Nathan sat in a small cave, the campfire before him crackling weakly, barely holding its flame against the strong wind that whipped around it. His face was cast in shadow, but the flame was reflected in his eyes, as he watched its struggle against nature. The picture of that solitary flame fighting against the rest of the world, weak but never extinguished, brought a smile to his face.
The sound of heavy rainfall played a familiar lullaby, transporting him back to better days - days when the same sound would soothe him as he sat by a window, cocooned in warm blankets, lost in the pages of one book or another.
Back then, life felt safe and secure, the world fair and untroubled.
Nathan closed his eyes, savouring the brief moment of melancholy, until a thunderclap abruptly pulled him from his reverie.
Opening his eyes, he caught sight of a bolt of lightning slicing through the sky, as if hurled by a celestial's hand. It took a moment for his vision to clear, and when it did, he noticed a man sitting on the opposite side of the campfire.
Nathan blinked, ensuring his eyes weren't deceiving him, but the man remained.
Despite the unexpected presence, Nathan felt oddly calm. Instinct told him to react—arm himself, prepare to defend—but instead, he simply observed the stranger.
As Nathan scrutinized the visitor, he lit two cigarettes, taking one for himself and offering the other to the stranger, who accepted it with a nod.
Though the man appeared real, every sense but sight told Nathan otherwise. The stranger's clothes moved with the wind, yet they made no sound.
He had managed to approach without alerting Nathan’s enhanced senses and even from this close distance, Nathan could feel neither energy fluctuations coming from him, nor smell him.
No matter how hard Nathan focused, he couldn’t form a clear image of the man. His face, build, and height were utterly average, as were the colour of his eyes, hair, and even his race—whatever "average" meant in this context.
Taking a drag from his cigarette, Nathan broke the silence. “Greetings, and welcome to my campfire, stranger. You may call me Nathan.” Don't directly give him your name, he reminded himself. This whole situation stinks of fey.
The man took a moment before responding, his voice sounding like the wind rustling through trees, like a mother calling after her child, like the dawn breaking after a long night. “I know who you are. I’ve been watching you after all.”
A sinking feeling gripped Nathan's stomach. You never want the attention of powerful beings, especially non-mortal ones.
The stranger seemed to sense Nathan's unease and let out a laugh that echoed like the roar of a dying star. “No need to be wary. I am not of the fey, nor the daemons.”
Nathan was surprised at that admission. Beings of such power could not just lie; their words carried weight. If this wasn’t a fey, demon, or devil, then the only possibility left was a god. But gods couldn’t manifest this far down in the tower.
Taking a chance, Nathan asked, “What are you, then? And why were you looking for me?”
The being opened its mouth as if to answer, then paused, considering. “I am nothing but the shadow of an echo, I am that which remains in the wake of another’s passing.”
God, I hate vague answers, Nathan thought. Can’t anyone ever just speak clearly?
The being seemed to pick up on Nathan’s frustration and held up a hand, reality fracturing at the movement.
Suddenly, Nathan was no longer in the cave but standing before a bowl under a bright sun.
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He could feel the warmth on his skin, taste the freshness of spring in the air. Senses he did not have moments ago supplied him with information he should not be able to comprehend and he could hear the vitality thrumming through the land, could taste the promise of cold mornings and mild noons.
The being’s words echoed in the background, as certain as the laws of nature.
“Have you ever stood before a bowl filled with water under the sun? Dip your finger into it, and ripples—echoes—will flow out, moving through the bowl.”
The being spoke, and so it was.
“Now, those ripples will cast shadows, distorting the light as it passes.”
It spoke, and so they did.
Suddenly, Nathan was back in the cave, an instant and an eternity having passed. His mind reeled, but his voice remained unnaturally calm. “My finger causes ripples in water that cast shadows. You call yourself a shadow of an echo, but what is the water in this case?”
The stranger smiled, his voice now promising infinite knowledge at the light cost of lost sanity. “Reality, of course.”
Nathan, already unsettled by the previous revelations, refused to dwell on the implications of that answer and repeated his original question. “Why are you interested in me then?”
The being took its time answering. “Your soul called out to mine. We are both marked by solitude, cursed to walk near those who could be companions in another life, but unable to form the bonds we so crave. I offer no riches nor power, but if it is companionship you seek, I can fulfill that wish.”
Nathan was taken aback, but as he considered it, the offer didn’t seem so bad. All his friends were either dead or lost in a future that no longer existed. There were worse companions to have than enigmatic, supremely powerful beings.
Nathan smiled as he made his decision. “That, I wouldn’t mind.”
The being returned the smile and concluded, “You may call me Agnostos then. We will meet again, Nathan Andrews. Rest now and take this gift, for it is all I can offer you.”
The last thing Nathan saw, was a finger filling his whole vision, stretching from his face onto the edges of reality as it lightly rested between his eyebrows, then the darkness claimed him.
----------------------------------------
When Nathan woke the next morning, the sky was clear. The plants still glistened with rain, and small puddles dotted the landscape.
The world had awakened once more, animals emerging from their shelters. He inhaled deeply, savouring the fresh air left in the storm's wake.
It took a moment for Nathan's muddled mind to recall the events of the previous evening. He wasn’t sure if it had been real or just a dream. The details were too vivid to be fabricated, yet the eerie calm he’d felt throughout the encounter and the nostalgia that preceded it gave it a surreal quality in hindsight.
The experience was confirmed as real though, when he sensed a new pool of energy within him—an energy that he could not interact with and that did not conform to any rules he knew of ephemeral energies.
“Let’s see that gift, then,” he muttered. “Status.”
Name: Nathan Andrews
Title: None
Class: Spearman – Swiftness [5]
Stats
Con: 16
Per: 14
Reg: 10
Ref: 15
General Skills [2/5]
Identify – Scan a target to gain information about their race, class, and level. Target may be aware of the attempt.
Ripples in the Water – Where reality is malleable, desires hold power. Focus on what you wish for and what you’re willing to sacrifice. Perhaps something is listening?
Class Skills
Art of the Spear – The spear is more than just a weapon in your hands. When wielding a spear, your movements become more refined, your mind quicker, and your strikes more precise.
Swift Footwork – Positioning is the essence of combat. When wielding a spear, your steps are faster without losing precision.
Perks
Lone Wolf – The user can no longer form or join any parties, clans, or organizations. Stats are reduced by 50% if not alone in combat. Upon death, the user’s soul is erased from all timelines.
“Well, that’s a skill I’ve never even heard of. Doesn’t sound ominous at all, huh.”
Nathan refrained from activating it for now. He trusted that Agnostos didn’t mean him harm, but entities like him were known to kill mortals through sheer ignorance. A boon from Agnostos’ perspective could very well shatter Nathan’s mind.
He shivered as he recalled yesterday’s display, Agnostos' words still echoing in his mind. Shadow of an echo.
“If he keeps his offer of companionship, the conversations will at least be interesting,” Nathan chuckled.
“I’ve never heard of Agnostos in the last timeline, but then again, he said he found me because of the Lone Wolf perk, and that’s new. I might need to adjust my plans now that I have a second general skill, but that should be fine. Ripples in the Water goes in the ‘only use when death is imminent’ category, though.”
Gathering his equipment and putting the events of the last evening behind him, he left his cave.
Nathan's gaze was fixed on the beginnings of a mountain range, not far away from him. “I should reach the trial within the day at least. That's the last thing I have to accomplish on this floor.”