Yggdrasil Rot

Silent Suffering

Dark, damp and suffocating. A gasping breath, trying to run from the darkness that locked her in this passage. Footsteps echoed as she continued to walk, trying to escape whoever was behind her.

When she looked back, the person's appearance became crystal clear. From behind the half-face helmet that protected her head, was a face smudged with dust and sweat. As she ran, a low voice escaped her mouth, accompanied by the sobs she tried to suppress.

"Don't want to die... I don't want to die..."

She walked a few steps until her foot suddenly stumbled, causing her to fall to the ground. However, when she looked down at her feet, there was nothing that trip her up.

“Ugh… Damn!” she grumbled. She decided to throw off the helmet she was wearing, and untied the thick clothes that wrapped around her body. She wore a kind of armor, which was usually worn by medieval knight figures, as well as arm and leg armor.

“Why did this have to happen to me!? What did I do wrong!? Why!? Why!? Why!?"

As she threw off the last piece of her armor, it became clear the figure behind the armor. A teenage girl, in her teens. His hair was short and messy, signs that it had not been cared for in a long time.

On both her hands and feet, there were scars that signaled a long and perilous journey. Could it be that she got the wound from this mysterious building?

Whatever happened, the woman sat motionless where she is now. Her legs trembled, filled with horror to take another step.

Even so, she knew better than the others. Not being able to move meant death, and if she didn't want to feel the pain for the umpteenth time, she had to move. Now or never.

The girl sobbed once more, before she decided to get up. She left behind her armor, now on her clothes, there are only high school uniforms and skirts that are dirty and tattered, you could even say they are almost destroyed.

She might be willing to give up her protective clothing, but not this one. The uniform she had worn since 'that day', this was the only one she knew to remember the more serene and peaceful times.

With only a sword as her last line of protection, the woman continued to walk down this dark passage.

Labyrinths, traps and the ambushes. These three things she felt were enough to explain what world she was in now. Every few steps she took, surely she and her friends would meet these creatures - the original inhabitants of this world.

In fact, that's what happened to her a few minutes ago.

she is not always alone. Previously she and two other friends, decided to explore the labyrinth in search of food, magical artifacts, or anything they could use to survive.

But luck decided not to side with them. As they explore deeper into the labyrinth's first layer, they encounter that creature... The Butcher.

Monsters of ordinary size were enough to be troublesome for other people. What are the chances of them surviving a creature that has the nickname 'The Layer Guard'?

Long story short, these two female friends ended tragically by The Butcher's blade. Blood covered the giant machete that the monster used to s***h one person, while the other, was eaten alive with The Butcher's giant mouth.

The lone survivor could only look at this with terrified eyes. Knowing that she would not be able to survive the creature, she decided to fleeing away.

However, she couldn't forget it. Either because of the horror of seeing her friend’s death, or she remembered that the scary monster is smiling at her.

As if the symbol that The Butcher would remember the prey he had just let go.

***

Now the girl is caught in a dilemma. What should she do? Continue exploring, or return to refuge?

Of course that is a stupid question. With her current situation, without armor and allies to help, surely she should prioritize himself to survive right? But in reality, the decisions she made were more complicated than that.

The map that he had been using to navigate gone as she tried to escape. Not to mention the fact that she was running aimlessly, making him even more lost from the familiar location.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to keep walking. Currently, on the right and left side of her, there were only old stone castle wall, overgrown by giant roots that seems appeared out of nowhere.

In simpler language, the environment in which she is currently standing feels more like the fantasy fiction world found in novels, movies, and video games. At least until he got to one of ‘that’ places.

"Wait... I know this place..." said the girl. Her eyes widen as a tidier and more modern square room becomes part of this strange passage. It felt unsuitable and foreign, as if the passageway had just appeared, and blended into the medieval structure of this world.

“This… High school class hallway!?” said the girl somewhat surprised.

"...It seems, I accidentally entered this territory... The Classroom," she said again.

The girl took a torch from one of the walls, and lit up the passage. The mirrors allowed the woman to see what was behind the room, while the tables and chairs were still neatly arranged, just like a classroom where students use to learn.

As she brought the fire closer to the glass. The light from the fire not only made her able to look inside the classroom, but also helped her to remember the memories of the past that had been lost.

Neither of them wanted to experience this. Likewise with her, she used to think that she was just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary teenager’s lives. Study, join club activities, then play with friends before going home.

But out of nowhere, ‘that’ light come. Along with a thunderous roar, she and her friends disintegrate, and find themselves in this strange world.

Suddenly, the girl's daydream was interrupted by a voice coming from the other end of the hall. A squeaking sound similar to that of a mouse, followed by two pairs of eyes that glowing in the dark.

Swiftly, the girl drew her sword towards them, ready to fight, but she did not know that death was also stalking her from the other side.

Loud footsteps echoed from behind the girl. Loud and threatening enough, even the little monster that squeaked earlier decided to run away.

Meanwhile, the girl is frozen in horror.

The classroom glass reflected the torchlight from one glass to another, and ended up revealing the hideous figure he had just run away from.

The Butcher.

Slightly screaming, the woman turned around and try to run away. But The Butcher was ready, he swung the giant iron shaped like a hook.

“AAARRGH!!!” cried the girl in pain. She fell to the floor, and couldn't feel her leg, when she turned her head she found that the iron hook had been stuck in her leg.

The Butcher let out an inhuman sound. Slowly he pulled the girl's figure. Little by little closer and he was enjoying it very much.

While on the other hand, she is struggling, begging for mercy.

"I beg you! Do not do this! Help! I don't want to feel pain anymore! No! Nooo!!!”

But it was too late. The giant mouth that is on the monster's belly was already wide open, and the poor girl's life ended inside it.

***

One hour after the incident.

On the quiet, damp and suffocating side of the room.

A large trunk of plant that was wrapped around the building began to glow.

The stem looks more bulging than the other stems, and suddenly the bloated part exploded.

From that stem, a slightly viscous fluid comes out like a broken amniotic fluid. Not only water, but also the body of a girl.

She fell to the ground, gasping for air and sobs. Her memories were fresh, the classroom hallway, the pain of the iron hook through her leg, and lastly, the pain of the teeth from Butcher's mouth.

The woman hugged her knees, and sobbed again.

"Enough... Enough... I don't want anymore..." she cried.