After what felt like a million years of sleep, Esther woke up with a groan. She looked around with unblinking eyes. What? Why am I… here?

Almost instantly, her eyes were drawn to the translucent blue screen in front of her.

[Objective: Don’t lose hope.]

After making sure that she’d read it right, Esther waved the blue screen away. What lie beyond it was an all-too-familiar mansion. Her mansion. Everything was the same. From the slightly dirty gate to the suits of armor standing guard.

Esther approached the armors and poked their visors. No one’s inside. What? She was confused. Everything was gray. It was as if something had sucked all the liveliness out of her childhood.

At the same time, something kept her from totally breaking down in confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Esther entered the mansion.

Her feet took her to various places. The kitchen that she’d been using since five? Still the same; just devoid of people. She got her face close to a pot of boiling stew and sniffed it. Odorless…

Sighing, she opened the door to get out. But just as she took a step outside—

“HELP!”

—She heard a familiar voice. Mom? She quickly glanced up and down the hallway. Her mother was dragged around the corner by a mass of writhing flesh and tentacles.

Esther quickly gave chase. But beyond the corner was a dead-end. The only thing proving to her it wasn’t an illusion was the sludge that was on the floor.

“What the— What was that?”

Esther banged on the wall. Nothing happened. She agglomerated Aura into her hands and smashed the wall apart. Yet, beyond it was nothing. Just a dark and empty void.

She took a deep breath. “If that thing dragged Mom here… Then I’ll enter it” She took a leap of faith into the void. But instead of seeing her Mom again, she ended up right back at the entrance of the mansion.

“Okay, who is fucking with me!?”

Waiting a few minutes without any answer, she grumbled and entered the mansion again. This time, she explored her old room.

She stood before the mirror that she used to always use to look at the hairstyles that Ria did to her. Just like her surroundings, her entire body was gray in color. But unlike her surrounding, her eyes retained their colors.

Deep blue,

Eternal Ice.

She conjured a small Flame.

Raging red,

Everlasting Fire.

Yet, the Flame flicked and was snuffed out in less than a second. She tried to use her Ice. Again, it didn’t work; melted before she could take a breath.

Frowning at her non-functioning magic, Esther walked up to her wardrobe and opened it. If I’m not wrong, then— Here it is!

A curved sword inside a sheath. She believed people called it a “Katana.” She never really liked this sword—being fragile and all, but she couldn’t deny its impressive cutting power. The only reason why she had this at all was that the shopkeeper gave her it as a complimentary gift with the Shrine Maiden outfit.

Good thing I didn’t let Nira know about this.

Esther slowly reached her hand out. She let her fingertips touch the sword. Seeing that her fear didn’t act up, she got more ballsy. Eventually, the sword was resting on her hands. Wanting to go a bit further, she tried to unsheath the sword. But as soon as the silver blade showed itself, she immediately froze in fear.

Nope, not working. She sighed. But regardless, she still took the weapon with her. If anything, this would be a good beat stick.

Bouncing on her bed for a while for good measure, Esther exited the room. But as soon as she did so, she saw her mother being dragged off again.

This time, she wasn’t as caught by surprise as before. Focusing Aura into her feet, she used [Star Steps] and ran along the walls. But as she turned the corner, she found that they had disappeared again.

And once more, she smashed the dead-end apart, exposing the bottomless abyss beyond.

“Well, guess I’ll jump again.”

Her vision went black. When it came back, she found that she wasn’t at the mansion anymore. Instead, she was inside the Capital City of Vetrix Empire, standing before a familiar photo booth.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

She looked around. The miserable city was even more miserable now that it was devoid of people. Seeing no reason to explore right now, she entered the booth.

But as soon as she did so, she saw a pair of legs dangling lifelessly right before her. What the— She reflexively backstepped out of the booth.

After catching her breath, Esther steeled herself and entered the booth again. The feet were still there. She slowly looked up, past the body’s waist, chest, and to its fac—

But before she could take a good look at the face, the ground crumbled, plunging her deep into the abyss. The only thing she managed to see was a pair of deep and unfocused purple eyes.

Esther gasped. She was back at her mansion once more. But this time, it was distorted beyond her imagination. The geometry didn’t make sense anymore. Despite that, her mind was entirely focused on the lifeless body from before.

“Was that Ihwa?”

After all, she was the only person with purple eyes that Esther knew. But she quickly shook her head. “That can’t be. I know Herald would never let her die.”

Putting the matter of body to the back of her mind, she entered her mansion again.

Just like the outside, the inside of the mansion was heavily distorted. Skewered walls, flipped floor; she had to use [Star Steps] to navigate through it.

Though, she eventually came across the only place whose geometry wasn’t fucked up—the path leading to the garden.

