The mansion door slammed shut with a deafening finality, the sound cracking through the hall like a judge's gavel—cold, irrevocable, sealing their fate.
The silence that followed felt alive, slithering into Tang-Ji's ears and tightening its hold. She exchanged anxious glances back and forth with Kazami, but the pallor of his face told her all she needed to know.
The impact resonated in their bones as panic surged through their virtual veins before they realised that they were trapped, cut off from the safety of the outside world.
Desperation etched itself upon their faces.
But the unsettling changes were not done.
The ground beneath their feet started to ripple as the walls surrounding them began to morph. Dark, gnarled woods transformed into ancient, weathered cobblestones; their once sturdy appearance was now worn and crumbling.
A number of faint lights began to flicker to life under their feet, generating unsettling shadows that danced around the walls as if they were orchestrated by some unseen force.
The house seemed to pulse, like they were trapped inside a living thing, playing with their anxieties and carrying out its twisted game. The area around them seamlessly throbbed with a slow, deliberate rhythm that echoed through the walls like the rise and fall of unseen lungs.
It was as though the place had swallowed them whole, sealing them into its endless, dark belly, and somewhere deep within, something waited, watching, unblinking.
The once-glass windows shattered into rainbow-coloured fragments and were replaced with dark, glossy stones, almost like obsidian. It felt disturbingly familiar—like the rush of blood in Tang-Ji's ears on a rollercoaster, the kind she usually relished, when speed and motion made the world blur.
But here, the pounding wasn't thrilling—it throbbed heavy and merciless, like the relentless hooves of the Erinyes, drumming into the void with no promise of end.
The group remains rooted to the spot, their eyes scanning their transformed surroundings, searching for any sign of escape. Dread hung heavy in the air, mingling with a sense of anticipation for the trials that await them within the labyrinthine corridors of the mansion.
Kazami muttered under his breath, "I should have known... This... This is a trap room."
'To be able to defeat any boss in this game, a large-scale party composed of tanks, damage dealers, and supporters is needed to clear a chamber,' he thought to himself.
He knew from the beta version of the game that it was nearly impossible to fight solo in this game, and now the odds were stacked against them.
Travelling with a party of two and an NPC was bound to get them onto some sort of death road; however, it was too late to rethink his foolish decision.
"Dammit, fuck!" He grunted.
Before they could react, the ceiling above began to crack, and a chilling realisation dawned upon them. Blood started to pour from the ceiling, cascading down a grotesque waterfall.
The room was filled with an eerie silence, broken only by the sound of the blood splattering onto the floor. The Clicker Husks, sensing the impending danger, retreat to the edges of the room, their malevolent gazes fixed upon the pool of blood.
"What... what is that?" Tang-Ji's lips trembled as she could almost feel the smell of blood clinging to her skin.
As the blood began to merge and coalesce, it took on a monstrous form. The amalgamation of blood solidified, revealing a colossal, nightmarish creature that almost resembled an Arachne.
Its massive spider-like body loomed above them, dripping with blood and malice. Multiple bright red dots suddenly emerged from the shadows, revealing the monster's hideous form.
"It's... it's the queen of this nest, a high-level boss. We walked right into its lair." Ukiyo muttered as she grabbed onto Tang-Ji's arm. The intensity of its appearance caused her to murmur something before shuffling back behind Ukiyo.
"Wait! Don't move!" Tang-Ji, heeding Kazami's warning, hesitated at the edge of her track, but it was already too late.
The Arachne sprinted towards them at breakneck speed as soon as it detected the presence of fresh prey. It moves with a calculated rhythm, each of its eight legs carrying a lethal purpose. Its speed belied its girth, as it quickly dove towards the players.
With a sudden burst of speed, the spider-like monster lunged forward, its massive frame hurtling towards the group.
Its razor-sharp legs extended, ready to strike with a wide swipe attack that threatened to overwhelm them.
In a split second, the players found themselves sprawling backwards, the impact of the Arachne attack reverberating through their bodies. With a single attack from its leg, it drained a significant percentage of everyone's health.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As Tang-Ji slowly regained consciousness, she blinked her eyes open, vision swimming in a haze. Pain radiated through her limbs as she struggled to sit up.
But something—someone—was draped over her, shielding her from the worst of the aftermath. It was Ukiyo. Her body trembled, back scorched from the blast, arms barely holding on.
