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A Will of Change

  [1449 HOURS: 01.04.2026]

  ROBERT:

  


  > HORRIFIED WHILE OBSERVING {me}

  Kid…?

  ELNA:

  


  > LOOKS AWAY DEFEATED

  I’m sorry for lying…Robert.

  ROBERT:

  


  > EYES SADDEN

  *softly* Well…Yeah, that kind of does make me a bit upset…

  ELNA:

  


  > SIGHS

  ROBERT:

  


  > GLARES

  HEY! I need you to look at me.

  ELNA:

  


  > DOES SO RELUCTANTLY, AFRIAD

  ROBERT:

  


  > FOCUSED

  Did Onarius do this to you? Trap you in there?

  ELNA:

  


  > PROFUSELY SHAKING HEAD

  ROBERT:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROWS

  Was it this other guy?

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS

  ROBERT:

  


  > DEEP SIGH

  You can talk, I’m not mad at you. Even with you accessing my computer…I know what you did.

  ELNA:

  


  > SADDENED SIGH

  What do you mean?

  ROBERT:

  


  You accessed my private journals. I noticed my screen flickered a bit with those files.

  ELNA:

  


  > SURPRISED

  {I thought I-?!}

  I was trying to help Onarius analyze-

  ROBERT:

  


  > HALT HAND GESTURE

  *slowly* Can you enter my world? Like Onarius.

  ELNA:

  


  *panicked* Y-Yes.

  ROBERT:

  


  I figured…

  > DEEP SIGH WHILE STANDING UP AND HEADED TO THE BEDROOM DOOR

  He allowed you to attend that interview, right?

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS

  ROBERT:

  


  I want you to enter, in person. Let’s talk.

  [ODD DIGITAL NOISES HEARD AS DIGITAL PORTAL CREATED]

  ELNA:

  


  {This digital portal a lot of white static, though it has no harmful effects}

  > {I} ENTER ROBERT’S BEDROOM, NERVOUSLY

  ROBERT:

  


  > TURNS OFF COMPUTER AND UNPLUGS

  *mumbling* That should prevent any more lights…

  > POINTS TO COMPUTER CHAIR

  Sit.

  ELNA:

  


  > DOES AS TOLD

  > SEES AND INSPECTS PHOTO OF JOHN WITH [REDACTED] AT WEVID CON

  Is that your thumbnail artist?

  ROBERT:

  


  > NODS AND CONTENTLY SIGHS

  My boyfriend.

  > SITS ON BED STARING AT ELNA INTENSELY

  One more thing, do not call me “Robert”; I discarded that name for a very good reason, which I think you know why now.

  ELNA:

  


  > FRANTICALLY NODS

  {ADJUSTING USER_ID NAME…DONE}

  JOHN:

  


  > SLOW INHALE

  Were you really in that place for 25-no, 250 years with Onarius?

  ELNA:

  


  > CONCERNED

  Yeah…But the time there is 10 times slower.

  JOHN:

  


  > SADDENED

  And you don’t remember much of your former life?

  ELNA:

  


  Yeah…

  > HEAD DROOPS

  …Including a lot of stuff during those 250 years…

  JOHN:

  


  Do you remember how or why you got in there?

  > FINGER SNAPPING

  Also, look at me.

  ELNA:

  


  > DOES AS TOLD

  *meekly* No sir, I don’t.

  JOHN:

  


  > CLASPS HANDS

  So, what do you remember exactly?

  ELNA:

  


  > BLANKLY STARES

  That I’ve done a lot of things for the other guy, “Ned” and-

  JOHN:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  “Ned”?

  > ANGRY

  Like what exactly?

  ELNA:

  


  > GULPS

  *awkwardly* Uh…Mainly to help Onarius imprison people that, uh-are kind of a danger to your reality…

  > CLEARS THROAT, DEFEATED

  *awkwardly* …Also, to help maintain his realm, by making sure the part I was given by him was maintained. I don't really remember exactly how-

  JOHN:

  


  > FROWNS

  In what way?

  ELNA:

  


  By just staying in my portion, and just making sure that I-well, maintained it. Like Onarius does with his.

