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The twisted forest loomed behind me like a lurking predator as I walked along the riverbank.
Fuuu finally I’m not deep in that fucked up forest…ughhh yeah not entering this place anytime soon…let’s hope the fragment is not pointing back in..
The soft babble of the river beside me was a comfort, though the faint echoes of clicking and grinding still lingered in the back of my mind.
I reached into my pouch and pulled out the runic fragment, holding it loosely in my palm. Its dull glow flared faintly, the faint pull stronger than before. I could feel it directing me, like an invisible hand tugging at my mind, guiding me along the river’s edge.
“Alright,” I muttered, tucking the fragment away as I scanned my surroundings. “At least I’m moving in the right direction.”
Hmmm~la….hymmm mmm
I walked for hours with nothing but humming to myself and for once in a while enjoying the calm scenery, the sun dipping lower into the horizon as the air grew cooler.
By the time twilight blanketed the landscape, I’d caught a few fish with makeshift traps I’d set up earlier. The small victories felt like a luxury in this strange, hostile world.
Settling by the river, I gathered wood and lit a bonfire, the flames crackling softly in the quiet night. I skewered the fish on sharp sticks and placed them above the fire, watching as their silver skins turned golden-brown. The aroma wafted through the air, pulling a small, tired smile from my lips.
“Finally, something that doesn’t smell like death,” I muttered, poking at the fish to turn them.
Mmhmmm fish tastes so good and is something that is actually juicy..
The night passed uneventfully—a rare blessing. After eating my fill and storing the remaining fish in my pack, I leaned back against a flat rock, letting the warmth of the fire lull me into a light sleep.
The next morning, I woke to the sun casting long shadows over the riverbank. Stretching, I rolled my shoulders and got to work with a basic exercise routine.
Push-ups, stretches, and shadow drills with my swords—all necessary to keep my body sharp and my mind grounded.
After a quick breakfast of leftover fish, I pulled out the runic fragment again. Its glow was brighter now, the pull sharper, more insistent. I stood there for a moment, feeling the fragment’s energy like a pulse in my hand. It was leading me somewhere, that much was certain.
"Guess it’s time," I said, sighing heavily as I sheathed my swords.
The pull guided me away from the riverbank, deep into the forest once more. This time, the path was quieter, the foliage less oppressive. But the unease never left me. My swords remained in my hands as I moved carefully, keeping low and silent.
Hours passed as I followed the fragment’s guidance, its pull growing stronger with every step. Eventually, the forest thinned out, and I found myself in a small clearing.
That’s when I saw it.
In front of me stood a massive stone monument, partially buried in the earth and overgrown with moss and vines. It towered over the clearing, ancient and imposing, its surface etched with intricate, alien symbols that seemed to pulse faintly with energy.
The feeling hit me like a punch to the gut.
Huh…this feeling and energy signature…feels I’ve seen it before…
I froze, my gaze locked on the monument as a wave of familiarity washed over me. The energy radiating from the structure was suffocating, its weight pressing down on my chest like an iron hand.
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“Why does this feel so… familiar?” I whispered, gripping the runic fragment tightly.
The fragment burned hot in my hand, its glow syncing with the monument’s energy, the two forces resonating with each other. Exira flared within me without warning, wild and untamed, as the memories surfaced.
NO.NO NO…haaaaaaa breathe in Lexi…calm…fuck goddammit
I staggered, biting down on my lip as a sharp pain shot through my head. My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms until I felt the wet warmth of blood seeping between my fingers.
“Why?!” I shouted, my voice breaking the silence of the clearing.
The question escaped me again, louder this time, tinged with a desperation I couldn’t fully understand.
“Why?! Why?! WHY?!”
Each word tore itself from my throat as though screaming would force the monument to answer. My chest heaved with ragged breaths, and the air around me grew heavy with the crackling of energy. Exira surged to level 3, the strain ripping through my body as lightning arced across my arms and flames crackled at my fingertips.
Fuhh fuhhh…damn it….
The darkness wrapped around me like a suffocating shroud, endless and inescapable. My mind spiraled further, fractured under the weight of emotions I couldn’t control.
Anger, grief, confusion—they swirled together in a storm that threatened to pull me under completely.
And then, a chill.
It started faint, like a whisper at the back of my neck, before spreading outward. The coldness cut through the chaos, sharp and grounding, like ice piercing through boiling water. I felt it seep into my thoughts, silencing the erratic storm as my senses began to steady.
My earring.
The faint glow of its enchantment pulsed lightly against my skin, a constant, calming presence. It didn’t scream or roar like the monument or Exira—it was subtle, precise, and unyielding. The chill anchored me, pulling me back from the edge of whatever abyss I had almost fallen into.
My breathing slowed, the flames and lightning flickering out as Exira receded to a manageable hum. My hands dropped from my head as I blinked, my vision clearing to reveal the clearing once more. The monument stood tall in front of me, unchanged and unrelenting.
My gaze hardened as the last tendrils of chaos faded into cold clarity.
Without thinking, I clenched my fists and surged forward.
My knuckles collided with the cold stone, the sharp impact sending a jolt up my arm. Pain flared instantly, but I didn’t care. Again, I punched, the force of my blow sending small cracks spidering out along the surface.
Blood seeped from my battered knuckles, staining the ancient carvings as I hit the monument again and again.
"Why?!" I snarled, my voice raw as I slammed my fist against the unyielding surface.
The world around me was silent except for the sound of my fists striking stone. The pain in my hands was a dull echo compared to the anger burning in my chest. The monument didn’t answer, of course—it just stood there, indifferent.
It wasn’t until my strength began to ebb that I finally stopped, my chest heaving with every breath. I stared at the bloodied surface of the monument, my vision blurring as the rage slowly gave way to exhaustion.
As the haze cleared, I finally noticed the carvings more clearly. The intricate symbols, the faint pulsing energy—it wasn’t just a monument.
It was a gate.
"A dungeon, a mf dungeon," I muttered, my voice barely audible. The words felt foreign on my tongue.
I stared at it, my mind slowly piecing together the realization that had been clawing at me for days. The runic fragment, the unfamiliar power systems, the twisted landscape, the strange creatures...
I wasn’t in a dungeon.
The truth hit me like a sledgehammer.
I wasn’t even in my own world.
I felt the weight of it settle on my chest, cold and unrelenting. All the hints had been there—the elves, the mutation essence, the strange physics of this place—but I had ignored them, clinging to the hope that I’d find an answer within some grand dungeon.
But this wasn’t a dungeon. This was something else entirely.
“Fuck,” I whispered, the word trembling on my lips. “I’m in a different world.”
The sky above was darkening now, streaks of crimson and orange fading into the encroaching night. A single tear slipped down my face, unbidden, as the full weight of my isolation settled over me.
For the first time, I truly understood how far I was from everything I had ever known.
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