Wmmmhhhnnn…
A vibration. Deep and cutting. So strong it pierced even through my closed eyes. Light spilled inside my eyelids, ignoring the fact they were shut.
Light?
Did I say light? Where even am I? Floating…in nothing?
The sound comes again. It was close. A meter? Two? It was right in front of me.
Warm. Quiet. The atmosphere itself feels like it's speaking— no, not speaking. Showing. No… that's not it either. But somehow… I know it wants to tell me something.
Why?
If only I knew where this is.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
There. Again.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
Again.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
And again.
On and on. A relentless echo.
What does it want from me?
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
Hey. Enough already.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
"I said stop it!"
My voice. Finally. The sound ripped out of me as my eyes flew open.
And—
Light.
Alive. Shining. Floating right in front of me.
"Ffffsshh—"
It surged closer, like a wave collapsing.
"Hey! What the hell was that for? You trying to kill me?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
That damn noise again. Mocking me. Playing.
"What are you? Some kind of cosmic joke?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
"Hahhhh…" I dragged out a breath, almost laughing.
"Listen, Light. Whatever you want, just say it. I don't have all the time in the world."
…Time in the world. Right. I'm floating in nothing. No life. No people. Just warmth and silence.
Except for that stupid ringing.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
Still. Again and again.
"…Am I even alive?" I asked.
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
A different sound. Sharper. Clear.
I blinked.
"…Why 'Shiiinnng' now?"
Could it —understand me?
"Am I…a girl?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
"No? Then…a boy?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
I froze. Then laughed softly.
"…Hahh. Just as I thought. You do understand me."
"Do I look good?" I tried, half a joke.
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
I frowned.
"Wait, what? No 'Shiiinnnng' this time?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
It replied, almost smug.
"…Are you messing with me?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
I let out a strangled laugh.
"Great. A glowing ball of sarcasm. At least I'm not alone."
So…that means—yes or no. "Shiiinnng" for yes. "Tiiinnng" for no. Simple enough.
"Is this all just a dream?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
No.
"So… this is real?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
Not real either.
"What?" My head tilted.
"Then what the hell is this?"
I tried again.
"You said I'm alive. Does that mean my body's still alive?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
Alive. Still alive. Somehow.
But my memories…the monster. Juenzi and me, running. My shoulder crushed—blood everywhere. I should be dead.
"You…know me?" I whispered.
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
It knew me.
"And you know what happened before I came here?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
So it knows everything.
"Then didn't I die? Wasn't Juenzi…gone? Completely?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
No? But I remembered my shoulder exploding into pulp.
"If I'm still alive, that means…someone saved me. Right?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
Someone. But who? Juenzi was as good as dead. So who—?
Too many questions. No answers. My head throbbed.
"You…" My voice broke.
"Do you know my past? There's something wrong with me—"
Before I finished, the light dimmed. Fading, shrinking. The warmth drained away, leaving cold in its place.
"…Was it something I asked?"
"I asked you a question. Please answer me."
"Chhhhrriiillll…"
A new sound. Low. Metallic.
"…What does that mean?"
"Chhhhrriiillll…"
Again.
"Can't you just answer like before?"
"Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll…"
Over and over, sharper, louder, drilling into my skull.
"Okay! Stop it! I get it, I'm sorry—"
"Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll…"
It didn't stop. It rose. Piercing. Splitting my head open.
"Agh! My ears—!" I clutched at my skull. "It's going to explode—!"
It did. Every beat was a bomb. Every flash a white detonation in my brain.
"Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll… Chhhhrriiillll…"
"ENOUGH!"
And then silence.
My breath came ragged.
"…What the hell was that? Are you crazy?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
A denial. Of course.
"Can I even get out of here?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
Finally —a yes.
"But you don't know when, do you?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
My stomach twisted.
"…You do know?"
"Shiiiiinnnnggg!"
Then why not tell me?
"…So I'm just stuck waiting." I sighed, defeated.
"Fine. Just tell me this —will it be much longer?"
"Tiiiinnnnng!"
"No? So…that means I can leave anytime?"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
I huffed.
"You're not as dumb as I thought. Following me around like this… I guess you're not just some trick. Fine. Tell me—are you alive?"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
Alive.
"Can you speak? Or only understand?"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"You can?" I blinked.
"Then why don't you speak?"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"Then speak. Please. Because this endless ringing is driving me insane—"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
Over and over.
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
It wouldn't stop.
"Enough!"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg! …Ma… ma— Master…"
I froze.
A voice. A real voice.
And not just noise —a little girl's voice. Fragile and soft.
"…You spoke?" My chest tightened.
"Tell me you spoke!"
"Shiiiiiinnnnggg!"
"What—?"
"Heheheh…" A laugh. Light, playful. Teasing.
"You…" My throat was dry.
