Just one thing after another with today, it seemed.

After an intense and emotional embrace, Miia and I parted ways, unsure how to proceed. I promised to explain the situation to her and everyone else later that day before quickly leaving. I was lying in bed and looking at the ceiling, overwhelmed with conflicting emotions.

How did one communicate effectively and sensitively to their friends that they knew them so intimately before they even met them? Up until then, they believed that the person was fictitious. That they had witnessed them in a state of undress, in compromising and awkward sexual encounters, and their most private moments? Not only had they seen these moments, but millions of others had, too. This was a breach of privacy on a grand scale, and the paradox was that it was practically impossible to blame the people who saw it all.

After all, it wasn't like they were peeping in on real people.

Groaning in frustration, I pinched the bridge of my nose as I tried to figure out what to do. Suu, however, seemed to know the answer; after all, she had spent so much time in my memories. Yet, despite this knowledge, she didn't seem to care. Suu was unlike anyone else in this house - and not just because I felt a sense of parental pride. Something about my past had never been able to faze her, and I had no doubt that would remain the case.

Kuroko knew the truth and had accepted it. However, no one here quite matched her description. Perhaps Rachnera was the closest, as she had gone through a great deal of hardship and conflict before I had arrived. To think that an interdimensional traveler had read about her in an ecchi harem manga was slightly disappointing, but nothing too major. The woman I had believed to be a lazy and unproductive government official turned out to be a veteran, a hero, and a friend. She was from a different world, yet she still believed in and trusted me. What could have been the reason for that?

That didn't matter right now. I considered calling her up right now, telling her I'd confessed to Miia in a moment of impulse and begging for help, but this was something I had to do on my own, even though it terrified me on a level that made my body go rigid and my heart freeze.

If I told them, it was entirely possible I'd lose them.

I would still have Suu and Kuroko, and probably Miia, too. But I wanted all of them. It was greedy and selfish, but I wanted every one of them. I wanted to be with them and everyone back home.

Yeah... that'd be nice.

...

I could no longer put off telling them what I had to say. Despite my attempts to come up with a clever or logical way to explain it, the truth remained the same. I owed them this much, and I had put it off for far too long.

With a churning knot of anxiety in my stomach, I forced myself to leave the safety of my room. The next few moments were a blur as I moved through the house, calling everyone to meet in the family room. When asked why, I said we needed a "house meeting." Soon, everyone had taken their usual spots on the couches and chairs, all eyes on me. Kurusu and Miia shared a sofa, the latter still with puffy eyes. Papi and Suu sat on the other couch, leaving a space for me. Beside my spot, Mero sat in her wheelchair, worry etched into her expression. Cerea and Rachnera stood behind the couches, and Lala was off to the side, arms folded across her chest. I stood in front of the TV, hands in my pockets and my toes curling helplessly in my socks.

Knees weak, arms are heavy, mom's spaghetti...

Ahem.

"I, um, well..." I started, licking my dry lips. "I know it's been a rough day for everyone, and I'm sorry, but... there's something I must tell you guys."

Did I have to do this? Did I want to do this? Why was this so much worse than when I confessed to Kuroko?

"No matter what it is, it might not be as bad as you think," Rachnera said, propping her face up with her open palm. "Why don't you take a deep breath before we take it further?"

As I let out a sigh of relief, I was thankful for the concern in her words that had given me the courage to take a moment to observe the people in the room. I was amazed to discover that each had a unique eye color. Had I been so preoccupied that I had failed to notice this before?

Kimihito's steady brown. Miia's passionate amber. Papi's excitable orange. Cerea's noble blue. Suu's curious green. Mero's royal purple. Rachnera's critical red. Lala's dull gold.

My shoulders sagged, but not from relief. How did my eyes look, I wondered.

"You all know I'm a traveler from a different dimension," I started. Beginning with the apparent facts should be helpful. "And I was sent here against my will by something I still know nothing about."

I could've sworn I heard Lala mumble something about "dark gods" and "fell forces" in the corner. With considerable effort, I kept myself from rolling my eyes and continued as if I'd heard nothing.

"But... well..." Ah, shit, I'd lost momentum. Come on, man! Keep it together so they can understand you! "What you don't know is... well, Suu knows, and I g-guess Miia knows now too, but you all deserve to know it, so, um..." Why can't I spit it out now of all times?!

"Aki, you look rather pale," Cerea observed, eyes wide with worry. "I shall fetch water."

"No, it's not... It's fine," I hastily said.

"Maybe tea would be better," Kimihito suggested, standing up. "I have some that can help calm nerves. I should make some for everyone, I think."

"Just let the man speak," Rachnera sighed.

"I'd known you all before I came here," I blurted quietly and weakly.

An awkward silence reigned. My face, growing hotter and hotter, was glued to the floor. An intense itch wracked my skin.

