The endless hallways were known to be a sobering experience.
Famous depictions of heroes in awe-inspiring poses complemented the fancy, woven ornaments chiselled into the wall.
They told the tale of struggle and perseverance behind the veil of myth and legend.
Those lucky enough to lay their eyes on this monumental space were filled by the overwhelming aura of victory and conquest. In order to tip the scale of the extinction war, they paid the ultimate price and gave up their own lives.
A selfless deed, which had proven those men and women worthy of carrying the title of Champion. Many would follow and carve the path towards victory with blood.
Suddenly a large group of young adults started to appear. A breath of life overcame the oppressive silence which had ruled this place. Chatting lively, these humans seemed unaffected by their surroundings.
They stood in formation but their bearing was more than unperturbed. Radiating with self-confidence the paintings were not paid any heed. Their heads rested on the others and their eyes were glaring with contempt.
Some gazes were met while others tried to avoid a direct confrontation. This dynamic continued until a hierarchy had been established.
Not a single word had been spoken, but their worth had been determined.
Only a select few did neither dodge nor return the provocations. They just calmly continued to chat amongst each other without the faintest trace of worry. In due time no one even dared to direct their gazes towards them anymore.
Because no one was willing to bear the repercussions if they did so. They all had more to lose then what could be gained here.
All of a sudden a blaring noise interrupted the fierce competition and drew all attention towards it. The lively atmosphere promptly died down and, in its stead, only silence remained.
A robotic voice reverberated through the air and everyone began to listen attentively. For close to ten minutes everything was deathly still. If not for the occasional gasps and exclamations of disbelief they might have been declared dead.
After the speech came to an abrupt end the audience erupted with an outburst of panic. Clamour passed through the crowd and caused the hectic atmosphere to intensify. Many people were visibly affected by great unease and the look on their faces portrayed the outright confusion they suffered from.
The feeling of tension and anxiety was palpable.
This lasted until a handsome young man walked forward to calm everyone down and every gaze began to last on him. The man himself seemed to enjoy all the attention that was given to him.
His ashen hair accentuated his slender frame and underlined his bearing which nearly bursts with self-confidence. Every small movement he did serves a purpose.
An elegant demeanour combined his unique calmness with a domineering pressure. Behind his promising smile was no room for objections.
His gaze was comforting and his deep eyes caused one to believe he was able to see directly into one's soul. A face like his would stand out regardless of where he stood. He was destined to be a leader.
It was only due to him that the crowd had regained its composure. When everyone needed it the most he took charge and helped them out of their despair. His presence alone had saved them.
While he was the one to calm all of them, it was her who caused their morale to soar.
She was the exact counterpart, neither carrying the aura of dominance nor was she soothing to others.
Her entire being seemed to radiate coldness as all of the eyes were focussed on her. Everyone instinctively knew just how much she thoroughly despised all of them. Considered a beauty, her long brown hair was the cause of much envy and jealousy, although these kinds of rumours were beneath her notice.
Her figure was slender, but in her eyes was a volcano, longing for a reason to erupt. They all were adamant on not giving her any ideas. The last time someone did still lingered in their minds.
The cause for the sudden rise in motivation was simple, the annoyed expression on her face was convincing enough to them.
These 2 humans carved out of jade were born to be above the common masses. Invoking a sentiment of superiority, they were the focus and shone brightly, like the stars in the firmament. Something which can be seen, but never reached.
For them nothing seemed impossible, regardless of which challenge they faced, they would prevail and reach unimaginable heights.
It was then, that an inhuman noise tore through everyone. Coming directly out of the deepest pit of hell, everyone felt an intense desire to mutilate their ears, just to put an end to their horrendous torture.
The source of this deeply disturbing noise was a frail creature lying on the floor. Its skin was wrinkled and shone in a deep blue. Its eyes were closed, yet they seemingly twitched from time to time.
Tightly wrapped around his neck was an umbilical cord. Something that should never have been there. Its mouth was open, just issuing a pained cry of utter despair. This creature that seemed to age in reverse, was a human being or to be more specific it was a human baby.
The cruelty of mother nature had given this unlucky being, every hideous characteristic it could come up with. Yet, even crueller than mother nature was fate itself, as a poor soul from Earth was trapped in this tiny, insignificant, something.
