As I collapse, I can't even feel the pain when my body hits the ground. My vision is slowly blurry before I finally close my eyes.
After a minute, I slowly open them again. What greeted me was not my room with the system, but the middle of a deep forest beneath a dark sky. The sky itself looks unnatural, mixed with a blood-red glow and the darkness of the night.
"What the? Where the hell am I?"
I said to myself, I slowly wake up.
I scan around the forest in confusion. The sound of the trees clattering and rattling is making me nervous. My eyes were darting around anxiously, aware of everything around me.
A cold breeze blows toward me. My eyes widen as a strange feeling spreads through my body. I feel half cold, half not. At first, I ignore the strange feeling, but when another breeze brushes past me again, my suspicion slowly begins to rise within me.
What's happening to me?
I thought, kneeling and touching the grass.
I am surprised that I can only half feel the grass beneath me, while the other half feels completely numb.
"Am I dysesthesia?"
I mumbled, a worried look on my face.
"I should find the escape; this forest is making me scared."
I stand up and rush through the bushes.
Fear comes over me as I enter deeper into the forest. The surroundings grow darker and darker with every step. A feeling of fear approaches as I realize I am completely lost in the middle of the forest.
"Where am I?"
I said, looking around my surroundings.
"Hello?! Is anyone here?"
I shouted, as I'm getting deeper.
The only sounds I can hear right now are the howling wind and the clattering of trees crashing against each other.
Just as I am about to fall into despair, I hear something in the distance, a mixture of shouting and screaming from many people.
"Somebody..."
I rush toward the sound.
"HELP!"
I notice someone is screaming help while I'm running toward the sound. I do not notice that I step on something like liquid, a mix of colors between red and purple.
When I reach the end of the deep forest, I step out of the bushes and freeze in place. Many people stand before me, fighting monsters like orcs and goblins straight out of a fantasy story.
Blood is everywhere, human blood and monster blood mixed across the battlefield. The scene is pure chaos. I try to ask someone what is happening, but something gets stuck in my throat, stopping me from speaking.
W-what is happening?!
I thought, searching around the scene. My eyes stop as I see people whom in the meeting earlier. Arthur and Alice are among them, fighting. Everyone is looking rage and tired.
Isn't that Arthur and Alice? Didn't they leave earlier?
I'm confused, dodging many attacks and fights between humans and monsters.
I try to run, reaching Alice, who is fighting.
Alice, who is standing among the people, suddenly stops fighting. One of her hands grips a sword while the other slowly rises into the air. Confused by her actions, I keep running toward her.
For a brief moment, I cannot hear what she is mumbling, but a bright light starts to shine from her raised hand. In an instant, the entire forest is illuminated. A sudden flash bursts across the battlefield, forcing me to cover my eyes with my hands to avoid being blinded by the light.
"What the?! What is that light?"
The light lasts for a brief moment before it slowly fades away. Among the monsters that they are fighting, the undead skeletons begin to disappear one by one, their bodies turning into normal inanimate skeletons. The other monsters are left stunned by the sudden flash, frozen in place for a few seconds.
I slowly remove my hands and look at the scene, amaze what just happened. I try to come near Alice as quickly as possible before those monsters start to fight again.
"H-hey Alice... What's happening...?"
I said, still stealing a glance at the scene.
Silence after I speak. Alice gives me no response. Confused, I look up at her, only to realize she does not even glance at me once. Instead, she stares tiredly at the monsters ahead before charging toward them again alongside everyone else.
What? Did she ignore me, or did she not notice me?
I come toward Arthur, who is fighting nearby, waving as I come near him.
"Hey, Arthur, can you see me?"
I stand in front of him, waving my hands in front of his face after he finishes off several monsters. He doesn't respond. He stares at the fallen bodies scattered across the ground that he just killed behind me.
I try again, this time reaching for his hand, the one still gripping the sword. An unexpected thing happened. My hand passes straight through it.
My eyes widen in shock.
An unreal feeling washes over me as my hand phases through his like I'm not even there. I feel like I don't exist at all.
What the?! Am I a ghost?
