N-no!
My eyes widened as the vines slipped through my fingers and snapped. The weight of gravity was slowly setting in, as my body suddenly became weighty.
I opened my mouth to let out a scream, but all that came out was an air of silence.
Aaaahh-
I exclaimed inwardly as I fell but suddenly, I came to a halt.
H-huh?
I looked up, locking my gaze with a strained filled one.
I mouthed 'Dave' silently when I saw him.
"H-HANG ON!"
He gripped my hand tighter, desperate not to let me slip out of his grasp.
His face was flushed red and he bit his lip, veins forming on his hand, before turning to me, "Vicki...!"
I stared at him with anticipation but then realized.
He expects me to figure something out...
I bit my lip and looked down.
Below was several Tree Trolls who hadn't ascended the trees, jumping below us as they waved their clubs with murderous glee. I glanced to the sides and saw the trees littered with hundreds of them.
What do I do...?
My eyes grew solemn as the reality of our predicament began to dawn on me.
T-there's no way out...
Subconsciously, my grip on Dave's hand began to loosen and my grasp began to slip.
"VICKI! YOU'RE SLIPPING!", Dave cried out, panicking.
I looked at Dave with a sad smile and teary eyes.
Dave stared into my eyes with a solemn gaze. His eyes began to lose light and his grip on my hand loosened in turn.
I stared at him solemnly, as droplets of tears escaped my eyes.
"No... Vicki...", Dave muttered as my hand disconnected from his.
"VICKI!", he screamed as I was instantly thrust into a freefall, down into the ravenous horde of Tree Trolls.
As I fell, my life flashed through my eyes bringing a bitter expression to my face.
Memories of my parents, siblings, relatives, friends and...
Seba...
My tears seemed to ascend as my body, influenced by the merciless force of gravity, descended towards the odious horde.
I don't want to die...
I felt embittered by the cruel fate I was about to suffer but could not change...
All because I was weak.
All my life I had been taken advantage of because of my weak and small stature, I had been stepped on and bullied all because of my weakness.
I had covered up my weakness with a superiority complex, complimenting my weak nature with my sharp wits and sharp tongue yet...
It was all for naught.
I was going to die because of that same weakness, it was truly laughable.
It was like fate was laughing at me.
Granted...no amount of strength I could attain could save me in this situation...
I smiled in a self-depreciating manner as I closed my eyes.
But right before the narrow silts of my eyelids could seal shut, an object entered my central view.
Empty...Dial...
The hourglass which had been granted to me as a gift within my illusion, glinted in the pale moonlight, attracting my attention to it.
Ever since I escaped that water, I've not been able to use it...and I don't even know why...
I watched it ascend as I descended.
Well, it won't be so bad for such a beautiful hourglass to be the last thing I see...
I thought as I admired its elegant design.
WHOOSH!!
My body tore through the air as it approached the horde of Trolls at a deadly velocity.
The Trolls jumped in dark delight, eager to tear me apart.
"EEE!!"
"EEE!!!"
"EEE!!"
"EEE!!!"
"EEE!!"
"EEE!!!"
I heard their deafening cacophony rigging from below, their profane hunger and bloodlust evident in their voices.
How could those developers create such monstrous creatures?
A dark thought came to my mind but I simply threw it away.
It was useless anyway.
I took a deep breath as I tried to mentally prepare myself for death but of course, it was impossible...
I was too scared.
PLEASE SOMEONE SA-
I stopped when I suddenly remembered something.
What was the description of Empty Dial again?
[Inventory:] Empty Dial: Beneath a rumbling wave, time stood still, life seemed eternal and dreams everlasting. Born in a blissful dream was a glass of frozen time, time that never progressed nor regressed. This Rare Item has the Effect; Manifest.
[Effect:] Manifest: Where the clock and dreams entwine, the golden hour shall be thine.
The system responded by displaying the interface.
Manifest...wait could it be?!
In that moment, I received an epiphany and simultaneously, Dave emerged.
DAVE?!
"DID YOU THINK I'D LEAVE YOU TO DIE? HELL NO!", Dave yelled as he grabbed my hand with his free hand, while his other hand gripped the thick green vine.
He had a grin on his face as he spoke, "HOLD ON TIGHT!"
With the momentum he had garnered from falling, Dave rocketed the both of us forward using the vine as a swing.
My eyes widened as we soared high up, flying across the space above the Tree Trolls.
Their gazes followed us as we cut through the air, getting pass several of them.
W-we're flying!
Dave's grip on my hand tightened as we reached what seemed like the end of the horde.
"Vicki! You gonna use that fancy necklace of yours now?", Dave exclaimed as we began to lose forward momentum.
I glanced at him and then down to the ground which was fast approaching.
I gripped Empty Dial with an uncertain expression.
Please Empty Dial...please work...
The earlier epiphany that I had realized seemed like a scattered fragment. I understood it but at the same time I didn't. It was like knowing something but being unable to put it into words.
FWOOSH!
I thrusted Empty Dial forward and willed into it; the idea of a sphere.
From the scattered fragments of my epiphany, I had come to realize one obvious thing.
To 'manifest' something means to bring it into existence.
So of course...to use the Empty Dial one had to simply will their ideas into existence...I think...
I chased away the discrepant thought away and focused.
Come on...Empty Dial...sphere...
As I focused deeper and deeper, something strange begun to happen.
The air that surrounded me began to rumble with a low murmur, the glass of Empty Dial began to glow with a dim light and I felt something strange swirling around it.
Suddenly, the swirl began to get faster and faster, soon becoming a whirlpool.
WHOOSH!
