No Identity: Blue Teardrops on the Floor

Chapter 17: Voices

"This place is really weird..." Himiko looked around the room they just walked in. "What even is this place?"

"That's a really good question." Hitsuei wandered around the room. "These the stairs?"

"Seems so." Himiko walked over to Hitsuei. "How high do you think this place is?"

"Who knows?" Hitsuei started to walk up the stairs. "I certainly don't."

"Yeah." They made it to the end of the staircase as they saw engravings on the wall.

"What are those?" Hitsuei asked, as he put his hand on it.

"Dunno."

"Whoever you are," A voice came out of nowhere. "Set our souls free. Defeat Siuehti and Hiroshige. You're our only hope..."

"What? Hiroshige?" Himiko asked. "Hey! Answer me!" But there was no response.

"That does concern me. I thought Hiroshige was a cool dude, but..." Hitsuei looked away at the wall. "Could he have tricked us?"

"Maybe... If so, I'm glad he got stuck in that pyramid with liam."

"Yeah." Hitsuei looked around the room. "Ah! The staircase. Let's not dwell on that for too long." Hitsuei started walking to the staircase.

"You're right." Himiko followed Hitsuei up the staircase.

"Oh jeez..." Hitsuei looked around the room. "More of those engravings? What's that about?"

"More engravings? What?"

"Yeah, I dunno." Hitsuei walked up to the wall before stopping himself. "Wait."

"Hm? What is it, Hitsuei?"

"The voice only came on when I touched the wall, correct?"

"I think so, why?"

"Why don't you try it?" Hitsuei asked.

"Uh, alright." Himiko walked over to the wall and placed her hand on it.

"Hm. Nothing, huh? Oh well." Hitsuei placed his hand on the wall.

"Let this tower collapse. Let it set our souls free. Let us rest. In peace."

"It was that voice again!" Himiko looked around the room. "But where did it come from?"

"Well, it only happened when I touched it. Maybe it has to do with me?"

"That would make sense." Himiko looked at Hitsuei. "After all, that's happened before."

"Yeah." Hitsuei looked around the room. "That's the staircase right there, is it not?"

"Seems like it." Himiko looked at Hitsuei. "You keep finding these things left and right, aren't you?"

"Aha." Hitsuei smiled. "Well anyways, we should keep going."

"You're right." Hitsuei started walking towards the staircase, with Himiko right behind him.

"It feels like we've been climbing these staircases for a while." Hitsuei said.

"No kidding." Himiko looked around the wall of the staircase. "But I feel like we're close to the top."

"I don't think we're anywhere close to the top."

"Hm. Well, suit yourself." Himiko looked to the top of the staircase. "Anyways, we need to keep going."

"Yeah." As they walked to the top of the staircase, Hitsuei noticed something. "Wha-?"

"There you are, Hitsuei." Hitsuei stopped as Himiko made it to the top of the staircase.

"Hitsuei? What's going on?"

"H-Hiroshige?" Hitsuei put his hand to his mouth.

"In fact it is." Hiroshige walked up to Hitsuei. "But why are you here?"

"Ew, don't get so close to me." Hitsuei pushed him away.

"Alright." Hiroshige walked away. "But you still need to answer my question."

"We're..." Himiko stepped forward. "We're going to save our world! From Siuehti, and you!"

"Haha." Hiroshige started to laugh. "AHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Why are you laughing all of a sudden?" Himiko asked.

"The world is better with a new ruler."

"But..." Hitsuei looked at Hiroshige. "But what about you knowing me? What about that?"

"What, you really fell for that?" Hiroshige smiled. "That was all a lie."

"A-a lie? But why would you do that?"

"I wanted to get your trust. I wanted to bring you here, and bring you to Siuehti."

"That's... No." Hitsuei walked up to Hiroshige.

"I thought you didn't want to be this close to me."

"I don't, but," Hitsuei slapped Hiroshige across the face. "I wanted to do that." Hitsuei walked back to where he was standing.

"Ha. Well, humanity is wild. We need to start with something new."

"The things Siuehti are doing isn't being a dependable leader, it's brainwashing!" Himiko shouted at him.

"No it isn't." Hiroshige chuckled to himself. "If you're going to stop him, well I better help him win." Hiroshige snapped his fingers and disappeared into bunches of rainbow particles and floated through the roof.

"Uh...?" Himiko looked at the room around them. "What was that?"

"I have literally no idea, but..." Hitsuei looked towards the staircase. "Your world- no, our world, is in danger."

"Right. We should get going." Himiko started to walk up the staircase with Hitsuei right behind her.

"What? More engravings?" Hitsuei asked as they reached the top of the staircase. Hitsuei walked towards the wall and put his hand on it.

"Set... me... free. Set me free. Set me free Set me free Set me free Set me free Set me free. Set. Me. Free."

"Oh god, what was that?" Hitsuei asked.

"Someone... wanting to be set free?" Himiko looked around the room. "That's... concerning."

"It is, but..." Hitsuei looked towards the next staircase. "We can't worry about it for now. We need to get rid of Siuehti."

"You're right. Let's go." Himiko started to walk towards the staircase and started going up it, with Hitsuei behind her.