When the man opened his eyes and took in his surroundings, he froze where he stood.
Instead of a warm bed and cozy room, all he saw around him was a cold, dark ruin.
What happened?
Filled with curiosity and unease, the man glanced over his shoulder. He clearly remembered falling asleep at home—so why had he woken up in this bizarre, godforsaken place? Where was this? Why was he here? With these questions swirling in his mind, he took slow, tentative steps forward. Pressing his palm against the frigid wall for support, he kept his guard up, searching desperately for an exit. But no matter where he wandered, nothing greeted him except icy darkness and a silence so thick it could be cut with a knife.
Was this all just a nightmare?
He slapped his cheeks hard. The sharp sting dispelled his last shred of doubt, and panic coiled tight in his chest. This was no dream, no hallucination. What in the world was going on? Why was he here? What had happened to him? Despite the torrent of questions flooding his mind, he forced himself to keep moving, his hand gliding along the freezing wall as he followed the corridor deeper into the unknown.
He never noticed the inky blackness churning not far behind him—roiling, gathering, slithering like venomous snakes hidden in the shadows, ready to strike.
Then, a cold, pale blue flame flickered to life.
"Wah!"
Caught off guard by the inexplicable sight, the man jumped in fright. He pressed his back flat against the wall, his eyes darting frantically in every direction. And just then, a voice—smooth, elegant, and warm as honey—drifted into his ears.
"Welcome to my realm, honored guest."
"Huh?"
The words took the man by surprise. He turned his head on instinct, only to gape in shock. Standing not far from him was a figure clad in strange yet magnificent robes, a gentle smile playing on his lips as he regarded the man. His raven-black hair and obsidian eyes glowed with an otherworldly aura in the firelight, mysterious and alluring. Though the man had no idea how this stranger had appeared out of thin air, the mere sight of another human being sent a wave of relief washing over him.
"Who are you? And where exactly is this place?"
"You may call me Blake."
Blake dipped his head in a graceful bow, then straightened up, his gaze locking onto the man's.
"Might I have the honor of knowing your name, honored guest?"
"I'm… Charlie."
Under Blake's calm gaze, Charlie gradually regained his composure. But when his eyes fell on Blake's unusual attire, a look of confusion crossed his face. "Please, tell me—what is this place? Who are you? And why am I here?" Now that he'd relaxed a little, Charlie bombarded Blake with questions, cringing inwardly a moment later when he realized how rude he must have sounded. But Blake didn't seem the least bit bothered. Instead, he shrugged and gestured with an open hand.
"Standing here chatting is rather tiring, don't you think? Why don't we continue our conversation over a meal? You're the first guest to grace my realm in fifty years—you deserve nothing less than a warm welcome."
"…Thank you."
After a moment's hesitation, Charlie nodded and followed Blake into the room behind him.
Lush, melodious music filled the air. Crisp white tablecloths and steaming plates of food came into view, instantly easing the last of Charlie's tension.
"Please, have a seat."
Blake smiled and gestured to a chair. Once Charlie had settled into it, looking rather awkward, Blake shrugged and raised his wine glass.
"I know you have countless questions, and I shall answer them all… But first—what would you like to know?"
"What *is* this place, exactly?"
Charlie blurted out the question immediately.
"I was sound asleep at home—how did I end up here?"
"This is my personal realm."
Blake took a sip of his wine before turning his gaze back to Charlie.
"As for why you're here… I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that. Perhaps it's because the dimensional barriers here are relatively weak, making it easier to attract visitors from other worlds."
"Other worlds?"
Charlie's eyes widened in shock.
"You mean this isn't Earth? Oh no, I can't believe my luck—how did I—"
Blake watched silently as Charlie groaned and buried his face in his hands, offering no words of comfort. He simply held Charlie's gaze with that same gentle smile, waiting patiently until Charlie had accepted the truth and lifted his head again, ready to ask more questions.
"So who *are* you, then? You said you created this realm… Are you a magician?"
"I'm afraid not—I'm no mage."
Blake raised his wine glass in a toast. The gesture caught Charlie off guard, and he quickly lifted his own glass in response.
"Actually, I think I understand how you feel, Mr. Charlie."
Blake leaned back in his chair, his expression softening slightly.
"It has been a very long time since I last laid eyes on a fellow compatriot from Earth. To be honest, I'm truly delighted to have you here."
"Huh?"
Charlie blinked in surprise, taking a closer look at Blake. It was then that he noticed the man shared his own features—golden hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. And only now did he register that Blake had been speaking in his native language this entire time, sending a fresh jolt of shock through him.
"Wait a minute—are you also…?"
"Indeed I am."
Blake nodded, then picked up the wine bottle beside him.
