Shari jumped up from the bench where she waited just outside.
"What?! What happened? Is everything okay? Did Cydal attack you?" She panicked, instinctively barging in, then gasped. "Oh, oh my God, I'm sorry!" She spun around fast, her face burning red.
Longs stood there completely naked in the open, water cascading down his broad, muscular body. He was toned and powerful, but what shocked both of them wasn't his physique it was what wasn't there.
"My scars… they're gone?!" he said, running his hand over his chest and shoulders in disbelief. "What the hell?"
He stepped forward without thinking, still stark naked.
"What's the meaning of this? I don't think wounds heal that fast!"
"L-Longs!" Shari protested, not daring to look back. "Put something on first, damn it!"
Blushing deeply, she half-turned her face away, trying to focus on anything else, she had noticed that too, her body had too many memories of that dungeon in the form of hideous scars but they seem to have all disappeared instantly.
"Maybe… maybe it's because we won," she said hesitantly. "Maybe since we're no longer part of the game… the wounds don't carry over?"
But then Cydal stepped out, water still dripping from his hair, a towel wrapped low around his waist. Unlike Longs, he had the decency to cover himself. His lean body, though not as bulky, was crisscrossed with scars, deep claw marks, bite wounds, and ancient looking burns. All the scars he had for years but nothing had vanished.
"That's not how it works," he said flatly, pulling on his pants and buttoning his shirt. "Whatever happens in that world doesn't just disappear. It leaves a mark."
He looked at Longs sharply.
"You might want to think back. Something changed when you crossed over… and came back here."
Longs stood there, buck naked, one arm resting thoughtfully under his chin, the other resting casually by his side, completely unbothered, even as the tower of babel dangled between his legs.
"Maybe…" he muttered aloud, confused, "it's the Light's miracle? That girl, she had healing powers, didn't she?"
Shari's face was beet red.
Without another word, she marched over and smacked him hard on the head with his neatly folded clothes.
"PUT ON THE DAMN CLOTHES, DAMN IT!!" she shouted, spinning back around to avoid seeing any more of him.
"Alright, alright! Sheesh!" he rubbed the sore spot on his head and finally started dressing.
Minutes later, they stepped out of the locker room freshly clothed.
Cydal wore only a short-sleeved shirt over his pants and scuffed shoes, his forearms still bound in tight, fraying bandages, a silent testament to the Null's creeping control over his body. His expression remained still, unreadable, as if carved from stone.
Meanwhile, Longs had gone full uniform, shirt tucked in sharp, tie crisp, blazer buttoned. He strutted around like some bodyguard or mafia underboss, flexing with every step like he'd just walked out of a fashion magazine.
"I look amazing in it, don't I?" Longs grinned, striking a pose with his arms on his waist, chest puffed out proudly like he was ready for a runway debut.
Shari didn't laugh. She didn't even glance at him.
Her eyes were locked on Cydal, who walked ahead like none of it mattered. Like nothing had happened at all.
Shari trailed behind Longs, her eyes locked suspiciously on Cydal. Leaning in, she whispered through clenched teeth,
"Why is he still following us? He left us to die in that dungeon, so what's he planning now?"
"He has blood on his hands for letting all my club members die. I can't stand how cold and indifferent he is about it, it's like their deaths meant nothing to him."
"What are we even going to tell the town about the missing students? Their parents deserve to know the truth." she asked bitterly.
Cydal's spoke with a cold voice, he has been listening to everything.
"We can't mention what happened to them inside the game."
"Why?" she snapped and moved to face him. "So they don't find out what kind of a monster you are? It's your fault they died. You did this. I'll never forget it!"
Longs stepped forward, his usual cheerful face replaced with a deep frown.
"She's right…" he muttered. "I, I don't even know what to think anymore. I thought we were best friends going on some kind of adventure…"
He looked at Cydal like the boy he thought he knew didn't exist in him.
"But you took us in an unknown place and abandoned us.. we lost so many good friends today."
A cold shiver ran down both their spines as Cydal looked at them. There was something unnatural in his eyes, like he wasn't entirely there anymore.
"It was all coded," he muttered.
"What?" Longs blinked, confused.
Cydal's voice dropped, quiet but sharp. "Even if I helped them... eventually, they'd be eaten by an Alpha Grimhound or something worse. Those guys were never meant to see the system... but they stuck their noses where they didn't belong."
"And I don't understand why you're upset about them," Cydal said, his voice chillingly calm. "I saw a very kind, easy death for them."
He turned his head slowly toward Longs.
"You're in the code now too. The system wanted you to survive and you did. But you know something?" A faint grin tugged at his lips. "Even if you win today, your fate's already decided. And it's very tragic."
Longs didn't understand a word of it, but his instincts did. Something primal inside him screamed danger. His skin crawled.
Shari clenched her fists. This was going too far. But before she could speak, Cydal was already in front of her, close enough to feel his breath, his voice a whisper against her face.
"But you, Miss President…" he said with a grin that made her tremble. "I don't trust you."
She tried to hold his gaze, but her breath hitched.
"You're hiding something," he continued, his eyes narrowing.
