At the dead of night, in dead silence, moonlight pierces through, parting the grey fogs, it reveals a three-edged structure. Jutting out at the endless shallow waters—endless as the sea.
It lay within, stood, trapped in an eternal sleep.
Shrouded in the mist, dewdrops form. Above, it runs, seeping through its concrete seams, trickling down as it splashes at the dwelling husk.
Plop.
It's cold—cold enough to shiver him awake, like a spark igniting dormant senses, feeling his gravitate at his feet.
He breaths.
Pain as it breaths, a coarse feeling at his throat. As he exhales, warm wind bounces, warming his cold, exhausted body.
There, he opens his eyes, blinking as he sees nothing—only darkness, the same colors he sees when he closes his eyes.
As from every side it closes in, boxing him in with tight walls. A room for his size.
'Where… Am I?'
'Is this… A dream?'
It felt too real a dream, yet too surreal to be a reality. He blinks again, but nothing has changed. Dark and quiet.
There, he alone could not move, could not breathe, could not see, and yet could feel.
Splish-Splash!
It rained. Dropping like thunder, water enters through the crevices. Each drop reverberates through his entire being, ringing his skull.
A long-forgotten sensation.
He clenches his teeth, teetering as a loud hiss rings, blaring him into numbness, whilst water flows down at his feet.
'It's warm.'
A strange comfort, as water quickly fills the coffin-like room, but in an abrupt something move—Behind, below, he felt it scaly and heavy, like a limb.
It twists, as if a part of his own.
*Gasp!*
A one last breath as the cold water reached his head, submerging him completely. But again, it shifted, pulling him down.
He flails around, scattering his breath—the last of it—hollow sphere spreads, bursting. There, he opened his eyes, squinting in agony.
'Air… I need… It…'
He opened his mouth, gasping for air, but was greeted in blues, filling him full, quenching his thirst, inviting him into eternal slumber.
An easy escape, yet he refuses: Alone chooses to suffer, not to die—Not Again.
Thud!
In one motion, he hurled himself up, banging his head against a solid surface.
As above, something moved.
'A light!'
A beam of light briefly shone across his face as he moved something above him.
A light that he craves.
With that, sudden strength washes over him, invigorating him, quickly making him restless.
Ruthless, he again pushes, pumelling it open with all his might, repeating as it moves. Whirling the water up and down whilst red colors spread like smoke.
Thud! X5
Again and again—
Clunk!
Above, it opens whilst he springs himself out, hanging at the edge of the structure, like a jack-in-the-box. A structure so thin yet so durable.
Splish-splash...
Head against the ground, he coughed and gasped for air, and raindrops fell as he blinked both of his eyes open.
Outside, it was dark, as below, shallow water stretched out forever.
'The… light?'
Thunk!
Above him, the massive lid slammed down, trapping his lower half. He clenches his fist whilst he bites his lip as his eyes widen.
He pulls himself out, pulling with his hands on the ledge; it scrapes and peels his skin as the weight presses mercilessly.
Gritting his teeth as he pulled, with his last ounce of strength, a miracle— the lid lock in place.
*Shut*
He escaped as it closed shut.
Dropping down flat on the ground, his left cheek pressed to the damp ground. There, he lay on his back and let out a relieved sigh, gazing at the sky—total darkness.
The rain stopped, light slicing through to reveal a crescent moon.
'The light!'
Awe struck his heart, the light that he craves, it hovered above him, moonlight piercing through.
His brow frowned as the rain stopped, weirded by the raindrops.
No dark clouds to explain the downpour, only the endless black skies and the crescent moon.
As if the moon itself had brought the rain.
He ponders and feels empty as he can't remember anything. His very identity was a mystery, a puzzle with missing pieces.
Only the repeating word: Not again, I won't die again.
…
With no answers, he stood, looking down at his flimsy legs, and in the corner of his eye, caught a fleeting glimpse of—
A woman.
Soaked in blood, skin as pale as canvas, smooth as porcelain, hair flowing like rivers of ink, below her waist, a tail moves.
