[Bloodlust detected.]
The instant the monotonous voice spoke, a terrible chill ran down my spine and I immediately bolted up.
No! Not again!
Memories of the lake flashed in my mind and my hand immediately shot to Empty Dial which was dangling on my neck.
The magical hourglass which was fastened to a chain, emitted a pale, dim light when my hand touched it.
My lips were quivering, and my hands were shaking. My eyes darted around to find whatever had been the cause of the terrible chill but met nothing but the expanse of the Wyvern Woods.
W-what?!
The Wyvern Woods which had been beautiful and captivating in the day had suddenly grown oddly dark and chilling.
Under the pale light of the moon, I felt exposed and unprotected, like I were a prey for a ruthless predator.
A predator...
"N-no! N-no! Am going to die!"
I screamed and grabbed my head. My teeth clattered hard against each other and my eyes turned bloodshot. My heart rate quickened and so did my breath.
Hot tears streamed down my face as cold terror gripped my heart.
"P-please! Mommy! Daddy help-!"
Before I could finish, I heard a loud voice, "VICKI! SNAP OUT OF IT! WE HAVE TO RUN!"
I opened my eyes which was doused in tears and met Dave's gaze. It was filled with warmth, concern, worry, fear and dread.
Even he was scared as well.
When I saw this, I dropped my head, allowing tears to flow down my face.
I knew I was being selfish. I knew I was being cowardly. I knew that I was being over-reliant on him. I knew that I had to steel myself and smile, even if it was fake and brittle, so that we could both stand up and move forward.
I knew I had to support him too and help him move forward as well.
But I just couldn't do it.
And why was that?
It was because I was weak.
"UWWAAAH! UWAAAH! UWAAAHHH!"
"I WANT TO GO HOME! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE! I WANT TO GO BACK HOME!"
"UWWAAAH! UWAAAH! UWAAAHHH!"
I cried my eyes out as Dave held my shoulder.
I raised my head, beads of tears flew into Dave's face as I screamed at him,
"DAVE! TAKE ME HOME!"
I yelled at him with a loud voice.
Dave stared at me with uncertain eyes, even his eyes had fear in them as well, even he too was suffering but I didn't care!
I just wanted to leave this place and return to my home. To my mom and dad, to their sweet and warm embrace.
I wanted to be relieved of this fear!
Dave's expression remained lost for several moments as silence slowly befell the both of us. He remained silent for a few moments before showing me a Duchene Smile.
"Alright, Vicki, I'll take you home."
The instant he said that he disappeared.
The mist that resided in the Wyvern Woods swept over him and the next thing; he was...
Gone.
Like magic, he vanished before my very eyes.
Then suddenly, the world grew cold.
What...? What's...going....on...?
I blinked several times; my brain failing to register the horrifying happenstance that had just taken place.
Dave was gone.
He had just vanished without a trace.
Even the bag of fruits that I had forced him to carry had vanished along with him.
My mouth hung agape as my eyes remained fixed on where he previously had sat, comforting me with his hand.
My greed and weakness had been ruthlessly punished.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
My eyes which were supposed to be exhausted from my prior sobbing, sprouted forth new tears.
I cried.
This was too much, too much for me.
Weren't my classmates and I just in school a few days ago?
Weren't we just here on excursion?
Weren't we just told to playtest this game?
So... why?!
Why was I being forced to endure this pain and suffering?
Why was I subjected to this gut-wrenching terror?
Where is my mom? Where is my dad? Where is coordinator?
What's wrong with the developers?
Is there something wrong with the game?
What's going on?
Why is God watching me suffer like this?
Why?
Why?!
"WHY?!",
I screamed.
I cried out in fear and horror, the memories of the cold dread I had felt at the lake resurfaced once again but with chilling clarity.
I screamed at the top of my lungs, believing that all I was seeing was just an illusion, like the one I had experienced at the depths of the lake.
I screamed, believing that everything I was experiencing was merely a bad dream, a nightmare that I was yet to wake up from.
I had even forgotten that this was all a game.
My mind had been tricked into believing that this was all reality when it was nothing more than a mesmerizing conjuration of pixels.
Suddenly, I saw something jump at the side of my peripheral vision.
My eyes darted in that direction and naturally, met nothing.
But I did behold something...
The darkness of the Wyvern Woods grew deeper, the shadows danced strangely, the light of the moon refracted at terrifying angles and even the very air trembled disturbingly.
The fog that swirled around its expanse grew deeper and denser, as it moved in a strange manner, as if it were hiding something within its maws.
The trees and the grasses seemed to come alive within the darkness, it couldn't be seen explicitly but I could feel it.
I stared at a Wyvern Tree with my bloodshot eyes.
I had occasionally felt warmth whenever I laid on the smooth bark of the Wyvern Trees but now...
I wanted nothing more than to get away from them.
My eyes lingered on the Tree with rapt attention, keeping track of every movement, it seemed to make but of course, it made no strange movements.
It simply stood erect, at least that was what I thought...
Until, I witnessed it grow a face.