Chapter 66 cat of fortune
"Ehhhh alright so if I'm looking at the map correctly, we should be going in the right direction I think" said Lucas now holding the map as he wasn't sure whether to trust Shinya anymore.
"Well, I'm pretty sure you have it upside down Lucas…." Said Irene trying to correct the way that Lucas was holding the map.
"Uh yeah I completely knew that you know what you just took the map Shinya" said Lucas, throwing it back to Shinya who was lagging them.
It was now nighttime and they kept walking just searching for this treasure or x marks the sport or castle whatever it is.
As the nighttime began to overtake the noticed a strange creature in the distance.
It was a cat. A giant cat infact.
"Just what the hell is a giant cat doing all the way out here in the middle of the tournament?" Said Irene trying to get closer to it.
"Hold up we don't know what the cat might do so be careful Irene" said Lucas holding her back with his arm to prevent her from going forward
Just then the cats' hollow eyes light up, and a massive beam of light shot up into the air.
WOOSH!
The cat opened its mouth, and words began to spew out of it.
" If you want to pass my trial ye must look at your own soul meow!!!" Said the cat
Suddenly it felt like Shinya's soul had ripped out of his own body when he looked around. He saw the faint resemblance of what seemed to be Irene and Lucas next to him.
In the very next moment though before Shinya could do anything, he started moving and moving faster across the area travelling before passing out.
When he woke up, he saw himself.
He was back in his body once again, only 14 years of age.
"Shinya come downstairs to eat!!!" Said his mom shouting for Shinya all the way down the stairs at him up in his room.
"Okay mom I'm coming down!!" Shouted Shinya before going down the stairs.
Going through the stairs of the house, the stairs appeared crumbling almost with splinters all over them. It was obvious the house wasn't in that good shape; it seemed crumbling on its way down.
Though Shinya didn't seem to mind Afterall this was what he called home.
Going down the stairs just to smell the amazing smell of the aroma filling inside of Shinya's nostrils. It was clear that it was his mother's cooking.
Suddenly Shinya was at the bottom of the stairs and he was crying. Why was he crying? He had no reason to be crying Afterall he was with his loving family.
Though they may not have had much money his whole life, that didn't matter if this was his family that cared and loved him Afterall.
"Hey son you, okay?" Said Shinya's dad.
Shinya looking at him smiling yeah, I'm fine just always loved moms cooking it even brought me to tears it seems" said Shinya trying to brush it off
"Liar! You said you hated mom's cooking yesterday!!" said Shinya's little sister looking at him from below. He barely even noticed she was there until he said something.
"Now, now leave Shinya alone and just pull up another seat at the dinner table." Said Shinya's mom as she presented each food on the dining table.
The smell of a home cooked meal filled with love flooded the entirety of the house as everyone in the house was in a good mood from this.
They all sat down with each other taking turns telling jokes and reminding each other of the good times they've had.
Just then a sharp pain rang inside Shinya's ears.
"You're not supposed to be here, and you know that" said Shinya inside his own mind
Here he was his 14-year-old self-saying that to the current him in his mind while pretending to be the 14-year-old that is with his family.
So, what!!! This is the truth I want to see. This is the truth that I remember not my horrible dad that broke the family up. This is the true family I have always wanted. Can't you understand that!
Shinya said this to himself, yelling at his 14-year-old self.
"Just think of your family, your real family that is still waiting for you when you get out of here you cannot be stuck in here you must move on Shinya. You must keep going, do not stop, why are you stopping here? This isn't where your path ends; you're saying it ends inside your own mind while your corpse rots away and dies from starvation. Take ahold of yourself!!!" Said the 14-year-old Shinya with a strong look in his eye's hands on Shinya's shoulders
"Your right I know I must go on in this borderline death game it's just hard it's so hard." Said Shinya before he eventually started crying over his own shoulder.
Forever deeply trapped inside his own mind; this was the truth of his reality. He was alone in the end he must do what it takes and strive to leave forever.
Overcome with a newfound sense of confidence, Shinya ended up leaving his own mind before he knew it. He reappeared awakened in front of the cat once again.
"It appears you are the first but can the other two be as successful as you are what I must ask?" Said the cat with a surprised tone, perhaps it didn't think Shinya was going to be the first one.
Just then looking next to him, Shinya looked at Irene and Lucas who both looked deeply in trouble and in pain.
"Please let me go help them I beg of you please cat person thing whatever you are!!!" Said Shinya trying to plead with them.
"Well alright meow I shall send you in perhaps you will get a better understanding of who they are. But be warned if they don't come out, you won't either.