At the dead of night, in dead silence, moonlight pierces through the grey fog.
In each second, it slowly parts, revealing a three-edged structure, jutting out at the endless shallow waters—endless as the sea.
It lay within, breathing in the dark, trapped in an eternal sleep.
Shrouded in the mist, dewdrops form. Above, it runs, seeping through its concrete seams, trickling down as it splashes at the dwelling husk.
Plop…
It's cold—cold enough to shiver him awake, like a spark igniting dormant senses, feeling his gravitate at his feet.
He breaths.
Pain as it breaths, a coarse feeling at his throat. As he exhales, warm air bounces back, warming his cold, exhausted body.
There, he opens his eyes, blinking as he sees nothing—only darkness, the same colors he sees when he closes his eyes.
As from every side it closes in, boxing him in with tight walls.
- A room for his size. -
'Where… Am I?'
It felt too real a dream, yet too surreal to be a reality. He blinks again, but nothing has changed.
It's so dark and quiet.
There, he alone could not move, could not breathe, could not see, and yet could feel.
Splish-Splash!
It rained.
Dropping like thunder, water enters through the crevices. Each drop reverberates through his entire being, ringing his skull.
A long-forgotten sensation.
He clenches his teeth, teetering as a loud hiss rings, blaring him into numbness, whilst water flows down at his feet.
There he stood in strange comfort, as water quickly fills the coffin-like room, but in an abrupt something move—Behind, below, he felt it scaly and heavy, like a limb.
It twists, as if a part of his own.
*Gasp!*
A one last breath as the cold water fills, submerging him completely.
But again, it shifted, pulling him down.
In panic, he flails around, scattering his breath—the last of it—hollow sphere spreads, bursting. There, he opened his eyes, squinting in agony.
'I can't… Breath…'
He opened his mouth, gasping for air, but was greeted in blues, filling him full, quenching his thirst, inviting him into eternal slumber.
An easy escape, yet he refuses: Alone chooses to suffer, not to die—Not Again.
Thud!
In one motion, he hurled himself up, banging his head against a solid surface.
As above, something moved.
A beam of light briefly shone across his face as he moved something above him.
With that, sudden strength washes over him, invigorating him, quickly making him restless.
Ruthless, he again pushes, pumelling it open with all his might, repeating as it moves. Whirling the water up and down whilst red colors spread like smoke.
Thud! X5
Again and again—
Clunk!
It opens whilst he springs himself out, hanging at the edge of the structure, like a jack-in-the-box. A structure so thin yet so durable.
Head against the ground, he coughed and gasped for air, and raindrops fell as he blinked both of his eyes open.
Outside, it was dark, as below, shallow water stretched out forever.
'The… light?'
Where is the light that he glimpses inside?
Thunk!
Behind him, the massive lid slammed down, trapping his lower half. He clenches his fist whilst he bites his lip as his eyes widen.
He pulls himself out, pulling with his hands on the ledge.
With each move, it scrapes and peels his skin as the weight presses mercilessly.
Gritting his teeth as he pulled, with his last ounce of strength, a miracle— the lid lock in place.
*Shut*
He escaped as it closed shut.
Dropping down flat on the ground, his left cheek pressed to the damp ground. There, he lay on his back and let out a relieved sigh, gazing at the sky—total darkness.
The rain stopped, light slicing through to reveal a crescent moon.
'The light!'
Awe struck his heart, the light that he craves, it hovered above him, moonlight piercing through.
His brow frowned as the rain stopped, weirded by the raindrops.
No dark clouds to explain the downpour, only the endless black skies and the crescent moon.
As if the moon itself had brought the rain.
He felt empty as he couldn't remember anything. His very identity was a mystery, a puzzle with missing pieces.
Only the word he kept hearing and repeating: Not again, I won't die again.
With no answers, he stood, looking down at his flimsy legs, and in the corner of his eye, caught a fleeting glimpse of—
A woman.
Soaked in blood, skin as pale as canvas, smooth as porcelain, hair flowing like rivers of ink, below her waist, a tail.
It moves.
She looks at him from the corner of her eye, innocence blairs as she stares.
Puff… Huff…
Sprinting, arms flailing—slender as twigs, rippling the waters at the endless shallows.
All for naught. All he knows now what is right in this situation is to run.
He doesn't know where he is going, he doesn't know what he is doing, and everything just feels wrong.
He feels an inexplicable weight tugs at him—a heavy appendage, like a limb attached to him.
In curiosity, He looked back.
"A tail," he shouted, eyes wide in horror.
Suddenly, waves gathered below, forming a pillar. Shaking the ground, in constant motion, he dodged left.
The pillar mirrored his gaze, following wherever he looked.
Whenever he looked, the pillar moved, sliding as tall as him; there he kept seeing her.
Their eyes met. Whenever he moved, she mirrored him, each move he took.
'Is this me?'
Upon a closer look, as above as below, it is him. He realized the ghostly woman he'd feared was actually himself.
Xin understood what he needed to do, then glanced down.
'This isn't me.'
Below his waist, it wasn't his body. Too big to be him.
Biding his time suddenly the pillar suddenly rose into the sky, and it fell down.
Splat!
There, he deliberately stopped and stood, shielding his head with both of his arms as it exploded, thinking he was in pieces.
He peeked through his arms. Before him it stood, a pillar of water as tall as he.
White letters are inscribed upon it.
'Welcome, Ye Xin,' He reads in doubt out loud in his instinct. Frowning in confusion as he could read the words.
'Ye Xin?'
