Two more meals were brought in to me before I was finally summoned in front of the man known as Jupiter.

They did allow me the occasional bathroom break, but an escort of four guards accompanied me, along with Wren. I tried to get her to talk to me, to make her believe that I meant no harm, but she refused to speak. She gave me a cold look that made me back down every time I started to say anything.

Clearly, she didn't believe me as I had hoped.

I used the meals, and my bathroom breaks, to measure time and by my best guess a full day had passed before it was time to meet with Jupiter.

Instead of my usual four guards, I was now escorted by eight armed men as well as a few beastkin. I couldn’t know for sure what their species were but one of them sure as hell looked like a werewolf. All three of the beastkin had on black collars just like Kira and Noreen. I had a suspicion about what they were, but no one was being talkative.

I recognized one of the faces escorting me as he was the only one that would look me in the eye: the half-giant Vega. Along with Vega, Wren was accompanying me as well.

She didn’t seem happy to have to be guarding me. I could already tell today was going to be a rough one. She continued with her cold look and shunned silence.

Wren proceeded to remove the toil cuffs and hand them to Vega. I rubbed my raw wrists glad for the relief and moved off the cot.

Too bad it wouldn’t last long. I was hoping that by me following their rules and not causing trouble I might have earned a bit of trust but nope. Not happening.

Before I could leave my room, Vega had me put my hands behind my back. He then wrapped my hands in the leather cord again.

They really don’t trust me? What the hell did I do to them? I thought bitterly.

“Is this necessary? I…”

“Shut up and do as you are told!” Wren barked at me, leaving no room for opposition. She then came over, placed a hand over the cord, and spoke, "Sodu Vira Nost."

I noticed that the gem in the choker was faintly illuminated but vanished before I could thoroughly look at it.

Must have been a trick of the light.

I immediately felt a slight hum for a second that reverberated from the cord as if it were alive. I tried to turn and look at it but failed to twist all the way around.

Vega chuckled at my failed attempt, “You won’t be using any of that fancy magic today, Sir Grey. Just follow our orders, and everything will be okay.”

He then went on to inform me, “The rope is enchanted and while it is connected, you won’t be able to use any magic. And if you are feeling froggy and make a run for it well, let’s just say don’t. If left on for an extended period it will slowly drain the life out of you. Meaning that any attempts to run will be useless as the only one that could remove the cord is a mage, and you would be long dead before you found someone besides Wren who could do it.”

“I have no intention of running,” I reassured him.

I didn’t know who I was, let alone where I could go to get help. I didn’t know who this Jupiter was, but he and his men had taken care of me for more than a month while I lay unconscious, so I figured they couldn’t be that bad.

I got my first real look at the room outside mine as I was being led away.

The place wasn’t anything fancy, but it was vast. It rose above me at about twenty feet and extended further than I could see. Only one small section had any light, and it led off to the left. The little that I could see was packed with supplies. Things varying from stacks of food and water to items that I had no idea the purpose for. Most piles were covered in brown sheets and hidden from my view.

One of the guards noticed me gazing around the room and quickly shoved my head down. Whatever they had stored there, they obviously didn’t want to let a potential enemy see.

I could respect that, but if he pushed my head again, I will beat his ass!

I fell in line with four guards and two beastkin in front with Wren, Vega, and the three other guards along with the werewolf beastkin directly behind.

I let them lead me away, keeping my head down to show that I understand and was willing to play by their rules. I didn’t say much as we exited that room and entered another. I could tell we passed more people as hushed whispers followed in our wake.

I was led further and further away from my small room, and I began to wonder just how big the building had to be to contain all those supplies and all of these people.

Eventually, my guards lead me to a massive set of double doors that are engraved with all kinds of strange symbols.

We stopped and waited until finally, a voice called out that we could enter. Wren walked up to the door and opened the black book she had the other day, flipped a few pages, then turned to face me. She held out her right hand, letting it hover near my chest.

Suddenly the purple gem in her choker lit up as she muttered something I couldn’t make out.

It did light up!

After a few seconds, the light faded, and she spoke, “You are now permitted to enter.” The doors swung open, and I was led into the room.

