Samuel opened his eyes after what felt like hours had passed. He felt strangely healthy, not at all as though he’d just passed out after burning through all the mana he possessed. For, despite having never used magic in his life, he could recognize the symptoms of mana fatigue from several books that he’d read. Now he had a whole slew of new questions and felt extra glad that he wasn’t experiencing the painful headache that accompanied the condition.

He sat up and only then noticed his strange surroundings. He’d expected to find himself in the back of the wagon on his way to Milagre, several hours after the fight against the brigands. Instead, he seemed to be underground. Why would Arthur and the others have left him in such an uncomfortable place? For a moment, he feared that maybe the mana fatigue had killed him, and this was what happened after humans died.

As he looked down at his hands, they definitely seemed less solid than before. He wasn’t quite ethereal, but he was far from solid. He could definitely feel his own body, and, reaching out, he discovered that he could move a small pebble on the stone ground beside him. He gave the pebble a flick, and it skitted away on the rough stone, its tiny clacks echoing strangely in the space.

And what a strange space it was. He narrowed his eyes to try and see further, but it was too dark in this place. He got to his feet and walked slowly forward, his arms held out to prevent him from walking facefirst into a wall. Within seconds, he found one. Was this some kind of underground cavern? He explored to the side, noticing how straight the wall under his hands seemed to feel. It was as if some giant beast had burrowed through the stone, making a straight path but leaving the rock behind it rough and uneven.

Soon, he felt the wall curving around to his right, forming a small chamber before continuing on straight in the direction he’d come. Strange, he thought. He couldn’t have traveled that far. Tentatively, he put out both hands and found that he could actually touch both sides of the walls in this narrow part. Not a cavern, he realized, but a narrow tunnel, with just barely enough room for him to walk comfortably. And at the far end of the tunnel, so far that his eyes couldn’t make it out, he felt some kind of presence.

You have finally touched magic. I can feel your mind now. I have been expecting you, Samuel. A voice resounded in the back of his mind again. It was different from the first time this had happened. It was deeper, and each word was drawn out. The very voice seemed to hint at an unseen depth of ancient power and limitless wisdom. But while the voice seemed to resonate from within the deepest parts of his being, he also couldn’t help but feel as if it was truly coming from further down the tunnel.

Come.

This had to be a dream, he thought. His foot took a step forward as if he couldn’t resist obeying the simple command. He pulled back at once, surprised at the flare of annoyance that came to life in his chest. “Who’s there? Who are you?”

There was no reply to his shouted demands, save for the faint echo of his voice that died out rather quickly. That seemed to indicate a fairly large opening not far ahead. Gritting his teeth, he took another step forward. Any sane person would turn around and run, he thought. But there was nothing behind him but a small sealed cave. Besides, if he was already dead, what harm could the presence at the end of this narrow tunnel do to him?

It was a rather short trip - barely more than ten meters- before he could feel the edges of the tunnel suddenly flare out to either side. He felt the wall to the right and noticed how smooth the wall seemed to be now. He continued further before meeting some kind of obstruction, perfectly round and reaching from the ground to the ceiling out of his reach. Some kind of pillar.

A sudden light flared in the center of the massive room, reflecting painfully off the eyes and making Samuel wince. After the pitch darkness of the tunnel, the light was near-blinding, and its intensity made him instinctively curl into a tight ball to try and shut it out. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the light dimmed considerably. Still bright, but he could glance around and stare into it without hurting his eyes.

“Who are you?” Samuel asked, squinting at the ball of light before his eyes. Because now that it had illuminated the large chamber in which it rested, he could see that it was a near-perfect sphere. His first wild thought was that this was some kind of god, but he’d never heard of any of the gods of the world being represented as a ball of light. It also wasn’t golden, but pure white. It felt like… pure brilliance, contained inside itself.

I have been given many names, and chosen many for myself. There was a faint pause, and Samuel got the impression that it was searching its memory. You may call me Arcana. It is fitting, for it was the name given to me by the mortals.

The Mortals. So this was a god, he thought. He racked his own brain, trying to remember the name Arcana. He thought that it might sound familiar, but couldn’t place it. He pushed the matter aside. “So are you the guardian of the afterlife or something? Do all mortals meet you when they die?”

You are not in the afterlife, Samuel, for you are not dead.

He might have asked the thing how it knew his name, but even he could tell that would be a futile question. It was clear this… being, whatever it was, knew a great many things. Maybe it knew everything. “So this is a dream then?”

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Of sorts. I have taken your mind from your body while it heals. The pressure of it will slow your efforts to heal. I have waited a long time to meet you, Samuel.

