Mage Adam

Adam roamed through the streets again, noticing that there were fewer people than before. All the townspeople laid numbly on the ground, filled with despair waiting for their deaths. They didn't even flinch when other people started to claw and chew through them.

The stronger men hunted the townspeople. Adam fought his hunger, not choosing to kill. He hid behind walls, watching the men kill them with cold eyes.

At night, the scene repeats. Beasts invade the town, the mage arrives and sacrifices the townspeople, then dawn arises.

This lasted six more times, and Adam was too weak to avoid the soldiers.

A thought appeared in Adam's mind -- if he died, he could escape from this hellscape. He had no choice but to believe it.

On the seventh day, the soldiers captured Adam sneaking between the walls, and bound him with rope, forcing him out of the city.

He let the soldiers capture him, since he was too weak to resist.

Once again, the mage sacrificed all of them, and Adam was blown to pieces.

"I can't die like this..." Adam thought.

However, he realised something was wrong -- if he was dead, how could he think?

Sure enough, the illusion shattered.

And he was back to the beginning again, awakening at the broken city with tattered clothes.

Adam's survival instinct dulled -- he knew he was in no danger while in this illusion; it's not like he had any control over this illusion anyways.

And the scene repeats again and again -- the beasts invade, the mage sacrifices, and Adam dies on the seventh day once again.

After countless iterations, Adam's remaining rationality broke.

He didn't want to fall into despair.

However, going through the same scene hundreds of times is bound to break the strongest of men.

If he wants to experience despair first hand, he needs to be the changing factor in this "experiment."

Adam didn't even need to enter the illusion in the first place, but his curiosity got the best of him. He needs to start making changes.

Adam left his sanity behind.

...

"What are you doing?"

The man limped towards Adam and muttered endlessly, "I'm hungry... hungry... I want to eat..."

"Get up, I'll find something for you to eat," Adam lifted him up and spoke.

The man's eyes widened, "Food? Eat?"

"Yes," Adam smiled. "Come out! All of you! Let us find food!"

In the dull environment of the town, a bright light appeared, warming the people's hearts.

Scrawny men gathered behind Adam as they walked down the street together. The men imitated Adam, persuading every person in despair to get up, "Come! We're gonna go find food!"

The crowd grew, following Adam with mixed emotions. They gathered whatever they could, devouring anything edible.

Of course, some people tried to revolt, but the sheer size of the crowd dissuaded them.

They had nobody to coerce and bully, and with no food, they began to devour each other. The remainder of them had no choice but to join the crowd.

Adam gathered the crowd to collect whatever scraps of food that could be collected, and ordered everyone to cook the food to distribute equally to everyone. The food was mixed with strange items that would challenge the line of human morality, but the people were hungry.

Night came.

The soldiers came, but there were voices of resistance in the crowd.

"You can't do this! We are innocent civilians -- this isn't our fight! As soldiers, shouldn't you protect us? Why not ask the mage to fight back?" someone in the crowd shouted.

This voice walked out of the crowd and appealed, "Please, let's negotiate. We're too weak and innocent, so-"

The soldier in front of him, with disgust, slashed at him and killed him, "How dare you Untouchables talk back. You ungrateful ants! You are living under the protection of the nobles, so shouldn't you be grateful and sit quietly?"

Adam stepped forward, looking back at the crowd and spoke, "I ask to meet the mage."

The soldiers looked at Adam and burst into laughter, "What did I just hear? You -- a lowly civilian, wants to meet the great mage? Don't joke like that!"

Adam waited for the soldiers to stop laughing, but the soldier spoke coldly, "I'll only say this once -- follow us out of the city, or die. Either way, all of you will still die."

The crowd began to riot behind Adam, and Adam said, "No. We have the right to survive as well."

"Then, die."

The soldier lifted his hand, and the soldiers rushed forward to massacre the townspeople.

The civilians couldn't resist -- all of them started to scream and run and beg for mercy. Adam remained motionless, and the soldier beat him to the ground, "You're their leader, aren't you? You'll regret this."

Blood flooded the city, and a voice sounded in the crowd, "Please don't kill me! It was his idea!"

The crowd was silent, and all of them started to blame Adam. In order to appeal to the soldiers, they rushed towards Adam and kicked him.

The soldiers smirked sadistically, "Take them out the city. As for their leader... stay here."

The crowd glared at Adam with disgust and hatred.

The captain of the soldiers smirked, "Guess what will happen to you tomorrow. If you're lucky, you'll be alive and broken at my feet tomorrow night."

Adam quietly stared at the night sky, hearing the massacre outside the city. The survivors soon came back, looking at Adam with intense hatred.

"You haven't killed him? It is because of him we are no longer protected by the nobles. Kill him!" the survivors bellowed as they rushed towards him.

Adam didn't resist their kicks, neither did he resist them tearing apart his body.

His consciousness faded in and out, and soon, he could no longer see as his eyes were gouged out, but his gaze remained affixed at the night sky.

A dim light showered upon him.

His kindness was replaced by despair.