The Path of Madness

Chapter 2: The Meeting

Elric thought of a few things, he was right - banar was confused and scared. Emotions that even he had rarely felt in his previous life. He doesn't know how to pretend to be Aldric. Even though he already had his memories he would still not be able to be the same person even if he tried to imitate every attitude that Aldric had. Humans are created differently, even someone who has the same face, body, attitude, nature, cannot be the same person. He doesn't know what they're doing if they suspect him, and worst knows who he is. They're going to take it to the police or even the church. In this world the church is quite trusted in the supernatural. And he definitely doesn't want to be interrogated. Wouldn't it be that if she was supposed to be a witch that replaced someone's body, she would end up being burned or worse. He certainly didn't want that to happen.

He really does not know how to live in this alien world, how to deal with the threats that may come unnoticed, how to pay for something that makes him come back to life and what the consequences are. He knew that it must have something he needed to pay for someday. And he's not gonna get away with this. Wouldn't he just seek death back if he tried to run away from something that brought him back to life.

He only knows that right now he has to survive and hide who he really is whatever the way, because that's what he learned from his past life, wherever he is he needs to survive. If he survives, only he will win.

“What should I do?” Elric muttered to himself. “I have to figure out a way to hide the strap marks on my neck. Maybe I can wear a scarf. But will it not be suspicious? Aren't they going to ask me why I'm suddenly wearing it? Should I lie because I am sick? It would get me in a bit of trouble if I faced the Aldric family. But I have no other choice.”

Elric felt the coldness of the water flowing in his body. He hoped the water would remove the cuts and bruises on his neck. He stared at the dull, dark bathroom wall. He felt like he was trapped in a windowless prison. He wants to get out of here, but he doesn't know where to go, and how.

Elric quickly turned off the water and dried his body with a towel he found in Aldric's closet. Elric was wearing the clean and tidy clothes he found in Aldric's closet. He chose a white linen shirt and black pants that were simple and inconspicuous. He also wears a scarf that he ties around his neck to cover a little visible rope mark and keep watch for any unexpected events. He did not want to when he came out, he arrived - suddenly faced with his brother or aunt. But his fear came true.

He opened the door and saw the face of a beautiful and mature young woman with black hair and black eyes. With covered sleeping clothes adorning his body. That's Aldric's brother. He turned around and closed the door.

“Aldric? Is there something” Sister Aldric's voice is heard from behind the bathroom door.

“Oh, hi, Alice.” Elric tried to greet in an awkward and nervous voice with the name of Aldric's sister.

"Are you okay?" Sister Aldric's voice was still heard behind the door.

"I'm fine, just a little surprised." Elric answered still in an awkward voice trying to calm down.

"So can you get out now?" Ask sister Aldric still at the door.

"A..I'll be." Elric tried to be calm and open the door.

There he finally confronts Alice, Aldric's brother and one of his family.

“What did you just shower?” Alice asked with a astonished expression.

“Ya, I... I feel a little sultry.” Elric answered with a bit of nervousness.

“In the evening? Wh why? And why are you wearing a scarf?” Sister Aldric asked suspiciously and astonished.

“No, no. I just. I just wanted to freshen up and after that I thought it got a little cold so I put on a scarf." Elric lied quickly nervously. He really couldn't help but be nervous about meeting something called his family now. He didn't even have a family.

“Oh, so. But that doesn't explain why you took a midnight shower? Did you get into a problem that can't be told?” Sister Aldric asked suspiciously and worriedly.

Elric was uncomfortable with the gaze of sister Aldric. He felt like he was seen with a gaze when people were worried about someone. This really made her uncomfortable, she used to just scorn and disgust with the person who had that look. Maybe he just didn't know what it was like because no one was looking at him like that. He felt something foreign in his chest. He tried not to show any nervousness or guilt on his face. He bowed his head and avoided eye contact with Aldric's sister.

“Ah, that. I'm used to the midnight shower and everyone has problems that can't be shared.” Elric tried to explain it with a reasonable reason.

Alice had a frowning face upon hearing the reason.

“Custom? Since when?” Alice asked in a high tone.

“Since.. since a few days ago.” Elric answered carelessly.

“A few days ago? You sure?” Sister Aldric asked skeptically.

“Ya, yes, rest assured.” Elric replied with annoyance.

“You sure you're okay? You don't look okay.” Alice said softly.

“Yes, yes, I'm fine. Don't worry.” Elric said quickly.

“Alright, then. If you have a problem, tell me. I will always help you.” Sister Aldric said slowly.

“Thank you, Alice. I appreciate it.” Elric said sincerely.

Alice smiled and told him to step aside. He turned around and left the bathroom. Elric heaved a sigh of relief and closed the bedroom door. He felt a little worried about having faced sister Aldric. He could not continue to act suspicious and inadvertently tell her the truth about him.

