delilahanneiris

[delilahanneiris]

i think i started falling somewhere between your laughter and the way you say my name, and now every sunset feels like home because you're in it.

To the dearest out of all,

This will be your very first letter from me, and I know it won't cover everything I want to say to you, but let me try.

I don't know when it started exactly, was it the moment you joined us, or the moment you started to pay a special attention to me? But the most obvious thing I've realized now, from a few months back, through a whole 31 days and up until now, is that every corner I walk into feels lighter.

Brighter.

Like the kind of place where laughter doesn't just slip out. It bubbles up, loud, and safe that even my friends had noticed the whole changes.

Been awhile...

It's been a while since I laughed like this, since I could feel my own radiance. And it's all happened ever since you've been around, orbiting my life.

I know I'm still a bit childish sometimes, as a partner or as my own person. Unsure of myself, still figuring out how to love gently and confidently, and that was when you came, not in some overly grand or dramatic way, but in the most limsejum kind. Fun, full of laughter, weird, so colorful, like a scene from the romcom I thought had never been my taste.

A fresh-baked bread on a cozy day, or popping candies that spark and leave me showing various expressions without even meaning to: sweet, sour, spicy, whatever flavor we are, we just click. And I love it. I love us.

This past month...

This past month with you? It has felt like a never-ending summer. Even though spring is showering us with petals right now, you're that newly-washed blanket after sunlight, or the lemonade, or the greenest grass with blue skies up above and cicadas hopping around, wrapping the both of us.

It's strange, isn't it? How something so new can already feel like home.

Sunset...

Sunset has been the peak of my day ever since. Time where everything slows down and I know we get to find our way back to each other again. You wind me down without even trying to arrange the perfect words. Nothing feels sugar-coated; just you being you, talking about everything and nothing with me, and it resets my whole day.

For that, I'm very thankful for you (always will be). For being the laugh in my quiet, for taking care of me, for being here. And even though I may not always know the perfect way to express it (speechless and all blushing most of the time—), I want to keep learning how to love more clearly, more you-shaped, every day from here on out.

So here's to us, to the full-circle laughs, the quiet affection, the random talks, and all the flavors we're still discovering together.

I'm so, so lucky it's you.

— yours.

_______________

P.S. in case X messed up the quality of our scrapbook...

[delilahanneiris]

iv. in another timeline, have my other self made it out too?

Have you ever become a particle inside a cube of plasma, suspended in endless motion, or felt that moment when the movie you've been watching finally reaches its climax?

That was what Delilah felt when the blinding light almost burned her vision. Not a chance to take her breath, the mirrored walls around her refracted the glow in infinite directions, multiplying her reflection again and again until she felt like she was standing in a sea of herself.

Then the light flickered.

Her reflections moved.

Not in sync with her. Not naturally. One of them tilted its head a second too late. Another curled its lips into a smirk when she hadn't.

Her stomach twisted.

That wasn't her.

A crack split in the air like shattering glass. The mirrors began to warp; from edges flickering to dissolving into pixels, pieces of the room deleting before her eyes.

It was falling apart.

She ran.

Her foot hit the ground just as the last of the mirrored walls vanished into static, dissolving into a single hallway ahead. She didn't stop to question it. The walls around her glitched, their edges jagged.

Her body screamed to keep moving, but her mind... her mind was still stuck in the maze, replaying the other her.

What if she hadn't been fast enough?

What if it wasn't her who escaped?

The thought made her want to stop, to check, to confirm, but she couldn't. The space behind her wasn't just disappearing.

It was being erased.

After the walls glitched, it faded.

A door loomed ahead. Coda Members.

Delilah fumbled for her ID card, fingers shaking. The glitches spread to the ceiling, black patches swallowing entire chunks of the hallway.

She swiped the card.

Error.

Her breath hitched. "No, no, no—" She swiped again.

Error.

A sharp dread stabbed through her gut. Had she used the wrong ID? Was she even registered anymore?

Green.

The door clicked open. She threw herself inside.

The moment she crossed the threshold, the noise stopped. She landed hard, breath ragged, and looked up.

The room was... normal.

Too normal. Couches. A vending machine humming softly. Three doors labeled Emergency Exit, Ladies' Bedroom, Gentlemen's Bedroom.

Other members were already inside, talking, resting, seemed to not know yet to the fact that the space outside had ceased to exist.

Her fingers twitched.

She still felt real.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus. On the table, a single camera sat next to an instruction screen.

Each member has a piece of the clues. Gather them to unlock the last room.

Something small crinkled in her pocket. She pulled out a slip of paper.

OHW.

Her brain took a second to unscramble it. "Who?"

The others checked their pockets, pulling out similar cryptic words. One by one, they laid them out on the table.

Intertwine DNA and hum. Signals where room networking. The threshold, the beyond. Ascend way, the know who. Those by but not. Unbarred stands gate, final. The air meets steel. Where upward. Path the route. The escape, seek.

Something buzzed.

Delilah's stomach dropped.

The far end of the room flickered. The deletion had followed her inside.

Vanished.

No time.

The deletion spread faster. The vending machine blinked out of existence. The far couch collapsed into raw pixels.

Think. Think. THINK.

"Intertwine," someone muttered, reading aloud. "DNA and hum. Maybe… maybe we need to activate something?"

Glitched.

"The gate, final." Delilah ran a hand through her hair. "It sounds like it's talking about a door."

Another member nodded toward the emergency exit. "But which one?"

Deleted.

Her eyes darted to the clue. The air meets steel.

"The air meets steel," Delilah murmured. She turned toward the room, glancing upward. A ventilation grate sat high on the wall, metal glinting under the light.

Disappeared.

"Here, a vent." She scrambled toward it. Fingers brushed metal, searching a keyhole.

But no key.

Someone swore. "We don't have a key!"

Reset.

As Delilah ran her fingers over the metal surface, she felt something shift. The words weren't just a riddle.

"Intertwine DNA and hum," she repeated, heart pounding. "It's us. We need to work together."

But a command.

"We have to activate it." Someone turned, urgent. "Together."

One by one, the members placed their hands against the metal. And then, uncertain at first, but growing stronger, they hummed.

Nothingness.

A deep, reverberating sound filled the air, vibrating through their fingertips.

A click.

The vent creaked open.

No hesitation. Delilah pulled herself up, every muscle straining.

Escaped.

The deletion reached the table. The camera blinked once before disappearing.

"Hurry!"

One by one, they climbed.

Delilah pulled herself through. She risked one last glance below, and—

The room is ceasing to exist.

They had made it.

***

Delilah swung her legs over the edge and stepped outside, letting the cool night air hit her skin. The grass beneath her feet felt real, wet, cold, like she hadn't really felt in days.

The sky was open with stars, moon, and the crickets. Nothing like the catastrophic spaces she'd just escaped.

She let out a long exhale, letting all the tension from the past fourteen days wash off. The endless puzzles, the mirrors, the rush... it was finally over. She was here, in the real world. In herself. No more glitches, no more warped reflections. Just her.

She closed her eyes for a second, feeling the weight lift.

