Prologue: Perpetuity
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The word count is below thousand for the first three chapters including the prologue, so I will get them out quickly before stabilizing the pace again. If it had not been for the insistence of a few members from my discord, this fiction might've not seen the light of day on this site.

I don’t know what caused it all to happen, but it all began on a normal everyday morning for me. It was the same old mundane life, just what I was used to. I was scouring through the internet, searching for some new gripping experience to satiate my boredom. It was then, right then, when I received the message notification.

I clicked on the message and saw a dubious file, one which lacked any sort of distinctive traits. It said with inconspicuous lettering, “perpetuity”. The mixture of boredom and monotony concocted into a daring idea. I rationalized with myself, why not just try it once? Of course, I had considered the possibility of a virus, but curiosity got the better of me.

I clicked on the download icon. A stream of numbers came pouring into the command prompt window which opened, much like an executable file, but there were no pop-ups, permissions, nothing. The thing instantly downloaded into my computer and ran by itself. Alerted by the strange self-executed program, I immediately tried to shut it down.

My fingers rummaged across the keyboard, trying to end the process as quickly as I could. None of it seemed to work. Panicked, I immediately clicked the UPS button to turn off the power supply. The buzzing fans of my computer continued to spin. The screen hadn’t turned black as I had expected it to; it was still running.

It was all still there.

Some sweet merry tune started playing on the headphones. A new menu popped up, showing shrivelled trees, all rotted with a musky brown colour. A cobblestone path leading to the horizon, scarred with webs of cracks and weeds, the bleak and monotone atmosphere that could almost be felt by the reach of my fingertips. As I stared at it in a daze, the background music spiralled out of control. Keynotes began to sound slightly off, gradually turning into a horrifying cacophony of laughter. My fingers shivered as I sweated like a pig.

Scared, like a pathetic little child, I rushed to the door. With all my might, I grabbed the handle and pulled… it didn’t budge. My shaky hands rattled the door, putting every fibre of my being to make a single movement, but like a sturdy wall, it stood still. Since the door won’t dislodge, then how about the window? Thinking that, I got to the lone window, shedding the morning rays on my pale skin. With great effort, I tried to pull it. It was also stuck.

I looked around and picked up a small chair. Expecting it to shatter, I hurled it towards the glass. The shattering sound never came. The window remained intact as if mocking my attempts. Peering out of the same window, I noticed a peculiarity. Not a single soul could be seen outside. The daily lively scene that I was used to, was entirely isolated.

I grew increasingly alarmed. It took some time for me to settle down, but fear still paralyzed my body. I tried shouting, screaming till my lungs burst, yet there was no reply. I was sure my parents were still around, but now it seemed like I was abandoned here by myself. Playing the vividly terrifying game was the last thing I wanted to do. Maybe this was all a bad nightmare. I decided to wait, hoping I would wake up from this horrible nightmare. My back hit the couch as I tussled around in restlessness, foolishly waiting for redemption to appear.

---

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but the sun was already down. The blaring tune had gotten louder. Nothing had changed, everything remained at its worst possible state. My stomach was starving. I hadn’t eaten since morning. I wondered whether I should just click that damning game. Perhaps if I clicked it, this horrifying experience would end? The thought seemed tempting, but I refrained from doing so. I sat still, preserving my energy, hoping for someone to come find me.

Night came and there was still no sign of life. I was growing desperate by the second. Smashing the desktop or its components had no effect as if it was nigh-invulnerable. If that was how it’s going to be, then fine. I decided to play the damnable game. With my weak-willed, trembling arms, I held the mouse firmly. My quivering hands shifted slightly, hovering over the mystifying play screen, and with a single click, my consciousness faded.

What an absolute fool I was back then. A moment filled with regret that even the ocean couldn’t quench. If I had a choice once more, I would’ve just starved and died.

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