Strange Woman

"Cold… so cold…" Mumbling to myself, I wonder, Is this what death feels like…? I thought hell would be a hot place.

I open my eyes, moving them around. Light poked through the cracks of the walls around me, with plant life thriving in some of the gaps. I found myself in the middle of the giant hall, surrounded by empty rows of seats covered in thick dust, the dust even visible in the air.

From my peripheral vision, I could make out the remains of a colorfully tinted window, some of its pieces now on the ground, as one cracks, its noise alarming me of a presence nearby.

"Who is there?" I get up in a cold sweat, getting a full view of the place.

Motionless, right in the center, a woman smiled, her eyes concealed by a black blindfold. She stood tall, wearing a long, heavy dark coat in contrast to her almost white fair skin. She slowly approaches me with her hands in her pocket.

"Do not be afraid," She said in an eerily calming voice. It was as if I was in heaven, greeted by a beautiful angel.

Laying in awe, I stare at her as she leans towards me, uncovering her hands as she reaches them out, handing me a… paper bag. I take the bag without saying a word, glancing at it, and then back towards her.

"Uhh… what–" In an instant, a wave of nausea hits me like a truck, distorting my senses, I uncontrollably start letting it all out, unable to hold it in, even for a moment.

"Hey! Do it in the bag, not outside!" she loudly orders, patting me on the back so hard that it only makes it worse with every hit.

"Your… pat.. ting… not… help– Guhh!" At some point, even my nose starts to bleed, dripping down along with the vomit.

For what felt like an eternity, I kept at it until it all came to an abrupt end. My back, now agitating in pain. Bent down, I witnessed the contents that were present in my stomach on the ground, along with the drops of blood.

"You totally missed the bag," She remarks.

"Do I look like I care– Guhh!" It seems there was still some left.

Unannounced, she lifts my chin, bringing her face close to mine. Taking a glimpse of her hands, I noticed that even her nails were black, just like her long open, messy hair. There was no doubt about it, this setting, this girl, this was some sort of afterlife!

"It seems the hero is a kid this time." She mumbles.

I try to ask what she meant, but I am met with her finger on my lips, sealing me shut.

"Let me speak." Pushing herself away, she dusts off one of the seats, resting on it "Have you ever encountered a portal?"

Hearing that all too familiar word, I quickly respond "Obviously, who hasn't?"

"Well then, have you ever seen where the portal leads to?"

My eyes lighten up at the question "...I always wanted to."

She gives out a wide smile, showing her white pearly teeth. I notice that two of them are sharper and more pointy than the rest, almost as if they were fangs.

"Well then, today is your lucky day" Still seated, she leans towards me, holding both her hands together "This is it, this is the other world the portal connects to, and you have just been summoned here."

…is she drunk? No wait, am I drunk? I did vomit a lot just now, when did I get drunk?

"You don't trust me…do you?"

Still in a state of confusion, I look back at her. Even if this was all a dream, just who is this girl?

"Should I trust you?" I awkwardly reply.

A deep sigh escapes her lungs as she leans back into her seat, tilting her head up to face the ceiling.

"Then this should help."

The calm silence was suddenly met with a familiar loud growl, instantly kicking in my flight or fight response, I frantically fumbled my hands in instinct, trying to feel the grip of my dagger.

Feeling its piercing gaze, I looked ahead as the wolf-like beast slowly revealed itself from behind the seats, foaming from the mouth, It leaped quicker than I could react, quickly closing in the distance between us with each step. I pick up one of the shards of glass to use it as a weapon, holding onto it tightly, bracing for the inevitable.

Inching away from my face, the beast comes to a sudden halt. Holding it from its neck, as if it was a small dog throwing a tantrum, she whispers under her breath.

"Burn"

A small fire emerges from the point of contact, quickly spreading throughout, enveloping the entirety of the beast; turning its growls into cries of pain before dispersing into air, along with the ashes of its body, all in a matter of a few seconds.

Standing atop the remains, she looked down upon me, anticipating a response, only to be met with silence. Perhaps it may be because I'm shocked, but what am I even supposed to say!?... Actually, I do know a word.

"Thank you?"

With a disappointed look, she tilts her head in response, lending her hand. I hesitantly took up the offer, scared of what she could do to me, I held her hand… and as expected, it was firm… very firm… but surprisingly cold.

"Let's go for a walk, will help you calm down a bit," she says, taking the lead.

I hold onto her coat, blindly following her, staring at my own feet below. I'm standing… I can feel the cold floor… the dust-filled air… the texture of the cloth… but more importantly, the bleeding in my other hand, caused by holding the glass shard too tightly.

This feels too real to be a dream.

We make our way out of the structure, and into a maze of thickly dense trees allowing fragments of light from above through the gaps in the leaves. She effortlessly leads the way, treading through nature's obstacles.

It is also now that I realize, I am completely naked, my clothes, weapon, and equipment seemingly missing. Feeling too self-aware, I cover up my manhood in a frown… only for it to start rising.

Though, now that I think about it, she probably didn't see me naked, considering that she is wearing a blindfold… but if that is the case then how–

"Is she navigating through the forest, even though she is blind?" It was as if she read my mind, letting out a cheeky smile in the process "It is because I'm a vampire. Though I have to protect my eyes from the sunlight, my other senses are heightened."

Bewildered, I keep following her, unable to utter a single word.

"Oh yeah, here you go." Removing her vintage-like coat, she tosses it over to me, revealing her loose fitting, partially tucked-in white shirt underneath.

