The silhouette of a blurry figure continued to flicker in sporadic bursts, swaying to the silent melody of passing time and shadow. Slightly bent over a table, the entity faced a wrinkled journal the size of a small marble notebook. Numerous pages were already filled with intricate drawings and nearly illegible handwriting, but the pen was not yet put down, its user refusing to do so until he could recap the events that had happened not too long ago. The sounds of scribbling softly perfused the temperate but stagnant air with a quiet story heard only by the emotions of its sole listener and speaker.

It was until the echoes of the storm raging outside waking the hunched form from his writer’s stupor did the pen noiselessly return to the crudely-made granite table. Glancing at the most recently finished page one last time, the figure released a long, drawn-out sigh, then closed the journal and flipped to its cover. A ghostly hand rubbed the emblazoned title a few times in seemingly practiced motions before slowly opening the tattered book to a specific page.

He began to read.

Year of Disappearance: 2041

Current Date: 4/4(?)/2042(?)

It’s been a while, writing in this journal. A lot has happened so far and it's time to rethink my new ‘life’ - I’ve been putting this off for some time, maybe stalling for a couple of months, I think, but I’m ready now.

Do you remember the first entry you wrote? A year has passed since I first started jotting my thoughts down but despite all these months, trying to forget about this damn journal, I just can’t forget the very first questions I wrote down.

You were right, well, us - I mean, I was right.

I think I’m dead. Not physically dead per se, but this world, to put it in simpler words, is ‘dead.’ So by association, I’m technically dead, right? I have concluded this because it’s not just the lack of flora that tells me such. It’s the watch. The Casio watch I had bought as a university graduation present.

At first, I thought that there was some odd time dilation/inflation related to this new planet, causing the watch to ‘slow down’ or something; however, that isn't the case.

The watch, it’s, it’s… something else, man. I don’t have any proof of this, but I’m beginning to believe that time is literally moving backwards AND forwards. It’s subtle, that watch is. The hour-hand flickers constantly whenever the minute-hand passes it, something I would have never caught with my eyes if it weren’t for my permanent insomnia.

I know, I sound insane - no, I know I’m approaching insanity at this rate, but trying to understand where and what this world is has been my only saving grace so far. Writing to myself seems to be working for the most part, though. Humans really can’t survive by themselves, even if they no longer need any sustenance; it’s the lack of society, social aspects, that ultimately kills them - insanity is only a means, not an end. I can’t forget that.

And that brings me to my next point. Remember how I wrote, like, several paragraphs ago that I thought I was dead? Well, my body is now fully… ghost-like. Sorry, I genuinely can’t describe it any further other than the fact that I’m no longer human. I should have realized that a year ago when I first arrived here, even before this... transformation became apparent. Well, you ‘live’ and learn, I guess.

Anyway, my body, despite looking incorporeal like that of a ghost, can still feel things. It’s strange to explain because by simply mentioning what my new-found body could do, I feel unnerved. My hands, arms, body - they shake and move in wisps as if they’re made of tangible flames, flickering and swaying even in the absence of wind. I can’t even comprehend how much of a monstrosity I am anymore. Thank the lords that I don’t have a mirror with me, otherwise I... I might’ve just ended myself right then and there.

But on the bright side, whatever new species I’ve become has helped my mental health quite a bit. I doubt that if I were human, I could have maintained both my sanity and sense of strange alacrity. Yes, regardless of the shit I’ve been putting up with until now, I don’t feel depression or any sense of lethargy. Strange. Just... strange. That’s all I could say for that matter.

Another thing I need to mention is that something... weird has happened these past few months.

I discovered life. And much more.

But not in the sense of life that I knew it to be. I found these odd, but fascinating creatures made of… shadows? I had had no idea what it was that I witnessed when I looked over a small garnet-colored hill during my hourly walk. They seemed to be melded out of ‘shadows’ or darkness or whatever. Maybe it was incredibly dark fur. If I didn’t know any better, I would have believed myself to be hallucinating, mentally on the verge of falling into the chasm that was insanity. But taking a simple glance at my body immediately shut that notion up, real fast. I mean, if something like me existed, then it was highly probable that there could be others similar to me or my condition.

I wanted answers, and an opportunity just presented itself unexpectedly.

As any sane person would do when finding a beacon of hope in grimy seas of uncertainty and misfortune, I ran towards it - and seized it. Or I would like to say I did.

When those small creatures sensed my approach, they- these little shits actually ran, ran like there was no tomorrow. Could you believe that? Scared of the big bad scientist? What, did I turn into a monster or- wait. I can’t say that anymore. Shit, keep forgetting that I actually am one now, though I can’t tell if that’s a good thing or not.

Regardless, there was no way I would let them escape, and so I chased after them only to discover something else; I was much, much faster than I had anticipated. Like faster than a car, I think. At the time, the surprise threw me off but I somehow adjusted to it and caught up with them near instantly. Their fight-flight response made me assume that those mysterious creatures were sentient AND intelligent but as my luck would have it, I determined that maybe children were smarter than they. But then again, I was rapidly approaching them...

Instead of attempting to communicate like normal, civilized species, they withdrew freaking SPEARS out of their bodies and attacked me as if they had planned all this beforehand. I had been too stunned to react appropriately, allowing the closest creature to penetrate its spear of pure darkness deep into my ghostly body. But before I could even move - much less say anything - the rest of the creatures threw their weapons away to the sides and fled in all directions while screeching a noise I would like to never, ever hear again in my remaining life. Nails on chalkboard? Fuck that. Try truck horn combined with breaking glass amplified through several hundred speakers for the duration of a few seconds.

Stunned for the second time in a row, I realized too late that they suddenly vanished, all save for one; the remaining creature who attacked me, simply stood there, less than a foot away from me, completely stupefied. Head frozen and facing me, legs unnaturally positioned, and arms that should have been holding a spear instead grasping air, it didn’t take long for me to understand something was… off. I only then noticed that the black spear, which should have remained plunged into my lower abdomen, was missing, just like the rest of the damned creatures. At the time, I didn’t understand what was going on, but I did know four immediate things about what had just transpired.

First, the absent spear was now entrenched in the backside of the ruthless little devil, right behind its lower abdomen.

Second, the thing was dead; I killed it, somehow. Its corpse remained static and still standing though.

Third, no longer was the creature wrapped in pitch black shadows, leaving behind a three-foot humanoid with mauve-colored skin, thin legs and arms, and the head of a seething anthropomorphic seel.

Fourth, I had just leveled up.

?w?E#[email protected]@#[email protected]#*&^$^(?ww

Level -100 ➜ Level -99