Fred POV
I woke up in a world so weird, I didn't recognize where I was.
Everything felt… off.
I looked around, trying to make sense of it, but something was wrong. The world—I could see it—but it had no color. It was like everything around me had been drained, like I was standing inside a blank, lifeless painting.
But that didn't make sense.
Because I knew—somewhere, somehow—that in reality, this world should have color.
"…Where am I?" I whispered.
My voice echoed faintly into the empty space.
I looked down at my hands.
They had color.
Real color.
I moved my fingers slowly, staring at them in confusion. "Why… do I have color, but everything else doesn't?"
A strange feeling crept into my chest. This place didn't feel normal. It didn't feel real—but at the same time, it didn't feel like a dream either.
I lifted my head and looked around again.
Everything about this place felt… mystical.
In the distance, I saw something that made me pause.
A mountain.
Floating.
"…What?" I muttered under my breath.
It hovered in the air like it didn't follow any rules, completely out of place in this already strange world.
And then—I noticed something else.
Right in front of me…
A door.
I stared at it, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing.
"A door…?" I said quietly.
It didn't make sense.
There were no walls. No buildings. No anything.
Just… a door.
Standing there.
Alone.
"…That doesn't make sense."
I took a small step forward, unable to take my eyes off it.
"How did I end up here…?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
And the door, waiting.
I walked through the door and opened it.
What I saw on the other side made me pause.
A beautiful land stretched out in front of me.
Mountains stood in the distance, quiet and massive. A beautiful tree stood nearby, and as I looked closer, I realized there were many of them—but they were spaced far apart, like the land itself didn't want them too close together.
Flowers covered parts of the ground. Roses among them.
I approached them slowly.
Yet the world still had no color.
That was the strange part.
Everything looked lifeless in tone, yet I could still smell the flowers. The air carried a peaceful atmosphere… but there was something slightly eerie hidden underneath it, like the calm was pretending to be real.
I took another step forward.
Then I noticed something.
A trail of petals.
It looked like they came from a flower, scattered carefully as if someone had dropped them on purpose.
I frowned slightly.
"…Is someone here?"
That thought stayed in my mind.
One way to find out.
I followed the trail.
As I walked, I kept looking around, still wondering the same question over and over again.
"Where am I?"
The world was beautiful. It was peaceful. It almost felt like paradise.
But the fact that it had no color made everything feel wrong… unsettling… like something didn't belong.
Eventually, I saw it.
The petals led me to something that looked like a small temple.
I stopped for a moment.
It was well designed—too well designed for a place like this.
The walls were carved perfectly, forming a heart shape in its structure. There were straight, clean lines engraved into the stone, precise and deliberate. In front of it stood a structure made from solid rock, like an altar or stand.
For a moment, I felt like this temple didn't belong here.
It felt… Greek.
But smaller. Hidden.
I stepped closer.
Then I went inside.
Inside, I saw a book.
A torch.
And I approached slowly.
Each of my footsteps echoed through the space, bouncing off the walls as I moved closer.
The book looked beautiful, yet old. Its design carried age—like it had existed for far longer than anything else in this place.
Next to it was a pen.
And a red rose.
One petal fell.
I stopped completely.
"…Is someone here before me?" I asked myself quietly.
As I opened the book, I gently blew on its surface to remove a thin layer of dust.
It was slightly dirty.
Then I opened it.
And what I saw stopped me completely.
It was handwriting.
Her handwriting.
My deceased girlfriend.
Dear Fred,
Hey Fred. If you are reading this, then you have found me as well.
If you want to know why I created this world, you must explore it. Only then will you understand.
I know it hurts you that I'm gone… but I'm not really gone. Because in your eyes and in your memories, I still live.
I'll leave this up to you, Fred. I know you. You are a great man—and that's how I fell in love with you. Because I saw a man who was truly committed.
Good luck, Fred. You can do this.
P.S. I really love you.
— Jenna
One last thing… trust your guts. And never look back.
I stared at the page.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
My grip on the book tightened slightly as my mind tried to process what I was reading.
"…Jenna…"
A heaviness settled in my chest.
It wasn't just sadness.
It was something deeper. Something I couldn't explain.
Why did it feel like she was still alive?
Like she was here.
Not gone.
Just… stuck somewhere I couldn't see.
"In your eyes and memories, I'm not gone…"
That line kept repeating in my head.
Again and again.
Like it refused to leave.
