Hazie tilted her head, the flickering firelight casting soft shadows on her face. "Ah, that... Kai, how long have you been here?"

Kaiser blinked slowly, his mind still sluggish from the cold but eerily composed. "...I’m not sure, exactly. Everything feels like a blur, and, well..." He gestured vaguely above. "I’m still not used to having water for a sky. But... I think more than a week?"

Of course, he lied. He's no fool to abruptly share his tales with others without thinking about the consequences.

She nodded thoughtfully, her expression hardening slightly. "Twenty-four days and a half, to be exact—at least according to Earth’s twenty-four-hour time zone. A lot has happened in those twenty four days."

Her words carried weight, a sense of hardship that made Kai’s chest tighten. Still, he kept his tone light, if only to ease the mood.

"Yeah... a lot." He said, while thinking of his own experience... Indeed, it was a lot.

Hazie studied him for a moment before offering a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Since we have time, Kai, would you like the short version or the long one?"

"The long,"

He said without hesitation, shifting slightly on the makeshift bedding.

"As you wish," she replied, settling into a more comfortable position. "Good thing I’m quite good at storytelling."

She took a deep breath, her gaze momentarily distant, as though reliving the memories she was about to recount.

"It started on graduation day, I was in the middle of giving my speech—something I'd spent weeks preparing for, trying to make it perfect. Then, without warning, everything... shattered. One moment, I was standing at the podium, looking out at everyone. The next, I was here. Thrown into this desolate, freezing hellscape." Her voice was steady but tinged with emotion hidden beneath her smile.

Hazie paused, her fingers instinctively brushing against a faint scratch on her armor, her expression briefly flickering with the weight of memories before she forced a bright smile.

"At first, I thought I was alone. But then, I started hearing voices. Turns out, there were other people from the university graduation ceremony—scattered across these mountains, just like me. Fortunately, we're all transported closely, so it wasn't that hard to regroup. However, it seems there are people that got left out. I apologize for not finding you back then. Ah, are you alone when you get here?"

"Yeah. I don't feel comfortable talking about it, either... Can you please continue." Kai responded in a bleak tone like a weak little child.

"It must have been hard..." Hazie mumbled softly, but didn't press on. "Anyway, none of us knew what was going on or why we were here. Some panicked, others broke down crying. But thank God, there were enough sensible people among us. Otherwise, trying to calm everyone down would’ve been an absolute nightmare."

She leaned back slightly, her smile growing wider as she added, "One thing led to another—it got pretty chaotic. People started panicking, shouting, demanding answers no one had. And then, as these things go, the masses began demanding a leader to guide them. And guess what?" She leaned closer, her smile bright and teasing. "Have I told you that I’m the leader?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Her words carried a mix of pride and mischief, as if urging Kaiser to applaud her brilliance. Whether she's comforting him or that's just who she is, he didn't know.

Kaiser stared at her, momentarily caught off guard. Her enthusiasm was almost infectious, though he couldn’t ignore the grimness of her story. It was... impressive, he admitted to himself, how Hazie could maintain such brightness despite the obvious weight of her responsibilities. Especially in a place like this, where every decision could mean the difference between life and death of her followers.

But then a thought struck him, one that made him hesitate before asking, his brows furrowing.

"Wait... if you’re the leader, doesn't that mean they are in trouble right now? I mean, you’re here with me, and they’re... somewhere else. Shouldn’t you be with them?"

This doesn't look good, a leaderless group is akin to a headless snake. And cutting a snake's head meant something dire happened in the group.

To his surprise, Hazie laughed—a joyous, melodic sound that felt strangely out of place in their bleak surroundings.

"Yes, I am their leader," she said between chuckles, "and no, they’re not in trouble. Because even though I’m here with you, I’m also with them. Sorry to disappoint, but you can’t keep me all to yourself. I’ve got crucial responsibilities to attend to elsewhere."

She shot him a playful look, her teasing tone enough to completely dumbfound him.

"Uh, what?"

Her laughter erupted again, louder this time, as she clutched her sides. "Oh my God! That face—you look like I just told you I’m a space alien or something!"

