He'An does not know when it began; when his eyes beheld the truth; when he finally discovered what the world he inhabited was like.
The revelation brought him no relief, no confidence. The revelation left him in despair, sadness and anxiety, for he realised that he was a mere bird in a cage.
For years and years, he had been locked up, only he had never noticed it. At that moment, He'An realised how painful it was to be trapped within four walls.
One does not suffer from confinement, until one becomes aware of it. The bird does not regret not being able to fly, until it realises that it can fly, but its environment does not allow it to do so.
Footsteps echoed on the musty, dusty wooden floor, which creaked like an out-of-tune violin, ruffling the skin of anyone who could hear it.
He'An ignored the ominous sound, as well as the dreary surroundings that accompanied it: a thousand-room mansion, abandoned, dark and decaying.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
A scream echoed through the corridors. From a distance one could perceive the desperation of that person who pressed his vocal cords to the maximum, in order to emit a deafening howl.
He'An raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. Isn't the one who flees supposed to flee in silence? Perhaps this "intruder" was a real idiot, he thought.
Pushing aside the strands of dark hair that obstructed his vision, He'An turned a corner.
Moonlight streamed in through the shattered windows. It faintly illuminated the long corridor ahead. Darkness and light seemed to be battling it out in a confrontation that already had a clear winner.
Light could never be the winner in this place. It is a mansion of death, destruction and panic. A mansion where the living enter, never to be able to leave again.
He'An walked to the first door. He grabbed the rusty knob and turned it without even hesitation. He didn't have to think too hard to know where the "rat" was hiding.
His rapid breathing gave him away. He'An could sense its heat and the endless sound of its heart. Like a leopard, he could see his prey in the dark and stalk it with confidence.
That was the way things worked in this place. He'An was the winner, the darkness, while they were the prey, the light, waiting for him to eat them.
"Get out. Don't complicate things any further. I'm bored with this already."
A person huddled in a corner. His body trembled with fear; a fear that threatened to consume his insides. The colour of his skin was so pale, he appeared to be deader than He'An.
The black boots, advanced towards that lump. He'An slowly approached the person shivering in fear.
"No, please don't. I didn't want this. I didn't want this. It's not what you promised me system!"
He'An clutched his neck. His fingers clutched tightly over the man's throat. He could even feel his pulses increase in intensity as his hand clutched tighter.
"No....no...."
Red eyes, with dread and a glimmer of hope, lay focused on He'An's face. They longed for sympathy from this person who had no emotions, or at least, was not sure he had any.
He'An is convinced that everything he feels and thinks is a product of the damned world he finds himself in. He is a simple character that "God" created. His experiences, misunderstandings, ideas, emotions, are all prefabricated by that someone, who looks at him from a much higher position.
It was a bird that was replicating the tricks its "master" taught it. Could it consider those characteristics as its own?
The dry lips parted slightly. The frivolous face, gave way to a faint smile.
"At last...after so long, I can carry out my plan."
Without giving time for his words to be processed by the man's brain, He'An strangled his neck. It deprived his body of oxygen and allowed his heart to stop beating.
He watched as the man's eyes were slowly swallowed by darkness.
He'An dropped the lifeless body. The wood creaked, as a heavy element impacted against him.
At once, He'An activated his power. A greyish smoke expanded around him, and like a mist, surrounded the room.
"Sal.... or would you prefer me to eat you directly?"
A pinkish furball, with cat ears, appeared next to the corpse. He'An watched it carefully, not letting his guard down for even a second. He had been waiting for this moment for decades. He wasn't about to let a simple slip-up rob him of his chance.
The blue eyes of the strange being gazed at He'An. At first glance, it appeared to be a harmless animal; a kind of cat without tail and limbs.
However, He'An could sense it. It was a wolf in sheep's clothing. This peculiar being was powerful, perceptive and vengeful. Its gaze sought to read He'An's heart, with the simple goal of finding the slightest weakness to defeat him.
He'An smiled. He liked his attitude. He didn't need a hidden enemy, but one he was acutely aware of.
"You're a system, aren't you?"
"How do you know our kind? You attacked my host as if you knew he was not of this world."
He'An leaned closer to the pink furball. His face came close enough, to feel the warmth emanating from his presence.
"I've been waiting decades for an "intruder" to reappear."
"Intruder? You have given the hosts an interesting name. You are indeed a special and interesting existence."
Said the system, who kept scanning He'An with his eyes. It was analysing, evaluating, trying to determine to what extent He'An was still a "character".
The universe is made up of thousands and millions of worlds. Each with its own peculiarities and rules, which make it "special". Where in some magic prevails, in others they haven't even been able to discover fire yet. However, one thing they all, and every one of them, share is their ability to "backtrack".
The worlds have a beginning, a development and an end, fully established. They are a story that someone wrote and cannot be altered in any way; at least not by the characters themselves.
When the story, or rather, "world", reaches its end point, a sequel or a part two volume is not born. The world goes back in time and starts from scratch. And so it repeats itself again and again, until it finally disappears into the sands of time.
What He'An defines as "intruders" are those people who are not a character as such. They may be occupying the body of one of them, but their fate is not determined by the rules of the world. They can do and undo as they please.
And that is something He'An knew perfectly well. He met, some time ago, an intruder who changed his life. It saved his tragic end and gave him the chance to live with joy and freedom - at least once.
He'An longed to return to that corner of light and hope. He'An longed to see again that person, who was an intruder into the world and into her heart.
"Tell me, being of this world of terror, what do you seek in killing my host and summoning me? What is your plan? For, from what I can see, you have an idea in mind."
"That's right Pinky."
He'An commented mockingly.
The furball's hair stood on end. His gaze changed. He looked clearly angry at her words.
"Pinky? Do me a favour and keep your nicknames to yourself. My name is more glorious and grander than Pinky."
He'An reached out his hand towards the system. Despite his resistance, he grasped it firmly. His long, slender fingers, were like prison bars, now depriving him of his freedom.
"Get me out of here!"
He'An uttered with emotion and, perhaps, unnoticed as well, a hint of desperation.
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