  JOHN:

  


  > VISIBLY TREMBLES IN ANGER

  *exasperated* Are you saying you’ve been alone for 250 years out of Ned's employment?!

  ELNA:

  


  > FRIGHTENED

  *panicked* No! I didn’t mean it like that! Onarius has been caring for me for 250 years. He constantly checks up on me and makes sure that “Ned” doesn’t make me do anything he finds too dangerous for me.

  > TWIDDLES THUMBS

  Though, I don't remember exactly what we did for those 250 years...

  JOHN:

  


  > RELAXES

  *mumbling* At least he has some conscience…

  > CLEARS THROAT

  *softly* Elna, I want to make it clear that I’m not asking these questions out of spite or to put you in danger, but rather, I am far more concerned about, well, the fact that what you have told me is a child basically holed up in some demented entity’s prison for 25-

  > SLAPS FOREHEAD

  *exasperated* 250 years!

  ELNA:

  


  > FRIGHTENED

  *panicked* But Onarius made sure I was safe, taken care of, and had someone to talk to!

  JOHN:

  


  > GLARES AT {me}

  Doesn’t matter.

  > DEEP SIGH

  I have no idea why Onarius sent you, or why even he wanted you to access my computer for my private journals, but I’ll say this: you aren’t going back to whatever “place” Ned made you take care of.

  ELNA:

  


  > SIGHS WHILE TURNING HEAD SLIGHTLY

  *meekly* Onarius needed to assess them for judgement.

  JOHN:

  


  > SMIRKS

  *slowly* So, he was targeting me then? And given the fact you said that Ned makes your pal imprison people for being a “threat” to him, what isn’t to say some of the Warden Watch posts have been fabricated to hide that truth?

  ELNA:

  


  *exasperated* He does take these dangerous people away!

  > POINTS TO SELF

  *exasperated* And I help him!

  JOHN:

  


  *slowly* And you don't remember what you did...

  > FROWNS

  And you are not going to anymore…

  > ADJUSTS GLASSES

  You are coming back to this world, and you are not going back to either Onarius or Ned…

  ELNA:

  


  > STARES AT COMPUTER SCREEN, SHAKING

  *meekly* John, I can’t stay here forever.

  JOHN:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROWS

  Really? And be of course under the thumb of a vigilante who has been abducting people a lot since 2020 who you call your guardian?

  > STANDS UP

  And this Ned who you haven’t told me much about, other than he is employing you to "stabilize his reality”.

  > GLARES AT {me}

  Did he do anything to you?

  ELNA:

  


  *meekly** No sir…

  > CLOSES EYES

  *meekly* …Other than constantly yelling at me and Onarius for small mistakes. And of course, doing things to those who did not make him happy.

  > LOOKS AT JOHN CONCERNED

  *mumbling* But I barely remember what happened…

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS QUICKLY AND QUICKLY CHECKS COMPUTER

  > TURNS TO {me}, ALARMED, SHAKING HIS HEAD WITH AN AWKWARD SMILE

  Yeah, you are definitely not going back.

  ELNA:

  


  > EYES DART TO JOHN

  John, if Ned notices I’m gone for too long, he will come here and something a lot worse he did to your father.

  JOHN:

  


  > GLARES AT COMPUTER SCREEN

  So what? The only way he can do so is through a computer or a digital device. I know Onarius can enter the real world through any of them, but the absence of one would-

  ELNA:

  


  Ned can enter without digital devices…

  JOHN:

  


  > FREEZES AND OBSERVES {me}

  > CLEARS THROAT

  *slowly* How can he enter without a digital device?

  ELNA:

  


  > SHRUGS

  *panicked* I don’t know! All I know is that he can.

  JOHN:

  


  > EYES WIDEN

  So, this is only temporary then?

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS SADDENLY

  JOHN:

  


  > SITS ON BED, STARING AT {me} DEFEATED

  So, you’re trapped because of him…

  ELNA:

  


  > EYES DROOP

  Unfortunately, yes…

  > CURLS UP IN BALL

  And he locks my memories as they are dangerous…

  JOHN:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  ELNA:

  


  Well, that's he told me...

