Into the new world...

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"Wait, if you do not mind, can I see your world?" The voice echoed as the tall creature faced Takashi, asking him in a calm tone.

Takashi came to a sudden halt, his eyes avoiding direct contact with the mysterious being. He stood frozen, his mind racing with a flurry of questions.

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+Takashi POV+

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'See my world? Can I allow him to? Will he be a threat? Will he cause an even more havoc than what it already is? What will Rei think?' A torrent of concerns and possibilities swirled in his mind as he contemplated whether to grant this unusual request.

Facing the owner of the voice, Takashi questioned, "What are your intentions?" His brows furrowed as he glared at the featureless face of the tall creature.

"I have no ill intentions." It shook its head. "I have been trapped here for some time, and I wish to see what's beyond that very door." The figure pointed its long finger at the door behind Takashi.

Takashi contemplated the situation, 'It's a risky decision, I can't tell if it is being genuine or not, but still, the world is already fucked up as it is. Knowing about the situation worldwide made me think about whether humanity will survive or slowly decay as it gets pushed to near extinction.' After a thorough contemplation of his odds, he mentally sighed as he came to a conclusion. 'I'm sure I'll have a better next life than my current one.'

The teen sighed and kept his eyes on the tall figure. "Fuck it, I don't really care that much. I'll take the 50/50 chance; at least dying might get me a new life somewhere else." He had his hand on his forehead to ease the headache that he had. 

Making his decision, Takashi moved toward the exit, a sense of unease began to creep over him. He couldn't help but contemplate the nature of his decision, wondering if it was a grave mistake. Thoughts swirled in his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom.

'Stepping through the doors, a familiar feeling washed over me, a total blackout. It was the same feeling when I first entered the convenience store, darkness all around me. Looking ahead, I spot a door, and beyond that, it displayed the gas station. I spot Rei alone in her thoughts. No one seems to be around. The longer I stayed, the more I thought of how odd the current phenomenon is.'

'At first, I thought that time had frozen due to how still the image is, and there were no movements at all; a clear indication was that Rei did not blink for more than a minute.'

Focused on his observation, he notices the slow movement of her eyelids declining downwards. 'Could it be?'

"Does time flow slower there? So time moves slower in this world compared to the strange supermarket."

With those thoughts swirling in his head, he continued to walk forward, approaching the exit and stepping onto the solid pavement beyond.

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+POV End+

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Tap. Tap. Tap.

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Rei turned her head upon hearing the sound of footsteps, only to see that it was Takashi. She furrowed her brows at him, clearly frustrated.

"For God's sake, Takashi, did you even check?" Rei scolded him, crossing her arms as she waited for a response.

"Huh?" Bewildered by how correct he was with his recent analysis.

"What do you mean 'HUh'?! Were you too scared to even go inside?" Rei mocked, her anger still evident on her face.

"No, I was- wait, the can. I forgot the fuel can!" Takashi panicked, realizing his oversight. How could he forget about it, the sole objective of his trip was to get gas!

"The fuck are you on ab-" Rei retorts but was abruptly cut off.

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A gasp resounded from her.

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Her eyes widened, and her heart plummeted at the unbelievable sight unfolding behind her childhood friend.

The door to the convenience store had a long, claw-like hand with gnarled fingers gripping one side of the door frame, while its other hand mirrored the grotesque image. The creature was slowly but steadily squeezing its tall form through the door frame, and with each passing moment, more of its monstrous physique was revealed.

As the monstrous entity continued to emerge, Rei's terror grew exponentially. She had reached her breaking point; her body fell on the ground, drenched in sweat; her body trembled at the sight, later followed by a piercing scream.

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"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

An ear-tearing tone, so high-pitched that it felt like a physical assault on the eardrums; the noise reverberated through the air.

"REI!" Takashi sprinted near her on his way to calm her down.

Still screaming, though less audible than when it first started, Rei cowered in fear. She felt Takashi's firm grip on her face, directing her gaze towards him as he reassured her, "It's not here to harm us." though his words were laced with doubt. Her scream transformed into heavy breaths, her heart still pounding from the unreal scene she had just witnessed.

 Takashi reassured her, guiding her head onto his shoulder and shielding her eyes from the terrifying sight. He gently rubbed her back in an attempt to calm her down, though uncertainty lingered in his mind. He glanced back at the creature, which stood still in a hunched posture, its true intentions unknown.

The creature turned back to the door, reaching its long arm inside and then pulling it out, holding something in its hand. This sudden action made the teenage boy flinch, his muscles tense as he contemplated whether to flee or stay.

"You forgot your item."

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 (AN: I know, it's short. I was supposed to transition to a different scene, but that got moved to chapter 22.)