New World

Stepping out of the temple, Levi truly felt like he entered another world. An overwhelming warmth, unlike anything he’d ever felt, enveloped him. Everything vibrated with brighter colors, and a sudden gust of wind ruffled his hair.

He stood high on a mountain, the temple’s stone trail winding before him. Below, a city is laid out.

Heliopolis, Levi hopes.

But getting there would prove to be difficult. A crippled, steep staircase plunged down the mountainside. Each step a gamble, his footing tenuous, his progress painfully slow. He is terrified of rolling down the mountain slope uncontrollably. He had to be excruciatingly deliberate.

The sun, once a comfort, becomes a torment. Its relentless beams beat down him. The path was wild, overgrown. Weeds exploded through the cracks, and scattered trees offered only brief, inadequate escapes from the oppressive heat

His sword is a clumsy burden, clanking loudly against the steps.

How do I carry this thing?

Levi tried his shoulder, but the hilt dug deep, leaving sharp nicks on his skin. Tying it around his waist with scavenged grass proved useless, the makeshift cords snapping immediately. Finally, he just held it, occasionally using the blade to hack through the thick grass and branches blocking his way

As he descended, the vegetation grew denser. Thick, twisty trees dominated, forcing him to clear more branches. Grass completely swallowed the steps, pushing the ancient stone aside. More than once, he lost the path entirely, backtracking until he rediscovered the green-shrouded stone.

Levi's shirt, once white, now hung in tattered strips, huge splotches of red blood and gaping holes. Yet, he still used a ripped end to wipe the sweat from his dirty forehead.

Levi finally made it the base of the mountain. Levi is glad he didn’t have to take any more steep staircase, but the journey isn’t over yet. Levi followed the brick path, which leads deep into a dense forest. The trees here were exotic, their thick trunks twisting towards the sky, adorned with pink flowers and clusters of bright red berries. Levi considered tasting them, then thought better of it. Getting sick, possibly dying, wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

For a while, the walk was actually enjoyable. A pleasant breeze drifted through the neatly lined trees, also offering cool shade. He savored his surroundings, letting the moment wash over him. The only real nuisance was the path itself, heavily damaged, its uprooted bricks constantly trying to trip him.

A soft chirping sound caught his attention. He wondered what the animals of this new world looked like, his eyes scanning the foliage, hoping for a glimpse of the mysterious singer.

He found it. Hunched behind a bush, trying to stay hidden, Levi spotted a small bird on a distant branch. His eyesight, he realized, had truly improved. It was a small, round blue bird with a fluffy white underbelly. Above its black, shiny, round eyes, a tiny brown curl gave it the appearance of having curly eyebrows.

The bird chirped once more, then fluttered away. Levi straightened up, brushing dirt from his baggy pants, and continued on.

He started to wonder about Heliopolis, imagining a vast, sprawling city. But as hours passed with no sign of it, a nervous prickle began in his gut. The city looked so close from on top the mountain. Had he lost his sense of direction, or was this path not leading him there at all?

His worries quickly come to an end. Two massive stone walls loomed beside him. He looked up, realizing it was a building, completely swallowed by moss. The forest and the city seemed to have seamlessly merged together, blending together.

Levi was flabbergasted. Is—was this Heliopolis? He waited for the status window, for the mission complete notification, but nothing appeared. The window didn’t pop up and made a jingle.

This isn't Heliopolis, he thought, but what is it? He walked down the abandoned street, smashed clay tiles crunching underfoot. Nature had utterly reclaimed this place.

Ahead, the path forked. Levi hesitated, utterly lost. He had no clue which way to go. For all he knew, every step was taking him further away. After a moment's debate, he took the right turn.

None of the buildings around Levi rise more than three stories. Going up wouldn’t help him scope his surroundings. And even if he wanted to go inside one, he couldn’t trust how stable they were.

Still, he checks a few out. Trying to at least get inside one.

