I awoke in a place of breathtaking beauty. The first sensation I felt was confusion, followed swiftly by the realization that my body ached with an unfamiliar soreness. I sat up from the floor as the dirt fell from around me. I clutched my head, trying to concentrate through the haze of bewilderment. I staggered to my feet, my unsteady legs slowly finding their balance. It was as if I had just come into being, a newborn taking its first tentative steps into the world.
My surroundings were astonishing. Towering trees, their leaves forming a verdant canopy above, surrounded me. The air was thick with the scent of flowers and the songs of unseen birds. It was a paradise unlike any I could have imagined, and deep within my being, I understood that this place was known as a forest.
With cautious steps, I walked through the lush undergrowth, my feet sinking slightly into the rich soil. I marveled at the world around me, everything new and wondrous. As I continued, I arrived at the edge of a pristine river that shimmered like liquid silver in the dappled sunlight. I knelt by the water's edge and peered into the clear pool.
My reflection revealed that I was quite young, I had a lean yet muscular physique, and my hair was short cascaded in raven-black waves. But it was my eyes that held my attention – bright amber, they radiated- my eyes hardened.
Suddenly I felt a pressure build up in the back of my head until it was as if a volcano exploded and unimaginable pain flooded my head, the worst feeling I wouldn't ever wish on any other. I collapsed to my knees, gripping my head in my hands as I felt so much stuff consume my mind. Information that I felt I wasn't supposed to know. So... much... information.
I clutched my head in pain and groaned, where the hell was I.
"You currently reside in the Garden of Eden."
"Ah thank you Raphael." I sighed and looked at my body amazed. "Raphael run an analazies on my body, please."
"Analazies complete, your body is constructed from primordial clay with 80 oz of primordial blood flowing through your veins. Your body is 2 hours old, but is at the age of a 19 year old."
"I see so I am in the Garden of Eden and seeing as I was the only man here it made sense that I was Adam. I am surprised I look so young though."
As I was distracted thinking, Raphael warned me of an approching being. The man looked to be in his 80's and looked way to much like some wizard... well withought the pointy hat.
"Hello, Adam," the man spoke. His voice was deep and comforting. "I am God, I am the creator and the source of all that you see around you."
I gazed up at God, my eyes meeting his with a calm determination. "My Lord."
God's eyes, like two galaxies seemed to be brimming with the knowledge of the cosmos. He studied me for a moment before he grinned, "You are a human, the first of my creations. I have created you for the task of watching over the Garden of Eden. You are my very first human, the first man to exist in this world."
I nodded as I stood up, I realized unlike God. I was completely naked. Great I am going to have to make myself some clothes first thing.
God's eyes softened with a touch of compassion, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. "You will be tasked in naming all the species that reside here in the Garden. Follow me."
God led me through the Garden of Eden, pausing beside a Bighorn Sheep. Why did this feel like some video game quest where they force the character to go through some annoying quests before you could get to the actual game.
"Adam," God said, his voice resonating with warmth, "This creature, born of my design, all it needs is a name."
I gazed upon the creature, it glanced back at me with those weird eyes. "Uhm, let's see... Bighorn sheep?'"
A golden light enveloped the creature as my words took root, the bighorn snorted and God smiled. "Uh, yes quite a unique name. Now when you name an animal it will glow like that," He motioned to the bighorn. "When the animal or plant glows the same will happen to the rest of its species, granting them a shared name."
"That's cool. I guess." I responded. Names where powerful, that was why I guess God didn't tell me his real name, wasn't it Yawhew or something?
God's benevolent smile seemed to illuminate the garden even further. "As I stated, you shall name all species, as a gift. You will gain a deep understanding of those you name."
With those words from earlier, God bade me farewell, and in a burst of divine light, he was gone. I stood alone in the garden, surrounded by the animals and the beauty of creation.
"Alright," I said aloud, brushing a hand over the leaves of a low-hanging tree. "This one's easy. It's an apple tree." As the word left my lips, the tree shimmered, its branches glowing gold, and a faint warmth spread through me.
"Correct, Adam," Raphael chimed in. Her voice, calm and soothing, resonated in my mind like a melody. "Though technically, it's malus domestica. But 'apple' will suffice."
"Yeah, I don't think 'malus domestica' rolls off the tongue. Keep it simple," I replied, smirking as I moved on.
Ahead, a peculiar creature with long ears hopped out from behind a bush. It twitched its nose and stared at me with unnervingly intelligent eyes. I knelt down, resting my chin in my hand, it looked strangely like a rabbit but was far to large. "Okay, Raphael, what's this one called?"
"That is a Nuralagus rex," she said, "Nuralagus is an extinct genus of leporid, a rabbit."
"Nuralagus rex," I repeated, I wonder if it tasted any good. I had rabbit once and I liked it maybe this guy will be alot more juicy. Just like the tree, the creature shimmered. It tilted its head before darting away. I chuckled. "You're making this way too easy, Raphael."
"And yet, you needed me to tell you what it was," she teased.
I rolled my eyes, standing again. "Only because not everything survived into my time. Plenty of things I already know." I gestured toward a tall, majestic animal grazing in the distance. "Like that. Giraffe. No help needed."
The giraffe's golden glow lit up the clearing, and I felt a brief sense of satisfaction. This was... nice, in a way. Tedious, sure, but there was something about giving names—giving meaning—to these creatures that felt important. Purposeful.
I came across a cluster of delicate white flowers. They seemed to shimmer even without my help. "What about these? Some kind of daisy?"
"Close. But they are lilies. Pure, elegant, symbolic." Raphael's voice softened, as though she held a deep respect for them.
"Lilies, huh?" I crouched, brushing my fingers across the petals. The glow was softer this time, more subtle, but no less brilliant. "Okay, lilies it is."
Hours passed like this, with the garden offering up its endless bounty. There were moments I knew the names by heart—a strange sort of déjà vu—but for the rest, Raphael filled in the gaps. We made a good team, her knowledge and my... well, my persistence.
As I sat under the shade of a golden tree at the end of the day, I looked out at the glowing traces of my work. "You know," I said, "this naming business is exhausting. Couldn't we speed it up? Maybe some divine shortcut?"
"And miss this joy?" Raphael countered, her tone light yet firm. "You were chosen for this, Adam. Each name you give is a gift to creation itself. A reflection of your role."
I sighed, stretching my arms above my head. "You're awfully poetic for a system, you know that?"
"And you're awfully human for a man reborn," she shot back, with a laugh in her voice.
Touché. "Alright, fine. One more for today," I said, spotting a large, scaly creature near the riverbank. Its leathery tail slapped the water as it basked in the sun. "That's a crocodile. And don't even try to tell me it's something else. I know that one."
As the crocodile glowed gold, Raphael's laughter echoed softly in my mind. "Well done, Adam. Tomorrow awaits."
Tomorrow. A whole new day of names. I leaned back against a tree and closed my eyes only to open them again and sigh in annoyance. "I really need to make a bed and some clothes."