Elric took a look at the room that now belonged to him. The room was not very big, but it was quite comfortable and clean. There was a bed, a bookcase, a chair, a closet, a table, and a pendant on it. Elric felt a foreign feeling when he saw the photo on the pendant. He knew that Aldric's parents had already died from an unknown accident in the northern continent while running a business. She knows that Alice and their aunt are the only family left for Aldric. And if he dies, maybe they'll be very sad. He thought that he now had no other choice but to replace Aldric as part of that family. If he tried to go silent, maybe they would look for him like crazy. And they're going to ask the police for help and so on. He doesn't want to deal with the authorities at the moment.

Elric sighed and walked over to Aldric's desk. On the table were some items belonging to Aldric besides the pendant he had taken in the desk drawer, such as books, pencils, paper, and clocks.

Elric took liotin and opened it. Inside is a photo of Aldric's parents. Elric felt something strange in his chest as he looked at the photo. He felt a sense of respect and affection towards people he had never known before. He felt a sense of blood bonding that he had never felt before in elric's life. This confused her with her new feelings.

Elric closed the liotin and put it back on the table with liver. He thought hard how to live in the future to make himself an Aldric completely without suspicion of his family. He thought about what he should do tomorrow, what he should say to Alice and her aunt, what he should do in the pub where he works, he said, what he has to face next. He thought about all the things he had to learn about this world.

Elric took Aldric's diary from the desk drawer. He opened the last page written by Aldric with a scribble, before committing suicide. There is Aldric's handwriting full of scribbles and irregular but still legible, with a language that is foreign to Elric.

......................

Today is my last day in this world. I can't stand all the suffering and pressure I've been through. I don't want to see my sister or aunt hurt because of me. I don't want to be a burden to them anymore let alone get them in trouble.

I've decided to end my life this way, maybe it's a way to keep them from getting into trouble. I prepared everything well. I've written farewell letters to my sister and aunt stored in the drawer under the table. They'll know because I keep important things there. I've done all my business at the pub I work at by telling Mr. Arthur that I quit. But he didn't care about it and gave me 1 day off. I've said goodbye to acquaintances like my coworkers at Tom and Frank's pub, the German grandfather of an antique shop owner, Clara's aunt the bakery owner my brother worked at, Samuel and Grace my only friend. I hope my sister and aunt and they can forgive me for my foolish decision. I hope they can be happy and peaceful without me. I hope they can forget me and move on with their lives. I love them more than anything in the world. But fate does something mysterious.

And I also hope that the person who will replace my body can live a better life than me and replace me. I don't know if the rituals and spells are true or not, but I don't care. I just want to try something new. Maybe it worked if not that's no problem. I'm gonna stay dead. It doesn't matter because my life won't end long if I stay alive. I must be crazy.

I found rituals and spells in a torn note in an old book on the lower store shelf belonging to a German grandfather. He said that the book was worthless so I took it.

The ritual is quite easy to perform. I just need to prepare some materials and preparations. The materials were 7 candles, matches, knives, bowls, paper, pens, and blood. I had to light a candle and write a spell and recite the spell I had found, flow it on the paper with my blood. I had to put the paper over the bowl and stab it with a knife. Dancing with strange movements. And I have to make sure that I die in less than an hour after performing the ritual. Otherwise, the ritual will not work. And make sure the ritual is done during the full moon when all the moon rises in the sky, as written on the paper. I'll clean everything up after the ritual so as not to cause trouble. Included book.

I don't know what will happen after I die. I don't know if I'm going to heaven or hell, or to some other unknown place. I don't know if I'll ever see my parents again, or anyone else I love. I don't know if I'll be happy or suffering.

All I know is that I have discovered a secret that cannot be found. I've given up on this world full of darkness and mystery. I have been polluted, my soul has been polluted. My soul is polluted, I don't want to be a monster.

I want to get out of here. I want to go to another world. I want to go somewhere better. Please forgive me Alice, Auntie and all. Please forgive me for leaving you in this crazy world.

And...

And if this ritual manages to remember this person who replaced my body, Geng Breton, Madame Mayor, Bishop Theodore, don't investigate them. I died of something that wasn't supposed to be known so don't investigate them, or you'll regret it.

......................

Elric read Aldric's writings with mixed feelings and horror. He felt a sense of resentment and anger towards the desperate and depressed Aldric who had brought him here. He felt a sense of fear over what was causing Aldric's strange cause of death. And he felt a little curious about the ritual that made him switch souls to Aldric's body.

Elric stared at the note carefully. He did not understand what the meaning of the material and its meaning was and how it worked. But he knew that the full moon in question was 8 months outside his room. He at least also knew that the one who sent him was Aldric. This answered his anxiety, but this also made many questions even more complicated. How an ordinary man with rituals that may be incomplete can make him fall into this world.

Aldric also said it was tainted, what tainted Aldric's soul until he committed suicide. And what soul connection is tainted with being a monster. And the names of the Breton Gang, Madam Mayor, Bishop Theodore, he had no memories at all of them from Aldric's memories. This made him the most agitated. He realizes that the most dangerous thing is the unknown danger and they may know us.