New World

On a Saturday morning, as New York is just beginning to wake up, Jacob Smith sits in his small room, surrounded by familiar comfort. The first rays of the sun gently illuminate his bed, filtering through the half-drawn curtains. The air is filled with a sense of calm, interrupted only by the occasional sounds of the city—car horns, the noise of passersby, and distant voices.

Jacob is an ordinary guy in his early twenties, with short brown hair and brown eyes. There's nothing particularly remarkable about his appearance—typical everyday clothing, a light stubble. He doesn't stand out in a crowd and leads a fairly ordinary life. Every morning follows the same routine: he wakes up slowly, makes himself a cup of strong coffee, and sits on the edge of his bed with a book.

Jacob's apartment is modest but cozy, typical for a young man in a big city. The walls are adorned with posters of movies and music he likes, and the shelves are filled with dusty books and random trinkets that remind him of past days. The setup is simple, without unnecessary frills, but it all creates a sense of homey comfort.

In the morning, he enjoys the quiet, lost in his thoughts and the pages of a book that helps him escape the worries of everyday life. Jacob isn't striving for great things, nor does he crave adventure. He simply lives his life.

However, this Saturday will begin differently. Everything will change when Jacob encounters something that will tear him from his familiar world and forever alter his life.

Jacob, absorbed in his reading, lifts his gaze from the book and slowly reaches for his cup of coffee. At that moment, he senses something strange—it's as if the air in the room has suddenly become denser. The surrounding sounds are slightly muffled, as if the world around him has slowed down. He sets the book aside and looks around, not understanding what is happening.

Suddenly, in the corner of the room, near the old bookshelf, something strange begins to form. At first, it's just a barely noticeable shimmer, but then it turns into a bright, red glow. Jacob tenses involuntarily, his heart starts to race. He feels a cold sweat running down his back. The thought crosses his mind that this can't be real, but his mind refuses to accept the situation as a dream.

The red light becomes brighter, filling the entire room. Within this light, a portal begins to form—it spins like a vortex, pulling everything around it. Jacob retreats in fear, but the portal begins to draw him in, as if an invisible force is trying to drag him inside.

Panic overtakes Jacob. He grabs onto the edge of the bed, trying to hold on, but the pull of the portal becomes stronger and stronger. The room vibrates, books fall from the shelves, the curtains flutter as if caught in a strong wind, even though the windows are closed. Jacob realizes that he won't be able to escape this nightmare but continues to struggle.

His feet begin to slide across the floor, and soon he is powerless to resist—the invisible force literally rips him from his spot and pulls him into the portal. Jacob screams, but his voice is drowned out by the deafening noise filling the room.

For a moment, everything around him turns black. He can no longer see his room or the world around him. The only thing that remains is the sensation of falling into emptiness. In that moment, it feels like time ceases to exist, and Jacob is enveloped in absolute darkness.

Then the light flashes again, and he finds himself in a completely different place. Everything happened so quickly that his mind barely had time to process the changes.

When Jacob comes to, he immediately feels that everything around him has changed. A cold wind cuts through him to the bone, and he instinctively hugs himself, trying to keep warm. He's standing on the ground, but this ground is entirely unfamiliar. It's gray, lifeless as if it had lost all vitality long ago. Surrounding him is an endless plain, dotted with sharp stones, with no signs of life anywhere.

A dim light falls from the sky, barely illuminating the surroundings, but it's enough to reveal a large lake nearby. Its water is dark and still, like a mirror reflecting the leaden clouds hanging low on the horizon. The air is thick and heavy, yet at the same time, it's filled with a strange energy that seems to permeate everything around, causing Jacob's skin to tingle.

He takes a few steps forward, his feet sinking into the loose, ash-gray soil. Around him, there's a deafening silence, broken only by the distant echo of the wind. It feels as though this place knows neither time nor life, yet Jacob senses that it's full of hidden forces ready to burst forth.

Suddenly, a bright light flashes next to Jacob, and a figure emerges from it. It's a girl with long, fiery red hair, her eyes glowing with amber fire. She's dressed in light, elegant clothing, which seems out of place in this bleak wasteland. However, her gaze is full of confidence and determination.

She approaches Jacob, her steps soft but assured. In her hands is a small box, adorned with strange symbols and sealed with a heavy seal. The girl stops in front of him, her eyes meeting his, filled with ancient wisdom and hidden knowledge.

"Welcome to Pandora," she says, her voice both gentle and confident. Each word echoes in Jacob's mind, as if they're not just words but something more, something significant. She introduces herself as Aeris, his guide and servant in this new world.

Jacob tries to comprehend what is happening, but his thoughts are in disarray. He can't find the words to ask the questions swirling in his mind. Aeris, as if reading his thoughts, begins to explain.

She tells him that Earth, like many other civilizations, has reached a point where it was granted entry into Pandora—a world where the fates of different worlds and races intersect. Each civilization, after reaching a certain level of development, is given the right to enter this new world, where it can gain new powers and opportunities.

The box that Aeris holds contains two important items: the Lord's Seal and the Awakening Stone. The Lord's Seal will give Jacob the ability to create his own settlement, his personal domain in Pandora. The Awakening Stone is an artifact that can reveal the hidden powers and talents inherent in everyone who enters this world.

Aeris hands Jacob the Awakening Stone. As soon as he touches it, the stone instantly merges with his body, and Jacob feels a white fire ignite deep within him. It's a sensation of warmth and power that penetrates deep into his soul, illuminating all the hidden corners of his being. He feels new information pouring into his consciousness—about his power, about the opportunities now open to him.

The process of absorbing the power takes several hours. During this time, Jacob stands still, immersed in his inner space, while Aeris watches over him. When it's over, he opens his eyes and notices a mark on his palm—the mark of the Awakened.

Aeris tells him that now it's time to choose a location for his future territory. She explains that Pandora usually transports people to the best possible location, and the place where Jacob now stands is considered optimal for starting. Accepting this, he decides to use the Lord's Seal.

When the Seal is activated, a golden light flashes nearby, from which a gate forms—the symbol of his authority and the center of his new territory. From this moment on, he becomes the Lord of his land in Pandora.