I wouldn't say my life was perfect, but on the other hand I had little to complain about. I always got good grades and was soon approaching graduation from university. I imagined most of my peers would have been optimistic or terrified for their future, but I didn't feel the same.
I'm not sure when it started, but at some point in my life I had simply begun to feel numb. It wasn't that I didn't feel emotions or anything, but that I simply began to care less about the future as it often disappointed me. I didn't wish for death, but neither did I fear it. I actually found the act of dying more terrifying than the eternal slumber itself.
As the days passed, I found myself escaping more and more to my own thoughts in search of purpose. Even now, as I laid here on my bed at 3:00 in the morning, my incessant thoughts gave me no rest. My last final exam before graduation was imminent, but it was not what clouded my thoughts. They were consumed by a question which I had failed to answer for some time now. Was there really any point to all of this? I had bent over backwards to do the things that I was told I must, to do what was expected of me. But while on the precipice of my life achievements, I felt as if I had nothing to show for them. What should have brought me satisfaction, instead left me with a terrible emptiness. It was an unanswerable question, yet I always returned to it.
'I'd better get some sleep or I'll be miserable tomorrow' I thought to myself as my consciousness slowly faded. "He's still alive, we lost him for a moment, but the body is no longer rejecting the compound." A voice filled my ears as I struggled to keep conscious. I awoke with only a fragment of a strange dream as I began to sort my thoughts. 'The exam today shouldn't be too hard, but I should grab something to eat before heading there' I reasoned.
As my eyes began to process my environment, I realized I was still dreaming…or that's what I would have said if I had ever seen a dream so vivid. I appeared to be in some sort of medieval infirmary with about 10 beds by my count filled with 3 other people that didn't look much older than 13, but I was never that good at guessing ages.
I was no stranger to bizarre dreams, yet this one had felt so vivid like never before. I shuffled myself off the bed and on to a cold stone floor with an uneven surface that felt too real to be a dream. It wasn't long before I realized I was not in my own body as I found the ground much closer to my head than it should have been. My hands betrayed the nature of my youth as I began exploring the room.
None of the other patients seemed to be awake, so I was careful not to disturb them. While looking for a mirror, I suddenly heard footsteps approaching. In a panic I looked for a place to hide, but the beds were raised and there was only one door, the one from which the footsteps approached. It became very apparent that it was not a lucid dream as I tried and failed to manipulate the environment. My heart raced as I realized I had no control.
Finally an old man appearing to be in his 60s with a bald head and a handlebar mustache reared into the door frame. "Ah, I see you've recovered quickly, good. Come quickly boy, you might just make it in time. Master Korbyn will be addressing the new trainees shortly. I stood there in shock for a moment as my mind failed to process the scenario. The dream felt too real and lacked the absurdity my dreams usually carried.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up!" the old man snapped me out of my daze. I still had many questions, but my instincts told me to shut up and follow the man for now. He led me down a dark corridor lit by a few torches, but it did not seem to bother my eyes as I could still see a thick wooden door at the end of the hall to my astonishment.
The old fart must have noticed my surprise since he began to speak, "Impressive, isn't it? While the new addition to the compound significantly decreased the survival rate for the procedure, the results speak for themselves. Enhanced night vision and long distance viewing capabilities that rival even a three horned owl." The man stated proudly.
I nodded my head in agreement. Yep, that confirmed it, this guy was insane. Although it is often said that genius is a step above madness, so for now it was probably best to try not to get on his bad side. We soon reached the doors at the end of the hall and the mad scientist finished with his ramblings and ushered me inside. The room was as well lit as it could be given the presence of torches and lack of windows. It was crafted from stone, evoking a sense of castle architecture.
Upon entering, I was flanked by two hooded guards, one of which directed me to be seated on the stone floor next to a line of children no older than those I had seen in the infirmary. In front of us stood a small stage that was barely raised as if it was a standup comedy venue. We waited several minutes in silence before someone took the stage. The whole scene was strange to me, but I didn't really feel like I was in a position to protest.
