Act 4: Trial of the seven islands - Chapter 6

It wasn't long before they reached the last island and failed the Trial of Sloth as planned. Now it was Miyaji's turn to visit the cells. Just like Kyusaku, he noticed an eye carved into one of the bricks, but nothing else of note happened and they decided to return to the Island of Envy to investigate it further, as that was the only one they hadn't really explored yet.

Just as they were about to take the ferry, a staff member stopped them.

"Congratulations, you have been selected to win our secret prize," he announced in a monotonous voice, handing them tickets. "Go to the other side of the island and show these tickets to the staff. You will be taken to your prize."

He turned around and walked away without saying anything else, leaving them dumbfounded.

"What do we do?" The elf consulted his partner.

"That guy smelled fishy," Miyaji replied with a frown, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Obviously," Kyusaku deadpanned. "This is very suspicious."

"No, I meant that he literally smelled like fish," the redhead clarified. "Rotten fish, to be precise."

Now he couldn't help but think about that dream. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Knowing they were on the right track, they made their way to the specified location, tickets in hand. Only once they reached the shore did they realize they'd been surrounded by fog, thick enough that they could barely see anything around them. This only confirmed their suspicions even more.

"This is starting to look like a horror story," Miyaji joked.

"We've always been in a horror story, idiot."

"Now that you mention it, people mysteriously disappearing after failing a made up test in a theme park... That does sound like a horror story."

As they approached the water, the fog dissipated just enough to reveal a path; although, it was only a long and thin strip of sand surrounded by the sea, the end of which was still hidden in the thick fog. Lanterns lit up one by one along the path, but they couldn't determine exactly where they were located. They exchanged a look before hesitantly making their way to the other side, Kyusaku subconsciously walking a bit closer to his partner, both of them on guard.

On the other side of the sea, a silhouette appeared in the fog. As they got closer, the shape of the island became clearer, as well as the golden color of the buildings that covered it. By the time they reached the entrance to the city, the fog still had not dissipated, preventing them from seeing the island they came from.

"Talk about creepy..." The elf commented as he looked back only to find the thick fog blocking his view.

"Your tickets," a voice asked, startling them, "please."

Kyusaku had to admit that he was a little disturbed by the man who welcomed them – mostly by his appearance, as he was uncannily identical to the staff member that gave them their tickets earlier.

"Your tickets, please," he asked again in the same monotonous voice, his hand extended in front of them.

They handed their tickets, and the man moved to let them in. Once they were out of earshot, Kyusaku leaned closer and whispered.

"Those are not real people."

"What do you mean?"

"They're puppets. But not the normal kind."

These were highly different from the one that came to see him the previous night.

"Puppets are usually made from materials such as stone or clay, then imbued with magic to make them move. These, however... are made from flesh. It's a necromancy spell that makes them move. This kind of puppet can only understand simple commands, and possesses no intelligence or will of its own," the elf explained as they both looked back at the man that was still standing, unmoving, at the entrance. "I'm guessing they were made with the flesh of rotten fish, judging by the smell you described..." He added, pensive.

"I had heard of it... But this is my first time encountering one."

"I've also never seen one like this before. This just keeps becoming stranger..."

Stranger yet was the color of the bricks all around them, shining as if they were made of pure gold, almost blinding them. Of course, it was most likely an illusion, but it still seemed strange, as if it didn't fit with the rest of the theme park. Not really knowing what they should do, the two of them followed other guests to what seemed to be a hotel, and found themselves in a lavishly decorated hall.

"Welcome!" A voice rang out, startling them. A man wearing a mask and dressed strangely appeared before them, his smile giving Kyusaku chills. "Welcome to the Island of Pleasure; the island where your every desire takes shape. Please enjoy dinner first," he said, gesturing to the doors on his left as he bowed to the guests, "and we will take you to your rooms after night has fallen. We hope you'll be satisfied with your stay here."

The guests rejoiced, and passed him to enter a large and luxurious dining hall. The two of them followed, a little perplexed, and took a seat. In front of them, plates full of exotic food were served, with so much different things to eat that they weren't sure where to start.

"That guy earlier was also a little weird," the elf started as he picked up his fork and hesitantly tried some of the food, "don't you think?"

"Hmm... He didn't look like he belonged in the park. He wasn't wearing a uniform, and none of the other staff had a mask."

"This entire place is weird," Kyusaku commented with a sigh.

Of course, there was no question that this must have been the mysterious eighth island.

The elf absentmindedly used his fork to push the fish around his plate, not sure whether he should eat it or not. It did look very tasty, but after that dream and the puppets made of rotten fish...

"Miyaji, the other day, I had a nightmare..." He began, then described what he saw that night. "I feel like that nightmare was a little strange."

After being bothered by these nightmares for so long, he had noted a few things about them, like the fact that they always related to an event that had yet to happen, or that he never had more than one nightmare relating to the same event.
The only exception to that rule was the one with the Plane of Clarity that he saw more than once, but in the end it was only a repetition of the same nightmare; he had never had two vastly different nightmares about the same event.

"That sounds more like a memory than a nightmare," Miyaji commented, pensive. "It's possible that due to whatever is causing these nightmares, something from these islands was able to infiltrate your dreams."

Night fell before they noticed, and that same masked 'staff member' led them to their rooms. As they walked through the empty corridors, a sudden feeling of unease washed over Kyusaku as his head started spinning, and he unconsciously grabbed his partner's sleeve and walked a little closer to him. It only lasted for a few seconds before they stopped and the man guiding them turned around to face them.

"These will be your rooms for the rest of your stay," he declared, gesturing to doors on each side of the corridor. "If there is anything you lack, all you need to do is ask, and we will take care of it. It can also be arranged for illusions to visit you at night."

