[Wake up!]
「"The subject is not waking up. At this point, he is gonna face a critical moment. You sure he can still be saved?"」
[Hunter, wake up!]
「"It seems that his subconsciousness is still fighting. He also cannot hear us. Apart from that, even his subconsciousness is struggling to tell him he's in a dream loop."」
[You moron . . . Your sister is dying!]
「"Poor man, he's gonna be heartbroken whether he stays in the dream loop until his body gets devoured, or wake up knowing things will not be like before."」
⠀
"Brother?"
A MAN WITH void irises stared back at the gaze of the girl before him, as he brushed his treacle-black hair with his hand. An exasperated sigh escaped his pale pinkish yet heavenly-looking lips. The girl had a fair complexion, while the man had a milky white appearance, but both wore the same outfit, a white tunic and draped cloak. Poor enough to labor, yet tired enough to sleep.
The man was called Hunter, at least, that was how he remembered someone calling him in his memory.
"Did you have a nightmare again?" asked the girl with worry in her tone.
At this time of day, he was supposed to be free of labor and chose the cliff that loomed over their district to enjoy the view and the company of the wind.
Something he always did whenever he had time to do so.
The man leaned his head on the trunk and lifted his head, watching the sunlight peek through the branches, as the leaves swayed with the cold morning breeze.
"I did have a nightmare, Phoebe." He closed his eyes and thought of the nightmarish scene, then played it again in his mind.
Apart from that, he had this strange sensation that this already happened, but he did not know when.
He continued speaking, nonetheless.
"This time, it's me shepherding a herd of goats and sheep. But then that thing shows up again, and I run . . . and I am led to that place."
"It always leads to the tree bearing dice fruit, doesn't it?" His little sister, Phoebe, giggled and ruffled his hair. "But a nightmare is a nightmare, brother. Just don't let it get to you like last time."
Hunter scrutinized his dirtied palms. While Phoebe was merely honest, he could not ignore it, the feeling of being haunted by a buried past, and the sensation of not understanding anything that his nightmares were telling him.
There were times that he would hunt in his dreams, or that he would have the role of a king, or get to carry an axe and cut some wood, but it would all end in the same exact scenario: being chased by blobs of flesh, getting devoured, and then having to stand in front of a tree that bore dice fruit. Upon caressing the fruit, they would warn him through the same whisper over and over.
The nightmares were one of the reasons he failed to awaken, and like Phoebe stated, he let it get to him so much that he was sent back to their district.
"Then, do you still hear them?" Phoebe searched for his face.
Like how the whispers searched for his peace.
Hunter nodded once. "I still don't get it."
He placed his palm on his chest.
"Why am I being told to never open any doors?"
It was truly a mystery for someone like him.
But his heart was telling him something.
As if he had known before and yet now forgotten.
Was the door an opportunity he should not take, or some chance that would offer him risk?
Either way, such a thing could not be resolved easily.
After all, he had no luxury of doing so.
"Silly brother!" His sister chortled before she tucked her hair and sat beside him. "But you know, perhaps that was the reason you failed the Awakening Ceremony."
When Hunter heard that, he could only sigh.
How many years is it already, huh? He shrugged it off quietly before he stood.
Seven years had passed ever since he failed the ceremony. The Awakening Ceremony could only happen once. Those who failed had to stay in their respective districts and dedicate themselves to their beloved city in order to continue living. Which only meant he had no way of attempting for the second time, or for multiple times.
He was a failure.
Hunter peered beyond the walls and noticed the grey mist covering the darkened figures of some towers.
For those who succeeded had to live their lives in it and serve the purpose of completing the Trials of the Gods, at least, how the tall tales worded it.
No one really knew what the trials were and how it all worked, but he heard those who awakened would bow before inheritance, perhaps the reason why they would have special abilities. Heirs — they would be called and had to live a new life that even the likes of him had no awareness how it all would turn out. Only if he were to rewind time.
"The past is the past, Phoebe." Hunter bitterly smiled, as he could feel the pang in his chest that kept growing. "In fact, it's already seven years, and I've long accepted that I've failed and have not awakened any special abilities."
Then he looked at the still Phoebe and gazed into her eyes deeply.
"So make us proud and succeed . . . If you do so, I'll take care of our mother."
Phoebe's cheeks flushed, as if she was touched by what her brother uttered. "You know, ever since father died that day . . . I've hated you, right?"
[Wake . . .]
Hunter felt something strange.
When his sister smiled, Hunter's mind throbbed painfully, as if a thousand needles pierced it. Being dazed, his eyes widened seeing blood flowing on his sister's face.
The wind blew once more, but it was more like a whisper to him.
"You know, ever since father died that day . . . I've hated you, right?"
It kept on repeating over and over.
[. . . You freak, wake up!]
「"Oh, it seems that his subconsciousness is now getting the hang of it. It's all up to him whether or not he will respond."」
[At this point, even us could die!]
Who are these voices? Hunter asked inwardly, since he could not even distinguish what words were being spewed.
[You only listen to me, moron. Our sister — we need to save her.]
Apparently, Hunter appeared crazy talking to his own mind, as if it had a mind of its own.
He was taken aback watching his sister lose an eye.
He covered his mouth, terrified with the uncanny sight.
[You need to use the drift . . .]
Drift? What drift are you even talking about?
[Use our freaking power, you idiot!]
Are you crazy . . . ? I don't have special abilities . . .
"Brother?" The uncanny Phoebe mischievously grinned and slowly walked in shifty paces. "What's wrong?"
But Hunter became stiffed.
「"Eventually, the beast has been aware of him with the loop being broken due to the interference of his subconsciousness. We cannot intervene no more if he reacts late. We can only hope this fool figures out how to escape as early as possible."」
Hunter was without any inkling whichever the faint voices belonged to, that he also could not look for, especially that his sight hazed, and that his mouth became tightly zipped.
His sister was now melting like a wax.
Had this already occurred somehow?
His stomach churned.
What the hell is happening?
Other than that, the sky went dark.
[Hunter . . . Do something!]
What should I even do?
[Break the loop! It's now or never!]
Loop? What . . . loop?
Phoebe's neck snapped, as her legs broke with her arms, like a marionette with invisible strings.
With his current predicament, he was assured the figure before him was not his sister anymore.
Before he knew it, Phoebe's body exploded.
And he could only ask for the second time.
What the heck is the loop?