundings. He quickly raised a hand to shield his vision. The spots in his eyes only furthered the pounding headache he was quickly developing, and Sunny lowered his gaze, trying not to look directly at the light sources. Each was affixed to a tall metal stand for support as the intense light poured out. They stood several feet in front of him, and there seemed to be more attached to the ceiling or whatever passed for a ceiling in this area.

The beams were focused on Sunny, but they illuminated the rest of the room as well. Shiny polished wood stretched beneath his feet, dropping off several yards away from where he stood. The gap in the curtains he’d walked through had closed, leaving an unbroken backdrop of red on all sides except for one. It was hard to see much on the unblocked side; that was where the spotlighters were positioned, and trying to look too hard at them was like staring into the sun. All Sunny could tell was that the curtains didn’t seem to be present beyond them. Neither was the ground. The place where the wood fell away was directly behind the blinding beams.

A stage. It took a few moments to register, but the curtains and spotlights were a dead giveaway. He was centerstage with lights that were too bright and a heart that wouldn’t stop pounding.

The gap he had arrived through was gone when he turned, hidden among the rest of the curtains. Sunny took several more steps out onto the stage. His footsteps echoed like thunder in the otherwise-wilent area, though that shouldn’t have been possible with the curtains soaking up the sound. It must have echoed back at him from the space the stage opened into, but from where he was standing, Sunny couldn’t see a thing. There was no murmur of people before a show, no buzzing anticipation or encouragement. Just the silence and the echoes of his own footsteps.

Sunny let his feet carry him to the stage’s edge, passing under the spotlight’s harsh gaze. When it was close enough he took hold of the top and tried to angle it away. It was stiff, but gave after a few moments, and he managed to swing the first beam off to the side so it was no longer pointed directly at him. Away from its blinding glare he could see past the curtains and into the auditorium. It appeared utterly deserted. There were seats, so many of them Sunny couldn’t see the far wall, but not a single one was filled.

Another sound rang from behind, and Sunny turned to see the stage was no longer empty. There was Mari, seated at a piano that definitely hadn’t been there a few moments ago. She was flipping through her sheet music, completely unbothered. Against the red of the curtains and the empty darkness that lay in the auditorium, her pale skin practically glowed.

“Mari!”

Mari didn’t react to Sunny’s frantic tone. She offered him her normal bright smile as he ran over, stopping before her grand piano. No fear, no sadness, nothing.

There should have been, though. There should have been something. Something to indicate that something was wrong.

Not in Headspace.

He hadn’t allowed that to penetrate his dreams.

But this was not Headspace. This was another place, the place Sunny had built Headspace to cover. The line was blurred here.

It should not be okay because everything had not been okay.

Mari’s attention had drifted away from Sunny in the few seconds of silence. She laid out the pages of her sheet music where she could see them and tapped out a few chords, going back and forth between them at a speed that gradually grew. Unlike Sunny’s footsteps, the music did not echo. It simply fell flat against the curtains.

Sunny did his best to swallow the fear choking his throat. The stage, the lights, the whole situation… he had never really been comfortable with it, least of all here .

But Mari was also here. But for how long? Would she disappear like last time, or talk about the game of hide-and-seek again before changing the subject? Would this wild goose chase never end?

He made a decision. Walking closer to the piano, Sunny reached out and tapped Mari lightly on the shoulder. She was tangible, that was for certain, though her skin seemed cold as ice.

“I found you.”

Mari did acknowledge him this time, looking up from her piano and locking eyes. Purple, a contrast to the red curtains that took up eighty percent of Sunny’s vision.

“Sunny! I was wondering where you were.” There were other sounds behind her voice now, coming from the endless auditorium behind them. Sparing a glance the other direction revealed nothing but shifting shadows. Some of them had more definite shapes to them, hazy scribbles waiting in the seats, but the room was still apparently empty. The lights were shining into his eyes so brightly it was hard to say for sure.

Mari didn’t acknowledge any of it, though. She was searching his face with a trace of curiosity, but Sunny could tell they weren’t on the same page.

“I found you,” Sunny repeated. “Mari, we… let’s leave this place, please.”

Mari frowned. “We can’t leave yet, Sunny. The concert’s about to start.” Her face turned a bit more serious. “Please tell me you warmed up… We’ve worked really hard for this, but that doesn’t mean we can get careless last minute.”

