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Chapter 3 – A Faint Light
My body couldn't take it anymore.
At some point — I don't even know when — everything went black.
I passed out right there against the rock.
In the darkness, I dreamed.
I was back home.
Sitting at the dinner table.
Mom laughing at something Dad said.
My plate full of food.
Warm light above.
It felt so—safe.
But just as I reached out to grab my fork…
…the light flickered.
The table disappeared.
And I woke up — still leaning against the cold rock, blood dried on my armor and wind howling across an empty field.
It wasn't a dream.
This was real.
And it was getting darker.
The sun had already dipped behind the distant mountains. Shadows stretched across the grass like claws.
I need to move…
I took a shaky breath, gritted my teeth, and pushed myself up—one arm pressed against my ribs.
Pain flared through my chest.
Step by step, I limped forward. My legs barely worked. My mind was a mess.
Think… just think… I need help. I need people. Please… let there be something…
"I… I need help," I muttered, barely louder than a whisper. "Anyone… please…"
I kept walking.
Then—
A flicker of light.
Just ahead — maybe a few hundred meters away — a soft orange glow… and smoke rising into the darkening sky.
My heart jumped.
A village…? Please… please be a village…
I tried to move faster, but pain stabbed through my ribs and shot down my legs with every step. Still — I pushed forward. Limping. Stumbling. Whispering prayers under my breath.
The light grew brighter.
Almost there—
—but my vision started spinning.
My knees buckled.
I heard myself gasp—
—and the world vanished again as I collapsed face-first in the dirt, only a few meters away from the wooden village gate.
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> "Oi! Someone's out here!"
> "He's still breathing—!"
Rough hands rolled me over. A warm cloak was thrown over my shoulders.
> "Quick! Get him inside before the night-beasts catch the scent!"
I felt myself being lifted—
—and everything went dark again.
---
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in a wooden bed.
Bandages wrapped around my chest and shoulder. A faint smell of smoke and herbs filled the room.
I tried to sit up—
Pain tore through my ribs and I collapsed back with a gasp.
Next to the bed, resting neatly on a stool, was the Eagle headdress.
I reached for it—
> "Rest up, traveler."
I froze.
An old man with a grey beard stood at the doorway.
"Who… who are you?" I managed.
> "Name's Kulata. I'm the one who found you just outside our village gate."
A sharp pulse of pain shot through my chest and I winced.
> "Easy, lad. Looks like the beasts roughed you up good."
"…Water…" I whispered.
Kulata poured a cup from a clay jug and helped me drink.
A moment later, the door opened again.
A tall man stepped inside — scars on his cheek, old leather armor across his shoulders, and eyes that looked like they had seen war.
Kulata stood up immediately.
"Chief."
The man's gaze moved to the headdress, then back to me.
Chief: "You were found unconscious at our entrance. Wearing a headress no normal traveler should possess."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you — and why are you here?"
My heart pounded.
"I… I'm just a traveler," I said quietly. "On a mission from my homeland."
The chief studied my face for a long moment — then turned away.
Chief: "…We'll see."
He left the room, the door closing behind him.
I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.
"…Who was that?" I asked.
Kulata: "Our village chief. Former soldier in the Kingdom of Auravelles — people call it the Kingdom of Hope."
"A kingdom… is it far from here? I… I need to keep moving."
I tried to sit up, but pain stabbed through my side and forced me back down with a groan.
Kulata: "Rest, lad. Take it easy. Auravelles is nearly seven-hundred and fifty kilometers south of here. We'll talk more tomorrow."
He walked toward the door.
Kulata: "Sleep. You need it."
He stepped out and pulled the door closed behind him.
---
I leaned back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Auravelles… Gorvak Plains… Ishwak… None of that existed in the game…
The demons.
The mobs.
Similar… but not the same.
"Hey… bird," I muttered.
> Eagle: "What do you need, Contractor?"
"Do you know what you are… and what I am?"
> "Your question exceeds my knowledge."
I closed my eyes for a second.
"…That's exactly what Frostbear said."
I let out a slow breath.
If this really is the game… then why is none of this in it? Why does it feel like… something else wearing the same skin?
Everything's getting more and more complicated…
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To be continued
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