‘Young man. You never should have came here. You shouldn’t exist. You shouldn’t have that voice.’

“Hello?”

‘Why are you here? How are you here? What do you want?’

“Uhm. Hmm. I’m not sure what is happening right now. Why do these questions feel like they’re rhetorical?

Mind helping me out?”

‘You came too early. You came when you were weak. You came while you were ignorant.’

“Okay. So another random crazy person. I don’t suppose you know the puzzle narrator?”

“The aged older brother of the Keeo patriarch, Ille Keeo. Known as the prophet, the oracle of the Keeo. Also the peacemaker, the savior of the unwanted.”

“Ille? How do you spell that?”

“In his youth, Ille had fallen into the ocean, swallowed by a giant sea creature that was then swallowed by another giant sea creature that was then swallowed by another sea creature.”

“What the shit? Ille, that true?”

‘It was such.’

“Oh!? You can hear the narrator?”

‘Nay. I can however feel him.’

“Eh?”

“The story of Ille, the destroyer of Leeeollai, is a long one. Sadly we will not have the time to go further down the intricate path Ille took to become the eccentric he is today.

“So Ille. Destroyer of leolai.”

‘Leeeollai! It was known as Leeeollai. That horrifying thing.’

“Long story short. Ille, in a series of fortunate events managed to slay the three sea creatures he was devoured by. Each gave him a dramatic rise in level and generous rewards. One of which was the power of foresight.”

“You old dog! How lucky! Is that like spider senses?”

‘The senses of spiders? The arachnid have no such ability.’

“Oh. Then like the house fly? They are near impossible to hit.”

‘What soft skin you have.’

“Eh? Aye man. That’s a bit creepy.”

‘I wonder how fast your bones heal, if I tear your skin apart, will you bleed?’

“What the shit. What is happening here?”

‘So you wanted to become an empath? The path of empathy is one filled with tragedies. To pity, but do nothing is self-flagellation.’

“Who told you that?”

‘The spirits, young Ji Aleksy. Or should I say senior Ji? When does age become relevant and when does it stop?’

“I don’t know. Can you stop stroking me though? Not going to lie, feels very odd. And for some reason I’m enjoying it. Making it even stranger.”

“The ensuing look of contemplation on Ille’s face whilst he strokes our hero’s hair and face gently, makes one wonder what is on his mind. Ji lies there squirming with no way to escape, left to enjoy the feeling a true empath can bestow.”

“Wow. It feels so nice. What is this?”

‘Your pain. It is mine now. For the moment.’

“Cool. Thanks. This is what feels like to be normal? How peaceful. No wonder people live life in such fear and urgency, I wouldn’t want to lose this either.”

‘You have two paths before you Ji.’

“Someone has arrived at the door to Ji’s comfortable prison. They yell, scream and slam. You can’t hear them yell due Ille’s abilities but if you could, you would hear ‘Come on! Come on and slam! Slam the door open!’”

‘One is of sexual slavery, a path of pain, ecstasy and bewilderment.

Whilst the other is of struggle, a path of adventure, pain and satisfaction.’

“Old man! Don’t leave!”

“The look of relief disappears from our protagonist face as his pain starts spreading throughout his body like the gushing water from a broken dam. His teeth clench.’

“Look at me. I seek comfort. Every moment is pain. My very existence is pain, this is who I am.”

“The veil has vanished. The glass has shattered. The walls have broken. This is the first time our hero has expressed genuine emotion. A moment where he isn’t deceiving anyone for one reason or another.”

“I can’t stay here. It’ll only get worse. I need a way to cure myself. This is a fantasy world right? There has to be a way. There has to be!”

“As soon as old man Ille vanishes into thin air the doors are flung open, a group of similarly dressed men and women stumble through the doorway.”

‘Where is he!?’

“A voice drowns out the clatter of every last disciple in the Keeo palace.”

‘Ille! I know it was you! Don’t you dare do this!”

“Patriarch Keak Keeo. The oldest living person of the Keeo clan. Slightly stronger than his older brother.”

‘God damnit. We need to increase the security. Always have ten people with eyes on the Beta’

“Every person near the patriarch silently nods, not daring to speak as they see the flustered appearance of the most venerated person in their family.”

‘Spit it out. What did he tell you?’

“Eh? What was that? Is making snorting sounds a Keeo thing?

Talking to me? So you’re Keak? What a strange name. How do you even pronounce that?”

“A common look of feigned ignorance has reappeared on our hero. All walls can be rebuilt. New glass can be blown. The mist may even seem thicker.”

“Why are you looking at me like that? You want to have me as well? The whole Keeo family seems a bit strange. Can men in this era get pregnant? Truly things have changed since I woke up!

What? You all look a bit pale. Except for you. Keaky. You look a bit off, maybe a fever?”

“The room becomes excruciatingly silent as an invisible force pushes all personnel with the room out. A look of anger is on the Keeo patriarch’s face, if his sharp eyebrows are any indicators.”

‘Hahaha! You got spirit boy. I like that. Not bad, not bad at all! Alright, if you don’t want to talk, then don’t’

“Eh?”

‘I haven’t been able to stop my brother from saving countless people in the past, I won’t start being successful now. But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying!’

“A playful look appears on the face of patriarch Keak. His strength can only be questioned by his formidable wife and his eccentric older brother. Sometimes it becomes lonely at the top.”

‘Alright, Ji was it? Good luck! Hopefully you’ll create an infinitely more powerful descendants for me!

