"Where am I...?"
I opened my eyes. The world around me was shrouded in a thick fog, like a dense blanket left over from a long sleep. Emptiness rang in my head, a feeling of losing something important. The cold marble floor beneath my fingers was wet with dampness, and the air around me was heavy and filled with foreign smells I couldn't recognize.
Every part of my body ached. It wasn't just physical fatigue, but something deeper. My body felt alien, out of control, heavy. I tried to rise, but my legs trembled and wouldn't obey, so I fell to my knees. I clutched the stone floor with my fingers and pulled myself up. I felt a strange heaviness in my chest, pressing against my ribs, as if something alien had taken up residence there.
The walls of the ancient castle rose around me, carved of black stone with cracks and moss. In the corner stood a massive fireplace with remnants of ash that exuded a faint odor of burning wood. Everything in this place seemed frozen, but its past was palpable, as if it were watching me.
"What... what's going on?"
My voice cut through the silence. It wasn't the voice I was used to. Muffled, low, commanding, with a subtle aggression.
I walked over to a mirror on one of the walls. Its frame, decorated with runes, glowed with a dim light that shone through the darkness of the room. It wasn't me I saw in the reflection.
The face was different: sharp features, pale, almost marble skin, ice-blue eyes that radiated frightening power. Long black hair fell over a lean body.
I reached up to touch her face. As soon as my fingers touched her cheek, a wave of power traveled through my body, piercing all the way to my heart. The realization came over me like a collapsing avalanche.
"This...can't be."
My words echoed through the empty hall.
Edmond Dantes.
I couldn't remember exactly how I'd ended up here. Everything was a blur, as if reality had just changed its rules and I was stuck in the center of it. It wasn't just waking up in a new place. It was more than that.
Every movement was difficult. I tried to gather my thoughts, but instead of clarity came a vague feeling, as if this new reality didn't want to let me go.
The world around me began to take shape. I was standing in a small office. The room was cramped, with walls paneled in old wood that had darkened with time. The only window with cloudy glass let in a dim light that scattered around the room, as if apologizing for its uselessness.
On the floor was a worn carpet covered with stains, the origin of which had long since been erased from memory. A massive scratched desk stood in the corner, littered with papers and inkwells. The smell was pungent and musty, as if the place hadn't been ventilated in a long time, and the air was as stale as stagnant water.
The only source of heat was a small fireplace built into the wall. It was out, leaving the room piercingly cold. The lanterns outside barely illuminated the room, making the shadows in the corners even thicker.
I ran my hand over my face. My skin was cold, almost lifeless, and there was a faint vibration at my fingertips, as if my body hadn't fully accepted me. It felt strange and wrong.
"Edmond Dantes," - I mumbled, saying the name over and over again.
It sounded heavy, weighty, as if the name itself carried the weight of centuries.
Then, my eyes caught one panel, taken from the game mechanics.
[Synchronization process: 100%].
This panel seemed to help me synchronize with the character without any problems. However, there was no way it could help me access the character's memory. Though it could hardly help, considering that even in-game, no one knew about Edmont's past.
It was like my brain came back to itself, and I realized: I was one of the bosses. One of the dangerous opponents standing in the way of the heroes. The game I found myself in was not just an entertaining world, but a true test for anyone who chose to enter its labyrinths.
I became part of the story, part of the myth, and I might play a role in which I myself might be a victim.
Not so long ago, I was like everyone else - just a player accepting challenges. Now...
But what if I change the rules?
After a bit of silence, I continued, not so much for myself anymore:
"It doesn't have to be just another battle. I can't just be the villain."
It scares me to think that I've become so absorbed into this world that I've become part of it. But what if I can act in my own way? If I, like this same Edmond, can break the cycle of revenge and become someone else?
It's like that game where it's all about choices.
I stood up from the table, it all seemed desperate, but I didn't know what awaited me beyond this world. What if my part wasn't written yet? What if...
The door creaked open.
I froze as I heard footsteps.
A butler stepped through the doorway. His figure was as if chiseled from the same black stone as the castle walls, and he walked without a sound, almost like a shadow.
"Master Dantes," - he said, his voice as monotonous as his steps. - "I have a letter for you."
He held out to me a folded parchment sealed with a red wax seal. I took it, feeling heavy in my hands, as if this letter wasn't just a message, but something much more important. The seal on the envelope looked familiar, but I couldn't remember exactly where from.
