His mind reeled, trying to process Ethan’s words. He had barely begun wrapping his head around the fact that he had just been ripped out of reality, thrown into an underground cavern with two hundred strangers, and now the firefighter was telling him to… think about his status?
That sounded like something straight out of a game.
Leon frowned. “You’re joking, right?”
Ethan’s expression remained firm, his broad shoulders squared. He wasn’t joking.
“Just try it,” Ethan said, voice level but firm.
Leon hesitated, staring at him, then at the chaos unfolding in the cavern. The panicked voices, the sobs, the scattered people—all of it felt too real to be a dream. But at this point? What did he have to lose?
He took a slow breath and thought the word, status.
A soft chime echoed in his skull. A moment later, a translucent blue screen materialized in front of him, floating just inches away. It glowed faintly in the dim cavern light. Leon sucked in a sharp breath. Holy shit.
Name: Leon Carter
Level: 1
EXP: 0/30
Rank: Mortal
Stats:
- Strength: 7
- Agility: 9
- Endurance: 6
- Intelligence: 10
- Wisdom: 8
- Mana Control: 3
Titles: None
Skills: None
Equipment:
- Casual Clothes (No defensive properties.)
Leon stared, his fingers twitching at his sides. The words floated in the air, crisp and clear, as real as the cavern walls around him. He reached out instinctively, but his fingers passed right through the glowing text.
His heart pounded. His mind screamed for logic, but there was none. He had a damn stat sheet like a game character. Like something straight out of D&D or an RPG. Leon rubbed his temples. “This… this isn’t normal,” he muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan gave a small, humorless chuckle. “Nothing about this is normal, man.”
Leon forced himself to focus. His stats weren’t anything extraordinary—fairly balanced, with Intelligence and Agility slightly higher than the rest. Then there was Mana Control. Only 3 points. Whatever the hell that was.
His eyes flicked to Ethan. “You saw yours?”
The firefighter nodded. “Yeah. Mine popped up right after we got here. Figured it was worth checking out.” He glanced around. “And based on some of these looks? Others are seeing theirs too.”
Leon followed his gaze. People were reacting.
A man in a wrinkled dress shirt stared into space, his mouth slightly open. A young woman in workout clothes had her hands pressed together as if praying but with eyes darting rapidly reading something invisible.
Even the homeless guy from the subway had stopped laughing for a moment, tilting his head as though listening to something no one else could hear.
It wasn’t just them. Others were experiencing it too.
Leon exhaled slowly. This was happening.
Somehow, this was real.
Ethan took a step forward, his presence naturally commanding attention even without raising his voice.
“Alright, listen up,” he called out. “I know everyone’s confused. But we can’t just sit here and wait for answers. We need to take action.”
A scoff echoed from the crowd. The businessman from the subway—the guy who had been furiously tapping at his phone earlier—shook his head, his tie now fully undone. His face was red with frustration and disbelief.
“Take action?” the businessman snapped. “We don’t even know where we are!”
Ethan didn’t flinch. “Then let’s start figuring it out. First, we need to check for injuries.” Some people in the crowd nodded slowly, others just stood there, stunned.
Leon stepped up beside Ethan, rolling his shoulders. “ We should check what everyone has on them. If we’re stuck here, we need to know what we’re working with.”
Ethan gave him a sharp look, assessing him, then nodded. “Good idea.”
They moved through the crowd, talking to people, trying to get some semblance of order.
It wasn’t great. Most people had nothing except their everyday belongings such as wallets, keys, and watches. Phones, tablets, and other electronics were gone. Some had snacks tucked away in bags or purses. Some had water bottles, but not nearly enough. One guy had a Swiss Army knife probably the closest thing to an actual survival tool anyone had.
There were injuries. A middle-aged man had twisted his ankle in the fall. Most likely when we appeared here. A woman had a cut on her forehead, but it wasn’t deep. A teenager had scraped her palms badly, likely from trying to catch herself.
Nothing life-threatening, but in a situation like this, even small wounds could turn deadly if left untreated. Leon ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply.
They were unprepared. Completely, utterly unprepared.
Ethan called out again, “We need to keep everyone together. No wandering off. We don’t know what’s out there.” Leon couldn’t help but glance toward the cavern’s dark tunnels, leading into the unknown.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
Was there something out there?
As things started settling, Leon found himself standing beside Ethan, staring at the cavern ceiling. “…What do you think happened?” he asked quietly.
