Where am I?

The boundless sheets of darkness surged uncontrollably, swallowing any hint of light. No rays could intrude, and none could escape. In the small, occupied space, faint orbs of dim light drifted aimlessly.

This place again? Thalen quickly grasped his situation.

This wasn't the first time he'd ended up here. 

Every few nights, he was dragged back, like a fish caught on a line. 

He'd escape, only to be reeled in again, returning to the same spot. It was as if the fisherman had no intention of capturing him or tossing him into a bucket. Instead, the fisherman only wanted to observe—to watch him struggle, to see how he'd react.

It didn't take long for Thalen to snap out of his stupor and propped himself up.

The suffocating darkness was familiar and oppressive.

He stood there quietly for a few minutes before striding forward.

Immediately, the sensation of smooth, icy liquid brushed against his legs, flowing past him as he moved. The unusual liquid didn't stick to his legs or any part of his body it touched. With each step, his mind grew clearer, the fog of drowsiness slowly dissipating.

This continued for hours until Thalen finally decided to stop.

The orbs of light swirled around him, flickering more intensely than before, occasionally casting fleeting glows across his face.

There were no hints of tiredness, only disappointment.

He was still trapped in this dark compartment.

Thalen had long realized that he wasn't in a dream, but he still clung to the hope that the fisherman's bait was dreams, not darkness.

After taking a deep breath, he looked down beneath him.

The dark, murky water flowed against his legs, boiling and frozen at the same time. The scene was bizarre and confusing.

If this was a dream, then it would be a ridiculous nightmare.

Thalen rolled up his sleeves and extended his arm into the murky, bleak water. The liquid swallowed his hand without resistance, as though his flesh had been erased from existence.

He was neither surprised nor afraid.

After countless nights of repeating the same actions, he had grown accustomed to this action. Each time he was reeled in, he would hope for a normal 'dream', but reality was often disappointing. This had become his unfortunate nightly routine.

A few moments later, with his entire right arm submerged in the darkness, he closed his eyes and began to recall everything he had done over the past few days.

The scenery rapidly started to change.

The drifting orbs of light converged, streaming into his body.

A dim glow illuminated his face, then his shoulders, until his entire body was filled with a soft radiance. 

The murky water shimmered in response, brightening around his submerged arm. These were Thalen's memories from the day, carrying "images" of his actions as they merged with the darkness.

Soon, the radiant lights from the water rose up and formed into a fist-sized orb floating before him, pulsing softly.

I can never get used to this… He wiped the sweat from his brow with his free hand.

Though the process happened swiftly, to Thalen, it felt like an eternity had passed.

It's warmer today… He noticed the difference in temperature radiating from the orb. His suspicion lingered for a moment but faded when he saw the orb functioning as it always had.

On the orb's surface, Thalen's memories shifted and flickered. His lack of precise control during the process meant unnecessary details often surfaced.

A scene flickered on the orb.

It was Thalen trying to swim in the murky water and almost drowning. It vanished as quickly as it appeared.

Another scene followed. 

Again, it was of him nearly drowning again in the liquid that didn't reach past his ankles.

Then, a memory of him attempting to climb the orbs of light, only to realize they were too small for proper footing flashed by. He fell, nearly drowning again.

Why does it feel like this orb is mocking me? I don't recall ever thinking about this part yet it would occasionally bring it up…

The orb flashed once more, and finally, the memories Thalen wanted to see came into focus.

…

A modestly built young man with jet-black hair stared into the liquid within the wooden cup. Beside him lay a worn iron pickaxe, its handle slick with sweat.

Clank!

Thalen's gaze shifted toward the sound. A middle-aged man stood there, catching his breath. At his feet laid an assortment of excavation tools.

"Sigh… Finally done for the day…" The man walked over and leaned against the rough surface of the wall.

Lars… Thalen's focus lingered on him for a moment before returning to the cup of water clutched in his hand.

"Are you finished with today's quota too?" Lars asked while patting his own back.

Thalen nodded, acknowledging his presence. 

"There's been an increase in contractors lately. Have you heard anything about it?" He returned with another question. 

With Lars' outgoing and extroverted personality, he was a very helpful person to Thalen.

"An influx of contractors?"

Lars stayed quiet for a moment, seemingly deep in thoughts. 

"...Ever since the excavation ban for this mountain was lifted, King Julien III has been slowly accelerating the speed of recruitment. I've been here for three years already, so I'm not very sure about the outside situation," Lars paused.

His face then darkened.

"Now that you mention it, the King seems to be rushing this matter about mining these mana stones. Although they do yield a pretty high value, just being near them puts regular humans at risk of contracting health problems…"

This time, Lars didn't open his mouth again.

Thalen didn't voice his opinion and merely went back to staring at the water in the cup. 

His reflection was calm, then it became distorted and disrupted, quietly disappearing along with the orb.

What's going on?

Thalen was immediately alarmed.

This wasn't the development he'd experienced.

Usually, the orb would display the amount of his memories before dissipating and allowing him to return. The more relevant memories he fed to the orb, the better. 

However, this time was different.

Not counting the fact that the shown memories were only a small portion, the fist-sized orb was gone. This has never happened before.

At that moment, a sudden cold sensation concentrated in his chest. 

He subconsciously raised his hand and clutched his heart. 

His breathing slowed.

The feeling was off. 

Slowly, he glanced down.

Where his hand rested, the flesh surrounding his heart was missing. His rib cage was exposed, and within its hollow cavity, the dim, fist-sized orb had embedded itself in the original location of his heart. The orb had replaced his heart entirely.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The orb pulsed in a rhythmic manner, faster and faster with no sign of stopping.

Thalen fell to his knee, clutching hard at his chest. 

In the midst of catching his breath, he heard a silent and muffled voice. 

However, he was too busy panting to notice anything else.

His vision blurred as the murky liquid rose higher, swallowing his limbs, his torso—until only his head remained above the surface.

Then, at last, the light in his eyes flickered and faded.