#*gemwrites

The teen suddenly sighed in mock disappointment, which shocked Karl a bit. "Aren't you supposed to say something to continue the joke?" Upon seeing the looks of confusion shared between Karl and Drew, the teen then sighed. "Oh whatever. Rene!!! We have guests!! Come on in then, you five. What are you doing, standing there in the dark?"

 Without waiting for either of them, and still ignoring the yelling Alec, the ginger-haired teen ran inside, continuously calling for someone called 'Rene'. The five friends looked at each other, snickering a bit at Alec’s offended look from being ignored after having a door slam into his face, before walking inside the mansion.

 Once they were all in, there was a sudden gust of wind, and the door shut itself behind them, rather loudly as well. It made them all jump, and once again, Karl felt that there was something off, this time, about the mansion itself.

 "Rene!!!! Get down here!! And tell Nicole and Eret we have guests!! RENE!!"

 "I'm coming, I'm coming!!!"

 Karl heard the thundering steps of someone running down the massive spiral staircase right next to the group, as the teen from before was still yelling at this person to come down. And when they did, Karl noticed the similarities between him and the new teen. They were obviously twins, except for the fact that one had white streaks in his hair, and the other had dual-colored eyes, contacts, he assumed?

 "Ah, hello." 'Rene' greeted them, a complete contrast to the first teen. They exchanged introductions, and Karl was left wondering why they were so welcoming. "I see you've already met my older twin, Floyd?" Ah, a familiar mischievous smile that he first saw on ‘Floyd’, yes, they were indeed twins. Older though, now that was quite a surprise.

"Come along, I know why you are here, travelers." The twins led them to somewhere in the back, as Rene was talking, Floyd was giving them a quick tour of whatever they saw. It was a beautiful mansion, Karl noted, and he and Caleb had to keep an eye on Alec who was possibly quivering, his hands fidgety as if wanting to steal something.

"These are some of our beloved paintings!" Floyd pointed out. There were many interesting paintings on the wall, but one in particular stood out to Karl.

 "And what of this one?" It was a disturbing one, it was rather bloody, it depicted a pink-haired individual with a strange weapon in the middle, corpses around him, a dark theme overall. There was a figure playing the piano in the background, the figure was painted with bright colours, a small area around that figure was brighter, directly contrasting the rest of the painting.

 It was oddly...... mocking.

 The cheerful answer he received should've set off alarm bells, it did, but for some reason, Karl brushed it off. "That one is our favourite painting, have you ever heard of the Blood God?" Before Karl could answer, Floyd had already moved on from the subject, Karl could hardly keep up but he tried anyway, it was the least he could do, what with all the hospitality they being shown.

 "Those rails are what keeps idiots from falling over!"

 He said that, pointing at the spiral staircase that Rene came from, while Alec Alec was falling, leaving them all laughing at their friend's expense as well as his affronted look.

 "It works 99% of the time!" Rene chipped in.

 "YOU BRATS!!" And again, Alec’s yells went ignored, Karl could spot the smug smile and the discreet high five the twins exchanged though. Seems like Rene was probably just as chaotic as his twin.

 "Now, as I was saying, you guys probably came here from one of the villages nearby, why, we do not know nor do we want to know. You probably want supplies, maybe traverse the woods? Whatever it is, we enjoy providing supplies to travellers who stop by."

 They enjoy doing that? Karl wondered, these teens, and the other two residents who had not shown up just yet, Eret and Nicole was what Floyd called them, they were weird. Perhaps they were just kind-hearted.

As they were entering a large room with a long table in the middle of the room, Karl noticed journals on four small side tables but chose not to comment on it. One on each table, two tables per side. The curiousity was strong, however. As if something was calling to him, to open the books, and uncover any and all secrets hidden within. But he restrained himself, it would be extremely rude.

 "Eret!! Nic!! We have guests~~" Again, Floyd trailed off in that sing-song voice that made Karl shiver involuntarily, as if something was wrong. But it was just Floyd acting childishly, that was all, he told himself.

 A tall man with sunglasses and a young shorter woman with pale blonde hair was sitting by the long table, both looked up at the group as the twins started walking faster towards them. Rene sitting beside Eret as Floyd chose to sit by the piano behind Rene. Karl didn't notice at first, but the room had a piano, had many swords put on display on the wall.

 He did take note that Eret never took off his glasses, sunglasses at night and indoors? That was weird, but it isn't like Karl could judge, he and his friends had their own weird quirks.

 "Hello travelers! Come have a seat." As they sat down, for some inane reason, Caleb and Alec began bickering again. They exchanged introductions just like they did with the twins, as Floyd started playing a soft tune. Eret smiled softly as he looked behind him at Floyd. " Floyd does enjoy playing the piano. Welcome to MisFerns Mansion, travellers!! We are the MisFerns, to answer your question, now what do you need?"

