Flick!
Darkness took over the room.
Though the office was familiar to me, it suddenly started to feel different as the very air turned cold and I felt an additional presence.
I didn’t panic.
I knew that there was no time for me to panic as I stared at the mirror.
I could no longer see my reflection, but I could feel a presence inside the room. The presence lingered somewhere as I closed my eyes and tracked it with my node.
Unlike before, with the anomaly now connected to me through my node, I could sense its presence at all times, and when I opened my eyes again, I knew it was lingering within the mirror.
’Alright.’
I took a deep breath, feeling the air turn even colder.
’The anomaly should be in the mirror. In case the situation turns, I’ll just have the Realmwalker cover the mirror. Everything is sorted. I just need to—huh?’
My thoughts came to an abrupt halt the moment I felt something press against my back. Before I could even react, I was thrust toward the mirror, just barely managing to turn my head in time to catch a glimpse of the Realmwalker through the darkness.
A sudden sense of déjà vu struck me.
This...
Wasn’t this familiar?
This motherfuc—
BANG!
Striking something hard, I stumbled forward as I held onto my head.
"Ukh...! Fuck—!"
A few curses left here and there. Partly because of the pain, and most importantly because of the sudden betrayal.
"Fuck getting a new meatshield! I’ll make sure you become my meatshield for life! That’s a promise!!"
Cursing several more times, I finally pulled my hand away from my forehead. That was when the words died on my lips as I looked around, stunned by what I was seeing.
This...
I recognized this place.
This room in particular.
Although it wasn’t worn down like before, warm light streamed from above as the curtains billowed gently, fresh air drifting through the room. A familiar wardrobe stood by the side, and a pristine mirror rested beside me.
There was no doubt about it.
This was Point Z.
Or to be more precise, this was Point Z before the mist.
"What’s going on?"
Helping myself up, I moved toward the window and looked outside. The scenery that greeted me left me stunned. Trees rustled beneath a faint breeze that drifted through the air, tousling my hair along with it. Warm laughter echoed below as I caught a glimpse of several people gathered beneath.
This place looked incredibly nice.
’...Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. This must be Point Z before the mist.’
But why was I here? Did I go back to the past?
No, that seemed unlikely.
Was this how the world within the mirror was? Another paradise-type thing?
Honestly, I wasn’t certain, but as my eyes remained fixed on the scenery outside, the door behind me abruptly opened, and a figure walked in.
Clank!
My heart skipped a beat as I turned my head.
A figure walked in, her long white dress trailing softly behind her as she moved toward the mirror. Holding a brush in her hand, she began to run it through her hair in slow, steady strokes.
Coming into the room, she didn’t seem to sense my presence at all.
Rather... it was more like she couldn’t see me at all. But that wasn’t what struck me the most. Staring at her, I swallowed quietly as I took in her features. Or the lack of them. She had no face. No nose. No eyes. No mouth. Just a smooth, blank surface where her face should have been as she continued brushing her hair in front of the mirror.
I grew alert.
Was this another scenario that I had to clear?
’But where is the quest?’
I’d usually see a quest window the moment I was thrust into a scenario.
Then...?
Trrrr! Trrr—!
A sudden ringing sound echoed across the entire room.
My heart jolted.
That ringing sound...
"Mom! Mom...! Pick up the phone, mom!"
The faceless girl called out below, but she got no response. Lowering her hand, she turned back and mumbled, "Why the hell is no one responding?"
She then began to walk out of the room.
Without a second thought, I followed her from behind. It was clear now that she couldn’t sense my presence at all, even as the loud squeal of the landline phone echoed throughout the entire place.
Eventually, she picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
Her voice sounded quite annoyed.
But the annoyance didn’t last long as her face changed.
"What?"
There was fluster in her tone as she answered.
Straining my ears, I tried to listen, but I couldn’t quite make out what was being said. In the end, I didn’t need to.
"Wait, wait... What are you talking about? Go upstairs? Why do I need to go upstairs?"
’Go upstairs!’
A scream pierced through the phone’s speakers as the girl let go of the receiver. At the same time, her head snapped toward the door. I turned as well, my stomach churning as a sudden sense of dread settled over me.
I could feel the ground shaking under my feet, and the windows began to shatter like broken glass.
"H-Huh...!?"
The girl let out a startled yelp as she stared at the window. The house began to rattle a moment after, and as I drew closer to the window, I saw it.
A dense, dark mist rose in the distance, churning as it barreled through everything in its path, swallowing structures and life alike as though it sought to devour the world whole. The house continued to shake, the tremors rattling through its frame, yet despite the violent motion, the noise seemed to fade away completely, leaving behind an eerie, hollow silence.
I continued to stare at the approaching mist, the dread coiling tighter in my stomach as it drew closer. Beside me, the girl took a step back, her body trembling. Though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell she was trying to say something, her movements hesitant and strained.
But the silence persisted.
It crept over the world, gripping all living beings as it sped up, swallowing everything in its path.
The girl next to me ran.
She dashed towards the second floor as fast as possible.
I reacted a step later, my eyes still lingering over the mist in the distance. But eventually, I followed her back up the stairs, catching up with her quickly and just barely managing to enter as she slammed the door behind her.
With her back pressed against the door, her chest rose and fell repeatedly.
Tears streamed down her faceless face as she turned toward the window. In the silence, the mist continued to roll forward, swallowing everything in its path, a low, whipping sound cutting through the stillness as it filled the air.
Looking at the mist, I remained still.
I just watched as it slowly approached our way.
In a way, it felt... inevitable.
Soon, the mist was almost upon us, rolling forward with terrifying speed as it swallowed everything in its path. To my eyes, it felt as though the world had slowed to a crawl, yet the mist surged closer in an instant. It was fast, far too fast, and as I turned my head, the last thing I saw was the girl, her back pressed against the familiar mirror, both hands clutching where her mouth should have been.
Then...
Swooosh—
The mist swallowed us whole.