Chapter One: Who Am I Again?
The sea—deep and mysterious. Sunlight pierces through its depths, a ray in the darkness, a hope amidst despair. Everything before him seemed to spin endlessly, a whirl where heaven and earth could not be distinguished, only a shimmer of light and vast blue.
For what felt like ages—perhaps months, years, or even decades—a voice echoed, distant and fragmented, as if it had sounded long ago and only now was being received.
“Detected... Host consciousness... teetering on the edge of confusion...”
“Fire Thief... connecting you to the Seven parallel worlds...”
“System... has stalled...”
Then came a rapid, urgent beeping, reverberating in his ears. Time lost all meaning; he could have been submerged for months, years, or decades.
Water...
Endless water flooded his ears, eyes, nose; bubbles rose from the deep, burst upon the surface under the sunlight.
Sinking...
He kept sinking... The deeper the sunlight reached, the weaker it became, until at the ocean floor, not a single ray remained—only utter darkness.
A few small fish swam nearby, nuzzling this strange being. Receiving no response, they soon darted away.
A world of blinding white enveloped him, light saturating everything.
He saw a person transformed into a dazzling beam, the light expanding until, as it faded, a giant stood tall amidst the city. Opposite the giant, a ferocious, monstrous beast rampaged.
He saw a woman gazing hopefully at the giant, her eyes filled with longing. Against the backdrop of a crimson sunset, the giant dissolved into silvery sparks.
He saw... a mysterious pyramid, three giant stone statues standing sentinel, while two massive monsters approached swiftly from afar.
He saw... within an enormous, enigmatic cavern, two statues standing guard. A man stood atop an altar, roaring fiercely, light swirling around him and pouring into his body.
He saw a tiny village, monstrous intruders, slaughtered villagers... and mysterious giants: a black giant, a child imprisoned.
There was a colossal, bloated monster, its maw swallowing half the street, thousands falling into its gaping mouth; a horde of bat-formed beasts, sharp fangs poised as if to pierce his throat...
A fishing village, a beast cloaked in rock, usually resembling a small hill, yet transforming in crisis into the village’s protector.
Giants—one blue, filling him with an indescribable...
There were mysterious peoples: savage flying fish, an underwater race akin to humans, and two towering humanoid monsters...
He saw... white...
Only blinding white filled his vision...
He paused, and all he had just witnessed vanished in an instant—those things erased, as if tossed into the wastebin of memory, impossible to retrieve.
“What did I... see?” He could no longer recall...
And then, the dazzling white light flared, enveloping the entire world in its brilliance.
Within the white radiance, a human silhouette appeared, shadows gradually taking form, an entire space constructed before him.
Was this a church? Or perhaps before a grand floor-to-ceiling window?
Brilliant white light streamed through the glass, and a figure stood facing it, back to the glow, her form shrouded in darkness, features indistinct. Yet, by her shape, he was certain: a woman.
She wore white shoes and a flowing white dress...
Mist drifted across the floor, lending a surreal, uncertain air to the scene.
Opposite her stood a man—tall, slender, his face obscured, posture straight, clearly trained.
He tried to see more clearly, but the mist thickened, swirling before his eyes, refusing to disperse; it twisted and churned, like some clawed phantom.
His thoughts stalled, a sharp pain slicing through his mind—a symptom of oxygen deprivation...
Water...
Surrounded by water...
“Glug…”
“Glug, glug…”
Half-conscious, he seemed to swallow mouthfuls of water, burning his nasal passages.
Then, a force surged toward him...
A sphere of orange-red light, radiating warmth, slowly enveloped his body...
“Splash…”
Suddenly, it felt as if someone was pulling him from the water, his mind plunging into stasis.
A thick fog blanketed his vision, obscuring everything...
Only now did the fog part, revealing the scene before him. He seemed suspended high above the ground; below, the earth was dim, dense with buildings, but little light could be seen.
Rain...
He felt rain striking his face, a damp sensation seeping in.
Beside him, the sound of rain pattering, droplets splashing to the ground like scattered pearls.
Amidst the rain’s whisper, a constant booming echoed.
Instinctively, he knew these were sonic booms—aircraft breaking the sound barrier overhead.
He couldn't explain how he knew; it seemed etched deep within his consciousness.
“Ah…”
Pain radiated through his body; his awareness sharpened. Sweat beaded on his brow as his deep, star-like eyes slowly opened.
Spinning... spinning...
Everything he saw kept whirling...
He steadied himself, saw more clearly—a ceiling fan turning slowly.
He sat up abruptly, tense and uncertain...
The room was spacious, sparsely furnished, only simple pieces scattered about.
His chest bulged slightly; he reached inside...
He retrieved an oddly shaped object, heavy and solid in his hand.
By instinct, he knew its purpose... It was a laser gun!
His left wrist felt weighted; he pulled back his sleeve and found a precision device strapped there.
A portable smart computer...
So... where am I?