Call of the Void

Two hollow ceilings above stared at him, reminding Hyde of the Phantasm's purple 'eyes.'

Closing his eyes, the voice of his breath began filling his head. His chest rose and fell in rhythm with his quickened heartbeat.

A shallow cut wound left its mark on Hyde's forehead, crimson liquids slowly dripping to each side of the temples and to the floor. Others trickled between his eyes, forming a line that split and making it seem like his face was cracked.

The pain surged from the wound several seconds later.

But with the adrenaline dissipated and exhaustion seeping in, even raising his arm to wipe the blood was becoming difficult.

Soon after, not caring about the place and safety, Hyde allowed his consciousness to rest. At that moment, even if he was attacked while he was asleep, he would not complain.

Hyde didn't experience a fleeting sensation this time. Instead, when he opened his eyes again, it felt like only a second had passed.

Supported by his elbows, Hyde calmly got up and positioned himself into a sitting pose. One hand rested on his knee, and the other wiped the dried blood on his face with a sleeve.

Sighing, he glanced behind his shoulder and was immediately assaulted by a ray of sunlight.

Hyde quickly covered his eyes and squinted. After adjusting to the light, he crawled to the edge and observed the cityscape.

The ruined city stretched before him, bathed in the sun. Sharp, jagged shadows danced across the abandoned streets. Twisted metal and shattered glass littered the ground while vines crept through cracks. A massive collapsing road a hundred meters to the left completed the atmosphere of the ruins, presenting itself like a bottomless abyss.

Hyde would have fallen into that very pit if he were to keep walking in the dark last night.

'...Last night?'

Realizing something was amiss, Hyde stood and squinted at the bright sky.

'It seems like other than knowing how to swing a sword, everything I've learned in the game is useless for now.'

At least until he verified the knowledge he gained from the game, though so far, the little Phantasm from last night had similar characteristics to what he knew.

Other than that, everything seemed to be different from how it was supposed to be; for instance, the heavy and cold atmosphere radiated from the Resonance Crystal; the broken stairs connecting the third and fourth floor; daylight in the Mirage-influenced area; the absence of the Phantasms roaming the abandoned city yet, instead of a hidden Phantasm, it was a weaker one that appeared; and lastly, the massive hole Hyde had never seen in the central border.

Through the existence of the collapsing road, Hyde had learned that maybe it was not the central border all along.

This thought surfaced because there was no sign of the hidden Phantasm, a discrepancy in where the broken stairs should be, and the presence of a low-level Phantasm and the Resonance Crystal on the second floor.

As for why he felt pressured by the Resonance Crystal and saw the sun hanging above this city, Hyde hadn't found the answers yet.

Return of Nightingale was a game with a perfect immersiveness level. The simulation it brought was similar to how it was in real life. It had a cycle of day and night. Because it had that, Hyde found himself confused when he noticed the sun shining in the city's sky.

Any territory plagued by the Mirage's influence would not be able to see sunlight... at least, that was the case in the game.

All the information he got since waking up in this world led to three answers: Either he arrived at the wrong time or at the wrong place, or maybe both.

But nothing was certain yet. All answers could be wrong.

'For now, there were too many unknowns. Too many contradictions. And nowhere to start unraveling them.'

Shaking his head, Hyde pushed the thoughts from his head and started exploring the entire fifth floor for valuables instead.

Less thinking, more doing.

He used this chance to get more information, relying on his memory to locate the valuable loot.

'There should be one on the fifth floor.'

Contrary to his expectations, Hyde could not find it. In fact, he did not find any loot. The fifth floor was barren with nothing but junk.

'Hmm...'

The image of the collapsing road came into his thoughts, but Hyde quickly dismissed it.

After the search, Hyde was convinced that his assumption about it being the central border was wrong. However, he still wanted to hoard valuables for a living if he ever escaped this damned place.

Sadly, every floor except the second was empty—there wasn't even a single Phantasm in the building, let alone any loot. The only valuable item in that building was the Resonance Crystal.

Standing at the entrance of the break room, Hyde stared at the crystalline cube from afar. Its shape was as he remembered it.

The chilly atmosphere bit his skin even from the distance. Cold sweats flooded his back even if the heavy pressure was not present. But shivers still ran down his spine when the memory resurfaced.

The room twisted, distorted, and pulled toward the crystalline cube. The world was stretched like a piece of fabric that would rip.

His mind screamed danger. But Hyde walked toward the cube.

His body became sluggish, and each step became heavier when he got close to the Resonance Crystal. Hyde extended his hand, trying to reach the shining crystal. It got distorted and twisted like the world around him.

Hyde didn't feel pain, let alone surprised.

He was three steps away from reaching it. But those remaining steps were difficult to perform.

The first step took an eternity. The second took another. Then, the third step... wasn't coming.

The world disappeared. Replacing it was darkness.

The sound of his heartbeat vanished from his head. His body lost its weight. No, he lost his body. Only his vision and hearing remained.

Two gleaming orbs reflected off the crystal surfaces, gradually losing their blue colors. When he realized it, the crystalline cube had turned grey.

Was it always grey from the beginning? Hyde could not remember.

Left and right, Hyde tried to look around. But no matter the direction, the crystalline cube was always in front of him.

Maybe he wasn't actually moving his gaze around? Could he even move when he didn't have a body?

Strangely, Hyde wasn't freaking out. Instead, he felt comfortable, as if he was at home. So, he closed his eyes.

When he did so, Hyde caught on to a conversation.

"No. Not yet."

However, it stopped as soon as he heard it.

"Oh? How audacious. A fledgling reaching for the stars before learning to stand."

"He has the right to be here; that much is clear. But this is not how it's meant to be."

"You have heard them, child. We, too, wish to meet you, but this moment is not yet yours to claim. You have much to learn. Return when you have proven yourself worthy.

"Still, I must give you something for the effort. A small gift. You shall find it when you awaken."

"Not that he'll remember any of this."

"Fufu... until we meet again."