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Basil has just crossed the River of Truth and is now standing in front of Branch Coral, waiting for answers. Desperate to know how to reach his beloved friend, he asks while facing the purple trunk. "I need to get to Black Space. Please, I need to get to the Abyss. What should I do?"
Once again, the deep voice reaches into his mind. "You really are not aware of what has been going on on the surface, aren't you?"
The feeling of uneasiness and the fact that he is being treated like someone who doesn't see a thing in plain sight render Basil perplexed. Only a barely audible "Huh?" escapes his mouth.
"Well, you'll see soon enough; I assure you. But at this moment, neither you nor your friends possess enough power to face what awaits you at the end of your journey". Branches of the Coral twitched with a creaking sound, as if the wind were trying to rip them from their place.
He is not strong enough? But he led his friends through this bizarre world; he never budged in his intent to save Sunny. Was it for nothing? As thoughts raced across Basil's mind, his vision became blurry, his arms and legs began to shake, he almost collapsed to the floor, but managed to look up at the black-dotted trunk once more. "Branch Coral... I'm scared. Are we all doomed to fail? Was our struggle futile from the start?". Basil's voice shook even more than his body; he was mumbling words unintelligible to a normal listener.
Coral creaks again. "Perhaps... we can make a deal. I can grant you power as well, Basil. Not just answers".
Basil steadies his breathing, holding his hands tightly to his body. "You can?". Hope is once again rekindled in his heart.
"There is a challenge that will aid you greatly in this world. It is simple without thought... and if you succeed, I will be gone as well." An eerie atmosphere builds up above the water, mist rising around Basil's body.
"I'd like to grow stronger! Whatever it takes. I wanna be able to get Sunny back!". Basil screams, but words barely even reach his own ears.
It is enough for the Coral to start shuddering, delivering its response to Basil's mind. "Very well... then... prepare yourself".
Everything turns black. Basil falls into a pool of weird fluid; it surrounds him. "Can't... move...", was the first thing that came to his mind.
"Rise, Basil. Rise above the blood".
A familiar creak raises him from the liquid. Basil emerges from the water. His vision is blurry as he walks through the darkness. Ahead, a tree looms in the void, its twisted branches spreading out.
"Hold out your hands".
Something heavy falls into Basil's hands. Basil can't make out what it is.
"Would you like to eat the Apple? Should you accept, and you will unlock your potential". A few seconds passed, Basil hesitated. "Do not fear. You will certainly not die... I have no intent to harm. You can turn back if you wish, there is no shame in that".
To Basil, those last words sounded like a taunt. Didn't this stupid tree see his determination? But he was the one trembling in fear just a second ago. No matter; it's decided. Basil takes a bite of the Apple.
A metallic taste fills Basil's mouth. Something warm engulfs him, but his eyes remain shut. First, it covers his fingertips, spreading up his arms, reaching his shoulders, and going further up his neck.
A scream snaps him out of this dreamlike state. "Basil!". Aubrey's voice sounds worried, terrified even. "What are you doing?!".
Basil turns his head, eyes still closed. Warmth retreats from his neck and stops just below his shoulders. He dares to open his eyes, expecting the worst. "Aubrey?". A single word flies off his lips, but it gets obstructed by an even louder and wilder scream.
"What have you done? What the hell is going on?! Basil, what are you eating?!".
Indeed, he never even saw what was put in his arms. Basil doesn't want to look down. He can't look down. He might lose it entirely. Basil turns his head again. "Aubrey... what's in my hands?". But truly, he doesn't want to know.
The memories all come rushing back to Aubrey. She knows exactly what it is. Realization strikes her, but she still manages to give an answer. With a trembling voice, she says. "That's... Sunny. His head, Basil".
The moment he hears the name so dear to him, Basil's gaze falls down upon a severed head resting in his hands, blood drops from its dark hair onto a contorted visage of terror and agony. It's also missing a piece just above the left eye. Basil lets out a scream; the moment after, the head flies through the air into the river, landing on its backside and starting to slowly sink. Weirdly enough, it doesn't tint the water around it.
