INTO THE UNKNOWN

As the timer reached its final seconds, the room fell into an eerie silence. Ray's heart raced, his fear escalating with each passing moment.

"What's going to happen now?" he whispered anxiously, his voice trembling.

But as time expired, nothing changed. The room remained still, untouched by the supposed merging of worlds.

Doubts began to creep into Ray's mind.

"Hmm, was this all just a prank or some kind of elaborate setup?" he pondered, touching himself to confirm that he was still the same.

Just as Ray started to question the authenticity of the situation, the ground beneath him began to shake violently. His heart raced even faster as he realized something was indeed happening.

In a panic, he dove under his table, seeking shelter from the sudden turmoil. In the chaos, his laptop crashed to the floor, shattering into irreparable pieces.

For the next 10 to 15 minutes, the shaking persisted, leaving Ray feeling disoriented and uncertain.

With his eyes squeezed shut, he surrendered himself to the uncertainty that surrounded him.

"What is happening here? I can't make sense of any of this," he thought, his mind consumed by a mix of fear and confusion.

As the tremors subsided, Ray cautiously emerged from beneath the table. He felt a peculiar numbness within him, a lingering aftermath of the sudden earthquake.

The screams of people outside reached his ears, prompting him to investigate the situation.

Peering through his window, Ray's eyes widened at the sight of destruction that lay before him.

Buildings stood in ruins, debris littered the streets, and the sounds of chaos echoed in the air. People cried out in agony, mourning the loss of loved ones, while others struggled to free themselves from the rubble.

The once familiar cityscape had transformed into a scene of devastation.

Ray's gaze shifted upward, searching for answers. The glitching islands that had hung in the sky were nowhere to be seen.

A sense of awe and unease washed over him as he whispered to himself, "Where did those islands go? Did they truly merge with our world?"

Lost in contemplation, Ray was startled when a holographic window materialized before him. His heart skipped a beat, and he stumbled backward in shock.

Then a voice emanated from the golden screen that accompanied the holographic window, its tone carrying a sense of authority.

[Hello players], the system greeted.

[You have successfully survived.]

Ray's astonishment grew as he tried to make sense of the situation unfolding before him.

A system, addressing him as a player, had appeared out of thin air.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice tinged with a small trace of fear.

The system responded, its voice calm and measured.

[Access denied]

[You are not highly authorized enough to gain access to this information for now]

it replied.

Ray, maintaining a level-headed mind, persisted with his questions. "So, you mean I will be able to gain access to it in the future, right?" he inquired, hoping for a glimmer of insight.

The system remained silent, leaving Ray to interpret the lack of response.

"I will take your silence as confirmation," he stated, determination firm in his voice.

As Ray considered the mysterious system and its enigmatic nature, a notification sound broke the silence—a soft

[Ding!]