This is my story, a journey filled with curiosity about something that I myself don't even know where to begin.
What I remember from that moment was only a blinding light rushing toward the overturned car. I thought that would be the end of me.
My life had its share of bitter memories, and even the good ones were only a fraction of the whole.
But I never complained about my life, because I learned something: whatever we want to do will always come with risks we must bear.
Yeah, that's enough of that. I don't want to dwell on those sad memories, even if I wanted to tell you.
Now I find myself in a place so quiet—only two massive stones, with a smaller one perched above them forming what looked like a giant stone gate.
The ground here was fairly flat but slightly cold. Looking down, I realized I wasn't wearing any shoes.
At least my clothes were still on me. The place had a slightly grayish hue, and the light here felt faint.
The water was shallow, and though the cold wasn't extreme, it was enough to make my body shiver—despite there being no breeze.
"Good thing the water is only half an inch deep," I muttered while hugging myself to keep warm.
I had been standing here for a long time. Even when I tried to sleep, I could only lean against one of the stones.
I nearly fell down once, but luckily I had learned to sleep while leaning.
I don't know how long I've been here. This place seems to have no such thing as day or night.
I wondered if this was a place prepared for someone like me—but why me?
The water beneath my feet wasn't like normal water. It didn't ripple or react when I moved.
I even got startled once when I looked down—it was like staring into a deep, dark ocean.
Thankfully, it was only an illusion. The ground was perfectly smooth and even, eerily silent with nothing to disturb me.
Only me… and that giant stone gate.
"I'm getting bored. I've slept about four times already, but only for short periods.
Strangely, I don't feel hungry here. Did I ever remember eating back in my old life? I guess not.
At least I wasn't a drunkard," I muttered while leaning against the stone, arms folded, looking up at the slightly dark sky.
"Maybe I shouldn't think about that now. I know I'm already dead. Hmm… what a strange day," I whispered as my eyes slowly closed, drowsiness taking over, and I drifted into sleep.
He forced himself to sleep while standing and leaning, but this fifth sleep would be different—because the time had come.
A time when a place needed help… from the clutches of darkness and cruelty.
Without warning, his body suddenly collapsed. He was still asleep, unaware of the cold,
drool forming at the corner of his mouth. He lay directly beneath the stone gate when suddenly something happened—
a large pool of water formed beneath him even though he hadn't moved at all.
Then, within his mind, something stirred… a dream—
a memory from his childhood, one that was deeply sorrowful.
Somewhere, someone was chanting a spell, the words unclear, spoken quickly without pause.
Elsewhere, a figure was in distress.
"Come on, please!" the mysterious person muttered, fidgeting with a glowing control panel.
Suddenly, beneath the sleeping young man, a large magic circle appeared, its size matching the gate above.
The young man didn't seem to notice. He was lost in his dream, replaying that painful memory.
Someone in it was about to say something to him, but before they could…
the magic circle beneath him shone brightly.
And then, in an instant, he was gone—transported somewhere unknown.
The person at the panel panicked.
"What now? I messed up again!" they muttered, biting their thumb nervously.
The young man arrived somewhere unfamiliar, still fast asleep.
Strangely, his clothes were no longer wet—they were completely dry, as if the portal itself had cleansed them.
Without warning, he opened his eyes and sat up, stretching like someone who had just woken from the best sleep of their life.
"Hey, I think I slept really well today," I said, stifling a yawn.
"But… where am I? This place feels different from where I fell asleep!" I muttered, looking around in confusion.
"Wait—are my clothes wet? Or me?" I said while patting myself down.
"Nope, I'm dry. Phew… good thing, too, since this is the only outfit I have," I sighed in relief.
Apparently, I had woken up in yet another strange place. I stood, stretched my body, and savored the pleasant feeling of having slept deeply.
"My fifth sleep… definitely the strangest one. Not only did I sleep well, but I also ended up somewhere else."
"In my old life, I never got proper sleep… I lived in a dorm where training and vigilance were strict.
No wonder my rest was always half-aware, because—"
Before I could finish my sentence, a door in front of me opened by itself, immediately sparking my curiosity.
I tiptoed toward it like an old master thief making a quiet getaway.
When I reached the door, I peeked out from behind it.
There was a long corridor bathed in light, but it was silent—its cold biting deep into my skin.
"Wow… it's freezing here. So quiet, it feels unfit for anyone to live in. But… it's not bad," I muttered, shivering slightly.
"Wait a minute… was I sleeping in some kind of storage room? Let me check if there's a sign."
I stepped out, glancing around, until I spotted a plaque on the wall: STORAGE ROOM.
"Wow… so they put me in a room of forgotten junk," I sighed in disappointment.
I began walking through the vast corridors. The bright light made the place less creepy,
and step by step, the air became warmer as I approached a massive door ahead.
"Hold on! A giant door at the end of the path… No, why am I even surprised?
In games, a door like that usually means… a boss fight! Am I going to fight a boss?" I gasped.
"Hah, fine—let's do this. I was once the greatest player, after all. There's no way I'd lose.
I'll definitely get plot armor and come out alive in the end! Hahaha!" I boasted.
Without hesitation, I placed both palms against the massive door, pushing with all my might.
To my relief, it wasn't impossibly heavy.
The surface felt like giant wooden panels, but… warm.
"It's warm inside! That means someone's there! Yes—finally, someone else besides me!" I cheered.
I pushed with determination. Slowly, the door opened, light spilling through the widening gap.
My eyes sparkled with curiosity, fueling my excitement… until I lost my balance and fell forward.
"Ow… that was clumsy," I groaned, brushing dirt from my clothes.
That's when I noticed something ahead—a dark space, and in it, a glowing white orb floating in the air.
Intrigued, I walked toward it cautiously, not knowing what awaited me.
Step by step, I began to hear whispers carried by a faint wind—vague, almost deliberate messages.
I kept going. The closer I got, the stranger things became.
My head started to throb, and illusions crept into my vision—the orb forming strange patterns of light.
I nearly collapsed, but kept moving forward.
Crawling now, I finally reached for the door's handle.
The hallucinations were overwhelming, yet I twisted it open with what little strength I had left.
As the door creaked open, a cold, emotionless voice echoed in my mind:
"You are almost there."
Light burst from within the doorway.
"What's happening—" I barely got the words out before everything went white, and I passed out.
When I came to… I was somewhere else again—inside a mysterious chamber.
I wasn't alone.
Something… or someone… was watching me from the shadows.
What was happening to me?
Why was I experiencing all this?
Was this some kind of time-bound journey given to me…
or was it merely the beginning of a fate someone had already planned?
But… why?
End of Chapter (new storyline begins)