Despite that, something about it seemed…eerie.

Esther gulped. Steeling her mind once more, she traversed the path.

It seemed to stretch on and on, with no end in sight. Her feet were starting to get really sore and tired.

Yet, she continued anyways.

And her tenacity was rewarded. The door to the garden was right in front of her. She twisted the knob and looked into the garden.

It was as she’d remembered. Lush trees, beautiful flowers. Everything was still gray, save for the flowers.

Amidst the dotted colors in the grayscale surrounding, there were two figures that Esther was most familiar with.

One was Nowa, bound to a chair, gagged. There was fear apparent in her eyes, which turned pleading as soon as she noticed Esther.

The other was…her mother. She stood right behind Nowa; her eyes still kind as ever. She was the only thing that had full color in this world. Yet, the fact that she was smiling at the bound and gagged Nowa scared Esther.

“My little one,” Hayan spoke as she walked past Nowa. “Come here.”

Hearing her mother’s voice, Esther couldn’t help but tear up a little. She obeyed her mother like the good child that she was and approached her.

“What’s wrong? Do you need a hug?”

In fact, yes, she did need a hug. Esther buried her face in her mother’s shoulder and bawled her eyes out. With a shaky voice, she held Hayan’s shoulders firmly. “Y-You’re not her…!”

“What do you mean, little one?”

“You’re not her!” Esther shouted. “I KILLED HER! SHE CAN’T BE ALIVE!”

After a few moments of tense silence, Hayan laughed crazedly. She pushed Esther to the ground and made her way toward Nowa. “You’re more damaged than I thought. Very well. I want to see what you’d do with just a little push.”

Hayan stood beside Nowa; her nails turning into sharp claws. Placing them near Nowa’s neck, she chuckled wickedly. “What will you do, Swordsmaster Nova?”

Seeing blood trickling down Nowa’s neck made Esther grit her teeth in anger. She glanced down at the Katana in her hand. Come on, this is no time to hesitate! I don’t know what you are, fear, but please, just this one time, let me wield a sword!

She unsheathed the sword. Nothing. Not even a shred of emotion. Esther quickly slashed at the abomination that dared to wear her mother’s skin.

“[Moon Arch]”

The silver arch turned gray. Yet, its destructive power was still the same. It tore through the ground and reached its target.

But the target wasn’t stupid. It moved out of the way at the last second and pointed its claws at Esther. “Overcame your fears, I see.” Immediately, Hayan’s skin…inversed. With cracking and gurgling sounds, she turned into the flesh monster that Esther had seen previously.

This made Esther even angrier. Gripping the sword tight, she dashed toward the immobile monster and slashed at it. But just as her sword was about to connect, the monster turned back into Hayan.

“Little one? What are you doing?”

No! It’s not her!

Yet, she stopped her strike. However much her mind told her that it wasn’t her mother, her body wouldn’t listen.

Hayan’s face cracked. She swiped her claws at Esther, but her attack was parried.

This whole exchange continued for what felt like centuries. But Esther noticed a pattern. She switches forms every five seconds.

This was great. She had no problem attacking the monster form. So, she timed her attack just as Hayan turned and successfully connected her attack— a thrust in the heart.

Blood gushed out of the wound, making Esther celebrate with glee. “Take that! Now release me from this p—”

But the monster turned into Hayan again. With shaky eyes and blood pouring out of its mouth, it glared at Esther hatefully.

“L-Little one, w-why…”

“Shut up! You’re not her!” Esther let go of the sword and quickly backed away.

Yet, Hayan still took slow and heavy steps toward her.

“W-Why did you kill me?”

“Don’t come here!”

But it was futile. Hayan was soon slumped on top of Esther’s body.

“I hate you.”

No, she wouldn’t!

“You should’ve never been born.”

No!

“You stole my son’s body. If only you didn’t exist!”

NO!

Forming a wicked smile that Esther couldn’t see, “Hayan” whispered right before she took her last breath, “And you killed me. Guess that’s what Swordsmasters do, eh? Making children orphans with their blades. What would your poor sister do if she knew that you were the one who killed me?”

Esther pushed the corpse off her. She fell to the ground and lay in a fetal position while clutching her head. “No no no no no it’s a lie.” Yes, a lie. Mom’s dead. E-Even if she’s still alive, she loves me, r-right?

She tried to remember the day her mother died but soon found out that the details were slipping from her mind.

“No, NO! W-What did she say again!?”

Her mother’s mouth moved, yet she couldn’t make out what she was saying.

Darkness overtook her. The surrounding turned into an endless void. It was only the small area around her that was spared of such fate.

Each time her memories slipped, the darkness grew.

[Objective failed.]

And just as it was about to engulf her, light appeared.

“Nee-chan, wake up!”