The Isekai Game

Shadows of the Heart

It was something like a pitch of darkness with vague shades of grey that she could make out as being the walls. Depth was unknown. Whenever she reached out to touch a wall she thought was a mere foot away, she would find herself walking a few feet to never feel it. 

Hopefully, it wasn't an illusion. Or else she'd be screwed. Creeping through was horrendous. Cobwebs stuck in her hair. Random tiny rocks stuck her heel as they came down. She had no clue where to go or what to do. Judging by how the grey shades were parallel, it appeared to be a large hallway she was walking through. 

Pacing herself while remaining alert, Vanessa held out Masamune, following this odd hallway. After a bit, she noticed the grey shades she had seen were getting a little bit brighter. Screeches, resembling a voice on an old record player, were heard mumbling. Their words unknown, yet still chanting nonsense that couldn't break her focus. 

Maybe it was this weird comfort in vision that brought the noise. It appeared as the wall became more clear that the voices got a little louder. A brief charge of Masamune and Vanessa slammed him down, sending flame cyclones in three different directions. 

Figures in the walls fleed, escaping further down the hall. She maintained control, hit the walls with her flames. A few lanterns, hanging from the walls, had lit up, brightening the halls just a bit. 

Those shadowy figures, indistinguishable from one another, swam on the walls, laughing and smiling back at her. None appeared to be a threat. Rather nuisances blabbering.

Down the hall was still pitch black. She pressed the tip of her blade against the wall and struck over, sending a disc of fire down to light all of the lanterns. The shadows were everywhere. And with a closer listen, they were calling her name. 

Their voices weren't pleasant. Nothing sweet nor charming. Rather vulgar, begging for her to listen. She kept looking back, walking down the large hall. The voices became clearer. 

"Vanessa... Join us". 

"How many lives do you have"? 

"Wanna play"? 

She took a turn, lighting another hallway. There was an open room at the end.  

"Come on Vanessa". 

"Join us". 

"We can do it". 

"Look alive sunshine". 

The annoying voices continued harassing her in different tones. Whatever this was, it was getting stronger the closer she got to this room. A dark aura emitted from the cracks in the walls. Its fear had very little effect on Vanessa who was ready to face whatever was in the room. Even if it meant her doing so while still injured. 

Stepping in, all of the room's lanterns lit on their own. There was a man in a black worn-out coat leaned against the wall. Nobody else was there. 

Vanessa cleared her throat, "Who are you"?

The man rose up, "I think the better question is, 'who are you'"?

That voice was already familiar. Dropping his hood to reveal a face like Logan elevated her heart to know it was merely an imposter. But that aura drooping out of his coat was more than a sign that she needed to eliminate this threat. 

As she ran at him with her sword, he laughed, "Come on Vanessa, let's play". 

She struck him with a fire strike, only to be parried with a dagger, "Are you really this scared of your own dreams"? 

She kicked a few times and sliced out a fire disc. The man tanked the kick and ducked under the disc. His smile never wavered. He enjoyed the way she came after him with full intent on murdering him.

It was no secret to her that he enjoyed this. The anger in her heart. The one that drove her to slice her blade at him at every opportunity given. 

A kick to his lets drew a laugh from him, "There we go baby girl! That's how you get into it! Let me see that aggression"!

Slicing at his head, Vanessa found that he hooked her arm and tossed her into the wall. She could believe how seamlessly easy he made her out to be. It was as though he put in no effort. He wasn't even coming in for the kill despite the fact she was resting on her knees. 

Shadows in the wall were still shouting their nonsense. More importantly, there was an aura in her chest. A dark one. 

"There you go, Vanessa. Embrace it. Embrace your dreams," he smiled at her, "It takes a little bit of darkness to achieve greatness. History. This country. The dot com era. Wars. They all came at the sacrifice of others to achieve something great". 

Vanessa rose to her feet, running at him as he continued to dodge every strike with ease, "Tell me, Vanessa, what are you willing to sacrifice for your dreams? Is it a few friends? Or maybe even a few enemies"? 

He seemingly twitched back in a flash, causing her to lose control of the muscles in her body. A card fell from her stomach. Mere seconds after, she fell with it only for the man to catch her by the throat. 

Crackling along with a faint of hearing was felt pressing in from his fingers as he raised her off the ground. Masamune was wedged under his foot, leaving Vanessa defenseless to the man. 

"Come on Vanessa. I just want to help". That purple glow in his shined deep, nearly breaking away from being a Logan replica, "You're almost there. Only one more shrine to go. Let me give you the power to achieve your dreams". 

He tilted his head, "The power of darkness. The power, of a warlock".

The man tossed her away. The darkness buried deep within her. Allowing a ghost from afar to enter her body before she could react. Its spirit sprawled into her heart, ravaging through her body to lift her head. 

The Logan replica laughed, walking away, "The choice is yours".