The ground was cracked and brittle, pale like sun-bleached bone. Jagged ridges of dark stone jutted from the earth at sharp angles, casting long, twisted shadows across a landscape drowned in perpetual red twilight. Overhead, the sky churned slowly, layered with thick, unmoving clouds streaked by veins of black and deep crimson. No sun pierced the haze—only a dim, pulsing glow that bled through in waves, casting a sickly hue over everything below.
The air hung motionless, hot and dry, with a density that clung to the land like a shroud. It carried a faint stench—acidic, metallic, and old—settling deep into the ground and never lifting. There was no breeze. No birds. No hum of insects. Only silence, heavy and watchful.
To the west, a forest spread across the ridge. Towering trees stood bare and motionless, their bark dark and slick, glistening like raw muscle beneath a film of moisture. Thick red sap seeped from deep knots in their trunks, dripping in slow, rhythmic trails that pooled around exposed roots. The roots sprawled openly across the earth, twisted and swollen like veins, pulsing faintly with life. At irregular intervals, the forest groaned—low and deep, like something ancient shifting in its sleep.
Beyond the trees, a vast, featureless plain of ash lay before them. Fine gray dust blanketed the surface, soft and unstable, shifting with the faintest touch. Twisted bones and rusted metal spires protruded from the ground, scattered like remnants of some forgotten conflict. The land was quiet, but far from still.
In the distance, a river of black liquid cut through the terrain. Its surface was smooth and glasslike, reflecting the red-tinged sky without distortion. Nothing rippled. Nothing flowed. Yet beneath the surface, slow, deliberate movements betrayed the presence of something just out of sight.
The entire landscape sat in silence, untouched by wind or time. It did not sleep. It did not rest. It waited.
— Frances —
I crouched behind a jagged slab of obsidian, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
A harsh skittering scraped across the silence. I peeked around the edge.
It was huge. A thick-shelled insect-like creature, over five feet long, with its armored plates rigid and spiked like natural armor. Mandibles clicked hungrily. Antennae twitched. It turned its head—if that grotesque thing could be called a head—searching for prey.
I held my breath, fearing even exhaling might signal my location to the creature.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I fought them back. I couldn't afford to show weakness. The boss had given me a test, and I was determined to pass it to prove he was right in placing his trust in me. I would not let him down.
As I waited for that abomination to pass, I wondered how I arrived here.
—
"You bitch. Didn't I tell you to sell all the dope by tonight?"
The slap came right after the words.
Typical Vince. Yell, hit, swear. Then I cry, beg, and stroke his ego. That usually worked. He'd let me go after a few more kicks and curses.
This time it might not be so simple. Well, I did take many of the drugs myself, instead of selling them. Moreover, I still have a day job with two shifts as a cashier in a supermarket, which also consumes a significant portion of my time.
Another slap. I hit the floor.
Sob. When would this shit end?
The beating hurt, yeah, but right now, Vince was my only plug. Most dealers blacklisted me after I burned through their product. I'd narrowly dodged a few death threats. Vince was new to the game—still green, trying to look tough—so he took a chance on me.
But I'd probably need a new supplier soon. Again.
That's when he came. The punching bag, the walking atm, the personal bank, the investor, the piggy bank, among other names, he was famous among Vince's gang.
More than once, I had heard them talking about the fat fool, too pussy to say no.
I had seen him once, and that was more than enough to prove that they were right.
Because of this fat fuck, Vince kicked me again.
Sob. Couldn't you fucking just let me go?
So what if I took some of your drugs? After your piggy bank, I was the one who funded your gang the most. It was I who did the dangerous job of selling the drugs, dealing with cops, junkies, psychos, whereas you only counted the money.
Despite the kicks, I played dead and didn't make any noises. Otherwise, if I annoyed Vince, it would lead to more beating.
What did I hear? One grand? Did the fat fool agree to give one grand to Vince? And here I thought that the two hundred dollars he previously gave to Vince in front of me was already too much.
Honestly, even I felt the fatty deserved the beating.
Another grand? Serves him right for even believing such parasites.
Finally, Vince revealed his true face, declaring that fatty would be the gang's 'investor'. He might have thought that at this time, there was no reason to play games anymore. He would now openly extort from him.
Did he break? I wondered when I saw that the fatty was silent and looking with blank eyes.
But after staying like that for some time, something stirred inside him, as if he had some kind of revelation.
Suddenly, he found the strength within himself, and he refused Vince. He actually refused Vince in the face.
Not only that, fatty even headbutted Vince and broke his nose.
I refused to believe that, having been oppressed by Vince and his gang for so long, he had suddenly grown his spine, or that his self-esteem had miraculously become important to him, so that he decided to refuse Vince.
Someone else had a hand in that. Someone who somehow influenced this fatty to raise his voice against his oppressors.
