"No, stop this! I don't want this!" Arin's voice cracked with desperation as he watched his body start to dissolve into shimmering grains of sand, fading like the final grains of an hourglass.
"Please don't take me away! Please!" he screamed, his hands clawing at the air, his legs rooted in place as though bound by invisible chains. His gaze darted to his grandfather's altar, where the incense smoke curled in gentle tendrils, untouched by the chaos consuming him.
"Grandpa!" he cried, tears streaming down his face as he lurched forward, reaching out for the familiar warmth of his grandfather's portrait. But before his fingers could graze it, his body completely vanished.
Arin's screams echoed into an unending abyss as his consciousness was torn from the world he knew. His body felt weightless, yet every molecule seemed to burn and twist as though being unraveled and reconstructed simultaneously.
Colors he couldn't name swirled around him, mixing with flashes of blinding light and oppressive darkness. The sensation was overwhelming—his skin prickled with icy needles one second, then burned as though submerged in molten lava the next.
"What is this?! Stop! I can't breathe!" he howled, his voice merging with the noise from the void.
The system's cold, mechanical voice cut through his panic like a blade.
-[Initializing Dimensional Transition Protocol.]
-[Warning: Resistance will result in failure of host integrity.]
"Failure of what?! What does that even mean?!" Arin shouted, his words swallowed by the void.
-[Host is advised to remain calm. Emotional instability may lead to severe disorientation.]
"Calm? Are you out of your mind?!"
The void seemed to pulse, tightening around him. He could feel the weight of the system's indifference, its voice cold and unyielding.
-[Host's defiance has been noted. Future insubordination will invoke disciplinary measures.]
"Disciplinary measures?! Are you serious?!" Arin barked, his fear fueling his outrage. "You're throwing me through God-knows-where, and I'm supposed to be okay with this?!"
The system didn't respond. Instead, Arin felt his body being pulled faster, as if dragged by an unseen force.
"Please! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop this!" His pleas turned to gut-wrenching sobs as the void's swirling chaos reached its peak. His screams faded into silence as the last of his particles shot through a bundle of dimensions.
When Arin's body reassembled, it felt as though every atom was stitched together with fire. He stumbled forward, collapsing to his knees. Sand—gritty and searing—dug into his palms.
He gasped for air, each breath scorching his throat. His lungs felt like they were filled with molten lead.
"Cough! Cough! Where... am I?!" he managed to choke out, his voice hoarse and raw.
When he finally opened his eyes, the sight before him stole what little breath he had left.
A blood-red sea of endless sand dunes stretched out to infinity. Above, the sky was an oppressive crimson, its hues flickering like dying embers. The wind howled with a mournful cry, carrying the scent of iron and despair.
"This can't be Earth..." Arin whispered, his voice trembling.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. The sound felt absurdly mundane in this surreal nightmare. He pulled it out with shaking hands and stared at the screen.
-[Location: Broken Star Dimension: 657:886.1]
He blinked, dumbfounded. "So… you're responsive now?" he muttered, staring at the device.
The screen remained still, offering no further explanation.
"Fine, be like that." Arin huffed, his mind racing. He crouched down, scooping up a handful of the sand. It sifted through his fingers like fine ash, leaving a faint red stain on his skin.
"This place... it feels like death itself," he murmured, scanning the horizon. Not a single structure, tree, or landmark broke the monotony of the landscape.
The phone dinged again, the sound sharp and commanding.
-[To return to the origin point, host must survive the allotted time frame.]
Arin frowned. "Allotted time frame? What does that mean?"
The screen flashed.
-[Current Remaining Time: 23:59:36]
"Twenty-four hours?!" Arin yelled, the realization hitting him like a freight train. "You're telling me I'm stuck here for a whole day?!"
The system's response was immediate.
-[Warning: Host is advised to refrain from unnecessary complaints.]
-[Amendment 2: Disrespecting the system will result in penalties.]
"Oh, come on!" Arin groaned, throwing his hands into the air. "This has to be a joke! Who programs a system to be this strict?!"
-[Caution: Further insubordination will invoke punitive action.]
"Okay, okay! I get it!" he snapped, his voice dripping with frustration. "No complaints. No disrespect. Got it!"
The oppressive silence returned, broken only by the desolate winds. Arin sat down, his mind racing.
"Alright," he muttered to himself. "Think, Arin. You're stuck in some hellish dimension. No food. No water. No help. And a system that's as friendly as a brick wall."
He looked at the phone again, glaring at the screen. "You dragged me here. The least you can do is tell me how to survive."
The system's tone turned icy, its indifference palpable.
-[Survival is the host's responsibility. Adaptation is a fundamental requirement.]
"You've got to be kidding me."
"What kind of bullshit is this, anyway?" he muttered under his breath, pacing in the sand as if motion could somehow bring clarity.
The phone emitted a sharp ding, startling him.
-[Warning: Host is warned against breaking the 2nd System Amendment: Do not disrespect the system.]
He froze. "Wait, what?" His confusion quickly morphed into disbelief.
Another notification blinked to life, its tone colder this time.
-[Caution: Continuous use of such illicit words shall attract a penalty.]
Arin's mouth fell open. "Penalty? You've got to be kidding me!"
And then it hit him.
"No way..." His eyes widened, his heart thundering in his chest. "It's in my head too‽"