"W-What are you talking about, dude?" Longs interrupted, stepping forward. "You sound creepy as hell right now."
Cydal didn't flinch. His stare was locked on Shari.
"You weren't part of the code. Yet the system let you live. Why? There's a reason, isn't there?" His voice grew colder, pressing.
"What are you hiding?"
"Maybe we were lucky," Longs said. "We almost died in there several times, you know..."
Cydal let out a short, bitter laugh at the word luck.
"There's no such thing as luck in the system," he said. "The creator decides everything for you."
And just like a thief caught red-handed… Shari couldn't say a word.
"And one more question," Cydal said, his voice low and steady. "Did you two agree to be part of the game?"
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"You both made it out alive. So... I'm assuming you won."
Longs shook his head almost immediately, his voice tight with unease.
"No. I don't want anything to do with that weird crap again. Whatever that was, I'm out."
All eyes turned to Shari. She didn't speak. Not right away. She was stuck somewhere far in her head, between her brother's laughter and that dreadful ding of the system unlocking his power.
Her voice trembled, but she managed to speak.
"…No. I haven't join the system either."
Cydal tilted his head, watching her with a strangely satisfied look.
"Let me warn you," he said to longs. "Since you have a habit of getting involved in everything... the system might have offered you a chance to be part of it. But it always takes something precious in return. And in the end, it only leads to corruption."
"So watch out."
Cydal's eyes shifted between Shari and Longs. "Do you know what happens if you let others learn about the system?"
He paused, then added, coldly:
"They'll be trapped and manipulated by the code, like you two were dragged. The system spreads like a disease under those conditions, i don't want you to get in my way, so refrain from talking about any of this. Not to the students. Not to anyone. Forget what you saw. Go home."
With nothing more to say, Cydal turned and walked away, taking the opposite path from the funeral.
Moments later, he vanished into the hallways like a shadow dissolving into the dark.
"System?"
A digital chime echoed in Cydal's ears as a flickering screen lit up in front of him.
[Welcome, Player No. 1. How may I assist you today?]
"What are my current quests?"
The text scrolled rapidly.
[Primary Quest: Prepare for the Battle Royale. Time left until it's start: 6 days]
[Objective: Locate and eliminate as many players as possible to prepare for the main event. Note: The number of players has increased since the last check.]
[Side Quest (Ongoing): Explore the Catacombs - requested by Longs]
[Side Quest: Meet Lardo at the Rooftop tomorrow]
"Activate the first quest. I've leveled up 'Null' enough… It's time for me to level up too."
[Acknowledged.]
[Assigning Quest No. 1: Eliminate as many players as possible.]
[Victory Condition: Survival by elimination.]
[Failure Consequence: Player will be imprisoned in a high-threat dungeon for 5 days.]
[Warning: Enemies will be 20x your current level.]
Lines of code and text cascaded down the screen like rain.
The hallway was quiet now. Cydal was long gone.
And Longs and Shari… were very much alone.
"Do you remember the rumours?" she asked Longs, eyes still distant.
"About students and teachers vanishing from the school? Townspeople called it a curse. Said the school was haunted, that the dead roamed its halls and took the living over to their world."
Longs nodded slowly, confused. "Yeah, but… I thought they were just-"
"Lies," Shari finished. "Except they weren't. Not really. The truth is they escaped. They left this town, this… this slow death of a life and moved to the cities, they just disappeared into their newfound lives."
She looked up meeting longs eyes.
"But I don't know what's true and what's a lie anymore," she said. "If what cydal said is right, if the system's real and there's no turning back… then I won't let anyone else get dragged in."
She clenched her fists.
"We'll use those same rumours. For the club members' d-deat…" she faltered, swallowing the word. "For what happened to them."
Her voice dropped.
"We'll say they left. That they ran away to the city and that they were never seen again."
Longs gently placed a hand on Shari's shoulder. His voice was calm, steady, but serious.
"I see. This story… it's the one we've heard about your little brother too, isn't it?"
He met her eyes. "Now that I know everything… I can't help but wonder. If it's true, if he really did escape to the city?"
He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"We've been through a lot together. You can trust me with your sorrows, Shari. Whatever it is, we're in this together."
Something in her cracked, tears fell and she was taken back to her past with her brother again.
Shari and her little brother, Shaan, stood beside the throne, clad in worn armor, bruised, bloodied, and barely able to stay upright but they laughed.
Before them, hundreds of beings gathered: green-skinned and red-skinned, some as tall as poles, others built thick and strong like gorillas. Their cheers and chants in an alien tongue filled the air. Among them stood short, pale, white-skinned people, dressed in elegant white robes, bowing gracefully in respect. They had pointy long ears
All had come to celebrate the heroes who had freed their world from a tyrant's reign.
"Did you see how I slaughtered the Goblin King?" Shaan grinned, swinging his sword in the air as he mimicked the moment. "He begged me for his life on that ugly throne. Some king he was!"
"Hahaha, yep," Shari chuckled. "The game wanted us to win by staying and ruling this world. But honestly? Letting the elves take over was the best call. With their wisdom and knowledge, they'll build something better and peaceful, i think everything will now be okay for this world."
