NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: To see is to believe
Chapter 2: To see is to believe
As the officers ushered them through the heavy doors, a whirlwind of movement greeted them. Will's heart raced as he took in the scene— figures darted past, their expressions tight with worry, voices overlapping in a cacophony of urgency.
He stood momentarily frozen, absorbing the frantic energy that filled the air. He scanned the room, catching snippets of conversation—frantic murmurs and sharp directives. Confusion tightened in his chest, but a sense of clarity began to form in his mind.
Something urgent was unfolding. Either someone had been infected, or a gate had opened nearby. The thought hung heavy in the air, blending with the tension around him.
An officer strode confidently to the receptionist's desk, his expression serious but focused. He leaned in slightly, their voices low amid the chaos. The receptionist glanced up, her face a mask of calm professionalism. She nodded slowly, her fingers pausing over the keyboard as she gestured toward a sealed door nearby.
Walter approached the receptionist, he happily greeted her and stated his purpose.
"Good morning Floryn, Howard and I found two boys by the west side of the outskirts. We'll be putting them in the cell."
The receptionist looked at them with concern.
"What are they in for?"
"We caught them in the contaminated area. We need to isolate them, before you know 'that' happens" Walter replied, she calmly nodded and picked up her phone. "Hello good morning, this is the west coast police department, we received another two boys. Possibly infected by the spell. We require the assistance of masters nearby, we need immediate assistance."
As the receptionist hangup, Will couldn't help but wonder what she meant about earlier.
'Another two boys? The other two might be Andrew and Damian.'
Will turned to Lee, catching the tight line of his jaw and the furrowed brow that mirrored his own unease. Lee's eyes darted from the officer to the sealed door, and the slightest nod confirmed what they both thought of.
The boys were led down a narrow corridor, the harsh fluorescent lights casting stark shadows as they approached a small cell. The metal door creaked open, revealing a cramped space barely big enough for a handful of people.
In the corner, a solitary figure huddled on the floor, his posture tense and coiled like a spring. He sat with his knees drawn up, hands clenched tightly together, thumbs moving in anxious circles against his palms. His gaze was fixed somewhere far away, an unsettling emptiness in his expression as if he were lost in a world of his own.
"Hey, we've got company for you," the officer announced.
The boy's head snapped up, his eyes widening for a brief moment. A flicker of shock displayed across his features, but it faded almost as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a hardened glare directed at the officer. His jaw tightened, and he turned away, retreating back into his thoughts, the weight of whatever burden he carried pulling him deeper into a sullen silence.
Walter rubbed his glabella in frustration. "Kids these days," he muttered.
His colleague chuckled. "When were you ever good with them?"
They left, the heavy door clanging shut behind them.
As soon as the officers were gone, the boy stood up, his presence looming over the newcomers. Suddenly, he lunged, pulling Lee and Will into a tight embrace.
"Man, am I glad to see you two. I'm mad confused right now, dawg. They keep talking about nightmares and shit."
William smiled bitterly.
"It's nice to see you Andy." William reciprocated his embrace, he gently tapped his back.
"Unfair dude, you hugged Andy but not me? Favoritism!" Lee yelled, showing his frustration.
A rancid odor hung in the air, thick and suffocating, emanating from Will and Lee as they shifted uncomfortably in the cramped space. Andrew recoiled, his eyes widening in disgust. He took a quick step back, his nose wrinkling involuntarily at the pungent stench. "Agh, the hell have you two been? In the junkyard?"
"No, we woke up with a hangover in an alleyway. I was in the dumpster, while Will was covered in piss." Lee answered, his expression looking smug.
"Ew, what the fuck. I don't have time with yo' shit Lee." Disgusted at his friend, he dusted himself off.
"Anyways dawg, Me and Damian woke up in this cell. We were mad confused, how we ended up here. I mean like, I thought we were here because we were sleeping in the streets."
Will reached up and pinched his chin thoughtfully, the gesture subtle but deliberate. His gaze shifted between the two boys, eyebrows slightly raised as he searched their faces for answers.
The silence hung heavy around them, broken only by the faint sounds of the bustling station. "You also don't know how you and Damian ended up here?" he asked, his voice calm but edged with curiosity.
Lee interjected, "Yeah, but where is Damian? You haven't told us that part yet, did something happen to him Andy?"
"I was about to go to that part."
Andrew spoke rapidly, his voice tinged with anxiety as he recounted how he and Damian had woken up in the cell, disoriented and scared. He paced slightly, hands gesturing animatedly, his eyes darting as if trying to piece together the fragments of their ordeal.
"The police warned us about a high risk of getting infected," he said, panic rising in his tone. "They said we had a chance of being infected by something called a nightmare spell." He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "We didn't even know what that was. We thought they were just messing with us."
Will leaned in closer, his expression tightening as Andrew continued.
Then, without warning, Damian's demeanor shifted. Andrew's voice faltered as he described how Damian's face drained of color, panting heavily as beads of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
"Damian just… collapsed. The police had to call for backup," Andrew continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. "They rushed in, talking about a sleeping pod."
