Lillian thought she had woken to another day's sun in Denison just as before, however, it only took until she turned on the stainless steel faucet in the bathroom for her to realize she was merely in a highly vivid dream. Instead of water, a nothingness void of color flowed out and as she glanced around in alarm she saw the one little bathroom window shatter away without a sound. Hairline fractures reached through the walls, floor, and ceiling all around her before breaking apart into countless pieces that dissolved into the surrounding black.

It took her a moment, as she stared into the new emptiness with frightened confusion, to notice her whole arm was alight in flaming violet. Then as her eyes made their way up it, she noticed the real oddity, a massive crown like her own mark hung above. Reaching out in a light, violet lines in a familiar circuit pattern spanned a third of the void. For a moment she just stared, expecting to wake up only to hear it then speak in a masculine tone. The words were not simply uttered, they were weaved in her, around her, and from her. They were both her's yet entirely foreign and almost melodic. "My child you have fared better than the others."

"W-what?" she asked.

"You've nearly brought me from slumber, your will has been greatest by far." A tad disturbed Lillian shifted her tone.

"What the hell?"

"What is it you require I wonder? That has driven you to nearly realize yourself at such an early stage?"

"What do you mean?" she asked continuously apprehensive.

"For what do you bend the world? For what do you impose your will? You may not know the answer quite yet, but you are almost there."

"Who or what are you?"

"A relative of sorts, I reside in the mark on your hand. It used to belong to me, I see you're taking good care of it, though you don't yet know how to properly use it. It's one of a kind that I sort of created and found myself stuck inside after I thought I-, Well I don't really remember exactly, I suppose it's because I'm still asleep. You on the other hand are just about awake." Lillian looked around as the black emptiness slowly started brightening. "If you can stay alive a little longer then you might just be the first to pull it off. And I don't mean literally awake, rather you've almost woken up to what you are."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"W-what? Pull what off?" It was almost all white aside from the crown now.

"Activate the circuit in that mark, even I couldn't manage it but, you on the other hand seem..., we'll both see I guess. Good luck in any case."

"What the hell are you going on about? I don't understand."

"You're not like a normal human, well all candidates aren't, but you're a particular case. One with the capacity to break the highest order if you so feel. Of course, you must have the will to match such a feat. I am sorry, I wish I could give a proper explanation but I fear my memory will remain fragmented until I wake up, when I do is something that is up to you my child."

"What will happen? When you wake up if it's true that you reside in my mark that is."

"I don't really know, it's irrefutably yours now so I don't see myself being any more than a ghost over your shoulder." Lillian glanced down in contemplation.

"And what did you mean by a relative?" she asked.

"The circuit is hereditary you can't have it without being my descendant."

"I see..." she responded still lacking comprehension.

"I'm sure as the game goes on you'll figure things out."

"Game?"

"Hm? are you still unaware?" Lillian nodded. "I doubt it will play out as before, and I have little detail to spare you but, I know one thing with certainty. You must play the game and you, my child must be a victor."

"Will I have to fight?" she asked slowly.

"Child you ask that in fear of it yet you've clearly accepted it. You've already made peace with its nature, unsurprising given the circumstance that determined so much of your life. The game is a poorly named war, but at least you have the chance to survive. That other man Sledge, you two seem to have a good bond, enough that he appears ready to stand by you. Further, all considered I don't think you have much say in your participation, when the time comes don't turn down his help."

"What about those two brothers, the ones that were terrifying?"

"I'm uncertain about them, what's throwing me off the most is their unsettling level of familiarity. I'd swear I'd met them before if it didn't imply an inhuman age. Then again with that much power, I suppose I could believe it. They either have completed marks or some kind of special construct like this circuit."

"Completed their marks?"

"Marks sort of grow with use, like exercising a muscle. However, I feel a limiter in place, I don't think any should progress that much until the game starts. Probably to keep everyone on a level playing field in the beginning."

"Wait but if you know of the game, and they have completed marks then, this isn't the first game is it. But then why haven't I heard of- You're not making this up are you? This isn't just a hallucination is it?"

"For every answer, there an endless number of questions and I don't remember enough yet to answer that at all. I'm certain a game has happened before but as for why this world is oblivious I have no idea. It doesn't make sense to me either my child I'm sorry." While also sending her mind spiraling, the uncertainty on both ends did make her feel better in an odd way that did not at all account for her confusion.

"One last question then, what's your name?"

"Gabriel."