Slender braziers half enclosing each of the eight granite columns lit up the entire throne hall and covered the hall in warm oranges and dancing shadows. The illustrations of gods on the domed ceiling danced in the flickering light while carved images looked down upon the wooden floor of this grand hall.

A vermilion rug ran down from the throne for a few meters before coming to an end while pennant banners with embellished sigils hang from the walls. Between each banner, none but a few had been lit and in turn illuminated the statues of legendary creatures below them.

Modest windows were contoured by curtains colored the same vermilion as the banners. The curtains had been adorned with fine patterns and jewels.

A regal throne of gold sat in front of a giant painting of some kingdom and was adjoined by three large, but far less ornate seats that sat empty.

The throne was covered in simple crests and fixed on each of the broad ears is an abstract lantern. The stiff pillows were a light vermilion, and these too had been adorned with ornate sigils.

Leading from the door to the throne was a plethora of decorated, but somewhat uncomfortable-looking maple benches, all of which are facing the throne. A few people were scattered here and there but for the most part, the room was empty.

Wren guided me to the throne where my guard detail fanned out in front of the platform. Wren pushed me to my knees before taking her place near the throne. All eyes were fixed on me and the man on the throne.

At first, no one spoke, and I almost called out to the man I assume to be Jupiter but a quick dark look from Wren shuts me up.

It’s too dark in the room. The man was hidden from my view by the shadows cast from the flickering torches.

"So...” His cold deep voice boomed in the silence. “I hear we have a spy in our midst?”

His voice sent shivers down my spine and made my hair stand on end. Tension filled the air as we waited for him to continue. I knew with absolute certainty that if he ordered my death, every single person in this room wouldn’t hesitate to end my life. I gulped and prepared for the worse.

Jupiter, for obviously he could only be the man in charge, cleared his throat and shifted on his throne. “Ahem….” His voice was less deep and gruff than before. “Enough of that.” He laughed a throaty laugh and the tension in the room seemed to melt away.

I was more than confused when everyone else joined in his laughter.

“You should see the look on your face right now!” Vega boomed causing another round of chuckles.

“So, this is the young man who has been in our care. We had begun to believe you would never wake. But thankfully, I bet right and now I’m five hundred credits richer!" He leaned forward and glanced toward Wren with a wry expression giving me my first real look at him.

He looked as intimidating as his voice made him out to be.

Jupiter wore very fine clothes decorated with swirling gold symbols along with a fine but worn traveling cloak. He had tan skin and bright blue eyes, with stylized curly light brown hair. The first thing that stood out to me was his mischievous grin that would melt any girl's heart. That and the large scar on his left hand that looked badass. He also had a face that has clearly seen a few fights - broken nose, scarred ear. He was the definition of a storybook hero and it thoroughly pissed me off. His flaws only added to his charm.

No one should be that good-looking.

Wren visibly relaxed, her shoulders loosened, and the guards posted around me began to chuckle as well.

"Unfortunately, until we can clear some things up, I cannot properly introduce myself. For now, you may refer to me as Jupiter.” I gave a quizzical look to Wren as he said this, but she continued to ignore me. “Sorry about the entrance, my people advised me I needed to make an impression but honestly I would’ve much rather met in my study. They said you can’t be too careful with someone like you.”

“Like me?” I asked unsure what he meant. I didn’t comment on his performance as I knew that even if he was playing nice right now, he could easily still have me killed.

"Ah yes, Wren said that you have the eyes of a mage, but you have lost all of your memories?" he questioned as he rose from the throne and started toward me.

He passed between the guards who each bowed to him. Jupiter came to a stop in front of me and leaned forward until our eyes locked.

"Ahh... Yes... One a sky blue and the other an obsidian black. I can now see why you were so concerned, Wren." He walked around me once, briefly commenting on the cuffs before he returned to his throne.

"Forgive me, but I must hear from you, your story. Start with the moment you awoke until now. However, first I will have Wren view your status, then I must insist on you taking a potion that Wren has concocted. Wren, if you would be so kind." He gestured for her to proceed.