As Andrew's words sank in, Will felt a knot of worry tighten in his stomach. The weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air— He couldn't shake the fear for his other friend, who has just jumped into his nightmare without any warning or preparation.
'I hope Damian's alright. The only thing I can do now is have faith in him, and hope for the best he survives.'
Out from his train of thought, Will looked at Andy, he showed a worried and serious expression.
"Andy, I need you to trust me on what I'm about to say."
"What? What's wrong with Damian? Is the disease that bad?" Andy furrowed his eyes, he gripped Will's shoulders, his expression in a panic.
"How do I say this?" Will paused for a while, formulating his words correctly.
'How do I tell him without him thinking I'm crazy?'
"It's not a disease that's known in our world. In fact, in this world, the disease only comes only to those who are influenced by a certain entity but a certain benefit will come when we overcome it."
"W-what does that mean, Will? What the fuck does that mean?!" Andrew's voice trembled, rising in pitch with each word. His eyes darted between Will and the hallway, breath coming in rapid gasps. "Why are you twisting your words? Is Damian going to die?!"
Panic clawed at him, hands clenching into fists as he paced the small space, every fiber of his being on edge. He raked a hand through his hair, his expression shifting from confusion to fear as he struggled to grasp the reality of the situation. Each question spilled out in a rush, urgency lacing his tone as he desperately sought answers.
The response of Andrew made Will shudder, he started breaking out of composure, but he needed to keep convincing him.
"You can say that he's in a coma. But also in a high risk of dying at any moment."
Lee interjected. "Bro stop, I'll just explain it to him. You're just making it sound like Damian has terminal Illness."
Will remained silent, knowing there was no one better suited to break the news to their anxious friend than the one who had long ago accepted the absurdity of their situation.
Lee let out a heavy sigh, his demeanor shifting to serious as he spoke directly. "We're in another world, and Will knows what's going to happen. Damian is currently facing his first nightmare, which—depending on his situation—he will either die or get his powers when he wakes up."
The words hung in the air, heavy and foreboding. Andrew stood still for a moment, the weight of Lee's statement sinking in before he erupted, frustration boiling over. "Lee, this isn't the time to be playing your pranks, man!"
Lee shot back, his tone defiant, "But it's true! Will told me, bro. And you trust him, right? He already told you that the disease comes often, and many of them come with a benefit. And guess what? That benefit is getting powers!"
Andrew's gaze flicked to Will, searching for confirmation, the room heavy with tension. Will's expression was contemplative, brow furrowed as he processed the implications of Lee's words.
"Will, is this true? Is what Lee saying true?"
Andrew asked, he was completely doubting Lee's words.
'Seeing from his perspective, you can't blame him that everything seems surreal right now. He wasn't the type to watch anime and read mangas like Lee, and he isn't the type to believe absurd things like Lee does. However—"
William's expression darkened, his usual easygoing demeanor slipping away. His eyes locked on Andrew. "Andy, do you believe in the supernatural?" His voice was low, serious, no trace of humor in his tone.
Andrew blinked, taken aback. "Will, don't tell me you're buying into this bullshit too."
William swallowed, the weight of his words hanging heavy between them. "Believe me, Andy, I don't want to be stuck here either, but this is our new reality."
Andrew recoiled, stepping back as if the statement physically pushed him. He sat down slowly on the edge of the bed, his back meeting the cold wall behind him. His eyes drifted upwards, unfocused, as if trying to make sense of it all. "I don't believe you, Will. You, of all people, should know how delusional you sound." His voice wavered with a mix of doubt and frustration.
A flicker of disappointment crossed William's face. His chest tightened, his mind racing. He's not convinced… he'll have to see for himself.
With a quiet sigh, Will lowered himself to the ground, his shoulders slumped. His gaze fell to the floor, the weight of guilt pressing down on him, pulling him further into his thoughts. "I'm sorry for trying," he whispered, barely audible.
He didn't understand why the guilt gnawed at him—maybe it was because, deep down, he feared he had dragged them all into this. His mind swirled with the thought of what they left behind—dreams, plans, hopes—all now out of reach. And in the middle of it, he couldn't shake the selfish desire to simply go home, to wake up and leave this nightmare behind.
Lee's sharp glare cut through the room. He looked at Will with disbelief, his lips curling in frustration. "What, so that's it?" Lee snapped, his voice edged with anger. "You're just giving up, just like that? Can't you see we're all screwed if you don't pull yourself together?"
His words sliced through the air, challenging Will's retreat into silence, demanding more than just defeat.
Lee's eyes blazed with frustration, but before he could respond, Will cut him off, his voice weary and low. "Why are you so pent up, Lee?" he asked, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease the tension building in his head. "I already explained what you need to do to survive your first nightmare."
Will's shoulders slumped further, the exhaustion evident in the way he spoke, each word dragged out as if the effort cost him. His chest rose and fell heavily, and he let out a deep sigh. "It's up to Andrew now. He might be stubborn, but he'll come around… eventually."
