He opened his eyes and examined the town now burning to the ground. Townspeople were littered about, dying if not already dead. Flames consuming the houses produced a fervent heat like that of several furnaces, and dark smoke arose, blackening the dark blue evening sky.
Suddenly, pain shot through him. A blade impaled through his body, protruding from his stomach. The town was gone, replaced by a wall of cold glass, tubes, and metal. He lurched at the glass before sliding to the floor and kneeling. A mass of colored tubes and wires tangled about and through metal grates... a dark room with only one entrance, one and the same exit. What was that brightness beyond the open door?
The pain had subsided but rose to a dull throbbing when he forced himself to his feet. Once he staggered to the exit, he found himself perfectly fine and uninjured. There were clear skies and a body of water that stretched out in nearly every direction."Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess
We seek it thus, and take to the sky
Ripples form on the water's surface
The wandering soul knows no rest"
It was a familiar voice reciting something that resounded with emotions he kept locked inside--he would never admit those feelings were true. The man dared not turn around, lest he lose this peaceful calm that someone or something never seemed to allow. If he never turned to face them, could things stay like this for eternity?