Sunny hadn’t known it was possible to be more tense then he already was. The word concert proved that thought wrong as his heartbeat tripled.

“The… concert?”

“Yes,” said Mari, her patience clearly thinning. “It’s fine if you’re nervous. My first concert, I was so anxious I tripped when I walked out on the stage. But we’ve practiced. We’ll be okay.” When Sunny said nothing, she added, “just follow my lead and we’ll be fine.”

They’d tried a concert, before. That was the night things started to be wrong. The concert hadn’t happened back in the real world.

They’d been sick, hadn’t they? Standing on the unfamiliar stage, Sunny felt sick. The night of the concert was the last time anyone had seen Basil alive. A horrible sort of turning point.

The stage lights were far too bright. They’d been coming from the other end of the stage, hadn’t they? There was no way they should still be in Sunny’s eyes from this angle. The whole place seemed to sway as Sunny fought off the dizzy, nauseous feeling that had overwhelmed him. Old fear and new fear was crashing together into a whole new level of terrible, as if this place was determined to try and outdo all the horrible things he’d already trekked through.

“We should just leave,” he managed. His voice came out far softer then he would have liked it to, sounding like a petulant child. They couldn’t play the concert. It hadn’t worked the first time and it wasn’t going to work now.

Mari sighed, though not in a mean way. She gave Sunny a searching look. Most of the concealed annoyance melted, replaced by a look of sympathetic encouragement.

“We’ll be fine, Sunny. Let’s give them a good show.”

Sunny wasn’t quite sure who ‘them’ referred to, seeing as the audience didn’t quite seem to have solidified. The whispers were still there, and he was definitely seeing movements from the seating areas, but it wasn’t quite people, just more of the scribbles he had seen back in the other area. The apparent lack of an audience did absolutely nothing to calm the fear. Whatever show it was Mari was hoping to give, there was no way it was going to go well. Even if there didn’t seem to be any witnesses, it felt as if someone was watching just out of sight.

Still, Mari wasn’t budging. She’d adopted a familiar encouraging-but-firm expression and set her hands back on the piano keys. When Sunny didn’t move, she raised an eyebrow and motioned to the stage behind him.

“Ready?”

No. No, Sunny wasn’t ready. Despite that, he turned his head to the space she had been motioning.

There in the center of the stage sat his violin. The strings glinted in the spotlight, the body sleek and smooth as ever. There was a music stand next to it, papers already spread across it.

Staring at it, Sunny could have sworn the whispering grew louder.

Seeing no other choice, he walked over. The wood shone invitingly, not a speck of dust on any part of it. When he reached out and picked it up, the feeling was familiar, though the instrument itself was cold.

It was already tuned, from the looks of it. The bow sat on the stand beside it, ready and waiting. Sunny could recall the weight of it in his hand; if he were to pick it up, he would know how to hold it. He knew the way it was supposed to lift and fall, how it sang across the strings.

It wasn’t a problem of forgetfulness. Theoretically, he knew how to play it, but mentally? The violin set off screams of wrong, wrong, wrong within his brain. The violin wasn’t connected to anything good. The concert wasn’t connected to anything good. Black Space was not connected to anything good. Put those three things together, and things were sure to go wrong.

With the feeling of picking up a live serpent, Sunny felt his hand slide across the violin. He picked up the bow next, positioning it across the strings with trembling hands. The lights made it difficult to read the sheet music. They should have been in front of him, but their blinding glare turned the ink practically invisible.

Behind him, the opening of the piece rang out, and Sunny realized with a start that Mari had already started. 

He recognized that opening. That was the sequence Basil had been humming, the one that sounded so familiar and yet felt so out of reach. It seemed so obvious, now that he was hearing Mari play it, as if the knowledge had suddenly flooded back into his mind at the reminder.

There wasn’t time to think about that, unfortunately, because Mari was still playing. The intro was slow, but it was also short. Within a page or so, the violin could be set to join in, and he would have to play.

But how could Sunny play when he was so afraid he felt he might drop the violin at any moment? How could he read the music when the lights were sharp and blinding and painful?

Mari released the pedal on the last notes of the opening, speeding up the tempo ever so slightly as she played on. Soon it would be Sunny’s turn. In just a couple measures, he would have to untangle his mind enough to actually play.

He shifted closer to the music stand, squinting at the notes. The glare from the stage lighting was harsh and made the notes blend in with the paper.

