~ Where am I?.
Ruis who was standing on space where it was nothing but darkness. Confused he charges himself up and a faint blue light began to within him. It still wasn't enough to shine the whole room as he blinked his eyes to access infrared vision.
Now he could see the room but there was nothing there for him to deal with. As he blinked once again to turn them back to normal.
As soon as he did that. He heard a strange voice.
"Level 1."
It was like an ai voice. With that the room began to shifted. He could feel the ground vibrating. As within a instant; there was a maze entrance infront of him. The maze was built very high that he can't saw high above, the maze was built of mossy cobblestone bricks. Even the ground he was standing on was made of cobblestone. Puzzled, not knowing what to do with it?. He heard a voice again.
"You will have to enter as a player. There are 4 rules. Rule No # 1. You can't used your powers, if you do, the consequences will be waiting for you. Rule No # 2. You need to solve complex puzzles which will be found in the maze. Rule No # 3. Solving the puzzles, you need to hide and and escape from hunter. If the hunter found you. You need to restart it all over again. Last and most important rule. If you don't play it. Endure the consequences."
~ Seriously. Is this a joke?.
He laughed. Not taking it seriously as he extended his arm towards it.
~ I will just destroyed it.
He thought with a grin. As he spoke.
"Drop."
A intense strong beam formed in his hand as he shoots it towards it. As the beam was going to hit it. It stopped, mid air, then disperse to dust.
Ruis was quite shocked as he heard the same voice again.
"Pay for the consequences."
"Huh?."
He murmured to himself. Within this moment. His heart started beating very fast and his body was feeling hot. He felt dizzy as he started to rub himself. His head down. As his eyes were burning. Suddenly he heard footsteps coming from somewhere. His heart felt like it skipped a beat for a moment.
As he turned behind to saw no one. Feeling reviled he sighs. As he sensed something standing infront of him. He turned infront of himself to saw a girl standing with a knife in his bloody hands. Dark brown hair, amber eyes glazed upon Ruis as she smile.
Ruis felt down instinctively. His face was showing true awe and terror.
"Wait!."
He shouted but she extended her arm over him. Now his arms and his limbs felt as if something had tightly bound them with ropes. As he could think of any further.
Many golden strings wrapped him his each limb wrapped on each direction.
"Agh!."
Ruis tried to used his powers but it felt they weren't just gone. They were never there. His face streaming in sweat as Misha cames closer to him.
"I told you. You have to prepare for the consequences."
She whispered to his ear.
"W– Why are you doing this?."
He said with tears forming around his eyes. Gradually one eye streamed it down. With that Misha strucked her knife to the eye which had just dropped the tear.
"Aghhh!."
Blood sprayed over his face. Some even dripping on Misha. She smile as she placed her hand over his face; wiping the blood.
"Don't cry."
She placed both her hand over his face. With one of them wearing the knife.
"You have to feel what I feel. Ruis?."
She said with a warm smile. As she placed the hand the strings wrapping around his left hand. With all it's might. The strings detached the arm from his body.
"Aragh!."
Blood was flowing like water. As the strings wrapped around his detached shoulder like a bundle. Stopping the blood flow from leaking but it still blood was still dripping down.
Ruis was taking deep breaths, his head down. He coughs hard and blood scattered over his lips.
"You aren't Misha?."
He muttered while still taking deep breaths, his head down.
"No!. I'm her. Just the side she didn't show to you."
She placed her hands around his face and tilted his head up facing her.
"In the end. You're pain is meaningless. Isn't it?."
"What do you mean?."
As she strucked her knife, again and again to his chest.
"Agh!."
Ruis body had given up now. She strucked it so much it goes his ribcage. To his heart. Then he strucked her hand and takes out the heart. It was still beating, Ruis was seeing his own heart beating.
"This is all meaningless.."
As she dropped his heart and stamped it with his feet. Then she sliced his neck off. Ruis had given up now. His eyes closed.
In the darkness. Ruis felt something as he felt his eyes. He opened them again, to saw the same maze entrance infront of him. Stunned, he kneel down and covered his face.
~ What was that all? Was that real.
The smell of blood was still lingering as he saw his arm who was detached. Scared, he panicked. As if he experience phantom pain.
With all that which was happening to him. The ai voice appeared again.
"You have to enter as player –"
After hearing all that. This time, Ruis knew the consequence. As he gulped his throat. The smell of blood still lingering in him. As he placed his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat again and again. As he sighs and enter the maze.
As he stepped on the maze. It had a werid feeling lingering around her as he heard the ai voice again.
"You have 3 minutes to hide before the hunter will start looking for you."
As in his mind, the countdown began.
~ 02: 59, 02: 58, 02:57.
With that Ruis started running here and there. The maze was quite confusing. As after a while of running, he stopped. Taking some breaths while his hand was placed on his gut.
~ 01: 11, 01: 10.
Hearing the timer continuously dancing on his head. He gets frustrated as he starts walking again. Near a corner where two sides were going. On a left side, he heard a humming sound. By doing a glance from the corner. He saw cube floating around a round table. The table was shining a blue light reflecting on the cube.
~ Is this the puzzle?.
He thought as he slowly approached towards it.
~ 0:37, 0:36.
The voice in his head made him grabbed the cube. As soon as he grabbed it and takes it out. The voice came again.
"There is a key locked in the cube. Solve it while escaping from the hunter. If the hunter catches you. You will need to restart it all over again. But.. If you solve the puzzle and take the key to the specific door with four keys locks. Turned it. Then your checkpoint will be saved."
~ Damn it.
Ruis thought as he clenched his teeth.
~ 0:09, 0:08..
Hearing the timer about to end. He panicked and try to focus on the scenario. He started walking slowly, trying not to make a noise.
