Exit

Seven hurriedly made his way into the dark room, his footsteps echoing in the silence as he descended the stairs once more.

The faint light from the room ahead guided his path, growing brighter as he approached the source, the mysterious flame burning in mid-air.

He reached out, swiping his hand above it, and was surprised to find it felt as warm as a real fire.

Curious, he tried to blow it out, but the flame remained undisturbed, floating steadily in place.

Determined, he pushed the tip of his dagger into the fire. The blade soon turned a bright red, glowing with intense heat. 

As he watched the dagger's red-hot glow, an idea sparked in his mind. His gaze shifted to the nearby dead body of the beast. The heat from the dagger and the creature's remains triggered a sudden realization, His mind raced, considering the possibilities of what he could do next.

Seven was hungry, he hadn't eaten breakfast, and now he regretted refusing his sister Rain's offer. His stomach growled loudly as he recalled his vague memory of a hunting show, where he'd seen a hunter cook a beast's remains over a fire.

Though he had a rough idea of how it worked, he'd never actually done it before. But the thought of eating the beast's remains right now didn't sit well with him, so he pushed the idea aside.

His hunger and confusion gnawed at him, and as he climbed the stairs, he realized he wasn't some great intellectual; he was just an average guy, trying his best to survive.

As he reached the top, something caught his eye.

A circuit, faint but visible, was engraved on the floor beneath the opened balcony door. Seven froze, staring at it.

"Is this what summoned me?" he muttered to himself, confused.

The place seemed abandoned for years, and there was no one nearby. He looked around, trying to make sense of it. "But who activated this?"

A sudden thought struck him.

The flame that hadn't died underground and the strange, unfinished circuit,it was all connected somehow.

He shuddered at the thought, but didn't vocalize it. He had seen the green hues in the air earlier, and now he wondered if that was what novels called 'mana.' The realization hit him,this place was filled with it, and perhaps that's why the fire underground wouldn't go out.

Feeling uneasy, he hurriedly covered his nose and entered the pub room. With a swift motion, he began patting the darkness beyond the door with his dagger, just in case there were stairs.

As expected, he felt the outline of stairs leading further down.

Seven crawled backward down the stairs, keeping his body low and his eyes scanning the narrow surroundings.

He made sure to stay alert, listening for any unusual sounds. As he moved, his mind raced, still trying to piece together what was happening around him.

Soon, he reached a hall. It was slightly higher than the beast room downstairs, which made him think the beast room might be deep underground while this hall was at ground level.

Relief washed over him when he spotted a faint glimmer of light coming through a keyhole. Maybe It was the long-awaited exit he had been hoping for.

Without wasting a moment, he hurried toward it, feeling a surge of excitement.

Kneeling down, he carefully peered through the keyhole, eager to see what lay beyond.

Seven peered through the keyhole, his heart pounding with anticipation.

On the other side, he could see a lush, green world stretching out before him. The vibrant plants were bathed in a soft, ethereal green glow that seemed to pulse in the air.

It was beautiful, yet unfamiliar, almost otherworldly.

He wondered what kind of place this was, and whether it was safe to venture beyond the door.

The air itself felt charged with energy, and a faint hum echoed in the background, as though the very environment was alive with magic.

To be sure there was no immediate danger, Seven knocked on the door three times, his eyes darting around to check for any signs of movement beyond.

Silence answered him.

He waited for a few moments longer, still listening for any sound, any sign of life. When nothing happened, he relaxed slightly, taking a step back from the door.

His hands grasped the handle, and he pulled with all his might, but the door wouldn't budge. He gave it another try, tugging at the door with frustration, but it remained firmly in place.

After a moment of hesitation, he shifted his approach. Taking a deep breath, he pushed against the door with both hands and this time it creaked slowly open, groaning as if protesting the movement. A sliver of light sliced into the dark room, revealing the world beyond. 

Seven stepped cautiously over the threshold, his breath catching as he fully emerged into the open air.

The cool, fresh air felt like a welcome relief against the stifling atmosphere he had just left.

His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings.

Before him lay a street lined with broken, weathered cobblestones, a road that seemed pulled straight from the pages of history, like something from medieval Europe.

The buildings surrounding him were old, their walls cracked and worn, but they held a certain charm, a relic from another time.

He took a cautious step forward, instinctively moving on tiptoe as if to avoid drawing attention.

The world outside seemed eerily quiet, as though it too was holding its breath.

Seven's gaze shifted to the right side of the street, where the greenery spilled over into the road, its leaves rustling softly in the breeze.

His heart sank as he noticed something out of place, something dark. His eyes narrowed, and his body tensed as he observed the area more closely. 

The quiet unease that had been building inside him grew stronger.

His expression darkened as he saw the ruins of houses, their walls crumbling and lifeless, as old as the forgotten memories of this place.

They didn't belong to the peaceful scene he had imagined.

The silence felt heavy and oppressive, and the stillness around him was unsettling. Everything seemed too quiet, too deliberate as if the remnants of these once-thriving structures were waiting for something, or someone, to stir them back to life. 

Seven's breath quickened as his eyes darted over the eerie landscape.

The distant ruins, the decay, it all seemed wrong. A sense of foreboding gripped him tightly, the beauty of the place now twisted in his mind. What had seemed like a tranquil, untouched world now felt like a hollow, fragile shell, waiting to collapse under the weight of something unspeakable. 

He swallowed hard, realizing with a sinking feeling that this place, so beautiful and alluring at first, was not as safe as it appeared.

The reality of the situation settled in. Whatever lay beyond those broken structures, whatever forces lingered in this strange world, wasn't something he could easily escape.