Basil falls to the ground. He feels an unnatural pounding sensation in his head. Memories of Sunny flash through Basil's mind. It all comes back to him. He covers his face with his arms, tears fall into his palms. "What did you make me do?! Why would you do this?!". His words come out distorted, not only by constant hiccups and sobs; it's like they're doubling, almost like someone else says them with him. "You made me eat him... How could this possibly help me... You bastard?!". Basil is hyperventilating, tears flooding his arms. "Sunny... I'm so sorry!".
Aubrey comes closer, trying to reach out to Basil. "Basil... You...". She snaps her hand back. Basil stands up slowly. His eyes have completely changed, staying in their stressed state; his arms are pitch black. He licks the blood off his lips.
The taste lingers, it's different now — still metallic, but... familiar? He exhales slowly, his demeanor unreadable, a mix of fear and satisfaction. Basil's mind runs frantic. With a slow, almost mechanical motion, he wiped his mouth. Then, with newfound clarity, his eyes lock with Aubrey's; his gaze is sharp and unwavering.
Creaking echoes from behind him, now like a normal sound. "Now, how do you feel?".
Basil's mouth moves, but it doesn't match his words. "I feel... Whole". Last part echoes down the river. Without turning, he asks the Coral. "Am I ready now?". His voice sounds like his again, but sharpness of gaze and his expression still lingers with eeriness.
Aubrey just managed to ease up, looking at Basil with a questioning face. "Wh- Ready? For what? What are you up to?!". They glanced at each other for a few more seconds. "You're freaking me out. Are you okay? What's with that thing, what did it do?". Aubrey's voice trembled, addressing the Coral, which had now grown a little paler.
Aubrey reached for Basil again, now pushing him aside. "Why... Why did you give him Sunny's head? What's your deal?!".
Coral sounded quieter than before. "He wished for power. I gave it to him".
"Power? For what?". Aubrey cried out into the tainted purple trunk.
This time, the creaking lasted less. "Power to save you all. You are already aware of who you will face, and you needed power to match Its, to match the power Dreamer bequeathed to It".
Aubrey turned to Basil, demanding explanations. "Dreamer? He means Sunny?". She figured it only made sense. "So all of this was by Sunny's own will? He tried to hide himself again?!". Aubrey said it angrily, but didn't mean it this way.
Coral continued. "The Apple helped Basil gain strength, wisdom. But as you know power, or strength in our case can't appear out of nowhere even in a dream. Even imagination is limited. I intended to transfer my knowledge and power to him through the Apple. It would have resulted in my imminent demise, but it wasn't consumed whole. Therefore I still persist in this place, yet not for long". Coral let out a creak, this one sounded different than previous ones, painful almost. "Basil learned the truth about Its strengths and the means to escape this world, though he may not understand it yet. To that I also granted him a piece of essence, which origin is of this world, it may protect his real body for a time". Coral gave out another creak, this time it sounded like of agony. "I misjudged him initially. This boy had much raw power inside him, the origin of which I can not decipher, but it was detached from him or spurned, rather. Through Apple, I connected them".
Aubrey's mind was racing; it was too much to handle right after seeing a bloody severed head being chewed on. "Connected them? You did...". A grim expression appeared on Aubrey's face. Looking at Basil's now black arms, she let out a little sob. "Basil... are you okay?". Aubrey gave him a concerned look.
Being motionless for quite some time, Basil perked up and then gave Aubrey a glance; natural softness returned to his eyes. "I'm fine, don't you worry". Basil exhaled a breath of relief, he wasn't sure what had just happened.
Right after that, sounds of water attracted Basil's and Aubrey's attention. Kel and everyone else finally caught up to Aubrey. It took a surprisingly long time, Basil thought to himself, but nothing here made sense; that's just what this world is about.
Kel tried to climb out of the water, but upon seeing the half-sunken head he fell down, even screaming a little. After standing up and preventing himself from throwing up, Kel managed to speak. "Wh- What's going on?! What happened?! Is that...". Aubrey cut him off.
"Basil got tricked by that thing". Aubrey pointed at the Coral. "It made him eat a fake of Sunny's head. I don't know what kind of tricks it played on him, but Basil really thought it was a fruit".
