The Ethereal night : Feather's Curse

The Second Night

Arin woke again with a sharp gasp, his eyes snapping open. The world around him looked familiar, but his body felt wrong. The tension in his muscles, the dampness on his skin—he was back. Ethereal Night.

The moment his feet hit the cold, damp ground, he knew. The world he stood in was no longer the one he knew. The towering trees above him loomed like twisted sentinels, their branches interwoven with shadows. The air was thick with an eerie mist, clinging to his clothes and making the world feel claustrophobic.

A low growl echoed in the distance, and Arin's heart skipped a beat. He had to get moving.

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Welcome to the Game

As he took his first few steps forward, a familiar glowing screen materialized in front of him, the same one he'd seen the previous night. The words seemed to hover in mid-air, ominously bright against the dark landscape:

Welcome to Ethereal Night. Survive or perish.

It was followed by another line, a new message he hadn't seen before:

Objective: Reach the Heart of the Forest. Time Limit: 48 hours.

Arin swallowed hard. The fear from last night flooded back, but he pushed it down. He had no choice. He had to survive. He had to find a way to escape this world.

The trees around him seemed to close in, and the path ahead was shrouded in mist. He knew from his dreamlike recollections that it would be dangerous out here. There would be creatures lurking, challenges to face, and possibly other players trapped like him. But where was everyone else? Kian? His friends?

The ground beneath him shifted, and a faint blue glow illuminated a path leading deeper into the forest. Without much choice, Arin started walking, staying alert for any signs of movement.

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A Mysterious Figure

As he ventured deeper into the forest, Arin felt the oppressive atmosphere weigh on him. The trees twisted unnaturally, their trunks gnarled and covered in strange runes. The silence was broken only by the occasional rustling of unseen creatures.

Then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared before him, stepping out from the shadows of the trees. A woman, dressed in dark robes, with pale skin and silver hair that seemed to shimmer under the dim light. Her eyes were a piercing shade of violet, glowing faintly, and her expression was unreadable.

"Lost already?" she asked, her voice low but somehow melodic.

Arin froze, unsure of how to react. "Who are you?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady despite the growing sense of dread.

The woman smiled faintly. "I could ask you the same thing. But I know why you're here, and I know how it feels."

"You know what's happening?" Arin took a step back, instinctively on guard.

"More than you think," she replied cryptically, her gaze flicking toward the glowing blue path that Arin had been following. "But be warned. There are forces at play here far beyond your comprehension."

Arin stared at her, confused and uneasy. "Who are you? What do you want?"

She didn't answer directly. Instead, she gestured to the path ahead. "You will find the answers you seek, but only if you're willing to fight. The Heart of the Forest is not for the weak. If you want to escape this game, you will need more than luck. You will need strength, allies, and knowledge. And perhaps, a little help from those who've been here longer than you."

With that, she turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving Arin with more questions than answers.

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A New Challenge

As Arin continued down the path, a low hum filled the air, like the thrum of some distant heartbeat. The trees began to thin, and the mist began to dissipate, revealing an ancient stone ruin in the distance. The Heart of the Forest.

Just as he was about to approach the ruins, a notification flashed before his eyes:

New Objective: Defeat the Guardian of the Forest.

Before he could react, the ground beneath him trembled, and from the ruins emerged a massive creature—tall and hulking, with bark-like skin and glowing red eyes. Its arms were thick with muscle, its face twisted into a permanent snarl, and from its back sprouted jagged branches that looked as sharp as spears.

The Guardian roared, shaking the ground beneath Arin's feet.

"Survive or perish," Arin muttered to himself, recalling the words of the game's rules.

He wasn't ready for this.

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The Fight for Survival

The Guardian charged, and Arin barely had time to react. He dodged to the side as the creature's massive fist slammed into the ground where he had been standing just seconds before. The impact sent a shockwave through the earth, knocking Arin off his feet and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Scrambling to his feet, Arin's mind raced. He had no weapons, no experience in combat—he was just an average guy who'd been thrown into this nightmare. His pulse raced as he surveyed the battlefield, looking for anything he could use to defend himself.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw it—an old, rusted sword embedded in the ground beside a ruined column. Without thinking, he ran for it, heart pounding in his chest.

Just as he grasped the hilt of the sword, the Guardian swung its massive arm again, but this time Arin was ready. He raised the sword, barely managing to block the blow. The impact sent a jolt through his arms, but the sword held. He managed to swing it back with all his might, hitting the Guardian's leg. The creature howled in pain but didn't fall.

Arin knew this wouldn't be easy. But for the first time since waking in the game, he felt a spark of hope. He had the sword, and he had to fight—not just for survival, but to understand what was really going on.

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To Be Continued...

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