Kazuki's awareness stirred like a ripple in still water. He wasn't sure if he was awake or dreaming, both felt equally surreal. The world around him shimmered, neither solid nor ephemeral, as if reality itself had been softened and reshaped by an unseen hand. He stood on what seemed to be a boundless plane of polished obsidian, the surface beneath his feet smooth and cold. Overhead, the sky was a chaotic swirl of colors, as though dawn and dusk had collided and tangled into one unending horizon.
Kazuki(confused): "Where... am I?"
His voice echoed, distorted, like he had spoken underwater. He looked down at his hands. They seemed real…his knuckles, the faint scar on his thumb from an old accident but they glimmered faintly, as though they too were part of this dream-like tapestry.
He took a step forward, and the sound of his footstep reverberated unnaturally loud in the vast emptiness. A wave of unease crawled up his spine. The last thing he remembered was the shadowy figure and the sickening thud behind his head. The memory made him flinch, instinctively touching the back of his skull. Nothing. No pain. No wound. Just this disorienting... place.
Kazuki(wary): "This has to be a dream... right?"
The more he walked, the stranger the world became. Shapes began to rise from the obsidian ground, faint, translucent figures, like ghosts caught mid-motion. They shimmered as they moved, their forms incomplete, their faces blurred and indistinct. Some appeared to be reaching for him, their gestures imploring, while others stood motionless, their gazes locked on something far away.
Kazuki(nervous): "This is seriously messed up. Come on, wake up Kazuki, Wake up!"
He slapped his face. The sting was real, but the world remained unchanged. His breath quickened as the translucent figures began to grow clearer. One by one, their forms solidified, taking on shapes and features he recognized.
Kazuki(stunned): "Ren? Aya?"
The figures before him were unmistakably his friends. Ren stood tall and confident, his usual mischievous grin oddly frozen, while Aya's steady gaze was fixed ahead, unreadable. But something was wrong. Their movements were jerky, like marionettes tugged by unseen strings, and their eyes, hollow, glowing faintly with an eerie light sent chills through him.
Kazuki(panicked): "What is this? Guys, what's going on? Say something!"
Neither answered. Instead, the ground beneath him began to shift, cracks forming in the polished obsidian. From the fractures emerged a crimson light, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air grew heavy, oppressive, and a low, guttural hum filled his ears, drowning out even his own frantic breathing.
Suddenly, a voice echoed…not from the figures, but from everywhere and nowhere at once.
Voice(whispering): "Do you see now, Kazuki? This world… it remembers you."
Kazuki(fearful): "Who's there?? Wh…what do you want from me?"
The voice did not answer directly. Instead, the light beneath him flared, and the figures of Aya and Ren began to dissolve into ash, swept away by an invisible wind. He reached out for them, a desperate instinct.
Kazuki(pleading): "No! Wait! Don't go!"
But his hands passed through empty air. The ash swirled, forming new shapes twisting, writhing beasts with too many limbs and eyes that glowed like embers. They hissed and growled, circling him like predators, their movements predatory and deliberate.
Voice(taunting): "You are not ready. Not yet."
Kazuki's knees buckled as the beasts lunged. He braced himself, expecting teeth and claws, but instead, he was enveloped in an overwhelming sensation of heat, light, and pain. His vision blurred, and the world around him melted away.
—
Kazuki woke with a gasp, his chest heaving like he had been underwater for too long. The surface beneath him was no longer the polished obsidian but coarse, cracked earth. The air smelled sharp, metallic, and unfamiliar. He sat up, his head pounding, and took in his surroundings.
It was a world he didn't recognize. The sky was an unnatural shade of red, streaked with veins of black clouds. Towering structures that resembled twisted, skeletal spires jutted from the ground, their surfaces gleaming like molten metal. The land stretched endlessly, barren and broken, with no sign of life save for the faint shadows that moved on the horizon.
Kazuki(murmuring): "What... is this place?"
He stumbled to his feet, his body trembling. The ache in his limbs felt too real for a dream. His school uniform, once clean and crisp, was now dirt-streaked and torn. He brushed himself off, his hands shaking.
Kazuki(determined): "Okay, Kazuki. Think. This isn't a dream. Or... if it is, it's the worst one you've ever had."
His voice felt small against the vast emptiness around him. He began to walk, each step crunching against the brittle earth. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the occasional groan of the distant spires. He kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting the shadowy figure to reappear.
Kazuki(bitterly): "Great. Final exams weren't enough stress. Now I'm stuck in some sort of post-apocalyptic nightmare. Just Perfect, not my cup of tea tho."
Despite his attempt at humor, the weight of his situation pressed down on him. Memories of Aya and Ren flashed in his mind their laughter, their teasing, the promise to stick together. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
Kazuki(whispering): "I'll find a way back. I have to, I must."
As he walked, he noticed something glimmering faintly in the dirt. He crouched down, brushing away the dust to reveal a small, round object. It was a coin..ornate and heavy, its surface etched with symbols he couldn't decipher.
Kazuki(curious): "What's this? Some kind of... currency?"
The coin felt warm in his hand, almost pulsing, and for a moment, he swore he heard a faint whisper emanating from it. Before he could make sense of it, the ground beneath him trembled.
A deep, guttural roar echoed through the air, sending a shiver down his spine. He spun around, his eyes scanning the horizon. The shadows in the distance were no longer faint they were growing larger, closer.
Kazuki(muttering): "Oh, come on!! Give me a break."
The shapes took form as they approached: hulking creatures with jagged, armor-like exteriors and glowing, ember-like eyes. Their movements were deliberate, predatory, and they were heading straight for him.
Kazuki(frightened): "Nope. Nope. Nope!"
He turned and ran, his heart pounding. The creatures let out guttural cries, their footsteps shaking the ground as they gave chase. His legs burned, but adrenaline kept him moving. He darted between jagged rocks and crumbled structures, his breath ragged.
Kazuki(desperate): "Think, Kazuki. Think! Where do I go? What shoul I do based on my gaming experiences?"
He spotted a narrow crevice in a nearby rock formation and dove into it, pressing himself against the cold, jagged stone. The creatures slowed, their glowing eyes scanning the area. Kazuki held his breath, his body trembling.
Kazuki(terrified, whispering): "Please don't find me. Please don't find me."
The largest of the creatures let out a guttural snarl, its ember-like gaze lingering on the crevice. Kazuki felt his pulse hammering in his ears. After what felt like an eternity, the creature turned away, signaling the others to follow.
He waited, counting each agonizing second until the sounds of their footsteps faded. Only then did he allow himself to breathe, collapsing against the rock wall.
Kazuki(whispering): "What the hell is going on?"
As he sat there, clutching the mysterious coin, a single thought echoed in his mind—the same whisper he had heard earlier.
Voice(softly): "Survive"
To be continued….