A smile tugged at her lips, but it quickly turned into a soft laugh. She couldn't deny that her counterpart had given her a sense of freedom, an edge she hadn't known she had before. If it hadn't been for that mirror version of herself, she might not have had the courage to face the rooms, the challenges, the fear. Every single of it.

Tears welled up, but it wasn't from anything bad. Just pure relief. The medics were coming, but for now, she let herself fall apart for a second.

Outside, in the night of freedom, with no walls around her, Delilah finally felt free.

"2025... 2033... 2027... 2035... it makes no sense, but I hope in another timeline, my other self has made it out, too."

— D

[delilahanneiris]

multiverse of the multi-mess.

What room is this again? Ah, the sixth room. But...

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

Delilah stood there, staring at a single, jet-black wall as the only way forward. It was different from the other escape rooms. No puzzles, no fish-related betrayal, no gravity shenanigans. Just... a void. A solid, unmoving black square that felt more like an absence than a doorway.

She glanced behind her. The last room had already sealed shut. No turning back.

No tricks, just straight-up existential horror.

She took her time, scanning for hidden mechanisms, buttons, anything to delay the inevitable. Nothing.

The wall was the only way forward. And she hated that.

With a deep breath, she gathered every ounce of courage and stepped forward. Yet, the second her foot touched the darkness, the world twisted.

Not metaphorically. The entire space around her shifted, rotating like a Rubik's cube, pulling her in. She stumbled, the ground slipping from beneath her feet as walls flipped, floors turned into ceilings, and her stomach did a series of backflips trying to keep up.

Then she saw it.

Herself.

Not a reflection. Not a shadow. Another Delilah, standing on an opposing platform as if she had been there all along. And she wasn't alone.

More versions of her appeared as the room kept shifting, each one slightly different. Some looked almost identical, others... weren't quite right. One had shorter hair. One wore a different expression. Colder, unreadable. Another looked straight through her like she was a stranger.

Delilah's chest tightened. The room wasn't just rotating randomly; it was swapping her between versions of herself, pulling her through possibilities she hadn't even considered.

Then it shifted again, and she locked eyes with a version of herself that wasn’t just watching.

It was reaching.

Before she could react, a strong grip yanked her forward. The world spun violently, and she realized with horror... she wasn't the one stepping through anymore.

Her other self had pulled her out of the shifting maze, and now she was stuck inside.

She scrambled, pushing against the invisible boundary between them. Her other self stood there, staring back. But it didn't move to help.

It just smirked.

Then the black wall swallowed her whole, and the last thing she saw was her own back walking toward the exit.

And she had no idea if that was still her.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

iii. a gravity-defying disaster.

ᅠ Dry. Confused. Her brain was almost at its limit.

Yet, the moment Delilah stepped into the next escape room, the one that had probably been waiting for her excitedly like everything in Coda, her stomach dropped.

And then, so did everything else.

Except for her.

Instead of falling normally, she shot upward, smacking against the ceiling with a solid thump. Her back stuck instantly, like she was a fridge magnet, limbs sprawled as she tried to process what had just happened.

"Ugh..."

Gravity had flipped. The floor, the real floor, was far beneath her. Down there, a fish tank sat undisturbed, unaffected by the fact physics had just decided to take a vacation. And right beside it was the exit door.

"Thank you. This is a rollercoaster," she whispered, trying to peel herself off the ceiling. No luck. "Guess I live up here now."

Turning her head, she spotted a glowing screen nearby. It displayed a list of names, each paired with a type of fish. Her eyes scanned down until she found hers.

30. Delilah - Neon Tetra.

Alright. Simple enough. Find the neon tetra, put it in the tank, and hopefully, gravity would fix itself.

Easier said than done when she was stuck to the ceiling like a failed Spider-Man experiment.

Delilah forced herself to move, shuffling against the upside-down surface in a weird movement. Below her, a pile of toy brick pieces floated, each one a disassembled puzzle waiting to be put together. She reached for one, fumbling against gravity's betrayal, and grabbed what looked close enough to a neon tetra. It was small. It was fish-shaped. Good enough.

The second her fingers closed around it, a gallon of water slammed into her face.

She coughed and sputtered. "What? I didn't even—why?"

The water retreated. She wiped her face, blinking down at the fish toy she had grabbed.

It was not a neon tetra.

"Of course," she groaned, tossing it aside. "Coda's fish tank has a security system now."

Dripping wet, she carefully searched again, scanning the brick pieces until she finally found the actual neon tetra puzzle.

It was a slider puzzle. A 5x5 grid.

Good luck, myself.

With an exhausted sigh, she started shifting the pieces into place. Left, right, down... Wait, no, that messed it up. Back, then left again.

Then, another wave of water slammed into her.

She spat out, squinting at the tank below. "I'm literally solving it. Can you chill?"

The fish puzzle did not chill.

And neither did the rising pressure in her chest.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for the puzzle again. It was just a game. Just another room. But somehow, the weight of everything, from the upside-down gravity to the exhaustion, started eating up her muscles. Exhaustion hit her like a tidal wave.

Delilah let out a big sigh. Not now. She really felt like crying. From escape room one to five, it had been the longest rollercoaster on Earth. Some challenges were serious, some were silly, and others had pressed on her anxiety like a weight she couldn't shake.

"Okay, it'll be fine," she said to herself. "We just need to slide this puzzle to form the neon tetra, and then we will breathe fresh air. Delilah, you are good to go now."

She took a deep breath, stretched her arms, and rushed through the rest of the puzzle. Her fingers, as well as her brain, moved as fast as she could before another tsunami smacked her in the face. Piece by piece, the tetra's blue-and-red colors aligned, forming the correct shape.

She exhaled. Done.

Now, for the moment of truth.

Stretching her arms as far as she could, she tossed the finished fish puzzle into the tank below.

The second it landed, gravity snapped back.

Delilah plummeted.

She screamed, but honestly, it was a happy scream. Thankfully, she landed in a safety net with a hard bounce.

"Okay... I miss home."

And for the next ten minutes, Delilah just lay there, arms out, soaking wet. She breathed in silence, then closed her eyes to let the exhaustion soak into her bones.

Her body still felt heavy, her mind running through every challenge before this. It wasn't just her body that had been tested in these rooms. It was everything.

Finally, she sighed, sat up, and grabbed the door handle in front of her.

"We are almost there. Make yourself proud," she explained, yanking it open and escaping before the room got more ideas.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

planetarium: when in doubt, trust the constellations.

Delilah barely had time to catch her breath before the door slammed shut behind her. Immediately, her body felt wrong, like someone had doubled her weight. Her legs wobbled, her arms felt like lead, and even lifting her head was a struggle.

Great. Another messed-up room.

She spotted a rack of suits, a glowing sign above them reading: WEAR THIS.

"Mission Impossible?" she muttered, forcing herself forward. When she finally grabbed a suit, she nearly collapsed trying to put it on. But the second it sealed shut, a soft hiss filled her ears, and... Whoa.

Her body felt lighter. Not normal, but at least she could move without feeling like a crushed soda can.

Then things got weirder.

