When I awoke, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. It was smaller than the dorm room I was living in before I came here. Standing, I found that I could touch both walls with my arms outstretched. Raising my arm, I could place my hand flat against the ceiling. A window across from the door was the only source of light. Somehow, whatever lit the world, was excluded from this room. A single cot resided under the window. I paced the length of the room and found it to be three steps long and two wide.

I moved to the door and found it unlocked. Heading out, I found a hallway filled with other doors just like mine. I didn’t try any of them for fear of waking someone else. I headed down the hallway, looking for a restroom and a sink of some sort. I was not betting that they had showers, but baths were something people used to do. And still did I supposed.

Only, as I thought about it, I didn’t need to use the restroom. There was no pressure on my bladder or the tightening of my sphincter. I felt fine, even after having woken up and eaten multiple meals. I slowed my pace, having passed multiple doors and cut-offs that had at least one dead end, as I thought about the normal bodily functions.

I still sweated. I could still eat and drink and people did eat and drink here. But I never needed to go to the restroom and outside of the food provided to me by the world itself, I had not seen anyone eat anything. I did not even remember being hungry yesterday, but rather eating because that was the time to eat.

I was not hungry now, even after working incredibly hard. Unless if dream meals counted as actual meals here, then that would explain it. I shook my head to break the thought pattern as I continued my search for some form of a washroom. I would wait until I needed to go to the bathroom before asking about it. The logic to me resided in two reasonable options. 1) people here had special rules on the bathroom so asking Bastar or Heather would save me from embarrassment or 2) people here did not have to go to the bathroom so not asking would also save me from embarrassment.

Instead of finding a washroom, I found the exit in what I was thinking of as sleeping quarters. I felt kind of smug, knowing I had one with a window. Not that I would hate one that was just on the inside, and that might be nice if I wanted to get some sleep again. But would the whole world lighting thing change if I did not have a window?

I headed into the large hallway trying to figure out why characters in all the books I read did not actually try to understand the world around them. I also wondered if they had to go to the restroom and how many had indoor plumbing. Did they just not care? Or am I weird for focusing so much on where fictional characters did their business?

My mind was filled with that and other important thoughts such as what the primary industry of the city I was currently in and what the reserve currency of the Empire was. If it was gold or silver or another rare metal that I had no concept of, yet. Or if I did not need to go to the bathroom did, I still have the parts needed to go to the bathroom, like an intergluteal cleft or a penis?

I attempted to subtly check on the latter as Bastar ran into me. Or, more accurately, I ran into him as I was more focused on how much of my body had changed then where I was walking. To both of our surprise, I did not collapse on the floor. Miracle of miracles, I remained standing as I bumped into a person sturdier than a brick wall.

Pride flashed through me before I reigned in my thoughts enough. I looked down at him to find him scowling.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“No.” He curtly replied before turning and walking away.

I stood there for a moment before decided to follow him. Either he would send me someplace, find someone else I could follow, or perhaps provide an actual map of the area. I half paid attention as I thought of the funny medical terms. I was all the rage at the economics parties as I talked about how bad of veisalgia I would have the next day. Or ask people if they shave their axilla.

I thought about what other terms I remembered as Bastar took a left, followed by a right then another right. I attempted to remember the name of the big toe, hal something, as I stayed a few feet behind him. I looked at his butt, wondering if he were going to grow a tail before his legs changed or if his legs would change and then grow a tail. Either way, the loose fit pants he was wearing were not providing any hints as to the state of a tail.

I let my mind wander as we wandered through a much more complex building than I initially gave it credit for. Once the guards brought me back here from meeting with the Emperor, I thought that this was just an arena with training grounds for the gladiators or whatever the fighters were called. Instead, it reminded me of an office building with doors every 5 or so meters alternating sides. And every hallway looked the same.

It wasn’t long before Bastar opened one of the many doors. Looking back to me, he jerked his head and followed me as I went inside. Across from me was a desk with a beast person sat, doing something with papers. A door was against the back wall, to the right of the desk with another door to the left. Chairs lined the right wall, all made from stone. I moved off towards them to allow Bastar to do what he needed to do. I looked around, trying to find a magazine or some other reading material. I grunted when nothing came up.

“What is it?” Bastar asked. I jerked in surprise. Turning around, I found the two people watching me.

“I just expected some form of reading material.” I gestured at the chairs. “Something to entertain while waiting for whoever we are meeting.”

Wide eyes met mine as I took a seat. Going from past experience, I was betting this was going to take awhile. I found myself pleasantly surprised when Bastar motioned for me to enter the door across from me.