"Gosh, how awful!". HS Basil spoke up.
"S-so... it's not really him?". Hero said, while climbing up from the water.
Aubrey started to sound worried again. "No. And after... I've never seen Basil with that cold look before... It startled me seeing him all stern like that. And that Coral thing said it connected Basil and...". Aubrey sobbed again. "I don't know if we can trust it".
This time, Coral gave no creak at all. "It's not a trick. I told the truth; it's up to you to interpret it". Delayed prolonged creaking echoed through the opening. "Now I will tell you my final truth. When you confront It, be aware, for Its power being drawn directly from Dreamer himself; he is the only true owner of it. He wishes you no harm, so Its attacks will do no harm to you. But Dreamer is getting weaker by the minute; soon he will lose control over his powers and It will use Its full strength on you. You already know, you will not have a second chance". Purple trunk contorted, one of the black dots started growing, combining with others. "With my last strength, I will open a door to the place you seek, but be ready; It's already waiting".
A dark rift opened in now fully grey trunk. Kel peeked into it but saw nothing. "I don't like this a single bit. This Coral thingy said so much, but I ain't got a single clue about what to do now". Kel had a displeased look on his face.
HS Basil stepped in front of the rift. "Omori. The name of our enemy". The rest of the Headspace friends gave him a weird look, but none of them objected. "If everything Branch Coral said is true, then we need to hurry if we want to save Sunny in time". Unexpectedly, he got a guilty look on his face. "But I think you would have to face him on your own".
"What? Why?". Hero and Kel said simultaneously.
"You see...". HS Basil started again. "We won't be of much use anyway. My friends wouldn't like the idea of fighting our other friend, even if he is in the wrong. And I... just have the feeling that it is you who should be there, that it takes a power from your world to rescue Sunny".
That sounded right to the Faraway friends. None of them was ready to argue with these words. Even if they wanted someone by their side, someone more familiar with how everything works, they just didn't feel like turning a bunch of twelve-year-olds against another twelve-year-old was the right thing to do.
"Then we will face Omori ourselves". Basil stepped closer to Aubrey, Hero and Kel, standing a little to the side before that. "It's not like we have much of a choice either".
Aubrey looked at Basil. "Are you sure you are okay? We can wait if you need some time...". Basil cut her off.
"Time is the only thing we don't have right now. You heard the Coral. Sunny is dying out there and Omori is feeding off him". Basil sounded angry, but quickly calmed himself down.
"I guess you're right. That means we should move?". Aubrey didn't feel like being a leader.
"We should". Kel waved his hand to the Headspace friends and stepped into the rift. Hero, Aubrey and last, Basil — who felt something really wrong ahead — followed.
****
"Hey, is it me or... This place is empty?". Kel turned around to see his friends and the vast void behind them. "No, really, there's nothing here, literally". He looked around, making a full rotation, then looked at Aubrey.
"Damn it. I knew we shouldn't have trusted that thing". Aubrey turned red, almost burning with anger. "That... Apple, sweet talks about power. It lured us in and trapped us here! It's surely on one side with Omori".
Basil was visibly distressed. "That's my fault. We saw what happened to Captain Spaceboy, yet I decided to trust this thing as soon as it spoke of Sunny". He looked down at his hands, unable to face his friends. He failed them... again.
"Stop that". Hero interrupted Aubrey's screams and Basil's lamentations. "Isn't Black Space supposed to be like that? Coral didn't say that he would bring us directly to Sunny; maybe we should look around first?".
"Hero is right. We can't prove it's not Black Space. I mean... it's surely black and there is certainly a lot of space". Kel wasn't proud of this pun, but he wanted to cheer everyone up.
Aubrey punched Kel in the shoulder. "That was the most Kel thing I've heard in a long time". Anger almost disappeared from her face as she said that. "But... Where will we go? This place looks so big, and there are no landmarks of any kind. We will just get lost". Aubrey turned to Basil, seeing him in this state hurt her deeply. She tightly embraced him. As Aubrey did that she calmed down completely, only one thing still unnerved her — Basil's arms were completely cold, inhumanly cold, like a stone lying in frozen river. "It will be alright. It is the place; we will find Sunny".