Ethan exhaled, crossing his arms. “I don’t know, man. But I know one thing.” Leon raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?” Ethan’s expression was grim. “We’re not on Earth anymore.”
Leon wanted to laugh. He wanted to say that’s ridiculous. But after what they had seen? After what they had experienced? He couldn’t argue. They weren’t on Earth. They were somewhere else.
And the real question was, Were they alone? Just as that thought settled in, a sharp cry rang out from the far side of the cavern.
Leon and Ethan’s heads snapped toward the sound.
“Hey! HEY!” A man’s voice rang out aloud, panicked. “There’s something down here!”
The crowd tensed immediately.
Ethan didn’t hesitate. “Leon, with me.” Leon gritted his teeth but followed, weaving through the gathered people. As they reached the source of the commotion, they found a man pointing toward one of the tunnels leading deeper into the underground.
“What did you see?” Ethan asked, his voice steady.
The man was pale, sweat forming on his brow. “It—it moved. I swear to God, I saw something moving in there!”
Leon’s heart pounded loudly.
So much for being alone.
The cavern fell into a deep, uneasy silence. Every breath, every shifting movement, every hushed whisper seemed amplified against the stone walls.
Leon’s pulse pounded in his ears as he stared into the darkness of the tunnel, trying to make sense of what the man had just said. Something moved. That was all it took to change the entire atmosphere of the group.
Ethan took a step forward, his expression unreadable. “Where exactly did you see it?” His voice was calm, but there was an underlying tension beneath it.
The man swallowed hard and pointed toward the shadowy entrance of the tunnel. “T-there. It was quick, but I saw movement. Like… like something ducked out of sight.”
Leon followed the direction of his shaking finger. The tunnel entrance yawned before them, its jagged walls illuminated faintly by the glow of the cavern’s natural crystals. It wasn’t a smooth, man-made structure—this was raw earth, ancient and unrefined.
Ethan’s jaw tightened. He turned, addressing the crowd. “Everyone, stay together. No wandering. Keep quiet.”
There was a ripple of hushed murmurs, people glancing at each other in growing alarm. Someone near the back of the cavern whispered, “What does he mean, stay together? Stay together from what?”
The panic was beginning to bubble back up.
Leon took a breath, trying to keep his own nerves in check. He wasn’t a monk, he wasn’t a leader. But if Ethan was right if this really wasn’t Earth anymore then losing their heads wouldn’t do them any good.
He forced himself to focus. “Did you see anything else?” he asked the man.
The guy shook his head, his face pale. “No. Just movement. I didn’t stick around to find out what it was.” Leon didn’t blame him. Ethan turned back toward the tunnel. His body was tense, shoulders squared like he was preparing for something. Then, he did something Leon hadn’t expected.
He stepped forward.
Leon’s stomach dropped. “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed.
Ethan didn’t glance back. “If there’s something here, I need to know what it is.”
Leon clenched his jaw. “And what if it’s—” dangerous? A predator? a wolf or Something, waiting to tear us apart? He didn’t get to finish that part of the sentence.
Ethan was already moving.
A few others gasped as the firefighter cautiously approached the tunnel’s entrance, stepping just far enough in to let the dim greenish glow from the cavern’s crystals cast long shadows over the uneven rock. Leon’s hands curled nervously into fists as he watched Ethan disappear just a few steps into the darkness.
Every instinct screamed at him that this was a bad idea.
Seconds stretched into eternity.
Leon counted his own breaths, muscles coiled with anticipation.
Then, Ethan reappeared.
He walked back toward them with steady steps, his brow furrowed in thought. “Nothing,” he said.
The man who had raised the alarm sputtered. “N-nothing?! I saw something! It was there!”
Ethan exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I believe you,” he said. “But whatever it was… it’s gone now.”
The cavern remained eerily quiet.
Leon forced himself to think logically. If something had been there, it was either avoiding them or waiting for something.
Neither option was reassuring.
“We need to set up a watch,” Ethan said, turning back toward the group. “If there’s movement in these tunnels, I don’t want to be caught unaware.”
There were nods from some of the calmer individuals, but others were still stuck in stunned disbelief. One of the college students a guy in a Columbia University hoodie lifted a trembling hand. “W-watch? Like—like we’re gonna take shifts?” His voice cracked.
“Yes,” Ethan said. “We’ll take turns keeping an eye on that tunnel and any other openings in this cavern. I need volunteers.”
