Eyes closed, my mouth does all the work, chugging it in the largest gulps humanly possible, like I was in a rush, stressed that I might not make it in time.


    It could dissolve flesh and bone, and I can barely breathe as a stinging pain emerges in my chest. But it’s not from the acid—it''s from my furious chugging.


    “Ahh.”


    I sigh with relief after chugging the whole freaking basin.


    No regrets.


    When there''s nothing to lose, with the knowledge that death is the only way out of this vast, mysterious place.


    The probably most dangerous substance I''ve ever encountered in my life drips freely from my chin.


    I’m not even sure if it''s melting it off or not; all I can focus on is the fact that it’s refreshing after all the pain and pressure I had to endure, which even made some of the tiny veins in my eyes implode.


    Still able to breathe freely, I wonder if it was all real indeed.


    The minuscule feeling of joy is broken right away after looking at my horrific stumps.


    Back in reality, followed by a shiver. It is still extremely uneasy and grotesque.


    The peculiar smell from the rotten flesh and bones, blood, and the acid itself in this room adds to everything.


    <hr>


    Quickly, I decide to unbutton my weathered and stained shirt with the help of my teeth and the force of my shoulders. The small, weathered buttons—two of them missing—and the loose holes do the trick.


    I start to pat over my stomach with my stumps.


    “How is that even possible?!” I wonder aloud.


    “Tsa!”


    Tediously walking back, shards of broken glass pierce through my squishy sneaker soles.


    There is nothing else to do here, seriously. If I wasn’t so stupid and didn’t dip both hands in, I might still be able to climb to the other window.


    Sigh.


    Heck, I can’t even call for the cat if needed, unless I can snap with my toes. I release some air from my nostrils instead of a chuckle.


    Whatever this fluid was, I think it was a decoy and a possible trap.


    I need to get back as soon as possible as I cannot shake off the uncomfortable feeling I hadn’t felt since I was transported here—the feeling of being a burden.


    I bet that now they risk it all for the sake of a rescue, despite the fact that they warned me to stop lifting it.


    Gosh! I’d better stash my weapon and find a quick way out.


    Either I use my focus again or melt the crust on my stump; I’ve lost a good portion of blood anyway.


    I frown, looking at the stained room I just left behind me.


    <hr>


    *Fwoosh*


    After a few tries to grab and lift my hammer, which was leaning against the wall, I finally manage to balance it with my stumps and lift it to the proper height to store in the inventory.


    It smoothly shrinks down and disappears.


    Great. Now for the other, more gory part.


    I walk across the room once again toward the archway opening.


    Gazing at the bottom of the stone rectangular room, I quickly decide not even to try it.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The height doesn’t guarantee I’ll die right away. I might end up with only broken limbs, laying there paralyzed for who knows how long.


    And after all that, the acid will wear off in time, and I’d be exposed to excruciating pain again.


    <hr>


    After a final gaze over the tall walls and the archways, I turn on the spot and head back toward the basin.


    There is some liquid left at the bottom, so I very carefully dip a small piece of black, cauterized flesh in.


    As it soaks, it starts to slowly liquefy and dissolve, mixing the reddish substance with the rest of the water from the basin.


    I quickly glance at the spot where the broken bottle sits in a tiny puddle of the painkiller acid, just to make sure I can still dip into it if, by any magic, the painkiller effect wears off.


    “Hmmpf.” I look at the terrible thing, expecting and imagining the pain from before, but it’s not present.


    “Phew. Good, I can go all in.” I keep talking to myself aloud while cleaning the marble sink with my stump like I was cleaning a toilet with a toilet brush.


    *Hiss* I clench my teeth a few times and squint my eyes as the sharp edge of the two sticking bones accidentally scratches over the rough surface of the sink, getting close to the edge.


    Sigh.


    This is enough. I turn my sight away as the soaked flesh starts to slowly drip while holding my right hand over the edge of the marble sink.


    Breathing in the smelly air from my own decomposing body part, I notice how my pulse is extremely fast, and my head is spinning.


    Mere seconds pass, and I take a peek at the hand—blood is slowly dripping from one of the veins, but it is too slow.


    “Okay, come on!” I grunt and decide to speed it up a bit.


    Another walk across the room, I splash whatever liquid mixture is distributed in the small ponds over the floor as I walk, completely unaware of my steps.


    Dark clouds start to appear in front of my face, and I know I’m nearing the end.


    Kneeling down, and with a loud thud, I fall on my stomach, laying down and sticking my right bleeding arm, together with my head, out of the archway.


    I watch the walls connected to the rectangular quarry and focus only on the present moment.


    “I should enjoy this.” It might be the last moment of my life or the last moment in this strange world.


    I might wake up in the hospital after the fall back in the forest. Mike might be a douchey young assistant to the old doctor with a gray stubble, and Astrid might be a nurse.


    The blood starts to drip faster, and I can hear droplets of it splashing at the bottom. It is so quiet here.


    Closing my eyes for the last time, I release my final breath.


    <hr>


    *Loud wind whistling*


    Huh?


    In a fetal position, my fists closed tightly, eyes shut, all I can sense is the loud wind and a slight pressure all over my body.


    “Loud wind, huh?” This is not my bed, nor a hospital bed, nor any other makeshift shelter.


    Wiggling a bit, I can feel the coarse movement all over my body.


    Opening my fists, I grab a handful of sand and squeeze it between my fingers.


    Sleepy and cozy despite the haunting wind whistling around me. Eyes still shut as they are covered under a blanket of sand.


    “At least my hands are back!” The corner of my mouth raises, and the sand moves almost into my nostrils.


    *Fwoosh*


    I raise my arm, piercing through the sand coverage, up into the wind, releasing the crust over my face, finally allowing me to breathe in my first inhale of surprisingly cold air.


    Pushing myself up out of the sand, I can already see through my closed eyelids.


    It is definitely night. Before, the sun over the desert was so bright and strong I had to shade my forehead even with my eyes closed.


    This is different, yet I know exactly where I am. The sudden cozy feeling is only present in special places.


    Wiggling a bit more, I finally manage to sit up. Dusting off the sand from my face and shaking it out of my hair, I finally open my eyes.


    A vast desert spreads toward the dark, tall horizon, dunes covered in patterns created by the strong winds.


    Time has definitely passed while I was gone, but there is no trace of the party members.


    We made it across the desert in a few minutes by car, and they reached the bug in a mere hour.


    Am I stupid and brave enough to use the car now? I toy with the thought for a moment.


    <hr>


    Leaning over the spot where flames slightly rise from the dune, I sit cross-legged, imagining I could easily start to meditate, as the scenery is something one can only dream of.


    So the damn liquid rendered nothing good.


    I’ve learned a lot, definitely, but still... What a waste. I concluded while carefully taking off my shoes and pouring about a handful of sand out of them.


    It seems that my socks are near the end of their life cycle too.


    “Sigh.”


    What else was I expecting? Of course, your life would be spared because you died while being technically dead in the first place.


    Just shut up!


    Be glad that only one of them is missing and not both. I appreciate that I not only have only two pinky toes missing and nothing else, but, most importantly, that my hands are back.


    Truly an amazing feeling to have such a complex and useful body part.


    *Inhaling the fresh air before speaking*


    “Inventory.” I whisper calmly.


    The acid bottle is missing, the ability to feel pain is back, and the hummer and the hammer sit next to each other.


    “Inventory.” It closes after my second command.


    Out of curiosity... “Skills.”


    A bright, levitating panel appears.


    <hr>


    “My god!”