James stood in the cavernous room, surrounded by rusted scythes and warped plows, their shapes looming in the dim light. The air was thick with mildew, the colossal mansion's decaying walls groaning as the tidal wave's roar thundered outside. His heart still pounded from the sprint across the fourth walkway, the collision with the vanishing figure, and the mysterious key that had melted into his hand. The system screen's cryptic message ??? Acquired echoed in his mind, unanswered, his headache pulsing like a drum. The wave's roar shook the air, a relentless force closing in.
A sharp scream of pain pierced the air, raw and desperate. James spun around, his eyes darting toward the shattered window he'd climbed through moments ago. A figure stumbled through it, crashing to the floor with a groan. It was a boy, about 20, with blonde hair plastered to his forehead and striking blue eyes wide with pain. He clutched his side, blood seeping through his fingers, staining his torn shirt. A jagged cut, likely from the window's glass, oozed red.
Requirement Complete: Multiple participants in Room 4.
"Hey!" James rushed over ignoring the panel in front of his eyes, kneeling beside the unknown boy. He was around 20 himself, and the boy's fear mirrored his own. "What happened?", his voice rough.
"Window… cut myself," the boy rasped, wincing as he pressed his hand to the gash. It was deep, ugly. James's chest tightened, an instinct surging, unexplainable but undeniable. He pressed his hands to the boy's side, not knowing why, only that he had to. His palms tingled, then warmed, a soft glow spreading from them. The light pulsed, faint at first, then brighter, bathing the wound in gold.
The boy gasped, his blue eyes widening. The bleeding slowed, the gash knitting together before James's eyes. In seconds, the wound was gone, leaving smooth skin. James pulled back, stunned, staring at his hands, while a tiredness washed over his body. The glow faded, but the warmth lingered. A system screen flickered into view, blue text stark:
Healer Class (Innate) Unlocked.
"What was that?" the boy whispered, sitting up, his voice shaky but stronger.
"I don't know," James said, his own voice unsteady. He flexed his fingers, half-expecting them to glow again. The screen vanished, leaving more questions. His headache throbbed, but he pushed it aside. "You okay?"
The boy nodded, still dazed. "Yeah. Thanks. I'm Astor."
"James." The introduction felt absurd amidst the chaos, but Astor's wide-eyed gratitude grounded him. "You saw the wave out there?"
Astor's face tightened. "Yeah. Nearly drowned getting here. Then the window…" He touched his side, marveling. "You're not normal, are you?"
James gave a short, bitter laugh. "No clue what I am. You know what's going on?"
Astor shook his head. "Woke up in the water, same as you, probably. No memories, just my name and a whole lot of panic."
The shared confusion sparked a connection. They were young, thrown into this nightmare together, their fear forging a fragile bond. "We need to move," James said, glancing at the walls. The mansion creaked, the wave's roar vibrating through the floor. "That wave's close."
Astor nodded, scrambling to his feet. "Where to?"
James remembered the notification he had been ignoring and scanned the room, eyes flashing as he saw a metal door that loomed on the other side that had not been there previously.
Before James could answer, a low rumble shook the room. Water sprayed through cracks in the walls, icy and forceful, pooling at their feet. The mansion groaned, wood splintering in the distance. "Now!" James shouted, grabbing Astor's arm. They ran, dodging scattered tools and relics, the water rising fast, lapping at their ankles, then their knees.
Heart pounding, James headed towards the door, noticing it had been carved with strange symbols, and a rusted lock glinting in the dim light. It was their only way out. The water surged higher, cold and relentless, reaching their thighs. "Hurry!" James pointed, wading toward it, Astor close behind.
They reached the door, the water now at their waists, tugging at their clothes. James yanked at the rusted lock, which held on with an unassuming strength.
What's with all the locked doors?
He slammed his shoulder against it, but it didn't budge. The wave's roar was deafening, the walls shuddering as more water poured in, flooding the room. Astor cursed, his face pale. "We're trapped!"
James's mind raced, desperation clawing at him. The key, the one that had absorbed into his hand, flashed in his thoughts. Could it help? He didn't know how, but he had nothing else. The water climbed higher, chilling his chest. "Come on," he muttered, willing something to happen.
Astor gripped his arm, his blue eyes wide. "You got a plan, now's the time!"
James didn't answer, his focus on the door. The water surged, pushing them against it, the cold numbing their limbs. His headache pulsed, but he shoved it aside. They had to get through. They had to survive.
The room was a chaos of water and debris, the farming relics floating like ghosts of a forgotten past. James's breath came in sharp gasps, his thoughts a whirlwind of fear and instinct. Why was he here? What was this place? The questions burned, but there was no time for answers. Only the door, the lock, and the rising flood.
He pressed his hands to the door, desperation mounting. The water was at their shoulders now, the current threatening to pull them under. Astor's eyes met his, wide with fear but steady with trust. They were in this together, two against a world bent on breaking them. James's heart slammed against his chest, the wave's roar drowning out everything else. All they could do was keep fighting, one desperate moment at a time.