Cold and slimy is not how I remember going to sleep last night. Opening my eyes slowly, I notice it’s completely dark save for the wavering shadow on the roof.

Slowly sitting up, I trace the shadow back to a metal door with a slight gap at the top. Looking away from the door, I can barely make out a silhouette of what I can only assume are other people.

The first thought that crossed my mind is that I have been kidnapped, but honestly, I’m not even sure why would anyone bother.  A guy in his twenties living alone, living paycheck to paycheck, middle-class parents. I don't have anything that would prompt a kidnapping.

Maybe some organs harvesters, but why would I still be awake?

Leaning back against the wall, I start looking around the room more carefully and only now notice how large the room is, looking more like a hall than a room.

Never mind, this is more of a mass kidnapping kind of thing. Well, that makes a bit more sense, but how could anyone kidnap this many people assuming most of the silhouettes are actually people.

Closing my eyes, relaxing my shoulders, and releasing a breath that I did not know I was holding. I take a deep breath to calm myself. I froze.

Oh god

It hit me, and it hit me hard.

The smell, the smell is without a doubt the worst thing I have ever smelt in my life. Imagine the worst sweat smell a person can have; now imagine yourself stuck with said person on a small elevator with no ventilation. Now compound that with the smell of a public restroom.

Trying to take any more breaths has utterly failed and resulted in me gagging and almost throwing up. I close off my nose with my hand and start breathing from my mouth till I get used to the smell. After a couple of very uncomfortable minutes, I can somehow breathe again without having to empty my stomach.

Slowly opening my eyes, I start checking my body to make sure I haven’t sat or stepped on something I shouldn’t have. The first thing I notice is that I’m still in the same clothes I wore when I went to bed last night, a black shirt,  a pair of sweatpants, and barefoot. Refusing the mere thought of checking on my feet, I cross my legs and start looking for anyone to talk to.

Checking out my left side, I see someone curled up on the ground quietly sniffling and sobbing.

Yeah, I’m not even gonna bother with that right now.

Looking over my left side for someone a bit more emotionally stable, I find someone sitting down hugging their knees to their chest with their face down. Deciding that this is a much better option, I weakly cough and quietly call out, “Hey, are you awake?”

Getting no answer, I call out again slightly louder this time, “Hey I’m sorry to bother you but I’ve just woken up and I’ve no idea what’s going on right now.”

Barely noticing movement in the dark, I squint my eyes and them raising their head and staring at me, eyes hidden behind long strands of hair.

I hear something quiet that I can’t quite make out.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you”

“I said I’m awake”, said a voice that was neither masculine nor feminine.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on? The last thing I remember is going to sleep last night”.

A few seconds of silence pass by and as I’m about to ask again, I hear a soft mutter.

Looking away from me ‘he’ says “It’s the Saber-tooth clan”, the despair in his voice sends a slight shiver down my spine.

“I’m sorry what?” I reply.

“We are captives of the Saber-tooth clan”

“I’m sorry but I have no idea what you’re talking about”

Glaring back at me, he snaps, “We were taken by the Saber-tooth clan as slaves. How is that hard to understand?”

I look up and place my hand on my chin as I take a few moments to process what I just heard, I hear him. Looking back at him, I see him look away again and tuck a strand of hair behind his long and pointy ear.

 Wait a goddamn minute.

Wake up in a completely different environment? Check

Meet a fantasy-like creature? Check

All I’m missing is the system-like entity in my brain.

Status?

Show status?

Appraisal?

Character sheet?

Nope, Nothing.

Taking everything that has happened so far into account, the most prominent theory would be that I took something last night and I’m tripping balls right now, but seeing how clear-headed I am, I doubt it but it should wear off at some point I think.

Well, whether this is some fucked up VR experiment or something, I don’t think that it matters right now. I just have to play along.

Snapping back into reality I focus my eyes and look back at my elf look-alike friend, seeing as he has his head planted in his knees again, I call out “Hey, can you tell me a bit more about this Sabor-tooth clan?”

A few moments of silence go by, I call out again.  Noticing that I’m being completely ignored, I lean back against the wall and close my eyes while I wait for this nightmare to end.

As I start plunging into a deep sleep a monotonous voice keeps me conscious.

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Holy shit, I’ve been fucking isekai’d.