"Tang-Ji…" came a whisper, strained and paper-thin. "You okay?"
Tang-Ji's breath caught. "You—you took the hit for me…" Her hands fumbled for a healing vial, panic blooming. "Here, take this. Please."
Ukiyo shook her head, her lips twitching in a weak smile. "No. You'll need it more. Him too."
Her health bar pulsed red—flickering like a dying star—and Tang-Ji felt her chest clench. She couldn't lose her. Not now. Not after everything.
"You're bleeding. Why would you—"
"I told you." Ukiyo reached up, her fingers brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, lingering. "I'm not letting you die in here."
Her eyes, heavy but sharp, locked onto Tang-Ji's.
"Listen to me. You have to finish this. I can't… I can't unlock what's inside you. Only you can." Her voice faltered, then hardened. "You have to."
With a trembling voice, Ukiyo pressed on.
"The Leere system in this game… it's different. Unlike anything else."
Her gaze flickered to Tang-Ji's hands, empty yet burdened. The cold air pressed against them, numbing.
"Your emotions—hatred, love, fear, happiness—every moment, every feeling you've ever held onto, they shape your weapon. They determine its strength."
Ukiyo took a slow breath, her voice softer now. "But you… you suppress everything. You bury yourself beneath logic and distance. And because of that, your connection is weakening."
The scarlett moon ray trembled between them, its glow fragile through the cracks from the ceiling.
"A Leere isn't just a weapon—it's a reflection. It only answers to raw, unfiltered emotion. If you keep shutting yourself away, you're not just holding yourself back… you're limiting what your Leere can become."
Tang-Ji listened intently.
She had always known, deep down, that true strength wasn't just about power—it was about confronting the fear she'd tried to ignore, and embracing the weight of her own emotions. Only then could she become someone capable of standing between danger and those she refused to lose.
Something in Ukiyo's voice stirred deep within her, unravelling the weight of her self-imposed shackles and awakening the void within her heart.
Kazami stood up and swiftly activated an item that had an elongated tube appearance; a large healing area of effect suddenly appeared, and he bathed the three of them in a radiant glow of rejuvenation. The wounds they had suffered began to close, and their strength returned, though only slightly.
The monster let out a deafening scream that almost sounded like bird chirps, only with way higher intensity. It began to rotate its lower body around in circles before slamming one of its legs against one of the pillars of the mansion, sending out shockwaves of area attack, which caused the deaths of multiple Clicker Husks that were spectating the fight.
Startled by this, Tang-Ji covered her eyes and squinted them; however, upon reopening them, she noticed that Kazami was right before her, standing with his first clench.
"Don't give up, Tang-Ji," he said sternly over the howling of the beast.
"Let's beat this game together," his voice now softened before titling half his face back.
"I know I've said it before—we're not heroes. We can't save everyone."
"But still…" He clenched his fists before loosening them.
"Getting my friends out of this game—that's my goal. And if, somehow, I end up saving everyone along the way…" His lips quirked slightly, a ghost of something like acceptance. "Then so be it. I'll take on the role of a hero."
His gaze lowered for a brief moment, the weight of his earlier words pressing down on him.
"What I said before… it was wrong." His voice wavered, but he didn't look away. "I was scared—hell, I've always been scared. But that doesn't excuse it."
"It was cruel of me. I know that."
Kazami inhaled sharply, then let it out.
"I'll make up for it. Some other time." His fingers twitched before he stretched out his arm, palm open. "But right now… I need your help, Tang-Ji."
She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she nodded, a soft smile touching her lips.
She took his hand, surprised by the heat.
'It's soft,' she thought, her fingers curling around his. 'It's warm.' For a moment, the chill of her surroundings faded, replaced by the quiet comfort of his touch.
He flinched a little before muttering under his breath, "You finally gave me a real smile. Your smile is very beautiful; you should always keep smiling." He reassured her with a smile as well.
"No matter how dangerous the situation is, I promise I will not let you die. Trust me, we will escape out of this cruel world together."
Her face went slightly red. Tang-Ji felt the urge to reply to his kind gesture, but it was like the words were stuck in her throat, so instead, she held onto his hand tighter.
He couldn't help but keep smiling before turning around to confront the monster that was still on a rampage in the background.
Taking charge of the situation, Kazami knew what needed to be done. With a surge of adrenaline, he sprinted towards the towering spider-like boss, drawing its attention.
His roar echoed through the chamber, a declaration that he would bear the brunt of the aggression.
