———
I had another false awakening, as back then when I was five. Atleast that's what this felt like...
Wind howled, carrying with it a crimson mist that stung my skin. The same mist I saw coming from that strange business man. I blinked, disoriented, as the oppressive mist swallowed me whole. I couldn't see two feet in front of me.
Where was I?
This wasn't my room. This wasn't anywhere I recognized. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing like a drum in the silence. I looked down at my body—naked, but... wrong. No private parts, nothing. Just smooth, featureless skin, like a mannequin stripped of its humanity. My breath hitched. This had to be a dream.
James Karawei: "What the hell...?"
I muttered as I began walking forwards.
The red mist swirled around me suddenly, thick and suffocating, carrying with it the metallic tang of blood and something I couldn't describe...
Still can't, funnily enough. The mist clung to my skin, cold and wet, as if it were alive. The ground beneath my feet felt unstable, shifting like quicksand. It was a mix of ash and stone, atleast it felt like it.
I reached out, trying to grasp something—anything—but my hand passed through the mist as if it were smoke. Panic surged through me, sharp and primal. I felt trapped.
James Karawei: "Am I... dead? What the hell is this place?!"
I shouted into the void, no response.
I took a step forward again, my bare feet sinking into the ashy ground. Each step felt heavier than the last, as if the mist itself was resisting me. That's when I heard it—a voice, soft and almost imperceptible, echoing from the depths of the crimson haze.
And the mist evaporated suddenly.
???: "Ah... there you are my dear boy!"
The absence of the mist revealed a giant eyeball, it's pupils red and menacing. Mist circled around it far into the distance.
I glanced around now that everything was visible, it was some sort of desolate stony-ashy landscape.
It's voice was melodic, almost soothing, but also deeply disturbing.
It felt gentle, yet threatening.
My heart sank at the sight of it.
I stepped closer and it's pupil narrowed like a predator sizing up its prey.
James Karawei: "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
I screamed at it in panic, I tried backing away but my legs wouldn't budge.
The eye crinkled as it laughed—a deep, gut-churning laugh that shook the entire realm. The sound reverberated through my bones, making my teeth rattle. I stumbled backward finally falling onto the ground.
???: "My dear boy, do you not remember me? I've sensed it deep inside you. That's why I'm here, Taured changed you in more ways than one... You've grown James. You're 15 now."
I stood up suddenly with newfound anger, trying to look defiant as I placed my hands on my hips. My voice trembled, but I forced myself to sound brave.
James Karawei: "How do you know about that? What the hell are you? Get me out of here, you creep!"
The eyeball came dangerously close.
It was the size of a mountain—no, more like five mountains piled together in a massive, incomprehensible heap. Girth, length, size—it was all impossible to describe.
It was surprisingly eldritch for a nightmare, this didn't feel like a normal dream... It was uncomfortably real.
And despite it not having a mouth I could feel warm breath on my chin.
It's pupil dilated, and I could see my reflection in its glossy surface. I looked small, insignificant, like an ant staring up at a magnifying glass.
???: "James, you may not know me yet, but you will. A thousandfold, my dear boy! I promise that much after everything that happened, little Zuzu wasn't supposed to come after you, yet."
The eyeball chuckled again, and the entire realm trembled under its vibrations. The ground beneath me cracked, and I felt myself slipping. I tried to steady myself, but the mist was too thick, too heavy. I was losing my footing.
???: "Oh, and don't worry. I'll send someone to pick you up. Or the holy weapon. You see James, you're very very special... I'm sure you've noticed it by now. And trust me you cannot escape me. You never will..."
That pissed me the hell off.
I dashed forward, fist raised to smash it down into the eyeball, but before I could reach it, an eerie sound filled the air. A force I couldn't understand flung me backward. The world spun as I tumbled through the void, the sound of glass shattering ringing in my ears. Red glowing glass shards suddenly flew out all around me, the air around me showed red cracks, as if reality was breaking.
Woosh sound, followed by the sound of glass breaking.
James Karawei: "AGH! LET ME GO! NO!!!"
I protested as I got flung backwards, stretching my hand out towards the eyeball as it turned into a humanoid figure, but I couldn't make it out. The mist was in my way.
The glass shards followed my flight as they poured out of the strangers newly formed hands.
