Black was all I saw in there...monotonous, unchanging darkness. I had passed out, scared out of my skull of Jacob...but would much rather prefer being scared of someone I don’t have the strength to kill...to this unending, pitch-black world.

 

It was not simply a void... Rather, it was oozing, bubbling…seemingly alive. I lingered there for an unknown amount of time, unaware of how long had passed since I had arrived…

 

However, it did not consume me as I constantly feared it would...In fact, it almost seemed as though it despised me somehow, but that was speculation at best...I merely floated above the surface of the shadows, waiting for something to happen.

 

I waited and waited...but nothing came. Occasionally, I could swear that I saw...things, reaching out from below the blackened sea, extending towards me. If this was just a delusion I had dreamt up out of fear, I certainly could’ve picked something a bit more...reassuring, perhaps?

 

???: “Y..ng...ast...re...ere?”

 

I heard a voice from somewhere, it was distorted...but it was there...I looked around for the source of the noise, yet was unable to find where it had come from. However, I suddenly saw...a flicker of red! 

 

Unsure, I rubbed my eyes repeatedly before trying to find that one sliver of color again...but I was dismayed at the fact that there wasn’t anything except the dark sea. Once again, I resigned myself to wait.

 

???: “P..lea...se…ake...up…”

 

Just as I had resigned myself, I again heard the voice, but it definitely sounded clearer than the first time! Immediately, I started desperately looking about for some change...and saw another flicker of red...except now I could more clearly see where it was...below the waves just a few feet away from me.

 

However, just as quickly as it appeared, the red light vanished into the dark once again…

 

???: “Y...oung mas...ter, pleas..e..wake...up!”

 

Suddenly, the light flared to life beneath the waves, radiating a renewed, stronger red glow. This seemed to prompt a response from within the sea, with more and more arms emerging rapidly in an attempt to snuff out the light! 

 

I watched with bated breath...waiting for the moment when the light would go out again, I covered my eyes in sadness that the one bit of color in this dark world would soon go out...Yet, through my clenched fingers, I could still see a faint red glow…

 

Reluctantly, I opened my fingers to look, expecting to see that the arms had been awaiting me to snuff out my hopes. However, once again, my fears were denied...Instead of them attempting to get rid of the light, they seemed to be playing with it...cherishing it…

 

Liza: “Young master, wake up now or I’ll be mad!”

 

The voice was now clear, it was Liza’s! Yet I still had no idea where this place was or how she was able to communicate her words here, but nonetheless, I was happy that I could hear someone else in this terrifying expanse...

 

Again, I desired to somehow reach down and simply grab the red dot, which was now glowing even brighter, but I didn’t know how to…

 

Suddenly, as if this odd world had responded to my wish, I fell from my suspended state above the black sea, plunging into it! I felt a chill envelop my entire body as screams of despair began to erupt in my ears…

 

I desperately struggled against the screams and the waves, but my body became unable to resist the forces that attempted to drag me further towards whatever would lay at the bottom of this darkness! However, I suddenly gazed up to where I had seen the hands playing with the light, astounded to find that a series of arms were pushing themselves toward me! 

 

Desperately, I writhed and drained my strength to reach towards the outstretched hands, becoming more and more tired with each passing second. Eventually, I was unable to continue and could feel the darkness begin to consume me, as I had feared it would…

 

However, I felt something grab my arm, attempting to pry me from the embrace of the blackened sea! The arms had successfully reached and grabbed hold of me, but I now felt the pain of being forcefully dragged between the two forces.

 

The pain continued, yet I felt it ease up somewhat and in apparent conjunction with this, I saw the red light descending along the chain of disembodied arms. The pressure that had attempted to drag me into the depths now began to lose its hold over me, allowing the arms to begin slowly pulling me to the surface…

 

Soon, I felt my hand escape the embrace of the black sea and was soon able to remove myself from it entirely! The arms under me had now interwoven themselves into a platform, allowing me a place to stand, rather than letting me sink again.

 

I attempted to communicate the arms, wishing to give them my sincere thanks. However, they did not respond, merely offering the red light to me and becoming stagnant again. I could feel the warmth radiating from the strange object, yet it did not have any mass and only seemed to exist as this heat.

 

I felt the platform below me begin to shake, prompting me to check the state of the interwoven limbs. They seemed to be shaking from the temperature of the black sea, which as I had experienced was deathly chilly. I continually eyed the red light, while basking in the warmth, but hearing no continued calls from Liza, I decided what to do with it…

 

The hands seemed shocked, almost breaking apart their union when I attempted to place the red light in their conjoined middle section. However, I would not be denied giving something to those who helped me and continued to press the red light inward, with it eventually seeming to phase into the arms.

 

Suddenly, the arms stopped shaking and began an amazing transformation, conforming to each other fully, solidifying, and slowly merging into a small ruby-colored platform that stood out against the cold, black sea…

 

I immediately stood up, peering over the sides of the now ruby-colored platform in awe. However, my gawking was soon interrupted by the appearance of a new red light, behind me. I gazed at this new red light, which seemed a bit darker than the original, but marveled in the comfort that the solid platform and the new light gave me.

 

Liza: “Young master, I’m not playing around anymore, wake up!”

 

Liza’s voice again resounded, though this time it sounded more scared than exasperated. The red light erupted in a small burst of light and seemed to transform into two items...a small quill, with a plume made out of orange swirls, and a small jar of glowing, red liquid!

 

Picking up both items, I was again surprised to find that an outline had appeared where the light once was, formed out of small red dots. Almost instinctively, I dipped the quill in the red ink, causing the quill to light on fire, much to my shock, yet I did not let it disturb me…

 

I began to draw in the air, where the dots seemed to indicate, feeling the quill connect with some surface I couldn’t see, gradually watching as the bright red outline began to fill. Once I had finished my work, I gazed at an ornate door, which seemed to be made out of the same material as the platform I stood on.

 

Liza: “Come on, young master!”

 

The door swung open, revealing a near-white light beyond it, which sucked me in! 

『【Fortune】has increased by 9!』

…

A moment later, Fate suddenly awoke, immediately darting up from the bed in a panic, shocking Liza who had been standing next to him, worrying.

 

Jacob: “Ah, young master, you are awake!”

 

His return from the strange dream-like world was met by the sight of a heavily-bandaged Liza and a calmly smiling Jacob.

...