Inside was a short pathway to three different offices. Bastar entered the farthest one and I followed. Inside sat a person-person. Somehow, this man as he grew up managed to still look traditionally human. I had no idea that was possible and assumed it wasn’t based on Bastar’s action.

“Is this the chosen one?” The man asked, looking to Bastar. He didn’t move his head, rather he shifted his eyes to Bastar. Not how you are thinking, where the eyes move in their socket to focus on a different location. Rather, the entire socket moved, stretching and sinking to better gain sight of Bastar.

I kept my last meal down as I watched the disturbing sight. Coughing into my fist, I looked for a seat of some sort. There was one in the corner and I moved to sit.

“What are you doing?” The man asked.

“Sitting,” I answered. “While this involves me and is about me, it probably will not take my opinion into account.” I sat in the chair, trying to get comfortable while I finished. I was not successful. “Since I am more than willing to submit to the will of those in charge, I thought it would be best if I tried to get out of the way.”

The man blinked at that, but not right. Instead of eyelids, his brow bent low and went back up. With that action, I did my best to find something interesting to look at, outside of this man.

“Is he always like this Bastar?” The man asked.

“I cannot say, sir,” Bastar responded. “I have only worked with him for a day after being given control over his training.”

“But surely during that day, you noticed things about him.” The man pressed.

“He smiled while working with children, regardless of how much they hurt him.” Bastar continued. “He also didn’t stop until he collapsed. Heather required a large meal to recover from how often he was healed.”

The man frowned at that. Fortunately, I caught it from the corner of my eye thus managed to miss how his face contorted.

“And now he doesn’t even look at me.” The man finished.

“I apologize, sir,” I started, picking up on Bastar’s address. “I find your facial ticks a bit disturbing. I have never interacted with one of your strengths before and find it…capable of upsetting my stomach.”

“You find me disgusting, is that what you are saying?” The man rose as he said that. He remained seated in his chair but his body stretched so he could better look down at me. I dropped my eyes.

“Not at all sir,” I meekly replied. If there is one thing I remembered from my old life is that while the powerful can hurt you, bureaucrats will ruin your life with a smile, then charge you for the privilege. I could already tell I ruined any chance of something good coming our of this exchange so I fell back to the age old method of shutting up.

“Look at me when I am talking to you.” He snapped. I did, looking up to a face that would not move correctly. Bastar, for his part, just stared at me. We remained like that for a moment until the bureaucrat squished down to his previous height. I kept my eyes on him as he began.

“It has been decided that if there is a threat then the chosen one will be the best to find the threat. As such, you will be assigned a team and sent to the outlands to find what this threat is. If you find it and cannot deal with it with your present abilities,” he sneered the last bit, “Then you shall return and we will get you to where you can deal with it.”

“But most importantly, you are to return with a description of what this threat is.” He emphasized his point by jamming his finger into the desk. The finger squished, instead of remaining straight. He stared daggers at me while I attempted to not notice how his hand had begun to pool from the pressure he was applying.

Bastar still looked at me, not saying a word. I almost shuddered as I realized what needed to be done. While I don’t mind eating crow, this was a bit too much. If I had an inkling of the culture and I screw up, that is on me. But I had been dumped here with no knowledge of anything and this guy was trying to chew me out for not showing proper deference. Still, mighty be the middle manager who decided they were important.

“Sir,” I began.

“You will enter…” He didn’t get to finish. The smile I made sure to keep on my face vanished as I rose. The bureaucrat rose with me, still seated as I moved to exit.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He yelled.

“Leaving.”

“You cannot leave.” His arm reached out and grabbed ahold of me.

“And you cannot stop me.” I countered, while being held in place.

“Oh, and what do you think I am doing now?” I could hear the smug smile on his slimy face.

“Restraining me. Which will be an interesting story once those above you ask you why their chosen one lies about and does nothing.” He increased the pressure on my arm, threatening to break it. But I remembered to my training and imagined a cuff of mana just under his fingers. As he squeezed, I imagined the cuff expanding. While it didn’t pry the fingers off me, it did stop them from closing further.

“But that isn’t stopping me. What you need, from me, is something you cannot get from any other person. That makes me important. And I realize that I might have upset you by not looking at you in the eye, but you do not move how I am used to seeing people move. It upsets me.” With the last words, I jerked my arm forward. His arm moved with me.

“I am more than willing to do what you require of me.” I began walking again, this time freely. The man’s hand still clasped my bicep, but whatever we were doing stopped him from pulling me back. “I just won’t do it for you. Bastar, bring me to another person with authority. I feel that I have been given a task to complete and I would like to get started.”

Before I could take one step farther, something engulfed me.