Chapter Text
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, covering the large room in brilliant natural light. Tsukasa Tenma, gazing in the mirror, thought it a good omen for the day ahead.
“The time couldn’t be better!” he chuckled to himself, doing one last check (no hair out of place, outfit straight! Perfect!) before turning on his heel and beginning to pace, practically wearing trails into the wooden floor.
“Today is my grand debut as a star!" he began to rant. " I’ll show up to the audition right on time, and everyone will turn their heads to look at me. ‘ Who is that dazzling, confident young man?’ they’ll ask themselves.. Hahahaha!” He found himself grinning so hard it kind of hurt. “I’ll be immediately hired, and soon enough everyone will know my name! I’ll be a true sta-”
“Tsukasa, please stop shouting..!” Saki’s voice chided from the other room.
He closed his mouth, but before he could respond to her she peeked into his doorway, a smile on her face. “You’re getting ready for that interview, right? Shouldn’t you be heading out soon?”
Tsukasa straightened, running a hand through his hair. “Yes! I’m going to attend not just an interview, but an audition for a performance role at Phoenix Wonderland.. which, of course, I will pass with flying colors!”
Saki giggled and tilted her head at him, a look that Tsukasa didn’t particularly like. “Well, I hope that goes well for you! Let me know how it goes when you get back, alright?”
“Will do!” he responded with confidence, standing up suddenly.
He strode confidently to the door, but paused right by Saki, tensing a bit. He had a.. strange feeling, suddenly, that he couldn’t really describe.
She looked up at him, furrowing her brows a bit. “Is something wrong?”
He glanced at her for a moment, biting his lip. “Er.. I don’t think so.. No, I know there isn’t anything wrong! I’ll be back before you know it, up a job and one step closer to becoming a STAR!”
Saki watched him head for the door. “Alright, if you say so.. Good luck!”
“Thank you, Saki!” he shouted at her from across the house. “Take it easy, alright?”
He shut the door a little too hard behind him.
The future star kept a quick but even pace as he began his walk to the theme park. Tsukasa Tenma was never late! He had to be there within 30 minutes, and no later. If he wanted to make a lasting impression he would of course have to show up on time.
But at his current pace, he would be a bit early, and being too early would make it seem like he was nervous, which was quite unbefitting of someone such as himself. That wouldn’t do at all. So, he forced himself to slow down and try to observe.
The ground was quite.. Groundy. Rocks. He passed houses, shops, none of which he was really interested in. Whenever he was stopped at a stoplight he found himself tapping his foot, unable to truly focus on his surroundings - this was boring! Maybe if he looked up? The trees were certainly green today!
“Gah,” he muttered to himself, keeping his gaze up to the air as he walked. “This isn’t working! I can’t slow down and smell the flowers, not when I’m so close to finally achieving my dream of - AAAUGH!”
He must have not been looking where he was going, because he tripped on something and went tumbling to the ground! He reached out to catch himself on the concrete…
… but was very surprised to not feel himself landing.
He opened his eyes - he hadn’t even realized he’d closed them - to see himself rapidly approaching a surface that was definitely not where he was just a moment ago. He screamed as he fell, hitting something wet.
The impact knocked the wind out of him, and he had to take a moment to catch his breath. Where the hell am I..? he thought, hand weakly reaching up to cover his mouth as he coughed. The air was thick, almost humid, and it stank of rot.
The blond sat up with a groan, his eyes darting around as he adjusted. His surroundings seemed to be a sort of empty office space. Quite an old one, at that. The wallpaper was yellow and peeling; the carpet he was lying on was so damp he could feel it soaking into his clothes (ew); and the lights were flickering subtly enough to give him a headache along with emitting an awful humming noise that rubbed him the wrong way.
Bewildered, he pushed himself to his feet. “Where is this?” he muttered to himself. “I was just outside, was I not?” His hands found their way to his sleeves, digging into the fabric. He was just cold, surely. “This has to be some kind of elaborate trick, or.. A dream! Yes, I must have hit my head and passed out!”
Still, Tsukasa found himself spinning around slowly, taking account of his surroundings as a feeling of uncertainty, fear, slowly crept up inside of him. There was only one way out of this room, seemingly, so out he went.
“H-HELLO? CAN ANYONE HEAR ME?” he shouted. He was answered with the hum of lights and, somewhere nearby, the steady drip, drip, drip of water somewhere nearby.
Another room. Another. “God, all of these rooms look exactly the same!” he whined, his voice finding itself swallowed by his own mounting dread. “If I don’t wake up soon I’m going to be late to my audition!”