章 4: Chapter 3: Symphony of a New World
The sound from the empty bottles echoed, faint yet lingering, like glass being brushed by the wind.
At first, I felt nothing. It was just an empty sound, a silly trick to amuse the crowd. Something children might play with in a narrow alley at dusk. I even let out a small sigh, somewhere between boredom and mockery.
But something was strange.
From somewhere unknown, an odd sensation crept into me. It was not harsh, not sudden, but soft and sly, like water seeping into the ground unnoticed. My chest felt heavier, yet at the same time, calm. My breathing slowed, as if my body was following the rhythm of the tune. My heartbeat adjusted itself to the melody of the bottles.
I tried to ignore it, but the more I tried, the less I could.
The laughter and jeers of the other spectators grew faint, as though they were drifting away from me. Their voices sank into a layer of fog, leaving only the hollow melody behind.
I blinked.
The stage in front of me blurred. The clown, the bottles in his hands, the candlelight around the hall, all of it trembled faintly, as if I were seeing them from beneath water. I rubbed my eyes, but the distorted image did not fade.
The melody deepened.
And before I realized it, I was no longer in the hall.
I stood upon an endless meadow. The wind blew softly, brushing against my face, making the tips of the grass sway as if they were dancing. Yet I could not feel its touch, only see it moving, as though this world refused to be touched.
The sky above was not an ordinary sky. Its colors shifted, slowly swirling like paint poured into water. Purple, blue, gold, green, all blending together without ever clashing. Each hue resonated with the tune that still lingered.
I looked down. The surface of the ground glimmered faintly, as though light sprouted from the roots of the grass. Each step I took sent out small ripples of light that faded soon after.
I heard water. A clear river flowed before me, winding gently like a silver ribbon. Strangely, I knew this river had never existed, yet the music had given birth to it.
I raised my eyes. White birds I had never seen before flew slowly in the sky, their wings leaving behind faint trails of light that vanished with the breeze.
This world… was peaceful. Too peaceful. No noise, no burdens, no pain. Only a serenity that pierced deep into my chest. I felt as if this was the place I had always been searching for, something I never knew I needed.
My hand lifted on its own. I tried to touch the colors of the sky, tried to feel the glowing grass, tried to grasp that light. But my fingers were empty. This world was beautiful, but it refused to be touched.
My chest trembled. My eyes widened. Questions piled up inside me, yet none were answered.
And suddenly, the melody faltered.
Its notes wavered, growing slower, dimmer. The colors of the sky began to fade, the birds vanished, the shining river dried into shadows, and the light within the grass extinguished one by one.
I staggered.
In the blink of an eye, I was back in the chair within the hall. My breath caught, as if I had just been pulled out from a dream too vivid to be a dream.
The other spectators were still chatting, sighing, some even laughing at how bland the performance was.
But I was frozen, staring at the stage.
The clown lowered his final bottle. His smile was still there, a smile that was hollow yet knowing.
And I froze.
That smile… it was not for them. It was for me.
My body staggered slightly. My eyes were still fixed on that clown, its hollow smile unmoving. Yet the more I tried to look, the more the world spun.
Darkness.
I fell into the void.
And suddenly, I was somewhere else.
Flames. Smoke. Screams. The world around me was burning. I saw faces long gone, faces I once knew. Faces that should have been buried in the past of my life. I tried to run, tried to call them, but my legs were heavy, as though the ground itself held me down.
"Why is this happening again?" My voice cracked and barely audible.
I saw myself. The old me, standing amid the blaze, hands drenched in blood, eyes empty. I wanted to turn away, but my vision was forced to witness. My breath grew shallow, my chest burned.
Darkness once again.
I woke up.
"Haah… haah… haah…"
My breathing was ragged. My body trembled, cold sweat dripping heavily from my forehead, mixing with the dust and grime stuck to my skin. My breaths were uneven, my chest heavy as if the dream itself had stabbed me.
I lowered my gaze, staring at my filthy hands. Dust clung, dirt stained my clothes, and my whole body ached. Slowly, I realized I had fallen asleep.
"…I really slept…" I muttered quietly.
No wonder. My body was exhausted. Not only physically, but mentally as well. I had just experienced death. That ordeal was too much to handle, even if I pretended to be strong. My mind demanded rest, and I had fallen into unconscious sleep.
I rubbed my face, trying to steady myself.
"I should clean up first."
I moved toward the small spot I had made into a temporary resting place. There was a bucket of water I had gathered earlier. I scooped some up and splashed it over my head, letting the dirt and dust wash away. A refreshing sensation gradually replaced the heaviness in my body.
Once satisfied, I dried myself as best I could.
I opened the system window. Inside was a set of new clothes, a starter gift from the system itself. They were nothing like the fine attire I once possessed in my previous life. No expensive suits or elegant robes. Still, the clothes were neat, far better than the filthy ones I wore now.
I changed slowly. The fabric was plain, but light and comfortable.
'Hm… good enough. For a start, I shouldn't complain."
My stomach growled. I suddenly remembered the food I had bought earlier while wandering around. I pulled it from my pouch, unwrapping the hard bread with a bit of dried meat inside. Not tasty, not luxurious, but enough to fill my stomach.
I took a bite, then leaned against the wall. Chewing slowly, I opened the system panel once more.
"Alright…" I took a deep breath.
"I need to know more about this world."
Words appeared before me. Basic information about this world unfolded clearly.
[Name of continent: Eldoria.]
[A vast land with five major regions. Each region was ruled by different powers. There was the human kingdom at the continent's center, the ancient forests of the elves, the distant mountains of the dwarves, and the southern lands dominated by demons. The final region remained shrouded in mystery, marked only as the "Forbidden Zone."]
[Power structure: Three major forces maintained balance in this world. The first was the Kingdom of Light, based at the heart of the continent, holding the greatest political and military strength. The second was the Northern Alliance, a coalition of cities and races that resisted human dominance. The third was the Temple of the Sun, the largest religion whose influence stretched across Eldoria.]
[Dangers: The system marked several threats present in this world. Wild monsters, endless power struggles, and a strange phenomenon known as the World Rift. The Rift was said to connect this world with another dimension, bringing disaster to any who approached it.]
I read carefully, trying to absorb each detail. This world… was far more complex than I had imagined.
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