FlyingPotatoes

  -Akane-

  Darkness.

  Emptiness.

  Solitude.

  I don't know how long I've been here.

  Nothing but cold shivering feelings emanating from my core, spreading outward like frost across gss. My skin—if I still have skin—prickles with a sensation between numbness and pain.

  Do I even have a body at this point?

  I only know that I have active consciousness, thoughts swirling in this void like leaves caught in an invisible current. But I can't tell if I have a body nor control over it. The absence of weight, of substance, terrifies me more than any monster could.

  While in this undefined state, I recall what happened before I arrived in this pce.

  Starting from staring at the cssroom where I am usually seated, the afternoon sun painting golden rectangles across my desk.

  Then helping my fellow cssmate in doing her homework, the scratch of pencil against paper a rhythm I took for granted.

  To picking up a mysterious die and accidentally letting that mysterious die slip from my hand, its surface cool and strangely heavy against my fingertips before tumbling away.

  "Perhaps it's from the act of rolling that die, isn't it?"

  "Indeed."

  My thoughts scattered like startled birds. My heart would have pounded if I could feel it.

  (Huh?)

  (I am talking to myself, right?)

  "Yes. However, I can hear your thoughts."

  "Who are you? Where am I?" My question echoed in the void, vibrating through whatever remained of me.

  The same lifeless, almost crystalline voice replied again, making me question my thoughts and my current well-being.

  "Everything has its order, Akane Mizuki."

  (She even knows my name?)

  (Wait... She?)

  This looming feeling of not knowing anything at all slowly consumes my head. My consciousness spins, grasping for any certainty like a drowning person reaching for driftwood.

  "First of all, allow me to welcome you in this world."

  World.

  Such a big word.

  A new pce.

  A new history.

  "World?" My voice—or thought—wavered with uncertainty.

  "I know you are confused, but I assure you that everything will be cleared up once you learn about this world and your new life."

  New life? The words hit like ice water. My thoughts—if I still had a physical form to think with—raced frantically.

  I wanted to scream that this wasn't happening, that I needed to get back to finish my homework, that my parents would worry. But deep down, something whispered that the cssroom, my apartment, even Earth itself was already slipping away like a half-remembered dream.

  "Akane Mizuki. Upon arrival here, you are to be granted the ability to survive. Will you receive this blessing?"

  "I..." My hesitation hung in the void.

  I don't even know where I am nor why I'm here. My instincts screamed caution, but what choice did I have in this nothingness?

  But various guidebooks, literature, and shows mentioned that upon arrival to a new environment, the most important thing is safety.

  Therefore...

  "Yes." The single word fell from my consciousness with the weight of a mountain.

  "Then so be it."

  As the voice uttered those words, I finally felt my body heat up. Warmth rushed through veins I'd forgotten existed, tingling as it chased away the void's chill.

  The lost feeling of my limbs slowly and surely returned, pins and needles giving way to solid sensation. My fingers twitched—I had fingers again! I could feel the gentle curve of my palm, the bend of my elbow, the arch of my foot.

  I can now finally see again.

  Gray ndscape stretches before me.

  An empty world-like environment.

  Nothing but my own naked body standing above nothing. Goosebumps rise across my exposed skin as my arms instinctively cross over my chest.

  Am I floating right now? There's no sensation of falling, just... suspension.

  Either way, what made me more perplexed, or perhaps curious, is the figure in front of me.

  A beautiful girl with glowing golden light emanating from her body. Not just light—it pulses with each silent heartbeat, casting long shadows that dance across the gray nothingness.

  Long gold hair that flows slowly as the nonexistent air lingers through her skin, each strand catching light like spun crystal.

  High-quality silk gently wrapped at the contours of her pale white skin, folds and creases defying gravity in their perfect arrangement.

  And the ominous looking red die as rge as the building I found before, floating above her as if it is looking down on us insignificant beings. Its surface gleams with an unnatural sharpness, each number carved so deeply it seems to absorb rather than reflect light. The edges appear capable of cutting reality itself, and as it slowly rotates, I swear I can hear whispers emanating from its core.

  As I felt lost at the amount of beauty this figure emits, a small blue die suddenly appeared in front of me.

  This figure feels familiar.

  This sentry, tower, or pole-like image drawn at each side of this die is, in fact, the one I found.

