The bitter taste of the coffee lingered at the tip of my tongue as I sat at a nearby cafe and stared at my laptop.
"Anomalous entities, guilds, monsters, gates..."
The more I scrolled through the internet, the more nauseated I felt.
Everything...
And I meant everything had changed.
Whether it was the geography, history, or politics of the world… everything had changed—except for the people and several places.
"I should take some time at home..."
Hold on.
That was when something suddenly hit me. I hastily grabbed my phone and inputted a street name and number.
'Please, please, please, ple...'
"....."
Nothing. The results gave me nothing. In other words, the apartment that I used to live in was gone. Just like that.
I didn't know whether to be happy or sad. On one hand, I was happy, considering that I had rent due, but on the other hand, I no longer had a place to stay.
But there was even more troubling news.
"My stuff. It's gone..."
I didn't have anything of particular importance in my apartment, but what about my clothes?
What the hell was I going to wear over the next few days?
"....."
I swiped the page away and looked through my contacts.
[Kyle]
After a little bit of thought, I pressed on his name.
—....
The line was silent.
"So, eh..."
I licked my lips, trying to find the right words to say.
Then—
"...About that offer you mentioned. Does it come with a place to stay?"
***
Kyle's guild was called Severed Stars—apparently, a well-regarded one.
I didn't delve too deeply into researching them, as I spent the latter half of the day using my severance pay to buy new clothes and essentials. By the time I was done, it was late into the night.
Holding onto a couple of bags, I waited on the pedestrian road.
There was dead silence around me, with barely a soul in sight. The streetlamps above flickered weakly, casting long, unsteady shadows as I stood alone in the middle of the road.
'It's kind of chilly.'
With the seasons changing, winter was starting to come.
"Hm."
I checked my watch.
"It should be coming soon. I hop—Ah."
A sudden burst of light seared my eyes as bright flashers lit up the street—followed by the rumble of an engine. A yellow cab emerged from the distance, cutting through the darkness around me.
The window rolled down.
"Are you Seth?"
"Hello."
I tossed my bags into the trunk and slid into the backseat.
"Coming back from work?"
"...Yeah, just finished."
"Late shift, huh? Must be exhausting?"
"Yes. Pretty tiring."
I smiled faintly at the cab driver before pretending to put my earbuds in. I didn't actually have any earbuds. I just wasn't the type to enjoy casual conversations. It tended to make me feel uncomfortable.
As if getting the message, the driver turned his attention back to the front and the car sped off into the distance.
I leaned back on the seat and whipped out my phone.
First thing I checked? My bank account.
[Balance : 7, 350$]
At least that hadn't changed. Currency was still in dollars.
Of course, there was a bigger reason for that.
'There's only one country in the world. Or more like... One supercontinent made up of a mix of all countries.'
From what I had gathered in my research, the world was now governed by the Vesperine Union—a bureaucratic superstate formed from all previously existing nations. Its operations were delegated through the Bureau of Unusual Affairs (BUA), the organization responsible for managing global affairs.
....But that wasn't the craziest part of it all.
Far from it.
"....."
I pinched the screen and zoomed out on a particular image, revealing a massive floating landmass suspended in the sky. At its center stood a sprawling city, its bright lights shimmering through the gray mist that clung to its edges like a veil.
'Not only has the world changed, but there are strange floating islands too.'
Spanning enough space to house an entire city, it was considerably large.
"Do you mind if I put some music on?"
Lifting my head, I turned my attention towards the cab driver and pretended to remove my earbud.
"....Yes?"
"Music? Do you mind?"
"Oh. Yeah, sure."
"Perfect."
A slow, harmonious tune filled the air.
Gentle. Soothing.
I put my 'earbud' in and continued on with my research.
'The history of this world is complicated. There are mentions of natural disasters, but also rumors that the Bureau is hiding something...'
I merely scrolled through such information.
'Whatever. I'll just ask Kyle later. He's in a guild, so he should know quite a bit.'
My main focus right now was finding a way to develop a one-star game.
Everything else was secondary.
"Haa."
I put my phone to sleep and shifted my attention towards the nearby window. The world outside was dark, with just faint lights flickering.
To find affordable clothes, I had to venture farther from the heart of the city. As a result, the towering skyscrapers gave way to low-rise buildings and quieter streets.
Sitting in the car, the world seemed somewhat detached.
The music played softly in the background.
My eyelids grew heavy.
I hadn't slept the night before, and exhaustion finally caught up to me.
The tune drifted through the air.
Gentle. Lulling.
My eyelids closed.
Darkness embraced me.
And in that fading moment, a strange thought crossed my mind—
'Why does the tune feel so familiar? It almost sounds like...'
WHAM!
My eyelids sprang to life as I jumped up and shifted my attention towards the driver.
"Shit!"
The driver's head was tilted, his eyes unfocused as the car slowly started to veer away from the main road.
My heart shot into my throat as I hurriedly reached out for the wheel and steered the car back in place.
But...
Screeeeech!
The tires skidded as the car swerved left, then right.
I lost my balance, my shoulder slamming into the window.
"Ukh—Hey, hey!"
I shouted for the driver, but as if in a trance, his eyelids remained closed.
'Shit, what do I do?!'
I frantically scanned the dashboard.
Think. Think.
Then—
My eyes landed on the radio.
The song.
The tune was still playing.
A sickening realization crept up my spine.
I didn't hesitate. I reached for the dial—
And the exact moment I did—
"Uh—Ah!? Wha—?"
The driver snapped out of it, his hands jolting for the wheel.
Screeech!
The car twisted and turned again, but after several seconds, he managed to take control of it as he quickly pressed on the brakes.
The vehicle screeched to a stop.
For a long second, nothing but heavy, ragged breathing filled the space.
The driver turned to me, eyes wide, face pale.
"I... I'm—"
"...Keep driving."
"But!"
"Keep driving. Just keep the music turned off."
My voice was steady, but my fingers clenched against my lap, cold sweat trickling down my spine.
Sinking deep into the backseat, I swallowed quietly.
"....."
I just sat there in complete silence.
Until...
I felt a small vibration coming from the laptop in my bag.
Reaching out for it, I opened the lid and stared at the message that appeared.
It was just one message, but it was enough to make every hair on my body stand on end.
[You're being haunted]