Chapter One, Autumar Faunt.

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"Fourth rock to the left..." A man spoke, crouching down in front of a gated entrance. He lifted a big stone, a shiny golden key revealing itself to him, embedded within the dirt.

Much to his interest, there were worms crawling around it.

Unfortunately he would have to move them out of the way.

Grabbing the key, his disgust with the small creature's slimy consistencies was noticeable.

He put the rock back in its place, covering the little... things.

"The fact I get no tour, and I have to explore myself... Really shows how much they care." He chuckled, looking up at the metal gate in front of him.

Beyond this gate lied quite the massive house. He wasn't sure if it could be considered a mansion... Perhaps a manor was more fitting. There were two wings, and the place was two stories, rather grandeur in all.

He put the key into the padlock holding the gate shut, twisting it. The lock came undone, and he pulled the gate open himself.

Making sure it closed behind him, locking it once more, he turned to face his new home.

"But I guess the fact I get to live in such a place is more than appreciated."

It was early in the afternoon, and Autumar Faunt was familiarizing himself with what the government had gifted him.

A massive house, a sort of... reward. For participating in the countless experiments he had been through during his life. But also a... parting gift? From what test results had shown, it was clear that his conditioning was worsening these days.

Faunt Syndrome.

A mutation that only Autumar Faunt has ever been recorded to have. A mutation in which his body perpetually lived in a state of destruction and reconstruction. His cells were synonymous with cancer cells, ever reproducing. Yet, they were insanely fragile. They would die and wither away rapidly, making way for the new born cells.

His body was faced with a strange equilibrium, but sometimes this balance was disrupted.

Sicknesses amplified his cell destruction, putting him in incredible danger. While some regenerative processes—like a healthy diet—would send his cell production into over drive.

For him, life was a game of watching his every move.

Of course, to the government, his life was a huge generator of stem cells. So his existence alone furthered stem cell research greatly...

That was what allowed for him to own this home after all.

He was a government asset.

Of course, that wouldn't last much longer.

At the ripe and fresh age of twenty three, his body seemed to be unable to hold this equilibrium any more. His body was in a slow decline, the amount of cells he produced, slowing, while the rate at which they died stayed the same.

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Rather unfortunate, in his eyes.

"That concludes your tour, Autumar!" He spoke to himself, completing his exploration of his new home.

Thankfully, it was already furnished, holding everything he could imagine.

Making his way to the backside of the house, he found the back entrance. He exited, arriving outside on the porch.

He looked out into nature, staring forward.

It was breathtaking.

He stood there, for many moments, ever unmoving.

He was entranced.

Something was off.

Slowly, he stepped forward. He arrived at the edge of the porch, his brows furrowed.

Autumar was an incredibly aware person. Being raised by scientists, his parents had long given him up to them once they found he had little hope to live beyond his younger years.

He didn't have many acquaintances, but there was one he was sure would always be around.

The beauty of the world.

He stepped down the stairs, one by one.

His head was tilted. His nose was scrunched. His nostrils flared.

The air seemed to be...

Weird.

It was like...

The atmosphere was breathing.

Step by step, he moved.

His shoes touched down on the grass, his legs leading him forward. He was being pulled towards something, like a moth to a flame.

With his eyes squinted, he found himself in front of an outhouse. Unhesitantly, he grabbed the knob.

With an absentminded turn, he opened the door, stepping inside.

It was dark. A workshop of sorts.

He continued forward, finding himself in the center of the room.

A sphere?

Like a magic crystal ball seen in witch movies.

His eyes flared. Question laced within his face.

His hand extended.

His fingers outstretched.

With slow movement, his palm found itself on the orb.

In that moment, there was a pricking sensation.

Black.

Everything darkened.

Nausea washed over him, but he didn’t lose consciousness.

“What the hell?…” He questioned.

But as he did so?… A wisp of cerulean light appeared just a ways before him.

Mentally, countless questions arose.

What happened? Where was he? Did he pass out?

As he progressed through each inquiry, the cerulean light expanded, growing in length and size. Snaking into different shapes.

As the light grew, a tingling started to emerge within his brain.

He squinted, thinning his vision to see if anything would change.

And it did.

“Welcome, hero.”

A mechanical voice, spoke in his mind.

Shock overtook him.

“I take it you are confused. I presume I can give you an explanation.” The voice spoke.

”I am a Hero from eras past. The remains of a dead god, that once stood amongst the top ranks.”

Autumar couldn’t help but gulp.

“You have just touched my shell, and entered my dimension. Do know that breaching this space is nothing coincidental. It means you were meant to inherit my power.” It said.

“Therefore, of course, I will give it to you.”

With those words, Autumar felt a change.

A jolt of energy ran through his body, reinvigorating every cell within him, as the Ancient Hero continued to talk.

“I was a creature beyond reason.” It started, as Autumar’s body writhed.

“Capable of bringing anything to fruition, as long as I gathered energy.” He couldn’t handle the power, his body involuntarily spasmed.

“This place you are in, this dimension. Is now connected to your body, like it is mine. Here, anything you think of, can be made a reality, but at the cost of energy of course.” He could no longer keep his eyes open, forcing them together as he fought the strangely ticklish but painful warmth in his body.

“Though, letting a creation exit into a different plane, requires a whole lot more energy… But don’t fret, you can easily bring foreign existences here. Their energy can be converted into your own.” For a second, Autumar wasn’t sure if he could maintain his consciousness.

“I presume there isn’t much more I can tell you now. Just, do what you wish with this power. I will not stop you no matter the situation. In honesty, I cannot stop you. I am only a mechanical intelligence. A remnant of my dead self...”. Barely able to listen to the words being said, he found a slight sense of sorrow laced within the voice.

“This marks the end of my short monologue. I do hope you sleep well.”

Darkness once more.

But not just black.

Complete, loss of consciousness.

…

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