Chapter 2 - "Am I not dead?"

The hospital room was a sterile cocoon, enveloping me in its antiseptic embrace as I lay on the crisp white sheets, my mind still reeling from the events of the night. Every sound, every flicker of movement, sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through my veins, my senses on high alert for any sign of danger.

Yes, the unfamiliar room was weird, but perhaps the weirdest thing of them all was the game like GUI panel, similar to the one in the RPGs I play. With bold letters it said "Do you wish to become an Admin", "accept" or "decline". 

The silence was instantly shattered by the sudden sound of the door swinging open, revealing a whirlwind of energy in the form of a girl with brown pigtails and hazel eyes. She stormed into the room, her cheeks flushed with exertion and her eyes blazing with determination.

"Hey, are you okay?" she demanded, her voice sharp with concern as she surveyed me from head to toe.

I flinched at the sound of her voice, my heart pounding in my chest as the memories of the night flooded back with startling clarity. The darkness, the pain, the overwhelming sense of helplessness—it was all still fresh in my mind, a nightmare from which I couldn't wake.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as I struggled to keep my composure.

The girl huffed impatiently, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, you don't look okay," she retorted. "You were bleeding out in a dark alleyway just a few hours ago."

I swallowed hard, the taste of copper lingering on my tongue as I fought to push back the rising tide of panic. "Right," I muttered, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I'm assuming you were the one who saved me? If that's the case then, thank you for saving me."

The girl smiled with her eyes closed, her expression, warm. "No need to thank me silly, it's not that big of a deal"

I shrugged weakly, unable to meet her gaze. "Not being dead, yeah no, I'd say it's a pretty big deal."

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by my attempt at humor. "Well, don't get too comfortable," she said, her tone serious. "You're not out of the woods yet."

I furrowed my brow, the gravity of her words sinking in. "What do you mean?"

With a heavy sigh, she ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Look, I don't have time to explain everything right now," she said, her voice tinged with exasperation. "But you need to know that you were about to be terminated from the system."

"Terminated? What system are you talking about?"

The disbelief in her eyes was palpable as she stared at me. "You mean you seriously don't know?" she exclaimed, incredulity dripping from her voice. "I thought you had some clue about the system, that's why the agents were after you!"

I shook my head, feeling more confused than ever. "Know what?"

She groaned in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is going to take longer than I thought," she muttered to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to reveal the truth. "Listen, I don't have all the answers, but I'll tell you what I know," she began, her voice steady despite the weight of her words.

"The world we live in, it's not what it seems. It's all a simulation, a carefully constructed illusion designed to keep us trapped in a never-ending cycle of ignorance and control."

"A simulation?" I echoed, the concept seeming almost too surreal to comprehend. "This is like something straight out of a light novel... But it would explain those glitches I saw."

She nodded solemnly, her hazel eyes shining with conviction. "Yes, a simulation. And those people who tried to kill you? They're agents of the simulation, tasked with maintaining the status quo and eradicating anyone who threatens to expose the truth."

I swallowed hard, the implications of her words sinking in. "But who created the simulation? And why?"

Her troubled expression mirrored my own confusion. "No one knows for sure. There are countless theories—governments, corporations, even extraterrestrial beings—but the truth remains elusive. All we know is that someone, or something, is pulling the strings, manipulating us like puppets on a string."

She paused, as if gathering her thoughts. "I should introduce myself," she said, her tone softer now. "My name is Emily."

"N-nice to meet you, Emily, my name is Katsuro, Katsuro Ishikawa" I replied, feeling a sense of camaraderie despite the overwhelming uncertainty.

But as I glanced back at the game-like GUI panel before me that looked like something straight out of a friggin Isekai manga, reality crashed down like a ton of bricks. "Umm... Emily?" I hesitated.

"Yes?" she replied, turning her attention back to me.

"Can you seriously not see this in front of me?" I gestured towards the screen.

"Huh, see what?

"This Screen, this panel or whatever you want to call it" 

"Did you hit your head?

"No! There is actually a screen in front of me and its asking me if i want to become an admin"

Her eyes widened in shock as she struggled to process my words. The atmosphere in the room grew dense with tension, the air crackling with an unspoken revelation.

"...Did you say become an admin?" she finally whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

"Y-yes," I stammered, my heart racing with anticipation.

"It-it can't be, t-there's no way," she muttered, her entire body trembling with disbelief.

I reached out to her, concern etched on my face. "Are you... are you okay? You seem sick."

Taking a deep breath, she tried to regain her composure. "I'm sorry, but your words just caught me off guard," she said, attempting to mask her fear.

"I wonder how you were selected of all people," she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible.

As the reality of the situation began to sink in, Emily's words echoed in my mind. The power of an admin, the mysteries of the simulation... It was all too much to process.

"Should I accept this?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her response was hesitant, her gaze searching mine for reassurance. "I don't know if you should accept it, but if I was in your position... I would accept it without hesitatio-."

With a surge of determination, I made my decision. "Okay, here goes nothing! ACCEPT!"

In an instant, the room seemed to shift, the air crackling with energy as a circle of symbols appeared beneath me. I felt a surge of power coursing through my veins, exhilaration mingling with uncertainty as the world spun around me. I've never felt this light, even back when I wasn't overweight, air gushed around the room blowing my hair in random directions

And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it was over. The circle disappeared, the energy dissipating into the air.

Emily's wristband vibrated, interrupting the silence that had settled over the room. "I'm sorry, it seems like I have to leave," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "I'll come back tomorrow and tell you the rest about this admin thing. For now, you should rest and don't try to think about it too much."

"Okay," I replied, still reeling from the whirlwind of emotions that had overtaken me.

As she left, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settling over me. The GUI panel was gone now, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the weight of the unknown.

I tried to reopen the panel, but no matter what I did, it remained stubbornly absent. With a sigh, I resigned myself to rest, knowing that tomorrow would bring new challenges and revelations.

But as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, one thought echoed in my mind: the world was not as it seemed, and I was about to embark on a journey to uncover its secrets.