Smg4 deep web au Chapter 4: The Voice from the Void
Chapter 4: the voice from the void
The blue spirit in the center of the summoning circle didn't just glow; it began to hum with a frequency that made the very walls of the castle vibrate. As the crew argued and panicked, the spirit's form stabilized into a shape that looked disturbingly like a distorted, glowing version of the USB that had once fallen on Whisper.
A voice, hollow and multi-layered, echoed through the dark room.
"Guardian… the mask is slipping."
Everyone stopped yelling. Mario hid behind Meggy's legs, and even Saiko lowered her hammer. The spirit wasn't looking at SMG4 or SMG3. Its glowing, empty eyes were locked onto SMG1.
"No. 24," the spirit hissed. "The Deep Web does not delete. It only waits. The Mirror is ready for you to step through."
SMG1 stepped back, his hands trembling. The blue "1" on his avatar began to flicker, turning from a solid cyan to a jagged, glitching black. He looked at his friends—SMG4's worried face, SMG2's confusion—and he felt like an impostor.
"I… I have to go," SMG1 whispered, turning and sprinting out of the room before anyone could stop him. He didn't run to the garden or the living room. He ran toward the highest tower of the castle, the voice of the spirit still ringing in his ears.
As SMG1 turned to flee, a hand caught his arm. It was SMG2, his expression full of worry and light.
"One, what is wrong? I need to help with anything for us..." SMG2 asked softly, refusing to let his partner face this darkness alone.
SMG1 stopped, his head forced down as he struggled to maintain his composure. He took a shaky breath, trying to hide the glitching "1" on his chest from SMG2's sight. When he finally looked up, he forced a calm, though trembling, smile.
"Oh, Two... we don't have to do this," SMG1 said, his voice barely a whisper. "I just... I need to go. Go back to the team and ask them about the plan. I’m just going to go check the place... make sure the perimeter is safe".
Before SMG2 could argue or offer to go with him, SMG1 pulled his arm away and walked into the shadows of the hallway. He didn't look back, afraid that if he did, SMG2 would see the long, dark hair of Whisper beginning to flicker into existence in his shadow.
As SMG1 climbed the stairs toward the tower, the air grew thick with the scent of ozone and rotting flowers. The memories of the Deep Web were no longer just whispers—they were becoming a reality he could no longer run from.
Instead of heading to the tower, SMG1 doubled back, her boots echoing on the stone floor until she reached the dark room once more. She stepped inside, the blue light of the summoning circle reflecting in her wide, panicked eyes. She slammed the door shut with a heavy thud, locking herself in with the spectral energy.
Standing before the flickering blue flames, she began to shout, her voice raw with desperation. "What do you want from me!!!!"
From the deepest corner of the room, the shadows began to coil and stretch until they formed the unmistakable silhouette of Rebirth. A chilling, distorted giggle filled the air as Rebirth stepped into the light, her blue-etched robes glowing.
"Oh, Whisper," Rebirth said, her voice dripping with a cruel, mocking sweetness. "You still don't understand... You are a host. You are one of the 72. You can wear the hat and the scarf, but the code underneath belongs to the Deep Web."
SMG1’s face twisted with rage. She gripped her head, trying to drown out the voice. "I am a Guardian! I am not your host!"
But the shadows only grew taller, and the "1" on her chest began to glitch violently, revealing the dark, long-haired silhouette of her past life flickering like a broken television screen.
The air in the room remained heavy with the scent of ozone as SMG1 stood paralyzed before the mirror. Her reflection flickered, showing not her own face, but the haunting, blue-haired gaze of Whisper.
"I thought... I didn't know who I am," she whispered, her voice cracking as she touched the glass. "Then why... why does everything look like that?".
The door burst open, and Mario stumbled in, his loud voice shattering the eerie silence. He was ready to ask another silly question, but as he glanced at the mirror, he saw only a normal reflection—the dark shadow of Whisper was invisible to him.
Mario let out a mocking laugh, pointing at the glass. "Lol! Mirror, mirror on the wall, Mario is gonna punch it! Oi, SMG1, come here! Follow me!" Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and marched back into the hallway.
SMG1 stood frozen for a second, her mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She looked back at the glass one last time, but the shadow was gone. Shaking her head to clear the static, she walked away, following Mario outside while trying to make sense of the warning Rebirth had left behind.
[The end. chapter 5 coming soon]
