Ryan gasped, the unfamiliar air flooding his lungs that didn't feel like his own. He felt like he had changed; his body felt different from what he used to be, almost like a machine instead of flesh. His eyes wandered, up above a sky violet and gold, unfamiliar constellations blinking and flashing. The ground beneath him pulsed faintly with warmth, like the heartbeat of a living world. Gaia.
His mind ached suddenly as the memories of his last moments-experiment pod, blaring warnings, the cold silence of the void-replayed again in his mind, then suddenly it all stopped, his mind cleared almost like a system reboot. The haunting memories suddenly became suppressed as if taken away and stored away by someone, and in their place, he felt something else... ancient. Elemental. Alive.
He looked around slowly, finding himself in the middle of a vast ruin overtaken by the forest, glowing with strange bioluminescent flora. Trees hummed softly, their trunks looked more like stone etched with runes rather than wood. Floating stones releasing small glowing blue runic symbols drifted lazily between the branches, defying the laws of gravity.
"So this... is Gaia. This isn't a simulation," he muttered. His fingers brushed the soil-it sparkled with energy. Real energy. Energy that seemed like it was being absorbed by his body. He saw tiny particles and strands moving from the land, air, and every living object around him.
Suddenly, he heard rustling behind him.
Ryan spun and stumbled back as a creature emerged from the brush-a fox-like being with crystalline fur, almost translucent and glowing eyes. It looked around as it scanned its surroundings, like it was looking for something. Finally, it froze in place, its gaze meeting with Ryan's, and slowly it tilted its head, then vanished into thin air like it never existed. No tech, no logic. Just like magic.
He stood in silence for a while contemplating what he had just witnessed, trying to explain what had just happened, his scientific brain trying to think of some logic, but ultimately, he shook his head sighed and gave up. It was a brand new world with bizarre flora and fauna with its own set of rules, he would have to get used to it slowly.
Not knowing where to go, he just picked a random direction and started walking. He had no idea where he was supposed to go, but he figured it was better than staying still inside the ruins, and it being a completely new world, a childlike curiosity grew inside him. Ryan wandered for hours, absorbing the alien landscape and its beauty. Everything looked and felt so different from his previous world, where everything was just metallic megastructures and a grey, smog-filled sky.
Eventually, while exploring, he heard the sound of flowing water and a loud booming sound like water crashing from high above. And sure enough, as he got closer, he saw a river and a huge waterfall in the distance, its water crystal clear, the reeds growing at the riverbanks swaying slowly, and at its base, a pale glowing mist gathered almost like a cloud. As he went closer towards the waterfall to take a look, he noticed that the mist was spreading slowly creeping towards him. He tried to leave, but the mist, as if sensing that he was getting away, suddenly sped up. He didn't even have time to think before the mist covered him up entirely. He held his breath, careful not to take in the mist, desperately trying to run away, but gradually his body started feeling heavy as he started losing consciousness. While struggling to stay awake, suddenly a feminine voice echoed in his mind-soft and ancient, as his eyes began to close.
"You are not of this world, yet Gaia has accepted you. Learn... survive... and awaken your code."
Before he could even try to respond, his vision faded and he passed out.
When he finally opened his eyes, he awoke at the edge of what seemed to be a camp, a small fire lit in the middle. While trying to figure out what happened, he heard footsteps nearby. He felt a wave of air hit him like when a bus passes by you at high speed. A "whoosh" sound was heard as suddenly a young woman stood over him, holding a spear in her hand. She pointed her spear at Ryan, its tip pointing straight at him close enough to his face that he could see wind particles emerging from her body, swirling along the body of the spear and converging at the tip, ready to be unleashed. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you, outsider? Speak before the forest decides you're prey."
Ryan raised his hand weakly, his mind groggy, still wondering what just happened
"Did you bring me here?" he asked. No reply. She stood there in silence, the spear vibrating faster and faster as more wind elements converged at the tip. It seemed that she was ready to strike him down if the answer he gave didn't satisfy her.
"Let's not test her patience any longer. I just got reborn, I don't want to die again so quickly," he thought in his mind. Clearing his throat, he said: "It's common courtesy to state your name first when asking for the name of others, but I don't mind it. My name is Ryan..... and I have no clue what I'm doing here, nor do I know where I am."
The girl blinked and tilted her head a little to the side, a confused look on her face. Then, oddly, she smirked. "Did you get hit in the head or something?" she asked.
"Maybe", Ryan replied with a wry smile on his face. "I have no idea what I'm doing here, what this place is or what I'm supposed to do."
"Well, I did find you near the forbidden waterfalls, so that might explain some of what's happening." "It's rare to survive out here after passing out alone like you did, you know. There are NullBorn everywhere around here. You owe me a favour," she said, her ferocious appearance now gone, replaced by a bright smile.
Ryan was stunned by this sudden change in expression. Just now, she was standing above him like a fierce war god, and now she had a dazzling smile that could put stars to shame. Noticing Ryan's intense gaze, she turned her head away, jolting Ryan from his stunned stupor.
Trying to change the subject, Ryan coughed. "Ahem. What was that about the waterfalls and the NullBorn?" he asked.
"Ah, the waterfalls and the NullBorn. First, let's start with the NullBorns." Her radiant smile disappeared at the mention of the NullBorns.
"People used to call them Void Creatures a long time ago. Simply speaking, they are the very opposite of life, while Gaia, the place we are on and the source of our magic and strength, supports life and its continuation. Nullborn are creatures born from the void. They corrupt and consume everything, and one of the eerie abilities they possess is that some of them can also corrupt and consume memories of a living creature, gradually taking over their mind and converting them into a NullBorn." A hint of sadness appeared on her face.
"And these mind-corrupting NullBorns are usually very active near the waterfalls for some reason," she explained. She looked like she was reminiscing about something or someone, her face filled with sadness. "Having to fight becomes harder when you realise that your people are the ones standing against you. That's the terrifying part about the NullBorn."
Hearing the explanation about the NullBorn and their corrupting powers and his close encounter with death brought him a deep sense of dread. He never realised how close to death he was, and not the kind of peaceful death either.
He calmed himself as he tried to uplift the solemn atmosphere, "I still don't know your name by the way", he smiled, trying to change the topic again.
"I'm Lira Veylan", she said, the previous smile once again ", a wind elemental mage"
And so began Ryan's true first trial-understanding the wild, untamed, magic-woven world of Gaia.