In an eerie silence, the fire of the revolver filled the air. Time seemed to freeze as the bullet found its mark, piercing through the stillness with deadly precision. Selena’s eyes widened in agony as she was shot in the stomach, her ethereal beauty tainted by the sudden violence.
“N-no!” I cried out, my voice filled with desperation and disbelief. I struggled to move, despite my half-paralyzed state, a surge of adrenaline pushing me beyond my physical limits. But even in my feeble attempt, I couldn’t reach Selena in time to prevent the tragic outcome.
As Selena collapsed, clutching her wound, Steven Reeds mocked my futile efforts. His sinister laughter echoed through the air, intertwining with the intensity of the moment.
“Heh, heh, you’ll be the next one, just you wait,” he taunted, relishing in the pain and suffering he had inflicted.
Meanwhile, Steven began to reload his revolver, unaware of the dormant power within me. My abilities of psychokinesis remained inaccessible, hindered by my paralyzed state. The system’s error message echoed in my mind, reminding me of my limitations.
[ERROR!]
[BODY IS IN PARALYZED STATE!]
[AGI, STR, DEX STATS ARE HALVED!]
I cursed inwardly, frustration and desperation intertwining within me. I had to find a way to protect Selena, to stop Steven’s rampage. But as I tried to reach for my sword, a searing pain pierced
*PIERCE
through my back. I gasped in horror, turning my gaze to the shadow that had once tried to kill us, now returning with a vengeance.
Collapsing to the ground once again, my body weak and trembling, I could feel the lifeblood draining from me, the bleeding showing no signs of abating. My vision blurred as Steven’s sadistic voice pierced through the haze of pain.
[WARNING! EXCESSIVE BLEEDING]
[IMMEDIATE AID REQUIRED!]
“NO! NO! NO! You can’t die yet! I have one more bullet for you, you bastard!” Steve shouted
“You! Fucking summon! You can’t even do one job huh?” he spat, his words filled with contempt while looking at the Shadow
I glared at him, a mixture of defiance and resignation in my eyes. “Look at this sadistic bastard,” I thought inwardly, my mind drifting to memories that surfaced amidst the chaos and impending death.
Within the depths of my fading consciousness, fragments of memories emerged—memories that may have been mine or Loid’s. They were images of Selena, barely alive, lying in a forest, and of Loid’s unwavering care and protection.
Then, another memory surfaced, vague yet intriguing—a mysterious woman adorned with intricate tattoos. The details were hazy, leaving me uncertain of their significance. I wondered if it was a delusion or a glimpse into Loid’s past.
Amidst the pain and uncertainty, a thought echoed within me. “Can’t blame me for dying as a virgin,” I mused bitterly, finding a glimmer of dark humor in the face of imminent demise.
But even in the face of death, a flicker of determination remained. I couldn’t let Selena’s sacrifice be in vain. With the little strength I had left, I whispered a final plea, “Please, Selena, find a way to….”
And as I lay there, on the brink of oblivion, I couldn’t help but acknowledge the bitter irony of dying with thoughts of a woman in my mind. But perhaps, at that moment, it didn’t matter anymore.
The world around me faded, and the darkness claimed me, leaving the unanswered questions to linger in the air.
It was this time when my barely audible voice lingered for the last time
As the world around me faded into darkness, I hoped against hope that Selena would rise above the shadows, and hoped maybe she got some help and Angela too…
******
——————————————————-
Time: ???
Location: ???
——————————————————-
“You? How are you here?” An unrecognized voice asked, my mind still reeling from the shock of awakening in this unfamiliar realm.
The female voice echoed through my consciousness, almost tauntingly, as if amused by my confusion. I wondered if I was finally losing my sanity. I made a mental note to question my mental state while on the verge of death.
But then, the voice grew louder, piercing through my disoriented thoughts. “Wake up, you a**hole!” she shouted, her words cutting through my ears like a knife.
Startled by the sudden outburst, my eyes flew open, only to be met with excruciating pain coursing through my entire body. It felt as if I had been flattened by a road roller.
“Damn! I can’t even die peacefully, huh!” I groaned, my voice laced with agony.
The woman standing before me burst into uncontrollable laughter, tears streaming from one of her eyes. Her appearance was striking, with long pink hair cascading down her back in wild waves. Strands of vibrant hues stood out against her unconventional style. Her emotionless brownish-blue eyes held a captivating depth, seeming to conceal untold secrets within their enigmatic gaze.
She possessed an air of indifference, her slender frame adorned with an intriguing mix of clothing. She wore a black tank top that clung to her figure, accentuating her lithe form. A sweatshirt, partially opened, draped casually over her shoulders, revealing glimpses of intricate tattoos adorning her pale skin. The delicate inkwork trailed from her collarbone, down her arm, forming an artistic tapestry of symbols and patterns.
Completing her ensemble, she donned a pair of blue trousers that hugged her hips and flared slightly at the ankles, adding a touch of elegance to her unconventional attire. Her fashion choices reflected a blend of nonchalance and individuality, mirroring the enigmatic aura that surrounded her.
As her laughter subsided and she wiped away her tears, a mischievous smile played upon her lips, suggesting a well-kept secret or a hidden agenda.
Regaining her composure, she wiped away her tears with a finger and said with an emotionless smirk, “My dear brother, you aren’t dead… yet, that is.”
Confusion washed over me as I tried to process her words. “What do you mean I’m not dead? And what’s with this ‘brother’ part?”
She chuckled lightly, her laughter devoid of warmth. “Regarding your first question… you’re not dead yet because you’re in a different realm,” she explained, her expression pensive.
Moving closer, she leaned in and whispered in my ear, her words sending shivers down my spine. “How about you look around first, hmm?”