As I flew further away from the figure, the red mist enveloped me. I reached the 'edge' of the dream and felt the barrier of the dream shatter as I was flung into an endless void—an eternal abyss with no end in sight.
The stranger muttered something that rattled everything.
It all seemed to stop.
I involuntarily shut my eyes as memories flooded my brain.
And then I saw the eye again, in my mind.
Glass breaking sounds as the dream realm shatters.
???: "Matte Kudasai..."
The phrase hung in the air as a strange, spectral music echoed from all around me, the entire realm sung.
James Karawei: "You damn bastard! Who are you?! Coward!"
I waved my hands frantically as I fell into the void, desperately trying to grab onto something—anything.
Suddenly, a strange, rainbow-glowing orb flew out of my chest, lighting up the entire realm.
It was very familiar.
Then... strangely enough...
I woke up.
birds singing in the distance SFX.
I clutched my head in my hands as I opened my eyes. I sat up, still dazed from the earlier dream. For a moment, I thought I saw a figure standing over my bed, their face obscured by a mask.
They almost reminded me of the strange business man.
But when I blinked, they were gone.
James Karawei: "Man... that made me realize I really am screwed... I don't remember anything."
I fell back onto my pillow, staring at the ceiling for a moment before hearing a loud noise that startled me.
It was my phone, which somehow found it's way onto my lap.
The caller ID read "Cathy A."
I sighed and answered the phone, immediately I heard--
Cathy Ariston: "JAMES WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THIS MEANS, ARE YOU OKAY, WHAT HAPPENED, WHT DIDN'T YOU CALL?! DO YOU EVEN—"
I closed the phone and put it in my pocket, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and getting up.
James Karawei: "Too early for this crap..."
I slithered out of bed and went out of the bedroom to wander around the house.
Jasmine just up and left yesterday, without even showing me around. Then again this WAS my house.
I stumbled out into the hallway, finding the bathroom.
I decided to brush my teeth, the mundane task making me feel slightly better about my lack of memories.
Time passed as I had gone through the usual morning routine, despite forgetting it all my body knew where everything was.
Happy-O's were always my favorite cereal.
It was so annoying though.
That dream—I couldn't make sense of it no matter how hard I tried.
It wasn't just the eyeball or the void. It was the emptiness. The numbness. A part of me had been carved out and left behind in Taured.
I couldn't feel much after I woke up from the ice. Like a part of my mind was left behind.
What's stranger is the fact that the country, or at least the city of Eiswelt hadn't changed that much in five years. Other than it being a wasteland. There was nobody trying to save the land, cause there were no people left.
I shook my head to dispel the thoughts.
I sat down at the dining table, eating a bowl of cereal.
James Karawei: "Man... this kind of sucks, huh? I wish I had someone who could at least cook me breakfast."
I chewed my food, but the thought lingered in my mind.
I was not satisfied, in fact I felt empty. Not even bored...
Most people are happy with this—but I felt like a robot.
In a cycle, in this loop.
Was it that dream? Maybe. But somehow, I felt like it was something deeper. Dreams, no matter how strange or vivid, don't make you get emotionless.
Something did happen in Taured, and it must be related to that woman, 'The Storm'.
I eventually finished eating, washed the dishes and got dressed for school.
A casual blue t-shirt and some jeans, nothing special.
I put on my backpack and stepped out of the house, the sunrise was stunning and the smell of the fields surprised me a little.
Not pleasant but not unpleasant either.
It took me ten or so minutes to get to the main road, the property was huge.
See my parents did use to be rich, but with time, taxes and debts... That money went down the drain.
The Red Woods in front of the house gave the entire land an eerie feel.
They're not the same type of red woods as on your Earth, in fact it's just the name we neighborhood kids gave the forest due to the tree trunk color being red and the tree leaves also being a nice carmine shade.
The trees themselves weren't huge or anything.
I decided to walk along the left side of the road towards the city of Havok, but just then I heard something behind me.
It was Jasmine driving up the road with a motorcycle.
She waved to me before coming to a halt on the road and waving smoke away with her hand.
Jasmine Olson: "Morning Jamie, hop on! Let me take ya to school!"
I sighed and walked over to her.
James Karawei: "You do realize how early it is, right? I hope I can trust you... J-Jasmine, right?"
Jasmine smirked and crossed her arms.
