I thought about it, and there really is quite a difference in atmosphere compared to D○sney.
Isn’t it just a riot of colors? Rather, it feels like an illustration from the Cambrian period I used to see as a child, underwater scenes from long, long ago.
That doesn’t mean it’s really underwater. When those illustrations were drawn, they often depicted bizarrely colorful creatures swimming around, and I’m just saying that the atmosphere felt similar. Anyone who knows about that timespan of illustrations would agree, but honestly, it was a bit of a terrifying sight.
Those creatures from that time all look ‘Cthulhu Mythos’-like.
I was tired as I climbed the stairs. If this were underwater, I would have stopped breathing immediately. But it wasn’t.
Still, I was lucky to have Kuro, a living creature, beside me. Otherwise—well, I wouldn’t have gone completely mad like the protagonists of Cthulhu Mythos upon seeing this, but I would have definitely developed something akin to a fear of the deep sea.
“…So?”
I looked up at the sky, which looked like it was painted in the style of Van Gogh in the early morning. Among the sky, crustaceans that seemed to have archaeological names in reality were flying in swarms. I just hoped those creatures wouldn’t take any interest in me.
“What do you want me to do here?”
Should I hurt my wrist again?
But would that even help? In reality, my body is that of Nirlas’s avatar, so I could borrow a bit of Nirlas’s power, but here, that probably wouldn’t work.
“It’s not that difficult. ‘You’ should be enough.”
“What does ‘I’ mean as a benchmark? Me as I am? Or me as Nirlas’s avatar?”
“Meow, well…”
Since I had already decided to take Kuro’s meow as a laugh when I climbed the stairs, I figured I should see that ‘meow’ as a ridicule too.
And so, my mood soured.
And perhaps because Kuro noticed my expression, she meowed again. Hm, at least this time it didn’t seem like mockery. More like a slightly awkward laugh.
…Interpreting a cat’s smile in the afterlife — what a situation!
What a fate I have.
“This world isn’t all like this. It’s dreamland, right? There are ‘people’ living here too. Naturally, there are those who want help.”
“…So?”
People here don’t seem like the ‘people’ I know.
Besides, I was gradually understanding where this place might be.
In the Lovecraftian mythos, the only place that can be called ‘dreamland’ is literally written in English as ‘Dreamland’.
But unfortunately, I don’t know much about this part. I devoured Lovecraft’s works in my childhood, but I never read all of them cover to cover.
The reason is simple — like with other manga or light novels, I tend to stop reading halfway.
The later books dealing with Dreamland were released so late that I forgot I wanted to read them by the time they came out. By the time I learned they were released, my interest had already faded.
But I do remember some bits of the setting.
…Maybe the ‘people’ in this world aren’t ghouls or nightgaunts?
“First, I’ll go to the moon.”
“To the moon?”
I looked around.
There was indeed a moon hanging across the Van Gogh sky. More precisely, there seemed to be another smaller satellite nearby that looked a bit like Mars. If I landed there, it might have a rusty red sandy desert.
And the moon was so close that I wondered if its position was even allowed. They say there’s enough distance between Earth and the moon that all planets in the solar system could fit in, but that moon definitely wasn’t like that.
Just being up there might cause tides due to the moon’s gravity.
“…How?”
To get to the moon from Earth, you ride a rocket, but this era felt more like a prehistoric age, before humans even came into existence, so that kind of thing probably doesn’t exist.
Surely I wouldn’t be riding on some creature’s back?
“Of course, you have to take a boat.”
“A boat? A spaceship?”
“Something like that.”
Kuro began to march ahead as if she were gleeful about sharing this information.
The surrounding scenery was reminiscent of being underwater, and the land below was no different. Everywhere were creatures like bizarre sea anemones… or maybe their ancestors were growing wildly, and there were certainly sandbanks that seemed safe to step on amidst the wriggling, worm-like creatures.
I cautiously followed in Kuro’s footsteps, being careful to step only in the prints she left. It felt like something unknown would jump out if I stepped in the other areas.
“Where are we going?”
“Through Ultar, to Dallasrin. From there, we’ll set sail back to the western sea.”
They both seemed like city names or something similar.
“Don’t worry. From there, you just need to hold onto me.”
“…Why?”
“That’s because in places that don’t hurt cats, you won’t be harmed either.”
Meow, Kuro meowed.
“So, as long as you don’t suddenly punch me, you’re safe as a guest too.”
Does that mean as long as I don’t abuse the cat, I’d be fine?
“What does carrying you have to do with it?”
“Because, irrespective of not hurting cats, you might not be the most welcomed guest. You’ll be alright even if people glare at you. While you’re with me, you may not be welcomed, but you’re still a guest.”
“…”
Not knowing how to answer, I simply nodded.
Kuro was looking straight ahead, but since she seemed to know I nodded, she replied by swishing her tail.
*
Thankfully, the ‘people’ Kuro mentioned were indeed ‘people’. People who weren’t much different from me. To what extent? Well, there were even other Asians that looked just like me.