Basil, still sobbing but clearly not as much as seconds ago, finally lifted his head up. "But what if we don't? We will be stuck in this place forever". Once again he couldn't do anything to help his friends around him, not mentioning Sunny, who was so far away. Basil's eyes filled with tears.
"It's okay; everything will be okay. We will find Sunny... together". Aubrey continued to soothe Basil, turning her head to Hero and Kel, asking for help.
"Everything will be cool; don't worry. You even got those new powers or something". Kel wanted to continue, but stopped himself, this was not a calming topic.
"We've made it so far, nothing in this world can stop us. We will find Sunny, it will be really soon, just you wait". Hero hoped that bringing up Sunny was a good thing.
It was. Basil straightened up, clenched his fists and let out a deep sigh. A few seconds passed; no one wanted to break the silence first.
There is no point in crying now; what will it change? They have to keep going. If what Coral said was true, then time was of the essence. Basil took a step. Floor gave out a marble sound, almost deafening after prolonged silence. "For Sunny. We must keep going". Basil sounded cold again, just like when he tasted the Apple.
Friends followed Basil into the dark. Their steps didn't produce any sound.
They'd been walking for some time. Maybe minutes, maybe hours. It was hard to keep track of time in a place stripped of any life or objects entirely. For the most part of the way, they remained silent; they were afraid to speak. A wrong word could send Basil down the self-hate spiral again or spark anger in Aubrey. Hero remained quiet for another reason — he was ready to cry. Seeing his friends in such a bad mood made him miserable. A weep almost broke through his stoic expression, but Kel's sudden excitement prevented it.
"You also see it, right? Or am I just crazy?". The second part was not sincere.
A giant eye perched upon some kind of rod was gazing at them. Friends froze. Hero let out a little screech, Aubrey started shaking. As time passed, more eyes turned to them; the friends were surrounded.
Kel was the first one to come to his senses. He jumped forward, ready to punch one of the creatures right into its pupil, but stopped just before his blow reached its target. The way the eye looked at him, there was no hate, no fear. "It's in pain". Kel turned his back on the eye. "They're in pain; they don't want to hurt us".
"What are you talking about?!". Aubrey just didn't see it. "They're giant eyes, there are at least a dozen of them. I'm not going near them".
Basil and Hero stepped closer to the nearest eyes. Indeed, those creatures spasmed and shook like if they were in constant agony, their gaze was of a silent plea to end their suffering.
Kel wanted to poke the stem of one of the eyes, but his arm went through. "What the...?". He repeated the attempt on this eye, then walked right through another. "They aren't real or something. This place is trying to scare us again".
Hero tried to touch one of the creatures — same result as for Kel.
Aubrey remained defiant. "What if they are just waiting to strike? I know Kel doesn't have a sense of self-preservation, but you, Hero". She looked first at Kel, then at Hero, and finally her eyes stopped at Basil, who was approaching one of the smaller eyes.
"I sense something, like some kind of static". He reached out for the stem of a creature, expecting to go through. Exactly that happened, but not in a way he anticipated. As soon as his hand collided with the material of the stem, the latter cracked with a hissing sound, as if it melted. The eye of the creature fell down towards Basil. He tried to jump back, expecting to see it lying on the ground. But the creature dissipated into dark particles before he could properly inspect it. "Ahh! What was that? Have I just... killed it?!". He tried to hide his hands behind his back.
"See, Basil, like I said. You got the power". Kel was genuinely excited about what just happened, a bit jealous too. "Can you do it with another one? I just want to see how cool it is again". He sounded like a ten-year-old; even young Kel was more mature.
"There's nothing cool about this. It just... died! I didn't even do anything". Basil pulled his arms from his back, staring at his black palms and fingers. He expected to feel a tremor, but his arms were solid.
"So, Coral was speaking the truth". Hero concluded.
That meant Basil was now connected to... Aubrey threw that thought away, it hurt her too much. "That means Sunny should be here... somewhere". This thought was more pleasant.
"See Aubrey, Basil can beat these things with one touch. Now you aren't afraid?". Kel didn't mean it as an insult; he just had a hard time forming a sentence.
