{[JOONGDOK/ORV]} Perpetual Madness

Chapter 3

Kim Dokja PoV: 

The quiet bliss of our moment had been broken almost two hours later with the appearance of a scenario notification. 

[ You have failed to complete the scenario, "Madness", within the given time limit due to an interruption of the process. A penalty shall be given to the failed participants momentarily.] 

I freeze, now stiff from my position in Joonghyuk's arms. What..? Ah, come to think of it, he had interrupted the display... 

[Calculating penalty...] 

A look of horror marrs his expression, and for a moment he almost seems more scared than I am. 

[Constellation "Demon King of Salvation" shall now reveal his remaining fears to incarnation "Yoo Joonghyuk". ] 

. . . . 

There was a flash of pain, and suddenly my vision was gone. 

Everything was dark, and cold- empty like a void. A shiver ran down my spine, the realisation that the fourth wall had never re-activated now settling into the churning of my heart. I take a long, deep breath, trying to steady myself. Ground my mind into reality. 

"It's just a scenario,' I silently remind myself, 'don't you dare crumble into it like before." 

It began rather simple, with scenes of the others insulting me or turning to leave. Calling me useless; cursing my ability to see, but the limited ways for me to act upon my vision. My flawed information, my lack of motivation to explain anything to them. It was a twisted take on my reality, showing nothing but a gap in place of any trust or care. But, at least now, I knew it wasn't real. 

So I could bare it. 

Seeming to sense my lack of a reaction, the scenario's scene changed once again. This time I was back in my childhood home, the room dimly lit with nothing but the light of my phone.

I absent-mindedly sat at the edge of my bed, reaching for the device. The screen was blank, perhaps in the same way that the constellations had seen it to be all along. Nothing came of staring into it, but I found myself being pulled in nevertheless. It was almost as though it wanted nothing more than for me to remain attentive, to stare into it until it died or my consciousness faded, wrapping under my skin like the parasite that it was. The light was pulsing, bright and burning into my eyes, making my body ache and spiking a headache through my brain, like a bullet. It tumbles from my hand, cracking against the floor. Words begin to leak out, like blood- scattered and misspelt, barely bold enough for me to read. 

The letters dispersed and reformed, over and over again, constantly in the corners of my vision, almost readable, yet scattering into unintelligible nonsense the moment I look directly at it, like visual snow. 

It feels more irritable than like that of a fear, the headache gradually worsening as I try to look away, but the words remain no matter what I do. Even with my eyes closed, they're there- seemingly taunting my inability to read them. My inability to make sense of it all, to know everything I want to know. It's cursing my constant need for knowledge, I realise with a frown, my sin of curiosity.