In the night's sky, the rain which seemed endless had gotten even stronger, while the deafening cracks of thunder formed fully into lightning, threatening to strike all who had yet to find shelter. Old, eroded bricks sprawled in rows, formed the streets of Ohr, Sepurnum's capital, while small tree stumps were used as markings for the road to avoid the tragedy of an unsuspecting pedestrian getting hit by a similarly unsuspecting carriage. At this moment many people were in their homes gazing languidly at the barely visible Ohr streets, the oil-lit streetlamps doing little to brighten the rainy city.
Eltlin was just one of these brick-laid streets upon which was a rundown building of three floors and forty-five rooms. The landlord, in her insatiable greed, wanting to fit as many rooms as she could, made the rooms so small that calling them cages would more fitting. This poor neighbourhood had many such buildings therefore, sadly, this building did not stand out. On the ground floor of this particular building, a change was occurring, a change that will forever alter the life of a young man.
[Rejoice human, you have been chosen as The Supreme Evolution Candidate]
Such were the words that rung deep in Bultear's mind. In an elusive space did he float, nothing but faint, blinking green lights surrounded him. In this space of no end, he was on the precipice of great change.
"Where am I? Is this the afterlife?"
As he slowly opened his eyes and took in the transcendental world facing him, these were the only words his mind conjured. He tried moving his hands and feet, but in that vain attempt, he discovered he could not even move his eyes. Like a moth to a flame, his eyes were utterly transfixed to the biggest, brightest light of them all, from which an enveloping voice fluttered out.
[Indeed human, you are in the afterlife, but not the kind you know. Your body has died and, in this space, it will be born anew, moulded. It is through fate that you were brought here, as The Supreme Evolution Candidate.]
"What in the hell are you talking about?" Asked Bultear telepathically, totally confused. "Evolved.... what is being evolved? Didn't I just die trying to save Sigmund from a weird plant abomination.... Wait! Sigmund! Is he alive? Since you took me here, you probably know what happened."
[The wolf? I see, you gave it a name. You must really be fond of it. I advise you to not worry, human, your fates are interwoven, now in more ways than one. The moment you were stabbed by the leaves of the Evolver, Sigmund in his near-death state, started the process of evolution, and human, so did you along with it.]
" So Sigmund is alive! Thank the heavens... "
The ethereal voice left him no time to fully take in the new information as it continued.
[You will soon be thanking the heavens for a different reason. At this point in time, you are human no longer, now you are Evolver. Time will bear its pain; it is up to you to deal with it and prove yourself as the rightful Candidate.]
"Wait what?... evolver, candidate... what does any of this mean?!
[ Upon your form three abilities will be imprinted. Go now. Your mission will soon be clear to you]
The world of lights immediately dimmed as if responding to the voice and the young man back to reality, was sent.
As Bultear's bloodshot eyes slowly opened and before his murky mind could fully start to operate, he heard a deep voice exclaim with shock.
"How can this be, he was dead just a minute ago?!
The loud, sudden exclamation alerted the other people, causing them to jump into a certain formation. Prompting the leader at the front of it, to ask with seriousness.
" Lieutenant Pax, what's the matter? Is the Evolver still alive?!
" No sir, not the plant, take a look at this."
The lack of tension eased the expression on the leader's face. After he signalled to his division to disengage from the defensive formation, he walked over to the man in a buzzcut, with his large dark red coat swaying heavily with every step.
"Oh?... this is peculiar. He's still alive, it seems we have an interesting case on our
hands."
Seeing such a scene the leader Fjoroft could not help but be intrigued and with a loud voice ordered his men.
"Lt. Pax and third seat Milek take him away to the base! This will require further research."
" Understood!" "Yes sir, right away!"