Pride glowed in her eyes, and Shaan hugged her tightly.
"It was all your idea, sis. We won… and made their world better because of you."
Shari nodded, hopeful. "If we play the game like this, maybe we won't have to get our hands dirty with all the... wrong things it demands. We can be heroes, save other worlds."
Shaan's eyes lit up. "Then would you join me on more journeys? Help me save more?"
With a playful smirk, Shari lifted an imaginary skirt and bowed like a noble princess before her brave knight.
"Yes, I will, brave soldier."
They burst into laughter, her cheeks puffing out as she broke character, giggling wildly. Shaan joined her, the place echoing with their joy.
Until it didn't.
A screen flickered before them.
[You have been punished by the system for disobedience. Failure to complete the quest has resulted in a penalty: the player will be trapped in an unknown boss dungeon for the remaining days of their life.]
The laughter died. Shaan turned to her, voice trembling.
"S-sis?"
The air grew heavy. A glowing gate opened, and a strong pull yanked at Shaan.
"Sis! Help me, I'm scared!"
"Shaan! No!" Shari cried, grabbing his hand. "Hold on! I won't let this game take you. It's going to be okay!"
But his tears spilled faster, and her grip slipped.
He was pulled back and dragged into the light.
"Siiisss!"
His voice faded as he reached out desperately.
And then he was gone and immediately she was pulled back to her own world by a glowing gate.
"Nooo! Shaan!"
She lunged for the gate, but it snapped shut, vanishing before her.
Silence returned.
Shari stood trembling, alone… only the memory of her brother's smile left to warm the cold emptiness around her.
"…Alright," she whispered. "I've been lying." shari turned to Longs
Her voice trembled. "The truth is…I always knew about Cydal, about this curse, the system and about the game."
Longs didn't say a word. He let her speak.
"My little brother was chosen as a player. But he didn't understand what that meant. He was too naive and innocent."
She took a breath that hurt to release.
"I wasn't sure either so I kept his secret. I let him take on small, harmless quests. But every time he came back… he was bruised. Not just physically, game was doing something to him, it was corrupting him."
She swallowed hard, the weight building in her throat.
"So I made a choice, we would do this together, i will be his guide in."
Her voice cracked, full of guilt and memories.
"We began playing the game together, we were wild, rebellious and gullible. We thought we could cheat the system. Outsmart it and beat it at it's own game and escape."
She shook her head. "But we were so wrong."
She clutched her sleeves, knuckles white.
"And the system doesn't forgive."
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
"His penalty was imprisonment. Not in a cell but in a dungeon. One that exists far beyond anything we can imagine. He was taken from me when he was merely just a kid. Just like that, he was gone."
Her knees buckled beneath her.
"I was terrified. There was no way to bring him back. No way to find him, he was the player not me, I couldn't open gates to search for him and i didn't know how to explain it my parents, they would have never believed me."
Longs immediately knelt beside her as she wept, staying close.
"But then I heard rumors," she continued, barely above a whisper. "About this school the missing students and the strange disappearances no one questioned. I knew something was happening… someone had to be behind it."
She looked up at him, eyes red and raw.
"So I came here. Started the Conspiracy Theory Club as a front. I pretended to chase urban legends, ghost stories, anything that would help me learn about the system. I clung to every whisper, every clue. I would've done anything... just to see him again."
She wiped her tears but her hands trembled.
"And then… when I saw Cydal return. When I watched him talk to you about the catacombs…"
Her voice lowered, guilt weighing heavy.
"Everything changed."
She looked away, unable to face him.
"I used him… i used both of you. I needed to reach one of the dungeons. I needed to see the system for myself."
Longs was quiet for a moment, the pieces falling into place.
"So that's why you were wandering through buildings… sneaking through halls," he said softly. "You were searching for your brother in that dungeon?"
Shari nodded slowly, her eyes lost in memories that haunted her.
"Yes… but I failed."
Longs gently reached out, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
"It's going to be okay," he whispered.
But in the silence that followed, both of them knew, it wouldn't be.
"Hey Longs…" Her voice cracked as she called out to him. "Why don't you go… join the others at the funeral? I, I just need a moment to myself."
Her face was cold, drained of warmth, drained of everything. Her voice sounded like a cry sealed in glass.
Longs hesitated, studying her fragile form. Then he nodded gently.
"Alright… just call if you need me."
He turned and walked away, his figure slowly fading into the gray light spilling toward the sea cliff, where the funeral waited in silent mourning.
Tears slid down her cheeks, quiet and unstoppable.
Selphonie's words echoed like a whisper from a ghost, rule was: "If you ever decide to join the game… just call the system."
But through years of research, of scars and firsthand truths, Shari knew what that meant, joining the system meant losing something.
Something human. Something precious.
Even Cydal warned her about this.
But she didn't care. Not anymore.
Her lips trembled, then parted.
"System!"
The world around her turned red quickly, a screen flickered before her, cold and blue and glitched.
[Welcome to the game new player.]
Her hands curled into fists.
"I'm coming for you, little brother…Just wait for me a little longer."
To be continued.