Her fingers looked thinner. Reflection in the helmet visor showed wrinkles that definitely weren't there before. Her breath hitched. She was... aging.

But strangely, she wasn't surprised. If anything, she felt like she understood what was happening. Like she'd done this before? Maybe in another life? Another loop? No time to question it.

Delilah then navigated through dimly lit halls, her suit's boots clicking against the floor. Doors slid open automatically, leading her deeper into rooms after rooms. Then finally, she stepped into the planetarium.

Stars twinkled above, galaxies casting a glow over the room. It had been awhile.

BEEP.

Her oxygen meter flashed red.

The suit hissed. And just like that, the weight vanished.

The door clicked shut behind Delilah, but she didn't stop to take a breath. She moved as her mind wired to expect the next challenge. If this place thought it could slow her down, it had another thing coming.

A soft chime rang out.

"Welcome, Delilah. Phase One complete. Time recalibration stabilized. Proceed to Phase Two."

The ground felt like moving, the stars above pulsing in a weird rhythm. Their positions shifted, rearranging like a giant cosmic puzzle. Then, glowing text appeared in front of her.

Celestial Chemistry

Puzzle 1: The Missing Element

A holographic periodic table appeared, floating just within reach. Most of the elements were neatly in place, but a handful of spots were missing, glowing faintly. A question hovered beside it.

"Stars are born from clouds of gas and dust. Which element fuels their life cycle?"

Delilah squinted at the table. If this was supposed to be difficult, they were in for a disappointment.

"Hydrogen, obviously," she muttered, pressing the glowing spot where H belonged.

The board flickered and a deep hum vibrated through the room.

"Correct. Hydrogen fuses to form helium, releasing energy that powers the stars. Next question."

The table shifted, elements scrambling as a new question appeared. Delilah got even more confused.

"A dying star collapses, creating an explosion so powerful it forges heavier elements. Which of these is formed only in a supernova?"

The options flashed in front of her:

Iron (Fe)

Gold (Au)

Platinum (Pt)

Carbon (C)

Delilah crossed her arms. "Alright, now we're talking."

Iron was tempting, but she knew it could form in massive stars before they went supernova. Carbon? Way too easy to make. That left gold or platinum. Both were rare, both valuable.

She tapped gold (Au).

The entire room pulsed, a deep rumbling echoing in her ears.

"Correct. Gold, along with other heavy elements like platinum and uranium, is created in the extreme conditions of a supernova."

Delilah almost let out a poor snicker. "Kinda dramatic, but okay."

The periodic table flickered out of existence, and the next challenge appeared.

Navigating the Stars

Puzzle 2: The Constellation

Above her, the planetarium dome shifted, stars dancing across the sky. Then, a section of space went completely dark.

A new message appeared.

"One of the oldest constellations known to humanity is missing. Restore it."

A set of unconnected stars glowed in the air before her. Delilah tilted her head, studying the pattern. It felt familiar, like a half-forgotten memory.

Delilah stared at the floating stars, arms crossed. "Alright, brain, any time now."

The dots in the air refused to arrange themselves, and her brain refused to cooperate. She tapped her foot, then absentmindedly adjusted the marionette in her grip. Its stiff wooden limbs dangled awkwardly.

She sighed, lifting it up. "Well, buddy, unless you've got celestial navigation programmed into that creepy little head of yours, we're stuck."

The marionette's shadow stretched across the floor.

Three dots. Perfectly lined up.

Her eyes narrowed. "Wait a second…"

She tilted. Looked at the stars. Looked at the marionette. Looked back at the stars.

"Oh. Oh."

Orion's Belt. Three stars in a row. Just like the shadow.

Feeling slightly ridiculous, she adjusted her grip on the puppet and traced the rest of the constellation in the air. One star there, another there, until Orion was complete.

"Correct. Orion has guided travelers for centuries. One final challenge remains."

Delilah let out a breath and glanced down at the marionette. "I swear if you start talking, I'm throwing you into the next supernova, but thank you."

Puzzle 3: The Stellar Code

A keypad materialized in front of her. Above it, a glowing riddle:

"The sum of hydrogen's atomic number, the number of major planets in the Solar System, and the number of Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter."

Delilah frowned. "Okay, now you're just showing off."

She started doing the math in her head; Hydrogen's atomic number was 1. The Solar System had 8 major planets. Jupiter's four largest moons, the Galilean moons, made 4.

She punched in 13 and hit enter.

The keypad flashed red. A buzzer sounded.

"What? Huh?" Delilah stepped back. "I swear that's right."

The riddle hovered in front of her, taunting her. She read it again. Then, it hit her.

Jupiter had 79 moons total, but the puzzle only asked for the Galilean moons. She counted them again.

"Wait. Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto..."

There were 4.

She had miscalculated, somehow adding an extra number.

Glaring at the keypad, she typed 1 + 8 + 4 = 12.

A chime rang. The keypad flashed green. The walls of the planetarium shimmered as the stars dissolved into a single glowing doorway.

"Phase Two complete. The next door awaits."

Delilah let out a breath. "Alright, alright, I get it. I'm not an astrophysicist. Day one, the game complete."

She stretched her arms, feeling a little too proud as she walked toward the door. Right before stepping through, she looked back up at the stars.

"You know, for such a game, this place has a nice view."

— D

[delilahanneiris]

ii. mirror on the wall... who's the most unstable of them all?

September 1, 2024

Delilah's breath hitched. A sharp, phantom pain bloomed in her head.

The flower in her palm felt heavier.

She should have felt relief. But instead, all she could think was...

Who exactly just came back?

March XX, 2033

The moment Delilah landed, she expected the previous absurdity: glitching walls, shifting floors, some impossible puzzle waiting to be solved. But instead, she found herself in... a city.

Not just any city. A city that felt too perfect. The streets were clean, the buildings tall and uniform, the people moving with an eerie sense of rhythm. There was no chaos, no hesitation. Everything was in order. Too much order.

Is this how 2033 would look like?

And for some reason, it made her chest tighten. Only before she realized something.

"Oh, c'mon... this can't be real, right?"

Delilah couldn't help but hold her breath. She had seen something like this before. The memory hit her like a cold wind.

A news broadcast. Last year. She had been in her flat when it aired, half-listening as she woke up from an exhausting sleep, having just returned from Kyoto. Then...

"Breaking news from Kyoto. After weeks of uncertainty, a group of scientists and visitors to the FESE of Coda Systematic Group have been located. Officials report that they are safe and in stable condition. One of the recovered scientists stated, ‘We've done it. We brought them back. The Idyllic Domain has been stabilized. We can go home now.’"

She had frowned at the screen back then, muttering under her breath. The Idyllic Domain? Like, the time glitch was real, but the counterpart? She'd thought it was, again, a fever dream.

But now, standing here, watching the city's flawless structure, she felt it. The weight of déjà vu pressing against her skull.

She had seen a city like this before.

Not exactly this one. No, the buildings back then was different. More countryside: rolling hills, scattered houses, the peace that stretched too far. A cosmic twin, as if time itself kept reflecting each other.

And yet, the feeling was the same.

Composed. Regulated. Stifling.