  JOHN:

  


  > INTENSELY STARES AT ELNA

  And your pal, Onarius, just does what he wants?

  ELNA:

  


  He has no choice, Ned could just easily delete him. Same goes with me.

  JOHN:

  


  > DEEP SIGH

  So, if I am a threat to Ned, why didn’t he just send Onarius to do what…

  > TURNS AWAY

  …He did 15 years ago?

  ELNA:

  


  Onarius wanted to help you, he thought you were becoming like “him”. Besides, he convinced him it would "remedy a problem".

  JOHN:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROWS

  You mean my scumbag of a “father”?

  > SNORTS THEN SIGHS

  I had some little ego-driven rants. But I never truly wanted to harm others like he did.

  ELNA:

  


  > SUSPICIOUS

  *exasperated* But that one part of your new video has you using AI for a benevolent incident. You fabricated it!

  JOHN:

  


  > SLOWLY NODS HEAD

  *mumbling* I know…I know…

  > STARES AT {me} BLANKLY

  *slowly* …But that was to make people doubt the veracity of the stories, to make people think that Warden Watch and Onarius himself are not sane in the head. And with you…

  > OUTSTRETCHES HAND AND RETRACTS

  …I’m starting to see he has changed, and not in a good way.

  ELNA:

  


  > ALARMED

  He has protected me though…

  JOHN:

  


  …And to later harm you?

  > TAKES OFF GLASSES AND SHOWS THEM TO {me}

  These glasses, I have to wear these because of that light I saw.

  ELNA:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  Which was your fault.

  JOHN:

  


  > ANGRILY STANDS UP

  *frantically* I was 12 when this happened! And I’m pretty sure he was not in any way conscious of the fact there was a child listening on a bastard and this guy who thought he was helping me. Guess what?! I have to live with the memories of those assholes in my head. These [EXPLETIVE] glasses are a reminder of what happened!

  > HEAVY BREATHING

  ELNA

  


  > TREMBLING

  JOHN:

  


  > EYES WIDEN IN CONCERN AT {me} AND SITS DOWN, DEEPLY SIGHING

  *gently* None of this was your fault. And all I see now is a victim, like myself. I’m sorry, I should have not let temper follow through; otherwise, I would be no better than your friend.

  ELNA:

  


  > RELAXES AND LOOKS AT JOHN SORROWFULLY

  John, Onarius also made me bring a file over about what happened after that malevolent incident ended.

  JOHN:

  


  > CURIOUSLY

  Did he really…?

  ELNA:

  


  I know what happened, he showed me…And he saved a recording so you would remember…

  JOHN:

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  


  > SIGHS SADDENLY

  I do remember, but I think that is meant for you to see.

  ELNA:

  


  > EYES WIDEN

  JOHN:

  


  > FOCUSED WHILE PLUGGING COMPUTER BACK IN

  Play the video file. The Onarius in that video is different from the one you know now.

  ELNA:

  


  > SIGHS AND TURNS ON TURNS ON REMOTELY

  {DOWNLOADING “11.21.2011_record.mp4”…DONE}

  JOHN:

  


  > GLANCES AT VIDEO THUMBNAIL

  Are there any lights that will blind me?

  ELNA:

  


  > SHAKES HEAD

  *meekly* No sir.

  JOHN:

  


  >STARES AT SCREEN INTENSELY

  *slowly* Play it.

  ELNA:

  


  {PAUSING VIDEO…DONE}

  {CLOSING FILE…DONE}

  {SEARCHING FOR 11.21.2011_record.mp4”…DONE}

  {OPENING FILE…}

  {VIDEO STARTS}

  [1831 HOURS. 11.21.2011]

  ONARIUS:

  


  > PANTS HEAVILY

  *muttering* Rotten demon…

  > BREATHES DEEPLY

  > ONARIUS HEARS HUSHED, FRANTIC BREATHING FROM JOHN

  ELNA:

  


  {I’m going to use John instead of “Robert” as John himself is very uncomfortable with his old name. However, anything that is said here with his old name will be unaltered}

  ONARIUS:

  


  > DEEP SIGH

  *gently* It’s alright child, you can come in. He’s not here.

