Carlos's vision blurred as the brilliant light swallowed him whole. When it finally faded, he found himself standing on the edge of
a dark, eerie forest. The sky was an endless stretch of twilight — deep purples and blues swirling like a living painting. The air
was thick with mist, damp and cold against his skin.
He took a tentative step forward. The ground beneath his boots was soft earth, littered with dead leaves that crunched
beneath his feet. The forest stretched endlessly ahead, tall, twisted trees looming like silent sentinels. Strange glowing fungi
dotted the trunks, casting an unnatural light.
A new message appeared in front of his eyes, floating like a ghostly whisper:
Welcome to Level 2: The Abyssal Grove.
"Where shadows are alive and the past never dies."
Survive. Hunt. Evolve.
Only four players remain. Trust none.
Carlos swallowed hard. Four players. That meant at least three had already fallen — maybe more. He had barely survived the
first realm. This was only the beginning.
The silence was unsettling.
He forced himself to breathe evenly and listen. Somewhere, a twig snapped — soft, deliberate. His instincts screamed caution.
"Hello?" he called out, his voice surprisingly steady.
No answer.
Moving deeper into the woods, Carlos felt eyes watching him — dozens, maybe hundreds. The shadows seemed to twist and
flicker just beyond his vision. Was it the game, or was his mind playing tricks?
Suddenly, a low growl came from behind a thick tree trunk. Carlos whirled, sword raised, but found only a pair of glowing eyes
staring at him before a black panther-like creature melted into the shadows.
New Threats and New Allies
Ahead, Carlos spotted a campfire flickering faintly. Approaching cautiously, he found a woman crouched by the flames —
armored in leather and chainmail, her hair tangled but her eyes sharp and alert.
She looked up, startled but not hostile.
"Name's Lys," she said, sheathing a dagger. "You're not one of the shadows, are you?"
Carlos shook his head. "Carlos. Just arrived from the Shattered Plains."
Lys's lips twitched in a ghost of a smile. "Good. You might just make it out alive then."
They shared a brief moment of understanding. In this world, allies were scarce and trust scarcer.
The Curse ofthe Grove
Lys explained the dangers of the Abyssal Grove — creatures born from shadow and sorrow, twisted spirits that could possess
players, turning them against their own. Worse still was the Curse of Memory — players who stayed too long risked losing their
sense of reality, trapped forever in endless loops of pain and despair.
"We have to move fast," Lys said. "The longer we stay, the less ourselves we become."
Carlos felt a chill run down his spine. The stakes were higher than ever.
The Hunt Begins
Together, they moved through the forest, Lys leading with expert precision. Carlos noticed strange markings carved into the
trees — runes glowing faintly in blue light.
"These marks," Lys whispered, "are wards. They keep the worst creatures at bay. We need to find the source — the Heart of
the Grove. If we can destroy it, the curse weakens."
But every step deeper brought new dangers.
From the shadows emerged twisted forms — half-man, half-beast — snarling, claws slashing. Carlos swung his sword, muscles
burning, blocking a vicious swipe. Lys darted between enemies, her daggers flashing like lightning.
Their breaths came in ragged gasps as they fought side by side, trust forming in the crucible of combat.
A Betrayal Revealed
Suddenly, a sharp whistle cut through the chaos.
Carlos froze.
From behind a thick oak, another player stepped forward — the familiar figure of Dren. But something was wrong. His eyes
were glazed, cold.
"Dren?" Carlos called, confused.
Dren's lips curled into a cruel smile. "You're weak, Carlos. You don't belong here. I serve the Grove now."
Lys drew her dagger, eyes narrowing. "He's been taken by the curse."
Carlos gritted his teeth as Dren lunged forward, club swinging.
The fight was brutal.
Carlos and Lys barely managed to fend off Dren's furious attacks. The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows
growing thicker, almost alive.
In that moment, Carlos realized the true danger of this realm wasn't just the monsters — it was the players themselves.