Suspended in the abyss, I floated in a void that felt all too familiar. It was like the one after I died in my previous life—a place where existence seemed to stop, a place devoid of sensation, time, and meaning. In that endless blackness, thoughts began to swirl. Was I going to meet that giant shadow again? The entity that greeted me when I last stood at the edge of death? Its looming presence had left a mark on me, but now... it felt irrelevant. Something had shifted. My thoughts didn't linger there. Instead, I found myself drawn to something else—someone else.

Mister Vincent. His face emerged from the void. An old man I barely knew for three days in that accursed level, and yet... I found myself hoping he survived. That he managed to cling to life despite everything. The weight of that concern surprised me. Vincent—a stranger, a flicker of kindness in this vast, cruel universe. I cared about him more than the seven I had left behind in the forest. Their faces came to mind, blurred, distant. I didn't feel any guilt about abandoning them. No heavy conscience, no pang of remorse. But Daniel… a thought crossed my mind. Maybe I should've thanked him. That small act—just a word or two before I left. That, at least, stung a little.

Funny, isn't it? How someone I'd known for mere days—Vincent, a weathered old man—had shown me more care than anyone ever had. More than the people I left behind in my previous life. More than the so-called friends, or even family, who had passed in and out of my existence like drifting shadows. And now, in this endless void, I found myself alone again, yet his face clung to me. "Hey, messenger. Where am I right now?" I asked into the abyss, the silence suffocating. No response came, not that I truly expected one.

I gazed into the unseen, the void stretching in all directions, timeless and infinite. How long would I be suspended here? How long would this nothingness stretch on? My sense of time was already slipping, and in the distance—if there even was such a thing as distance in this place—I saw nothing. Nothing but endless black.

And then, out of nowhere, a flicker—a glimmer of green—pierced through the darkness. It was faint at first, almost imperceptible, but my senses, dulled by the abyss, snapped to attention. A light. A green light. Instinctively, I propelled toward it, my body moving through the void as though I still had mass, still had substance. It wasn't much—just a glimmer—but it was something.

As I drew closer, the green light grew sharper, more defined. There, amidst the darkness, was a crack—a literal tear in the fabric of this reality. The light spilled out from it, casting eerie shadows that danced across the void. It was strange, seeing a crack in the middle of nowhere, a breach in what should have been impenetrable. And yet, there it was, beckoning me closer. I didn't hesitate. I propelled toward it, pushing my way into the breach, into the light.

The crack opened into something tangible—a cave. Jagged walls of stone materialized around me as I stumbled through the breach, the green light now flooding the space ahead. The air felt dense, thick with a strange stillness that pressed in on me from all sides.

I wouldn't have cared to explore it, wouldn't have minded drifting in that abyss for a little longer, but my rune—it wasn't in my pocket. The cave was dead, devoid of life. No insects crawled along its walls, no plants clung to the rocks—nothing.

The tunnel ended in a wide chamber, illuminated by the source of the green light. In the center, against a dead-end wall, there was a massive bubble of light. Inside it was—what? My breath caught as I took in the sight before me.

It was a woman. She looked young, perhaps in her early twenties, but in this game—or whatever this was—age was just another illusion. For all I knew, she could be a demon as old as the stars. The source of the green light was her, and she was smiling. Her eyes, brilliant emeralds, shimmered with an otherworldly glow, matching the light that bathed the room.

Her beauty was ethereal, almost unreal. Her long, flowing hair cascaded down her back, a deep, verdant green that seemed to ripple like a forest canopy in a breeze. Her arms were slender, graceful, as if crafted from the finest marble, and her skin was flawless—smooth and pale, glowing faintly in the soft light. She wore a green garment, fitted closely to her lithe form, intricately woven like living vines wrapped around her body. The fabric shimmered, almost blending into the light that surrounded her, like she was one with the cave itself.

Though she smiled, it wasn't at me. Her attention was entirely fixed on my rune, held delicately between her long, slender fingers, examining it closely as if it was some rare treasure.

I stared at her, my gaze fixed, unblinking. Her beauty, though undeniable, wouldn't sway me. I wasn't so easily fooled. "That's mine," I said, my voice steady as I pointed toward the rune. She turned to look at me, as if I had only just appeared, her expression calm, unaffected. Her fingers released the rune, and yet it didn't fall. Instead, it hovered, suspended in mid-air like it was bound to the very fabric of this strange space.

"Who are you, miss?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral. She didn't respond. Her lips remained sealed, her emerald eyes locked on me but revealing nothing. Then, before she could speak, the messenger's voice sliced through the silence.

A shrill, mechanical voice that was neither man nor woman's spoke, [She is the 7th bearer of the Supreme Conqueror title.]

