Riddle sat in the middle of an empty white room. The walls looked puffy and almost soft, his white clothes contrasting his red hair, flame glowing eye, and ink covered face, greatly.
Yuuta didn't have to see the multiple buckles on his jacket to know it was a straightjacket. His half mad face jerked up at him and he grinned. The make-up from his Overblot looked as intricate as ever and he didn't look a day older than he had when the incident occurred.
"Did you bring any tea?" He asked softly, voice hoarse.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," Yuuta said solemnly on autopilot.
Riddle didn't like that answer and snapped; screaming to be released.
"I WANT OUT!!! I WANT TO BE FREE!! LET ME GO OUTSIDE!!!"
Yuuta flinched at his volume.
"Riddle it's for your own good that you be here," he pleaded, kneeling on the floor to be at his level. Riddle continued screaming. Struggling to get out the straightjacket.
Yuuta stared aghast as he fell over and seemed to morph into Leona laying limply on the floor. He wasn't in a straightjacket, probably because he wasn't putting up any kind of struggle or any effort to get loose. He just seemed to quietly accept things as they were. Slowly Leona stood up, arms freed somehow.
He reached out to touch Yuuta, maybe.
A bang caused him to look up, to his left.
Azul was banging hard on the wide window that must've been made with reinforced glass, hard enough to make faint vibrations and slight cracking sounds. Yuuta felt that he was probably not hitting as hard as he could, likely just hard enough to get attention.
The overblot ink markings around his eyes drawing more attention to the unsettling ice blue look to them. He wondered for a moment why Azul wasn't in a straightjacket but Yuuta realized from the torn buckles and straps that he'd ripped out of it.
Vil stared blankly at a broken mirror. Possibly the most unresponsive.
And Malleus-
He could see clearly in his mind Malleus running off to be with the Overblots ... For the promise of friendship of all things.
—
Yuuta hesitated.
"I'm sorry," Yuuta might have believed him with how genuinely sad his expression looked.
"I really need to do this," he moved away from Lilia's touch.
"I don't expect you to understand." He said.
"I'll come back when I'm ready... When I've figured out some things."
Yuuta woke up. "The dream changed." he remarked. He rubbed his temples and checked the clock.
"Work can wait, this is crucial." He decided.
Twisted Wonderland; Universe 1111
Riddle hadn't wanted to listen to Azul, telling himself over his internship that he would make his choices based on appropriate and wise decisions.
And yet he kept following his advice since it seemed practical.
He resolved to never tell Azul. He didn't want to be the reason Azul smiled as if he'd won.
He paused at the cafe shop he always visited. 'A quick break wouldn't do any harm, law school is a lot of work,' he smiled as he ordered his usual.
He blinked in confusion as he registered Malleus Draconia sitting at a table not far from him and not being noticed by anyone.
"Pardon me... But how come no one's... Noticed you?" He asked standing at the table.
Draconia's eyes lit up with intrigue. He shifted and Riddle realized he crossed his legs.
His expression seemed vaguely surprised. "Ah... You can see me. I suppose I should have expected much, Riddle Rose-Trappola," he finished with a smile. Riddle couldn't help but notice the gothic makeup primarily the shiny black lipstick on his bottom lip.
"It's a simple spell, I don't need unnecessary attention when they can go on with their day," he said smoothly.
"How are you here anyway ? I was informed that you would be in Briar Valley at this time," he asked.
"I'm not the Draconia of this reality, I am the Regent of the Multiverse, and if it's alright with you, I'd like to employ your assistance." He said smiling.
"You need my help?" He parroted.
"It can be someone you know, I don't really mind," he hummed stirring the spoon in his large glass. His attention focused on it now, he noticed it was a sort of ice cream float. With numerous different scoops
If he stared too long he'd swear the little things inside the ice cream- nuts fruit pieces, cookie fragments- would make numbers.
1111
7321
3754
1280
7453
9002
8441
6890
He didn't know what the numbers meant and wasn't sure if he should ask.
"Do you want some? I'm always open to share," Regent of the Multiverse smiled.
He shook his head. "It's yours to enjoy,"
"Say I believe you, Why do you look like Malleus Draconia?" He questioned.
"Maybe I wanted to take on the face of someone you trusted," he smiled.
"Bullshit," Riddle sneered before he could remind himself to respect this authority figure.
"I don't trust Draconia," he scoffed.
"Yet you gave him something so precious," he remarked.
Riddle Rose-Trappola flushed and pointed his magestone pen at him in an instant.
"You-- that's none of your business!" He said, the pen glowing as he charged a spell.
"Correction it is my business. As is everything associated with you and your fellow dorm leaders and their friends,"he hummed.
"In this universe, you are an anomaly. There are many different anomalies in my line of work. Harmless ones. Anomalies like yourself that affect the flow of time, rewriting history. And anomalies like these-" he stopped and gestured to the holograms showing several failed realities.
"Wha-" Riddle looked up shocked, horrified and sickened by the sight of Overblot phantoms - vaguely humanoid monsters with ink jars for heads- stomping about in the holograms.
"Must be put down," Regent of the Multiverse finished.
"If they become a serious threat they could fuse with other anomalies and become something truly frightening," he remarked.
"On a global or even universal scale."
Riddle Rose-Trappola gulped as his eyes scanned his surroundings. The Overblot phantoms resembled the Great Seven, but the comparison wasn't painted in a good light, knowing what Overblots were.
The cafe was gone.