Shadows move around me in the void. I don’t know who or what I am anymore, but at least I can still feel, and what I feel is hunger. The hunger is a familiar companion, it permeates my existence. The constant reminder of it hurts me, there is nowhere to go, nothing to satiate me with, everything is darkness.

One thing I do know is that darkness isn't something tangible, but what you get when you take everything else away. That describes my existence all too well, I understand that. I have to be wrong somehow, I’m broken, lacking something … crucial. The hunger tells me that.

The shadows move around fleetingly. I can’t see them, but I know they are there all the same, always just out of reach. Just as I can't escape my hunger, they can't help but look down. I'm the unpleasent reminder of what happens if they fail, how much they have left to lose. That's fine, they can despise me, I don’t care. I'll still be here in the dark, waiting for them to fall.

--------------------

Waking with a start I jolt upright, only to be held down. I feel pressure on my chest and limbs keeping me firmly in place. Muscles tense against cold bonds, flexing for freedom. I can feel them giving way to my strength, I can feel *smack * a firm hand placed on my head. Looking up slender blue fingers give way to a blue hand, my eyes widen as I see who the hand belongs to.

At my bedside sits a small scholarly woman, her faced pursed in concentration as she waves through floating panels with her other hand. Closing the screen, she brushes flowing amber hair over a blue pointed ear.

“Sir, Your body has just stabilized, please stay still for the time being,” she says giving me a gentle smile.

I let out a small gasp in response, “Holy shit !” I mutter, my voice cracking, “I’ve gone insane.”

Tearing my eyes away from the beautiful hallucination I search around the room. I'm greeted by off-white walls, with a high ceiling inlaid with soft lighting, there is one oak desk in the corner, and intricately carved details cover the walls with plants and nature in Greco Roman style. At least my lost marbles have a taste in decoration.

A small chuckle brings my eyes back onto the dainty blue figure in front of me. Golden eyes meet my gaze, looking at me expectantly, as she waits for me to speak.

Trying to clear my throat I manage to croak, “where am I?”

Excitement evident in her voice she responds, “Now that is the right question. We are in Gaia Memorial Sir, the finest hospital on Tera.”

Without giving me time to ask what the hell that even means she continues.

“While I’m not the most qualified to explain this, I will try my best." She says bouncing gleefully in place. "To put it simply, you aren’t on the planet Earth anymore, or even in your original Universe. You are on Tera now, the founding planet of the Human Empire, and you are home, sir!”

Trying to reason out what she just told me I come to the only realistic conclusion.

“I haven’t gone insane, I’m simply dreaming. It all makes so much sense now. Beautiful, exotic women greet me at my bedside and tell me I’m the chosen one, whisked away to fulfill the prophecy. I’ve been watching too many Isekai anime lately, these dreams keep happening.” Thinking about the situation in my head, my excitement grows.

Nodding, I grin to her, “Okay, so I’m on Tera, summoned to fulfill the prophecy, and become the hero of legend. Point me towards the Demon King and I’ll slay him for you, oh fine maiden!”

Confusion evident in her face, she goes back to check on the floating screens “Sir...”

“Don’t worry”, I cut her off, “I've done this plenty of times. Though usually...” I nod towards my restraints. “The play time starts after I’ve become the hero”.

Shimmying suggestively in my metallic bonds, I wink at her.

In a motion she dismisses the screens, trying to piece out my display, a dawning horror comes to her as she looks at me. Her face turns a pale blue as she evacuates my bedside, towards the door with blinding speed. Taking one last look back she scurries out into the hall slamming the door behind her, leaving me bound and alone.

“Come back!” I try to call out. Receiving no response, I’m left to reflect on the failure of my seductive dance routine.

“Okay, I laid it on a little thick, but this is my dream goddammit!” I cry out to my dreamscape.

Silence, depression, and some awkward squirming later, I hear the door creak open again. The same cool beauty peeks into the room brows furrowed. She steps into the room daintily, followed by a much larger figure that looms over me.

Standing at three meters or more above me, an imposing bronze-skinned man dressed in a form-fitting robe that ripples with muscles steps into the room. Two sharp, red horns extend from his forehead, almost scraping the ceiling he takes his post in the corner of the room. Glaring at me with disgust, I feel an indescribable pressure weigh down on me. Resisting the urge to wet myself I try and sink into the bed, as far away as possible from the giant.

