Yuna swiftly scrolled through the menu, opening the friends list. Her fingers trembled slightly as they hovered over Nautilus' name, the only name on her list, the last fragile thread connecting her to the outside world.
She tapped the message icon, her heart restless with hope. But immediately, a cold notification flashed before her eyes.
[Message sending failed. Communication item unavailable.]
Yuna froze, her breath catching in her throat.
Of course...
Sword Art Online wasn't like ordinary online games, where players could freely contact each other with just a click.
Here, everything was harsher, more restrictive. To send messages or make calls, one needed special communication items.
Unwilling to accept this, she quickly scrolled through her inventory, her eyes darting over every line.
No Message Paper, a consumable item that allowed a single message to be sent.
No Connection Crystal, a rare and expensive item that enabled long-term communication, something only the well-prepared would have.
Nothing that could help her reach the outside world.
I'm... completely cut off from everyone.
Yuna's fingers clenched against the menu interface, but after a moment, she slowly lowered her hand, her gaze darkening.
A cold sensation spread from her chest, seeping into her thoughts.
Nautilus probably couldn't contact her either.
Is he looking for me? Has he realized I've been separated from them? Is he worried?
Is he desperately searching, or is he, like me, caught in another battle?
She didn't know.
No one could give her an answer.
But there was one thing she was sure of, if she just stood here and waited, no one would come to rescue her.
If she wanted to see Nautilus again.
If she wanted to leave this place.
She had to find her own way out.
Yuna slowed her steps, feeling her legs tremble with every movement.
She wasn't sure if it was the cold seeping through her clothes or the invisible fear creeping into her bones, but every step felt heavier, as if unseen chains were tightening around her, pulling her down from all directions.
The world around her was swallowed by a cold, gray-white mist. The dense fog curled around her like an invisible shroud, devouring everything within sight.
Tall trees loomed like eerie silhouettes, their twisted trunks entangled, their roots overlapping to form a bizarre natural labyrinth.
The longer she stared, the more she felt like the trees weren't motionless, that they were subtly shifting, changing, second by second, without her noticing.
No guiding light. No sound except for her own footsteps against the damp earth.
No way back. No one beside her. No familiar voice calling her name.
Yuna bit her lip, forcing herself to take a deep breath, trying to steady herself. But even her breath trembled more than she expected.
The feeling of being trapped in an endless place with no escape made her heartbeat race, as if her chest couldn't contain it.
She wasn't a timid child.
She had stood on stage, singing before thousands of strangers without letting her voice waver once.
She had faced the blinding stage lights, the weight of expectations, scrutiny, even hatred... and she had still sung her heart out.
She had fought against monsters before... even if she hadn't done much. But she had still taken them down.
She had felt the searing pain of being struck, had seen her own blood shatter into pixelated fragments like crimson roses.
She had faced fear before... and overcome it.
But now... when there was no one beside her, when no one could hear her voice, when she was truly alone in an unknown place, fear seeped into the cracks of her mind, slowly tightening around her like invisible threads.
This fear… was different.
It wasn't like being chased by a monster.
It wasn't like the tension of facing a stronger enemy, where every sword swing and movement determined survival.
This fear… crept in, bit by bit.
No growls of threat. No blade pressing against her skin. Yet the absolute silence itself became an eerie whisper, echoing endlessly in her mind, telling her she would be trapped here forever.
A chilling draft seeped through her cloak, clinging to her like an unseen hand.
Desperation and helplessness surged within her. It was the same feeling as that first day she entered this game… when she realized she could never return to reality.
Yuna clenched her teeth, forcing herself to stay alert.
Stay calm. Stay cautious. Observe.
Ren had once told her that. When fighting, when facing danger, she couldn't let fear control her.
But even a single second of distraction, and the dreadful thoughts came flooding in again.
What if I can't find a way out?
What if Nautilus can't find me?
What if… I keep wandering this labyrinth forever?
She inhaled deeply, but the air around her was thick like fog, making her chest tighten.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Yuna clutched the hem of her cloak, as if it was the only thing keeping her tethered to reality.
No. She couldn't think like that.
Nautilus will find me. He will find me.
But… what if he was in danger too?
What if he was lost, scared, just like she was now?