Her stomach churned.

The escape room went down the hill.

"Uh..." Someone bumped into her.

"Oh, sorry," the man said automatically. Too smoothly. His face was neutral, his voice mechanical, as if he was programmed to react that way. And he was... leaping across the street.

Another step. Another bump. People kept leaping. Almost jumping.

"My apologies." Someone else said, eyes blank.

Delilah's throat tightened. She felt wrong, like something was pressing against her, making her skin crawl. A suffocating nausea clawed up her throat. The world around her blurred, her own breathing too loud in her ears.

She needed to get out. I want to puke.

Delilah turned and ran through the too-perfect crowd. Her movements felt sluggish, but she pushed forward.

Public toilet. Find a public toilet.

She spotted a building with a sign and stumbled inside, barely holding back the urge to retch.

Cold tile. White walls. The sterile scent of a restroom.

She pressed herself against the sink, gripping the edges as she tried to steady her breathing.

Then she looked up.

Mirrors.

Mirrors lined the walls, reflecting her from every angle.

And in every reflection...

Her. But not her.

Delilah stared.

The woman in the glass stared back. Her eyes were sharper, her stance more confident. There was something about her expression. A reflection of herself that didn't hesitate. That didn't second-guess. That wasn't confused or overwhelmed.

Delilah swallowed.

Her thoughts... felt different.

More reckless. More impulsive.

"You need to be reset."

Delilah's grip on the sink tightened.

The marionette in her other hand let out a faint creak.

She looked down, almost surprised to see it still there. The same cracked wooden puppet from the previous room, dangling from her grip. She had forgotten she was carrying it, but somehow, it was a must.

Had the others brought theirs too? Or was she the only one?

Then she saw it.

The door. A mirrored door at the far end of the restroom.

She stepped closer. The instructions etched onto the surface.

If you've found your equilibrium, stick the broken hole part of your identification card in the peephole. It'll unlock automatically once it recognizes you.

Equilibrium.

She exhaled, flexing her fingers.

Her movements had already adjusted to this world. Her mind had already started shifting, whether she wanted it to or not.

This place had changed her. Or maybe she did, to myself.

Delilah reached into her pocket, pulling out her Coda ID. The corner was missing, a clean break, as if it had been designed to fit into that tiny hole.

She hesitated.

"Just for a second. Please. Why is this getting heavy..." Delilah muttered, sweating.

Then she pushed the card into the peephole.

Silent.

A distant beep.

"Please... recognize me. It's me."

Then, a soft click.

The door swung open.

Delilah stepped through, leaving her reflection behind, gripping the marionette tight. Hoping she left with her soul intact as a whole, completely.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

how to escape room #2 without losing your sanity: a guide.

Delilah woke up with head pounding like she'd just pulled an all-nighter in the lab.

SNAP.

A sharp noise rang through the room. She sat up, blinking. The dim lighting didn't help, but calling this a "bedroom" felt too generous. The walls were glitching like a corrupted screen, the floor swayed under her like she was on a boat.

Where... is it? Uh, right. The key room from Kenji last time.

Then, someone's stomach growled. Great. Now she was hungry and confused.

Honestly, this was so unfair. She hadn't even touched any food in the previous room because she'd been busy figuring out that Titan Treat wasn't actually a thing (which, by the way, should have been a thing. A big treat? She hoped it was). But now? She was trapped in a moving, possibly cursed room with nothing to eat except…

She glanced up.

…a bunch of marionettes hanging from the ceiling.

Yeah. Not exactly a relief.

Her gaze darted to the door. Locked. Naturally. Because of course it was. Coda Systematic Group loved throwing curveballs.

2033. Yesterday, the timeline had glitched ten years ahead. And the coolest part? She never even voted YES for the escape room when CSG offered it to their employees. She had actively ignored the email. Yet here she was, trapped anyway.

Delilah inhaled sharply, forcing herself to focus. Okay. Facts first, existential crisis later.

The room is moving. Unsettling, but not completely unmanageable. Maybe a balance trick? Like adjusting to a ship's rhythm (reminded her to that one episode in Criminal Minds Season 1).

The environment is glitching. The doorknob kept flickering, sometimes metal, sometimes glass, once a literal banana (not helpful).

The ceiling was full of marionettes. Dangling limply, strings wired into broken light panels. It reminded her of something. Memories? A bad art installation?

She wasn't sure how, but she felt it. The colors on the walls pulsed, the entire space shifting like it was protesting something. It was resentful. Controlled.

For a brief moment, Delilah felt uneasy. As if she wasn't just looking at a glitching room, but at something that had been manipulated for too long, like a system fighting back.

She exhaled through her nose. "Right. I'm either in a fever dream or Coda has seriously outdone themselves."

Still, standing around wasn't going to get her out of here. She needed a plan, and the instruction from the monitor would help. Thankfully, her tiny notepad was still in her pocket.

"Okay, let's see.."

Step 1: Find Stability.

Right after writing the first step, the floor vibrated, nearly throwing Delilah off balance. She crouched, adjusting her weight. If she moved with the shifting motion instead of against it, she could stay upright. Within moments, the nausea faded.

She glanced at the note and wrote the next step.

Step 2: Decode the Door Issue.

Delilah reached for the knob. It turned into a rubber duck.

She blinked. "Huh."

She tried again, touching the knob. It changed. A test tube. Then a scalpel. Then, was that a candy cane?!

She groaned, flipping to the next page of the notepad.

Door = Changing. Time glitch? Pattern??

"Alright, door. You wanna play games? Let's play games."

Delilah reached into her pocket again and found a small vial filled with leftover from a lab experiment (she was lucky, and it almost felt like a plot armor in shonen manga she read).

She gave the vial a shake, watching as the liquid inside emitted a faint glow. It was a phosphorescent tracer solution, something she had been testing in the lab. The glow effect was triggered by shifts in electromagnetic fields… which meant...

Bingo!

She turned back to the knob again, observing. Holding the vial close, she watched as the liquid glows differently with each transformation.

Rubber duck.

Test tube.

Scalpel.

Metal.

Delilah's eyes lit up. It looped. Every fourth object, the knob flickered back to either a new object or metal for a second.

She scribbled on the notepad:

Knob = every 4th = metal.

Then, she rolled her shoulders, exhaled, and muttered, "Alright, let's do this."

Step 3: Deal With the Marionettes

The instructions said she needed to take one. Delilah glanced up at the lifeless figures. Did she really have to?

One of the marionettes twitched.

"Nope. Not creepy at all," she lied.

Still, she wasn't about to ignore the rules. She picked the least horrifying one; a smaller puppet with cracked wooden limbs and a missing eye.

"Alright, buddy. You and me, let's go."

The moment she unhooked it from the wires, the room shuddered violently. The walls glitched, colors bleeding into each other, the very air pressing against her skin.

"Not now. Why would I suddenly think about what happened in FESE last year?" Somehow, it just passed her mind at ten miles a second.

Step 4: The Escape

Delilah braced herself. Counting. When the doorknob flickered back to metal, she twisted it without hesitation.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then...

