Light. Great streaks of glaring white that turned to radiant, blurry red and blue as I opened my heavy eyes. I put my hands to the ground at my side as I sat up, feeling sharp cold rock and grit underneath my fingers.

Wait.

I sat up suddenly, looking down at the grit on the stone floor, the minute specks that stuck to my fingers as I raised my hand, stuck under my fingernails, wedged between the swirls of my fingerprint.

What!

Crisp, cold air filled my throat, its burn invigorating. Tears of joy rolled down my face as I scrunched it up in my hand and marvelled at its coarseness, its wondrous... imperfection. I was free, finally it was over. I had been trapped in that flawed perfect dream for so long I had forgotten what reality felt like.

But something was wrong.

The stone beneath my fingers wasn't hospital tile. The air didn't carry the sharp scent of antiseptic. And the light... the light wasn't fluorescent, but something else entirely.

"Oh mighty hero! We beseech your help…"

My head snapped up. Shimmering blue light refracted off a chandelier, gold and crystal hovering above me. The ground was cold and hard rock, I pushed myself up. I was in a grand hall of towering marble, rich purple and red tapestries lining the room alongside men and women clad in robes and armour. I lay on cold stones, warmed by huge braziers with strange blue hues. The shimmering blue light of the stones died down. They all had animal features—ears, tails, even claws. A man in ornate armour had fox ears protruding from his helm, twitching slightly. A woman nearby swished a squirrel-like tail, the fur shimmering under the torchlight.

The rustle of people, the way they never truly stopped moving. They did it randomly, it was an incredible sight. But joy gave way to confusion. Then to dread.

My heart began to race. This wasn't a hospital, those looked like players, like I hadn't escaped after all. I swiped the air "Menu!", tried to equip my gear, summon my familiars, teleport to hearth, anything. Only crisp air followed my movements.

Two women stepped forward. The first was a regal figure, clad in silver and adorned with huge jewels. Long, elegant cat ears emerged from her styled hair, and a sleek feline tail curled gracefully behind her. She looked down at me with dispassionate dark eyes that flickered with a bruised purple storm of ethereal light. The other woman was dressed simply, her warm smile reaching eyes filled with kindness. Wolf-like ears peeked out from her hair, and I caught a glimpse of sharp canines when she spoke.

The dark eyed one repeated what she had said "Oh mighty hero! We summon you to save us! I am Queen Hella and you are our only hope in this great…" She turned to the other. "He doesn't look very strong."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Keep going" She muttered back.

"Ah, mighty and benevolent warrior, dungeons everywhere have been intensifying their attacks, our city is under threat, the time is nigh! We implore you for your help."

I stood up.

"Where am I-"

Then a great wrenching of my mind send me staggering. A sharp, blinding agony exploded in my skull. I screamed.

A world burning, an infinite cosmos of pixels, a reality come undone.

My body buckled, and my head hit the stone floor with a sickening thud. Warm blood trickled from my nose.

"Oh! What have you done?" The wolf woman rushed to my side.

"What!" Even the crowned one looked shocked and pale. She rounded on the wolf-woman.

"How was I supposed to know he could not resist a simple mental invasion? How could he have no will? You summoned me a 0 ranked adventurer?"

"It doesn't matter what rank he is, he is our only hope! Don't hurt him!"

Everyone in the hall stood frozen, their assorted animal features accentuating their expressions of disbelief and scorn.

"Look at him! He's not even a man yet!" She spat, her cat ears pinned back in contempt. She reached down and held my dazed face, looking into my eyes. Hers held a storm, black and hellish, pulsating and hungry.

"Damn your summoning portal, Lilac! Somehow you've invented a way to summon the weakest specimen on this planet. Damn your ritual and damn your Goddess! Get this joke out of my sight!"

"You haven't given him a chance your majest-"

"You would dare argue with your Queen?"

Silence.

I groaned, trying to sit up, my body still reeling from the assault on my mind. "What…why?" I whispered, my voice hoarse.

Lilac knelt beside me, her touch as gentle as the warmth of sunlight on a cold day. I trembled, barely able to lift my head, but she wrapped an arm around me, supporting my weight as though I were fragile glass. Her soft voice hovered close to my ear, full of quiet strength. "May she watch over you."

As I wavered, she slipped a small, weighted pouch into my hand, her fingers lingering for a moment, as if trying to transfer some of her own strength into me.

"What's happening? What is this?" I croaked. It was a bottle

"If... when things seem darkest, drink it. But only if you have to. It will show the path forward, but none walk away the same."

"Get out of my sight Lilac, we're back to square one thanks to you and your little project. The church will hear about this."

Lilac looked apologetically down at me as she rose and walked away. I reached out and she only shook her head. My body was numb, failing me even as I tried to gather my bearings. The hall around me blurred, filled with faces both human and animal, all gazing at me with a mix of pity and contempt. What had this Queen done to me?

"Will anyone step forth and help the hero?" A tired voice called. Awkward shuffling ensued. No one responded.

"I will" Another woman stepped forward. She was clad in silver, her long, dark hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of ink. She had the same regal bearing as the queen, but her smile was soft and friendly.

"I'll help you," she said sweetly, her voice low and comforting. "I'm Lyn. Come with me. We'll find a safe place for you to recover." She extended her hand, and I hesitated before taking it. She looked to the Queen for approval, getting it. She slipped something on my wrist, a glowing blue band.

"This is for your protection. It'll prevent you from accessing your abilities"

"Abilities?"

Lyn didn't respond, instead whisking me away.