The wind sang across the campus, trees awakening as their red and orange leaves fluttered to the ground.

  Autumn had arrived.

  Beneath a dry tree, Mira sat with a small notebook, sketching quietly. She was waiting for her friends—four very different people, united by something strange.

  Jonas was the next to arrive. He wore military boots with a dark blue jacket and matching pants, his outfit in stark contrast to Mira’s cute floral dress.

  "Mira, when are they getting here?"

  "Ahh, soon, Jonas!!"

  She replied without looking up, her expression sweet as she continued drawing. Jonas leaned against the tree, pulling out a cigarette.

  "Damn it, I forgot my lighter!"

  Mira skipped over to him, pointing to the side with her delicate fingers.

  There, a woman in her thirties approached, her pale, almost translucent skin glowing in the sunlight, silver hair dancing in the breeze, and black eyes absorbing everything around her. Her monochromatic black outfit gave off an air of mature elegance.

  "She’s so slow," Jonas grumbled, throwing the cigarette to the ground and stomping on it with annoyance.

  "Hi… friends."

  "Hi, hi, Selena, how are you?"

  "G… good."

  Mira nodded enthusiastically before bombarding her with questions.

  The wind howled again, sending a cascade of dry leaves over them.

  "Why is Ethan always late?"

  "I don’t know, maybe he’s scared of you, you brute."

  Mira giggled. She was the youngest in the group at 19, while Jonas was 23, Ethan 24, and Selena 29.

  "Selena, what do you think Ethan wants to talk to us about?"

  "Things."

  "Yeah, I know, but—"

  Before she could finish, a leaf landed in her mouth. Selena turned slowly to look at her while Jonas burst into laughter.

  "What’s so funny, huh?"

  "Everything."

  Mira pouted, grabbing her notebook and flipping it open.

  "Selena, look what I drew!"

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  She clung to the woman, speaking with animated enthusiasm.

  "You… draw well."

  "Thanks, hehe!"

  "Look over there."

  Jonas nodded in a direction. The girls followed his gaze and saw a young man running toward them, perspiration dripping from his forehead.

  His slim frame swayed like the trees’ leaves. His long brown hair fluttered with the wind, and his eyes—two pieces of granite—seemed to shimmer with illusion.

  "Sorry I’m late, but we need to move quickly."

  "Now give me your hands—go!!!"

  Ethan spoke hastily, grabbing their hands.

  "What’s happening?"

  Mira looked at him, confused.

  "No time to explain. Just hold on."

  They felt a crushing force before the space around them cracked and a rift opened.

  "Survive!"

  And then, they were gone.

  I found myself walking through a place of complete darkness. Towering entities waged war around me.

  They spoke, they sang, and thin golden threads of strange symbols wrapped around them.

  Sometimes the lines were thin, sometimes thick, sometimes full of words or nearly empty.

  My eyes felt like they were melting when one of them looked at me.

  And just as quickly as I had appeared, I evaporated into nothing.

  I jolted awake, hands shaking, legs weak. Sweat drenched me and my breathing was ragged.

  It felt like someone had scraped sandpaper across my brain.

  Groggily, I stood and looked around.

  Above me, a purple sky shimmered with red stars and a golden moon.

  All around, towering red walls twisted and pulsed.

  "Meat?"

  The walls seemed to be made of meat.

  I looked down and realized I was standing in a pile of bones. Dried blood stained everything. My once-white clothes were now red, and my shoes sticky.

  Earlier, I had a strange feeling that something bad was coming. I didn’t know what—but I knew I had to bring my friends with me.

  Climbing out of the pile, I heard a voice.

  [Savior detected.]

  [Installation complete.]

  "Who…?"

  I looked around quickly, but there was no one. Only the strange fleshy walls.

  [Savior of the World]

  Ethan Vale

  Function: Bearer of Dedication

  Madness: 0/100

  Sanity: 100/100

  Will: 9

  Power: 8

  Vigor: 7

  Physical: 6

  Fortitude: 10

  Abilities (Dedication):

  [Dedication: You possess the virtue of Dedication. You can learn things faster and don’t give up easily.]

  "What is this?"

  I was completely confused. Instinctively, I tried to touch the screen—but my finger passed right through it.

  Shaking my head, I focused.

  "How do I save the world?"

  At this point, I was numb to the madness. I had literally been thrown into another world without warning.

  Grabbing a bone from something clearly inhuman, I swung it, getting a feel for its weight.

  I didn’t know how to fight, but it was better than being unarmed and lost.

  Now I was armed… and still lost.

  A small improvement.

  I walked through the only open passage—it was a damned maze.

  Swallowing the urge to scream in frustration, I kept moving.

  "Three paths?"

  Left, right, and forward.

  I turned left. The meaty walls pulsed beside me. I wanted to strike them with my makeshift weapon—but feared the walls might strike back.

  Left, right, straight.

  Dead ends.

  Left, right, right, straight.

  More dead ends.

  "Fuck! Why is it all just walls?"

  Eventually, I stopped caring which direction I took. I just walked, lost in thought.

  I didn’t even realize I’d found something different until I entered a square room.

  At its center stood a primitive altar. On it sat a skull—probably from some kind of monster—and at its base, a single yellowed page. Nothing else.

  It was covered in writings I couldn’t read, no matter how hard I tried.

  "Seriously? I walk all this way for a stupid piece of paper?!"

  I kicked the air in frustration, though I didn’t scream. The fear of attracting something far worse was still greater than my anger.

  Snorting, I gave one last kick and shoved the page into my pocket. Maybe it’d be useful later.

  I exited through the path opposite the one I’d entered—and finally saw a stone corridor ahead.

  Please… something useful.

  First, I needed to get out of here. Then I’d focus on this system—whatever it was.

  As I passed through the corridor, a sense of wrongness filled the air. The light flickered. Shadows lengthened. Gusts of wind pushed against invisible barriers.

  Candles trembled in their sconces, nearly snuffing out.

  At the end of the corridor, I entered a new room—and felt my heart being crushed.

  My skin crawled. My eyes ached.

  An unbearable itching consumed me.

  [Your Will is too low. You gain 4 Madness points.]

  [You have encountered a supernatural entity.]

  [Defeat it to earn rewards.]

  At the center of the room stood a twisted black mass. Red eyes glowed with malevolence. Tentacles writhed as it loomed.

  And then—my mind cracked.

  It felt like that same scraping sandpaper sensation from before, only worse.

  I dropped to my knees, clutching my skull, trembling violently.

  "Kill."

  "Kill."

  I scratched at my neck—my hands melting before my eyes.

  [The Blessing of Dedication reduces the effects of Madness.]

  Back to normal?

  My neck bled. My hands reformed.

  I stood, still trembling. I gripped the bone tighter.

  A crooked smile stretched across my lips.

  "I’m so screwed."