Chapter 1: Throne

A humanoid creature, clothed in black, sat upon the throne of a castle. With a black box as its head, it looked no more sillier than the jester of a king. A sable, forlorn creature, whose identity eludes it.

The figure slept, oblivious to its clockwork world. It lay on the seat, unmoving and lifeless. Or at least, that’s what it appeared to be.

The creature stirred into life, with a whirring noise filling the throne room. A sound similar to an old machine booting up resounded. Dust fell from its sable form, drifting to the shattered grounds.

Its lower limbs moved, a sign of life that came to it. And then, with a sudden jerk, the creature stood.

A quick dose of pain assaulted its head after the creature stood, rendering it immobile for a few seconds.

[Ack..] The creature gripped its head in pain. [My head...]

After a few brief moments, the pain disappeared. With the pain gone, the creature mulled over its situation. A sense of peculiar straits set on by its unusual circumstances, contemplating on what it knew.

[Strange...] It mumbled with a low growl. [It truly is strange...]

Its thoughts were still hazy, having woken up from its slumber. Coupled with the addled sense of self, it could only grasp at straws where he was.

It knew nothing of itself, as interest lead it to seek its surrounding realm.

Two vertical lines formed on the black box, the creature’s eyes. It jittered and moved, darting from the opaque object. With the lines bearing the color of emerald green, it surveyed his surroundings, studying everything of note.

He found the details to be surprising, for he did not expect to be in such a place.

Kingly pillars of lattice gold stood as the room’s foundation. Decorated in exquisite cloth, draped curtains hung over the windows, with the aperture heavy with tint. Resplendent furniture lay scattered about, silverware topped over them.

There also lay a door at the room’s end, opposite of him. A large, imposing door that seemed to draw him near.

[Guess that’s that...] He muttered, finishing his observations.

The only objects that interested him were the throne itself, and the rather elaborate door that lay at the far end of the room.

These were the results of its brief glimpse. And seeing nothing else, it focused on itself.

[Let’s see...]

With its curiosity piqued, it formed a logical view of everything around it.

[It would seem that I’ve found myself inside the throne room of a castle, where I’ve remained seated for quite some time, judging by the deep marks on the throne’s cushion.]

The creature moved its limbs around, checking for any incongruities. It felt no pain from the mindless examination, confirming his physical state.

No trouble was found from its quadruped body. At the very least, all of them were in working order.

[Now...] It asked a question to itself, one concering its characteristics. [Who... am I?]

This was an obvious query. The first problem that had to be solved was regarding its own identity.

[I wake up, sitting on the throne of some stupid place, remembering nothing about myself.] The creature's tone was rather sarcastic.

[If I didn’t know any better, this would make for a good story.]

Through deliberation, the creature realized something. A brief discovery, one easily achievable through a quick application of deduction from its thoughts.

Something that would’ve made sense if it thought things through.

SMACK!

A loud slap resounded in the hall. The creature’s right hand remained planted on its supposed face; the 'black box', as it acknowledged the object.

[I am an incorrigible ass!] The figure exclaimed, quite cross with its stupidity. [Why didn’t I think of this?]

The creature in question had a simple revelation regarding itself. Information which would shed some light on the strange situation.

By logic and rationality, he had the means to think things through. And what better way to gather information than by scrutiny?

He could study himself first.

[Judging from my ability to form sentences, I should be capable of rational thinking, so I’m fine in that department.] It quickly concluded without any further thought.

The creature retained its comprehension of simplistic conceptions, as it could form intelligent thoughts through its mind. This made its intelligence indistinguishable from a sapient being, as it exhibited intelligent behavior and could rationalize its own ideas.

Hence, this satisfied its own curiosity in this front.

[If I recall, this language I’m using is called 'English'.] He continued to exhibit baseline intellect that equaled intutive learning. [I can remember basic concepts, so that’s good news.]

At least until he found another erudite life form, as that would allow the creature to contrast its own intelligence with another being.

