Seeing here and there, I felt an unimaginable pain radiating from my face—a sharp, searing ache that made my eyes water.
Instinctively, I reached up to touch my face. To my shock, one side felt soft and normal, but the other was rough, coarse—like scarred, burned flesh. My fingertips flinched away from it, almost as if my face wasn't mine anymore.
I pulled my hand back and stared at it. Dried black blood clung to my fingers, crusted and flaking off.
The pain throbbed, but I gritted my teeth and withstood it. I forced myself to look down at my body. My upper torso, bare and exposed, was... perfect. Well-built. A body that would make athletes jealous—defined abs, toned muscles, the kind of physique I had only dreamed about in my old life. Somehow, I had become the ideal version of myself.
But none of that mattered. I needed to see my face.
I started searching frantically for a mirror or something reflective nearby. A shard of glass, a pool of water—anything.
My eyes scanned the ruined landscape, desperate for a glimpse of myself, for answers to what had happened to me.
I started to search for a mirror or something that could show me my face. The landscape around me began to blur together—the scorched earth, the blackened sky, and the twisted corpses littered around. Strangely, it didn't feel odd to me. By any common sense from my previous world, I shouldn't have been able to stand this sight without retching, but I felt nothing. Again, I felt the pain pulsing from my face, but the burning need to see what had become of me overshadowed everything else.
Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from behind me. The sound was deep, primal—like an animal stalking its prey. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze.
I slowly turned around, my body tensing as my eyes locked onto the source of the sound.
A creature in the distance was watching me, its massive, wolf-like form prowling toward me. But this was no ordinary wolf. Its fur was shiny black, its eyes glowing with unnatural fire. Jagged, ember-like streaks ran down its sides, and its mouth... its mouth was glowing.
The wolf-monster's fiery eyes locked onto me, and I could feel its burning gaze through the smoke-filled air. My instincts screamed for me to run, but my mind was spinning with another thought—if I was in this world, surely I had magic. I had to have some power.
I focused hard, raising my hand toward the beast, imagining the force of a spell forming in my palm. All those stories I'd read—every villain, every dark sorcerer—they wielded their power with ease. All I needed was to tap into whatever energy existed in this place.
I braced myself, fingers outstretched, and whispered under my breath, trying to conjure something—anything.
"Dark magic destruction," I said, raising my hand toward the wolf. But nothing happened.
I was left dumbfounded, staring at the wolf, who looked at me like I was some kind of prey. I stretched my hand toward it again.
"Come on," I hissed, clenching my fist. "I need fire. Lightning. Dark energy—something!"
But nothing happened. My hand remained still, devoid of any power. The air around me didn't crackle with energy; no magic surged through my veins. Nothing.
The wolf's growl deepened, and it took another step closer, its mouth glowing once more with that molten heat.
Desperation clawed at me. I tried again, this time with more force, more willpower. I pictured the dark energy swirling around me, ready to strike at the monstrous creature.
Nothing.
A dry laugh escaped me, bitter and hollow. The stories never talked about this—about how it felt to be powerless in the face of something far stronger than you. I was just standing there, flailing my arms like a fool, waiting for magic that wasn't going to come.
The wolf's jaws opened wide again, and this time, I saw the fireball forming. It shot from its mouth with terrifying speed.
Instinct took over, and I threw myself to the ground just as the fireball exploded against a nearby boulder, shattering it into pieces. Shards of hot stone sprayed across the ground, cutting into my skin.
I gasped for air, feeling the sting of heat on my back. I scrambled to my feet, heart pounding in my chest, as the wolf snarled, preparing for another attack.
Why? Why did I have this perfect body but no power? Why was I here if I couldn't fight back?
The creature growled again, and I could feel the raw heat building as it stalked toward me, ready to finish me off.
Without thinking about anything else, I started to run in any direction I could see.
Then, another thought emerged in me: Wait, I can fight it with my bare hands. I stopped and was ready to face the wolf in a one-on-one battle.
But seeing the wolf, then again, shoot a fireball at me, I did what any man would—and that was to run.
As I ran, I noticed many other wolves joining the one chasing me.
