A Distant Reverie

Chapter 11

Suisei leaned back against the wooden chair with the text message on her mind. Like the first text she received from the unknown sender, this message was equally as curt. The tone was direct and commanding, as if it had come from someone in a position of authority.

Their first message was a warning about the oncoming stampede.

Suisei deduced that the entity probably wasn't completely malicious. At the very least, it wanted them alive, presumably to carry out whatever agenda it had intended for them. With this in mind, Suisei was forced to reconsider her original stance on Noel's proposal. Regardless of their intentions, she couldn't help but harbor ill-will towards the being that brought her into this world. The fact that she had unexpectedly compiled with their will made her grimace.

Ugh, I'm being too emotional.

She reprimanded herself. There was no reason for her to discard logic just because it coincided with someone else's plans. Given the information she had, accepting Noel's proposal was the correct move. The entity's text should have an afterthought. Instead of brooding over it, Suisei recontextualized her thoughts. Although the text she received was brief, it left behind a surprising amount of information.

I'm almost sure of it now.

Suisei broke into a strained smile.

Whoever sent this isn't all-knowing. It might have powers beyond my understanding. It might be observing us somehow. But it probably can't read my thoughts.

If it did possess mind-reading capabilities, then the entity wouldn't have bothered sending the text. Because Suisei had already been planning to act in accordance to its plans. In fact, its attempt to communicate nearly had the opposite effect. It seemed as though it wasn't aware of Suisei's animosity.

It was hardly a gain, but Suisei was nonetheless elated with this information. Ever since her appearance in this world, she wondered what kind of transcendent being was responsible for her misfortune. The confirmation that this entity wasn't omnipotent and can make mistakes gave her a tiny glimmer of hope.

I wonder what would happen if I texted back.

She looked down at her smartphone. Marine's words about finding a way to communicate with the entity echoed in her mind. Curious, she typed a brief message.

"Who are you?"

She stared at the dialogue box. Her fingers hovered over the sent button.

...Should I do it?

She didn't know why, but she felt a chilling dread creep up her spine. Something about the idea of sending a message made her anxious. Was it fear of the unknown? Although she deduced that the entity wasn't omnipotent, she still couldn't fathom what sort of being lied on the other side of the screen. Her hands trembled, as she recalled the stories she had read about terrible eldritch horrors. If magic actually existed in another world, then why not those fictional otherworldly horrors? Anything went at this point. Her real concern was how such an entity would respond. The possibility that her message might offend them made her shudder.

Enough already.

She caught herself stalling. Suisei shut off the incessant voices droning in her mind and then forced herself to press the button. Her app seemed to hang for a moment, before displaying her message into the chat box. Suisei stared at the screen intently, expecting a response at any moment. Suddenly, her screen flickered.

Bzzzt!

Her heart nearly skipped out of her chest. A message arrived. She read it immediately.