A splitting headache threatened to split James's head open. He clutched his head and began to sway back and forth. The pain was so intense that it prevented him from thinking clearly. He felt the sensation of being dragged into emptiness, a dark circle surrounded by a purple haze.
The feeling of falling intensified, along with the pounding headache, as if someone wanted to extract his brain through his eyes. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, an image appeared from the void.
He remembered.
There was a girl, him, the red traffic light, and the distracting lights of a police car. The girl was slightly smaller than him, her childlike hands reaching out, drawn to the gleam of the police officer's weapon. Her father shouted in protest against the injustice.
She was a blonde girl with hair that reached her hips, her porcelain-white complexion radiant. The patrol car wailed like a storm, offering him absolution with its gleam, calling to him, promising an end to hunger.
He stretched his hand a little further, but suddenly, he was pushed back.
He fell again, but this time in reverse. The headache slowly vanished, colors dulled, and the noise became bearable. He was back on the bench, alone. There was no emptiness, only longing and a memory.
On that day, he received a ring and made a promise. He couldn't recall the promise, but he knew where the ring was buried in his grandmother's backyard. He feared his parents would take it away to sell, so he never carried it with him.
The longing grew in his chest, and he couldn't help but wonder, "Could the ring be the help I need?" He started walking towards his grandmother's house, the urgency to reach there overriding his pain. He quickened his pace, almost running.
Finally, he arrived at the house, jumped over the fence, and headed to a specific spot in the backyard. He began to dig, using his hands like a castaway who had just seen fresh water for the first time.
After much effort, his hand finally touched something solid and metallic. Carefully, he unearthed the ring from its resting place, fearing it would slip through his fingers like water. But there it was, tangible and real. The ring shone with its own radiance, as if eager to fulfill its purpose. James held it with both hands, feeling an inexplicable connection to the object.
At that moment, he realized that this ring was much more than a simple jewel. It was a key to unlock his past, a tool to face his present challenges, and a guide to his future.
Just then, his grandfather stepped out of the house, shouting at him for ruining the backyard. "You cursed devil child!" he yelled, raising his cane.
James simply fled from the scene once again, searching for a slightly empty area where he could sit alone. He looked at the ring in his hands for a few moments, gathering the courage to put it on.
He tried putting the ring on different fingers, but somehow, it seemed to fit none except his right middle finger. Finally, he swallowed hard and placed the ring on his finger. It fit perfectly, sliding on as if it had always been destined to be there.
Immediately, something strange happened. The ring lost all its brilliance, and even the gem disappeared, transforming into a somewhat rusty brass ring.
Simultaneously, James felt his mind clouding over. He closed his eyes and began to fall into a kind of sleep.
"Welcome, James," a strange creature responded, an amorphous being of dark shape-shifting forms.
"Who are you, what's happening?" James was confused and scared by the sudden.
James was confused and scared by the sudden appearance of the creature. He didn't know what was happening or who this entity was that seemed to know him. However, as his fear faded, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.
The creature shifted its form once again, taking on a more human appearance. Now, standing before James, was a being that looked wise and mysterious.
"I am a guide, James," the creature responded with a deep and resonant voice. "I have been waiting for this moment, the moment when you embrace the destiny that awaits you."
James was even more perplexed. He didn't understand how this creature could know his name and speak of an unknown destiny. But he also felt a magnetic attraction to it, as if he had been seeking answers and guidance for a long time.
The creature extended a hand towards James, inviting him to approach. With some apprehension, James stood up and took hesitant steps towards it. As he approached, he felt a comforting warmth and a sense of protection.
"I have waited many times to guide you to Elysium. I had almost lost faith that you would appear, but here you are, never ceasing to surprise," it said with a mischievous smile, though it seemed somewhat sinister.
"Am I dead? What is this Elysium you speak of?" James asked, confused.
"You are not dead, young one, not yet. And I hope you don't die before fulfilling your promise," the entity changed forms, then settled into the shape of a great eye and began to circle around. "Humans often speak of Elysium as the land of heroes, a place of gods. It is necessary for you to go there to fulfill your purpose."
"What is this purpose you keep talking about?" James responded uncertainly. He knew he had read something about it, something related to Greek mythology.
"Hmm, you don't remember," the entity said, changing into the form of a cat.
"Not at all, although I remember a promise. I don't quite remember what I promised, or what I should do," James sighed, feeling somewhat saddened by this.
The cat jumped onto James' legs, who suddenly found himself sitting, and it turned around a few times to get comfortable before curling up. "It's a real problem that you don't remember. Unfortunately, if I were to tell you, it would hinder your progress. It's better for you to explore Elysium yourself and find the answers within you."
"And how am I supposed to do that? Also, is this land of Elysium filled with superhuman heroes like in mythology? If so, I doubt I can really do anything against beings of that caliber," James responded genuinely worried about having to face beings like Hercules.
"Of course, it's filled with heroes. It's called the land of heroes, after all," the cat replied, wagging its tail, clearly expecting some petting.
When James finally stroked the cat, it continued, "However, you can also become one. In fact, anyone can become a hero if they strive and meet the requirements of the system."
