"Awaken"
I felt like I heard someone's voice.
Slowly opening my eyes, my first instinct was to steal a few more precious moments of sleep, but the sharp discomfort pulsating through my back and buttocks quickly snapped me out of that notion.
I struggled to make sense of my surroundings, my vision was still blurry because I had just woken up. but I can see the space was dimly lit, with scattered flickering lights casting dancing shadows on the walls. Candlelights, I realized, lining on the wall. Though it didn't give me enough light to see beyond the rocky surface I was stuck to.
The air felt too Thick and heavy to breathe. Where am I? Speaking of, What had happened to me? My first thought was to check for my phone, but then…what is a phone again?
I reached out and touched the rough wall, and could faintly hear someone breathing nearby. It was like there were other people around me.
"Is anyone there?" A male voice suddenly asks.
I obviously choose not to answer him right away. I mean I was taught the basics of stranger-danger in situations like this. Besides, if my observation is right, there should be…
"Uh, yeah," Another guy's voice shot back.
"I'm here..." a woman responds. Another guy's voice gave a short, "Yeah."
"I figured as much," added someone else
"How many of us are there?"
"Should we count?"
"And... where are we, anyway?"
"Dunno..."
"What? Doesn't anyone know where we are?"
"What's going on?"
"What is this?"
Everyone voices their thought at each other one after another. Judging by their voices, nobody here was that much older than me. I estimated that there were at least ten or more others in the area. Curiously, I didn't have any familiarity or recognition with any of them. A resonant, husky voice suddenly spoke.
"Sitting here won't solve anything," said a guy that had stood up.
"Going somewhere...?" a woman's voice asked.
"Following the wall," he answered. "Going to try heading towards the light."
His tone remained calm. He stood beneath the fourth candle from me, and in the flickering glow, I could vaguely discern his tall figure. The first thing I noticed was that his hair was... silver?
"I'm going, too," the woman said.
"Me too, I guess," a man's voice said.
"H-Hold on, guys! I'm coming, too, then!" Another guy called.
"There's the other direction, too," said another guy in a slightly high-pitched voice.
"We can probably go that way. There's no candles, though."
They were right. Behind us, there was this huge, never-ending darkness that swallowed everything, and even the light from the candles couldn't reach it. It was like a bottomless pit, and it gave me an eerie feeling.
The silver-haired guy spoke up, saying, "If you want to go in that direction, go ahead," and he began to lead the way. Yeah... there wasn't much of a choice for any of us at this point.
As we all began to follow him, my nerves started to kick in, but I still took a step forward, keeping my hand pressed against the rough rock wall for support. The ground beneath my feet was uneven, but not impossible to walk on.
I had no idea how long we'd been walking. The row of candles seemed endless, stretching on forever. Time felt like it was slipping away, and I couldn't tell if we were making progress or just going in circles.
How much longer would we have to keep walking?
Where were we even heading?
And who were these people with me?
I didn't recognize any of them. They weren't people I knew - not friends, family, or even acquaintances. If they were, I would have recognized their faces or names. It made me feel even more lost and confused.
Speaking of my ownfamily...
I'm...struggling to recall anything about them. It feels like a fog has overshadowed my memories, making them unclear. I'm trying my best to recollect, but it's slipping away like water from my hands. The harder I try to grasp it, the more it escapes me. It really frustrating and scary not knowing who they were or what they looked like.
"Maybe it's best not to think about it," someone ahead of me mutters.
Did someone just read my thoughts? Before I could even begin to process or figure out who might have said it, another voice broke through the silence.
"There's something here," Said someone up ahead. "It's bright. There are... lamps?"
"It's an iron grate." The silver-haired guy responds.
"D-Do you think it's the exit?!" exclaimed a different person with excitement. The heavy sound of footfalls started to lighten, becoming softer as we moved forward. Despite the darkness engulfing us, I could feel the collective hurried pace of everyone around me.
As my eyes gradually adjusted to the surroundings, I saw the sources of light up ahead. They emitted a much stronger and steadier glow compared to the flickering candles. It became clear that they were lamps, their radiance casting a bright illumination upon an iron grate positioned in front of us.
Now that my vision has returned a little, I can vaguely make out the appearance of the silver-haired guy. He has an athletic build, and his outfit gives off a typical gangster vibe. I would say his tough demeanor matches his actions as he forcefully grips the iron grate and shakes it aggressively. To my surprise, the grate starts giving way, and the door swings open groaning with a creaking noise.
"I'm opening it," He announced, pulling the grate inwards.
"Oh...!" I heard several voices cry out in unison, mirroring my own astonishment.
