Chapter 3
> Returne (3) <
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In the silent corridor, Aira's footsteps tapped on the red carpet like a drop of water, echoing through the frigid air. There was no wind, no insects, and no sign of life in this domain. The quietness was eerie, unnerving her senses.
Her heart thumped in her chest, and she could hear her blood coursing through her veins. She walked past the large windows and pictures of the past that hung on the walls. They showed her family's history, from her oldest brother's victory in their basketball tournament to her own triumph in the running competitions at school. The images flickered through her mind, causing a stinging pain in her eyes that made them redder as she moved further down the hallway.
As she reached the end of the corridor, a dull ache throbbed in her head. The center of the first floor opened up into a large room with no windows or external furniture. Inside a glass case, old black and white photographs chronicled her family's lineage, alongside weapons and guns from her grandparents' era. The room seemed mundane as if it were a museum exhibition. But to Aira's senses, something was different, strange, off-kilter.
An unseen essence seemed to linger within the walls, carved in a strange pattern, which made her senses tingle with a foreboding sense of danger. It was as if countless eyes were staring at her from the dark corners, eager yet restrained. The atmosphere was palpable, causing her to be vigilant, and making her feel like an intruder in her own home.
As she stood in the room, she felt a sense of unease creeping over her. It was as if the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. She could sense the weight of the darkness bearing down on her, threatening to swallow her whole.
A voice echoed in her mind,
[BLOODLINE DETECTED!]
[RECEIVING LEGACY...]
Aira's confusion turned to alarm as the world around her changed in an instant. The peaceful corridor she had been walking in was replaced with a town drowning in a sea of blood. The air was thick with the stench of death and destruction.
The Grimms, grotesque monsters with razor-sharp teeth and glowing red eyes prowled the streets, hungrily searching for their next prey. Aira could see the despair in the eyes of the dying, the fear etched on their faces before they were consumed by the growing darkness.
Suddenly, the darkness turned its attention to her. The pressure was suffocating, almost crushing her body with its unrelenting force. Aira's vision began to fade as her body bent down, her world spiraling into a familiar abyss. Just when it seemed like she would be consumed by the darkness, she heard a static voice.
"[-1-F0UND-Y0U-]"
Aira knew that voice. Wrong! It was wrong. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to wake up. Her essence flared out, trying to push back the darkness. But it was too familiar, too chilling, and it made her hesitate.
The abyss receded, revealing a pair of red eyes. They were filled with longing, and their unclear words put dangerous pressure on her body. Aira knew this was an illusion, but it was hard to shake off this complex feeling.
She panted heavily, her legs feeling weak under her. Her hand instinctively reached for her sword, but it wasn't there. Her essence was drained as if it had been sucked dry. Aira knew she had to stay alert, as she stood alone in the white void, waiting for the next threat to appear.
But, it wasn't a threat that appear.
The screens flickered and danced before Aira's eyes, like writhing tentacles in the dark depths of the ocean. They showed her a broken and distorted world, filled with images of familiar faces and places that made her heart ache with a strange sense of longing.
There was her mother and father, standing proudly in front of a strange group of people dressed in fantastical garb, with a towering building of concrete looming in the background. And there were her brothers and other loved ones, scattered across different locations and events, all struggling to survive with unyielding determination in their eyes to rebuild their civilization that seemed to have been shattered by some unknown force.
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As Aira watched, she felt a cold knot of anxiety and uncertainty growing in the pit of her stomach. She had missed so much, it seemed, while she was trapped in the Trial. Her family and relatives seemed to have all moved on, building new lives and families for themselves, while she had been stuck in that place.
But where were they now?
And why was the place she had woken up in still in ruins, despite their clear efforts to rebuild back cities? Did they abandon this place? Where the generations of the Giyera family had inhabited since world war 2?
Aira felt a sudden surge of anger and frustration, her mind racing with questions and doubts. What was the point of it all? Why did she have to wake up now, when everything seemed to be done without her?
For a moment, she felt like screaming or lashing out at the endless sea of screens that surrounded her. But then, slowly, she began to calm herself. She had faced worse than this. Worse horrors than any human could handle than this, after all. And if there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that she was not alone. Maybe, they just found a better place and moved there. Waiting for her arrival.
With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on her inner strength, feeling the power of her essence surging through her veins. She may not know what lay ahead, or where her family and relatives were, but she knew one thing for sure - she would find them, no matter what.
[YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE LEGACY OF THE GIYERA'S THIRD-DIMENSIONAL WORLD SPACE]
[YOU UNLOCKED {SPECIAL SKILL} FUNCTION!]
When the domain broke, she opened her eyes and found herself standing on a large open area of green grass. The domain that inhabitant this land for so long had finally broken down after it found a new owner, revealing the scenery of this open area.
Aira concentrated, calling forth her essence to see if it had been replenished. To her relief, she felt a familiar energy coursing through her body, stronger than ever before. Not only that, there was something new in her status.
"Status. All open."
{ STATUS }
NAME: AIRA | FAMILIA: GIYERA
ESSENCE: 47,489/50,000 (500 per minute)
RESERVE ESSENCE: 500/10,000
STRENGTH: 87 (+10)
AGILITY: 84 (+10)
{ATTRIBUTE}
IMMORTAL PHYSIQUE
ENHANCED SKELETON BONES
MARK OF LUNA
CHARACTERISTIC VISION
{SPECIAL SKILL}
THIRD-DIMENSIONAL WORLD SPACE {ACTIVE}
Details. Aira commanded mentally as she stared at the screen.
THIRD-DIMENSIONAL WORLD SPACE {ACTIVE}
DESCRIPTION: CREATED BY THE ESSENCE THROUGH THE GIYERA BLOODLINE, IT IS A SMALL THIRD-DIMENSIONAL WORLD THAT CAN INHABITANT LIFE FORMS
GATE COMMAND: "Open world space"
Closing her eyes. She could see the small world within her consciousness. As if the sky became her eyes, she could see the whole forest land filled with all kinds of plants, a river flowing endlessly, and an empty town without a hint of wreckage.
It really is a world. Aira thought, the possibilities of what she could do with this new power flooded her thoughts. The intricacy of its design and the potential benefits were almost too much to fathom. Aira was in awe of the power that her family had passed down through their bloodline.
Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. Why had her brother's domain contained this special skill? Was it left there for her to find? Had someone from her family members died, leaving behind their legacy for future generations?
Her heart heavy with the weight of these thoughts, Aira steeled herself and pushed them aside. It was hard to imagine a positive outcome to these questions, but she refused to think of any of those. With a determined look on her face, she set out towards the forest, away from the ruins of her homeland. Set on finding anyone.
As she took one last glance over her shoulder, Aira made a promise. She would come back in the future, whether with the intent to rebuild this place herself or something else.
She... Will find out what in the world happened to everyone when she was still on the trial.