Touch and Effect

"New Year's?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll be there."

I wave goodbye as they drive off.

That was pretty fun as far as college Christmas parties go. Hanging out with extroverts is nice every once in a while. I'm glad my habit of freezing up when nervous didn't put them off when we first met in history class. I hope I didn't stare at them too much. I probably did. I definitely did.

The street leading back to my dorm is lit up by street lamps. The full moon adorns the sky;  stars peaking through clouds here and there. No snow yet but the chilly winter night makes me wish I brought a jacket with me.

I start walking towards the nearby vending machine.

At this point, it's more of a ritual than a routine for me to buy something on the way home. The last couple of times I got energy drinks and coffee. No need for all-nighters anymore but something warm would be nice right about now.

Various drinks seem to glow from the cool blue light of the vending machine. Underneath each one is a button for selection. Next to one of those buttons is a circle the size of a coin with shifting rainbow colors.

Weird. I don't think I've seen this button before. Wait, is it a button? What is this?

I squint and move my head closer. I rub it with my index finger, to see if it's some sort of sticker.

Then it happened.

All at once.

The instant I touched it.

Everything goes dark. Not in the same way as falling asleep, but when closing the lights right before. I can't see but I can tell the vending machine is no longer in front of me. The space in front of me feels empty. No, not just in front.

All around me.

A dark empty space.

The ringing sound of silence in an open, empty space.

I feel the beating of my heart.

I stand still, trying to take in any information I can. A sound, a sensation, anything. Then, I see it: a faint source of light, a dozen feet in front of me. I stretch out my hands like a zombie and slide my legs forward slowly like I did during power outages.

I don't know what's going on. I'm panicking. No. No I'm not. I'm good. I'm chill. That's a lie. I'm freaking out.

It doesn't take long for me to inch my way towards the light. My eyes adjust as I come closer and it comes to full view.

A pedestal, around four feet tall, holds a multicolored jewel staving off the darkness. The light it emits dances slowly as the colors of the jewel shift. At times like a kaleidoscope, at others a lava lamp.

It's captivating. No, more than that, it's calming. A second ago I was just about ready to run and scream and cry all at once but now, now I have a moment's respite.

Only for a moment.

A blinding flash of white.

My eyes! Oh god! Ahh! Aaaahhh!!

It stings. It burns. I'm on floor, hands hovering over my eyes in fear of making it feel worse if I touch it. The pain feels like its burrowing into my head through my eyes. And as quickly as it hit, all of the pain subsides.

I let a few seconds pass in silence.

Then I open my eyes, blinking, checking to see if my vision is still there and I am greeted with something more. I see the room I'm in. The whole room. I see no light source but somehow... I can see, clear as day.

I ready to push against the ground to stand up when I see the crystal on top of my right hand. I turn my hand so that I can grab it but it doesn't fall off. It's stuck... to the back of my hand. I bring it to eye level. The rainbow gem looks like it's jutting out me, but it doesn't hurt, in fact, I can barely feel it at all.

I gently run a finger across the gem.

It's smooth... and warm.

What the hell is going on? Where am I?

I look to my surroundings again: a decrepit building. No windows, but the walls have cracks and faded paint. Large rectangular metal panels are breaking off certain parts of the wall as well. Glass shards underneath monitors run across one side of the room, close to where the pedestal stands. The ceiling is ten meters high and the place could easily fit a dozen cars.

I try to stand but I feel a slight discomfort on my butt. I pull out the object I ended up sitting on and my heart sank to my stomach. A crack now runs across my phone. Of course I immediately try to turn it on. Of course, it does not.

I take it back. I shouldn't have gone to that stupid party. I should have stayed at home and ordered food and not get myself into any kind of crazy, freaky-

Doors.

While getting back up on my feet and regretting my life choices, I spot double doors down a hallway. A hallway that leads only to the double doors.

I look behind me, then around me.

There are no other doors in this place. No windows, no doors, nothing. Now that I look closer, this room seems circular.

If those are the only doors leading here, is that how I got in? No, I was standing right there at the center.

I shake my head and dismiss my curiosities.

Right now, I should try and exit this building. No phone means I'll have to figure out where I am the old fashioned way.

I walk briskly towards the double doors. Every step on the paneled floor causes a small echo through the hall. Upon reaching the end I tilt my head up towards the double doors bigger than I first thought.

I reach out to the center of the doors but find no handles. Instead, a holographic screen appears. The gem on my outstretched hand appears to be glowing faintly as well. On the screen it says 'Total Lockdown: Active'. Underneath it is a button that says 'Deactivate'.

I press it.

Sure. Why not. Glowing gems in an enclosed room, screens popping out of doors. At this point, nothing will surprise me.

