Jay Arkwell opened his eyes.
For a moment, nothing made sense.
The sky above him flickered between hues—blue, lavender, crimson, and gold—as if reality was uncertain about what it wanted to be. Fractal clouds shimmered like broken glass in motion. Below, the grass wasn't grass, but data-pixels masquerading as nature, blinking in and out of being.
"System…" he muttered, voice rough. "Where the hell did you bring me now?"
No response.
The HUD was gone. No stats. No floating menu. No quest updates. No annoying pop-ups with overly dramatic titles like [You Have Triggered the Fate of Realms].
Just silence. Deafening, raw, and endless.
Jay slowly sat up, brushing phantom grass from his uniform. It was still his old Vija uniform—wrinkled, partially unbuttoned, tie hanging like a noose for responsibility. But something felt different. He couldn't place it.
Then he noticed the hill.