[Moving on to my individuality, who the hell am I?]

It continued to ask questions about itself, albeit in an intrusive form. The creature's use of casual dialect spoke of its personality, though it seemed to use eloquent speech from time to time.

[I remember absolutely nothing about myself, which is absolutely like amnesia, and then there’s this weird box on my head that awfully feels like a fricking TV!]

He held the embarassing belief that whoever saw him would ran away at his terrifying appearance.

He seemed, or rather, he knew that the 'black box' he wore couldn't compensate for a proper head that any everday person donned on a daily basis. He thought of himself to be a human.

But the strange head of his did not help, at all.

[Setting that aside, I seem to wear a black leather coat, with a hood incapable of covering my head, because of this weird 'box' in question. I also have a pair of gloves and boots which unsurprisingly, are also black.]

He scoffed at his ebony apparel, as it implied him to be of certain character. Of certain, unconventional character that employs gothic themes in its appearance.

[My getup seems to be all in black, oh how edgy am I!]

The last statement was a satirical remark, meant to be a jab at itself.

If it could, the creature would have unclothed itself; if only to see what his clothes hid beneath its pitch-black weave. But unfortunately, his clothes refused to be moved.

It clung to him.

It attempted to rip its own apparel, with the use of silverware that were atop the furniture. But unfortunately, his vestments were as fickle as can be.

The creature couldn't see its own skin, as it lay hidden beneath the ebony cloth. And despite his efforts, his clothing refused to be torn.

[Ah, damn it...] He knew it was futile to continue further, so he admitted defeat towards the sable apparel. [I can't see the color of my skin...]

‘Was I edgy before this’ He thought as a joke, feeling the ridiculousness of his appearance.

[My body shouldn’t be older than 8 years old, or 9. What with this height of mine, I feel sort of small.]

The creature further reflected on its physical qualities.

[Though I possess self-awareness that shouldn't be possible with any normal juvenile of my body's given age. So... what am I?]

It contemplated on what gender it should assume. Maybe it could just ignore the notion as it was a hassle, or it could make things simpler by assuming one.

If it ever met another person within this strange new world, adopting a proper gender was advised to properly identify itself through the use of pronouns.

But that situation did not cross its mind as of yet, for it currently had many problems to tackle.

[I don’t exactly want to prod my groin, and my voice sounds a bit more like a boy so... I’ll just become a guy then.]

He decided on bearing the role of a male for simplicity's sake.

[Consequences be damned, I'm a man now...] His words trailed off.

He was still uncertain of this choice, though he continued with it.

[... whether I sound like a kid or not.] He finally finished.

Having found a sense of self, he tried to understand how he ended up in such a place. He could remember nothing about himself at all.

He did not know why he found himself in such an absurd situation. His circumstances made little sense to him, from his bizarre state of being where he knew not who he was, and to the strangeness he roused in.

[Still, how can I call this situation absurd if I have no reference point for what determines a situation as something which borders on the fringes of insanity?]

He mused out his thoughts aloud, questioning the prudence of his rationality.

[And let’s not talk about how I’m conversing with myself, making me seem crazy, if my common sense is to be believed.]

He studied the room once more, recalling the objects of interest.

The first object would be the throne, decorated with the golden filigrees and velvet cloth. It felt aggravating for him to stare at the exaggerated furniture, whose appearance reminded him of arrogance.

‘This must have been where I sat before, it looks rather ugly,’ The boy thought to himself

The throne itself was nothing valuable. But the circumstances surrounding it became a bit more important, and he focused on those details.

As soon as he gazed down on the throne, a strange sight greeted him. Lines, millions of them, blotted out the walls, floor, and ceiling.

All of them converging down onto a single point.

‘Huh, the lines all lead down to this stupid chair’ He thought, noting his new find.

Each line had a differing thickness and length. Some wide, some thin, and anywhere in between.

The lines would shift their position every time he moved, slithering about.

When he stopped, the lines would also come to a standstill. It was as if they were copying him.