Kyusaku shuddered at the thought, his grip on Miyaji's sleeve tightening. Miyaji fervently denied the offer, shaking his head.

"That won't be necessary, that will absolutely not be necessary!"

The man's gaze went from the elf to his partner a few times before a smile formed on his face.

"How rude of me! My apologies, I hadn't realized you were together! Let me take you to a more suitable room," he offered, rubbing his hands before gesturing to follow him.

Kyusaku was about to protest, but Miyaji was faster.

"That's right! We're... on our honeymoon! So it would be weird to sleep in different rooms. And we do not, absolutely do not, want to be visited by illusions."

They were led to a different, much more spacious room, with a bed big enough to accommodate three or four Miyajis. As soon as the door closed, the elf burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer.

"Seriously? A honeymoon?" He asked in between laughs, wiping tears at the corner of his eyes. "You couldn't find anything better?"

"Stop laughing! I panicked, okay?!" His partner replied, face reddening. "I couldn't let him separate us, this place is creepy! Who knows what they'll do when we're sleeping..."

The elf took a deep breath before replying on a more serious tone. "You're right. Something's off here, we should be careful. In fact, should we keep watch at night just in case?"

"No need. If anything happens, my ears won't miss it. But we should still check the room and make sure it's safe."

They only went to sleep after they were certain there was no trap and they weren't being watched, but even after confirming that their room was safe, they weren't able to relax, lying in bed without moving for a long time, staring at the wall or ceiling.
It's strange. Miya's with me, but I can't fall asleep. He had always slept better when his partner was nearby, knowing he would protect him, but his presence that night wasn't enough to dispel the feeling that something wasn't right that had bothered him since they arrived on the island.

Come to think of it, Miyaji was the only one who had such an effect on him. As long as he was nearby, he felt safe enough to be able to sleep soundly, and never had any nightmares either. He couldn't imagine sharing a bed with anyone else. Is this really "love" after all?

A frown formed on his face as he realized he didn't even know what "love" was. How was he supposed to recognize it if he had no idea what it felt like? How laughable. A hundred years old, and I don't even know what love is. He pushed away the idea of asking someone, too ashamed by what they would think. Miya would never laugh at me, and he's an expert on the subject. Maybe I should ask him.

He debated for what felt like eternity, ultimately falling asleep before ever coming to a decision.

The breakfast they were served the next morning was just as copious as the dinner the previous day, but with how agitated his night was, he wasn't in the mood to eat, instead opting to ask around for a bit. He found out that all of the other guests had lost one or more trials, confirming the rumors, but he wasn't able to discover anything else from them.

With nothing left to do, he went back to his partner, wanting to suggest exploring outside, and found him sitting alone, still eating. I know he's a glutton, but still, isn't that a bit much? He called out to him, but apparently Miyaji was too focused on his breakfast to hear him, so he grabbed his shoulder to get his attention and froze as their eyes met.
Teeth sunk in the meat he was devouring like an animal, his eyes seemed like those of a wild beast for a split second, making him retreat a few steps in fear.

"Miyaji?" He called out again, hesitant.

"Huh?"

His partner seemed to come back to his senses when he saw his frightened expression, and looked at the table full of dirty plates piling up and his greasy hands with confusion.

"What was I doing...?"

"You scared me... The way you were eating, you looked like an animal."

Still shaken, Miyaji's gaze kept wandering between him and the table, though he wouldn't meet his eyes.

"Did I really eat all of that?"

"I guess..."

"Then why am I still feeling hungry...? It's just like..." He shook his head before he could finish his sentence, standing up all of a sudden and still not looking at him. "Can we go outside for a bit? I need some fresh air..."

The elf nodded and followed him quietly. He had never seen him like that before, and wasn't sure what to say – but it was clear that his partner was shaken by the experience, and he couldn't help but be concerned for him.

"The fog is still here..." He commented as he looked around, hoping to take his mind off of it.

Miyaji hummed and they made their way over to the entrance of the island, only to find that the path that led them there had disappeared. There was no trace of the puppet that welcomed them either, or any other 'staff member'. They couldn't find any path leading to the rest of the island either, so they went back inside and explored the rest of the building instead.
They found a casino, a library, multiple shops of all kinds, and more; all for the guests' entertainment. On their way back, they decided to try their luxurious bathroom, since they hadn't had a chance to take a bath yet – and clearly, they desperately needed something to relax.

Kyusaku stood in front of the gigantic bathtub, perplexed. It was probably the largest and most impressive bath he'd ever seen, with a few steps leading down into the water, huge decorations including a fountain and expensive materials everywhere. It was almost blinding.

Hesitantly, the elf entered the warm water – and slipped on the very first step. It all happened so fast, he only had the time to feel himself lose his balance before feeling a sharp pain in his ankle, the resulting scream getting Miyaji to rush to his side, voice filled with worry as he asked him what happened. At least he's acting normal again... The elf thought while his partner examined him.

"It's just sprained," Kyusaku remarked, looking away in shame, feeling stupid for this careless mistake.

"That's a relief... We would have been in trouble if it was broken. Even like this, it's gonna make it hard to run away if we need to."

"You'll just have to carry me, I guess. Are you feeling better now?"

Miyaji's eyes widened slightly, and he averted his gaze as he seemed to take some time to think about how to explain the situation.

"Sorry. I don't know what came over me. I kept feeling hungry no matter how much I ate, and it brought back some unpleasant memories of my childhood."

"Childhood...?"

"A famine decimated most of my people," he explained, before quickly adding, "Don't worry about it, it was a long time ago. I told you it was in a dead tongue, didn't I? The prayer I taught you."

"Just how long have you lived exactly...?"

"Longer than you, that's for sure!" Miyaji replied with a grin.