Alice slowly opened her eyes. Everything looked blurred at first, but slowly her vision kicked in. Her surroundings were white, almost silver-coloured, and the ground looked like glass made of obsidian.
"What… is this a dream?" Alice wondered.
She tried to walk around, but she saw no end.
She checked herself and noticed she was wearing new clothes: a short jacket, a grey T-shirt, black jeans, and black leather boots. A brown belt wrapped around her waist, with a small backpack attached. Her hair, which used to be grey by nature, was now brown-curly and short.
She looked more like an adventurer from one of those movies she used to watch.
Then suddenly, a voice echoed from the white abyss.
"Welcome. Please press the right side of your chest for player information," the voice said.
"What… press the right side of my chest?" Alice asked, confused. She didn't know what was happening, but she forced herself to do it.
Suddenly, a screen appeared right in front of her. It was clear as crystal, glowing softly, with words written on it.
Player Name: Alice
Lives: 5
Abilities: Speed (Lv. 1), Strength (Lv. 2)
Game Level: One of Spades
Alice wondered what all of this meant when, suddenly, she was teleported.
The teleportation made her dizzy. She didn't know what was happening or why she was here. For a moment, she thought she was going crazy.
She now stood in a strange room. It was dark, with a single fire torch burning in the center. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of stone bricks, all covered with moss. Each wall had a heavy metal door.
Alice tried to open one of the doors, but it wouldn't budge.
Then one of the doors slowly opened.
A strange figure appeared-a man dressed in metallic armour, with a symbol engraved on his chest.
"Is that… a One of Spades symbol?" Alice whispered.
The knight stepped into the room and declared, "If you wish to proceed, you must defeat me. Otherwise, you will lose all your lives and die—permanently. Take this sword and fight me, peasant!"
The sword was thrown, landing right near Alice's feet. It looked worn out—a single-edged blade with cracks running along it.
The knight charged toward her. No pity showed in his glowing red eyes.
Alice tried to run through the door the knight had entered from, but she couldn't pass through it. It was as if an invisible barrier blocked her way.
Suddenly, the knight appeared behind her and tried to stab her.
But all of a sudden, Alice's body reacted on its own.
She dodged the attack so fast and so swiftly that even she was shocked.
"How did I do that? I barely work out…" Alice thought.
"Impressive dodging," the knight said. "Let's see you dodge this."
The knight's sword began to glow. Sparks flew from the blade, and a bolt of lightning burst out of it, striking Alice.
She was slammed straight into the wall. The stone cracked, forming a huge crater.
Falling to the ground, her nose oozed blood. A sharp pain spread across her chest, and she felt utterly weak.
"This pain… this is not a dream!" Alice cried out.
The knight moved closer and said, "Let me cancel out one of those hearts."
The knight stabbed Alice straight through the head.
Suddenly, her body disappeared and reappeared in another position.
She felt no pain anymore. She was clean—uninjured.
A screen appeared.
Lives Remaining: 4
The screen vanished.
Alice remembered the knight's words.
Lose your lives and you die… permanently.
Fear flooded her chest. This was real.
Trembling, she tightened her grip on the sword and decided to aim for the Spade symbol on the knight's chest.Alice charged straight toward the knight, ignoring the possibility of dying again. She was fast and strong—the knight couldn't dodge her attack.
The sword pierced straight through the Spade symbol and shattered it.
The knight slowly fell to his knees and began to disappear. His body faded away completely, but the Spade symbol remained behind.
Alice walked around the room and noticed that one of the doors had a Spade symbol engraved on it.
I wonder if the Spade symbol is the key to opening this door, she thought.
She picked up the Spade and placed it near the door. Suddenly, the door creaked open.
On the other side was pure white, with no clear view of what lay beyond.
Then a voice echoed from the walls.
"Congratulations. You have successfully cleared Level One. Please step through the door. The others await you."