Jasmine Olson: "Yep, I'm Jazzie! It's only 7 AM, we'll get there in an hour since it's on the other side of Havok. Oakland High, that is. And you've trusted me since kindergarten... I even helped you change~"
I blushed and got on the motorcycle, gently grabbing her waist to which she made an "ooh~" sound and giggled.
James Karawei: "S-shut up... How did you even get a motorcycle?!"
Jasmine Olson: "Calm down, I'm just needling ya. Oh and this old thing was a gift from my brother, I'm old enough to buy, own and ride one and so are you Jamie! Don't tell me you forgot Ryomanian laws too..."
Before I could answer she revved up the motorcycle, we sped off into the sunrise and towards the city.
The sign at the entrance of the city said "Welcome to Havok, home of the dragon king!"
An ancient saying from a long time ago, it somehow stuck even in the modern era. And the funniest part is Piasu wasn't the capital of Ryomania.
Ryomania was and still is famous for the royal families throughout time that controlled the country. The current king, King Harry, was actually doing a great job at running the show.
Jasmine and I didn't talk much, her damn motorcycle was too loud. It looked really cool though, yellow with black streaks, almost like a bee.
Eventually we rode up past The Syndicate's center in Havok, they had a building like this in almost every city in the world!
The only exception being war torn countries like Khandorah and closed off places. Don't worry, we'll get to that.
The Syndicate building stood menacingly in the center of the city. I couldn't see the giant logo since we took the main road, school was on the west side of the city anyway.
It gave me bad vibes, I'm sure the man in red and the android were connected with this corporation. Reno definitely was. Not that I remembered her in the moment.
After 20 or so minutes we made it to the other side of the city, the industrial area. It was an absolute pain for us country kids to get to school but it was the best one in the city.
Jasmine dropped me off at the gate and parked her bike, she rushed off to behind the school for some reason.
I didn't comment on it and walked to class, nobody knew me anymore but I stuck out like a sore thumb.
I was 15 now, 6'0 and around 198 pounds of pure muscle, that's 90 kg.
I was special all right... And I never ever went to the gym.
Other kids my age got out of my way, looking at me like a stranger. So...I made my way through the halls...
I bumped into a strange guy playing some random mobile game, he had three ponytails, a dark leather jacket, sweatpants and a black t-shirt underneath.
Jack Daniels: "Hey! Watch it dude, don't kill my vibe--"
His eyes widened as he turned around to look at me, he calmly put his phone into the pocket of his jacket.
James Karawei: "Sorry, I was lost in thought... Hey, why do you have three ponytails—"
He hugged me suddenly and laughed.
Jack Daniels: "Dude I heard you were in town again! I was wondering when you'd show up... Damn you're huge, what the heck have you been eating? You gotta give me some of that."
He wiggled his eyebrows, smirking before shaking my hand.
Jack Daniels: "I'm your best bro, bro. You don't remember me? Jack Daniels, atleast you remember the hair right? I know, stunning. Erika is so great at this stuff, last week she taught me how to... Oh right you forgot, yeah she's my sister. But anyway how've you been man?!"
He hugged me again, I didn't know what to do so I patted his back.
James Karawei: "You're loud... And you smell like cheap cologne. But you didn't answer my question."
He grinned and began stroking his right ponytail. Ugh.
Jack Daniels: "Oh these puppies? It's my style dude. I don't like cutting my hair so I tied it up, simple."
James Karawei: "Cool. So... Do you know where my classroom is? Or I guess our classroom, bro."
I said almost robotically, I did not remember the guy but he seemed alright.
Even if weird.
He elbowed my side gently and ran up the stairs.
Jack Daniels: "C'mon dude, last one there is a rotten egg!"
I sighed and continued walking up the stairs.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw something strange, so I stopped.
It was a beautiful white rose growing along the railing of the stairs, even the petals and thorns were white... It didn't look normal. And it was leaking suds and little soap bubbles... I avoided it and the left side of the staircase from where it was growing.
Jack yelled up the staircase and I decided to ignore it. Even if it creeped me out.
The school itself was pretty empty, there were a lot of kids outside. Mostly on the football field and in the schoolyard, but inside the school there was barely anyone. Atleast in the hallways, from what I heard by passing by the classrooms it was still packed.
