Normally when one goes to sleep they don't find themselves lucid. On the rare occasion one does, they find themselves able to control all facets of their reality.
This was not such a time.
"Where am I?"
A cautious voice spoke out into the void. Though, "spoke" was an exaggeration—as he had no mouth, nor body for that matter.
A flash of panic struck at the young man's mind. The endless darkness was unbearably intense. Silent as it was, simultaneously it was the loudest thing he had ever experienced.
But who was he? He wasn't sure. The details of his life were unclear, muddled and twisted by a strange fog that plagued his mind.
Even so, he was sure he had a life before this—that everything couldn't be so simple.
A part of him felt like he had died. That this was the end of everything and his mind was shutting down. Yet, his thoughts remained firm. Focused completely and intently on his current position.
With clarity of mind he couldn't find it in himself to become calm. Only more questions cropped up with no clear explanations.
He was so sure that he was alive, but what was he doing here? Why are almost all of his memories useless? And without any context.
Soon he found it in himself to seek answers through his stronger memories. Core memories that couldn't be undone.
His father— a single parent—who gave his life for a country that couldn't care less. Courageous as he was, life after the military was hard on him.
His home that he grew up in. Dilapidated as it was now, many good things came about it.
Lastly, his name. Arthur.
He was Arthur, a young man ready to set out into the world. Just finishing high school and prepared to join the military to make his father proud.
But that wouldn't happen any time soon. Arthur was still stuck. Unable to escape the barricading emptiness that surrounded him.
A foreboding sense of dread spread through his nonexistent form. The longer he stayed, the longer everything seemed to turn itself upon its head. Nothing was making any sense until…
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
A solitary voice spoke. Mechanical and cold, but definitely real. Something intangible but it brought Arthur back to reality.
"Aspirant… nightmare spell. I think I've—" Arthur cut himself off as the eternal darkness around him molded into a deep lightless blue.
Shapes took form out of the darkest blues. Forming into rolling hills and piercing mountains. Strangely enough, a large tree stood above them all in the distance. Towering above the tallest peaks with a strange authority. It was beautiful and almost ethereal, glowing against the moon with a silver light.
As beautiful as it was, it didn't feel right. Towering trees shouldn't exist, and they especially didn't glow— at least not where he was from.
Something about it called to him though. As if begging to be witnessed up close. He shook off the strange feeling and began focusing on the other landmarks around.
A large gothic structure seemed to be in ruins at the base of the tree. Its stone black as night and equally as serene. Almost as if it were stuck in time.
But everything was. Still. Frozen in place. As if time itself refused to let anything flow.
Then, slowly, the leaves began to flow. But not toward the ground. They floated. Back up to become one with the ethereal silver tree.
The world had begun flowing in reverse. The exquisite castle at the base of the tree began to reassemble itself at a steady pace.
Then it sped up. The flow of time was beginning to reverse at such a speed that the world around Arthur morphed into a blur.
Arthur's attention was arrested away from the hazy world at the only thing that didn't seem to be affected by time.
The moon.
There, curiously, stock still in the middle of the sky. It stood, unmoving.
Even the tree off in the distance was noticeably shrinking through the passage of time, but the moon was wholly unaffected. Shining across the lands with its mysterious blue light.
Then time began to slow and Arthur found himself descending to the ground.
[Aspirant! Welcome to the Nightmare Spell. Prepare for your First Trial…]
"That voice again." This time Arthur found himself completely able to speak.
Arthur found himself standing on the highest point of a large hill. His mind still in disarray at the sudden transition. It was a strange feeling. Noticing the body that was his after not having one.
He sat himself down and overlooked the view.
The more he took in the scenery the better he felt about the whole experience. He knew not what to do.
The dangers of this world were unknown and with the name "Nightmare Spell" Arthur assumed nothing good could come of it.
"I should also take note of those strange runes that appeared when that strange voice spoke."
As soon as the word "runes" came out of his mouth strings of light formed from the air. Strange runic symbols materialized in his vision.
He closed his eyes so that he may be able to read them better.
Name: Arthur.
True Name: —
Rank: Aspirant.
Soul Core: Dormant.
Memories: —
Echoes: —
Attributes: [Plainswalker] [Outsider] [Mark of Divinity].
Aspect: [Moonlight Pilgrim].
Aspect Description: [There are those amongst the ancient tribes of nomads who would become infatuated with the moon. It is said that The Beast God would guide them into their next life.]
Arthur sat still as he read the runes in his closed eyes. Though, he felt calm. Out of all the strange happenings he experienced within what he could remember this felt strangely simple. Like it was something that was always there inside him.
Arthur wasn't too sure about the Aspects and other Attributes, but he was confident there was a way to find out what they did.
He felt a sort of pull again. This time just like the other—toward the base of the tree. Arthur had a sneaking suspicion that this is what his Aspect lent him. Simply, guidance to wherever he was supposed to go next.
Arthur was unsure whether or not to trust it, but as he had no other option he felt obliged to do so.
The other issue was his Attributes. As he looked closer at them he discovered the runes unfolding. Duplicating and morphing into other runes.
[Plainswalker] Attribute Description: "You have come from beyond the realm."
[Outsider] Attribute Description: "The fate of the world is already set in motion. You, however, are an outlier. An error that fate has no control over."
[Mark of Divinity] Attribute Description: "You bear a faint scent of divinity, as though someone briefly touched by it once, a long time ago."
Arthur felt that his [Plainswalker] Attribute was his whole reason for being there. That some way somehow he was pulled from his previous life into this one.
There was also the issue of the "Nightmare Spell" itself. Arthur had recognized these words.
"There may be some answers still hidden in my memories about this world."
He needed to do something.
"There isn't much for me to learn just sitting here."
Arthur accepted that he must move. Nothing could come of him being idle.
So he set off.
To the base of the silver tree.