Let me introduce myself: my name is Aria.I'm 25 years old.I have no friends, no family, and no partner. Do you know what that feels like?Yeah, it hurts. It hurts a lot.But that's life, I guess.
I'm a corporate worker.Every day, my routine is...
FLAT.
Seriously—like a playlist with only one song on repeat.Wake up, work, sleep.Wake up, work, sleep.And so on, until Sunday greets me with a fake, plastic smile.
Until one night, fueled by restlessness and instant coffee, I thought: "I need a vacation."
So, I started saving a little bit from my salary.Sure, sometimes I got tempted by online shop discounts... but eventually—I made it!YES! After all this time, my dream vacation fund was finally ready.
I immediately jumped online, looking up accommodations, tourist spots, transportation—everything!Complete checklist? Check!And guess what? Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving!
"Hehehe, good thing I saved all that unused leave since the dinosaur era," I chuckled.
That morning, I took a taxi to the airport.Checked in, dropped my suitcase, and slumped into my seat on the plane."Ahh, airplane seats really are comfy," I muttered, leaning back with a satisfied sigh.
It didn't take long before I dozed off.
But then...
In my sleep, I started smelling something... unpleasant."Hmm, maybe the person next to me is an equestrian? Or... just didn't shower?" I thought, holding my breath.
And then...the sound of a horse rang loudly in my ears.Clip-clop. HIIIII~
I snapped my eyes open.
And there it was—
A HORSE.
Right in front of me.
I'm not on a plane.I'm not at a hotel.I'm... inside a horse stable.
My eyes widened. I looked around—hay, wooden stalls, the loud neighing of horses.And the saddest part? My suitcase was there too.Covered in dust.
"THIS IS MY VACATION?!"
I stood there, completely stunned.My brain went into overdrive.
"Was I drugged? Kidnapped while sleeping on the plane? Or is this a lucid dream?"
Still trying to process everything, I stared at the horse munching hay like it was none of its business.
"This is a dream... yeah, definitely a dream," I whispered to myself in denial.I pinched my cheek.
Ouch.That hurt.
THIS ISN'T A DREAM.
I scrambled up from the hay pile and stumbled out of the stable.And what I saw next shocked me even more:
Medieval-style buildings, giant stone walls, colorful banners flying in the wind, and rows of soldiers in full armor with spears.
It looked like the military training ground from an RPG game!
"WHAT IS THIS? A prank show hotel? Hidden cameras? Where are the cameras?!"I ran around frantically, looking for anything that remotely resembled a camera crew.
Suddenly, a young man in a soldier's uniform approached me, panting.
"Hey, what are you doing over there? Not joining the lineup? The commander's gonna flip out!"
He... saw me?"So this isn't a dream? There are real people here?"I blinked and answered, "But... I'm not one of you guys. Why would I line up?"
He stared at me for a moment, confused, before shrugging."Eh, not my problem if the commander chews you out."And with that, he walked off and joined the lineup.
Just as I turned around, the entire area suddenly fell silent.Heavy footsteps echoed, followed by the ominous dragging of a massive sword.
Out of the crowd emerged a man clad in full armor, a gigantic sword slung across his shoulder—like he had just walked straight out of Dark Souls.
His gaze was sharp and cold.His face... oh no.He looked like a terrifying mix of a strict high school teacher and a grumpy bank security guard.
"Today, we train the body!" he barked.
His eyes locked onto me.
"HEY YOU! Are you kidding me?! Get over here!"
I panicked."Eh... me? This one?" I pointed at myself.
His face darkened even more, veins popping out.
"Who else would I be talking to?! GET OVER HERE!"
I stiffly stepped forward.Soldiers parted to make way for me, as if I was being dragged to my doom.
"Your training today will be double. Now, run around the field, or prepare for a one-way ticket to hell."
I froze.
"Run?" I squeaked internally.The last time I did any real physical activity was in high school—and even then, it was just power walking during flag ceremonies!
"Sorry, but... I can't run..." I muttered weakly.
The commander stomped closer. His heavy breath and murderous glare sent shivers down my spine.
"RUN NOW, OR I'LL KILL YOU!"
For the sake of my survival...
I ran.Pathetically.Gasping.Feet dragging.
And of course—
I passed out.