Given An Unwanted Second Chance

Chapter 43

CONTINUE~~~~~GIVE UP

I stared at the buttons for a while.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Dream is the guardian of positivity.  He guards the last golden apple in the multiverse.  He protects it so that the multiverse doesn't fall into despair and negativity and, eventually, destruction.

So why was he acting like that?

He can't sense the balance, so he doesn't believe that it exists.  He's allowed to feel the negative emotions, sure, but...it's like it consumed him.

He was fueled by grief.

I think he finally accepted that his brother is well and truly dead.

Or, at least, an essence at best.

I don't get it, though.

Had something occurred while they were after Fresh during those 12 days?

...I honestly didn't think so.  Something was going on, and it bothered me that I didn't know what.

I reached out towards the CONTINUE button but hesitated.  I pulled my hand back again, thinking.

Where was I going to end up when I woke up?

Should I be prepared to fight?

...that wouldn't work.  It takes me a couple minutes just to stand without shaking.

I swallowed thickly, reaching out again.  I pressed the button, and my world flashed to white, then black again.

I took a sharp breath, coughing hard.

"ECLIPSE!!"

I struggled to open my eye, but I did, blinking slowly.  "G-Gradient...? "

Arms wrapped around me, helping me sit up.  I swayed heavily, holding my head.  My eyesight was still blurry, but I could see Gradient in front of me.

And past him, an endless expanse of white.

"W-Where...are...? "

"Rest a moment.  You just came back."  Gradient said worriedly.

I closed my eye, slumping slightly.  "D-Dream..."

"He isn't here.  No one's here.  It's just us."

"Where's...here...? "

"Just breathe for right now.  Then I can attempt to explain."

I tried to steady my uneven breathing.  My soul throbbed pretty badly.

After a couple minutes, I opened my eye again, glancing down at the skeleton that was partially curled up in front of me.  "I'm okay now...b-but...are you? "

"I don't know.  Yes?  Maybe?  I'm not sure.  I'm scared."

I looked around some even as I wrapped my arms around Gradient.  "Are we somewhere in the Anti-Void again? "

Gradient leaned against me.  "I don't know.  After Dream killed you...I panicked.  I summoned a portal under your...dust...and myself.  I could only think of getting us to safety.  To be honest, I...don't know how I summoned a portal.  Dad had closed off the universe to prevent portals or teleportation.  But something heard my panic...and listened."

"This must be the Anti-Void, then..."

Gradient hummed quietly.  "Maybe...but...I can't get out.  I tried calling out to Papa, but...he...we can't connect.  I can't open a portal to him, nor him to me.  He's freaking out, and so is Cross."