Sable's vision blurred as he felt himself pulled away from the dying fragments of Eidolon. The world around him crumbled, falling apart into the void like a thousand shattered pieces of glass, each one fading into oblivion. His body, numb and worn from the final clash, seemed weightless. Time itself had lost meaning, and everything felt... still.
His breath was shallow. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but there was no longer any sense of direction. The ground beneath his feet had vanished, replaced by nothing but an abyss of data, memories, and echoes. Eidolon was gone. But where did that leave him?
For a long moment, Sable floated in this endless black void, disoriented and exhausted. His mind was a storm of fragmented thoughts — the battle with Rei, the pain, the fear, the loss of so many people trapped in the game. His hands trembled slightly, but the grip on his blades remained firm. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he knew one thing for certain.
He hadn't lost.
Not yet.
A distant hum cut through the silence, drawing his attention. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but it was there. Sable's mind snapped into focus. This wasn't the end. There was more. The pulse of energy that had coursed through the game before, the final pulse — it was still there, pulsing beneath the surface of this empty reality.
With every ounce of willpower left in his body, Sable fought against the weightlessness that threatened to pull him deeper into the void. The hum grew louder, resonating through his chest. It was a call. A sign.
A sudden burst of light pierced the darkness.
The flash was blinding, sending a jolt of energy through Sable's body. For a split second, he could feel every muscle, every bone, every cell in his body waking up, alive again. And then, in an instant, he was pulled back, sucked into the light as if it were a vacuum. There was no escape. No turning back.
---
Reality Crashes Down
When Sable's senses returned, the world he had known was gone. He was no longer in the decaying remnants of Eidolon. No — the world around him was different. The harsh red skies, the blackened ground, and the endless chaos had all been replaced by something far stranger, far more unsettling.
A city — or what could have been one — stretched out before him. Towering, dilapidated buildings stood at odd angles, their windows shattered and reflecting nothing but the desolate streets below. The streets themselves seemed to pulse with a life of their own, as if they were breathing. Everything here was decayed, but strangely, alive.
Sable stood, his legs shaky, as the ground beneath him trembled. His mind reeled. Where am I?
The world around him wasn't just a corrupted version of Eidolon. It felt... real. Too real. This wasn't the game anymore. This was something else.
A deep, guttural voice echoed through the air.
"Welcome, Sable."
Sable froze, his heart skipping a beat as he instinctively reached for his blades. But they were gone. All of his weapons, his gear, everything from Eidolon — it was gone. He was unarmed, vulnerable.
The voice continued, calm but menacing. "You've fought through the depths of Eidolon. But your journey doesn't end there. You're in the real world now."
Sable's pulse quickened. The real world?
Before he could process the words, a figure emerged from the shadows. A tall, imposing man cloaked in dark robes, his face obscured by a silver mask. His presence radiated power, and Sable instinctively felt that this was no ordinary person. This man was different.
"You've done well, Sable," the masked man spoke, his voice calm, but each word dripping with an unsettling weight. "You destroyed Eidolon... or at least, you think you did. But you haven't stopped anything. Eidolon was never just a game. It was a test."
Sable's mind reeled as the truth began to sink in. "Test? What test?"
The man laughed softly, a low, sinister sound that sent chills down Sable's spine. "You've completed the final phase of the experiment. The real question is whether or not you are ready for what comes next."
The city around Sable seemed to shift, its buildings groaning as though they were alive. The ground trembled once more, and the temperature dropped, sending a wave of cold through Sable's body. But despite the discomfort, something in him clicked. This place — it wasn't just a world. It was a prison.
"No…" Sable muttered under his breath. "This isn't over. I—"
"It's only just beginning," the masked man interrupted, his voice sending a ripple of dread through Sable's very soul.
The man's hand rose, and with a flick of his fingers, the city around them began to distort further. The sky darkened, clouds swirling violently as the ground cracked beneath Sable's feet. But this time, there was no glitch. This was real.
The man stepped closer, his presence becoming suffocating. "You see, Eidolon was the first of many worlds. The ones who survived are the first to prove themselves worthy. And now, Sable, you've earned the privilege to join the others. The true game begins now."
Sable's heart raced. "What are you talking about?"
The man smiled, his face still hidden behind the mask. "This world, this reality, was never the end of your journey. The real game was always about evolution — the evolution of consciousness. Eidolon was merely the beginning. Now that you're here, in the true world, your choice is simple. You either rise above this world or become part of its decay."
The masked man gestured toward the horizon. In the distance, countless figures appeared, their silhouettes flickering in and out of existence. They were players — the ones who had survived. They had been brought here, too.
"You'll have your chance, Sable," the man continued. "But remember, this world doesn't just play by the rules. It creates them."
And then, in a flash, the man was gone.
Sable stood alone, the weight of his new reality pressing down on him. He had escaped one nightmare, only to find himself trapped in something far worse. The true game had just begun.
---