1 Chapter 1: Welcome to Grandheim

Chapter 1: Waking Up/New Interface

The sensation of being tightly gripped, the smell of burnt toast, ended as abruptly as they had begun. Upon opening my eyes slowly, I found myself, well, not in my room that's for sure. He awoke naked laying on his back in the grass. That was not how he expected to wake up since he fell asleep on his couch, in his favorite pair of pajamas.

From the feel of the cool grass on his backside he knew he was removed of bed and pajamas both. The gentle rustling of the leaves, whispering secretive lullabies, drifted down to him. An odd heaviness clung to his limbs, as though gravity itself had conspired to hold him in place throughout the night.

The last thing he remembers was what he was doing most night, playing video games until he got tired and either passed out on the couch or fumbled his way to bed.

The grass he woke up on was surprisingly comfortable, a dense cloud of green comfortability, slightly moist from the morning dew. Adrien found himself taken aback by the unfamiliar plant, a rarity given his extensive knowledge of botany. Having been raised by a botanist mother, his mind was filled with more plant lore than he'd ever wished to learn. This knowledge served as his refuge from the relentless culinary lessons offered by his father. His dad, not a professional chef but an adventurous cook, loved to experiment and, more often than not, the results were quite edible.

With a slow blink, he opened his eyes, his gaze taking in the lush, green canopy overhead. It was a sight both foreign yet oddly soothing, an emerald tapestry woven with threads of the unknown and the comforting familiarity of nature's embrace.

'What the hell..'

Fleeting fragments of Adrien's dream evaded his reach, leaving only hazy images of a familiar couch and the residual heaviness of a day's work. As he struggled to sit up, a mix of bewilderment and intrigue brewed within him. The wet grass underneath offered a surprising solidity, its chilled blades teasing his skin.

"Ugh, what the, is this grass?" Adrien groaned. 'Where the hell am I?'

As Adrien found himself nestled in the heart of this verdant sanctuary, a tempest of emotions began to stir within him. A sense of apprehension gnawed at his nerves, mingled with the intrigue of waking somewhere other than in his home. Adrien had always thrived on complexity and novelty, juggling a myriad of interests ranging from art to science, typical of his kind. His voracious appetite for video games had always been an escape, a way to step into worlds beyond his own. But waking up in the midst of a forest was an adventure he had not anticipated.

"Why am I.. in a forest?" I asked, trying to work out how I could've gotten here. 'Am I dreaming?'

The lingering grogginess instantly vanished from Adrien's system, replaced by a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins. His thoughts began to race, spinning in a whirlwind of uncertainty and anticipation.

'It's too vivid to be a dream' he thought, running his fingers through the grass.

The chill blades of grass slid harmlessly across Adrien's skin, leaving traces of morning dew on his hand, a cold but comforting reminder of the reality he was in. His eyes, wide and desperate for understanding, darted around the alien landscape, scanning for any hint that might betray his location.

'This isn't a forest from home; these aren't pine trees, and the land is more flat than mountainous,' he reasoned internally, his mind racing to narrow down the potential locations where he might have found himself.

As he rose to his feet, a cool breeze swept past, sending a shiver skating across his skin. His nakedness under the vast sky added another layer of vulnerability to his already perplexing situation.

'What the hell happened to my clothes?'

Adrien raised his hand to his head only, to his astonishment, that not only were his clothes missing but every single strand of hair on his head had also vanished, it was as smooth as a baby's bottom. He ran his hands over his smooth scalp and limbs, the sensation of his bare skin under his fingertips amplifying his disbelief. He had no hair on his head, arms,chin, eyebrows, and other places. As he looked back down, a smile managed to break through the bewilderment, hinting at a spark of resilience in the face of the inexplicable.

'Huh, guess it does look bigger when you shave'

Adrien searched for a silver lining in his predicament. The once mysterious and enchanting forest had transformed into a more sinister landscape, unsettling him. He realized the importance of finding answers promptly.

Adrien found himself reflecting on his past experience with a military survival course, quietly acknowledging its unexpected utility. "I never imagined how useful that course would be," he mused. His thirst for knowledge had always led him to explore various fields in search of his true passions.

Tragically, his academic pursuits were abruptly halted when his parents, visiting him after his six-month stint, perished in a devastating plane accident. Plunged into a deep depression, Adrien had to rely on his father's trust fund for survival while he sought employment. Not soon after he finds himself in his current situation.