"Afraid? This isn't about being afraid; it's just common sense! You really are a...". Aubrey decided not to finish. She saw Basil going further, passing more eyes and some weirdly shaped giant plants.
As they walked, something started forming in the distance. At first, it looked like a window, but the garish colors of its insides gave away that it was a painting.
As they approached it, everything began to decay. Eyes started to lose their form. The painting became white noise... somehow, then just faded to black, dissipating as they came closer.
Surrounding them again was a black void, but this time one object was seen in the distance.
****
Sunny. Basil would recognize him anywhere. Basil's eyes, still red, moved towards the faces of his friends. "Su...". He was cut off by a scream. He looked at Aubrey's face; she was enraged again and pulled out her bat. Basil looked to the right; Hero bore a grim look on his face — a mix of sadness and anger, Kel was holding his basketball in a way to throw it directly at Sunny.
"Omori!". The scream belonged to Aubrey. "Give Sunny back, or we will beat you into the ground!". She sounded really angry; last time couldn't even be compared.
"What are you...?". Basil said quietly; his friends didn't hear him. They were preparing for a fight, taking steps forward and leaving Basil behind. Basil's mind was racing. Didn't they see that it was Sunny? But what Aubrey screamed... they saw... Omori? Why? Basil felt conflicted. He wanted to scream to his friends but couldn't. He wanted to run forward and hug Sunny but couldn't. Basil's gaze froze on the lone boy far ahead. A black vignette clouded his sight; he knew what it was.
"Did you forget about me?". A deep, distorted voice came from behind Basil. "But I have never forgotten about you". Arum hissed the last part. "Look at you, standing at the side while your friends approach an enemy they cannot defeat. How sad it would be... looking at their futile attempt".
Basil wanted to turn around to see the visage that haunted him. His head felt heavy; he couldn't move it. The only thing left for him was to try to see something in his peripheral. Looking to the sides yielded no results, but when Basil looked down... His hand was no longer solid, but liquid, constantly flowing up to his neck, looping around it, then going behind him, forming Arum's body.
"Can't find the strength to move? This is fine; no need to hurry". It sounded like an insult to Basil. "We have so much to talk about. We are alone for the first time since we became... whole".
His own words floated up in Basil's mind. Or were they his?
"Of course... You were the one who said them". Arum could read Basil's thoughts in real time now. "It was really nice to unite with me of your own volition... But you have yet to accept me".
What was Arum talking about? Accept... How? Basil had already been living with him for a while. Basil couldn't get rid of him; he latched on too tightly.
Basil heard some noise. He was far away from his friends, who now stood next to Sunny. But then, Sunny raised his arm, pointing it at Aubrey and Kel, who stood the closest. Crimson mist surrounded Sunny, red hands flew from his back toward the friends. The first few connected but bounced off and dissipated, leaving black marks on Aubrey's clothes. She retaliated — her bat crushed the approaching red hand. Kel threw his ball; it ricocheted, destroying a pair of hands, then returned to him.
"Look at them trying to keep up; they're doing a great job. Still, they have no chance... unless. If only they had someone to help". After that phrase, Arum let out something that sound like a giggle. "But you can't do anything, can you? You are too weak. You tried to strengthen your body, but years of neglect don't go away so easily". He said it with pity.
Basil looked up again, now at Sunny. Red hands stopped for a second, Sunny threw up his hands wide. Black fog formed around Aubrey, Hero, and Kel. Tendrils taking the form of spider legs reached out from the fog. Friends tried to block, but the attack went straight through. It looked strange, as if their movements had gotten slower. Now a new barrage of hands attacked, and like last time, a few hands connected, leaving black marks on Hero and Kel.
"Do you remember Coral's words? Your friend still loves you all; he wouldn't want to hurt any of you. But he is growing weak; you know what will happen soon". Arum flew in front of Basil, obstructing his view. "You are wondering why your friends don't see Sunny like you do? I can tell you that. It's me; I indulged in giving you a little help, even if you don't accept me for who I truly am". Arum waited out a bit. "I granted you the ability to see not only the facade but also what hides behind it. Your friend gave up his body and now exists deeper within". Arum flew to the other side; now Basil could see the fight.
