My name? Even when I was not exactly myself, I had to choose it. Whilst a name is something you are normally given, in this other world, you manifest as you please. I was reborn a Tabula Rasa, when it came to my purpose. Well, not exactly, as what I held within did result in certain limitations. 

I dared name myself Sophia, yet my inner self would not allow it. The wrongness of a magnitude equivalent to the power I was trying to access was too much to bear. I pulled within my core, and played around with the name. Sophie... Had a similar problem, but was a step in the right direction. I tried Soph, Seph, eventually I found Saph would reluctantly allow itself as my name. I asked myself whether I could enhance upon the name, give it beauty. I disallowed myself to be named Saphia, and no names ending in -el would ever come to me. For now I would be Saph. The name would come to grow with time, I felt.

Thus named, I opened my eyes and looked upon the place I had come to. I had never imagined grandeur could be converted into a shanty town. It was an arena of ruins, thus bowl shaped, as was visible from my vantage point at its grand entrance. The seat of the emperor was in fact the gate from which one enters, and the ruins haphazardly crawled upon the seats. In the center was held a lake of unknown depths, with columns reaching up from within, decorated by fountains like forest mushrooms growing on a tree. Among those lights were dancing, somehow cold and distant. I took a careful step down the stairs, as vertigo assaulted my sense of balance. There was nowhere to hold. I had to concentrate not to fall.

Walking down proved mostly uneventful half-way. Then to my left appeared a smooth creature of no visible face, as it wore a black hood over a near naked torso. Its rags covered litte, so I knew it was genderless, but the aura of it felt masculine. Its breaths were loud and husky, exuding a foul stench I could sense from a certain distance. It smelled like that stable I had once visited, but somehow stale, filled with dust. The creature floated around me at a snail's pace, twisting its head like a bird, observing me. Then I was addressed by a loud whisper:

"New. Fresh. You still hold the smell of flesh. Care to share a pound with me? I will pay you handsomely." the creature said. It loomed over me, as if an executioner. It was certainly disgusting, but I urged myself to withhold my fear, and face it on my own terms. I told myself this was normal here, and I had to avoid being a judge, before earning knowledge.

"I refuse," I simply answered, careful not to offend beyond that point.

"Nonsence. I have come to you, the unsoiled, to bring a message. Beyond these stairs you will survive only if you avoid the water. It is putrid and unclean, thus will stain you like the others. You have come, you will remain. If you avoid a stain, you will rule. Now is this not worth the price?" It asked, acting familiar.

"A pound of flesh you asked? Are you sure that is the price?" I asked, buying time, as I walked down unsteady, with my eyes glued to the stone.

"It was a pound before, now I require it all. After all your future has been saved by this one!" It smiled. I saw its mouth, full of bright white teeth. This creature, I decided, was meant to produce fallacy. 

"So I am indebted to you, you claim?" I asked, feigning concern.

"Surely, it is no mere claim. I cannot unsay, and you cannot deny. It is the truth!" It exclaimed, ecstatic.

“Do you assume to know who you are dealing with?” I asked, haughty for a moment.

“Assume? You are nobody, just an unsoiled who has come to this place,” It grumbled. I knew then that it was weak.

“So you do not know, neither do you care? Then negotiations are over. I proclaim you a liar, and demand compensation. This is my final bid,” I said, provoking it further.

“Wait, wait, I am sorry, mistress. I will serve you as you desire, just please let me taste that which you discard!” It begged.

“A pound of flesh was it?” I poked it.

“A crumb of it even! As much as you are willing to give, that much I shall ask!” This creature was always confident of its victory. I knew then it preyed upon the mind of the insecure by confusing them in certainty. I was almost curious if it had ever been human, as some humans preyed upon others the same way. I sometimes felt bored and observed people, and I knew further conversation would be pointless. I had to escape from its pestering presence.

“I will not give you flesh,” I said, reaching the furthest steps down. I could see there were others. I hastened my step.

“Then I shall rend it from you!” It said once I put my foot on the ground itself. The people all turned to me empty-eyed, and resumed some kind of mumbling among each other, yet addressed at themselves.

The creature floated quickly behind them, spreading its arms wide, and its hoarse voice imitated a horn, as it reached for the heavens. It then made a guttural sound of annoyance and shouted:

“Onwards, slaves, obtain me her flesh, as I hunger, and your empty husks are of use no other!”

Was this what I would have become if I had listened? Such a pity. But where did all of these come from? I became skeptical of this spectacle. I stood my ground, observing carefully, thinking.

“Heh, why bother? What do you think you can do?” The creature gloated.

“I can... Not surrender,” I answered.

But speaking to it was a mistake...