The man wore an elaborate black cloak similar to the guards at the entrance but the design was obviously meant to denote a higher status. It seemed like I would finally be getting an answer to the question that was lingering in my head this whole time: What the fuck is going on? Despite my newfound enhanced eyesight, I failed to see under the man's hood as a darkness my eyes couldn't penetrate shrouded his face.
"Welcome initiates, for nearly 300 years our predecessors have lived and trained here on the Isle of Mist. To be an assassin of the Mist is to be part of a legacy stretching back centuries. Since the founding of the Empire, the Mist's name has struck fear into human and demi-human kingdoms alike. There is no ruler who does not know our name. And our infamy has always been marked by our success. To be a target of the Mist, is to be as good as dead." Master Korbyn declared.
I began to realize that I would not be waking up from this 'dream'. If I was to survive this 'cult' then I needed to blend in. With my knowledge from earth, I would already have an advantage over any would be competitors. Master Korbyn oozed an aura of superiority. His mere presence seemed to imply that weakness had no place here.
If I could survive until they let me off this damn 'Isle of Mist' then I could make for the hills and never look back. The whole place was giving off cult vibes, and I wanted no part of it. For now I would focus on just making it to the next day, but as soon as I felt ready, I could just leave without a trace.
"In order to ensure that you meet that standard, I, Master Korbyn, have been assigned as your instructor. The completion of phase one of your training has granted you four primary enhancements; enhanced vision, enhanced stamina, enhanced reflexes, and enhanced constitution." Master Korbyn continued.
Phase one must have been the compound the old fart was describing. The realization made me remember the 3 remaining patients back in the infirmary. A chill ran down my spine as I realized there were only 7 trainees myself included, exactly the number of empty beds.
These crazy bastards just injected us with an enhancement compound with a 30% fatality rate? If they were trying to breed distrust in us, I was pretty sure it was working. "Phase two will consist of basic combat training and sorcery class. You will be expected to report to the sundered courtyard every morning at first light. I advise you to do so in a timely manner." Master Korbyn stated coldly.
Sorcery? It sounded ridiculous but it was hardly the craziest thing I had heard today. If I could use my earthly knowledge to get a head start on magic then I should have no trouble exceeding the other trainees. I wasn't sure how much the two fields could overlap, but surely my 21 years of experience on earth would have amounted to something of value.
I also wasn't sure how hard it would be to survive this mess, but it was better to stick out in a good way than be at the bottom of the class. These lunatics clearly had no qualms about killing children so it was probably best to avoid disappointing them.
"A guard will escort you to your rooms now. I welcome you into the Mist, trainees, and hope that I will one day be able to call you brothers and sisters." Master Korbyn finished.
When the speech was over, one of the guards proceeded to escort me to a small room down a few corridors. I'm wasn't sure how they expected us to just know our way around the complex, but I wasn't about to ask the guard brooding behind me. Perhaps the other trainees had been here longer than I expected, but I recalled no memories from my body's previous owner. The room was small and reminiscent of a monk's cell. There was little in the realm of furnishing; containing just a bed, desk, and small wardrobe. The wardrobe contained half a dozen sets of clothes and a small black cloak with no markings.
On the desk stood a book with strange markings. On the cover was written 'Orientation Handbook'. My eyes opened at the sudden realization that I could read the foreign script that graced its pages. I guess I retained at least some portion of knowledge from this boy's memory. I discovered the book was actually quite useful as it contained a map of the citadel we resided in and a marking showing my room. It also held a schedule and number of basic facts which were probably boring to the average reader but very useful since I just got here.
I quickly learned that we resided on the Isle of Mist, a small island in a stretch of Rapforth bay known to be plagued with a continuous fog. The island was a considerable distance from the mainland of the Aeterra continent. While this world's scholars debated the magical or natural origins of the fog, most sailors stayed clear and the few that entered rarely returned. Because of this, the assassins of the mist have thrived hidden on the Isle of Mist for nearly 300 years.
