Chapter Text
Screams tore through the eardrums of Player, all of them murky yet so loud at the same time.
In front of them was a mysterious figure with their face covered in a hood, underneath them was Builderman who squirmed in his binds with a look of pure dread and unimaginable terror painting his visage sheet white.
Their hands shake as they held the rubber ball close to their chest while their mind pounds with confusion so overwhelming it threatens to crack their own skull into smithereens.
"...Your mere existence is insulting." The Mysterious Figure sneered "Shouldn't you give up already?"
"I should be asking you that." Their words felt so unfamiliar as if these letters clawed its way from the back of their throat. It left Player frustratingly confused, why did they say that?
"This is pointless, all so pointless..." The hooded figure murmurs, their voice raspy as if their vocal chords were ripped out "It's eating me alive, hero. This eternal dance, a neverending stalemate in our game of chess— is maddening and I know that feeling of hate is affecting you too."
"..."
"Tell me, are you still you?"
"...I know who I am."
"Oh, vessel of suffering, you don't know half of it! Let's start anew then, this time— and this time, once you finally learn the choreography of our wretched dance... I expect you to be at your wit's end!"
"Dude!!!" A scream so faraway yet so close "Aim for the device!"
"No, stop, don't do it! You're—" Builderman's pleas went on deaf ears as his voice was drowned from all the noise of the crowd.
And like impulse of a movement done many times before, Player obeys and attempts to hit the machine held in the hands of the mysterious figure.
But the opponent stood unfazed as they blocked Player's attack before deflecting the ball and letting it bounce off the stage.
A chuckle came from the mysterious assailant "So—" but before they can say anymore they were cut off by a headbutt on the chin.
"Quick get the device!" Builderman yelps as he fought back against the Mysterious Figure.
"You little— oof!"
"Dude, watch out!" The elder penguin yelps as Player barely manage to dodge a steady arrow from a winged noob from above the ceiling.
The atmosphere tenses as more enemies streams down from above and the hero ran as fast as they could towards the device but it was soon snatched by the Mysterious Figure who huffs in frustration.
The unconscious body of Builderman lays a few studs away as they laugh maniacally.
"The world implores you to unwrap its mysteries since you stepped into this convention. Hero, see the world for how it truly is!"
Beep!
The machine whirs to life and levitates in the air as the world so suddenly warped in itself before a bright light tore through the seams of reality and it wasn't before thunder roared from the machine that everything went black.
1x1x1x1 woke up with a gasp as cold sweat clung to his back. He sat up with haste as he slowly surveyed his dark room with a pounding heart.
All of their things still seems to be in place. The drawer by the foot of the bed, the painting of mister Cassel and Builderman taken from the living realm still hung upright, the small carpet is recently cleaned and the window that shines streams of moonlight inside this desolate yet cluttered room is the same as it has ever been.
"Young master, it is time for breakfast." The old butler knocked on his door before opening it to let out an announcement.
"I'm coming..." He groaned a reply back as he stretched his arms and blinked his bleary eyes open.
The bed creaked as 1x1x1x1 stood up, stretching a bit more before leaving his room to enter the dining hall.
"Where is the dining hall?" Was the first thing 1x1x1x1 asked upon arriving at where the dining room is supposed to be only to find a pit and multiple floating furnitures.
"Uh... Young master, this area has been currently undergoing a renovation." The butler explains "You can eat in the kitchen for now, I arranged for you a chair and a table to dine in."
"...Alright."
Breakfast was mid. There was barely any taste to the meat and the texture was tough to bite through yet 1x1x1x1 persists in his chewing with a furrowed brow.
Seriously? In all his time in the manor, they did not even bother to hire a single chef to cook some good meals. The only one who's at least qualified to cook was miss Brighteyes who barely even visits.
"Did you enjoy the food, young master?" The butler asks as he made his way to pick up the dirty dishes to clean.
"...When is miss Brighteyes going to visit?"
"Not today."
"Can I... leave?"
The butler can only let out a sigh "Young master, you know Master Telamon does not permit you to leave the spirit world."
"I never even met the guy!" 1x1x1x1 complained "Who's he to tell me what to do? Please, I want to see what the realm of the living is all about."
"Not that interesting..."
"You destroyed that dining hall just so that I can't go find the exit, didn't you?"
"No, that was Master Telamon's orders. He said that he didn't like the look of the dining hall."
"He never even visits the manor..." The child retorts "How would he even know what the dining hall looks like?"
His words are filled with utmost truth and sincerity. The enigmatic Telamon doesn't visit his home, 1x1x1x1 daresay he never even bothers to enter this haunted manor. In all his ten birthdays he has never even catch a glimpse of this Telamon— there isn't even a single painting in this art-filled manor that depicts him.