As I wondered who that could be, I heard someone's voice, casual and playful.
"Man, you look like shit."
My intuition told me that's the person I was looking for. And junkie or not, a woman's intuition is very sharp.
Was he called Kevin?
Listening to their conversation, I was sure he was the one.
Despite being outnumbered, he didn't lose his cool. He looked at them with the same amused or bored look, as Vince's gang was not worth his time.
When Vince was monologuing like a fool, he moved. The clown playing with his knife was the first to go.
Looking at him, even that fatty, Marko also got the strength as he downed another one.
By now, Vince realized he was not dealing with weak-willed cowards but a real man. Someone who could be ruthless if need arose.
He was the real boss—not a clown like Vince, high on his own bullshit.
My heart drummed against my chest as the boss was held by the throat by that brute. But even with the odds against him, he defeated that brainless brute.
Vince moved to stab him, while he was still recovering from the brute's chokehold. I couldn't have that. How dare he try to hurt my boss?
I tripped Vince, who fell face-first on the ground. The boss looked confused, but then understood it was me. He looked at me and nodded.
He acknowledged me. Hehe. Will he let me follow him?
No, you idiot, what are you doing daydreaming? Nod back.
I quickly gave a slight nod.
I quickly left that area, not to run away, but to find something for my boss to sit on. After the fight, it was right to sit on something comfortable. I knew Vince's safehouse was just behind, so I quickly ran there and brought a stool with a cushion. I was looking for something better, but this was the only option I could find in a hurry. I hid as I watched the fight.
Now, just Vince and another one of his buddies remained. This was the first time I heard Vince begging.
That's when I heard, "Only show mercy to people who'd do the same. Otherwise, you're just volunteering to get stabbed later."
Now, I was one hundred percent sure that it was my boss who gave Marko the confidence to stand up for himself.
He looked so handsome when he said that.
Finally, Vince tasted defeat with a series of attacks executed in a fluid combo. The last thug also ended up on the ground.
I knew it was my turn to enter the scene. I quickly brought the stool over to the boss and asked him to sit on it.
But he didn't. Why didn't he sit? Did he not like it? Did I disappoint him?
"Sorry, boss. I know it's not much. I couldn't find anything better," I apologized, but it felt hollow. He must think that I disrespected him by bringing only a stool. Of course, how could a great man like him sit on a mere stool?
But against all odds, he sat on it. He was such a great man that he overlooked my mistake.
I quickly went behind him and started massaging him. A great man like him deserved it.
My heart skipped a beat when he threatened to kill Vince and his goons. He was so manly. I felt my cheeks flush.
Finally, he decided to leave. The warmth beneath my hands vanished as he got up, and I couldn't massage him.
I was stunned when he handed me the money that I had given to Vince earlier.
He is giving it to me. Why?
He defeated Vince; it was his right to take all of Vince's money. But he was returning it to me.
I felt hesitant about taking it. But when he showed impatience, I hurriedly took it. I didn't want to upset him.
He started leaving. No, I didn't want him to leave me. I wanted him to become my boss. He was infinitely better than Vince. I wouldn't mind doing anything for him.
But he was leaving. Should I ask him? Could I ask him? Was I worthy to ask him? Was I worthy to become his follower?
"Umm, boss, please wait," I requested, gathering my courage.
He turned around.
"Umm, can I follow you, boss?" I asked hesitatingly.
"Nope, I don't like junkies in my group." He refused and left.
I felt something inside me break. I looked at Vince and his buddies, groaning and crying on the ground.
"It is because of all of you."
"You gave me the drugs. You ruined me."
"Because of you, he despises me."
"Because of you, I can never be with him."
"All of you are responsible."
The next few minutes passed as a blur, as the world in my eyes turned red, and I took out my anger on them.
The rod in my hands. The screams. The blood. The pleading.
I lost myself.
But after I was done, I noticed him standing and watching me.
No, no, no. He already despised me; what if he became disgusted with me after watching my actions?
What if he hated me?
Someone, please kill me.
I started babbling crazily in front of him. I was trying to explain it to him, but failing.
"I didn't mean—I wasn't—I just…"
I couldn't even form a sentence. I was shaking. My hands, my voice—everything was falling apart.
"I can let you follow me," I heard his voice.
For a moment, I thought I had imagined it. My breath caught in my throat.
"R-really?" I whispered.
"Yes," he agreed. "But you have to pass a test."
Yes, yes, yes. He didn't abandon me. He even gave me a chance to prove myself to him.
"Yes. Yes! Anything. I'll do anything. Just let me prove myself. I won't let you down," I begged. I probably looked pathetic, but I didn't care. I would do anything if it meant he would let me follow him.
"Good. Pass the test, and you can join as an intern," he said in a low voice.
