In the dark embrace of what seemed to be a void containing the abyss and nothing at the same time stood… floated a young boy.
Ren Jacklen was floating in this emptiness, almost asleep considering his slumped floating figure. He was neither standing nor sinking, since there seemed to be no floor and neither anything to sink into.
There were no shadows and no light, no ground and no air. It could almost be said that Ren was gently floating on the sea of existence… if there even was one for Ren.
The young male seemed to be sixteen, yet his face still resembled characteristics of youth. His hair was a mess, disheveled and yet seemingly styled. It was as if the sea had messed with it, but it was neither wet nor a hint of any existence. It was quite literally weightless and lacked any sense of being tangible.
Ren opened his eyes. The same abyssal darkness that pierced his gaze was the same as everything around him. Everything was the same and yet different. The sea didn't seem to have a surface area and yet it appeared that way. He couldn't call what was right above him the sky, yet it felt as such.
It was strangely comforting and nerve-racking at the same time for the mere fact that his mind had not held any memories prior to opening his eyes.
He could not remember how he got there and what it was. If not for whatever basic knowledge he held, such as his name and how to speak, he would have thought that not having memories was the norm.
The comforting feeling was tantalizing, so much that he almost wished that he didn't have any basic knowledge… almost. The only thing stopping this desire from manifesting was whatever part of his mind still somehow clung to preserve itself to solve the one boggling question he held.
"What the hell happened to me?"
Of course, he said this out loud as a means to reassure himself of being human, for every second he swayed with the current of the abyss felt like a century… millennia? Mere hours or perhaps days? Could it be seconds? Milliseconds or even smaller?
There was no means of checking time, and with nothing, and quite literally being close to the existence of nothing if not for his name, he felt a small thought gripping his heart.
"Am I going to become nothing?"
His face contorted to a grim expression, as that thought could quite literally be his last at any sec… point of time… did time even exist in this endless void?
He pondered on what he should be doing… or rather what he could be doing, and the answer he came up with was nothing. He couldn't move, for it felt like being stuck while being washed away, and also he didn't know how he got there due to the lack of really anything.
Suddenly there was a stifled laugh nearby. As Ren attempted his hardest to glance at where the voice came from, he failed.
"Don't even try, you idiot. Just wait, we'll reach the library. We will be there soon enough."
"Who are you?"
"Well isn't it obvious? You said it yourself, you might end up being nothing in this empty void, yet there's only one being in this void, so who do you think I am?"
'I'm not nothing yet, so the only being that should be in this void really should be me. So if I'm the only being here, which he confirmed, that must mean that he's either nothing or… me?'
"May I ask what your name is?"
"Well sure, but you won't be able to hear it. My name is …"
"Could you repeat that last part? I didn't really hear it."
"I know, and weren't you listening, you idiot? I swear you were always so stupid. It's actually surprising how stupid you can be. I'll give you another hint… hmm let's see, I'm the only existence in this abyss."
"What the fuck is that supposed to even mean?! I mean I'm the only…"
Before Ren could continue, a silhouette appeared in his gaze. Right above him, the silhouette had brownish hair. It too was messy like Ren's. The silhouette had pale skin, black eyes that seemed to be filled with endless sorrow and yet empty. Right above him was Ren Jacklen.
"Wha… but… how, no why… Wait what?"
Ren uttered as his eyebrows shot up as if they would fly off. He was too stunned to speak, for right in front of him stood… swayed Ren himself, well at least something that seemed as a perfect copy of Ren himself.
'Damn, where the hell did he get those clothes from… wait does that mean I have them too? Not too bad… not too bad.'
"Wait, what the hell are you, a monster? A reflection of me?"
"Somewhat, but there is no point in telling you anything more. It's just going to get censored. For now just stay still and relax. We're already close enough considering that you can hear me."
"You really think I'll listen to you?"
"Why wouldn't you? Technically I'm you, so just listen to me when I say it's futile to even move in this sea."
"Do I even have an option?"
"Not really."
They continued to sway in the sea of darkness. It actually wasn't that bad; if anything it was pretty peaceful. His body felt as if it was resting from an intense fight. Of course there was no way to know considering he couldn't check his own body or move at all, yet the gentle sway of the sea was enough to know that the body he was in right now was in the worst condition it probably has ever been.