"Beg pardon?" Mero's gentle voice reached my ears, usually giving me a sense of serenity. "Aki, I'm sorry, I didn't quite understand what you said. Could you please repeat it?"

I nervously gulped and licked my dry lips as I forced myself to make eye contact with them. "Where I came from, my home dimension, there was a manga series that I read. It followed the daily life of a young Japanese man and the six, actually seven eventually, liminal girls that came to live with him as exchange students. It was..." I paused, unable to believe I was saying this out loud. I raised my head and met their eyes. "It was your story," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

A pregnant pause ensued. A few of them exchanged looks with one another, primarily confused. Suu was staring into me, frozen. Miia fiddled with her fingers.

"Our 'story'?" Rachnera echoed, folding her arms. "Explain."

"You all... technically exist where I come from," I elaborated, or at least did my best to. "Or, at least, versions of you, I guess. " Wait, that might've been more confusing...

"Versions of... you? Us? Papi?" Yeah, Papi looked utterly lost. "I don't get it."

"My point is, you guys were all characters in a manga I read," I desperately pushed on, hoping it'd salvage things. "That was how I was able to interact with you all so easily even though we'd just met and how I could predict things and why I made you suspicious of me, and how I-"

"Dad."

Something wet padded against the wooden floor. Suu was before me, giving me a blank look. Then, slowly, she pressed her hands against my cheeks, squishing them against my mouth. And like that, she was all that existed in the world.

"You're not very good at this," she said.

"How d'you figger?" I replied, my voice muffled. At that, her lips curled upward and lessened her pressure on my face, though her hands remained. My face was already starting to get soaked.

"You were better at it in your head," Suu kindly chided. "Let me help. Please?"

"But I have to do this alone," I told her. I'm sorry, everyone, that it looked like I was ignoring you.

"And you will," she assured me. "You'll have control."

I sure as hell didn't have that now.

"Alright," I finally conceded. I was well aware of the suggestion she had in mind. If there were a way to convey the thoughts I was so desperately trying to express, it would be through a genuine connection between Suu and me, like the many we had already had. Despite my quivering nerves, I was determined to tell them what I had to say. There was no turning back.

Suu spun around, her seven emerald feelers rising from her 'hair' and pointing at each of them while her head feeler moved towards me. "Would it be alright if we all connected? Dad can explain everything more clearly if we do," she asked.

"I'm sorry I've just been confusing so far," I apologized. "And I know it may be asking a lot, but... please?"

"Yeah, sure," Kimihito easily answered with a light laugh as he scratched his cheek. "I'm not quite following you, but if it would help, then I don't see why not."

"Even though you kinda told me already, I don't mind," Miia said. She still seemed anxious, though it may not have been related to what was happening now.

"Sure!" Papi happily chirped.

"Whatever may bring us clarity," Cerea allowed.

"A link with your mind?" Mero wondered, raising a hand to her mouth. "Is... Is that something you desire?"

"I'm okay with it," I assured her. "I think I prefer it for this case. But only if you're comfortable with it."

"I... suppose so," Mero quietly conceded, a complex expression on her face. "Very well. I, too, desire to understand you better."

"I shall dive into Tartarus itself to glean more of your unusual circumstances in our world," Lala declared. "A connection through primordial ooze is naught but child's play for a harbinger of death."

I took that to be a yes.

All that remained was Rachnera. She was frowning, her brows knitted tight in thought.

"I believe I understand you," she eventually said. "Although your explanation was convoluted, it's disheartening to see you at such a loss for words. I was expecting to find it amusing, but I did not. Suu, if you can assist us all, it would be greatly appreciated."

"'Kay!" Suu happily exclaimed, her feelers extending outward to touch the crown of everyone's heads gently. Some shivered in surprise, while others accepted the gesture with dignified grace. Papi even seemed pleased with the whole affair.

As I felt the familiar sensation of her head feeler settling through my hair, I heard her voice resound through my thoughts.

"I can open the way, but it's up to what you want them to see." My vision grew dark, and I felt as though I were sinking. "At least, at first. I've never had this many before..."

"Don't stress yourself," I said, my mouth curving into a reassuring smile. I took a deep breath and dove into the darkness, my heart hammering in my chest. But I wasn't afraid; I was determined to reach my destination. "How are they doing?" I asked, hoping for the best.

"Mm... Nervous? Not sure. This is a lot to go through..."

An immense pressure was at my side. It wasn't pressing against me, but I sensed something large drifting nearby. Ice gripped my heart, but I kept diving.

"I want them to see it all," I decided.

"All?"

"No more hiding. I'm sick of keeping my secrets from them. They deserve to know," I said, riding the current deeper and deeper. "I've held back this long because I was afraid they'd leave me if I told them... but that doesn't matter anymore."

