My name is Alex… and I died because of my own stupidity.
"Damn it! Why hasn't Todd announced Elder Scrolls VI yet?!"
Alex slammed his fist against the desk. "You should be focusing on making The Elder Scrolls VI, not announcing some Elder Scrolls Creation Club nonsense! Are you out of ideas or something? Is that why you're making fans improve the game themselves with paid mods inside the game?!"
I'm just an office worker. My age… well, I'm a little embarrassed to say it. I don't have time for romance. It's not that I don't want to fall in love I just can't. I have to pay for my own living expenses and my mother's hospital bills.
Maybe you'd say, "That's not your responsibility." Maybe you'd say I should live my own life. But my mother sacrificed so much for me. After she divorced my father, her health gradually worsened. There was no one else.
My phone suddenly vibrated.
(Electricity bill almost past due.)
Alex glanced at the screen. "Ugh… If that bastard hadn't been such a womanizer and had actually taken care of Mom, maybe… maybe I would've had a better life…"
He clenched his fist and slammed the desk again. The cup of coffee on the table tipped over instantly, spilling straight into a nearby power outlet.
The exposed cables scattered near him, combined with the surge of electricity, sent a violent current through his body.
"AAABRBRBRBRB BRBRBUURRB!!"
Alex convulsed uncontrollably, agony piercing through his chest.
(Am I… going to die because of such a stupid mistake?)
The continuous shock began generating heat inside his body.
(It's burning it's so hot it hurts!!!)
"AAAAKHHH !!"
Moments later, the power finally went out.
And Alex collapsed to the floor.
Everything went dark.
The unbearable heat that had consumed Alex's body slowly faded… replaced by a creeping cold. Little by little, he curled into himself, wrapping his arms around his body as if he had finally accepted his fate.
Then
A sharp, suffocating smell burned his throat. A wave of scorching air suddenly washed over him.
Alex's eyes snapped open.
"HHAAAH ! Haa… haa… haa…"
He gasped frantically, his chest rising and falling as panic seized him. He looked around.
"What…? What's happening?!"
Massive flames raged in every direction, devouring buildings whole. Houses crumbled into charred ruins as the fire swallowed them. People ran desperately through the streets, screaming, searching for shelter. Some were horribly burned one man staggered past with half his body blackened and smoking.
Alex's heart pounded wildly.
"Am I in hell?! But what did I do to deserve this?!"
Suddenly, a woman with piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair slammed into him as she sprinted past. They both fell to the ground.
"Ouch…" Alex groaned.
The woman quickly pushed herself up and urgently said, "Hey! Why are you just standing there frozen?! Run! We need to find a safe place!"
She extended her hand toward him.
Alex stared at her. Her clothes were different from what he was used to seeing and its like a beggar clothes rough fabric, dirty and worn like something from another era. But this wasn't the time to judge appearances.
He grabbed her hand. "Y-Yeah, you're right. Sorry…"
They began running together.
"So what's going on?" Alex asked between breaths. "Why are the houses burning "
Before he could finish, a deafening roar echoed from above. The powerful beat of enormous wings shook the air overhead.
The woman answered while pointing up at the sky.
"That's the reason."
Alex stared at the dragon with his own eyes, his entire body trembling.
"A-A… a dragon?! What is this? Where am I right now?!"
The woman looked confused by his reaction. "It's normal to be shocked seeing a dragon for the first time. I was the same "
Before she could finish, Alex suddenly grabbed both of her hands tightly, his expression deadly serious.
"Where are we right now?!!"
She flinched at the sheer panic in his eyes. "O-Oh… we're in Helgen."
Helgen.
Alex froze. His mind struggled to process the name.
Then he burst out laughing.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!!! This has to be a dream!"
The woman stared at him, now seriously questioning his sanity.
(Has he lost his mind…?)
"Hey! I know this situation is insane dragons appearing after so many years but we need to find somewhere safe. Are you coming or not?!"
Alex slowly stopped laughing and looked at her with a strange intensity.
"Hey… are you the Dragonborn? No… that's impossible. It wouldn't be known at this point." He shook his head. "Sorry, let me rephrase that. Are you the prisoner who was about to be executed… even though your crime didn't deserve the death penalty? Just crossing the border, right?"
The woman blinked, completely baffled by his questions. She had no idea what he was talking about.
But the flames were getting closer, and the dragon had already begun slaughtering more people. There was no time to argue.
"Y-Yes, that's right! Everyone saw when I was about to be executed. Now can we please move?!"
Alex smiled faintly.
"Good. Then I know a safe place."
Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
"Follow me."
Alex was convinced now the woman had to be the Dragonborn.
(If that's true… I need to stay close to her.)
"By the way, my name's Alex. What's yours?" he asked as they ran, weaving between burning houses and collapsing debris while avoiding the dragon's sweeping gaze.
"My name is Astrid!" she shouted back. "Now hurry! This isn't the time for small talk!"
"Whoops sorry! Let's just survive first!" Alex replied.
