Absolute darkness and silence surrounds me.
A feeling of weightlessness, as if I'm drifting in space, but suddenly it feels like I have been laid onto something - I sense something solid beneath me.
My consciousness slowly returns fully, and the dull sensation in my body morphs into a short throbbing pain.
My breath comes in shallow gasps as I realize that I'm lying down… on something cold, hard, and… damp?
I open my eyes, blinking into the pale light shining through dense leaves above me.
Gigantic trees stretch toward the sky, their branches forming a thick canopy that lets in barely a sliver of sunlight.
The air is filled with the scent of damp moss and fresh earth, and the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls reach my ears.
The forest around me feels -so alive, mysterious, and almost surreal. I sit up and feel a slight throbbing in my head.
Where… am I?
Memories of my last moments before appearing here return.
Takumi… the knife… the blood pouring out of my chest. I hastly touch my chest—shouldn't I be dead by now? Or is this some kind of dream?
Slowly, I look down at my hands and pause in confusion. They're smaller, slimmer—almost like the hands of a child.
I turn my palms over and then examine my arms closely. My legs also feel… different, shorter, and a bit weaker.
I stand up and look down at my body.
Have I… shrunk?
A tingling sensation runs through my body, and a dizzyness overtakes me.
It's as though I've lost my own body and stepped into someone else's.
Suddenly, a small, translucent window appears before me, floating in the air as if it were part of a computer game or something.
It displays a message that's hard to misinterpret:
"Survive 4 nights in the forest."
I stare at the words glowing brightly in front of me, and my heart races.
What the hell is this? Some kind of bad joke?
But the text remains unchanged, and the window flickers slightly,
as if it's embedding itself firmly into my field of vision. I blink a few times, move my head, but the window stays, as though it's burned directly into my consciousness.
"Four nights to survive?"
An uneasy feeling rises in me. I'm in a strange forest, in what seems to be a child's body, and this window is addressing me like a command. What happens if I don't survive the four nights? Is this a game?
A cold shiver runs down my spine.
I take a deep breath and try to understand my surroundings.
Tall, ancient-looking trees stand all around, and I don't see any clear paths or signs of human presence.
The ground is covered with moss and leaves that rustle softly under my small naked feet.
Birds sing in the distance, and a light breeze stirs the branches above, but otherwise, an eerie silence prevails.
First, I need to make sure I have everything I need to survive four nights. This is a forest, so there will be wild animals… maybe worse…
Time seems short, and my heart beats faster at the thought of the upcoming four nights I have to survive in this wilderness.
I take a few tentative steps and feel the cold of the ground seeping through my bare feet.
The thought of being in this frail body with no equipment or weapons fills me with fear.
I reach out, placing my hand on one of the trees, feeling the rough bark under my fingers. My new, childlike skin is more sensitive, and every crack and crevice in the wood feels more intense.
A growling sensation stirs in my stomach - a dull ache reminding me that I haven't eaten for who knows how many hours.
I look around and spot a nearby bush with small, dark purple berries.
They look tempting, but without knowing if they're edible, I shouldn't try luck.
In this strange world, where everything feels foreign, even an innocent juicy-tasty looking berry could mean my end.
Another thought crosses my mind: water. Without water, I won't survive the four nights here.
I listen intently, hoping to catch the sound of flowing water, but the forest is silent, save for the rustling leaves in the trees. My body feels weak and shaky, and I know I'll need to find something to drink and eat soon.
Suddenly, there's a crack behind me. I turn around in an instant, my eyes wide open.
I can't see anything in the thick forest, but the unmistakable sound of twigs snapping underfoot is clear.
My heart races, and I hold my breath.
I'm not alone…!
I take a step back and instinctively press myself against a tree trunk.
The sound grows louder, and my body tenses. Something is moving in the shadows - a vague figure approaching between the trees.
My gaze searches for an escape route, but my limbs feel frozen.
Slowly, a creature steps into view. It's an animal - a wolf-like creature, but larger than any wolf I've ever seen. It's at least 3 times bigger than me.
Its fur is gray and ragged, and its eyes glow with an unnatural, deep yellow.
The beast looks directly at me, and a low, guttural growl rumbles from its throat.
I swallow hard, my heart pounding in my chest. What should I do? My instincts tell me to run, but my legs feel heavy, and my breath catches in fear.
The wolf-like creature takes a step forward and I feel instantly how the blood in my veins freeze.
Suddenly, a soft buzzing sound fills the air, and another window appears before me, offering options as if it's mocking me:
"Hint: Threat detected. Options: 1) Flee 2) Hide 3) Attack."
The words hover before my eyes, and I hesitate. In my current state, there's absolutely no way I could attack it.
Running or hiding… those are my only choices. Summoning all the strength I have, I break free and dash into the forest as fast as my short legs can carry me. The rustling and snapping branches behind me tell me that the creature is still following me, but I don't dare look back. I don't even want to know how far it is away from me, since it's sounding like it is right behind my back.
Time seems to stretch infinetly as I was running, and my breath turns into a ragged wheeze as I push through countless bushes and branches. My legs begin to ache, and I know I can't keep this up for much longer.
Then I spot a tree root forming a small hollow in the ground.
Without thinking, I throw myself inside, pressing myself to the ground as deep as possible and holding my breath.
My heart pounds loudly in my chest as I hear the creature approaching.
It sniffs, its heavy breathing filling my ears, but after a while, the creature retreats - and the growling fades into distance.
I lie motionless until the silence returns.
Only then do I dare to breathe again. The first day in this strange forest has just begun, and I already feel my strength fading. But something inside me flares up - a part of me that refuses to give up. Is that what they call the survival instinct?
Four nights… I have no choice. I will survive.