"You said Master. Who is your master?"
Silence. The glow steadied, dimmed. Darkness wrapped around it again.
Finally —"Master…you."
"…Me?" I swallowed.
"You think I'm your master? Maybe you're…mistaking me for someone else."
Or…maybe not.
Could it be…she's been trapped here? Alone. For so long. With no one to talk to. Just time, and emptiness, and echoes.
I looked at her glow.
"Are you… alone?"
"Shiiinnnnggg…"
Different this time. Heavy. Sad.
"You've been here this whole time, haven't you?"
"Shiiinnnnggg…"
Again. That same sorrow.
"Being trapped here…" My voice broke a little.
"…must've been hell. Lonely. Scary. Exhausting."
Without thinking, I reached out. Brushed my hand through where hair might be, forehead to the back of a head that wasn't really there. The gesture embarrassed me, but still—
"If you want…" I whispered
"…you can come with me. Only if you want to."
"Shiiiiiiiiiiinnnnggg!"
Her light erupted. Bright. So bright it drowned everything. The darkness vanished.
And then—
I saw it.
A world.
I had been blind this whole time. There was more here. Hidden.
A house. A small garden. A fence circling it all. Ordinary. Beautiful.
"…Does she…live here?" I muttered.
But the light -she was gone.
"Hello?" I called. Nothing answered. No ring. No shimmer.
I stepped forward cautiously. Strange —no ground beneath me. Yet in front of me…yes, there was. And the closer I walked, the warmer it grew.
Like Earth. Calm.
"Was this where you lived?" I whispered, softer.
It hit me —she must've felt abandoned here. Forgotten. And so she built this place? A memory? A home?
I moved closer. A wooden door stood before me. Just… a door.
"Ssshhhthhhhhh—"
It creaked open.
Inside —light spilled through windows, sunlit and golden. A farmhouse. Simple. Wood walls. A table. Food on it.
Food?
An illusion?
I reached. Took a piece of bread.
"…Is it real?" I asked aloud.
Bit into it.
The taste—warm, soft, real. Homemade.
Magic this strong… how could it last here?
I wandered. The garden stretched behind. A pond with fish darting inside. Carrots, potatoes, strawberries growing in neat rows.
"Amazing…" It was all I could say. Beautiful—and yet heartbreaking. A prison disguised as a dream.
"Wmmmhhhnnn…"
That sound again.
I turned sharply. The light flickered back into view.
"Light! You're still here." Relief flooded me.
"I thought you'd left. I was about to ask if you—"
"Fsshhhaaaummm!"
The glow exploded. Too much. Energy spilling like it would burst.
"Light…?"
Outlines formed within it. First haze. Then shapes.
Hands. A dress. Eyes.
The light twisted, shrank, condensed—until finally, a little girl stood there. A child of stardust?
Silver-blue hair, shimmering faintly. Eyes glowing like tiny moons. A simple dress, but shining, unreal. She tilted her head at me, curious.
"Light…?" My voice trembled. "That's…you?"
"Master…" she whispered.
My thoughts scrambled. Too much. Too fast.
Still, I forced a smile, kneeling so we were eye to eye. "…What's your name, little one?"
"Lyrania."
I blinked. The name struck something deep. Beautiful. Familiar.
"Lyrania," I repeated softly. "It suits you. Radiant, like the light you carry."
She didn't answer. Just stood there, glowing, fragile.
"Shall we?" I offered my hand.
"Shall we leave this place together?"
"Master…"
The question lingered—how?
"Lyrania, do you know how to get out of here?"
Her eyes lifted to me. Calm. Steady.
"Master must feel it."
Feel it?
"What do you mean? I don't feel—" I stopped.
No. Wait.
I did feel something. Not a feeling exactly…more like a thread. Faint. Tethered. Reaching somewhere far away.
It pulled. Gently.
"…Lyrania. Is that…normal?"
"Master must follow," she said simply.
So…just follow.
I turned. The thread wasn't visible, but I knew it was there. Connected. Drawing me onward.
Maybe that's why I'm the one seeing this. Experiencing it.
Almost like I've stepped into a story.
Then—
A light appeared ahead. Small. But as I walked toward it, it swelled.
Bigger. Brighter.
"Lyrania… if we go through there, will we come back?"
"You… yes. I… no."
"…No?"
"Why not?" My chest tightened.
"I said I'd take you with me!"
Her eyes lifted, glowing soft. Hopeful. Too hopeful.
"Master…doesn't lie?"
That look—too sweet. Too fragile. It should've been forbidden.
"I don't lie," I said firmly. Then sighed.
"But don't call me Master. Call me something else. Anything. I can't give you a name… but anything except that is fine."
She went quiet. Small hands at her chin, gaze dropping to the floor. Thinking hard. Too hard. Like this mattered more than the world.