The massive double doors slide open with a metallic rumble. Light seeps through, revealing nature's shades of green and brown, and a bright blue sky above. The scent of earth and foliage brings images of vacations and camping trips while the chirping birds completes the everyday memory of morning.

I take it all in with a small sigh of relief. I still don't know where I am but the fresh air is doing wonders for my nerves. It's been one strange thing after another so what little calm I found made me oblivious of the two figures flanking me.

To my left is a tall, feminine figure. Leaves for skin and roots for legs, it practically blends with the rest of the forest. Black, beady eyes stare at me curiously. Very reminiscent of a domesticated rabbit: unafraid and unguarded, the complete opposite of the one to the right.

Covered in dark brown fur and scars, it's as tall as the plant creature despite being hunched over. At full height it would be a bear of a creature. What I can only describe as a large wolf on its hind legs, and where its front legs would be are furry, humanoid arms gripping a drawn bow aimed right at me. The arrow is steady, and the its lupine eyes are locked onto mine.

Neither of them utter a sound and I freeze in place. The air is thick with cautious silence, a silence broken by a third creature a little further away. The ground from where I stand slopes down in front of me so its head slightly tilts up to look at me.

"Elv klak!! Arco id baro aytim?!"

It speaks! It sounds mad. It sounds really mad. I don't know what it's saying but if looks could kill. Wait, isn't that thing...

It has a large humanoid frame with muscles bulging out of animal pelt clothing. Tribal tattoos adorn its deep green skin, all the way to its face where its short tusk-like teeth peeks out of its underbite.

Is that an orc?

As I focus my eyes on it, a screen appears in front of me, same as the door. At the very top it says 'Species: Forest Orc' and at the very bottom is a button labeled 'Execute', but before I could read the rest, the orc started walking towards me, teeth bared and eyes searing with hostility.

Run. Should I run? The wolf-man to my right has a bow and arrow. I'm so dead. I can't move. I don't know what to do even if I could move. Raise my hands? Show them I mean no harm?

"Gon, Griz."

The plant creature speaks. I keep my eyes on the threat in front of me, but I hear it talk from my left. It's voice is calm, womanly, and very disarming. The orc snaps its head towards the plant creature and I take the opportunity. I don't know what it will do but I have neither good options nor time to think.

I press the 'Execute' button.

The wolf-man reacts to my sudden movement but doesn't loose its arrow. The orc snaps back to me and looked just about ready to raise its fists for a fight, but then falls down to one knee. 

It's... getting bigger. Around seven or eight feet tall, muscles that look like it could snap me in half with a flex, and... red skin. As if it wasn't intimidating enough before.

I look back at the screen. Above the button read: 'capacity increase available'.

Capacity for what?! Killing me?!

But contrary to how it looks, the previous air of fury surrounding it seems to have subsided. The orc is staring at its palms, turning it over to check the back of its hands, then its eyes swim through the rest of its arms. It's confused. Then looks to me, eyes wide, not a foreign word uttered.

Uhh.

Hm.

What now?

This strange, awkward silence seems... familiar. This one time, at the campus grounds, I accidentally made eye contact with someone. Someone I don't know. And for who knows what reason I didn't break eye contact. After one too many seconds, he started furrowing his brows as if silently asking, "Do you need something?" or "Do I know you?". I remember wanting to get out of that situation desperately so I...

I guess, if it worked then maybe it'll work now.

I keep my expression calm and unmoving, perfect poker-face. Yeah, definitely a perfect poker-face, for sure. I maintain eye contact, then give the orc a small nod. I turn around, walk at a steady pace, right back through the giant double doors.

The screen appears again and I immediately reactivate the door locks. With a loud thud it closes shut and I look behind me, silently waiting to see if they will try to enter by force. Because if they do, I'm trapped in a room with no other exit.

Thankfully, nothing happens after a few seconds...

...

I pinch my arm.

"Ow."

Either this is all real, or I've gone crazy.

My anxiety starts shooting up and it takes every ounce of mental fortitude I have for me to keep my shit together. I'm fine. This is fine. It's not, but it's fine.

I sit down, leaning forward, arms against my knees, breathing heavy as if I had just finished a sprint. I start rubbing the sides of my middle and ring finger against one another on my left hand. A little trick my mother taught me a long time ago to deal with stress and panic. I could never tell if it helped or not but in situations like this, one can't help but rely on past experiences. After a few moments, my breathing calms and I rest my head against the cold wall.

Past experiences...

My parents taught me a lot of things. I guess It's only fitting I would remember this now of all times: "Learn to work with what you've got, and make the very best of it."

What I've got huh...

