I couldn't stop thinking about everything that had just transpired. I knew it had only been an hour ago, but I still felt betrayed. Skip kept telling me we were almost there, though it had been glitching more frequently, repeating previous phrases it had spoken earlier. It didn’t matter to me now; the destination was only a minute away.

This was the place. As I approached, Skip suddenly turned on, saying, "Serenity," before shutting down permanently. It wouldn’t have mattered—it had served its purpose, and I was already here.

I stopped my car near an abandoned town. There was something eerily familiar about this place, as if I had been here before. I was surprised that this was where the mastermind was hiding. I had expected something grand—a castle or a vortex leading to another dimension. Instead, it was just an abandoned town, hardly the ideal hiding place for someone who had thrown the world into chaos.

Every street felt smaller and smaller. I wasn’t sure why that was the case. It must have been a coincidence. Yet, there was a strange sense of nostalgia, a feeling that I had walked these roads before. This town wasn’t unique in any way, but I could almost remember strolling through it, spending time with someone. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t recall who that person was.

Down an alleyway, something glowing caught my eye. I made my way toward it and found something peculiar—a wooden door with a sign above it that read: "COME INSIDE."

I hesitated. Was this door a portal? If so, it fit with my theory about a vortex. Even though I didn’t want to enter, I had no choice. If the mastermind was inside, I needed to go.

I turned the doorknob and stepped in. The door shut behind me on its own.

The room was an abyss of darkness, yet I could see myself clearly. Shadows loomed over me, eyes watching from the void.

"We can finally meet."

A deep voice echoed through the blackness. Footsteps approached. I took a step back, preparing for whatever was coming.

What emerged threw me off guard.

A tall, lanky man stepped forward. His body was humanoid, but his head was perfectly spherical. He had no facial features—only a wide, cunning, cartoonish grin that stretched almost to the sides of his face.

He wore a 19th-century Dickens-style caroler’s top hat, tilted slightly forward, fitting his head like a glove. His attire was equally refined—a dark blue suit with white inner lining, accompanied by a black waistcoat and white tie.

"What are you?" I asked.

"The one you wished to kill. The one you hate. The one who, after my defeat, you believe will bring salvation to the world," he said. "I am the person you seek."

His voice was deep and raspy, with a tone both pleasant and foreboding.

"I sort of expected someone with the physique of a god or a demon," I muttered.

"A god or a demon? That would be far too infantile of a concept, don’t you think?" he chuckled. "Such pristine fables don’t always emerge from the shadows. Sometimes, they stay hidden… waiting patiently."

"Why did you do this?" I demanded.

"The moment I escaped my hell, I had a goal to pursue. But to think you’d get straight to the point… I would have assumed you’d either prolong the conversation or try to kill me on the spot."

"Forgetting that, I’m more interested in knowing why the hell you did all this. And more importantly—who exactly are you?"

"I’m not just some ordinary monster bound for destruction," he said with a chuckle. "I’m quite surprised you don’t remember."

"Remember what?"

There was a long pause before he finally spoke words that would haunt me forever.

"I’m your imaginary friend”

A flood of memories came back. I started to remember, and I started to regret.

"Those demons you speak of—there’s more to them than meets the eye. They’re humans!"

I felt my heart skip a beat when he said that. He—he had to be deceiving me, trying to catch me off guard. No way in hell was I going to believe a damn thing he said.

"You're lying!"

"How naïve, doubting the very truth before your eyes. All of them are people, carefully crafted to fit their sins. The first subject was an ex-convict, recently put on parole after brutally murdering his entire family. Angered by this corrupt justice, I made people show their true colors. The long-haired beings represent murderers. That was the beginning—a prototype of the creatures of sin. Each creature you’ve faced represents a sin. They are the crimes of those who never received divine judgment for their wrongdoings. A system must be in place to ensure that those who have endured hatred, antipathy, and enmity from others shall meet their fate.

"Here, let me elucidate further.

"This delicate fruit—a pristine, luscious apple—can be poisoned to deceive others. It represents those who betray their family, closest friends, or anyone else to gain a selfish advantage. A design inspired by the classic tale of Snow White—fitting, isn’t it?

"A creature, burrowed deep below the soil, waiting to strike at night—those who seek others but treat them as mere objects. They stalk impassively, devoid of remorse.

"A common streetlamp, illuminating uncertainty, representing those who act hastily without a second thought, driven by fear of the unknown.

"The state of vexation and resentment toward others makes us feel as though we are experiencing life’s unfairness. While rage comes and goes, some push it to the extreme, letting their true, repulsive selves emerge. They see people not as fellow human beings, but as threats to their existence.

"Tea can bring serenity to us all, but when it’s hot, it needs time to cool. Unfortunately, some people have no off switch for their bitterness.

"Innocence is something we are all born with. When we first step into society, we are young and naïve, unable to fully process our emotions. Yet… there are those who take advantage of that innocence."

There was a long pause, and his tone shifted to one of pure disgust.

"Those who prey on the small, their sick, demented minds believing they can walk free. Their perverse attraction to naïve, underage victims. It sickens me to the core. How can anyone justify such a revolting crime? And yet, so many of them remain free, unconcerned—until their actions catch up to them.

"I seem to recall someone you met who might have twisted their words. A sudden disappearance while you were searching for her. Who’s to say? Who’s to say?"

He chuckled darkly before continuing.

"We live in a world where wealth divides the powerful and the poor. Those who build themselves up to the top are despised yet richer than most. And then, there are those so desperate for luxury that they abandon morality altogether.

