Except, it didn’t really work…at the time I wanted it to. Where the hell are we? Niche looks around. The light shifter is gone, the smell of her blood lingering in the air. Niche is covered in a giant flame, and his grip lays tightly on Raizen. Shit, I wanted to go back in time more to that light shifter. But, while I’m here…I could make use of it and get some answers.

  The same footsteps of the shifter group approached. This time, Niche conserved his energy, waiting for the group to get close. Catching them all off guard, he instantaneously explodes the whole group, save for two specific shifters. Same as yesterday, Niche subdues the female shifter, raising a flaming fist in the air to commence the barrage. The defender ducks in the way, blocking the female shifter, but Niche doesn’t attack. In fact, he doesn't throw a single punch at the defender.

  Instead, Niche pushes him off the female. The burned shifter gasps, breathing again. "Why?" she asks. "We tried to kill you."

  “What is your name?” Niche asks, reaching out his hand.“It’s…Shima,” the female replied, unable to meet Niche’s hand because of her current state.

  Niche lifts his right arm to touch Shima’s torso with it, his flames flowing into her body. The defender, looking at the situation, jumps at Niche. Easily blocking it, Niche subdues and pins this valiant shifter. “And you must be?” Niche asks.“That’s Arius,” Shima replies.“Why are you telling him?!” Arius angrily shouts, trying to squirm out of his embarrassing position. “And why are you not attacking us?”

  "Because I've been through this before. Yesterday. You died,” Niche says to Arius, his body still turned to Shima but talking to Arius.

  "That's impossible."

  "So is healing someone with fire. Just so you know, I’m not hurting your girlfriend, Arius; I’m actually healing her. It’s a little technique I learned a while back.”

  Raizen on the floor behind Niche, hears this and thinks, Technique? I didn’t teach him that. Has this kid been tampering with his father’s books? Niche helps the two stand up once Arius calms down. "Look, I don't understand it either, but I know you're going to say something about not wanting to harm me. About following orders."

  Arius and Shima exchange glances. "How could you know—"

  "Because you said it yesterday. Right before my dad killed you." Niche's voice is tired. "I don't want to watch you die again; I just want answers."

  "We can't just abandon our mission," Shima says weakly.

  "Then complete it. Try to kill me. See how that works out." Niche turns his back on them, starting to walk away. They don't move. "That's what I thought. You don't actually want to do this." He looked back. "Figure out what you really want to do. Rest for now, but not here. Any minute, my dad will walk through the entrance of that cave and instantly explode both of you. They give him some crazy powerful weapons where he works, you know? Anyways, I’m not gonna force you to comply, but I do want to know more about your mission. As of now…”

  Niche places his hand on their backs. A surge of light gleams before the darkness replaces it.

  “If either of you tells anybody about meeting me, you will explode as soon as those words leave your mouth. This is the price you have to pay for the gift of letting you two live,” Niche says. “I’m not gonna force you to speak to me, but you sure as hell aren’t gonna spill anything about this conversation with that Boss of yours.”

  "They'll kill us," Arius says quietly to Shima.

  "Then I guess you'll have to decide if your life is more important than your loyalty,” Niche replies apathetically. “You guys can be in sunlight, right? You're not like those vampires in those movies?”

  “The sun doesn’t really affect us. We're normal people, you know?” Shima replies defensively.“Yeah, yeah. Just making a joke,” Niche says, making his way out of the cave.

  Cave Entrance, Present

  Outside the cave, Ryota was waiting for Niche, just like before.

  "Niche! Where did you go? You just disappeared!" Ryota exclaims.

  As Niche’s eyes adjust to the light, he notices the outside is a lot brighter than it should be. Either it’s a REALLY sunny day outside or my eyes are taking a while to adjust to the light.

  But the brightness doesn’t go away. As he walks, the sky – and everything in general – just keeps getting brighter until everything around him is pure white.

  ???, Present

  Wasn't I just in a cave? Dad was there...no, dad wasn’t there. I rushed the group fight to talk to them before he got there. Who was it? Arius and Shima?

  Niche’s spatial blindness takes a toll on his mind, as he suddenly passes out. When he wakes up, he's sitting in a car. In a garage. Was it even a garage? Everything is white. Too white. Clinical.

  "What the fuck?" Niche stands up, looking around wildly. "Where—how did I—"

  Ryota comes in from a door - the only other object in the room besides the car - casual as anything. "What we need is in there." He points at the trunk.

  "Ryota, what are you talking about? How did we get here?" Niche's voice is rising. "We were just—there was a cave—"

  "The trial, obviously." Ryota looks at him strangely. "You feeling okay? We've been here for like an hour already. You said you wanted to try the trunk yourself first. Then, you were zoned out staring at the white ceiling and walking in circles until you passed out. I put you in the car so you wouldn’t keep passing out.”

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  "An hour? What?" Niche's mind races. This is wrong. All wrong. "I've never seen this place before in my life."

  "Dude, you literally drove us here. Said something about… I don’t know." Ryota shakes his head. "Whatever. Just open the trunk so we can get out."

  Niche stares at him.

  Drove us here? From where? Try what trunk? What is he talking about? Is this some prank? No. Ryota's not lying—he genuinely believes what he's saying. But none of it's real. I KNOW none of it's real.

  Niche gets out of the car lethargically. "In here?" Niche approaches the trunk slowly, playing along while his mind screams.

  "Yes."

  Niche grips the handle and pulls. Nothing. The metal doesn't even creak. "I can't do it. Can you try?"

  Ryota walks over, pops it open with one finger. "It's not that hard, see?"