"Woah...Vicki!"
My face turned to one of elation when I saw the whirlpool.
I-it's not a sphere...but...it's better than nothing!
The whirlpool spun even faster, reaching a point of solidity.
I glanced at Dave who clenched my free arm tightly.
I opened my mouth, wanting to say something but then remembered I was dumb.
Tsk...whatever...
I ignored my worries as we approached the ground.
THOOM!!
The whirlpool collided first with the ground, raising a dust cloud and displacing tons of soil.
Next, Dave and I landed next.
THUMP!
"EEE!!!"
"EE!!"
"EEE!!!"
The instant we heard the odious voices, we got up to our feet and bolted, not even saying a word to each other.
Dave and I ran into the Wyvern Woods, as the Tree Trolls gave chase.
HUFF! HUFF!
I panted heavily as we ran, clearly fatigued but I had no choice...
If I didn't want to die, I had to run.
[Debuff: Lolita is active.]
Ignoring the game's voice, I sprinted as fast I could.
There was nothing wrong with being weak.
The problem was staying weak.
I wasn't going to let myself stay weak.
I want to become stronger!
I thought as a determined expression came to my face.
"EEE!!!" "EEE!!!"
"EEE!!!" "EEE!!!"
"EEE!!!" "EEE!!!"
The Trolls screamed in fury as they chased us.
I didn't look back, fearful that one of them will suddenly jump me like before.
As I was thinking, I heard Dave yell.
"Vicki!"
I turned to him.
He pointed forward, "Look."
My eyes followed the direction of his finger and peered forward.
W-what?
I gasped.
Faintly obscured by the white mist was what seemed like an edge...
A cliff!
Dave turned to me and asked, "Are we gonna jump?"
What other choice do we have?
I glanced at him and smiled, before nodding.
He raised an eyebrow before turning back, "Alright."
We readied ourselves to jump, focusing entirely on the cliff when suddenly...
[Bloodlust detected.]
[Level 3. Tree Troll.]
A Tree Troll suddenly appeared from above us, and violently swung down its arm.
"EEE!!"
The club it was holding, fell in kind, aiming straight for my head.
A-ah!
Dave immediately reacted pushing me out of harm's way.
"GO VIC-ACK!"
I watched in horror, as the club struck down on his arm and from it a sickening sound could be heard.
CRACK!
"RRAAAAHHHH!", Dave let out a cry of pain as his left elbow joint shattered.
"EEE! EEE!", the Troll let out a gleeful scream as Dave fell to his knees, clutching his broken arm in pain.
The Tree Troll's feet rested on the soil as it slowly rose up.
Standing at three feet with a humanoid body made entirely of wood, the Tree Troll looked strangely disturbing.
It turned to me, and stared at me with its black dead eyes.
I felt a terrible chill down my spine and fell to my hind.
It approached me with its club in hand, walking forward in a creepy manner.
I crawled back, wanting to get away from the terrifying monster.
No! No! No! No! We were so close! So close! So why?! Why?!
I opened my mouth, wanting to scream but once again, merely an air of silence emerged.
The Tree Troll looked down at me before raising its club, ready to smite me down without remorse.
N-no!
THUD!
Huh?
I saw Dave strike the Troll from behind with a stray stick he found, causing the Troll to sway and stumble.
"GO! VICKI! GO!"
Without wasting a moment, I bolted to my feet and dashed towards the cliff, but suddenly I froze and turned back.
I saw Dave facing the approaching horde with the stick in hand.
He's not thinking of...sacrificing himself...is he?
My face contorted into one of anger, I stepped forward attempting to walk towards him but Dave spoke,
"Go...Vicki...I can handle them...I have Blood Factor remember.", he said with a pale Duchene smile.
I stared at him with a bewildered expression and then opened my mouth.
"ACK!"
I coughed.
"Vicki...a-are you ok?"
I gripped my throat and coughed again.
Come back you damn voice!
I opened my mouth again and screamed,
"DON'T BE STUPID! YOU BLOODY MOTHERFUCKER!"
"W-what the?", Dave stared at me with a bewildered expression, he was seriously taken aback.
"DON'T YOU DARE THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY! DO YOU NOT CARE ABOUT KANSOLA?!"
Dave's eyes widened slowly before turning solemn, his grip weakened causing the stick to drop to the ground.
His eyes grew teary as he stared back at me and said, "Of cours-"
Before he could finish speaking, I yelled again, "IF YOU DO THEN GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"
He cleaned his tears and cradled his arm, "Chill. Am comi-"
This time I wasn't the one who interrupted him.
The Tree Troll which Dave had previously knocked down rose again.
"EEE!!"
It jumped towards Dave and tackled him to the ground, trying to bite into him.
The previous anger and rage I had felt dissipated, replaced by distress.
I watched with fear as Dave struggled against the beast, he pushed back the monster and said, "Run! Vicki! Run!"
I stared at him and then to the encroaching horde of Tree Trolls. They had already come frighteningly close, just moments away from reaching us.
"D-dave..."
"GO VICKI! GO NOW!"
I hesitated.
The way out of this hell was right behind me...but what would it cost to escape?
Do I value my life or my friendship?
The answer to that question is...
I stared at Dave as he fought with the vicious Tree Troll and then at the deathly close horde.
I squeezed my eyes shut, tears trickling down my eyes, my shaky voice said,
"Am sorry Dave..."
Without looking at him, I turned around and jumped.
Off the cliff.
I thought I could become stronger...I thought I had gotten stronger...but in the end...am still the same...
Am weak.
With that, I vanished into the mist.