Fyar opened his eyes. The thick scent of wet earth and humus immediately pierced his sense of smell. Around him, giant trees soared high, their dense canopies covering most of the sky. Plants with strange shapes he didn’t recognize grew lushly on the damp forest floor.
"A forest? I’m in a forest?" he mumbled, his hoarse voice coming from his dry throat. The momentary confusion in his mind was soon replaced by a more structured line of thought.
Wait a minute. Is this a dream? Wasn’t I on a mission? Fyar thought to himself.
His memory rewound. The scent of expensive perfume mixed with the smell of gunpowder. His target, a lecherous businessman, lay lifeless with a small, neat hole in his head. After that, he remembered doing something that wasn’t in the plan. A large mirror with an intricately carved frame had caught his attention. A strange impulse made him feel he had to shoot the mirror. A flash of shattering glass was the last thing he remembered clearly.
"What went wrong?" Fyar muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously tightening. "Wait. Was it because of that mirror? Hypnosis?"
His gaze fell upon his hands. His right hand still gripped a pistol, feeling cold and familiar. On his left wrist, an expensive watch was fastened. However, its hands were frozen, pointing exactly at 23:00. The time he had pulled the trigger for the last time on that mission.
"Still have my weapon," he whispered, feeling a slight relief. "This watch is dead...." He paused for a moment, trying to calm himself. "I need to stay calm. Think again about what just happened."
Fyar began to move, his eyes scanning every shadow among the trees. Occasionally, he pinched his cheek, then lightly punched his own arm. The pain might be able to tear away the veil of a dream that was ensnaring him.
He leaned against a large, mossy tree, his hand reaching into his jacket pocket. A chocolate bar for energy, forty-five spare bullets, a sharp folding knife, and anti-radiation glasses. Everything was in its place. Except for one thing.
His phone was gone.
"Only the phone is missing. This is too strange," he hissed. Frustration began to chip away at his forced composure. "How could I suddenly be here? From any point of view, this is a little absurd."
Suddenly, the silence of the forest was broken by two terrifying sounds that occurred simultaneously.
Rawr!
Aaaaaaaaa!
The first sound was a savage roar, but the second was the piercing scream of a human in pain. His reflexes, honed over years of training, immediately took over.
Fyar instantly crouched, slipping into a thick bush. He moved towards the source of the noise, his pistol aimed forward.
That sound... like a lion and a human at the same time. What’s happening over there? he thought, feeling his heart beat a little faster than usual.
Once he was close enough, Fyar peered from behind the dense foliage. The sight before him made him hold his breath.
In a small clearing, stood a monster. Its form resembled a wolf, but with a single large, glowing red eye in the middle of its head. The creature opened its jaw, filled with sharp teeth, and from it, both terrifying sounds emerged. The creature intentionally made the sounds, as if to lure humans with the fake screams.
"What is that creature?" Fyar whispered softly, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I’ve never seen anything like this. Could the internet conspiracy theories about SCPs be true? What is actually happening?!"
I have to shoot it. If that creature finds out I’m here, there’s no doubt I’ll be dead in ten seconds.
Fyar began to aim his pistol at the strange creature. He took a deep breath, then pulled the trigger.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Birds in the forest flew away, startled by the loud noise of the shots. Three hot rounds pierced right through the one-eyed monster’s head. The creature staggered, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud. Blood spurted from its head.
"It worked," Fyar sighed. The air had just left his lungs when he quickly drew it back in. The sound of the gunshot had given his exact location to whatever else was in this forest. The stench of blood was starting to spread on the wind. He had to move quickly.
As he observed it up close, his expression hardened again. This monster had six legs, three tails, and dark blue skin. Its claws were long and sharp. Its size was that of a common wolf.
"This makes no sense," he muttered again. "I’m dreaming or being hypnotized. That’s the only logical explanation right now."
Fyar sighed, trying to accept the absurd situation. He then continued his journey, exploring the strange forest that felt like another world.
The farther he explored, the more certain he became that this was just a dream. Giant, human-sized mushrooms with light blue caps grew in clusters, their caps shaped like the waving hands of an adult human. Strange caterpillars had thin, transparent bluish wings. Brown butterflies flew by with the pattern of a bear’s face on their wings, and a green snake with legs slithered on a tree branch. The snake was the size of a cobra, but it seemed to pay no mind to Fyar’s presence.