He knew the song by heart, though. How could he not? He and Mari must have played it hundreds of times in rehearsal, drilling it again and again until Sunny could have sung the melody in his sleep.

Muscle memory kicked in, and with a new flash of panic Sunny managed to get the first few notes out. They weren’t as nice-sounding as Mari’s; his instrument sounded positively choked, like the strings had somehow been muted. But he was keeping up, albeit only barely.

Sunny managed to soldier on through the first two pages before he hit the first wrong note. It came out louder than the others, ringing through the auditorium and making it all too obvious. He winced as the sound seemed to rattle through his head.

Mari hadn’t stopped, and the misstep had caused Sunny to fall behind. He tried to sneak back in, speeding up to try and sync up the two instruments once more. He only succeeded in playing a sharp he hadn’t meant to, and the mistake reverberated through the air.

This was going all wrong. Frantically, Sunny glanced at the sheet music. He could make out the bottom lines; he tried to use those to get back on track. It didn’t work. The disconnect was glaringly obvious, the violin several beats behind the piano on each measure and peppered with wrong notes.

Moments later Sunny became aware something was wrong with the violin. Every note pricked, stung, as if the strings had turned into barbed wire. He tried to ignore it, to focus on the sheet music, but it only grew worse. The pain snuck into the music; a sour note. An incorrect rhythm. The song was being ruined. Sunny was ruining it. Mari’s piano hadn’t faltered in the background. It was still as lovely as ever, a melody that would have sounded fine alone but was now being spoiled by the mediocre violin that accompanied it.

His hesitation was dragging the tempo yet again, so Sunny tried to catch up, but the pain in his fingers was becoming unbearable. Looking down the violin revealed why. It was broken, splintered in several different spots, a thousand tiny splinters waiting on the fingerboard where the strings sat. The strings themselves were frayed, coming apart at the ends and in danger of snapping at any second. The whole instrument felt unsteady in his hands, as if one more wrong note might snap it clean in two.

The more he played, the more the neck seemed to splinter, each new point ready to sink into his fingers as they struggled to keep playing. Mari hadn’t stopped. Why hadn’t Mari stopped? Sunny was certain his agony must be visible, but she played on, her beautiful chords so unmatched by his painfully slow accompaniment. 

The next note drew blood. Sunny hissed with pain as the growing splinters finally broke skin. It dripped down his fingers, smearing across the strings as he sluggishly switched notes. Some slid down the instrument and splattered the sheet music, saturating the paper so Sunny couldn’t read the notes beyond the deep red liquid. The paper drank it in greedily, and the stains spread far quicker than should have been possible.

Frantically, Sunny reached out the hand he remembered to be non-bloodied to turn the page before the whole pile could be soaked through. He managed to flick the top one off the stand, but some of the blood from his bleeding fingers had smeared onto the other hand without his notice. Red bloomed across the next sheet like some sort of sick flower.

He recoiled his hand, but the damage had been done. The music was completely unreadable. Not that it would have helped, either way; he could barely see with the tears of pain that sprung into his eyes as he tried to remember the tune, the notes, some way to keep up. All he managed to do was deepen the cuts as the splinters grew and the blood seeped into the violin’s cracks and the broken and beautiful instrument became slowly stained with a deep and painful red.

“Mari,” he choked out, not daring to stop, not wanting to fall behind when his sister still managed to play so perfectly. “Mari, I need to stop.”

She didn’t look, didn’t flinch at the blood-soaked piano, even as the stuff poured from her hands and dyed the front of her dress the same color as Sunny’s violin. She didn’t hesitate as she pressed her fingers to pointed, unforgiving keys, even as they plunged through her flesh as easily as if it were paper.

Even from behind, he could see the tears streaming down her face, unconscious tears of pain from the many wounds spilling blood freely from her hands.

How wrong he’d been.

Mari felt it all.

Mari just didn’t let it show.

Sunny had no sheet music. Any semblance of music had long since fled his mind. He gripped the bow in one hand and dragged it across the strings. It shrieked in a very non-musical way before bursting into splinters, the entire instrument crumbling from the unconscious deathgrip he had held it with.

