Okumura Syndicate Ending 3

Chapter 171: Faceless

Concurrently, within the depths of Tiliac's prison. Aster sat in the corner of the cell, glancing about nervously. His face was blank, but it didn't hide his fear. The sweat formed on his brow as an eerily familiar feeling set in, which he knew only too well.
The butterflies in his stomach began to take control and his throat was dry. He choked on nervousness as all hope of return had been taken from him. Aster turned to his legs and with great difficulty, managed to get to his feet.

He slowly went to the window and peered through, his friends glancing at him as he paced around. Enzo looked pale and had bruises all over his body from where the guards grabbed him. Vanian was a similar sight, but his strong arms prevented him from getting the brunt of the marks. Aster called out. Enzo ignored him, only focused the aches and pains upon Vanian's body. "Enzo!", Julia called out as the cyan haired man was daydreaming of doing debaucherous things with his superior.

The woman was shaking, incredibly afraid of what they were going to do to her this time. "I-I can't face those men again, and you're just focusing on yourselves...", she uttered with a lisp. "I feel the same way as you, they can give you hell if you're not careful." He thought about the time he was berated by his captains for months. He thought about the jail before this one. How they were going to kill him had he not landed in the syndicate, trying to reassure Julia was impossible because of this.

"I guess there's no use...", he muttered as his spirits began to fade. Before anyone could talk him out of his anxiety, the thumping of the higher up's feet were heard above them. Enzo hid behind so they couldn't see him. "Aster...it's been a while, and you've brought a few friends.", it was the voice of one of Tiliac's officials, and Aster immediately recognised him. He was a burly man, clearly in his 40s with long blonde hair tied in a ponytail. "So tell me, how on earth did you get back here?", he pondered.

Aster's legs trembled. They shook so much he could hardly stand, "I...I'm...I'm...I'm...", he stammered. Vanian tried to intervene, "He's incredibly fearful sir, allow me to-". To his surprise, the man asked the same question again, "So tell me, how on earth did you get back here?". This was all very strange, and it all seemed so ignorant, it was suspicious.
"Strange, the captain's so fluent with his wording. This is unusual...", Julia remarked. "I know.", replied Vanian. Then, Enzo decided to ask a question, "Sir, how's your day been? Capturing intruders again?".

"So tell me, how on earth did you get back here?", once again, the same question. "What the hell?! Why are you doing this?! Tell me!", screamed Aster. Yet again, the same response. He gandered at the group, "I'm very suspicious, can you hear me out?", he suggested. Julia nodded, "Yes Aster, go ahead". He cleared his throat and began to give his hypothesis, "I've had my theories, about how this land wobbles every so often, the similarities all of you have to my friends back home, though it pains me to think, could this world be an illusion?".

"And how would you test that? What if the captain is simply under a spell?", asked Vanian. "It's simple.", responded Aster, "All I need to do is ask the three of you a basic question.". Enzo seemed puzzled, "The three of us, but we're perfectly fine, Aster.", he objected. "But you might not be if I say the right things.", countered Aster. Julia shook with fear once more, "Please tell us what the question is...", she insisted. Aster agreed, "Alright then, Enzo, do you know of a man called Vox?".

The cell remained deathly quiet, until Enzo finally answered. "I don't know this 'Vox' person.", Enzo responded. Aster took a deep breath, before now, Enzo had a bright and rambunctious tone, much like his friend Demitris, but here, he was monotone, like it was the only response he was allowed to say. He then asked Vanian about Vox, he too was seemingly controlled, gone was the tough, yet upbeat speaking pattern. The boy could barely believe his ears, and he had to investigate more. He then came to Julia, preparing for the worst when Enzo came up and attacked him.

"This world is not a creation, this is permanent.", declared Enzo in the same monotonous way as before. "So...this is just another ploy? Another trick by people who don't give a damn?!", Aster asked, frantically and with much passion. He bashed himself against the bars, only to feel the glistening of a spell and no metal at all. "This, this is hell. A place to torture me, to make me think I'm back where I started, and then taunt me by assuming I would make it this far!", he declared.

"Are you really worthy of this world?", Enzo echoed ominously in a tone that was alarmingly similar to Vox, the words were repeated, on and on, and eventually Vanian and Julia joined in, as well as the captain. The more Aster looked at everyone around him the more it was clear they weren't human, sometimes their faces would twist and jerk, other times they weren't there at all. They were conjured for one purpose, stretch them beyond that and they would simply break. "I have to escape... ", thought Aster, and there was only one way out.

With all his strength, he forced himself against the bars. With no luck using his body, he then used his weapon. "I know this world is fake, Vox! You can't hide it anymore!", he exclaimed. He felt as his muscles ached from all the exertion, but he was also blind to it knowing he'd get home. "You tried to convince me, with these equivalents, these shadows of my friends, but I know the facade now! THIS IS NOT TILIAC!"

With those four words, the floor below him cracked open, and he was sure what he would see next would be horrifying, no home, just a blank husk of death. As he travelled through this void of light, a woman with black hair stood before him, glistening with a bright energy. She said nothing, yet called out to Aster, but he was immediately pulled away by a magical current before he could properly behold her. The light around him became brighter and brighter, when finally, he reached his destination.