"Ahh!"
A sharp pain shot through her head, making her clutch her temples tightly. As she slowly opened her eyes, she realized it was dark. She couldn't see a thing. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the haze, yet the blackness persisted.
With much effort, she stood up. Her thoughts drifting back to the last memories she could recall before losing consciousness. The sound of car horns echoed in her mind,
{Beep! Beep!}
She remembered the accident – the screeching tires, the crunching metal, and the feeling of weightlessness before everything went black.
She should have died from the impact, which was too severe, and her injuries were fatal. She probably couldn't have survived that.
Yet, here she was, alive... or so she thought. A nagging doubt crept into her mind. Was this the afterlife? A realm beyond the mortal world? She was totally clueless about it.
Just as she was trying to make sense of her surroundings, a bright light flashed before her, making her instinctively shut her eyes tightly.
When she opened them again, she was shocked to see a holographic screen flickering to life before her. The screen was emblazoned with a crimson eye logo, casting a red glow in the darkness.
"Welcome, Master," a computed voice spoke, breaking the silence like a crack of thunder. It was devoid of emotions and sent shivers down her spine.
Ember's confusion turned to outright fear as she stared at the screen. What was going on? Where was she? And who was behind that creepy logo? Was this some kind of prank?
She stood frozen, her gaze locked onto the giant crimson eye before her, which suddenly blinked, causing a shift in lightning. This scared her even more, and with a shivering voice, she managed to stammer,
"Wh- who are you? Wha- what do you want—"
Her words trailed off, dying on her tongue, as the eye vanished. The screen now displayed a simple, bold word: 'Welcome.' This further escalated her confusion.
While she was still lost in thought, contemplating her situation, a cute rabbit appeared beside her, lurking in mid- air.
"I'm here, idiot," it said in a dry tone, and its sarcasm was palpable.
Her eyes widened in shock. She swiftly snapped her head towards the rabbit and jumped back, her heart racing as she gazed at it in a mix of horror and surprise. She hadn't noticed it appear until it spoke, and its sudden presence sent her into a panic.
The corners of her mouth twitched, and she yelled out, "What the—!" Her hand instinctively flew to her chest, and she patted it gently, as if trying to calm her racing heart.
Taking a deep breath, she demanded, "Who the hell are you? Where did you come from?" Her voice was loud and angry.
The rabbit tilted its head backwards, its red eyes shining as they looked straight into hers. The movement was smooth and fluid, but it sent shivers down her spine. Her words died on the tip of her tongue, as she watched its bizarre display.
The rabbit continued to stare at her and its eyes flashed again. On impulse, Ember's hand shot out, and she slapped it across its face.
The force of the blow sent the rabbit spinning into a 360° rotation, its paws waving wildly as it struggled to regain its balance. Finally, it came to a halt, its eyes blazing with anger as it glared at her.
"Human, do you have a death wish?" the rabbit growled, its voice low and menacing.
Ember, however, was beyond fear. She had reached her breaking point, and the events of the night had left her feeling reckless and defiant.
She gritted her teeth, forcing the anxiety deep within her to simmer down. Convinced that she had indeed died, she steeled herself with a reassuring thought: since she was already dead, there was nothing left to worry about.
"I'm not sure about myself," she sneered, "but if you didn't stop these pranks and tell me what's going on here, I'm sure as hell that I'll be having rabbit head for dinner tonight."
With a swift motion, she reached out and grabbed the rabbit by its neck, her fingers closing around its soft fur like a vice. The rabbit's eyes widened in surprise, but its expression quickly turned bored, as if it had heard a joke or was listening to nonsense.
For a few tense moments, the two locked eyes, Ember's gaze burning with determination, while the rabbit's seemed to say, "You're not serious, are you?" The air was thick with tension.
Finally, it was the rabbit, who broke their intense staring contest first and let out a deep sigh, its shoulders sagging in resignation. "Fine, I'll tell you everything," it said, its voice laced with a hint of reluctance.
"Just... let me go first." The rabbit's gaze drifted downward, its eyes fixed on Ember's hand, which was still clutching its neck.
Her eyes narrowed, a doubtful frown forming on her brows. "You will?" she asked, her voice tinged with skepticism. She eyed the rabbit warily, unsure if she should trust it.
The rabbit nodded its head, its ears twitching slightly. Ember hesitated for a moment before releasing her grip on its neck. The rabbit let out a soft sigh of relief as it floated backward, its paws waving gently in the air.
Once again, it began to drift effortlessly in mid- air, its movements eerily silent. It cleared its throat, a dry, mechanical sound, and pulled out a pair of glasses from behind its back.
The glasses had delicate, silver- white rims that sparkled in the dim light, and transparent lenses that seemed to gleam with a subtle sheen.
The rabbit put on those glasses, its eyes magnified slightly behind the transparent lenses. It straightened its back, its ears perking up, and assumed a surprisingly formal demeanor.
"Hi, I'm Puff," it said, its voice dripping with an exaggerated seriousness.