I will. I swear, I won't fail you. Thank you. Thank you for giving me this chance," I agreed without any hesitation.
"Hmm, then, let's start with your name," he said, asking my name.
I stood straighter."Frances. Frances Barrison."
Then he suddenly went silent. What happened. Did he not like my name?
Should I change it? I could. I would. He could call me anything he wanted.
Just as I was panicking, he started speaking again.
"The test is going to be very hard." He paused, letting the words settle like the weight they carried. "You can only begin if you truly believe in me."
"I do!" I blurted out. "I believe in you completely. No matter what the test is, I'll pass it. I swear."
"You will go to a dangerous place. You must survive there for 24 hours to pass the test. Don't worry, even if you die there, you can come back here unscathed," he explained.
If anyone else had said that, I'd have thought they were insane.
But this was him.
And if he said it, then it was true.
"I accept," I said, my voice firm. "Please… give me this chance."
"Good. But remember, if you die before 24 hours are up, it will be considered a failure," he warned.
I nodded to show I understood.
"Then your test starts now," he said, and suddenly the sky changed colour.
—
I crouched behind the jagged rock, barely daring to breathe. The chittering finally stopped.
Did it leave?
Still, I didn't move. I counted out the seconds in my head. One… two… thirty. Still nothing.
Then something warm and wet splashed on my shoulder.
I froze.
Reaching up with trembling fingers, I touched the spot—and immediately gagged. It was thick, slimy, and stank like rotting eggs and rusted iron. Greyish-yellow goo clung to my fingertips.
Another drop splattered onto my other shoulder.
My gut twisted.
I looked up.
It was there.
The insect monster loomed above, perched atop the rock, its grotesque face inches from mine. Its jagged mandibles clicked open, saliva drooling in fat, twitching strands. One fell onto my hand.
I screamed.
It shrieked back with a chittering screech and lunged.
I ran away with all my might.
The monster also began following me, making strange sounds.
I never regretted not exercising so much in my life before today. My legs ached. My chest burned. My vision blurred from tears.
In a few minutes, I was short of breath, and the monster was gaining on me.
But I kept going—because if I stopped, I'd die. And worse, I'd fail him.
But fate played a cruel hand, and I tripped over a small rock jutting out.
Pain lanced through my side. I tried to scramble up, but my body locked up. My limbs trembled, refusing to listen. I flipped onto my back, breath coming in broken gasps.
The monster wasn't running anymore.
It stalked forward slowly. Deliberately. Like it was savoring the moment. Like a cat playing with a mouse.
Its eyes gleamed as it drew closer.
"N-no… no, please," I whimpered, trying to crawl backward, uselessly clawing at the dust. "I don't want to die… please…"
As it finally reached my legs, it suddenly jumped on me, its mandibles near my head.
I hurriedly held the jagged pincers before they decapitated my head.
As I wrestled with it, I realized that its strength was around someone who trained regularly, but it was still too much for me, a junkie with a sedentary lifestyle.
"Get off me," I struggled as the force on the mandibles increased.
Its mandibles pulled back for a second—then slammed down with brutal force.
I ducked my head just in time.
The impact cracked the ground next to my skull.
That would've been my face.
I wrestled again, but my limbs felt heavy. Weak. My breath came out in short, broken bursts.
"No… not like this… I don't want to die…" I whimpered, desperation creeping into my voice.
It didn't care. Its cold, alien eyes stared down with mindless hunger.
"I don't want to die. I don't want to die," I repeated it like a mantra as if it would give me strength, but it didn't. The insect's assault only increased.
A voice in the corner of my mind reminded me that the boss said that I could return alive even if I died, but then I would fail the test.
A part of me felt tempted just to give up and end it all. When I would return, I could still snort the remaining drugs I had to forget this hellish place, to forget about him. Moreover, with what happened before, I didn't have to worry about Vince asking me to pay him.
The strength in my arms was reduced. The mandibles were now dangerously close to my throat. I closed my eyes.
But, just as they were about to snap my neck, I remembered my boss, who trusted me. And I was about to betray his trust.
NO!
I opened my eyes and increased the strength in my arms again. The mandibles barely moved up.
No, I refuse to give up.
I will no longer be the pathetic girl I was before. It is my divine calling to serve my boss. I will never betray him.
I refuse.
I refuse.
"I REFUSE!!!" I screamed with all my might.
Then, something strange happened. The insect looked as if it were in pain when I screamed. It screeched and suddenly dropped lifelessly.
I hurriedly pushed it aside. I looked at its carcass in shock and confusion.
I got up and created some distance from it. I watched it for a minute, but it didn't move. With hesitation, I moved towards it. I prodded it with my foot, but it didn't respond. It was dead.
"What… just happened?" I whispered in confusion.
