Edward fought desperately, his body trembling as the poison burned through his veins—but the wounds where the darts had struck were already starting to heal, flesh knitting back together with a faint, eerie glow. He tore the darts out anyway, blood splattering across the dirt. His head pounded, pain pulsing behind his eyes as the world tilted and blurred.
A soft whisper slid into his mind.
Come to me, Edward…
He froze. A faint figure shimmered before him—
a beautiful woman with fiery orange hair, crimson lips, and lashes that fluttered like flames. She leaned closer, her hand tracing his jaw, her face tilting toward his as if to kiss him.
Edward's expression hardened.
Reality twisted.
The creature wasn't human at all—it was about to strike.
Then, a voice seeped through the dark, gentle and cold at once.
"Edward… it's me. Rosella. Your sister."
He went still. That name pierced through him like a blade.
No… impossible. She was gone. Long gone.
From the haze, a figure stepped forward—familiar, but wrong. Like a memory stretched over something lifeless. Her long white hair shimmered too pale to belong to the living. Her eyes glowed red but hollow, shifting restlessly, never staying still. And her face… it blurred and twisted every time he tried to focus, like his mind refused to accept what he was seeing.
Still, something inside him cracked open. His heart clenched with grief and warmth and terror all at once. The pain in his chest wasn't from poison anymore.
Why am I feeling this? Why does she look so real? What's happening to me?
His breath hitched. His muscles locked.
"Rosella?" he whispered, trembling.
The figure smiled—a slow, crooked grin that made his stomach twist.
"So now you pretend you don't know me?" she hissed.
"Still the same useless boy. Weak. Pathetic. Always hiding. Always crying."
Edward's heart thrashed violently in his chest. The fear wasn't just of her—it was of himself, of the pieces of memory clawing up from the dark.
Stop. Please stop. I don't want to remember…
Her laughter rang out, sweet and venomous, like an echo from the grave.
Then—crash!—Ashel burst in, kicking the monster away before dropping beside him.
"Whoa—since when can I kick like that?!" she gasped, half-shocked.
Then her eyes darted to Edward.
"Hey! What happened to you?" she shouted, grabbing his arm.
Their eyes met. Edward's body shook—and then he pulled her close, clinging to her like someone drowning. Tears streaked down his face, his mind still echoing with Rosella's voice.
"Edward!" Ashel snapped, slapping his cheek lightly. "Get a grip! Focus!"
His fists slowly loosened. His gaze met hers, and for a heartbeat, he found strength again.
Ashel…
But before he could speak—
the ground rumbled.
A heavy thud shook the air. Every nearby monster turned and fled.
Then it appeared—
a towering creature with a grotesque, flower-like head dripping with bile.
Ashel and Edward looked up, horror spreading across their faces.
The monster screamed, a sound so vile it scraped the air itself.
Before Ashel could move, it swung a massive arm, smashing her into a tree. She hit hard, blood splattering as she slid down, gasping for air.
"Aahh!" she coughed, blood trailing from her mouth. Her small body trembled under the force of the blow.
Edward's eyes widened in panic—but before he could move, the creature lifted a bone-forged arrow glowing sickly green.
It whistled through the air—
and pierced straight through his chest.
He stumbled, blood spilling freely as his strength faded.
"Ah…" he gasped, reaching weakly toward Ashel—but his hand fell limp, his body paralyzed.
His lips moved just enough to whisper her name.
"Ashel…"
Then, the creature's claws closed around him, dragging him into the darkness.
His hand reached out to her—but the fog swallowed him whole, his figure fading into the jungle until nothing remained.
Ashel's eyes widened. The monsters surrounded her, floral heads twisting toward her like grotesque blooms. She swung her fists wildly, striking one—then another—but her arms ached, her blows weakening fast.
The creatures she'd already beaten began to heal, petals knitting back together with a sick, pulsing glow. Bloodied and shaking, she kept hitting them anyway, refusing to stop even as her knees buckled beneath her.
"Edward!" she screamed, her voice cracking, tears streaking her face.