I've got... my wallet. I've got my dead phone. I've got this crystal thing on my arm. I've got creatures probably waiting for me outside the door-

I sit up straight.

The door, and the orc. The orc I couldn't understand but the screen that appeared on it and on the door... I could read them.

I look around.

All around me is a dusty, dilapidated ruin. A ruin of... a lab? Now that I'm actually paying attention, this circular room, the monitors, the gem on the pedestal, this looks like a place for experiments.

I move next to the pedestal. Just like the door, and the orc, I focus my eyes on it. A screen appears.

A clear goal makes a world of difference. I feel calm. I feel motivated.

"Let's see what else I can read."

-

-

-

"Welcome back, Mielaro. Did you find anything?"

"Unfortunately, I could not find my way past the third level, and there's not much treasure left to find on that level."

"Well, don't feel too bad. Reaching the third level of that dungeon by yourself is no small feat. Say hi to Iliana for me!"

Thena is as friendly as ever. Perhaps I should ask why she chose to be a village guard rather than join a merchant caravan. Few of us elves are as outgoing as she is, travel suits her.

I glance back at Thena. She stands atop a platform built on the side of a tree. The platform is over ten meters off the ground but the tree itself is probably close to a hundred, much like the rest of the surrounding trees.

Thena has her back turned to me. Her clean leather armor blends in with the trunk of the tree. Her bow hangs next to her quiver and her eyes are trained towards the Deepwood. We've not had an attack in years, yet she keeps watch with such diligence.

Rather than a question maybe I'll give her a gift from the dungeon next time. 

It takes no more than a minute to reach home from the village entrance. I am greeted by a modest, single-story cottage. Vines run up the walls and the blooming flowers decorate the windows.

I push the front door open and find my daughter Iliana looking up at me with her hands reaching for the books in my bookshelf.

"Iliana."

"But I was so bored!"

"Then play with Feore and the others, or practice the bow."

"But I wanna know more about the Humans!"

I give her a sigh and a smile. I had hoped she would not take after me or her mother but there really is no helping it. The heart wants what it wants and the rest of the body follows suit.

I close the door and put down my bag next to my desk.

"Tell me about the Humans!"

Her emerald eyes are simply beaming with joyful curiosity. Once she gets this way, she won't stop until she gets answers, much like her mother.

"What were they like? Are they like elves or beastfolk? Or like orcs and goblins? Or-"

"Alright, alright."

I pat Iliana's head and my eyes wander past her as I recall all the research I have on Human history. Turning it into a story a child could understand shouldn't be that difficult.

"Over a thousand years ago... Humans ruled all of Gaea. The lands, seas, and even the skies belonged to the Humans. They were a strange people: powerful but also fragile. See, the humans did not live as long as we do. They did not have sharp eyes or pointy ears and they did not have strong arms, fast legs, wings or fins. And most of all, they had no magic."

"But I thought everyone has magic."

"Everyone today, yes. But not back then, not humans."

"But they were still powerful?"

"Very. Anything they were not good at, they created tools for. Eyes that can see for them, ears that can hear for them. Vessels that can fly to the skies or swim through oceans. They made towers of steel that touched the clouds and they made islands of their own. They also made treasures like this."

Next to the books leaning on one side of the shelf, I pick up the glass orb I found in one of my trips to the ruins. It is a perfect glass sphere with a flattened base to help it stand. There is an inscription on the base yet to be deciphered and inside the transparent glass itself is...

I give it a shake and present it to Iliana.

"Trapped snow."

Her eyes light up. Her small hands hover over the glass orb, wanting to touch it, her eyes looking at me searching for permission. I give her a nod and she holds the artifact with cupped hands.

"...What happened to them? If they were so powerful, why aren't they here anymore?"

"Well... no one knows for sure but... Humans were known to fight each other just as easily as they work together, so whatever happened, they probably did to themselves."

A bell.

Ringing in the distance.

Then another, then four, then ten, all around the village.

"Iliana, to the basement."

I grab my bow and rush out the house.

"Lock the door and hide in the basement, now."

The sound of bells grow louder and louder as I rush to the village entrance. Along the way I spot a handful of other men and women with bows at hand. Finally I catch sight of Thena. She just shot an arrow and is preparing another one-

Heat, light, and a noise that drowns out all other noise: an explosion.

"Thena!"

The platform is on fire.

The tree is on fire.

On the ground lies Thena, bloodied and unmoving.

Instincts and training kicks in.

I knock an arrow and pull.

I look to the source of the fireball.

And before I could process what I'm aiming at, I release.

My arrow hits its mark, and snaps on impact.

Against its deep red skin, my arrow did nothing.

There, standing at seven to eight feet tall, hands covered in flames, is a monster few have seen and fewer have survived.

A Red Orc.