Having played Skyrim countless times, Alex moved with surprising confidence. He navigated through ruined buildings, avoided falling beams, and kept out of the dragon's line of sight almost instinctively. Soon, he reached a familiar structure the tower.
"This is it!" he said urgently. "Let's get inside! The underground should keep us safe, and there's a hidden escape route to get us out of this hell!"
Without hesitation, Alex chose the path that aligned with the Stormcloak route.
They rushed inside the tower.
"This place should be safe for now…" Alex muttered.
Then he glanced at Astrid's hands.
"Wait… weren't you supposed to be tied up?"
Astrid shot him a look. "What kind of sane person would stay tied up when disaster is right in front of them? When the soldiers died, I grabbed a dagger and cut myself free. It wasn't hard."
Alex nodded. "Okay… that makes sense."
They moved deeper into the tower. The air inside was thick with smoke and dust. Soon, they came across the fresh corpse of a fallen soldier. Beside him sat a chest slightly open revealing a set of soldier armor inside.
"Hey, Astrid… sorry if this sounds rude, but what race are you?" Alex asked awkwardly.
She frowned at him. "Can't you tell just by looking at me? And you should at least recognize your own race, shouldn't you?"
Alex lifted both shoulders in a helpless shrug, silently admitting he had no idea not about her race, and apparently not even about his own.
Astrid let out a long sigh. "I'm a Nord… Honestly, it's strange for a Nord not to recognize another Nord. I'm starting to wonder how you were raised."
They approached the chest containing the armor.
"Hey, Alex, right?" Astrid said. "You should change your clothes. If you keep wearing those normal clothes, it'll be hard to protect yourself."
"Ah… I don't think I need to. I'm not sure how "
Before he could finish his sentence, Astrid had already begun removing her outer clothes, stripping down to her undergarments so she could change into the armor from the chest.
Alex froze in shock and immediately covered his eyes.
"H-Hey! Shouldn't you be embarrassed?! Why are you suddenly undressing in front of a guy?!"
Astrid paused for a moment, then casually replied, "Ah oh… sorry about that." She turned slightly toward him, completely at ease. "It's not like I'm completely naked."
She noticed how stiff and flustered he looked and smirked teasingly.
"What? Don't tell me this is your first time seeing a woman in her undergarments."
Alex tried to keep his eyes covered, but he peeked through his fingers from time to time, his face turning bright red. For someone who had never seen a woman like this in real life before, seeing Astrid like that was an overwhelming first experience.
Astrid stepped closer, clearly enjoying teasing him.
"You know… usually, if another man saw me like this, I'd punch him unconscious or even kill him," she said casually. "But for some reason, in front of you, I feel completely normal. Maybe it's because you're not a threat to me… or "
She leaned in even closer, her face now only inches from his.
" maybe there's something special about you."
She looked utterly satisfied as she toyed with Alex's flustered heart.
Alex, however, had always respected women deeply. After all, he had been raised by his mother, who sacrificed everything for him. The thought of taking advantage of a woman he didn't love or who didn't love him made him feel guilty.
His face burning red, he quickly stepped aside and gently pushed himself away from Astrid's closeness. He avoided her gaze entirely.
"A-Ah… I-I'll wait over there. When you're done, you can come find me…"
Astrid simply smiled as she watched his embarrassed reaction, clearly amused by how red his face had become.
A few moments later, Alex could hear the faint sounds of Astrid changing into the armor.
To him, she looked incredibly attractive her toned body, defined abs, broad and firm midsection, and her full figure making her appear both strong and alluring. The image of what he had just seen replayed vividly in his mind, and he couldn't help imagining how striking she must look now in armor.
He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice her approaching from behind.
Suddenly, Astrid tapped his shoulder.
"Hey. I'm done."
"Ahh!!" Alex jumped in surprise. "S-Sorry! I'm sorry!"
Astrid blinked in confusion at first, but then she seemed to understand why he was acting that way. A faint smirk appeared on her lips as she leaned her face closer to his.
"You know… you could've just looked."
Alex's face instantly turned bright red again. Without daring to meet her eyes, he cleared his throat and quickly stepped forward, putting a bit of distance between them.
"Haha… let's just get out of here."
And with that, he moved ahead, leaving Astrid one step behind, while she followed with an amused smile.
They continued moving through the underground passage when several soldiers suddenly blocked their path.
"Are you civilians?" one of them asked suspiciously.
"Yes," Alex replied quickly. "I was being guided by one of the soldiers to pass through this underground tunnel."
Astrid immediately understood what Alex was trying to do they needed to deceive the Empire soldiers.
"Y-Yes, sir!!" she added convincingly.
The Imperial soldier nodded. "Fine. Just follow the path ahead and you'll find the exit. We need to go rescue other civilians and capture the escaped prisoner."
Alex swallowed nervously, while Astrid's hand was already gripping the hilt of her sword.
The soldiers walked past them.
But then one of the soldiers slowed down, staring at Astrid's face more carefully.
"Wait… aren't you the "
Before he could finish, Astrid's blade flashed through the air.
