“What is this place... hidden inside the ruins?” Ryu murmured.

His eyes scanned the scenery. In between dew-covered bushes and tangled vines was a small cave entrance. Two tombstones stood at the threshold like silent guards. Ryu crouched beside one of them, trying to read the carvings on its surface. The symbols moved slightly under his gaze, bending like fluid. Whatever language they belonged to—it was ancient and beyond recognition.

Further in, the ground changed. Polished stones glowed faintly, scattered around like pieces of a puzzle. Some reflected the moonlight like steel, others hummed softly with strange energy.

Every step made Ryu feel like he was trespassing in a dream.

Then—he heard it.

A crackling fire.

He froze.

The sound was clear: the snap and pop of burning wood. But there was no flame. No orange glow. Just the sound, echoing from inside the cave.

Curiosity pulled at him. Carefully, he stepped into the cave.

The moment he crossed the threshold, the world disappeared.

Darkness swallowed him whole.

The entrance faded behind him while wierdly drifting away, erased as if it had never been. No light, no ground, no sky. Just empty space. Ryu spun around, reaching out—but there was nothing. No wall. No floor. Nothing to touch, nothing to stand on. Yet somehow, he wasn’t falling.

He floated.

“What is this…?” he muttered, panic building up in his chest. “What is this place?!”

His voice echoed endlessly, bouncing through the void like it didn’t belong to him.

Then, a ripple—like walking in water filled puddle.

And silence again.

He moved forward. Or at least, he thought he did. There was no gravity, no direction, just movement without sensation. Every breath felt like it filled the entire space. His heart pounded louder with each second.

His legs trembled. He didn’t know how long he had been drifting—minutes? Hours? He only knew that if he stopped, he might not start again.

Then—his knees gave out.

And with panic rising in his throat, he made the worst mistake.

“HELPPPPP!” he screamed.

The void roared back.

His own voice returned to him, warped and monstrous. A shrieking echo exploded in every direction, like a giant beast screaming inside his skull. The shockwave knocked him sideways. His head spun. Pain--like getting stabbed behind his eyes.

Then—

Nothing.

Morning sunlight warmed his face.

Ryu’s eyes fluttered open. He was home.

The familiar wooden texture of his childhood bedroom felt warm. The countryside breeze floated in through the open window. He sat up slowly, still dazed.

Had it all been a dream?

There was a knock—then the door flew open. A boy dangled from the frame, peeking in like he literally owned the place.

“Oi, Ryu! Are you planning to sleep all day? Mom says breakfast’s ready!”

His brother’s voice.

Still in a fog, Ryu looked around. Everything was familiar—his old dresser, the dusty floorboards, even the faded blanket wrapped around him.

Downstairs, laughter echoed. He walked down slowly, each step grounding him more.

At the table, his brother raised an eyebrow. “You look like a ghost. What’s wrong?”

“I… had a strange dream,” Ryu said. “A school… a cave trip… I fell inside the void.”

His brother burst into laughter. “That’s what you get for watching too much anime. What’s next? Fireballs from your hands?”

“Don’t tease him,” their mom said as she set down a plate. “He’s still a kid.”

They laughed. Talked. Ate.

But something didn’t feel right.

Ryu looked up again.

"What do you me-"

And his stomach dropped.

Their faces—his family’s faces—were smooth.

Blank.

No eyes. No mouths. No expression. Just pale skin stretched across their heads.

His chest tightened. His breath heavy. The room warped around him as a buzzing filled his ears, rising to a deafening static.

Their mouths opened, but instead of voices, the same words spilled out in broken loops:

"What happened, Ryu? What happened, Ryu? What happened, Ryu?"

He stumbled back from the table. Panic took over.

He slipped on the stairs and fell—

And woke again.

The warmth was gone.

He crashed hard onto solid stone, air knocked from his lungs, blood spilled from his mouth. Groaning, he opened his eyes. His head throbbed. A sharp sting flared across his forehead—blood. The iron scent filled his nose.

He pushed himself up. Something cold and smooth met his hand.

A wall?

But when he pressed against it, the ground disappeared beneath him.

He plummeted.

Again.

Faster.

Deeper.

A chamber opened beneath him.

Torches burst to life one by one along ancient stone walls, their flames glowing eerie blue. A grand chandelier, half-broken and rotting, hung above him. Its candles burned without heat.

Ryu landed hard on a floor made of bones.

Pain jolted up his spine. He gasped and staggered to his feet. The floor crunched beneath his shoes. Bones—some human. Others… not.

The remains were twisted, frozen like they had died mid-struggle, reaching toward the walls, their jaws stretched.

The torchlight cast shadows over them, giving the illusion they still moved.

The walls of the chamber were carved with glowing symbols that pulsed like they were alive. Ryu couldn’t read them—but the sight alone made his skin crawl.

Something was wrong.

He wasn’t alone.

The air pressed in. Thick. Wet. Heavy like oil. It clung to his skin and filled his lungs with each breath. Every sense screamed danger.

Then—a glow.

High above, something began to shine.

It started faint, like a candle in the distance. Then it grew. And with it came pressure—heavy, sharp, soul-crushing.

Ryu stepped back.

The bones beneath him cracked louder now. Whispers rose with them, chilling his spine.

Then, a beam of light tore through the darkness—white and blinding.

He shielded his eyes, gritting his teeth.

When the light dimmed, smoke curled in the air.

A figure appeared.

Ryu’s breath caught in his throat.

It wasn’t human. It wasn’t beast.

It was… something else.

The air bent around it. The space shimmered like heat waves on pavement. The glow it gave off wasn’t just light—it was weight. Every inch of it crushed the air, dug into his chest.

He couldn’t move.

He wanted to run. His instincts screamed. But his legs wouldn’t work. His arms wouldn’t lift. He stood, frozen, helpless.

His ears rang. His vision darkened. The pressure grew unbearable.

It was like being pulled into a storm too big to understand.

His thoughts shattered.

He could only watch—silent, locked in fear.

Chapter End