Chapter 2 - I Take It Back! It's Not Cute At All!

[Narrator: Author]

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The humanoid figure turned toward Reiji, its eyes locked onto his. It parted its lips as if to speak, but instead let out a deep sigh that reverberated through the empty expanse.

The figure advanced slowly, each step sending ripples through the white floor-like surface. As it neared, Reiji could see its mannequin-like face, twisted with anxiety and worry.

Another sigh escaped the humanoid's lips before it extended a hand toward Reiji's head. Though he felt nothing when it drew close, a cold chill brushed against him as the figure withdrew its hand and took a few steps back.

Then, it hovered its index finger in the air and started doodling lines that shimmered with a white, gaseous substance. Letters formed, swirling and shifting, incomprehensible at first. But as Reiji gazed upon them, he found he could understand.

'I can read it...?'

"[Survive until it's finished.]" the letters spelled out.

'Survive? Survive what?'

Panic hammered in Reiji's chest, a frantic drumbeat against his ribs. His mind raced, a chaotic search party lost in a labyrinth of unanswered questions.

'Survive when? How? Where?'

But the most critical question burned a searing hole in his gut: 'Survive what?'

A flicker of understanding crossed the humanoid figure's face. A knowing glint in its shadowed eyes confirmed Reiji's dread. Had he understood?

The figure tilted its head, a silent confirmation. Then, with a deliberate snap of its fingers, the letters dissolved into nothingness, leaving Reiji alone with the terrifying knowledge he couldn't share, and the chilling weight of the unknown threat he must somehow survive.

The figure sighed once again, then turned its back towards Reiji.

'That's the third sigh…'

Another snap of its finger sounded, and the white-like space was torn apart like an error in video games.

The moment Reiji's eyes fell upon the distortion of space, he felt his head like exploding, a sudden lightheadedness washing over him and his stomach started churning.

"UU—UURP!"

Reflexively covering his mouth with his hands, he started taking deep breathes, trying to resist, but to no avail.

"Bwee—eegh!"

Reiji convulsed, a strangled cry escaping his lips as his body rebelled. He lurched forward, hands scraping against the rough earth as he expelled the contents of his stomach. Coughing and gasping for air, he collapsed onto all fours, his vision became blurry because of sweat.

Badump, badump—!

The white space was gone, replaced by a dizzying view of green meadows bathed in warm sunlight.

"Where am I this time?"

Confusion consumed him as he surveyed his new surroundings.

How had he ended up here? And what significance did this forest hold in relation to the encounter he had just experienced earlier?

"Uurph—!" Reiji instinctively attempted to stifle the feeling, but it was futile.

And… again, groaning.

"Bwee~~~eegh!"

After he emptied his stomach twice without anyone seeing him, he wiped his mouth afterwards with the back of his sleeve. But soon after, a fresh wave of nausea slammed into him as the stench of vomit entered his nostrils, urging him to empty his stomach once again.

'Enough, Reiji! You've had enough!', as he steadied himself on all fours he squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to take long, slow breaths, trying to regain some semblance of control.

The eerie silence of the forest enveloped him, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves that sent shivers down his spine. The trees surrounding him seemed to reach for the sky with an otherworldly grace, their ancient trunks adorned with moss and vines, telling tales of centuries gone by.

First, he saw a magic circle on the floor of their classroom that soon erupted with a burst of light.

Second, he found himself restrained in a white space, where he encountered a gaseous form of a human.

Lastly, the space within the white expanse distorted as he shut his eyes, the moment he opened them, he found himself in this forest.

"Perhaps, I got transported to another world?", he tried his best to look confused, but what was shown in his face was a smile that he couldn't hide.

But why a smile? Shouldn't he be scared as to what is happening?

Though, for him, it's a chance.

'I've got nothing to go back in Earth, I might as well enjoy this experience, yeah?'

'This world also, is no doubt, a world where magic exists…!', he couldn't maintained his excitement that a grin started forming in his face. 'That magic circle was the evidence.'

But... he couldn't shake off the feeling that this forest is… dangerous.

It just... felt unworldly.

'Huu... calm down, this is nothing to be scared of…! You've been alone for four years now, and I know you're a grown man...!'

Reiji stilled in his position, realizing he had to be cautious in this peculiar, unearthly-feeling place. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to assess the situation.

'Since this is a matter of survival now… the first thing that I need to find is food. Second goes with water, then shelter and clothing… if there is.'

'I hope there's a village, too.'

'Which direction should I go, though?'

'Ah! Whatever, I'll just go behind me.'

