The beggining
You're about to embark on a journey that will forever change all that you know about yourself...
But before we learn who you will become, we need to know who you are now.
The wind whips across your face as you race through barren trees, trying putting some distance between you and the creature chasing you!
Shadow monster: RAAAAAGHHHHHH!!
The force of the monster's roar shakes the ground beneath your feet! You trip at a edge of a pool of black water, catching a glimpse of your scratched and muddy face in the process...
You: Come on, get up. Keep moving!
You dig your fingers into the black soil, pushing yourself toward the mirror you've been desperately seeking...
You: Just... a little... further!
When suddenly the beast crashes through the trees just behind you!
Shadow monster: RRRRRROOOAAAAGHHHHH!!
You roll onto your back as the creature thunders toward your prone body!
Out of options, you throw your hands up, and a searing energy pulses through your fingertips!
You: Yeuguang Trabem!
You bolt upright in your bed, clutching your chest.
Eli: That... That felt so real!
Your phone buzzes aggressively on the nightstand, and you look over to see that it's almost ten. Your alarm has been going off for almost two hours.
Eli: Crap! I'm gonna be late for that meeting with my advisor!
You scramble out of bed and dash to your closet to throw something on...
Once you're dressed, you bolt out the door...
...Not noticing someone watching you from inside the mirror.
Refelction: ...
You run into your advisor's office without a moment to spare and drop into the chair across from her desk.
Eli: Sorry! I overslept.
Ms. Robertson: You're not late, so that's quite alright, Ms...
She rifles through some paper on her desk.
Eli: Just Eli is fine.
Ms. Robertson: Eli, right. Forgive me. I'm used to dealing with more... troubled students.
She finds the right file and slides behind her desk. As she scnas the pages, she frowns.
Ms. Robertson: By all accounts, you're a perfect student. It's only a couple of weeks into the quarter, but your grades and attendance are excellent. So, I've got to ask, Eli. Why are you here?
Eli: It's hard to describe. I know I should be happy. But I'm just... not. I try so hard, but no matter what I do, it all just feels like... like I'm sitting in a waiting room or something. And no one ever calls my name.
Ms. Robertson: And... what is it exactly that you're waiting for?
Eli: A magikal world.
Ms. Robertson: What?
Eli: I want to live somewhere exciting and extraordinary! A place where absolutely anything could happen. That's not too much to ask, is it?
Ms. Robertson: Those are certainly some... original aspirations. But I can't help you live in a fantasy world, Eli.
Eli: Yeah, I know. I'm only joking. I just wish I knew what I was looking for. Whatever it is... it's not this.
Ms. Robertson: I know you're at a crossroads right now. And one of the directions you could go would mean dropping out of Hartfeld.
Eli: It crossed my mind...
Ms. Robertson: Please don't do it. When this phase you're in ends, you don't want to discover that you've given up your chance to get a degree, do you?
Eli: But... but what if you're wrong? What if it's not a phase?
Ms. Robertson: I tell you what. Why don't you go home and think about it? Will you do that for me?
Eli: Sure. I... I quess I can do that.
Later,you stand in the bathroom of your suite and look at yourself squarely in the mirror in front of you.
Eli: I know you belong somewhere. I know there's more to you than this.
Suddenly, the lights in the room flicker!
Eli: What the hell...?
Something catches your attention out of the corner of your eye... A glint in the bathroom mirror.
Eli: Huh? Why do I look like this? What the hell!That's... That looks like my face, but...
You raise a hand to your face, but when your reflection doesn't move, you freeze.
The mirror itself looks a little odd... Almost shimmery.
Eli: Am I... Am I dreaming again?
You reach a shaky hand toward the mirror, and when your fingers touch the surface, they press into the glass!
Eli: Whoa!
You try to pull back, but your hand won't come free!
Your palm starts to sink into the glass, then your forearm, and before you know it...
Eli: Wait, wait, wa--
Your whole body is sucked through!
Rushing water yanks you forward, forcing you to squeeze your eyes shut against the current!
Just as you feel your lungs starting to strain, a splash comes from your right! You feel a pair of strong, sturdy arms wrap around your middle and pull you to the water's surface!
You feel yourself being dragged onto dry land and sputter as you wipe the water from your eyes. You try to get your bearings, taking a moment to gape at your surroundings...
Eli: Wh-Where...
