38 Someone to rely on
The last thing that she remembered was the pain as her body hit a hard surface. In the dark of the cave, she had slipped off once again into a short slumber, only to wake up to silence. What little light was in the cave came from fist-sized holes in its ceiling. The moon was still high up, and the sky was still as dark as a piece of silk died in rich indigo.
The place was stinking of something rotten. Beth didn't have to guess what it was as bones were lying all around her. The moonlight made the dried blood sticking to them look like rust. She looked around the musty place groggily. There was no movement anywhere around her. Other than the sound of the wind whistling through the holes in the ceiling, there was no sound in the dreadful place.
Her body ached everywhere, and she felt her eyes starting to close once again. Why was her death taking so much time? How much more pain would she have to endure before the darkness took her for its own forever? She thought as tears slid down her eyes. A muffled whimper escaped her small chest.
Fifty-eight was nowhere in sight. She knew that there was no point looking for her now. She had long been dead when Two threw her down the cliff along with her. The poor thing had died for something as small as watering a plant. A plant that she had planted. Maybe if it were not for her greed to escape this life of slavery, then Fifty-eight would have been alive now, she thought sadly.
She looked down at the bracelet that shone in her hand. Was it all worth it? She wondered, staring at its metallic surface. As she lay there, her thoughts jumbled around. She didn't even get to say goodbye to her friend. Anger and regret boiled in her mind, thinking about the look on the gods' faces as they held the two of them and drove the sword through their hearts.
These gods were merciless and corrupt. And with their death, no one would know of their actions. Their lives would go on without any impediment, and tomorrow, another slave might die for something smaller. No one would dare to talk against them, fearing for their own lives. The strong would oppress the weak forever and the system of the hierarchy will persist till the end of time.
With what little movement that she could afford, Beth reached out to her bracelet. A look of determination flashed in her eyes as she stared at it. It was as if fate had carefully helped her out in its own way. This was her chance at a new life. If the system would be able to help her, then with the new life that she got, she promised to make the gods who did this to them pay with their lives.
A pained grunt escaped her lips as she stretched a little bit, only to put her hand on the metal object. The cuts all over her body screamed in protest, making her eyes tear up. But she persisted, letting her thumb slide over the bracelet. In the blink of an eye, she was inside the familiar room. The light inside blinded her, making her squint uncomfortably.
She had no more energy. Her limbs slacked in tiredness. As her eyes slowly began to close, she heard footsteps rushing towards her. She sighed in relief. She had, after all, someone to rely on all the time. She would never be alone as long as she had him, she thought as the darkness swallowed her whole.
---
She woke up to the sound of metal clattering. Her throat felt dry, and her lips were chapped. Her body felt sore, and there was a splitting headache that was starting to irritate her. Where was she? Beth wondered as she looked around groggily. Memories of the past events came rushing back to her mind, jolting her fully awake.
That's right! She had almost died and had desperately crawled into the system. The plain walls of the small room comforted her. A relieved expression formed on her face as she found everything in the place to be the same as she remembered. Her wandering eyes stopped at a particular spot, widening in shock. The huge screen in front of her flashed a congratulatory message.
She slid off the mattress and quickly walked over. Was this for real? Had she cleared her level? Why? She wondered as she read the message over and over again. In bold letters, the screen was flashing:
CONGRATULATIONS!
NAME: BETH WILSON
AGE: 25
CAUSE OF DEATH: GUNSHOT
WEIGHT OF GOOD DEEDS: 4.00 GD
PAST LEVEL: SLAVE
PRESENT LEVEL: SERVANT
Was she reading it wrong? She thought, shocked at the sight. She tapped on the screen to see if it was broken. The lights on the monitor flickered and then turned off.
"What?! That wasn't even that hard!" She exclaimed, shaking her finger at the object.
Her hands immediately went to her throat. What had happened to her voice? It sounded as if someone else was talking. The pitch was much higher, and the tone almost melodious. She cleared her throat, deciding to try again.
"Ah- ah. Testing." She said aloud.
The same beautiful voice came out of her mouth. Her eyes widened in shock. Was this some sort of hallucination? Was she dreaming as she lay in the cave dying? She thought, her brows scrunching in confusion. Beth pinched her cheeks and immediately ruled out such a possibility. It hurt enough to help her differentiate between dream and reality.
She looked down at her hands. And that was when she realized it. Instead of the tiny hands of a child that she was used to all this time, the ones that she stared at, were bigger. Her long fingers were thin and pale, looking as soft as silk. She moved them slowly, staring at it in awe.
