Swain awoke immersed in a thick golden liquid which appeared to float in a white void. Thoroughly confused looks at her clothes, finding her tattered outfit gone, she was now dressed in a plain white dress. The quality of the dress felt like what the richer class wore. Although the fluid lapped her skin it did not feel wet for some reason. She stirred and attempted to sit up, the quick motion leaving her head spinning. As she moved to stand, Swain landed face first in the liquid as it suddenly moved from underneath her to the space in front of her. Multiple attempts reveal the same results as what should be the ground shifts along with her movements.

Finally deciding to lay and think she is surprised by a monotone voice speaking. The voice seems to come from everywhere at once.

“System initialization beginning”

“Insufficient life detected”

“15 Life tokens detected, would you like to activate a life token inherited from Sorath the untamed - hero of the realm?”

Life token? Swain questions,

What is a life token?

Where am I?

Am I dead?

“A Life token is the currency used to initiate a full restoration prior to a life forms expiration”

“ You are currently located in between”

“Your body is extremely close to critical failure”

“15 Life tokens detected, would you like to activate a life token inherited from Sorath the untamed - hero of the realm?”

Yes, Swain screamed

“Restoration commencing”

“System initialization at thirty percent”

The gold liquid thickens holding Swain in place. Unable to move she nearly panics before a pulse resonates through her body immediately calming her.

“System initialization at thirty percent”

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“Transferring 14 inherited life tokens received from Sorath the untamed - hero of the realm”

Wait, if life tokens restore health could Sorath have been saved? Can you save him now?

“Sorath the untamed has expired”

Use a life token!! She screams with tears welling up in her eyes

Please! Swain croaks out through the lump in her throat

“Sorath the untamed has expired and is no longer eligible”

Swain begins openly sobbing feeling helpless. He left her everything but himself, why? She thought. If he had fifteen tries at life why did he give up? It just didn’t make sense

“System initialization at seventy five percent, layering hero protocol”

“Populating mission criteria”

Slow down, Swain begged.

What is the hero protocol?

No answer comes as she sits for what seems like an eternity. She heard numerous stories of people being connected to the system but none of those recounts mentioned anything like this. From all she had been told, anyone who is connected receives a message when they awake either from a nap or a full night's sleep saying you have been connected and then a set of instructions on how to access their status. No one she had ever known mentioned anything about a prolonged interaction or these initialization messages. There was never a mention of hero status, not even during the nights she spent spying on the scribes in the castle. What was this liquid? Why did the system stop answering? And how did she inherit anything? Sorath was neither her father or even blood family.

“System initialization at ninety five percent, activating Layte’s gift”

Another unexplained announcement? Swain could only sit in silence as her tears had died by this point. Is she supposed to just figure this system out? This was her lot in life it seemed, to struggle, what else was new? Swain had managed at the orphanage, she survived after Sorath died and now she had apparently overcome being left for dead. After this is over she needed to figure out how to survive Trival.

“System initialization one hundred percent, populating Layte’s gift avatar”

Swain watched as the golden goo liquified again this time draining into the nothingness it floated in only for a figure to appear, seeming to materialize out of the available light. When her eyes cleared she watched a golden green glow fade and leave behind a tall slim built man with scruffy black hair and a stubble beard rounding his handsome face. The man was dressed in an outfit that straddled the line between high class and poor. It reminded Swain of people who wanted to impress so they saved money for months to purchase one outfit that would get them through any door.

The smile is what brings tears to her eyes. It is a half smirk she saw anytime he had an impossible plan. It was the smile that caused husbands to chase him after he spent a night out. This smile was now accompanied by emerald pupils.

Sorath, she sobbed with tears flowing anew.