The Forest After the Escape:
The wind felt colder now, biting at their skin as Mellali and Hadjer slowed their pace. The trees around them were dense, their gnarled branches curling above like crooked fingers. Each step seemed to echo, a reminder of the unnatural silence that had settled around them. There was no sound of pursuit, but that didn't stop the unease creeping in.
Mellali cast a glance back, then forward again, his breathing heavy but steadying. He could still feel that pulse of energy from earlier—the surge that had forced the creature back. It lingered beneath his skin, a sensation he didn't understand but couldn't ignore.
Hadjer walked beside him, her eyes sharp, taking in every shadow, every shift in the dark forest. She was quiet, as always when she was trying to make sense of something. Mellali knew she was processing, thinking through every possibility, just like she did in the real world. But this wasn't the hospital, and they weren't dealing with things that made sense anymore.
They had stopped running, but the tension hadn't left. It just felt more... still now. Like the moment before a storm.
---
Something's Changing:
Mellali slowed his pace further, finally stopping when the silence became too much to ignore. His pulse was steady now, but there was something else. Something... different. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a strange weight in his mind, almost like a dull ache but deeper, more present.
"Hold up," he said, voice low but firm. He leaned against a tree, trying to ground himself, but that feeling, that buzz under his skin—it wasn't going away.
Hadjer turned to him, watching carefully. She didn't ask questions. Not yet. She'd always been good at waiting, knowing when to give him space to figure things out. She just stood there, scanning their surroundings, quiet but alert.
Mellali closed his eyes for a second, trying to focus on the source of the discomfort. As he did, a faint flicker passed over his vision—like static for a split second. He blinked, opening his eyes, and there it was: a window. Hovering in front of him, words and numbers, like something pulled straight from a game.
Name: Mellali Mohamed
Race: Aasimar (Transformation: 24%)
Class: Sorcerer (Aberrant Mind)
Level: 1
HP: 10/10
Mana: 8/10
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 12
Wisdom: 16
Charisma: 18
Mellali stared at the window, his brow furrowing. It didn't make sense, but there it was—his name, his stats, staring back at him like some kind of twisted character sheet. He felt a cold sweat trickle down his back, but he didn't panic. He just studied it.
"What's wrong?" Hadjer asked, her voice cutting through the stillness.
Mellali blinked, almost forgetting she was there. He let out a slow breath. "There's... something in front of me," he said, his tone calm but unsure. "It's showing me stats. Like a character sheet in a game."
"Stats?" Hadjer asked, not dismissive but confused. She looked around instinctively, as though she might be able to see what he was seeing.
"Yeah. Says I'm a sorcerer... and something called an Aasimar. I don't know what that means yet, but the transformation's already started—24%, according to this." Mellali spoke slowly, trying to make sense of it. His eyes locked on two things: his charisma and his wisdom. "It's like it's laying out what I am, but... I didn't pick this."
Hadjer's eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't one to jump to conclusions, but she knew something was off. "Do you see anything for me?"
Mellali focused, and just like that, another window appeared—Hadjer's stats.
Name: Alibida Hadjer
Race: Eladrin (Transformation: 20%)
Class: Bladesinger (Wizard)
Level: 1
HP: 8/8
Mana: 9/10
Strength: 10
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 18
Wisdom: 15
Charisma: 12
"You're changing too," Mellali said quietly, eyes still fixed on the window. "Eladrin—some kind of elf."
Hadjer didn't say anything right away. Instead, she looked at her hands, flexing her fingers slightly. She felt the same as she had before, but now that he said it, there was an itch under her skin. Like something waiting. She wasn't one for dramatics, so she just nodded, accepting it quietly.
"Okay," she said. "So this place has rules."
---
Mellali's Suspicion:
Mellali let the window close with a thought. His mind was working fast now. If this world had stats... then there must be more. He had played enough games to know there were always layers—stats, then skills, then abilities. He focused again, willing another menu to appear.
A new window blinked into view: Skills.
Class: Sorcerer (Level 1)
Skills Unlocked:
Mind Sliver – Deals psychic damage, weakens enemy defenses.
Telepathic Speech – Allows telepathic communication with nearby creatures.
Chaos Bolt – Unleashes chaotic energy, unpredictable damage.
Arms of Hadar – Summons dark tendrils, drains life from nearby enemies.
There it was. More clarity.
"I've got skills," Mellali said, more to himself than to Hadjer. "Mind stuff. Telepathy. Some kind of chaos magic. This place... it's turning us into characters. With abilities."
Hadjer stayed quiet, but she was listening. It wasn't panic she felt—it was the slow understanding that whatever was happening, it was far beyond what she'd ever prepared for. But that didn't mean they were helpless.