"Come, get me, you bastards!" He yelled out, trying to provoke it.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kazami cut inside the six-legged beast's reach, shouldering past a scything limb to keep its eyes on him. He feinted high, dragged the point low, and drove steel into the spider's joint.
It was only a standard swing with a little more force behind it, yet the point was able to break through the dull purple exoskeleton, releasing a stream of green liquid.
"AAAHHH!!"
The Dread Stalker bellowed in rage as he pulled his blade out along with a string of blood. Ripping free, he ran as his boots slipping on acid slick, not waiting to see if it followed.
He risked a glance back. The monster completed a grinding quarter-turn. A crown of eyes found him; the first of its two health bars had shaved down, a thin sliver missing.
"Hurry up, guys; I don't think I can hold out much longer." Kazami panted and gasped desperately.
"Close your eyes, Tang-Ji," Ukiyo urged gently, her voice carrying the weight of both fear and conviction.
"Think about it. Recall any memory from your past—a memory that held deep meaning for you. We all have something or someone that gives us the strength to overcome any obstacle. Find that within yourself; find your true desire."
Tang-Ji hesitated—until she saw past Ukiyo: Kazami, a blur at the edge of collapse.
His steps were still precise, but there was weight hanging from each one, a hitch that hadn't been there yesterday or the day before. The world smeared at the edges as the fight dragged on; fatigue pulled at him like weight in his limbs.
He'd been battling for days, and it showed. Potions knit flesh but did nothing for a mind run raw—only rest or sleep could. Kazami hadn't slept through a single night since this began, keeping himself on a hair-trigger as danger lurks in every corner. The exhaustion pressed down, determined to drop him to his knees.
Tang-Ji quickly closed her eyes, knowing that she was running out of time, allowing herself to be enveloped in darkness. Her surroundings began to disperse as she was lunged into a dream world.
Once again, she entered my world.
A place opened—not a cliff this time, but a school rooftop at day's end. Heat shimmered above the rail. A glass bell clicked in the breeze, small and bright. A boy's outline leaned into the wind, hair blown back, voice certain.
"I want this dream to come true. To be able to experience a world from our memories that is almost indistinguishable from reality." His words resonated with a sense of familiarity within her.
The words landed with the weight of something she'd heard before. The face stayed blurred. It didn't matter. The intent felt like Kazami's—stubborn, impossible, real. She thought of every time he'd planted himself between her and danger and refused to move. Not unbreakable—just refusing to break.
Her mind flickered to her first encounter with him and the awkwardness and difficulty in understanding him. But despite the challenges, she realised that he had always been there for her, protecting her, even without her knowledge of her past.
He had kept her memories a secret, unwilling to burden her with changes or headaches that may arise from uncovering her forgotten history.
'Strength isn't the absence of fear. It's choosing anyway.' she thought.
Watching him fight for her, for both of them, gave her the courage to confront her own self.
She felt like he was trying to teach her that even with a forgotten past, an uncertain present, and an unknown future, she could still be strong. She didn't need to hide behind doubt anymore. It felt like his resolve had become her own.
She breathed in air that smelled like sun on fabric and chalk dust. 'All right,' she told the empty sky. 'Then choose.'
"When I get out of here, I'll dedicate myself to learning my language—I promise, mum, dad. As for right now, I'll trust in your words, Kazami Lynn." Tang-Ji murmured before her eyes snapped open, gleaming with an intense resolve—not entirely her own—as if something deeper had stirred awake the moment she stepped forward.
As she raised her hand, the surrounding atmosphere shifted. The tremor in her fingers belonged to the moment, not to fear. Particles gathered—first a green glint, then lines, then the weight of something long and absolute. The air hissed.
Wisps of energy coiled and swirled, forming intricate patterns that danced with a rhythm only the universe could comprehend. Tang-Ji slowly extended a hand, trembling slightly with a mixture of anticipation.
Allow your desires to ignite and dissolve your path to the future.
A magnificent surge of energy erupted from the depths, enveloping her in a swirling vortex of power. The force of the awakening Leere resonated with the very fabric of the chamber, causing dust to spiral in a mesmerising dance.
Beams of radiant light shot out in every direction, illuminating the surroundings with a celestial glow. The massive Jade shear materialised in her hand, along with a pop-up window that appeared in her vision, displaying the name and translation of her Leere, Jade of Abolition.