The shards that had been in his hands sank in deeper, opening larger wounds from which more blood dripped, and Sunny struggled to open his hand, nearly retching from the feeling of wood beneath his skin. It chafed and it hurt and he was afraid to try and pull it out, because if he were to try and yank out the shards it would undoubtedly be as agonizing as when they’d gone in. There were so many, maybe hundreds of tiny wooden spikes sticking from his hand, feeding the red waterfalls that now cascaded down both arms.

Then Mari missed a note.

A dissonance that should not have been there rang through the concert hall. The lights flared; Sunny moved to put a hand over his eyes, then let out a small cry as the movement jostled the wooden shards. The audience was empty, but he could somehow still feel their eyes. They came from all directions. Watching. Knowing.

They knew. They knew . They knew, and filled Sunny with a sudden and indescribable terror.

What did they know? Something dreadful. Something horrible.

They knew him.

Mari missed another note, her bloodsoaked fingers slipping over keys that now shone with red. Her smile was as fragile as porcelain. She tried again, went back and reoriented herself. Slipped again. Opened another cut. Tried again. Slipped on all the blood.

“Mari.”

She didn’t hear.

“Mari, it’s– it’s not worth it, stop. ”

She didn’t stop. She played another chord, barely managing to hold herself upright. Dress and hands stained with red, so dizzy even holding herself upright above the piano looked like an effort.

“Mari! Stop! Please…”

Another chord on the serrated keys. A sheen of sweat had appeared on her brow. The song was killing her. It was painful and awful and too much for Sunny to bear, but she was still trying.

“ Please. ”

The spotlight stayed on, and Mari played and played and played as it slowly killed her.

The wood splinters in Sunny’s hand ached, the same sticky red pouring onto the stage.

He sank to his knees and stared off at the endless empty seats. His gaze wandered until it landed on one, just one, that was occupied.

Stranger waited solemnly, hands folded upon her lap as if the scene on the stage was simply part of the concert. Her eyes shone like lamplights in the darkness. Sunny stared at those eyes pleadingly, willing her to do something. 

Stranger only stood and walked from her seat, ascending the small set of stairs behind the stage until she stood at the same level as Sunny. She brushed past him and over to the grand piano, where the stage was now slick with blood. She paused once she got to Mari, staring over her shoulder.

“Everything you were so afraid of,” said the Stranger quietly. “Was it really worse than this?”

In the center of the stage, Mari had stilled. The blood– both hers and Sunny’s– no longer looked like blood. It had taken on a darker sheen, spreading with a sluggish and thick consistency. It had already spread over much of the stage by the time Mari tried to wipe it away.

“Help her,” whispered Sunny.

Stranger just stared at him, eyes impassive.

“The choice has always been yours. Help her, or protect yourself.”

A beat. Perhaps Stranger was waiting for Sunny to fill the silence, but words seemed to have fled him entirely, leaving him to stand there, quietly terrified. After a few moments she continued.

“I’ll ask again: What is it you truly want?”

Sunny had no idea what he wanted, and Stranger could tell. He wanted to find Mari, but he was also afraid of what else he might find if he did that. He wanted to know what happened to Basil, but he didn’t want to face the crippling fear that overtook him every time he got close. He wanted answers but he feared them, he wanted companionship but dreaded others seeing too much, he wanted to leave but he wanted to stay.

Sunny had no idea what he wanted, and Black Space would reflect that until he made a proper choice.

Stranger walked slowly across the now-gooey surface until she reached the piano, where Mari still waited. Sunny wasn’t quite sure what happened next, but as Stranger moved to sit beside Mari, she vanished.

Then Mari turned to face him. Her dress was heavy with the same Something that covered the stage, and it seemed to be weighing her down. “Sunny,” she said quietly. “I’m… so sorry.”

The black goo was starting to seep up from the ground now, crawling across the stage and the piano. It slowly enveloped Mari, who made no move to rise from her seat. She sat there, bloody hands clenched atop the keys.

The whispering still roared in Sunny’s ears as he climbed the stairs to the stage. He tentatively reached out a foot, testing the goo. It held, but barely. Trying to walk on it would be like walking on a tightrope in strong wind.

From the center of the stage, Mari whispered, “I’m sorry, little brother.” The goo had spread over her with surprising speed. The curtains, too, had been saturated with it, turning the whole stage into a dark and sticky mess. Mari’s skin was pale, but seemed to disappear completely beneath the murky substance. She closed her eyes, and it finally spread across her face, hiding her completely. The piano, too, had become nothing more than a lump in the goo, save the center, where a single word was emblazoned.