He pokes his head into the nearest doorway, only to find massive boulders sitting in what used to be a living room. Ceilings cracked, beams exposed. Another house has its stone door half off its hinges. Levi gives it a kick, and it swings open easily. Dust explodes out, coating the inside in a thick, gray smoke. Levi lifts his shirt to cover his mouth.

Once inside, he can barely make anything out. The shapes are vague, shadows of what used to be furniture.

He searches for a staircase, hoping to get onto the roof. But what he finds is a complete collapse. The stairwell is now a heap of stone and splinters.

Levi lets out a frustrated groan and steps back outside.

The sun is directly overhead now. Blinding and hot.

A new worry hits him.

What am I going to do when night falls?

He pushes the thought away, trying to convince himself he’ll reach Heliopolis before then. But still, he can’t shake the anxiety clawing at his gut.

And Mary. He hasn’t stopped thinking about her.

He left without a note. Without warning. One second she was asleep, and now. Who knows how long he’s been gone?

She’s too sick to take care of herself. What’s she going to eat? How’s she going to move around? There’s no one else. It’s always been just the two of them. Levi hopes she’ll be fine without him.

When he opens his eyes, he realizes how far he’s wandered. The ruins around him open up into what was once a plaza. Now, it’s more like an overgrown garden.

A broken fountain stands at the center. Murky green water fills its basin, choked with algae and fallen leaves. For a moment, Levi wonders if anything still lives in there. A fish, maybe?

He doesn’t check. Splashing the water as he left. There’s no time to waste.

It hits him now, just how massive this abandoned city really is. It must have been incredible once.

He imagines the streets filled with life. With laughter, with trade, with voices. Would they have looked like me? Or something alien? He pictures their clothes, their buildings when they were still whole.

A low gurgling sound pulls him from his thoughts.

Levi freezes. He ducks behind the nearest building, heart thumping.

There is something over there. Levi creeps along the wall, keeping low. There’s plenty of cover, collapsed walls, creeping vines, half-fallen pillars. He moves quietly, slipping from bush to wall, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever’s making that sound.

As he moves in closer the sound also grows louder. Levi realizes the loud incoherent noises must be two people fighting.

Levi carefully creeps closer.

He finally sees them.

Two small green figures, no taller than his waist, locked in a pathetic brawl. Slapping each other with their thin hands. Their sickly skin hangs loose over brittle bones, rib cages visibly pressing against their chests. They have long, droopy, pointed ears and filthy yellow eyes.

Goblins?

They look exactly like the ones in storybooks.

Levi freezes. He’s mesmerized by these two. Like twisted little caricatures of humans. He can’t take his eyes off them.

The monsters that appeared on Earth never showed intelligence. Just pure instinct, mindless destruction. But these two? They’re arguing. Screaming in some guttural tongue, slapping and pushing each other like squabbling toddlers. These two seem to not even notice Levi.

Levi narrows his eyes, watching every twitch of their leathery skin, every stomp of their clawed feet.

They wear scraps of brown rags tied around their waists, barely covering anything. Each one clutches a crude makeshift hatchet, just a sharpened stone lashed to a stick with twine and sinew.

They start walking off, still growling and gesturing at each other.

Levi’s heart pounds.

Should I follow them?

He hesitates. Are they dangerous? The goblins in Earth’s myths were nasty, bloodthirsty pests. But here, they seem more like the closest things to humans.

Still, a mistake could be fatal.

He takes a cautious step closer, studying them. Their movements. Their gear. Then—

They stop. Both goblins go rigid. Their long ears twitch and rotate. Studying the air.

Levi panics. He drops to the ground behind a crumbling wall, hiding in the tall grass. His heart slams in his chest. His black hair sticking out of the green grass.

Did they see me? He holds his breath. Trying not to get caught.

Then suddenly, without a sound, they sprint away. Vanishing into the woods.

Levi lets out a long breath. Relief washes over him.

He sits back on his heels.

That was close.

He turns away, heading back in the direction he came from. His mind races, half with curiosity, half with doubt.

