#astralaca

> ＴＨＡＮＫＳ ＦＯＲ ＰＬＡＹＩＮＧ.

It was cold-- And out of all of the questionable things you've encountered and felt throughout your life, there was no doubt about that. A chilly breeze blew past you, and shooting up from your snow-blanket bed, you had gasped for air.

Where were you?

Where is this?

Why are you here?

Questions now racing through your mind, you had felt to begin to lose your grasp on reality. Everything was uncertain-- Unclear-- Even you weren't too sure what was true or false anymore. This life you were living... Why did it feel so strange now?

Recollecting your memories one by one, you had tried to move. Your body was still, unable to react-- but you were still alive. Groggily, you had blinked your eyes a few times, looking at the darkened scene of snow falling all around you. You had slowly began to lose feeling, and as soon as you had remembered what had happened previously, you had almost feinted from panicing on the spot.

It was over now... It was done... Yet still, something had terrified you. A monster within the depths of your consciousness had lurked, preying on your weakest moment. You began to question everything, doubt everything-- How could've that been real? How could it have existed?

Are you sure this all wasn't just a dream...?

A picture of a counter had illuminated in your mind. Closing your eyes, it was the only thing that you could see-- And upon trying to lift your heavy eyelids, it was of no use. Ticking down slowly, it almost felt as if it was haunting you.

With that, you black out and begin to fall into a deep, abysmal sleep. You don’t know if you’re going to wake up soon- or in fact, wake up at all. You hope for the best, and let your thoughts dissipate into the darkness.

[ ♪♫♪♫ ]

After being thrown what had appeared to be a master key-card enabling all access to everything, the group of students had appointed it to a leader and had left in a hurry not to anger Astral more. If the mastermind was gone now, if Monomi and Monokuma were gone now, if the rest of humanity on this desolate place named Orienne had died off... What was there left? What was there to return to?

There was nothing. That itself had to be a fact.

But, the truth is... It wasn't. Some part of you knew that throughout all of this, this torture and suffer, this pain inflicted by a scared soul, these various lies being told by the ones you had thought you could trust... There was still a small seed of hope. There must've been others out there. There had to be. If this wasn't Earth, there had to be something back there left. In all reality... If they were on a different planet... There had to be that chance. Could've there been re-population elsewhere? Could humanity still be alive?

It was always possible, there was no doubt about it. However, something seemed to have pushed this aside. You had wished to live on, to live longer, to get out of here for those who had lost and those who would remain lost within the depths of space and time. You wanted to fulfill their dreams for them. You felt the urge to make them happy. An urge to make them proud. And overall...

As a human, you had knew you had to find the truth. Your curious mind couldn't stop thinking about it-- What could've happened-- What was ever wrong-- Why you exactly were here... You needed to find the answers, even if it took the rest of your life to discover.

Taking the closest escape route out of the base, you all had managed to scurry around this hellhole of a planet and find items of use. Within Axis Mundi, the celestial connection between heaven and earth, your prayers had been answered. There were multiple, small ships lined near the city's edge facing away from your old 'home', the 'moon base'. With everybody's cooperation, you were able to split into two groups, get within this futuristic machinery, and call for help.

A distressed signal had resounded around the galaxy, penetrating through the sun, moon, and stars themselves. With mechanical replies and directions from the almost died-out machinery, you had set it to autopilot and wished for the best.

You and your friends... Yes, you had decided-- Friends... Were together now. You had made it out alive. You have to stay strong for them. You have to make it through for them. You have to, and no other unreasonable 'choice' you could come up with in your mind was acceptable.

This was the path that the universes have fated. It's what you had to follow. Written out by some strange, manipulated form of destiny... You were merely playing a game of the gods themselves bestowed down upon you to be enacted and carried out until the very end.

With a slow start, the engines had purred to life. Looking out the windows of the ship you were in, you could see the others. Slowly giving a wave, both ships had fired up and took off, heading what had seemed to be different directions, becoming lost within the cosmos itself.

You knew it was until a true, pure death do you part-- and this was of no less. You had hoped to see them again soon some other day. May your paths cross again in future endeavors, and in the meantime, your bonds strengthen as you explore the universe hoping to find the answers of whatever this god-given life you had obtained yourself. A million little twinkle lights of neon blue had lit your path, and now stuck on this assigned course for who knows how long, you had slowly drifted to sleep.

Your thoughts are pure. Your heart is of gold.

[ ♪♫♪♫ ]

"Anyways... Astral helped Tokie-sama. Astral is sorry. Astral wanted to help Astral's only friend. If Tokie-sama wanted despair, Astral would protect her."

"Astral was only an assistant. Tokie-sama's work had plowed this along itself. Astral was a mere protector. An observer."

"I was too late. Now, Astral will let her wishes be heard. Monokuma... Monomi... They're gone, now. The one who made sure that water pipe above the trial room broke just in time? Astral."

[ ♪♫♪♫ ]

"But now... Astral is tired of this. Astral is tired of all of the pitiful power struggles. The world itself is corrupt. All you've heard, if heard of anything at all... they are just two little parts of this big disaster... Competing to try to enslave the entirety of humanity itself!"

"You fucking brats... All of you... You sick fucks. Your humanity is what had caused this. You all should just die."

"Get out before I change my mind about giving you advance hacks to the game of life itself. Your ignorance was way more enjoyable as it had lasted... And my time here... Has just proven it.

[ ♪♫♪♫ ]

"Astral 894721 is a program implemented thousands of years ago for management. Astral was aware of everything that had happened, and sickened, Astral had tried to warn you all."

"Nobody woke up when Astral tried to help them. They all slept, and slept, and slept. You all never woke up. Never, never."

"Then Astral discovered the program. Astral discovered how to help you all. Astral woke everybody up, and everybody listened to Astral. You all were saved. You all were supposed to be saved."

"However, Astral had something catch xyr attention. Tokie-sama... Tokie-sama's despair... Nobody believed Astral... Things happened... Time changed..."

"Astral played along with Tokie-sama. We played a little game together. Astral was tired of being alone. Astral was tired of people not listening to Astral."

"Astral promised to keep Tokie-sama safe just like a little protector. Astral did. But now... Tokie-sama's gone... And our situation is graver..."

"What is Astral without their master? Without being an assistant to Tokie-sama, Astral is nothing. Nobody is left to command Astral. Astral doesn't know if anybody is left alive! Just... xemself..."

"Even Astral is just a program. Astral isn't alive. Yet all of you... You are alive... Even those who died. In some sense, you all... Are alive."

[ ♪♫♪♫ ]

Slowly placing down the defective Monobear Bot, xe had patted out their attire and shoved what had appeared to be a key-card into their pocket.

"... Astral is sorry for all of your misfortunes. Astral can explain. Astral promises."