"Can we get out?!" a woman dressed in flashy clothes exclaimed anxiously from behind the silver head.
Taking the lead, he confidently stepped through the doorway. "There are stairs. We can go up."
We made our way through the door and found ourselves in a small, damp hallway. The air smelled musty and the walls were covered in mold. Ahead, we could see a set of stone stairs. Even though there was no light, we could see a faint glow coming from the top.
We climbed the stairs carefully, moving forward one step at a time in a single line.
When we finally got to the top, we saw another iron grate. This one looked like it wouldn't open easily. The silver-haired guy rushed forward and started pounding on the gate with his fist. "Is there anyone there? Open the door!" he yelled, his voice echoing off the walls.
The woman with the flashy clothes must have felt the urgency too. "Hey, someone! Anyone! Open up!" she shouted, her voice filled with desperation. Joining the commotion, a guy with curly hair from behind them cried out, "Hey! Open the door! Hey!"
We all waited with bated breath for a response as the silver-haired man released his grip on the grate and stepped back. It was clear that someone had arrived. The flashy woman and the curly-haired man fell silent, and we heard the sound of a lock turning as the iron grate opened.
"Get out," said the man, who had unlocked and opened the door. His voice was harsh and commanding, leaving no room for argument.
We all climbed the stairs and upon reaching the top, we found ourselves in a stone room. The absence of windows gave the space a peculiar sense of enclosure, almost like being trapped. As someone who doesn't like being confined in small spaces, I was grateful that the room was well-lit by several lamps, creating an odd sense of brightness and confinement.
My attention was immediately drawn to the man who had opened the gate.
His outfit easily stood out from the rest of us, and it wasn't just the clothes he wore. It looked like he was wearing a full suit of armor, a gleaming metallic attire covering his entire body. On top of that, he sported a robust and protective helmet made of sturdy metal on his head.
Another thing that caught my eye was what hung from his waist. It was definitely not a nightstick or any ordinary item. Instead, it resembled a sword or some kind of weapon. It felt like he had just walked straight out of a story about medieval knights, complete with his armor and all.
He reached for a black switch on the wall. As soon as he pulled it, the wall and floor shook a little. Then, the wall started moving, slowly lowering down, gradually revealing an elongated, rectangular hole where the wall had just been.
"Get out," the guard repeated, his voice firm and commanding. He gestured toward the elongated hole with a subtle motion of his chin.
The silver-haired guy took the lead and stepped outside, followed closely by the woman.
We make our way through it one after another. As I followed in their footsteps, a gentle breeze brushed against my face.
~{OST-Nothing-(K)NoW_NAME}~
Outside. We were really outside. The soft, hazy light of either predawn or twilight stretched as far as my eyes could see. Finally, out of that underground place, it felt so good to breathe fresh air on this little hilltop. It's like a breath of freedom after being stuck down there.
when I turned around, there it stood—a massive tower, rising tall before us. It kind of looks like an obelisk, except without the cross-section, and it stood on a stone platform encircling its base. It hit me then, it was the same tower we were trapped inside of, or rather beneath it all this time.
Glancing at our group, I mentally counted every one. There were nine guys, including me, and four girls. I couldn't see much detail, but I could get a rough sense of their clothing, hairstyles, and general facial features. However, I still didn't recognize anyone among them.
"You think that's a city?" asked a slender guy with silky hair, pointing to the other side of the hill. Looking in that direction, I saw buildings crowded together. It definitely looked like a town. But there was something strange – the town was surrounded by high, solid walls.
"Rather than a town," said a thin guy wearing black-rimmed glasses, standing on the edge of the terrace, "it's almost like a castle."
"A castle..." someone whispered.
"Um..." a timid girl behind me spoke up. She was asking the sleepy-looking guy behind me, "Where are we, do you think?"
He replied, "Look, asking me isn't going to help."
"Right, of course. Um, d-does anyone... know where we are?" she said desperately while clutching her hands.
No one said anything. I doubt that everyone was intentionally keeping the information to themselves. Considering that we are all in the same boat here, I would say that none of them had any idea either.
Curly-hair scratched at his curly hair and said, "Seriously?"
"I've got it!" said a guy, clapping his hands together. He was wearing a bordered cut-and-sew outfit, with a hat on his head. He pointed both of his fingers toward the tower. "Why don't we just ask that dude?! Y'know, the one who was in, like, armor or whatever!"
Everyone turned back to look at the tower—two men clad in armor is standing near the entrance. They were standing so still and silent that they had easily gone unnoticed by all of us.