Apparently there were over 263 students in the whole school, the main building itself consisted of three stories and the schoolyard featured a lovely garden behind the school and even a giant football field as I said before.
Still, I went to class. 2-B. Ours was empty though, the only other person in class other than me and Jack was Cathy.
The moment I stepped through the door she looked up at me, she was sketching something in a notebook. She dropped it the moment she saw me and ran up to me.
She hugged me and began shaking, I didn't know what to do.
Jack Daniels: "Yeah... Cathy's been meaning to meet you. Uh, she's Cathy Ariston. Me, Jasmine and Cathy used to be your friends before you left. Welp! Now you know everybody!"
He chuckled only to be met by Cathy's bloodshot eyes and growl.
She wiped away the tears from her eyes and looked at me for a few seconds.
Cathy Ariston: "I saw the news you asshole! I know what happened in Taured... I thought you'd died! Fuck you! Why didn't you... C-call... Shit..."
She sobbed and clutched herself as if she was going to fall apart.
I put my backpack down onto one of the empty desks and gave her a tissue, she snatched it from me and stomped over to her desk. Resting her head on it, still sobbing.
James Karawei: "I'm sorry... I..."
I glanced at Jack again unsure of what to do, he gestured for me to drop it.
He leaned in and whispered.
Jack Daniels: "She'll be fine, she's like this with everyone... Kind of. Let me show you your desk."
He led me to the back of the class where my desk was.
It overlooked the window, I sat down and watched the sunrise.
James Karawei: "Should I go say something?"
I asked Jack without glancing over my shoulder. I still felt emotionless... Taured messed me up.
Jack Daniels: "Nah, if she was actually mad she would've beaten the crap out of you. She's punched teachers for less. It's funny but I guess she's just glad you're okay."
He chuckled and continued listening to his headphones... Neither of them have asked me anything about it yet.
Guess there's time for that.
My mind kept drifting anyway, the weird business guy, the android, Taured, everything... And that dream this morning...
Honestly, I didn't even know what that dream was about, but I was hooked. I wanted to know more. Who was that eye? What did it want? And what if I was part of it...
James Karawei: "Interesting..."
I sighed and turned back to face the front, I put my backpack down and opened it, realizing I forgot my books at home. I closed it and put it down against my desk. Cathy was still resting her head on her desk. Sniffling. Meanwhile Jack bobbed his head to his music. We were both bad friends to Cathy in retrospective.
I leaned back in my chair for a moment before standing up and walking into the hallway. I wasn't the outgoing type, not really. If Jack never reached out to me in kindergarten I wouldn't have met Cathy or Jasmine or Jack, I would've been the weird quiet kid probably. I dunno. I felt weird regardless due to 'The Fall of Taured'.
The cool autumn breeze sent a shiver down my spine as I leaned on the windowsill, looking outside at the schoolyard. My gaze landed on Jasmine's motorcycle parked outside the school gates, the city was quieter. Atleast that's how I felt. Going through the motions and all.
Jack walked out of the classroom, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. He grinned as he approached, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes a little.
Jack Daniels: "Yo, James, you alright?"
Jack gave me a quick glance, his usual easy grin fading slightly. He walked up to me, a little hesitant, but still that boisterous energy bouncing off him.
James Karawei: "Yeah, just... looking out the window. You should probably check on Cathy."
Jack Daniels: "Nah, she's fine. Plus if I anger her enough we get to spar later!"
He chuckled and leaned against the window to my left.
I looked out at the bustling courtyard, not really paying attention to anything specific. I could feel Jack still standing there, maybe thinking I was brooding or just ignoring him. But I wasn't. I was just tired of it all, I guess.
Jack Daniels: "You know, I haven't seen you this quiet since we first met. What's the matter?"
He leaned in a little, his voice taking on a more serious tone for a second.
Jack Daniels: "You spent five years in Taured, right? Bet that place was... weird, huh? I didn't care about the news but I heard what happened from Cathy, Erika, Jasmine... Wow, I just realized I don't know that many bro's... Anyway, I had faith you wouldn't do anything stupid. You're faster than a tractor after all! Plus you're like really buff now."
He rubbed the back of his neck, probably wondering if he'd hit a nerve. I wasn't really sure how to answer.
James Karawei: "It wasn't the greatest, if that's what you're asking. I mean, it's not like I remember anything anyway. I'm guessing Jasmine already told you about the guy in the red suit and the android."