She looks at him from the corner of her eye, innocence blairs as she stares.
…
Sprinting, arms flailing—slender as twigs, rippling the waters at the endless shallows.
He doesn't know where he is going, he doesn't know what he is doing, and everything just feels wrong.
All for naught. All he knows now is to run.
He feels an inexplicable weight tugs at him—a heavy appendage, like a limb attached to him.
In curiosity, He looked back.
"A tail," he shouted, eyes wide in horror.
Suddenly, waves gathered below, forming a pillar. In constant motion, he dodged left.
The pillar mirrored his gaze, following wherever he looked. It rose into the sky—then crashed down.
Splat!
He shielded his head as it exploded, thinking he was in pieces. He peeked through his arms. Before him it stood, a pillar of water as tall as he.
White letters are inscribed upon it.
"Welcome, Ye Xin?" He reads out loud in his instinct.
His eyes raised in confusion as he could read the words.
'Ye Xin?'
It felt like it was referring to him, Ye Xin. Is this his name? Is it even a name?
A name he has no such recollection. With everything he thought, it was pointless. It felt like his head wasn't his or that something was at the back of his head—Blocking him.
Before him, it then rippled.
Ye Xin /█/ Lvl. I
HP: 10/10 Stats: Normal
Mind: 22/30 Stamina: 09/15 RP: 10
STR: 10 AGI: 5 DEF: 3 INT: 12
◙|Survivor|5| Inventory: [][][][][][][][][][]
↓Maximize↓
Surprised, not by what it contained, but by its image reflected as upon a closer look, as above as below, it is him.
He realized the ghostly woman he'd feared was actually himself. Strangely, he felt the need to press the arrows below.
His fingers passed through it, and it felt like warm water.
But nothing happened.
"Maximize?"
At his word, the panel shrank into a ball of water. It grew, this time greater in size. As it surged, fatigue suddenly overwhelmed him.
Xin crossed his arms, bracing himself.
Splash.
The transparent panel revealed more, within it reads.
Health points: 10/10, Mana points: 06/10
Ye Xin /█/ Level. I
Status: Wet, Cold
Mind: 21/30 Stamina: 09/15 Raising Points: 10
Strength: 10, Agility: 5, Defense: 3, Intelligence: 12
Skill: Aqua Ball |Mastery. Basic|
◙|Survivor| |5|
Inventory: [][][][][][][][][][]
↑Minimize↑
Xin understood what he needed to do, then glanced down.
This isn't me.
Below his waist, it wasn't his body.
Too big to be him.
"Minimize," Xin said.
The panel then shrank and sprinkled water down. He felt tired all of a sudden.
Suddenly, he felt a warm wind brush his neck, followed by a sultry liquid pouring over his shoulder, drooping down at his feet.
Xin slowly turned away, as behind—
A monster.
Its bulging eyes stared at him, dilating its pupil like orbs. Its face resembled that of a wolf, neck long as a giraffe's, peacock-like feathered plumage, wings twice the size of its body…
Howl!
The cry reverberated through Xin's entire being. He frowned as he shivered, sweat poured from his palms as he shivered.
What can he do?
"Aqua ball!"
A watery sphere floated toward the beast. It stared at it warily. Sniffed, as it then spread its wings with ferocity and malice.
A chance!
Ye Xin then sprinted away.
Meanwhile, the aqua ball meandered, colliding with the beast as it flapped, seeping into the thick feathers.
It was quiet all of a sudden. Eerie silence, so unlike the chaos he'd just escaped.
Panting, Xin glanced over his shoulder. But instead of danger, he saw the creature floundering far in the distance, struggling awkwardly.
He smirks.
But suddenly, intense fatigue set in, shaking him whole, like needles puncturing his head; he collapsed, face-first, into the shallow water.
Ye Xin blacked out once more.
...…
A tall silhouette stood before him.
"Onyung rstema! AkewUp!" it echoed, voice garbled.
Shapes resolved—a man in a blue, knee-length, long-sleeved tunic: A servant's attire.
