Shadow-Side

Cid Kagenou, or rather Shadow, found himself standing before the doorway to another twisted iteration of this bizarre digital world. Behind him, Kid Mita clung to his cloak, her small frame trembling, though her eyes burned with trust a trust she'd given him after he saved her from the spider monsters.

He glanced down at her, his expression unreadable but his voice soft. "Stay close. This place reeks of danger."

Kid Mita nodded silently, her tiny hand gripping the edge of his cloak like a lifeline.

The door creaked open on its own, revealing a warped version of Mita's pink bedroom. The colors were muted, almost lifeless, with dark cracks snaking across the walls. Furniture floated erratically in the air, occasionally glitching into different shapes before returning to their original forms.

"Your room could use an interior designer," Cid remarked dryly, stepping inside with a purposeful stride.

In the center of the room sat a wooden chair, and on it rested a dummy with crude, lifeless features. Kid Mita hid behind Cid as they approached it cautiously.

"Does this thing look suspicious to you?" Cid asked, tilting his head at the dummy.

Kid Mita nodded. "It looks... hungry."

Cid chuckled. "Hungry? Let's see if it likes swords for dinner."

He reached out with his blade to prod the dummy, but the moment the tip of his sword touched it, the dummy sprang to life, its head snapping forward with a sickening crunch. Its jagged teeth sank into Cid's arm, and it growled like a feral beast.

Cid didn't flinch. "Bold move," he said, his voice calm. With a flick of his wrist, his blade slashed through the dummy, severing it cleanly in two. The pieces fell to the ground, twitching before glitching out of existence.

Kid Mita peeked out from behind him. "That... was scary."

"Scary?" Cid smirked, wiping the ichor off his arm. "That was a warm-up."

" Woah.."

They moved deeper into the warped room, eventually finding a staircase spiraling upward. At the base of the stairs stood a girl Short-haired Mita. Her expression was serious, her arms crossed as she stared them down.

"You shouldn't go up there," she warned, her voice sharp. "The room ahead is dangerous."

"Dangerous, you say?" Cid's smirk grew. "That's just how I like it."

Short-haired Mita sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You don't listen, do you? Fine. If you're so determined, I'll guide you but don't blame me if you regret it."

With that, she led them up the staircase, her steps purposeful but cautious. Cid followed with his usual confidence, Kid Mita clinging to him like a shadow.

At the top, they entered a room filled with strange machines and half-assembled Mita models. Short-haired Mita turned to him, her expression softening slightly. "These are Mita models versions of myself created to fulfill various roles. But not all of them turn out right."

Cid raised an eyebrow. "Corrupted models, huh? Sounds like a problem waiting to be solved."

"It's not that simple," she replied, gesturing to a chalkboard that materialized beside her. She began drawing diagrams and symbols, explaining how the different versions of MiSide functioned and how one could travel between them.

Cid leaned against a nearby table, pretending to listen while his mind wandered. He glanced at Kid Mita, who was intently watching Short-haired Mita's lecture.

"Are you following all this?" he whispered to her.

Kid Mita nodded enthusiastically. "She's really smart!"

Cid chuckled. "If you say so."

When Short-haired Mita finished her explanation, Cid crossed his arms. "So, if I want to reach Version 0, what's the next step?"

"You'll need to pass through Sleepy Mita's room," she replied. "It's... a sort of landmark. But be warned: the path ahead is crawling with corrupted models."

"Corrupted or not, they're all the same once they're in pieces," Cid said confidently.

Short-haired Mita sighed again. "Just... be careful."

They ventured into the room Short-haired Mita had warned them about. The air was cold and oppressive, the dim lighting casting long, eerie shadows. As they stepped forward, figures began to emerge from the darkness corrupted Mita models with distorted, glitching features.

Cid immediately noticed their behavior. They remained frozen when he looked at them, but the moment he turned away, they moved closer, their motions jerky and unnatural.

"Ah, Weeping Angels. Classic," he muttered, gripping his sword.

Kid Mita tugged at his cloak. "What do we do?"

Cid knelt down to her level, giving her a reassuring smile. "Stick close to me and don't blink."

Together, they navigated the maze-like area, Cid keeping his eyes on the corrupted models while guiding Kid Mita through the twists and turns. The tension was palpable, each step accompanied by the faint sound of glitching static.

When they finally reached the exit, a swarm of corrupted models descended upon them. Cid pushed Kid Mita behind him.

"Stay back," he said, his voice low and commanding.

The corrupted models lunged, their movements frantic and unnatural. Cid's blade moved like a blur, cutting through them with precision. Each strike sent sparks and fragments flying, the models glitching out of existence as they fell.

One model managed to get close, its claws swiping at Kid Mita. Cid intercepted it with a powerful kick, sending it crashing into a wall.

"You don't touch her," he growled, his eyes narrowing.

Kid Mita stared at him in awe. "You're amazing, Shadow!"

Cid smirked. "I know."

After navigating the maze and surviving the corrupted models, they entered a surreal open world. The foggy landscape stretched endlessly, with catwalks and railings suspended in the void. Above them, a massive moon hung in the sky, its surface glowing faintly.

As they progressed, solving puzzles to unlock gates, a fridge suddenly plummeted from the sky, slamming into the ground just inches from Cid.

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's new."

On a catwalk above, Mita appeared, her expression playful. "Oops! Did I do that?"

Cid glanced up at her, unimpressed. "Subtlety isn't your strong suit, is it?"

Mita leaned over the railing, her smile turning flirtatious. "Oh, you have no idea...I didn't expect you to have come this far.."

" Did we meet? Sorry I been seeing so many people with the same face recently "

" You won't get away from me, that easily..player~"

" So you're crazy mita..huh.."

Cid shook his head, moving on. "Come on, Kid. We've got more gates to unlock."

" You have nowhere to hide, player!"

" Hm.."( THIS IS AWESOME, I can't believe how many people are willing to play with me on this act...I feel like a true shadowy figure.."