The Selfie of Despair

Two years later, amidst the ever-shifting landscape of his tumultuous life...

Ru leaned against the worn edge of the window and played his guitar, moving his fingers lightly over the strings. When he touched the instrument, he encountered an ethereal hum. Even though he hesitated for a moment, he continued touching the wires. The soft sound of the guitar traveled through the empty room like a silver thread. The melody he played was eerie; it consisted of sad sounds that he couldn't say out loud that seemed to reflect shadows within him.

The lyrics of the song he hummed made his friend tremble.

"In shadows deep, a prisoner I reside,

A withered soul where echoes hide.

Trapped in despair, a mournful sway,

Hope's ember flickers, far away."

"Dude, that was something else. I don't know what, but wow!" Vaelan exclaimed, offering the wine bottle.

Ru took the bottle and took a sip of the wine. "Our new piece."

"You're flying high, dude," Vaelan said excitedly.

"You know, I can't say that I'm entirely satisfied with flying solo," Ru said, putting the bottle down on the windowsill. Then he handed the guitar to Vaelan. "Here, don't let it get cold."

Vaelan took the guitar and watched as the delicate vapor escaped his lips into the fresh air. "You're right, it is cold now. Looks like it's going to snow, huh?"

"Dunno," Ru said casually, seemingly uninterested in anything but the black nail polish on his fingers. He adjusted his fingerless leather gloves, then his beanie. He picked up the bottle and sewed it shut.

Vaelan, who was engrossed in tuning his guitar, spontaneously shifted the conversation to casual banter. "Do you recall that art school you were so eager to get into but couldn't..."

"Yeah?"

"Hey buddy, heard there was a fire there. Seriously, did you cast a hex on it or something? What the hell happened?"

Ru laughed, a hollow sound in the quiet room. "Nah, man, I'm not that powerful. Even if I were, I'd probably hex you first."

Vaelan feigned offense, "Hey, come on, don't be a dick. People died, dude."

"You know, I don't give a fuck," Ru said. He was still smiling at the wall with its crumbling, once-green plaster. "Those kinds of schools serve no purpose other than stifling art."

"Don't act like you've been there. Blamin' school for your screw-up."

"What mistake did I make? Other than committing murder?"

Vaelan sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But you have to try to live a normal life, man. You can't just be stuck in the past."

"Life? I was busy robbing banks, sorry, Vaelan."

"Just move in with me; the house is empty. Instead of orphan agitation..." Vaelan said, then interrupted his sentence as Ru suddenly got up and walked away "Where to, dude?" he asked.

"To hell," Ru said, looking over his shoulder and smiling at him.

"Don't be silly, buddy! Let's sit down. I didn't mean to upset you; you know I'm a bit of a loudmouth and..." Despite Vaelan's well-meant words, Ru didn't stop and hurried out of the old house.

The smile on Ru's face suddenly vanished as he stepped into the small garden, which reflected the artificial and dirty nature of the nylon bags attached to the dry grass. The muddy puddle at his feet reflected the resulting emptiness.

<Why didn't you kill him, Daddy?>

<He was mocking you. You should have made him pay.>

"Shut your bloody mouths already!" Ru hissed through his teeth. Then he took pills out of his pocket. He took two shots so that all the voices in his head would stop. Especially the voices of the little girls...

<Daddy, you must take your medicines in the right dose and on time. Otherwise, you will die again.>

"Yeah, I'm going to die. Thank you, Nurse," Ru said as the tears fell from his eyes and the black kohl ran in a black line down his cheek.

And on his way out of the garden, he trod the stones of the old road with a mad smile on his face.

He put his hands in his pockets. He breathed in the cold and damp air gratefully. Then he stopped and listened.

<Are you ready, Daddy?>

"I'm so ready," Ru replied. "Just remember, when this is all over, you'll be killing the princess for me."

<Why, Dad? Got a problem with our leader?>

"Because she wants to kill my brother and Clockmaker. Keep your promise, Knight."

<As you wish!>

<Dad, the attack begins.>

<They're coming.>

"Because it's a fucking big deal..."

<Yeah, it is.>

"Start counting."

3!

2!

1!

And Ru began to run away.

0!

At that moment, as the streetlights swayed and trash floated by, the building shadows started to shift. The wind at Ru's back carried murmurs to his ears, scorching breaths grazed his neck. He was heading around the corner when his path was blocked by two hellhounds. Ru had to change his direction and turn away from the shortcut that led to the main road.

Lirui, who made a name for himself as the last Ru, had faced death countless times and gained valuable experience as a result.

Character: Lirui Xiaolian

Main Class: Thief—Level 5

Subclass: Musician—Level 3

"Yay!"

First, he pulled out his phone to shoot a quick video. That way, if this system he couldn't figure out would give him a 'save point,' everything would be easier. Did he achieve his wish? When the shadows decided to get sensitive and grow claws, it wasn't just a case of 'action'—it was a necessity.

The video was as blank as ever, and the system was still teasing Ru.

"Fuck the system!" Ru shouted.

He took a selfie as he walked away from the spot where the demons were being spammed.

He couldn't even look at how he looked in the photo, let alone create a save point on his timeline.

He jumped over the container and reached the wall. He climbed up the gutter pipe to get onto the roof. From there he jumped to the other roof. He climbed up the ladder and got a little higher. He could see some demons down there with lava coming out of their mouths. In the meantime, he made accurate shots with the flowerpots he kicked and the tiles he threw from the terraces.

But his fears were soon realized. A gargoyle appeared.

<You should whistle, Daddy.>

<Smash it on the ground!>

"I wish you'd help me instead of giving me advice," Ru said. He was looking for a hiding place and still couldn't find one.

Finally, he took the advice and tried whistling. What came out of his lips was a mellow melody, and unfortunately, it did not have any magical power at all.

The gargoyle dove toward Ru.

"Damn it!" Ru exclaimed. Reacting quickly, he pulled himself to the side and narrowly escaped the grotesque creature's clutches. As the gargoyle prepared for another attack, Ru jumped from a nearby ledge and landed with agility on the roof of a building. With a quick movement, he stood up again, ready for whatever might come next.

"Fucking rookie!"

The gargoyle dove towards Ru again.

"Shit!" Ru exclaimed. At the last moment, he threw himself to the ground and rolled over, narrowly avoiding the threatening dive. As he prepared to get up, he stumbled over something and felt a grip on his ankle. Wrapped around it was a thin gray tail with a red flame at the end.

"Huh? Oh fuck!" Ru shouted, looking up to see her.

She was the embodiment of seduction, a succubus. Its broad, iridescent wings burned with violet flames. There was smoke at the ends of her black hair that reached down to the floor. Runes were flashing on her porcelain skin. Her lips, full and deep, painted a dangerous red, were curved into a grin that promised both pleasure and danger.

Besides wagging her demonic tail, the succubus wrapped it around Ru's leg and smiled seductively.

"Gotcha!"