Darkness had fallen over the pristine forest clearing by the time Jade woke. She yawned, sitting up and rubbing her eyes, trying to remember where she was. The faint glow of starlight filtered in through the tent flap, illuminating the forest clearing outside. Right. She'd been transported into this place, the Labyrinth, then chased by a monster, narrowly escaped death, and finally reached safety in this place. The question was… Now what?

"Damos?" She asked into the darkness. No response was forthcoming, the only sound the soft chirping of unseen insects, and Jade began to wonder just how long she'd slept. When she had arrived the sun had been high in the sky, but did that mean anything here? Apparently she wasn't on Earth anymore, who knew how long it stayed 'day' in this place.

The question of what to do would have to wait, for right now Jade was faced with a more immediate need. Nature was calling, and it wouldn't take no for an answer. Rising to her feet Jade made to leave the tent and promptly stepped on her own tail. She yelped in pain, stumbling forward through the tent flap. Unfortunately her wings were spread wide and, as she stepped outside, they got caught in the fabric. Her momentum carried her forward, pulling the entire tent down on top of her in a tangle of poles, canvas, and string.

"Ow…" She groaned, facedown on the ground. Extricating herself from the mess was something of an ordeal in the dark, and she spent the time reflecting on the fact that having wings was a pretty large pain in the ass, especially if you couldn't fly with them.

There didn't seem to be a bathroom in the sanctuary, though it was too dark to see far. Without any other options available, Jade found a quiet and discreet place to relieve herself a little removed from the clearing. Pale moonlight shone down from the sky, providing just enough illumination for her to get around. Between that and her flashlight, she found the backpack that she'd dropped when she'd first arrived. There were a few changes of clothes inside, and she began pulling them out. The shirt she wore was a lost cause, having practically been torn to ribbons, and her pants hadn't fared much better.

The question was, with her wings protruding through her shirt and her tail emerging through a hole in her pants… How was she supposed to change? Or wear normal clothes at all? This whole body type seemed wildly impractical. Then again, she was apparently a shapechanger. If that did what it sounded like, it could be a solution. As if prompted by her thoughts, which Jade realized it probably was, a system window popped up to provide helpful details.

* Racial Feature: Shapechange

* You have the ability to change your form and appearance to mimic that of other beings at will. All forms you take must be humanoid, and must resemble a creature type you are familiar with. You can adopt only the physical features of other races, and do not gain any of their inherent abilities or traits. Shifting into any form other than your true form will negate some of your other racial benefits.

Jade thought she could feel how the power was supposed to work. There was a newly awakened area in the back of her mind, a pool of potential that had emerged shortly after she had undergone her transformation. She reached into it, tapping into that new part of her with a thought. It was unruly at first, the feeling unnatural, but the more she concentrated the more natural it felt. Strangely, it felt more like rediscovering a part of herself that she had lost than actually learning something new.

Focusing as hard as she could, Jade released the energy through her body, guiding it as it shaped her anew. Her entire body tingled as her wings and tail retracted, the horns on her forehead melting away. Mere moments later she stood in the forest clearing as her old self. As far as Jade could tell by touch and in the dim light, this new form was identical to her body prior to the transformation.

As she came to terms with the strangeness of being able to change shape at will, Jade felt a small amount of strength leave her body. She checked her system windows to figure out what had happened and quickly discovered that had been the sensation of the stat boost she received in her 'demon' form fading. It was accompanied by an odd, albeit fleeting, sense of loss. Strange, but not unpleasant.

Jade spent the next quarter of an hour testing her transformative abilities, quickly determining several key pieces of information. Minor adjustments were relatively easy, she could change her skin color, general features, and even her height and weight to a limited degree. She could make her hair grow out, or even retract. For some reason that process felt especially unpleasant, like someone was pulling her hair out of her scalp, so she returned its normal length and left it alone for the moment.