Red hands have stopped again. Sunny — or rather, Omori controlling his body — lunged forward, slamming the floor. Dark hands ripped through the ground, aiming at the friends, and like the last similar attack, ignored their attempts to block. The next swarm of red hands... now some of them survived a hit. With each hand reaching the friends, Basil could see the expressions of pain on their faces, but their bodies still endured Omori's attacks.
"Basil, Basil... How cruel of you not to accept me. Why do you treat me like I'm some kind of monster or a parasite? Can't you see it?". Arum looked right into Basil's soul.
Basil felt it: something reaching from inside himself, responding to Arum's gaze. Why is it like this? Why can't he force himself to help his friends? Is it Arum's doing, or is it his own mind not desiring to hurt Sunny in any way or form?
"Own mind...". Arum repeated Basil's thought back to him in a scornful tone. "Why are you alienating me, treating me as some kind of outside force? Even now... when we are closer than ever". Arum's expression became sad... to the extent it could. "You think of me as fear, regret, something that happened long ago and has been forgotten by many. But not by you...". Arum flew closer. "By us... I'm not a creature outside of you. You were the one who pushed me away, but let me remind you who I really am". Arum's face multiplied, engulfing Basil fully. "Deep inside you wish to fix the deeds of your past, but you can't. You wished to be there for Sunny, but you didn't manage that. You wished to save him, but it was he who saved you in the end. You wish at all times to be able, to be... in control. Those days, which haunt your dreams, they are not about fear, they are about feebleness, impotence to act". Arum opens up a window in himself.
Aubrey lies on the floor, clenching her bat. Kel barely manages to stand, but unable to move, the hands strike him again and again. Hero tries to swat off hands from himself and Kel, but he is too slow to hit them. Window shifts. Now showing a group of hands connecting into one, forming a crimson ceiling above the three, readying to crush them.
"Give in, Basil... You need to... for them. Accept me for who I am. I am the one who will complete you. With me, you will save them, save Sunny, be the hero you were always meant to be...". Arum hesitated for a second. "One day, you lost a part, and since then, you have never been truly yourself, but now I'm here to fix it. Will you accept me?". Arum's face takes the form of Basil's.
Tears stream from Basil's eyes; he has once again failed his friends, failed Sunny. He can't save them now... not in his current state. Quiet but stern words leave Basil's mouth. "Please help me save them. I can't... Can't without you... Can't be without you... Can't be myself". The resonating feeling from before returns, now encompassing Basil's whole body.
"Yes... Now we are truly whole. You and me...". Arum shrinks back to Basil's arm.
Basil feels clarity in both his sight and mind. He closes his eyes, allowing Arum to guide him. Black tar extensions rip out from his arms tracing his torso and down his legs. A moment and Basil feels how he is gliding through the void, reaching his friends in seconds. A wall of hands redirects towards him, rushing with obscene speed. Basil stretches his right arm. Black substance contacts with one of red hands, then spreads onto others. One by one, they dissipate into nothing... just like the one-eyed creature. Basil moves above his friends, charging towards Sunny. He sees it, sees the true state of everything.
Purely white boy in a black tank top stands before him. His face is without emotion, his eyes locked on Basil. Inside, like a little firefly in a jar, rests Sunny; his eyes are open, he is looking at Basil. His expression... fear? No, it cannot be that. Regret... Sunny still thinks that we only fight to get out. But we will show him, we care for him.
Red hands, built up for some time, come crushing at Basil from all sides. Tendrils are trying to choke him; spider legs are trying to poke him. All attacks are turned into smoke by one spinning move of Basil's right hand. At the same time, his left takes the form of a giant claw almost twice Omori's size.
One precise move. The sound of shattering glass, like a vase being broken into a hundred pieces, followed by a popping sound. Everything turns white.
Basil stands in the white room. There is nothing there but a white carpet and pieces of glass, both black and white. And... a mesmerizing sight: a heart of gold giving out frail beats. Is this it? Basil thought. Should he disturb the soul, and it will bring them back? He is not sure why he is asking this question. He knows it is exactly what will happen, Coral's knowledge revealing itself. But there is another way to go about it.