Supreme Conqueror? I thought, my brow furrowing. Some title, apparently, though it meant nothing to me. "Are you a player?" I asked, hoping for a more direct answer.

[Yes,] the messenger replied in that same hollow tone. [She is one of the twelve who have conquered fifteen levels from each pillar of the game.]

Fifteen levels from each pillar… I had no idea what that meant, no frame of reference. The game still felt like a mystery, an elaborate construct with its own rules and titles that were far beyond anything I understood. But even so, the words didn't impress me.

"So, anyway, that rune is mine. If you could return it, please," I stated, extending my hand as if the conversation had reached its natural end.

[She is quite interested in this rune. She believes it is the key to the game,] the messenger interjected.

I felt a smirk form on my face. "I knew my rune was special. No need to state the obvious. And, by the way, is there a way to mute you, messenger?" My tone dripped with sarcasm as I shifted my gaze back to the woman. She was still smiling, though there was something in that smile now—something that edged toward amusement.

"I don't know why the messenger's talking for you," I continued, my eyes narrowing slightly. "Maybe you have some kind of ability or skill to control it, manipulate it somehow." I leaned in just a little, studying her face for a reaction. "Or maybe," I added with a smirk, "perhaps you are the messenger."

For the briefest of moments, her eyebrow twitched, almost imperceptibly. But it was enough. I had hit a nerve.

"Guess I'm right," I said, the satisfaction creeping into my voice. "Well then, messenger, I don't particularly care why you're trapped in this bubble, in this hidden cave, or what your grand plans are. But if you would kindly return my rune." I extended my hand again, more deliberate this time, holding her gaze. Her eyes gleamed with something—a flicker of amusement, maybe even respect.

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"This rune," the messenger's voice began to shift, the mechanical tone dissolving into a soft, feminine one, [doesn't belong to you.]

"Huh?" I blurted, caught off guard by the sudden change.

[You are not the rightful owner of this rune,] she continued, her voice calm but certain. [But for some reason… this rune… chose you.]

I stood there, staring at her, the words settling over me like a shroud. Chose me? What the hell did that even mean? I wasn't sure, but something in her tone gnawed at the edges of my mind, and uneasiness began to creep in, like a chill running down my spine. I had an instinctive feeling, something deeper than thought, that perhaps this rune was never meant to be mine.

[Despite that fact,] she pressed on, [this rune seems to have chosen you.]

My body tensed, and my eye twitched, impatient for her to finish. Her lips remained sealed, but the voice—the messenger's voice, now fully hers—echoed in my head.

[Or perhaps… it is not you who was chosen. Perhaps it was someone else, in that tiny little body.]

Goosebumps rippled across my skin. My breath caught in my throat as the shadows of an old memory stirred. The voice of the giant shadow echoed in my mind, as clear as if it had just spoken:

"The second option is to use the remaining power I have left for the moment to reincarnate your soul into a new body, merging it with a few other souls. This would entangle your fate with a new reality—one that holds horrors beyond your imagination and difficulties you cannot begin to fathom. It will be a harsh and challenging existence, but it will also offer the possibility of a remarkable destiny."

Her eyelids lowered slightly, her expression unreadable, but then it hit me—she could read my thoughts. A curse slipped past my lips, too low to hear. This wasn't just some mind game.

[Who was that?] she asked, her tone shifting into something more intrigued, more sly. [I don't remember the voice. Is that the 'shadow' you keep talking about?] Her eyes gleamed with curiosity, that same smile playing at the corners of her lips. [Merging with other souls? That might not be surprising if this were part of the game, but it's not. You've barely entered the game, and someone with that kind of power over souls has no place in these early stages.]

I clenched my fists. "Yet here you are—Supreme Conqueror," I spat, "trapped in a damn cave, forced to play the role of a messenger. And you're interested in a boy who's barely entered level one."

[Boy, watch your mouth,] her voice sharpened, a subtle edge creeping into it. [Though I may be trapped here, this is a very different case—and an extreme one at its best. No higher-level player can visit the bottom five levels—let alone level 0.]

Her words dripped with a mixture of warning and superiority. It didn't sit well with me, but the more she spoke, the more I understood. Whoever she was, whatever power she had once wielded, she wasn't here by choice. This "messenger" wasn't some willing role—she was as bound to this place as I was, perhaps more so. But that didn't change the fact that my rune was still floating there, hanging in the balance. The question gnawed at me—what was I really dealing with here?

"Well, since that rune belongs to my body anyway, can I get it back?" I asked, trying to keep my tone even. "Please?" I added, attempting a polite edge.

There was no response at first. Her gaze shifted lazily toward the rune, her expression unreadable.