Silence.
Leon’s stomach twisted. No one wants to volunteer for something like this. Then, to his own surprise, he stepped forward. “I’ll do it.”
Ethan nodded as if he’d expected that.
A few others hesitated before stepping up, a middle-aged man in a flannel shirt, a young woman in sweatpants who looked like she had a runner’s build, and finally, the Columbia student who had spoken.
Ethan’s gaze swept over them. “Good. We’ll take two-hour shifts in pairs. Stay alert. Don’t take risks. If you see something, wake the group.”
Leon sighed, rubbing his temples. So, this is happening.
He glanced back toward the crowd. Some people were still whispering, others clinging to their disbelief. Some like the homeless guy from the subway just seemed weirdly entertained. Leon couldn’t decide what was worse.
They were stranded in an underground cave system. They had no food, no water, no idea where they were. And now? They were watching the shadows, hoping nothing crawled out.
Leon exhaled sharply. “Well,” he muttered, “this is officially the worst subway ride I’ve ever taken.” He heard someone laugh.
Turning, Leaon was surprised to find that, it was the Columbia student who had been pale and shaking moments ago was now smirking. Leon raised a brow. “What?” The guy shrugged. “That was funny.”
Leon huffed. “Glad my suffering is entertaining.” But, despite everything, his lips twitched. The absurdity of the situation was almost too much. If he didn’t laugh, he might just lose it completely. The watch rotation was set up quickly after that.
Leon was paired with the Columbia kid, who introduced himself as Eric. And their shift wasn’t until later in the night.
For now, they did what they could.
People huddled together in small groups. Some spoke in hushed tones, sharing theories, debating whether this was some kind of experiment, or government project, or something worse. Others sat in silence, their gazes hollow.
Leon caught sight of the elderly woman from the subway again. She was still sitting on that smooth rock near the cavern wall, hands resting in her lap. Still, silent, she hadn't moved.
It unnerved him.
Even the businessman who had been freaking out earlier was pacing near one of the glowing crystal formations, muttering something under his breath.
Leon let out a slow breath.
He didn’t know how long they’d be here. But the fact that they were setting up watches? That they were preparing for something?
Yeah. This wasn’t just waiting for rescue anymore.
This was an episode of Lost. And they were just getting started.
The tension in the cavern lingered long after the watch was set up. People sat in uneasy silence, some whispering in hushed voices, others staring blankly into the glowing blue-green crystals embedded in the cavern walls. The initial panic had simmered down, but in its place was something worse a heavy, oppressive uncertainty.
Leon sat down, his legs stretched out, his mind running in circles. What the hell is going on?
Even now, hours after they had arrived in this bizarre underground world, it didn’t feel real. The Status screen, the System message, the way they had all just appeared here. Every rational part of his brain screamed that this wasn’t possible. And yet he was here.
The quiet hum of conversation carried through the cavern, small pockets of people grouping together for comfort. Some were trying to sleep, though Leon doubted anyone would be able to. The stone floor was cold, hard, and unyielding, offering no comfort.
Across from him, Eric sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring toward the tunnels. His earlier moment of humor had faded, replaced by a distant, haunted look.
Leon nudged him with his foot. “You okay, man?”
Eric blinked, snapping out of his daze. “Huh? Yeah. Just… trying to process.” He shook his head. “One second, I was heading to class. Now I’m in a damn cave system with glowing rocks. Feels like a bad dream.”
Leon snorted. “If this is a dream, I’d like to wake up now.”
Eric chuckled weakly. “Same.”
The sound of footsteps caught Leon’s attention. Ethan was making another round, checking on people, making sure no one was doing anything stupid. The firefighter looked tired, but his posture remained firm his presence alone keeping people from falling apart completely.
Leon respected the hell out of him for it.
Ethan stopped near the tunnel entrance, where two of the volunteers stood watch. He exchanged a few quiet words before scanning the darkness beyond.
Leon found himself watching, his stomach twisting.
The tunnels felt… wrong.
It wasn’t just the unknown depths or the silence—it was the feeling that something was down there.
Leon forced himself to look away. He needed to rest before his shift.
He leaned his head back against the cold stone wall, closing his eyes. His body ached from exhaustion, but sleep wouldn’t come. His mind refused to shut off. They were on their own. And whatever was lurking in the tunnels, wouldn’t stay hidden forever.