Edward, a 25-year-old young man, worked at a clothing store in the mall. At that time of the afternoon, the place was completely empty.
He was stressed. His salary depended directly on sales, and up until then, he had barely sold anything. It was already 4:00 p.m., and his shift ended at 8:00. Every now and then, he checked his phone to see the time, letting out a nervous laugh that did little to calm his thoughts.
He couldn't stand being there for long, especially because sometimes he was treated poorly for not meeting his targets.
"Oh, someone came in," he murmured with relief.
A couple entered the store. The man stepped forward and said impatiently:
"Hi, I need a dress for my girlfriend."
"Of course, we have some beautiful dresses over here," Edward replied, forcing a smile.
The man seemed tense and added with irritation:
"Can you hurry up? Just give me any dress."
"Alright, sir, whatever you say... But why so bitter?" Edward said, without thinking.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. The customer frowned, clearly annoyed.
"What's it to you? I'm not buying anything from you now. Get your manager. Right now!"
"Sir, I'm sorry. The manager isn't here at the moment. I'm really sorry, it won't happen again…"
"You're not calling the manager!?" the man shouted, furious.
And without warning, he punched Edward in the face and stormed out with his partner.
"This can't be…" Edward whispered, holding his right eye. "He left a bruise… People are getting crazier."
Hours passed until it was finally closing time.
"Finally… time to go home," he said, his face still aching.
He walked to the mall's exit, caught a taxi, and sat in silence. He spoke to the driver:
"Good evening, sir. Could you take me north? To a place called La Loma del Viento."
The taxi driver started the car without saying a word. Edward began to feel uneasy when he noticed the driver locked the doors and was driving unusually fast. Ten blocks later, the vehicle took a completely unfamiliar route.
"Sir, this isn't the way. Where are you going?" he asked tensely.
The driver didn't say a word.
Suddenly, he slammed on the brakes. Edward's head hit the seat, leaving him dizzy. In that instant, two men quickly got in from both sides of the taxi, armed with knives, which they pressed against his abdomen.
"Hey! Please don't hurt me! Take everything you want! I don't have money… I'm just a store clerk," Edward pleaded, trembling.
They took everything from him before he had a chance to move. Then, they violently threw him out of the car and abandoned him in a remote area, surrounded by trees and an empty road. Not a single car passed by.
With effort and some sense of direction, Edward managed to get his bearings. He knew he had to get help.
He began walking along that dark road. There were no lights. Only the sound of the wind and his own footsteps kept him company. Fear wrapped around him, but he didn't stop. After more than an hour of walking, he finally saw the city lights in the distance.
"At last…" he murmured with relief.
He kept going until he found a police outpost. He arrived breathless, his face pale.
"Good evening, officer… I was just robbed. I need help getting home."
The officer, in a dull tone, replied:
"Hello, sir. I don't have any patrols available right now. Where did the robbery happen?"
"It was in a taxi… Two guys got in and threatened me with knives. Can I stay here for the night? I don't have money or a way to get home, and I work early tomorrow…"
The officer hesitated for a moment, but agreed. He let him sleep on the station's chairs.
Edward thanked him and went to a corner. As he tried to sit down, he noticed a strange light on the floor. Within seconds, everything turned white.
"What's going on...? I can't see anything… I can't hear anything," he thought, scared, as he closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he found himself face to face with a strange figure. A man in robes, holding a wooden staff, was staring at him. Beneath his feet, a magical circle glowed, and all around them was a forest Edward didn't recognize.
He looked at his hands… he no longer had skin. They shimmered as if made of pure light.
"What is this...? Is this a dream? Who are you? What's happening to me?" Edward shouted, confused.
He couldn't feel his body. No pain. Nothing at all.
The man muttered:
"Hmm… Well. I summoned a spirit. These are useless… I don't even understand what they're saying. I thought my magic circle was perfect. I wanted to summon a powerful beast."
Frustrated, the mage turned around and walked away, leaving him alone.
"This must be a dream… a very long one. I don't feel my body… I feel strange… That guy left and I didn't understand a thing he said. What do I do now?" Edward thought.
With no answers, no body, and countless questions, Edward's spirit began to wander through that mysterious forest, searching for someone… or something to make sense of it all.
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