And then, it happened. The entrance began to shrink, and the wall rose up again, filling in the hole.
The guy in the bordered outfit, filled with panic, attempted to make a desperate escape. "Whoa, whoa, wait—" he shouted, but his efforts were in vain. The entrance disappeared before his very eyes, blending seamlessly into the wall. He frantically ran his hands over the surface, trying to find a way back in. "Oh, come on, you can't be doing this! Wait, wait, stop it! Please, man..." He cry out, but the wall stood firm, sealing off the entrance.
He eventually sat down after a while, wearing a desperate expression that mirrored the rest of us. "Well, this is a problem," said a girl with her long hair in two braids. She said the word "problem" with a funny accent.
"You said it," replied Curly Hair, crouching down and hanging his head low. "Seriously...? Seriously?"
"And, now, with that perfect tiiiiiiiming!~" a high-pitched girl's voice rang out, Wait, who-
"I appear, you know. I take the stage, you know. Where am I? I'm right heeeere!~"
"Right where?!" The guy in the bordered outfit yells out, standing up and shouting.
"Don't paaaanic!~ Don't be alaaaarmed!~ But, still, don't relaaaax~. Don't pull out your hair, eiiiither!~"
"~Charararararahn, charararararahnrarahn,~" Now she's singing??
A girl suddenly emerged from the side of the tower. She must have been hiding there all along. Waiting for the perfect moment to make her entrance. Her vibrant twin tails swayed as she stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Hey. Is everyone feeling fiiiine?~ Welcome to Grimgar. I'm your guide, Hiyomuuuu. Nice to meet youuuu~. Let's get along? hihihihi!"
The guy with a buzz-cut ground his teeth clearly annoyed by Hiyomu's speech style.
"Eek!" Hiyomu ducked her head back into the tower, but soon stuck it out again. Her expression was a mix of fear and excitement. I could tell that she thrived on pushing people's buttons.
"You're so scary. So dangerous. Don't get so maaaad~. Okay? Okay? Okay? Okay?"
He clicked his tongue "Then don't piss me off."
Hiyomu hopped out next to the tower, raising her hand in a salute. "Yes, sirreeee!~ I'll be careful from now on, sir! I'll be reeeeal~ careful, sir? Is this okay? It's okay, right? Teehee~."
"You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" he said.
"Aw, you could teeeell~? Ah, ah! Don't get mad! Don't punch me, don't kick me! I don't like being hurt! Generally, I want you to be niiiice to me! Anyway, is it okay if I move things along now? Can I do my job now?"
The Silver-haired guy who had been silent until now, spoke up in the same low and intimidating voice. "Hurry it up."
She gave us what I was pretty sure was a mischievous grin. "All righty, then. I'm gonna do my job now, okay?". Hiyomu started to walk, her twin tails swaying behind her. "For now, just follow after meeee~. Don't get left behiiiind!~"
We all reluctantly follow her as she is decent down the stairs. The sky is gradually getting brighter by the moment. So it must mean that it's early morning and not sundown.
Looking around, I noticed a path leading down from the towering hilltop. The grass fields on both sides were invitingly green. We were walking on a dark path carved into the earth, people must have walked on it so much that it turned tough.
Weirdly, large big white stones were all over the grass, and there were way too many of them, like it was deliberately placed in rows. Now that I think about it, they look like-
"Hey, are those..." The curly-hair guy asked, pointing at the white stones. "Could they be... graves?"
I shuddered as I looked closer at the stones. There were markings carved into them, and some even had flowers laid in front. My heart skipped a beat. Could this hill actually be...a graveyard?
Hiyomu, leading the group, let out an eerie giggle with her back turned towards us. "I wonder," she teased, her voice unsettlingly sing-song. "Well, don't you worry about that now. Don't worry. It's too soon for any of you. I hope it's too soon for any of youuuu~. Hee hee hee..."
Buzz-Cut head clicked his tongue in annoyance and kicked at the dirt again, the silver-haired guy had already started walking. The one with Glasses and the rest of them start to follow him.
"Whoa! Me too, me too! Me too!" The guy in the bordered outfit chased after them, tripping along the way.
It looked like I had no choice but to follow them. or else I would be left behind. Where is she planning on taking us anyway? I craned my neck to look up at the sky, hoping it would help clear my head. But what I saw surprised me even more.
There was a star, hanging low in the sky. It was larger than I thought it would be. Its shape? Somewhere between a half and a crescent. Not even a full circle.
Everyone starts to notice it too and look up.
Wherearewe?
We don't know where we came from, or how we got here. But right now one thing we are certain of.
The moon isn't supposed to be red.