"They sell themselves to fulfill the desires of others. They revel in greed, believing themselves untouchable on the inside, but not on the outside.

"My friend—the one you've encountered on your journey—has also made his own sinners. And I’m sure he deserves his punishment, don't you think? That friend of yours sure caused quite a roadblock toward the end."

"Shut up!" I shouted.

"She wanted to beg for forgiveness, so I sent her to help you. I didn’t want to spare such a monster, but I needed someone close to you to guide you to me. The problem was, she became too attached. That wasn’t an issue for me, but it was for her. She didn’t want to tell the truth, but when it finally came out, it left you alone and helpless.

"I know you started to grow attached to her too, but the truth had to surface eventually. There was nothing you could do to stop it—the outcome was inevitable.

"My backup plan was to use a little machine you should already be familiar with. It merely contained my inner thoughts—my desire to kill you for everything you did. But I’ll admit, that was a bit uncoordinated. I suppose intrusive thoughts get the better of us all sometimes, hmm?

"I apologize for the transgressions I’ve put in place, but they were necessary to bring you here."

I could do nothing but stare blankly at the floor. I couldn’t accept it, but deep down, I knew it was most likely true.

"She mentioned imaginary friends to trigger something in your memory. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but I do remember a time when they were accepted. If this didn’t already add to my frustration with you…"

He trailed off before letting out a low chuckle.

"You probably don’t remember the name you once gave me. But now, there’s something new for you to remember.

"Refer to me as Mr. Karma.

"A fitting name for what I’m about to show you.”

He presented me with a TV screen with a VHS player and placed a tape into it. The screen buzzed as the title "MEMORIES – 5 Years Ago" appeared.

It showed me walking through a town with my imaginary friend beside me. The place looked exactly like the one I had arrived at. In the slideshow, I could see that, at the time, I had called my imaginary friend Magjic. He was a much smaller version of Mr. Karma’s current appearance. If it weren’t for his top hat, I would hardly have been able to distinguish the two. His head was slightly bigger, and his body was more childlike. His arms and legs were the size of a doll’s, and he floated off the ground instead of standing still.

Unlike Mr. Karma’s eerie, wide cartoonish grin and hollow eyes, Magjic had small red eyes and a far less chilling smile. His tone was more playful, his voice high-pitched and childlike.

"Sure is a nice day, huh?" Magjic said cheerfully.

My younger self didn’t respond. Magjic, noticing my gloomy demeanor, tilted his head and asked, "Something bothering you?"

"I have something I need you to do," I said, glancing toward a nearby alleyway and pointing at it. "Do you think you can wait over there?"

Magjic looked worried. "You'll be back, right?"

"I promise. I just have to do something."

I turned and walked off into the distance.

Magjic must have convinced himself that it wasn’t a big deal. He waited at the alley’s edge, completely unaware of how vulnerable he was. He simply smiled, thinking nothing out of the ordinary.

A time card appeared on the screen: "1 HOUR LATER."

Magjic started to worry. He peeked out from the alleyway, searching for any sign of me. As he stepped into view, people on the street reacted with fear. Some ran. Others stared in shock.

Had they never seen a figure like him before?

Or perhaps… they had.

Magjic started hyperventilating, his small frame trembling. He swiftly retreated into the alleyway.

"W-why isn’t he back yet?" he muttered, curling up near the wall.

The screen cut to another title card: "5 HOURS LATER."

The bright, sunny day had turned to night.

Three teenage boys—around sixteen to eighteen years old—approached the alley.

The leader of the group stepped forward first. "The hell?"

The boy to his left, a muscular figure, frowned. "What the fuck is that thing?"

"Wait a minute," the one on the right, who looked the most normal of the group, muttered. "Isn’t that one of those damn imaginary friends?"

"Are you sure it’s not just a doll?"

Magjic hesitated before softly replying, "Er—no, I’m an imaginary friend."

The leader sneered. "Imaginary friend? Shit, didn’t we kill all of them?"

"What was the deal with them again?" the muscular boy asked.

The leader rolled his eyes. "Are you fucking stupid? We haven’t had an incident in a year, but don’t tell me you’re that dense. Those things took everything from us. Remember when they rampaged through town, killing tons of people? Those pieces of shit are a disgrace to this world. They're like a hivemind, bent on ruining lives and taking over our world."

"B-but I never did that," Magjic stammered.

"Like hell you didn’t. We know what your kind does to innocent people."

Without warning, the leader grabbed Magjic and slammed him against the wall. Magjic hit the pavement hard as the leader threw him down like a broken toy. Blood trickled from the back of his head, small drops staining the ground.

"Easy," the muscular boy chuckled. "Don’t crack its skull yet."

"I know, I know," the leader smirked. "That’d ruin the fun. I’d love to give this fucker more, but I can’t afford to miss my curfew. We’ll be seeing you again, shithead. Oh, but one more thing."

He crouched beside Magjic, leaning in close.

"If you ever come near me, my family, or my friends, I’ll kill you."

With that, the group walked away, leaving Magjic bruised and broken on the pavement.

He weakly touched the wound on his head, his tiny hands trembling. Tears welled in his red eyes.

"What did I do…?" he whispered. "I didn’t do anything bad, did I? I don’t believe I did anything they said. W-why isn’t he coming back?"

Magjic stared at the ground, his heart sinking.

All he could do was wait.

The tape ended, and Mr. Karma’s voice cut through the silence.