Maids VS Apocalypse

I don't remember when it started exactly, but I think it was around my tenth birthday.

Strange voices began whispering in my head, the words they spoke illusory and incomprehensible.

At first I thought it was a messed up prank so I just ignored it, but no matter how many days passed the voices refused to disappear.

When I think back on it, I realize my way of handling the situation was bizarre to say the least. Instead of running to my parents, I chose to keep the voices a secret.

They were always overprotective of me so the last thing I wanted was to give them a reason to worry. There was also the fact that I thought I had awakened mind reading power and feared that the government would come to take me. A child's imagination sure is a wondrous thing.

I had to go on with my life pretending that nothing was out of the ordinary. It was like trying to walk through a haunted house without reacting to any sounds or jump scares.

Before long I started to believe I was losing my mind. The illusory murmurs didn't make sense, after all, and trying to decipher them felt like a really bad idea. Still, I refused to tell anyone about them.

Unfortunately, one can only ignore the voices in their head for so long before they start affecting their life. It didn't help that they got louder and more frequent with time. They didn't get any less confusing, though, and as if that wasn't bad enough, I started seeing strange images in my dreams. I don't think I got a good night's sleep since I became fifteen. By that time the voices became a constant in my life, always whispering their incomprehensible jargon directly into my head.

I had to dampen them one way or another. That was when I got into heavy metal. I wasn't really a fan of the genre, but the chaotic tunes helped keep my sanity.

I knew that wasn't a long-term solution, but it was better than being thrown into a mental hospital and pumped full of drugs.

When everything failed, death became my only hope. I was too much of a coward to take my own life, however, so I chose to suffer in silence as I waited for exhaustion to do its job.

That time was slowly approaching, I could tell as much. When I collapsed on the floor that night, I knew for sure the end had come.

~[]~

[High psychic potential detected]

[Beginning assessment]

[...]

[Subject: Mark White.

Race: human.

Age: 19.

Genetic modifications: none.

Cybernetic enhancements: none.

Soul: Dormant.]

[...]

[Time until Complete Dimensional Collapse: 16:00:05:43]

[...]

[Subject Mark White has begun the Awakening process.]

[Chances of contracting Madness: >90%]

[...]

[Beginning countermeasures]

[...]

[Initiate Lower Realm Guidance System installation.]

[...]

[Installation complete.]

[Chances of contracting Madness: <10%]

[...]

[Subject has awakened successfully.]

[Beginning assessment]

[...]

[

Name: Mark White

Race: Human

Rank: Awakened

Stats:

Level 01

HP: 100/100

MP: 100/100

Strength 6

Endurance 5

Agility 5

Dexterity 10

Focus 14

Mind 150

Soul 115

AP:

0/20

Abilities:

Force Field.

]

[Subject's psychic potential: Very High.]

[Subject is capable of unlocking knowledge gained from Awakening.]

[...]

[Testing System compatibility.]

[...]

[Generating Interface based on System compatibility results]

[...]

[System Interface has been generated.]

[Initializing System Interface]

[...] 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

[Accessing Rune ■■ to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune ■■ into System.]

[Accessing Rune ■■■ to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune ■■■ into System.]

[Accessing Rune ■■■■ to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune ■■■■ into System.]

[Accessing Rune ■■■■■■■ to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune ■■■■■■■ into System.]

[Rune ■■, ■■■, ■■■■ and ■■■■■■■ have been linked to the "Hire" function.]

[Rune ■■, ■■■ and ■■■■ have been linked to the "Store" function.]

[Rune ■■, ■■■ and ■■■■ have been linked to the "Workshop" function.]

[Accessing Rune ■■■■■■ to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Denied.]

[Due to the Subject's inability to access Rune ■■■■■■ the "Save" function has been removed.]

[Due to the Subject's inability to access Rune ■■■■■■ the "load" function has been removed.]

[...]

[Accessing Rune 099 to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune 099 into System...]

[Accessing Rune 100 to fulfill System functions.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune 100 into System...]

[Rune 099 and Rune 100 have been linked to the "Inventory" function.]

[Rune 099 and Rune 100 have been linked to the "Equipment" function.]

[Accessing Rune 1022 to fulfill System Function.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune 1022 into System...]

[Accessing Rune 1023 to fulfill System Function.]

[Access Granted.]

[Integrating Rune 1023 into System...]

[Rune 1022 and Rune 1023 have been linked to the "Map" Function.]

[...]

[Testing System Functions.]

