'Couldn't wait to try? Fuck! I shouldn't have bought it!'
Everything became dark suddenly.
The blinding white light consumed his vision, an overwhelming sensory flash that left Louis reeling.
He gasped, sucking in a mouthful of cold, damp air. When his sight cleared, he was no longer lying on his bed, nor was he staring at a television screen.
He woke up in an unfamiliar place. All he remembered after buying the game was opening his console at the bedroom.
The game had no written genres on the box, which was weird, but based on the written premise, it should be a fantasy adventure one. Louis had expected a standard loading screen.
Starting the game... A window had appeared, stark white against the digital black.
|╣Thank you for purchasing Eden. Would you like to upgrade your experience before playing?╠|
He had answered yes, thinking it was a simple graphics pack or a tutorial prompt.
|╣Yes. Upgrading Experience... Complete. Welcome to Eden.╠|
And here he was now!
Louis was standing upright, shivering in the thick darkness. He reached out and felt rough wood against his fingertips.
The cold, musty air filled his lungs, smelling of aged timber and wet soil. He was inside an unknown abandoned small hut in the middle of a dark forest!
He stumbled back a step, heart hammering against his ribs. 'This is real. The cold, the smell, the ground under my feet. This is not a console game.'
He was wearing rough, unfamiliar clothes, a coarse tunic that felt too big.
He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again, desperate for the sight of his poster-covered bedroom wall, but he only saw the silhouette of broken ceiling beams against the deep blackness of the night sky outside.
A faint, crystalline light shimmered into existence a foot from his face. It was a projection, a translucent blue screen, but he could feel the slightest vibration of the air around it.
|╣Welcome, Hero. Initialization Complete. Please prepare for your tutorial.╠|
Louis instinctively tried to punch the light away, but his fist passed right through the system window.
He stared at the blue text, his breath hitching. Looking at the panel, the reality of his situation crashed over him.
Louis was shocked. 'Tutorial? I do not want a tutorial! I want to go home!'
Before he could comprehend what was happening, the forest shook violently, and a low, guttural snarl ripped through the dark stillness.
The sound was immediately followed by heavy, rhythmic thuds against the damp earth outside the hut. Monsters began to appear.
A shadow, immense and terrifying, blocked the weak moonlight coming through the doorway.
It was a wolf beast like creature, its silhouette bulky and menacing. It was tall and scary, its eyes glowing with a feral, yellow light.
The beast let out a ravenous howl that echoed right inside the small shack.
There was no time for panic, no time for system commands. Survival instinct took over.
Louis bolted.
He spun around, kicked open the broken wooden back wall of the hut, and scrambled out into the tangled underbrush of the trees.
He immediately run for his life!
His heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs as he plunged into the trees. The rough ground immediately tore at his feet.
As he run, he began to feel pain—sharp, stinging, agonizing pain that flared up with every awkward, panicked step he took over roots and uneven soil.
He risked a glance down at himself, skidding slightly as he dodged a thick oak tree.
He noticed that his feets was apparently has bruises even in hands!
His pristine white skin—but dirty from from unknown reasons was covered in almost red and severe bruises!
'This is real damage! Real pain! If this is a game, it is the worst one ever made.'
The sounds of the large wolf beast crashing through the trees behind him fueled his terror.
He pushed himself harder, blindly running deeper into the confusing darkness.
He was scared.
He really was.
Every nerve ending in his body screamed from the rough impact of the forest floor, and the raw fear of the snapping jaws closing in on him was paralyzing. It was painful.
The pain in his feet and hands, the burning in his lungs, and the overwhelming adrenaline made his movements clumsy and uncoordinated.
He tried to leap over a thick, gnarled root hidden in the shadows, but his bruised foot caught on the obstacle.
He stumbled and crashed down forward.
The breath exploded from his chest as his knees and palms hit the ground.
He heard the terrifying sound of the wolf beast landing heavily just a few yards behind him, its low growl vibrating through the dirt right into his body.
The air smelled suddenly stronger of predator.
Thinking it is the end, he shut his eyes tightly. 'I am going to be eaten by a video game monster in a dark forest.'
