As soon as Lein pressed «Yes», his consciousness, body, and even the very essence of his soul were seized by an unknown force—like someone had yanked him straight out of reality, tearing apart the thin line between what was familiar and what was not.
For some reason he couldn't explain, a strange feeling of deja vu washed over him.
As if… he'd been here before.
But that fleeting sense slipped away before he could grasp it.
He opened his eyes.
Darkness.
Nothing else.
He turned his head left, then right. It made no difference—everything stayed exactly the same.
Here… there was no time.
No space.
«Feels like I'm… floating. But at the same time, standing still. Weird.»
Lein tried to touch his own body—
Nothing.
He tried to speak—
"Heeey!"
No sound. Not even an echo.
«No sound at all… great.»
This void had nothing.
No smell.
No texture.
No sensation.
Only thoughts.
Only the soul.
Naturally, Lein was confused. Lost.
He couldn't move.
Couldn't even prove he was still alive.
«I… I'm alive! Right? As long as I can think, as long as I can reason—I exist. I think… I reason… so I must… I must live!»
He forced himself to calm down.
Fear was still there, gnawing at him, but the sheer panic… faded, just a little.
How long he drifted like that, he didn't know. Seconds? Minutes? Hours?
Then, finally, in that infinite black, he saw it.
A faint yellow glow.
«The Story!» — Lein shouted inwardly, relief flooding him.
And at that very moment, a soft, familiar whisper filled his mind:
[Chosen One, you have gathered your courage and decided to challenge a Fragment of the Story.]
[Your bravery and determination know no equal.]
[You are the first to challenge a story fragment in your city.]
[The Story welcomes the brave, and you are entitled to a reward:]
[Congratulations, you have received your first title — Fearless.]
[Would you like to know the details?]
"A title? Wait, hold on, there's something more important. What about the demon? Am I safe right now?"
[Hint: You don't need to worry about your life within the space of darkness.]
"I take it… you're not gonna do me a favor and just kill it, huh?"
[Additional hint: The Story has no right to interfere without its master's permission.]
"So you do have a master. Is it… a deity?"
[Hint: You are too weak to know the details.]
"Figures. Fine. Show me what this title even does, then."
On the outside, Lein seemed calm.
Inside? His mind was a storm—thoughts piling over one another, some wild enough to scare even him.
«Too weak to know… What if this is some war between gods? If there are gods, then maybe… angels? Demons are real, so why not angels too? Or am I just overthinking all of this?»
Before he could spiral too far, the whisper returned, pulling him back:
[Titles:]
[Title: Fearless]
[Rank: 1]
[Note: Each title has its own rank and effect. The higher the rank, the stronger the effect.]
[Effect: The braver your soul, the stronger your will. The strength of your will is the key to defeating darkness.]
[Potential: The title can evolve up to level 6.]
[Note: The maximum level of titles is 8.]
[Title description:]
You stared danger in the face and did not look away. You outsmarted the demon and emerged from the encounter unharmed.
Your bravery and cunning have been recognized by the Story itself.
You have been granted the title — Fearless.
Lein stared at the glowing text for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Will? Really? What's that even supposed to mean? I was expecting… I don't know, something useful. A weapon, a buff, anything to help me actually kill the demon."
No response. The text stayed the same.
"Ignoring me? Fine. Actually… thanks. I kinda needed the breather anyway."
And yeah, he really did.
What he needed most was time.
Time to think. Time to recover from the shock.
Because now gods weren't just bedtime stories.
Demons weren't, either.
And maybe angels weren't, too.
And the system… The Story…
Maybe it deliberately picked an interface that looked ripped straight out of some cheap comic or novel.
Lein couldn't help but give a faint, wry smile.
"Enough stalling. I'm not 'Fearless' like you claim. I just… do what needs to be done. And now… I'll do what it takes to survive."
Right after he said that, the text shifted, and the whisper returned:
[Chosen One, prepare to overcome your first fragment.]
[Fragment level: 1]
[Fragment goal: Make a choice.]
[Note: Remember, your choice will determine your path.]
[Special note: Your actions will influence the Story.]
[Are you ready?]
[Yes/No]
Lein stretched out a hand toward the interface.
"And what if I press «No»?"
The text flickered.
[Are you ready?]
[Yes/Yes]
Lein blinked, baffled.
He could've kept joking, asked:
«What if I press nothing?»
…but he didn't.
Instead, he smiled weakly and pressed «Yes».
«A choice… without a choice.»
And then he fell.
No—he was pulled.
Dragged in every direction at once, his body, soul, and consciousness stretched thin like rubber about to snap.
If he could've seen himself from the outside, he'd probably look like a warped reflection in broken glass.
And in that endless fall, there was no space for thought.
Each one, barely born, stretched and blurred, losing all shape and clarity.
His mind sank.
His reflexes dulled.
But slowly—painfully slowly—he adapted.
The pressure eased just enough for him to feel something.
Cold.
«Wait… feelings? I can… feel again?»
Then his eyes were blinded by light.
Reflexively, he squinted, raising an arm to block it, but the brightness didn't fade.
Darkness vanished.
Replaced by merciless white. By freezing air. By the sudden heaviness of a body that once again felt real.
The only thing that stayed the same—was the Unknown.
Wherever he was, it hurt.
The cold pierced straight through him.
The light stabbed his eyes like tiny knives.
«I… I'm gonna go blind at this rate! Just fade already!»
But as if mocking him, the light flared even brighter.
«How the hell can it even get brighter?!»
Then, finally, a sharp breeze swept across his skin.
He shuddered.
The light dimmed, slowly.
Then it just… vanished.
When Lein opened his eyes, he already had a guess.
Around him stretched an icy wasteland.
Snow-choked mountains.
Frozen lakes and rivers.
Yep.
Welcome to the world of Snow and Cold.
«Well… it could've been worse, I guess. Although… I'm in just a shirt and trousers. Great. If I don't find clothes soon, I'm dead. Ugh… it cuts straight to the bone. So… what now?»
Lein wrapped his arms around himself, shivering under the biting wind.
He scanned the horizon, hoping for any sign of life.
«I just hope the demon isn't hiding behind my eyes. They say eyes are the mirror of the soul… so yeah, I'd rather keep them shut. But I can't. I need to move. Need to find something. The Mirror Demon… ha. I hope it freezes first.»
"Story, at least give me a hint. Where should I even start?"
A second later, the whisper returned, and the familiar interface glowed before him:
[Hint: Any fragment can be completed without the Story's help. Each fragment has its own way to clear it. Look for signs of life. Fulfill your purpose.]
"So in other words, I'm on my own. Figures. Tell me this—do all Chosen Ones have to not only clear the fragment, but also deal with the demon chasing them?"
For a moment, silence.
Then, just as Lein began to lose hope, the whisper finally came:
[Additional hint: Long ago, in the icy mountains of the world of Darkness, there was a tribe. Some adventurers believe they still live, hiding from foreign eyes. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to stumble upon one of their lairs, hidden nearby.]
"Now that's more like it. Better. So… somewhere nearby, huh?"
Lein got the idea.
But then reality hit.
Snow. Snow everywhere.
Perfectly covering everything.
Any tracks, any sign of the tribe… gone.
«But it exists. They wouldn't be fools not to leave a mark. Especially if this place has been frozen forever. They had to account for that. But how? What kind of clue…»
A sudden gust of wind cut through him again, making him shiver violently.
"A-a-achoo! Damn… already sneezing…"
«I need to find this damned lair fast… or I'm done for.»