He has a small suspicion that the painting of Erik Cassel and David Builderman Baszucki does but the canvas has been repainted to only show the two. But in his bored stupors, he sometimes stares at the painting with scrutiny and manages to catch glimpses of faded outlines and washed-out colors.
Too bad he can't make anything out from just that.
The butler can only sigh as he rubbed his hands on a clean towel "Just because he's not here, doesn't mean he can't see what's happening here. Master Telamon is a man with powers I can't even comprehend."
"I bet I can though..."
"Yes, yes..." The man patted his head as he escorts the child out to kitchen "Now, if you excuse me young master, I have duties to attend to."
1x1x1x1 only hums in understanding as he left the kitchen and came face to face with the door leading outside the manor but it was locked tight and he doesn't even think to leave by going through the front door.
"Hey X!" He turns his head to see an older individual wearing a pumpkin head greet him "Got rejected again?"
"Spookster, how can you even endure being in this stuffy mansion?"
"Well duh, it's my home, technically... Besides this place isn't that stuffy, its pretty spacious in fact!" Spookster defended before muttering in a low voice "More spacious than my last house, at least..."
1x1x1x1 groaned as he pulls his hair in annoyance before turning back to his room, ignoring all other residents he passes by.
The room is the same as ever. A bed facing the door, the hanged painting of Erik Cassel and Builderman (two people he doesn't know but the painting was a gift from Brighteyes who hated his nearly empty room), scattered crayons, scribbles on the wall, his floating desk, piled up papers in the corner— it was all in the same place in this repetitive and monotonous room.
The mattress dipped as 1x1x1x1 laid down, facing the same ceiling that was filled with dust and cobwebs. The only entertainment he could get in this godforsaken manor was talking to the other residents (which he already did for so many times) or doing nonsensical parkour on floating objects (to which he always ended up falling down).
Parkour...
Wait a minute.
A slow and dawning realization made him slowly rise from his bed to look back at the door.
The butler is forgetful, that he knows. Perhaps there's a chance that he may have forgotten to close the entrance to the living realm, giving this conniving child a ticket out!
With newfound hope and a devious plan brewing in his mind, 1x1x1x1 quickly gathered up a few of his belongings before bolting out the door and running towards the backyard that was oftentimes forbidden for him to enter.
He sneaked around, avoiding each and every resident that came his way before finally, he's face to face with the door outside.
He gripped the knob but before he can twist it further open, a hand met his shoulder resulting in the little child jolting to look back in panic.
"...So the little child has hungered for the outside, do you not?" A being as dark as the night with a small and cryptic book placed on top of its head stood behind him.
"Necrobloxicon?" 1x1x1x1 raised a brow before frowning "You're not stopping me."
"I know that."
"So, why are you still holding my shoulder? Let go!"
The only response he got was a tighter grip on his shoulder as the entity pulled him close.
"I came to deliver a prophecy."
Should he entertain this mysterious and cryptic fool? He never shared a deep personal bond with it unlike some others in the manor. Its cryptic riddles and prophesized words left a bitter taste in 1x1x1x1's tongue, a unique frustration of not understanding its beyond comprehensible words that feels as though its mocking his low knowledge of the occult.
But the man is also wise, a person that can give decent advice and he needs that more than anything right now.
"What is it?"
"Your future is grave and unpredictable, like a tempestuous sea that threatens to swallow cities. Once you leave Spooksville, there's no turning back."
That was not helpful at all!
"Are you trying to dissuade me? It's not working."
"No, I'm merely stating facts." Necrobloxicon objects "Your choices matter and every step you take, a ripple forms in the fabric of space and time. The written destiny will be shaken."
"...Okay." What is he talking about?
A tug of anger bubbles beneath the deadpan facade of 1x1x1x1 but just as easily, he pushes it down.
"I'll keep that in mind." He says before he turned the knob and left.
Necrobloxicon watched with a burning stare as the kid, no older than ten left the manor for the first time "May your path be more righteous than the hero's fate..."
The purple grass sways by the breeze and 1x1x1x1 can faintly hear the soft crunch of the dirt and gravel beneath his shoes as he made his way to the living realm.
A gate, higher than his stature and as tall as a tree can be seen at the end of a long and winding path. It's doors were left ajar and a green glow emits from its surface.
Like a moth to a flame, the child ran towards it with no hesitation.
The other side was still dark but the color palette seems to desaturated and off from its usual colors.
1x1x1x1 stares in awe at the sight as he strolls along the only path leading towards somewhere before he froze and hid before he was spotted.
"Have you gotten any news from the master yet?" The voice of his butler asked another individual with sagging skin and rotting exterior.
The undead shook its head as it let out a low groan "Nooooo...."
"I see..." The butler turns back to the area leading to the Spirit Realm "This is bad, there has been no new delivery of supplies."