Status? I wondered but didn’t voice.

Wren crossed over and stopped directly in front of me. She pulled out the same vial that she had made earlier along with a small circular metallic object about six inches in length.

“What’s that?” I questioned, eyeing the object.

She looked at me with pity. “This is an Appraisal Tool. It will allow us to view your status.”

“Status?” I felt stupid having to ask. I knew that I should know what she was talking about but no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t think of it. I knew what the actual word meant but clearly, they weren’t talking about the definition. There was something bigger going on. It was like that feeling you get when a word is on the tip of your tongue, but you just can’t voice it. Well, the word status pulled at my mind like that.

Wren looked back at Jupiter who just nodded to continue. “Status refers to your traits and abilities, like name, age, level, and so on.”

I was dying to ask more questions. It seemed every time I learned something new, a million more questions popped up. But I was already embarrassed for asking things everyone should know. I was tired of feeling like a freak. So, I decided I would just try and figure things out as I went.

Wren saw that I wasn’t going to ask anything else, so she held the Appraisal Tool out toward me.

“Status open.”

Just like earlier in my cell, an opaque window appeared before me. I now knew I was no longer hallucinating and going crazy.

I had been thinking that my mind had taken a nasty beating and I had gone insane. But there it was, just like I had seen earlier. I stared in wonder for a few seconds before I read what it said.

“This is amazing…” I whispered in awe. It felt wrong but at the same time absolutely right. I could now see quantifiable numbers for my health, agility, and so much more.

Most of it was clearly identifiable but two sections had strange symbols in place of actual text.

{Name} – Grey ̵̻̘̿̈́̋͌̿̃̓͛͂̋̚ụ̷̠̘͎̯̺̥̻̘̠̖̙͖̬́̇̑̍̓̒̂̀̈́͆̀͘̕͝V̴̛̯̖̹͕̳̿̑̍̓̀̆̏̾̕͠͝w̶̖̮͎̩͈̮̿̿́̆͒̈́͐̌̑͘̕6̸̡̡̧̱̟̬̙̳̲͕̼͙͛́͌́l̸̠̦̯̓̓̆͗̈́̆̄̒͆͗̈̚͝n̴̨̛͓̣̤̗̖̪͚͙̫̒̂̑̆P̵̡̧̪̪̗͎̭̻̼͎͈̟̗̮̈ͅ4̸̡̡̧̧̱̝̮̼͙̬̿͋͑̈̂́̀̓̏͛́̏̽̚͘

{Age} - 20

{Job} - Mage

{Mage Classification} - Ģ̷̮̟̜̰͓̑̾̎̓͆̽̒̀̃͒2̶̭̩̝̱̎̉̑̀͋̈́̎̀̔̅͊͋͝2̶̟̇̍̐̋͌͠1̴̡̢̛̪͚̭̹͔͓͉̻̍͑̈͗͋̀̇͘͘6̵̰̦̗̌͗

{Level} - 1

{Health} - 65

{Mana} - 124

{Attack} - 12

{Defense} - 15

{Agility} – 10

…

…

“I…” I was at a loss for words. The list went on and on, breaking down different subjects and listing a variety of things. It was too much to process. “What is this?”

Even more confused than me was Wren.

“I’ve never seen anything like this!” She turned to Jupiter who stared at the screen with equal confusion. “The Appraisal Tool has never failed before. We should be able to see more of his stats than just three things.”

I looked at her in confusion before I realized what she meant.

They must not be able to see all that I can.

“I don’t have the skill to appraise him myself so I can’t verify if it is the tool malfunctioning, but system-generated items never fail. I don’t know what is going on.” She sounded frustrated as she looked to Jupiter for answers.

He stepped down from his throne and walked over to me once again.

“Interesting. So your memory really is gone?” I nodded, hoping he would finally give me some much-needed information. “Let’s see. First things first, Grey, do you know about the system?”

“I’ve heard Wren mention it but honestly, I have no clue what you are talking about.” I hated admitting I needed help, but he had information that I desperately needed.

