New World, New Start

The screen flickered, and I was once again transported to a new location. I tried to ask out loud, "Where am I now?" but no one answered. The silence made me feel even more lost and alone, and I began to wonder what would happen next. Would I be stuck here forever, or was there a way out?

Suddenly, I was jolted awake by the sun's bright rays. Blinking my eyes open, I found myself lying down beside a tree. As I tried to get up, I realized that something wasn't right. I felt much heavier than usual, and the air seemed to be charged with an unusual energy. I couldn't help but wonder what was going on and where I was.

Looking around, I was overwhelmed by the vastness of the green land that stretched out before me. It seemed to go on forever, with no end in sight. Frustrated and confused, I screamed out in frustration, "This is just plain unacceptable! What am I supposed to do now?" I thought back to the voice that had instructed me to finish off whoever had tried to ruin his so-called "barrier," wondering how I could be of any help.

As I stood there, lost and alone, my mind wandered back to the strange accident that had brought me here. The memories were vivid, and I could recall every inch of pain that I had experienced. It was almost as if I were reliving the experience over and over again. The thought sent shivers down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder if it was all just a hallucination.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice the person lying beside me until he spoke.

"Yawn What have you been muttering about…?"

"Whoa!" I jumped back, "Who are you?" As I looked around again, I saw a person lying down beside me under the shade.

"Huff— That's a good question," he said as he tried to move his arm as if asking me to help him stand up. "People call me a messenger, but I suppose you can call me Xavier."

"Why do people call you a messenger…?" I asked.

"What don't you understand from the word messenger?" He chuckled.

"I don't know. I'm already too confused to make out even the simplest of things," I replied.

"Fair enough." He put his arm over my shoulder. "I have a duty to help you throughout this journey. Just think of me as the written prompts at the bottom telling you your next task."

"?" What is he saying?

"Oh, don't make that face," he said, "I'm just here to help you and guide you."

"I still have my doubts about you…" I said as I tried to push him away. "I still don't know why and how I ended up here. A few moments back, I was supposed to be dead, and after that, I was up against some psycho."

He resisted and used even more force and put his face up against mine. "You see, Alex, you don't get to use that sort of language up against him."

"Him? Who is he?" I asked, "God?"

"Well, I did warn you," he said and let me go out of his constraints.

"Now? What am I supposed to do?" I asked, "You are my guide, right?"

"Indeed." He clasped his hands and started to walk.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Not just me."

Suddenly my legs were moving towards him out of nowhere.

That's it! I am just dreaming! Yes, just dreaming! All this isn't real, and I'm only dreaming. I now regret reading those fantasy novels. I shouldn't have read those late at night. My dreams are starting to feel like one now.

"No, you aren't dreaming, Alex," he said.

"Sorry? Was I thinking out loud?" I asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. He simply smiled, and I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

Suddenly, everything changed in an instant. The chilly air around us suggested that we were in a hilly region, but I was too distracted by the clothes I was wearing to pay much attention. A reddish scarf was wrapped around my neck, and a blue coat fell to my knees. The wool cloth felt soft and warm, and I couldn't help but notice that everything was a perfect fit. How did he know my size?

"This," he said, gesturing to my new outfit, "Is a gift from me."

"A gift?" I said, feeling overwhelmed. "But how did you even-"

"It's called Magnus," he explained with a smile. "It's like magic that can help us do things that aren't easy to do. For example, me using Magnus to put these clothes on you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Magic? It sounded crazy.

"I know it sounds crazy," he said, reading my mind. "But you have to understand that this is your new reality. You can't go back to where you came from. Your sole purpose now is to fulfill his wishes."

I felt a deep sense of unease settle over me.

"I know all this might be overwhelming, but you have to grasp and understand that this is your reality," he said firmly.

After hearing him say that I burst out.

"That's it!" I spoke. "I want to go back. I can't do this anymore. First, I woke up in that random place, God knows where it was, and suddenly we are here, and most of all, magic?! Magic isn't real. It's just a combination of illusory tricks and simple physics!"

Slap

"What-What was that for?!" I exclaimed.

"Alex, why can't you understand that you are in another world? This isn't your earth. You can never go back there," he said. "You died there, and there is no place for you to go back to. Your sole purpose is to fulfill his wishes. That's it."

That's it? THAT'S IT?

As I was trying to make sense of all the recent changes that had been happening, I felt a sudden rumble that caught my attention. It was as though the ground beneath my feet was shaking, and I couldn't quite figure out what was happening.

It was then that he, my companion, spoke up excitedly, "Oh, you've got to see this!"

I took a few steps closer, and as I peered down, I noticed a small village below. However, my view was obscured, and I couldn't quite make out the details.

"That," he said, pointing to the small village.

I was still confused, "That? What about it?"

Just then, a much louder rumble shook the ground, and I immediately looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound. My eyes fixed on a small explosion a little way off.

"Is that a missile?" I asked, rubbing my eyes, not quite believing what I was seeing.

"No missiles here. It's just Magnus," he replied.

I was growing increasingly frustrated with his cryptic responses. If it wasn't a missile, then what was causing those explosions? Magnus? I don't buy it yet.

Just when I thought that was all he had wanted to show me, the village I had seen before was suddenly engulfed in flames. The sight was enough to make my blood run cold.

"What's happening?" I heard screams, many screams. "Are there people burning down there?!" I exclaimed, feeling helpless and terrified.

"Shh!" he hushed me, forcing me to be quiet.

"Don't shush me-" I tried to speak up, but I couldn't as I saw the figure standing above the flames. It was an ominous figure, and I couldn't quite make out what it was. What was it? I looked intently, and suddenly, it looked up, and our eyes met. "Whoa!"

Zup

In an instant, it was right in front of us, but it didn't do anything. It just looked around as if it couldn't see us.

"He can't," Xavier said, as if he knew what was happening.

I couldn't explain what I was seeing. It was a figure, but it had green body armor and a horrifying mask.

"That isn't a mask," he said flatly, as if it were obvious.

"What? Not a mask?!" I was incredulous, trying to wrap my head around what was happening.

"And that is what you have to kill," he said sternly, glaring at it.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but I knew that we were in trouble. Something was happening, but I now know for sure that I am not fit to be here!