Chapter 3: The Red Moon’s Gaze

I ran, my bare feet slapping against the cold ground as I pushed forward through the maze of junk piles. The clattering of metal echoed around me, and my breathing was ragged, but I didn't dare slow down. I couldn't afford to.

The voices behind me were growing faint, but I wasn't safe yet. Panic surged through my mind, but strangely, it didn't take hold of me like it should have. My heart beat steadily, my thoughts were sharp, and I didn't feel the overwhelming sense of dread I expected.

Is this because of the skill? I wondered briefly, but the thought was cut off as I skidded to a halt.

In front of me was a wall of twisted metal strings, intertwined so tightly that not even a rat could slip through. It stretched high into the air, far beyond what I could hope to climb.

A dead end.

"Ah, what should I do...?" I muttered, glancing frantically around. There was no other way through, no gaps, no hidden path.

Before I could come up with a plan, the sound of footsteps echoed behind me again. I pressed myself against the metal wall, straining to hear.

"You think the last one will last longer this time?" one voice asked, his tone casual yet laced with cruelty.

"Doubt it," another replied, laughing softly. "They always die too quickly. But if we don't catch more kids, the lab's going to lose progress."

A third voice chimed in, sounding more impatient. "Hurry up. We need at least one more to make this batch work."

My stomach churned at their words. They're experimenting on children? Killing them?

The horror of it all was enough to make me want to scream, but I forced myself to stay silent. I couldn't let them find me.

Without another option, I dove behind a towering pile of junk, crouching low to keep out of sight. My body pressed against the cold, sharp edges of discarded metal and plastic. My heart thudded steadily in my chest. No fear, no panic—it was unnatural, but I couldn't dwell on it now.

The night had fallen completely, and the world around me was cloaked in darkness. I tilted my head up, hoping to find some comfort in the stars. But what I saw made my breath hitch.

The moon wasn't normal.

It was red.

A deep, blood-red moon hung in the sky, glowing ominously. And around it danced streaks of shimmering light—auroras, beautiful and unnatural. The sky seemed untouched by pollution, the clarity of the spectacle mesmerizing.

For a moment, I forgot where I was, lost in the eerie beauty of the night.

But then, a cold, mechanical ding echoed in my mind, breaking the trance.

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[DING! Host has been polluted by the Nightmare Entity: The Red Moon.]

(Due to the skill Resilience, the effects of pollution have been removed.)

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"What the heck?" I whispered, the words barely audible as I stared at the notification. Polluted? By the moon?

I felt a chill run down my spine. Something clicked in my mind, a memory resurfacing like a floodgate opening.

The Red Moon...

This world—it was eerily similar to a game I used to play. Eclipse of Eternity. I'd spent countless hours playing it, trying to distract myself from my own nightmares. It was a dark, twisted world filled with eldritch horrors, entities that defied logic, and cults that worshipped them.

The Red Moon was one of the most dangerous entities in the game. Its presence alone could drive people insane, corrupting their minds and bodies. Those who gazed upon it too long would become puppets, tools for the entity's unfathomable will.

And then there was the Eclipse.

The game always ended the same way: the moon consumed the sun, plunging the world into eternal darkness. The lower entities would rise, wreaking havoc, and humanity would be wiped out. No matter how many times I played, the outcome was always the same.

My hands curled into fists. "Why does this always happen to me?" I muttered bitterly.

Frustration bubbled inside me, and before I could stop myself, I lashed out. It was an old, bad habit of mine—kicking something when I was angry.

My foot connected with a piece of junk on the ground, and it flew through the air, clattering loudly against the metal. The sound was deafening in the silence.

I froze, my eyes widening in horror.

The object I kicked didn't just hit a pile of trash—it hit one of the men.

"Ack! What the hell?" a voice grunted, followed by a sharp intake of breath.

Panic surged in my chest, but my body didn't betray it. I pressed myself harder against the pile of junk, praying they wouldn't find me.

"Did you hear that?" one of the men asked, his tone sharp.

"Yeah," another replied, a hint of irritation in his voice. "Someone's here. Probably one of those damn kids."

The first man chuckled darkly. "Lucky us. Let's find them. The lab will be pleased if we bring back another one."

Their footsteps grew louder, drawing closer to my hiding spot. My mind raced, trying to come up with a plan, but my body remained unnervingly calm.

The skill... it's keeping me from panicking, I realized. But even with a clear mind, I couldn't see a way out.

The men were almost upon me, their shadows stretching across the ground as they searched the area.

I held my breath, my body pressed tightly against the cold metal.

If they found me, I knew one thing for sure: I wouldn't be leaving this junkyard alone...

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End of Chapter 3