I hear the static and whir of machines as I'm entered into my pod. Machines attach tubes and sensors onto every part of my body. Drugs begin to enter my system as an electronic sounding voice responds as my vision fades. Numinous System Engaged. Transporting in 3...2..1.

A flash of light happens and I can't feel my body anymore. The cooling liquid must be working? Well, there isn't any turning back now. The last bits of light I can see go and the sounds of the machines start to lessen. I can feel the fear creeping in as the darkness sets in completely robbing me of any sensation or information. I start to panic, I can't feel anything, I can't see anything. I start to realize that I didn't know how calming it was to breathe, to feel my heart beat until it was gone. Where is numinous? Where is the system? Was there a mistake in the virtualization? I try to scream, but I have no mouth. Then with a loud bang, a tunnel of white light blasts over me. I feel warmth, I gain sight. If I could I'd begin to sob, but noticing these sensations again I try looking down to see my "hands". They're nothing but energy.

I start to have memories pour into me, time I spent with my brother, times I spent alone. Every emotion I ever felt storms in the core of who I am. Ever bit of laughter, every sob, and as quick as it began it's over. I can hear my first cries of my old life, the ones I proclaimed when being born. Suddenly I realize I'm standing in an endless corridor. Along the walls are doors of multiple shapes, materials, and colors. In the center is an individual dressed in a white suit and a black dress shirt. What's more alarming is what it looks like.

It has no face, just a gold gleaming sunburst circle of metal where it's head should be, surrounding it, faint halo’s of power and in the center of the gold circle are eyes of pure light, 8 of them. It has two pairs of wings, one connected to it's body, and the other connected to the golden ring. Its skin is gray and porcelain with black painted nails and rings and bracelets of symbols arcane and mystical in nature.

Standing there dumbfounded It clearly wasn't paying attention to me. It's eyes darted around it's golden circle, looking at random doors, two or three monitoring the desk he was sitting in front of. It was made of a marble looking stone, with gold and black cracks racing everyone in it's polished smooth surface. His fingers seemed to be made of the same substance, tapping along to some tune only it knew.

The power that radiates of this creature is immense. Like every part of you was drawn to it, it commanded me to witness it's existence. Along with the rhythmic tapping, I started to focus and could hear the drip of water, echoing off of a stone surface. I closed my "eyes" or at least willed my sense of sound to be heightened, every door in this endless corridor had it's own rustling, ethereal sounds escaping from behind them. I couldn't make out what they sounded like, but it was like I had a hint of the essence behind the doors.

Suddenly there is a scrapping sound that echoes along the surfaces around me. I look back at the create and the majority if it's eyes are looking at me now, while the few that aren't are scanning the doors still. A chair made of the same marble like substance had materialized on my side of the desk and was angled so that I could take a seat.

"Welcome Julius, take a seat, I've been expecting you." Uh, OK. How is it speaking, how do I even hear it? Why does it sound like every voice I've ever head speaking at once...

Well, even with my thoughts rushing I did as I had been commanded. Almost like a natural instinct, I can't really resist it. As soon as I plop down on the chair it's oddly warm and cold at the same time, it feels living, like it has an energy of it's own. Now that I'm up close to him I can practically swim in his powerful Aura. I can since a masculine presence and it seems to be a bit rude if I keep calling him an it yeah? Not to mention he could probably swat me like a fly if he really wanted to.

"Uh... Hello, are you Numinous? Is this where I create my character? Are you an NPC?"

Chuckling rings out in my head as his eyes shack and he holds his stomach. His eyes shake side to side and he waves a finger back and forth.

"No Julius, no I am not... haha, good joke though. Been awhile since I had a good laugh from my tummy."

In an odd motion he wipes and invisible tear from one of his eyes... Ok this dude is cracking himself up.

"Yeaaaaaah, no. I'm not Numinous, and you do not create your character here per say. As for being an NPC, well, that's for you to decide."

