Have you ever thought about living in a world where you actually get stronger… like in a video game?…Yeah, sounds dumb, right? I thought the same.But somehow… that's exactly what happened to me.
I know, you're probably shaking your head, calling it impossible.I did too, right before my life completely flipped.It started on a day that should've been normal. But it wasn't.
I was finishing up my favorite mobile game on my phone, the one I'd spent hours grinding. Finally hit the last level… and that was it. Over. Done. My favorite game… just gone. Sucked, big time. So yeah, I restarted it.
Then… I heard something. A thud, out there."What the hell was that?" I whispered, my chest jumping. Without thinking, I ran outside, faster than I knew I could move.
And there they were.
Four… figures. Standing by a car that looked like it had been smashed to piece.There was a man on the ground. Stabbed all over. Blood everywhere. Covered from head to toe.
Seeing him… my stomach flipped. I almost puked. Disgusted? That's nothing. And holy fuck… what the hell am I even looking at?
Then one of them saw me. Moved. Slow. Like he knew exactly what he was doing.In that moment, my whole body started shaking. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was trying to break out of my chest. Maybe I should've just stayed inside playing video games…
Then all of them turned and started walking toward me.
One of them actually smirked, holding a knife that was still dripping blood. My legs just gave out—I dropped to my knees like they weren't even mine anymore.
Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.
Am I really gonna die today?
They closed in around me, forming a circle. One of them stepped right in front of me and leaned his face way too close. Then he smiled… this weird, twisted smile I'd never seen in my life.
I just froze. What the fuck…?
"Well, well… what do we have here, boys?" he said, staring straight at me.
The others started laughing. Not normal laughing — the kind that makes your skin crawl."W-What do you want from me?" I asked, my voice cracking while my heart kept pounding harder and harder.
He tilted his head, grinning. "What…? Don't worry, we won't hurt you. Unless…"
He stepped back a little, like he was enjoying this.
"Unless what?" I forced the words out.
"You manage to win our little challenge," he said, almost sounding excited."W-What kind of challenge…?" I asked, my voice shaking, anxiety punching through my chest.
"Mmmh," he hummed, then let out this tiny, creepy chuckle.
"Run for your life for two minutes," he said casually. "Do that, and we'll let you go. Safe and sound."Safe and sound…Yeah right. Even I didn't believe that crap.My throat went dry. My legs felt like jelly.
Two minutes?
What was two minutes against four grown men with knives and God knows what else?...But I still croaked out, "T-Two minutes?"
"Yup." He smiled, tapping the knife on his palm. "And hey, don't waste them."Then he snapped his fingers.
Just a small sound.But for me?...It was like a gunshot.All of them took a step back…then they started counting.
"One…"
My heart just about exploded.
"Two…"
My legs twitched. I wanted to run, but I felt stuck.
"Three—"
I didn't wait for four.
My body moved on its own, spinning around so fast my vision blurred. I just… ran. I didn't even know where. My mind was chaos—nothing but the pounding of my footsteps and the wild, ragged breathing tearing out of my throat.
My chest burned.The cold air slapped my face.My legs felt like they were barely listening to me.Behind me, I heard them laugh.
Not even chasing yet.
They were laughing—like this was entertainment. Like I was some toy.
"Look at him go!" one of them shouted."Run faster!" another yelled.I didn't look back. I couldn't.If I looked back, I'd freeze. I knew I would.
My feet slammed against the ground, each step heavier than the last. I wasn't fast. I wasn't strong. I was just a normal guy whose biggest workout was moving from bed to the fridge.
But fear?
Fear can turn anyone into a damn athlete.I don't know how long I ran—ten seconds? Fifteen? Twenty?...My lungs were already screaming.My legs felt like someone had tied weights to them.
Then I heard it—
Footsteps behind me.Heavy. Fast.Too fast.They were coming.
"Ahhh fuck—" I gasped, pushing myself harder. I tried to cut right, stumbling into a side path. My shoulder slammed into a wall. Pain shot through me. I bit my lip and forced myself forward.
Everything around me felt unreal.Like a nightmare.Like any second I'd wake up back in my room, phone in hand, headphones on… just safe.
But my body wouldn't wake up.Pain was real.Fear was real.My heartbeat wasn't a dream.I heard one of them shout, "Thirty seconds!"