Of course, here, Asia didn’t quite seem like Asia, though.
And as Kuro said, most of the people were glaring at me. Some simply ignored me and turned their heads, but some had expressions as if they would pounce on me and grab my collar if Kuro wasn’t there.
Could it be because it’s a place where you shouldn’t harm cats? Just how cows are so common laying about in areas with many Hindu people, cats were sprawled everywhere here too.
People didn’t seem to care much about what cats did. Instead, they handed those cats fish that looked like twisted abominations from this weird world.
…And the cats gobbled it up happily.
The innkeeper had a rather dubious look as he looked at me, but thankfully, thanks to Kuro, he didn’t ask for money separately. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure if money exists in this world.
“So, this is Ultar?”
After finally managing to enter the inn thanks to Kuro, I finally felt relieved and asked.
“Yeah, it’s a city of cats.”
“I don’t think even ancient Egypt worshipped cats to this extent.”
I said while looking down from the window. Kuro meowed.
“Yeah, if you kill a cat here, the killer dies too.”
“Does that mean a death penalty?”
“There’s no such process. The cats take care of it themselves. Not a bone, not a bit of flesh, not a drop of blood is left.”
“…”
That’s… a bit scary. Quite Lovecraftian.
And after hearing that, I finally managed to recall a short story.
“…You, that…”
“Meow, yeah. Here, I’m treated like a goddess. You used to treat me like a goddess back in your world too. Time is indeed relentless, isn’t it?”
Kuro glanced up at me, then meowed again.
“You don’t seem that surprised.”
“No… I was imagining something much scarier.”
Like the Niarlathotep I had been on guard against ever since coming here.
The reason for thinking of Niarlathotep instead of another god is that Niarlathotep is characterized as the most malicious in Lovecraft’s works.
Other gods, the ones truly called ‘gods’, typically don’t react unless humans step forward to offer their service. They simply have no interest in humans. Their existence alone drives people to madness, but it’s not intentional.
However, Niarlathotep is different. In the stories, he’s a clear ‘evil god’, meddling with the human world and committing all sorts of vile acts from behind the scenes.
“Meow.”
Kuro laughed again.
Is she happy to be back in her favorite city? Kuro seemed cheerful from earlier.
“Are you that scared of the existence you think of?”
“…Are you reading my thoughts or something?”
“I told you, this is a dream world. And dreams start from thoughts. You’re not even in this world with a physical body, so with me around, I can clearly see your thoughts.”
“…”
“Yeah, I know. You want to go back, right? Don’t worry, time will solve the problem. I’ll make sure to protect you safely here.”
“Thanks for that.”
“But like I said, you just have to do one thing for me.”
“So that’s why we’re going to the moon?”
I said while lying on the bed. This doesn’t look too springy. It’s rustling and feels a bit hard; is it hay?
“Yeah, that’s right. You just need to do something only you can do there.”
“…How long will it take?”
“Two weeks to get there, I guess?”
“What?”
I got up abruptly from the bed, and Kuro let out a laugh again.
“Here, time flows relatively. Don’t worry. It won’t be too late in the world you originally came from.”
Kuro quietly watched me and curled up on the bed.
“…And, well, since you’re already helping, I’ll aid you in return. After the job is done, I can tell you about the prophecy.”
“…”
I thought briefly.
And easily concluded, since I can’t do anything here without Kuro.
“Well, fine.”
I lay back down on the bed again.
“Meow, good.”
Kuro replied to me.
“……”
“……”
For a moment, I closed my eyes and sat still.
I wasn’t feeling sleepy.
“I can’t fall asleep.”
“Of course. This is a dream world, right? Strictly speaking, your soul is still sleeping.”
…That sounds really boring.
*
Just because I’m a year older than the deceased child and her friends doesn’t mean I was an adult.
No, even if I were an adult, I was still at an age where there was much to learn.
Thus, I didn’t know how to accept the fact that a child, who was like a very close and beloved younger sibling, suddenly passed away.
Kaoru and Izumi both climbed up to the literature club room as they habitually did after class.
If it were any other day, Koto Ne, who was in a lower class than them, would have arrived at the literature club room a little late. Alongside her would be her younger sister, Koko.
Kaoru was planning to tease them. Just like she used to do with Koto Ne, today she prepared bread and fishing lines. Although Koto Ne had become harder to catch lately, it still worked pretty well on Koko.
This might sound like a negative expression, but Kaoru thought of Koto Ne as a little animal. Despite being so small, she kept her eyes opened even when threats appeared, blinking in surprise at what was in front of her like a cute small animal.
Of course, Koto Ne wasn’t really such a child.
If necessary, she could pull out a weapon and fight for her life. That was the Koto Ne Kaoru had seen.
The child who fought without any concern against monsters coming from the afterlife.
“…Why?”
Kaoru murmured as she sat with her head hung low.
Why?
How did that child die? Kaoru had no idea.