My heart pounded in my chest as I ran, the ground trembling beneath my feet with every heavy step. The snarling wolves, their burning eyes fixed on me, seemed to multiply. One wolf had been terrifying enough, but now there were several of them, their black, shiny fur gleaming as they stalked closer, fanning out to cut off any possible escape route.
I didn't dare look back, my instincts screaming at me to keep moving, to get away. But no matter how fast I ran, their growls seemed to grow louder, their fiery eyes closer.
My lungs burned as I sprinted across the jagged landscape, dodging craters and piles of debris. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare—one that I had foolishly wished for. The heat from their breath licked at my back as I struggled to stay ahead of them.
Just when I thought they might be gaining on me, one of the wolves let loose another fireball. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see the bright orange flames roaring toward me. My legs barely reacted in time as I veered to the side, the fireball missing me by inches and exploding into the ground with a deafening crack.
I stumbled, my foot catching on a loose rock, and I tumbled to the ground, my body slamming into the dirt. Pain shot through my side, but there was no time to think about it. I scrambled to my feet again, the wolves closing in, their growls a chorus of death.
A twisted part of me still clung to the idea that maybe I could fight them. Maybe this body, despite its lack of magic, was stronger than I realized. After all, wasn't that how these stories went? The hero or villain finding some hidden strength?
But I wasn't in a story. This was real.
Another fireball erupted from the nearest wolf's mouth, and I ducked just in time, feeling the searing heat scorch the air above me.
Why did I wish for this? The thought pounded in my head, a mixture of fear and regret flooding my mind.
I forced myself up again, ignoring the pain in my legs and chest. Running was the only option. There had to be some place to hide, some way to escape this nightmare. But as I glanced around, the barren, scorched landscape offered no cover, no shelter. The wolves were relentless, their eyes never leaving me, their mouths glowing as they prepared for another strike.
Just as the closest wolf lunged at me, fangs bared and mouth aglow, I dove to the side, narrowly avoiding its attack. The force of its leap sent it crashing into a rock formation, shattering stones with its fiery impact.
I stumbled back to my feet, breathing hard, and that's when I saw it—up ahead, in the distance, a faint glimmer. Something stood out against the charred blackness of the landscape, a shimmer of light that beckoned me like a lifeline.
Whatever it is, it has to be better than facing these wolves.
Without a second thought, I made a dash for it, legs burning with exhaustion, but the glimmer was my only hope.
Behind me, the wolves howled in frustration, their claws scraping against the earth as they resumed the chase. I could feel the heat of their fireballs drawing closer, but I didn't dare look back.
The light grew brighter as I approached, and with every ounce of strength I had left, I threw myself toward it, hoping—praying—that this was the key to survival.
The glimmer ahead of me grew stronger, cutting through the smoke-filled air. It wasn't bright or magical like I had hoped, but it was something—something solid, something that offered a flicker of hope. As I raced toward it, my lungs screamed for air, my legs burning from the relentless chase.
The howls behind me grew louder. I could feel the pack getting closer, the heat of their fireball attacks singeing the air around me.
I was almost there.
Through the haze of dust and smoke, the glimmer sharpened into focus. It wasn't a magical light. It was a reflection, the way sunlight glanced off the smooth surface of a rock wall just ahead. And then I saw it—a gap. A dark, jagged opening at the base of the rock formation, half-hidden by rubble.
A cave.
Desperation fueled my aching limbs, and I pushed myself toward it, the wolves still hot on my trail. I could hear them closing in, their snarls cutting through the air, the heat from their glowing jaws licking at my heels.
I reached the mouth of the cave and dove inside, my body crashing against the cool, hard stone. Darkness swallowed me, and I scrambled deeper into the cave, my hands feeling along the rough walls for any sense of direction. The smell of earth and dampness hit me, a welcome change from the scorched air outside.
The cave was small, but it was enough—enough to hide me, at least for now.
I crouched against the wall, my chest heaving with every breath. The wolves' growls echoed outside, but they didn't seem to follow. I could hear their claws scratching at the rocks, their frustrated howls filling the air, but the cave entrance was too narrow for their massive bodies to fit through. They could only watch, their glowing eyes glaring at me from the outside.