“Oh? And why is that?” He tried to keep his voice level and casual as if this revelation wasn’t earth-shattering to him. “Exactly how long have you been waiting?”

Time is measured only by those who have bodies.

Arcana definitely didn’t seem to have a body. If the sphere sitting in the center of the room was indeed it, it seemed to be nothing more than a mind, floating alone in this empty space. But it wasn’t truly empty, was it? He tore his eyes away from the floating ball of light for a moment to study the room that was its home. It was a perfectly circular stone chamber, made out of what appeared to be white marble. A dark blue carpet was spread across most of the floor, but Samuel could see tiny etchings all along the edges of the room and along the passageway. It brought to mind stories of ancient evils being sealed away for the protection of the world.

“This is a strange place,” he commented after a while when it seemed that Arcana wasn’t going to answer his first question. “Why did you choose it?”

I did not choose this as my home, it said, the light flaring just barely enough for him to notice. So it was sealed here, Samuel thought. But its next words dispelled the idea. Rather, this was my last sanctuary.

“Sanctuary?” Samuel turned back to the sphere, his brow furrowed. “Why would you need a-”

Some kind of invisible force hit him, making him stagger back against the wall of the chamber as something slammed into his mind with incredible force. There was so much pressure that it bordered on the realm of actual pain. With the pressure came a rush of images, which he knew had never entered his mind before. He was broken, wounded, and on the verge of the end of his life. His very essence splattered the ground beneath him. He was running, an army of pursuers at his back. He was climbing a mountain, then summoning a great shower of boulders with which to crush the figures chasing him. He was slipping down a long vertical shaft, then crawling through a tiny crevice in the rock. Then finally, he was waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Clutching his head, Samuel gasped as the pressure left his mind, taking the images with him, leaving nothing behind but the knowledge of that horrible order of events. “You were chased here. By mortals! But why?”

Mortals are fickle, clever creatures. When greed enters their heart, they fall to Corruption, and their thirst for power is insatiable. My kin had warned me of this, but I envisioned myself a great teacher, who could share my knowledge with the mortal races. It was my greatest mistake.

“But I’m a mortal too,” Samuel said. “Why would you let me know where you’re hiding? That could be dangerous information!”

You are not mortal. You are a created being.

It was the sort of thing a god said to a chosen one. But Samuel had been ordinary his entire life. In fact, he’d been considerably less than ordinary, with his weaker constitution. He healed more slowly from injuries, slept far longer than others he knew, and his physical strength was negligent. The only part of him that excelled was his mind.

“What do you mean, I’m a created being?” Samuel asked, his voice equal parts panic and anger. “I’m a human. I was born from a human father and a human mother.”

Yes. This was crucial to your creation. You had to be built from nothing so that you could become something. Something worthy.

“Worthy of what, exactly? I want a straight answer from you. Why have you been waiting for me? What was I created for, assuming that I was created for some purpose?”

The answer to all your questions is the same. There was a long pause then, but Samuel didn’t speak. He had the sense that Arcana was just gathering its thoughts. You were created to be the only being capable of holding my essence. Your purpose, the purpose for which I created you, was to be my Champion.

It was too much for Samuel to comprehend all at once, but Arcana didn’t give him any time to absorb the information before speaking once again.

You must find me, Samuel. I cannot live long without a body. All my strength is reserved for existing. I need someone to carry my essence if I am to survive.

“Pick someone else,” Samuel said shortly, and without hesitation. “I’m not interested in being part of your grand plot.”

You can refuse, of course. All beings, even those that are created for a purpose, can choose their own destiny. But there is no one else. I do not have the time to create another mind.

Another mind. Those words resonated strangely in Samuel’s being. The only part of him that was above average was his mind. He had a superb memory, and he could think his way through problems at almost blinding speed compared to most people. But he’d never truly challenged himself, for he’d always lacked the resources to do so. He still wasn’t sure if he could believe everything that this strange entity was telling him, but he thought it might just be the truth. It rang just similar enough to allow him to want to believe it.

“But how could I even find you?” He asked. “If you’ve hid yourself away for so long, you’re essentially lost to the world, not to mention me. I barely know the world. How will I know where to go?”

You will have assistance. But you, along amongst mortals, can find me.

Samuel felt a slight chill against his hand and whirled around. It was the first time he’d felt any sensation since appearing in this strange underground place. He saw that fog was sweeping in through the entrance of the narrow tunnel and filling the room. With it came an incredible sense of weight, much as he’d experienced when he’d passed out from mana fatigue. It claimed him quickly, too quickly to allow him to speak another word. As he fell through the fog, he heard Arcana’s voice utter a single, final line.

Your body is healed enough, so I will return you now. Come and find me, Samuel. Come.