Chapter 1: "Stage One: Survive"

"I will finally be able to find out whether everything is a lie.Yes,I can do it!"

Strahd always thought that his life was a life and couldn't do anything about finding out what is real.He wrapped a rope around his neck.He seemed resolute enough to do that.He made his move then everything went black.

A mechanical voice was heard,"Ending simulation protocol"

"I really lived in a simulation.Is this some kind of matrix shit?"

Strahd had lived on earth in his previous lifetime, the year of birth was 1988 and the year of death was 2021.

Having a very difficult childhood and life, Strahd always thought that his life was a simulation because he felt constantly restricted.He never felt he is alive.

Strahd opened his eyes in a white room, with nothing but the white plates.the room was just about 100 m2 wide.He realized that he was wearing a gray t-shirt and gray pants.Although there wasn't any mirror, his skin color and body looked the same as in the simulation. His skin looked young and alive. He probably had a body in his 20s.

A man with blond hair and blue eyes greeted him.He was sitting on a chair holding a book in his hands.He lifted his head and smiled.

"Hi Strahd, I'm Locke.Life is such a mystery isn't it?No you are not dead yet.I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but we don't have any time.To make a long story short, you're just one out of thousands of subjects.The aim of the experiment is to investigate usage of the phenomenon called Gaia.With Gaia you can never die of old age or get sick, even take a look true meaning of life.Time is ticking,if you can go into the test room and manage to survive, there might be a conversation."

Locke disappeared from the room in a flash. Doors were opened from the left and right walls of the room, which was decorated with white plates.

From the right door came a short petite girl with white hair and blue eyes, and through the left door came a tall stout man.

The girl look around "I have been in a living hell for a long time and it turned out I am ​​just a lab rat?",Her eyes were filling with tears.

When Strahd saw the state of the girl, he realized that all he had been through so far,these two people may have gone through the same.

While Strahd was thinking about how to escape this entanglement, the tall man looked at the two, "I always thought everything was a lie and unfortunately,I was right. I'm Bernard,what about you?"

"I'm Strahd" Strahd sensed that these two people could be of great help to him in getting out of this pressure. "I don't think I have the strength to survive, but with these 2 people, I might have a chance."

Petite girl raised his head with wet eyes "I m Melanie"

At the same time, a mechanical sound echoed from the room.

"Gaia beta program is starting for all subjects. The main purpose of the test: Survive."

Melanie yelled,Nooooo!!"

Another door opened from the front side of the room and 3 human silhouettes came in.

"Hisss…",They looked human at first look but their faces were contorted.Bloody fangs were protruding from their mouths,their eyes were completely red.

They were wearing gray test pants and t-shirts like them, but their clothes were in pieces.

Melanie "So this is a some kin of batte royale game?"

Bernard moved back "They probably don't want us to kill them with our bare hands, do they?"

Strahd shook his head "Maybe we don't need to kill them? There is the new door and the movements of the creatures are look slow.Maybe we can escape through the door"

Melanie looked horrified,"All I want is this to end"

Strahd knew that even a second was crucial,"I have to escape from this room.After all I have been through,It shouldn't end like this".

Creatures were walking slowly like mindless zombies.Three easily circled creatures to get through the door but suddenly hit an invisible wall in the opened door. They saw that the door was covered with a translucent barrier.

Melanie sat down wit resignation,"It is hopeless"

Creatures suddenly jolted and leapt at them.They were not slow as before.Strahd and Bernard rolled sideways.Unfortunately Melanie couldn't.One of the creatures bit Melanie's shoulder.A shrill scream was heard "Aghh!Help me!!!"

Two bitterly smiled and shook his head.Run towards the other side of the room.The two remaining creatures leapt at Melanie too.

Melanie began begging them to rescue her "It hurts.They are eating me alive.Please help!!"

Bernard looked at Strahd. His looks were grim."Let's look into the room for weapons,there is still time while they are eating Melanie."

Meanwhile,one of the creatures was stamping on Melanie's belly. It was shredding Melanie's abdomen with its claws and pulling her intestines out."Please I don't want to die! Mom!!!Mom save me,Mom it hurts..."

They didn't take a second look of Melanie.All in their heads was escaping the room.Strahd realized that Bernard, like himself, did not pay much attention to ethical values or play the hero."there isn't any hero in real life",He thought.Strahd saw a blue glow at the edge of the room.There was a monitor. He ran to where the monitor was, and Locke followed him.Interestingly, the writings looked written in Strahd's native language in the simulation. Strahd asked Bernard, "These texts are in Italian, in the simulation,were you also in Italy"?

Bernard shook his head,"No, I am from England, but these articles do not appear to me in Italian".

Strahd did not know what to say, the situation that occurred here was beyond the limits of his logical thinking.

"Gaia awakening dose, please scan fingerprint to use" It was written on the screen.

Meanwhile,Melanie's screams had stopped and when Strahd and Bernard looked in that direction,they noticed that the creatures were looking at them.All Melanie's organs were dissected and eaten.A lot of her faces on the floor.Her arms were bent and gnawed.Strahd did not know what to say, the situation that occurred here was beyond what he could think of.

The one who eaten her intestines let out shrill cry,"Thavt...That was...good"

"Oh shit!Now they are getting smart and talking?",Bernard took two steps back.

Strahd was getting nervous "We can't take any chances. With every second the danger increases.Let's take our chances while the creatures are away."