Her breaths came sharp and uneven. "Huff... huff..." Her body trembled, but her eyes still blazed with defiance.
"Guess that leaves me no choice in this messed-up system world, huh?" she spat, wiping the blood from her chin.
And then—time froze.
The air thickened.
A voice echoed behind her—smooth, amused, dripping with false affection.
"My darling... look at you," the stranger purred. "Tired. Broken. Still fighting with those fragile little hands." He gave a soft, condescending laugh. "It's adorable. Futile, but adorable."
He clasped his gloved fingers together, the slow clap of someone savoring the moment.
"Your guardian," he continued, "what a disappointment." He covered his face with one purple-gloved hand, laughter bubbling out—low at first, then wild. "He couldn't even save himself. Pathetic! This—oh, this is beautifully tragic!"
He wiped imaginary tears, his grin slicing across his face.
"If you wanted... I could save you."
He stepped closer, bending down as though to offer his hand—an unsettling imitation of kindness.
Ashel's eyes widened. "It's... you?"
"Ah, so you do remember," he said softly, voice dripping with delight. "Yes, yes—it's me. Darius."
He tilted his head, his smile widening just enough to seem wrong.
"This is our third meeting, isn't it? Or at least... as far as you recall." His voice lowered, silken and teasing. "You've been dreaming of me. You just don't realize it yet."
Her pulse quickened. "W-what are you talking about?"
"Dreams," he whispered, tracing a finger through the air. "Dreams are the start of everything. The cracks where reality bleeds."
He lifted his arms dramatically, then folded them around himself, inhaling deeply as though savoring her fear.
"Ah... what an exquisite feeling."
Then his expression snapped. Pleasure curdled into fury.
"I despise watching him leave you like this." His voice dropped to a growl. "That coward. That failure. I hate him... for abandoning my darling."
Ashel's breath hitched. "No—he didn't—"
Before she could finish, his bare hand covered her mouth.
"Shhh..." he whispered, leaning close enough for her to feel his breath.
Her stomach turned. She bit down hard.
He winced, chuckling. "Ahh... still has bite, doesn't she?" He licked the corner of his lip, almost tasting the pain. "That's what I love about you, sweetheart."
"Who are you?!" she snapped. "Stay away from me!"
He raised both hands slowly, mock surrender twisting into a smirk.
"As you wish. But don't fool yourself. You'll remember me soon enough. And when you do... call my name." His voice dropped to a whisper, soft and poisonous. "I'll always answer, love."
Then—he vanished.
Time resumed.
The world roared back to life, and the only word echoing in Ashel's mind was Edward.
"Darius… another freak," she muttered weakly, before her knees gave out. Tears blurred her vision.
The monsters lunged.
Ashel's eyes widened in horror as claws ripped through her flesh, shredding muscle and bone. Pain tore through every nerve. She screamed as blood splattered across the ground, her body jerking with each blow.
The system flickered.
SYSTEM ALERT: HEALTH LEVELS CRITICALLY LOW.
WARNING: VITAL ORGANS COMPROMISED.
PAIN SUPPRESSION PROTOCOL – FAILED.
USER "ASHEL" APPROACHING TERMINAL STATE.
She tried to crawl forward, but her body refused. Claws tore through her again and again until all that remained was ruin.
One arm landed in the mud, limp and bloodied. The rest of her was devoured by the swarm.
SYSTEM NOTICE: LIFE FUNCTIONS – TERMINATING.
The white screen blinked—then glitched violently.
S̷Y̷S̶T̵E̶M̴ ̴N̴O̷T̵I̴F̷I̴C̴A̸T̵I̶O̶N̴:
A̵S̷H̶E̷L̴... H̶A̷S̴ F̵A̴L̷L̸E̶N̷.
R̶E̵S̸P̶A̶W̴N̸ ̴N̸O̷T̶ ̶P̷O̴S̵S̶I̵B̵L̶E̸.̷
S̷Y̶S̸T̸E̶M̷... R̷E̵B̶O̷O̷T̶... F̶A̷I̶L̵E̶D̴.