Mellali turned toward her. "We need to figure out how this works, fast. These abilities... we can use them, but we need to be smart."
Hadjer nodded, her expression unreadable. "Then we start small. Test the waters."
---
The Ghoul:
As they stood there, Mellali's mind drifted back to the creature that had chased them earlier. He hadn't gotten a good look at it, but the way it had moved—the hunger in its eyes, the way its limbs twisted unnaturally—it triggered something in his memory.
"I think I know what that thing was," he said suddenly, his voice low.
Hadjer turned, her gaze sharp.
"It was a ghoul," Mellali continued, piecing it together. "An undead. Fast, vicious, and... hungry. They don't stop. They're not like zombies—they're hunters. Flesh eaters. In games, they paralyze you if they get their claws in. But this wasn't a game."
He didn't say it, but the weight of the words hung between them. If this world had ghouls—real ghouls—then they were dealing with far more than just the environment. They were dealing with monsters.
Hadjer's jaw tightened slightly, but she didn't flinch. "Alright," she said calmly. "Then we know what's out there. Now we deal with it."
---
The Changes:
Mellali wiped his forehead, feeling the tension coiling in his muscles. He could still feel the strange energy lingering beneath his skin. That window had said he was transforming. Slowly, but it was happening. He couldn't deny it anymore.
As he looked down at his reflection in a small puddle nearby, he saw it. A faint glow in his eyes. It wasn't bright—just a subtle shimmer, like the light was catching something that wasn't there before.
"I'm changing," he said quietly, his voice more matter-of-fact than anything.
Hadjer glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "We both are," she said, looking at her hands again, as though expecting something to happen. "But it's not all at once. We still have time to figure this out."
Mellali nodded. "Yeah. But we need to move. There's more out there."
Hadjer agreed, her eyes scanning the trees. "Let's find higher ground. Figure out where we are. Then we plan."
The Plan:
Mellali nodded, his mind still adjusting to the reality of it all. "Yeah. Higher ground. We need to see what's around us."
They didn't need to say more. It was unspoken between them—don't stop moving. If that ghoul was still out there, or if there were more like it, they couldn't risk staying in one place too long. Survival wasn't something they could negotiate with.
The forest stretched out ahead of them, the trees growing thicker, their twisted branches casting jagged shadows across the ground. It was a maze of dark pathways, but Mellali kept his focus, his mind buzzing with thoughts of the new skills he had seen in his stat window. He didn't know if he could use them yet, but they were there—tools he needed to learn how to control.
Hadjer stayed by his side, her breathing steady, her eyes always scanning. She wasn't rattled. Calm under pressure—it's what she was trained for, and it showed now more than ever. Even as the weight of everything began to settle on them, she remained focused, practical. There was no room for panic.
They walked in silence for a few more minutes, the only sounds their quiet footfalls and the rustling of the wind through the trees. Finally, Mellali caught sight of a ridge in the distance—a rocky outcropping that rose just high enough to give them a vantage point.
"There," Mellali said, pointing ahead. "We can get a look at the land from there."
Hadjer nodded and quickened her pace slightly, her mind already working through what they needed next. Shelter, food, water. It was basic survival. If they were going to last here, they couldn't just focus on the monsters. They had to think long term.
---
Reaching the Ridge:
The climb up the rocky hill was slow but manageable. As they reached the top, Mellali turned to take in the view. The forest stretched out far beyond what he had imagined, dense and tangled, but there were breaks in the treeline—open spaces that caught his attention.
"There's something there," Hadjer said, her eyes narrowing as she pointed toward a distant clearing. "Could be a settlement. Or ruins."
Mellali squinted, following her gaze. She was right—there was a faint outline of something man-made in the distance. Whether it was inhabited or abandoned, they couldn't tell from here, but it was a lead.
"It's worth checking out," Mellali said, though his voice was cautious. "If it's a town, we might get answers. Supplies too."
Hadjer crossed her arms, thinking. "And if it's abandoned, it could be a good place to hole up for the night."
He nodded. Either way, they had a destination now.
---
The Shift Beneath Their Skin:
As they stood there, overlooking the forest, Mellali felt it again—the subtle, creeping sensation under his skin. It wasn't painful, but it was there, like his body was slowly shifting without him knowing exactly how. He glanced at Hadjer, wondering if she felt the same.
"Do you feel it?" Mellali asked, his voice low.
Hadjer raised an eyebrow. "Feel what?"
"The... change. Like something's... moving inside you."
Hadjer didn't answer immediately. She paused, closing her eyes for a moment, focusing inward. Her hands flexed unconsciously, the same way they did when she was thinking through a medical problem. After a beat, she nodded. "Yeah. It's slow, but it's happening. I can feel it under my skin. Like... my reflexes are sharper, but my body's not ready to catch up yet."
