My eyes were shut down, almost as if glued. I gave all of my strength, and eventually I could open them.
The first thing I saw was a forest, an endless forest. Right at my side, a tree went down, and I could see countless footprints in the dirt.
Everything in my body screamed in pain, my muscles seemed strained, and my skin was completely dehydrated. It seemed like several days had passed, just by how my body's needs were severely worn out.
But hey, I couldn't stay here. So, building the utmost strength I could, I tried to get up, only to piteously stumble and hit my head against one of the trees. Still, it was helpful that I could use something as a guide to get up once again.
And that's what I did for a while, stumbling from tree to tree, no objective in mind…. just mindlessly walking. Eventually, the energy to keep myself up was more than I could generate as a human, and so my body gave up.
At the verge of the river, I stared at my own reflection.
At that very moment, I hadn't realized how different I was. My hair was the same length, slightly hitting my shoulders, though its color had changed to one that resembled leaves off a tree in autumn; my eyes, even though they looked tired, seemed to change. Their color was something similar to Amber.
I still looked tired and fucking weak.
So pathetically weak.
My mind wandered, thinking about how my colleagues would laugh at me.
Then it struck.
How was I alive?
The previous events seemed like a lie to me, a fever dream. Though I knew they weren't. Somewhere deep down, I still could feel the pain, the grenade setting off. It was real.
Quickly, I opened the 'Window'.
[ Name: Hyss Suop ]
[ Age: 20 ]
[ Abilities: Resistance [F], ??? [?] ]
WHAT?
Not only was this fucking window smaller than in my previous world, but my ability WENT FUCK DOWN?
Cool. Awesome.
Usually, this window would show me an inventory, my own stats, and the 'Ranking'. Now?
This shit was a temu Window. Smaller, and with useless things.
Okay, I was being harsh; seeing your abilities was useful.
Another thing I had noticed was that the Window was fairly different from before.
Usually, it was a bright transparent blue; now it was… carved onto a tree? Are you calling me a teenager in love? Well, though I wouldn't mind doing that as a teenager.
Quickly nodding my head and brushing those thoughts away, I drove my fingers by the Window. The texture was indeed of a tree; I didn't know it could have changed.
Besides the change of the Window and my nerf, something else caught my attention.
Mysterious, just staying there as if it were a secret. I gently brushed my finger against the '[?]', and the Window did not change as it was supposed to.
Grumpy, I tried to get up, forgetting my situation and easily falling into the river. For a moment, despair took over me, and I quickly swam to the outside, crawling myself out of the river.
I didn't have the strength to swim, what could… wait?
Then how did I leave?
[ You have unlocked the Rank [S] Ability 'Photosynthesis']
RANK S?
Okay, I'm dreaming. its Absolutely a dream.
Waiting for something to happen was useless and kinda dumb. I quickly put my thumb against the skill; this time, the Window responded with a new tab.
[ Name: Photosynthesis ]
[ Rank: S ]
[ Description: By using light and water, the user can create energy for themselves]
Dumb and useless, right? NO!
Everything a human does is to get energy!
eating, and sleeping. And doing that PASSIVELY is fucking amazing!
So I stretched myself, putting both my feet into the river, and watched as the sun bestowed his rays upon me.
Enjoying the gentle warmth of the sun, my eyes closed themselves.
I can't remember when that happened, but I would guess when I was a child. Mother and I would always have ice cream after school. After buying them, we would then walk by the park.
It was quiet, I didn't know that, but that was probably the quietest moment she had in her life. It was not a problem with my father or money; we were a happy and stable family, and both of us were happy about it.
The problem was the war.
Both she and my father were called to serve in the army, leaving my older sister and me alone. How did she have time to get me after school? She didn't; she just skipped her work for a while to bring me home, and I can assure you that gave her so much trouble.
Mother, how are you doing? If I could hug you, I would.
Oh, how are you reacting to the news of my "death"?
I opened my eyes, watching the sky and the world above me, watching the birds. At first I didn't notice, then later I could feel a small 'tear' leaving my eyes, running through my cheeks and reaching the ground below me.
I looked to my sides, staring at the tears. As my gaze reached it, something deep down woke up, a feeling.
Fear.
Seemed like my mind had finally woken up to everything that was happening, the system changes, my OWN body had changed, stranded in a different world that wanted to kill my own.
And how? Why?
I understand that the moment the two dots connected, from my new skill to what I saw while looking at my own 'tears'.
A culmination of questions, and not a single answer.
Just like my eyes, my tears were literally Amber.
I finally understood. I wasn't human anymore.