A dim, wide and empty hallway greeted everyone as the pink and black marshmallow door opened.
Dexter entered first, followed silently by the other ten. Marty was the last to enter, focused on the translucent screen monitor that hovered in front of him. He was the only one who could see it. The synchronization with System Andrea was still going on, currently at 56%, and the same was also happening to the rest.
Jasper seemed to have lost his will to resist. Donna and Linda were unconsciously shivering, barely able to take a step. The twins, Theo and Thea, were huddled next to each other. Eli, the one in the bartender uniform, was the most calm, as though he was just having a stroll in a park. Lilia seemed to have merged with the background, barely noticeable at all. Xeno had a thousand-yard stare. Lastly, there was June, who seemed to have already given up on life.
At the end of the hallway, nothing could be seen but darkness. And as the eleven continued to walk, the light slowly diminished, until it was completely dark. Even the translucent screens couldn't be seen, and the ten participants grew hesitant. Their footsteps came to an abrupt halt, and this was when Dexter spoke again.
"Hehehe," he giggled, quite amused. "I forgot to tell you. There is a part of this hallway that is just complete darkness about ten meters long. Sadly, I do not know why."
"The Great One said this had existed even before he created this world. He tried to remove it, but it turns out there was nothing to remove. It was as if a part of the universe itself was sliced and taken away.
"The Great One found it interesting, so instead of getting rid of it, he incorporated it into his own world, adding something to nothing. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, you could walk in this darkness now. The light is ten meters away. Continue walking."
As Dexter started to move, the footsteps resumed, afraid to be left behind. Just like he claimed, the light indeed returned after a ten meter mark. After that, there was more walking. The hallway seemed never-ending, and finally, glowing mushrooms greeted their sight.
The exit of the hallway was a cave, which brought them to an equally magical and bizarre place.
As they stepped out of the cave, they were greeted by a fantastical sight, unlike everything they had ever seen. Vibrant, glowing mushrooms of all colors, strange floating objects and creatures that drifted lazily throughout the night sky, and a building that looked like a dormitory of some sort, inviting and welcoming.
But despite this magical place that would have otherwise evoked wonder and curiosity, the ten participants were filled with a sense of unease. After all, they didn't know if they would still wake up to see the sun the next day.
"Ahem! Everyone! I'd like to introduce you to the place where you will be staying from now on," said Dexter, proudly spreading his rabbit arms. "This is the place The Great One had especially prepared for all of you. I hope you enjoy your stay. Come! I'll show you around."
***
"This is the kitchen. Obviously, you can cook here." Surprisingly, it was a normal kitchen. Compared to the bizarre things they had seen so far, it was a relief to see something ordinary at last.
"Do you see that short hallway over there?" Dexter pointed to the hallway by the sink. "The boys' rooms are on the left, and the girls' rooms are on the right. Each of you has your own toilet and ba—"
He was then interrupted by the beeping sound coming from his watch. It was a call from the clown, but he didn't answer. He turned it off and faced the participants again. "Let's continue," he said and led them to the opposite end of the hallway, which brought them to the lounge.
"As you can see, this is the lounge. Completely normal, right? Do whatever you want here. Sleep, dance, eat, chat, destroy stuff, make stuff, breed, doodle on the walls… Anything you could think of, you can do in this place. But once you receive a notification on your watch, drop everything at once and listen to any instruction."
***
In the end, Dexter showed them all the rooms in the dormitory, like a landlord giving a tour to someone with clearly no intentions of renting, but doing so because it was literally his job.
When Dexter finally left, Marty entered his own room, located second to the last from the hallway between Xeno and Jasper's room. The sheets on the bed were white, as were the ceiling and the walls. Everything was white, and there was nothing more depressing than this.
He plopped on the bed, staring at the translucent screen monitor. A series of texts began popping out:
[Synchronization Complete!!]
[You may now communicate with your System.]
[Hello, Marty! I am System Andrea, created to assist and support you in RELIFE GAME. I'm here to lend you my ability and help you achieve your goals. Would you like to know more about the ability?]
Two choices then popped up below:
[YES] [NO]
Marty hesitantly pressed the [YES] button.
[Thank you for agreeing to know more about my ability. My ability is called Precognition. I possess the ability to know the result of a decision before it is made. However, it is only limited to two decision choices and can only be used twice a day. If you have any questions, please type them on the keyboard. To use it, please press the blue button. To recall or dismiss the screen, please press the black button.]
Both physically and mentally exhausted, Marty pressed the black button and fell asleep.
He had never slept this deep.
Before this, whenever he heard some footsteps from outside his door or the creak of his knob, he would either pretend to be asleep, holding his breath to avoid the blanket from falling and rising. Or he would suddenly jump and grab something to pretend he was doing something. Cleaning, for example.
He hated to admit this, ashamed even, but he was actually happy. There was no more abusive grandma to take care of. He need not pay for his crime. He got to escape the mundane. And most importantly, he was finally on his own.
He couldn't care less if he dies in the first round. If he was able to make a decision for himself without worrying about angering or disappointing anybody, then there would be no greater win than this.
Whether it was real happiness or not did not matter.
If it was real happiness, then good for him. If it was only a temporary sense of relief or exhilaration, making him feel like he had control and agency over his life, then that was fine as well.
This kind of escapism was what he had been yearning for since forever.
If he had any regret, it would be that he hadn't said goodbye to his father. But the fact that he just killed his grandmother, he didn't have the face to show anymore.
'This is all for the better. I will get over the guilt someday but I can never take back my wasted youth.' He tried to convince himself before drifting to a dreamless sleep.
It was dawn when he woke up, ten watches ringing all at once. A notification that the RELIFE GAME would officially start by nine was announced simultaneously.