"The hunter has started his hunt."
The voice declared. As Ruis knew now every move he has to make, will decide his sanity.
He carefully walked on his surroundings. Peeking through every wall before entering another side.
At the same time, he was solving the puzzle. It was like rubic cube. Instead of colors it had symbols. Three symbols of golden three head dragon, three symbol of a flower on which titling it on a specific angel. It had strings attached to the flower and a seed in the ground which was shrouded in blood. Three symbols of shining eye and lastly, three symbols of tsunami flowing.
After moments later. He hadn't encounter the hunter yet. There was silence everywhere. As Ruis peeked through corner to saw the black gate. Four locks were also visible too.
Ruis had also solve the puzzle somehow as from the flower symbol side. It opened like opening a window to another side. Then Ruis shakes it and a key dropped to his another hand.
~ Yes!.
Excited, he checked again to saw no one there once well. Carefully, step by step, he goes there, then turned the key to one of the locks.
CLICK!.
As soon as he turned key, he wiped the sweat streaming from his forehead to turned around. As he turned. He falls down, panicked, stunned.
A girl wearing a golden-red dress was standing infront of him. Her hands stained with blood. The knife was stained too as well.
~ I have to escape!.
As Ruis tried to run from the side with all his speed. Misha just extended her arm as he goes, with that moment, he felt a force everywhere on his body. The force made him strucked to the wall. His head hit the wall first. As he felt dizziness for few seconds.
When he gained stability, his eyes spoke fear harder than his mouth. His jaw half opened. As Misha closed his jaw gently.
"Why?. Why are you scared?. It's not real in the end."
"If it's not real. Then why?. Why it feels so real?. Every moment, every second. It feels as if it's happening now."
With that she strucked the knife to his arm.
"Agh!."
He screamed. A long scream of terror. As blood flows from his arm.
"Tell me."
She clenched the knife strucked onto his arm.
"Is it real?."
Her gaze over his face.
"I– I don't know. C– Can't make.. Decision."
"Then make it."
She gradually started to push the knife forward to his flesh as Ruis screamed.
"Tell me.. Is it real?."
She grabbed his collar hardly.
"It is.. Real."
His lips twitches as he mumbled with all his strength.
"You're wrong."
She stepped back from him as Ruis fell down, leaning to mossy wall.
"Nothing is real. These things only exists in our minds. So transcend yourself and saw this world. For then you will nothing but void."
She spoke firmly looking at the void above them.
"Life has no meaning, not given, not inherent, which is what terrifies people. That's why they invented religion, success, legacy. But here's a thing. The absence of life isn't a curse. It's freedom. We aren't bound by fate, duty or expedition. We are a blank page. Instead of searching meaning, create it. Instead of asking why you exist?. Decide why?. The void isn't your abyss. It's your canvas."
She extended her arm towards the void.Her words pierced the darkness of void. As Ruis who was looking at her with an amazed yet terrified face. He mumbled.
"What are you really Misha.. Misha Libert."
"I don't know. Can you tell me?. Ruis Forst."
He nods in no, as she extended her arm over him.
"Then see your fate. For you have made it bound you."
As a series of strings wrapped him from every corner of the body. It gradually started to tighten up.
"Agh!."
Ruis started screaming as the strings blood bleed from every corner. The strings were very sharp, so much they were penetrating deep inside his flesh. Then suddenly, the strings penetrated and cut his body to bits. His head laying down, still conscious. Blood was flowing everywhere as his intestines were laying Infront of him. Misha came forward and pick his head up. Facing her face.
"Tell me. Is it real?."
Her gaze all over the detached head as his cerebrospinal fluid along with his brain start leaking down to the ground. Yet he somehow said.
"Real."
With that she tore his head in two. Now in darkness again. Ruis found himself as he felt his eyes. He opened them to saw himself standing where he has take the cube. But the cube wasn't there.
"Cough!."
He fell down, understanding what had just happened to him. He touched his head, his neck, still but the phantom pain was lingering all over his face. He rubbed his body, in disbelief, he thought.
~ It wasn't real.
He knew that it all was real. Yet to console himself and his mind. He thought like this so that he could survive the madness.
~ She's a monster. You're a monster. God damn Monster!.
As he gets up again. Hearing the voice.
"You have been terminated. Luckily you reached the check point. The hunter will start it's hunt in 1 minute."
As the countdown started ticking again on his head.
~ 0:59, 0:58, 0:57..
He sighs.
~ I have do it quickly..
As he starts walking again in the maze. Still feeling that his legs weren't there and the phantom pain lingering everywhere.
***
Leon was sitting on his chair. The dome was broken. As Ruis and everyone were laying unconscious. Strangely Misha was sitting on her knees on the ground. Her eyes closed.
He was lost in his thoughts as a portal appeared beside him.
"Hey!."
Lisa waved her arm at him as he pointed them towards Misha. Lisa moved her head towards her. She wasn't moving, even flinching at all. Just physically there.
"What's with her hair?."
She continues with a pause.
"Has she trapped them in their own minds?."
"The abnormality; of course. She's a spechser in the end."
Leon replied causally. As Lisa extended her arm towards Ender and others. With that, she closed her eyes as if she was trying to peeked in their minds.
"Don't do it. You damn curtain. Otherwise she will trapped us too."
"Huh?."
She got surprised as if she saw something. Looking at Leon, she mumbled.
"Well. As I expected. Our Ruis is going not well. He had only died 4 times to be honest."
She said with a smirked as Leon looked at her with blank face.
"What about the others?."
He asked with a sigh.
"Well I haven't checked them yet anyways.."
A small black space formed around her as she takes out the cookies tray. Offering them to Leon.
"You must be hungry. Right?."
She said with a smile.