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He snaps his finger again and a spark of essence jolts the air, a nice tea set appears on the paper and the pot begins to levitate and pour golden liquid into the tea cups. Made from the same material as the rest of this place. I'm starting to wonder what exactly this marble is, might as well ask him about it.

"I have a question uh... actually I'm sorry, what is your name?"

He steeples his fingers together and slouches his body.

"Coarus, protector of the gates, guardian of dimensions, and glorified administrator for Numinous's waiting room. I know, what a collection of titles. Too bad I don't get paid overtime for being here... well forever."

He kicks up his feet onto the table and summons one of the cups to his hand. Somehow there is a sipping sound and the golden liquid starts to vanish from the cup. He gives me a gesture that I'm free to join him.

"Uh, alright thanks. I mean I have a lot of questions, like how you're drinking and speaking without a mouth. Then again I'm just pure energy at the moment so I guess I should get used to things making no sense."

I sigh and bring the cup up to my face, I guess I can just will myself to drink it right? Is that how things work here?

"Yeah, It's better to stop thinking about how things used to work in your old reality my dear Julius. Earth, and the reality that houses the one you are from is real grand, but it's not really on the level of where you are, and where you will go. Welcome to the corridor between all that is, has been, and will be!"

The liquid begins to disappear as I start feeling more alive, more awake. Like I was drinking straight juice from the pool of life. I imagine this might be what the Kool-Aid man tastes like if you cracked open and slurped out his red insides. Oh Yeah!

"That's neat, this liquid is really amazing! What's it made out of? Also what is this marble like stone your desk and well... you are made out of?"

"I'm glad you asked! I love that inquisitive brain you humans have. The liquid is my blood, and all the moonstone here is my body! Enjoy thy sacred sacrament my child."

If I had eyes I'm sure they would of bulged out of my head and I'd have spat the golden liquid all over Coarus. Instead with a shacking hand I just put the tea cup back down on the marble. Raucous laughter filled around me as his fist started pounding on the desk and he slapped his knee.

"Come on man, lighten up it's a joke, a joke! Bahahaha you should of seen your aura, it looked like a piece of you died inside. Give me a second I need to collect my self.... bahahahaha. OK.... OK I can breathe again, alright, Julius, that is just some tea that was infused with light essence so that it contained it inside. As for the material, it's called moonstone. This stuff specifically was once a part of Luna, no not your moon. But the moon in Draghoul, the biggest one, that signifies the power of balance in all things."

"You humans, I swear I never get tired of you. I'm really glad Numinous finally emerged into your reality in the form of a virtual AI. I've watched it all from the very beginning, them world wars? Nasty stuff, but there are much nastier things out there spread across all the realities, and specially in the places in-between."

Is he kidding? This program seems so real, It's like I'm talking to a living human being. Who knew that it would all seem so real. They told us that if we decided to leave earth and our body behind, that we would have an eternity in this virtual system. I guess I always thought that meant I was just going to be playing games, or having second lives forever. Which seemed like a better option then staying there being a slave to the military powers of humanity as it competed for power across the stars. Still this is wilder then I could of ever imagined.

"Oh I'm not kidding Julius, you keep that keen mind of yours. shhh now don't be shocked. Thanks for not calling me an it in your head, I respect that ability to see the unknown as something real or at least assign it something that makes it realer for you in your mind. Alas we are running out of time, so off you go now. Pick a door, any door! Best of luck, and remember, your mind will always be your most powerful tool, your will that it puts into any reality it's lethal force.

Still dumbstruck at the idea he was in my mind the whole time, he stuck his hand out for me to shake and without hesitation I gave him a firm one. "Oh yeah!" he said with the exact voice of the Kool-Aid man, and with a wink he was gone. Nothing remained but the sound of water, and the whisper from beyond the doors.

"What the fuck..." I said aloud. Fuck me, this is too wild.

With a look around and a seemingly endless amount of doors to pick from, I shrugged and set off down the corridor.