"Wha..." She opened her eyes and found herself on her knees. Her body felt like lead, and she couldn't summorength to stand.

  "Perfect. The summoning was a success. Now to activate the log curse," came a voice from... somewhere, cool and authoritative. Other voices murmured in affirmation, their excitement barely tained.

  Raising her head with great effort, she looked at her surroundings. The room was a circur chamber, dimly lit by the soft glow of ruched into the stone walls. At least thirty figures encircled her, each robes that brought to mind the mage css from the game she pyed. Their hands were raised, fingers glowing with faint traagic as they ted in unison, weaving yers of magito the air.

  They seemed wary, as though ready to react should she sh out, but also fident, almost smug, as if they’d already won.

  One of the robed figures stepped forward, an older man with a long white beard and pierg eyes. His robe was more eborate, adorned with golden thread and sigils that marked him as someone important. He raised a staff and poi toward her.

  "Now, creature," the man said, his voice eg through the chamber. "With this curse, you will obey our every and. What is your name?"

  Maple blinked, her mind struggling to catch up. The words felt distant, like a faint echo from somewhere far away. Obey? Curse? What were they talking about? Her thoughts were sluggish, and her body refused to move the way she wa to.

  Her sluggish mind finally registered the hey called her: creature. Something about it stung, even if she didn’t fully uand the situation. "I... don’t think that’s very nice," she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

  The murmuring stopped for a moment. A few of the mages g each other, fused. The old man narrowed his eyes. "I asked you, what is your name?!"

  More ting followed, and golden s of magic erupted from the runes on the ground, ing around her arms and legs. The weight on her body increased tenfold, f her face closer to the floor. She winced but didn’t cry out. Instead, she found herself fog on the glowing s. They didn’t hurt exactly, but they felt... intrusive, like they were trying to dig into her, to tto something deeper.

  "This spell should keep you in check," the old man tinued, his tone filled with self-satisfa. "Well?"

  Something inside her stirred painfully at those words. on. Obey. The phrases didn’t sit well with her. Raising her head, Maple's eyes glowed faintly as she locked onto the old man. "I don't like this game," she said softly, her voice steady now. "My name is Kaede Honjou."

  "Good." The old man murmured. "Now, chief sorcerer Razen will be here in two days to perform the rest of the ritual." He turo a group of the robed people surrounding her. "Take her to the break room."

  The order was met with murmurs of agreement, and two of the robed figures stepped forward. They approached Maple cautiously, their hands glowing faintly with magic as if prepared to subdue her at the first sign of resistance. But Maple didn’t resist. Her body was still sluggish, her limbs heavy and unresponsive, and she had no idea what these people were capable of. For now, she decided to ply.

  The golden s tightened briefly before dissolving into faint particles of light, leaving her arms and legs free. She tried to move, but her muscles barely responded, her body trembling from the effort of simply staying upright. One of the mages reached down and grabbed her arm, hoistio her feet with surprising ease.

  “e along,” the mage muttered, his voice sharp and devoid of passion.

  Maple stumbled as they began to escort her out of the chamber. Her mind was still rag, trying to make sense of her situation. Where am I? What do they mean by curse? And... Razen? Why does that name sound important?

  The corridor outside the chamber was narrow and dimly lit, its stone walls lined with glowing runes simir to those in the summoning room. The air was cool, with a faiallig that reminded her of iron. Maple felt the weight of the mages’ gazes on her as they guided her down the hall, their wariness palpable despite the spell they’d cast on her.

  After a few turns, they reached a heavy wooden door reinforced with iron bands. One of the mages pushed it open, revealing a rge sparse room with a small table, a single chair, and a narrow cot. The stone walls were bare, and the only source of light was a small, ented crystal mounted on the ceiling.

  “Stay here,” the mage who had been holding her arm said gruffly, practically shoving her inside. Maple stumbled but caught herself against the table. She turo say something, but the door smmed shut before she could speak, the sound of a lock clig into pce eg through the small room.

  She sank into the chair, her legs trembling too much to support her weight any longer. Her breathing was shallow, and her heart pounded in her chest. 'Okay, Kaede... think. You’ve been summohis... this is like one of those isekai situations, right? But this isn’t like the game... I don’t even know if I still have my skills.'

  Closing her eyes, Maple tried to focus. She trated on the abilities she remembered from New World Online, willing them to ma. But nothing happened. No pop-up windows, no system messages, no familiar feeling of invincibility. Instead, she felt... ordinary. Vulnerable.

  Her stomach twisted. What if they took my skills away? Or what if they don’t work here?

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of voices outside the door. Pressing her ear against the rough wood, she straio listen.

  “She doesn’t look like much,” one of the voices said, dripping with disdain. “Razen’s going to be disappointed if this is all the summoning produced.”

  “Don’t uimate her,” another voice replied, quieter but more serious. “The ritual pulled her from another world. That means she’s an Otherworlder, and they always have potential. Ohe log curse fully takes hold, she’ll be a on like no other.”

  “Still,” the first voice scoffed, “it’s hard to believe she’ll be of any use. Look at her—she’s barely standing. I’d give her a week in training before she colpses.”

  Their words left a sinking feeling in Maple’s chest. on. Obey. Training. The implications were clear. These people didn’t see her as a person—they saw her as a tool to be used.

  Stepping back from the door, Maple slumped against the wall, her mind rag. She wasn’t a fighter. She wasn’t even sure if she could be brave enough to escape on her own. She didn’t want to stay here, waiting for someone named Razen to decide her fate.

  She g the cot and the sparse furnishings, a lump f ihroat. 'What do I do? How do I even begin to fight back if I don’t have my skills? Sally would know what to do.' Her thoughts froze. 'Oh no Sally!' Tears slowly streamed down her face. 'I guess I won't be making it to our date.'

  Just a few days ago, Her girlfriend had returned from her college abroad for the holidays and they had made pns to spend the holidays together. Now all those pns were instantly dissolved with Kaede's disappearance.

  For now, all she could do was wait and hope that an opportunity to act would present itself. 'Stay calm, Kaede. You’ve gotten through tough situations in the game before. You’ll figure this out. You have to.'

  As she sat there, the faint hum of the magical runes in the walls surrounded her, a stant remihat she was trapped in a world she didn’t uand, at the mercy of people who saw her as nothing more than a pawn.

  SaberGlory