"...What... What am I doing here?"
A valid and genuine question, Adam asked not just himself, but the woman before him.
His eyes show obvious fear and unease. But at the same time excitement.
He has a rather weird relationship with Beatrice.
This witch is basically the God of the World, and exist at higher position than even Losdeus.
He continued to speak.
"No why am I even before you again? Wasn’t I...
Adam struggled to form words, as he began to fumble on his speech. Trying his best to grasp the situation.
Yet, he could not find sense out of the scenario he currently finds himself in.
One minute, he discovered he had obtained a powerful new lore ability. One that would allowed him to traverse time, dimensions, and different universe’s.
Then the next moment he found himself before a familiar face.
Beatrice smiled at him as she commented.
"Fufufu... what a noisy child. Still... It is good to see you again Dane."
She paused, her finger at her lips as she said.
"Should I call you Adam now."
Adam groaned, as he tried to raise his hand to scratch the back of his head, but his movement feel weird.
And his body felt all kinds of wrong at this very moment.
He asked suprise as he extended his arms forward.
Beatrice look gigantic, from where he sat.
Originally the thought she appeared before him in giant form. If this woman cause just casually blow up universe’s on a whim.
What is stopping her from becoming a giant.
But Adam soon found out the truth.
It was not that she was big, rather it more like he was the one that was small.
Also his sands were soft, and they look like fabric, it didn’t take a genius to understand what had happened to Adam
"Be... Beatrice, w-w-why am I a doll?!"
A short frame of silence was shared between the two, as Beatrice did not answer right away.
But she soon broke that silence, as she replied back saying.
"Now, now, don’t go losing your wits, my favourite human. I need those ears open, and not ringing with panic. Your current form is that of a plushie for a reason, just role with it for the time being."
Beatrice explain calmly.
She said while pausing briefly.
"You see, dear Adam... I just wanted to tell, or rather inform you that your basically dead."
Another wave of silence came between the two as Adam asked folding his doll hands.
Clearly loss for words.
"Hahaha... Come again?!"
"...T-That can’t be right I...
But before Adam could argue for his life, Beatrice silence him by saying.
"Now, now, I said your dead, but I never said it was over."
"Wait, does that mean you will?"
"Yes I will bring you back to life just this once, well maybe multiple times, if you play a game with me. To further increase my entertainment. However, let’s not get into that now. Firstly let me explain what happened."
Adam was quiet now, this conversation was of the outmost importance.
He had no idea how he died, and the last thing he remember was Priscilla message to him.
"So first of all Adam...
She said firmly, clearly grabbing his already presented attention even more.
"I will admit that I had indeed know before hand that you would have eventually come back here . And to make this sweet and right to the point. What you experience with Priscilla prior to now is basically a game over."
"Yes basically a bad ending."
"Wait this AU has bad ending’s."
Adam asked a little surprised by the revelation.
"Of course it does, and you basically triggered a bad ending with Priscilla."
"She saw something that disturb her greatly in the realm of the Bleeding."
Beatrice said flatly.
"Something that will separate you from the family. Out of love and concern she sealed you away in her blood after putting you asleep for all eternity. However she died alongside your other sisters, who were trying to fight that thing who is after you."
"Wait...wait...wait... This is all moving way too fast here. What do you mean my sister’s are dead?"
"I mean just that, they died fighting something that is beyond them in both power and existence. And that very thing has a connection with the previous owner of that body you took over."
"...Nonononono this can’t be."
"Hehehe... Calm down boy, I will give you a second chance to make things right, I am the author of this universe after all."
"...Still, what you need to understand is this my dear Adam. Because Priscilla died, the power she used to seal you was one that would persist even after her death. Meaning you were seal for all Eternity. Inaccessible to no one but Priscilla, as such it count as a Dead end."
Said Beatrice causing Adam asked.
"...Is there anyway to avoid these Dead Ends, like if I just don’t die, I can avoid them right?"
"Mm... how terribly narrow-minded of you, my little protagonist, to think a Dead End is confined solely to death. Where you not listening to what I said, Dead End are scenario where you get short end of the stick."
Beatrice said as she rested her cheek on her gloved hand.
Looking at partially worried Adam, as she explained what a Dead End for him means.
"You see... Anything that renders you incapable of playing your part, which in turn makes you unable to interact, to influence, to speak your lines, ah yes, that too is a Dead End."
"As is the quiet, creeping tragedy of your dear ensemble cast... when they fall into ruin, despair, or fates unbecoming of a proper narrative fitting for a harem Protagonist. That will trigger a dead end."
These were some harsh words, troubling even.
But Adam had to hear it.
"And at the end of it all, you mustn’t forget what you are: you are not a shouen Protagonist, nor are you Hero summon to save the world."
"Rather your affinity is that of a Harem Protagonist."
"Your tale is driven by longing eyes, soft monologues, dates, sex, panty flashing, aura farming infront of girls, Derefarming, and all the perverted and romantic stuff one expect of such a charcther."
"So if your stage collapses... if your precious harem is shattered... or heaven forbid, if you die, or any of them dies, it leads to a Dead End?"
She smiled like a playwright finishing the last page of a tragedy.
"Then the script closes. And that, my favorite little human, is what a Dead End means for you."
Her words were heavy.
As Adam felt the seriousness of it weighing on his mind.
"Fuckkkk... So quite literally, avoiding them is close to impossible ha?!"
"I am afraid so, you have some crazy sisters, Priscilla is one crazy bitch. Her instincts to protect you transcend simple morale reasoning of consent... She literally kidnapped you."
"That’s so fucking hot as it is concerning... but still, I would rather walk free in an open world than a prison."
"And awake as well...
Beatrice chuckled at Adam response as she said while taking a sip of her tea.
"And that’s why your genre affinity is archetypal harem."
"Ufufufu... how utterly indecent. A shameless little pervert to the very core."
She didn’t scold Adam for his perversion.
Rather she was happy about it.
Her logic dictates all people personality types falls under a genre of story telling.
And logical nature make her crave for entertainment of any kind.
Her greatness enemy was boredom.
Just like her master and teacher.
She finds purpose and asmument playing games, trying new things, or watching over different reality and manipulate event from the shadows.
As that was the nature of her Kaplana logic.
"But that is precisely what makes you such delightful entertainment. I must say, I’m thoroughly enjoying this performance you call reality."
Her smile curved like the edge of a guillotine.
"But just like myself you don’t want the story to end just yet right?!"
This time around her presence seem more threatening than comforting.
As her smile widen into menacing arc.
Adam soul tremble even more before Beatrice true nature that was slipping through as he inwardly comment to himself inside his head.
’She really is a Witch.’
But still Beatrice was indeed right, he didn’t want his story to end .
"Yeah, I don’t want it to end . My ultimate goal is to create my perfect harem."
"Beyond that I really don’t care about anything else."
"Splendid, splendid! At last, we approach a conclusion worthy of the stage, dear Adam."
She clapped her hands once, gently, like an aristocrat applauding to the end of a glorious play.
"So allow me to dispense with pleasantries, yes?"
"You’ve spent five long, agonizing years clawing at power, peeling back the skin of this world to devour its secrets. And now... I daresay, without a single flicker of doubt, when cornered, you burn brilliantly."
"So let us be frank, shall we?"
She leaned closer to the doll, her voice soft but echoing somehow, but that was the least of Adam’s concerns.
"So Dane Harper... or no rather, Adam Novels... would you care to form a contract with me?"