The cabin door opened with a creak of ancient wood. Brando was the first to enter, supporting Giordano who was limping noticeably. His friend still had blood gushing from the shoulder wound, with Rusty following them and looking around nervously.

  "Close that fucking door," Giordano hissed as he dropped into a chair like a sack of potatoes. "Before those things decide to come back with reinforcements."

  Brando pushed the door with his shoulder, engaging a rusty latch. He turned and was surprised by the sight before him: the interior of the cabin was incredibly welcoming. A fire crackled merrily in a stone fireplace, spreading warmth that seemed unreal after the forest's chill. Colorful rugs covered the wooden plank floor, and various tools hung on the walls.

  "This place is too good to be true," Brando murmured, cautiously approaching the fire. "Feels like a trap."

  "Right now I don't give a shit," Giordano replied, clutching his wounded shoulder. "Better to die warm than freeze our asses off out there."

  A bluish glow suddenly appeared in the air above them, forming floating letters:

  【CHECKPOINT ZONE】

  【Safe Area】

  【No mob spawn】

  【Rest and healing available】

  "Well, doesn't look too bad—sounds promising," Brando commented, slightly relaxing his tense muscles. He looked around more carefully and noticed something in a corner of the room: a sort of golden chest with luminous symbols, already open and empty.

  "Hey, that's where you must have gotten the Cold Enhancer," Brando said to Rusty. "That's why you disappeared during the fight."

  Rusty nodded with all three eyes and barked in confirmation, scratching the floor with a paw while his third eye pulsed slightly.

  Blood had formed a small pool under Giordano's chair. Brando's side was also throbbing painfully, reminding him of the wounds he'd received.

  "We need to find a way to treat ourselves," Brando said, starting to explore the cabin. "There must be something useful here."

  In the adjacent room, which looked like a small kitchen, Brando found a metal container with a red cross symbol on top. He opened it and inside found what looked like a first aid kit, but different from anything he'd ever seen: it contained a vial with colored liquid, bandages that emitted a faint glow, and strangest of all, a silver spray bottle with a label reading "Rapid Regeneration: Apply to affected area." He then returned to Giordano, who had grown even paler.

  "I found something," Brando said, showing the spray bottle. "Don't know if I trust this stuff, though."

  "At this point, I'd try magical unicorn piss," Giordano replied, grabbing the spray bottle. "Give me that thing."

  Giordano uncapped it and sprayed directly on the wound. For an instant nothing happened, then the silver liquid began glowing intensely. Before their incredulous eyes, the lacerated flesh began recomposing, blood vessels reconnecting, and skin reforming.

  "Holy shit," Giordano whispered with wide eyes. "It actually works."

  In less than a minute, where there had been a deep wound there was now only intact skin, slightly reddened.

  "Fuck, this is amazing," he exulted, moving his healed shoulder. "I feel like new."

  Brando took the spray bottle and used it on his own wounds, experiencing the same instant effect. The pain completely vanished, leaving a pleasant tingling sensation.

  "I'm going to the bathroom to wash all this blood off," Brando said, seeing a door he presumed led to a bathroom. "You keep watch so nobody gets in."

  He headed toward the door, opened it and entered, then closed it absentmindedly behind him. He turned and froze.

  In front of a mirror, a girl with fox features was brushing her hair. She had reddish fur, an elongated muzzle, pointed ears, and a bushy tail. She wore what looked like a fantasy thief outfit: dark cloak, leather corset, high boots, and a series of daggers at her belt. The fox-girl froze mid-brush stroke and her eyes met Brando's in the mirror.

  "SHIT!" Brando yelled, instinctively materializing an ice spear in one hand and a sphere of Rust Ice in the other. "CHECKPOINT ZONE MY ASS!"

  The fox-girl turned slowly, tilting her head with a confused expression.

  "What? A human?" Her voice was surprisingly normal, with a note of innate sarcasm. "Are there other humans inside the CryoGame?"

  Brando kept his weapons pointed at her. "What the fuck are you talking about? I'm not the weird one here! YOU'RE not human!"

  "Brilliant observation, genius," the fox-girl replied, rolling her eyes. "I only woke up like this, I don't know, TWENTY YEARS AGO?"

  The door burst open behind Brando. Giordano and Rusty rushed in, ready for combat. Rusty emitted a low growl, not aggressive but cautious.

  "Oh fantastic," the fox-girl commented in a theatrically bored tone. "The whole company. Please excuse me for not preparing pastries for your arrival, but I don't usually receive visitors in the bathroom."

  "Who or what are you?" Giordano asked, also materializing ice.

  The fox-girl sighed dramatically, setting down the brush. "My name is Eleonora Romano. Or at least, it was. I was human, once. Before dying in the experiment of '75."

  Brando and Giordano exchanged a confused look.

  "The experiment of '75?" Brando repeated, slightly lowering his spear. "You mean the one Folgore told us about? The one from twenty years ago?"

