And so it begins...
Fairness.
Equality.
Do such ideals even exist?
From the very dawn of time, my fate has been woven with threads of cruelty. I often find myself lost in contemplation, questioning whether all of this is real or simply an elaborate mirage conjured by my mind. No matter how hard I try to grasp it, the reality remains harsh and unforgiving, riddled with inequality and imbalance that gnaws at the core of my being.
I have never been a fortunate soul; luck has always danced just out of my reach. I learned this bitter truth long before I could articulate it—a lesson etched into my existence like an indelible mark. The pain of reality has become an intimate companion, a shadow that lingers behind me, whispering of all that I lack. From the very beginning, 'we'....
... were merely pawns from the beginning.
Equality...?
Oh...
...how foolish I was.
…
…
…
-Ding!
Tap… Tap… Tap…
Scroll…
"Huh?"
[Notification (1)]
Tap… Tap…
Scroll… Scroll…
Tap…
[Opening We-Tweet]
[Loading…]
[Unknown Number: You shouldn't have… (1)]
"This? Who is this? And how did they get my number?" muttered a young man, his dull brown eyes narrowing as he stared at his phone.
Tap…
[Loading…]
[Unknown Number: You shouldn't have given up. You should have played until the end. You don't know what you have lost.]
[Ivan: Who is this?]
-Ding!
[Unknown Number: Arael, the creator]
"Wait… what?"
In an instant, memories flooded back to him—the interface of a certain game that always began with the same cryptic words: [The creator].
[Ivan: Creator? The author of that terrible novel?]
[Unknown Number: Well… I guess you can say that.]
[Ivan: 'Saga of Elysium'?]
[Unknown Number: The one and only.]
...
"What a waste of time…" He clicked his tongue, irritation bubbling within him as he murmured under his breath.
Scroll… Scroll…
Tap…
Toggle.
[Settings for contact]
[Block]
Ding!
"… Tch"
[Back]
Scroll…
[Unknown Number: {Voice note}]
Tap…
[Unknown Number: {Playing} "Yeah, I know you hate everything about the game, but wait, you have to listen to what I have to say."]
"What in the hell?! That voice… it can't be."
Scroll…
Tap…
[Profile]
[Tel: +92010….]
"No… no… What the hell is this?"
Tap…
[Home page]
Tap…
[Opening Phone]
[Loading…]
[Dial: +92010….]
Tap…
[Add new contact]
Tap…
[An Error occurred]
[Contact already exists]
[Cannot add existing contact]
"…."
Tap…
[Home Page]
Tap…
[Opening Contacts]
[Loading…]
[My Contacts (10)]
Tap…
[Search]
Holds…
[Paste]
Tap…
[+92010….]
Tap…
[Searching…]
[1 result found]
[My number: +92010….]
"This shouldn't be possible."
Tap…
[Minimize]
Tap…
[We-Tweet]
[Unknown number: You must have already noticed.]
[Ivan: Who are you? What are you?]
[Unknown number: That doesn't matter. All that matters is that I know your future.]
[Ivan: What?]
[Unknown number: Your death.]
-Vuzzzzzzzzzz!
"Huh? What the hell was that?" Ivan gasped, jolting up from his seat, startling the elderly lady next to him. He was on a bus, about two kilometers from the stop where he had boarded.
"Oh… sorry about that," he said, scratching his head apologetically. The lady seemed terrified by his sudden outburst.
"Hah… It's alright. Just take it easy. The journey has only begun," she replied after a moment, offering a gentle smile before turning her gaze back to her feet.
'Something doesn't feel right… What is going on?' he thought, shaking his head briefly before his attention snapped back to his phone.
[Unknown number: You felt it, right?]
[Ivan: Felt what?]
[Unknown number: The shift in reality.]
Reading this, Ivan's body stiffened involuntarily, an unsettling sensation creeping along his spine.
[Ivan: What do you mean by 'My Death'?]
[Unknown number: It's exactly as it sounds. You are about to die, and it's only a matter of minutes.]
[Ivan: WHY?!]
[Unknown number: Simple... WE messed with HIM.]
[Ivan: Who?]
[…]
[Unknown number: Why didn't you play until the very end?]
[Ivan: The game?]
[Unknown number: Yes.]
[Ivan: ...I couldn't do it... I just couldn't.]
[Unknown number: Well... I can only wish you luck. "Our" death will begin the cycle once more.]
[Ivan: Huh?]
[Unknown number: 'The journey has only begun.' Doesn't that sound familiar?]
"Huh…?"
A wave of déjà vu washed over him, those words echoing in his mind. He had just heard them moments ago.
"!"
Realizing this, he instinctively tilted his head when another message popped up.
[Unknown number: Don't look, Samael.]
"?!"
[Ivan: HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT NAME?!]
[Unknown number: Concentrate. This is not the time for questions. You cannot give yourself away, or he might see right through 'us'.]
[Ivan: Who really are you?]
[Unknown number: I am a fading existence. Nothing you should be concerned about.]
[Ivan: Stop this bullshit. WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!]
[Unknown number: You.]
"…,"
-Vuzzzzzzzzzz!
"?!" Ivan's eyes widened as he felt a tremor course through him.
"…," He hesitated, his fingers trembling, struggling to find the words.
'Why are my hands shaking? Is this… fear?' he thought, staring down at his palms, confusion mingling with dread.
...
Something was horribly wrong.
[Unknown number: The inevitable is upon us, Samael. Heed the warning I shall bring you, or you, my dear self, shall be your undoing.]
[Ivan: ...Is there no way to escape... This death?]
[Unknown number: If only it were possible.]
[Ivan: Why do you sound so sure? How do you even know all this?]
[Unknown number: Because this isn't the first time "we" tried to escape the inevitable. You cannot defeat a god at his own games, Samael. All you can do is avoid defeat.]
"Haah," he exhaled, clenching his teeth tightly.
He couldn't explain it—why the words resonated so deeply, why the stranger's tone sparked a flicker of belief within him. But somehow, he trusted this enigmatic figure who claimed to be him.
[Ivan: What is the warning?]
[Unknown number: Beware the one you trust the most, Samael, for they are the deceivers.]
Suddenly, Samael felt his vision blurring, his breath shortening to desperate gasps.
[Unknown number: Beware the one who holds the key to the thread of time, for they are your true ally.]
"Hah… ha… Haa."
[Unknown number: Beware the choices you shall make, for on them rests "our" fate.]
-Voom!
The bus lurched violently, as if the very fabric of reality was unraveling.
[Unknown number: Beware the clandestine race that lurks in the shadows, for they are HIS judgment. Farewell… Samael.]
-BOOM!