Strahd swiped his fingerprint and took Injection. Bernard did the same too.Strahd looked at Bernard.Bernard didn't use the Injector. " Sly bastard had certainly lived like me on the earth.But I can't wait any longer.I don't want to be eaten alive like Melanie."

Strahd injected Gaiya fluid into his shoulder.Bernard was watching curiously it was obvious he would take his chances in the future.Suddenly,the talking creature appeared beside Bernard in a flash.Then It raised his fist.

"Too fast!!! There was 15 meters difference between us a second ago." Bernard was not fully prepared for the creature's punch.Just he lifted his hand then Boom!!

Bernard flew 5 meters back with a painful scream, and his arm was bent in an S shape.Meanwhile, Strahd had not moved at all after he shot the Gaia awakening serum.After Strahd had shot the serum,he fell into his inner world.Time in here felt different.He was trapped in a coffin for a long time

"I must be probably smashed and eaten by that mutant or I'm in a different dimension and time passes slowly. Damn it.There are wires all over my body," he thought.

Suddenly a yellow glow sphere covered with various symbols in black.It passed through the coffin and entered his head.All that Strahd felt was extreme pain and anguish.Even if he tried to whimper he could not scream.He had been frozen.After a long time the pain had stopped and the coffin's lid opened.When he returned to reality.He looked around "Where is Bernard?"

Turning his head, he saw Bernard grappling with a creature, while the other two were shuffling to reach him.Interestingly, Strahd felt that his mind was extremely clear, he could think very quickly, he could really feel alive,never felt like this before.As if a chain was broken in him.The thing that had always blocked him.One of sweeping creatures came near him and lunged at.Strahd jumped aside and got rid of a creature that had leapt towards him.

"Strahd help!This creature is like some kind of evolved, I can't take it any longer," shouted Bernard.

"I'm not ....a fucking creature".Mutant broke Bernard's other arm too.Bernard's screams were never stopping.Mutant held Bernard's broken arm and started to chew it.From its contorted face,it was feeling delight.Strahd's thoughts started to collide quickly in his head.Thoughts about the direction of movement of the creatures,Bernard's state of health, and what he could do in possible scenarios coincided in his brain in 0.2 second.

"I don't think I have any superpowers, but my mind is many times stronger and clear.I feel something is developing inside of me. Let's look at the effects of the serum after Bernard got injected"

He rushed towards Bernard, picking up Bernard's injector and sliding off the ground, hurled the injector on Bernard's shoulder with accurate angle.After his shoulder got shot Bernard roared veins in his body began to protrude.His broken arm bent like a snake and wrapped around the creature's neck and suddenly severed the creature's neck.After the severed head fell on the ground.Its bewilderment was still lingered on its distorted face.

~ding ding~ "Congratulations,you have survived minumum required time~

Bernard got up while constantly trembling,"Who could have thought that someday I will have supernatural powers" Bernard looked at Strahd,"I am feeling fucking super Strahd. I ... I feel some kind of vibrations from these monsters."

Strahd perspired,"Are you ok?"

Bernard nodded then walked towards the remaining creatures.Whipped his arm and exploded the heads of the remaining 2 creatures,"I can feel the essence in them Strahd and yours too," said Bernard.

Strahd was really scared and his face features began to tense.All he can do to prey while looking at the opened door.Should he take the chance?Seeing this, Bernard calmed him: "Calm down.We are in this shithole together and I haven't lost my consciousness yet. I just have a feeling telling me that if I can get this essence I will get stronger."

Strahd frowned "Maybe it's a bad idea. I think that door is now open, Bernard. Let's get out of this shithole. Things can get worse.Come on man."

"Don't be afraid buddy wait me here, I'll be right back" his penis was erect and the protrusion was visible through the pants.Bernard then went to the creatures, removed the internal organs of the creatures and began to eat them.It looked very disturbing.The thoughts in Strahd's mind were colliding heavily. He turned towards the open door and started running suddenly. This time he was able to pass through the door and let out a deep sigh.On the one hand he was looking at the door and waiting for the door to close before Bernard arrived.Bernard walked through the door, bloody and bits of flesh stuck to him, and though his appearance was terrifying, his eyes still gleamed of intelligence.

"didn't I tell you to wait?"

Strahd did not answer. Everything had gotten worse and the new room he entered looked the same as before.Just a square of white iron plates.

Bernard looked at the room, "I can understand your fear Strahd but I don't think I will turn into a creature like the movies we watched in that simulation. But from now on, if you don't pay heed to my words, I might get angry.You know what I am saying?"

Strahd clenched his fists,"Yea I get your point, Bernard. It's just so complicated and I don't know what to do,sorry."

Bernard looked at Strahd out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Tell me, what kind of power did the Gaia serum give you? I think my body is recovering quickly and my joints have become flexible. I can exert stronger force even though my muscle density is the same as before."

"I can only think faster, Bernard, and I cannot see any more clear development than my mind is for now,"

Bernard looked down on Strahd with contempt. "What a fucking waste then..."

Seeing this Strahd smiled bitterly,"Lookslike I still can't be free for a while.What did I do to deserve this? "It looked like that It would take a long time before he fell secure.And that monster,someday would he become an abomination like it?Suddenly the mechanical voice came to life again.

"Congratulations, you have finished the first stage.You will be given mission rewards. The second stage will begin with the arrival of other participants"