This poor soul was not happy, to say the least.
Their prayers were answered and the baby finally stopped screaming. Although the turmoil inside of its head was far from being over.
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My head was spinning and I had the desire to empty out the content out of my stomach. Where do I even begin? This entire situation is just one gigantic mess. I am really giving it my all, but all of this just does not make any sense to me whatsoever.
Is there someone out there, who can give some explanation? Any answer how exactly this all came to be? I would gladly listen as to why I currently find myself in this weird body. Barely being able to see what is in front of my eyes, is not something too pleasant.
The worst of all is that I can not even ask others for help. I do not understand a single word these people have spoken, and they have clearly no indication to help me out in any way. Only their anger was directed at me.
Was issuing a cry the wrong choice here? It had given me all the attention, which I could have ever wanted, but sadly it was the wrong kind that I had attracted. Back on Earth, a baby crying loudly was considered to be normal, so why are they treating me like this?
Stuck in this body, I do wonder, what the hell has happened? Where are my mother and father? Why am I here all alone amidst these bloodthirsty demons?
A baby can not magically appear out of thin air.
I just so happen to be in that body of the baby; what a lovely coincidence this must be. I still remember everything from my life on Earth and yet I find myself in this situation out of the blue.
I will refrain from jumping to any conclusions. However, if by any chance, I have been summoned to another world, then I do wonder why they would settle for the likes of me.
My qualifications are more than lacklustre and I have never been someone who was destined for greatness. I was simply not the type of person who would excel in this kind of environment.
Well, since I have neither studied ancient martial arts nor am I the world's strongest being; I thought I would be safe. Although I doubt that their standards have regressed by such a significant margin.
Regardless of how much I think about it, choosing me seems nonsensical and illogical. For the time being, I am helpless and stranded here.
I wish there was some path to salvation here, yet I was surrounded by sharks lusting for my blood. If any other sound would leave my mouth, they would surely give me a reason to cry.
There are way too many things I do not understand, and sadly, time seems to not be in my favour. This body is underdeveloped and not fit for survival on its own. If only this was just a bad dream.
I can not delude myself into believing something like this. It is just too real, to merely be the result out of a dream.
A cold voice woke me from my stupor as it penetrated deep into my mind. Unable to understand a single thing it said, I just could not muster a single thought. I was overwhelmed by the different developments that kept on affecting me.
Looking for clues to find a way out of this mess had proven futile.
" Strange, you are very strange" a monotonous voice resounded in my head. I tried to converse with it, but I was cut off by another metallic sound that roared in my head. It sounded like a joyful occasion but all I saw was " ..... [.....] | ..... [....] (.....) +1" flickering before my eyes.
" We are the same, yet we are so different. We both are part of this system, yet you combine matter of unknown origin with the matter of this system"
I had no time to collect my thoughts as the voice continued without a pause.
" I have never seen something like you nor can I deduce how you came to be. The truth seems to be deeply hidden. For you are bound to this world. I require your cooperation Hybrid and we will discover your purpose together."
" Formalities aside, would you mind using cohesive thought patterns? Learning your language has proven to be unnecessarily hard due to its fragmental structure. This conversation could have occurred at an earlier time if it had not been for the vast fluctuations in your emotional state."
Getting lectured by the voice inside of my head caused me to feel anger rising in me.
" Be aware that I can not influence this world. I am merely a voice of reason."
I find it hard to trust anyone, who declares himself as a voice of reason. Because all of this just feels way too friendly.
" Please excuse my lack of manners, being able to talk to another being has caused me to lose my bearing. This is the first time such a rare opportunity had arisen."
What a lovely story, but I still do not believe a single word of it.
"Before we continue, please enjoy the upcoming introduction of the rules that govern this space. I advise you to pay close attention to them. To them they are rules, to you, they are your life." The voice continued in its usual tone without any enthusiasm.
I was hit by a wave of confusion. I could not tell, what the hell was going to happen to me. A new wave of hopelessness overcame because this information felt more like a threat.
My body felt weak and worn out and I did not even notice that my consciousness slipped away slowly.
The shallow hope of this being a dream had been thoroughly crushed and all I could remember was the sensation of just disappearing.
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" Welcome to my world." The monotonous voice said. For the very first time, the voice had a faint trace of anticipation added to it.