Mellali nodded, understanding. "Same here. It's like... I'm starting to notice things I shouldn't. Hear things. Feel things. I don't know if it's part of the powers or if it's because of the transformation."
Hadjer let out a slow breath. "We need to stay ahead of this. Whatever's happening to us, we need to understand it before it gets too far."
Mellali agreed. The stat windows had shown their percentages—24% for him, 20% for Hadjer. It was a gradual change, but the more it progressed, the more they'd become... whatever this world wanted them to be.
---
A Tense Walk Toward the Unknown:
The ridge provided a brief respite, but they couldn't stay long. The sky was growing darker, and while the clearing ahead looked promising, it could just as easily hold more danger. Mellali and Hadjer descended carefully, moving in the direction of the possible settlement.
As they walked, Mellali's mind kept drifting back to the ghoul. He'd read about them in D&D campaigns, but this wasn't a game. If that thing had been real, then it wasn't just about monsters. It was about survival against creatures that didn't care about logic or reason. They just wanted to feed.
"Ghouls don't stop," Mellali muttered, half to himself. "If there's one, there could be more."
Hadjer shot him a sidelong glance. "Ghouls?"
Mellali nodded, his voice quiet but firm. "That thing that chased us... I'm almost sure it was a ghoul. In D&D, they're undead—hunters. Fast, vicious, and they can paralyze you if they get their claws in. They feed on the living."
Hadjer didn't break stride, but her expression hardened. "And we didn't see it die."
"No," Mellali agreed. "We didn't."
That fact hung between them, unspoken but understood. The ghoul wasn't gone. It was just out there, somewhere, waiting. And if they weren't careful, they'd cross paths with it again.
---
Closing In on the Clearing:
As they approached the edge of the forest, the trees thinned, revealing more of the clearing ahead. The structure they had seen from the ridge came into view—ruins, old and crumbling, but still standing.
"It's not a town," Hadjer said, scanning the area. "But it's something."
Mellali squinted, taking in the details. The ruins were stone, likely old—too old to have been built recently. There were remnants of what might have been a wall, but most of it had collapsed long ago. Whatever this place had been, it was abandoned now.
"Looks like shelter," Mellali said. "At least for the night."
Hadjer nodded, her focus already shifting to practical concerns. "We need to check for any signs of life—or anything worse."
They both moved cautiously toward the ruins, their senses heightened. Mellali felt the psychic energy buzzing faintly in the back of his mind, like an itch he couldn't scratch. He didn't like the feeling, but he knew it would be useful.
Hadjer, as always, was steady. Her movements were careful but deliberate, her eyes scanning for anything that could indicate danger—or safety.
---
Settling Into the Ruins:
The ruins were quiet, the only sound the occasional breeze passing through the cracks in the stone. After a thorough check, it was clear—there were no immediate threats. No signs of monsters. But that didn't mean they were safe.
"We should set up here for the night," Hadjer said, already gathering what little materials she could find to create a barrier. "It's defensible enough. We can block off most of the openings."
Mellali agreed. He knelt down, feeling the cool stone beneath his hands. It wasn't much, but it was something. A place to regroup. A place to think.
"We'll need to figure out how to use our abilities," Mellali said after a moment, his voice thoughtful. "If more of those ghouls show up, we need to be ready."
Hadjer looked over at him, her face calm but determined. "We'll be ready."
---
The Ruins at Night:
The wind had picked up by the time Mellali and Hadjer finished fortifying their small shelter. The ruins offered some protection, but they both knew the crumbling stone walls wouldn't hold up if something—or someone—really wanted to get in. Still, it was better than nothing.
Hadjer had found some scattered debris and stacked it near the largest gap in the wall, creating a makeshift barrier. Meanwhile, Mellali had been running over the day's events in his mind—particularly the part where he had somehow blasted a ghoul without meaning to.
They both settled down near the center of the ruins, the cold stone beneath them a sharp contrast to the tension in the air.
Mellali stared down at his hands, the memory of that strange psychic energy still fresh. He needed to figure it out. If they were going to survive here, he couldn't just hope it would happen again. He had to learn how to control it.
"You're thinking about testing those powers, aren't you?" Hadjer said, breaking the silence. Her tone was calm, but she wasn't oblivious to what was going on in his head.
Mellali gave her a half-smile, nodding. "Yeah. I need to know what I can do. What we can do."
She looked at him for a moment, weighing her words. "Just don't overdo it. You don't know how it works yet."
"I won't," he promised. Then, after a pause, "I need to know how to... get it back, too. My mana, or whatever this world's version of it is. It's not infinite."