 MisFerns Mansion? Quite a peculiar name. Before Karl could answer, Drew, the other only responsible person in their group answered for him, confidently. "We just wanted some supplies, and maybe spend the night? It is rather dark outside, and a storm is brewing."

 A storm? Oh, he was right, Karl thought, listening to the howls of the wind and splash of raindrops. How had he not noticed it before?

 And all of a sudden, something went wrong.

 The piano music stopped, the lights flashed, and the candles blew out. "IT'S DARK!!! KARL WHERE ARE YOU?!?!"

 "ALEC!!!” They all stood up in a panic, and Karl could've sword he heard some people run out of the room, but that wasn't his concern right now. Alec wasn't answering, he usually did! " Alec? ALEC!!! Caleb!! Jack?? Eret? Floyd??"  

 No one answered, and Karl suddenly felt very small.

 He didn't want to run after them, in case he got lost himself. He had no idea why they all ran off when the logical thing to do was stick together!! And-

He found his hand on top of one of the journals. When did he get here? The table was over there!! What- How...... He couldn't even begin to comprehend how he got to one of the small side tables by the entrance of the large room, and he also couldn't understand why his hand involuntarily flipped open the journal.

 He didn't notice that the lamps above all the small tables lit up. He was only focused on reading the contents of the journal.

 Somewhere within him, he knew it was extremely rude, he knew something was extremely wrong, he knew that his friends were lost and the MisFerns, he remembered that was what Eret called the residents of this mansion, were nowhere to be found.

 But he must read, something within him was compelling him to read.

 Journal owner: Floyd.

 He told us to write in this book, we all have one of our own. He said that someone special, a wildcard, will visit one day. So, we write.

 Hello oh stranger, oh wildcard, oh traveller who stepped foot inside this mansion. I am Floyd, and whatever you read next, has been written only because he told us to do so. If you read this first, congratulations!! I'm the only one who will explain why we are writing this even if we don't want to, I'm also the only one who will insult you because it's fun, haha!! Point and laugh, look at this idiot! Yeah, that's right, I'm talking to you!

 I am Floyd, twin to Rene. We were separated since a young age, escaping from a terrible place, the slums of the dead cities are no place for children, I assure you. The woods, the villages, the ruined plains, everywhere, I was alone, running, in danger, dying, starving, thirsty, surviving. I've been on the run for years, before I met him, and he gave me an offer.

 He only had one request, you know? Only one request, and we would reap many benefits. I found Rene again, I have a shelter, I'm safe, I have a.... family, though only me and Rene are biologically related. Nicole and Eret, they're like older siblings but also like parents to us.

 I don't want to remember the time before the mansion, the time before I met him.

 We just have to bring him back, awaken him from his slumber. I'm sure you'll understand soon enough.

 But I.... no, WE owe him, he gave us a new life, a new beginning. I have Rene back! Whatever we must do, it's completely worth it.

 He even gave us his word, swore an oath, that every life from this life forwards, we will be able to find each other again, and.... be a family again.

 He saved me, he saved us.

 I am Floyd, of the MisFerns.

 Karl stepped back from the book, after closing it gently. What did he just read? That was rather, dare he say it, wholesome. But creepy at the same time. Ominous, foreboding..... off, wrong.

 The lights were still off, and he could hear screaming and yelling from another room, it sounded like his friends, but something compelled him to read the other three books. Even if he didn't want to, he felt compelled to, and read them he did.

 The other three books were similar, except for their brief backstories. They always mentioned this 'him', Rene and Fundy were similar, but Rene was a bit more different in the matter of when he was surviving alone after being separated from his twin. Eret's and Nicole’s were completely different, probably because only Fundy and Rene were biologically related.

 They were all mostly the same in certain things though, briefly about their lives before the mansion, before...... 'him'.

 He never noticed the lights slowly turning on after reading journals after journals, he never noticed his friends' voices growing closer. He never noticed how strange their arguments were, it was no longer playful or teasing, their tones actually indicated hostility and murderous thoughts towards each other.

 He was unaware of when the MisFerns and his friends returning to the large room. He was unaware of Floyd’s little smirk as he played a rather cheerful, yet ominous, song on the piano, he was unaware that the room he was in was fully lit up, he was unaware that the swords on display were freed from their cases and now in the hands of his friends.

 He was unaware of the conflict happening around him, he was unaware of the glazed eyes of his friends, glazed with a strange red mist that people in the village used to refer to as the bloodlust of the Blood God.

 He didn't notice an extra person in the room, in the middle of the room in fact. He didn't notice that the conflict was happening around the person, slumbering deeply on a throne-like chair. He didn't notice Nicole smiling cheerfully as the conflict happened around her, just calmly holding a compass by the south side of the room as Rene held a blood stained sword at the west side of the room.