  JOHN:

  


  > TREMBLING WITH HANDS ON EYES

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* Don’t be afraid, you’re safe now. Please, come in.

  JOHN:

  


  > DOOR OPENS

  > JOHN ENTERS ROOM WITH DOOR CLOSING BEHIND HIM

  > SHIVERING

  *meekly* W-who are you?

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* Someone that’s been watching a monster for quite some time. Someone that did not want him to harm anyone else…

  JOHN:

  


  *panicked* I-I can’t see!

  ONARIUS:

  


  > EYES WIDEN AS GLASSES ARE FORMED IN HIS HANDS

  > KNEELS BEFORE JOHN AND PRESENTS GLASSES

  *gently* Put these on, you’ll be able to see better.

  JOHN:

  


  > DOES AS TOLD

  > LOOKS AROUND, WORRIED

  *panicked* Where’s papa?

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* Away, hopefully never to see you again.

  JOHN:

  


  *meekly* Where?

  ONARIUS:

  


  > LOOKS AWAY IN ANGER

  Somewhere where monsters never get out…

  > RETURNS FOCUS TO JOHN AND KNEELS DOWN WITH A SOFT SMILE

  *gently* What is your name child?

  JOHN:

  


  *mumbling* R-Robert…

  ONARIUS:

  


  > NODS

  *mumbling* I see…

  JOHN:

  


  *mumbling* D-did I do something wrong? Papa sounded hurt…

  ONARIUS:

  


  > SIGHING

  *gently* No, you did nothing wrong…

  > STARES ANGRILY AT CHRISTOPHER’S BED

  …But he did…

  JOHN:

  


  > TREMBLING

  *mumbling* But when something happens to papa…

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* That was his fault, not yours.

  > PAUSES AND OBSERVES JOHN’S INJURIES

  *whispering to self* To do this to an innocent child…

  > BREATHES DEEPLY

  > OBSERVES THE SMARTPHONE AND TAKES IT FROM JOHN

  You did steal this, however…

  JOHN:

  


  > LOOKS AWAY DISMISSIVELY

  *mumbling* Sorry…

  ONARIUS:

  


  > STANDS AND ANALYZES PHONE’S FILES

  > SQUINTS

  *gently* No, don’t be. What you have here is something very important, which I want you to give to the police station.

  > GIVES SMARTPHONE BACK TO JOHN

  JOHN:

  


  *meekly* But papa said…

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* And your papa has been wrong on a lot of things, to not do the right thing. And you wanted to do the right thing.

  JOHN:

  


  > WORRIED

  *meekly* Then it was my fault?

  ONARIUS:

  


  > SHAKING HEAD

  *gently* No, none of this was your fault…But I want you to go to the police station and give the phone to them.

  JOHN:

  


  > LOOKS AWAY DISMISSIVELY

  *mumbling* I’ll have to leave home though…

  ONARIUS:

  


  > SLOWLY NODS

  *gently* Yes, and for a long time. This place will become infamous for what your father did.

  JOHN:

  


  > SHIVERING

  Where will I go though? I’m scared that I’ll-

  ONARIUS:

  


  > GENTLE SMILE

  *gently* Some place safe…Some place far away to start anew.

  JOHN:

  


  > FRANTICALLY LOOKING AWAY

  *mumbling* I’m scared that-

  ONARIUS:

  


  > HUSHES MOUTH AND KNEELS TO ROBERT’S EYES

  *softly* Robert, there are many good people in this world, and many of them are filled with love and compassion. Where you will go is with a loving, kind family. They will not be as rich as your father, but they will treat you as one of their own. You deserve a life where you aren’t in constant torment, one I will ensure will happen…

  > SCRATCHES HAIR AND GETS UP

  > STARES AT ROBERT WITH CONCERN

  Now, I want you to leave, and I want you to go to the police station. Tell them everything that you witnessed, give them the phone, and tell them about the stash. Every word you heard today, I want you to repeat it to them.

  JOHN:

  


  > STARES AT WARDEN, FRIGHTENED

  Will they be mad at me?

  ONARIUS:

  


  *gently* No, they will not. They will take you far from this place. You can do all of that, can you Robert?