  "I don't know who Folgore is, but that's the one," Eleonora confirmed, approaching them nonchalantly. "I was one of the test subjects. The fifty-eighth to die, if I'm not mistaken. A Frost Goblin planted an axe in my skull."

  She led them out of the bathroom to the main room, moving exactly like an anthropomorphized fox.

  "So you're..." Giordano shook his head, trying to make sense of the situation. "...you're dead? But then how can you be here?"

  "What happened to my body in the real world, I don't know," Eleonora replied, settling into an armchair near the fireplace. The firelight danced on her fur. "But in here, in the simulation, I woke up like this. As if my consciousness had been transferred into this form."

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Wait, are you saying you've been trapped in this world since the first experiment?" Giordano asked, incredulous. "For twenty years?"

  Eleonora nodded with a bitter smile. "Twenty-one years, two months, and about fifteen days, if you want to be precise. And I'm not the only one."

  "There are others?" Brando asked.

  "Three others," Eleonora confirmed. "All former participants in the original experiment. All 'dead' in the real world, but alive in here. Somehow."

  Rusty cautiously approached Eleonora, sniffing her with curiosity. His third eye glowed faintly, as if trying to understand this strange creature.

  "We have a theory," Eleonora continued, attempting to pet Rusty who instinctively pulled back. "During the original experiment, we were all connected to the Whale for a 48-hour immersion cycle. Almost everyone died during the first Frost Goblin attack, myself included. But instead of being simply eliminated from the system, our consciousnesses were somehow integrated into some game characters."

  "Like there was a bug in the system," Brando concluded.

  "Exactly. The CryoGame was in development phase. Our theory is that instead of terminating us completely, the system fused our consciousnesses with creatures already existing within the simulation."

  "Is that why you now look like a... um... anthropomorphic fox?" Giordano asked.

  "Yes. Each of us woke up in a different form," she replied.

  A noise at the door made them all turn. It opened slowly, revealing three figures that looked like they'd come straight out of a comic book.

  The first to enter seemed made entirely of rock, with gray, jagged skin that resembled granite. He was nearly two meters tall and almost as wide, with a completely bald head and small, dark eyes.

  The second had intensely orange skin and electric blue hair that looked like frozen flames. He was significantly shorter and thinner than the first.

  The third, who seemed to be the leader, was completely wrapped in shiny metal armor that resembled hand-beaten tin, with golden details and a red cloak.

  "Speaking of the devil," Eleonora murmured.

  "My God," the one in tin armor whispered. "They're... they're humans. Real humans."

  He approached cautiously, as if fearing Brando and Giordano might vanish at the slightest contact. His armor clinked with each step, but his movements were strangely hesitant, almost reverent. He extended a metal-gloved hand toward Brando, stopping a centimeter from his shoulder, as if not daring to touch it.

  "May I...?" he asked, with a voice betraying great emotion.

  Brando, not really knowing what to do, nodded confusedly. The one in tin armor gently placed his hand on his shoulder, then withdrew it suddenly, as if shocked by an electric current.

  "It's real," he murmured, turning to his companions. "They're really real."

  The rocky one stepped forward. Each of his steps made the cabin floor tremble slightly. His stone face seemed incapable of complex expressions, but his eyes, small luminous points set in granite, seemed to have seen the light.

  "Twenty-one years," he said with a rough voice. "Twenty-one years without seeing another human being." He approached Giordano, looming over him with his imposing bulk. "Only ghosts and memories."

  "I thought we'd been forgotten!" the orange one began whimpering, after kneeling down. "That no one would ever come here again!"

  The one in tin armor seemed to compose himself first. He straightened his shoulders and, with a gesture that seemed more old habit than necessity, adjusted his red cloak and cleared his throat.

  "My name is Alessio Ferrara," he introduced himself with a voice that tried to be formal but still betrayed amazement. Then he indicated the rock man: "This is Tommaso Volpe." And finally the orange man: "And he's Gaetano Lombardi."

  Giordano jumped. "Volpe? You're a Volpe?"

  Tommaso heavily inclined his head, the movement producing a slight grinding sound, like stone against stone. "I was. In real life. Does that create problems for you?" Despite the harsh words, his tone was more curious than hostile.

  "No, it's just... I'm also a Volpe. My name is Giordano," Giordano explained with a surprisingly hesitant voice.

  Tommaso stared at him intensely, his petrified expression softening slightly. "From which branch of the family?"

  "Main branch, but..." Giordano lowered his gaze. "I'm Federico Volpe's illegitimate son. Not officially recognized."

  "Federico?" Tommaso seemed surprised. "That brat... he's my younger brother."

  "What?" Giordano exclaimed, looking up sharply.

  "I was, or rather am, the son of Martino Volpe, the old family head," Tommaso's rocky voice had an echo of joy. "I was the second son, while your father was the fifth. Your father was lucky, because I, the third, and the fourth participated in this madness. Your father was still small and was spared. I never would have thought I'd meet my nephew in here. What does your father tell me?"

