Rin stumbled forward, each step feeling heavier than the last. The ground beneath him was soft and uneven, a mixture of wild grass and cobblestone streets that led to places he couldn't yet understand. The world around him pulsed with energy, but it was too quiet. The buildings—if you could call them that—rose and twisted, caught somewhere between a dream and reality. Some had roofs that seemed to levitate, while others leaned precariously, defying the laws of physics with every tilt.
He paused, pressing a hand to the cool stone wall of a nearby structure. The texture was rough, weathered, but the stone hummed with a faint pulse that echoed his heartbeat.
Rin blinked, the feeling strange and unsettling. Yet there was a comfort in it, too. It was the first time in years he'd felt something. The air had a weight to it, seeping into his skin, into his thoughts.
As he walked deeper into the city, he noticed subtle shifts. The light flickered, like a dying bulb, only to return, stronger, casting long shadows that seemed to move of their own accord. It was as if the city—or perhaps this world itself—was alive in a way he couldn't yet grasp.
His thoughts were interrupted by distant footsteps, echoing off the tall buildings. Rin turned, instinctively stepping back into the shadow of an overhanging balcony, half-convinced that someone might see him as a trespasser. But no one came. The street remained empty, the footsteps fading as if they had never been there at all.
What is this place?
He wasn't sure how long he'd been walking—only that the streets had begun to feel more alien with each passing moment. When he looked up again, a figure stood before him. Tall, lean, exuding a quiet authority. Their dark robes fluttered like bird wings, the fabric moving unnaturally. The face was obscured by a hood, but the eyes... sharp, calculating... seemed to pierce through the dim light.
"You're far from home," the figure said, their voice soft but carrying an unsettling weight.
Rin's throat tightened. Home? He wasn't sure what that word even meant anymore.
"I... I don't understand," he stammered, struggling to steady himself. "Where am I?"
The figure stepped closer, the soft click of their shoes on the cobblestones the only sound in the quiet. "This is the Threshold. The line between worlds. And you... you're one of the Tethered."
"Tethered?" Rin repeated, the word unfamiliar. His mouth opened to ask more, but the stranger spoke before he could.
"You've arrived. No turning back now."
The words sank into Rin's chest like stones—heavy and real. He felt their weight, but there was no time to process. The figure spoke again, their voice low and deliberate, as if carefully choosing the next words.
"The Anchor Realms will change you. Whether you like it or not." The figure's eyes gleamed from the shadows of the hood. "It's in the nature of those who are Tethered. You've already begun."
Rin didn't respond right away. The truth was too much to absorb. This wasn't a dream. He wasn't going to wake up in his room, surrounded by the hum of his computer and the silence of his lonely life. This... this was real.
"I..." Rin's voice faltered. "What... what's going on? What do you mean, Tethered?"
The stranger sighed softly, as if expecting this. "You're connected to a Realm now. The world has noticed you. And so, it begins. But it's not the Realm you'll be familiar with."
Rin's mind spun. Connected to a Realm? It didn't make sense, but the pulsing warmth within him, the strange hum—it felt undeniable.
"You're not alone in this world," the stranger continued, their tone darkening slightly. "But not all Tethered are allies. There are those who manipulate the threads for their own gain. You'll need to learn where you stand."
Rin tried to process it all, but his head was foggy. He couldn't keep up with the stranger's cryptic words. But one thing hit him hard: I'm not the only one here.
"You're not...?" Rin asked, his voice trailing off.
The figure tilted their head, as if sizing him up. "No. But you're the first I've seen arrive in some time."
Rin swallowed, his pulse quickening. This was real. And he wasn't alone.
"Learn quickly," the stranger said, stepping back. Their robe flowed, moving as if caught by an unseen wind that Rin couldn't feel. "The world will change around you. The Anchor Realms... they never stop moving."
With that, the figure turned and disappeared into one of the winding streets, their footsteps fading as quickly as they had appeared.
Rin stood alone, the weight of the world settling on his shoulders.
He was in a new world.
A world that wanted something from him.
And for the first time in years, Rin felt something stir inside him—a faint, fleeting sense of purpose.
Maybe... here, he'd finally find a reason to live.
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