Thirty seconds…?
God. Only thirty?
I still had… a whole minute and a half?
Fuck.
The footsteps got closer—fast, sharp, almost rhythmic. Someone was sprinting behind me, and they were good. Way better than me.
I turned a corner too sharp, slipping on gravel. My knee scraped the ground, ripping open. Pain screamed through my leg. I hissed and pushed myself up, barely able to put weight on it.
No no no no—
Not now.Not when I could literally die.
I forced myself to keep running, limp and all. My whole body felt wrong. Pain everywhere. My breathing got worse—short, punchy gasps that didn't feel like enough air.
I heard laughter behind me again.
"He's slowing down!"
"He's dead for sure!"
"Don't kill him too fast—I'm having fun!"
Tears burned my eyes. I didn't even know if it was from fear or pain or just… the pure insanity of my situation.
Why me?
Why today?
Why did I even walk outside?
I could've stayed inside.I could've stayed with my stupid video game.I could've ignored that sound.But no.I had to play hero for five fucking seconds.My legs grew heavier and heavier.Every breath was a knife.
"One minute!" someone shouted.
One minute gone.
One minute left.
I wanted to scream.Halfway… and I felt like dying already.I glanced back—just a quick look—and immediately regretted it.
One of them was right behind me.Tall. Muscular. Eyes wide like he was enjoying this way too much.His knife glinted in the light.
Our eyes met for a second.A second was enough to feel pure, icy fear shoot through me.
He lunged.
I yelped and threw myself left, narrowly dodging him.He skidded past me, swearing.I stumbled forward, using the tiny opening to run again.My whole body shook. I couldn't feel my knee anymore. It was numb. Everything was numb.
"Forty-five seconds!" another voice screamed.
Forty-five…
Only forty-five…
I had to keep going.I ran through pure instinct.My vision blurred.My head spun.I didn't even know where I was anymore.A back alley? A street corner? Some random path?I didn't care.I just ran.
Behind me, they were getting louder.Closer.Angrier."He's actually trying to make it!"
"Don't let him!"
"Get him already!"
I pushed harder.I had no breath left.No strength.Just fear.
Thirty seconds.
Twenty-five.
Fifteen.
I could hear them so close it felt like they were breathing down my neck.
Ten—
Someone grabbed the back of my shirt.I screamed and kicked wildly.Somehow, I slipped out of his grip, stumbling forward.My shoulder slammed into a wall.Everything hurt.
Five seconds.
Four.
Three.
Someone tackled me.I hit the ground hard.My breath exploded out of my lungs."No—no—no—NO!" I screamed, clawing at the ground, trying to crawl, trying to do anything.
Two.
One.
"Times up," a voice whispered right beside my ear.
And everything stopped.Hands grabbed my arms, my legs, my clothes.I was flipped onto my back.The sky above me looked… weirdly calm.Like it didn't even care I was about to die.They circled around me again.The same way they did before.
Laughing.Mocking.Hungry.
The leader crouched beside me, tapping his bloody knife against my cheek."You almost made it," he said. "Would've been fun to hunt you longer."My whole body felt cold.I tried to speak, but only a broken breath came out.My heart wouldn't slow down.
He raised the knife.Slowly.Like he wanted me to feel every second of this.
"N-No… please—"
He didn't wait.The knife plunged into my stomach.A hot, burning shock spread through me.I gasped—a short, broken sound.Tears spilled down my face.I couldn't stop them.
Pain tore through every inch of me.I tried to breathe, but it felt like my lungs were filling with fire.He stabbed again.And again.
My vision flickered.Voices around me blurred together.The sky doubled.Everything spun.I felt my fingers go numb.My body got heavier.Colder.My thoughts slowed.Everything felt… distant.
…Is this really it?
Is this how I die?
On the ground… like trash… because I walked outside?... I didn't want to die.I didn't want this.This wasn't fair.This wasn't—
Another stab.Sharp.Deep.
My breath hitched.My body twitched weakly.The world dimmed.My ears rang.Their voices sounded far away now.Like they were underwater.My last thought wasn't deep or poetic.It was stupid and small.I never finished my game…Darkness swept over me.Heavy.Silent.Cold.
And then—
Nothing.Absolutely nothing.