Painful!
Too painful!
The man's dream was shattered by agonizing pain as if someone was driving a sword straight into his chest and then twisting it. The man released an ear-splitting scream before he felt his mouth being covered by something cold.
Instantly his eyes snapped open but to his shock.
All he saw was fog around him that seemed to take up the entire world. He tried to sit up but felt something tugging against his arms, legs and stomach. He glanced down to see gray fog wrapped around him and keeping him in place.
'What the hell?' The man tried to struggle free by moving his right arm but the fog held. And to his surprise seem moved as it wrapped around his arm even tighter. The man glanced around in panic before groaning as he felt the fog beginning to press down on his body and slowly swallow him.
'No! Where am I! And what are these!' As he felt himself slowly sinking, the pain once again came, making him gasp. The man could feel his body trembling as the pain kept on increasing over and over. He couldn't focus on any of his thoughts as the pain seemed to erupt at that time.
Slowly only the face of the man remained above the gray fog as it continued to swallow him whole.
And then a gentle and soft voice appeared in his head.
"Do you wish to leave?"
He flinched as the words came from nowhere and everywhere at once. But he was too desperate and confused to care where the voice had come from.
'Yes! Get me out!'
The voice didn't rush to speak but for some reason the pain in his head softened when it spoke once more.
"Even if the world outside is even worse than this? Where will you be crushed by the rulers and kings?"
The man squeezed his eyes shut as he screamed in his end. 'At least out there I have a chance to fight back! To prove I will not be crushed and be held down!'
Silence passed for three seconds before the voice was spoken in an almost sorrowful tone. "Even if you're more likely to fall?"
He gritted his teeth as the pain further increased but he still pushed through it and answered. 'Then I'll get up, again and again! I'll keep getting up until I won't fall again!'
Then came the sigh that swept through the gray fog. "Very well then, Ophieus. Then I will watch over your journey in the world of Luminous."
Instantly there was a sudden explosion of silver light that tore through the fog above. A lance of silver rushed shot down and struck Ophieus in the chest.
Ophieus gasped as the sound of a key entering a door rang out and then the lance exploded out in a silver light. Which pushed back the gray fog on Ophieus and around him, leading him to finally be free.
Ophieus shot up before quickly pushing himself up, his black hair falling over his face and golden eyes shining in delight. He smiled as he moved his arms which were covered in a black armor with streaks of gold on it. He began moving his arm in a circle while glancing around at the trembling gray fog.
"Now how do I escape this crappy place?" Even though he was free, he could still feel the pain inside hitting over and over again. As his gaze moved across, he paused and raised a brow as he saw the gray fog beginning to shake now.
"What are you…"
Then the voice returned, softer than before but clearer.
"Ophieus, get ready."
In the next moment, the thick gray fog began to part and spread outwards. Ophieus blinked in surprise as he saw weapons, books, and strange objects inserted into the fogs that were gleaming or battered.
'This fog even has objects?'Ophieus narrowed his eyes as the fog continued parting and revealing something else.
A sphere hovered behind those odd things and shining with a silver light. Ophieus eyes widened as he saw a swirling light inside of it that showed flashes of buildings, forest and an ocean.
"What is that…" Ophieus trailed off as he saw the gray fog begin to gather before rotating faster and faster. Until it began forming a hurricane that was shaking the area and producing a terrifying wind.
Ophieus raised his hand but then a silver light shone around him and then forward to create a black sword in front of him.
The voice spoke again.
"If you want to escape this place , you must fight your way out and plunge your sword-"
"And I will be free?"
The voice replied softly.
"You will enter the world of Luminous and be given a chance to live."
"Say no more." Ophieus says with a smile as he grasps onto the black sword. He felt a rush of energy as he gripped the sword, leading to the pain to suppress.
"Ah, that's good." Ophieus swung the sword for a couple seconds before then he rushed out.
The fog slightly parted from his dash just as a terrifying wind rushed out and smashed into Ophieus figure. He staggered a bit almost falling to the ground from the force but he caught himself and then another came rushing to him. Ophieus dashed to the side, evading the blast of wind before pivoting and dashing forward.
Over and over he evaded the blasts of wind, leading the gray fog to tremble even more as it spun faster. Then the swirl of fog began to rush out towards Ophieus and made his eyes widened as it covered his entire sight.
The swirl of fog instantly appeared in front of him like a wave before crashing into him.
But Ophieus held down as he thrust his sword into the ground as the fog forced him back and made him skid back a bit. Then he felt something wrapped around his legs and he looked down to see the gray fog moving up.
Such a sight only made Ophieus laugh though. "Honestly, is me leaving that bad?"
Ophieus pushed himself up as he felt the fog tightening its hold on his leg. But he forced one leg forward and then another before the fog was pulled apart and then Ophieus rushed forward.
"Fine, then bring it."
The swirling fog rushed out once more and as it reached him, Ophieus thrust his sword forward. The sword touched the fog before piercing through it as Ophieus blasting through the fog as he ran forward. He punctured through the first hurricane before another rushed out towards him but Ophieus simply thrust out once more.
Puncturing straight through and closing in on the shining orb.
But as if sensing he was close, the fog shook even more and then it began parting a faint chime. Instantly, thousands of golden-black eyes opened up in the fog and stared down at Ophieus. He felt cracks appearing on his black armor and face with even the black sword in front gaining cracks on it.
Leading to the pain that the sword had suppressed before erupting. He gritted his teeth before he began to hear voices appearing in his mind, some were screaming, laughing, shouting, and roaring. All of this made Ophieus want to drop everything and grab his head while screaming out loud.
But the urge to leave this place pushed him forward as hurled his sword forward. The black sword rushed out and pierced through the swirl of fog that took up his sight once more. Then as the black sword fell into the fog, Ophieus quickly grabbed it and continued moving. His golden eyes widened as he saw the object tore free from the fog then they began to rotate around the orb.
Ophieus grinned as he said. "All this just to stop me from leaving?"
The objects rushed towards Ophieus.
The black sword turned into a blur as it began chopping, slashing, hacking, sweeping and smashing away the objects. The knife Ophieus tilted his head to evade, he side stepped a spear and flipped over two spinning halberds before landing on a shield.
"Hahahaha! This just makes me want to leave even more!"
Then he used it to propel himself onto the other objects he used as launch pad towards the orb.
"But it isn't enough!" Ophieus thrust his sword towards the shining orb.
But then he froze as the fog around bursted out with chains. The fogs of chains wrapped around his arms and leg, coiled around his chest and secured his waist tightly. Ophieus grit his teeth before pushing the black sword forward to the orb.
As the black sword moved a bit forward, multiple chains rushed up from below and wrapped the sword up.
Stopping the sword inches away from the sword. Ophieus body trembled as the gray fog began to slowly calm down as if it had completed its goal.
Then a voice appeared as it asked.
"Are you giving up?"
At the voice words, Ophieus only grinned but he didn't say anything as he pulled his head back and then flung it forward. Right into the pummel of the sword and drove it forward into the shining orb.
The black sword sunk into the orb before it shattered into pieces.
Then light erupted out and rushed outwards, smashing into Ophieus. His body broke apart but there was no pain, all he felt was a feeling of freedom as he turned into light.
Then the familiar gentle and soft voice rang out once more.
"Good luck, Ophieus. If you don't wish to be crushed and buried, then use everything the world has to offer."