There’s so much about this world he doesn’t understand.

Levi spends a lot of time walking. Thinking. Thinking is all he can really do.

His thoughts keep circling back to Mary. And to food.

That dull ache in his stomach is quickly becoming unbearable. His body feels light, like it might just float away. His legs are getting weaker, and his mind foggier with every step.

He is walking with so much fatigue. Eventually, the buildings start to fade behind him. The city is thinning out.

The trees too.

And then suddenly it all opens up.

Levi stumbles out of the overgrowth and into a vast, rolling meadow. A field of flowers stretching endlessly. Reds, yellows, blues, wild and beautiful. The petals flutter in the warm breeze under the blazing sun.

For the first time since arriving here, Levi pauses to just take it in. Taking a deep breath. But not for long.

He sees something in the distance.

People? This time Levi is certain those are people.

Levi sprints though the field. Now seeing clearly in the distance a group of people, horses and ocean. Levi is desperate to reach the people.

But something’s wrong.

He slows down.

The cart, an ox-drawn one, is surrounded by men. Three of them. One stays atop his horse, watching, a small crossbow slung at his hip. The others are on foot. Armed with broadswords. Rough leather armor. Not travelers.

Robbers?

They’re robbing a couple. A man and woman crouch near the cart, frightened. The woman is clutching a small satchel to her chest.

“Is this all you got?” one of the bandits shouts, raising his voice in anger.

“Y—yes!” the man squeaks, shrinking back behind his hands.

Levi moves closer, more cautiously now.

Then it happens.

One of the bandits grabs the woman by the arm.

“That’s enough,” Levi said, stepping out into the open.

All five of them froze. Heads turned. Eyes locked on him.

“Who the hell are you?” one of the robbers barked.

Levi didn’t answer. He kept walking, steady and deliberate, until he stood between the couple and the bandits.

The air was tense. No one moved.

“What do you think you are doing?” Levi threw the question back, gripping his sword tighter.

“Fuck off,” growled the man with the mustache. His eyes flared with anger.

Levi’s eyes flicked to the woman on the ground, now scrambling to her feet, wide-eyed.

The mustached man scowled, as Levi looked away, tries to attack Levi.

Steel echoes out. Levi managed to black the blow.

Levi shifted into his stance, calm. He quickly broke off and slam his hilt at the back of the man’s head. He slumps to the ground,

Now, the muscule of the group comes in. His sword swishes through the air. The man now goes hard for each of his blow. Each one being blocked and Levi easily getting out of the way. Too slow.

Then Levi stepped in, slicing the man's arm. The man screamed in agony. His arm now on the ground beside him.

Levi quickly turned to the last one. Still on his saddle on top the horse.

“We surrender.” He said.

Silence. Levi stood there, his blade still wet, squinting at the man. Surprised. He looked down at the two bandits he easily defeated.

He was even surprised at how easy it had been. Thinking back on the awakens on Earth, how he is now one of them.

“Leave your weapons,” Levi said coldly. “And get out of here. I don’t want to see any of you again.”

The two bandits scrambled to lift the unconscious man to his feet, dragging him toward one of the horses. Without another word, they fled.

Levi turned to the couple. “You two okay?”

They looked at each other and nodded in unison. “Yes,” they said.

“That’s good.” A beat of silence. “So… Do you know where Heliopolis is by chance?”

They nodded again.

Now Levi was sitting at the back of their ox-drawn cart, gently rocking as the wagon rolled over uneven ground.

“Thank you for what you did,” the man said quietly.

“Of course,” Levi replied. “Anyone would’ve done the same.”

The ride to Heliopolis was mostly quiet. The couple introduced themselves as Anthony and Lucia. Kind, sweet people. They offered him food, simple dried fruits and hard bread. He accepted gratefully. The back of the ox cart did smell like fish though.

The couple started talking about how they came from Westwater. Another city? Going to Heliopolis to sell fish in the city and we’re scared of the bandits but grateful Levi saved them.