As he turned around, he started taking tentative steps forward with the crunch of leaves beneath his shoes echoed through the otherwise silent forest. His senses remained on high alert, scanning for any signs of danger or answers to his questions or satisfactions.

Slowly, he took his time to look around as he walks, then suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the silence, jolting Reiji into action.

"Kyaaaa!"

'Ah! That voice...!'

He recognized it as one of his classmates. It wasn't like him to be overly concerned about others, but before he knew it, his legs were already propelling him towards the source of the commotion.

A strange urgency gripped him, compelling him to witness it.

***

[Trigger warning: This chapter contains graphic descriptions of gore and violence (maybe not too much). If you are sensitive to these topics, please proceed with caution.]

[POV: Sayuri Nakamura] - [Earlier]

Sayuri was joyfully chatting with her friends when, in the blink of an eye, blinding lights erupted, forcing her to shut her eyes tightly. When she dared to open them again, she found herself sitting in the middle of a grassy clearing.

Swooosh...

'W-Where am I...?'

A puzzled expression crossed her face as she stood up, patting her clothes to rid herself of any dirt. However, before she could fully take in her surroundings, a wave of nausea washed over her, causing her to clutch her stomach.

'Not good!'

Sayuri exclaimed inwardly, feeling queasy as her head spun with disorientation.

"Haa—wawawa~"

She stumbled back, trying to regain her balance, but the sensation of dizziness overwhelmed her. In an instant, her body reacted, and she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the grassy ground.

"Uwee~eegh—!"

As soon as she felt nothing seems to come out, embarrassment clouded her as her cheeks flushed. She used the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe her mouth, but the acrid taste of bile clung to her lips, eliciting a cringe of disgust. Glancing around, she felt a wave of relief wash over her as she confirmed that no one was in close proximity to witness her regrettable moment of… never mind.

"Phew~"

'It's good that no one saw me,', she mused in relief, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. In fact, she realized that she was completely alone in the grassy clearing and it made her shudder in fear. Her friends seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The silence that enveloped the clearing felt eerie and unsettling. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Sayuri tried to make sense of the situation.

"Where did everyone go?", she wondered aloud, her voice trembling slightly.

'This… this might be a dream, right?'

She mused, pinching herself lightly to test reality. The slight pain that followed tightened her that she was, indeed, awake. She seems to clearly forgot that she just vomited… which is quite unusual for a dream to be true.

'This can't be... happening!'

'Me, alone in this forest?!'

'No way!'

'No way!!'

'No way!!!'

Her mind raced with questions, but she couldn't find any answers. The blinding lights, the sudden appearance in the grassy clearing, and the disappearance of her friends were all too surreal. It was as if she had been transported to a different world altogether.

Rustle—!

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound echoed from the branches above, capturing Sayuri's attention. She looked up to see a flying squirrel gracefully glide out from the foliage, its delicate wings spread wide.

'Oh…! A flying squirrel, how cute!', she mused inwardly to not disturb the creature.

The creature landed on a nearby chestnut that lied on the grassy ground — not too far from where Sayuri stood. As she observed the little creature, a sense of calm washed over her. The flying squirrel appeared completely at ease, showing no signs of concern or fear towards her presence.

The squirrel's focus on its meal intensified, and with deliberate precision, it clasped the chestnut between its tiny hands. It raised the chestnut high with a wide smile on its face, as if raising a trophy.

Then, something disturbing happened.

"E-Eh...?"

Its mouth stretched open, impossibly wide, far beyond the natural limits of its head. The sight was grotesque and unsettling, making Sayuri's skin crawl with unease.

'I... I-I take it back! It's not cute at all!

Sayuri repudiate her statement inwardly. Should she shout and she would be the next chestnut to be munched down!

The creature's razor-sharp bucked teeth were now exposed, gleaming in the dappled sunlight. They appeared unnaturally long and menacing, causing her heart to quicken with pure fear.

Munch! Munch!

It began to chew loudly, and the sound echoed eerily through the forest, even reverberated to her ears. The unsettling noise seemed amplified, as if the woods themselves were disturbed by this grotesque display.

Snap!

But then, suddenly, the squirrel's head tilted leftward as its neck began to bleed. Its eyes turned white, and with a horrifying audible snap, its neck twisted unnaturally; its blood spraying all over its vicinity.

'...E-Eh...?'

In mere seconds, a figure slowly became visible, revealing a creature that sent a chill ran down her spine; her body trembling with fear. And eventually, it made her scream — that its terror pierced the eerie silence of the forest.

"...Kyaaaa!"

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|TO BE CONTINUED|