The Pagemasters Vol 2 Sidestory 8
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Author: Literataku
Sidestory 8:
The Shadows of Desires Known as “Dreams”
I had never felt so lost before, opening the doors from Elysium I stepped out into a world I had only read about in fantasy novels. Heh, see what I did there? The doors sealed shut behind me and vanished into wherever such a thing goes when it does that kind of thing. The whole thing seemed pretty easy, just capture missing stories and put them away, simple and easy. I could take my time though, it wasn’t like the world was going to end if I enjoyed myself on the way.
First thing was first, of course. Reaching out my hand I gripped into reality and twisted.
|{Rirato shite}|
And done. I was now just a traveling magician and the people wouldn’t get suspicious of me. I kind of felt a little bit OP. Though that was nothing to-
“Guten Morgen, Herr Blue. So you’ve made your rounds this way again.”
Hello gorgeous! I tried not to let my jaw hit the ground as I stared at the lovely curvaceous girl greeting me. Her blonde hair was shining in the sun as she greeted me with a smile. I must have been dropped into the European side of the world. Was Europe filled with such well-endowed girls? I feel like I missed some things when I turned down that trip a couple of years ago.
“Guten Morgen Fraulein.” Oh cool! I know German now! Take that language professors! I smiled and cleared my throat slightly. “Yes, I figured it was about time to make my way over here again.”
She smiled back, her hips swaying suggestively as she gave me a soft look. “After such a long journey perhaps I could offer refreshments to you?”
Damn, I feel like a proper MC in this world! Her eyes glimmered and I decided to take her up on things.
“I am quite thirsty, and it would be greatly appreciated Fraulein.”
She smiled and beckoned me into the quiet little hut. Letting me follow her inside when she wrapped herself around me, pulling her body tightly to mine as I felt that curvaceous body pressing against me.
“If a girl could be selfish and offer something to quench a different thirst I feel stirring inside us both…”
I smiled softly, not even a few days and I already have the first girl of my Isekai harem! I’ll take it.
“By all means… Let’s slake that thirst together…”
I had never felt so lost before. Was this love? Heide and I lay together in our bed, her naked body pressed to mine, spooning against me as we lounged together after another hefty round of lovemaking. It was nice to enjoy such a peaceful time, alone. The afternoon sun was trying to shine through the slats of the shutters. Her parents had let us enjoy ourselves over the past couple of weeks, encouraging us to try hard for grandchildren. I was somewhat surprised the villagers had been so accepting of me. But I guess that was how the rewrite worked.
I wanted to rest a while longer but the sound of horses started to concern me. Kissing the back of her neck I slipped out from the bed and stood up, pulling on a pair of pants just in time as the first screams sounded through the village. We were under attack!
Calling forth my sword, I rushed out to help defend the village. The villagers were poor and barely had tools for farming much less any weapons to defend from bandits. People were getting cut down all around me.
This was my moment to save the village! Aiming for the first bandit I saw I swung out aiming to try and cleave him in half. My sword swinging out in a great arc. That was a bad move. A really bad move. Three arrows pierced into my chest and I could only look down as I felt the pain of my heart being penetrated by one of the arrowheads.
No! This wasn’t supposed to happen! I’m supposed to be the hero right? My legs started shaking and I collapsed from the pain. I heard Heide scream as she watched me fall. The bandits grabbing her up and dragging her to a large caged wagon. This isn’t happening! It can’t be happening!
I gripped tightly to my sword, trying to force myself to stand when a bot kicked my chin and sent me flying back to the ground, my hand letting go and the blade returning to nothingness. My vision starts to blacken as the oxygen in my brain began to run out, my heart in shambles and nothing pumping fresh blood anywhere. I could feel a blade pressing against my throat and then knew nothing.
|{SYSTEM FAILURE. WOULD YOU LIE TO USE *********? Y/N?”