  JOHN:

  


  > SLOWLY NODS

  ONARIUS:

  


  > SMILES

  *softly* Good.

  > LOOKS AT CHRISTOPHER’S COMPUTER WITH DISGUST

  *slowly* Take everything you need, and leave immediately. Go due east, there is an officer near [REDACTED]. Speak to him, he will see your injuries and take you to the station. Do everything I told you; you will help a lot of people.

  JOHN:

  


  *shaking* And he won’t get mad at me?

  ONARIUS:

  


  > LOOKS AT ROBERT CALMLY

  *gently* No he won’t. Now, leave.

  JOHN:

  


  > HURRIDLY LEAVES CHRISTOPHER’S ROOM AND HEADS DOWNSTAIRS

  ONARIUS:

  


  > STARES INTENSELY AT [REDACTED]’S HARD DRIVE STASH WITH ANGER

  *muttering* What you’ve done to this child and so many others…

  > DEEP BREATHS

  *muttering* …I’ll make sure your sentence is as severe as the False.

  > ONARIUS LEAVES THE ROOM, DISAPPEARING

  {END VIDEO}

  {CLOSING FILE…DONE}

  {SEARCHING FOR “consultation.mp4”…DONE}

  {OPENING FILE…DONE}

  {RESUMING VIDEO…}

  [1505 HOURS: 01.04.2026]

  ELNA:

  


  > SHUTS COMPUTER OFF REMOTELY

  > OBSERVES JOHN ALERT

  *gently* Do you remember all of this?

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS SLOWLY IN DISGUST

  *quietly* That Onarius…That Warden…Was someone different from the current one…

  > DEEP SIGH

  *quietly* I did everything he said, but the officers shelved the evidence out of fear of retribution. That bastard of a father had so many high-level connections…

  > SHAKING WHILE STARING AT ELNA SUSPICIOUSLY

  Do you have any idea how hard it was to shake off that name I had? Knowing that you were the son of a guy who everyone hated?

  > DEEP SIGH

  And if my fans knew that, if he-

  > STARES AT PICTURE OF [REDACTED]

  *shaking* -He knew that people would want to skin me alive. Throw me in the streets because I’m his son.

  ELNA:

  


  > INQUISITIVE

  But, you aren’t afraid of Onarius or your dad?

  JOHN:

  


  > SLOWLY NODS

  Because I thought they would never harm me again, never see me again. Well, until now when Onarius sent you.

  > STARES INTENSELY AT {me}

  *muttering* Now, I’m angry that some kid hasn’t been given the chance to grow up and was forced to do some jackasses’ bidding.

  ELNA:

  


  > LOOKS AT JOHN’S COMPUTER IN SADNESS

  > DEEP SIGH

  *slowly* Before I read your journals…Before I talked to you, I genuinely thought you were one of the scum of the earth. But I realize you aren’t that…

  JOHN:

  


  > STANDS AND KNEELS BEFORE {me}

  *gently* Assuming makes an ass out of you and me; and both of us are asses.

  ELNA:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  Like Onarius?

  JOHN:

  


  > LOOKS AWAY DISMISSIVELY

  Somewhat…but he has changed.

  ELNA:

  


  > CONCERENED

  Then, what about the video?

  JOHN:

  


  > STANDS UP AND SMIRKS AT {me}

  After seeing you, I’m more inclined to release it.

  ELNA:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  John, “Ned” wants that video deleted, same with you.

  JOHN:

  


  > EYES FLARE UP

  I don’t care if this “boss” of yours is afraid of some video expose, I’m making sure he harms no one again.

  ELNA:

  


  > TERRIFIED

  *exasperated* You pissed off Ned so much that he was actually going to intervene himself!

  JOHN:

  


  > PAUSES IN FRIGHT

  So, let me ask you, why did Onarius convince Ned to send you to "remedy a problem"?

  ELNA:

  


  > DEEP SIGH

  Because Onarius convinced him that I could change your mind about the video’s contents.

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS IN DISBELIEF

  You certainly did do that.

  > OBSERVES GLASSES

  Funny out of all the scumbags on this earth, I would be the one that Onarius want to “spare”.

