"Did you sleep well?" A middle-aged woman sat on the bed, her hand reaching out to touch the boy's face. Her cold hand, warm at the fingertips, brushed gently against his skin.
"Yes, mom." The boy rose from the bed and moved his hand to stop her soft caress.
She pulled back. Her kind face tensed slightly. "I don't know why you keep calling me mom instead of mother. But just once... will you call me mother?"
Her eyes, dry just moments ago, turned moist. She looked at him, waiting.
"Yes, mother."
As soon as the words left his mouth, she hugged him tightly.
"Sorry, Phil. I'm sorry. I've failed you as a mother. I couldn't protect you back then, and now... I can't." Her arms held him close. Her tears soaked his shoulder.
Phil didn't stop her. He wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her as much as he could.
Moments later, she calmed down and let go. She wiped her tears and walked toward the wooden door.
"I made your favourite sweets. Have some before you... leave."
She smiled. Her voice trembled. Her eyes were still wet. She was reluctant to leave him, but forced her hands to wave before stepping out.
Phil sat on the bed. A sharp ache pressed into his chest. He wanted to hug her one last time before they parted, but there wasn't much time left.
After finishing his morning routine, Phil stepped outside in a loose white outfit. In the clear sunlight, his clothes made him look younger than sixteen. He stood beside the stone path leading from his house, waiting for someone he didn't even know.
"I thought waking up in this world would be exciting, but it's more dangerous than I expected."
He took a bite of the green roll in his hand and closed his eyes to enjoy the taste.
"Ummm... almost coffee. She's really a master chef in this world. If only there was some real—"
A loud, irritating scream broke his thoughts. He opened his eyes and turned to see where it came from.
His pupils froze.
Five dark, shadowy creatures with strange shapes drifted through the sky. Their bodies were joined together, except for their heads, forming a carpet-like shape that moved toward him.
At the edge of the carpet stood a bearded man wearing light armor around his chest. He looked down. A sharp blade rested behind his back. His fingers glowed dark, the same color as the shadows floating above. Behind him sat children about Phil's age.
"This... What is this thing?"
Phil's eyes widened in shock. The roll slipped from his hand. Fear spread through his body. He had never seen such strange things with his own eyes. He had only arrived here three days ago.
No doubt, old memories and muscle memory helped him understand the language. Through his mother, he had also learned a lot about the world. But it wasn't much. He still didn't know many things.
In the middle of his grasping, the bearded man jumped down, leaving the shadowy creatures floating fifty feet above.
"Fuck, there's more to him? Damn, don't land on me." Phil stepped back quickly to avoid a crash landing.
To his surprise, one of the shadowy creatures separated from the group and became a cloak that attached to the man's back. The man, as if flying, landed with a loud thud. Dust, dry leaves, and small stones scattered from the impact, pushed away from the landing spot.
Phil covered his eyes with his arms. He lowered them only when he heard the man speak.
"Phil Redon."
Phil, still in shock, answered with stuttering. "Yee... Yes."
The man gave a short nod and turned away.
"What... Just that? Hey, am I not going with you?" Phil didn't understand what was happening. He watched the man prepare to jump again. Right at that moment, he felt something pulling him. Two dark hands shot out from the cloak and grabbed him, lifting him toward the carpet.
"Try not to struggle. They are not afraid to harm you." The man gave Phil a strong look before turning away.
Phil didn't resist. He let the shadowy cloak drag him silently. Even though he had no idea what was happening, he remembered the common advice: if you don't know anything, stay quiet.
When they reached the carpet, he saw that a few children were unconscious. Their pale faces showed they had been scared before passing out. Now, Phil understood why he said not to resist. Without making any commotion, he sat quietly beside another child.
The silence urged him to talk to someone. Since arriving, he hadn't met anyone else except for his mother. But the other children looked too worried to speak.
The carpet began its flight. Phil was the last to board. Now they headed toward their destination.
Phil felt bored. He thought about looking down, but after seeing the rest still sitting without moving, he decided to stay quiet. He didn't want to stand out and get punished by the bearded man. So during the entire flight, Phil behaved like the other children until they landed.
Ahead, a massive stone gate opened to welcome them. Ancient characters were carved in black across its surface. It gave a mysterious feeling to anyone seeing it for the first time. Though no one understood what it meant, they were all curious. Everyone stared at it until a voice broke the silence.
"Stand up." The man turned to them.
Everyone obeyed his order without hesitation, except those who were still unconscious.
"They will follow you before the ceremony starts. Now follow me." As his voice ended, the shadowy creatures beneath their feet began to disappear. They picked up the conscious children and flew away.
"Where are they taking those children?" Following the others, Phil looked in the direction the creatures flew. His question stayed unanswered. Soon his attention shifted as he entered.
They saw a few men pressing their hands against the monumental tablet. Each wore a robe with their face covered in a mask. They maintained an obvious distance between each other and concentrated fully on their action. The monumental tablet was connected to a platform in front of them, which glowed with blue light.
Phil and his group were amazed to witness this phenomenon. But the majority were still terrified. Their steps moved to see it close, but paused when the man halted. He was also gazing at the blue light that surged toward the sky.
"This is the awakening platform that you're seeing right now. This is also the opportunity for beings like you to rise from their filthy background. And this is also going to be your burial place if you don't return." The man's voice echoed in their ears. The gravity of his words was conveyed through his coarse, steady voice.
"You don't have a choice. Nor did your parents have one back then. It's your duty to be useful to the society you're in. And if you can't, then be the sacrifice for the rest. Cruel, isn't it?" He turned. His question was for all of us.
Everyone, including Phil, looked at his smiling face. Sweat dripped down. Faces still frightened. And no one dared to answer.
"Hmmm. So you're aware there's no place for mercy. Good. Now step onto the platform. And one thing I forgot to tell you... After your return, the real hell will begin." There was a slight smirk on his face. The look gave chills down the spine.
Phil ignored him, assuming it was his way of joking. He moved toward the platform with the mass. Behind them, the unconscious ones also appeared, following closely.
"How foolish I am to think I could escape. Where one with a concussion has to play. Haha... I died... To die again. Hahaha..." Phil, who was smiling at his dark fate, suddenly turned when the smell of a maple tree wafted in his nose. He found new faces presented outside the platform.
"Where did so many children come from? Those armors. Those weapons. Fuck... who are they? No... they are not human. No..." His gaze searched them again, but it was already too late.
Now his vision was filled with blue light. He felt a little dizzy inside. His steady legs lost their strength. He couldn't find any hard surface. Somehow, he managed to walk a few steps, struggling with the sudden weakness, but eventually fell. Just a moment before he completely passed out, he heard a faint voice inside his mind.
[Welcome to the World Of Unperson]