And he didn't favor their slithery behavior.

[Good god.] He expressed his aversion towards the countless lines. [It's creepy as hell, ew.]

What he found to be strange was at certain points around the room, where lines would cluster amidst the gaps and form vague symbols. They did not seem to be simple divisors that contained nothing but empty space.

[The gaps, there’re hundreds of them.] He discovered the disparity of numbers between the gaps and lines. A strange quality stood out from among the division. [Are these symbols?]

Rather, the 'vague symbols' correlated with silhouttes that equated to linear shapes; ones that he could make light of.

The boy tried to look at the gaps from differing angles.

They would form recognizable shapes in certain positions around the room. He took an idle pace, with light steps as he strode around the throne room.

Miniscule changes were visible as he moved by, passing through the local points of where he was. Gradually, they formed letters.

[Even if they form letters, it’s all jumbled nonsense]

He tried to find an answer from all the letters he found. He then noticed what the facts stood to show.

[The lines all center on the throne. Is that a hint?]

He approached the golden throne, whilst studying the lines. Using the regal char as a vantage point, he seated himself once more.

The gaps that were once incomprehensible began to show meaning.

And from his lofty seat of gold, he saw coherence in the words that showed.

{|}

You are a lapdog of reality.

{|}

These were the words that sprawled out in the room’s structure.

[Huh, this pisses me off more than I expect myself to be] He exclaimed, annoyed at the revelation.

[That's an arrogant claim, mysterious stranger who wrote this foreboding message.]

The discovery wasn't a pleasant one for him, as he understood what the message implied. That he was merely a lapdog of the world, and that he was worthless within the gist of things.

While his identity remained unknown, he possessed a certain capacity for pride, and it moved him to curse at the sprawled out words. He took to exclaiming his dissatisfaction.

[Who even made this sorry excuse of a conundrum?]

He was still unsure of whom the castle’s owner was, but that did not stop him from questioning its possessor. At the very least, he would dispel his annoyance by speaking out.

[I literally just stayed on my seat to solve the damn thing!]

Try as he might, no one would answer him. Within the throne-room, he seemed to be the only living thing to exist there.

The furniture did not stir to life, as what an imaginative child would assume. Nor were they haunted objects that aimed at his life, as a deranged individual would think of.

The youth was a lone figure, without a companion by his side.

[Still...]

Even if the loneliness made him sad, he knew better than to delay. The sooner he left this place, the quicker he would find someone to talk with.

[That makes me wonder though, hm.]

He sat on the throne before, to which he couldn’t help but question his identity. Only those deemed worthy within the arbitration of monarchy would be allowed to arrange themselves within a seat of power.

This implied a few things: that he was of royal descent, or that he somehow randomly ended up in a strange place with no memory.

Of course, the former sounded ridiculous, and nothing would come from assuming that possibility.

As for the latter, it felt much stranger to go with that scenario, so he let it go, too. It was far too laughable for him anyways.

And, with no more information present, he gave up on prying its secrets.

[Now, what’s next on the list?] He checked the other objects.

The second notable thing would be the ornate door which lay on the far end of the throne room. It was just as garish as the throne.

This door in particular had etched markings on the frame in what seemed to be ordered fashion.

And from the engravings, a divisive boundary between the egress and wall.

The symbols bore a resemblance to cuneiform, using simple lines and shapes as a way of conveying their message, if they were even intelligible.

And for the door's centerpiece, he found it to be far more interesting.

The object of his interest looked similar to an astrolabe, decorated by geometrical shapes that mimicked the position of the stars. A large dial was in place, pointing at symbols almost invisible because of their lack of color.

The combined traits all made for an ancient-looking door. It appeared a compelling piece of furniture, if not for its sheer complexity that reminded him of stereotypical puzzles in ruins.

Though he wasn't exactly delighted to see the perplexity, as he only wanted to escape the room.

Having an antedeluvian entryway that blocked his path towards freedom was not to his taste.