Hadjer nodded, clearly following his train of thought. "Alright. Let's start slow."
---
Testing the Waters:
Mellali stood, brushing off the dirt from his hands. He could still feel that faint buzz in the back of his mind, the same sensation that had been there since the first time he used his powers. It wasn't uncomfortable—just different. He needed to draw it out again, but this time, he needed to be aware of what he was doing.
He focused, reaching inward for that spark of power. His breath slowed as he concentrated, remembering the feeling from earlier when the ghoul had come too close, when the energy had surged out of him like a reflex. This time, it wasn't fear guiding him—it was intent.
A faint pressure built behind his eyes, and slowly, carefully, Mellali raised his hand. He felt the power respond, swirling around him, invisible but palpable.
Then, with a small push of will, he let it slip out.
A pulse of energy rippled from his hand—soft, not violent, just a small shockwave that stirred the dust on the ground around him. It wasn't much, but it was controlled. He had done it on purpose.
Hadjer, sitting nearby, watched quietly. "Looks like you've got some control," she said, her voice neutral but impressed. "That's a start."
Mellali nodded, but he could already feel the drain. The energy, the mana—it wasn't infinite. His stat window had shown that earlier, and now he could feel it fading the more he used. If he ran out in a real fight, he'd be vulnerable.
He needed to figure out how to recharge.
---
The Test Continues:
Mellali wasn't done. He needed to push a little further, to see the limits of what he could do. This wasn't just a game to him now—it was survival.
"Let's try something stronger," he muttered to himself, ignoring the lightness in his head as his mana pool continued to dip. He focused again, this time reaching for something deeper. The chaotic energy inside him responded, a swirling mix of power that felt... wild.
"Alright," Hadjer said cautiously, noticing the shift in his focus. "Take it easy."
Mellali's hand twitched, and suddenly, a bolt of energy shot forward—Chaos Bolt. It crackled with raw, unpredictable force, surging into the stone wall opposite him. The wall splintered slightly from the impact, small chunks of rock falling to the ground.
But that wasn't the part that worried Mellali. What worried him was the sudden drop in his energy. He felt empty, like something had drained from him completely. His knees buckled slightly, and for a second, he thought he might collapse.
Hadjer stood, moving toward him. "You good?"
Mellali nodded, but his breath was short. "Yeah... just... that took more out of me than I expected."
His mind raced. How do I get it back? In every game he had played, mana would regenerate over time or through items, but this wasn't a game. His energy wasn't just some abstract number—it was his life force. He needed to find a way to restore it.
---
Finding the Answer:
Mellali sat down, closing his eyes. There had to be a way. His mana hadn't regenerated on its own since he had cast the Chaos Bolt, but maybe he wasn't doing something right. Maybe the world had rules—rules he hadn't figured out yet.
Hadjer sat next to him, watching him closely. "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking," he started, taking a slow breath, "there has to be a way to get my mana back. It's like... it's gone after that spell, but I don't think it's permanent. I just need to figure out how to recharge."
Hadjer thought for a moment. "Rest? Meditation? It might work like stamina. You push too far, and it takes time to come back."
Mellali considered it. She might be right. "Or... maybe it's tied to something else in this world. Maybe I need to... connect with something."
"Like what?" Hadjer asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Magic. Energy. I don't know," he admitted. "But sitting still isn't doing it. I need to focus."
He stood up again, this time closing his eyes and trying to reach inward. He slowed his breathing, listening to the sounds of the wind around him, the faint rustle of the trees. He could still feel the residue of the magic inside him—it wasn't gone. It was just... depleted. Maybe what he needed wasn't just rest, but a way to recharge by connecting with the world around him.
As he focused, Mellali felt a faint stirring. The energy in the air, the world itself—it wasn't as dead as he'd thought. There was something there, something alive. Slowly, like breathing in air after being underwater, he began to feel the faint return of his mana.
It wasn't fast. It wasn't immediate. But it was happening.
---
The Realization:
"I think I get it," Mellali said, his voice calm, but with a hint of relief. "It's not just about waiting. I can pull mana from... around me. The world. But I have to be focused. It's almost like... meditating. Slowing everything down."
Hadjer raised an eyebrow, impressed. "So you can recharge?"
"Slowly," he admitted. "But yeah. It's not automatic, though. I have to tap into it."
She nodded, standing up as well. "Good. That's one less thing to worry about."
Mellali smiled, the tiredness lifting slightly. "Yeah. One less thing."
But the night was still dark, and the world outside the ruins was still full of danger. They were figuring things out, piece by piece, but there was still a long way to go before they fully understood what they were up agains.