A gentle, yet cold breeze came across Lloyd's face, making him twitch and groan.
Uh? Why am I feeling cold? Am I not… dead?
His confusion was understandable, if not expected. Instead of being hurt and on the verge of death, he simply felt like he had woken up from a long and deep slumber, with his last memory being the fateful gunshot that, he assumed, had taken his life. However, the fact that he could think, breathe and feel all clearly indicated otherwise. But he was sure he was now a death row criminal, so why was he still alive? Had they changed their mind?
This train of thought caused the gears in his head to start turning and grinding as his eyes refused to open, now too anxious to face the world around him. The only clues about his location were the wind and the feel of the tall, dew-kissed grass smothered beneath him, indicating that he was outside and most likely in a field.
But even after considering a few scenarios, he arrived at the sobering conclusion that he was… powerless. His body, although commendable for a scholar, wasn't one that had been trained to fight, and negotiating his way out, especially after his stunts, seemed ill-advised. With these options out of the way, all he could do was face the situation head-on, and so he braved the unknown.
But when he did, his mind blanked.
"Where… Where am I!?"
Instead of seeing the various facilities and forces that'd confirm his earlier hypothesis, a fantastical scene presented itself.
Fields, stretching out into infinity.
Trees, whose shadows sprawled hundreds of meters.
Rivers, so tumultuous even the Zaire's most treacherous sections paled in comparison.
Nestled amongst them were also mountains, with peaks soaring beyond the loftiest of clouds.
Finally, and reigning above it all, was a triad of suns proudly occupying their thrones in the sky.
This onslaught of unfamiliarity overwhelmed him, as it was simply too much to bear.
This… wasn't Earth.
"How did I get here!?"
His heart had begun pounding erratically in his chest, as if it might burst out at any moment. His palms then in turn grew clammy with sweat, with his breath coming in short, ragged gasps as the environment began spinning around him, an overwhelming sense of dread now washing over his entire body.
He tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but it felt like his lungs were constricting and refusing to take in any more air. This caused his mind to race with irrational thoughts, each one more terrifying than the last, as he was slowly being convinced that he was having a heart attack despite parts of his brain telling him otherwise.
His hands then began to tremble uncontrollably, and he felt a tingling sensation spread from his fingertips up through his arms as his vision blurred, the world around him rapidly turning into a hazy mess with sounds becoming muffled, his heartbeat instead hammering his ears.
It wasn't long before waves of nausea rolled over him, followed by his legs growing weak, making him struggle to even remain upright. He wanted to run, to escape this overwhelming feeling of impending doom, but his body wouldn't cooperate.
In that moment, he felt helpless, trapped in his own mind and body, unable to break free from the grip of sheer terror. But just as the episode seemed to reach its peak, something unexpected happened.
[Warning! Warning! Warning! User
"What the hell!?"
A blue panel had abruptly materialized in front of him, like a projection of sorts. In an odd twist, the jarring apparition snapped him out of his downward spiral, causing the display to flicker and subsequently alter its message.
[The User's heartbeat is slowing down… The User is no longer in a state of panic.]
"What is this???"
After a brief pause, the caption once again changed.
[I am the System of Arcadia, which you can also refer to as System.]
"Uh? It can understand me!?"
[Correct. However, you do not have to fear me, as I will not, and cannot, harm you.]
It was at this moment that his rationality kicked in, prompting his eyes to scour the ground and seek the responsible device. Yet, scarcely a moment into his search, the panel's message changed again.
[I do not have a physical body, meaning that you cannot find me.]
He was shocked. Based on what he knew, this was clearly artificial intelligence, but he had studied in that field and had never seen such an advanced implementation before. From simply reading his body language, this so-called 'System' had managed to predict his next action, or so he had thought. This was far beyond anything they had ever created back on Earth.
[I am also not what you call 'artificial intelligence'. I am an integral part of Arcadia.]
"What!? You can also read my mind!?"
[Since I am 'integrated' with every being of this World, yes, I have access to your thoughts. Instead of displaying myself as a panel, I can also directly speak through your mind. Would you prefer this method of communication, User
At this point, he was terrified, but also very curious. He was having a conversation with an unknown entity that could read his every thought and action, meaning he was essentially at its mercy. It was also the first time in his life that he hadn't been able to explain a phenomenon, which intrigued him to no end. If it could already do this, resisting it any further was pointless.
"Yes, but will I still be able to see this panel afterward?"
[Choice confirmed, and you will still be able to see the panel whenever you ask and whenever it is convenient.]
At those words, the visual display flickered out of existence and was followed by a sharp, but brief hum that resonated within his skull, its intensity catching him off guard and causing a wave of nausea to wash over him.
[Synchronization… successful.]
As it had just explained, the voice now came from within his mind, its feminine, soft and melodic tone shining through. He'd presumed that such an entity wouldn't be a being, but it seemed he had been proven wrong yet again.
[Your original assumption was correct, as I do not have a physical body. However, I do adjust my voice depending on whom I interact with. If this doesn't suit you, you can always change it. Would you like to do so?]
This 'System' just continuously astonished him.
"It won't be necessary. Earlier, you said you were the System of Arcadia. Is it where we are?"
[Correct. Would you like a summary of this world?]
His heart skipped a beat. He had already suspected this, but having it confirmed was still completely different. This led to a long and silent reflection as he tried to gather back his bearings, his mind gradually making sense of the situation. Once he felt comfortable enough, he then continued.
"Yes."
[Choice confirmed. This world's name is Arcadia, and it teems with a multitude of species and civilizations. Based on your Earthly knowledge, you might find similarities with races such as Humans, Dwarves, Orcs, etc. While there are obvious differences between what you know and what is currently residing here, the basic concepts are fairly similar. As for the fauna, it'll be left for you to discover.]
He instantly gasped due to his breath catching in his throat. Dwarves!? ORCS!?!?!? What!? Wasn't this the work of fantasy literature? How could Earth's stories even hint at their existence here???
When sensing his mounting distress, the system paused again. Christopher's mind had become muddled once more, now swirling with a vortex of fears and questions.
All this information, all this change…
His body, as much as it wanted to accept its new reality, simply couldn't keep up. Nevertheless, it quickly made him realize two things: first, he would have to rapidly adapt if he wanted to survive. If he kept losing his composure, he definitely wouldn't last long, especially with time now becoming a luxury. Secondly, his presence here confirmed that he had indeed died, but although a stinging realization, it also meant that this was a fresh start, the one he had yearned for during his last moments. With nearly all of his acquaintances also taken away from him, there was nothing chaining him to his past.
And as he thought about his situation even further, a simple conclusion came to mind. Wasn't this… perfect?