Invitation

As soon as I arrive in my room, I slam the door and throw myself onto the bed. My eyes are tired, my body feels heavy, and my head is hurting.

Small drops of water tap against my window. My mind is numb. The pain is now more tolerable.

“College sucks!”

It’s already hard enough not having any friends. Then I got dumped by the cute girl from my class, and to make things worse, everyone laughs in my face.

“I hate my life!”

Time passes, and I fall asleep without noticing. When I wake up, it’s already the end of the afternoon.

I can’t be depressed forever.

I turn on the computer.

There has to be something to cheer me up.

I keep watching reels and posts on social media until I get buried in posts about the new game that was released yesterday.

Pale Dream.

I didn’t see anything about this game because I wanted to play it.

People in my class only talk about it, and it’s hard to keep a conversation going when I don’t want to hear about it.

Even though my computer can handle the game, it doesn’t matter when they decided to make it exclusive to a console that I don’t have.

And at the moment, I don’t have the money to buy one.

But I don’t want to wait and be left out.

I see more posts about the game, and my mind starts looking for solutions in some dark places.

Before I know it, I’m already on suspicious sites looking for an illegal copy of the game that could run on my computer. I’d probably have to use an emulator.

The task is harder than it looks.

I had already left a message, just in case, on a well-known trusted forum asking for information, but nobody had answered me yet.

I try searching some dark forums on the internet, but all I find are viruses and malware.

It looks like there’s nowhere decent to download a pirated copy.

I’m almost losing hope.

That’s when a user answers me and sends me a link.

“Don’t need an emulator,” he says. “It has its own executable.”

The first thing I notice when I open the site is the title of the game in white, surrounded by gothic art. Then I see the black background, decorated with pixel art of flowers in shades of pink and red, along with a castle and a moon.

Scrolling down the page, I find a download button, practically calling me to click it.

Everything is very well done.

How did they manage to make something like this in such a short time?

I click download and look at the time.

It’s almost time for the new episode of the new isekai I’ve been watching to be released, so I get ready to watch.

An overpowered main character with lots of women and wealth, where everything always goes right for him.

If I lived in a fantasy world, everything would be better.

“Reiji, come down to eat!” my mom calls.

“Goddammit, I really hate my life,” I grumble. “I’ll be right down!”

When I approach the door, I hear some noise coming from the computer.

The game has finished downloading.

Wait, maybe I can at least see the game menu before I go downstairs.

I click Open.

***

I felt my back against some smooth surface, cold against my skin.

I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t see anything.

“Where am I? What was I doing?” Those were the questions that automatically came to my mind.

As soon as I got up, I could see a faint light far away through all that darkness.

Getting closer, I saw the figure of a girl with pale skin, so pale that she looked like a ghost.

Her golden hair didn’t help much, since it was so bright that it looked almost white.

She was wearing a light-pink dress covered in details that I couldn’t describe.

The girl was jumping from one place to another. Or, rather, she was dancing.

When I approached her, she noticed my presence and stopped dancing.

Her curious eyes gazed at me.

“What a surprise! Your hair is all black. And what beautiful clothing! Are you a traveler? Where are you coming from?” she asked enthusiastically.

I admit that I got shy.

“I’m... from Japan. And you? Are you from Europe?”

Europe isn’t even a country. What kind of symmetry is that? Talk about a country and then about a continent?

“Europe? Where is that?”

“You don’t know?”

She laughed.

“No, but it has a funny name. I’m from the Kingdom of Ashenvale. Evangeline of Ashenvale. And you? What’s your name?”

That’s odd. It sounds like a place somewhere in Europe.

I guess I want her to call me by my first name.

“You can call me Reiji.”

“All right, so, Reiji from Japan. Pleasure to meet you.” She answered with a bow while grabbing a piece of her dress.

“Pleasure,” I answered with a messy bow.

When we returned to our normal posture, she kept staring at me. She didn’t seem to be looking at me, but at something else that I couldn’t hide.

“And... do you like Japan?”

Thinking about what happened before I came here, my answer was obvious.

“Nope. My life has been crap.”

Her smile disappeared.

“Ah...”

She looked down for an instant. I had the impression that I could see a bit of sadness in her eyes.

Before I could reach her, the tolling of a bell resonated in the distance.

We looked away, trying to find the source, and then our eyes met again.

“Reiji, I like you a lot. You’re funny. But I have to go now. You’re invited to my gala. Take this invitation.”

A scroll appeared in her hand, and she extended it toward me.

I extended my hand and touched the paper with my fingers.

It disappeared.

My hand, which had been bare before, was now covered by a dark leather glove. I looked at my body and noticed that my clothes had changed too.

I was wearing a long black coat, well-fitted to my body, with a high collar that reached up to my neck. I was also wearing a white shirt, a vest, dark pants similar to a suit, and boots made of dark leather. It gave the outfit an elegant, almost aristocratic look.

I ran my finger over my collar while still trying to understand what had happened.

She smiled softly.

“I’ll wait for you there.”

There?

“Wait! Where?”

I blinked, and the strong light of the sun blinded me.

When my eyes adjusted, I saw a wet dirt path leading to a small medieval-style village.

It was a group of simple wooden houses with a large church in the center.

The village looked isolated, especially compared to the large walls and castle in the background.

That’s when I realized.

“I’M IN A FANTASY WORLD!!”

I shouted with all my strength.

It’s everything I wanted! Finally, I can be a hero here.

I ran toward the middle of the village.

First, I’m going to meet the people of this place. They must be waiting for my arrival.

***

I walked through the village streets and didn’t see a soul.

Before I knew it, I was in the center of the village, near the church.

Now that I was closer, I could see that the houses were made from some kind of very old wood, with clear signs of deterioration. Broken doors, missing windows, and holes in the walls.