Caught off guard, I took a step back in a panic, realizing that this woman was far from ordinary.
Unfazed by my reaction, she continued, her voice hushed. “This woman is not simple, is what you’re thinking of right?”
Compelled by her mysterious answer, I surveyed my surroundings. To my astonishment, all I saw was an endless expanse of pure, pitch-black darkness. It stretched out in every direction, an abyss devoid of any form or light.
Perplexed, I turned back to the woman, seeking answers. “Why did you call me brother?”
Her brow furrowed slightly, as if surprised by my lack of reaction to the surroundings. “You’re not curious about this realm?” she asked, tilting her head inquisitively.
“Don’t change the topic,” I insisted, my voice tinged with a mix of urgency and impatience.
She studied me for a moment, her gaze unyielding. “Very well,” she relented. “I called you brother because… you are my brother.”
In an instant, she vanished from my view, only to reappear behind me. Her voice was barely audible as she whispered softly into my ear, sending a chill down my spine. “At least, the body you possess now is of my brother right?.”
My eyes widened in shock, and a surge of panic coursed through me. I struggled to comprehend the implications of her words.
Without warning, she disappeared again, reappearing directly in front of me. Placing a finger gently against my lips, she whispered, her voice barely audible, “No need to fear, brother… Your sister is here.”
A mix of confusion, apprehension, and a glimmer of hope washed over me. “So, leave everything to me,” she concluded, biting my ear lightly.
As her words lingered in the air, I couldn’t help but wonder what fate awaited me in this enigmatic realm, guided by the presence of a sister I never knew existed.
******
As I regained consciousness, a searing pain enveloped my entire being, as if every nerve in my body was ablaze. Agony coursed through me, ripping at my senses, while a deafening cacophony of screams and groans echoed in the air. I clutched my head, feeling as though it would burst open at any moment, trying to comprehend the horrifying reality unfolding before me.
In front of my tortured gaze, the scene of devastation unfolded. The once sturdy walls and structures were now reduced to rubble and debris, scattered haphazardly. The landscape appeared as if it had been ravaged by a malevolent force, twisted and torn apart.
And then, I saw him.
Standing amidst the chaos was a figure, but something was horribly wrong. The person’s head was missing, as if it had been violently ripped from its body. Horror gripped my heart as I recognized the lifeless corpse of Steve Reeds. It was his headless form, grotesque and macabre, that sent shivers down my spine.
Madness took hold of me, my mind teetering on the precipice of sanity. I clutched my head, the excruciating pain intensifying, threatening to consume me entirely. The world around me seemed to distort and warp, as if mocking my fragile state.
But before I could succumb to the depths of despair, something interrupted my tortured thoughts. Emerging from the shadows was a monstrous creature, Steve Reeds’ Shadow Beast. Its grotesque form writhed and contorted, emanating a palpable aura of malevolence.
Loid, consumed by his own madness, gasped for air, his chest heaving as if the very atmosphere suffocated him. In a desperate bid to protect himself, he mustered all his strength and unleashed his formidable power, <Psychokinesis>, just as he had done against Steve Reeds.
*SWOOSH!
The air crackled with energy as Loid brutally assaulted the Shadow Beast. He twisted and contorted its form, causing bones to snap and flesh to tear. The creature let out unearthly howls of agony, but Loid showed no mercy. He reveled in the chaos, laughter bubbling forth from his lips like that of a maniac, his sanity slipping further into the abyss.
With a frenzied ferocity, Loid unleashed his abilities upon the Shadow Beast, no longer bound by reason or restraint. He tore through the air, launching the creature into a brutal dance of violence and suffering. Each strike, each motion, echoed with a sickening
*CRACK
and
*SPLATTER
as bones snapped and flesh tore.
The Shadow Beast writhed and wriggled, a grotesque puppet under Loid’s merciless control. Its cries of pain and anguish mingled with Loid’s manic laughter, creating a symphony of madness that reverberated through the desolate landscape. Loid reveled in the chaos, fueled by a frenzied exhilaration that masked the exhaustion creeping into his bones.
Finally, the battered and broken form of the Shadow Beast collapsed, lifeless at Loid’s feet.
*THUD!
Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, his body trembling with the shear strain of his exertion. He had vanquished the immediate threat, but at what cost?
As Loid’s laughter subsided, the reality of the situation settled upon him. The pain, both physical and mental, surged through his veins, a constant reminder of the horrors he had witnessed. The destruction surrounding him mirrored the desolation in his heart.
A normal person would be overwhelmed by shock and disbelief at the sight of a headless corpse, particularly that of someone they knew. But Loid was far from normal now. The darkness had claimed him, twisting his mind and transforming him into something far more sinister.
He stumbled backward, his body trembling with a mixture of exhilaration and dread. The despair he felt was tangible, weighing him down like an oppressive fog. In this realm of nightmares, Loid was both victim and perpetrator, trapped in a waking nightmare from which there seemed to be no escape.
And so, he stood there, amid the ruins and the echoes of his own madness, a broken soul in a shattered world. The horrors he had witnessed and the pain he had endured would forever haunt him, driving him further into the depths of his own tortured existence.
In that moment, as darkness threatened to claim him once more, Loid’s consciousness teetered on the edge of sanity. He glimpsed the abyss, the depths of his own despair, and wondered if there was any salvation left for a soul so deeply entangled in darkness. The pain, the horror, and the torment of his reality became the harbingers of his own descent into the shadows.
[The user is affected by a dangerous miasma!]
[Immediate assistance is required!]
[Time remaining until potential fatality: 10 seconds]
[9 seconds]
[8 seconds]
[7 seconds]
[The spread of miasma corruption is halted! Due to an unidentified force!]
Seeing this made a smile upon my face ‘Noice!’
And I collapsed
