He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep, shuddering breath, his chest rising and falling. He focused on the scent of dust that hung in the air, the sound of his own breathing, and the thump of his racing heart.
„I'm not ready. I just wanted to... die... a way out of my life. But even that was taken from me. Now I'm here... and nothing makes sense." His thoughts were a tumult as he held the book tightly to his chest.
But then, a noise. From outside. The heavy, slow footsteps didn't match the frantic rhythm of his heart, they were deliberate, almost ceremonial. He approached the window, his hand trembled as he reached for the velvet curtain, the fabric cold to the touch. He pushed it aside slightly, revealing the night outside.
The forest was a sea of black, the trees swaying like ghosts in the wind. The town in the distance was a smudge of light, a flickering mirage in the gloom. And between those trees... Silhouettes that moved with a purpose that sent a shiver down his spine.
„I need to get out of here quickly. I need to understand where I am." Lucius' thoughts raced.
He stepped back, his hand lingering on the doorframe for a brief moment. The book was clutched tightly to his chest. He took a deep breath, tucked it under his arm, and turned towards the darkness that awaited him in the corridor.
He walked with a newfound urgency, the heavy wooden door at the end of the corridor seemingly taunting him with its silent promise of escape.
The moment he stepped outside, the world hit him like a slap to the face. The night was thick and oppressive, the air suffused with a dampness that seemed to cling to his very soul. The stars above were mere pinpricks in the velvet fabric of the sky, offering no solace from the darkness.
He stumbled over the uneven ground, his feet finding purchase on the damp leaves and twigs that crunched beneath his boots, a sound that seemed to amplify in the stillness.
The house grew smaller and more distant with every step he took. The trees closed in around him like the arms of a long-lost lover.
...
The sun had risen by the time Lucius reached the edge of the forest, its feeble light filtering through the dense canopy like a desperate attempt at penetrating the gloom. The village ahead lay in a serene valley, shrouded in the mist of early morning. The thatched roofs of the cottages were a patchwork of earthy tones, and the air smelled faintly of woodsmoke and the promise of a new day.
Suddenly he stopped abruptly and listened to the sound of a quill scratching across parchment. It echoed in his mind, an eerie symphony that grew increasingly louder. The feeling was unsettling.
He looked at the book and noticed a soft glow emanating from within. His heart racing, he slowly opened the cover, expecting to see the pages still blank. But there they were: lines of text, scrawled in a hasty, almost frantic hand, as if they had been written by an invisible presence that had been waiting for him to notice.
There was a large symbol on the first page. A emblem with a deep purple background and golden design elements. In the center was a crystalline-faced object reminiscent of a magic tower. It stood on a platform with a large curve underneath, supported by a golden crescent moon.
The tower was surrounded by ray-like lines, floating symmetrically arranged stars and mysterious arcane signs that reinforced the impression of magic and alchemical knowledge. The name «Thalyon» was written large above it.
„Thalyon," the word echoed in his head. "One of the words I heard in the library..." he muttered.
According to the book, the village of Vantshade was located in the shadow of the great forest known as the "Womb of Shadows". The village is part of the outskirts of Thalyon, and is an official part of the city.
„It seems the book has a mind of its own..." Lucius was both intrigued and disturbed by its actions. „It's almost as if I've stumbled into a game... a typical rpg mechanic. As soon as you discover a location, you get information in the form of a text with lore or general information."
He took a deep breath. "But this isn't a game... at least I think so, but who the hell actually knows," he whispered to himself.
Lucius sat down on a small rock a little way off, his eyes never leaving the village. It was a quaint place, the kind you'd see in a fairy tale.
He felt a strange sense of serenity wash over him, a stark contrast to the chaos that had been his life back in the city. The quiet hum of the village was like a balm to his soul. The people here moved with a purpose that seemed both foreign and comforting, their lives intertwined in a dance of communal living.
He took a deep breath and let the scent of earth and leaves fill his lungs. „What now... I can't stay here forever. I don't even know what all this is."
„I'm gonna approach this as if everything here is real. That means I need a plan...." He thought, brushing his chin.
"What I need first is a place to stay, for that I need money, which I get with a job..." He paused in his thoughts as he heard the quill writing again.
He opened the book, and there it was, as if in response to his needs. The pages had filled with information about the local economy. It seemed that the money system here was quite simple: gold, silver, and copper coins. The value of these coins varied greatly, with gold being the most precious. The book also spoke of the recent separation of the coinage system between Thalyon and other empires, a political move that had caused quite the stir. It was a world where commerce was as much a dance of power as it was a means of survival.
The next page provided information on work opportunities. The list was long with various professions, including: Magical craftsmen, trade and transportation, mercenaries, security services, writers, clerks, arcane bookbinders, simple workers in construction, in harbors or as helpers in guilds.
His eyes widened at the enlightenment the book gave him. „It's almost as if it answers my questions... I should play it safe and test it again."
With a sense of trepidation, Lucius thought of a pertinent question. „Who's in charge in Thalyon?" His question was simple, merely serving as confirmation of his theory.
The sound of the quill reappeared in his head, and with a flourish it began to write a new page. Once it was finished, Lucius looked at the page in amazement. "Shit... that's a cheat code!"