It felt like being sore, fatigued, numb, cold, and yet burning up. Bones felt like dust, muscles seemed nonexistent, and above all pain. At first it didn't hurt at all, but after a few minutes… or rather what felt like minutes, it actually began to hurt.
His body felt like it was about to explode from being filled with vigor and yet losing that same vigor, only being able to take a small portion of it.
To him it felt like having thousands of needles pushing in blood and a thousand more draining blood. It was all very disturbing, not just from the pain but also why his body seemed unable to contain the energy it gained.
"Hey, mind telling me what's happening to my body?"
"I do mind, but I'll oblige… there, that's why your body's hurting."
Ren's face grimaced and at the same time a grin appeared onto his doppelgänger.
"You didn't hear anything, did you?"
The smile grew wider and wider, almost as if the damn bastard was holding back a laugh.
"Why exactly can't I hear you?"
"Well it's simple. Your mind… or rather the absolute rule of the world is that something can't be given something for nothing. Sure people can tell each other secrets and knowledge, but since I'm a part of your mind it would be like trying to teach yourself how to count the stars without even knowing what they were… or something like that."
"I hope you know that whatever you just said barely made sense. Are you sure that what you just said is right?"
"I did say 'or something like that,' so in simpler terms your mind refuses to believe whatever truth I say that you haven't learned yourself."
"Wait, you said you were a part of me. What exactly did you mean?" Ren said in a grimace.
"Well wasn't it obvious? I'm something like a part of your being… don't ask me how or why because it would get filtered out either way."
"How long until we reach the library? And what do you mean by library?"
"Well it should be about a few more minutes judging by how close the light is, and the library is just that. It's the library."
'What the hell does he mean by "the" library? Is it like an old one or like a very important one? He would probably just call me an idiot if I ask. I doubt he'll answer it as well. I should focus on important matters. Speaking of which…'
"Hey… Ken, yeah that's what I'll call you. So Ken, where exactly are we? And more importantly, WHY THE HELL CAN'T I MOVE MY BODY!"
"Damn, so loud for no reason. You know I can hear your thoughts. There's really no reason to scream or talk, as a matter of fact. Just be patient, we're almost there."
"Wow, all that and still haven't answered my question."
"If you're going to be this impatient then just start counting to 30, and to answer you… let's just say no human should be able to move in the river of …, let alone a cripple like you."
As the light from which glinted brighter in the reflection's eyes, a sinister smile grew on his face while Ren's face contorted in response.
'15… 16… why the hell is that bastard smiling so much for…'
Before he could even finish that thought, the light finally reached the point where he was able to see it. As a matter of fact, it was all he could see now. His eyes felt burdened by the sheer emptiness, but just as bizarre shapes and colors seemed to be manifesting all around him.
Right beneath him, dark wood appeared spreading across the vast empty space. The wood seemed to be polished to perfection, almost seeming like a mirror, and yet deep within it, it looked like an endless void that devoured all of existence almost as if not meant to exist and such tried to give itself meaning.
Then from that, wooden shelves formed. Rows of shelves seemed to be filling endlessly, but just as they formed they contracted and only a few couple rows appeared to be around him. As the rows collapsed he almost felt as if he was being pushed back, which he was.
He lay on the ground facing upward as the reflection, or rather ghost… whatever it was, stared down on Ren. Just as the few couple of rows remained, the dark wood seemed to expand upwards containing many floors. Yet just as he attempted to look upwards to the floors above, he failed, almost as if it was a mere illusion.
Yet he knew it was not, because it looked more like a massive hole seemed to pierce the ceiling with a railing blocking anything from being seen from the lower decks. There seemed to be another one above it and another one above as well.
It seemed like the hole grew smaller the more he looked upwards, almost like he was in the middle of a cone.
"Hey Ken… so this is the library you talked about, isn't it?"
"Nah, it's the one next door." Ken said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes at Ren before looking at the library with what seemed to be regret… or was it solemn? Ren could not discern any information besides that Ken did somewhat feel strongly towards the library.