  It slowly floats in front of me and, like a gentle embrace, the light of this die shone and envelopes me. I gasp as warmth floods through me—not just physical warmth, but something deeper, as if the light is threading itself through my very being.

  And once it's done, the light is gone.

  No die.

  No light.

  In pce of the object is the new mark at the back of my hand. I trace the line with my fingertip, feeling a slight raise to the skin, like a scar that doesn't hurt.

  "Is this removable?" I ask, staring at the sign while trying to scratch it with my other hand out of curiosity. The mark doesn't budge, doesn't even redden under my nail.

  "That is the mark of your blessing. Once you receive more in this world, a new mark will appear in any part of your body, symbolizing your invitation in this inter-world adventure."

  Adventure.

  My stomach knots at the word. Could it be one of those stories? The ones I'd read about but never imagined living?

  Summoned hero to defeat the demon lord?

  "Unfortunately, no such thing is present. However, monsters are indeed present, and it is up to dicers like you to explore, find love, help others, and do what you wish."

  "Freedom... Is that what you meant?" My voice sounds stronger now, more solid in this empty pce.

  "Perhaps. However, your choices, your wishes, your existence itself is like a ripple in the ocean. Not everything cycles around you. You are but a pebble in this rocky world. But everyone is unique such as you and your ability. As there are no other you in this world."

  "I see."

  This thing called uniqueness is like a blessing and a curse.

  You might be accepted or hated. The thought makes me hug myself tighter, a shiver running down my spine that has nothing to do with cold.

  "And now, before you start your long journey ahead, allow me to give you these items."

  As the figure raises her hand, 3 gray dice appeared in the air. The movement is graceful, deliberate—like a conductor beginning a symphony.

  Each with numbers 1 to 6, the dice hover and rotate slowly, catching nonexistent light on their perfectly carved faces.

  "Reach out and leave your fate to the die in your hand. For a die cast is a die spent; a die untouched, a life unventured. In this world, fate rests not in the hands of the goddess, but in the trembling palms of those brave enough to roll."

  Indeed.

  Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as they said.

  As I grasp these 3 dice strongly in my hand, their edges pressing into my palm with surprising weight, I found myself engulfed by a strong current.

  By any means, it's not a harsh ride.

  It was, in fact, comfortable. Like being cradled in warm water, carried gently but inexorably forward.

  And the next moment, I found myself standing in a room.

  6 pilrs around with various torches giving light in this dark pce. The fmes cast dancing shadows that seem almost alive, reaching toward me before retreating back to their source.

  Below my feet is a glowing cube giving faint yellow brightness, illuminating my new form from below.

  My body, now wearing simple clothing. A gray t-shirt that looks rough, perhaps from the way it is made. The fabric scratches slightly against my skin, but feels sturdy. A small pair of shorts that fit snugly to my body, probably for ease of movement, the hem brushing against my thighs.

  A small bag worn around my shoulder down to my waist. The strap presses comfortingly against my colrbone, its weight slight but reassuring.

  Inside is the 3 dice given to me. They click softly against each other as I move, like tiny promises waiting to be fulfilled.

  Together with 6 red small gss containers that resemble potions found in games. They slosh gently, catching the torchlight and casting ruby shadows.

  Six papers with drawings that look like weapons such as sword, rod, wand, dagger, bow and arrow, and shield. The illustrations seem to shift slightly when I'm not looking directly at them, as if impatient to become real.

  And stly, 6 gold coins.

  I don't know their current value yet, but judging from the size, the 4 small coins must be the lowest denomination while the slightly rger gold coin must be the step more than the former, and stly, the rgest gold coin, which I guess is the most expensive one.

  By the way, these gold coins all have a dice icon and a gold motif with two urels, one at each side.

  Pretty neat design if you ask me.

  And while pondering what to do next, my fingers absently tracing the edge of one coin, a voice called out to me.

  "Welcome, lost soul."

  I turned around, my heart leaping into my throat. There stood a doll, a mannequin, or perhaps a puppet behind me.

  Its hands csped together and its head lowered as if showing respect. Despite having no facial features, something about its posture radiates expectation. Waiting.

  Watching a lifeless object greeting me does feel surreal. The hair on my arms stands on end, yet curiosity keeps fear at bay.

  Perhaps, this is truly a new world.

  And perhaps, this is truly where my story begins.