Welcome to Solaris

"Your name... just what is your name?"

I heard a voice call out to me.

But everything was pitch black. I felt like I was drifting in space. All my senses were dulled—except for my hearing. I could smell nothing, feel nothing... just drift.

“Hello there...”

And then, that voice—it called out to me again. A recollection flickered in my mind like white-hot flashes, all coming at once, but for the life of me, I could not make out any of the faces.

I don't remember anything.

Just who am I?

The world seemed to still in that very moment. In the blink of an eye, I found myself squinting as radiant, bright light filled my vision.

"What the hell?" I cursed softly under my breath, trying to make sense of my surroundings. I blinked.

From a dark void, I found myself standing in the middle of a white room. I looked down at my body. It was... strange. I knew this was me, but I couldn't recognize the body. I couldn't recognize anything about myself.

I had been stripped of clothes, standing there bare in a white room.

"Welcome. @#?!!&^"

A voice echoed in the space, reverberating in my ears. It was the same voice I’d heard in the dark.

I knew the voice had said something—something important—but the volume dulled out the moment the words reached me. It was like a name had been spoken... but I couldn’t hear it.

I turned around to find a woman wearing a flowing white dress standing behind me. Her long hair fell to her waist, and a cheeky smile danced on her lips. She was rather cute, but something about her unsettled me. She didn’t feel... human.

"I can tell you're confused," she said, skipping around me. "But that's not unnatural for the dead."

"Dead? What do you mean, dead?"

She looked at me, cocking her head sideways. "Oh yeah, that’s right. You did lose all your memories after all."

What was she talking about? Where was I? What the fuck was going on?

A thousand thoughts raced through my head, trying to make sense of it all. But what scared me most wasn’t her words—it was the fact that I had no memories of who I was. None. She said I’d lost my memories... but how?

I stepped toward her, but she took a step back.

"Not quite yet," she said, snapping her fingers.

Suddenly, the world around us shifted. I was standing before a flight of steps, and atop the stairs, she sat on a white throne that seemed to blend with the world around it. Her chin rested in her palm as she eyed me with a look of playful amusement. I couldn’t shake the ominous feeling she gave me. It was like being in the presence of something... otherworldly.

"Well, as I mentioned before, you’re dead. And welcome to the Crossroads, my dear... @#?!!&^."

There it was again.

She said something after that—a name. I saw her lips move, but the moment the sound reached my ears, it was drowned out. I had a strong feeling the words she spoke were my name.

"Listen here. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s freaking me out, and I need some answers. Where am I?"

"Huh… you don’t catch on quick, do you?" she sighed exasperatedly. "As I said numerous times now, you're at the Crossroads. You died in your previous life, and I’m here to guide you into the next one."

"Why can’t I remember anything? Why can’t I remember my past life?"

"Well, that’s the unusual part. Most people do retain memories, and we normally take them away at this point. But you specifically requested not to keep yours. Upon arriving here, that was your decision, and I honoured it."

"I did...? Why would I not want my memories?"

She had this unsettling smile on her face that sent a chill down my spine. "I understand this might be confusing, but you needn’t worry about it."

"What do you mean I needn’t worry? I want to know who I am!"

She giggled quietly. "What a curious soul."

Had I chosen to forget? Was what she was saying really true? Was my life so terrible that I’d willingly give it all up? It didn’t feel like it... But how would I know?

"You want your memories back, don’t you?" she said, stepping off her chair and appearing before me in the blink of an eye. "Well, I suppose something can be done. But it requires a little... dare I say, labor."

She swayed a finger between us, then a piece of parchment unfurled before me, rolling down until it stopped right in front of my eyes. One side bore her signature. The other—the spot meant for mine—was blank. It was a contract.

"If you want your memories back, I can certainly grant that. But I’m giving you a choice. Since you chose to lose them, it’s only fair I let you choose to get them back. But you’ll have to do some special work for me. It would be interesting to see how someone with your expertise would perform."

"My... expertise?"

"Yes. You may not remember who you were, but trust me—there’s no one I’d rather assign this task to. Your talents, even if not consciously remembered, are still with you. They’ll serve you well."

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

She smiled softly. "Now seems like a great time to introduce myself. My name is Telemica. I am the goddess of the Apocalypse."

"Did you just say... apocalypse?"

"Yes, you heard correctly. I am the goddess who ends worlds and ushers in the beginning of new life."

She spoke so casually, like she’d just told me she ran a bakery.

"More and more worlds are created across the multiverse with each passing moment," she continued. "While I’d love to judge them all personally, it’s simply not feasible. So I recruit souls like you—Heralds—to traverse these worlds and decide whether they should live... or die."

"What the hell...?"

"I understand your apprehension. But you don’t need to worry. This happens all the time—old world's end. New ones begin. It’s the cycle of life across the greater multiverse. You’ll only be sent to planets nearing their time. No death is unjustified. It’s all fate. I merely bring the chaos that fulfills that fate."

She leaned back with a shrug. "It may sound sinister, but it’s the nature of my duty—and the reason you’re here." She held up the contract again. "Or do your memories not interest you as much as you’d like to believe they do?"

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what to make of the situation, and all I could really think about in that moment was...

Who am I?

Those words played on repeat as I stared at the contract. She broke my train of thought with a light cough.

"Before your time here runs out, I can only secure time with you at the Crossroads for a short while—you have a choice. Take my deal and start with a trial run in one world. Observe, make your decision, and report back. Or refuse. You’ll be reborn as a baby in a new world, your memories lost forever."

What was I supposed to do?

It was my first time dying—at least, I hoped it was. I had no idea what was happening.

But I knew what I wanted.

I looked up at her and swallowed.

"Well..."

***

And that’s how I ended up here…

I was lying bare in a field. The scent of greenery filled my nose to the point it nearly made me nauseous. I sat up, stretching my limbs. A dull ache spread through my body. I looked down at my hands—they looked just as they had in that white room.

I sighed heavily.

"Shit. I should’ve asked more questions."

I pushed off the ground, grass sticking to my body as I stood. Strangely, I didn’t feel the slightest shame in my nudity. But it wouldn’t have killed her to send me here with at least something to cover up.

I looked around, trying to grasp my surroundings. There was nothing in sight that stood out to me; the entire stretch of land was simply a green field.

"Where am I?"

Just then, a blue holographic screen flickered before my eyes.

Words appeared:

[Welcome, Herald. I am Codex. I will be your travel companion to traverse this world]

"Huh..."

Don’t worry, you won’t be going off empty-handed. I have a gift waiting for you in your first world. It’ll prove to be rather useful.

I recalled her words before I woke up here, after I signed the contract.

It felt... familiar—the concept of the Codex, that is.

"Codex, huh? So you're going to be my guide? Like a messenger or something?"

The screen responded:

[Yes. Think of me as your guide. I will help you understand your responsibilities and the complexities of this world]

I see...

"In that case, Codex... where am I?"

[...]

[Herald... Welcome to Solaris]