"Another way...". A shadowy face forms over his arm, taking all blackness into itself. "A fragile soul. Easy to break... Easy to mold". Voice comes not from the face but from Basil himself. "You can shape it, make it so Sunny never leaves your side. He is fragile, just like his soul; he will get hurt on his own. The story will repeat itself. You can prevent it".
"It's wrong. I have promised to save him. How will this be different from him denying reality three years ago? He will not be living his own life".
"But he will be living". This voice is exactly like Basil's, it is his voice. "You already made your choice. Or was it yours to make in the first place? You owe me this one".
"Do I?". A thought is born just to be ripped apart a second later. "I do".
The face transforms into a little ribbon, a little black ribbon. Basil takes it gently and places it on the golden heart. It is right. He has promised to save Sunny, and he did. Sunny will live. Basil reaches out to the heart with both of his hands, which are now fully back to their natural color. He knows what he is doing. A restless, fragile soul needs to be soothed...
****
Searing pain in his head forces Basil to open his eyes. He finds himself in a bathroom. A sink, a huge mirror on the wall, a bathtub — everything is in its place. They did it, they left that cursed world. Basil wasn't sure if all of this was real. Then, like a bell inside his mind. Sunny. Where is he? Basil saw Aubrey, Kel and Hero all lying next to the door. Basil got scared for a second, but then realized that something weighed on his legs. A boy with black hair, the one he would recognize anywhere. Without any thought, Basil put his hands around Sunny's body. He held Sunny as tightly as he could, nothing or no one would be able to take Sunny from him again.
Basil would continue drilling into Sunny's forehead with his gaze, but a groan from Aubrey forced him to look up.
"Basil... Sunny. Is everything okay? Why are you holding him like that?". Aubrey tried to take a step towards the two, but her leg gave out. She was able to save herself from the fall by stretching her arms, now she was on all fours.
"Yes, he is alright. I just... We need some time". Basil said hollowly.
"I get it". Aubrey groaned again. "I need some fresh air. My ears are ringing, I'm so dizzy". Aubrey stumbled her way out of the room, nearly tripping on Kel's body.
Basil glanced at Sunny again. Lying on Basil's legs, he looked so tranquil, breathing steadily. There was something nice about seeing him like that.
"Man... I feel like I got run over by a car or something". Kel stood up, his hair was all messy. He looked around, trying to find Aubrey. "Basil, where is Aubrey?". He looked visibly distressed, his eyes were wide open.
"She woke up before you. She went outside". Basil could understand why Kel was nervous, but from his perspective Kel looked a bit like a jerk, assuming that he woke up first and that Aubrey was missing.
"Thank God". Kel put his arm against his head. "Why does it hurt so much, damn?". He left the room... on the second try. On the first one, he bumped into the wall and mumbled something to himself.
Basil couldn't stop clutching Sunny. He had been waiting for this moment throughout their journey, he wanted to stay like this forever.
"Ahh... My back". Hero tried to stand up. "Am I this old?". Hero turned to Basil. "Is everything alright?". Hero was squinting.
"Yep. Others went outside". Basil answered quickly.
"I figure this is the third time you've answered this question". Hero smiled. "I guess I'll join the others. Are you going?". Hero's right hand was on his back, he looked really old.
"Give us a moment, will you?". Basil wanted to see Sunny wake up. And maybe there was something he wanted to say? He wasn't sure yet, he just had the feeling.
"Sure. I'll be going then". Hero left the room.
Sunny didn't open his eyes for a while after Hero left. Basil wasn't worried though. He was holding Sunny in his arms, nothing bad would ever happen. He would not allow it.
Basil felt like it got darker. There was no light before, he just got tired, that must be it. A gust of air hit his chin. Basil looked down. Sunny's mouth opened. A second later so did his eyes.
"Basil... You... What did you do?". Sunny's voice sounded muffled.
"Don't strain yourself. You went through a lot". Basil looked around the empty room not sure what he was looking for. "Now, everything will be okay, I promise you. We saved you from Omori, he would not be coming back. We made sure of it".
