Arthur looked around. Complete darkness surrounded him. After that beast charged at him, everything went black. He heard a voice say something—something about death not being the end—but Arthur didn't catch what it actually said. Why? Because terrible pain consumed him, pain that wouldn't stop, that seemed to stretch on forever.
Eventually, the darkness cleared. The monster was gone. He was no longer inside that warehouse-cave hybrid. No more beasts. No more traps. No more of anything. Instead, he woke up—not in his real body, though. His real body remained at home, so apparently he was still trapped in his mind. He surveyed the area. Nothing but a grassy field stretched before him, with a blue sky overhead and a forest right behind him.
"Where am I?" Arthur's voice came out small and uncertain.
"Like I said, death is not the end," a voice boomed from above. The sky itself seemed to carry the sound, stretching it through the entirety of the forest and whatever lay beyond. "It is only the beginning of a new path for you. I have saved you from a terrible fate."
Arthur's young mind couldn't wrap around what this voice was saying. His heart pounded in his chest, confusion mixing with a strange sense of awe.
"Where am I?" Desperation crept into his tone.
"You're in a place where you can rest up, cool down your body, and train. In this mental space, everything will feel real. The pain, the strain, the fights—all of it will feel real. But if you die here, you won't die in real life. You'll just respawn at checkpoints I've left around the forest and the grass fields. Good luck."
Arthur didn't know what to say. Was this the system's doing? How was he supposed to fight? His magic was drained, and he hadn't had any time to practice his void abilities. The system had given him powers, sure, but he'd only had it for barely twenty-four hours. Now he was just supposed to get used to it, just like that?
Arthur walked around the grassy field, his small feet brushing through the soft blades. Finally, he decided to step into the forest. As soon as his foot touched the edge of the tree line, large bird-like beasts flew down from the trees where they'd been perched. They dove toward him with piercing screeches.
Arthur tried to dodge out of the way, but his seven-year-old body couldn't move fast enough. One bird flew toward him, following his every movement, while the others circled around him. This one in particular chased him relentlessly. The bird had massive black wings. Its entire body was basically black, including the beak. It opened its beak wide and flew toward Arthur.
Arthur ducked out of the way, his breath coming in short gasps. But as soon as he did, the bird dove down again to follow his movements, making sure Arthur couldn't escape. Fear gripped his chest. Even if he tried to hide behind a tree, inside a tree, or do anything to get cover, nothing worked. It was all useless.
A black screen with white text appeared in front of Arthur's eyes, interrupting his panic.
*A being has tried to interfere with what the system has prepared for you. Initiating fight sequence. The host will be transported back to their original body while the system fights this unknown being. Do not use any of your void power while the system is offline. If you do, there will be terrible side effects. Thank you for following these guidelines and have a wonderful day. P.S. - System*
Arthur stared at the white text in his vision. So the system really did have a personality. Suddenly, he felt his body disappear. He stared down at his hands, and they began to become translucent. So did the rest of his body. Soon enough, he was gone.
Arthur woke up in his bed, gasping for air. His mother Mary stood over him, concern etched across her face. Jack had long since left. Arthur's chest bore the black skull marking. Only Mary remained.
"What... what happened?" Arthur thought, his mind reeling.
"After you were attacked by the tendril from the shattered wall, you passed out," Mary said gently, brushing his hair back from his forehead. "I brought you here. Thank Jack. Apparently he can make portals."
Arthur pictured Jack's body, his black finger drawing a circle in the air and making a portal just big enough for everyone to go through. The image was both fascinating and unsettling.
The imagination quickly left him as he stared up at the ceiling, exhaustion washing over him. "Man, I didn't just dream that." A chill ran down his spine.
He sat up suddenly, his hand flying to his chest where the skull mark pulsed with an unnatural warmth. "Mom, what is this thing?"
Mary's face went pale. She opened her mouth to answer, but before she could speak, the mark flared with searing heat. Arthur screamed.
The skull began to spread, black tendrils crawling across his skin like living ink. Mary grabbed his shoulders, her voice frantic. "Arthur! Stay with me!"
But Arthur couldn't hear her anymore. His vision blurred, and in the darkness behind his eyes, he saw them—hundreds of figures standing in circles around fires, all bearing the same mark. And at the center of them all stood a man in black, his face hidden in shadow.
The man turned toward Arthur, as if he could see him watching.
Then he smiled.
"Welcome, little anomaly," the man's voice echoed through Arthur's mind. "We've been waiting for you."
Arthur's eyes snapped open, but they were no longer his own. They had turned completely black, void of any light.
Mary stumbled backward, her hand covering her mouth in horror.
"Arthur?" she whispered.
The boy in the bed smiled—a smile that didn't belong to her son.