Everything Lythion felt was a haze, his dizzy head throbbed with an ache out of this world. His eyes fluttered open, blurry at the beginning as his brain ached worse than he had ever felt.
"Was that a dream after all?" He whispered to himself, placing both his hands on his temples and massaging them softly to get rid of the stubborn ache.
His eyes constricted, the blur left his sight and the view before him became sharper as everything came into full view and it was definitely not where he was expecting to be.
"Where the hell I'm I?!!," he rubbed his eyes with both hands, and stared up again but it remained the same.
Before him was an open field and he happened to be sitting on the trunk of a tree, holding a long stick that looked like a staff in his right hand.
Not far from him was a herd of sheep, all white and healthy. They were enjoying their meal of fresh grass on the open fields and it seemed like he was meant to be watching over them for some reason.
His memory was blurry and hazy, he couldn't remember anything further than the minute he opened his eyes, except for the dream he had, that somehow seemed very real but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.
He was too concerned about his situation to bother himself with the memory of a dream that might not have happened. His palms were whiter than normal, and his skin colour was also different.
"This …..this is not mine.." he stammered, realising the body was not his but somehow he occupied it, and controlled it.
"Is this possible? Was I really sent here? Was my dream actually real, did any of that actually really happen?!" He questioned himself and his reality, staring between his palms and the field.
While he pondered on his current situation and how it came to pass, he couldn't just ease the feeling that something was around him.
He turned around, checking the surrounding area for anything unusual but nothing seemed suspicious to him so he turned back, his eyes met with a holographic screen hovering just beyond his vision.
[Congratulations!! You have been successfully temporarily reincarnated by the Architect!]
[Words from the Architect: Enjoy your stay and don't forget to fulfil your mission!]
'What?!' He stared at the words and read them carefully, word by word until he stumbled on the one familiar word, 'The Architect'.
'That's what he called himself, no he said that was his role in the universe. So it wasn't a dream after all?!!'
New texts formed below the older one, typing each letter by letter until the sentence was complete.
[Current Soul Stats: Empty]
[Progress percentage: 0%]
[Current rank: Newborn]
[You have been granted a temporary buff: Blessings of the Creator!]
[New Quest Assigned: Proceed to check it out; Y/N]
[Side Quest Assigned: Proceed to check it out; Y/N]
[Survive and evolve!]
He stared at the line of texts, reading them carefully, word for word, line by line, not missing a single point from the sentences.
"The creator is real..and…and …..I was temporarily reincarnated?! I remember he said something similar, so that means this world, is the new world he had just created?!" He spoke to himself, his eyes remaining locked on the holographic screen.
'That means everything I saw as a dream, actually happened and I was there. I practically witnessed the creation of this world, I am as old as this world!'
His mind went blank with confusion, he felt overwhelmed by the information he had just discovered and didn't know how to react to it. Should he be excited, happy, or scared?!.
Rustling of the bushes behind him caught his attention and the holographic screen immediately disappeared from view. He picked up the stick he was with and rose to his feet, ready to face whatever pops out from the bushes.
Even though he might not have a chance against it if it were a wild animal coming after the herd of sheep he was assigned to.
But to his surprise, it was a human stepping out from the bushes, using his hand to make himself a pathway as he came into full view.
He raised his head towards Lythion, then a sudden light up came on his face like he had just discovered something he had been searching for.
"Lythion!!" He called out from a distance, his small figure increasing as he came closer.
Lythion remained on his guard because he had no memory of the stranger approaching him so casually but he couldn't help but feel like he was supposed to know them.
He reacted casually, though he never let down his guard, even in the slightest. "Hey!!, uhm…you!!"
"What does dad always say about you taking the sheep somewhere within the area close to home? But you keep wandering far from where he assigned you, don't end up getting lost one day because of that!" The stranger scolded him, like they were closer than he made it seem.
'He said Dad, that means he's my brother?! No, I shouldn't jump to sudden conclusions yet until I'm sure of it.'
"Sorry about that, I'm just the curious one among us after all." He chuckled softly, trying to play it cool, so they wouldn't notice anything unusual.
"Never mind all that, Dad is seeking after you. There is an important message Dad wants you to hear about, and he refuses to hear it without you being in the gathering." The stranger explained.
'That's odd, I have a dad in this world and he actually cares about my wellbeing? I guess I just have to play along to find out more about this family I find myself in.'
He turned to the herd of sheep behind him, a sudden feeling of concern brewing in his chest even though he knew nothing about being a shepherd.
"What about the sheep? What becomes of them? Or do we leave them here to come back for them later?" He asked the awkward question he had at the back of his mind.
"We carry them with us of course, can't leave them out in the open field, they may be abducted or lost without a shepherd to protect and guide them, where is your sentimental heart Lythion?!!"
Lythion nodded to the strangers suggestion and they both headed with the herd for their so-called home Lythion knew nothing about.
'I wonder what the message is about and why it is so important that I appear before him before it can be shared'