It felt like it was referring to him, Ye Xin.
Is this his name? Is it even a name?
A name he has no such recollection. With everything he thought, it was pointless. It felt like his head wasn't his or that something was at the back of his head—Blocking him.
Before him, words within it then rippled.
Ye Xin /█/ Lvl. I
HP: 10/10 Stats: Normal
Mind: 22/30 Stamina: 09/15 RP: 10
STR: 10 AGI: 5 DEF: 3 INT: 12
◙|Survivor|5| Inventory: [][][][][][][][][][]
↓Maximize↓
Strangely, he felt the need to press the arrows below. With his finger, he pressed through it.
But nothing happened.
"Maximize?"
At his word, the panel shrank into a ball of water. It grew, this time greater in size. As it surged, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed him.
Xin crossed his arms, bracing himself.
Splash.
The transparent panel revealed more, within it reads.
Health points: 10/10, Mana points: 06/10
Ye Xin /█/ Level. I
Status: Wet, Cold
Mind: 21/30 Stamina: 09/15 Raising Points: 10
Strength: 10, Agility: 5, Defense: 3, Intelligence: 12
Skill: Aqua Ball |Mastery. Basic|
◙|Survivor| |5|
Inventory: [][][][][][][][][][]
↑Minimize↑
'Minimize,' Xin said with an embarrassed look.
The panel then shrank and sprinkled water down. He felt tired all of a sudden.
Suddenly, he felt a warm wind brush his neck, followed by a sultry liquid pouring over his shoulder, drooping down at his feet.
Xin slowly turned away, as behind—
A monster.
Its bulging eyes stared at him, dilating its pupil like orbs. Its face resembled that of a wolf, neck long as a giraffe's, peacock-like feathered plumage, wings twice the size of its body…
Howl!
The cry reverberated through Xin's entire being. He frowned as he shivered, sweat poured from his palms as he shivered.
What can he do?
'Aqua ball!'
A watery sphere floated toward the beast. It stared at it warily. Sniffed, as it then spread its wings with ferocity and malice.
A chance!
Ye Xin then sprinted away.
Meanwhile, the aqua ball meandered, colliding with the beast as it flapped, seeping into the thick feathers.
…
It was quiet all of a sudden. Eerie silence, so unlike the chaos he'd just escaped.
Panting, Xin glanced over his shoulder. But instead of danger, he saw the creature floundering far in the distance, struggling awkwardly.
He smirks.
But suddenly, intense fatigue set in, shaking him whole, like needles puncturing his head; he collapsed, face-first, into the shallow water.
Ye Xin blacked out once more.
***
A tall silhouette stood upon. It lips in moves.
*It speaks.*
"Onyung rstema! AkewUp!"
It echoed, voice garbled. Shapes resolved—a man in a blue, knee-length, long-sleeved tunic.
A servant's attire.
Each gibberish phrase grew clearer. He repeated as he gently held his hand
"Young master! Wake up."
The young man, called young master, opened his eyes, gazing blankly at the ceiling.
A large bedroom, lit in sunlight.
There, the servant came close and then lifted his back, gently as if he were made of glass. Lifted upward, the light fell upon the young master, revealing his whole complexion.
Wrapped in a bandage stained in black and red, his blood seeps through. He slowly peels it away layer by layer.
Beneath those bandages were scabs, scars, and flaking skin. His skin flew down like dandruff. With a wet cloth, the servant washed his wounds.
Each touch made the young man shiver and grit his teeth. Withstanding, he then stood up, spreading his arms outward.
The servant smiled, closing open wounds in new white bandages. With his hand, he pulled a purse from his own pocket and opened it.
Thud!
As soon as he opens it, a large chest escapes, dropping to the ground. It deliberately opens, revealing elegant clothes inside.
With it, he dresses him, bowing and reaching his young master's hand. In his palm, the servant drew strokes with his thumb. A message for him to feel.
"Follow me… Your father… Calls you…"
Outside, a castle with a wooden facade stood—majestic and formidable. Brick-tiled roofs, paper and wood windows, and intricate carvings blended red and brown tones into the landscape.
Guards stood with weapons in formation, statuesque, their heavy armor imposing, making the servant tense.
The servant frowned, quickening his pace and urging the young master along. Each step felt as precarious as walking on thin ice.
Their eyes followed them with an air of intent so sharp it felt like daggers piercing their hearts.
The young master trembled in uncertainty as the servant held his hand, doing his best to calm them both as they hurried on.
*Footsteps*
Moving on as they walked through, afar in the hallways, faint footsteps knocking through the wood tiles echoed through the left hall.
It was a woman and a child heading in the same direction as them.
The young master turned his head toward them as the warriors bowed deeply to honor the woman and the child, deliberately ignoring him and his servant.
The servant released his master's hand, crossed his arms, and bowed from a distance with a blank face. Before him, a thin golden panel materialized near his mouth.
"I bow in respect to the great 'Aspiring Star of the Youth, Young Lady Cheon Ran," He said softly, eloquently, and with each movement of his lips, white letters appeared on the panel, one by one.
*Footsteps*
In unison, the warriors march toward the young master and his servant, leaking with ill intent.
-His hand bled, fingers purple and useless, pain radiating from his limp arm joints. He felt his vision swim and was hungry.
Tears were slipping down his cheeks. Questions raced through his mind—who to blame, did he deserve this, was this really it?
The thought of dying again broke him. As he closed his eyes, someone whispered. +[1]
[1] You must be asking, "What is this?" Well, dear reader, this paragraph is from the future. Think of it as what comes next.