I felt Jack pause, like he didn't know how to respond to that. It wasn't like they knew about it. No one did, not even me. For now.
Jack Daniels: "Yeah... Sounds like the wrong crowd to me. Hopefully it's not one of those Iris members. But really, you spent five years in some place, and you don't remember anything?"
He raised an eyebrow, like I was some kind of puzzle he couldn't crack.
James Karawei: "Yeah, that's right."
I couldn't help the bitterness in my voice. Jack caught it but didn't press further. Instead, he slapped me on the back, a loud chuckle escaping him.
Jack Daniels: "Well, whatever happened, it's good to have you back. Even if you're a little... different."
I smirked a little, finally turning to face him.
James Karawei: "I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. But this place? Still sucks."
Jack Daniels: "Hey, it's high school. It's supposed to suck. You don't need to think too hard about it. Life gets better when you stop thinking about it."
I stared at him, not sure if he was being serious or just messing with me. But then again, that was Jack for you. He was always a bit of a philosopher when he wasn't making dumb jokes.
James Karawei: "I guess... I don't know. I just feel like there's gotta be more than this. I guess we'll see."
I needed something to break it all apart. To find the truth.
Jack Daniels: "You're telling me, man. The world's full of weird and confusing stuff, but you gotta look at it with the right eyes. Otherwise, it's all just... noise. We'll see indeed."
I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Maybe he was right. Maybe I just wasn't seeing things the way I should.
James Karawei: "I guess. Maybe."
The moment was broken by the sound of something unusual—a gentle bubbling noise that made my skin crawl. We both turned toward it.
Soap suds and bubbles popping sfx and squeaking can be heard.
The floor was suddenly covered in a thin layer of water and soap bubbles, and from down the hallway, the sound of a running sink could be heard. The weirdest part? Right in front of us stood a rose, about two feet tall, made entirely of soap and bubbles. It's similar to the one I saw on the stairwell. I looked up and saw the walls also covered in the same roses, bubbles suddenly everywhere. It looked grotesque...
A shiver ran down my spine. Jack's grin faded into an unsure smirk as I instinctively took a step back. Something about it felt... off. Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation, or the sheer weirdness of it all. Or the fact that we were so concentrated on talking we didn't notice the roses growing...
James Karawei: "What the hell is this?"
Jack looked at me, then back at the hallway, his usual boisterous attitude evaporating into uncertainty. His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper.
Jack Daniels: "Uh... I don't know, man. That's... weird."
I couldn't help but smirk. Of course, something strange like this would happen to me—just when I thought my day couldn't get any more mundane.
The bubbles started slowly coming towards us, the vines of the roses stretching and growing as more of the blossomed—and the feeling of being watched intensified. I could see Jack's hesitation, but it felt like the most normal thing in the world now. After all, I've seen worse in Taured...
I glanced at Jack once more. He seemed to be processing this as much as I was, but neither of us knew what to do.
Then, as if on cue, one of the bubbles flew into the wall, exploding almost... The air pressure made a slight hole in the wall, as if the wall got shot.
We both exchanged a glance and then looked back at the wall.
I couldn't help but laugh. The absurdity of it all—how could we be having a serious talk one moment and then thrown into this... this surreal moment the next?
Jack just shook his head.
Jack Daniels: "Bro... I don't know what this is, but it looks serious..."
I chuckled softly, feeling a strange sense of exhilaration. This... was something new. Something exciting. I felt like I was slowly getting back an emotion... And I knew that, even though everything felt so uncertain, something was about to change. It had to.
~~~
Author's Note:
Yo, thanks for reading the chapter! All of the art for Divinity: Infinity so far is AI-generated by yours truly (because I'm terrible at drawing, haha). So if anything looks 'off' or 'weird,' now you know why. Thanks for reading this mess of a story—there's more to come!
(btw this is my oc because why not: ✍️👁️)
FUN FACTS!
Fun Fact: Jack's favorite song is "Starboy, by The Weekend". No it's not his theme, it's just his favorite song. W starboy.
Fun Fact #2: Don't ask me about character measurements cause I don't know what to say 💀
Fun Fact #3: The roses above are made of soap and aren't really "alive".
Fun Fact #4: James likes tacos, as an idea. He's never eaten one.