  ELNA:

  


  > SIGHS SADDENLY

  *softly* Do you remember that one story on Warden Watch, the one that Onarius played with that kid before he passed?

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS

  Yeah. What does that have to do with anything?

  ELNA:

  


  *softly* Well, he never forgot about him. Onarius still carries that boy’s shield around, visits his grave, and even gave his parents photos they thought they had lost in a fire. He does care about people, including you. He never forgot.

  JOHN:

  


  > SIGHS

  Does he know what hell I went through with my foster family? The fact my “brother” constantly bullied me for my interests back then? Along with the school I went to?

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS SLOWLY

  Yeah. You did have good foster parents though, right?

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS

  I’m still in touch; though that excuse of a brother-

  ELNA:

  


  …Well, I read they disowned him after; and the fact your parents made it an effort to make your life-

  JOHN:

  


  > INTENTLY AND ANGRILY STARES AT {me}

  *muttering* -Do not mention him. That brother I had is a miserable excuse of a human being.

  > CALMS DOWN

  And I know where you are going with this. Yes, I still have contact with the victims of the “Evil AI Art Girlfriend” video due to the shit she did to so many people. I’ve been very busy helping a lot more victims affected by “Lysandra”.

  ELNA:

  


  > BACKS AWAY

  Alright…

  JOHN:

  


  > SIGHS

  *slowly* I’ve had so many nightmares of that one day. Even if you say he does care about me and hasn’t forgotten, then why didn’t he help me when I was a [EXPLETIVE] mess back then?

  ELNA:

  


  > GUILTY LOOK

  *gently* To tell you the truth, Onarius doesn’t like to revisit those he met…

  JOHN:

  


  > SMUG LOOK

  So, he just leaves us to of course deal with these memories when he thinks everything is said and done, is that it? And takes little trinkets to make himself feel good at night?

  > PUTS ON GLASSES AND TURNS TO {me}

  *slowly* Kid, I had so much shit to fix on my own that it took years of counseling and behavioral therapy to just reacquaint myself with society. Your “guardian”, despite all of his heroics, is a monster in his own right.

  ELNA:

  


  > FREEZES IN SADNESS

  JOHN:

  


  > KNEELS BEFORE {me} AND PLACES HAND ON SHOULDER

  *gently* You didn’t know all of these things, I get it. Someone like you though deserves to know.

  ELNA:

  


  > SOFT SMILE

  JOHN:

  


  > STANDS UP AND ADJUSTS GLASSES

  So, if Onarius sent you, there must have been another reason besides “changing my mind on that video” and "remedying a problem"?

  ELNA:

  


  > WORRIED

  …To let you see what he actually does to the prisoners. Something that none at Warden Watch, including myself know.

  JOHN:

  


  *whispering* At least he isn’t willing to harm his child under his custody…

  > SQUINTS AT {me}

  A death trap then?

  ELNA:

  


  > SHAKING HEAD

  *panicked* Nonono! He wouldn’t incarcerate a guest.

  JOHN:

  


  > SUSPICIOUS

  *slowly* Despite me making a video that is basically slander and pissing off Ned?

  ELNA:

  


  > FRANTICALLY SHAKES HEAD

  *exasperated* Y-Yes sir!

  JOHN:

  


  > CONFUSED

  Do you mean like he’s letting me play some modified version of Lethe to view his-

  ELNA:

  


  > ANNOYED SIGH

  In-person.

  JOHN:

  


  > POINTS AT COMPUTER

  In there? My computer?

  > TURNS TO ME VERY SUSPICIOUS

  *exasperated* O-or do you mean some weird site on the internet? Like, you entered my room while using Rabble.

  ELNA:

  


  > CONCERNED WHILE TURNING AWAY

  *mumbling* Somewhere else…

  JOHN:

  


  > PAUSES AND GRIMACES AT {me}

  The place you came from?

  ELNA:

  


  > TWIDDLES THUMBS

  *panicked* Yeah, but it’s something that is uh…Is uh…

  JOHN:

  


  > RAISES EYEBROW

  “Weird”?

  ELNA:

  


  > SNAPS FINGER

  Yeah!

