The air was thick with a strange, intoxicating scent, part pine, part iron. I opened my eyes, blinking against the brilliance of a sky painted in impossible hues: amber merging into violet, where twin suns hung suspended like golden coins in a vast ocean of blue. My body was alien—muscles taut with unfamiliar strength, skin smooth but not my own. Panic surged, but beneath it, a strange exhilaration coursed through me.
Memories of my old life came in flashes: the endless office cubicle, the cold fluorescent lights, the regrets that clawed at me in sleepless nights. And now—this. A world that felt alive, whispering secrets I could not yet comprehend.
I staggered forward, each footfall sinking slightly into soft moss that seemed almost luminous. A river snaked nearby, its waters glittering unnaturally, reflecting the twin suns like scattered jewels. I crouched, fingertips brushing the surface. The water rippled in patterns that mirrored my pulse. For a moment, I thought it might be alive, responding to my very essence.
A shadow shifted between the trees, sharp and deliberate. My breath caught. From the undergrowth stepped a figure cloaked in emerald and gold. Their presence radiated authority, yet their gaze held an almost tender curiosity. "You are far from the world you knew," the figure said, voice melodic yet commanding. "Few are given a second life, and fewer still survive the awakening."
I swallowed hard. "I… I don't understand. Who are you?"
The figure extended a hand. "Call me Master Lior. Step forward, and you embrace what lies ahead. Step back, and remain lost forever."
I hesitated, heart hammering. The forest seemed to hold its breath. Then, trembling but determined, I stepped forward. And in that moment, the old life shattered, replaced by the promise—and peril—of something new.