Another Universe 2023 Version

9.

Again the familiar loneliness and silence does not calm her.
The void she feared so much.
The void that caused her to have many nightmares.
The void that reminds her of all those times her mother ignored her, of the time her father left.

Suddenly her eyes are blinded by the sudden light. As her eyes finally adjust to the sudden brightness Y/n makes out her dorm room. "No", She mumbles.
"No, no, no!" She crawls from her bed towards the TV showing the Devil May Cry 5 game.
"Let me in", She yells. "Urizen, take me back!"

Nothing.

It's hopeless. Her adventure might have just been a dream. A dream that was too beautiful to be one.

Suddenly a knock on her dorm room catches her off guard. "Who is it", She yells. "Uhm, it's Nate. Your neighbor?" Shit, he must've heard her.
She quickly gets up and opens the door, only wide enough to reveal her face. "Hey", She says with a fake smile. "You okay in there?" His brown eyes look worried.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just died in my game." Nate hums.

They both barely know each other, they occasionally see each other walking down the hall or in lectures if Y/n ever attended one. "So, the Snow Dance is in two days", He says scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "What about it?"
"Well, I was wondering if you'd like to join me?"
Y/n raises an eyebrow. "Wait, what time is it?"
"What?"
"Nate, what time is it." Nate looks at the watch around his wrist. "10:30 AM, why?"

"Huh..." So time hasn't gone forward. It paused while Y/n was gone. "You sure you're okay?"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine." He smiles.
"So, what about the dance?"
"She says yes", A third voice interrupts. Of course, it's F/n. "She'd love to go with you."
"Perfect! I'll pick you up at 7. Here, obviously."

Awkwardly Nate rushes back into his dorm while Y/n pulls F/n back into hers.
"What were you thinking", Y/n immediately scolds F/n. "I told you to find a date for the Snow Dance."
"I have more important things to do!"
"Like what? Gaming? Smoking? Y/n, there's always something with you."

Y/n is taken aback by F/n's words.
"What did you just say?"
"You're the laziest person I know but there's still no rest! You always have something going on! First your dad, then the weed thing and now games! You need to get your ass up!"

Y/n only stands there in silence as F/n's words repeat in her head over and over.

She's right, in an uncomfortable way.

"Fine", Y/n sighs. "I still need a dress."
F/n's eyes light up.
"You're going shopping with me?"
Y/n nods. "I'm going shopping with you." With squeals coming from her mouth F/n jumps into
Y/n's arms.

Y/n wasn't always a good friend. Who is she kidding, she was never a good friend. That F/n even still exists in her life is a miracle.

At the mall F/n pulls Y/n into a store full of prom dresses and evening gowns.
As they look for dresses together Y/n's mind constantly drifts back to Nero. Was he now fighting Urizen or did Dante already interfere. Did time even go on in their universe?

"What about this one", F/n asks holding a dress in front of her body. "Wow, that looks good on you. You should try it on!"
"First we have to find you a dress."
After a few more minutes of looking F/n pulls out a black velvet dress. "This is perfect for you!"
Y/n's eyes widen at the dress.

It's stunning, no doubt about that, but how could she ever wear something like that.

"Try it on!" Before Y/n can protest F/n shoves her into the nearest changing room.

Without any other choice and wanting to be a good friend for once Y/n puts on the black dress.

She cannot believe her eyes as she sees herself in the mirror. The black dress hugs her figure perfectly. And the see through waist is just enough. It's perfect.

If only she could show Nero.

That's when it hits her. Nico fixed her phone.
Quickly Y/n looks for her phone. As she finally finds it she scrolls through her contacts in luck of finding a number that can connect her with them.
To her surprise she finds a cryptic contact. The glitched letters barely spell Nico.
With hope Y/n calls the number.

After a moment of silence cracks suddenly fill Y/n's ear followed by the typical beeping when a phone is ringing. Suddenly it stops. "Nico?"

Y/n can only her cracks coming from the other side but she's sure someone answered the phone.
"Nico, can you hear me!"
"Did you plug it in! Y/n!" Her eyes widen. "Nico!"
"Y/n! You're okay!"
"How is this even working!"
"I told you I'm working on a theory. If we're lucky we can get you back in an hour or two."
"Nico, I don't know if I can come back. I don't even know how time flows!"

Suddenly Y/n hears rummaging from the other side of the line. "Here it is!" Followed by more rummaging. "I thought about that too. When you came to our universe the time must have stopped in yours, right?"
"Yes, it did."
"Perfect! Now you were sucked in at about 11:30 AM our time. How many hours have passed since you came back."
"I don't know, like 3 or 4?"

More rummaging. "That means that you affect the time whenever you switch universes. Our time is currently going by slower than yours! Don't worry, Y/n. We'll get you back. I almost have it!"
Suddenly the call ends. "Nico? Nico!"
She must've hung up.

"Y/n, who are you talking to?"
"Oh, no one. Did you change?"
"Yes!" Y/n exits the changing room at the same time as F/n. "Oh my god, Y/n. You look beautiful!"
"You too." F/n squeals in happiness.
"We're getting these dresses. Right now!"

After changing out of the dresses Y/n and F/n head to the register.
"By the way, who were you talking to on the phone?"

Y/n thinks of a lie. "Uhm, my mom." F/n immediately raises her eyebrows in confusion.
"Your mom? Wow, you're lying has definitely become worse."

It's no use, Y/n never could lie to F/n. She always found out.

"Fine, can we talk about this somewhere else?"
Suddenly F/n's expression turns from a happy to a worried one.
As they leave the store they head for the food court to grab something to eat.
"So, who were you talking to", F/n asks again while nibbling at one of her fries. "Remember the game that I play?"
"You mean that weird Devil game that you can't stop talking about? Yup."
Y/n clears her throat now realizing how embarrassing that must've been.

"Well, today when I went back to my dorm I was sucked into the game and stayed there for a month. Now I'm back."
The fry falls out of F/n's hand.
"You've got to be kidding me", She says rubbing her temples. "You've been smoking again, haven't you?"
"No, F/n, I promise! It's the truth!"
Only there's nothing to back up her claims except for a quick phone call. "I'll call them right now." Y/n pulls out her phone and dials Nico's number again. After numerous beeps no one answers. "I promise, F/n. I'm telling the truth!"

F/n only raises an eyebrow at her panicking friend. "So you're telling me that you woke up in your favorite game and lived there for a month before coming back here? And no one noticed."

Y/n nods knowing how crazy it sounds.
"I know you don't believe me but I promise you, when that portal opens again I'll make sure you're there with me."
F/n sighs. "Alright. You sound hella crazy right now but I'm going to let it slide. Y/n, I love you, you know that."
"Yes. Now that I think of it it must have been a crazy dream. I had a migraine after all."

Lying seems easier than the truth, what else is there to do. All Y/n can hope for is that Nico finishes her research in the few minutes they have in their universe. How could that even work. Time is a confusing construct.

Now all she can do is spend time with her best friend. "Speaking of prom", Y/n starts.
"I could use some makeup." F/n's eyes widen.
"You, wearing makeup?" Y/n nods.
"It's a special occasion, isn't it?"
"Where's your makeup? You used to have lots of it."
"Too lazy to do it so I gave some of it away and the rest landed in the garbage." F/n's face turns into a frown. "How dare you."
"That's why I need new stuff!" F/n grabs Y/n's hand. "And new stuff you shall get."