There were no descriptions of any motivations or benefactors for the organization. I guess the top brass kept their motivations to themselves. It seemed as if they simply took pride in their efficiency, but I was smarter than to believe that. Either way, I had little interest in searching for their motivations; I just wanted to be rid of them.
My stomach soon growled, making itself heard. From the window in my room I could see it was getting dark, so I decided it was best to grab some dinner since tomorrow would be an early start. The rest of the evening was uneventful except for discovering that the complex had a bath. I guess with magic, they didn't need advanced plumbing for bathing to be widespread in this world. I could only hope the rest of my earthly hygienic procedures would be commonplace here.
The next day soon arrived and I finished my morning routine and headed to the sundered courtyard as I had been instructed. The courtyard was an atrium with a large tree in the center that reminded me of a willow tree from earth. On the left side of the tree was a stone floor with practice weapons racked on the wall while the right side of the courtyard was covered in grass and other small flora.
The other 6 children and I gathered around the tree in the center as we waited for Master Korbyn. The class consisted of 5 boys and 2 girls, myself included. All of us appeared the same age, at least physically. I moved to introduce myself to my peers since I did not wish to make any more enemies than necessary, and a few friends connections probably couldn't have hurt.
I had learned my name from the guide book assigned to me. "Nice to meet you all, my name is Marcus" I declared to a mixed reception. Three of the boys and one of the girls ignored me but the other two introduced themselves. "I'm Austin.", "you can call me Mara." the boy and girl responded respectively. I was hoping for more connections but these two would have to do for now.
Austin was about the same height as me and had light brown hair and vibrant green eyes. Mara was half a head shorter than us and had long black hair and deep blue eyes. From what I could see of it my hair was black but the rest of my face remained a mystery to me until I could find a mirror.
After a short period of small talk and getting acquainted with my new peers, Master Korbyn had arrived in the courtyard and the first sunlight could be seen lighting the sky. We all gathered around and class began shortly after.
The first half of our day was spent training in traditional combat; swords, spears, knives, hand to hand, axes, and more. Master Korbyn explained that we would reach a certain level of proficiency in each weapon before picking one to pursue a specialization in. Today's lesson consisted of just hand to hand combat. I had no combat experience from earth so I held no apparent advantage over the other students.
When physical training had come to an end we were given a short break for lunch and the second half of the day was dedicated to magic class. We returned to the courtyard and Master Korbyn began to instruct us on the basics of magic.
"Magic is the manipulation of mana to strengthen physical capabilities through infusion or to project and control the elemental attributes. The six elemental attributes consist of earth, water, fire, air, light, dark. The elements of light and dark are considered 'higher order' elements because they contain the extraordinary power to heal and erase respectively. Every person has a mana core and is capable of wielding all forms of elemental magic, however most people are incapable of detecting their own mana flow and even fewer receive formal training. While your mana pool starts small, your mana core will expand the size of your mana pool the more you use it. Spells are divided into 10 grades, with a grade 10 spell being the highest class of magic known. Just because you have a large mana pool however, doesn't mean that you will be able to cast higher grade spells. A spell consists of runes of power which are like an instruction set for your mana. Without a proper high grade spell, your mana may spiral out of control and the spell will explode killing its caster. It is for this reason that there are very few high grade spell casters."
Magic sounded like a powerful tool, but it was clearly as dangerous as it was powerful. I would need to at least learn the basics before attempting to craft a spell. However one thing became clear to me, without magic you would only ever amount to a second rate power in this world.
The rest of the lesson consisted of the professor teaching us the basics of infusion magic and providing us with a written copy of the grade 1 air spell 'silence' which created a small vacuum barrier bubble to contain sound. It was a lot to take in for the first day, but I couldn't fall behind. I began making a habit of heading to the library after class to learn as much as possible about this world. If I was going to survive in this new world, I needed to learn to defend myself before I made my escape.