Craving Scarecrow

Livio's momentary happiness vanishes into thin air. His heart starts beating rapidly, his eyes widen, and goosebumps cover his skin.

He tries to calm himself, but the speed creates a strong wind, causing a portrait hanging behind the officer to fall and shatter.

"Now then, don't overthink. Just listen to what I have to say, or you'll end up like the portrait."

The girl throws the broken portrait towards Livio, and it lands in front of him on the bench.

"So, the officer is working for you. If what he told me is true, then you framed me because you wanted to use me!" Livio's sweat drips down his legs.

After speaking, Livio lowers his head in fear. The sound of heels grows louder as they come closer, stopping right behind him.

Time passes as Livio gathers the courage to look back. Just as he slowly turns his head, the girl slams her hand on the desk with a loud thud!

The room echoes with the sound of the slam, followed by a pin-drop silence.

Livio's heart skips a beat as the tension in the room grows. He can feel it....like a thousand skeletons holding swords against his throat.

Livio starts sweating profusely as the tension and pressure force his eyes shut. His once calm legs begin trembling like a vibrating radio.

Livio quivers like a baby as a soft hand touches his head, making him slowly open his eyes.

A bright light shines directly into his eyes, causing him to blink. The warm hand suddenly turns rigid, pulling his hair before slamming his head onto the table.

Livio's vision blurs, and his body starts losing strength. His thoughts whirl in his mind, parts of his past mixing with the growing pain. He can barely focus; every memory of his mother is a reminder of his failure. His world spins as her words inflict pain, suppressing his own.

The grip on his head tightens even further.

"Listen, you worthless excuse for a human being. I'm giving you a chance to prove your worth. In your twenty-two years of life, you've achieved nothing. I think you were born a failure. Forget about doing something now; you won't accomplish anything in the future either.

Are you forgetting all the nights your mother cried for you, giving up her food so you could eat? How much do you think she sacrificed for you? And what are you doing now? Nothing. Do you think crying alone at night, cutting your food consumption, and searching for jobs will make up for that? You're not a kid anymore. You understand you're a failure. You just keep making excuses for yourself, wasting your family's efforts and food. Am I wrong?"

Livio stops struggling after hearing that; he becomes completely calm. No tears, no motivation....only a broken heart remains. Because everything the girl says is true.

The miserable conditions and his family's struggles flash before his eyes.

He remembers how his mother always served him first and only ate if there was anything left. He realizes how much of a coward he has been.

"Yes, she's right. I was never even able to ask my mother to eat first. Whenever I tried, the words would get stuck in my throat. I was never able to express how I felt. She is exactly right. Compared to my family's struggles, I have gone through nothing. Maybe it would be better if I just disappeared. At least then, my parents wouldn't have to worry about me." Livio's hands hang limp, like a lifeless doll.

"Good! You finally understand. Now make something of that insignificant life of yours. I'll take care of your family when you're gone. The longer you survive in the game, the more money I'll pay them. Your loan will be paid off in one day if you survive a month."

The girl releases Livio's head and slowly walks toward the door. The unconscious officer remains slumped over the table, the sound of a pendrive echoing throughout the room.

"Gather your courage. I'll return in three hours." She leaves the room, closing the door behind her.

Livio lies there in front of the officer like a lifeless doll. His eyes stare blankly at the empty wall before him. After some time, his right hand starts trembling, as if his lifeless body is finally regaining a soul. He gathers some strength to overcome his mental trauma. As he grabs the table to help himself stand up, he touches the broken portrait. He then realizes that the portrait was right beside him on the table.

He examines the portrait carefully and finds a beautiful woman with red hair and striking red eyes. The woman is holding many green glowing wires with numerous hands, as if they are emerging from behind her. He feels a comforting warmth after holding the portrait.

The clock ticks on; seconds turn into hours, and the three hours pass swiftly.

The door opens, and the girl enters the room.

"I hope you're ready, otherwise some people die just trying to pass through the gate." She looks at Livio with cold eyes.

"I want to ask you something," Livio says, still looking at the wall.

"What?" The girl steps in front of him.

"If I die inside the game, that's fine. But if I'm inside the game and my parents find out, I'll be an additional burden to them. They'll destroy their health worrying about me."

Livio meets her gaze.

"Don't worry, they will never know you're inside the game. You're right, though—because without completing a certain level, you can't return to the real world."

"How?" Livio stands up.

"I can't tell you that. It's every smart player's secret." She brings the laptop closer.

"Oh, I never told you my name. I'm Rebecca." She opens the game.

Rebecca clicks the enter option, and a black vertical circle opens in front of Livio.

The pressure pushes Livio, causing him to fall from his seat.

When Livio looks at the gate again, he sees something like black ink dripping onto the floor. The gate then releases beautiful black butterflies. Livio feels a heaviness in his head, as if something or someone is screaming inside it.

Livio stands up and sees the gate moving closer.

"Go on! Jump. Don't try to break our contract because it's useless." Rebecca crosses her arms.

"Neelam, that's the stone you're supposed to bring." She smiles.

Livio hears her but doesn't respond. He's too busy fighting with himself to speak.

"My legs… they aren't moving. Why? Was all the resolve I fought for just talk? Am I a coward who only thinks about himself? But I have to go. My mother and father can solve their problems. I can make them happy again. No, I'm scared. I should escape; I don't want to die. I want to live. Yes, I don't care about anything." Livio then remembers his parents' smiling faces.

"No, I can't. I should play…..." Before he can finish his thoughts, he feels a push from behind. Before he realizes it, he's inside the gate.

As Livio enters the gate, it squeezes shut and vanishes.

"So, you were watching?" Rebecca turns towards the officer.

"So, Miss Rebecca, what will you do if he becomes stronger than you and betrays you?" The officer meets her gaze.

"That possibility is low, but not zero. I'm going to place a condition on his parents." Rebecca shows the officer a small, insect-sized dagger. The base is decorated with a red stone, and the handle is entirely blue.

Rebecca suddenly feels a strong presence behind her. She jumps forward, turning back to react.

Only glowing blonde eyes are visible as the light bulb goes out.

Rebecca watches helplessly as the dagger crumbles before her eyes. She tries to move, but the person pins her to the ground.

Rebecca struggles, powerless against her attacker.

"This is a thank you," the person whispers.

"What? A female voice….... Ahhhhhhh!" She screams as electricity surges through her body.

"This is it for now." The woman vanishes.

Rebecca lies on the ground while the officer watches in shock, frozen with fear.

It's completely dark. Slowly, light appears.

"It's too bright!" Livio covers his face.

Livio's eyes slowly adjust to the light. He sits up and sees a screen in the air.

"Welcome!" says a voice from the screen.