Or if things go the way of my brother and you somehow escape this fortress. Either way, let’s see who will win.’

“External sounds reappear as the Keeo patriarch leaves Ji to his fate.”

“What the actual shit is going on in this place?

What am I supposed to do now?

Hello? Old guy?

Anyone here? Hmm.

These chains are pretty strange. What is this made of? Feels like a mix of water and rubber. How strange.”

“Our hero stews it quiet contemplation for hours before another person graces him with its presence.”

‘Is that him?’

‘Mmhmm.’

‘Do we really have to do this? Urrah was not happy when I told him.’

‘The Matriarch came personally to order it. Even Sueaeska, daughter of that Ille has been telling us of the benefits.’

‘But I don’t care if my baby will be some second generation this or that. I love Urrah.’

‘Stop crying. It’s just sex, if Urrah can’t understand how amazing of a chance this is then he’s not worth your time!’

“Yes? Can I help you two?”

‘Can we at least gag him or something? Or blindfold him?’

‘Ye. You can do whatever you want.’

“A mischievous grin appeared on one of the two seedlings of the Keeo family. They can’t be said to be very strong but their potential is in the top one hundred.”

“No. no. no. don´t worry, I’ll just close my eyes and mouth. No worries. No need for any gags or anything.

Really sick of being gagged.”

“The more aggressive of the two takes of a sock and stuffs it into our hero’s mouth. And the world is now as it should be.”

‘Doesn’t it have to be hard?’

“Mmrrrhmm!”

‘Shut up!’

‘He doesn’t look very willing, Daal.’

‘Trust me, I know how guys work. Just show them a little bit and they’ll be trying to rise to the heavens.’

‘Daal. He can’t see with a blindfold.’

‘Ugh. Can you please? Okay? I’m trying something here.’

“Mmmmhm?

Mmm?

Mrrrrm!”

‘I don’t think he likes that Daal.’

‘He does! Look. You got to squeeze a bit.’

‘Nothing is happening.’

‘I have eyes Selajai.’

‘Maybe he’s broken?’

‘Maybe. What do you do with Urrah?

‘That’s none of your business!’

‘Don’t tell me you haven’t even done it yet? Aren’t you supposed to be sweethearts?’

‘He said he was waiting until he broken through so we’d be equal.’

‘That’s never going to happen then, he’s useless.’

‘Yes it is! He’s getting really close!’

‘Aha, sure Selajai. Help me with this.’

‘I don’t want to touch him.’

‘Come on! This is a rare opportunity even if he isn’t the Beta whatever, we’ll get rewards just for doing it!

Plus, you don’t want to embarrass yourself when you and Urrah finally do it. You can get some practice.’

‘You think I’d embarrass myself? But don’t you just put it in and take it out?’

‘Oh my. Selajai, you really don’t know?’

“A feigned look of seriousness appears on one of the more pretentious Keeo disciple. Our hero squirms about with a sock in his mouth and a veil over his head. This is such a great day.’

“Mrrrrm! Mrrr! Mmmmrr!”

‘Oh, see. I told you, he likes it.’

‘But he’s so soft down there.’

‘It’s a process. My sister told me all about it. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing’

‘Can I try?’

‘Sure! Okay, just grab one of his nipples and squeeze and turn it. Jasel told me she saw guys doing it to each other as well. They totally love it.’

“Mrr! Mrr!”

‘Like this?’

“Mmm! Mm?”

‘No, harder.’

“Mmmrrr! Mrrr!”

‘See told you.’

‘They’re getting really red and I think a bit harder.’

‘Mhm! I told you so, right? Now we do the same thing to his thing down there.’

“Mrr! Rrrrrrr! Rrrr!”

“We can’t see it, but we can imagine the facial expression on our hero right now would be one of fear.”

‘Why is his skin so smooth? And hairless? He has no hair at all.”

‘I´m not sure Daal, it’s pretty though, almost like a girl.’

‘Ye almost like a girl.’

“Hahahahahaha, there you have everyone.”

“Mrrrmph!”

“The evening continues as experiments to arouse our hero fail to succeed. I’ll be honest with you all. I never expected him be so stoic. If we hadn’t caught him in the act of self-pleasure before I would start to doubt his abilities.”

‘That’s it Selajai! I give up! My jaw is almost numb. He’s probably just broken!’

‘I told you at the start. I can’t believe you made me put in my mouth, I hate you!’

‘I can’t be blamed for that! I was tired, my mouth feels so dry. Let’s go talk to the elder.’

“Mrrrmph!”

‘Take the sock out, let’s see what he has to say.’

“You beasts! Monsters! How can you do that not another human being!?”

‘Please. It’s all your fault! All you had to do was get hard!’

“What the shit! What you did was for all intent and purposes, torture! You cruel crazy bitches. What the shit man. What the shit!

What happened to the sex education in this world!? Goddamn animals. And who uses teeth like that!? Who!?”

‘I’m leaving Daal. I don’t like him.’

‘I’m coming. He’s crazy.’

“I’m crazy? Hahaha! I’m crazy!? Hahaha.

Hahaha.

Haha.”

“The doors close as the two female disciples leave our protagonist in his frenzied laughter that is drenched in derision and anger.”

“Tell me. Are you there old man? How do I get out of here? I pick the second path. Please get me out of here.”

“Silence dominates the atmosphere in the room. We contemplate his fate as we watch over his saliva covered body.’