"Where am I?" I asked myself. I looked around and saw nothing but darkness. My lips were dry, my body sore from training, my muscles twitching.
I glanced around again and noticed a small light drifting toward me, an orb glowing softly, moving in the dark like a lone firefly lighting up the night.
The orb floated until it stopped in front of me. A green orb.
A firefly? I wondered.
It hovered inches from my face, almost as if it were inspecting me.
I opened my palm to grab it, but it dodged effortlessly, then, with sudden speed, shot straight into my chest.
I froze, rubbing my eyes, wondering if I was hallucinating. I had no idea where this place was, how I arrived, or what I'd just witnessed.
I tried to stand, but my feet sank into something soft. The faint light was gone, leaving me blind again. Panic rushed through me as I thrashed around.
I choked on air. I screamed, but my voice echoed into nothing.
The ground felt wrong, like quicksand, like water, pulling me down. Everything was pitch black, so I couldn't make out a thing.
My head remained above the surface for a few seconds until that, too, was swallowed by the abyss-like ground.
I held my breath as long as I could, but eventually my lungs gave in. I inhaled the thick liquid.
I coughed, gagged, then everything went dark.
---
I jolted awake, heart racing, breath sharp and uneven. Cold sweat drenched my back, my arms felt like mush.
Couugh, Cough
I coughed violently, still feeling the phantom sensation of inhaling that strange substance.
"Where am I?" I muttered. Today was too strange, and I didn't like it at all.
This time I could see. Light entered my eyes, but I didn't recognize the place. I was lying on cold, damp ground in an alleyway. I scrambled up instantly, my OCD screamed at me to shower as soon as possible.
I walked out of the alley, confused. The people I saw weren't anyone I recognized. And by that, I mean, they looked Asian.
The problem was that I was Russian. I lived in Russia, not Korea or Japan.
Did I get kidnapped? The thought hit immediately.
It wasn't just one person, everyone, and even the buildings, screamed Asia. This was definitely not Russia.
I grabbed the shoulder of the nearest person. The teenager, glued to his phone, turned with irritation, until he saw the size of the person holding him. His face went pale instantly.
He stood at 5'5". I towered over him at 6'3". He almost passed out, assuming I was some gangster. But the moment I spoke:
"Hello, do you know where this place is?"
I used English, the global language, and the only one I could rely on. I didn't know Japanese, Korean, or Chinese.
"Oh! A foreigner!" the teen exclaimed, suddenly cheerful. "This is Seoul, South Korea. Why? Are you lost?" he asked, speaking English with a clear Korean accent.
(Third POV)
Now it was Ivan's turn to be shocked.
Why the hell was he in Korea?
The last thing he remembered was being in the wrestling gym, punished by the coach, 5000 push-ups, sit-ups, and crunches. He had nearly finished when he passed out.
He remembered waking on the gym floor, legs shaky, abs burning. The coach had driven him home, praising his effort but scolding him for breaking an opponent's arm.
He remembered entering his house, greeting his parents, showering.
He remembered staring into the mirror, blood vessels burst in his eyes, both of them red.
Then he lay down on his bed
and darkness.
And now he was here.
Seventeen years old, and apparently kidnapped and dumped in Korea.
His face twisted in frustration and anger.
The teenager watching him ran off instantly, terrified of dealing with someone who looked mentally unstable. Fuck this, I'm out, he thought as he fled.
Ivan clenched his fists until his knuckles went white. The burning sensation still lingered in his body.
Then a green screen appeared in front of him.
.
.
[Welcome to Fight Class 3 Universe]