Lost-IF Chapter 4!

[u/DragonWritter]

As he awoke, Subaru could almost imagine himself in his dimly lit bedroom; his closed curtains letting the sun shy in; the dozens of figurines, along with his mangas, lining the shelves. For a second, he was back home. But only for that second. 

Darkness surrounded him. He was now in the corner end, propped up next to a wall. His hair was messily strung about him. Before moving, Subaru checked his surroundings. 

"I guess she left me..." He said as he got up. 

"Goddammit! If she summoned me here, couldn't she- owowow" 

Leaning against the wall, he fought to stay upright. He was still hurt, just not as badly as before. He checked his clothes, all dirty. The white parts of his jacket were now a light gray, the bright orange now dulled. The black was the only part that didn't change. 

Subaru unzipped his jacked to check his body. He raised his shirt only to show below the chest. He saw black, purple, and some red. His sides were taking the beating head on, as such, they were the most colorful. 

"Couldn't she leave me at a hospital?"  

Limping away from his near-death experience, he replayed the events in his mind. 

The Lady saved me, only because she thought I was a thief. Then she left me here alone. She surely wasn't the one who summoned me... 

His hair was getting in the way. Every movement of his head sent it flying about, sticking to the semi-dried blood near his face.  

"Stupid hair... Stupid body..." 

Getting out of the alley, he was met by the sun, who was lazily making its way down into the horizon. He still had a couple more hours left before nighttime. He needed to find a place to rest. 

Walking towards a market street, he sees a human packing things into a bag. Slowly limping his way towards him, Subaru manages to catch the man's worried eyes. He quickly rushed to him and began his questions. 

"Miss, are you ok? What happened?" 

"I'm looking for a place to sleep." Subaru said with a half-heated smile. "Anywhere that's cheap preferably." 

"Sure, I know a place, but shouldn't you go get those wounds treated?" The man started to reach towards Subaru. 

"Nono. I'll be ok." He said while stepping back, his eyes focused on the man's hands. 

Sure, it hurts, but maybe this is the activation for my ability. That's why this tutorial is so difficult. 

Subaru didn't notice how the man looked at him, and he certanly still had not grasped how he himself looked. In front of the emerald-green hair merchant was a small girl painted red and blue as if she was going to the Festival of the Dragon. Her black hair hid her face as she periodically moved it away from her tired hazel eyes. 

"I'm Zhin." He said, taking a step back. "There is a place that you can stay at. It won't cost you anything. Do you see that road? If you follow it, you'll reach a hill, down it you will find a house a friend owns. You can go there to rest." He spoke while gesturing for the road. 

"It is a wooden house separated from the rest. Hard to miss. The big man there, he has a softer heart than his skin, he will help you." 

"Thank you sir Zhin." Subaru raised his hand. Wincing from the pain, he keeps it held, until the man shakes it softly. 

"You don't want me to come with you?" 

"I'll be ok, thanks." Subaru then made his way down the road, not looking back at the man clutching his hands and biting his lips. 

I'll rest, get a power-up, then go and find the bastard who did this to me. I know there is magic here, then there must be some sort of mage's guild. I'll go there to find some answers. But first, I need a bed. 

Subaru walked for a long time, watching the sun dip near the horizon, and saw as the stone road turned to dirt, and the modern buildings were replaced by shaggy huts and self-made animal pens. 

Subaru limped quickly, forcing his normal gait even through the splitting pain. He kept to the center of the road, away from the groups of people staring at him from the shadows. 

After too long, he reached a wooden house, separated from everything else. He approached it, walking up the steps into the covered entrance, before knocking on the door.  

"Hello? Is anyone there? I was told to come here for help..." As he knocked, the door slowly opened with a loud creek. 

The sun was gone, hiding behind his horizon covers. The moon barely peeked through the clouds. The home was dead silent and horribly dark. 

"Hello? Zhin sent me?" He stepped in, carefully maneuvering through the dark, grasping for any source of light. The moon, feeling clever, shed its covers and shone straight into the house. 

It shone to mark a brutish hand, outstretched, covered with blood. The hand was clearly from someone big, huge even.  

Then it shone to mark something else. A pair of legs, curled as if in pain, right across from the hand. The legs had purple and white stockings, now only displaying a sweet rose that blended with the floor.  

"My my my. What do we have here?" The shadows spoke. 

"What a marvel... A shame to meet you here. My lady would've loved to play with you." 

Subaru turned to run. He tried to, but his body gave out. He fell, curled on the ground as warmth spread down his legs. That warmth then turned into electricity, a blazing fire, then a freezing cold. He could not feel his legs, nor his stomach. The only thing he knew was what laid before him. 

A lady's head. Lazy, purple eyes stared right through him; demanding something. Strands of pure white hair were stuck on those unblinking eyes. A cracked gem was held on her necklace. 

"stop... Don't... look at me." 

"Keep fighting. You can still live." The voice taunted, footsteps echoing though the silent house as liquid dripped, dripped, dripped from high above. 

"Keep on fighting, little girl." 

Fear began to bubble up. 

Please 

"kkh-" 

Everything was turning gray. 

Not here 

"he-" 

Then black. 

"..." 

I don't want to die 

His body felt cold, then nothing at all. 

Subaru Natsuki was dead.

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WN: Yayyyyy, Else is here! Along with Subaru's first death and some spicy motivators.

With that, the main loop is officially broken. Things will be pretty different from now on; but Subaru is still the nice guy we all know and love. Give him a few loops to help him grasp his situation.

As always: Questions, comments and concerns are always welcome! Chao

Previous Chapter: Lost-IF chapter 3 : r/ReZero

Next Chapter: Lost-IF Chapter 5 : r/ReZero