Chapter 5 - A New Chance [1]

Come on... The good news is that I'm not in a coffin or in a hospital bed. The bad news, on the other hand, is that... I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I AM!

I look around and all I see is a totally unusual scene, nothing you'd expect in Tokyo... Argh! My hearing seems to have suddenly returned to normal, with my ears popping, as if they were being pressed somehow.

Shuuush!

I can hear the sound of running water all around... Of course, that makes perfect sense. After all, I AM IN A CAVE!

All I see around me are rocks covered in moss and grass. The vegetation has taken over the place, and even the ceiling, which I expected to be formed only by stalactites, is invaded by these plants.

I am indeed in a cave, for some reason. But it definitely doesn't seem like a dream...

- Hm?

Now that I've stopped to realize it, in the literal sense, I can feel my face and my whole body more clearly. Looking down, I realize that I'm in a slightly lower position than before. I don't usually wear heels because of my height, but now I seem to have slimmed down considerably, just like the rest of me.

I'm visibly thinner than before. My legs and arms are thinner, and my belly is much less obvious. But the most noticeable thing is that something has been drastically reduced: my breasts. Even though I've been eating meat and drinking milk since childhood, I can no longer see the fruits of good nutrition and genetics. Damn!

I know, I'm rambling on about my body, but it's impossible to ignore the fact that I'm completely naked. Nothing is covering me, I'm totally exposed. It couldn't be more humiliating!

I've had similar dreams before, and they're usually pleasant, but now that I'm living them, I realize how difficult and shameful it is. Even with no one around, it's still an embarrassing sight.

- Hm?

That's strange. The vegetation around me seems to have been damaged, as if everything has been burned. Wait, does it form a circle? No, it's several circles!

It looks like the vegetation has been burned in a radius of at least ten meters. This made me even more frightened, but also curious. Inside these circles, there are strange inscriptions and symbols. What the hell is that?

This place gives me a bad feeling, so I decide to take a step back. Even though they are circles, they have a peculiar shape: they are round, but with other circles around them, arranged randomly, with inscriptions that I can't understand. Almost all the surrounding vegetation has been destroyed.

Speaking of vegetation, I can detect a peculiar smell. The moss that predominates on the floor of the cave has a strange aroma. It grows between the stones, almost like grass, with some even having leaves. However, the smell is unpleasant, like something that is rotting. It took a while for my sense of smell to return, but now that I'm calmer, I can see that the smell has taken over the air.

As I breathe, the smell softens, as if the air is being purified, but soon it's as strong as before. That's strange. It seems that this plant is being affected by some pest or something is eating away at its roots, causing it to rot like this. Of course, I'm just speculating, as I'm not an expert in botany. Even though I've attended a few lectures on the subject, my knowledge is very basic.

But there's no point in just watching. I decide to satisfy my curiosity right then and there.

One of these plants is very close to my foot. I end up touching it without realizing it. Come to think of it, as I'm barefoot, that could have been a big problem. If these plants are like nettles, I could be experiencing a very severe allergic reaction right now.

The moment I touched the plant with my foot, I didn't feel anything. So I imagine it's safe for the skin. With that in mind, I pulled it out of the ground. When I pulled it out, the root came with it, which was great, because that could confirm my theory about the roots there.

But why am I so curious about plants now? Well, maybe it's because there's not much to do. I've just woken up in a cave, and the options are limited. What else could I do here? Sure, I could try to find a way out, but who knows what's on the other side? I'd have to get out somehow before hunger, thirst or suffocation killed me. The options are few and far between. Dying again... If I did die... it would be a waste of a second chance.

Now that the plant was in my hands, I could observe it better. When I examined it closely, I realized that its hue was more purple, as if it were really toxic. However, at least for my skin, it didn't do me any harm. Its smell... Ugh, it was really bad. Even though it wasn't edible, the smell reminded me a bit of rotten meat. So, is this the type of vegetation that predominates here? That's not good. Maybe it's an incentive for me to look for a way out, because if I stay here, I could end up dying of poisoning.

Shinin~~

- Hmm? Uagh!

My hand started glowing! Did that plant cause it? A green light took over my right palm. As a precaution, I put it down immediately and threw it away. I knew I shouldn't touch it just like that.

I rubbed my hand frantically over my legs, trying to clear the sensation, but the glow wouldn't go away. Does this have some hallucinogenic effect? No... The sensation is very real. It's comfortable, like wearing a velvet glove. It's very warm, but the glow only lasted a short time and soon dissipated.

- But what?

Wait... There's something strange about this plant. I looked at it, not understanding what had happened. Unlike the others, the moment I threw it on the ground, its color suddenly changed.

It changed color little by little, as if a high-quality computer graphics effect was at work. The purple hue turned to a radiant green. Its roots, once black, were now white, as if it were revitalizing itself.

Driven by curiosity, I approached it once again, but more cautiously this time. After checking it out by touching it with the tip of my foot, I realized that it still didn't cause any damage. So I picked it up again, wanting to understand this process better.