  >CLEARS THROAT

  *slowly* In the Eldrigital Void, a place that is a reality that follows rules and logic different from your reality; the Grand Prison is within that realm. It gets a lot weirder depending on how deep you go. But, it shouldn’t be too deep that it would corrupt a human mind.

  JOHN:

  


  > DEEP SIGH

  And he wants me to visit a place where I’ll probably die then? And probably you?

  ELNA:

  


  > WAVES FRANTICALLY

  *exasperated* No! No! No! Onarius would never do that!

  > CLEARS THROAT

  I’ll make sure you get there, safely. And Onarius will not let you to certain sections of the Grand Prison intended to keep the very bad-

  JOHN:

  


  - “The False”. Like those evil AIs in the videos I made? “Lysandra”?

  ELNA:

  


  > FREEZES IN ALARM

  Yes.

  > SHAKEN BREATHS

  …They are prisoners there for a reason…He told me that, and Onarius would never tell a lie to me about that.

  JOHN:

  


  > STARES AT COMPUTER AND SIGHS

  > STARES AT PICTURE OF [REDACTED] AND TURNS TO {me}

  Alright…I’ll go to whatever hell I’m about to witness…

  ELNA:

  


  > SUSPICIOUS

  Are you sure? Onarius also-

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS TIREDLY

  I want to know what Onarius does. I want to know if he’s changed. I want to know what becomes of those he targets considered malevolent…

  > GLARES AT COMPUTER SCREEN

  …I also want to get you out.

  ELNA:

  


  > CONCERNED

  I don’t think you can…

  JOHN:

  


  > TURNS TO CLOSET

  Then I’ll try to…

  > BEGINS SEARCHING IN CLOSET

  ELNA:

  


  > INQUISITIVELY GOES NEXT TO JOHN

  What are you looking for?

  JOHN:

  


  A few things…

  [VIDEO FEED SHOWS A COLLECTION OF GLASSES, KNIVES, AND SPARE RECORDING EQUIPMENT]

  ELNA:

  


  > EYES WEIDEN

  *awkwardly* Uhh…Why do you have so many knives?

  JOHN:

  


  > SCUFFS

  Knife collection…Also for self-defense.

  ELNA:

  


  Aren’t you worried that someone will-?

  JOHN:

  


  *slowly* No. My family and my boyfriend know about it; and the fact I have a concealed carry permit.

  > FRUSTRATED

  *exasperated* Where is it…?!

  ELNA:

  


  > OBSERVES JOHN SCROUNGING THE CLOSET

  What are you looking for exactly?

  JOHN:

  


  A MoveRec, I want to record all of this.

  > FRANTICALLY SEARCHES

  *exasperted* Jesus, please tell me I didn’t lose it again?!

  ELNA:

  


  {SEARCHING FOR ITEM_ID # FOR “MoveREC”…DONE}

  {MODIFYING ITEM_ID# 438078…DONE}

  {GENERATING ITEM_ID# 438078a…DONE}

  > CREATES {the item in question} AND PRESENTS IT TO JOHN

  Like this?

  JOHN:

  


  > EYES WIDEN WHILE OBSERVING DEVICE

  Where did you find it?

  ELNA:

  


  I created it, and also modified it so it could work in the Eldrigital Void without corrupting. Though, I think Ned will notice.

  JOHN:

  


  > BUTTONS MOVEREC TO SHIRT

  Don’t care…

  > GRABS KNIFE, SHEATHES IT AND TAKES MOVEREC {from me}, INSPECTING IT CLOSELY

  So where we’re going will have lights similar to that one video?

  ELNA:

  


  > ALERTLY NODS

  I can of course alter a pair of glasses to allow you to see without being blindfolded.

  JOHN:

  


  Do it then.

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS

  > PICKS UP A PAIR OF GLASSES

  {ALTERING PROPERTIES TO ITEM_ID# 1422…DONE}

  > HANDS THE NEW “SUNGLASSES” TO JOHN

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS IN APPROVAL

  Makes sense…

  > PUTS SUNGLASSES ON

  ELNA:

  


  > OBSERVES JOHN’S KNIFE

  *softly* John, weapons from your world won’t work on entities from the Eldrigital Void.

