Thump. My heart beat.

“Get up.”

Thump. Thump.

Who…who’s there?

“I said get up.”

Thump. Thump. Thump!

I can’t…I’m tired. My body won’t move…

I continued to ignore the voice.

“I said get up!”

Splash!

My eyes opened. I looked around — it was dark, and I could feel the rain pouring down on me. My face and body were completely drenched.

“Status…time.” I slurred.

[3 Days Remaining|52:54:42|Objective: Sync with Socrilium]

Cough! Cough! My throat was dry. I stared into the trees, then opened my mouth, letting the rainwater in. I knew it was somewhat risky not to filter it, but I needed something — anything — to quench my thirst.

Hahhhh…I’m pathetic…

I’ve been doing well for a week, but it all came crumbling down just like that. Even with this new body, I can't shake the past. I want to forget, but I can't.

Rustle. Rustle.

What?

My body tensed. I could feel the hair on my skin rise.

Rustle…

Someone or something was in the bushes, but I was betting on something. Beyond Phantasia was notorious not just for the socrixes but also for the many creatures within in the game. There were many instances where Novian struggled more with the creatures than with socrixes. And now, we were in the Prism, notorious for housing countless unpredictable creatures.

Stomp…stomp…

I held my breath.

Sloakard.

The Sloakard is one of the creatures in Beyond Phantasia. It has the body of a large sloth, with thick fur that blends into the surroundings, making it nearly invisible in dim light. Its limbs are elongated, ending in sharp, curved claws. However, its head resembles a snake, with reptilian scales covering its face, a wide mouth lined with jagged teeth, and slit-pupiled eyes that glow faintly. Its neck is extremely long, and a muscular, scaled tail flicks behind it.

It’s an extremely dangerous creature that only comes out at night. When I first started playing Beyond Phantasia as Novian, I spent a lot of time avoiding it. However, there's one crucial detail that makes it counterable: it's blind. Since its head is a snake, it uses its tongue to smell prey.

I was already covered in mud and dirt, so most of my scent should’ve faded.

It slowly marched toward me, its tongue flickering in and out, searching for food — or rather, prey. It got closer, facing me directly. I could clearly see its glowing, beady eyes staring into my own.

Hiss…stomp…stomp…

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Minutes passed before it finally continued moving. It circled the area before settling down just a few feet away from me. I could see the sun about to rise through the leaves. I just needed to hold out for a few more hours before I could safely move.

A few hours passed.

The sun was up, and the Sloakard finally fell asleep.

I need to start moving.

Slowly, I got up. My body still ached from earlier, and my mind was mentally exhausted, but I needed to move.

Urgh…

I felt a jolt in my right arm — the splint wasn’t going to last much longer.

BOOM…BOOM…BOOM! A few explosions off in the distance erupted, shaking the ground beneath me. SCREECH! CAW CAW CAW! The ecosystem came to life.

What the…

As I turned to pinpoint the direction of the explosion, I heard a low rumbling growl, punctuated by occasional raspy clicks.

I really can’t catch a break, can I?

After battling multiple creatures in Beyond Phantasia, you get used to their sounds, and this was one I didn’t enjoy. The Sloakard was wide awake, its tongue flickering in and out. There was no rain. It’s eyes staring at me. Grrrrissssss…

Fuck.

I ran.

I had only a brief moment — more like a minute — before the sloakard fully woke up and started its pursuit. I needed to gain a head start as quickly as possible. Using the last of my energy, I sprinted through the jungle towards the direction of the explosion.

GRRRIIIISISSSSSS!!!! STOMP! STOMP! STOMP! The sloakard’s growls echoed behind me, growing louder with each passing second. I continued to sprint through the dense underbrush, branches slashing at me, and my heart pounding in my chest. The sound of its claws scraping the ground grew louder.

“Duck.”

“What?” I said.

“DUCK!”

I ducked as the Sloakard’s claw swung through the air, narrowly missing me and slicing through a nearby tree, splitting it in half.

“Keep running.”

Great, now I’m hearing more voices.

I continued to sprint listening to the random voice.

“Left. Right. Jump!”

Once again, I barely dodged another attack from the sloakard, thanks to the instructions from the voice. GRIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSS! The sloakard continued to chase, and I was growing tired.

Hah, hah, hah, I panted, trying to catch my breath. “Hey, where are we going? I don't know how much longer I can keep this up…”

“Close. Take a left here.” The voice directed.

I sprinted with the last of my strength in the given direction until we reached the edge of a cliff.

“You’re kidding me. I’ve really gone crazy.”

As I looked over the cliff's edge, all I could see was darkness below. One wrong move and it would be the end. There was no possible way to make it across.

“Jump,” the voice said.

“Huh.”

“You need to jump.”

“Ah, I see. This is the same inner monologue telling me not to wake up.”

That would make the most sense.

GRRRISSSSS!!!!

“If you don’t want to die, jump.”

Stomp! Stomp! Stomp! The Sloakard arrived before me, its eyes locked onto mine with a killing intent. It let out a low growl before darting toward me.

“Maybe it was best to… no. Fuck, fine.”

The feeling of desperation fueled my legs as I turned towards the cliff’s edge up ahead. Without a second thought, I leaped off the edge, the wind rushing past me as I plummeted into the abyss.

SPLASH! The feeling of icy pain surged through my body. It felt like a thousand needles pricking my skin, and the cold wrapped around me, squeezing the breath from my lungs. I kicked and swam to the surface using my good arm. Slowly, I pulled myself out of the water, flipping onto my back and gasping for air. HAH…HAH…HAH!

“I hate everything,” I said.

“At least you’re alive.”

The voice? It was still here?

"Now, get up and follow me.”

“Right now?” I responded.

“Yes.”

Grudgingly, I got up. It was completely pitch black.

“So…how am I doing this?”

“I’ll navigate you like last time.”

“Alright…”

With the voice's instructions guiding me, I managed to make my way through the darkness. It felt like hours, but eventually, we arrived at our destination.

“Here we are!” The voice said.