"Uh, thanks." I put it on, buttoning it up. A single thought runs through my mind

Did she see my tiny pride!?

Pushing through the final few bushes, she makes way for me "I know it's a lot to take in, but you will understand soon enough." The sunlight falls directly upon my eyes, blinding me for a moment "You have to."

We exit the dense forest and are greeted with a stunning landscape. The grass swayed like the waves due to the breeze, and the sky was bright blue, littered with clouds causing giant shadows onto the land which extended far until the mountains in the distance. It was truly a magical land, devoid of the concrete jungle that was my home city.

But the thing that sold me was the giant beast soaring next to the clouds above me. Even in the portals, I had never seen anything majestic like it.

My eyes slowly gravitated towards the sun as I stared at the burning ball of light.

"The grass feels nice… and the sun burns."

"...It's nothing new," she says, letting out an uncomfortable giggle.

"It kind of is to me" I respond, maintaining uncomfortable eye contact with the thing in the sky.

Giving a concerned look, she proceeds to ask "... Are you some sort of shut-in who barely showers, has no friends, and lives in a dark, messy room devoid of any human interaction, whatsoever?"

Damn, she went all out… though she is not entirely wrong… "It's just that I was unlucky."

Turning her head towards me in curiosity, she politely asks "What kind of life have you lived up until now?... Also, you should stop now."

Unable to maintain contact, I finally blink, losing to the sun. I look around with my blood-red eyes, only to see… nothing, I'm partially blind now… help.

Holding my hand, she assures me that I will be able to see again soon before seating me on the ground, asking again if I would talk about my life.

Although a bit hesitant, It's not like I have a reason to hide anything anymore now that I'm in this 'new' world. Slowly but surely, I describe all the events I could remember from my life. About my parents who had sold me, about the master who owned me, and all about the world that I knew. Including the encounters in the portal, and the last moments I remember before I was teleported here. But there was one thing I wanted to ask.

"What exactly are those portals?"

"Those things? They were the demon lord's doing. Basically, he was a big bad dude who wanted to destroy our world, so he tried to invade other worlds in search of power. Yours was one of them."

Demon lord… so he is the entire reason I had to risk my life every day… that bitch. Everything is starting to make sense now, summoning, magic, another fantasy world, it is as if I'm the main character of an isekai novel, destined to defeat the demon lord, take my revenge, and in turn, save this world. It is the perfect setup for a perfect story… and maybe, just maybe, I can make a harem of girls in the process.

That's it! After years of experiencing a shitty life, I finally have a goal now, I'm gonna kill that son of a–

"Though, he died."

The world… the story… the characters, I could see it all crumble apart before my very eyes. Dead!? Who the hell allowed him to die!? But more importantly…

"Who killed him!?"

"Oops, my bad." She hits her head in embarrassment "I forgot to tell you an important part. You, sir, are not the only one who has been summoned here, in fact, there were twelve others before you."

Twelve others before me… that means I am the thirteenth one to be summoned here. Dang, an unlucky number.

Taking notice of my silence, she carries on "After many years of wars and losses, the twelfth summon was finally able to defeat the demon lord, ending the years of continuous bloodshed. But he didn't stop there. After the victory, he went on to become one of the most influential kings of our country, leading us until his final breath. His name was Leroy Minic."

Up until a moment ago, she gave off a very laid-back, smug vibe, albeit, a mysterious one. But just now, I could feel a jarring sense of sincerity from her… a king, huh? Maybe if I had been summoned earlier, I could have won and become a king too, just like him…

"Oh my, is that envy I sense?"

Catching me off guard, I quickly snap out of my thoughts. My face turned red in response.

"It's not envy, it's admiration…" Is that seriously the best I could come up with?

Making that same cocky smile, the sincerity quickly disappears as she continues "Well then, I'm sure you will even admire the fact that he had three wives and six children."

"He what!?--" I bite my lips, sealing my mouth shut, However, it was too late.

Unable to hold it much longer, she bursts out laughing. I stood there, taking in all the humiliation for what felt like forever until I reached a point where I didn't even feel shameful… just disappointed. A girl– No, a woman is laughing at me… it can't get much lower than this, can it?

Expecting it to end any moment now, I observe her as she starts rolling on the floor, curling into a fetal position, her face hot red. Is it so funny…

The endless maniacal laughter turns into coarse coughing and deep exhales. Shifting towards me, she painfully clutches onto her chest. Reaching out, she points at me, but her hand quickly gives up, falling to the ground.

Stunned, I looked down to where she was pointing, glancing at the coat I was wearing. I hastily used my hands, feeling the coat from the outside till I could make out an object in one of the pockets. Pulling it out, I take a glimpse of the item… what is a thing like this doing here?

Shoving aside my thoughts, I promptly pass over the inhaler for her to use.

Shaking it, she takes a deep breath through it, holding her breath, and after a while, takes in another pump before finally letting out a soft sigh of relief.

"Damn… too careless." Muttering in an upset, almost nervous tone, she lay motionless.

Taken aback, I open mouth to speak, but an all too familiar sound entered my ears. Turning towards the source, I watch with alert eyes. A black dot on the horizon seemingly grew larger, accompanied by the sound getting louder by the second before I could finally make out what I was seeing... in disbelief.

Sticking out as a sore thumb amongst the magical landscape around it, the four-wheeler came to a swift halt not far from us. Closely resembling a modern day car with dark tinted windows and paint, the doubts kept piling up.

First an inhaler, now a car… all immersion I had of this world is completely broken. What is this place!?