It felt like something was pressing against my thoughts, forcing me to remember her more clearly… more painfully.
My vision blurred slightly.
I didn't even realize when my eyes started to tear up.
No words could explain what I was feeling.
Just emptiness.
And pain.
Does this mean… I'm stuck in her world?
A world she created… before she died?
The thought made my chest tighten.
I swallowed hard.
"…If this is her world…" I whispered, voice shaking slightly, "…then there has to be a reason I'm here."
For her honor…
I have to find it.
I have to explore.
The moment I said that, something changed.
A deep sound echoed from beneath me.
Then—
A wall moved.
Slowly.
Revealing a path that led underground.
I stepped back in shock.
"…What the—"
The door had opened the moment I spoke those words.
Almost like it was listening.
Like it was waiting.
Then I turned back—
And froze.
The world outside… had color again.
The roses. The trees. The sky-like void. Everything.
It was no longer empty.
It was alive.
But I couldn't understand why.
"…Why now?" I whispered.
And deep down, I already knew—
This world wasn't just built.
It was responding to me.
Fred POV:
Without a second thought, I stepped inside.
The moment I passed through, the air changed.
Cooler.
Heavier.
I found myself walking through a cave. The path stretched forward into darkness, but along the walls, torches were already lit—as if someone had prepared the way for me.
Or was expecting me.
I followed the trail of light.
As I walked, I looked around, trying to understand where I was. That's when something caught my eye.
Embedded in the cave walls were crystals.
Diamonds.
Amethyst.
They were stuck in the rock, shining faintly even in the dim light. I couldn't help myself—I stepped closer.
I reached out.
And touched one.
It was cold.
Smooth.
I stared at it for a moment. It was so clear, so polished, that I could see my own reflection staring back at me.
"…This place…"
I pulled my hand away and slowly stepped back.
Then I continued walking.
My footsteps echoed softly through the cave.
Step.
Step.
Step—
…Step.
I froze.
There was another step.
Not mine.
Slowly, I turned my head and looked behind me.
Nothing.
No one.
Just the empty cave, lit by flickering torches.
"…Am I imagining things?"
I stayed still for a few seconds, listening carefully.
Silence.
I exhaled and turned back.
Then continued walking.
But this time… more cautious.
After a while, something appeared ahead.
A chest.
My eyes widened slightly, and without thinking, I ran toward it.
I dropped to my knees and opened it.
Inside, there were swords.
Several of them, neatly stacked.
And a book.
I reached in, grabbed the book, and opened it.
Blank.
Every page.
I frowned.
"…A journal?"
Maybe it was meant for me.
Before I could think further—
Step.
I froze again.
That same extra footstep.
Clearer this time.
I slowly stood up, my grip tightening.
"…Who's there?"
No answer.
I quickly grabbed one of the swords and drew it, the sound echoing sharply through the cave. I placed the book down beside me and turned around.
Nothing.
Still nothing.
But the feeling didn't go away.
Someone… or something… was here.
Watching.
I scanned the darkness again and again, but there was no movement. No shadow. No sound.
Just silence.
Too much silence.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to calm down.
"…Stay focused."
Slowly, I lowered the sword.
Then placed it on my back.
I turned back to the chest and looked inside again. This time, I noticed something I hadn't seen before.
A bag.
Inside it was a sword holster.
I grabbed it and quickly strapped it on, securing the sword properly. Then I picked up the book and kept it with me.
If this really was a journal… I might need it.
I stood up and reached for one of the torches on the wall.
The flame flickered as I pulled it free.
Now armed, and with light in hand…
I took a step forward.
Deeper into the cave.
Into the unknown.
Fred POV:
As I continued my walk, I stayed cautious.
That "thing" might come back.
And honestly… I still didn't even know what it was.
It was strange—something like that existing in a world I barely understood.
My mind kept racing with questions.
Who—or what—created this world?
Is it connected to me?
I thought back to earlier.
This world was colorless at first.
But the moment I said I would do it for her honor… it became colored.
That wasn't normal.
It couldn't be normal.
It was too early to assume anything… but I knew one thing.
This world was responding to me.
I kept walking.
Carefully.
Then suddenly—
The ground gave way.
Before I could react, I was sliding down.
A stone-made slide.
No lights.
No control.
Just darkness and speed.
"W-WHAT THE—!"
My voice echoed as I slid uncontrollably through the tunnel.
And then—
I fell.
Straight into deep water.
