Ethan slowly opened his eyes, yet he didn't think he had opened them at all. All he saw was darkness, pure darkness. Not a single speck of light could be seen coming from anywhere. Am I dead? he thought. But shouldn't there be some heaven or hell? Ethan wasn't religious, but he did believe that people would be rewarded or punished based on their lives in some way. If this was through heaven and hell, he didn't know. He didn't know what this was, as he had never experienced this in the game.
He gazed down at his body, his eyes widening in surprise. His body had become a bundle of golden light particles. He tried touching himself, but his hand phased right through. Am I a ghost? he thought. He tried shouting into the darkness, only to realize he couldn't even release a sound.
Where the hell am I? he thought in a panic. He tried to move forward, but he was confused as to whether he was moving or not. He began to ponder the events that had led to this. He was dying at the hands of a Bone Walker, and then the system panel appeared, saying some sort of message congratulating him for doing something. What exactly it was, he couldn't remember.
The system—that might have some ideas, he thought. SYSTEM, he shouted internally. Surprisingly, the system materialized in front of him, still the same as usual—a rectangle with gold highlights at the edges—only the information wasn't what he remembered.
Name: ??????
Age: ??????
Gender: ??????
Level: ??????
Skills: ??????
Patron: ??????
HP: ??????
Mana: ??????
Quirk: ??????
Skills: ??????
—-------------------
Strength: ??????
Stamina: ??????
Speed: ??????
Endurance: ??????
Vitality: ??????
Wisdom: ??????
Intelligence: ??????
Perception: ??????
Is this shit bugged? he thought. He dismissed that idea quickly, as he knew that was impossible. The system was an extension of the Archaic Records, the gatekeeper of all information in the cosmos, whether past, present, or future. So for it to do this meant that it couldn't define him. What the hell is going on? He went to scratch his head, only for his hand to phase through his skull.
He let out an imaginary sigh. That's when something caught his eye at the edge of his vision—a speck of light, golden, just the same color as him. That wasn't there a minute ago, he thought. His guard went up; perhaps he wasn't as alone here as he'd believed.
He slowly willed himself forward. As he approached the golden orb, he was happy to know that he was actually moving and not just stationary. The orb grew bigger and bigger the closer he got. He stopped right in front of it—a sphere bobbing up and down, casting a golden glow on the surroundings as it floated.
Ethan's metaphorical chest began to heave up and down. He didn't know what that orb was, but the power it radiated wasn't anything to scoff at. Yet, it wasn't oppressive—no, this energy was soft, but that didn't make it seem weak. It did the opposite; it made it feel ever-present, as if someone held a knife to your neck, and you lived knowing they could slit your throat at any moment.
Yet, he felt the orb calling to him. He couldn't explain it. He raised his hands, placing them above the orb. His golden fingers began to shiver in response. He slowly lowered them, and the orb also began to vibrate vigorously. His heart began to beat faster, appearing as a bright light in the middle of his chest, but Ethan didn't notice, fully focused on the orb.
Finally, his hands rested on the orb. The pressure he'd felt disappeared; the orb stopped vibrating, now just bobbing up and down, its glow dimming. How anticlimactic, Ethan thought.
Suddenly, the orb exploded, turning into light particles that spread into the surrounding darkness. Then, the particles rushed into his body, and slowly, his original form returned to him. Ethan stood there, confused at what was happening.
Then, the space he was in began to quake. A pressure flooded the place—unlike anything he had ever felt. He felt as if he were standing face to face with an ancient primordial beast. He began panting, but it felt like he was inhaling fire itself.
Suddenly, the space in front of him shattered like glass. A gigantic eye appeared, staring right at him. The creature's pupil was a swirling vortex of darkness. He felt like he would be absorbed if he kept looking, but he couldn't look away. In front of that eye, it was as if he couldn't hide anything—all his secrets laid bare. Ethan wanted to scream, but he couldn't; his breath caught in his throat.
"It's not time yet for you to be here." A voice, primordial and ancient, resounded in his mind.
His vision went dark again.