Daily Quests [3]

"Wait a minute... How can I think consciously if I've died? Shouldn't I go to the afterlife immediately if there's even something like it?"

As he was pondering this, some messages popped up that shocked him:

*DING

[You're about to die completely!]

[Achievement used: 'The Revenant']

[Your fatal condition has been reversed]

[Your body will be restored soon]

['The Revenant' Achievement removed after use]

*Ding

[You've died nearly once this month!]

[You've discovered a hidden way to get hints to unlock your Exclusive ??? System!]

[A hint is given to unlock your exclusive ??? System: FEAR]

"..."

Aisam was staring at the notices, feeling confused by the situation.

"OH NO! I COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT ACHIEVEMENT! IT DIDN'T LET ME DIE! HOW DID EREBUS GET THIS ACHIEVEMENT? Wait, calm down...breathe!"

He felt anxious but tried to calm himself and control his emotions before continuing his thoughts.

"Having the body of a young boy may have affected my mind a bit. Well, it seems I can't die just yet. It looks like achievements can only be used once, or maybe that one was just too good for a one-time use. I might find clues to unlock my 'Exclusive System' by nearly dying... Oh no! Does this mean I have to essentially die to survive now? As if things weren't difficult already..."

He thought in frustration, cursing his luck and existence for half an hour before finally calming down.

He sighed heavily, "Complaining won't help. I need to manage my emotions better and eventually master them like I did before," Aisam thought as he calmed down. He then started thinking calmly...

"Emotions are the root of suffering. They cast shadows even in the brightest of lives if not controlled... For now, I gotta make the most of what I currently have and know so let's think about them, shall we?"

"I received a hint for almost dying: 'FEAR.' What does that mean? Since 'FEAR' is capitalized, it might be an acronym with many possibilities. How am I supposed to figure it out? Or maybe it has a deeper hidden meaning."

As he pondered these thoughts, a sudden intense pain in his back shocked his nervous system, feeling like a hundred needles stinging all over his body, jolting him awake.

He gasped for air, sweat dripping down his face, struggling to speak. "What... happened?" he muttered, his voice barely audible amid heavy breathing and overwhelming pain and exhaustion.

With a stare fixated ahead, he struggled to stay conscious. Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through, and before he could turn, a tight embrace enveloped him. The person grabbed him, holding his head gently.

"Sob... I-I'm so sorry! I thought you were... gone! I failed you, just like I failed your parents! Hate me, despise me—just don't leave me alone!"

Aisam quickly realized that the voice he heard was Rayna's as she was sobbing and holding him tightly. Despite her emotional outburst, not a single tear fell from his eyes.

"... I didn't realize I was in the middle of a dramatic scene... I need to act appropriately," he thought to himself as he gently tried to talk to her and loosen her grip.

"Rayna, I'm okay. Just don't hug me too tightly, please."

When he spoke those words, Rayna released her grip on him. She looked at him with tears in her eyes, emotions bubbling up once more. She was on the verge of crying, but Erebus gently raised his hand and wiped away the tears on her face.

"Don't cry, I'm fine, and I won't be mad at you... maybe!" Erebus said with a smile and a chuckle. However, instead of calming her down, his words made her cry even more and cling to him tightly.

"Aaah! What is happening? I've never been in such a mess in all my life! How do I even comfort someone who cries endlessly like there's no tomorrow?" Aisam thought frantically, hoping for someone to rescue him from the chaos.

Just as he thought that his eyes caught sight of the twins, tears streaming down their faces as they awoke to the commotion caused by Rayna. Aisam's heart sank.

"Oh no!" Aisam's mind raced with dread as the twins swiftly leaped towards him, enveloping him in a tight embrace from both sides. Before he knew it, all three of them tumbled onto the bed, a tangled heap of emotions. The room filled with their collective sobs, a whirlwind of distress and confusion. It was a moment of overwhelming intensity, one that Aisam could never have envisioned in his wildest dreams.

"What kind of dire situation is this? My pain is finally easing, perhaps thanks to that achievement. I must act swiftly and beg for mercy!" Erebus thought, determined to sway the trio.

"Rayna, it was all in jest! Riona, Machaira, this is no time for games. Please, loosen your grip!" Erebus pleaded with desperation, sensing the gravity of their impending actions.

At his words, they straightened up, faces flushed with guilt. "WE APOLOGIZE!" they chorused, bowing their heads in unison, acknowledging their misjudgment.

"Phew, don't dwell on it, everything's cool now," Erebus said gently as he sat up on the bed, having been released by the girls holding him down.

"How do you feel?"

"Any headache?"

"No burning sensation?"

"Vision okay?"

"Can you stand?"

"Do you need a medic?"

"What am I saying? Of course, you do!"

"What the...?"

Questions rained down on Erebus like a torrent after the recent ordeal he barely escaped. He struggled to make sense of the flurry of inquiries.

Aisam thought about how important he could be to them because they cared so much about him. It felt kind of good to him. He felt a sense of satisfaction for a moment, something he hadn't felt in years.

"Whatever! I will soon take control of the emotions in this child's brain or it could lead to irrecoverable consequences for me," he thought.

"Hey, hey! Please, everyone calm down. I just woke up and still feel tired. I also have some questions, but can we address them later, okay?" he said.

Erebus's words calmed them down, and the trio felt ashamed for not knowing about his fatigue.

"If you're feeling okay, we'll let you rest some more. Riona, Machaira, let's leave him alone for now," Rayna said as they quietly exited his room.

"Finally, some peace time..."

"I gotta think of the things that happened to me and figure some things out."

"Then I have to... check... my... status..."

"I... feel... slee...py..."