The Silver Door

A door appeared within the Station. It was a rectangular door, emanating silver light from within. Jax couldn't see what was on the other side of it.

"This door will lead you directly to the registration hall in the 10th Carriage, Jax. You should go through it when you're ready," the wisp said excitedly.

Jax looked at the door, feeling nervous. Once he went through it, he would begin his journey to meet the Navigator beyond the first Carriage.

"Wait, I don't have a body yet," Jax said. "What about my body?"

"You have a body," the wisp said. "You just can't see it right now. Once you pass through, you will be in your body. Although, do be prepared because you will have a human body."

Jax paused. "What does that mean? What's wrong with having a human body?" he asked, as a curious thought came to his mind. "Am I not human?"

"I don't know," the wisp said. "And since you don't remember, we can never know. But because the majority of sapient species in the universe are humans, for the sake of ease of settlement, everyone is given a human body."

Jax frowned. "Is there no way to tell?" he asked.

"There may be a way in the 8th Carriage. But until then, you cannot know."

Jax wondered what species he could be. There were so many names in his mind that he didn't know where to begin at all.

"Will you stay with me until the 8th Carriage?"

"Of course," the wisp answered. "Did I not mention it before? I, as a helper, am required to stay with anyone who comes to the Celestial Express until their reason for coming here has been fulfilled.

"For Passengers, I stay with them until they have reached their destination. For Settlers, I stay with them until they have found a place to settle. Similarly, for Ascendants, I stay with them until their wish is fulfilled."

"Thank you," Jax said. "You're going to have to spend a lot of time with me then."

"Yes, or until you die. That will shorten things a lot," she said.

"Die?" Jax was taken aback. "I don't plan on dying so soon."

"Most rarely do. Let me give you a warning right now: Every one wants to ascend through the carriages for their own sake, so they will do anything to get there, even kill you."

"It's a cutthroat world out there, Jax. Each Carriage is filled with trials and tribulations you have to go through to get to the next one. Do you want to know the leading cause of death among Ascendants?" she asked.

A million dangers surfaced in Jax's mind at that question, making him even more curious. "What is it?" he asked.

"Old age."

Jax was shocked. Just how long was it going to take him to get to the Navigator?

"On top of that, Ascendants usually start with a disadvantage," the wisp said. "So it will be even more dangerous for you."

"What… What sort of disadvantage?" Jax asked.

"Wouldn't you like to find out?" she said, zipping next to the door.

Jax looked at the silver door in the dark void and understood that he needed to go through it. He had spent too long in this void, so it was time he left. "I hope I don't die too quickly," he said and stepped through the silver door.

Bright white light washed over him, covering his entire vision. The light slowly faded away, but it never returned to true darkness. There was now a soft red glow within the darkness, and along with it came a plethora of sensations and sounds.

Jax gasped as he drew in a long breath and opened his eyes. With his eyelids now open, he could finally see where he had arrived.

The wisp zipped before him. "Welcome to the 10th Carriage."

Jax stood at the back of a long line of people, each one appearing different from the rest. He looked around and saw that he was in a white hall with no furniture at all. He scanned his surroundings, trying to understand exactly where he was.

Among the long line of people, he stood at the very end.

"Is this the registration hall?" Jax asked the wisp.

A tall man standing before him turned around for a moment before looking away.

"You should whisper when you talk to me," the wisp said. "Anyway, yes. You are in the registration hall. All new arrivals must register here before they are let out into the world. It is also a place where newcomers can choose their path."

Jax looked ahead at the other side of the line and saw people stepping onto a circle, which glowed for a few seconds before they walked away.

"Is that them registering?" Jax asked.

"Yes. They're also choosing their Path."

"Path?" Jax asked. "What's that?"

"You remember how I said this world is dangerous? Well, the Paths make it a little easier," the wisp said. "There are exactly two paths: the Path of the Body and the Path of the Mind. Before you register, you should choose which one you want."

"I… I don't know what they are," Jax said. "How can I choose?"

"It's simple. Those who choose the Path of the Body become Warriors, focusing on physical strength. Those who choose the Path of the Mind become Sorcerers, focusing on magical abilities. So, you should decide what you wish to be: a Warrior or a Sorcerer?"

"Sorcerer… is that someone who can do magic?" Jax asked.

"Yes!" the wisp said. "We call them Spells."

Jax nodded. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to become a sorcerer. The idea of using magic spells excited him. He couldn't wait to become one.

While Jax waited, he examined himself. He wore a tight-fitting gray tunic with brown trousers. He looked at his hands and found them thin. His skin was fair, lacking any blemishes. He touched his face and realized he had no facial hair. His hair was short, making it difficult to see what it looked like.

"Hey, can you describe me?" Jax asked the wisp.

"Sure. You are tall and good-looking, with dark brown hair and a thin face. You appear very healthy too, but then again, everyone's new body is healthy."

Jax was a little surprised by his own description. "I'm handsome, am I?" he asked.

"Hey, Mr. Handsome. Focus, your turn is next."

Jax looked ahead as the tall man stepped onto a large, intricate circle at the center of the hall. The circle lit up for a short while. Then, it was over, and the tall man walked away.

"Your turn," the wisp said, and Jax walked forward.

There was no one left in the hall besides him. "I'm the last person here," he noted as he stepped onto the circle.

"More will come when we reach the next galaxy," the wisp answered.

Jax stood atop the circle and waited for it to activate. He saw the circle shine, and as it did, a few words appeared before his eyes, while at the same time speaking in his ears.

[REGISTRATION COMPLETE]

[CHOOSE YOUR PATH:]

[BODY] OR [MIND]

Jax chose [MIND] without a second of hesitation. When he did, the words changed into something else, and a long list appeared before his eyes.

[Ascendant Status:]

Name: Jax

Path: Mind

Navi Stage: N/A

Highest Carriage: 10

Helper: T-1388C

Time Remaining: 42 Days

[SPELLS]

[SKILLS]

[INVENTORY]

[MAP]

[TICKETS]

[REQUIREMENTS]

[RESTRICTIONS]

When the light disappeared, the words were all that remained.