Kaiser’s lips pressed into a thin line, indifferently watching her with a mix of confusion and suspicion. As far as he could tell, she hadn’t lost her mind... Maybe? But her cryptic words weren’t doing much to convince him otherwise.

Eventually, when her laughter subsided, Hazie wiped at the corners of her eyes, her smile softening. "Sorry, sorry," she said, still giggling under her breath. "It’s just... your reaction was priceless. But okay, I’ll explain now."

She straightened, glancing toward the fire as if gathering her thoughts. Then her gaze shifted to Windslayer, the peculiar weapon resting near Kaiser’s side. Her eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Actually," Hazie lingered, tilting her head curiously, "before I start... I’ve been meaning to ask. Is that your Player’s Gift?"

Her question snagged Kaiser's attention. He instinctively glanced at Windslayer, its slender, translucent blade lying beside him. The black hilt and the faint, ethereal edge of the blade caught the warm glow of the fire. It was clean, as always—Kaiser had a habit of giving it a sharp swing to rid it of bloodstains after every fight, which the sword's easy to clean aspect akin to smooth glass cooperated as if it didn't like being stained itself.

Currently, he had two options—Play oblivious to abilities given to players, or exposed his knowledge.

'Of course I'll Play dumb.'

It was the smarter move. Hazie is sharp—too sharp to not pick up on inconsistencies if he revealed too much. Luckily, he already looked dumb, his disheveled appearance and dirt-streaked face only adding to the act coupled with his dirt-like background. All he needed to do was utter a few clueless words.

"What?" he asked, keeping his tone flat and unassuming.

Hazie’s eyes flicked toward the weapon, her expression lighting up with a mix of curiosity and excitement. "The sword," she clarified, gesturing toward Windslayer. "Is it your Player’s Gift? You know, the special power you were given when you woke up here?"

Kaiser’s gaze shifted between her and the blade, his feigned confusion deepening. "Player’s Gift?"

'So that’s what they’re calling it,' he thought, filing away the term for later.

Hazie blinked, her brows knitting together in surprise. "Wait... you mean you *don’t* know about it?"

"Uh, yeah," Kaiser replied, shrugging nonchalantly.

She sighed, her tone softening as she began to explain. "We don’t know exactly why, or the reasons behind it—just like why we were brought here or how. But it seems like... whoever or whatever brought us here gave us something. Abilities. Gifts, I guess. They’re meant to help us survive in this insane place, though it’s as bizarre and unscientific as everything else we’ve seen so far."

Her fingers fidgeting as she continued, her voice growing steadier. "The first signs of these abilities showed up in a few people. Some got undeniably strong, others gained control over elements—fire, water vapor, stuff like that. Each ability is unique, strange, and completely beyond anything we’ve ever seen before. Honestly, they’re the only reason most of us are still alive. Without those Gifts, we’d be dead. There’s nothing here but rocks, creepy creatures, and endless water. Survival is sustainable but the cold would’ve wiped us out gradually."

Hazie gestured to her armor and the tent. "See this? The tent, my armor, even everyone’s winter clothes—they were all made using Gifts related to crafting and material production and transformation. People with those abilities keep us alive. And the more people we have, the more Gifts we can rely on to meet our needs."

She shifted her attention back to Windslayer, her tone suddenly lighter. "Your Gift is probably that awesome sword of yours. It looks really good, by the way. Can I touch it?"

Kaiser hesitated for a brief moment before shrugging. "Sure."

Hazie’s eyes sparkled as she picked up the blade, handling it with care. She tilted it toward the firelight, marveling at its pristine, glass-like design. To her, it probably looked more decorative than practical. She had no way of knowing it was the toughest weapon Kaiser had ever wielded—deadly and unyielding in battle that killed uncountable fearsome foes, beasts and humans alike, originating from one of the ancient Player himself.

While Hazie admired the sword, Kaiser retreated into his thoughts. Should he lean into the offered lie, claiming the sword as his Gift? Or admit he had not discovered his ability yet?

However, exposing more than the circumstances allowed might bring unnecessary problems his not keen on having.

That said.

'Wait... how does she even know we’re Players?'

That question crept into his mind, tugging at the edges of his curiosity and suspicion.