The participant arrived on the island, and the game is about to begin!
— Now that almost all the participants are here, allow me to depart.
— Wait… what does that mean? All the participants? Am I not the only guest on this island?
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…
— Stop laughing, you bastard! I've endured 12 hours on this damn boat with you, and I'm not going to listen to your stupid laughter anymore!
With a displeased look on his face, Hov grabbed the Guide by the collar and clenched his fist.
— You still haven't understood, pathetic mortal, what situation you're in? I never told you that you're the only invited guest on the island! Before you, I managed to bring here three more participants!
— Damn bastard, tell me, what kind of game is this?
— Yeah, yeah, just be so kind as to let me go, alright? Honestly, I'm surprised by your stupidity. Before we arrived here, I asked you several times if you had any questions about Ryuujima Island, but all I got in response was your pathetic silence.
— But now, unfortunately for you, I have no time to answer your questions. Don't worry—you'll find them out once you join the others.
— So you're leaving? I thought you were also part of this event.
— Alas, I am just a regular guide to this island, tasked with bringing all selected participants to the game.
— But I didn't think you cared so much about me. I'm truly touched by your compassion for me.
— Shut up. Right now, feeling any compassion for someone like you is pointless.
— Just glad I won't have to hear your voice anymore.
— Ugh… it's so painful to hear that from someone who's been traveling with you for over 12 hours!
Without replying further to Avalea's words, Hov slowly turned his back and began walking toward the dense forest.
— This is where we part ways, demon of darkness, who came seeking answers to his burning questions!
The Guide's words sounded in a cold voice; a sudden shiver ran through Hov. The wind began to pick up, rustling the withered leaves of the trees.
— The wind is strengthening; it looks like tonight will be restless. Well then, I'll speed up my pace.
"This idiot said that the castle is beyond this forest. I suppose I should go straight."
— Strange… I don't feel even a single trace of my power. Maybe that's one of this place's rules… so you're deprived of the ability to use any magic. Anyway, it doesn't matter—I must find answers to my question. Nothing else matters more right now!
I will definitely find out what happened back then. It happened exactly a year ago: my wife was at her final stage of pregnancy. The doctors said everything was fine and that childbirth would go smoothly.
We followed all their instructions: healthy food, necessary vitamins, and so on. But on that fateful day when she was taken to the delivery room—which lasted over eight hours… she died right there.
The doctors couldn't save her; all that was left was to provide first aid to the baby. I tried to rid myself of the guilt I felt towards her, because I couldn't do anything for her.
I blame myself for this; they didn't even let me be with her during childbirth, to offer at least some support and hold her hand! Damn it... why exactly with you... Gures.
Tears started flowing uncontrollably... Wiping them away and calming down, the newly arrived participant, full of determination to find out the truth about his wife's death, headed toward the mansion!
The 4th participant has arrived on the island. The game is about to begin!
After some time, Hov arrived at the mansion.
He looked much larger than I had imagined. Perhaps, once upon a time, influential people lived here... though what am I saying, this is an island without any life—who would live here in their right mind?
"The wind is only getting stronger; I should hurry to the mansion before it starts raining."
Gathering his thoughts, Hov entered the mansion and saw the other three participants in the guest hall.
A quiet silence among all participants lasted for a minute until one of them broke it.
— I-I can't believe it… what the hell is going on here…
— My eyes are deceiving me; did that bastard give me something before I arrived here?
— Calm down… Hov, no one gave you anything, and your eyes are not deceiving you now. Everything you see here—including us—is real.
— I- Yahweh… it's really you now… but you died long ago, back then! How is this even possible? And why is there a Creator sitting next to you… our former enemy! And who is that girl? I've never seen her before. What the hell is going on here!
— Enough… as I said, this isn't an illusion or hallucination; everything you see is real, and the girl is one of the participants.
Interrupting Hov's confusion about everything happening around him, their former enemy—the one with whom Hov and Yahweh fought side by side and defeated Enua—the Creator—answered.
— Yes, he's right. We were dead until recently… until we were resurrected for some game on this island. It's better for you not to strain yourself—sit down and have something to drink. There's excellent champagne with snacks prepared by the local chef.
— A chef? So there are other people here besides us?
— Yes, but they are not participants in the game. They are just ordinary staff members—two servants and a cook.
— I see… — Hov replied tiredly and sat down next to the others.
— Probably tired from a long journey here; we were in a similar situation. Don't worry—you need to quench your thirst and rest well now.
