Prologue
"And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up." — Varian Lyon's
My story may not have started the way I wanted, or how someone would expect it to be. But, looking back now, I think it might have been better this way. If everything had happened differently, the story I am about to tell could be different. Maybe, I wouldn't have become the man I am today.
It's ironic to think how mistakes shape our character much more than successes. I clearly remember the words of a wise man I once met: "If you never fail, it's because you're not even trying." Each failed experience is just one more step towards success. Those words are etched in me.
This is my story. Not the story of an invincible hero, nor that of a terrible villain. It's simply my story. No matter what I do, no one can completely control how they will be seen by others. You can't please everyone, nor can you prevent them from forming their own opinions—whether they are good or bad.
But there is one thing I am sure of: I was born to fight. I'm not saying I was born strong or brave. But believe me when I say that the fight is my destiny. Some might call this a curse; I call it a blessing.
If you desire strength, do you believe the results will come on their own, or will you seek the chance to prove yourself strong? If you desire peace, do you think it will be achieved just by watching time pass, or will you have the opportunity to build it? And if you want a better world, even if just a little, do you believe that the gods will snap their fingers and everything will turn into peace and harmony, or will it be you who has the chance and the responsibility to make a difference for this land? The answer is with you.
These words may seem empty, but I like to believe there is truth in them.
The universe decided to test me, just as the blacksmith would hammer the iron until it was shaped into steel. And so, my life would be forged. This is my story:
The Stranger.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself blind and helpless, in a strange and dark place. So dark that I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or closed.
The atmosphere of that place was suffocating, laden with a palpable loneliness. The kind of darkness that feels alive, where fear crawls in your chest, growing, until it becomes impossible to ignore.
The feeling of despair made every fiber of my body want to run, to flee in any direction. But how could I escape if I couldn't even see where I was?
It was like that childhood fear you feel when you're home alone at night.
That irrational feeling that, at any moment, a monstrous creature could emerge from the shadows and drag you into the unknown.
The difference is that, this time, the fear was not imaginary. it was real, dense and it was, squeezing my heart.
The worst part was that I had no idea what was happening or how I ended up there.
The last thing I remembered was being in a white room, lying on a bed. The windows were open, and the curtains swayed gently with the wind.
If I stood up, I could see what was outside, but for some reason I remained there motionless, just staring at the white empty wall.
The photographs in the room were nothing more than indistinct blurs, as if I was trying to remember something I couldn't grasp.
In a way, it was like an artificial environment. I had no idea how long I had been there.
While my gaze wandered aimlessly, an irritating sound echoed in my mind: Tiick*. Tiick*. It was constant, like the ticking of a clock. Until slowly the interval between the sounds began to stretch.
The silence began to fill the space, and my eyelids grew heavier and heavier until the sound ceased completely.
It was at that moment, when the darkness seemed to swallow me whole, that a voice echoed from the void.
—Is this the last candidate on the list?
The voice pierced through me like a cold blade. The fear that was already intense turned into pure terror. My entire body froze, as if any movement, even breathing, could seal my fate. The right word to describe what I felt was not just oppression, it was something much deeper: it was more like Terror itself.
What place is this?
I thought, desperately, trying to find some answears within myself.
But nothing made sense. Would I be dead? Would this be hell, where my soul awaited judgment?
Before I could organize my thoughts, a second voice echoed in the darkness, more casual but equally disturbing.
—Is this the last candidate? I heard it was billions... and we couldn't even gather a few hundred?
—Good numbers
Answered the first voice.
—Probably a little less than ten billion. But even so, we will have to wrap up soon or the 'honorable' ones will find us. It was fun to see the progress of our creations, but it ends here.
—It was interesting, murmured the second voice.
I couldn't understand what they were talking about, but I knew it involved something much bigger than me. Each word exchanged between them seemed to carry an unbearable weight, it was painful just to hear it.
And then, a third voice entered the conversation, firm and authoritative, like a father scolding careless children.
—Enough talk. You have work to do.
—Yes, yes. Let's complete the task without delay, shall we?
One of the voices replied, clearly annoyed by the intervention.
A sigh echoed, followed by a tense silence. And it was at that moment that something changed. A snap of fingers echoed in the darkness, and suddenly, a wave of cold swept over my body.
My muscles began to tingle, as if they were being invaded by something I couldn't understand. The feeling of losing control, of being at the mercy of something I didn't understand, completely overtook me. I was breathing heavily, panic was consuming me.
It was like sinking in water, but you couldn't move and there was no water, you breathed, but your lungs didn't fill up. You were alive but didn't feel it.
—This one seems... strange.
One of the voices commented, distantly.
—Don't worry about that one.
Another one answered.
—He's just another "πρωτό..."! Broken...
The words that followed were distorted, as if they had been muffled. I couldn't understand what was said.
—What bad taste, better discard it before it becomes a problem
Said the first voice, without any emotion.
Before I could react, the ground beneath me disappeared. I fell, plunging into an endless abyss. There was no sound, no light. Just the fall, endless. The feeling of being pulled by something invisible began to drive me to madness.
I tried to scream but no sound came out.
My thoughts were jumbled, trying to find a thread of logic, but it was useless. All I could feel was the emptiness, the darkness, pulling me further and further down.
But then, something changed. A bright light appeared in my field of vision. First distant, then closer, until it finally enveloped me.
And with the light came the water. The sensation of being immersed, of breathing water and being blinded by the light at the same time. My mind oscillated between despair and relief, not knowing which feeling would prevail.
And that's how I found the light of the sky and the water of the sea.
Before fully waking up, strange dreams invaded my mind. I saw flashes, explosions, and confusing lights that left me dazed. Nothing was clear or easy to understand. one moment it felt like I was in heaven, the next, being crushed against the ground.
These chaotic images pulled me in different directions as I struggled, trying to swim upwards. But with each flash, my consciousness slipped away for a brief moment, drowning me again in confusion.
Finally, after a monumental effort, I managed to surface, grabbing onto something that was floating in the water. It seemed to be a piece of tree.
I breathed with difficulty, my chest Hurt as if it had been crushed by an invisible weight.
Aaaff... Aaaff..." I gasped, feeling every muscle in my body complain.
—Wow... I feel terrible.
My body was heavy and sore, as if I had been beaten. Terrible might be an optimistic description of my state. Even so, the visions wouldn't stop. They kept tormenting me, like a feverish dream mixed with an unbearable headache. Looking around, all I saw was the blue sky and the vast sea stretching as far as my eyes could see.
—What the hell am I doing here?
Once again, my eyelids grew heavy. Exhaustion took over me as I clung to the piece of wood that kept me afloat. Unable to fight against the fatigue, I fainted.
I dreamed of days from a distant past, wondering when it all had begun.
—Captain, I saw him falling from the sky…
—Damn it, tie him up... damn it...
Some voices reached my ears, one was surprised but the other was furious, but I was too tired to react. I just closed my eyes and surrendered to the silence.