Altare said something about not actually going to their literal world because it's "Digital".
I do not think he is escaping the Sword Art Online allegations.
Instead, he said that I will stay at their designated living space where they feel at home.
Creaaaak....
-"Up and ready TEMPUS!"
-"Altare! Oh-"
-"You're back, and new guy's here too?"
Five others. Why are there so many at TEMPUS?
-"I know what you're thinking. Six people, how many do you need? There's actually two more. But they're out on a long mission for now."
-"Jesus, eight? Is that standard for the HoloStar branch?"
I sat down besides Altare, and that's when I looked around at the corners of this living space.
It was a pub.
-"Nah nah, it's just us. Don't have that high of an expectation of all the units."
-"Okay.. so.. Where do you all sleep exactly..?"
Marks of exhaustion were clearly apparent on me by now, I've been up for a long while.
It took the TEMPUS crew off for a moment then they remembered that I'm still not used to this.
-"Come, I'll get you acquainted with the team when you wake up."
I followed Altare to a corridor behind the pub, putting his hand on a specific part of the wall as it spread open to show a large set of rooms.
"Last room over there, make yourself at home."
Altare pointed at said door, and I just trudged forward. My legs suddenly felt like they were going to sink beneath me.
The sleeplessness.. was catching up..
I didn't see Altare anymore meaning he had left, so I opened the door and the next moment I fell to the bed head first.
That was today. All that happened. I went from home to waking up by Shiori's side, explaining what I am, meeting Mr. Yagoo, shoving in an announcement.. Green hair.. Mumei..
Mumei.. Yeah-
------{3rd Person POV}------
Altare stepped back into the pub after showing Iudex to the room he just dropped in, looking at the other members.
Flayon, the red hair sitting atop a table leaned back so he was resting on it, hands behind his head.
-"So he's going to stay with us forever now?"
-"No, Flayon, just for these few short days until he debuts.
That's it."
The Ronin, Shinri, partook in this friendly investigation.
-"What's his deal? His gimmick. Everyone here has one."
-"No idea Shinri, also even if I did know I wouldn't tell you. That's simply rude to call it that."
Hakka next.
-"Is he a metal fan."
-"Huh?"
-"Oh wrong type of question, my bad."
-"No Hakka even if it was the right one how the heck would I know? I just met him."
-"Right.. Sorry."
Altare looked at GavisBettel and Axel Syrios, the remaining two, but they shook their heads no, implying they have nothing to ask.
-"Disappointing questions from you all, but it is what it is.
You all know what I want from you. Don't be a nuisance, don't show aggression.
That's it."
He gave them a firm stare as he crossed his arms, and they all replied together.
-"Yes sir!"
-"Good, now you all can disperse back to what you were doing."
Altare was very hyped for the upcoming days. Iudex would love TEMPUS and TEMPUS would love him back.
He will make Iudex an unofficial member of TEMPUS!
Meanwhile... Jude was snoozing..
Jude found himself floating in a hollow darkness. He could feel every single cell of his body, like every atom had a part of his brain.
His entire consciousness was everywhere all at once.
But when he tried to move, something would block him, as if he was in a cage that had his exact size and he couldn't move a single inch.
-"Sleep paralysis?"
His mouth was moving, he should be speaking, but his voice was in his mind, his throat seemingly nonfunctional.
His ears sensed the silence as if it was noise. Television static.
-"No."
-"Who-"
The binding space expanded in all directions, and he felt free.
He looked around, wasting no time to search for the source of the voice.
-"In front of you."
Jude was fixed forward now, looking up at the figure opposite to him.
His eye narrowed moderately. His speech hardening.
-"You show your face now of all times, deadbeat."
Disgust.
-"Are you going to let me speak or deny me like last time?"
Wrath.
-"What can you even say that would change anything? You left for your own good. That was it.
And you still stick to me like a parasite.Quit trying."
The figure came closer to Jude, and Jude stepped back. Not due to fear, but to resentment.
"Leave me alone. I will never listen to anything you say."
-"Fine, I'll just shove it in your mind then."
-"?!-"
Touching Jude's forehead with its finger, the figure burned something into Jude's soul.
The dream-plane Jude was in began collapsing as he woke back into consciousness.
-"My gift to you, my -"
Iudex awoke in bed, he wasn't sweating like it was a nightmare, nor was he breathing fast.
Usually everytime he sees that damned figure in his dreams the same thing always happens, the figure tries to make amends but Iudex always shuts it down, and he wakes up.
-"I feel weird. Really weird.."
Iudex sits up on the bed, the exhaustion having faded away totally. He checks what time it is..
"It's only been four hours? How do I feel totally fine though?"
There was no fatigue or anything somehow.
He turns on the light as he got off from the bed, and goes to the nearest mirror.
"W... Waahhh-"
His left eye was now a hollow grey aswell.
He took off the bandana and yup, both are now..
"This can't be right.. is that what he gave me?"
Iudex wasn't as panicking as he thought he would be. Or should be for that fact.
"..And the color is even more dim.
God damn.. Am I really not human...?"
He put the bandana in his pocket. Just staring at himself.
Usually he'd be in a full on panic mode, but he was only a bit on edge.
It was like his body had unnaturally gotten used to this assimilation.
Or maybe it was the work of that figure.
"Curse you.. You damned fool.."
He clenches his fist as he thinks about knowledge he didn't want to remember, who that figure is.
"Wait.. Mom.. I haven't told her anything about this yet."
He didn't feel.. Sad about it.
He was just feeling normal.
This would never happen if that figure didn't interfere with something.
"Just what did you do you insect..?!
I can't.. feel the right things nor the wrong ones."
To Iudex, this was something beyond terrifying. To never feel that ounce of empathy he had whenever he wanted to was gut wrenching.
He needed to feel it again. It's the only thing that made him act human.
"I got to call her."
His phone wasn't with him, right, before he got here it wasn't with him either.
Great...
"Damnit all.."
He says with frustration in his voice, banging his hands on a nearby desk.
Needless to say the desk cracked.
"What the hell is this?!"
His hands were fine, the desk was already broken probably.
"I need to get some air."
---------------------------------------------------------
Intermission: ???
Jude's nightmare figure who keeps appearing despite Jude continuously stating his disdain for it.
It unlocked internal power within Jude.