Chapter 0
Oh, goodie. Another LitRPG...
It was fun the first fifty times, but it reached a certain point where-
...
What...? What's this feeling?
That never happened to me before. Is this it? Have I reached the threshold of insanity? I am already speaking to myself, after all! Hahahaha...
Ha... Ha...
...
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Hello? Is anybody there?
No, no, NO! That's impossible! I've searched every nook and cranny of this void. No one is here!
Yes, my mind is playing tricks on me. Isolation does that to you. When I say "you", I mean me, of course! Just little ol' me!
.........
Okay, I'm definitely feeling something... pulsating over there! What gives!? Focusing on it only makes it appear all the more real.
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You know what? Screw it! I'll pretend it's an actual person! Why the hell not?! It's not like anyone can judge me, anyway!
Ahem! Hello, traveler! Wait, that's too cheerful. I need to go for something a little more... somber and mysterious! Oooh! I can pretend I'm an eerie, ethereal entity who oversees all mortals but cannot ever interact with them. The darkness of what surrounds them only matches what resides in their soul...
Wait, that's already who I am... Huh...
If someone had entered this plane for real, they would have thought of me as pathetic. And they would be right.
*sigh* Focus. Don't overthink things. Just start from the beginning.
You can do this.
.........
Greetings, traveler. Welcome to Nothing. That is the name that I had associated with this realm. Very self-explanatory, in my humble opinion.
My name is... Uh, I don't have one.
As far as I know, I was spawned in this plane. No idea how or why. I might as well have been brought to existence with the void, which is weird since the nothingness technically shouldn't have a "birth."
Unless the vacuum is in reality myself. No, I shift my "body" to access the Windows. That can't be it.
Oh, right, the Windows! You see, the only place we can see, hear, smell, or touch anything in Nothing is these shiny tablets that contain... Well, something! Entire lives and stories are packed inside these not-fragile, crystalline, rectangular objects.
Or maybe they're only a medium for anyone to see the outside worlds, and they exist outside the Windows. I'm not entirely sure.
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Huh? I can sense a vibration, becoming more intense by the minute.
Perhaps... I'm not alone in the nothingness?
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Hm. I cannot hear or understand whatever you're saying. But I know something's in there! I'm not crazy!
There must be a way for us to communicate. If I converse with you long enough, it could prompt you to reciprocate the gesture. I am no scientist, but I need to see this through.
And I have the perfect means to accomplish it!
Now, stay right there! I will pick the perfect Window for us!
...
Do you like LitRPGs? Honestly, I'm a little burned out.
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A romance? Oh, no. This one is... too carnal. It's not the most stellar way to develop a friendship.
.........
This one's a romance, too. Only it has some graphic violence and a horror-esque spice. I think it's perfect for a second viewing. I'll keep that for later.
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Oh! This one's... I don't know what this is...
It feels... notably warm when I touch it. Familiar? But it doesn't make sense.
...............
I'll pick this one. I hope you don't mind.
From now on, I'll narrate everything I see in this Window for you. Frankly, this is more about keeping me sane than an actual gesture of selflessness.
Shit, did I say something rude? Sorry, I'm not used to visitors. Like, at all! Haha.
Hm. I should give you a name. The thing is, I'm terrible at those. I don't even have one. I have never found any option that sounded right, you know.
Whatever. I'll call you Reader. You can refer to me as The Narrator to keep things straightforward.
There's your chance to voice any opinion!
Eh? No? Okay. We can work through this together.
Ahem.
I have the Window in my... hands? You know what, don't think too hard about it. I gave up an eternity ago.
The only source of escapism in this monotone plane. It shows a...
A girl, in front of a gigantic forest.