Despite his personal turmoil, Adrien managed to refocus his attention on the unfamiliar environment around him. The towering trees, although similar to Redwoods, boasted an unusual trait; their emerald green leaves were laced with pink veins, a phenomenon he had never encountered in his extensive online research. His gaze then shifted to a cluster of peculiar flowers nearby. Their exotic allure was captivating and further intensified the mystery of his surroundings.

His eyes scanned the lush landscape, absorbing the vibrant hues and intricate details of the surrounding flora. The towering trees stood tall, their sinewy branches adorned with leaves that glistened like emeralds, presenting a sight unlike anything he had encountered in the forests near his home.

Between the trees, the sky, from what he could see, was clear and unbroken blue, the sun would soon be blazing in the sky and sunburn more than freezing cold would likely threaten his extremities

"I don't think I'm in Cali anymore. And what in the world happened to my hair?" he complained inwardly, his hand instinctively reaching for his bald scalp. Strangely enough, he found himself more preoccupied with his missing hair than the unfamiliarity of his surroundings.

He shook his head, attempting to clear the fog that clouded his thoughts. His gaze focused on the unfamiliar foliage, and he couldn't help but be captivated by its ethereal beauty. The plants seemed to emanate a mystical energy, their colors more vibrant and their forms more enchanting than anything he had ever encountered.

"It's like something out of Avatar's Pandora," he contemplated, drawing a comparison to the fantastical world from the movie.

"Hello?" he called out, his voice quivering with a mixture of fear and trepidation. The realization that he was completely naked added to his vulnerability. Despite the discomfort of his exposed state, he knew he needed assistance to navigate his bewildering predicament. Thick forest surrounded him, towering trees reaching for the sky, their dense foliage obscuring the majority of sunlight.

The cool breeze sent shivers down Adrien's spine, serving as a stark reminder of his nakedness. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he called out once more

"Is anyone there? Helloooo!"

His voice echoed through the forest, but there was no response. Feeling vulnerable, he tightly wrapped his arms around himself, seeking warmth and attempting to cover his exposed body.

His mind raced with a barrage of questions. How had he ended up in this unfamiliar place? Why was he naked and devoid of hair? And why did everything appear slightly larger than he remembered? He pushed these inquiries aside, wary of descending into a confusing spiral of thoughts.

"I seem to be lost…" he called out once more, but his voice trailed off quickly. The realization dawned on him that if he truly was alone in the forest, drawing attention to himself might not be the wisest course of action at the moment.

The symphony of birdsong and the rustling of leaves in the breeze provided a soothing response, as if nature itself was acknowledging his presence. The crisp, clean air filled his lungs with each deep breath, while the sweet aroma of the forest, an amalgamation of earth and life, enveloped him, evoking a sense of both wonder and unease.

As he continued to observe the fantastical forest, he couldn't help but draw comparisons to the woodlands of Earth. The familiar sounds of rustling leaves and the melodic chorus of birdsong echoed through the trees, reminiscent of an earthly forest. However, the similarities ceased there. Here, the foliage danced with an otherworldly grace, bathed in an ethereal glow that surpassed anything he had ever seen before.

The trees themselves appeared to emanate an inner light, their bark shimmering with a subtle iridescence, a striking departure from the sturdy oaks and towering redwoods he was familiar with. The flowers, too, resembled living gems, their petals unfurling in intricate patterns that held his gaze captive, unlike any blossoms found on Earth. The colors seemed to burst with an extraordinary vibrancy.

As he absorbed the breathtaking scenery, a profound sense of peace and tranquility washed over him. The forest seemed to embrace him, soothing his frayed nerves and alleviating his fears. In that moment, he allowed himself to be consumed by the beauty of this otherworldly place, momentarily forgetting his confusion and apprehension. It felt as though he had been transported to a realm untouched by the chaos of civilization, and he marveled at the serenity it offered.

He contemplated which direction to head in, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. However, as he took his first step, he was abruptly halted by something that appeared in front of him. It looked like a touch screen floating in the middle of the air. He reached out to touch it, the screen shimmered slightly as his fingers passed through it.

"Projection.. no. A Hologram?"

He looked at the ground and the nearby bushes that surrounded him but as he started moving the screen was following him.

Within the text box, a simple sentence appeared, leaving him deep in contemplation:

[Welcome to Grandheim]