Seeing all this, his conviction grew stronger. This must be a dream, or the result of forced hypnosis by one of his enemies.
Fyar continued walking, occasionally eating his chocolate bar to replenish his energy. After walking aimlessly for two hours, he heard the sound of trickling water not far from his location. He followed the sound until he found a clear river and a small waterfall surrounded by several red-capped mushrooms.
He walked closer and knelt at the river’s edge, staring at his reflection on the calm water’s surface. Messy purple hair in a 70/30 style, purple eyes, a sharp jawline, and a full suit. A black shirt with a black blazer and long coat.
He scooped water with his hand, washed his face, and ran his fingers through his hair, combing it back. The cold sensation of the water felt refreshing. A faint smirk began to form on his lips.
"This is most likely a dream," he mumbled to his own reflection. "In that case, I might as well enjoy it. It’s not often... maybe I can play the role of... an adventurer? Since my dream seems to be related to isekai or something like that."
Fyar straightened his tie and collar. He stretched his body and let out a small laugh.
He started walking again, planning to follow the river’s stream, hoping to find a road or something interesting. After ten minutes, he found a dirt road that seemed to be frequently used, not far from the river. The road was wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side. Fyar walked along the road, hoping it might lead him out of this strange forest.
Fifteen minutes of walking under the rather hot sun, thirst and fatigue began to set in. However, his four years of experience in the academy had trained him to endure conditions like this. Fyar found it a bit strange that for a dream or hypnosis, he could feel tired.
After a while, Fyar decided to rest for a moment and lean against a tree on the side of the road. However, his intention was cut short when he heard human screams from up ahead.
"Spare us! Spare us!"
"We’ll give you all our wealth! Please don’t kill us!"
The voices sounded like they were not far from his location.
Humans? Or a trap from another monster? Fyar thought.
He immediately rushed towards the sound and took cover behind a large tree at the edge of the road. He advanced slowly in a ready stance, prepared to shoot anything that appeared before him. When he was close enough, he could clearly see the source of the voices.
They were indeed humans. Fyar saw an older man with white hair, around his 40s, wearing brown clothes like a nobleman, and a girl in her 20s with a beautiful face, long silver hair, and emerald green eyes. Both had their hands raised, begging before four bandits wearing metal skull-shaped masks.
Behind them, a red horse-drawn carriage with some luggage was parked, and two other bandits appeared to be ransacking it.
"Take it all!! Don’t kill us! Don’t kill us!!" said the old man, his voice trembling. "We swear we will not report this to the kingdom! Please don’t kill us!"
One of the bandits laughed hoarsely. His eyes were fixed on the young girl next to the old man. "Heh, I’ll spare your life," said the bandit. "But this girl is coming with us."
"Please don’t! She’s the only child I have left!" the old man begged, trying to protect his daughter with a hug.
"You don’t get to decide!" the bandit snapped. He stepped forward and roughly pulled the girl’s arm.
"No! Nooo! Father! Forgive me! Please... spare me!" the girl cried, tears streaming down her pale face.
"Shut your mouth!" the bandit yelled.
BANG!
An unfamiliar blast split the air. The bandit holding the girl jolted, then collapsed to the ground. A small, neat hole was created between his eyes. The old man quickly pulled his daughter into his embrace.
"W-what happened?! An enemy? What kind of magic is this?!" yelled another bandit, panicking at the sight of his comrade’s instant death. One of them seemed to be preparing to cast a spell.
BANG!
A second shot followed, hitting him squarely in the head. He fell to the ground. Blood flowed from the hole in his head.
The two bandits who were looting the carriage froze, shocked and confused.
"W-what..."
BANG! BANG!
Two precise shots ended their confusion. Both bandits fell to the ground with holes in their heads.
An eerie silence enveloped the road. The old man was still hugging his daughter tightly, his eyes closed, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Soon after, footsteps were heard approaching them.
The man opened his eyes and saw a strangely dressed man in all black with purple hair stepping out from behind the trees. He walked casually towards them.
"Don’t panic," said Fyar, a cold, cynical smile etched on his face. "I’m just an adventurer who happened to be passing by. Give me some money and a ride to the nearest town."
Is this really a dream... Fyar thought, beginning to doubt his theory.
He paused for a moment, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce through their fear.
"Oh, and also... allow me to introduce myself. My name is Fyar. Or 77."