It was like having access to the character customization options in a video game, but infinitely more detailed and all present in her mind. All she required was a sufficient mental image of the form she wished to adopt, as well as a period of intense concentration. Larger changes were more complicated, however, and for the moment she wasn't able to perform major alterations other than swapping between her demon and human bodies. Additionally, as the system information had said, she was limited to human looking forms. Any attempt to deviate too far from that simply caused nothing to happen.

She entertained herself with experimentation for a while, quickly achieving a basic proficiency in shaping her body. Finally, she settled on an appearance that resembled her old self as closely as she could manage. That would do for now. Not only did it give her a sense of desperately needed normalcy, but it made changing into her clothes much easier since they were all sized for her to begin with. Jade pulled on a new t-shirt, resolving to come up with a way to transform into her winged form without destroying her clothes. If she didn't master that soon, she could quickly run out of things to wear. While she figured that running around naked might not be entirely inappropriate for a succubus, it wasn't the look she wanted.

Now changed and transformed, Jade took stock of her equipment and surroundings. Currently in her possession was a backpack that contained a couple changes of clothes, a phone with no signal, an extra pair of tennis shoes, and a pair of scissors. There was also a flashlight and a bottle that contained water of questionable cleanliness. Fortunately, the supplies in the tents had included what proved to be containers of fresh water, so Jade took the opportunity to clean and refill her bottle.

And that was it. Though she now had knowledge regarding the wielding of weapons and armor, she would have to actually acquire some for that to be of any use.

"I don't suppose there's any useful equipment just, lying around?" She wondered aloud. There wasn't enough light to easily search in, and the last thing she wanted was to waste the battery of the flashlight if she didn't absolutely need it. Who knew when there'd be a chance to swap them out. Instead, she walked back to the strange, freestanding door.

As she crossed the forest clearing, Jade noticed for the first time that there was more than just starlight illuminating the forest. Two moons shone down on the dimly lit clearing, one small and bright, the other large and dim. She stopped, gazing up at them, transfixed. Despite the many supernatural and downright crazy things that had happened to her in the past day, the sight of twin moons hanging in the sky above her forced Jade to confront the fact that, wherever she was, it wasn't her home. This night sky was at once familiar and, at the same time, utterly alien.

She wondered if one of those twinkling stars up there was her home, or if this new world even worked that way at all. Was this an actual sky above some foreign planet in another star system? Or was it a magical creation of some kind? The idea that she'd somehow stepped into another world entirely when she'd entered this sanctuary would have fit right in with many of the science fiction books she loved so much.

It's like Tunnel in the Sky. She thought to herself. Or Stargate, maybe…

Returning her attention to the task at hand, she examined the sanctuary door standing before her. It was attached to nothing but the ground, the wooden door bordered by a shimmering golden glow. The back side of it, the side she hadn't exited through when she'd arrived, was a just a veil of glimmering light. Jade felt compelled to touch it but wasn't sure if that would be safe, so she compromised by tossing a stick into the sheet of energy. It bounced off, unharmed, so she felt marginally more comfortable poking at it herself. The glimmering barrier of light was warm and solid, unyielding as stone under her touch. Was this some sort of portal? That seemed the most appropriate term to use. It looked right out of a videogame. She focused on it, pulling up a system message.

* Sanctuary Portal

* Gateway to the Tranquil Forest Sanctuary.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Well, that answered one question. Grasping the door handle, Jade cautiously opened the door. It opened inward, towards her, and she cracked it open just enough to peer through the gap. The sound of chugging machinery was enough to tell her that the doorway did, in fact, lead back to the assembly line she'd passed through to get here. Peering inside, she once again saw the multi-levelled conveyer belts and heavy machinery grinding away on the scrap metal working its way through the intricate system. The door to the Sanctuary led out onto the top level of the facility, affording her a good view of the entire large room. It was bizarre, to be standing here in a moonlit forest glade on one side of the door, and looking into a cavernous factory that couldn't possibly be there on the other side of it. Two areas that didn't belong together at all, connected through this single aperture.