In a single swift motion, she slit his throat.
With the element of surprise on her side, she quickly struck down two more soldiers before they even had time to react.
Alex witnessed everything.
He froze.
The sound of steel cutting flesh. The thick smell of blood. The sight of crimson pooling onto the stone floor it was overwhelming.
He had seen dead bodies earlier above ground… but this was different. This was close. This was immediate.
Astrid called out to him, but he didn't respond. His ears rang loudly, a sharp buzzing drowning out her voice.
She grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard.
"Alex! Snap out of it!!!"
He blinked, finally coming back to his senses.
"H-Huh…? Wh-what…?"
Astrid studied his pale face and immediately understood.
"Is this your first time seeing this much blood?"
Alex looked at her and slowly nodded.
"You need to get used to it if you want to survive here," she said seriously. "If not, you'll be the first one killed."
Her words carved themselves into Alex's mind.
He had never seen so much blood before. Even though he had witnessed many people die earlier, experiencing it up close like this was entirely different.
Deep inside, he realized something he could no longer deny.
This wasn't a game anymore.
This was real.
Alex slapped his own cheeks lightly, trying to snap himself back to reality.
"Sorry… Let's keep moving."
Astrid looked at him in surprise. The way he had suddenly shaken off the trauma of witnessing death for the first time was unexpected.
"Alright," she said. "But tell me if something's wrong again."
They continued forward until they reached a torture chamber. The stench of blood filled the air. Various torture devices were scattered around the room, many of them stained dark red.
Alex felt another wave of shock.
"Damn it… did it really have to be this cruel?"
Astrid crossed her arms. "I guess I was lucky. At least I wasn't tortured before being sentenced to death. But… this is the reality of this world."
Alex scanned the room and noticed something inside one of the cells a spell tome titled Spark.
His eyes lit up. "There's a spell tome in there…"
He tried opening the cell door, but it was locked.
"Damn it… I can see the spell tome from here."
Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're more suited to being a mage than swinging a sword?"
"Well… let's find out," Alex replied.
He searched nearby and found a small pouch containing lockpicks. Taking one, he knelt in front of the locked door.
"Alright… I just have to try this…"
Astrid watched as Alex carefully worked the lock. Seconds turned into minutes.
She tapped her foot impatiently.
Finally, after waiting long enough, she suddenly kicked the cell door hard.
The lock broke open with a loud crack.
"Hey! I was almost there!" Alex protested.
Astrid rolled her eyes slightly. "Ugh… at that pace, it would've taken you an hour. My way's faster."
Alex picked up the spell tome from beside the dead prisoner. Without hesitation, he opened it.
The moment he did, the book began to glow.
A stream of light burst from its pages and shot straight toward Alex's forehead. He froze as the knowledge carved itself directly into his mind the method, the flow of magicka, the sensation of channeling lightning. In an instant, he understood how to use the Spark spell.
Astrid stared in disbelief. What she had just witnessed was anything but normal.
"What just happened? How did you do that?"
Alex looked at her, confused. "What do you mean? Isn't this how you learn magic?"
Astrid grabbed his shoulders firmly. "What do you mean, 'learn'?"
Alex tried to sort through the knowledge now embedded in his mind. Slowly, he raised his hand and summoned the spell.
Electricity crackled from his palm, bright arcs of lightning dancing between his fingers.
Astrid took a step back.
"What kind of power do you possess to master magic instantly like that? You're supposed to read, study, and practice. Some people struggle for years just to cast a simple spell! But you… you learned it in seconds."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Are you some legendary sorcerer in disguise? Or… who exactly are you?"
Alex didn't know how to answer. He finally understood something important mastering magic instantly might make sense in Skyrim the game, but in this real world, it clearly wasn't normal.
"Um… can you keep this a secret?" he said cautiously. "I just found out myself that I can learn magic instantly. And if word spreads… that's bad news, right?"
Astrid fell silent for a moment. She realized he was right. A power like that would draw dangerous attention. It could put both of them in serious danger.
"Of course," she said at last. "I don't plan on dying because your secret gets exposed."
She looked at him again, more carefully this time.
He possessed incredible power yet he showed no arrogance, no pride, no desire to boast. That confused her.
At the same time, she felt a faint embarrassment creeping into her chest. Earlier, she hadn't considered him a threat at all.
And yet… there was something about him. His presence felt strange not hostile, not aggressive…
But strangely… drawing her in for reasons she couldn't quite explain.
"Hey… umm… this is a little awkward, but can you just treat me like you normally do? Okay?" Alex said, scratching the back of his head.
Astrid looked at him for a moment, then gave a small smirk.
"Alright. But I'm seriously surprised. Seems like Skyrim still has plenty of mysteries I don't know about." She let out a light laugh. "Hahaha."
The tension between them slowly eased, and their dynamic began to return to how it was before casual, teasing, and strangely comfortable.
Together, they continued walking deeper through the underground passage.
Until suddenly
They encountered a monster ahead.
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