Player Zero:No Exit

4

THE SONG IN THE DARK

Jack's point of View

I didn’t know how long I walked.

Time felt wrong in this place. The sky never changed. No sun. No night. Just that black ceiling full of floating symbols that never slept.

My body did though.

Or at least, it wanted to.

My legs dragged. My head felt heavy. Every step took more effort than the last. Hunger burned, then faded into a dull ache. My eyes kept closing on their own.

I needed to rest.

I found a spot between twisted trees where the ground dipped low, like the world had given up there. The air was quiet. No growls. No footsteps. Just the soft hum of the sky.

I sat down.

Then I lay back.

“I’ll just close my eyes,” I whispered. “Just for a minute.”

The ground was cold, but I didn’t care. I pulled my arms close and breathed slowly.

In.

Out.

I was almost asleep when I heard it.

A sound.

Soft. Slow.

Singing.

I opened my eyes.

At first, I thought I was dreaming. The sound floated through the trees like smoke. It wasn’t loud, but it pulled at me. Made my chest feel tight in a strange way.

I pushed myself up and followed it.

Carefully.

The trees thinned, opening into a small clearing. Pale light glowed there, gentle and warm, nothing like the harsh blue screens.

That’s when I saw them.

Creatures.

They were nothing like the ruin hound.

These ones were small. Round eyes. Long ears. Their bodies shimmered faintly, like moonlight on water. They moved slowly, peacefully, circling something in the center.

Her.

She stood barefoot in the grass.

Her hair was red. Not normal red. Deep and bright, like fire caught in sunlight. It fell down her back in waves, glowing softly. Her skin wasn’t human pale or dark—it was smooth, almost luminous, like she belonged to this place.

She wore a simple dress made of leaves and threads that moved as if alive.

And she was singing.

I forgot to breathe.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was powerful. It wrapped around the creatures, calmed them. They leaned toward her like children listening to a story.

She wasn’t human.

I knew that the moment I saw her eyes.

They were gold.

Not glowing. Just… gold.

I took a step closer.

CRACK.

The sound was loud in the quiet clearing.

A branch snapped under my foot.

Everything stopped.

The singing died instantly.

The creatures lifted their heads, eyes wide. The air shifted, sharp and tense.

The girl turned.

Her eyes met mine.

For one second, we just stared at each other.

Then fear crossed her face.

She moved fast.

She whistled softly, a short sound, and the creatures scattered around her. In one smooth motion, she turned and ran, disappearing into the trees with them like smoke in the wind.

“No—wait,” I said, panic rising.

I stepped forward without thinking.

“I won’t hurt you,” I said softly. “I swear.”

My voice echoed weakly in the clearing.

Nothing answered.

The light faded. The grass dimmed. The place felt empty again.

I stood there alone, my heart pounding.

I hadn’t even reached for my knife.

I hadn’t wanted to.

The screen flickered at the edge of my vision, but I ignored it.

I slowly lowered myself to the ground.

“She was real,” I whispered. “I’m not losing my mind.”

Something about her stayed with me. The song. The way the creatures trusted her.

The way she looked at me like I was the danger, even though I felt like the weakest thing in this world.

For the first time since I arrived here, I felt something other than fear.

Curiosity.

And something else.

This world wasn’t just monsters and death.

It had secrets.

And maybe… people like her.

I lay back on the ground again, exhaustion finally winning.

As my eyes closed, one thought stayed with me.

If a place like this could create something that beautiful—

Then it could destroy me just as easily.

And somewhere in the dark trees, I knew she was watching.