The Choice

The woman's words echoed through the air: "Come with me, Null." Her voice was soft yet commanding, carrying a weight he couldn't quite comprehend. He stared at her, the tension of the moment thickening the silence between them.

"What?" Null blinked, his mind sluggish, still reeling from the shock of nearly ending his life, only to be pulled back by this stranger.

She didn't immediately answer, her gaze piercing, as if searching for something deep within him. The wind rustled through the trees, the world seeming to hold its breath.

Her gaze softened for a moment, and she stepped closer, her presence almost overwhelming. "Come with me to the underground world, Nexum." Her voice was firm now, tinged with disappointment. "Just throwing your life away like that… pathetic."

Null blinked, still unable to make sense of her words. "What? Nexum? I don't—" He shook his head. "I don't understand."

The woman sighed, her frustration barely hidden. "My name is Selene." Her dark blue hair flowed down her back, her beauty striking, though there was something far more powerful and commanding about her presence. She looked at him intently, as if weighing his very soul.

"I am a Riftwalker," she continued, but then paused, noticing the confusion deepening in his eyes. "You won't understand it right now," she added, her tone softening slightly. "So, in simple terms… we are the ones who go into another world—the mirror world—and kill creatures like that wolf you just saw."

Null's brow furrowed, the information swirling in his head. "I still don't get it… What does that have to do with me?"

Selene glanced briefly over her shoulder, her eyes trailing down to the bottom of the cliff where Null had almost ended his life. "Look down," she instructed, her tone steady.

Null hesitated, then followed her gaze. Below the cliff, hidden beneath many layers of rock and earth, something stirred in the depths of shadow. It wasn't the abyss he had imagined when he was ready to fall—it was something far more complex.

"There is another civilization below this Earth's surface," Selene said quietly, her voice steady. "We call it Nexum. For decades, we've been protecting this world from creatures of another world. The ones you saw, like that wolf, come from beyond our reality. We keep them from crossing into this world and wreaking havoc."

Null's stomach twisted with unease. The words felt too heavy, too impossible. "Another civilization? And you're saying you've been fighting monsters under the surface all this time?"

Selene nodded calmly, her eyes locking onto his. "Exactly."

"Okay, but… why are you telling me this? What does it have to do with me?" Null's voice rose slightly, still caught in disbelief.

Selene's gaze softened as she looked directly at him. "Most people," she explained, "have to be awakened to gain power. It's a process that allows them to tap into their true potential. But you…" she trailed off for a moment, her eyes studying him intensely. "You already have power without even being awakened."

Null felt a cold chill run down his spine. "What? How is that even possible?"

"You're special, Null," she continued, her tone unwavering. "Different from anyone I've ever seen. And whether you understand it or not, that's why I'm here. You're meant for something greater."

Null felt a surge of defiance rise within him. "So, I have a choice, right? I can say no?"

Selene's expression shifted suddenly, a wicked smile curling on her lips. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Of course, if you choose not to come with me… after knowing this much about our world, do you really think you'd just walk away unharmed? That thing you were about to do—throwing yourself off this cliff—oh, that will surely happen. But not in the way you planned. Tortured, broken… until there's nothing left of you but pain. You won't just die. No, you'll wish for death."

Null swallowed hard, dread crawling up his spine as he realized the gravity of the situation. There was no going back.

With a final glance at the cliff he had nearly embraced, he turned back to Selene, uncertainty swirling within him like a storm. And as the moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the path ahead, Null took his first step toward a fate he could not yet comprehend.