Eventually, the steady rhythm of the cart lulled him into sleep. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride, Levi occasionally got woken up by the unsteady road.

Then…

“Levi,” Anthony whispered. “There’s a group of goblins ahead. Just off the road.”

Levi sat up, still groggy. “Goblins? Are they dangerous?”

“Very much so,” Lucia said, her accent soft and unfamiliar to Levi’s ears.

Levi stood and jumped off the cart. His feet hit the ground hard, and he cracked his neck. It is very dark, but Levi could see the six goblins clustered around a fire, dirty green skin, hunched bodies, crude weapons in hand.

Levi had to walk quite a distance until they spotted him.

The goblins shrieked and charged.

Levi didn’t move. He stood still, watching them come closer. Then, in a single breath, he moved. When the first goblin came in swinging a stone axe, Levi sidestepped and decapitated it in one swift motion.

The others fell just as quickly, three slashed across the chest, one stabbed through the gut, another cleanly sliced at the waist.

Levi stands over their dead bodies. He feels quite conflicted. Not knowing how to feel about so much death and bloodshed he dealt with today.

Levi returned to the cart without a word. Anthony and Lucia stared at him in disbelief. They again are grateful for having someone so strong with them.

Levi could see it now, looming on the horizon. A massive wall.

It was enormous. Not as tall as the Tower, but still intimidating in its own right. As they approached, Levi craned his neck to look up. The wall stretched impossibly high, its surface worn with age, yet firm and strong.

They were now slowly making their way toward the city gate, two wooden torches lighting the wall. Two tall knights, clad in shining plate, stood guard. A line of people stretched out before them each one presenting papers, bags searched, carts examined.

As they slowly approach, Levi felt a pit form in his stomach. He didn’t have any documents. What if they turned him away?

Suddenly:

Mission Completed.

Next Mission: Stop Goblin Invasion

Papers are being made.

A familiar jingle played in his ear. Blue orbs materialized again, swirling into shape before hardening into a rolled parchment sealed with a wax stamp. The red seal was in the shape of a goat’s head.

Levi held the paper in his hand.

Anthony and Lucia didn’t seem to notice the jingle nor the paper appearing out of thin air.

The guard took one look at the parchment and blinked in surprise. He straightened up immediately.

“Sir,” the guard said, voice suddenly reverent, “would you like an escort?”

Levi was caught off guard. Escort? What the hell is written on this thing?

He glanced at Anthony and Lucia, who stared at him, wide-eyed, as if seeing him for the first time. Wondering who had they been traveling with?

“…Yes,” Levi said. “I’ll take the escort.”

He climbed down from the cart and turned to the couple. “Thank you. For everything.”

The guard returned his parchment and gave a curt nod. “Wait here a moment, sir. We will prepare a carriage.”

Moments later, the most extravagant carriage Levi had ever seen pulled up, dark wood, golden trim, and two large, muscular horses at its front. The guards opened the door and gently ushered him inside.

The interior was drenched in velvet, deep crimson curtains framed the windows, soft cushions lined the bench seats, and the wood smelled freshly polished. The seat cradled Levi’s body, and for the first time in what felt like forever, he truly relaxed.

He pulled the curtain aside and peered out.

As the carriage rolled through the streets of Heliopolis, people stepped aside, making way. Buildings rose around him, made of concrete but painted in bright, distinct colors: turquoise, yellow, orange, lavender. It was a city alive with color.

The people wore simple, practical clothing, tunics, wraps, trousers. No flashy jewelry or embroidery. Everyone moved with purpose. A city that bustled, not with joy, but with function.

Levi watched, quiet.

He wasn’t sure what he was walking into. But one thing was clear, this world wasn’t finished with him yet.

Under the starry night sky, Levi could see it. A castle. So big and impressive.

The castle shines under the night sky. It’s white stone sparkles.

Levi quickly notices he is going straight there and before he knows it he finds himself beside the castle’s gate.