 He didn't notice how they seemed to form a circle. He didn't notice the ominous contrast of Floyd’s cheerful and innocent music with the bloody conflict and bloodshed.

 After closing the last journal, the brief pasts of all four of the MisFerns known to him, this 'him' being mentioned a lot, only then did he realize the chaos.

 "What the- Eret! What are you doing?!?! Stop them!!! Alec!! Caleb!! Why are you guys fighting?!?! Come on Eret, we need to stop th-" He suddenly cut himself off, as his vision blurred, and he looked at Eret's pure white eyes.

 Before falling into unconsciousness, all he heard was. "So you're the wildcard."

 It took a while for Karl to wake up again, and when he did, he nearly threw up at the sight of his friends corpses. They fought each other, and Karl had no idea why, they killed each other and there was a pink-haired person in the middle of the room, surrounded by corpses of his friends, and corpses of...... other people, most likely other travelers who were unfortunate enough to end up here. Piano music kept going, but Nicole and REne stood beside this new figure, happily chatting to each other and Eret...

 Eret crouched down to look at Karl. "Hello Karl."

 Karl coughed. "Eret, what is this? What did you make my friends do?!?!" He wanted to scream, but he found his voice unnaturally hoarse.

 Eret merely smiled, pure white eyes that seemed to look into your soul made shivers crawl down his spine. He didn't answer his questions, instead merely saying. "You've read the journals I see, you're the wildcard he spoke of. We have been waiting for you, we had so many people come to the mansion, but we were told to wait. Until then, we weren't able to awaken him. We waited, and my, it was worth it. You are an interesting character, though you may not know it yourself. However, now, I give you a choice, join us, become a part of MisFerns, won't you Karl?"

 Karl spat at him. "You're sick if you think I will join you!! I may have compassion for you four after reading the journals, and might have joined, if you hadn't murdered my friends!!"

 Eret chuckled. "Oh but you see, we, the MisFerns, his court, we will be reincarnated and find ourselves again. You have no need for those friends of yours."

 "Eret..."

 Eret leaned in closer, but recoiled as Karl swiped at him, leaving a bloody scratch on his cheek.

 "Never, I will stop you."

 "With what army?" Floyd’s childish voice, now laced with menacing undertones, rang from right behind him, it was only then did he notice the piano music had already stopped long ago.

 "Dispose of him." The pink-haired man spoke for the first time.

 He was reminded of a particular painting he saw in the mansion. The dark painting with a pink-haired man in the middle, corpses surrounding him, a figure playing piano in the background.

 He remembered all that had happened when he was in a trance reading the journals now. And only now, did he realise how mocking it was, to have such cheerful, bright and innocent music played while a horrifying waltz of blood and death went on.

 "Who are you?!?!" Karl choked in fear as Eret passed Floyd a knife. The teen spun it around skillfully before smirking at Karl.

 "He's the Blood God, of course~~"

 The sing-song voice was the last he heard, before a knife was plunged into his neck.

 "Blood for the Blood God." Rene laughed, joined by the rest of the MisFerns, as Karl's limp body joined the group of corpses. The pink-haired man, the Blood God, retrieved the same bloodstained weapon that Rene had been holding during the ritual to awaken him, as he marched out of the mansion, followed by the children he had saved, followed by his court, as they went to paint a picture of red.

 Starting with the villages that hasn't fallen to the bloodlust just like the village where the killers had killed the villagers, just like the village where the five travelers had escaped from.

 "Blood for the Blood God."

  In the future, the exact same Karl stepped out of a purplish green swirly portal, shaky and traumatized as his soul returned to him after another bout of time traveling.

 He attempted to find out the origins of the Blood God that he had heard about for a very long time, and he got more than he wanted. He had already started forgetting, so the month had been spent on traveling to his pasts and even involving himself in other past events that he needed to know about.

 That he needed to prevent from happening again.

 Eret.... he remembered now, Eret. During his rest of the time travelling journeys, it was always Eret who confronted him, the immortal waiting for the rest of his family.

 He knew who he had to stop, he always knows, but he had to find out the origins of it all, those journals. They provided him the clue.

 He had no clue why they were like that, he always wondered why they were able to meet each other after every reincarnation, why every day, Eret would wait patiently for something, that something turned out to be his family.

 For their gathering, for the awakening of the Blood God.

 He sat down and started writing in his diary.

 Entry ???

 The Misferns Mansion, this was the first version of the MisFerns, the creation of the Blood God's court. Every time they are gathered, the Blood God will be able to awaken, and no matter if the ritual failed or succeeded, bloodshed will always prevail during the time he has awoken.

 I have tried to stop them every time, I remember now, every life they reincarnate into, all I could do is prevent them from meeting. And I..... was sadly not that successful at that.

