A rain descended upon the city of Windy Sand, drumming against the windows with a soft yet persistent rhythm. Inside a cramped apartment, an author named Saria sat at his desk, staring at the blinking cursor on the screen. He had been writing his novel for barely twenty minutes before the familiar sense of lethargy crept over him. He sighed heavily, the rain outside only fueling his desire to do anything but write.
"Ugh, this is hopeless," he muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair. His eyes wandered to the television that flickered in the corner of the room. It was on, though he hadn't been paying attention. The sound of commercials filled the air, advertising everything from food delivery services to flashy new gadgets that promised to make life easier. None of it interested him, but it provided some background noise that was comforting in its own way.
The screen eventually shifted to a news broadcast. Saria's eyes lazily drifted toward it, barely registering the anchor's words until something caught his attention. A poster flashed on the screen, showing a tall man with black, messy hair and a flat expression. Beneath the image, the words "Missing Person" were written in bold letters.
"The man, last seen in Windy Sand City, has been reported missing," the anchor stated in a serious tone.
Saria blinked and sat up slightly, squinting at the screen. The man looked familiar. Wherwe had he seen him before? A vague memory stirred in the back of his mind, but he couldn't place it.
"I think I've seen this guy somewhere..." he mused out loud, his brows furrowed. Then, as quickly as the thought had surfaced, he shrugged it off. "Whatever, not my problem."
With a lazy stretch, Saria abandoned his desk and dropped onto the worn-out sofa behind him. The cushions sagged under his weight as he settled in, the rain continuing to patter against the window. The television continued to hum in the background, the news anchor moving on to the next story, but Saria paid it no mind. His eyes grew heavy, and within moments, he began to drift off, lulled to sleep by the soft droning of the TV and the rain outside.
He wasn't sure how long he had been asleep when a sudden growling noise jolted him awake. His stomach rumbled loudly, demanding attention. Groaning, Saria rubbed his eyes and sat up, feeling a pang of hunger gnawing at his insides.
"Great," he grumbled, glancing toward the kitchen. It wasn't far, just a few steps away, but it felt like a journey of a thousand miles. "I should probably eat something."
With another sigh, he forced himself to stand, his legs feeling like lead as he shuffled toward the fridge. Opening it, he was greeted by a nearly empty interior—just a carton of milk, some leftover takeout, and a single apple. He stared at the contents for a moment, contemplating whether it was worth the effort to even bother.
In the end, he grabbed the apple, took a bite, and leaned against the counter. As he chewed, his mind wandered back to the news broadcast from earlier. That missing guy... there was something about him. The feeling of familiarity lingered, nagging at the edges of his mind. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.
"Doesn't matter," Saria mumbled to himself. "Not like I can do anything about it."
Finishing the apple, he tossed the core into the trash and returned to his spot on the sofa. He glanced at his laptop, the blank document still open, waiting for him to continue writing. But the motivation just wasn't there. Instead, he grabbed the remote and flicked through the channels, letting the sound of the TV fill the room once again.
Slowly, Saria drifted off into sleep, sinking deeper into a profound slumber. He had no expectations for the following day. It would be the same routine: working as an office boy from morning until night, then stumbling through his inconsistent writing at midnight. It was a life of monotony, one he had grown accustomed to, even if it left him feeling empty inside.
But something unusual happened. Awareness began to creep into his consciousness, tugging him out of the depths of his sleep. Saria stirred, slowly waking to find himself sitting in an unfamiliar, dark place. The air was thick, almost oppressive, and the silence was unnerving. He blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness, when suddenly, a soft light illuminated the space before him.
A stunningly beautiful woman sat across from him, her presence glowing with a serene light. Her hair cascaded in waves down her back, shimmering like silver under the soft illumination. She wore a gentle smile, her eyes warm and inviting. Despite the strange surroundings, there was something comforting about her presence.
"It looks like you've awakened, eh, Saria?" she spoke in a gentle, melodic voice, one that seemed to echo slightly in the dark room.
Saria, still groggy and confused, stared at the woman, his mind struggling to catch up. Where the hell am I? Who the hell is this woman? His thoughts raced, but his body was slow to react. He felt as if he were still partially dreaming. After what felt like an eternity, he finally managed to shake off the lingering drowsiness.
"Who are you? And where is this?" Saria asked, his voice hoarse but laced with growing awareness.
The woman's smile didn't falter as she introduced herself. "I am Lumia, a goddess," she said simply, as if that explained everything.
Saria's mind reeled. A goddess? What the hell happened? Am I dead? Panic surged through him as he tried to make sense of the situation. This had to be some kind of dream, right? Yet, everything felt so real—the cold, hard surface beneath him, the soft glow surrounding Lumia, the way her eyes seemed to see straight through him.
"I can assure you, Saria, you are not dead," Lumia said, as if reading his thoughts. "But you are no longer in your world."
Her words hit him like a truck, leaving him breathless. "What do you mean, 'not in my world'? What's going on?" he demanded, a mix of fear and frustration creeping into his voice.
Lumia gestured to a small table between them that Saria hadn't noticed before. On it was a chessboard, its pieces already arranged as if in the middle of a game. "Why don't we play a game?" she suggested calmly, ignoring his growing agitation.
Without waiting for his response, she made the first move, sliding a pawn forward. Saria stared at the board, dumbfounded. His life had just taken a bizarre turn, and this goddess wanted to play chess? But something about the calmness of the situation, coupled with Lumia's unshakable demeanor, compelled him to play along. Hesitantly, he moved a pawn of his own.
As they played, Lumia spoke. "You are in a place between worlds, Saria. A liminal space where decisions are made and paths are chosen. The world you knew is now behind you."
Saria's heart pounded in his chest. "What do you mean, behind me? Are you saying I can't go back?"
Lumia moved another piece, her eyes never leaving the board. "You were unhappy, were you not? A life filled with dissatisfaction and longing for something more. This is your opportunity, Saria, to live within a world of your own creation."
Saria froze, his hand hovering over the board. "My own creation? You mean... my novel?"
Lumia nodded, her expression softening. "Indeed. You will be transported to the world you've crafted with your own hands, to a place where your imagination has brought forth life. But be warned, Saria, it is not exactly as you remember it."
"What do you mean?" he asked, unease creeping into his voice.
She moved her knight, capturing one of his pawns effortlessly. "Your world has evolved beyond what you wrote. Characters have grown, and new forces are at play. It will be a place both familiar and foreign to you."
Saria's mind spun with the implications. He had always wanted to escape into his stories, to leave his mundane life behind. But this was different—this was real. And it terrified him.
"What happens if I lose this game?" he asked, more out of curiosity than fear.
Lumia smiled mysteriously. "You won't lose, Saria. This is not a game you can lose... only one you can learn from."
With those words lingering in the air, Saria moved his rook, capturing one of Lumia's bishops. She nodded in approval, then made her next move, her eyes sparkling with something unreadable.
"Prepare yourself, Saria," Lumia said as she moved her queen across the board. "For when this game ends, your new life will begin."
Before Saria could respond, the room around him started to dissolve into light. The chessboard, the goddess, and the dark room all faded away, leaving him with a strange feeling of anticipation and dread.
And then, everything went black.