The Replay

21 1 0
                                    

More people had already made their way to the elevators, both going up and down. It was becoming increasingly challenging for Decim every day. He had no one to share his longing with.

Having undergone a memory wipe, he couldn't recall the details, which only deepened his sense of depression. Every extreme emotion from people affected him, and he still struggled to interpret these feelings. His heart ached when he witnessed someone not having time to say goodbye to their loved ones.

In the midst of his thoughts, the white-haired man stood calmly at the bar as another person entered the room. Expecting it to be Nona, the judge was surprised to see a strange woman instead. The shock was compounded by the absence of memories provided to the man.

Then, the woman spoke words eerily similar to ones he had heard before, but from whom, he couldn't recall. "I am dead, right?" she asked, her red-dyed hair forming a striking contrast to her crooked glasses.

Decim blinked several times, taken aback. "Oh. Would you make me a drink? The best one," she requested, catching him off guard. Despite his surprise, he completed the task without uttering a word. To his surprise, he was praised for it, warming him inside. Unintentionally, the corners of his mouth lifted, and the woman laughed.

"You'll have to learn to smile," she remarked, but despite appearances, it left him uncertain about how to feel.

"So, I'm dead, right?" she repeated the question, yet there was still no answer.

As another person entered QuinDecim, Nona appeared. She was taken aback to see a stranger, realizing that people typically came in pairs with their memories cleared.

Something is wrong

"Who's that?" Nona didn't bother with a greeting; she immediately pointed at the woman.

Decim just shrugged. How was he supposed to know? The only certainty now was that there was no test for him.

The stranger slapped her forehead. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Hanashi. What about you...?"

It was the strangest greeting in the woman's "life." Both the man and the blue-haired woman appeared completely devoid of emotions. Although, in the case of the man, Hanashi sensed a certain sadness. Her unfulfilled soul decided she had to change it and bring joy to others.

"Nona. This is Decim," the short woman introduced them. "Welcome to QuinDecim."

Hanashi assumed from the tone of the braided woman's voice that she was a special case, and they didn't know what to do with her.

They stood in awkward silence until Nona grabbed Hanashi's hand and led her to the elevator. "Upstairs, Clavis," Nona said, while the "new girl" admired the man's hairstyle. Clearly unfamiliar with meeting humans, he found the interest quite charming.

Embarrassed, he smiled in his typical way, and contrary to his suspicions, his face turned terribly red. He found out about it from Nona as they were leaving.

Hanashi was taken to a room full of machines. Among them, she seemed to see people, but they appeared devoid of emotions. Colourful plaques, similar to stained-glass windows in churches, were placed around them.

A small group of workers immediately gathered around Hanashi, placing her on a strange chair. A part of the apparatus, shaped like a rose flower, fell on her head. Suddenly, she felt an electric shock, and the smell of sulphur entered her nose. Quickly, she got off the device, sensing panic in the room and a hint of fear in those blank faces.

"Her memories are too attached to her. We can't pull them out!" one of the workers exclaimed.

Hanashi smiled slightly as she listened. There were too many important moments in her life to forget about them. They returned to QuinDecim without achieving anything.

"Maybe I'll help Decim at the bar?" she suggested.

The referees looked at her in amazement, a single thought running through their minds, "Is she human?"

***
Hope y'all like it
Thanks from the mountain - Glacier

Nothing Happens Twice |Decim x OC|Where stories live. Discover now