"Like you, I was transported to this world out of the blue a long time ago. Unfortunately, however, I never found a way to leave."
"So does that mean I'm stuck here for good?"
A complex look crossed Charlie's face as he sighed and buried his head in his hands once more.
"Theoretically speaking… yes, that would be correct."
Blake set the wine bottle down, a strange glint flickering in his obsidian eyes. But Charlie was too caught up in bemoaning his fate to notice. After a moment of wallowing in his despair, he lifted his head again, his mind a jumbled mess.
"So none of this is a dream? I really *did* cross over to another world? What do I do now? How am I supposed to survive here?"
"You don't have to do anything at all."
Blake's voice was low and soothing, with a reassuring warmth that calmed Charlie's frayed nerves.
"I will help you leave this realm."
"But wait—didn't you say you're not a mage? Isn't this the kind of thing only mages can do? Like with spatial magic or transmutation spells and all that…?"
"I *can* do it, that much is certain. And I really am no mage."
Blake shrugged at Charlie's words, a faint, self-assured smile tugging at his lips.
"I am a knight. The Knight of the Apocalypse."
"The… Knight of the Apocalypse…?"
Charlie echoed the words numbly, as if the title itself held some strange, otherworldly power. The moment Blake spoke it, the once-warm atmosphere in the room grew heavy and oppressive, thick with a dry, suffocating heat. Charlie tightened his grip on his wine glass and took a hasty sip. The cool liquid slid down his throat, chasing away the uncomfortable warmth. His eyes remained fixed on Blake, waiting for an explanation. Was it just his imagination, or did Blake seem somehow… intangible? As if the man's very existence was nothing more than an illusion, flickering at the edge of reality.
"Precisely."
Blake set his wine glass down with a graceful flourish and picked up a napkin to wipe his hands.
"After arriving in this world, I became one of the most powerful knights on the entire continent. But then… a little incident occurred. Some people took issue with my idea of 'fun,' you see. So they banded together and tried to eliminate me. It was a war that dragged on for years. I emerged victorious in the end, of course—but not without paying a steep price."
Blake gestured to his own body as he spoke.
"I managed to get rid of all those troublesome pests, but in doing so, I lost my physical form. Now I can only exist as a spirit, confined to this realm of mine. It's quite an unpleasant predicament, I must admit."
"Oh… I see."
Charlie swallowed a mouthful of rare beef, nodding his head slowly, though he still felt thoroughly confused. It sounded like Blake was telling him something important, but his mind just couldn't wrap itself around the concept. Just then, that stifling heat washed over him again, forcing him to reach for his wine glass once more.
"But then again, it seems fate is still smiling upon me after all."
Blake laced his fingers together and leaned back in his chair, regarding Charlie with that same gentle smile.
"I thought I would be trapped here for much longer. But I never expected to find a sacrifice so soon…"
"Huh?"
Charlie looked up, his head swimming with dizziness. Yet somewhere deep within him, an instinctive alarm bell began to ring. He could have sworn he'd just heard a word that spelled nothing but danger. But Blake's expression remained unchanged—still that same warm, amiable smile as he stared at Charlie. Only this time, a glint of cold amusement flickered in his eyes.
"Mr. Charlie… you *will* help me escape this predicament, won't you?"
"…Huh? O-Of course I will."
Charlie froze for a split second before responding automatically.
"Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation."
Blake's smile widened, brighter than ever before. And just like that, the once brightly lit banquet hall plunged into dimness. The melodious music had long since faded into silence, and even the sumptuous feast and dining table vanished without a trace. The churning darkness reclaimed its throne as the ruler of this realm. Charlie sat frozen in his chair, his hands and feet bound tight by chains of shadow. As the icy, suffocating darkness crept over his body once more, clouding his senses, his muddled mind suddenly snapped back into sharp focus.
"W-What do you think you're doing?! You—!"
No answer came to his frantic demands. The inky black mist coiled around him like a nest of vipers, swallowing him whole. Blake rose to his feet and strode over to where Charlie sat. He held out his hands—and as he did, a bloodcurdling scream tore from Charlie's lips. The dense fog enveloping him began to writhe and contract, as if digesting its prey. Then, between Blake's palms, a faint, flickering light—Charlie's soul, struggling desperately to break free—came into view.
"This is all part of the bargain. My apologies, fellow countryman."
A cold smile tugged at Blake's lips as he clasped his hands together. And with that simple motion, the fragments of Charlie's soul trapped within his grasp dissolved into a shower of glowing embers, vanishing into the void without a trace.
The pitch-black realm began to tremble and crumble around them. The roiling tide of darkness surged, unleashing an overwhelming power of death and destruction. The illusory realm shattered completely—and along with it, a terrifying entity, a harbinger of death and the end of all things, returned to the world once more.