The impact knocked the air out of me.
Cold water wrapped around my body as I struggled, disoriented.
I kicked hard and swam upward.
After a few seconds, I broke the surface.
"GASP—!"
I inhaled sharply, trying to regain my breath.
My heart was pounding.
I looked around.
And saw it.
A structure.
Far away.
Tall.
Like a castle carved entirely out of rock.
I swam toward it immediately.
The water was heavy, but I pushed forward.
Minutes passed.
Until finally, I reached land.
I collapsed for a second, catching my breath… then slowly stood up.
And that's when I saw it clearly.
It wasn't just a structure.
It was surrounded.
A village.
Or what used to be one.
A town… abandoned.
Completely empty.
I stared at it for a moment.
"…What happened here?"
Then I started walking.
Slowly.
Following the path leading into the town.
The deeper I went, the worse it felt.
Everything looked… wrong.
Not destroyed.
Not burnt.
Just abandoned.
Like everyone left in a hurry—or vanished.
That same feeling came back again.
The feeling of being watched.
I turned my head slightly.
Nothing.
But I knew it was still there.
Watching.
I continued anyway.
Inside the first house I entered, everything was dark.
Dust covered the furniture.
Old books lay scattered around.
On a table, there was roasted turkey.
Still there.
Still intact.
I frowned slightly.
"…No way this is still safe."
But hunger made me hesitate.
I took a small bite.
Immediately—
I froze.
My face twisted.
"…I'm gonna throw up."
I rushed to the window and spat it out immediately, coughing slightly.
"Yeah… definitely not eating that again."
I stepped back, wiping my mouth, and looked around the house one more time.
Nothing useful.
Just emptiness preserved by time.
So I left.
And continued walking through the abandoned town.
Eventually, I reached a church-like structure.
I stopped in front of it.
Something about it felt heavier than everything else.
The same feeling returned.
Being watched.
Stronger this time.
I hesitated.
Then remembered Jenna's words.
Trust your guts. And never look back.
"…Yeah…"
I stepped inside.
The air was colder.
Still.
Too still.
I looked around carefully.
Dark pews.
Broken decorations.
Dust-covered silence.
And then—
I found it.
A book.
I picked it up and opened it.
Inside were written words.
———————————————————
THE WORLD IS EMPTY
THIS PLACE WAS ONCE A HAPPY TOWN
LIVELY UNTIL A TRAGEDY STRUCK
AS THE SUN FALLS, SO DOES TRUTH
CLIMB HIGHER TO SEE WHAT WAS LOST
FROM ABOVE, THE COLLAPSE IS CLEAR
ONLY THE ONE WHO REACHES THE PEAK
CAN READ WHAT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE READ
———————————————————
I closed the book slowly.
My hands tightened slightly.
I stood still.
"…What happened here?"
The question echoed in my mind.
Louder this time.
Heavier.
Why?
And more importantly…
Who did this?
I froze in fear after reading the message.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
Then I slowly backed away from the book.
I left the church immediately.
That place… gave me a strange, unsettling feeling. Like something I couldn't explain was pressing against my mind.
But now—
It was gone.
That feeling of being watched… disappeared completely.
It was as if whatever was there… had stopped looking at me.
I didn't understand it.
But I didn't want to stay and find out either.
So I continued my walk.
I explored more of the village.
House after house.
But there was nothing useful.
Just abandoned furniture… scattered objects… remnants of a life that was no longer here.
Time passed.
And with it, exhaustion slowly crept into my body.
Eventually, I stopped and sat down.
Then I lay back slightly.
"…How do I get out of here?" I muttered.
"This town feels like a dead end…"
I stared at the empty surroundings.
No movement.
No sound.
Only silence.
"…How can I get out of here?"
My voice felt small in this empty place.
Eventually, I lay fully down.
Tired.
Hopeless.
And as I stared upward—
I saw something.
Above the village… carved into the structure itself… was a symbol of the sun.
But it wasn't alone.
There were strange markings around it.
Symbols I didn't recognize.
I stared at them for a moment.
And then it clicked.
"…This world is hidden underground."
My eyes widened slightly.
"That book… it matches what's written here."
I slowly sat up.
"…So it's not just a book."
It's a riddle.
A system.
Something I need to decode.
I stood up immediately.
And ran.
Back to the church.
My footsteps echoed through the abandoned town as I rushed inside.
I reached the altar where the book was placed.
I grabbed it—
But stopped.
