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A Fate Worse Than Death

Zarin wiped the sweat from his forehead as he walked down the nearly empty street, his body aching from another long, demanding day at work. The sun had almost entirely set, leaving the city bathed in the streetlights’ dim, tired glow. He just wanted to get home, collapse into bed, and maybe grab something quick to eat before passing out.

‘Same thing every day,’ he thought, the exhaustion sinking deeper into his bones. ‘Work, exhaustion, sleep. Repeat. Is this all there is?’

The routine was wearing him thin. Day after day of the same thing, it felt like he was losing track of time. Only the faint hum of distant cars and the occasional passerby broke the desertedness of the streets. Zarin stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets, head hanging low as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

‘Just a few more steps to the apartment. Come on, Zarin. Almost there.’

As he approached the crosswalk near his apartment, something caught his eye—a frail, older woman hobbling into the road, utterly oblivious to her surroundings. Zarin’s breath hitched in his throat as he noticed a truck roaring down the street, its headlights cutting through the night.

‘No, no, no, she doesn’t see it!’

The truck wasn’t slowing down.

Zarin dropped his bag and sprinted toward the woman without a second thought. His legs moved faster than before, driven purely by instinct. There was no time to think, no time to shout. He had to act.

‘Gotta get there. I have to save her. Move!’

Reaching her just in time, Zarin shoved the woman out of the truck’s path with all the strength he could muster. She stumbled onto the sidewalk, gasping, her wide eyes locking onto him in shock.

But Zarin wasn’t fast enough to save himself.

He barely registered the loud blare of the truck’s horn before it slammed into him, pain exploding through his body. His mind barely had time to process it—just noise, pain, and the sensation of weightlessness as his body was flung aside like a rag doll.

Then everything went black.

--

Zarin woke with a gasp, his body jolting upright as he sucked in the air. His chest heaved, his heart pounding like it was trying to break free. His hands instinctively reached for his body, expecting shattered bones, blood, or worse—but there was nothing. No pain. No injuries.

‘What the... how am I alive?’

But something was wrong. Very wrong.

Zarin blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He wasn’t lying in the middle of the street or in a hospital bed like he’d expected. Instead, he was inside a small, cramped room. Cold stone pressed against his palms, and the air felt damp, almost suffocating. He sat up slowly, his head spinning with confusion, eyes darting around the room. Rough stone walls surrounded him, and iron bars separated him from a dark, narrow hallway.

‘A jail cell? How did I get here?’

“What… where am I?” Zarin muttered, his voice shaky as he staggered to his feet. His legs wobbled, still weak from the shock, and his mind was a storm of confusion. He reached for the iron bars, shaking them, but they didn’t budge.

Ding!

Zarin froze at the sudden, soft chime that echoed inside his head. His breath caught as glowing text appeared in front of his eyes—floating, translucent letters that seemed too surreal to be real.

————————————————————

Welcome to the Tutorial.

Objective: Escape

————————————————————

‘Tutorial? What is this, some game?’

Before he could wrap his head around what was happening, heavy footsteps echoed down the stone corridor. Zarin’s breath hitched as he turned toward the cell door.

‘This can’t be happening.’

The door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside—a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in dirty, worn armor. His scarred face twisted into a sneer as he strode into the cell, his eyes locking onto Zarin like a predator eyeing easy prey.

“Well, well. Another rat in the cage,” the man growled, his voice low and menacing.

Zarin’s blood ran cold. “W-wait, what’s going on? Where am I?”

The man ignored his questions, cracking his knuckles with a grim smile. “It doesn’t matter where you are. Just matters what happens next.”

‘No... this can’t be real.’

Before Zarin could react, the man lunged at him. The first punch landed hard in his gut, sending him crashing into the wall. Pain exploded through his body, knocking the wind from his lungs. He tried to crawl away, but the man grabbed him by the collar and threw him back to the ground, landing brutal blow after brutal blow.

‘Why... why is this happening?!’

Each punch sent fresh waves of agony through Zarin’s body until his vision blurred. His thoughts went back to a chaotic mix of fear, confusion, and pain. The man’s final blow struck Zarin’s head, and everything went dark again.

---

Zarin woke with a jolt, gasping for air.

‘No... I’m back?’

He was back in the cell. No injuries, no blood. His hands frantically touched his body—nothing. He was fine, just as he had been before. But his heart raced, and his mind spun, trying to process the impossible.

‘What just happened? I should be dead. This makes no sense.’

Before he could gather his thoughts, the door creaked open again. Zarin’s stomach lurched as the familiar sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.

‘No, no, no... not again.’

The same man stepped into the cell, his cruel smile stretched across his scarred face. He cracked his knuckles again, just like before.

“Well, well. Another rat in the cage.”

Zarin’s blood ran cold. The same words, the same sneer, the same motion—it was all repeating.

‘No... this isn’t real. It can’t be real.’

But it was. It was happening again.

“No, wait!” Zarin yelled, stumbling backward as the man approached. But just like before, the man ignored him. His fist slammed into Zarin’s gut again, and the beating began anew. Every strike sent fresh waves of pain through Zarin’s body until he faded into unconsciousness once again.

---

Zarin woke again, gasping and clutching his chest.

‘This is impossible. It’s happening again. I keep waking up here, but... I’m not dying.’

His pulse quickened as he heard the all-too-familiar footsteps approaching once more.

‘No, please... not again.’

The door creaked open.

“Well, well. Another rat in the cage.”

Zarin’s heart pounded. This wasn’t just a nightmare. This was real. He found himself trapped in some twisted loop. Every time he died, he woke up again, only for the man to repeat the same brutal process.

There was no escaping it.

At least, not yet.

This chapter is locked

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