"We...?". Sunny showed confusion on his face. His eyes closed, his head fell back onto Basil's lap — he fainted.
"We". Basil unintentionally said it out loud. Of course it was We. We, the friends. We saved Sunny together. Basil was referring to them. A shadow of a doubt lingered at the back of his head. He shook it off.
"Cold bathroom floor is not a good place to rest. Let's go, get you to the place more cozy". Basil stood up, holding Sunny in his arms, and went to the bedroom.
Now Sunny was lying on the bed. Basil was beside him, reaching for Sunny's forehead. "It was really scary you know. Some weird fantasies you've got in your little head. It's not your fault of course, I shouldn't have left you on your own". Basil was looking into the distance. "We are friends, right? And friends should always be there for each other. I was a bad friend in the past, but now I know what to do. This time, I will not fail you. Not anymore". Sunny was unconscious, why was he saying all of that? How long had he been sitting here? Others must be getting worried. He should go to them. With that Basil stood up, giving Sunny one more look, and left the bedroom.
"Basil poofed that one-eyed thing, we went further and saw... saw... That's weird". Aubrey, Hero and Kel were sitting together at the table in the living room. Kel looked baffled.
"So you also don't remember". Aubrey shifted her eyes from Kel to Hero.
"Why are you looking at me? I can't remember sitting down at that table with you, not even talking about what happened back there". Hero was still squinting. Red hands got him good.
"Oh... Basil. You're finally out. How is Sunny?". Aubrey ended their discussion about recent events, when she noticed that Basil had walked in.
"He will be alright. He just needs some rest. All of this took a toll on him". Basil sat down with his friends. "There is something I want to tell you".
"Go on". Aubrey was too worn down to get stressed, but she was awaiting something bad.
"Yes?". Now Hero was squinting at Basil.
"Does someone have painkillers?". Kel still being Kel, ruining the moment.
"You see. I guess it was hard for Sunny in a new town... alone. So I think I'm going to stay here with him for a while". Basil averted his eyes from everyone, he didn't want to see their faces.
If Aubrey had any liquid in her mouth she would have spat it out. "Basil... You can't just. What about Polly and me?". Aubrey really didn't understand how Basil imagined all of this.
"Hey, don't worry. I'll stay at Sunny's for a while, then probably rent an apartment close by. I'll ask Polly to move some of my stuff here, but she will live at my old house. You can stay too. Move into my room if you want". Basil still saw Aubrey's severe confusion. "One good thing about having parents basically living at work, is that you don't have to worry about money. To some extent of course". All of what he just described wasn't so easily done, but he will make this work. For Sunny... he had to.
"I was thinking about that too. About someone staying with Sunny, I mean". Hero's vision finally came back to him and his face returned to normal. "It's really nice of you to do that for him and for us. We will try to visit more often. And call if you need something, right?".
Basil nodded.
"It's your choice, I guess". Aubrey wasn't really fond of the idea, but having someone stay here was necessary. "But Basil. Remember about yourself too, okay? I know it was hard times for you too. I just couldn't take it if something happens to you". Aubrey shed a tear.
"Wow... Shh. Don't cry. I feel better, really. Especially when Sunny is safe and sound... and around". Basil was not truly sure. Was his Something gone? But he feel like it didn't. He wasn't feeling bad either, not like before all of this. The only thing he knew was that, when Sunny was near him, he felt satisfied with his life.
It was getting late. Aubrey, Hero and Kel took off a few hours ago. Sunny's mom was working late again. Basil couldn't blame her, she was just trying to feed herself and Sunny, that's all. Sunny hadn't opened his eyes since bathroom... until now.
"Basil. Back at Black Space... What I saw? What was it?". Sunny's face was blank, he was too exhausted to express complex emotions.
"It was just me, our friends... nothing more". Basil looked at Sunny. He remembered the expression... The one inside Omori.
"I believe you". Sunny's mouth formed into a smile. He was happy... truly. Glowing even.
Basil thought about what he would tell Sunny's mom, about how he would explain to his own parents that he needed to rent another place in a completely different town. Basil was thinking about all sorts of things, but Sunny was glowing... like he never had before, and it was all that mattered to Basil.