1 Where it all began

White.

That's the first thing that came into mind as the silhouette of a person took form. Above, below, to the left and the right was a wide expanse of nothing as far as the eye.

[Am I dead?]. The blue silhouette slowly stood up groggily but fell face first as it tried to take a step forward. Instead of affecting the floor, it did a full front flip back onto its feet as if it was being suspended in the air only to find solid ground again.

[I guess that answers my question.] It didn't feel any sense of balance at all. In fact, it felt nothing at all, no force or dizziness as he spun, no taste, touch or even smell. [hmm... Is this Heaven or Hell] it said as it sat crossed legged scratching its chin, spinning in place.

NEITHER.

The voice boomed as the silhouette felt a force pull it. Looking at the source of the voice, it had half expected a bearded old man sitting on a throne, but it saw a black shadow. Unlike itself this new person was wearing a robe with silver engravings with hair that looks like black tendrils flowing in water. It was sitting cross-legged as well with its right elbow resting on its thighs, resting its chin on the back of its hand.

"You are in my domain and as you realise, you are dead." The voice from the shadow sounds like an adult man. "I have chosen you to represent me for an upcoming competition that will soon occur." He paused as if he was waiting for an answer.

[...I mean that's cool and all but... what exactly happened to me?] It asked as it was placed facing in the shadow man.

He shifted himself as he drew a glowing circle in the air with his left hand and snapped his fingers on the other, forming a mirror in front of it. Looking at itself it noticed how it looked like a glowing shape of a man with no face or body at all. The mirror rippled, replacing the silhouette with a bewildered man.

He was tanned and had short spiky hair; he wore a pair of frameless spectacles which had a speck of noticeable dirt on its lenses with a plain blue polo shirt and grey joggers. He had a plump hairy face and looked muscular, but with his body fat; it was hardly noticeable. [That's me] the man spoke as it rubbed his face at the mirror.

The mirror rippled again, and it now showed the man walking on a pavement with an oversized bag hanging loosely against his back with a pair of earphones playing music in his ears and phone in hand. He walked with a slouch and walked rhythmically, like he was marching to a beat. He was walking along the fence of a campus building snaking along the pavement as he moved under the shadows of the trees along the path.

He stopped to wait at a stoplight, looking up, annoyed that the red man interrupted that his rhythm as he focused back on his phone with a novel on its screen. There were a handful of cars waiting patiently to go in each direction. "Are you sure you wish to continue?" the Shadowman asked with concern, like I was going to see something inappropriate.

[Might as well see how I go...] The mirror continued where it left off. The green man appeared on the other side and he walked across, making quick glances between his phone and the cars. He reached to the other side quickly until he felt he was missing something. He stopped at a safe distance from the road as he rummaged through his bag, checking its contents. Even with the music in his ears, it was not enough to block out the deafening screech behind him.

He flinched and turned around to see the stoplight in front of his face. It smashed against his head with a sickening crunch, blood spurting in the air as he slammed the back of his head on the pavement.

In the space with the Shadowman, the same man was on his knees as a sharp pain stabbed through his head and the flood of memories and sensation crashed against his body. He would've thrown up everything in his stomach, but he stopped himself and heaved as sweat trickled down his face.

The Shadowman waited patiently, although he had no face he had a look of pity. Wiping the sweat off his face as he sat crossed legged again, panting as if he had just run around in a stadium. "I believe we haven't introduced ourselves." The Shadowman reached out a handshake. "You can call me Cyan." The man looked at the hand as he read through the torrent of memories.

[Martin I-I think] he shook his hand. [At least it wasn't a truck.] He laughed softly.

"Oh please, that just be messy and don't even start on the cleanup costs."

[.... Thanks? I guess...You said something about a game?]

"Of course." Cyan snapped his fingers as the surrounding scenery changed. The white space turned to black as the diamond-like glow of stars appeared all around them and a planet appeared below them. It looked like Earth, but the planet's continents were different and two Moons orbited around it.

"If you agree, we will send you to this world along with others in similar predicaments as you." Cyan snapped his fingers. Although they were stationary, everything around them shifted and moved at incredible speed towards the planet. "There you will traverse the lands and impact the world." They went over forests, valleys, mountains, deserts, tundras, farmlands and many more until they stopped above a bustling walled city. It was in a valley with the most noteworthy buildings being an arena in the south-west part and a temple of sorts a couple of blocks away. There were mansions and various other buildings, but the castle that stood in the centre outshone them. Martin could even see the people below.

At the East, the Sun was slowly rising, making this entire scene look like it was dragged out of a fairytale. Cyan snapped his fingers again as everything vanished around them. He snapped again and four items appeared, a pink heart, a gold coin, a sword and a ball of fire.

"There you can love, get riches, be renowned and manipulate the elements of the world." As he listed them, the items floated in between them and slowly revolved.

[What if I refused?]