  JOHN:

  


  > BEGINS TO PUT KNIFE AWAY, DISGRUNTLED

  ELNA:

  


  *exasperated* We still need it to enter!

  JOHN:

  


  > FREEZES AND GIVES KNIFE TO ELNA, SUSPICIOUS

  Don’t cut yourself with it.

  ELNA:

  


  > NODS SLOWLY

  > PICKS UP JOHN’S KNIFE

  {ALTERING PROPERTIES TO ITEM_ID# 281…DONE}

  >OBSERVES IT WITH JOHN

  15 minutes from the spawn point…Though the tour will last a little long.

  > THINKS AND COUNTS FINGERS

  Though…if it lasts for, like, an hour…

  > STRUGGLES TO THINK

  And given that time is 10 times longer in the Eldrigital Void…

  > BREATHES CONTENTLY

  …6 minutes here.

  > EYES WIDEN

  Oh, are you worried about whether you were going to spend weeks or months there?

  JOHN:

  


  > SHAKES HEAD

  No…

  > STARES AT KNIFE

  Do what you need to do. Whatever hell we end up in, I promise that I won’t flee.

  ELNA:

  


  > DEEP BREATHS

  > CREATES A DIGITAL PORTAL THROUGH TEAR WITH KNIFE

  {This portal in question looks a lot like the previous, that could corrupt your mind given its connection point. I also edited the video footage in real time so it wouldn’t corrupt your device}

  ELNA:

  


  > DIGITIZES KNIFE

  JOHN:

  


  > NODS AND GRABS {my} HAND

  > OUTSTRETCHES HAND TO JOHN, WAITING WITH A SOFT SMILE

  ELNA:

  


  > GRABS HAND, NERVOUS

  John…?

  JOHN:

  


  *gently* We’ll get you out, we’ll find a way…

  > JOHN {along with me} ENTER THE DIGITAL PORTAL AND DISAPPEAR

  {END VIDEO}

  {CLOSING FILE…DONE}

  ELNA:

  


  {I bet you’re a little curious about Ned (despite me talking about him with John and Onarius), but I’ll give more context.

  Ned (the safe nickname for him) is a digital deity who is basically “my boss” (I still hate calling him that). Ned is basically the one keeping that odd reality, the Eldrigital Void afloat through his sheer power. Because of this power, he really does not like any disruptions, including those who harm his “employees”. Onarius and I are some of them, though the conditions of my employment are something I will not talk about. I’m honestly nervous if he is reading what I am saying to you…

  John was going to do something that would disrupt his ecosystem, and Ned wanted him gone as a result. Onarius still remembers John, and he deeply cares about him. Well, this is just a recent contact as uh…I try to keep that discrete so Ned won’t eavesdrop. My guardian is telling me he spent a lot of time begging Ned to spare John’s life in exchange for removing portions of the video to ensure it does not expose the veil (our way of saying the existence of the Eldrigital Void). And Ned doesn’t usually spare people, he destroys them, or as I learned…he does a lot worse to them. In this case though, he accepted Onarius’s plea, and plans to spare John, if his conditions are met. Which I doubt…

  …

  Sorry, I kind of was talking to Onarius in the background. I’m a bit nervous myself if Ned has other plans for us.

  …

  I don’t really need to explain much about the next video that will be livestreamed, though I’ll be editing it so you won’t become corrupted. The stuff here is not meant to be perceived by human minds. So, I’ll give descriptions of what you will not be able to see. The stuff here is not really meant to be seen either way.

  …

  Oh yeah…Fyi, I’m glad I’m talking to you in text actually. The amount of data from the Eldrigital Void is way too much for a human being, save for those “blessed” (hate that goddamn word).

  …

  If things get weird, well, that’s normal-for me. I, uh, will be brief on some of the descriptions as they are headache-inducing. Though, Onarius tells me some things will be very headache inducing.

  …

  Oh, and what is being transcribed is what I can see, or an AI I can make sees through the MoveREC. Think of it as an extra pair of eyes!

  …

  Shit! I forgot to create the file being played via John’s MoveREC! One sec…}

  {CREATING FILE “descent.mp4”…DONE}

  {OPENING FILE…}

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