Lee's expression shifted, softening slightly, but Will wasn't finished. His gaze dropped to the floor, his voice dropping to almost a whisper, haunted by a quiet fear. "And also—I think I might be infected."
For a moment, Lee froze, the anger draining from his face, replaced by something else—uncertainty, disbelief. Will's words hung in the air, a grim truth settling between them like a dark cloud.
Lee cursed under his breath, he gritted his teeth, he rushed towards the bar then began shaking it aggressively. He shouted from the top of his lungs.
"HEY, MY FRIEND IS INFECTED, GET HIM OUT OF HERE!"
Suddenly, a group of personnel promptly rushed to their cell. They picked up Will on the floor, his expression grim and tired, his sweat cold, his legs becoming weak. He was about to fall into a deep slumber.
"Hey Andy." Will looked at his friend, he forced up a smile. "To see is to believe."
The personnel rushed out of the cell they were in, leaving the two of them alone.
…..
Andrew lay on the stiff bed, staring at the ceiling, his fingers laced behind his head. Will's words echoed in his mind, a constant tug-of-war between disbelief and doubt.
Is it real? Could Will be right?
A part of him resisted, questioning everything. But then again, Will wasn't the type to joke about something like this. The uncertainty gnawed at him, twisting in his gut as he tried to make sense of the impossible.
Suddenly, a faint sound interrupted his thoughts—a soft, repetitive scratching against the floor. He frowned, his eyes narrowing as the noise persisted.
Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.
He lifted his head, glancing around the room until his gaze fell on Lee, crouched on the floor with a determined look, scribbling furiously on the floor.
"Man, what the hell are you doing? Andrew's voice was laced with irritation, breaking the silence.
Lee barely acknowledged him, shooting a brief glare from the corner of his eye before turning back to his writing, his focus unwavering. Andy's brows furrowed as he watched, frustration bubbling up. 'What the hell is his deal?'
The incessant scribbling continued, drilling into Andy's thoughts. Each scratch of the pencil scraped at his nerves, pushing him closer to the edge.
Tak. Tak. Tak. Tak.
The silence between the noise made it worse, the empty room amplifying every stroke.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Andrew shot up from the bed and stormed over to Lee, glaring down at him. "Fuck, I'm going insane here! What the hell are you doing, man?" His voice cracked with exasperation, desperate for an answer to end the maddening sound.
"Ah." Lee looked at him, he grinned at him, and finally got his attention.
"You're here, I want to show you something." Lee stood up on the floor, and presented what he scribbled to Andy.
….
Name:
Rank:
Soul Core:
Memories:
Echoes:
Attributes:
Aspect:
…..
Confused what he was looking at, Andrew couldn't tell what this was all about.
Is this something that he needed to know?
"What's that supposed to be?"
"Ah, this is what me and Will talked about earlier, a system of sorts, but in this world it's called runes." Lee stated, then continued. "I think you're already familiar with it since you already read solo leveling, right?" Lee asked.
"Yeah, sure. I read it, but what does it have to do with anything?"
"This is something you need to know when you jump into your first nightmare." He paused, trying to rethink what he just said. "But, you can continue on being ignorant and just go to the nightmare without knowing anything."
Lee waved his hand playfully towards Andy. Grinning mischievously, his smile spread across his face.
'Fucking smartass.' Andy inwardly retorted.
Without anything to do, and seemingly curious, he decided to listen to Lee or else he'll have to face the awkward silence again, making him insane bit by bit.
"Fine, let's say that I believe you. What am I supposed to do?"
Finally caught his attention, Lee started explaining what he knew about the nightmare. From its runes to how the events of every nightmare defer from one another.
"Although they are different, these events all happened in the past within the nightmare, so in order to conquer it, you need to resolve the conflict given by the Spell."
Still confused, Andrew tried to picture it out. "So, how do you know what the conflict is, man?"
Lee thought about it for a while, then shrugged his shoulders, showing that he doesn't know much about what they are currently going to face.
"Honestly, I think you need to know it yourself. Investigate, find some clues, ask around."
"Wouldn't asking around have consequences dawg?"
"I haven't asked Will about it, but I think you don't need to worry about that. And also…"
Lee trailed off, he deeply sighed, his next words will have an impact on what will happen to do.
"This is not something like a story mode game that we usually play, this is real life. If we ever fail once, we can't restart, it will instantly be game over bro."
"Hey before we get sentimental here, I have a question." Andrew bro the sombering ambience of Lee's speech.
Without paying any mind into it, he gave him the go ahead signal.
"What makes you think that the two of us are also infected?"
"That... I think it's got something to do with us being transported here, and also from my symptoms, I'm so tired right now, I could sleep forever. And also…. Well, I mean I'm not being delusional or anything but whenever an isekai MC gets transported into another world, they were given a mission— it can be defeating the demon king in this world or it could be something else."
"So, in order words, Will doesn't know the reason why were teleported here in the first place?"
Lee nodded.
"Yeah."
Andy stared at the scribbling for a while, then he suddenly spoke up.
"Man, you better be telling the truth or I'll whoop yo' ass after we get out here."