[...]

[All System Functions are operating as intended.]

[...]

[Time until Complete Dimensional Collapse: 15:11:56:24]

[...]

[Beginning Assessment.]

[...]

[Survival Probability Assessment: extremely low.]

[Due to extremely low Survival Probability, Lower Realm Guidance System is taking further countermeasures.]

[...]

[Lower Realm Guidance System has activated the "Hire" function]

[...]

[First "Maid" has been Hired.]

[...]

[Survival Probability Assessment: low.]

[Due to low Survival Probability, Lower Realm Guidance System is taking further countermeasures.]

[...]

[Lower Realm Guidance System has accessed the "Store" function.]

[...]

["Starter Pack" has been Purchased.]

["Starter Pack" has been moved to "Inventory"]

[...]

[Survival Probability Assessment: Medium.]

[Countermeasures Complete.]

[Subject Mark White. We wish you the best of luck.]

~[]~

"Aaagh!!!"

The strong headache brought Mark back to the waking world the same way it took him out of it. The experience reminded him of his first time trying alcohol, which was an attempt at finding another thing that could distract him from the Whispers but ended with him having a really bad hangover.

Thankfully, the pain seemed to fade little by little. In just a couple of minutes it was no longer there.

"Damn... and here I thought it was finally over." Scratching his head, Mark sighed in exasperation.

"I'm not sure what you might be referring to, Master."

Mark was certain that death finally had its grip on him. Alas, he was still in the world of the living. In the end, he missed his chance to get eternal rest.

"This really sucks..."

Letting out a sigh, Mark reached for the nightstand to his right and grabbed the small alarm clock sitting on it, staring at it for some time as if his thoughts were lagging.

"It's six in the morning, huh... hold on..." feeling that something was very wrong, he squinted at the digital screen. A moment later his eyes shot open and he jumped up to his feet. "October 8th!!?" He exclaimed. "I slept through an entire day!!?"

"You must have been truly exhausted, Master."

Still doubting his eyes, he looked around the room searching for his smartphone. Seeing that it was on the desk, he quickly went to pick it up and checked the date and time.

"... So it's true..." he said. "I really slept for an entire day..."

Instead of fear or apprehension at having lost an entire day and two nights, Mark felt elated. And why wouldn't he? It was the first time in years he got to have some proper rest.

The voices and the nightmares they brought. With them around, it should have been impossible for him to not be disturbed. But he slept like a baby for more than twenty-four hours straight.

It was a bizarre occurrence but also a welcome one. As he tried to make sense of his situation, Mark seemed to realize something at that moment.

"... It's quiet..." his eyes slowly widened. "The voices... they're gone..."

His head was clear of anything but his own inner voice. He didn't have his earbuds on nor was he wearing his headphones. The noisy heavy metal wasn't being blasted into his ears, but even then, his mind was calm and clear.

The exhaustion was gone as well. For the first time in years, Mark felt rejuvenated. The weight of accumulated fatigue had fallen off his shoulders, and a profound sense of serenity washed over him. He could feel his body brimming with energy, filling him with a sense of excitement he hadn't felt ever since he was a little kid.

"This is... unbelievable..."

Mark closed his eyes and waited. A minute passed, then another. He heard the faint sound of a vehicle driving by, the cacophony of car horns blaring and engines revving, the shrill whistle of a police siren, and the rhythmic clatter of construction work in the distance.

For the first time in a long while, he heard the messy and ceaseless sounds of the urban city where his building was located. To many, it might've been nothing more than despicable noise pollution, but to Mark, it was like a beautiful symphony, something he couldn't experience because of all the inhumane voices that tormented his mind.

"Master. How long are you going to stand there like that?"

"Just let me be," Mark replied. "I want to enjoy this mome-"

The words got caught in his throat as he realized he had just replied. There was nothing strange about doing so, but that wasn't the case when one is living alone.

Opening his eyes, Mark turned to the left.

The first thing he saw was a pair of deep ruby irises gazing back at him, then he noticed the silver hair, tied into a pair of twin-tails with a frilly black lace. He saw the beautiful doll-like face, with flawless skin, a small nose, and glistering rosy lips.

His gaze went further down, and once he saw the black dress and the frilly white apron, the complete picture began to form in his mind and he instantly understood what was happening.

"Ah... guess I lost it after all..."

In front of him stood a real-life representation of a character he had created. Lara Becker, a maid from his solo-developed game, was standing in his room looking more real than he ever imagined.