There didn't seem to be any danger, so she pulled the door open the rest of the way. Light from the factory spilled out the doorway, bathing the clearing behind her in a dull orange glow and filling it with the sounds of industrial machinery. Jade closed the door again, feeling oddly guilty for disturbing the peace of this tranquil glade, and considered her next move. She didn't know when Damos would be coming back, or even if he really would keep his word and return. She suspected he'd meant what he said, the mysterious butler had shown her nothing but kindness so far, but who knew if something outside his control would prevent him from coming back. She knew nothing about this place or how it worked, and had no way to contact anyone. Damos had implied that there were others like her, lost and stranded in the Labyrinth against their will, and that all of them would need the same assistance as her. If there weren't enough people like Damos to see to all of them at once, Jade could be waiting for quite a long time for him to return.

Well she wasn't just going to sit here indefinitely, waiting for help to arrive. Jade was rested, recovered, and better equipped to avoid whatever dangers lurked on the other side of that door. She had never been prone to indecision, and quickly decided that she was going to take a quick look around the area near the sanctuary. If nothing else, there could be other people like her nearby. People who might need help, or who would be willing to work together to find a way back home. After she did some scouting, she'd come back to rest and check if Damos had returned in her absence. After that… Well, after that she'd see. That was enough of a plan for now.

Jade stepped through the door, crossing back into the noisy factory. She maintained her human form, feeling more comfortable with her normal body than that of the demonic form. The ability to shapeshift at will was freaking her out a little, as was the whole 'new body' thing, but it was just another item on the very long list of crazy shit she was suddenly dealing with. Having the option to revert to a body that looked and felt identical to her old one went a long way towards helping her accept the changes she'd undergone. That, and the fact that she could walk, run, and jump normally again. Jade still marveled at her pain free steps, her unencumbered stride. Despite everything else, it felt liberating.

* System Note

* Entering The Labyrinth: Level 1

* Note: Your class provides you with starting equipment. Would you like to receive it now? (Yes/No)

Now that was more like it. Jade selected 'Yes' and the message vanished. A moment later there was a soft flash of blue energy and a small leather bag materialized at her feet. She blinked in surprise, taking an instinctive step back. Magic was going to take a lot more getting used to. Upon inspection the bag contained a pair of simple daggers, what looked like a magic wand carved from a tree branch, three vials of red liquid that her interface labeled as 'healing potions', and a belt complete with sheaths for the blades and wand. The daggers were well made, plain but sturdy, with sharp blades and good balance. The wand was, well, a stick. She didn't know what to make of it. Jade picked it up, examining the intricate carvings that ran along its length.

The influx of magic that had accompanied her class selection had included knowledge on how to wield wands when casting spells, something Jade had not been consciously aware of until she'd picked one up. Now that she was holding it, though, she had an instinctive understanding of how it was supposed to work. The wand helped her channel magic more precisely, directing and focusing any spells she cast. She wasn't required to use one to cast her spells but, if she did, the magic would be more accurate and easier to direct. It was an odd sensation, accessing knowledge that she knew she couldn't remember ever learning.

A new quest window interrupted her thoughts.

* New Quest: Lay of the Land

* There's a whole new world for you to explore. The good news: There's a lot of incredible things to find. The bad news: Half of those things will probably try to kill you. Don't say you weren't warned.

* Objective: Find and activate a Labyrinth Node. This quest cannot be failed or refused.

* Reward: Low experience gain.

* Reward: Nearby points of interest will be added to your map.

* Reward: 100 Crescent coins.

There's a map?

Before Jade could investigate, another window popped up.

* New Quest: The Hunt Begins

* Monsters roam the Astral Labyrinth. It's time to show them that you aren't someone they want to mess with.

* Objective: Slay 5 Labyrinth monsters. This quest cannot be failed or refused.

* Reward: Medium experience gain.

* Reward: 50 Crescent coins.

After the windows closed, Jade took a moment to pull up her interface. There was now a 'quest' tab, as well as a 'map tab. The quest tab listed her two current quests in addition to the one she'd completed by reaching the Sanctuary. A header at the top of the page read: 'Labyrinth Trial Quest Progress: 1/100.'