OMORI.

Sunny found himself freezing up as he drew closer to the stage’s center. The goo was more like a liquid there. His feet sunk right through it, down farther than the place where the solid surface of the stage should have been. Paralyzed by fear and indecision, he let it draw him down.

It was difficult to say how much time passed. Perhaps it was hours or perhaps none at all, but at some point Sunny became aware he seemed to have passed through the dark goo entirely. His feet were once again on solid ground. The goo itself had vanished, but Sunny could feel it as certainly as if it was still there. It left a sticky, creeping sensation that was altogether very unpleasant.

The new place was red, but with no curtains or violins or pianos. No, the only landscape Sunny could see was a distant structure that rose far above the ground and into a murky red sky. The immediate area around him was deserted save a splotchy set of red footprints that quickly dissolved into bloodred streaks upon the ground.

He followed them. Sunny was half-sure his mind must have shut down; if he was really seeing any of this, really processing it, he would have had some other reaction. As it stood, Sunny wasn’t sure he had any fear left in him. He could feel himself curling back into survival mode, trying to defend against the torrent of horrors and questions that were being thrown at him. Everyone had a limit, and he’d passed his a while back.

For now, he simply walked, following the bloody streaks. The knife in his pocket felt heavy; he wasn’t sure it had been there the whole time, but it was now, and he wasn’t sure he had enough sense left to question it. Sure. Why not?

He paused for just a moment and pulled it out, trying to see his reflection in the blade. It didn’t seem to be working. All the knife would reflect was the red, red fog that swirled around everything. He replaced it and kept on going, staring silently ahead.

When Mari came into view, held in place by the red hands, he couldn’t even muster up enough emotion to be surprised.

She didn’t look surprised to see him either, only giving him a sorrowful gaze as he approached.

“I’m so sorry.”

He said nothing.

“Please… help me.”

He said nothing.

“Please, Sunny…”

He let his eyes wander, focusing instead on the now-close shape he’d noticed from afar. A thin staircase led high into the sky. With all the fog, he couldn’t even see the top. Still, he knew what would be there. It was a seat. A throne, almost, except there was no honor to be had if he sat there, only shame. A throne of blood and lies, but, in some way, a throne of safety.

He got the sense there was a choice to be made there on the steps. Mari was still down here, waiting. The red hands were still holding her in place, but she hadn’t made another attempt to break free. She simply stood there, staring at him with a desperate look in her eyes.

They were family. He loved her, he really did. 

Everything involving Mari felt wrong. It felt dangerous, like placing his hands directly on a hot stove and hoping not to get burned.

He really did want to help Mari.

But… if he went back down the steps and saved Mari, what would happen to him? If he faced her, what else would he be facing?

The throne was still high above him, and the steps were broken in places, but he knew with certainty that if he wanted he would be able to reach it. Up there, he got the sense he could be safe. The hands could shield him from the bad things in Black Space. The throne was high enough to oversee the entire space they were in, but the darkness meant that up there, he wouldn’t be able to see most of it.

He wouldn’t have to see most of it.

The throne meant safety. The red hands wanted to protect him. They were protecting him by keeping Mari away, too, because something about Mari made Black Space dangerous.

“Sunny,” Mari called again, quiet and hopeless.

Sunny would have to face the real world when all of this was over. He would wake up and go back to a place where Basil could never be and nothing was right. Aubrey was lonely. Hero was loney. Kel was lonely.

He had no idea what he wanted.

Omori was the part of himself that craved comfort and safety. He was the reason Black Space was full of memories and fear, the reason the good and the bad were twisted together. He was protection from fear and reality.

Sunny wanted to know, he really did. The fear, the memories, all of it was shaping itself into a picture that was somehow alien and horribly familiar at the same time.

The things buried in Black Space were more important than he could have ever imagined. Everything he had seen already was proof enough of that.

At the same time, everything he had seen had reminded him of how horribly afraid he was.

In the midst of the fear and confusion, he chose safety.

Mari said nothing as he turned his back on her yet again and walked up to the hands. More moved in to fill the gaps in the stairs as he silently stepped over them. Soon Mari was out of sight, and he could almost pretend the thin drip of Something that flowed from above was gone too.

When he reached the throne of hands, Omori sat.

They closed around him as he finally woke up, enveloping him in a false sense of comfort that could never last.