𝒜𝒸𝒶𝒹ℯ𝓂𝒾𝒸 Mission Vol. 2 (English Ver.)

Os's Desert: 2nd Part: Noel Alone

Noel woke up, but the others weren't with him. It was dark, and the desert was silent. He got up on his feet, and looked around. Yup, there was no soul. “Ugh, where am I now?” he asked to himself. Then started to wander around. Diverse hours passed, but the sky remained black, as if the night would never go away. Noel stopped on his tracks to think, and started to try and remember what happened previously before getting in here. The storm was still going, Noel and the others flew and fell on the ground. The backpacks softened the fall, but didn't make the situation any better. Noel saw Derek and Jazz on the ground like him. His eyes slowly closed until it was all black. After that event Noel couldn't remember what happened, his memory was foggy. He proceeded forward afterwards. A few meters away there was a small house, so he decided to go there, maybe there was someone else besides him? When he reached the place he knocked on the door. No response. He tried to knock once more, but nothing yet again. At this point he tried for the last time. Again, silence from the other side. “At this point...” he thought to himself, and slowly reached out at the handle of the door, grabbed and opened it. In the inside at a corner there was a table with a chair, at the end a chimney that was off, and at the right a couch. The walls seemed scratched, by a cat or a beast. There was a lot of dust and mold at the corners of the room, and on the walls some weird paintings. Like cubes, a sunset with inverted colors, and more. The floor, or the whole hut was made of wood consumed and rotten by time, and at each step Noel did the floor did a brief creak. The house after all seemed abandoned, left to the desert. The plants on the table were withered. There was another door though, at the left of the couch, that would probably lead to another room. So Noel got close, but the second he tried to approach the door, a shiver went down all his body, he had goosebumps out of the blue. “Wh.. What is this feeling?” he thought to himself. He never tried so intense fear. The question was, why? Noel backed away, and the second he did the feeling he had vanished. Noel didn't know what to do. So he decided to explore the room, that we can assume the living room. Like before, he saw the withered plants, the table ruined by time with the rest, and the pictures on the walls were the only things that were fully alright. He noticed something under the table though, and bent down to get a closer look. It was a drawing. Noel took it to take another look. The drawing showed a sort of map, from how it was drawn it was done by a kid of... seven, eight years old? The map showed the house where Noel was, then North-East three times from the lines there were, then North four, and in the end the X. It was like a treasure map. Noel had a vague memory of this, and then looked more closely. “Wait, no, no it wasn't like this-” he said. It was obvious, this, was the map he did in elementary school, but this one was different. Instead of the hut there should've been the school, and the positions were inverted. “What the hell is this place...” he questioned to himself. Then went back to the exit door to leave, but when he tried to open it, it was blocked. Noel did a “Hm?” noise of confusion, and tried to open it multiple times. “Oh come on!” he exclaimed, then tried to tear it down using his body weight, but nothing. “How can it be so strong even after... years?” he asked to himself. Then turned to look at the other door. He didn't have choice. Also because he couldn't go wander in a single room. So he slowly got closer, and the feeling he had previously started to come back, stronger and stronger. In the end Noel grabbed the handle and opened the door. Right after a lot of black and white spirits passed by, doing terrifying screeches and screams. Noel covered his eyes when he saw them arrive, then lowered his arm from his eyes. And what he saw was a bedroom. It was a classic room, the little bed, desk with a computer on i- hey, isn't this Noel's room? He walked inside, and the door slammed shut behind him, startling Noel a little and catching him with a bit of surprise and fear. “So it's magical this desert, interesting.”  he thought to himself. He still had the map in his hand, and put in the pocket after folding it two or three times. Out of the window could be seen the desert in front. There was nothing but the house Noel was in at that moment. It was always night and it never ended. Noel saw another door that in his real room there isn't. It was near the desk. He got closer, but this time instead of a bad feeling his heart started to pound faster, he could hear it. It was as if the sensation of fear and anxiety would intensify. He walked in. Behind him there was a huge building with numerous doors. “From a little house to this, how did I get here?” he questioned. Then went forward in the desert. It was a bit too dark, so he took a stick out of his backpack and lit it up to make a torch. Then went back forward. It was all quiet, the only thing that was audible was Noel's steps on the sand, but nothing else. There was nothing anywhere, and the weird house was out of sight. To think of it he could've explored it more instead of immediately leaving. He was a bit tired of wandering, and didn't really have a destination, besides Os. But, now it seems he's elsewhere. He was alone without his friends, so the loneliness started to kick in. But he kept on going. Then he thought, from where those spirits came? How did they get in that hut? The questions he had in his mind were many. The fire was getting less and less, to then completely turn off. Noel lit up the fire again, always while walking forward. Then at one moment he stopped. He saw someone in the distance. So he wasn't all alone. He approached the individual. It was a girl, with very dark purple hair, and was facing forward, she was wearing a gray hoodie with large black pants, with purple shoes. “Excuse m-” Noel got interrupted by the girl who turned around to look at him, she had a pair of blue eyes with the ends of a vivid light blue. “Yes?” the girl asked, and seemed tranquil from the tone of voice. Noel and her looked each other in the eyes, then he spoke. “Uhm, do you know what this place is?” he asked, “I mean- I know, but this desert looks weird.”. The girl laughed at how Noel was agitated, but it was more of a kind laugh, instead of an evil one. “You're in the corrupted side of Os's desert, or cursed.” she replied, then gestured Noel with her hand to follow her. “Come, follow me.” she told him, and started to walk. The two walked together. “For how long you're in here?” he asked to her, “Long enough.” she replied. She sounded happy yet calm, as if she was happy to have company. “I see...” Noel replied, “And... what's your name?” he asked. The girl didn't realize she didn't introduce herself. “Oh, silly me, I also forget to tell you my name.” she replied, laughing a little, then glanced at Noel with a smile, “I'm July, July Crystal.” she introduced herself, “Call me Noel, Noel FlyDrake.” he also introduced himself, “Cute name for a cute boy.” July replied to tease him a little. Noel rolled his eyes, he was used to getting made fun of nowadays, “Very funny.” he replied while smiling.“Come on, I'm just teasing, don't take it personally.” she told him, with that innocent look she had, “That'd be the only thing missing.” Noel replied. After a bit they stopped, “Uh, why did we stop?” he asked, ”Look.” she replied, Noel looked forward and saw an opened door, with a white light. “You can leave from here.” she told him, “Thanks.” he thanked her, while she was smiling at him, inviting him to leave. “Won't you come?” he asked to her, she sighed a little, “I'm okay with being here.” she replied, “I have to help the others that come in here.” she explained, “Leaving you here makes me feel bad, you even helped me.” Noel replied, July was left with a more softened expression, “Aww, you're such a dear.” she said while smiling a bit more, Noel was a bit embarrassed from what July said, “You really want to do it for me?” she asked, Noel nodded. July gave up in the end, “Fiine, we'll go together.” she replied, but then a question came in her mind. “Are you sure you don't have a thing for me, hm?” she asked with that teasing way, “Stop it!” Noel replied, July laughed at the reaction, “Alright, let's go.” she said, then went towards the door and walked in, so Noel did. And then, all white.