That night, he had another dream.
It wasn't like the others this one felt too real.
He saw himself dying.
A shadow piercing his chest.
Blood. Pain. Silence.
And then... darkness.
He woke up gasping for air, drenched in sweat. His heart pounded like a drum in an empty room.
He grabbed his phone the strange app now read:
"28 Days Remaining."
A new tab had appeared.
[MISSION: SURVIVE THE BLACK BEAST]
To enter the trial zone, focus all your thoughts on:
"Abandoned Town" and "Black Beast."
Only those who truly desire the path may enter.
He stared at the screen.
"What the hell is a Black Beast...?"
Still shaken, he rushed through breakfast, barely tasting a bite.
He sat down, closed his eyes, and tried to follow the instructions.
But an invisible force pushed him back like something rejecting him.
His vision blurred.
Strange images flashed in his mind. Screams. Chains. Eyes watching him.
He lost focus and collapsed to the floor.
He ran to Akira, his friend the one who always seemed to know things he shouldn't.
Akira listened calmly, then said:
"It's not that simple. You're trying to jump into another layer of reality." "Meditation helps stabilize your soul before you enter."
He paused, then added:
"The mind must be stronger than fear."
That answer left Kairo uneasy.
He glanced sideways.
"Why do you know all this? We only met online..."
Akira smiled too casually.
"Come on, this is just common sense... isn't it?"
But doubt lingered.
That evening, Kairo found himself in a quiet field surrounded by trees nature's silence calming his nerves.
He sat down.
Closed his eyes.
Breathed in.
He began to meditate, slowly sinking into focus.
The fear tried to claw back in... but this time, he didn't run.
He embraced it.
Suddenly, the air cracked. His vision twisted.
And his body teleported.
When he opened his eyes, he was in a ruined town.
Abandoned buildings. Broken glass. Wind howling like ghosts.
His heart thudded in his chest.
Then a voice:
"Took you long enough."
It was him the anonymous swordsman.
Standing calmly, training in silence under a half-broken streetlight.
Kairo stepped forward, shaky.
"What is this place? What's the Black Beast?"
But before he could finish
Time stopped.
He gasped choking.
Something was crushing his chest.
Like an unseen force was squeezing the life out of him.
You're not ready for the truth," the man's voice echoed faintly.
The pain vanished.
And the world shifted.
He opened his eyes again back in his room.
Only seconds had passed in the real world.
But... something had changed. He could feel it.
Then a message from the app:
"Your test begins at midnight. Prepare to survive."
That night, at 12:00 AM, he appeared in the same abandoned town.
But this time...
He wasn't alone.
A girl stood across the street silver-haired, calm eyes, holding a glowing spear.
She turned toward him, and without saying a word, smiled.
A mysterious aura surrounded her.
Was she... an enemy?
Or someone sent to guide him?
⚔️ Chapter End.