get Lucky or die

Leo's eyes snapped open, and his heart hammered in his chest. The weight of the void was gone, replaced by the faintest glimmer of light. It was dim at first, like the world hadn't quite figured out how to exist yet. He blinked, trying to adjust to the new surroundings, but his body felt… different. Lighter. Like he was no longer tethered to his old life.

He stood up slowly, his legs shaky beneath him, as though he hadn't used them in years. The ground under his feet felt solid—too solid, but it was real. He could feel it. His fingers brushed against the dirt, the air smelled of something faintly metallic, and the temperature was strange: not warm, not cold, but an uncomfortable, unchanging kind of chill that seemed to seep into his bones.

Where am I?

The question burned through his thoughts, but before he could try to piece anything together, a voice filled the air, the same disembodied presence that had spoken to him before.

"The game has begun, Leo. You have made your choice, and now you must face the consequences. There are no second chances, no mercy. You either win, or you lose everything."

Leo turned in every direction, but the landscape was unfamiliar. The ground stretched out before him, flat and barren. Not a single tree, building, or even a scrap of life could be seen. In the distance, a tall, looming figure emerged—shrouded in shadow but impossibly clear against the empty horizon.

At first, Leo froze. His body tensed, preparing for a fight, a challenge, anything. But as the figure came closer, the sensation shifted—like something deeper, something colder, had settled over him. His heart clenched. This was not an enemy.

The figure stopped a mere few feet away. The shadows around it seemed to swirl and coil, as if alive, bending to its presence. It was humanoid in shape, but its face was an inky blur, like a shadow that refused to take form. Only two bright, glowing eyes pierced the darkness.

"You have arrived," the figure said, its voice calm and methodical. It wasn't the same voice Leo had heard before—it was deeper, more unsettling, like the sound of distant thunder.

"Who… who are you?" Leo asked, his voice hoarse and unsteady, though he wasn't sure whether it was fear or the lingering effects of his death that made him feel so vulnerable.

"I am the Keeper of the Game," the figure replied, its voice an echo, vibrating through the very air around Leo. "I am here to ensure you play your part and fulfill the terms of your choice. You are no longer in your world. You are now in the realm of fate."

Leo swallowed hard. The realm of fate. This was real then. He wasn't dreaming or hallucinating. His decision had brought him to a place where the laws of his old life didn't apply.

"Wait," Leo said, shaking his head, trying to make sense of it all. "I don't understand. What do you mean 'play'? What is this game?"

The Keeper's eyes glowed brighter for a brief moment, and Leo felt a shiver run down his spine. It wasn't fear—it was something else. Something like the feeling of stepping into an abyss, knowing there was no way out but to fall.

"The rules are simple, Leo. You have nothing left but your will to survive. This game is not a game of chance—this is a game of will. You will face a series of trials. Each one will test your mind, your body, your soul. To survive, you must conquer these trials. To win, you must endure. To lose… the consequences will be irreversible."

Leo narrowed his eyes, stepping back. "What kind of trials? What do I have to do to win?"

The Keeper didn't respond immediately. Instead, it raised a hand, and in a flash, a new landscape materialized around Leo—vast, sprawling, and terrifying.

He found himself standing on the edge of a cliff, staring out over an endless sea of black, swirling fog. It was as if the very air was alive—pulsing, throbbing with an unnatural energy. The ground beneath his feet was jagged and unstable, cracks running through it like the veins of a dead body. And in the distance, Leo could see flashes of movement—creatures that lurked just out of sight, waiting for something.

"You will have to choose your path wisely," the Keeper's voice echoed, now distant. "Your first trial awaits."

Leo's heart beat faster as he took in his surroundings. This place—it felt like a prison, a place meant to break people. But what did it mean to 'choose' his path? What choices did he have?

Before he could think more, a loud, ear-splitting roar tore through the air, sending vibrations deep into his chest. Leo spun around just in time to see something massive charging toward him from the fog. It was enormous, nearly thirty feet tall, with jagged teeth and eyes that glowed with an otherworldly light. Its body was an amalgamation of twisted, shadowy figures—each one pulling itself together, merging into the beast as it neared.

Leo's pulse raced. His first trial.

He didn't have time to think. His body reacted before his mind did. He dove to the side as the creature charged, its claws swiping through the air with a deadly force. The ground trembled beneath Leo's feet as he rolled to his feet, scrambling away from the beast. His body ached, his muscles stiff and slow from the damage he'd endured in his previous life, but his instincts were sharper than they'd ever been. He had survived his bad luck this long—he wasn't about to let this creature take him down so easily.

The beast's roar echoed again, deafening and filled with rage. Leo's heart pounded in his chest, but he didn't panic. He couldn't afford to.

His hand shot to the ground, his fingers brushing against something cold and hard. He grabbed it, pulling it free with a grunt. A jagged piece of rock—a weapon.

Leo barely had time to register the thought before the beast lunged again. He spun, using the rock as a makeshift weapon, swinging it at the creature's glowing eyes. It connected with a sickening thud, but the creature barely flinched. Instead, it growled in fury, turning its massive head toward Leo.

It was stronger than he had anticipated.

"Come on…" Leo muttered, his breath ragged, but determination in his eyes. He didn't have much time. This wasn't just a fight for survival—it was his chance to prove himself, to break free from the curse of bad luck that had haunted him for his entire life.

With a swift motion, Leo ducked low, dodging the beast's snapping jaws. He darted between its legs, making his way toward a jagged outcrop that jutted out of the ground—his only chance to gain an advantage.

The creature was fast, but Leo was quicker. It took everything he had to outmaneuver the beast, to keep from being crushed under its massive weight. He could feel it—his luck was gone, but in its place, he had something more: the sharpness of his mind, the raw will to survive, and a deep, unshakable resolve.

The Keeper's voice echoed in his mind: "Survive. Win. Or lose it all."

Leo's hands tightened around the rock. This was only the beginning. And he would not let this new life slip through his fingers, no matter what came next.