Section collab between Scarlet and... someone else whom I dont have their name.
A deafening rumble woke Aakash up.
Eyes snapping open, he ripped the duvet off his body in a sleep-ridden frenzy. Beads of perspiration rolled down his temples as his gaze darted in and out of focus in his disoriented state.
It took him several desperate gulps of air to shake off his dizziness.
Slowly but surely, he started to recollect the muddled details of the night before. His hand traced the small table beside his bed, looking at the heavy layer of dust and grime in perplexion.
He— he had put his alarm clock ahead by an hour for daylight savings. The very same alarm clock that was... withered to its windings on his nightstand. His hand recoiled.
'What is going on?'
His eyes fell on his sister's bed. Once, there was sure to be a bubbly, cheery face giggling at her older brother when he woke up. At present, the bed was empty with a thick layer of darkened soot on it, obscuring the bright, joyful colors underneath.
A deep, devastating sense of dread descended in Aakash's stomach as his gaze followed the similar state of all the objects in the room. Everything— looked... ancient. Decayed. The wood lining his cupboard, the books on his shelf— they all looked rotten.
Shakily, he stood up, his bare feet touching the cold, sandy floor. Each step was like a sensory overload surging through his neurons.
"Amma?" He croaked through his parched throat, leaning on the door frame as he called for his mother. "Amma!"
He surged deeper into the house, ignoring the creaks and groans of his joints as if they were being put into activity after decades of disuse.
"Amma!" With each shout, his voice became shriller and more frantic. He reached the kitchen— which was in a similar state of abandon as his room.
"Amma!" He screamed his throat raw but there was no answer.
He stumbled through the living room, accidentally toppling the vases and knick-knacks his mother liked to collect on the patio. Yesterday, he would've been terrified of the consequences of damaging them, but right now he couldn't even bear to give them a second thought.
Pushing the front door open, he stepped out of his home and— froze.
Ruins of once proudly stood sky-scrapers marred the landscape— the eastern horizon, once blue, lit now with a rosy, deathly glow. Not a single person or tree was in sight in the acres of barren, bereft land that seemed to be pulled straight out of those dystopian novels he loved as a kid.
Aakash's head spun— the enormity of the situation too much for his shoulders. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his head.
'No no no, this cannot be happening, this isn't real this isn't real, it's just a nightmare-'
A crumpled newspaper stuck to the ruins of his house caught his eye. His gaze frantically swept over it.
The headline?
'THE END IS NIGH AS NUCLEAR FALLOUT OVERRUNS THE WORLD'
The date?
'17th July, 2077'
Aakash's eyes widened in horror. "What the—"
He fell onto the ground, the hard surface hurt his palms and knees but he couldn't find the energy to stand back up. He was in the future-
Suddenly something whizzed past him and he scrambled back, screaming.
A woman on a bike stopped a few paces ahead of him- "What are you doing in the middle of the road?" she snapped.
"I- uh- its 2077!" he yelled
"Yes," she said, frowning, "Look just don't stand in the middle of the-"
"2022!" Aakash yelled.
"Sorry?"
"It was 2022- when I fell asleep and now-"
She must have known what happened as she suddenly slapped her hand across his mouth. "Shh!" she hissed, tugging at the black box hung at her belt.
"Wha-" he opened his mouth again but shut it when he caught her glare.
She threw it onto the ground and stomped on it, then lit a match and burned it.
"Uhm-"
"Get on," she said, as she climbed back onto her bike.
"What was that?" he asked after he got on.
"Monitor device," she muttered and started the bike- it dangerously tilted to the side for a second before they were off against the wind, "all people wear one at all times to ensure- nevermind 2022 right?"
"Yes?" he answered.
"Hmm, we don't have time to explain but long story short- the cats, the aliens and the fandom gods."
"Huh?" he squeaked
She didn't answer, but gestured for him to get off- they were in front of a tiny worn-down house. She led him in and they took the staircase downwards.
'It is logical,' he thought, 'to live underground in the middle of a nuclear war.'
But he didn't expect to see this.
'This' being a huge cozy place, filled with comfortable couches, all sorts of people lounging and bookshelves for walls.
"Wha-" his mouth hung open.
A curly haired guy with cat ears walked towards them, "Newbie?" he asked.
The woman nodded.
"What type?"
The woman turned back at him and looked at him critically.
"I found him on the side of the road, he was confused and in a worn down house." was all she said.
"Orphan check, confused check, rescued by a hot person check," the guy muttered.
He turned back to face the room and yelled, "Guys, We've got another protagonist!"
"I don't understand," Aakash snapped.
"Roy," the woman nodded at the guy, and then turned back and walked out of the room.
"So, you've met Riya, what's your name again?" the guy asked.
"Aakash," he replied.
"So you're from the past-"
"uh-"
"Follower of some fandom- probably a dystopian world that considering you're here-"
"I-"
"Read fanfictions, probably wrote some too-"
"I don't-"
"This is a OC Insert, Aakash,"
Aakash's eyes widened.
"The Fandom Gods began fulfilling people's wishes in 2021, you're like the 700th fan who wished to be in a dystopian world."
Roy turned to look at him, "It comes at a cost," he said.
Prys's addition (1023 from here)
"You can't go back" Roy sighed, sitting back down on his large beanbag cat ears flickering. He sat back with a heavy looking tome.
He looked around a little more thoroughly. The people weren't exactly... people. They were all different and unique. An extra limb here, some feathers there. They sat on a range of chairs, walked past gaps in the shelves and some hung off higher shelves above.
Aakash's brain finally began to fully wake from his sleep and he realised he had forgotten a major part. "What about my sister? What will happen to her?" He was shocked and ashamed that he had left her so long.
Roy looked up slightly annoyed. "Are you even sure she came through with you. Its very likely she's still in your old dimension."
"But what if she isn't?" He was slowly beginning to hyperventilate. The scene was drawing attention from the bystanders, clearly annoying Roy.
"Sssh. Sure sure. I'll go help look." He slid the tome back into a shelf. His ears were twitching in embarrasement. "Follow me."
Roy lead Aakash down and through the canyons of books. Every corner they turned revealed more and more books as well as people, but it wasn't the way they had come from.
"Where are we going? This is the wrong way!" Aakash's voice still trembled slightly when he spoke.
Roy sighed but his pace didn't slow. "Welcome to the Wanderers library, kid. Every book and fanfic in existence is in here somewhere. The fandom gods made this place to keep track of everything."
"Who are the fandom gods? How have I never heard of them?"
Roy sighed more aggressively, obviously not wanting to answer the sea of questions. "There are three main ones. Deus ex insidias, god of plot, Deus ex mores progressus, god of character development and Deus ex machina, god of devices. Do I really have to explain everything to you, kid?"
"Yes"
Roy seemed to get even more rapid. He couldn't wait to get rid of the nuisance. Eventually they turned a corner into a larger open hall. It was filled with rows of benches stretching across. Sat on one close by was a familiar face, nose deep in a green book with embossed gold filigree.
"Riya, you dumbed him on me." Riya looked up from her book with a slight smirk.
"Getting along well?"
Roy's face darkened. Riya's smirk turned into a beautiful smile.
Aakash couldn't wait for the jokes to carry on. He was still too busy worrying. "Please you need to help! My sister is back there!"
The smile faded.
"Really! I didn't see anyone else! Are you sure she isn't still back in your old world?"
"No! I'm sure she was there before I properly woke up!" He didn't know why he was lying. She probably was still back at home. But what is she wasn't... " I'm certain!"
Riya's smile was now long gone. This might be a problem. Let's get going quickly!"
Roy groaned.
