There was a sudden silence.
It was truly a desperate and shocking scene.
Fear and terror had consumed and eaten away at all the semi-humans present in the place.
[Lior: W-What… was… th-that..?] he whispered.
A strange man had entered the room. The strange man was speaking with another man who was outside the room. The man treated the life of the poor semi-human like trash just for having approached him. Then he pointed at a semi-human who was inside the room and asked the man outside about her. The man outside nodded in response to the question of the man pointing at the semi-human, confirming it with a thumbs-up and verbally. The man then proceeded to take the poor semi-human who had been pressed against the wall. He forced her to leave.
[Lior: Why?]
Why had that happened?
Lior turned to look around once more to confirm something. He saw only beast-humans in the dungeon. Only semi-humans…
[Lior: Only beast-humans…]
"Where am I, and why are there semi-humans here?"
He knew that semi-humans, also called "demi-humans," were hybrid beings divided into races. In fiction, different fantastical beings existed in the stories he knew of fantasy worlds. He remembered that there were elves, demons, dwarves, semi-humans, and many others. But—
[Lior: That only happens in fiction]
There was no possibility that such beings existed in reality, since they were the product of human imagination—creations that were fictional. They appeared only in stories of fantasy worlds…
[Lior: Where am I really?]
If there were fantasy humans near him, it meant that he was not in his world. It made no sense for beast-humans to be hidden in the real world; they were mythological beings, and if such beings had been found, they would have been shown publicly long ago.
[Lior: Besides… the people who took that woman didn't look surprised at all—rather, they only looked desperate]
The man inside acted as if it were an everyday occurrence. He also followed the instructions of the man who was outside the stone prison. Furthermore, the man inside despised and mistreated a poor semi-human who begged for help—kicking and discriminating against him as if he were nothing.
[Lior: He despised and discriminated against him like trash…]
According to the stories he had heard and read about fantasy worlds, beast-hybrid humans were victims of discrimination and racism by other species, considered impure beings.
[Lior: If I were in a fantasy world, it would explain everything that has happened up to this moment]
That was impossible. Summonings and reincarnations were fictional things. But certainly, that would explain far too much.
[Lior: If I really reincarnated into this strange body, it would explain everything that has happened to me so far—and why these events occurred…]
He had beast-man characteristics, since he had cat ears and a cat tail. He did not know whether this body was normal for a beast-man, since it felt quite fragile and delicate, as if it did not have enough muscle to truly strike someone.
[Lior: This body, now that I examine it properly… is quite… feminine]
He touched all parts of his body—arms, legs, torso, and face. He felt his bones and a waist that was quite… unusual.
[Lior: Still… I don't have breasts…]
He felt that his… was still there. Besides that, he did not feel any other changes apart from his musculature and overall size.
[Lior: How tall am I?]
He felt shorter. He was not as short as a child, but he was also not tall enough to say that nothing had changed.
[Lior: Even so, I don't dislike it]
He was accepting it surprisingly well, to be honest. The fact of having another body was not too difficult to understand, since—according to what he had deduced—he was in another world. And in this world, there were humans with animal traits.
Perhaps there were other kinds of beings besides these.
[Lior: But if I'm a semi-human… and I'm in a different world…]
But if he was a semi-human… and he was in a different world…
[Lior: Can I… go back to my original world?]
"If I think about it carefully…"
Wait.
If one thought about it properly, he was now in another world. That directly meant that he was not in his own world. If he was not in his world, and he was alone…
[Lior: A-and… m-my… f-family]
Where was his family?
[Lior: My f-family isn't h-here with me…]
If his family was not here with him, in this new world… could he see them again?
"…"
The idea of never seeing his parents again felt horrible. The idea of never seeing his sister again felt horrible. The idea of never seeing his friends again felt horrible. How could there not be a way to prevent that?!
[Lior: No! I can't stay here!]
He looked around him with terror and fear in his eyes. He saw all the people with hollow stares and bodies on the verge of collapse. He did not want to stay there—he needed to go back.
To see his family again, to see his friends again, to see his home again. He could not remain in this fantasy world if the people he loved were not there.
He wants to go back… he needs to go back. He needs to go back! HE NEEDS TO GO BACK!
[Lior: NO! I DON'T WANT TO STAY HERE, PLEASE! MY FAMILY IS WAITING FOR ME! I DON'T WANT TO STAY IN THIS PRISON! I WANT TO ESCAPE, PLEASE! I NEED TO KNOW THAT MY FAMILY IS OKAY! I DON'T BELONG HERE, I CAN'T STAY HERE! PLEASE! PLEASE, SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!]
Trying to break the chain with his strength, he ran toward the exit, toward that massive iron door. He ran, ran, ran, ran, ran, and ran. Forcing the heavy chain to break, he ran. With desperation and terror, he ran. Without looking back, he ran. With tears in his eyes, he ran. With overwhelming fear, he ran. With intense pain in his back, he ran. With crushing pain around his neck, he ran.
[Lior: PLEASE! PLEASE!]
He was desperate to escape. He was desperate to get out. He was desperate to see his family. He was desperate to see his friends. He was desperate from being imprisoned. He was desperate from being a demi-human. He was desperate from the fear of being in another world. He would never see them again! He would never see them again!
[Lior: PLEASE! Hag… GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE!]
There was no turning back. There was no exit. There was no escape.
[Lior: PLEASE! Hag… Hag… I NEED IT!]
He had not even said goodbye to his family. He had not prepared anything. He had not told anyone. They would worry about him. He had to be there. He had to be with his mom, his dad, his little sister. Please—take him back!
[Lior: Please! Hag… Hag… I need to go back home! I need to see my family again! I want to go back! I want to go back!]
Take him back!
Take him back!
Take him back!
[Lior: Please! Aahhg—! Please!]
His main source of energy began to deteriorate. By trying to run toward the exit so forcefully and so uncontrollably, he was spending far too much energy. On top of that, his state of desperation also consumed what little mental stability he had left, creating overwhelming fatigue. His screams were tearing—both physically and psychologically.
[Lior: Please! Hag… someone get me out of here! Hag… please…]
His weak body quickly grew tired. His weak body could not go on any longer. He had pushed himself only a little, and yet he was already in a state of severe exhaustion. Surely his condition was due to all the factors mentioned above—but that did not change the fact that his new body was pitiful.
[Lior: Please… help…]
His hope was slipping away. No one was going to save him, no one was going to get him out of there, no one was going to take him back to where his family was.
[Lior: No… no… no please…]
His hope… his hope…
[Lior: No…]
No one was going to take him out of there. No one was going to help him escape. He was a demihuman, and if this truly was a fantasy world… he would be sold as a slave.
[Lior: I don't want to… please…]
He began to fear the worst, and when the worst possible outcome crossed his mind, he collapsed.
[Lior: I DON'T WANT TO! I don't want to! I don't want to! I don't want… I don't want… no…]
His fear was present along with tears, but what could he do? No one was going to offer him help anymore, no one was going to protect him anymore, he had no one left.
[Lior: I don't want to… I don't want to… please…]
His consciousness began to sink into a black hole, an endless void, a gigantic abyss from which he could not escape. He slowly closed his eyes, that black vision began to spread across everything he could see.
[Lior: No… no…]
His eyes could see no more, his mind no longer created anything but black, yet his struggle continued.
"No… no… no…"
[Lior: No… ah… please…]
Mind in darkness, eyes closed, weak body…
[Lior: No… no…]
Until…
[Lior: No…]
After so much suffering…
[Lior: No… no…]
He went out.
[Lior: No…]
Completely.