Liam’s head was throbbing, making it impossible to think clearly. As he scanned his surroundings, his vision blurred intermittently, and the brilliance of his environment was overwhelming. He rubbed his eyes and blinked hard, slowly regaining focus. He found himself in a circular clearing within a forest; the trees around him reached skyward but appeared sickly and nearly dead. The forest floor was a carpet of decay and debris. In the distance, the mountains stood, lifeless, their very stones seeming to wither away. At the clearing's center lay a small, muddy pool about 15 feet across, fed by a bubbling spring that, rather than refreshing the water, seemed to pollute it further. The sight sent shivers across his skin. A slight breeze touched his skin, making him acutely aware of his vulnerability. "Where the hell am I, and why am I naked?" he whispered to himself.

To his surprise, a tiny, squeaky voice responded from behind him, "This is Ategenos." Reflexively, Liam clamped his hands between his legs, trying to cover himself and retain some modesty. He cautiously half-turned to see a woman, just 12 inches tall, hovering gracefully, supported by delicate, paper-thin wings with intricate black patterns. These ethereal wings emitted a faint blue glow, harmonizing with her flowing blue hair that cascaded like water down her back. A translucent blue haze enveloped her torso and hips, accentuating her golden-tanned complexion with a mystical aura.

"W-w-who are you?" Liam stammered, immediately feeling that his question was misplaced. Shouldn’t he be inquiring about what she was or where he was? Yet, those questions never emerged, his hands remaining firmly in place. As he spoke, the redness in his cheeks deepened, a vivid tide of embarrassment washing over him.

The tiny woman sighed, not out of annoyance but almost in relief. Worry and stress were evident in her eyes as she spoke slowly, carefully watching Liam's reaction. "Liam, I am Ula, and I am a pixie. I am also your guide. You remember me, don’t you?"

Liam remained silent, his head aching with a dull, persistent throb that clouded his thoughts. He struggled to formulate a response, which came out not as an answer to Ula’s question but as another question, "A-ategenos? W-where is that?" His stutter wasn't due to embarrassment this time but seemed driven by the throbbing pain that intensified, as if actively trying to hinder his thought process.

"Ategenos isn’t a place; it's your bridge; it's the source of your power," Ula explained with another sigh, her voice laced with concern as she observed the confusion and pain on Liam’s face. "Ategenos is you, Liam. It encompasses everything you are or could ever aspire to be." She searched his face for any sign of recognition. "Think of Ategenos as a dream that you can shape and mold to your desires, and in turn, Ategenos will transform you."

"A dream, huh? This doesn’t feel like a dream," Liam muttered, the ache in his head escalating to a pounding.

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Ula chuckled, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes, which reflected a tinge of sadness. "You never were good at listening; this is not a dream, Liam," she implored with a pleading tone. "Please, pay attention because we need you."

Liam massaged his temples, futilely attempting to alleviate an unrelenting pain. "G-guide? Guide to what? If... if this place is even what you say it is, how are you here? How am I here?"

Ula dismissed his queries. "Liam, those details aren't important right now. We need you to remember so you can be ready for what is to come."

Confusion swirled within Liam. His agony was intensifying; it felt as though someone was inside his head, pounding on his skull in a desperate attempt to escape; beads of sweat formed on his brow, his complexion paled, and his thoughts slowed as if he were dragging a heavy wagon through sand. "P-prepared for what, Ula?"

Ula regarded him with deep concern. "Liam, how are you feeling? Please, just stay calm and try to remember."

Understanding eluded him. What was he supposed to prepare for? What did she want him to recall? How could he focus on anything with his head about to split open? His mouth opened and closed several times, but no sounds emerged.

She floated closer, hovering right before his face, placing her tiny hands on his cheeks, peering into his eyes. "Liam, I thought we had more time," her voice sounded distant, even though she was directly in front of him. "Look into the water, Liam, and find your Coryphaeus stone. Don’t overthink; it will call to you." Her words reached him, and he understood them, but his own thoughts seemed suppressed by the throbbing pain. His body moved almost autonomously, for he couldn't control it with the few coherent thoughts he managed to muster. He glanced at the murky pond, his vision blurring as he scanned it.

What was he searching for? Was he supposed to be looking for something? Why was he staring at this filthy, scum-covered pond? He didn't want to be here; he just wanted to sleep. Just as he was about to turn away, a glint from beneath the water’s surface caught his eye; once he saw it, he knew that was what he was searching for. As this realization dawned, a flicker of clarity returned to his mind, but simultaneously, the pain in his head doubled, as if alive and resisting his epiphany. He stumbled forward, falling to his hands and knees but never taking his eyes off the object beneath the water. He crawled to the water's edge; the stench of the pond assaulted his senses like sulfuric acid, burning his nostrils and making his eyes water. He reached into the water, which felt like liquid ice, and pushed his hand deeper, the pain in his head now exploding in intensity; his hand felt as though it was being stung repeatedly by wasps. His fingers barely brushed against something hard and smooth when his vision turned white, and his head felt like it would burst. He clenched the object tightly, protecting it as a mother would her child, before falling face-first into the pond; wherever his skin touched the water, it felt as if it was being pierced by thousands of red-hot needles. Convulsions wracked his body as his vision slowly faded to black.