The door burst open, the pull of gravity shifting as she stumbled forward, gripping the marionette tight. Behind her, the room seemed to spiral inward, the swirling hues distorting into a void before it snapped shut.

Her back landed hard on the floor of the next area. The marionette clattered beside her.

Delilah groaned, staring up at the ceiling. "I swear, if the next room involves solving quantum mechanics, I'm quitting."

— D

[delilahanneiris]

i. a little tartness for the escape.

Delilah was back in CODA, returning to her role as a chemist after months of juggling her geological escapades. Science never stopped, and neither did she.

But this time wasn't about chemical reactions. It was supposed to be a new fun realm; Escape Room. Delilah wasn't entirely sure how this would improve CSG's synergy (she was sure Renji and Kenji would write a paragraph to answer her), but she didn't say no to an excuse for free food, for free time away from her lab.

As soon as she stepped into Escape Room 1, the scent of pastries, tea, and what she hoped was wine filled the air. There was an entire snack bar on the side of the room, which immediately distracted her. Just as she considered making a beeline for the treats, the lights dimmed, and the monitor flickered.

Find your members. Pay attention to the tag.

Delilah looked down. Her name tag was now glowing with an unfamiliar jumble of letters: ETRAT NITAT.

"Huh," she muttered, tilting her head. Around her, CSG employees were murmuring to themselves, trying to decipher their own tags.

Then, a voice cut through the noise.

"Tea? Snacks? Categories?" It was the choreographer, Wenji, with eyes lighting up with realization. Just like that, people around the room started forming groups based on what seemed to be food-related words.

Delilah frowned at her tag. ETRAT NITAT… nitrate? Her mind immediately jumped to nitric acid, the substance in the experiment she had been running, testing its effects on metal surfaces for CODA's latest aerospace project. But surely they wouldn't be making her think about lab work, right?

She glanced around. Some employees had already submitted their words into the monitor, earning green confirmation lights.

Ugh, pressure.

"Alright, let's think about this," she muttered, frowning hard. "ETRAT... Treat? Right, treat!" Confidence surged through her. "And NITAT… Titan?"

Delilah lifted the corner of her lips up.

It made some sense. Titan Treat? Treats were food. Titan was… big? Maybe it meant big treat. That sounded convincing enough. Without hesitation, Delilah walked up to the monitor and entered her guess.

BEEP.

The red light flashed. She needed a whole group.

"I'm doomed..." Delilah groaned. She barely had time to process her mistake before Miona, a toxicologist and one of her peers, sidled up beside her.

"Tatin Tarte?" Miona suggested.

Tatin Tarte? Oh! Pastry! That made way more sense.

With renewed enthusiasm after thanking Miona, Delilah turned to Maven, who was organizing people by one of food categories, and called out, "I'm pastry!"

A few other employees nodded, tagged with Choux, Cinnamon Rolls, and a few others had already grouped up. Delilah felt safe. She rushed back with others to the monitor, submitted the answer, and...

BEEP.

Another red light.

A voice behind her chuckled. "Uh, is Tarte even a pastry?"

Delilah froze. Her slow-moving realization caught up with her at the worst possible time. It isn't a pastry…

Now what? Wrong group? Gosh!

"I lied. I'm sorry!" Delilah bowed to the Pastry Team and turned around.

Before she could spiral into an identity crisis (thankfully), she spotted a familiar figure. It's Killian! The freelance photographer she had hired last year for a sediment project in Scotland. His tag was glowing with the word TRAT.

She brightened. Oh! Tart and treat must be in the same category. With a confident stride (again), she walked up to him and his group. "Hey! Titan Treat here!"

.....

Killian, Brian, and Irene all stared at her.

Killian blinked. "Uh, Delilah? Are you here too?"

"I'm here, I mean, I work here.. too," she said, waving off the awkwardness. "Do you guys know why the monitor keeps rejecting my answer?"

Brian, looking half-confused, asked, "What word did you submit?"

"Um... Titan Treat?" she admitted.

Irene joined in, eyes narrowing. "Titan...? And what does your tag even say?"

Delilah shrugged. "ETRAT NITAT?"

And in that second, Killian let out a deep, exasperated sigh. "Seriously? It's Tarte Tatin, silly. We're the Tart category."

For the sake of all the tart she knew, Delilah's brain short-circuited for a moment before finally catching up.

Oh.

Oh.

Welp.

"It's Tarte Tatin, silly. We're the Tart category."

"It's Tarte Tatin, silly. We're the Tart category."

Delilah was still processing what her group had explained to her when she noticed two more people joined them: Elara, a designer, and Vale, one of CODA's analysts.

If only she had realized earlier that all she had to do was read the words backwards, she wouldn't have spent the past few minutes embarrassing herself with Titan Treat.

She sighed, mentally facepalming as Killian submitted their category list.

Category: TART

Killian – TART

Brian – MERINGUE

Irene – CUSTARD

Delilah – TARTE TATIN

Vale – QUICHE

Elara – JAM

The green light! Mission Success.

Delilah groaned. "I was so confident."

Irene chuckled. "Well, the real treat."

At last, she secured her ID Card and the next room's key.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

ii. a wilted lily entangled in ivy.

The night was still. Moonlight spread across the sky, casting a silver glow. She stood alone, with the air pressing against her skin. From the darkness, a towering figure appeared. Its form like mist, its presence immense.

"You who seek to reclaim your name." Its voice bloomed like the wind through the trees. "Prove you are worthy. Only those who understand themselves may pass the trial."

The realm trembled. Then, it shattered.

The Guardian's Trial

When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else; a village, untouched by time. The scent of warm earth and blooming flowers filled the air. She knew this place.

But it was not real.

The streets were alive, voices ringing with laughter. Families sat together, sharing meals under the setting sun. And among them, a child ran past. Small, fragile, his dark hair swaying as he hurried home.

Her breath caught.

She followed. That child.

Her feet led her to a home she had long buried in her memory. The child sat by the window, waiting. His tiny hands gripped the edges of a blanket. His lips whispered words she had heard once before.

"Papa will come back soon."

Her chest ached.

The trial had brought her back to the moment she had never let go. The moment the fire had stolen everything.

She reached out.

But before her fingers could touch him, the world darkened. The warmth of the village faded. The laughter turned to echoes, then silence.

She was not alone anymore.

A second figure stood before her.

It looked like her.

But its eyes were empty.

Hollow.

The shadow stepped forward, and when it spoke, its voice was her own.

"You cannot change the past."

She took a step back.

"You held him in his final moments, but you did not save him. You could not."

Her hands clenched.

"You have carried his sorrow for so long. But did he want you to?"

She wanted to deny it.

But the truth was clear.

She had stayed in grief for so long, afraid that if she let go, she would forget him. That she would leave him behind. But in doing so, she had trapped herself. She had become lost, nameless, bound by sorrow.

Her shadow watched her, waiting.

Slowly, she knelt beside the child.

She did not reach for him this time. Instead, she whispered, "You are not alone, dear."

The air shifted. The boy turned, and for the first time, his eyes met hers. There was no fear. No sadness.

Only warmth.