I said, looking both of my hands.
"I think the raid is done..."
Arthur said loudly to everyone.
Raid done? Didn't he say it would start in a few hours?
I thought, trying to get everyone's attention by shouting at everyone and walking around everyone.
"Let's head back, everyone!"
Someone said loudly.
The person who says that is a muscular man with a scary appearance. He is tall, with gray hair swept back and a scar running across his right eye. He wears a leather tunic and pants beneath an iron chestplate and iron shoulder guards.
Ekk— What a scary guy...
I thought as I was trying to come near him.
After hearing his signal, the others quickly follow him in the same direction. Maybe they are heading back to the Kingdom.
As I prepare to follow them, a sudden chill runs down my spine. My instincts immediately warn me that something is behind me.
I slowly turn my head back.
At first, there is nothing, only people walking forward behind me. But then, a giant purple aura suddenly appears deep within the forest. People around me finally react. One by one, they turn their heads back, their expressions growing serious as they stare toward the source of the aura, still not ready to dodge it.
"EVERYONE! GET DOWN!"
Arthur shouted.
A giant purple light suddenly appears deep inside the forest and shoots a beam. It's heading toward me and everyone.
"What the f—"
It's too late for me to finish the sentence.
When it was about to hit me. In my instincts, I close my eyes, and I raise my hand, trying to hopefully block it.
Everything went silent. I think I'm dead. I slightly open my eyes, and everything goes black. I close my eyes again as fear comes to me.
Shit... What a stupid way to die...
A hologram electric sound appears out of nowhere. For a moment, I think it's just my imagination. But the sounds keep echoing around me, making me groan.
I slowly open my eyes.
My vision is blurry at first, then gradually clears. I freeze in shock as multiple hologram interfaces appear around me. My vision is finally back. My room's ceiling is above me with a bunch of systems.
I slowly realize that I'm back, back inside my room.
W-what? What is happening? I'm back.
«Zin? You awake?»
"Huh...?"
I slowly sit up, leaning on a nearby bed.
"...What the hell just happened?"
I said, confusingly.
«You just faint out of nowhere as soon as you open the door, and ten minutes later, you finally wake up. Are you okay?»
Faint? Wait, no! Didn't I with everyone die by some mysterious beam?!
I thought, gasp, surprisingly, as I thought about the death gate I went through earlier.
"Wait, where is everyone?!"
I said, turning to the system, hold the hologram firmly.
«What? Don't be stupid, didn't Arthur and Alice leave ten minutes ago?»
"Th-they just left?!"
I said, confused and panicked.
What the?! Am I hallucinating?
silence surrounding me as my mind lights up with a speculation.
I was in the future... For sure, that was a future, and people will die soon.
Right now, I have to make a decision: save everyone or run away. Two choices hang in my mind, unable to ease it.
Damn it! What should I do? Even though I know the future, I am still too weak to save them...
The system notices my expression and confuses.
«What are you thinking about?»
I turn to the system, hesitate about telling it. I'm afraid that it will be glitching again. Even though I think about it, I still want to try.
"S-system, I—"
A large red hologram appears, but only I can see it.
It stopped me, like the time it stopped me when I tried to ask about the [Authority].
«What are you talking about?»
"Nothing..."
I said, my face darkened.
I turn my head, looking at the empty space. The system notices my expression, confused.
«???»
I ignore the system and look at the space.
In my eyes, there is a purple hologram in front of me. The thing in that hologram makes me speechless. My expression turns serious.
I suddenly chuckle.
"I guess my only choice is to save them now..."
The purple Hologram revealed as I turned myself and left.
I stand up, stretching, and step out of my room.
Stupid story...
As I walk downstairs, the system interfaces slowly fade and disappear one by one with every step I take toward the door.
Now I stand directly in front of it. My right hand hovers over the handle, hesitating. I swallow hard, then finally open the door.
A strong, cold breeze rushes into the house.
I close my eyes and inhale.
"Both choices lead to the death gate."
A smirk forms as I exhale. I open my eyes with determination.
"Neither of them is good… I guess it's time to risk it."