Five years.... five long years she said. That's how long the resistance had been building up their support to overthrow the corrupt cops and government that ran New Francisco. This was of course news to Jacob, who had just landed here and was still trying to make sense of everything.

But five years passes in the blink of an eye -- what good is a resistance without its champion?

As they walked along the dank, smelly sewers, Esme was filling him in on all she knew. "You're not the first person we've rescued, you know that?"

"Really?" Jacob asked.

"Of course not. But you are the first person we've rescued that shows promise. Promise to lead the resistance. Your energy signature is unique to this world. We have people, scientists who can diagnose what you're working with."

Jacob stopped, putting his hands up in protest. "Wait a second, I didn't ask for this. I don't even know who you are, or if I can even trust you fully. I mean, you haven't tried to hurt me yet so that's a good sign, but... what is going on here? Where are you taking me? I want answers."

Esme paused, sighing. "Okay look, let me know if this sounds familiar. You went to bed, had a vision, and then woke up the next day here. And a voice that sounded like a God (one of the many here) said you were gonna be the savior."

Jacob looks shocked. "H-how did you know?"

Esme shakes her head, "Because like I said, you're not the first. We had a few others who we thought would be the one to save us, but it didn't work out that way."

"Save you from what?"

Esme motions to Jacob to keep moving. "This'll be faster if we can do two things at once. I need to get back before sundown and report what we saw -- that the rank and file elf cops are now feeding off the Dark Lord's energy." This time, he listens. They keep walking, as the sunbeams filtering through the sewer hole covers lights the way. "This place used to be a good place to live. What you called New Francisco, we called Lavring -- in Meowlish. That was the ancestral language of my people before the city was built atop. A long forgotten tongue. Civilization always comes with a price. You know, the sewer lines we're walking now, they used to be tunnels that our people would travel through. Protected us from the sandstorms. But that all changed after the battle between Dark and Light found its way here."

There was a sadness in her voice as she recalled what she knew of the city's history. Jacob listened intently, his energy aura fading to a calm blue as the feelings of danger slowly subsided. New Francisco, this was not.

"Our people live a long time. We get to see history being made before our very eyes. At first the Light came in with the dwarves, the elves, among others. They were looking for new places to settle. To be safe from the Darkness that was ever growing. We greeted them with open arms and shared all we knew of the lands with them, and they shared what they knew with us. This is how New Francisco was built--as a team. Every building you see there today, from City Hall to the Business District, was a collaboration between all the good men and women of every race who came together to make a new life. They were good people, grateful for our help. And things were good for a while. A long while. But then the front lines of the war between Light and Dark caught up with them. And war... war never changes."

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She paused to wipe her eyes as tears had formed. "They, like us, just wanted a safe place to grow up. A place where everyone could be free from the fears of violence. It started off slowly. First a few new people showing up, and then a dragon spotting every year. Nothing too out of the ordinary, as New Francisco was a growing city with a great reputation. Of course there will be interest from others. But Darkness seeps in like a mold infestation. You don't see what's going on until it's too late. The promise of power is too much to tempt even the greatest of souls. First it was just a few politicians, a few cops. 'One bad apple' they'd say after the people of the city found out. But it kept spreading, even down to the very fabric of society. Now? The chaos you see in the streets is orchestrated not by the good people of the city, but by those in power who feed off of hate, off of strife, off of division. This is how the door got cracked open for the truly evil forces to even approach. The skeletons, the zombies, the ghouls. And now the frontline is right at our doorstep. The very thing this city was meant to be a refuge from. This is why we're looking for the rightful High Lord who can bring peace into the land and drive off Count Vesper and the Order of the Black. The one who can resist all temptations and be our savior."

They walked in silence for a bit, as Jacob processed everything he was just told. He felt sad -- sad for the people of the city who were unable to live the life they were promised, the people in the sewers who yearned for freedom. And how it all became corrupted. He was lost in thought when suddenly, a rat scurried in front of them.

Jacob was not a fan of rats. He immediately became frightened, and his energy aura reflected that feeling when it covered him in a light yellow glow. He was trembling, as the rat harmlessly sniffed around, looking for a bite to eat. Esme noticed Jacob's fear and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"It's just a rat, it can't hurt you," she said. But this did not assuage Jacob. Fears are primal. Fears are irrational. Jacob was suppressing the urge to run away. That would be the easy thing to do. That's what he did all his life back home. Hiding from social obligations in his fantasy books. Running away from tough conversations about his job performance by immersing himself in role-playing games. Forgetting about how cramped his living situation was by reading web novels on his computer.

But then he realized he wasn't back home, back in his tiny studio apartment, back in a job that didn't care he existed. This was not that world. And he was not that Jacob anymore. He was Jacob on Earth Prismata, and he had something he never had before -- a glimmer of hope that came from his new powers. Knowing this now, his confidence overcame his fear and his aura turned from yellow to white. A new color to him.

And out of that aura, an energy blade took form. Crude, but still sharp. Still dangerous. He stared at the rat, energy blade at the ready, when--

"What are you doing??" Esme yelled at him. "The rat isn't doing anything to you! Why are you trying to hurt it?"

Immediately Jacob came back to his senses. His aura faded and so did the energy sword. "I-I don't know. I thought... I thought that I could keep us safe."

"From the rat? That was literally just trying to find some food?" Esme looked at Jacob with worry and fear in her eyes. This man could be our savior but he could also be the end of us all.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me. I'm still figuring out how all of... this works," he said as he gestured all over his body. In the heat of the argument, they didn't notice the frightened rat had scurried away.

They continued their journey, and the sewer tunnel was getting larger and larger.

"We're almost here, just a few more feet," Esme said. "Our scientists will work on you and make sure you're healthy, since the world teleportation can take its toll."

"Is that all they're gonna do? They're not gonna like treat me like a science experiment are they?" Jacob asked. But Esme gave no response. As they reached the literal light at the end of the tunnel, Jacob's eyes widened and he let out a gasp. He could not believe what lay before him.

"This is... this is...."