And then, like a flame in the wind, he faded. The village disappeared. The shadow was gone.

And she stood before the great yokai once again, the weight in her chest now lighter.

It regarded her with knowing eyes.

"You understand now," it said.

She nodded.

"Then speak your name."

The words echoed in her mind, a piece of forgotten past resurfacing. "A wilted lily entangled in ivy." She murmured, the name just out of reach. "Layla... Layla..."

The sounds clung to her, faint, yet stirring something deep within. Then, as if summoned by her voice, that guardian yokai stirred in the air.

"Misuzu. And I'm acknowledging you."

The realm trembled at the name.

The world shattered around her, and she awoke.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

i. find my name... remember me too.

"The book is guiding you." Nyanko-sensei had said.

The Book of Friends pulsed in her hands. A glow between its pages, swirling like whispers in the air. The world around her blurred, and like stepping into a dream, she was no longer standing in the present.

Rekindling Lost Memories

She knew this place.

A ruined village, silent and abandoned. The air smelled of damp wood and old ashes. Among the ruins, one house stood out, a collapsed home, half-buried in the soil.

"I know... I remember this place."

Long ago, there had been a child. A weary little soul, who had collapsed in this very room, resting his head on a pillow, curling beneath a thin blanket, yearning for even a brief moment of peace. The storm of war had been swift, burning the village to the ground, and with it, the memories of those lost.

She had been there. She had watched that child. His breath slow, steady.

Then, in the silence, he sighed. "Papa will come back soon."

The words hit her like a wave, a pulse of something deep within her chest. Her fingers ached with the urge to reach out.

And suddenly, she was no longer just watching. She was there.

It wasn't just a memory; it was her past. She had once been tied to this past. Her essence had been the pillow beneath the boy's head, cradling him in his final moments, as he whispered his last hopes to the air. He had believed, with all his heart, that his father would return from the war, that warmth would embrace him once again.

But war had no mercy. It didn't wait for promises.

The village had burned. And no one had returned.

She had stayed. Waiting. Mourning. And in her silence, she had carried the boy's last dream. Grieving together for the future that had never happened to the child. Home, his family, laughter. All.

A shadow stirred at the entrance. A figure she now recognized; Natsume Reiko.

Reiko had held a book in her hands, her voice cutting through the memory like a sharp knife. "You long for something that has already faded."

She looked at her with hollow eyes, the emptiness of endless waiting reflected in her gaze.

"It's hurt... it's hurting for the child," she had whispered.

Reiko's answer had been simple, yet final. "Then give me your name. I will keep it, so you will sleep off the hurtful memories."

***

The present returned in a rush. She gasped, clutching her chest. She found herself sleeping on the huge stone near the river. No fire. No child. Only a wooden plaque with an ancient writing.

A wilted lily entangled in ivy.

Right... She had to remember, she had to remember her name to free.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

Glitch... Reset... Final...

Delilah's eyes fluttered open to a gentle voice. "Hello, is everything fine? I noticed you sleeping for more than an hour."

She blinked, disoriented. An elderly woman stood before her, watering can in hand, surrounded by a garden bathed in soft dawn light. The air was sweet with the scent of earth and dew, yet something about the scene unsettled her.

She sat up abruptly, heart pounding. The last thing she remembered was navigating the flawless Utopia Domain, but this place felt different. Too real. Too wrong.

"You must have been very tired." The woman said with a serene smile. "It's easy to lose track of time here."

Delilah wasn't convinced. The trumpet-shaped flowers swaying in the breeze tugged at something in her memory. Something dark. A chill ran through her. Was this another glitch? A crack in the illusion?

Her thoughts turned to chemistry. If this world was artificial, there had to be something in its design, something she could analyze. She needed a sample.

Forcing a smile, she made polite conversation while subtly plucking a flower, tucking it into her pocket. She had to get back to her lab. If these glitches were increasing, there had to be a reason. A way out.

As she left, the woman's humming followed her, fading into the distance. But the unease remained. Delilah quickened her pace, determined. The Utopia Domain was only one side of the coin, and she was going to uncover the other.

***

Delilah pressed her hand against the sterile wall of the capsule room, her mind jumped between flickering realities. She had been slipping, between the Utopia Domain, this hidden laboratory, and something in between, a limbo where hallucinations and chemicals intertwined. She couldn't tell what was real anymore.

She traced the edges of her patient-like clothing. Meals arrived like clockwork, the restroom was shared, and everything felt controlled. She was either imprisoned or… something else. Something worse.

Then came the realization. This lab, this exact room, mirrored the one she had glimpsed in the CSG building. She had stumbled upon this place before, hadn't she? But how?

A faint hiss cut through the silence. The door slid open.

A woman entered.

Delilah's breath hitched. The woman looked just like her.

No... not just like her. She was her, down to the gaze, the careful posture, the analytical mind. But something was different. Her counterpart carried herself with eerie composure, as if she had already won whatever game they were playing.

"You finally stabilized." The counterpart mused, tilting her head. "Took longer than expected."

Delilah swallowed. "Who are you?"

"The other side of the coin."

The room flickered, warping at the edges. Delilah's thoughts spiraled. The AI had warned her about a counterpart. Had she been replaced? Or was this woman the version of herself meant to stay in the Utopia Domain?

"You're not supposed to leave." The counterpart continued. "But you're also not supposed to remember."

A cold dread settled in Delilah's bones. "You can't just erase me."

The smile didn't waver. "Not erase. Reset."

The walls cracked like glass. The world bled light.

Everything dissolved.

September 1, 2024 — Dallas, TX

Delilah woke with a start.

She was lying on her couch, a chemistry book open beside her, half-finished coffee gone cold on the table. The soft hum of city traffic drifted through the window. Her apartment was just as she had left it.

Her heart pounded. Something felt off, but she couldn't place it.

She rubbed her temples. Had she been dreaming?

She reached for her coffee absentmindedly, but something in her pocket crinkled.

Frowning, she pulled it out. A single, trumpet-shaped flower rested in her palm.

Her stomach twisted. The sight of it filled her with an inexplicable unease. A flicker on the television screen caught her attention. On impulse, she grabbed the remote laid beside her and pressed the power button of her TV.

The news broadcast came into focus.

"Breaking news from Kyoto. After weeks of uncertainty, a group of scientists and visitors to the FESE of Coda Systematic Group have been located. Officials report that they are safe and in stable condition. One of the recovered scientists stated, ‘We've done it. We brought them back. The Idyllic Domain has been stabilized. We can go home now.’"

Delilah's breath hitched. A sharp, phantom pain bloomed in her head.

The flower in her palm felt heavier.

She should have felt relief. But instead, all she could think was—

Who exactly just came back?

— D

[delilahanneiris]

Glitch 2: Utopia

DELILAH ENTRY #1

Date: August XX, 2035

Location: Utopia Domain, Coda Systematic Group

Something went horribly wrong today. I was going about my routine in the Idyllic Domain when suddenly everything around me flickered, like a computer screen glitching out. The world seemed to fold in on itself, and when I opened my eyes again, I was in a completely different place—a place the AI called the Utopia Domain.

