Lost In Fatal Existence

The silence of True Existence was interrupted by the distant echo of clashing metal. Ryuta and the others halted in their tracks, exchanging wary glances. In a world without people, any sound was a warning.

Skyler clicked his tongue. "Well, that's new."

"Let's check it out," Roy suggested, gripping his weapon tighter.

Cautiously, they followed the noise, weaving through the empty streets. As they turned a corner, they saw him—a lone figure locked in combat against monstrous, shifting shadows that seemed to flicker in and out of existence.

The young man's sword burned bright with crimson flames, each strike cutting through the darkness with effortless precision. His movements were fluid, confident, almost too sure of himself. With one final slash, the last of the creatures dissolved into nothing.

The stranger turned to them with a smirk, resting his flaming sword on his shoulder. He looked to be about eighteen, his sharp eyes filled with unwavering confidence. His attire was practical, yet adorned with intricate patterns resembling flames. A tarot card hovered around him—the Strength card, pulsing with energy.

"Took you long enough to show up," he said, his voice carrying an unmistakable air of arrogance. "Thought I was going to have to clear this place out alone."

Ryuta narrowed his eyes. "And you are?"

The young man sheathed his sword and took a step forward. "Cain. Just Cain. And before you ask—yeah, I'm stuck here too. Been wandering for what feels like forever."

Alexia crossed her arms. "A tarot card user? The Strength card, right? What's your ability?"

Cain grinned and summoned a flickering flame in his palm. "Flame sword mastery. Pretty powerful, if I do say so myself."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "And yet you're still trapped here?"

Cain's grin faltered for the briefest moment before he scoffed. "Hey, I never said this place was easy. Even the strongest need time to figure things out."

Parker whispered to Roy, "Something about him feels... off. We don't know if we can trust him."

Skyler, however, seemed amused. "I like him. He's got flair."

Ryuta studied Cain carefully. True Existence was not a place people simply wandered into—so how did Cain get here? And more importantly, what did he want?

"Fine," Ryuta said at last. "You're with us for now. But no tricks. We don't trust you yet."

Cain smirked, flipping his sword in his hand. "Oh, you'll come around. After all, strength speaks louder than words."

As the group resumed their journey through the empty world, the presence of Cain brought more questions than answers. And somewhere in the endless silence of True Existence, unseen forces continued to stir, watching, waiting.

Their journey was far from over.

As they walked, the topic of the monsters came up.

"I thought this world was supposed to be empty," Alexia muttered. "No people, no life. So why are monsters still spawning?"

Cain scoffed. "Good question. I've been dealing with these things since I got here. They just appear out of nowhere, like the world itself is trying to get rid of intruders."

Skyler nodded thoughtfully. "That could mean True Existence isn't as lifeless as we thought. Maybe it reacts to us."

Roy rubbed his chin. "Or maybe something else is controlling them."

Parker frowned. "If that's the case, we need to figure out what's really going on here before we end up fighting more than just shadows."

Cain shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. More monsters just mean more chances to test my strength."

Ryuta remained silent, deep in thought. The appearance of monsters in a world that was meant to be empty... something didn't add up. And he had a feeling they were only scratching the surface of the mystery that was True Existence.

The group continued their journey through the vast, desolate landscape of True Existence. Towering ruins of what seemed like an ancient civilization stood in eerie silence, their once-proud structures now hollow shells.

Skyler kicked a loose stone, watching it roll down the cracked pavement. "This place is too quiet. Even with monsters, it feels... wrong."

Cain twirled his sword absentmindedly. "I told you, the monsters don't act normal here. It's like they don't belong."

"Neither do we," Roy muttered.

As they walked, a sudden gust of wind howled through the abandoned city, carrying a faint whisper with it. The sound made them all stop in their tracks.

"Did you hear that?" Alexia asked, her voice hushed.

Parker nodded. "It wasn't just the wind. It almost sounded like... a voice."

Cain narrowed his eyes. "If it's another monster, I call first strike."

Ryuta, however, felt something deeper. A presence. Not malevolent, but watching, waiting.

"Let's move," he said firmly. "We need answers, and standing here won't give us any."

The group pressed on, stepping deeper into the mysteries of True Existence. But as they did, the world itself seemed to shift around them, as if something—or someone—was guiding their path.