Wake Up

Chapter 12 : Truth's Duality

Jeongguk's P.O.V.

It's hopeless...

Maybe I'm never going to get out of here...

I sit quietly with Truth on a bench in the middle of the white surface.

We remain silent as I wipe away the tears that remain on my cheeks. Truth has one arm around my shoulder, staring at nothing but their feet.

I had forgotten how we ended up here, how this bench suddenly appeared out of no where, and how we had sat down.

What was the last thing we talked about?

I wouldn't know.

All I know is that I'm emotionally drained, not knowing what to say or do. Truth doesn't mention a topic or suggest anything to talk about. They just sit there, beside me.

A few minutes pass, and eventually I know they've had enough with the silence.

"Let's go for a walk, shall we?" they ask, offering their hand to me. I meekly nod and grab a hold of it.

They pull me up and we begin to walk, walk into the world of nothingness. The bench behind us seems to have disappears into thin air.

Truth tucks their hand into their pockets, turning away from me and looking elsewhere, somewhere that I can't see. Once in a while, they rest a hand on my shoulder.

They're abnormally taller than me, so it makes it easier for them to rest their hand on my shoulder or head. They've never been the type to comfort someone unlike the Masked Man, but was willing to show some affection that displays their genuine concerns. So a few head pats was considered enough for Truth and maybe for me.

I look up at the figure, looking deeply at them. Their face is unidentifiable. I don't know if it's just my eyes, but I can't quite see their face. Their face is blurry and glitched, remaining unidentifiable.

"Do you ever wonder whether this place actually exist." Truth suddenly asks. I blink multiple times, taking my gaze off of them and back to the white abyss.

"Uhm... maybe someone else in the real world is experiencing the same thing I'm going through... since they're in a coma as well," I respond.

"How about physically?"

"Hm?" I look back to them, a bit confused on what they're trying to say.

"Do you think that maybe this place exist physically, as in it's an actual place?"

"Actual place? Like... somewhere, out there in the universe?" I ask. Truth nods their head.

"Maybe it's an actual planet, existing and making revolutions around a bright star. Maybe I exist on that planet, physically. Meaning that I'm a real living organism. Reality and the Masked Man could exist there too."

My expression furrows into one with a hint of confusion. "But... don't you already exist here? You're in front of me, right now... you're real... right?"

"No." they say sharply, looking straight at me with their nonexistent eyes.

"I'm a metaphor that you apparently created in that little head of yours. So is all the other people you see everyday. Even the Three Faces." they say as they press their index finger against my forehead. I gently push their hand away from my face and stare back at the ground.