Fifty-two cards.
Fifty-two cards are how many should be on a standard desk, but 51 were placed on the table.
Aoto's mind still fractured and constantly jumping from one reality to the next, kept returning to the sea.
Aoto's senses were all messed up, and they could only focus on one thing.
The deck of cards.
He slowly began walking towards the table, tripping and falling over himself due to the reality switches; he fell over and over again. Aoto, still far from the deck, couldn't get himself to move forward, stuck in place and falling over his feet while seeing so many possibilities.
Closing his eyes, Aoto started to run as far and as hard as he could, stumbling and falling; he refused to stop. With his eyes closed, he picked himself back up and continued to run.
Not seeing anything helping Aoto break out of his prison, he was able to run into a void he was already very familiar with. Aoto ran for what felt like ages until he couldn't anymore.
Eyes still closed, he placed his hands on his knees, hunching over himself, trying to catch his breath; Aoto's eyes started to hurt from keeping them closed for so long.
Aoto: I can't, not yet, I can't open them. I don't want to see that again.
He had no choice, though, trying his hardest to keep them shut. It was useless; slowly, his eyes opened, and in front of him was a deck of cards.
The Sound of a heart beating started echoing through the sea, causing ripples to form in the liquid.
"ripple"
"ripple"
A chair began to rise out of the sea on the other side of the table. Captivated by what he was witnessing, Aoto watched as the chair rose seemingly from nothing; the process didn't take long, and before he knew it, a tall wooden chair had formed in front of him.
No one was sitting in the chair, making Aoto question its purpose, moving views. He yet again looked down at the deck, not fixating on the chair, wondering why, yet again, there were only 51.
"Woosh"
Looking back up, I see a figure now sitting in the chair.
Aoto: AHH
Jumping back, Aoto lets you scream and makes eye contact with the figure.
He looked like his whole body was made out of that black liquid, having it constantly drip off of him, with no facial details or body. Aoto could not tell its gender, height, or age, only knowing it was real.
Its eyes, unlike Chema's, were bright. They were the color of the light itself.
Aoto: What are you?
The figure grabbed the deck of cards and began dealing.
"blackjack"
Aoto: What are you doing? Blackjack? Do you wanna play?
The figure nodded and started to deal, but before he could give Aoto both cards, Aoto placed his hand over the figures.
Aoto: We can't. The deck…
It's missing a card, and we can't play it. It's not even.
The figure moved his hand from under Aoto's and began dealing the cards again.
Aoto: Hey! Did you not hear me? I said it's pointless to play; the deck is uneven!
The figure pointed at Aoto's pants, reaching his finger towards Aoto's pocket.
Looking down, Aoto reached inside his pocket, feeling the Black pill he had coughed out when he first entered this world.
Feeling the pill in his hand, he could feel it start to morph in his hand embrace; the pill went from a hard oval shape to a long, thin rectangle, feeling like a card.
Aoto, feeling his all happen, took his hand out of his pocket alongside the pill, only to see that it had morphed into the missing card.
It was black and also looked invisible, blending into the environment around them; the card, which was black like the sea, had a purple glow to it, letting Aoto trace the design scrawled on the card.
It was the symbol for Sound, which had been indented onto the card; Aoto was amazed and placed the card down on the table.
Aoto: Now we can play.
The figure cracked a smile, showing his mouth as bright as his eyes.
The two began to play.
Round after round, they continued playing even after finishing the deck by re-shuffling it until the figure seemed to have grown tired.
He placed his cards down on the table, then grabbed what looked like tubes with the same markings sprawled across them as the card; from out of nowhere, they looked like they were meant to be wrapped around the head; he then spoke, "My name is Soma."
Aoto: SomaSoma? Like the Soma from the book I saw just before coming here.
Soma: Yes, I am the Soma from the book and was the first bound to that monster.
Aoto: Monster? What are you saying?
Soma: Have you heard a voice lately that's asked you a question about whether or not you "wish to live"?
Aoto's face went pale as he made the connection that Soma was talking about the voice he heard, "Sound."
Aoto: Yes, I have, actually, it's a boisterous and rude voice. Why?
Soma: It's already begun, so I'm sorry.
Aoto: Sorry? For what? The voice doesn't really affect me besides pestering, so what's the issue.
Soma: I was dying. Many years ago, I had died, and I heard a voice asking me if I "wanted to live," as any person would on their deathbed. I said yes.
From then on, I wasn't in control; I used to think I was.
Soma explained his whole story to Aoto about how he was from another world and was asked the same question by Sound that Aoto had been asked.
He told Aoto that at the moment, Sound could only take control of Aoto's body when Aoto lost control, but he let Aoto know this wouldn't be the case for long.
Soma: There will come a point where you lose control for good, and that thing takes complete control of your body; then you'll be here stuck, lost inside this sea, waiting for his next host.
Unless you become the come to break the cycle, Aoto, I know you haven't been dealt the best cards in life, but you've been given a second chance; while it may be from a devil, it's still a chance.
You're deaf, Aoto. It's what's keeping you alive; it's the reason I think you can survive here. While you may think it's a curse, I see it as a blessing in disguise, don't take it for granted.
Soma went on to tell Aoto about Sound and what and who it was; he said Aoto everything he knew about the past, and before sinking back into the sea, he left Aoto with this.
Soma: Those visions or realities you viewed whilst trying to make it to this table were the lives of the previous hosts; this sea was in a medium between your mind and his.
This is where all of the lost souls that he had taken gather to wallow and drown in this never-ending abyss of black.
Trust in Garius; he may have ulterior motives for why he's helping you, but still trust him. He will help you along your journey.
Soma began to sink back into the sea and handed Aoto the tubes, gesturing to wrap them around his head. Soma sank under, leaving Aoto alone.
Alone in the abyss, Aoto, holding onto the card and the tubes, could feel the card morph back into a liquid, but clinging onto Aoto's hand, not knowing where to put the liquid, first tried to run his hand in the sea.
No luck, the liquid held firm, not mixing with the vast ocean; not wanting to stain his pocket, Aoto shoved the liquid in the only place he could think of.
The tube.
Falling off his hand, the liquid slowly entered the tube, filling it up until the markings along the tube began to glow the same purple as the card.
Un-certain of what he should do, Aoto did what he had to say, Soma instructed; he wrapped it around the back of his head, but the tube didn't connect to itself if it was too short.
Only going halfway, stopping at Aoto's shoulder ridge, Aoto was now confused and stopped to think.
Whilst thinking, the liquid in the tube began to flow out, but it dripped upwards, going towards Aoto's ear and entering.
Aoto: AHH WHAT THE?!
As the liquid flowed upwards from Aoto's neck into their ears, the tube lifted up, making it equal to the liquid flowing straight into Aoto's ears.
Slowly, the tube became tighter and tighter around the back of Aoto's neck until it seemingly had become a part of him, turning into another one of Aotos markings.
Wrapping itself around Aoto's full skull, creating a halo of Black around Aoto.
As the ring closed in on itself, it connected, sending Aoto from the sea back to the library floor where Chema seemed to be caring for Aoto.
Chema: HEY, HEY AOTO, speak to me. Can you hear me?
What's gonna on? What are those markings that just formed around your face?
Aoto, knowing that he was back in the Library, stood up, placing both hands on Chema's shoulders, and asked, "Chema. How do I get out of here."