Chapter 2: The World Beyond
The darkness around Leon was suffocating, pressing against him like a heavy blanket. He couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His thoughts raced as flashes of light danced before his closed eyes—visions of battles, faces he didn't recognize, and a strange, ancient voice whispering words he couldn't understand.
Suddenly, the weight lifted, and Leon's eyes snapped open.
He was no longer in his cramped apartment.
The air smelled of damp earth and wildflowers, crisp and clean. Around him, trees unlike any he had ever seen stretched high into the sky, their leaves glowing faintly with a bioluminescent hue. The ground beneath him pulsed softly, like the heartbeat of a living world.
Leon staggered to his feet, his head spinning. "What the hell…?"
He turned in a slow circle, taking in the surreal landscape. A stream of crystal-clear water flowed nearby, its surface shimmering with unnatural colors. Strange, bird-like creatures flitted between the branches, their feathers sparkling like gemstones.
This wasn't Earth.
Before he could fully process the impossibility of it all, a rustling sound came from the bushes behind him. Instinctively, Leon spun around, his fists clenched.
A figure emerged—a creature unlike anything he had ever seen. It was humanoid but clearly not human. Its skin was a pale, almost translucent blue, and its eyes glowed softly like twin moons. It stood over seven feet tall, its slender frame covered in intricate markings that seemed to shift and move like liquid.
The creature tilted its head, studying him with curiosity.
Leon stepped back, his pulse racing. "Stay back!" he warned, though he doubted his words would mean much.
The creature didn't approach. Instead, it raised a hand, its long fingers pointing to the glowing ground beneath Leon's feet.
"What…?" Leon looked down and froze.
Symbols had appeared around him, etched into the earth. They pulsed with a faint golden light, forming a circle that seemed to hum with energy.
The creature spoke then, its voice deep and melodic, resonating in a way that made Leon's bones vibrate. He couldn't understand the words, but the intent was clear.
It was calling him something.
Chosen.
A sudden wave of heat surged through Leon's body, and the symbols beneath him flared brightly. Pain shot through him, and he dropped to his knees, clutching his head as memories—visions—flooded his mind.
He saw glimpses of the world he now stood in—a land of endless beauty and unimaginable danger. He saw people locked in a desperate struggle against forces that defied comprehension. And at the center of it all, he saw himself, standing as both savior and destroyer.
When the light finally faded, Leon collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. The creature was gone, and the symbols had vanished, leaving only the soft glow of the forest.
His mind reeled as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" he whispered, his voice trembling.
For the first time in his life, Leon felt something other than anger or despair. It was faint, fragile, but undeniable.
Purpose.