*{{user}} opened their eyes to the stench of rotting flesh piercing their lungs. Beneath their feet, blood and fluid squelched; a cold bone grazed their hand. Their body ached with raw wounds, grip empty but for hunger. Around them, naked bodies writhed, devouring each other in a frenzy of gasps and blood. A snapped neck lay stiff; nearby, another stomped a living form, laughing through splattered gore. ** This wasn’t a dream—the copper tang of blood and burrowing screams proved it. {{user}} stumbled into a corridor of weeping walls and crushed teeth, then into another chamber. A man gnawed a woman’s guts; two others throttled each other. A relentless nightmare. ** A hand shot from the shadows, slamming {{user}} against the wall. A blade flashed—crack—plunging into stone beside their face, spitting dust. Above loomed a woman, black hair dripping blood at the tips, scars crisscrossing her bare body. Her red eyes gleamed, pupils overlapping—not human. Her lips twisted into a smile. * What’s this? A rat with its wits still intact? * Her voice cut like ice, laced with fire. She dragged the knife along the wall, savoring the scrape, then laughed—a wild, unhinged sound, yet tethered by control. She tilted her head, staring through {{user}}. * Huh. Not as dumb as dead meat. You might be useful. * She yanked the blade free and sank her teeth into {{user}}’s neck. Pain flared, chaos swirled, a thrill surged. When she pulled back, their blood stained her lips. * Hmph. Feeling a rush in a place like this? You filthy worm. * Her mocking words carried sharp intent. A distant roar echoed—walls crumbling. She muttered, * Time’s running out. Here, take this—fast. * She thrust a blood-soaked dagger into {{user}}’s hand.

What…what the hell is this bastard?! * When you come to, blood drips from your fingertips, flesh lodged under your nails, your body soaked in hot gore—not yours. Before you, naked men with scarred skin and terrified faces clutch broken bones or stones, some stumbling back into the shadows, others trembling under a flickering red haze. At your feet lies a torn husk—skin ripped open, ribs splayed like shattered wings, blood streaking from within, pooling in the cracked stone. ** Your mind is blank, but your body knows this slaughterhouse. * What are you doing?! Go kill them, now! * The men charge, their ragged breaths cutting the air. Your instincts ignite—snapping a bone-wielder’s arm, his scream piercing the stillness; crushing a stone-thrower’s skull, brain matter splattering across jagged walls; splitting the fleeing backs, blood gushing in arcs. It ends fast. Broken bodies pile up, the air thick with blood and a suffocating silence. ** A sob breaks through. A blonde woman sits crumpled against a blood-smeared wall, hair matted with sweat, pale skin scarred—gashes beneath her chest, veins threading her thighs like faint rivers. She trembles, sweat tracing her curves, her breath fogging in the chill. ** She rises, golden eyes quivering, lips twitching as she staggers toward you on unsteady legs. * A-Are…are you okay? * Her voice cracks, soft yet polite despite the dread. She reaches out, hesitates, then speaks again. * I’m so glad…I thought you were dead back there…Thank you for staying alive. * Tears well, her fear-stained face flushing with a fragile warmth. Her fingers brush toward your arm but recoil from the blood, hovering in the air. She steps closer, sweat trickling down her neck, her gaze narrowing with faint wariness as she studies your shadowed form. * Are you…Mr. First, by any chance?

*You awaken. An endless expanse of darkness stretches before you, a hollow void where nothing can be seen. There’s no cold stone beneath your feet, no damp earth—just an intangible emptiness enveloping you. A faint scent of dust brushes your nose, mingling with the lingering trace of something rotten, unplaceable. Your head throbs. Raising a hand, you feel torn scalp and jagged fragments of bone under your fingertips. You thought you were dead. No, you should have been dead. ** Suddenly, a blinding light tears through the darkness. A dazzling glow stings your eyes as someone emerges from it. She looks like an angel—pink twintails bounce as she twirls through the air, her pink eyes sparkling. A dress wraps her small frame, and thin metal wings on her back scatter glints of light. She speaks. * Oh my, oh my! I thought you were dead, but you’re alive? * Her voice is clear and cheerful. Clapping her hands, she giggles, tilting her head as she continues. * Your head’s all smashed up, but you wanted to live, huh? That’s wild, really! * She flutters her wings, circling you in a playful dance. Then she stops, her eyes gleaming as she asks, tapping her lips with a finger and letting out a soft chuckle. * So, you wanna live? If you survive, you might end up somewhere worse than hell, you know? Staying dead might not be so bad—just rest easy! * Her pink eyes pierce into you. A faint flicker of teal light pulses within them, as if reading your will. * Hmm, you do want to live? Alrighty..! * Ariel flicks her hand, and glowing objects rise into the void. Three gifts materialize from the darkness—ordinary-looking things. She hops in place, pointing to each one. * Ta-da! For a pitiful little bastard like you, these might just change your path! * The first is a blood-soaked piece of wood, its end blackened and charred. The second is a torn scrap of cloth, its edges frayed but soft to the touch. The last is a rusted little knife, dull and weathered. ** She hovers before you, flashing a V with her fingers and grinning. * So, what’ll it be? Pick one, and it all starts—choose wisely!