But no one could answer my questions.
With a confused expression, I wondered where to continue my aimless journey in these mysterious lands. The area I was in was some kind of canyon or badland with obsidian rocks protruding out here and there.
In the far distance, I could see a giant tree, but it was too far to infer any more information.
I didn't dwell too much on it and decided to walk towards the tree.
It was too hard to walk on the uneven ground; moreover, the small stones stung my feet.
An hour passed—maybe more. I found no signs of life—just rock, canyon, and silence.
I wonder if these rocks contained some precious ore, but I wasn't an expert in that field, so I didn't know. I had kept a few small pieces of rock for self-defence, and if I could take them back, I could give them to the boss. They might really be worth something.
I looked at the phone, and it had only been one hour and ten minutes. The phone indicated it was not connected to the network, which was expected, given that I had already guessed I was not on Earth, with the strange sky and the monster I had encountered.
I could only use the phone's offline features. Since I had to stay here for at least 24 hours, I had put the phone on power-saving mode and was only using it to track the time, and possibly as a flashlight if required. Fortunately, I had fully charged the phone before meeting Vince.
I decided to take a break. My legs felt heavy as if lead had been poured inside them.
I found a big rock and sat down against it.
I sighed in relief. My legs needed the rest.
As I sat there, I started thinking back to the previous monster. I still didn't realize how I killed it. Did I kill it?
I did remember feeling something when I shouted, but it was gone then.
Strange.
Forget it.
I calmed my mind as I looked at the horizon. It was a deep red colour with stationary light red clouds. The clouds had strange red veins, and it looked as if they pulsed ever so slightly.
The sky has no sun, moon, or stars. They might be hidden behind the clouds, or they might not be present at all.
I felt a strange unease as I looked at the sky for a long time. I turned away my gaze.
Exhaustion came to me after the long trek. The eyelids fought to close, but I didn't allow them. I was in a hostile environment. There was no guarantee that another one of those monsters or even another type of monster wouldn't come out to eat me. Sleeping in such an area was equivalent to serving myself on a platter to all the monsters here to feast upon.
I got up after resting for fifteen minutes, ready to resume my journey.
I could have stayed, but two things held me back.
It was unfamiliar, and thus uncertain.
And what feels safe for a moment may turn dangerous the longer you remain.
Second, and the major one. The boss sent me here on a test. Hiding like a rat wasn't a proper answer. I had to earn his approval.
I walked for a few minutes and heard the familiar chittering again. I immediately became alert.
As I followed the sound's source, I found a monster emerging from behind a large rock a few meters away. It was the same as the one I saw before, but smaller in size.
My heart rate increased as I tried to back off slowly and find an alternative way forward.
Unfortunately, it turned in my direction and caught sight of me. For a moment, we just looked at each other.
I tried to back off slowly, but that was a bad move. Maybe it considered my backing off as a sign of fear or hesitation; it suddenly became feral and started running towards me.
It was already too close to me. There was no possibility of running.
As I felt desperate, I felt that strange feeling again. I decided to trust my gut and scream loudly.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!"
The words exploded out of me—no, through me. A wave of sound pulsed forward, visible like a slight shimmer in the air.
The creature shrieked. A horrible, warbling screech—as if my scream had reached inside it and torn it loose. It dropped mid-charge, twitching once before going still.
My eyes widened as I realized what it was. But I still wanted to confirm it one last time.
I placed one of the rocks I had collected down and then backed away a few meters from it.
Then I screamed at the rock. No words, just pure scream. The shockwave hit the rock, and it shot off like a kicked can.
"Hehehehe," I giggled uncontrollably. "Boss gave me a superpower."
"And you wanted to quit, you dumb bitch," I muttered to myself. "You were ready to throw away everything."
I dreaded the thought of how disappointed he would be if I had quit.
I must perform my best and clear the test as well as possible. The better I perform, the better my boss will think of me.
I looked toward the strange sky. "Don't worry, boss. I'll make you proud. I'll become someone worthy of your belief."
As for this superpower, should I call it Boss's Voice? No, no, no. He might sever all contact with me if I were to do that.
Let's call it Sonic Scream.
*********************
Mission: Motivate the Author
Description: Gather Power Stones to fuel the Author's energy reserves and push him into overdrive. Succeed, and he will deploy one extra chapter during the corresponding week.
Objective 1: 200 Power Stones in Week 1 (Completed)
Reward: One bonus chapter for the week (Delivered)
Objective 2: 220 Power Stones in Week 2 (Completed)
Reward: One bonus chapter for the week (Delivered)
Objective 3: 250 Power Stones in Week 3 (Completed)
Reward: One bonus chapter for the week (Delivered)
Objective 4: 300 Power Stones in Week 4
Reward: One bonus chapter for the week