“I see. Well, to be honest, we could spend hours discussing the system and we really don’t have the time so for now I’ll try and explain it simply. The system governs the whole universe and everything in it. It’s used to gain levels, grow as a person, gain abilities, complete jobs, and so much more. As for what you see in front of you, this is what a typical system notification looks like. This one specifically shows us your status. Everyone can access their own information but to see someone else’s you have to use either an Appraisal Tool or an appraising ability, but both are hard to come by. If you wanted to view your own, all you would have to do is think on it and an opaque box will appear before you that only you can see. Sometimes the system will generate messages for you and a notification will appear.” He stopped and looked to Wren. “I’m explaining this terribly aren’t I?”

“I wouldn’t say terribly but your speech could use some work.” They both chuckled but I was ignoring them. I had too much information to know how to process this.

System notification? Levels? Shit sounds crazy but I believed every word. Somewhere deep in the recesses of my mind, I was even excited by the prospect.

“I’ll let Wren try and explain it better later on. Anyway, Wren’s right, the system never fails like this. Normally, with an appraisal tool or an appraise ability, you get at least basic information such as name, level, attributes, and so on. But all it is showing us is your name, health, and mana levels.” He turned to the others in the room. “Does anyone have an appraise ability?”

No one spoke up and after a few seconds, he returned his attention to me and Wren.

“I’ll find someone to see if this is an error but in the meantime, we do have some information. Your health is above average but not by much, however, your mana pool is outstanding. That’s a lot more than even the top mages here have. Hell, it’s nearly double yours, right Wren?”

Wren’s face turned a bright red, and she glared at me but didn’t speak.

Jupiter chuckled before quickly continuing with his observations. I understood the majority of what he was saying but he quickly started to lose me. He kept mumbling to himself over and over for a few minutes, staring at me with this mad look in his eye. It gave me the willies.

Eventually, Wren came to the rescue and broke him free of his trance.

“Ahem… Apologies. I get a little too excited by a mystery. Anyway, this is most peculiar.” He left us and returned to his throne. “For now, we will rely on the potion for answers. Proceed.”

The potion glowed a sickly shade of green as Wren unstopped the top.

I felt panic bubbling up even though I knew I had nothing to hide. Vega moved behind me to stand as if he knew what I was thinking.

I started to scoot away, afraid of what the potion would do. Vega gently pushed me forward keeping me from running away. The motion caused me to lose my balance making me fall forward onto my face.

"I’m sorry," called Jupiter. "Unfortunately, you must drink the potion. Do not worry though, it is not dangerous, mostly. Wren tells me it is a truth potion that will make sure that you speak honestly. So please, do not resist and drink it, then we will be able to clear everything up."

I consider his words before eventually getting back to my knees.

I do as I am asked because I have nothing to hide and frankly no choice unless I wanted to be killed.

I haven’t said anything that wasn’t the truth.

I don’t pull away as Wren stepped in front of me and raised the vial to my lips. Looking her directly in her gorgeous, mismatched eyes, I nodded slightly. She tipped the bottle and the fluid ran into my mouth.

At first, it really wasn’t that bad, but it seemed the longer I drank, the worse it became. A taste like rotten fruit and sour lemon filled my mouth causing me to gag and nearly expel the potion. Wren held firm and I continued to drink until all the liquid was gone. I’m left with a slight burning sensation on my tongue and a fuzzy feeling starting to form in my head.

The room around me started to sway, and I thought the entire world was going to topple onto its side.

Vega grabbed me from behind to steady me and I realized the world wasn’t swaying, I was.

The fuzzy feeling in my head remained, and I felt my emotions swirling. Wren stepped back from me and started walking to her place near the platform.

I felt my thoughts start to wander no matter how hard I tried to focus.

I giggled at how pretty she was as she walked back to her spot. I nearly told her what I was thinking but catch myself just in time.

Jupiter drew my attention to him with a wave of his hand and began, "Now that the potion seems to be in effect we can begin with the questioning." I barely followed his words as the light around the room caused the world to dance before me.

I didn’t know if it was working as it should, but the stuff made me feel amazing.

"My first questioned is simple, who the hell are you?" he asked in a gruff yet kind voice.