The undead groaned in response and the butler shook his head.
"It is better to wait for now, he might be busy. Keep your guard up though, pay attention to the whispers of the wind."
The undead nods before it soon burrows back into the ground and the butler walks back to the Spirit Realm.
After making sure the coast was clear, 1x1x1x1 hops out of his hiding spot with confusion written all over his face.
"What the heck was that?" He mumbles to himself.
Pay attention to the wind? The heck does that mean? Who are they talking about anyway? Oh well, those questions won't matter soon after he leaves this place to adventure and finally explore the world.
So with a pep in his step, he stopped in front of the oddly similar manor to the one from the Spirit Realm but 1x1x1x1 knows better than to believe that it's the same. The color palette is different and the architecture seemed brand new unlike the dilapidated and crumbling infrastructure of his own home.
He can feel himself get envious and a little angry. What's so special about this place that it has to look completely brand new? Why is the one in the Spirit World more dilapidated? The place he calls home looks less taken care of with squatters living rent-free inside the walls of the manor, an odd odor coming from pits of green gas and floating runiture that have been busted down from overuse.
But those question can wait to be answered, he will confront the butler about this once he comes back from his little exploration.
He can hear it from beyond the closed door, the sounds of muffled conversations and it was loud and so unlike the manor he's so familiar with.
He opens the door ever so slowly.
The conversation became louder and the world became brighter. He sees people lazing around, sitting on armchairs in the corner of the room or were seated at the dining table (that was demolished in the Spirit Realm) enjoying a small feast that looks absolutely delectable to bite on.
It almost made 1x1x1x1 have a whiplash, it was so different from the manor he knows and it's disorienting.
But so far, the entire manor's structure is nearly the same as the one he lives in, albeit more neat, clean and less destroyed. After exploring the last room and comparing it to the one in the Spirit Realm, boredom gnaws at the back of 1x1x1x1's head and an urge to explore more overtakes his senses because surely the living world isn't just this right? There's gotta be more.
There's only one place left, the area outside the manor. Not the backyard but the one outside the front entrance of the place.
Upon arriving at the main lobby and going down the winding staircase, he sees it, the door leading outside the mansion wide open as if welcoming visitors to come take a look inside the manor and bidding those who are leaving a nice goodbye.
Unlike in the Spirit Realm, the weather looks nice outside. Beyond the manor was a clear sky with a big moon up above brightening the dark surroundings and he can so vividly see the landscape from faraway unlike in the Spirit Realm where the world outside the front door of the manor was covered in an eternal grey fog with a layer so thick you can barely make out anything.
The butler tells him that no ghost or undead ever came back from leaving the spirit realm's front door of the manor. He was right, every spirit that does exit through the front door was swallowed by the fog, never to return to the manor and he never knew what happened to them nor what was beyond the fog.
But this isn't the spirit world, he can go outside without problems and he can even see some people in the distance talking and walking around, no fog and still visible in his peripheral vision.
He's not a kid anymore, he shouldn't be afraid in taking the first steps to a brand new world waiting for him with open arms.
Slowly, he walked out of the manor and into the cemetery that glows by the light of the moon.
A rush of excitement and a tug of wanting more, he walked deeper and deeper into the cemetery until he comes across a crypt.
"Hello." A person greets him "What would you like to know?"
"Uh... Nothing particular." He answers as a quiet befell upon the two that locked eyes in a staring match.
"Then just know that the beds are to my left."
"Okay... Thank you."
"No problem."
The messages on the crypts' tombs are nothing but hilarious and wacky but right now, 1x1x1x1 isn't really looking forward to sleep so with a wave of goodbye towards the lady, he left the crypt to venture deeper into the cemetery.
The place was odd yet unlike anything he has seen before, years trapped in that stuffy manor had deteriorated his sense of wonder. Seeing the same areas, rooms and furniture can be quite maddening and being out here— away from that house is nothing but a breath of fresh air, an ecstacy from a torturous hell of repetitive routine.
He explored every nook and cranny, no stone was left unturned (except for the ones guarded by the undead) and each time he sneaked past a rotting guard brought a rush of adrenaline he never though he'd earn.
It wasn't until he finally got to the end of the cemetery, where a wide plain encompasses a large plot of land. In the distance was some sort of machinery, he can guess it to be a train— if the books he found in the manor were of any help and the testimonies of recently deceased spirits were credible.
There were many people loitering around the area too. Most were chattering to one another about things he could care less about but one such group caught his eye.
It was people in the same age range as him, children probably no older than twelve ran around the large place with sing-song laughter reverberating across the area.
Frustration rears its toxic head from the back of 1x1x1x1's mind as he surveyed his appearance to make sure he looks presentable.
