Ginro's heart raced as he blinked, disoriented by his surroundings. The echo of his own voice seemed to hang in the air, his words bouncing back at him as if the cave itself was responding. Confusion knitted his brows as he examined the dress he was inexplicably wearing. It was an oddity – something out of a different time, perhaps even a different world.
"W-Where am I?" he mumbled, his words breaking the silence. His fingers brushed against the unfamiliar fabric of the dress and long coat, his touch uncertain. "What's up with this dress?"
The cave around him seemed to absorb his words, offering no answers. Shadows danced along the jagged walls, creating an eerie atmosphere that sent a shiver down his spine.
"(My body feels... light)," he observed with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. It was as if he had shed the weight of his everyday life, both physically and metaphorically.
Ginro flexed his muscles, performing a series of warm-up movements. A strange sensation rippled through him – a sensation that hinted at something extraordinary lying dormant within. He felt invigorated, as if he could take on the world with newfound agility and strength. He even contemplated the possibility of soaring through the sky like a bird, carried by the wind itself.
But then, a shift in the atmosphere abruptly shattered his euphoria. A chilling aura engulfed him, accompanied by an unmistakable intent to kill. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead, and his heart pounded as if trying to escape its cage.
*Growl*
The sound was primal, ominous. It rooted Ginro to the spot, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, as if compelled by an unseen force, he turned his head to face the source of the sound.
His breath hitched in his throat. What stood before him was a monstrous creature – a demonlike bull with muscles that seemed sculpted from nightmares. It held a colossal axe in one hand, an instrument of destruction that looked more fitting for a titan than any living being. Its horns curved maliciously, framing its grotesque face.
"A... M-Minotaur..?" Ginro's voice trembled with fear, his mind racing to find words to rationalize the nightmarish vision before him.
With a bone-rattling growl, the minotaur bared its teeth, its eyes fixated on Ginro with an intensity that pierced through his very soul. The air was charged with impending doom.
Ginro's legs faltered, and he stumbled backward, his thoughts a chaotic whirl. In that moment, his life – every triumph, every heartache – flashed before his eyes. The unfairness of meeting his end in this surreal predicament gnawed at him.
"Is this... how it all ends?" Ginro's voice quivered, a mixture of acceptance and bitterness lacing his words. "After everything I've endured... all the pain, all the suffering all those torment and torture i've been in the past..."
The Minotaur lunged, its massive hand reaching for Ginro with a hunger for annihilation. Time seemed to slow as panic surged through Ginro's veins. But then, an astonishing transformation occurred.
Ginro's eyes, once wide with fear, narrowed into fierce slits. A vibrant crimson overtook his irises, pupils sharpening like those of a predatory cat. His trembling lips curled into a triumphant smirk that bordered on madness.
Meanwhile, in another part of the cave, a young girl felt the seismic shift of power. Her breath hitched, unease settling in the pit of her stomach. The intensity of the sensation was unlike anything she had ever experienced.
"That power..." She panted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It Can't be…"