Eclipse of Eternity: Awakening of the Forsaken

Chapter 7: Shadows of the Past

As I stared at the dim, flickering light above, my thoughts spiraled endlessly. The day's events were too much to process. From transmigrating into the malnourished body of a 10-year-old to being thrown into a dystopian nightmare filled with mad scientists, drugged children, and whispers of death—I hadn't even had time to digest it all.

I felt something shift against my shoulder, a light weight pressing into me. Turning slightly, I saw the so-called "friend" who'd called himself my companion. He had fallen asleep and was now using my shoulder as a pillow.

In his sleep, he murmured, "Why is this pillow so hard?"

I sighed. "And you've got the guts to complain, huh?" I muttered under my breath.

I didn't push him away. Despite everything, I was too tired to care. Resilience dulled the physical pain, but the mental strain was starting to take its toll. I leaned back against the cold wall and tried to make sense of it all.

In just one day, I had gone from living a normal life on Earth to being thrown into this twisted reality. I encountered Ouroboros, the infamous organization with the symbol of a snake devouring its own tail. I had been subjected to experiments—or, more accurately, torture. I had discovered a key character from the game, Isa, who was destined to escape this lab and eventually become a spy for an assassin organization.

Her story had been thrilling and melancholic when I played the game. But now, trapped in this world, it was all too real. I was living it, not watching from the safety of a screen.

As my thoughts wandered, I felt a chill run down my spine. Someone was staring at me. Slowly, I turned my head and met Isa's gaze.

Her piercing eyes bore into mine like she was peeling back the layers of my mind. She smirked, her expression sharp and calculating. "New, huh? You seem out of it. But don't worry—you won't be for long."

Her sudden shift in demeanor caught me off guard. Just moments ago, she had seemed as lifeless as the other children in the room. Now, she radiated a cold, predatory energy.

"Before, your eyes were blank," I said cautiously. "Were you pretending?"

She chuckled darkly. "Pretending? I wish I could. But no, it's the sedatives. They drug us before nightfall to keep anyone from attempting an escape. Since you two are new, they didn't give you the full dose. Your weak bodies wouldn't handle it."

The word "weak" stung, even though I knew it was true. My malnourished body was nothing more than skin and bones.

"Why are you awake, then?" I asked, genuinely curious. In the game, Isa's backstory had been more of a side note—an emotional footnote to the protagonist's journey.

"My body's resistant to drugs," she said, her voice flat. "Their effects don't last long on me. I've been here for weeks, but I can't get used to it."

Her willingness to talk surprised me. From what I remembered, Isa was supposed to be prickly and aloof.

"So," she said, turning the conversation back to me, "what's your number?"

"My… number?"

She gave me a sharp look. "You don't know, huh? I'm 1543. It's the designation the scientists gave me. Using your real name is banned here. Warn your sleeping friend, too."

I nodded, murmuring my thanks.

Isa leaned back against the wall, her eyes narrowing. "You two must be new if you're in the detention room already. I don't know what you did to end up here."

Ah. Right. I might have bitten a scientist's hand and tried to kick him.

"I deserved it," I muttered to myself before correcting, "No, he deserved it."

I glanced at the boy on my shoulder, snoring softly. Why was he here? He hadn't done anything… had he?

When I looked back at Isa, her eyes were closed. "You should rest," she murmured, "so you can deal with what comes tomorrow."

Her voice was calm but laced with something else—resignation, maybe.

I sighed, letting my head fall back against the wall. Isa was older than me, though malnutrition made it hard to tell. Her noble heritage had been a curse, not a blessing. Betrayed by her family, branded as traitors, and executed—she had escaped, only to fall into Ouroboros's hands.

Her story was filled with tragedy. I pitied her, but I wasn't exactly in a better situation.

Closing my eyes, I waited for sleep to take me. Maybe when I woke up, I'd be back in my room. Maybe all of this was just a bad dream.