Questions began to grow inside James, but he started with the most obvious one, "What do you mean by system?"
"Hmm, it's like the role-playing games you used to enjoy when you were little. You level up, and by meeting certain requirements, you can change classes and gain special powers," the cat said, enjoying the petting.
Suddenly, it seemed to remember something and jumped off James' legs, looking into the void as if something dangerous were there. Slowly, it transformed into a large and imposing lion. "To enter Elysium, simply focus with all your strength on the ring, just like you did to get here."
Suddenly, it let out a loud roar and took a battle stance. "Time is running out. Remember, never promise anything or sign anything. Don't entrust your destiny to anyone other than yourself." Then it pushed James, and he finally left the space and returned to where he was sitting.
James was stunned for a few moments, processing everything that had happened. It all felt surreal. Going to a legendary land, becoming a hero like Hercules, imagining himself fighting a hydra brought a smile to his face. It was certainly a ridiculous sight.
But at the same time, he wished it were true. He had failed at everything in this world. No one cared about him, and his situation was truly lamentable. If he could start over somewhere else, he would take the opportunity without hesitation, even if it wasn't as fantastic a world as the one described to him. Although, after thinking about the being he had encountered, anything seemed possible.
For a brief moment, he began to hesitate, thinking about his ex-wife and his daughter. He felt that he still had something to do, but soon negative emotions flooded his mind. They were gone now, living with another man. He started thinking about his parents and all the problems they had brought him, the problems that still haunted him. He began to think about his mistakes, and panic slowly clouded his consciousness. The voices screamed, his surroundings spun, and the void in his chest returned.
He really wanted to drink, to have a bottle of the cheapest alcohol he could find, even if it wasn't entirely legal. He quickly checked all his pockets, but unfortunately, he had nothing, not even a penny to spend on alcohol. With everything that had happened to him today, he truly wished for something that would allow him to escape.
Not knowing what to do, he started looking around, trying to shake off the disorientation caused by the encounter. Suddenly, he spotted more trouble. One of the gangs he owed money to seemed to be looking for him. In fact, he knew they were looking for him because as soon as they saw him, they started running toward him. James knew this wouldn't be good; damn, he had even come close to dying the last time he encountered them. He immediately knew he had to run.
He got up as best as he could and ran in the opposite direction, without a plan, without a route in mind. He just ran. Although he had often wished to end it all, he didn't want it to end like this. In moments like these, he regretted his choices. James ran like a bat out of hell, taking alleys and shortcuts, trying to lose his pursuers.
When it seemed like he had shaken off his pursuers, he reached a dead-end alley. He hit the wall, panicking. His overwhelmed mind was working at full capacity, and he knew he wouldn't escape this alley, eluding his pursuers. After a few short seconds of panic, James simply looked at the ring and remembered what the strange creature had told him. He was supposed to be able to go to Elysium through it. He didn't know how it worked, or if it would even work, but in these moments, this was his best, or rather, his only chance to live.
He sat behind a dumpster and focused all his attention on the ring while repeating in his mind, "Take me to Elysium, take me to Elysium." Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he heard a voice saying, "You are already in Elysium, little one, or rather, at its gates."
James opened his eyes and looked around. The first thing he noticed was the mane of a gigantic lion, truly enormous. The lion's head alone could be the size of a 4-story building. James immediately stepped back in complete panic, but the lion didn't seem aggressive, rather surprised.
"Boy, of all the new visitors, you're the only one who hasn't peed themselves upon seeing me. I see you have potential," said the lion with a smile that, although it should be reassuring, looked threatening to James. However, the lion then sniffed the air, and his attitude immediately changed.
"Bah, you stink, you really reek of darkness. Well, let's just get this over with and get you out of here," said the great lion with a hostile expression.
"In this world, there is a class system. There are different classes ranging from beginner, basic, initial, intermediate, advanced, expert. To change classes, you must meet certain requirements. There are different class trees that will grant you different abilities, as well as different rarities and blah blah blah. It's better if you discover it for yourself. I'm sure a degenerate like you will enjoy the challenge. Now, you want me to send you off with the rest of the little ones like you, right? Well, goodbye. I hope I don't see you again," declared the lion in rapid succession. Finally, he blew towards James, who was swept away from where they were, experiencing the sensation of weightlessness once again. He could see himself falling towards the earth, or rather, towards Elysium.
The sight was similar to being dropped from the stratosphere, or it would be better to say that he was indeed dropped from there. James fell for what seemed like an eternity, and when he finally thought he would be turned into a James-shaped pulp, he found himself sitting in an alley.
His first reaction was to touch his entire body. He couldn't believe that he had come out of that situation in one piece. Then, as tears threatened to well up, he suddenly felt the urge to vomit, so he emptied whatever little he had in his stomach.
"I guess this was a welcome to Elysium, a hero's welcome. I'm truly like Hercules," James said to himself with a broken smile as his back slid down the wall supporting him. He had almost died at the hands of thugs several times in one day, and now he had almost died again at the hands of a mythical creature.
"Despite everything, I'm still here. I wonder why it rejected me," he whispered to himself. Finally, when the urge to vomit subsided, he decided to get up and find a place to rest, preferably away from the filth.