 That man with the white eyes, his name is the same as King Eret. But it can't be him, King Eret is completely different than MisFerns Eret, besides, Eret, in every life, has always been using different names anyway.

 Remember, to find them, find Eret, he usually goes by different names, you will always know who he is by his pure white eyes.

 I am.... starting to forget more and more. The memories are blurring together, I must write it all down.

 You did it every life, now that you remember what to do again, you can't forget!! You MUST NOT FORGET!!!

 I can't forget my friends from that time!! I can't forget my friends here either!! I can't!!!

 You must not forget,, you can't forget, remember remember remember remember remember REMEMBER!!!!!

 REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!!!

 You can't forget....

 You have to stop the MisFerns from finding each other in this life too.

 You can't......

 You can't let the same thing happen.

 Not again.

 Remember who you are.

 -Karl Jacobs

 He signed off the diary entry and added it to his growing library of diaries. He sighed, as he rubbed his head, time-traveling took a toll on his memory, it kept getting worse.

 He stepped out of his little cottage, desperately trying to forget the events he had just witnessed from that bout of time travel.

 He needed a break, he can't keep doing this without taking breaks. He wanted to scream, he wanted someone to vent to, but he can't. He has to keep this a secret.

 All he has to do, is prevent the MisFerns from meeting in this life. He decided to take a walk, his mind temporarily forgetting about the mansion by the woods.

 Until he walks by Erets castle, he saw Fundy and Ranboo chasing each other, Eret and Niki watching them while peacefully talking. Nothing rings a bell until.....

 “Hey Karl!”

 “Oh, hey Fundy! What are you guys so excited about?”

 Ranboo slung his hand over Fundy’s shoulder, Karl noticed that they seemed to have reconciled since whatever happened between them during Doomsday, the fight that tore the two friends who were as close as twins apart, the fight that completely destroyed a small nation in the Territory, which happened to be Fundy's home.

“So.... you know there’s a lot of groups, around here like, Dream team. Sleepy Bois Inc, and the factions and countries too. You know, all that jazz.”

 Karl started to have flashbacks back to that hauntingly innocent mansion in the woods where he and his friends had met their demise. And he felt like a stone had sunk in his stomach, not sure why he was feeling so uneasy.

 They were his friends, why did he feel uneasy around them?

 “Yes....?” He drew out the word.

 Fundy and Ranboo exchange scheming looks, Niki, put her hand on Karl’s shoulder, some sort of look in her eyes he remembered from another woman from a long time ago. And when did she get behind him?!

 He also remembered she held that look just a few weeks ago, when he had heard and witnessed her and Manifold’s attempts to kill another person, Tommy. No one got in their way, conflicts were natural, deaths rarely happened.

 And Eret, he was slowly approaching him, and he slowly took of his glasses, revealing his pure white eyes. Those eyes, it seemed familiar, too familiar.

He wished his memories weren't that bad now, he wished that he had his diaries with him to consult why it was so familiar.

 “Our initials, F, E, R, N, it makes a nice word you know, Fern.” Ranboo said.

 “But Fern as a group name doesn’t sound that nice, and-“

 Fundy interrupted Ranboo who just looked exasperated but not annoyed. “We ARE like a family of misfits. It's such a miracle, don't you think? That me and Fundy just met, and we are already as thick as thieves, we're like twins!!”

 Oh no.... Karl remembered too late, he should’ve known!! Ever since he returned from his time traveling trip to refresh his memories, he should've immediately remembered. He should’ve drawn parallels to their names with the past four of the Misfern Mansion.

 He could see them now. The four from the mansion’s faces occasionally overlapping Fundy’s, Niki’s, Eret’s and Ranboo’s. Floyd and Fundy, Nicole and Niki, Eret was the same as always, and Rene and Ranboo.

 Eret, he didn't change his name this time. He always wore sunglasses, pure white, blinding creepy eyes that stared into your soul.

 He remembered that in every life, Rene's incarnations had dual-tone features somewhere on his body, always visible, sometimes his hair, sometimes his eyes, sometimes a birthmark on his face or limbs.

 Then Floyd and his incarnations, he always had white streaks in his brightly coloured hair.

 Niki was the enigma that was unique every life, but she would slowly start remembering through dreams, that was what he remembered now after many attempts to stop them from meeting.

 Karl saw Niki, Fundy and Ranboo smile at him. It wasn't any of those genuine, joking or teasing smiles. These smiles were smug, they were victorious. This was the life that all four of them had conflicts against each other, no matter how much Eret tried to get them to remember. And yet, this was also the life that Karl's time traveling toll had finally caught up on him.

 “Welcome,” Niki slowly pushed Karl towards the castle entrance, Fundy and Ranboo flanking behind him. Eret walking in front of them all.