I had never felt so lost before. I gritted my fists in frustration and slammed them down on the keyboard. How many times had I done this? I was trying to save her and I failed! Staying to fight and I died. Trying to run away we only got caught by different slavers and I died. Was the universe so cruel to deny me any kind of happiness?
What the fuck is this world?
|{Heide Montcliffe. Side Character. The End of Fire saga by M.R. Rolinstein.}|
She was supposed to be kidnapped by bandits. The answer hit me like bricks. And here I thought it was simply because I was reliving the same few weeks over and over. Skimming through the database her fate was tied to being captured by slavers. No matter when I tried it would never change.
I chuckled softly. I laughed. I started laughing maniacally and howling as tears slid down my cheeks. I was a fool. I was the worst kind of fool! I wanted to throw that monitor across the blank canvas that was Elysium but I refrained. Pursuing her was a curse and I needed to get over it, turn my back on her and find someone else. I couldn’t steal her away from the story and trying was only leading to my death.
So why was I getting dropped there every time?
|{Detected presence of Gingerbread Man}|
Oh, there was some other story happening close by. I think I recalled some weird sight of a really short looking guy running around a time or two passing through the village but I never quite paid attention since most of the time was trying to find ways to escape getting killed by bandits.
|{Only by sealing away stories will Pagemaster powers progress and enhance}|
Sealing away increases power huh. Let’s look at that tutorial again…
I had never felt so lost before. Could this be happening? All this time I thought I had been alone. And yet there was another Pagemaster standing in front of me. Was this real? We stared at each other, My sword held at the ready against her scythe.
“Are you real?” She asked me.
“What kind of stupid question is that?”
She snorted at my answer and looked at me with deep suspicion. Her dark eyes glittering as she searched my face for clues.
“It’s the only question worth asking, isn’t it? How many books are roaming around this place? I think asking if you are real is a good one.”
“And if I said yes, either way, how would you prove I’m a real person or not?”
She gave a blank look for a moment, comprehending what I meant and sighing.
“Ok point taken… So how would you ask about things?”
I chuckled softly. “Do you know about the library?”
“Yeah, there was a storm and then something happened and I ended up here.”
I looked at her closely. Her face was a bit softer and younger-looking but… “The Harajuku girl?”
She nodded and tilted her head slightly. “You’re that clerk looking guy that was there.”
Ouch. Thanks for that blow to my ego. I know I’m not that handsome but…
“Yeah, that was me.”
“Where are the others?”
“No clue. You are the first person I’ve met here from the old world.”
She tilted her head again and narrowed her eyes. She stared at me incredulously.
“Old world? Are you telling me you didn’t pay attention to the tutorials?”
I scratched my cheek slightly, feeling a little confused.
“I may have skimmed through them…”
She shook her head and sighed exasperatedly, pulling out a small notebook from one of her pockets. Gesturing me to come closer as she dropped her scythe.
“You might want to read this…”
I never felt so lost before. Why? Why couldn’t we fix this? How many deaths had we suffered from our mistakes? How many more would I be able to live through? I could feel the aching in my chest, the damage I had wrought on my soul as building up to the point that I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep going.
Sitting in the quiet darkness I felt its approach. Only one thing could penetrate the sanctuary of Elysium without being a Pagemaster.
“Poor poor Blue. All your efforts in vain. How will you play the game this time I wonder?”
I gritted my teeth and kept quiet as he taunted me. I couldn’t let him know that he was getting to me. I’d failed yet again to protect her, she died because of him, so close to the end of this ordeal. I sat there looking at the chance to move on and I couldn’t do it. She was my everything now and he knew it.
“She gave herself, her life, her very soul… All so you could live. And now reality is crumbling apart unless you move on. Are you going to risk the entire universe to keep her from sacrificing herself? Are you going to make all that she did for you fail in vain?”
“You know damn well the answer… Why do you keep asking it?”
The Silence laughed heartily and I could feel the smile on his imperceptible form. I’ll destroy him next time… One more shot, that was all I needed. I’ll save her.. I’ll save everyone.
|{************* Full reset!}|
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