I carefully opened the letter, unfolding the parchment. It was written in exquisite but clear handwriting. I began to read, and with each word the feeling of strangeness grew stronger.
"Dear Edmond Dantes,
It is with the utmost respect that we invite you to take up the position of professor at the University of the Golden Dawn. Your knowledge and experience in a variety of fields, as well as your unique perspective on learning, will make you an invaluable addition to our institution. We are confident that your presence will significantly impact the future of our University and its students.
Please confirm your acceptance within three days. We look forward to your response.
Respectfully,
Head of the University."
I just stared at those lines for a few seconds, trying to realize what exactly I had just read. A professor? At the University? I'd never taught, and to be honest, I'd never even thought about such things.
"Okay," - I said, tucking the letter away in my desk. - "Tell them I'll think about it."
The butler nodded, silently leaving the room. I was alone again, in that gloomy silence.
Suddenly, as if on cue, a notice appeared before my eyes. I froze.
[Act 1]
Task: Become a professor at the University.
Reward: Shop currency 15+
I read it a few times, trying to comprehend it.
"So this is the task?" - I muttered to myself.
I stood at the window, looking out at the lifeless lands outside the castle. The outside world wasn't something I could comprehend, but perhaps now it was up to me not just to survive.
The task turned out to be not so bad. Maybe this was a chance to not only survive in this world, but to change it. This is how I can escape the destined path of the villain, free myself from what has been holding me back. If I could accept this offer, if I could become a professor, who knows how that would change my course of events.
I stood up, stepped to the desk, picked up the letter, and clutched it in my hand. I needed to get started.
"Okay," - I said quietly to myself, feeling every corner of this world begin to absorb my decision little by little. - "I will accept this task."
Then, a status window suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. It appeared as if an invisible hand had opened it right in front of my face.
[Name: Edmond Dantes]
Race: Human
Position: Future Professor.
Stigmata: ????
Mana: 7000/7000.
[Traits.]
Aesthetics
Prodigy
Grace
[Personality]
OCD
Noble, bossy
Atheist
Lonely general
Misophobia
Billionaire
Egoism
Perfectionist
[Special Skills]
Digitization
Weapon mastery
Insight
Telekinesis
Iron will
"He has a lousy personality."
I continued to sort through my status and try to figure out how it all ties together. OCD, egotism, solitary general - not the best traits to be seen as a hero. Especially with OCD.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a condition in which a person is constantly trying to eliminate annoying or disturbing thoughts. It's like misophobia - a fear of germs or dirt, which is basically no longer a happy prospect.
I tried to figure out where I got this disorder from, but couldn't come up with a concrete explanation. Everything seemed vague and strange, as if some details were hidden in the shadows.
What was even stranger was that there was some ominous synergy between this disorder and the rest of my personality traits - selfishness and loneliness. I could imagine how it would affect my behavior and decisions. It's all a kind of poison that gets in the way of finding balance.
"Symmetry."
Those words were swirling around in my head. Until I could eliminate the disharmony, everything would bother me, giving me no peace.
The thought began to pop into my head again that I, like Edmont, would never be able to rest until I got it right. And I realized it the moment I noticed how I started moving the table over and over again. It was a little to the side, and it was in my way. And this office. it was like it was made to have no symmetry.
"Why can't this desk be like everyone else?"
I thought, feeling the irritation building up.
Every time I tried to level it, the angle was slightly off. Damn it. How many times can I do this? Is it an optical illusion? Or is it really that bad with my OCD?
Then an idea occurred to me. If I turned the table over so that its back was facing the window, maybe things would get back to normal. But suddenly numbers flashed through my mind.
R: 3.7°
L: 2.5°
"Are those angles?"
As if discovering something important, I realized it had to do with my ability to "digitize". Indeed, I should just tweak the angles, align them, and everything would be perfect.
I moved the table around a bit, getting the angles equal at 0°, and at the same moment I felt the irritation disappear. Almost like magic.
Exhaling, I looked around the room and realized that this level of OCD explained why I was exhibiting traits like loneliness and selfishness. Everything around me was disturbed. No harmony, not in people or surroundings.
I swore. It was completely unethical, but I couldn't help myself. Everything here was screaming disharmony to me, and I couldn't help but react. In response, I used my digitization ability and aligned everything in the room to a perfect state.
Finally, I sat back in my chair, feeling fatigue engulf me.