A menacing black throne stood in front of Aaron. In this world of grey, there was nothing but dirt till the horizon, not a sound to be heard and not a vestige of life. The last thing he remembered was feeling weak and blacking out. Then he was here. He was sure this was a hallucination of some sort.

"This isn't a dream" came a voice.

Aaron snapped his attention towards the only thing present. The black throne.

A wisp of black smoke now sat on it. Hardly any substance comprised the form. It reminded him of a weak fox fire.

"What isn't a dream? ventured Aaron tentatively.

"This". The ground you're standing on. The sky you see and most certainly not me," said the form.

Not convinced in the slightest. Aaron took a few steps back taking a stance warily. "What are you?"

"Not Important" snapped the plume of smoke suddenly bereft of patience.

"We don't have much time. So listen carefully. Beware the one-eyed-king. Do not trust the shadows for now. They will be your domain eventually. They are but a treacherous marsh for the time being. Help the golden one, he shall become your staunchest ally and above all believe in yourself. We shall meet again at your first trial. Goodbye. For now."

Confused, Aaron tried to remember everything the smoke told him before he could see the world dissolving. His existence faded from that place and came back to one where he was lying on the ground. The faces of Zeva and Arjun looked down at him.

"Well at least she was alive," he thought.

Aaron had not been treated well in life. Emotionally vacant parents and existing bang in the middle of the autism spectrum made it difficult for him to connect with people. A burgeoning anxiety disorder cut him off from most of his peers. Misunderstood and alienated Aaron never expected to be treated well. Things didn't change across dimensions it seemed. He was now in a cell. How this tent had the structural integrity to house a small prison was beyond him. "Magic" he muttered "Hurray". This was Aaron's second day in this place. After the giant shadow invasion. The army suffered massive casualties. But Aaron had to give these folk credit. The cleanup had been relentless. The dead had been cleared, tags being collected from all of them. A bunch of armoured guys then waved their hands and built what he assumed was a fucking Cemetery out of the grassland. What could be salvaged was salvaged and those ground magic dudes started building a new tighter encampment. This time with higher walls and glowing floating orbs of light everywhere. There were no shadows anymore. Aaron had thought the army would be quick to make their move from the place. But for some reason, they were still stationed there. So Aaron stayed in his cell, waiting anxiously for any developments. There were none. By the end of the second day, Arjun the kind but genocidal scholar paid him a visit. He opened the cell door and beckoned Aaron to come. Steeling himself Aaron followed behind.