A World of Nothing

Taken to a world with no aid, the first thing I learned was the world wanted nothing to do with me. 

 Left alone in the grass plains, I began to hope—hope that there would be a tomorrow for me.

Upon arriving in this strange new world, the first thought that crossed my mind was to check for any magical abilities. 

However, reality proved to be far less accommodating.

 I could feel the magic. It was a swirling mass I could just picture lying deep in my consciousness. That power belonged to me. Me alone. 

"Alright…focus. Feel it and pull it out." My fingers curled instinctively, expecting the unknown power to flood my body.

But of course, something had to be wrong. Just as I could feel magic being manifested, it simply rushed back to the core of where it originally was, the Solar Plexus.

'Huh?! No, no, no! Come on! Come to me!' Despite my earnest pleas for the power to return it had slipped away like sand through my fingers.

"Guh!"

A wave of nausea hit me, forcing me to bend over. It felt as if my soul had been wrung out.

If I were the protagonist of a story, I would probably be able to obtain magic instantly. But I wasn't. I was just an insignificant speck named Alric. Maybe a glowing screen would grant me powers beyond my wildest dreams. Maybe a mysterious girl would be there to guide me.

I had expected power. But instead, I was embraced by agony, a cruel lover whispering promises of suffering into my ear.

Back home, I always imagined being in another world would be exhilarating, an escape from the monotony of school and chores, a chance to finally dream. Being left on this plain with no idea of why I am here, I couldn't feel any smaller.

I groaned, directing my rage toward the endless plains before me. I slammed my fist onto the dirt, the ground unyielding beneath my powerless strike.

"Oh great. So I'm not only stuck in another world, but I also get to be useless while I'm at it. Great.

"Fantastic. Another world and I get nothing? No cool powers, no hidden skills- hell I'd even take a basic tutorial screen over this! But no, just me and this goddamn grass-" I kicked at the dirt, barely making a dent "and this uselessly big world. Perfect."

I had been stranded on these plains for five hours already. Five damn hours. With no village or noticeable landmarks nearby except that eerie-looking labyrinth. I could only curse the bastard who brought me here. If there ever was one. 

Initially, a new world seemed so exciting compared to the monotonous lifestyle I experienced every day. Yet, as time passed, I deeply regretted ever complaining. As seconds, minutes, and hours passed, the excitement faded.

Time seemed to pass at the same rate as Earth. Although everything looked the same, in the same direction of the forsaken labyrinth which I didn't dare venture into; the sky held a muted indigo color periodically turning black as the sun which should have been a yellow pulsating orb became a distorted pale star-covered with an unknown energy.

It was a matter of life or death. Either I would rot in these plains or I would move to the only thing in sight. The labyrinth. As if answering my call, I saw something flicker. It wasn't the weird sun that I had seen, but the energy had rippled. It was under the ground, slithering towards the labyrinth. It was calling me. 

The magic underneath the ground this time didn't leave as if it had been beckoning me to follow along. Now a choice had to be made.

I instinctively knew. 

In this world nothing was easy. It was either you perished in silence or you had paved your way through the unknown. 

Slapping my face repeatedly until it had burned red, I steeled myself. The sting was a reminder of the unknown I was about to explore. Every step I took was a choice that I had made. No one else.

And there it was. The first step. The first step into the unknown. 

'I am not going to die. I will survive and rip out the throat of the bastard who left me here if it's the last thing I do!'

***

An hour passed, the landscape stretching in eerie silence and I followed the faint trail of magic residue. My legs ached, my throat dry from muttering complaints to myself.

I scowled at the horizon, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Who even makes someone who comes into another world walk for an hour?! What type of sadistic god does that?!"

My foot snagged a rock nearly forcing me to fall face-flat into the dirt. 

Shaking off the misstep, I lifted my gaze and there it was

The labyrinth. 

Towering over me, I had finally come across the entrance. The labyrinth stretched across the plains and looked as if it had existed there for eons waiting for someone to stumble across and embrace it.

Pausing right before the dark maw of the labyrinth, doubt had resurfaced in my mind.

'Wait…are there even other humans..or am is this some messed up idea of amusement to somebody..?' I muttered under my breath before a bitter laugh escaped my lips. Although the question had rooted itself in the back of my mind I quickly shoved it aside. 

'No use dwelling on it.'

Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I steadied my thoughts. The labyrinth awaited.

"Alright…time to go," I whispered to myself, almost sounding like a prayer. I forced my legs to move as I dragged my feet past the ancient stone door.

Step. Step.

As I crossed the threshold, the atmosphere grew darker, the shadows grew deeper and the air grew more oppressive. The faint magical trail I had followed; my only hope had disappeared never to return. It was gone, lost to the void, leaving me adrift once more.