Auster immediately shot up and he breathed heavily at the memory of the car accident, but then he stood up and looked around at his current surroundings, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"What the fuck?" Auster muttered aloud, his voice shaky, as he was completely stunned by his surroundings.
He was in the middle of a random field, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, with no idea of how he got there or what was happening.
Trees surrounded the entire field, their branches stretching out like long, twisted arms, casting eerie shadows on the ground. The air smelled fresh, earthy, and yet somehow also strange, as if it was a place untouched by time or human presence, a place that felt ancient and wild.
Auster took off his clothes, feeling the cool breeze on his skin, and yet, he was stunned by what he saw—or rather, didn't see.
No open wounds, no marks or scars.
There was no proof of the accident, not a trace of what had happened before.
"Was it just a dream?" Auster asked aloud, confusion now overwhelming him, his mind spinning with questions he couldn't find answers to.
"Wait… it wasn't a dream! There's no way. I mean… even if it was, how come I woke up in a random-ass empty field?" Auster scratched his head, frustration and confusion warring within him, as he tried to process the situation.
He called back his memories of the accident, the rush of panic, the blaring of car horns, the screeching of tires.
And as he recalled the events, a tightness began to form in his chest.
"I hope Yun's okay," Auster muttered softly, his voice barely a whisper, his concern for his friend growing with each passing moment.
Let me describe Auster's current appearance:
He was still in his school uniform, the fabric wrinkled and disheveled from the strange events he had just gone through. His hair was a complete mess, sticking up in odd angles as if it had been through a storm, and his face looked pale, drawn with exhaustion. The strange thing was, he didn't have any of his belongings, none of the things he normally carried with him.
No wallet, no phone just empty pockets, as if he had been stripped of everything familiar.
"What the hell?" Auster muttered again, his mind racing with even more questions, but still no answers. He was completely lost, with no idea what was going on or how he had ended up here.
He scanned his current surroundings, his eyes darting nervously over the vast, empty field, hoping to catch sight of something, anything that could help him make sense of it all. Then, in the distance, he spotted something a slight opening between the trees.
"I see an opening in the trees… I must go into the open to try and find human civilization to explain to me just where the fuck I am," Auster muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, more to reassure himself than anything.
Auster started running towards the opening, his bare feet hitting the short grass with each stride, the earth cold beneath him, the sound of his footsteps muffled by the soft grass.
He finally made it into the tree opening, feeling a small sense of relief. But then he quickly realized that all he saw was… more trees, an endless sea of green surrounding him, a canopy of branches above his head.
"You've got to be kidding me," Auster said, frustration clear in his voice as he sighed deeply and kept walking, his steps now slower and more deliberate as he tried to think of his next move.
After about two minutes of walking, he saw something strange…
It was some sort of creature.
This creature didn't have legs or anything it just hopped to get around, its tiny form bouncing effortlessly over the ground.
The creature was a mix of blue and pink, its body shimmering as it moved, and it was about the size of a human palm.
The creature definitely wasn't anything you would see on Earth. It was unlike anything Auster had ever encountered, its form so foreign and strange that it made his head spin.
"What the hell?" Auster whispered to himself, not wanting to alert the strange creature to his presence, just in case it was dangerous.
"Wait a second… the creature kinda reminds me of the slime from a random isekai or even the slime from Minecraft," Auster whispered, his hand gripping his chin thoughtfully as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.
Auster slowly approached the slime, unsure of what it would do.
"Hey, little guy… I know you're not harmless… I'ma call you Slime," Auster spoke in a soft, almost soothing voice, not sure why he felt compelled to say the words, but they just seemed to come out.
For whatever reason, Auster decided to approach the slime, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Obviously, this went wro-
Suddenly, the slime started jumping around, and it began to hop away, making a strange sound.
Huh that went better then I expected
The sound almost sounded like the slime was happy, as if it had recognized Auster's presence and was excited about it.
Auster started to play with the slime, like how anyone would with a pet, chasing it around, laughing as it hopped and bounced, carefree and innocent.
But then, about an hour later, Auster was chasing the slime, running after it through the forest, and then *'crunch.'*
Auster looked down, his heart sinking, and he realized what he had just crushed…
The slime was now spilling a blue liquid, which Auster assumed was the slime's blood, a deep, dark blue color that stained the grass beneath it.
"Shit… it seems I played too hard…" Auster said in shock, staring down at the tiny creature's remains, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.
"I'm sorry, little guy…" Auster muttered, still very shocked by what had just happened, unable to shake the feeling that he had done something terribly wrong.
Auster started walking away, his head heavy with guilt, as he kept walking through the deep forest. Trees came in all shapes and sizes, their leaves whispering in the breeze. The sounds of the forest filled his ears, but it felt strangely quiet, almost oppressive in its solitude. But then, just as his thoughts began to settle, he saw it…
A bright pink tree, standing out among the green
It was a cherry blossom tree.
"Whoa, a cherry blossom tree. I heard these were beautiful," Auster smiled softly, his eyes softening as he took in the tree's delicate beauty, the soft pink petals fluttering gently in the wind.
Auster watched the tree for hours, feeling at peace for the first time since waking up in the strange field. He loved watching the tree move in the wind, its soft petals dancing in the breeze, and the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over everything. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Auster got up and started walking around some more, his mind now calmer, but still uncertain of what was happening.
Auster kept walking around, hoping to find something, but still, nothing. No human life in sight.
"Ugh, how deep am I in this forest?" Auster sighed deeply, his patience thinning as he wandered aimlessly, the weight of his confusion growing heavier with every step.
Then, he saw it a snake-type beast, this time with six heads.
"What the fuck is that?!" Auster whispered to himself, his heart racing as his instincts screamed at him to be cautious.
The snake was blue and green, its massive form the size of about five humans combined, a creature from some nightmare, its six heads snapping at the air as it moved.
Auster slowly walked around the snake, trying to keep his distance, but then he stepped on a rock.
"AH, FUCK!" Auster yelled in fear, his voice echoing through the trees, sounding like an idiot as he stumbled back in shock.
The snake hissed at Auster, its multiple heads snapping in his direction, and then, without warning, it lunged at him, its fangs bared, sharp and menacing.
Auster did not hesitate; he booked it into the woods, his legs pumping furiously as he passed tree after tree, the adrenaline surging through him as he raced away from the danger.
The snake was after him, slithering with alarming speed, but then Auster noticed a small hole in a tree.
Without thinking, he dove into the hole, barely squeezing his body through the narrow opening.
And thankfully, he lost the snake, its frustrated hisses fading as he caught his breath inside the tree.
"Holy fuck, that was way too close," Auster said, gasping for air, his heart still pounding in his chest.
Auster exited the tree and suddenly, a plant with a massive mouth filled with sharp teeth popped out of the ground, its vines reaching for him. The plant even had arms, as if it was alive and reaching out to grab him.
"AHHHHH, FUCK!" Auster screamed, his body jolting with panic as he scrambled to escape.
But before he could react, the plant grabbed Auster, pulling him closer and slowly moving him toward its gaping mouth, ready to devour him whole.
Auster cried and kicked, but the plant was stronger than he anticipated, its grip unrelenting.
Just as the plant's mouth was about to close around him, its head flew off, cut clean through as if by some unseen force.
And that someone was standing with their back turned.
Then the person turned around.
A pink haired girl stood before Auster, her expression fierce yet calm, holding a sword in her hand. She was pretty short
End of Arc 1 Chapter 1