Margana

I woke up in a dark space, seemingly a void, with a little to no light. It wasn’t anything new to me, darkness, cold gusts of air, and all that stereotypical horror movie setting. Oh boy, I was wrong in all ways possible, the moment I opened my eyes… everything changed. A sea of gloom, turned into one that is of light. It was still barren though, not a single living being to be found in my line of sight. I wandered, looking for a place to seek assistance from.

Guess what happened. Nothing… Absolutely nothing came from those futile attempts to find some help or even a small spark of wisdom. I was on the verge of having my stamina collapse to total zero. It seemed as if this unknown reality drained my own energy in a matter of 15 minutes. I found it fascinating, but also quite scary in a way. I dropped on my knees, I couldn’t feel my legs at all. My feet had lost their ability to move. I was wrong, this wasn’t scary. It was a complete nightmare. Think about it. Waking up in an unknown realm, it drains your energy in a snap, leaving yourself unable to move in a place filled with untold and endless possibilities.

Please, I’ve been mumbling to myself for like, what? 3 minutes? I was consumed by my own thoughts, I didn’t even realize that I was literally flat on the ground. I closed my eyes, just hoping for some kind of being, some kind of person, or even… Ah! Anything! I opened my eyes once more and cried out, “Just… please, someone, something! I need help, a silver of wisdom, a sign! I don’t need anything else.” As I recited those words, I had a tear drop or two coming out of my own eyes, not knowing if this would be my last adventure. I was ready to let go of everything just to get out of this horrid space. Mind you that I’m an individual thirsty for action in my life, I could survive anything ranging from duels with a powerful foreign enemy to a dungeon filled with the undead! Who knew that I’d fall to this? This, of all things! I closed my eyes, preparing for my own demise as I felt something, something like my own vital body parts just— Stop. I let out a deep sigh, ready to just go. My lungs just… paused.

When almost all hope was lost, I felt an extremely strong gust of wind, each coming from different directions, almost simultaneously. That moment, I had the ability to breathe once again. It’s as if I have been born again. My head was still facing down, right on the ground, with a body unable to move. The moment that I tried to raise my head up, a powerful force just returned me to my original position.

At that same moment, I heard a woman. The first thing I noticed? She didn’t sound like an ordinary creature, far from it actually. I knew that she had some kind of authority, the aura surrounding just made me want to bow as a sign of respect and submission. I didn’t even know who she was! A few moments later, she let out a faint “Tsk.” type of sound. I couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or.. I don’t know. I just knew that I was heavily intimidated by her, I wasn’t even sure why I acted like that. I was eager for her to say something. Someone of her authority should have some information on this realm, right? I was starting to shake out of my own anxiety, I didn’t know what to expect next. I stayed silent for a few minutes, absolutely no thoughts ran through my head, I tried to stay calm. Just like that, she finally spoke.

She said, “You have calmed down now. Your thoughts were all over the place. It would certainly not do us any good if I do not have your full attention.”

After she said that, I had so many questions in mind. Though I’m pretty sure that she had the ability to read my mind. I mustered all my strength, and spoke out loudly, “Right, right. So, answer my questions. Where am I? Why am I here? Who are you? Why did this place drain my energy? I was on the verge of dying, why, how?”

She chuckled in amusement and replied, “My, my, dear. You sure have a ton of questions in store for me. I’m sure that you have a lot more. Regarding these, I am afraid that I cannot answer all of these. I will give you what I can though. You are in my realm, the Starscape. You are here because you chose to be here, you will find the elaborated reason in destiny, My identity will be revealed to you in the stars. Note that one must follow the ‘glow’ if one wishes to complete the obstacles ahead of them. Also, Dear, everyone who ‘visits’ my realm will be forced to the brink of death. Some actually die.” She finished with a very cheeky yet amused laugh.

“Now, my wisdom is not to be shared with others. You have reached the maximum in which you can be answered truthfully. Be sure to remember these, otherwise, you will do so in a perishable manner. Now, get up, fight through, and seek me in the dark. A warning, the fifth spark will be your doom. Goodbye, Margana.”

After her last statement, she vanished, her presence gone, completely.