"Sir, I believe you are suffering from a grade three delusion. Luckily for you, I have received approval for immediate treatment.”, she says with a cold voice.

Too focused on the behemoth in the corner I fail to notice the woman point her hand at me, threatening arcs of electricity dancing between her fingers. The voltage discharges from her in an instant and enters my body, racking it with pain and convulsions as I seize against my bonds. Pausing the electrical onslaught to give me a moment of reprieve she tells me what I've already painfully realized.

“This … is … real.”

Intoning her words with conviction she delivers another bolt straight to my leg, leading to another painful spasm. By the fourth time, I manage to scream out that I understand. With sparks playfully jumping between her fingers, she looks pleased with her "treatment". Several minutes pass as I regain my thoughts, and let the fear subside. The mass of muscle is still standing in the corner, but he looks more amused at my pain than disgusted now, so I can probably cross out further “treatment” from him.

Bubbly demeanor returning the gorgeous blue sadist speaks. “I’m glad that you were able to come to your senses sir, now let’s continue the introduction."

"As you see Tera is a very real place, but not only that, it is the seat of power for humanity. You and your peers from Earth have been brought out of the Tempering Cycle early due to the passing of Lady Gaia, may she find peace. The world where your souls resided was the last miracle of Lady Gaia, letting your souls be tempered in accelerated time before you are finally brought into the arms of the Empire. This is the true reality, while the universe you knew was closer to a simulation than anything else.”

Just dropping the mother of all bombs into my brain, she and muscles give me time to wrap my head around the fact that apparently everything we knew was a lie. The afterlife and religion that we fought wars over meant nothing, the afterlife is well … just life now. Existential terror aside, I think I understand.

This line of thought brings me to another equally chilling idea. What happened to my family? The last time I saw Mia she ... Oh God. Trembling, before I fall into a panic I look to the woman.

“What happened to my family, my mother and sister?” I plead.

Her eyes soften at my question. “Don’t worry about them, they all exited the Rapture: Protocol just fine. They have been made aware of your admittance into Gaia Memorial, and I’m sure that they will be notified that you are safe and recovered now.” She tells me, a hint of compassion in her voice.

Relief flowing over me, I thank her repeatedly and even give muscles a nod of thanks that he doesn’t return.

“You should be more worried about yourself, why do you think you're in this hospital? You have been unconscious for three weeks, it took your body that long for us to mend and stabilize. You didn’t even enter the empire in the usual spot, when we did find you your soul and what was left of your body was in severe misalignment. In fact, your soul was dangerously close to rejecting your body entirely.”

“What do you mean by rejecting?” I ask nervously.

“I mean that your soul was going to exit your body and disappear into the ether. A weak soul like yours can’t survive without a body for any real length of time.”

Okay, so that was a horrifying picture I didn’t need. “But I’m fine now right?” I hesitantly address the small woman, now concerned that I might just float away at any moment.

“Yes, I told you that your body stabilized first, remember?” she reassures me. "Once you entered Gaia Memorial you are as good as cured!" she says with fervent determination.

Finding relief once again, it gives way to guilt as I look at the woman trying her best to help me. As I realize just what a scumbag I have been. “I enter a new world, and the first thing I do is sexually harass my nurse. Way to go Jaxon.” I think, scolding my previous actions.

Sweeping the guilt and embarrassment under my mental rug, I introduce myself. “I’m Jaxon Ward, by the way, so please no more of this sir stuff, I don’t deserve that.”

Not missing a beat she smiles. “Pleasure to meet you, Jaxon Ward, I am Tarain Muse, your assigned nurse, and he...” she says pointing to muscles “is Gaz Oni, one of our esteemed hospital’s security guards.”

Gaz gives a curt nod towards me and smiles widely at Tarain, pearly white fangs gleaming at the mention of his name.

“Glad to meet you both I say, beaming a smile of my own. But Before we continue, I have a favor to ask Ms. Muse”

“Yes, what can we do for you?” Tarin replies “Are you feeling okay? I didn’t shock you to hard did I?” she says anxiously.

“No I’m fine, really I deserved that. More importantly, could we undo these restraints? I ask fidgeting.

“I really have to use the bathroom.”