Aldric's mind felt like it was split between two realities. In one, he had been a normal office worker, trapped in the monotony of his daily life. His world had been a labyrinth of spreadsheets, phone calls, and the faint hope of climbing the corporate ladder. A hard worker, he'd put in long hours at Golden Bank, hoping to secure a promotion, hoping for recognition. But no matter how hard he worked, there had always been something missing. Life felt like a continuous cycle of striving, only to fall short of something—something he couldn't even define.

Every evening, after a long day at the office, he would return to his small apartment, eat a quick meal, and then collapse into bed. Sleep was his only escape, the only time his mind could rest from the relentless grind of his waking life.

But that was all gone now.

He had no apartment, no office, no bank job, no familiar city skyline. He was standing in the middle of a blood-soaked battlefield, surrounded by carnage that he could never have imagined in his most vivid nightmares. The harsh reality of this world was a jarring contrast to the sterile, lifeless office spaces he had known. How had he gone from one to the other? How had he woken up in this hell?

His eyes flickered down to the sword in his hand, the blood still glistening on its edge. The battle had just ended—he had fought, and somehow, he had won. The beast, the orc, was now lying dead before him, its body a grotesque heap of muscle and fury, but Aldric didn't feel victorious. He was in shock. His hands trembled, his mind spinning. He hadn't expected to be able to fight. He hadn't even known how to swing a sword before this, but somehow, he'd managed. The sword had felt like it belonged to someone else, and yet, he had used it to kill the orc. How had he done that?

[This body... is strong,] Aldric thought, looking at his hands. [But it's my mind that pulled through. My quick thinking… my will.]

He wasn't sure where his strength had come from, but it was clear to him that survival in this world would require more than just physical strength. His mind, his decisions, his will to keep moving forward—these would be his true weapons.

But the weight of the situation was sinking in. His breath caught in his throat as he surveyed the battlefield around him, still unaware of the true nature of the war that raged on. The chaotic sounds of fighting continued, but there was something deeper beneath it all. A question gnawed at him.

[Where am I? Why am I here? What's happening?]

Suddenly, a weak groan snapped him out of his thoughts. Aldric's heart jolted as he turned toward the soldier lying on the ground. He had almost forgotten about him in the chaos. The soldier's body was pale, his eyes barely open, and the blood pooling beneath him was still fresh, darkening the earth around him.

"Help…" The soldier's voice barely reached Aldric's ears, weak and raspy, but it was enough to pull him into action.

Aldric's instincts kicked in. He knelt beside the soldier, unsure what to do, but desperate to help. "Hang on," Aldric muttered, though the words felt hollow, meaningless in the face of the soldier's injuries.

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The man's breath was labored, his grip on his wound weak. His eyes flickered open, filled with desperation. "Please... save me... they... they'll come for you too... the orcs..."

Aldric frowned, glancing at the battlefield again. The orcs were still a looming threat, their numbers far too great for him to handle alone. He couldn't stay here.

But the soldier's words echoed in his mind. [They'll come for you too...]

What did he mean? Who was coming? And how could he save a man who was already so close to death?

Aldric's mind raced. The orcs—the ones he had just killed—were terrifying. But there had to be more to this world, more to this war. This man had to know something. Maybe he could help him understand what was going on.

"Who are we fighting?" Aldric asked, his voice trembling, though he tried to sound calm. He needed answers, something to hold onto, to make sense of the madness around him.

The soldier's eyes fluttered as he tried to focus. "Brasshal… it's a world… of war. We've been fighting… for years…" His breath hitched, the pain evident in his voice. "Orcs... elves… humans… it's all one bloody mess..."

Aldric blinked. "Orcs, elves, humans? What do you mean, 'Brasshal'? Where is that?"

The soldier struggled to breathe, his body convulsing slightly in pain. "Brasshal's… our world… it's been torn apart... This... war... It doesn't end. We all fight for survival. You… you're not from here… are you?" The soldier's gaze shifted, confusion flickering in his eyes as if he suddenly realized something.

Aldric's mind spun. [Not from here?]

"What do you mean? What do you know about me?" Aldric demanded, leaning in closer, his heart racing.

The soldier tried to lift his hand, a weak gesture as though attempting to point at Aldric's face. "You... you're like them.… You'll find out soon enough…"

Before Aldric could ask more, the soldier's eyes glazed over, and his breath slowed to a stop.

Aldric froze, staring down at the lifeless body. The weight of the man's last words hit him like a wave. He was different? What did that mean? How could he be different in a world that already felt so strange?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of marching footsteps in the distance. Aldric's head snapped up, his heart hammering as he realized that the battle was far from over. The orcs had only been the beginning.

He stood, wiping his hands on his blood-soaked clothes, and looked around. The world was foreign to him, a place where nothing made sense, where survival was the only thing that mattered.

But for now, survival was all he could focus on.

He didn't know where he was, who he was, or what he had to do, but there was one thing Aldric knew for certain: if he was going to make it out of this nightmare alive, he needed answers. And fast.

He wiped the blood from his sword, steeling himself for whatever came next.