Things were all the same there. Except everything was blue.
It was probably because of the big blue light shining down from above. Mr. 44 was certain the light had not been blue before. But on this side it was. And here the light called out to him. There was a feeling that made him want to reach up to it, to go to it. There would be sleep there he knew.
Mr. 44 never slept anymore. Not since he had stopped. The blue light above kept him awake. He wanted to go to it. But he knew he could not. It was so far away. And the light did not want him to come.
It must not have wanted anyone else to come either. Because none of them ever talked about it. But he knew they could see it and that they felt the same.
It made him somehow very very sad.
And very very tired. Maybe it was because he did not eat anymore. He missed eating. Mr. 44 really liked to eat. All the others were tired too. They hardly moved and barely spoke. Even when the other Mages from the village, the ones that were left behind, came to the Sacred Hill.
Mr. 44 found himself growing to be more and more like them. And it made him all the more sad. It was getting harder for him to move, even to speak. He found his mind wandering into nothingness very often.
Even that night when Garland had cried out to him, pleading for him to come. Even then, he could not find the ability to do so. But he had wanted to so much. He had wanted nothing more than to ease his friend's hurt.
Mr. 44 didn't like to see Garland cry. But, he could not even so much as make a sound.
It was hard just to remember things anymore.
It had something to do with the blue light, he was sure.
That odd feeling came back to him. What it was he could not tell. But all morning long he had been feeling it. It was a strange thing, like a twisting of the air around him. Something was twisting, but he knew it shouldn't be.
It was like something was trying to get out. To the other side. But he knew how hard it was to do something like that.
Mr. 44 was surprised by that thought. Something trying to get out to the other side? It scared him somehow.
He had never seen anything else in on this side except for himself and the others. And they stayed right there at the Sacred Hill. They didn't move at all. But, it was a very good possibility that other things could be there too.
Did things ever come out of the blue light?
Mr. 44 hoped not.
He felt the twisting again, this time closer by. As if it was coming towards them. He wondered if the others felt it too. He wondered what it could be.
"Mr. 36?" He said. It felt like the hardest thing he had ever done. "Mr. 36… do you feel that feeling too?"
Mr. 36 had been in this blue world longer than anyone else had. He would know if that feeling was supposed to be there. Maybe it was. Maybe Mr. 44 just never noticed it before.
After what seemed like a very long time, Mr. 36 answered. "Yes."
"I-is it… supposed to be here?"
"…No…"
It made him very tired, but he kept trying. "Is it… a bad thing?"
Mr. 36 didn't answer. It had been too much for him already.
The twisting was much closer this time. Close enough that he might reach out and touch it. Mr. 44 gathered all his strength and turned to look.
It was the first time he had felt fear in a long long time.
He did not know what it was. He knew what it once had been, though. And that alone was enough to stir a horrible sick feeling in the middle of his being.
There were five of them. They were huge, twice his size and more, though they did not seem to be made of anything at all. Simply a shifting darkness that was slowly being ate away. All that was left of their once-being was tatters of robe and an occasional steepled hat.
And the glow of mystic power behind their slitted eyes. It was bright red. Even in the blue light.
The twisting came from them. It drew nearer, churning through blue light, drawing it into the darkness that was being ate away.
Somehow, these beings could touch both sides. Mr. 44 could feel that. The rift it made as they passed through. They had a physical form, a shifting darkness that had been something else once. But the power that moved it was an awareness from this side. Something so dark, so hungry, so cold…
One turned. And looked right at Mr. 44.
He felt the fear turn to terror. But he could not force himself to move.
"Soul Figments," The dark one hissed. The others paused, a strange, slow-motion movement as they turned. Every motion they made seemed slow, like underwater.
"Incomplete. Useless," One of the others told the first. Its eyes were very red. Even in the blue light.
Mr. 44 didn't know what they meant, but he knew they were talking about himself. And the others.
"We shouldn't leave them inbetween. They could be difficulty." Said another.
"Why? They cannot bother with us. Look see. They cannot even gather the strength to move.."
"Pathetic Figments."
There was a obscure sound. Mr. 44 realized they were laughing.
"We need not care for the ones who have passed. Not Figments. It is the ones that breathe that we need."
The ones that breathe? The Mages in the village?
Mr. 44 felt even more afraid than before.
These dark ones were going to the village. But for what? Were they going to hurt the others left behind?
I won't… let them…
It was like walking through stone. But Mr. 44 forced himself forward.
"N-no.."
They turned on him.
"This one talks. And moves. And you say they are no trouble?" A dark one spat.
"Watch him fall. He is no trouble to us."
Mr. 44 saw the dark one raise a hand, felt the gathering of death-light within its palm.
Then he knew nothing but the unspeakable pain.