Each gibberish phrase grew clearer.
"Young master! Wake up."
A servant repeated as he gently held his hand.
The young man, called young master, opened his eyes, gazing blankly at the ceiling.
The servant then lifted his back as gently as if he were made of glass.
As he rose, the light fell upon him, revealing him. Wrapped in a bandage stained in black and red, his blood seeps through.
The servant came in close and began slowly, peeling it away layer by layer. Beneath those bandages were scabs, scars, and flaking skin.
His skin flew down like dandruff.
With a wet cloth, the servant washed his wounds. Each touch made the young man shiver and grit his teeth.
He braved through it, and then, with effort, stood up, spreading his arms outward.
The servant smiled as he then dressed him in fresh white bandages. He then pulled a purse from his own pocket and opened it.
Thud!
A heavy chest dropped to the floor.
Deliberately, revealing elegant clothes inside. With this, he dresses him. Done, he then bowed and took the young master's hand. In his palm, he drew for him to feel.
It says.
"Follow me… Your father… Calls you…"
The young man rose and walked, the servant supporting him.
Outside, a castle with a wooden facade stood—majestic and formidable. Brick-tiled roofs, paper and wood windows, and intricate carvings blended red and brown tones into the landscape.
Guards stood with weapons in formation, statuesque, their heavy armor imposing, making the servant tense.
The servant frowned, quickening his pace and urging the young master along. Each step felt as precarious as walking on thin ice.
Their eyes followed them with an air of intent so sharp it felt like daggers piercing their hearts.
The young master trembled in uncertainty as the servant held his hand, doing his best to calm them both as they hurried on.
*Footsteps*
Moving on as they walked through, afar in the hallways, faint footsteps sounded from the left.
It was a woman and a child heading in the same direction as them.
The young master turned his head toward them as the warriors bowed deeply to honor the woman and the child, deliberately ignoring him and his servant.
The servant released his master's hand, crossed his arms, and bowed from a distance with a blank face.
Before him, a thin golden panel materialized near his mouth.
"I bow in respect to the great 'Aspiring Star of the Youth, Young Lady Cheon Ran," He said softly and eloquently.
With every movement of his lips, white letters appeared on the panel, one by one.
"Cheon Ran, The Aspiring Star," "Yuna, The Peony," He chanted the titles in silence, the inscriptions flying toward their recipients and leaving trails of luminous white.
It was a message for two—one for Cheon Ran, the other for Yuna, a discreet love letter. They seemed unaware, but the young master knew.
*Footsteps*
The warriors moved in unison, marching toward the young master and his servant.
From a distance, the servant caught Yuna's resentful gaze.
He dashed toward the warriors, with a worried face as he was desperate to rescue the young master, raising his arms to chant a spell.
White engrave appeared atop his hand, but it was too late—the guards had already surrounded the young master.
Undaunted by their numbers, the young master let out a childish war cry and swung at them.
Not a punch landed; the guards avoided every strike with practiced ease.
"Get away from my master!" the servant shouted, his voice carrying such force that it vibrated across the hallway.
The warriors abruptly halted and began returning to their posts.
"What, afraid of my wrath!?" Sung shouted, masking his dismay.
Then, suddenly, the space shattered.
Ominous darkness spilled forth, heralding ill omen as a looming figure emerged from the void.
Trembling, the young master sensed terror—the same fear that had haunted him before.
Below, it felt warm as water flowed below his waist.
He can't breathe, choking from terror, as in front of him, it looms. Large as it covers the whole area in darkness.
No breaths, he faints, falling flat on the ground, as shallow waters spread…
Water runs seeping towards him. Yellow, it was yellow, strands of hair floated. Its yellow hue gradually turns into deep blue.
—Tears formed in his eyes as he then whispered.
"The 1st Plain, the Evernight Hell. Is this… the world I deserve? Am I going to die again?"
He questions himself—who to blame, did he deserve this, was this really it?+[1]
[1] You must be asking, "What is this?" Well, dear reader, this paragraph is from the future. Think of it as what comes next.