Chapter 1
A flash of pale blue light pierces the damp darkness of a cavern as a figure shoots by for brief moments before vanishing, as if nothing had been there. Again, in some remote jungle, another glimpse of this figure soars above the canopy without a trace of an entry. When gravity retakes this mass below the treeline, nothing but wind remains. Quickly, in many places across the world, flashes of this brisk form can only be seen by the keenest of eyes. And just as these jumps through the globe started, they stopped having ended at the top of a building overlooking a large city.
“So this is where it’s at, hmm?” The figure mutters as a pale blue light diminishes after its brief existence.
He surveys the surrounding area quickly, and after finding nothing particularly worthwhile, jumps into a hole in the air. It shows the image of another area and is bordered by a mystical pale blue light. Landing through it the figure finds himself in an alleyway, and inconspicuously walks out of it as the pale blue glow behind him fades abruptly.
From his belt he took a device, similar to a compass, though instead of north pointed to a building right at the center of the city he found himself in. Though the buildings were strikingly Italian in design, this man knew that it couldn’t have been further from the truth. After all, this was a different dimension entirely.
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It was another average, uneventfully boring day for Duke. Like every other day he water his plants, went on a walk, and sat home bored. Today he decides to spice up his life with a trip to his apartment’s balcony. The view, though stunning when seen once, is the same city skyline as it was the day before. Duke plops into his lounge chair, cracking open the beer he got from the mini fridge to his right, and stared into the distance.
Everything was as he expected of course. The same skyscrapers towering over the landscape. The same noisy horns and loud shouts that rang through the street. The same sky with its picturesque view of the afternoon. Taking a swig of the beer in his hand, Duke relaxed as the day washed through his mellow soul.
“What is that?” Duke pondered as a white speck, bright even with the light coming from the sun, suddenly appeared in his vision.
Duke leaned forward, trying to ascertain this strange radiance. The light proved weirder the more he looked at it, neither close nor far from his view. His perspective of the light never changed no matter how he shifted his sight, like a beacon that was glued to his eyes. A confused look sprang onto his face when he realized that, even though he was in control of his body, he just couldn’t look away. In fact, since he noticed the bright light he hasn’t blinked a single time. Panic set in as he tried to pull away from the light to no avail. But it was also at that moment where he realized that the light itself started to move. Growing bigger, but not moving closer, and slowly edging its way towards the ends of his sight.
Reaching out towards this growing form Duke realized that it never got closer, nor is his eyesight the one at fault. He can still see the railing of his balcony and the small plants that hang from its ceiling. He also knows that whatever this mysterious light is wants him. After the light almost tripled in size, Duke began to feel it, like an unwavering pulse that beckons him each time it moves. Duke’s panic turns into fear as he realizes that almost everything in the distance has been consumed by this light, leaving nothing but his apartment balcony’s railing and the street just in front of him to see.
He fights and pulls for control of his own head, hoping for anything to help him regain control of his body. Laying in his lounge chair, unable to get up or turn away, Duke stares in suspense as the street before him becomes a white void. Finally, after what felt like an eternity in Duke’s mind, the bright emptiness before him took away the railing and plants. The floor beneath him quickly followed and the structure around him after that, until he was surrounded only by nothing, save his lounge chair and almost full beer.
“Oh, so you finally made it!” A small voice shouted.
Duke, finally in control of himself again, quickly jumps out of his seat and glares behind him, only to be met with the innocent gaze of a small child. The child had an androgynous figure, though was easily a head under Duke in height. Behind the child there was a floating tome, inconspicuously dancing around the child’s head.
“I didn’t think you’d be able to resist my teleport so well. I knew we were right to pick you!”
Duke jumped with a start upon hearing those words, having finally processed the strangeness of all that had happened.
“What is going on? Who are you? Where are we?” Duke spouted, as all the questions built up in his mind were demanding rectification.
Though the child simply giggled in response, much to Duke’s anguish, “So many questions and you just got here! But to answer your first one, well I’ve selected you!”
More and more questions flooded into Duke’s mind as he scrutinized the child, “Well? What does that mean? What have I been selected for?”
“Well it wouldn’t be much fun if I told you everything now. Don’t worry though, where you are going you will get all the answers you want! For now all you need to know is that you will be getting your very own superpowers!”
“It wouldn’t be fun..? You mean this is all a game to you? And where would I be going?” Duke seethed as the answers he received only produced more questions.
“Well you’ll just be going to a little world I created. Wait, wouldn’t it be better if you just saw it for yourself?” The tome behind the child, even larger than Duke’s head, suddenly fluttered to life. “I’m sure you will figure it all out soon!”
“Wait, what, no!” Duke yelled and pleaded, but after a blink the child was gone.
A few seconds later the white emptiness shrank until below Duke’s feet was air instead of void. To his sides he noticed not a distance expanse, but the deep blue sky. And the air around him was no longer unnoticeably still, but rushing upwards!
