The harsh glare of a computer screen lit the dim room. Clothes and crumpled papers were scattered across the floor while empty cups of instant noodles cluttered the desk. The once-white bed sheets were stained with coffee. Plaster was tearing off the walls, damaged by a slow leak from upstairs. 

And sitting in the middle of that mess was me – a pretty good-looking black-haired Asian dude, pulling at his hair as he stared wide-eyed at the computer screen.

I fucked up

Shit! Shit! Shit! 

I knew it was shady! Damn it.

You must be confused – what the hell did this guy do to be freaking out like this?

Let me back up.

It all started last night.

I was on my semester break and had nothing to do. And obviously, I wasn’t about to go to bed early. 

That was a mistake.

I went on my PC and watched a couple of game streams when I got a notification for a chat request. It was from ‘System’.

After countless sleepless nights of assignments and exams, I was bored out of my mind and needed some form of entertainment– some excitement in my life. So I decided to check it out and it turned out to be an ad.

We need you!

The author is unable to continue with a chosen story (he’s dead) but the system cannot accept this.

YOU have been selected to help it reach the ending.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Click on the link to learn more.

Well, I gotta hand it to them. It is pretty creative. Though I guess most clickbaits are.

And that was it, the ad was oddly simple though unique. There were no flashy colors, or provocative pictures – just plain text urging me to help. 

Honestly, on any other day, I would’ve ignored it, maybe deleted it. Heck if I was in the mood I’d even report it! But at the time, something felt different. It could be the monotony of my daily routine since I had nothing better to do. Maybe I needed some thrill, something to give me an edge. And since this opportunity presented itself I thought why the heck not? 

There was this urge to go for it. A heat surged through me, as I recalled all the horror stories I’d heard of people losing their data, their identities, in extreme enough cases…their sanity. Because of one mistake – clicking a shady link. My gut twisted at the exhilaration. Am I an idiot? I wondered but a small voice at the back of my mind egged me on, guiding me toward my doom.

There was also a sense of familiarity about it. Then it hit me. A couple of days ago, I received a weird email from a Sender named ‘System’ with the subject ‘Chosen’. Back then, I’d deleted it without a second thought. A shiver ran down my spine as I realized this wasn’t just a coincidence. But I still didn’t stop.

My palms sweated hovering over the mouse, edging closer. My heart pounded in my ears. I shouldn’t. My finger twitched. 

The stale air hung heavy with the smell of old instant noodles and damp plaster. The clock loudly ticked as if counting down the last moments before a disaster. The dim light cast long shadows turning the clutter into ominous shadows staring down at me as I sat there, about to fuck my life up.

I really shouldn’t give in. But, what’s the worst that could happen? A virus? A hacker? So, what? It’s not that big of a deal…

I clicked it.

I really should not have done that.

The screen turned black. My eyes widened as I frantically stood up, banging on it. The realization immediately washed over me. I messed up. I did. Because what happened next proved that this was the biggest fuck-up I’ve had in my 20 years of living.

My hands trembled, sweat dripping down my face. ‘No, no. Come on, work!’

As if responding to my call, the screen flashed. I broke into a cold sweat, my pulse racing as I stared at the screen. My heart skipped a beat as the screen flickered for a few seconds before a video popped up, the gory contents scaring the crap out of me. 

It was an aerial view of the scene of dirt ground with a white figure lying in the middle of a red carpet. The video closed up to show it was a pale man, his face splattered with blood, breathing heavily as an arrow protruded from his chest. Long slashes and scorch marks covered his body. Crimson liquid flowed down his gaping wound. He was barely clinging to life, yet he tightly clutched a long sword, until his knuckles were white. It seemed as if he refused to give up. The silver blade was stained, dripping dark red, from an unknown enemy. A tear slid down from the corner of his eye, as he stared blankly at something above.

He struggled to choke out, ‘N-no. H-help.’

He slowly turned his head, his eyes wide and desperate seeming to look on to mine. A chill ran down my spine. It was weird, it felt like I could feel it. His pain…his fear. My breath hitched, as a dangerous thought came up. This wasn’t just some video–it felt real. Too real.

Panic set in as I tried to shut it down but the cursor was stuck. The video kept playing, the man’s breath becoming fainter as the blood kept gushing out. The scene grew more gruesome by the second, his life slowly draining away before my eyes. I frantically tapped the keyboard, trying to exit the screen but nothing worked. It seemed as if the computer locked me in, forcing me to watch. My heart pounded, each beat echoing in my ears, sweat dripping down. This isn’t right. Something’s wrong here. 

A figure seemed to appear standing over the man, its huge shadow looming over his body. I couldn’t continue watching, I stood up resolving to destroy this shit. I picked up my chair, ready to fling it at the screen.

Then, the screen turned black and a text appeared,  

WILL YOU SAVE HIM OR WATCH HIM DIE?

‘Fuck.’

To be continued…

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Thank You For Reading ^_^