Chapter 1: The Forestierre
How does it feel to fall in a deep well? I was excited to finally experience what it's like to be near death, but my dream made me experience something unreal. This really is a dream. I can't be killed here, apparently. The well seemed to be more of a teleporting device rather than an actual well. The moment that I had jumped was the exact moment that I came to find my body hanging by the edge of another well. I didn't feel like I fell. No free-falls. That was nothing but magic. What a strange dream.
I moved myself out from the well and found out studied the surroundings. I was already in a completely different place. After jumping into the well that was in a cabin, I found myself in what seemed to be a grassland. In front of me were two huge gates that concealed whatever was behind it. The gates were designed with ornate and peculiar patterns and shapes. Given that my memories were limited, I still had a feeling that I had never seen anything so exquisitely mystical as those gates. And in front of those gates stood the black riding hood whose enchanting appearance complemented the mysterious gates behind.
"Of course you didn't die." I began. "How did I end up here? What is this place?" I bravely asked.
"I am the guardian of the Forestierre gates. But more importantly, I am the host of this game--this game, which you are about to play."
Instant anxiety mixed with confusion flooded my mind. What is she talking about? She mentioned "game". But what was about the game? My dream was getting more and more insane.
"Ligian Bahmatan, you will play the so-called 'Escape Game'. This is the Forestierre gate, and behind this is a wide forest. Don't make me elaborate how 'wide' it is, because it couldn't be measured by anybody."
I was trying to pick up the words she was saying, but my brain was having a hard time processing them. How did she know my name? But in the midst of confusion I realized again that it was just a dream. And since this was just my dream, then I would just go with its flow. I held onto the belief that some time sooner, I would wake up from this bad dream.
"Fine. So, how can I win?" I asked with a renewed confidence.
"Simple. The only thing that you have to do is to find the way to escape from that forest. However, since the place is, as I have mentioned, too wide, I will give you someone who would serve as your guide. As for the rest of the clues and instructions, you'll know them along the way."
In reality, what she said were all too unreal to me and I couldn't take her seriously. And if this were truly a game, her instructions were lacking. However, having the thought of this as being a "dream", I decided not to probe for more details.
"Okay, got it. So how are you going to play the 'hosting'?"
She gave me a meaningful smile that gave me the chills. How freaky.
"I'll do it my own way. Meanwhile, just do your job. Are you ready now? Once the gates start to open and close, there's no quitting."
I paused for a moment. I felt a heavy pressure all over my body. It's like I was gambling my own life. But again, this is a dream. Right?
"Okay, I... I think I'm ready." I replied.
The moment that I uttered those words, the great gates slowly turned wide open, splitting in two, revealing more of the view of the arcane forest. I was dazed by the and serene yet threatening sight of Forestierre. It was weird that I felt both terror and excitement at once.
My knees trembled, but I still made it inside anyhow. I looked back and saw the gates closing slowly, and the black riding hood smiling at me. I wanted to run outside again, but something was stopping me. I couldn't identify what it was exactly, but perhaps it's the thought that this was a dream, and there's no turning back now.