The transition was disorienting. My surroundings, though still beautiful, had an artificial feel to them, like a perfect painting that hides something disturbing beneath its surface. The AI voice spoke up, breaking the eerie silence: Connection established. Your Artificial Intelligence is now working for your benefit to help you live a great life.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"This is the Utopia Domain, Delilah Anne Iris. But be warned, this place is like two sides of a coin with Idyllic Domain. Don't trust what you see—there's always a counterpart, and everything here is connected, even down to the chemistry."

The words hit me like a splash of cold water. The phrase 'two sides of a coin' triggered a memory of a documentary I had watched just a week before coming to Coda Systematic Group's FESE; the duality of human experience, the possibility that what we see and experience might just be one version of reality, while another version exists just out of reach, waiting to be discovered.

As the AI continued to explain the Utopia Domain, I couldn't help but think of my role here, a role CODA had assigned to me as a chemist. Chemistry, I reminded myself, plays a role in everything. This glitch, this sudden shift in reality, must have a chemical or environmental trigger. If this place was indeed manipulated—controlled at a molecular level—then the key to understanding and ending this mess would lie in the chemistry behind it all.

I need to figure out where to start. The glitch I experienced wasn't random; it was a signal, a clue that something is fundamentally wrong here. If I've really seen the two sides of coin—Utopia and Idyllic Domain—how are they connected?

I'll start by looking for anomalies, any signs that the environment has been tampered with. If there's a counterpart to this place, something lurking in a parallel dimension, then the chemical clues might point me toward it. The documentary taught me that what seems familiar can be deceptive, that another version of reality might be just a step away.

I'll dig deeper, question everything, and find out what this event is really up to. Whatever the counterpart is, there's more to this place than meets the eye, and I won't rest until I've uncovered its secrets.

— D

END OF ENTRY #JOURNAL

[delilahanneiris]

A Coastline Leisure

"What is this place?" she whispered to herself. She had a strong feeling that she had entered a world beyond her understanding. A place where time and space worked differently, and where she was meant to be, at least for now.

Delilah couldn't believe how serene this place felt. After years of racing against time in her real life (where she juggled countless responsibilities as a geoscientist) the calm here was almost surreal. Just a week ago, she had faced yet another exhausting day, battling an unexpected crisis in the field. The drilling team had encountered a hazardous gas leak, and the situation had pushed her to her limits. By the time she returned home, she was completely drained, mentally and physically, with nothing left to give.

But now, in this new dimension, everything was different. There were no deadlines to meet, no hazardous elements to analyze, just peace. As she walked down a quiet hallway, she noticed how the advanced architecture blended seamlessly with the tranquility of the surroundings. The air was thick with a sense of calm, something she hadn't felt in a long time. It was as if this place was purposefully designed to put her at ease, to help her find the balance she had been missing in her real life.

She paused for a moment, lost in thought. "Almost too good to be true," she mused silently. "No chaos, no endless stream of data to analyze, no urgent emails to respond to, just... peace." She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the crisp, clean air. The calm around her was almost too good to be true.

As she approached a small alcove, Delilah noticed a vintage bicycle leaning against the wall. It was a simple, old-fashioned design, but it fit perfectly with the timeless feel of the place. Curiosity resurfaced, she touched the bicycle's handlebars gently. Delilah mounted the bicycle and began to pedal down the path, the wind brushing against her face as she took in the picturesque scenery around her.

Outside, there were no cars, no bustling streets, only pathways lined with green fields and dotted with windmills turning lazily in the gentle breeze. It was like stepping back into a countryside of dreams, where the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the distant whinny of a horse. The fields were alive with vibrant greens, golden wheat, and wildflowers blooming everywhere. Here and there, she spotted a horse-drawn carriage ambling along the road, the clip-clop of hooves blending into the serene symphony of nature.

As she rode further, her mind began to wander. "Isn't this what life could be, should be, simple, fulfilling, connected to nature?" For a moment, she closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze wash over her, feeling as though the weight of her real life had been lifted. "But can I really live like this? To leave everything behind for this quiet life? Or is this just a fleeting escape, a temporary one?"

Just then, a soft chime sounded, bringing her attention to the phone she hadn't realized she was holding. She blinked in surprise, her heart skipping a beat as she saw her name on the screen. Below it, a message appeared: Connection established. Your Artificial Intelligence is now working for your benefit to help you live a great life.

Delilah stared at the screen, confused. "Artificial Intelligence? Working for me? To live a great life?" The words seemed almost surreal in this tranquil setting, but she couldn't deny the curiosity bubbling within her.

She glanced back at the phone, feeling a longing she hadn't acknowledged. As wonderful as this world was, it lacked something essential; her real life, her mom, pets, teammates, still existed out there, with all its chaos and complications.

Delilah pedaled on, savoring the landscape she passed, facing whatever came next with a renewed sense of peace. Whatever this AI was meant to do, she was ready to find out.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

Transfer Protocol: Unknown

"Mr. Asuma, what did just happen?"

"May I invite you to the meeting room first?" he answered.

CODA’s Holographic Conference Line.

The room was filled with floating, translucent figures above a sleek black table. Their faces showed concern, confusion, and curiosity. Renji Asuma appeared at the head of the table; his image was clear and steady, unlike the others.

"Welcome, everyone," Renji said calmly. "It seems our recent experience has taken us into unknown territory. We will investigate this situation carefully, but for now, we must be cautious."

Someone who stood beside Delilah was heard to murmur under his breath. "Only Renji? Where is the younger Asuma?"

And Delilah couldn't shake her curiosity. Renji has a younger sibling and they might be here as well?

Renji continued the meeting with a serious look. "We must implement the protocol. 'What you see, hear, and feel, when you leave, leave it here.' This is not up for debate. The safety of our operations, and maybe our reality, depends on it."

Delilah was still confused by the shift in timelines, but she agreed without thinking too much. "Yes, of course," she whispered. The others in the room also agreed, though they seemed uneasy.

Renji finished the meeting with a serious look. "After we disconnect, return to your stations and be careful. We will meet again when we have more information. Dismissed."

***

The hallway outside the conference room was quiet, very different from the busy exhibition she had just left. The walls were a soft silver color, glowing gently with a warm light that seemed to come from within. Delilah felt like she was in a dream, where it was hard to tell what was real.

As the holograms disappeared one by one, Delilah sat for a moment, her mind full of questions and fear of the unknown. Finally, she stood up and left the conference line, her steps unsure but driven by a strange desire to explore this new place.

As she walked further into the laboratory, she started to feel a peace that seemed unusual for the situation. The air was cool and had a faint smell of ozone, mixed with something earthy and old, as if the world itself had changed.

She passed by several workstations that looked more advanced than anything she had ever seen. Yet, there was something familiar about them. The holographic screens showed data she couldn’t understand, but it didn’t alarm her. Instead, she felt a familiarity.

Delilah stopped by a large window. It looked out over a vast landscape with glowing plants under a sky filled with swirling, white clouds. It didn't look like anything on Earth, but it felt strangely like home.