[Oh, this rune belongs to your body, alright,] she finally said, her voice low, as if she was humoring me. [But I don't think you're worthy enough to wield it. Unlike other runes, you cannot summon it back—because it's not truly yours.]

Her fingers played idly with the floating rune, her head balanced on her hand, as if considering something far more important than me. [Perhaps I will keep it until its rightful owner appears,] she mused, her tone casual, but with an edge of finality.

"Or perhaps I will have it until the rightful owner appears," I shot back, trying to match her calm. I wasn't about to let her have the last word, especially when I needed that rune. It wasn't just an accessory; it was part of me now.

She smirked, amused by my persistence. [You don't understand the seriousness of this, boy,] she said, her voice firming. [This rune can potentially change fate—when in the right hands, of course. I can see a glimpse of the future, even though my powers are sealed, and what I see is someone wielding this rune. Someone who isn't you.]

Frustration welled within me, a dark tide threatening to drown my resolve. My mind raced. If there was any chance of reclaiming my rune, it had to be through a trade—a bargain that would tip the scales in my favor. "I will free you from this seal if you return the rune," I proposed, my voice steady as I held her gaze.

Her smile widened, shifting from mere amusement to something more sinister, as if my offer had sparked a flicker of intrigue within her. [Free me from this seal? Who? You? Who has barely passed level 0? You're going to free me? Oh, don't make me laugh. If you're going to bluff, at least make it believable.]

"If I don't get that rune back, I'll be stuck here without any means to progress to the next level," I countered, a hint of desperation creeping into my tone.

[Oh? So what? You can be stuck here for all eternity for all I care.]

Her disdain cut deeper than I anticipated, fueling my anger. This witch, with her enchanting appearance and cold demeanor, was testing my limits. "I'm serious. I'll find a way to free you from this seal, even if it costs me my life."

[All means necessary, huh? Well then, let's make a deal. I'll give you this rune, and you can progress to the next level, but there's one condition.]

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach, wariness blooming within me. "What's the condition?"

Her expression morphed into a sly grin, as if she had been waiting for this moment. [If you die before freeing me from this seal, you will transfer the full ownership of the rune to me.]

The implications of her words hung heavy in the air, a bitter taste forming in my mouth. The bargain was dangerous, yet tempting—especially since the rune would be of no use to me if I were dead. "How do I formalize this? Is there a contract?"

[Oh yes,] she said with an unsettling glee. With a wave of her hand, an image materialized in my mind, a contract shimmering with ethereal energy.

Contract of Rune Ownership Transfer

Parties Involved:

Eldric Zephyris

(hereafter referred to as "the Bearer")

Identification: Rune Bearer, Level 0 Player

Lisa Ember

(hereafter referred to as "the Benefactor")

Address: [Location Unknown]

Identification: The Seventh Bearer of the Supreme Conqueror Title

Purpose:

This contract formalizes the agreement between the Bearer and the Benefactor regarding the ownership and control of the Rune known as [...], which possesses significant power and the potential to alter the fabric of fate.

Terms of Agreement:

Ownership Transfer:

The Bearer hereby agrees to transfer full ownership of the Rune to the Benefactor under the condition outlined herein.

Condition of Transfer:

The transfer of ownership will occur upon the following events:

Should the Bearer perish before successfully freeing the Benefactor from her current seal, the ownership of the Rune will automatically and irrevocably pass to the Benefactor. The Bearer acknowledges that the Rune does not belong to him, but rather has chosen him for reasons unknown.

Limitations and Warnings:

The Bearer understands that, until such a time as he fulfills the condition of freeing the Benefactor, he shall not wield the full power of the Rune, and its potential may be compromised. The Bearer acknowledges the gravity of this contract, recognizing that the power of the Rune can significantly affect both his fate and that of the Benefactor.

Binding Nature of the Contract:

This contract is binding and enforceable in all realms and dimensions within the parameters of the game and beyond. The Bearer waives any right to contest the terms or conditions of this contract once agreed upon.

Signature and Acceptance:

By signing this contract, the Bearer affirms his understanding and acceptance of the terms outlined above.

Signed:

Eldric Zephyris

Bearer of the Rune

Lisa Ember

Benefactor

[All you have to do is agree from the bottom of your heart.]

I hesitated, my mind racing through the possible consequences. This was no trivial exchange; the weight of my decision pressed down on me like a suffocating shroud. But the urge to reclaim what was mine overpowered my instincts. "I agree!" I spat out, the words igniting a fire within me.

The moment I uttered those words, a piercing pain shot through my chest, as if my heart had been clamped in a vice.

[Well then, my dear boy, Lisa can't wait until you die.] Her smile turned predatory, and as the light around her intensified, I felt myself being pulled into the abyss once more, the weight of my decision bearing down on my soul. Was the contract a wise decision?

Or a grave mistake.