It was an absurd, horrific thought.
He curled his body slightly, bracing for the inevitable tear of fangs against flesh. He waited for the impact, the fatal bite, but nothing came.
Instead of pain, a high-pitched, metallic screech tore through the air, followed by a heavy, wet thump.
The terrifying growling stopped abruptly.
Louis flinched, still unable to open his eyes, but the heavy, predatory breathing right behind him was replaced by a strange silence, broken only by a soft, rhythmic dripping sound.
Then, a soft voice echoed in him. The sound was warm and incredibly close, cutting through the haze of his terror.
"It is alright. You did well enduring enough. Please leave the rest to us."
Louis flinched at the voice. It sounded melodic, confident, and impossibly calm, especially after the chaos. He slowly opened his eyes, forcing his vision to adjust to the gloom.
Looking up and slowly opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was a flash of gold. A breathtaking handsome young man was kneeling in front of him!
The man's eyes were a deep ocean blue shimmering in the dark, reflecting the weak moonlight like polished jewels.
His messy tousled hair was a bright golden color, and his face was carved with an almost unbelievable artistry, looking utterly out of place in the dark, hostile forest.
He wore armor, but it was pristine, silver, and complex.
Behind the man, standing in silent formation among the trees, was a formation of numerous knights in the same armor designs.
They stood like statues, swords sheathed, guarding the perimeter.
The golden-haired man reached out. His touch was incredibly gentle, utterly contrasting with the brutality of the monster and the forest.
The man gently and carefully carried him up in his arms, lifting Louis completely off the forest floor.
The man held Louis close, his silver armor cool against Louis's bruised skin. He was hugging him and even kiss his forehead!
A shockwave of warmth spread from the contact, chasing away the paralyzing cold of the fear. Louis's mind went blank.
The sudden, intimate touch from a stranger, a stunning knight from a scene that looked ripped straight from a fantasy epic, was too much.
Louis was so shocked and was unable to say anything at all. His breath simply stopped in his throat.
The knight adjusted his grip, holding Louis securely against his chest. Louis reluctantly looked over the man's broad shoulder.
Looking back he saw the monster was already down and dead. The massive, wolf beast was sprawled on the ground, its dark hide ruined, lying motionless in a quickly growing pool of dark, viscous liquid.
The handsome man held Louis securely against his chest.
The silence of the forest was broken only by the rhythmic tramp of the knights' boots as they began to move deeper into the trees.
As being carried on the way, the man kept Louis in his arms.
The next second, another knight approached. This knight, who had a silent, stoic face, came and handed the man with a thick blanket.
The blanket was dark wool, heavy, and smelled faintly of woodsmoke and clean linen.
The golden-haired man paused his steps, adjusted his grip on Louis, and carefully covered Louis with the blanket, tucking it snugly around his shoulders and legs.
The warmth of the wool was instant and deeply comforting, easing the chill that had settled deep into Louis's bones.
Louis was cocooned in the man's arms and blanket. He could only stare at the man who smiled gently at him, but that smile was a sad and apologetic one.
Louis watched the smooth, handsome contours of the man's face, trying to find some answer in those deep blue eyes.
Louis wondered how strong this man was. He was carrying Louis, a grown man like him, without the slightest sign of strain or effort.
The knight stopped walking, his eyes fixed on Louis's face.
He gently leaned in, his golden hair brushing Louis's cheek.
His blue eyes seemed to hold a world of regret. He was close, impossibly close, and then he leaned in and kiss him on the lips this time!
It was a soft, brief, and incredibly tender press of lips. Louis's eyes widened, his mind short-circuiting at the unexpected, intimate contact.
His already racing heart did a dizzying flip. He felt a fleeting sweetness mixed with a desperate sadness in the kiss.
Recovering from the kiss, he did not notice that they were far away from the beast.
The forest was thick around them, and the distant, dark shape of the dead monster was completely gone from view.
Louis instinctively looked at the man who held him.
Well, that man was really tall and had a sturdy build based on the armor compared to him who was a grown one, yes, but sadly on the small side.
The difference in size was undeniable, emphasizing Louis's helplessness and the knight's powerful presence.