"What is this place?" she whispered to herself. She had a strong feeling that she had entered a world beyond her understanding. A place where time and space worked differently, and where she was meant to be, at least for now.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

Glitch 1: Access Granted

Dallas, TX.

A theory as bold as it is perplexing has captured the imagination of scientists and philosophers alike. It posits the existence of a dimension, a counterpart to our own, a place where the laws of physics might mirror ours, creating a universe eerily familiar yet profoundly different.

Imagine a world where continents and oceans, mountains and valleys, might be arranged in a haunting echo of our own planet. A world where geological formations, from the deepest trenches to the highest peaks, bear an uncanny resemblance to those we call home. Some believe that this cosmic twin, if it exists, could hold the key to unlocking the greatest mysteries of (....)

"Hello."

"Delilah! Are you free? What are you up to?"

"At my flat, just watching a random documentary. What is it?"

"I'm calling to inform you about that science exhibition next week. Wills got you one! I'll forward the invitation to your email."

"It's only three days since I was home."

"Are you sure to skip this Japan trip?"

"What?"

"Yeah, Kyoto. I don't want to see you going through a biggest regret."

"Alright. Hale-Bopp and Chestnut will live at your place until then."

"Got you, girl. Don't forget to tell your mom this time. I'm sending it now."

"Noted. Thank you."

First Exclusive Science Exhibition

Kyoto, Japan.

"Welcome to First Exclusive Science Exhibition. Coda Systematic Group is proud to present this showcase of innovation. Get ready to be inspired and please enjoy your visit!"

Upon arriving at the exhibition, Delilah was immediately captivated by the dazzling array of technological marvels on display. From miniature robots that could perform intricate surgeries to sustainable energy solutions that promised to revolutionize the world, FESE offered a glimpse into a future that seemed almost too good to be true. She was drawn into the cutting-edge science and technology.

"It's 5 PM..." Delilah murmured seeing at her watch.

"Miss Iris?"

"Yes, I am." Delilah averted her gaze to a man in laboratory coat speaking to her.

"Welcome. I'm Renji Asuma and we are so pleased to have you as a part of the community and being here with us." The man, who seemed to be the higher up here, explained to Delilah. "If you are willing to, I'd love to show you the simulation chamber that could recreate the extreme conditions found deep within the Earth's crust. Geological hazards, your expertise, no?"

Delilah, though hesitant yet eager to finally witness the technology, stepped forward to follow Renji Asuma into the depths of the exhibition. However...

"Wait. Huh?"

A sudden, unexplained glitch caused a ripple of chaos throughout the exhibition. Lights flickered, machines malfunctioned, and a strange, pulsating energy filled the air. In a split second, Delilah found herself transported to a completely different environment. She was standing in a dimly lit laboratory, surrounded by unfamiliar equipment. In a white coat, a nametag bearing the word "CHEMIST" pinned to it, her heart pounded as she realized the date on the phone; August XX 2035.

And to contact her mom as the initial plan, the signal went off, and to think it was as a dream, she had been transported to a different timeline, and even different time altogether.

"Mr. Asuma, what did just happen?"

— D

[delilahanneiris]

Del's Geo Trip 01: Great's Causeway

Monday, June 16, 09:00 PM

As a geoscientist, Delilah’s life had been full of rocks, maps, and endless hours spent in labs. But one day, she traded her lab coat for a windbreaker, and her microscope for her loyal dog, Chestnut. Together, they set off on an adventure to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland as the dog’s first ever trip ever since she joined the family.

Chestnut, a sprightly goldendoodle with a penchant for mischief, seemed just as excited as Delilah, her tail wagging furiously as they approached the basalt columns that had fascinated Delilah since her first geology class.

"Chestnut, meet the result of 60 million years of volcanic activity," Delilah announced, gesturing dramatically towards the causeway. Chestnut tilted her head, clearly unimpressed by Delilah’s geoscientific enthusiasm and more interested in the seagull on a nearby rock. Typical.

The scenery was breathtaking. Hexagonal columns stretched out like an intricate mosaic, each stone telling a story of Earth’s majestic past. Chestnut, on the other hand, was busy trying to chase her own tail (well, probably wondering why the ground was so bumpy that day). Delilah couldn’t help but laugh at her antics.

"Chestnut, those rocks are older than your great-great-granddog. Show some respect." Chestnut barked in response, clearly not grasping the significance of the ancient formations under her paws.

Delilah scrambled up one of the larger columns, camera in hand, while Chestnut followed, her nails clicking against the stone. Delilah tried to explain the science behind the columns to her, but Chestnut was more interested in sniffing out the snacks Delilah kept safe in her bag.

"You know, Chestnut, these stones were formed by lava cooling and cracking. It’s basically the Earth’s version of baking a cake. A really, really hot cake."

Chestnut looked at Delilah, tongue lolling out, and Delilah swore she was laughing at her analogy. Or maybe she was just imagining a giant cake. Either way, Delilah pressed on, pointing out various geological features while Chestnut ran around, chasing imaginary squirrels.

As they explored, Delilah marveled at the legends surrounding the Giant’s Causeway. The story went that the giant Finn McCool built it to reach Scotland and challenge his rival. "Imagine that, Chestnut," Delilah said, "a giant dog fight across the sea. Bet you’d win that one, huh?" Chestnut barked in agreement, bounding ahead over that interesting fact and fight.

At one point, Delilah decided to take a break and sat down on the huge rock, enjoying the sea breeze. Chestnut, ever the curious explorer, sniffed out a group of tourists and promptly made new friends. She got her fur ruffled by a kid while Delilah explained to his dad how basalt columns form. "It is like nature’s Lego set," Delilah said, watching as Chestnut happily flopped onto her, demanding belly rubs from anyone willing.

After a while, they made their way to the water’s edge. Delilah dipped her fingers into the chilly Atlantic, and Chestnut (she had always been the bravest, Delilah must say) splashed in up to her knees before retreating, shaking off water in all directions. Delilah got a face full of seawater. "Thanks, Chestnut. I needed that."

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the stones, Delilah couldn’t help but feel grateful for the moment. Sure, explaining the intricacies of volcanic activity to a dog might have been a bit of a one-sided conversation, but Chestnut’s visible joy made it all worthwhile. They sat together, watching the waves crash against the ancient columns, a geoscientist and her dog, both appreciating the wonders of the natural world in their own unique ways.

"Here is to more adventures, Chestnut," Delilah said, scratching her behind the ears. Chestnut licked her face in response, and Delilah laughed, wiping her cheek. "Next time, let’s find a place with fewer rocks and more treats, okay? Something like the Eye of the Sahara maybe? Well, it would be more challenging."

Chestnut barked in agreement, and with that, they headed back, leaving the Giant’s Causeway behind but taking its magic with them.

— D

[delilahanneiris]

His Grey Orbit

Tuesday, June 5, 07:15 PM

Hale-Bopp, not the cat, had two tails, the bright dust and the ion, with a body known as the coma composed of ice, interstellar gas, and the carbon-bearing species. Meanwhile, Hale-Bopp the Cat had one long tail and the body known as a form of comfort, composed of love, his favorite salmon, and the warmth enveloping him.

— D