Something was wrong.
I looked closely at it.
And saw it.
Two handprints.
Not mine.
I only used one hand when I opened it earlier.
But now… there were clearly two imprints pressed onto the surface.
I stared at them, my grip tightening slightly.
"…Someone else touched this."
My voice dropped.
"…Someone is here."
I hadn't been alone.
Not even for a second.
Fred POV:
I looked around and drew my sword.
"…Who's here? Show yourself!"
The feeling of being watched became even stronger.
I scanned everywhere—left, right, above—but there was nothing there.
Still, I felt scared.
And without thinking, I started swinging my sword recklessly into the air.
Then I stopped.
My breathing was heavy.
And I realized something.
My true goal… was to get out of here.
This thing might just be a distraction.
I've noticed something strange—when I'm not scared, it doesn't appear. But when I am, it shows up.
What if this thing is part of this world… designed to distract me?
What if it reacts to me… like it's teasing me?
I took a deep breath.
Slowly, I put my sword back into its holster and forced myself to stay calm.
After a few seconds—
The feeling stopped.
"…I was right."
This entity reacts when I'm vulnerable.
So it's not hunting me directly.
It's reacting to my fear.
I picked up the book again and read:
"The World is empty
This place was once a happy town
lively until tragedy struck."
So this place was once a lively town… until something happened.
That explains why it's abandoned and left behind by time.
I continued reading.
"As the sun falls, so does the truth
climb higher to see what was lost
from above, the collapse is clear."
"…Climb higher."
So that means I need elevation.
A higher place to see everything clearly.
I lowered the book and looked around.
There were many hills scattered across the area.
Too many.
It made things confusing.
"…Which hill is it supposed to be?"
I muttered under my breath.
I scanned the landscape carefully, trying to find any difference between them, but they all looked similar.
No clear direction.
No clear choice.
Just empty hills.
But I already had one thing confirmed.
The sun carving.
That was the mark.
The reference point mentioned in the riddle.
So the sun wasn't something I needed to find anymore.
It was already identified.
Now all that was left…
was the hill.
The one that would give the correct view of everything.
I felt hopeless at that moment.
There were too many hills.
No clear answer.
No direction.
Until—
I saw something.
From a distance… a single petal.
Shiny.
It caught my attention immediately.
I narrowed my eyes.
"…What is that?"
I was sure of one thing.
That petal wasn't there before.
And then I noticed it.
That hill.
It had a tree.
"…That has to be it."
Without wasting another second, I started running toward it.
But getting there wasn't easy.
The path was filled with rocks.
Steep. Uneven. Dangerous.
I had to climb.
And so I did.
Each step was harder than the last.
Some rocks almost made me slip completely.
Some gave way under my weight.
At one point, I lost my footing and fell hard.
"—Tch!"
I grunted from the pain, forcing myself back up.
"…I'm not stopping."
I kept going.
Climbing.
Pushing forward.
No matter how many times I slipped or struggled, I didn't stop.
I was getting closer.
Closer to the top.
Closer to the answer.
"I'm almost there…"
And then—
My foot slipped.
Everything shifted beneath me.
"—!"
I fell.
My body dropping fast as the ground disappeared beneath me.
And just as I thought I was done—
A root shot out from nowhere.
I reacted instantly.
In a matter of seconds, I grabbed the root tightly.
My fall stopped.
I hung there for a moment, my heart racing.
"…That was close."
Relief washed over me.
I tightened my grip, pulled myself up, and continued climbing.
Slowly.
Carefully.
This time, I didn't rush.
After everything, I finally reached the top.
I stood there, catching my breath, then looked out over the view.
The village.
I could see it clearly now.
But something felt wrong.
"…It doesn't add up."
It was still the same.
Abandoned.
No lights.
No movement.
Just empty… and dark.
I frowned slightly.
"…Is this even the right hill?"
For a moment, doubt crept in again.
Then I noticed something beside me.
The tree.
Up close this time.
And attached to it—
A lever.
I stared at it for a second.
"…What is this doing here?"
Curiosity got the better of me.
So I pulled it.
At first, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
A deep rumble echoed through the ground.
The sound came from far away.
I turned toward it as the earth itself began to shift.
Rocks moved.
Walls of stone separated.
And something hidden was revealed.
A statue.
My eyes widened slightly.
It was a man and a woman.
Holding hands.
Close.
Almost like they never wanted to let go.