— Why do you say that with such a calm face? Aren't you surprised that you were dead and now you're alive—and on this strange island that doesn't even exist?
— Because we've been brought up to speed on what's happening. — suddenly interrupted Enua.
— You see, the game won't start until the last remaining participant arrives here. We don't know who it is, but we've been waiting for him for quite some time now.
— Ah… yes… The guide said that there's no such thing as time here.
— Correct, so we can't even determine what time it currently is unless we know how to tell time by stars… which isn't an option either… because there are no stars here.
A silence fell; all participants sat waiting for something supernatural to begin. The girl hadn't spoken a word all this time.
— Ahem… sitting around doing nothing isn't an option either; perhaps it wouldn't hurt for me to explore the mansion a bit.
Immediately after Hov's words, two servants entered the living room.
— Welcome—you must be the 4th participant? —asked a young woman with brown hair.
— Y-yes, I'm the 4th participant. My name is Hov…
— Nice to meet you, Mr. Hov. My name is Morgana. With your permission, my brother Cheryl and I will help you get acquainted with the mansion!
— M-Morgana, how many times have I asked you not to call me "brother" in front of guests! — whispered Cheryl with an unhappy face.
— Nice to meet you too, Mr. Hov. I'm Cheryl—a servant working in this mansion.
— Let's skip that; just call me by my name.
— Unfortunately, we're just tools and don't have the right to choose or use any privileges granted by you.
— Alright then, follow us—we'll show you everything necessary! — said one of the servants.
Let me know if you'd like any adjustments or further assistance!
— So, what kind of mansion is this? — Hov asked.
— It's a kind of castle owned by one person, who built it for his wife.
— Wait... I was told that this island doesn't exist outside the box, and the box appears only some time before the game begins on the Island. That means there is no box at all.
— To some extent, you're right. If you consider Ryuujima outside the game box, it indeed doesn't exist, just like inside the box — because after the game ends, the island disappears.
— So, the box is empty on the outside and even inside?
— That might be hard for an ordinary person to understand. Even we — the servants serving this mansion and its owner — can't fully explain it. But you just have to believe in what's happening because it's real and actually occurring, not a dream.
— I see... And what about the participants? Why did I see in the living room dead people who have long been gone?
— That's part of the game. The island's mistress resurrects the deceased when the game begins.
— Who is this mistress? And how does she have the power to resurrect the dead?
— She is the wife of the original owner of this island, who has long been dead. He created this palace out of boundless love for his wife. They say he was so obsessed with her that he forcibly sealed her using powerful grimoires stored in his library, which contained unimaginable strength.
— I don't understand why he needed to seal his wife, whom he loved so much?
— Because of that very love. — Cheryl quickly answered his question.
— He loved her madly. On their first day together, he proposed marriage, and she agreed. They lived happily on this deserted island, talking and walking around everywhere.
— Until one day she said she really wanted to go beyond the island—to see what lies beyond this endless ocean and to go on a journey. Hearing this, he angrily said that there was nothing beyond the island and that she would never be able to leave. Obviously, he was afraid she might abandon him.
— So he resorted to a desperate measure; his endless love clouded his judgment, and he went insane trying to find a solution. Until he found grimoires hidden in his library where he studied magic and also taught her how to use it.
— Despite his wife's protests that she had no intention of leaving the island or abandoning him alone, he stopped understanding and hearing anything. After that, he sealed her in eternal shackles where she was subjected to violence every day… until she died.
Only silence responded...
— M-Mr... please forgive him if he said too much! It's our fault...
— No, I just didn't know what to say... So it turns out this mistress is also dead... then how did she resurrect them?
— It's simple. She also revives during each game — it's one of the rules of this place.
After a long dialogue, the servants showed all the rooms: the bedroom where each participant would rest, the kitchen, as well as a toilet and shower.
— That's all. If you need anything, you can call us through the telephone receiver in each participant's bedroom. Our working hours are from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., after which we go to rest.
— Don't worry about food. Meals are served three times a day; if that's not enough — no problem. Our chef works around the clock; you can contact him directly. We will bring food straight to your guest room — added Cheryl. After that, the twins bowed and hurried off to the kitchen.
"Well, there's nothing complicated about this mansion; but I still can't believe what's happening or what kind of strange story this is... It sounds unbelievable—and how could servants know what happened here before? Who could have told them? I could remember that guide, but he's clearly working no more than they are. Anyway, that's not so important now; there's no point in lingering — better go to the guest room and continue waiting for the next participant."
The four participants gathered together and waited for the arrival of the last one to start the game!