For a reason unknown to me, this made me laugh like an idiot. It took me a few seconds to calm down.

"Okay, okay… Sir Jupiter.” Again the laughter came even though I fought against it. “As I have been saying, I don’t remember anything from before I woke up. I try and try, but nothing comes to mind.” I paused to try and think of the best way to explain things.

“It’s like I can remember most things but nothing specific. I know I had a mother and a father, but I cannot tell you a thing about them. I can tell you what most things are called and what they are for, but I have no memory of using them. I only remember my name, Grey, but to be honest, I’m not fully convinced that is correct." I let out a frustrated sigh as I answered the best way I knew how.

Glancing toward Wren, my mind began to stray from my current conversation, and I found myself saying, "Wren is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!"

Everyone glanced toward her to see how she would react, but she merely shifted her leg unfazed.

Jupiter chuckled softly and stared at her. "Yes... Yes, she is.” This made Wren squirm and look away. “I guess the truth potion is working a little too well. So, it sounds as if you have some form of amnesia. All the details from who you are were wiped clean, but the knowledge of the world was left intact. How this happened, I cannot imagine. Nothing like this had ever occurred to my knowledge. Wren, have you ever heard of anything like this?"

"No, sir. First time for me as well and with the potion he took there is no way he is lying." She paused and coldly regarded me before adding, "Maybe he has found some way to wipe his memory until a later time, and then when it comes back, he will kill us all?"

What the fuck! She can’t actually believe that?!

"Hmm... Maybe. I'm not sure what to believe now," he leaned back in his chair in a thoughtful gesture.

"Jupiter..." I stammered, the potion in full swing, I have to focus to not have another act of stupidity like before. "I swear I am telling the truth. I will take any test and answer any questions. I may not have my memories, but I know that I’m not a bad person. I'm not sure what happened to put me on that road, but I know that I am innocent. Please give me the chance to prove it. Just tell me what you would have me do?”

He regarded me with a calm expression, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. He paused for a moment before saying, "I still have many questions for you, but I like to think I am a fair man. I will give you the chance to prove what you say to be the truth. The potion still has some time before the effects wear off so if you consent, I will ask all I must and then we will decide what to do with you."

I nodded in agreement with his words, aware that if the man didn't like something I said, one of the guards surrounding me could easily end my life.

…

After some time, Jupiter finally finished asking a billion and one questions, and I am given permission to be unshackled and taken to my room.

“You are not to leave the base or have contact with anyone outside of this place. Is that clear?” Jupiter instructed right before he dismissed me.

Not like I knew anyone! I nodded that I understood. I was feeling drained like I would pass out at any moment and nodding was the best I could manage at that moment.

I got up and started to make my way to the exit when Jupiter’s voice stopped me once more. “We need to find out just what you can do so I will send Wren to test your abilities. I hope that you will agree.” He said it more like a statement than a question, but I nodded in agreement anyway.

Jupiter then had one of the men in my guard, a man who he introduced as Polo, escort me back to the room. I was just thankful it wasn’t the werewolf beastkin escorting me. Jupiter also instructed Polo to be my guide and help me with anything I might need over the next few days.

With that, we exited the throne room through the same ornate double doors and began the trek back to my room.

On the way back, Polo let out a deep sigh of relief then turned to me with a genuine smile, "So glad to be out of there! I respect Jupiter like no one else, but that man is intimidating!" He laughed and stuck out a hand, "My name was Polo, Polo Aquino, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

I hesitated, not sure if he was being genuine or not. All the other guards gave me distrustful looks, except Vega, but Polo seemed to be sincere.

I slowly smiled and grabbed his hand, "You can call me Grey, Grey I can’t remember my last name.” I tried to joke but it didn’t land. “And it's a pleasure to meet you too!”

I paused before continuing. “Why don’t you distrust me like the others?" I hoped by asking I didn’t influence him, but I needed to know.

I’m sure that he is just polite since Jupiter had ordered him to babysit me.