What if he needed her… and she was just standing here, trembling and waiting?
She didn't know.
No one could answer her.
And for the first time in her life, Yuna realized, she couldn't just wait.
This time, she had to find her own way.
Yuna clenched her fists, forcing herself to move.
She couldn't stay still, trapped in helplessness.
The longer she hesitated, the deeper she would sink into despair.
Her steps were light against the damp earth, weaving through tangled roots that curled from the ground like skeletal fingers, grasping at her ankles.
The fog remained thick, obscuring her view, swallowing any trace of the path behind her, leaving her unable to tell how far she had gone.
She didn't know if she was moving forward or simply circling within a maze with no exit.
Then...
A faint sound, barely a whisper in the mist, echoed ahead.
Yuna froze.
A small sound, almost just a faint rustle, echoed somewhere among the tangled branches.
She held her breath.
Quietly, she reached for the hilt of her sword.
Swish.
This time, the sound was clearer... something was moving.
Not just one. Several.
She slowly turned around, her eyes locked onto the dissipating grayish-white mist. Then, three blurry figures emerged.
She took a step back, maintaining her distance.
The Little Nepenthes.
Carnivorous plants towering over human height, their limbs were twisting vines lined with sharp thorns, and their mouths gaped open like giant pitchers filled with thick, slimy digestive fluids.
One. Two. Three.
They moved slowly, their roots coiling tightly against the ground, their bodies trembling slightly as if sniffing out their prey.
One of them extended its enormous mouth forward, revealing thick, purple liquid dripping onto the ground, releasing a faint, hazy vapor.
That liquid was poisonous.
Yuna's breath grew shallow. She tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword, but at the same time, her body instinctively stepped backward.
They hadn't noticed her yet.
She could avoid this fight.
Not fighting was the safest choice here. She had no idea if there were more Nepenthes lurking beyond these three.
She had struggled so much against just one Little Nepenthes earlier, if even one more joined in, she would completely lose the advantage.
If she made a mistake, if she hesitated for even a second, she could be ensnared and dragged into their mouths.
No. She couldn't take that risk.
Holding her breath, she slowly, carefully retreated, making sure her movements were silent, leaving no trace of sound.
Her back almost pressed against a tree, her hand brushing against the rough, cold bark for support.
Just a little further. Just a little more...
Crack.
She stiffened.
A twig snapped beneath her heel.
Yuna froze.
The air seemed to solidify.
All three Nepenthes lifted their heads in unison.
The leaves on their bodies trembled slightly, as if they had just picked up on an important signal.
Then, in an instant, their thorn-covered vines lashed forward, whipping through the air toward her.
She'd been discovered!
There was no way to retreat now!
Immediately, she launched herself to the side, narrowly dodging the first strike. The vines slammed into the ground, leaving small cracks in the soil.
No time to think, Yuna drew her sword, pivoting on her heel to regain her balance, her sharp gaze locked onto the predators before her.
…
On the other side, Ren and Nautilus weren't faring any better.
They had barely advanced when the thick, gray mist once again closed in, as if an invisible hand was tightening its grip on the space around them.
The brittle trees stretched upward, their tangled roots slithering beneath the earth like serpents.
Swish.
A strange sound echoed ahead.
Ren stopped. He lifted his chin, his sharp eyes scanning the swirling mist.
Beside him, Nautilus swallowed hard, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. Without needing to say a word, both of them could feel it, something was nearby.
And as expected, health bars flickered into view behind the white haze.
Little Nepenthes.
One. Two. Three…
Ren quickly realized their numbers weren't stopping there.
Four. Five. Six.
They surrounded them from all sides.
Nautilus' eyes widened, his breathing suddenly quickened. His hands trembled slightly, and Ren could feel the tension radiating from his teammate.
He was afraid.
Ren recognized it immediately.
Nautilus could fight against training dummies and other players, he could even take on a single monster. But being surrounded by these creatures, something in his mind locked up.
Ren took a deep breath and pulled Nautilus slightly behind him.
He couldn't let him break down now.
The Little Nepenthes had begun to move.
Their vine-like limbs stretched forward, probing the air like living whips, inching closer with each passing second.
The air grew suffocating. Ren's heartbeat slowed.