"Hello, mortal."
The voice echoed in the vastness around him, reverberating through the cosmic air. It wasn't speech in any traditional sense; it bypassed sound entirely, sliding directly into his mind. The being before him—its great wings blotting out the sky—wasn't speaking in English, or any language he knew. Yet, somehow, he understood every word.
The realization sent a shiver through him. How am I understanding this? But before he could dwell on the thought, the creature's many eyes blinked in eerie synchronization, fixing their gaze upon him.
"What is your name?" the being asked, its countless eyes gleaming with cold, distant light. It was both a question and a command, pulling at something deep within him, like the universe itself demanded an answer.
The man hesitated. His mind blanked for a moment as the enormity of the situation pressed down on him. His real name—whatever it was—seemed irrelevant now, a relic of a life he had left behind in the flaming wreckage of a car. Something else bubbled to the surface, something familiar, comforting in its simplicity.
Chang Liu.
That name had always been special to him, borrowed from the pages of his favorite book—the name of a hero who lived the life he could only dream of. Strong, brave, and everything he wasn't.
"My name is… Chang Liu," he finally replied, his voice sounding small, almost fragile in the vast emptiness around him.
The creature's many eyes blinked once again, and its wings shifted slightly, sending ripples through the space around them. "Chang Liu… a name to be remembered. How quaint."
There was no emotion in the words, yet somehow Chang felt the weight of them. It was as though the being had peeled back the layers of his thoughts and seen the truth behind the name. But if it knew, it gave no sign.
The being drifted closer, its wings casting strange, shifting shadows over Chang as his descent through the sky slowed. His endless fall had become something else now—more like floating, weightless, as if the universe itself was cradling him. Despite the being's immense presence, there was a strange calmness in the air, as though the terror of the situation had dissolved.
The two talked for hours about his past life.
"You are no longer where you once were," the being continued, its voice no longer booming but soft, like a whisper brushing against his mind. "That world you called home—your Earth—is but a speck in the grand tapestry of all things. This world below… it is far greater than anything you have ever known. Vast. Significant."
Chang felt a warmth lift him gently, slowing his fall even further, turning it into a controlled descent. The ground below, which had once seemed impossibly far away, was now beginning to take shape. Rolling mountains, ancient forests, and rivers shimmering with unnatural colors spread out beneath him.
"The world you see below is united under a single great empire," the being said, its wings now fully spread as it hovered above him, the eyes on its body still locked onto him. "But it is not a simple world, nor is it peaceful. It is a world of many species—creatures you could not have imagined—and an infinite number of paths to power. Here, power is everything. And those with power shape the fate of all."
Chang's heart raced. Power? He had never had power. His life had been nothing but mediocrity and obscurity, marked by routine and insignificance. Yet, here he was, in the presence of something that could level mountains with a thought, telling him that power ruled this new world.
"What kind of power?" he asked, his voice trembling. "And… how does one get it?"
The creature's eyes sparkled with what might have been amusement, though it was hard to tell. "There are many paths to power here. You may follow the way of martial arts, refining your body and mind into a weapon. Or perhaps the path of magic calls to you, where you will command the elements, the forces of the cosmos. Some choose the path of cultivation, refining their spirit over centuries to ascend beyond mortality. Others yet follow chemistry, chivalry, or more… peculiar arts. Each path has its own rules, its own dangers. But each can grant you power."
As the being spoke, Chang found himself drifting lower, the ground growing sharper in his vision. Towering trees, taller than anything he had ever seen, stood proudly below, their leaves glowing faintly with colors no Earthly forest had ever known. The air smelled fresh and sweet, like ripened fruit kissed by the sun. He could see rivers winding through the landscape, their waters shimmering in unnatural hues.
"And you said the world is united?" Chang asked, still grappling with everything he was hearing. "How? On Earth, people couldn't even agree on running a single country. There was always war, conflict, chaos…"
The being's wings shifted, stirring the air around them. "The empire here is unlike anything you have known. It is united not by peace, but by power. The Emperor rules all, and those beneath him obey. It is not harmony as you understand it, but control. Conflict exists, yes, but it is controlled, managed—like a game. And those who play the game well… rise."
As the words settled over him, Chang's feet finally touched the ground. He was standing now, on solid earth, though it was unlike any earth he had ever known. The soil was soft beneath his feet, dark and rich, and the air felt alive with energy, humming with a quiet power.
He looked up at the creature, which still hovered above him, its wings casting dark, swirling shadows across the sky.
"Why me?" he asked, the question that had been gnawing at him finally breaking free. "Why bring me here? I'm nobody. I've never had power, never accomplished anything. Why not choose someone else?"
The being's eyes narrowed, each of them glinting with something inscrutable. "Does one need power to deserve a second chance? Or is it the opportunity of another life that allows one to seek power? Perhaps this is your chance, Chang Liu, to rise in a way you could never have in that small, broken world of yours. But know this—nothing here is given freely. You will fight. You will suffer. But if you are worthy… you will rise."
Chang felt the weight of those words sinking into him, pressing down on his chest. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't anyone. But this… this was a chance. His only chance. And maybe that was enough.
"I'll take that chance," he said, his voice quiet but steady, surprising himself with the resolve behind it.
The being's wings beat once, sending a gust of wind through the air, stirring the leaves around them. "Then your journey begins, Chang Liu. Choose your path wisely, for it will define you in ways you cannot yet comprehend. This world will not coddle you—but it will offer you a choice."
With that, the creature began to fade, its immense form dissolving into the sky like mist. The many eyes that had once watched him blinked one final time, and then they were gone, leaving Chang alone in this strange, vast world.
Alone, but no longer powerless.
He looked out over the horizon, the fire in his chest burning brighter. This world might be immense, terrifying, and indifferent, but for the first time in his life, Chang Liu felt something stir deep within him—something that told him he could be more than ordinary.
And now, he had the chance to prove it.