One

Blue.

That was the color of the world before me as I woke up. A bright blue light everywhere, blinding almost, yet it didn’t hurt my eyes as I continued to stare, unblinking, towards its source at the center of my sight. The blue was forever; it was infinite, going on for miles around me without end.

And then, after a moment which felt like forever, the blue began to recede. The cerulean light that was once so blinding pulled back to the edges of my vision, revealing various shapes and colors hidden behind it. The scene was blurry at first, looking almost like I was inside a bubble looking outwards at the world. Suddenly, the bubble popped, and my sight sharpened.

I was floating (Wait, floating? How?) above a platform of carved stone. The platform was located at the center of a large, grassy courtyard, open to the blue, cloudy sky above. Standing upon the grass, all looking towards me, was an audience of people dressed in finely tailored, yet strangely designed clothing.

I felt my weightless body begin to descend. The people all watched me with an awed look upon their faces; some of them were even shedding tears. My eyes scanned the crowd looking for anyone familiar, but all I saw were a sea of strangers. I eventually focused on a group of three individuals, the ones standing closest to the platform I was floating above.

Two men and a woman. The man to my left was old, though he stood straight and with a strength only seen in those of the young. His head was bald and he compensated for it with a long, flowing white beard. He was clothed in layer upon layer of exotic garments, with a silky midnight blue cape thrown over his shoulders.

The woman, who stood to my right, was middle-aged, with thin aristocratic features and a few wrinkles hidden behind a layer of makeup. Her hair was done up in an intricate style, with a small golden crown poking up from behind the soft, brown curls. A complicated-looking red gown adorned her body, one with gold finery along the edges and a poofy skirt that trailed down to her ankles. She had a frown of worry upon her face as she watched me descend, her eyes narrowed as if in distaste.

The last man stood between them. He was the same age as the woman, with dark hair and a beard that was graying in a few spots. A golden crown rested upon his head, one adorned with jewels of varying colors. He was fit for his age, having broad shoulders and a solid physique under the silken robes and fur cloak he wore. He had a small, tight smile on his lips as his eyes shone in triumph. The reason why he did this I could not decipher.

When I felt my toes touch down upon the cold stone of the platform, a surge of sensations and emotions quickly flooded my body. I let out a loud gasp as air rushed into my lungs, suddenly finding myself breathing on my own for the first time in my life. My body began to shiver as a chill breeze blew across my exposed skin, upon which I realized that I was completely nude. My ears popped and I was suddenly assaulted with noise, the soft murmur from the crowd along with the blowing of the wind an almost deafening cacophony inside my head. My heart thudded heavily in my chest, pumping blood through arteries and veins that had not existed until a few moments ago.

I felt fear and uncertainty roiling through me as I looked around me in confusion. Where was I? What was going on? My breathing was erratic as I slowly looked down at my shaking hands, seeing five delicate digits upon each palm. That wasn’t right...

I began to feel light-headed. I looked to the crowd, all of whom sensed something had gone wrong. Slowly, my vision blurred and I felt myself sway. I met the eyes of the old man with the beard and he quickly rushed forwards, climbing up onto the platform to get to me. He was but a few steps away when I suddenly collapsed, my body landing hard on the cold stone floor.

I heard the shouts of alarm from the crowd as my consciousness vanished.

“No, no, no!” I faintly heard through the darkening haze. “Get the healers and physicians! Quickly!”

And then there was nothing but black.