The map tab was more interesting. It pulled up a dynamic, semitransparent navigational aid that, as best Jade could tell, tracked and revealed the world around her in real time. The header read: 'Level 1: Area #451,345, Industrial Zone, Factory Quadrant.'

That... was an absurdly large number. Just how big was this place...? She zoomed out, able to see the path she'd taken from her translocated apartment to the Sanctuary. Everything other than the room she was currently in was grayed out. It seemed to work just like the maps from the couple of RPGs she'd played or, more often, watched Alan play while she'd been working out. With a tool like this to help her navigate, she felt a great deal more comfortable doing some exploring. She'd be able to find her way back here easily, if nothing else.

Before she got underway, Jade decided to use one of her daggers to make some modifications to her clothes. A few quick cuts later, and her shirt and pants had some conveniently placed slits to accommodate her wings and tail. She tested the alterations, shifting between her succubus form and her human appearance. It didn't take long to get enough control over the transformation to guide her shapeshifting through the openings she'd made. Although Jade was more comfortable in the body she had spent her whole life in to-date, it would be important for her to have access to the boosts the demon form boasted if the need arose. Now she could use them without another wardrobe malfunction, or worse, injuring herself in the process of transforming.

Finally ready to depart, Jade climbed down to the ground floor of the assembly line room, keeping a careful eye out for any other monsters. The map aptly named this place the 'factory quadrant', which implied that there were four total components to this 'industrial zone'. The cavernous room was still well lit and noisy, but the clamor of the equipment didn't seemed to have attracted any attention. After a quick inspection revealed nothing of note and no signs of danger, Jade walked towards a large metal door set into the wall of the factory, one of several exits leading from the vast space. She carefully cracked it open and peeked inside.

The next chamber was considerably smaller than the one she stood in. It was darker inside, but a shaft of light from the assembly line room provided enough illumination to see by. The center of the room was dominated by a mountain of scrap metal, twisted pieces of junk piled atop each other so high that it practically reached the 40 foot ceiling. It looked to be the raw material that was being piped through the assembly line in the next room, though Jade still had no idea what any of it was for. A lot of the items in this pile were more intact, though, and she thought she recognized some of them. Was that the exterior frame of a jeep? It lay next to the bent and rusted remains of what was clearly a streetlight. Where had all of this come from? Had it been sucked into the Labyrinth like she had?

There didn't seem to be an immediate danger in the chamber, so Jade slipped inside. She left the factory door partially ajar for light, creeping quietly around the perimeter of the room. Now that she was inside, she could see some sort of dull orange glow emanating from the far side of the enormous junk pile. A few more moments of skirting the edge of the chamber brought her to a good vantage point. A pool of bubbling orange liquid dominated the far end of the chamber, recessed into the stone floor beside the junk heap. Jade could feel the heat even from her position across the room, at least 80 feet away from it. It was a pool of lava, just sitting in the middle of the room. There wasn't even a railing or any sort of barrier to prevent someone from falling into it. Aside from the unnecessarily dangerous hazard in the middle of the chamber, this side of the room also featured another door. It was further down from where she stood, a pair of large metal doors set into the wall. Each door was set into a track on the wall and looked as though it slid to the side to open, rather than swinging in or out. More like the opening to a warehouse than a normal door.

Maybe that's what this place is? Jade wasn't convinced. She was no expert, but lava pools didn't seem like a standard component of a warehouse.

Staying as far away from the bubbling magma as she could, Jade crept over towards the new door, sidestepping smaller junk piles as she did. As she approached, however, it slid open on its own. The metal door made an unnerving scraping sound as it ground against its rusted track, chips of stone and metal clattering down to the concrete floor as it moved. Jade jumped back, stumbling on a piece of debris, and found herself face to face with what looked like a robot made from bronze. The humanoid automaton was taller than she was, all clicking gears and whistling steam. Its telescope shaped head swung in her direction as it noticed her, dropping the pile of metal scrap it had been carrying to the floor with a clang. Its dark, singular lens of an eye turning an angry crimson and, with barely any hesitation, it rushed towards her.