Even for someone who wasn’t the sort to do such things, normally, they would at least tell how they died if it was an accident.
Though she had never experienced anything like that before, surely it would have been like that. If it were an accident, they would say it was an accident, and if someone was killed, then—
“…”
Kaoru’s face stiffened.
Yeah.
If she was murdered, it might be something they would want to hide. At least not informing them of her death hinted at some complicated issue that couldn’t be spoken of.
If Kaoru didn’t know Koto Ne at all…
If she didn’t know anything about the afterlife and had no belief in the existence of yōkai, she might have dismissed it as just an interesting conspiracy theory. But—
…If Koto Ne hadn’t existed, Kaoru wouldn’t have made it to this semester.
“Kaoru?”
When Kaoru suddenly shot up from her chair, Izumi was startled and gasped, jerking her shoulder.
Without even thinking to apologize for surprising her best friend, Kaoru began rummaging through her bag a little roughly.
And what she pulled out was a single piece of paper.
Seeing Kaoru scribbling out the fifty sounds chart on that paper, Izumi blinked.
“I can’t understand it.”
Whether she was speaking to Izumi, talking to herself, or perhaps even speaking to the already departed Koto Ne.
Kaoru wrote down the letters roughly as she spoke.
“I don’t know why Koto Ne had to leave like that.”
Yes. Koto Ne was strong.
And more than anything else…
She shouldn’t have had to leave the world so mindlessly.
She was such a kind child, who, no matter how much she struggled, seemed like she could resist the world. Kaoru thought her heart was resolute enough that nothing in the world could do her in.
So why?
Kaoru thought it might be a lie. Was there someone hiding that child and lying? Various writings that came to mind from what she had read before flitted through her head, but Kaoru could not firmly believe that those things existed.
What Kaoru was certain of was that the friend and junior who had suddenly vanished definitely existed by her side.
So, none of those matters would matter at all.
“Why did she have to leave without saying anything to us?”
Kaoru and Izumi weren’t sure if they had the right to hear Koto Ne’s last words.
Because a person’s last words are those that can only be heard by those who remain by their side until the end.
But even so, if she had to leave, shouldn’t she at least have said a word?
That way, they could know what to do moving forward. Whether they should let Koto Ne go comfortably, dig into the truth, or take revenge on the perpetrator.
The only being that knows this is one.
Koto Ne, who is no longer here now.
“I mean, at least she could tell us the reason.”
That might be a selfish wish.
But with her chest feeling too heavy, Kaoru felt that if she didn’t do something like this, she wouldn’t know what to do.
Kaoru had almost lost a junior before. Because she paid too little attention. Not knowing that such a thing was happening. Only finding out too late, when everything was already over.
It was the same again. The realization gnawed at Kaoru’s heart.
“Wait a minute, Kaoru!”
And now, Izumi, who had noticed what Kaoru was preparing, grabbed her arm in fright.
“Kaoru, what are you doing!?”
That statement was almost a scream.
“Are you seriously planning to—”
“That’s right.”
Kaoru stared at the paper while saying it.
During the moment, Izumi’s grip on her arm caused the letters to smudge, but the text itself was still legible.
“That’s cruel!”
Izumi shouted in a shrill voice.
“Koto Ne… Koto Ne has become like that, and you want to play around with her name!?”
Kaoru finally raised her head.
Izumi’s face had many emotions surfacing. Horror, anger, sadness. Especially her eyes looked at Kaoru as if she were a stranger, enough to make Kaoru’s own body tremble slightly.
“That’s… that’s…”
“Izumi.”
Thanks to Izumi, who had brought Kaoru back to reality, she spoke in a slightly calmer voice.
“Izumi, it’s not what you think. Listen.”
“If it’s not—”
“I can do it.”
Izumi was lost for words at Kaoru’s statement. It wasn’t the realization that she could do it that had shocked her. Rather, it seemed like she thought something was wrong with Kaoru.
“We saw it back then, right? The woman with the torn mouth.”
Izumi nodded slowly, looking as if she didn’t know how to accept the current situation.
“There was another time, a long while ago. I think I mentioned it.”
“Still—”
“And you saw it too.”
Kaoru looked directly at Izumi as she spoke.
“Remember when we were with Koto Ne? You saw that coin moving clearly.”
“……”
Izumi’s expression began to slowly crumble. She was clearly confused. Caught between acceptance and denial, she didn’t know how to respond.
“So, I can do it. If Koto Ne truly has left this world—”
Kaoru took a brief breath. Her heart was racing in her chest.
In truth, Kaoru herself didn’t even know what she was hoping for.
She just wanted to do something. Because she had realized it too late once again.
“I can ask Koto Ne. What the hell happened. Don’t you want to know? And… Aren’t you sorry? As a senior, I want to do something for her…”
In the end, as she spoke, Kaoru’s voice began to crumble.
The tears that were held back overflowed. A few drops fell from her chin and dripped onto the paper, causing several letters to smudge.
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