I couldn't help smiling.
"…Vlad," she whispered.
I blinked.
"Vlad?"
It lingered in the air. Strange. Soft. But it didn't sound bad.
"As you wish…" I knelt down to meet her eyes again.
"Then from today, my name is Vlad." I smiled, and for the first time it felt real.
Before us —the doorway. Not even a door, really. Just an open frame. Waiting for us.
I stepped forward. One foot inside.
And the world devoured me.
Falling. Weightless. Heart racing like I'd leapt from a cliff.
"—When will he wake up again? It's been two days! Didn't you say soon? Didn't you say he was unharmed?"
A voice. Familiar and sharp.
"I can't say exactly when he'll wake, but —he hasn't a scratch on him, I swear!"
"Haahhh?! You priests and your oaths! Do you think just because you swear, I'll believe you? I'll only believe it when that stupid guy opens his eyes…"
"Where… where am I?" My voice cracked through their bickering.
Juenzi and he's alive? Standing right in front of me.
And beside him —an old man in white, church robes sweeping to the ground. A priest?
"My NEWBIE! My money's alive! Hah! He's alive!" Juenzi bolted toward me, arms wide.
"Praise the gods, priest! Did you hear that? There is a god after all! Hahhhhhh!"
"Wait —ugh —stop! I…can't breathe!" His weight crushed down, ribs groaning.
"Oh —right, right! Sorry!" He peeled off me, grinning sheepishly, one eye winking.
"Got too excited. Thought you'd never wake, you know? Forgive me~~"
"…Where am I? What happened? Last thing I remember—you were thrown away, and my shoulder —my right shoulder —it was gone."
The grin died from his face. His tone shifted, firm.
"Your…shoulder? What are you talking about?"
"…What?"
"You were found without a scratch. Nothing. The monster vanished —gone. Maybe it ran, who knows. But you? …Not a wound on you."
No. That couldn't be right. I felt it. The claw, the bone crushing, the voice screaming inside me. That wasn't some dream.
"But…you bled," Juenzi went on.
"While you slept, we tested. Purple blood —monster's blood. But mixed with it… yours. Your blood. Even though you had no injuries. We checked. Every inch of you. Nothing. Strange, isn't it?"
I froze. My stomach knotted. Blood but no wound? Impossible.
"I don't understand. My memories…tell me it hurt me."
"Don't worry." He waved it off too easily.
"What happened that day —between us. I'm fine. Good medicines, quick recovery. No need to overthink now."
"…Glad you're okay."
"I'll be in the main building. If you need me. And hey…we're going to have so much fun together." He winked, smiling in that infuriating way of his before sauntering off.
That lunatic. Sigh…
No injuries. Yet blood. No scars. Yet pain. Something was wrong. Something deep.
"Master."
The voice.
I froze. My eyes flicked around.
"Lyrania?"
"Master…I am inside you."
Inside… me?
Her voice rang not in my ears, but in my head.
"What!? Why?!"
"Look. Your right hand."
My palm shook as I turned it over.
A symbol, etched into skin like glowing ink. A cross —strange, sharp, undeniable.
"…Does this mean you're trapped?"
"No. I can come and go as I please. Just so you know."
Too convenient. At least others wouldn't see her and question me.
"…All right, Lyrania. We'll find a way to live like this. Together."
My chest ached. Even standing hurt—bones sore, body heavy, like it had been shattered and rebuilt wrong. But the room around me was no hospital ward. Too fine and too many strange machines.
When I stepped out, dozens of figures filled the corridors. People —and machines. Combat robots, service drones, staff bustling between them.
And all of them staring.
As if they'd seen me crawl out of a grave.
I ignored the eyes and hunted for the main building. The complex stretched wide —three huge structures, endless corridors, too many doors. At last, an employee.
"Uh —sorry, weird question —but could you tell me the way to the main building?" I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly.
She blinked, startled.
"O-oh, yes, of course. I can show you, but—" Her eyes widened.
"You're naked!"
She bolted.
"…What?"
I looked down. The thin gown clung to me, pale fabric, tied loosely. It covered me. Mostly. Mostly.
Wonderful.
By the time I reached the main building on my own, nearly two hours had crawled past.
"Hey," I muttered as I pushed inside.
"Finally found my way."
"Two hours? Quick work." Juenzi was waiting, smug as always.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"Cafeteria. Break time. Unlike you, they're not enjoying themselves, ha ha ha."
"Unlike me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Look at yourself." He laughed.
"Half-naked. Don't tell me you forgot what hospital clothes look like! Ha ha, idiot!"
I glanced down again, realization dawning.
"What the hell?! You can see my ass?!"
"Ha ha ha! Better get changed before the others see. After all…it's not exactly small, is it?"
That bastard!