"Nah, not at all. I haven't had much experience with mages. Your eyes were quite freaky by the way but I’m good at reading people. I can tell you were serious in there, and that’s enough for me. My mother always told me to judge a man by his actions and not his looks. So, until you prove otherwise, I'm going to trust you. Plus, I’m psyched to be your babysitter!” He gave me a knowing mischievous smile causing me to crack up.

He led me away from the massive doors and toward an opening on the other side of the room.

“Thing is, I have a wife and two children at home, so this job is perfect. Practically no danger which will thrill my wife. Oh, yeah, that’s right you’ve already met her.”

I looked at him in confusion, wondering if he was married to Wren.

“Her name is Lena. She was the one who took care of you while you were out. When Jupiter approached me, asking if I was willing, I jumped at the chance. I promised Lena that I would be safe so that I can always come home. This is practically the safest position in the entire place," he shrugged slightly as he continued.

Did he pull a babe like Lena? Respect.

I thought about his words. If Jupiter asked him even before our meeting then he must’ve planned for things to go this way. He was smart and careful. I could see why people practically worshipped him.

I followed him out, sure that I had made my first friend, and we entered the next room. I didn’t get a good look at this one on the way in as I had had my head down, but I remembered hearing a bunch of voices. Now that I had a good view of the room, I was starting to understand that there were a lot more people in this place than I had ever imagined.

Men, women, and a myriad of beastkin were milling about everywhere. Some at huge conference-style tables going over important-looking papers while others acted as messengers running from table to table whispering urgently for a minute before continuing to someone else. As I approached the middle of the room heading to the exit, all talk came to a halt, and everyone turned to stare at me.

It wasn’t until we departed that the talking resumed, which I am sure was all about their new house guest.

The next room we entered was a long hallway with doors lining the sides.

"Polo, how big is this place?" I was dumbfounded mainly because I still hadn’t seen a window other than those in the throne room and now that I thought about it, those were only for decoration. Behind the glass was just more stone.

He laughed while he continued to walk, "It’s freaking huge! You’ve seen the storage area earlier where we house the supplies, and you’ve seen these adjacent rooms that lead to the throne room, but that's not even a fraction of the place. There are many more rooms on this level. Plus, multiple floors extending up and a few extending down. Oh, and did I mention the whole place is underground," he said this last part as an afterthought.

“Underground?” I stopped and stared at him in disbelief.

How the hell are we underground?

Sure, I hadn't seen an exit in the place, but I had assumed it was for protection, although now that I was looking, I noticed that there was a dampness to the place that lingered and was reminiscent of a cave.

I stared at the ceiling and realized that what I had thought was just a standard ceiling was in fact stone.

We were under a fuck ton of rock!

I could hardly believe it although the evidence was clear in front of me.

"This base was founded many years ago, but it wasn’t by Jupiter. He was invited in by a group of nomads who had found the place empty and had taken to living here. No one knows for sure who built the place, but a lot of people think they were dwarves. But we have no proof and now that all the dwarves are gone we can’t even ask them. I think it was just some weirdos seeking shelter. We know very little about the founders. At first, there were only three levels, but over the years they extended further and further down. Even as we speak, we have already begun on another level directly below the two lower ones. It’s quite impressive.”

Everything I had learned made my head hurt, and the weak feeling I had early was starting to return.

Polo continued to talk as he lead me back to my room, but I was only half listening.

I was exhausted after such a long day and all that had occurred. Every thought was consumed with soft cots and a full night of sleep. The rest of the trip back passed by in a blur and before long I find myself outside of the door to my room. Polo stopped beside it and gently shook my shoulder. “Huh…” I stammered. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

“It’s okay, you must be tired after everything that has happened. I was just saying that l will be here, outside of your door if you need anything. I know it’s not exactly freedom to have me here, but it’s necessary until Jupiter deems otherwise. Now, you go in and got some rest. I will wake you when dinner is ready, and we can go up and eat.” He opened the door and helped me over to my bed. I flopped down, ready for sleep. I’m about to pass out when a notification appeared.

{W$%^YA4*8 energy rising}

{Impending release detected}

{37%.... 38%....}

{Time before active: unknown}

I really need to ask about this. My final thought before sleep took me.