Adam blinked, his vision slowly clearing as he tried to shake off the strange, hazy feeling clouding his mind. His body felt stiff, heavier than he remembered, as if he'd been wrapped in thick wool. His hands brushed against soft linen sheets, and he became acutely aware of the quiet, the sort of quiet that didn't belong to his small, noisy apartment in Chicago. Slowly, he propped himself up, glancing around to take in his surroundings.
He was in a room—a room that looked startlingly medieval, with stone walls lined with thick beams of dark wood, small square windows letting in thin slivers of pale morning light, and tapestries hanging from the walls depicting grand battles and lush, endless forests. And not his usual posters of bands he'd grown up with, no. Everything looked like it had been ripped straight from the pages of a fantasy novel.
No…not a novel. From a game.
He froze, his heart pounding harder as he took a second look at everything around him. This wasn't just any medieval room. This was Valtora. His heart raced as he processed the thought. Valtora—the game he'd beaten countless times, poured over until he knew every secret, every plot twist, every hidden location. It was impossible. Yet, somehow, here he was, breathing the air of Aldoria, one of Valtora's more obscure continents, and the very one that hid a staggering number of rare items and obscure quests for players who bothered to look for them.
But it didn't stop there. It couldn't.
Adam's fingers itched as he reached for the mirror nearby, the one perched on a small oak dresser that looked like it had seen generations of use. He gazed into it, and there, staring back at him, was a face he recognized—yet didn't.
A boy of about sixteen, with untamed dark hair and wary eyes, looked out from the mirror's surface. He felt a shiver as he took in the sight, the recognition settling in. This was Adam Darian, the third son of Lord Darian, a minor noble in Aldoria. No grand title, no sprawling lands, and certainly no claim to greatness. A nobody.
And his eyes—those wary, haunted eyes he'd seen countless times in loading screens and side profiles in the game's character menu—belonged to "the Empty." A sneer of a title, given because Adam Darian had no Aspect.
"Of course," he muttered, his voice raspier than he remembered. He was "the Empty," the Aspectless son of a minor lord, the very character the game used as the benchmark for mediocrity. No wonder he'd never paid much attention to this particular character beyond the generic storyline every player had been offered.
Yet here he was.
The realization settled over him like a heavy cloak, but panic didn't come. Instead, a thrill sparked to life in his chest, a spark that turned into a flicker of excitement. Sure, he was Aspectless, powerless in a world where everyone else wielded magic, combat skills, or elemental affinities. But that was in the game. Now he was here, with everything he knew—everything.
He might not have an Aspect, but he knew every shortcut, every loophole, every hidden trove of power scattered across Valtora. And if he was right, those carefully stashed secrets could make him more formidable than any noble's son, any warrior, or even any gifted mage. He had his own advantage, his own edge—foreknowledge.
Adam took a deep breath, centering himself, allowing that excitement to replace any remnants of doubt or fear. He was here, and maybe he wasn't the mighty hero the game usually celebrated. But he had knowledge, and knowledge was a weapon more powerful than any Aspect—especially in a world as vast as Valtora.
Glancing back at the mirror, he let himself smirk. "Guess the 'Empty' just got a little more interesting," he muttered to his reflection.
Now, all he had to do was make his first move. In the game, players had typically stumbled through the early stages, struggling to gather enough resources and battling weak enemies to gain their footing. But he had no intention of playing by those rules. He was headed somewhere far more promising.
The Cave of Echoes.
Adam remembered it well. A dark, winding cave, tucked into the side of Aldoria's western mountains, and only accessible through a narrow path guarded by vicious beasts. Most players avoided it until they were strong enough to handle its challenges. But hidden within the depths of the cave was an ancient Essence well, said to awaken latent potential. Players who dared to explore it early were often rewarded with powerful skills or, if they were lucky, new Aspects. It was a place designed for the brave—or, in his case, the well-informed.
He barely knew the limits of this world yet, but the Cave of Echoes seemed like as good a place as any to test them. If he could awaken something there, perhaps he'd be able to defy the branding of "the Empty" and surprise everyone around him.
Just as he made to stand, a soft knock sounded on the door. Adam froze, instinctively checking himself in the mirror, adjusting his collar, and taming his wild hair with his hands.
"Enter," he said, hoping he sounded authoritative enough to mask the uncertainty in his chest.
The door creaked open, and in stepped a young man in plain clothing—no more than a couple of years older than him, judging by the way he carried himself. His clothes were neat but worn, and he held a silver tray laden with bread, cheese, and a small cup of water.
"Master Adam," the man greeted, bowing stiffly. "I… I have brought your breakfast, as requested."
Adam blinked, caught off guard by the respectful tone. He managed a nod, accepting the tray. "Thank you," he said, trying to sound more lordly. The servant looked up, surprise flashing briefly across his face, as if he hadn't expected the civility.
"Is there… anything else you require, my lord?" the young man asked cautiously.
Adam shook his head, pretending to take a bite of the bread as he assessed the man. This servant clearly knew him—or at least, knew this Adam Darian. He'd need to tread carefully to avoid raising suspicion.
"That'll be all," he said, keeping his tone even.
The servant hesitated a moment, his eyes flickering with something unreadable, before he bowed again and retreated, closing the door softly behind him. Adam took a long breath, setting the bread back down.
He'd barely started this new life, and already the stakes felt astronomically high. Every word, every interaction could set off consequences he couldn't predict. Yet, this wasn't just a game anymore, where he could restart a failed quest or reset a failed mission. This was real, and the rules he'd known were only a framework. Now, he had to be careful.
But there was one comfort—one guiding light in this whole strange, surreal world.
Adam glanced at his reflection in the mirror one last time, his eyes narrowing with newfound resolve. "You've done this before," he whispered to himself. "Every secret, every hidden artifact, every obscure quest. They're all here, and you know how to get them."
There was no room for timidity. Every piece of knowledge he possessed, every sneaky advantage he'd taken for granted, now lay within reach—if he was clever enough to seize them.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. The Cave of Echoes awaited, and whatever lay hidden in its depths might just be the key to proving that "the Empty" could become something formidable. A low-born, Aspectless lord's son? No. That wouldn't do.
This world was about to know Adam Darian.
And as he packed his essentials and planned his route, his mind racing with excitement and determination, he knew one thing for certain—he was here to rewrite his story, to claim what he wanted from this world. Aspect or no Aspect, he'd find a way to stand at the top of Valtora.
This was his game now, and he intended to play it to win.