“Well. This place doesn’t seem as nice as I thought it would be.”

A strong wind blew and whistled through the cracks.

I could hear creaking hinges and the sound of wood banging.

Even whispers.

I felt like I was being watched. It was as if the houses had grown taller and were bearing down on my shoulders.

My heart skipped a beat.

I swear I saw someone closing a window when our eyes met in one of the houses.

I started to feel hungry.

An instinctive thought crossed my mind.

I really should eat before starting the game.

I felt like a fragment of my memory had appeared in my mind.

Vaguely, I began to understand how I had ended up there.

I started... a game?

Does that mean I’m inside the game?

I looked around and then at my hands.

I took a deep breath and felt the wind.

I was alive.

Everything felt so real. It didn’t seem like a game. There’s no HUD. And I’m so hungry.

Do I have some money with me? Coins or something?

I turned my pockets inside out and didn’t find anything.

“This world is tough. Not even a starter kit? Just gave me clothes...”

I looked down the street and saw a figure approaching.

It was an old lady.

Maybe she’s an NPC that can help me.

I got closer.

“Hello, young man. Are you lost?”

I smiled when I realized I was right. She really wanted to help me.

“I am. Do you know where I can get some food?”

She appeared to be thinking.

“If you want, you can eat at my home.”

I smiled and felt relieved.

“Ye—”

Wait. I have to maintain my posture. I’m a hero here.

I got serious.

“If it’s not a problem...”

She smiled.

“No, it’s fine.”

***

The old lady’s house was simple and seemed to be in better condition than the others I had seen from the outside.

It was relatively large.

On my left, there was a table with four chairs near a large window overlooking the street.

Behind it was a staircase.

A bookshelf filled with yellowed books stood against the wall on my right.

At the back of the house, there was a very old, small metal stove with a fire burning inside. On top of it was a pot filled with some bubbling liquid.

It was impossible to catch the scent of what was cooking because there was another strong smell in the air.

I couldn’t identify what it could be.

Perhaps rotting wood, mold, or dampness.

Something wet, like old dog’s piss.

“And do you live alone?”

I tried to strike up a conversation to take my mind off the smell.

“Yes.”

“And that’s not a problem?”

“You can sit.”

She pointed toward the table.

I sat in the chair with my back to the window.

She turned her back and walked toward the small kitchen.

“I like having guests over,” she replied as she washed the dishes.

She is very nice.

I waited there while listening to the sound of running water.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” the lady assured me.

Little by little, the sun was setting.

The line of reflected light on the wall was slowly moving downward.

I felt as if something was going away with that light.

My anxiety started to grow.

My chest started to tighten.

My hands were restless.

I got distracted and didn’t notice that the old lady was right in front of me.

She placed a spoon and a bowl of some kind of soup in front of me.

A dark green, thick liquid.

I smiled at her.

I started stirring the liquid with the spoon, and it felt heavy, full of small pieces.

I felt like throwing up.

Maybe it’s just the way it looks, and it might actually be really good. In any case, I can’t be rude to a lady.

I scooped up a good amount of liquid with the spoon and brought it close to my mouth.

As I looked at the spoon, I saw a round object.

I looked more closely.

I recognized that shape.

It was a human eye.

My whole body froze.

“Ma’am... What’s that?” I asked, pointing at the soup.

She approached curiously and, for a few seconds, just stared at the bowl.

Her smile slowly faded.

She looked far away, out the window.

“I forgot...”

She lowered her head.

“You need to leave.”

“What?”

“Go away! Now!”

She held her own arms tightly while keeping her distance.

I got up from the chair and tried to approach her.

“Ma’am, are you okay?”

“I told you to go away!” she shouted angrily.

Something is wrong. I’d better go.

Without looking away or turning my body, I kept slowly walking toward the front door.

I heard a snap.

Her fingers twisted. Her fingernails began to darken.

Hair began to sprout from her skin.

She stumbled backward, tripping over her own chair.

Her face contorted.

She brought her hands to her face as she tried to stifle her own screams.

“Run!”

Her voice faltered.

Her body began to distort before my eyes.

Hair covered her arms. Her fingers elongated, turning into claws. Her jaw began to jut forward as a growl escaped her throat.

“I don’t want to hurt you...”

Those were the last words I could make out.

The creature lunged toward me and struck with its claw.

I didn’t have time to react.

I was thrown across the room and slammed into the wall near where the pot was.

Several kitchen utensils fell to the floor along with me.

My whole body ached, especially my back.

I was lying on my right arm.

I don’t want to die.

I looked around and saw a cleaver. I picked it up.

I forced myself to get up.

The creature came toward me.

I knew it would be the end of me.

I didn’t have the strength to fight back.

I closed my eyes.

But I didn’t feel the impact.

The creature was standing still.

Its body was trembling.

It was growling.

I managed to get to my feet.

The creature grew angry and started running toward me.

I gripped the cleaver tightly.

Just as she was getting close, I closed my eyes. With a clumsy swing of my arm, I struck upward.

I felt the impact.

A pained growl erupted inside the house.

I opened my eyes.

I felt a sense of relief, and a small smile formed on my face.

The creature fell on its back and lay there, rolling from side to side.

It looked like it was in pain.

This is not the time to stand still.

In desperation, I looked around. Everything was dark and hard to see.

I saw a faint glint of glass.

The window.

It was my only way out.

I jumped through it, landing on the other side and rolling in the mud.

Making a loud noise.

I heard voices.

I gathered my strength, got up, and ran.

I ran through the wet dirt streets.

I could sense a lot of movement all around me.

Moving as fast as I was, I could only catch a few details with my eyes.

Small light sources.

Distorted silhouettes.

Fur and claws in the village alleys.

There was only one thing on my mind.

That wasn't the fantasy I wanted.