Chains were wrapped around their wrists, connecting them together—as if they were bound, inseparable.
The carving was perfect.
Detailed.
Almost sacred.
Like it was meant to be remembered.
But—
It was broken.
Cracks ran through it.
Parts of it were missing.
I stood there, stunned.
"…What happened to them?"
My gaze slowly shifted back to the tree.
To the lever.
And then I noticed something beneath it.
Another book.
I stepped closer, picked it up, and opened it.
Inside… were words.
I stared at the page and read it slowly.
"What walks away without leaving,
yet lingers where it once belonged?
What fades from sight,
but still echoes when the night grows long?
What lets go with quiet hands,
but never truly says goodbye?
Tell me… have I passed you by?"
"…What?"
I frowned, my grip tightening on the book.
I didn't understand it.
Frustration started to build inside me.
"I thought I was finally going to see something…" I muttered. "What does this even mean?!"
This wasn't an answer.
It felt like something else entirely.
A question.
Then—
A low rumble echoed through the cave.
I froze.
Small rocks began to fall from above, hitting the ground around me.
My heart started to race.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
I looked up instinctively, anxiety creeping in as more stones loosened from the ceiling.
If one of those hit me—
I shook the thought away and looked back at the book.
"…Think."
I forced myself to focus.
Slowly, I read it again.
Line by line.
Carefully.
"What walks away… without leaving…"
"…lingers where it once belonged…"
"What fades from sight…"
"…but still echoes…"
"What lets go…"
"…but never says goodbye…"
My breathing slowed as the meaning began to form.
"…This isn't about a place."
My eyes narrowed slightly.
"It's about something else."
Something deeper.
Something personal.
I swallowed.
"…An emotion."
A realization crept into my mind.
"…Moving on."
The words felt heavy.
Too heavy.
I stared at the page again.
Then whispered, almost unconsciously—
"…Have I moved on?"
Silence answered me.
But deep down…
I already knew.
"…Yes. I did."
The words left my mouth almost instinctively.
And immediately—
The cave trembled.
A loud rumble echoed through the space as rocks began to fall from above, crashing down around me. The statue in the distance started to collapse, cracks spreading rapidly across its surface.
"…No—!"
I stepped back, my heart pounding.
And then it hit me.
"…This world reacted again."
My eyes widened.
Just like before.
Back at the temple—when I stayed true, the world gained color.
But now…
"…It reacted when I lied."
The realization settled heavily in my chest.
"So that's it…"
This world demands the truth.
If I lie… it breaks.
If I stay true… it holds.
I tightened my grip on the book as the cave continued to shake.
"…Then I have to be honest."
I looked down at the page again.
This time, I didn't rush.
I didn't force an answer.
I just… thought.
From the heart.
"…I haven't moved on."
My voice was quiet.
"…Not even close."
I swallowed, my chest tightening.
"I don't even know why she made this world…"
My fingers trembled slightly.
"But I know there's a reason."
A tear formed in my eyes.
"…I just haven't found it yet."
My voice cracked.
"I haven't moved on… because I'm still attached to her."
The words felt heavy.
Real.
Painfully real.
A tear slipped down my cheek—
And fell onto the page.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then—
The book lit up.
A soft glow spread across its pages.
The rumbling stopped.
The falling rocks froze… then settled.
I looked up.
The statue—
It was rebuilding itself.
Piece by piece.
The cracks disappeared.
The broken parts restored.
And below…
The village began to light up.
Not fully alive—
But no longer completely dead.
I wiped my tears quickly, trying to steady myself.
"…It worked."
I looked closer at the statue.
Now that it was restored, I could see it more clearly.
It wasn't just a statue.
It was a fountain.
And at the center of it—
A door.
Waiting.
My heart started to race again.
"…I can finally get out of here."
The rocks around me shifted once more—
But this time, not in destruction.
They formed steps.
A path leading safely down.
I didn't hesitate.
I started moving, running carefully down the newly formed stairs. My movements were fast, but controlled.
I wasn't about to fall now.
Not when I was this close.
After a few moments, I reached the bottom.
I stood in front of the door.
For a second, I paused.
"…So this world really does require the truth."
I glanced back at the village.
It was different now.
Still empty.
Still without people.
But lighter.
Less suffocating.
Still… that part felt strange.
"…Why is it still empty?"
The thought lingered.
But I didn't stop.
I turned back to the door.
And stepped forward.
Ready to explore the next part of this world.