  "Dad is the family head now," Giordano confirmed, studying his relative with curiosity. "If one of you three had come out, he would have become family head instead of him without doubt. Anyway, it's incredible to meet my uncle here of all places."

  "How exactly did you survive?" Brando asked, keeping a hand on Rusty. "The Custodian said that dying here means dying in reality."

  "We don't know for certain," Alessio replied. "Only that when our real bodies died, instead of shutting down completely our consciousnesses 'grabbed onto' something inside the system."

  "The system fused us with random monsters on the map," Gaetano added, who had a voice that clashed with his orange appearance—too high-pitched. "And that's how we became map monsters."

  "How did you manage not to go completely insane?" Brando asked. "Twenty years trapped in a virtual world..."

  "Who says we didn't go insane?" Eleonora replied with an unsettling smile showing pointed teeth. "But in the end, you get used to it. It's surprising how much the human mind can adapt."

  Giordano and Brando were somewhat frightened by that statement and responded with strange smiles.

  "It's truly incredible—after all these years we thought the experiment had been forgotten, that no one would ever use the CryoGame again. Yet here you are," Alessio said, sitting on a chair that creaked under the weight of his armor. "What are you doing here? It's the first time in twenty years we've encountered other real human beings, and no one gets sent into the CryoGame without a desperate reason. What are yours?"

  Brando cleared his throat. "It's complicated, but I'll try to keep it short. I have very... particular Cold Veins. They allow me to do things other Bearers can't, despite being only a Zeta."

  "A Zeta?" Gaetano tilted his orange head, confused. "I thought they were some sort of urban legend."

  "They're real, and I'm the proof," Brando replied. "I need to reach [Violet Three] in record time. I have to unlock a specific ability that could save a person. She's in mortal danger, and we have very little time."

  "I'm here because... let's say it's a kind of blackmail," Giordano added with a resigned sigh. "If I don't help him, I'll never get the information I've been seeking my whole life."

  "I'm here by my own choice," Brando clarified, glancing at Giordano. "He has his reasons, I have mine. The result is the same: we have very little time."

  "Frankly," Eleonora said with a nervous movement of her tail, "after two decades in here, I struggle to remember what it really means to be 'blackmailed' or have a 'rank.' All we've experienced here is survival and solitude."

  "You don't need to explain further," Alessio agreed, with a gesture of his metallic hand. "The details don't matter. Everyone in here understands what it means to fight against time to save someone... even if our efforts were in vain. We tried to save everyone else but couldn't succeed. Only a dozen people made it past the first level."

  "Have you ever tried to get out of here?" Brando asked. "To complete the game or something like that?"

  The four survivors exchanged a disappointed look.

  "We've tried," Alessio replied. "Countless times. But the system recognizes us as NPCs. We can't get past the first level."

  "The entrance to the second level is guarded by a boss," Tommaso continued, his voice rumbling like rolling stones. "We've killed him multiple times, but even when we succeed, we can't pass through the door leading to the next level."

  "So you know this forest like the back of your hand," Giordano deduced, "but you don't know what's beyond."

  "Exactly," Eleonora confirmed. "And that's where you come in."

  "Us?" Brando asked.

  "You're our ticket out," Alessio explained. "If you complete the game, we might synchronize with you and enter your KryoWatches. It's a remote possibility, but it's the only one we have."

  "And then what?" Giordano asked. "Your real bodies don't exist anymore."

  "With current technologies, artificial bodies could be created for us," Gaetano replied with a spark of hope in his eyes. "Synthetic bodies to transfer our digitized consciousnesses into."

  "It's... theoretically possible," Giordano admitted, scratching his chin and thinking they were completely insane. "I don't know enough about these technologies, but I think it could work."

  While they discussed this possibility, Rusty suddenly began growling, his fur raised and his third eye pointed at a dark corner of the room. A spine-chilling sensation spread through the cabin, making the flames in the fireplace flicker.

  "He's here," Eleonora whispered, stiffening. "He's watching us."

  "Who?" Brando asked, instinctively materializing ice.

  A childish laugh echoed in the cabin, followed by the Custodian's familiar voice:

  【Oh, what a touching reunion! My favorite players making friends. But checkpoint time is over. Time to shuffle the deck. The Pyromaniac awaits you, and this time...】

  The mini-whale appeared floating in the center of the room, but something about her had changed. Her eyes were no longer the sardonic ones from before, but red and inhuman, pulsing with malevolent light.

  【.?????????.?????.????w??????????????'???????l??????l???? ??p?????l???????????????y????? ?????b????????y???????? ????????M?????Y????? ???????r????ü?????l???????????s?????? ?????n?????????w???????.?????】

  The cabin began shaking violently, the floor planks cracked, and tongues of fire began filtering through the fissures, illuminating the room with a sinister reddish glow.