After Yuka accepted the deal Aetherion offered him, he stepped out of the room. As he did, he noticed the door behind him losing its vibrant glow, turning dull gray.
Seeing this, he quickly assud that each gift was ant for only one person—since he had taken it, the room was now useless to anyone else.
Just as he exited, another door a few steps away lost its glow as well. Turning his head, he saw Elsa stepping out, looking rather pleased with herself. Though she tried to hide it, the small smirk tugging at the corner of her lips betrayed her excitent.
Yuka couldn't help but notice how guarded she still seed, clearly not fully trusting him yet.
anwhile, Elsa noticed sothing different about Yuka. His posture—normally hunched, shoulders drooping, as if burdened by so invisible weight—was now straight, proud even.
'Could this be an effect of the gift he received? Does it already influence him while we're still here?'
She narrowed her eyes, scanning him with suspicion. Before she could dwell on it further, Yuka waved casually.
"We better start heading back. Wouldn't want to miss anything."
Elsa exhaled and nodded, pushing her curiosity aside for now.
The two of them began retracing their steps toward the center, where the angel Hetan was waiting. It was a long walk, and along the way, Yuka couldn't shake the uneasy feeling creeping up his spine.
As they neared the starting point, they noticed sothing off—the crowd had drastically thinned.
Where there had once been hundreds of people, now only a handful remained.
Yuka frowned. 'Where did everyone go? Could they have... been eliminated?'
It was a disturbing thought, but there was no proof to confirm or deny it.
Finally, they reached the wide space where Hetan stood. She silently observed the two as they arrived, her unreadable gaze locked onto them.
Then, she spoke.
"Just one more person left. I suppose I should brief you all before we continue."
Hetan cleared her throat, exhaling softly before continuing.
"Now that you have all chosen a gift, I will send you to a new world where you will begin a second life. This is a chance to start fresh—to make better choices... or worse ones. That decision is yours alone. However, know this: trials await you. And in those trials, you will be tested. You must be prepared to protect what you will co to love."
Many of the remaining people exchanged confused glances.
For Yuka, however, the ssage was clear.
'She's telling us there will be tis of peace... and tis of pure chaos. She's warning us not to get too comfortable.'
It sounded exactly like the setup of a hardcore survival ga.
Was he overthinking it? Maybe. But if he was right, then they were in for far more than they had bargained for.
Before he could dwell on it further, Hetan raised her right hand, palm open.
A dark, swirling orb materialized in her grasp before launching upward, expanding into a massive vortex in the air. The energy pouring from it rippled like liquid, yet moved like a storm.
Even from a distance, Yuka recognized it for what it was.
A portal.
"Step into the portal in the order you arrived."
One by one, people began stepping into the swirling abyss without hesitation.
So looked confident. Others... well, Yuka wasn't sure if they were truly fearless or just too reckless to be afraid.
But for him, his mind was elsewhere.
'For them to have granted us gifts so early... this world must be dangerous. I shouldn't take anything lightly until I've gathered more information.'
"Next!"
Hetan's voice snapped Yuka back to reality. He blinked.
It was his turn.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward—
Only to feel a sudden tug on his shirt.
"Where the hell is your etiquette, idiot? Ladies first!"
Elsa shoved past him, flipping her hair dramatically as she walked straight into the portal without so much as a glance back.
Yuka scowled. "Rude shorty!"
But his words t only empty space. Elsa had already disappeared, swallowed whole by the portal.
Shaking his head, he sighed. 'What a pain.'
Finally, it was his turn.
He took a step forward—
"Wait, Yuka."
The sudden call made him halt just before entering. He turned his head, eyes narrowing in confusion.
Hetan was looking at him with an intensity that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Be wary of the system."
Yuka froze. His breath hitched.
'How does she know about the system?'
His mind raced with questions, but before he could voice them, Hetan had already averted her gaze, her face blank as stone.
The ssage was clear: no further discussion.
Still, Yuka hesitated. He wanted answers.
"What do you know about the system?"
Silence.
Hetan did not even acknowledge the question.
After a long pause, Yuka clenched his jaw. He had no choice but to move forward.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the portal.
As the dark, liquid-like energy engulfed his entire body, the world around him dissolved into nothingness.
An unsettling thought lingered in his mind as he drifted through the abyss—
'What really is the system?'
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