Suu was quiet at that.

And then the current slammed into me, sending me screaming and flailing in the darkness.

Just keep swimming, keep swimming, Mero thought as she moved through the empty water

Mero felt Suu's panic and fear reverberate through the connection as they shared an overwhelming amount of information between all eight minds. Suu had attempted to manage it all, but something had gone wrong. In an instant, Mero was with the others, standing waist-deep in water, only for them to abruptly vanish. No matter how desperately she shouted, there was no answer.

So she swam.

The water, though shallow, was deep enough for Mero, a Princess of Neptunus, to swim freely. Though the world around her was featureless and blank, she pushed forward with a strong impulse, trusting that so long as she kept going, she would eventually get out. Hope was not lost.

Had this been part of Aki's plan from the start? To send them all to some mental landscape through Suu for some unknown purpose? His words had been confusing and uncharacteristically unclear. Whatever he was trying to express must have been more significant to him than any of them had suspected. How long had he been in such a state? And why hadn't she noticed it before?

A soft, sorrowful, longing voice murmured in the air around her. She couldn't make out its words, only that it was singing. She kept swimming.

I have to find them.

Mero's ears perked up at the sound of a child's sobbing. Her tail kicked harder in the water, propelling her forward as the cry grew louder. Finally, she could make out the words uttered in the distance.

"I couldn't gauge your fears

I can't relate to my peers."

Finally, she saw him: a small, light-skinned boy, sniffling and silently wiping away the tears that cascaded down his face like tiny droplets of water. His frame appeared frail as if a gentle gust of wind would topple him over. His head was framed by a halo of black curls, twisted and tangled in a mess around his face. He held a small white blanket tightly to his chest, clinging to it as if it were a lifeline, keeping it away from the water that lapped at his waist. His puffy eyes widened in surprise as she approached, and he went completely still.

"Hello there," Mero greeted warmly, maintaining a respectful distance. She was unsure if she was being too intrusive, having had little experience with children. However, her deep concern for how he had ended up in this place was too great for her to ignore. "My name is Mero. Are you alright?"

"I'd rather chip my pride than lose my mind out here."

The boy didn't answer immediately, openly gawking at her until he finally responded. "You're pretty," he quietly noted.

That prompted a giggle from her. "Why, thank you!" Mero cheerfully replied, relaxing a touch and drawing a little closer. "You're very sweet. Now, are you lost? I admit, I am a little lost myself, but maybe we can find our way together?"

"Maybe I'm a fool

Maybe I should move."

"Mm," the boy hummed, wiping his snotty nose and looking around. "I dunno where I am... Um, miss? Are you, um, a... mermaid?" His voice was earnest, tender, but cautious. He wanted to believe it was real but was scared that it wasn't.

"Yes, I am," Mero nodded. The boy's face lit up.

"That's so cool!" he exclaimed, splashing through the water eagerly to get closer. He held the blanket high over his head to keep it dry. "Can I touch your fishy tail?"

His sudden mood change took Mero aback, but she quickly regained her composure. She looked down at the young boy with a warm smile. He grinned in response, running to her side and hesitantly reaching out to carefully brush his fingers along her scales. He seemed excited and apprehensive at the same time, gently stroking her tail.

"So cool..." he murmured. "You can breathe underwater, too?"

"Of course," she laughed.

"Even though you have a human body?!"

"Of course!"

"So cool..." he repeated, full of wonder.

"Let us keep moving," Mero offered, trying to conceal her mounting anxiety as they searched for the others and sought to return the boy to his home. "How about this? I'll carry you on my back, and we can swim together to speed up our search. Does that sound good to you?"

"And settle, two kids and a swimming pool."

He asked in disbelief, "Can I ride you?" Though she didn't care for his choice of words, she kept her opinion to herself and nodded. His face lit up with a grin, and he quickly wrapped the blanket around his neck like a scarf. Mero lowered her tail to make it easier for him to climb onto her back.

Once she felt his small, soft hands grip her shoulders, she asked, "Are you ready?"

"I'm not brave."

Her eyes darted to the darkness around them, frowning at the words drifting through.

"Mhm," the boy mumbled.

"Then away we go!" Mero exclaimed, her tail wagging as she began to move. Though it was awkward with the extra weight and the grip of her companion a bit too tight, she was determined to make the best of it. Her time at Sports Club Kobold had certainly paid off, even in the surreal world she now found herself in. It suddenly dawned on her. "Oh, my apologies. I never asked for your name. What should I call you?"

"Um... I'm Antonio."

"Been living in an idea

An idea from another man's mind."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Antonio," Mero kindly offered him, half-turning to smile at him. The boy flushed and hid his face in her pink curls, prompting her to giggle again.

To be continued...