[Oh no!] He exclaimed, a bit of derisiveness in words. After identifying what the lines signified, he was vexed at the appearance of a new dilemma.

[We have another puzzle here, sigh.]

The dial had faded symbols arranged in a spiral, starting with the centerpiece. The symbols themselves were unintelligible, bearing similarities to the ones on the door frame.

This was a new clue for him to unfold.

[Hmm...]

He touched the faded symbols, sensing familiarity with them.

‘Something about them feels really odd... It's making me tingle.’ He noted, with the sensation of metal beneath his fingers.

[Huh.] He reached for the dial and felt the symbols with his fingers [Even with their dull form, they have a distinct bump.]

The washed-out symbols felt similar to the ones on the door’s boundary. If not for their fading form, he could categorize them with the door frame’s symbols as reference.

By numerating them, unraveling their meaning would be much more easier as he only needed to refer to them from what he saw.

Memorizing them would add to the difficulty.

[Categorize them...] The characters on both the boundary and the dial were like each other, albeit with the latter being hard to identify at all. [Hmm...]

He contemplated on different approaches that he could use to render the symbols paired.

He found his mind to be quaint, as he possessed hidden knowledge he did not know to have existed, though it currently helped with his situation as he found an approach to identifying which symbol directly correlated with another.

[Braille?] He remarked, having distinguished which symbols on the dial represent the ones on the boundary. Though it was more of a questioned tone. [Perhaps I could read them like braille.]

After a few minutes of examining the symbols, he finally documented all the symbols on the dial and what they depicted.

The process of doing so was quite harder than he had assumed. Pairing the pale engravings served to be an exhausting task to undertake, as the lack of a visual reminder meant that he would need to rely on touch alone.

But he succeeded nonetheless, though his efforts turned out to be meaningless.

[It's nonsense.] The boy blurted out, annoyed at the absence of information. He failed to find meaning within the strange symbols. [This and that, it's all nonsense.]

His inadequency in the form of an impaired mind hindered him from proceeding further.

The conceptual knowledge he possessed was not enough to bridge the gap between vagrant memories and his meager understanding of the world. Such a large difference couldn't be solved with a mere thought.

Though, as he thought things through, a simple observation came to enlighten him.

[Wait, these symbols...] The boy had come to realize its similarities with the certain letters of a written system. [There's 26 of them.]

With this discovery, he became quite pleased with himself. As he found progress with a simple observation.

Yet his joy did not last.

If he took his time to properly analyze the cipher, he would've found such an obvious detail much sooner.

[Good grief, I should pay attention.]

His thoughts were far too chaotic for him to properly make use of. With his mind in disarray, the most he could do was to be fastidious in adjusting to what he learnt.

The assessement regarding his consolidation of efforts was already obstructed by his muddled memories. He couldn't grasp the clarity of his knowledge, as if they were obscured by mist.

[To think that I missed such an obvious clue...] He muttered under his breath, clearly disappointed with himself. [Though, I don’t have a way to extrapolate what letter they’re supposed to represent.]

[Unless...] He was enlightened with another epiphany. [Hm, would brute-forcing work?]

He thought of a way. The boy knew he could just substitute every letter of the alphabet for all the symbols. It should be possible to do so, as a simplistic algorithm implied a simplistic approach for what he wanted to extract from them.

He could attempt to decrypt the strange symbols, via shifting or reversal. Or if it bore more complexity, then by descrambling the letters.

Theoretically, that should be a viable way. Still...

[That’d take too much time, it’s like waiting for the world to end so, no.] He dismissed the idea, as it was a path too ludicrous for him to take.

[Or maybe I could try it later as a last resort, I think?] Though it somehow stuck through with him in the end, as he agreed to put it to use once he was out of options.

The boy tried to search around the room for anything that could give him an inkling of what to do.

His efforts became similar to what a person might do when they dropped an object in the dark; they would aimlessly grasp at the ground, searching for what they lost. He found nothing nonetheless.

And so a few hours passed alongside his lowering patience.