Yuuto's legs burned as he sprinted through the twisting streets of the unfamiliar world. The heavy, metallic sound of the Nightstalker's footsteps echoed behind them, sending waves of fear through the fleeing group of students. The few who dared to glance back instantly regretted it.
Kazuki, still shaken by his near-death encounter, pushed forward. His bravado had faded, replaced by raw survival instincts. Aya was struggling to keep up, her breaths labored, eyes wide with panic. Yuuto knew they couldn't keep running forever.
"We need to hide!" Yuuto shouted over the deafening sounds of the creature's pursuit. His voice barely cut through the chaos.
"We can't stop!" Akari cried out from beside him, her face pale. "That thing will catch us!"
"We don't have a choice!" Yuuto shot back, scanning their surroundings. The world was a surreal landscape of jagged buildings and shifting alleyways. His mind worked overtime, trying to match the setting to the parts of the book he knew.
Finally, he spotted it—a narrow alleyway that seemed to lead into an abandoned building. The entrance was partially hidden by rubble.
"This way!" he yelled, veering off toward the alley.
The others followed, their desperation forcing them to trust Yuuto's judgment. They ducked into the shadows, collapsing against the cold stone walls. Yuuto peeked around the corner, heart pounding as the Nightstalker passed by, unaware of their hiding spot. Its twisted form disappeared into the fog, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.
For a few moments, no one spoke. The only sound was the harsh breathing of the group, each of them trying to process the reality they'd been thrust into.
"What... what was that thing?" Aya whispered, her voice trembling.
Yuuto slid down the wall, clutching the book in his hands. "A Nightstalker," he muttered, flipping through the pages. "It's one of the creatures from Apocalypse Session. They hunt anything that moves. Fast, ruthless, and they don't stop until you're dead."
Kazuki wiped the sweat from his brow, his usual cocky demeanor gone. "You're saying this... this is from a book? And you know how to survive this?"
Yuuto hesitated. "I thought I did. But things are different. The book has rules, but... they're changing."
Aya knelt beside him, still shaking. "What do you mean changing? How can a book's world change?"
Yuuto stared at the others, his mind racing to find the words. "In the novel, the Nightstalkers aren't supposed to appear until later. And they don't usually hunt in this area."
Akari frowned, sitting against the wall. "So what do we do? Wait until the monsters rip us apart?"
"No." Yuuto stood up, clutching the book tightly. "We need to figure out the rules of this world. It's like a game, and there are ways to survive. But we can't treat this like reality. We're in the book's version of an apocalypse, and everything has a pattern, a system."
Kazuki scoffed. "What, you think this is some kind of video game? That we just need to level up or something?"
Yuuto shook his head. "Not like that. But in the novel, the characters survived by understanding how the world worked. There are traps, monsters, and challenges, but there are always clues. It's a game of survival, and we need to play by its rules."
Aya looked at him, fear and disbelief clouding her eyes. "How are we supposed to figure out the rules? None of us have read this book except you."
Yuuto knelt and opened Apocalypse Session, flipping through its pages frantically. He skimmed paragraphs, looking for the details that had always seemed insignificant when he was just a reader. But now, they held life-or-death importance.
"We'll start with what I know," Yuuto said, stopping on a page that detailed the early chapters of the novel. "In the book, the characters realize the first rule of survival: the monsters can't see you in total darkness. They rely on movement and sound. The key is finding safe zones—places where the darkness hides you."
Akari raised an eyebrow. "So, if we stay in the shadows, we're safe?"
Yuuto nodded slowly. "That's the theory. But we have to be careful. Some of the shadows in this world aren't what they seem. There are other things hiding in them."
Aya swallowed hard, her hands shaking. "This is insane. We're supposed to trust you based on a book? What if you're wrong?"
Yuuto glanced at her, understanding her fear. "I get it. But it's all we have. We're trapped here, and if we don't start thinking like the characters in the book, we're dead."
A long silence followed. They all knew Yuuto was right. But knowing it didn't make it any easier to accept.
Kazuki stood up, cracking his knuckles. "Alright. We'll play your game, bookworm. But if this doesn't work, we're going to find another way out."
Yuuto glanced at the others, who gave reluctant nods. He couldn't blame them for their skepticism. None of them had asked for this nightmare, but now they had no choice but to navigate it together.
"Let's get moving," Yuuto said, standing and closing the book. "We need to find a safer place to regroup. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it gets."
Akari frowned. "How do you know that?"
Yuuto tightened his grip on the book, his face grim. "Because in Apocalypse Session, nothing stays safe for long."
The group moved cautiously through the shadowy streets, keeping close to the walls and ducking into the deepest darkness whenever they heard something move. The twisted architecture of the world only added to their growing unease—buildings loomed at impossible angles, and the fog seemed to swallow everything, warping their sense of direction.
As they rounded a corner, Yuuto suddenly stopped. His eyes widened in recognition.
"What is it?" Kazuki whispered, sensing Yuuto's alarm.
Yuuto pointed ahead to a flickering light in the distance. "That's a safe zone."
"A safe zone?" Aya asked, her voice wavering.
"In the book, there are places where the monsters can't reach. They're usually marked by an old, broken lantern. It's a signal that the area is... protected, somehow."
Akari squinted at the faint glow. "Are you sure about this?"
Yuuto hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "It's our best shot."
They moved toward the light, the air growing colder with every step. The lantern stood at the entrance of an ancient-looking building, its glow weak but steady. As they approached, a strange sensation washed over them—an overwhelming sense of dread mixed with safety, as if the world itself acknowledged they were entering a space beyond the monsters' reach.
"This is it," Yuuto whispered, his eyes scanning the interior of the building. "We're safe here. For now."
Kazuki stepped inside, glancing around. "So, what's the catch?"
Yuuto swallowed hard. "In the book, the safe zones offer protection. But they always come with a price."
Before anyone could respond, the door behind them slammed shut with a loud bang, sealing them inside.
Aya gasped, backing away. "What just happened?"
Yuuto's heart raced. He knew exactly what was happening.
The first test had begun.