Trapped in game - 02

Kalandra, or rather Lucian now, gasped. His body was unfamiliar and heavy, lying on the cold, wet ground. The stench of blood coming from his own body began to waft in, though he felt very strange; this body felt so real, different from the game avatar he was used to controlling. The rain was still falling heavily, soaking his hair and tattered clothes. Around him, the ruins of Hale Castle looked even more devastated than what he saw in the game. Boulders were scattered about, some submerged in dark, muddy puddles. The air was bone-chillingly cold, and the wind blew strongly, carrying the scent of wet earth and blood. The dim light of the moon broke through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the horrifying scene.

He looked around, his eyes still trying to adjust to the darkness. Something felt different, "Isn't this the final area in the main story quest? But why does everything feel... stopped?" Time seemed to freeze. Not even the sound of rain could be heardThe eerie silence enveloped the ruins of the castle, adding to the fear and confusion that overcame him. He tried to get up, but his body felt weak and painful. The wound on his chest stung, and every movement was painful. "I... am I really Lucian hale now?" he muttered, his voice hoarse and weak. He felt a growing panic, realizing that this was no longer a game, but a terrifying reality.

The transparent screen was still there, hovering beside him, displaying statistics that he did not understand at all. HP: 5/120; Mana: 0/50 . The numbers looked vague and flickering, as if they were about to disappear. "What is this stat? Why is it so bad, even worse than the player's starting stat?!" He compared it to his character's stats in the game.

As a player who had spent many hours in the game, he knew very well how strong his character was at the beginning of the game. These stats were much lower, almost dying. This wasn't just weak, it was alarming. He didn't even have the mana to use magic, something that was supposed to be Lucian's main strength in the game. "System error?" he muttered, trying to find a logical explanation. However, fear and confusion overcame him. This wasn't just an ordinary game error.

"Players can't see enemy stats other than Hit points," he remembered. In games, enemy statistical information is always hidden, except for life points (HP). Only the enemy's HP is visible, the rest is a mystery. "Since Lucian was the villain in the last main story quest, I thought he had crazy stats," he continued, recalling how difficult it was to defeat Lucian in the game. Lucian should have an amazing ability, not weak stats like this. This sharp contrast between expectation and reality further amplified her disbelief and panic. He needs to figure out what's really going on, and how to get back to reality. Or at least, how to survive.

A whispered voice sounded in his ear, "Welcome Kalandra, or should I call you Lucian now?" The voice sounded amused, like someone enjoying a private joke.

Kalandra tried to answer, but only a hoarse, weak voice came out. "W-who... are you?"

"Me? I am the architect of this reality, the keeper of the game, and now... the happy spectator," the voice replied, sounding cold and emotionless. "You have been chosen, Kalandra, to experience the real thing. Not just as a player, but as part of the story itself."

"What... do you mean?" Kalandra tried to sit up, but his body was still too weak, every movement felt like a stabbing wound in her chest. Fresh blood flowed from his lips again.

"You have spent countless hours playing as Kalandra, destroying Lucian over and over again. Now, you are him. Feel it, live it, die-it's all part of a much bigger game than you can imagine." The voice echoed around him, as if it came from everywhere and simultaneously from nirvana.

"Oh my, I just realized something," the cold voice-the voice claiming to be the architect-said, his tone sounding slightly surprised, as if he himself was also confused by the situation. "Unexpected variables... unpredictable changes... this is much more complicated than I expected."

"You shouldn't be here right now," the voice continued, its tone slightly more panicked. "Is the system experiencing a bug? I need to check the logs... this is out of protocol."

"I don't know, damn it..." Kalandra muttered to himself, frustration and despair mounting. He felt weak and alone, trapped in a terrible and unexpected situation. His body felt heavy, the wound on his chest stung, and he was desperately thirsty.

"Gosh, I really hate repeating myself," The voice sounded like it was complaining. "Well, the point is as I said before..." The voice began to fade, growing fainter and farther away, like the whisper of wind carried away by heavy rain.

Time passed again, Kalandra-or rather Lucian-lay on the cold, wet ground, battered by the downpour. Rainwater soaked the wound on his chest, adding to the stinging pain. He tried to recall the previous events, the conversation with the mysterious voice, and the declining stats.

"Oh yeah, there should be Cedric, the main character," Lucian muttered, his voice hoarse and weak. "He was supposed to appear after I was defeated, to provide closing dialog and... bad ending notifications. But... where is he?" An eerie silence fell over the castle ruins, accompanied only by the roar of rain and wind. "Is this the scene after the bad ending notification? An extra cutscene that isn't in the game?" He felt even more confused.

"Dream, this must be a dream..." Lucian tried to convince himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, hoping that when he opened them, he would be back in his room, in front of his phone screen. However, when he opened eyes, he was still in the dark and wet castle ruins, with stinging wounds and a weak body.

"Ah, no... my eyes are closing," he whispered, his voice almost inaudible. Exhaustion and pain overcame him. "This is really a nightmare... I hope... I wake up soon..." Lucian closed his eyes, feeling his body grow weak, and his consciousness began to fade. The rain was still falling heavily, drenching his helpless body, while the darkness engulfed him slowly.

[Initiating synchronization]

[Time will repeat]

[Synchronization complete]

Lucian's eyes opened slowly. Faint light penetrated hir eyelids, not the moonlight as before, but the dim morning sunlight through the dense foliage. He found himself lying on a soft bed, wrapped in crisp white sheets. The fragrant smell of flowers filled his senses. He rubbed his eyes, feeling a little dizzy, then tried to sit up. His body felt lighter and fresher.

"My phone, where's my phone..." he muttered, his hand reaching to the bedside, looking for his phone. He had to check if what he experienced earlier was just a dream. Or if he was still in the game. The anxiety and confusion were still there, even though he felt much better physically. His hand reached under the pillow, beside the bed, but his phone was not there.

He cast his eyes around the room. The small table in the corner was neatly arranged with a vase of fresh flowers and an old, worn-looking book. There wasn't a single item she recognized. No game posters, no laptop, no traces of the Kalandra life she was used to. There was only simplicity and a soothing calm. However, it was precisely that calmness that made her even more confused.

"No way... this isn't my room..." he stood up, stepping slowly towards the window, which was made of old wood that glistened in the morning sunlight. When he opened the window, a gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of flowers and green leaves. He looked at the beautiful garden outside. It was filled with colorful flowers blooming, from delicate red roses to bright yellow sunflowers. Bees were busy flying among the flowers, and the chirping of birds sounded melodious, creating a soothing symphony of nature.

"Could this be..." Lucian muttered, the sound almost inaudible, but it was enough to make himself flinch.

Just as he was pondering this, a soft knock on the door was heard. "Young Master, I apologize for being rude again today, but I need to check-" the voice of a middle-aged man came from behind the door. The door opened slowly, revealing a man with greying hair and dressed in neat clothes, like a servant. The man looked surprised to see Lucian standing by the window, his originally friendly face turning worried.

"Young Master, no matter how bad your life is, don't do such a ridiculous thing!!!" The man exclaimed, his voice sounding panicked. He seemed to be hurriedly approaching Lucian. Lucian was stunned. "Eh?" he didn't understand what was happening. He could only stare at the man with a confused look.

The middle-aged man suddenly knelt down, hugging Lucian's legs. "Young Master , if you feel lonely, I am here. So, don't do that unkind act. I will always accompany you." His voice trembled, showing great panic.

Lucian was getting more and more confused. "umm... sorry. Who are you...?" he asked, his voice still sounding a little hoarse, but his tone sounded calmer. He felt that something very strange was happening, and he had to find out what was really going on.