He combed irrationally through his unkept hair and tried to smoothen the wrinkled fabric of his clothes but the longer these endeavours take, the more he became frustrated until he finally made the decision to not interact with them until he checks out the cool (probably) train.
But before he can even take a step forward, a harsh tug on his arm sent him reeling back towards someone's body.
"What are you doing, young master?!" The butler tugs him back towards the manor.
"Wait, no! I'm not going back there." A pang of anger rushed through the child as he harshly pulled back his arm from the butler, but the older man's grip is strong and he doesn't budge no matter how much 1x1x1x1 pulls.
"This isn't a place you're permitted to traverse now let's go—" His words were halted as a groan from an undead alerted him to the rotting corpse shambling towards them "What is it?"
The flying corpse groaned as it flapped its wings in reply.
For a moment, it was silent and 1x1x1x1, looked around in confusion as the breeze became evermore harsher as it scatters piles of leaves.
If he strained his ears enough, he could hear soft laughter from a distance.
"...I see." Finally, the butler nods as he lets go of 1x1x1x1.
The cemetery buzzed with the sounds of insects and the cawing of crows, but between the kid and the butler, everything felt all too quiet.
"Master Telamon has informed me, that you are finally ready." The butler coughed, his tone a soft murmur "...He says that you can finally stretch your wings and fly across Robloxia without needing supervision."
"...What?"
"I never thought, that I'd see the day." The butler began, his voice filled with pride yet also filled with goodbye "Come here, young master."
1x1x1x1 hesitantly obeyed, his steps were meek and careful as he neared the butler who's crouched down to level with him eye to eye.
The butler gifted something to him, held out his hand for the child to take.
It was a pouch filled with tix and bux and a small feather. With how delicate the butler is to the object, he feels that it might've been plucked from an exotic and rare species of bird. 1x1x1x1 inspected it but he can't trace it to anything from the books that he had read.
"Take this, it is a small charm of protection." The old man explains "You've grown but don't forget the teachings I've taught you."
"Yeah, yeah... Still remember." 1x1x1x1 grumbles before a small smirk made its way to his face "I've been preparing it for this day, so how could I forget?"
The butler laughs, the flying undead joining soon after, although croaked.
"Well, I've been holding you back for too long. Take this too, you'll need it for the train." The butler hands him a ticket "Now go, see the world with your very own eyes."
A wave of excitement rattles 1x1x1x1's bones as he gazed excitedly at the train, his first steps meek but as he got closer to the locomotive he became more assured but something was holding him back.
1x1x1x1 stops before looking back longingly towards the man whom practically raised him better than his so-called creator. It took him a moment to think before he sprinted back towards him to give the man a big hug.
"Ah, young master... You shouldn't." The old man hugs back, a big and sincere smile present on his stitched and wrinkled face "You've grown so much..."
1x1x1x1 sniffles. It was embarrassing and he feels angry for showing such vulnerability but it all fades as he comes to realize that it was his butler that he has shown weakness to, a man who has seen him cry time and time again.
The world felt better knowing he is there to support 1x1x1x1's adventures.
"Do... you know where Telamon might be?" He finally pulls back, a question slips out from his tongue, something that has been lingering in his mind for years.
"Ah, Master Telamon... He is at Bizville, at Roblox Headquarters, last I've heard. I haven't visited there in a while though so I won't know how it looks now..."
"..."
"If you want to meet him, go there. I'm sure he won't mind so don't worry too much." He comforted while the ghoul groaned in agreement.
"Alright..."
"Now go, don't let us hold you back. If you want, i'll even escort you there."
"...Yes, please..."
The man held out a hand and the child took it without hesitation. The walk towards the train was quiet, but not uncomfortable. A string of lingering nostalgia binds him in place before a small push of encouragement finally made him take the first step to the train.
"Ticket please." The conductor demands as his butler nods for him to hand over the slip of paper with printed words and symmetrical ends.
The conductor skims the ticket(?) before his eyes widened and a gasp slips through his lips "This is—"
"Yes, personally autographed by the Master of the Manor, Telamon himself."
"Yes, yes... Right away, to the first-class you'll be staying."
"Take care of the young master..."
"Yes sir, the child will be safe with me."
The conductor leads the way deeper into the bowels of the train as the doors slowly close behind 1x1x1x1. He looks back to see his butler with a big smile waving at him goodbye.
The train whirs to life, the engine roars as the horns blew a loud honk of departure.
1x1x1x1 waves back a goodbye as Spooksville became farther and farther away from his line of sight.
But in front of the train's path was a new horizon, a new area and a new adventure that awaits.
The hero's story starts in the future who went back to relive the past but to the little 1x1x1x1, who's filled with awe and wanderlust, his story starts here, in a train that paves a path to a brand new future ahead of him.