章 3: Gate

Kevin was stunned beyond words. He wasn't prepared.

Nobody would be in this situation okay?!

The man was wearing a cap and a mask but Kevin heard the sneer of this man.

"Sorry man. No offense but, you need to die."

Kevin: "...."

A mind-wracking pain came in an instant when the man twisted the blade ninety degrees. Kevin can feel the blood coming out of his stomach too quickly. He suddenly felt a loss of strength. His legs could no longer support him so he stumbled.

The man let the knife go and kick Kevin in his stomach. Kevin's head hit the table with a loud thud before his thin body crumpled to the ground. Blood flowed out and pooled around him.

"Brother, they aren't leaving….Should I just wait inside the cubicle?"

Kevin weakly glance at his phone. His brows were knitted both in pain and worry.

His vision blurred. But even so, he could still see the man standing a few feet away from him. His face is covered by the mask but his eyes were cold and piercing. It was like being stared at by a cold blooded wild animal, waiting for your death before they will tear you to shreds.

Kevin doesn't want to die. He forced his body to move and at least get one last word with his brother. But the man did not let him. With his black thick boots, he crushed Kevin's phone and fingers.

A loud groan escaped from Kevin's mouth as he writhed uncontrollably. The man tsked and hurriedly stuff his mouth with his palm.

"Fuck, so annoying. Can't you die quickly?" The man lowly cursed. Despite the blinding pain, Kevin's heart was thumping loudly in his ears. His mind is completely awake and alert.

If he persists, he can survive. Kevin just need to -

A cold strike cut off Kevin's thoughts. The knife was pulled out of his stomach and bluntly struck him in the heart!

That was the final strike. Kevin no longer have the strength to resist. He was losing consciousness. Like a switch being flipped, Kevin's world became dark.

****

When Kevin woke up again, he was standing in an unknown place filled with nothing except white mist. As if it noticed him waking up, a cold mechanical voice spoke in his ears.

[Hello Kevin McLean. Welcome to Constellation Card World, I will be your guide from here on out! Hehehe~]

[Aww, please don't scowl like that. I know you just experience death and is sad to part from your brother - ]

"Who are you?" Kevin coldly demanded. Kevin's fist crumpled into a fist. He still did not get past the feeling of being 'dead'. He didn't want to die. His brother was out there facing danger alone and he left him just like that.

What kind of brother is he?!

But even if Kevin wallow in anger at the guy who killed him and blames himself for leaving his brother behind, there was no turning back. He's already dead.

The voice must have read what he was thinking since it promptly said,

[There's still a chance for you to go back to your world.]

Kevin's initial reaction was to scoff and laughed off sarcastically. But before he could do it, a big black screen appeared in front of him.

[I can give you two choices. First, you can choose to erase your memories and I'll send you off to your death completely. By erasing your memories, you will not have any lingering attachments or regrets, and rest in peace. Second, you can keep your memories. You will have the chance to be reborn in the Constellation Card World and play to survive. But for a human like you who have never experienced any life threatening hardships before… It will be very difficult for you. Maybe you should choose the first choice… hehehehe]

The words of the voice did not match its cold and mechanical tone. But hearing the choices provided to him, Kevin's scalp was cold and his body is stiff all over.

Calling a world with a grand name such as 'Constellation Card World' might be a coincidence when it somewhat has a similar name to the world of his novel… But as far as coincidence is concerned… What's the probability that the two choices this voice gave would be the exact same choices he has written down in his novel?

Receiving shock after shock, Kevin has a hard time trying to make sense of everything. But he held on. He tried to keep his sanity chained in his thoughts.

Speculations will never be regarded as 'fact' without proof. He forced himself to calm down and unhurriedly gaze around him.

[So? Which option would you like?]

Kevin pondered for a second before he answered familiarly, "I will choose the second option."

[Hehehe~ Good. Good. As expected.]

Kevin ignored the creepy mechanical cold laugh of this voice as he asked again. "Who are you?"

[Me? I'm your guide! You must have read many novels in your world right? You can actually call me System too. Whichever works for you!]

Kevin's skin tingles. He felt he was being electrified even though he was just standing there.

This conversation is the very same words he wrote in his novel. When the protagonist died in a car accident, he was immediately transported to the portal gate. The gate could not be seen because of the thick white mist surrounding the whole place.

The coldness and stiffness, the desolate white surrounding… It seems Kevin is standing at that very gate as of this moment.

"Where are you?" Kevin already knew the answer to this question but he still asked.

[Oh, you cannot see me, Kevin. You can only hear me. But I can see you!]

The same question was asked, and the same answer was given.

"Then what place is this Constellation Card World you mention?"

[Hehehe, Kevin why would you still ask that question? Aren't you the writer of that novel, 'Constellation World'? I'm sure out of all humans that came here, you of all people should know what this world is.]

Kevin's heart skipped a beat.