  Inside the trunk lies a translucent glass box with a key floating in midair.

  I’m not even gonna ask what the fuck is happening with that box.

  "Is that what we need?" Niche forces his voice steady.

  "Yes. It unlocks the exit. Remember? The guy explained it when we signed in."

  "Right. The guy." Niche has never seen any guy. "So, you keep it open, and I'll reach in and grab it."

  Niche reaches in. His hand hits an invisible wall.

  "Only one person allowed," says a voice from everywhere.

  Niche jerks back. "What was that?"

  "The trial administrator. Through the speakers." Ryota points at speakers that weren’t there five seconds ago. "Seriously, you, okay? You're acting like you've never been here."

  I HAVEN'T been here!

  Niche snaps. "We were in a cave! There were shifters, my dad showed up, you were waiting outside—"

  "Cave? Your dad?" Ryota's concern looks genuine. "Niche, your dad's been missing for a week. That's why you signed up for the trials, remember? To get government resources to find him?"

  Niche's blood runs cold.

  That's not true. But Ryota believes it completely.

  "Right," Niche says slowly. "I just... had a weird dream. While sitting here. Must have dozed off."

  "In an hour?"

  "Yeah." Niche turns back to the trunk.

  "So, you'll have to open it yourself and burn the glass box to get the key."

  "Burn it?" Niche stares at the glass box inside.

  Of course. I have fire. Ryota doesn't.

  "Yeah, remember? That's why you're the one who has to do this trial." Ryota says it like it's obvious. "I can't melt glass. Unless you want to spend a few years teaching me the fire element, but the administrator said we only have—"

  "No, no. I get it." Niche cuts him off. The setup is clear now. Only one person can reach in. The box requires fire to open. Ryota can open the trunk but can't use fire. Niche can use fire but can't open the trunk. Ryota starts walking away.

  It’s a perfectly designed trap.

  Niche takes a good look at the trunk.

  So, I need to learn to open this thing.

  Niche grabs the trunk handle and pulls. Still no movement, but Niche feels something on his hand. He looks down. A roach.

  "Fuck—" He jerks back, but it's already scurrying up his sleeve. "No get off—"

  Sharp pain in his shoulder, like a needle is being inserted into his skin.

  It's burrowing.

  "What the hell?!" He tries to summon flames inside his body. Nothing. "Why won't my fire work?!"

  The roach disappears under his skin. Niche can feel its movement.

  "What's wrong?" Ryota asks, now halfway at the doorway, barely interested.

  "There's a fucking roach inside me!"

  "So?" Ryota shrugs. "You're immortal. It's not gonna kill you."

  "That's not the point -" Niche scratches frantically at the entry wound. "It's in me! I can feel it moving through my organs!"

  "Whatever. I'll be inside until you're done." Ryota walks away, closing the door behind him.

  Niche runs to follow Ryota but slams into an invisible barrier at the door that prevents Niche from turning the handle.

  No, no. This... isn't possible. This room. It's... letting the roach hurt me. I can feel it feeding on my organs, multiplying itself, but my body isn't regenerating enough to kill this pest.

  He pounds on the barrier. "There's something wrong with this room. It shouldn't logically exist how it is!" he screams from the garage.

  Niche turns back to the trunk, breathing hard. The roaches move behind his ribs, around his eyes, and through his lungs.

  "What the hell is happening to me?!"

  Niche curls on the ground, not in pain, but out of desperation to ease the struggle. He spends the next few hours alone with the company of the roaches.

  White Empty Room, Same Night, Present

  Late at night, when Ryota's asleep – or doing something relaxing unknown to Niche – in the other room, Niche searches for seams in this reality.

  The walls are too smooth. The air tastes recycled. Sometimes, Niche hears someone laughing from the other side of the wall.

  White Empty Room, The Next Morning, Present

  Ryota comes through the door, maintaining his nonchalant demeanor.

  "Ryota," Niche says suddenly. "What's my last name?"

  "What?"

  "My last name. We've been friends for years, right? What is it?"

  Ryota's face goes blank for just a second. "Satori. Niche Satori."

  My last name is Sutori. I’ve never told Ryota that, but the fact that he had to think about it like he’s receiving information from some source…

  "Never mind." Niche returns to the trunk.

  Whoever's controlling this, they're not perfect. The memories they gave Ryota have gaps.

  "Actually, wait." Ryota pulls out his wallet. "You're being weird about your name? Dude, look."

  He produces Niche’s school ID. Niche's photo stares back at him.

  "See? Satori. Like I said." Ryota tucks it back. "You've been stressed about this trial for too long."

  Why the hell does Ryota have a copy of my ID? I should stop asking questions in this place. Nothing makes sense here.

  Niche's hand moves to his own pocket. He finds an identical ID. The photo is him, but recent and taken in this place. He's wearing clothes he doesn't remember owning.

  Great. Whoever is controlling this can rewrite reality. Physical objects. Documents. Everything. That’s their element: reality.

  "Yeah, you’re right," Niche says quietly. "Must be the stress wearing on me."

  Ryota heads inside, satisfied.

  Niche stares at the fake ID.

  Why did he pick Satori? Why not just use my real last name? Unless... the shifter doesn't know it. He can only work with what Ryota believes, and Ryota never knew Niche's last name exactly.

  A gap. A tiny flaw in the perfect illusion.

  This could mean the reality shifter I’m dealing with has some sort of drawback. Not really a drawback, but more of a limitation. Whatever it is, I have to exploit it as soon as possible.

  Niche pockets the false ID and returns to the trunk with renewed focus. If the shifter has limits, then this prison has cracks.