NOVEL NEXT 102. Cognitive Contamination.
Karolina's eyes were locked onto the book, and gradually, the letters became unfamiliar. She could no longer decipher the words they formed. The once ordinary letters now seemed alien, inscribing nonexistent knowledge that drew her consciousness in like a black hole.
Suddenly, Karolina sensed someone beside her. There was no sound, no movement—just an innate feeling, like sensing a gaze and instinctively turning around. Her brain abruptly registered this presence. Though she couldn't turn her head, she felt someone standing right next to her, unaware of when they arrived.
Karolina's mind raced, considering the possibilities: another illusion, the mastermind behind everything, or perhaps another trapped soul like her. But she couldn't move, not even a finger, let alone shift her gaze. She could only read the incomprehensible text, as forbidden knowledge invaded her mind, rendering her unconscious and defenseless.
"A fascinating world."
The whisper reverberated in the silence, hitting Karolina's mind like a sledgehammer, inducing a wave of dizziness that almost made her vomit.
"This reminds me of the Tower of Babel."
The voice spoke again, filling Karolina with an overwhelming sense of dread, as if facing a natural enemy or a ghost. She then saw a hand—slender fingers, prominent knuckles, and a wide palm, clearly a man's hand.
The hand moved to the book's edge, and Karolina noticed the letters trembling, writhing like worms in silent protest against the hand.
Next moment.
Snap!
The hand effortlessly closed the book with a crisp sound.
"Are you okay, Karolina?" The voice, now tinged with concern, asked again.
Regaining control over her body, Karolina quickly stepped back, eyes filled with caution as she looked at the voice's owner.
A figure in a bird-beak mask stood there, draped in a black hooded robe, exuding a silent pressure that momentarily froze Karolina's thoughts. The figure seemed out of place in the surrounding environment.
"Are you alright?" the shadow asked again, remaining unnervingly calm despite Karolina's wary demeanor.
"Who are you?" Karolina stepped back further, questioning.
"I am Crow. You probably haven't heard of me, but that's unimportant. I'm here to take you out of here before you are completely contaminated," Alex responded calmly.
"Contaminated? What do you mean?" Karolina instinctively sensed something was wrong.
"Mental invasion, cognitive contamination. It's hard to explain, and I don't fully understand it myself," Alex replied, tossing the book aside. "But I hope you trust me. Your body is safe, but for a full recovery, you must wake up."
"Did you save me?" Karolina asked.
Alex chuckled softly at the question. "That's a linguistic trap. You're cautious, which is good. It wasn't me who saved you, but a friend of mine. She found you escaping from Deadpool and warned me about the terrifying dangers this world faces."
Karolina felt a bit relieved, recalling a blonde girl with an 'S' symbol on her chest. "Who is she?"
"Her name is Kara," Alex replied.
"Kara..." Karolina repeated, her mind suddenly visualizing the girl's blonde hair shortening and turning black. This bizarre shift made Karolina's heart skip a beat. The change in her memory left her unable to articulate her feelings.
"What's wrong?" Alex asked, noticing her discomfort.
"I'm fine... I think I understand what you mean by mental invasion and cognitive contamination," Karolina said, clutching her head, eyes filled with fear.
She finally grasped the true horror: when cognition is altered, familiar things become strange. When memories are manipulated, when she doubted her entire past, or thought she was a Border Collie instead, or when she lost the ability to speak, replaced by barking—would she still be herself?
A chill ran through Karolina, making her look deeply at the eerie figure before her.
"How can I be sure you're real? How do I know you're not part of the illusions? If my cognition is altered, you could be a figment of my imagination," Karolina said.
"You don't need to be sure. I am real," Alex raised his hand, waving it in the air. "Proving this is easy, as I've always engaged you in rational conversation."
"The illusions can simulate my memories and also converse," Karolina argued.
"No, no, I mean 'rational' conversation," Alex insisted. "Why did a Hydra squad suddenly appear on the street? Why do you have the power to defeat beings like the Hulk or Thanos? Why does this shifting world repeatedly endanger you? None of this is rational!
"You can't die here because this world is a mental construct of your dreams. Every escape or death here leads you to another layer of dreams, and the illusions are products of your mind. Killing them won't end it; the more you kill, the deeper you fall. These entities are constantly trying to occupy your mind, affecting your sanity. But they lack logical thinking. When you reach the boundary of the dream and encounter illogical things, they alter your cognition to make it 'rational.'
"The fact that I can discuss this with you proves my point."
........
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103. Worms!
104. Punisher and Doctor Strange.
105. It.
106. The Wound.
107. Caught Again.