Thorian didn't know how long he'd been hurled through space.
At this point, all he could see was one tiny dot getting brighter and brighter as he approached. He swore he could hear howls and roars of things that he didn't believe existed.
Shadows had been popping up here and there, and he thought he might have seen a dragon... but he didn't dwell on it.
The vibrations from traveling were getting stronger; he just hoped this form of his would hold on. He had cracks running all the way down him.
Every vibration in the void felt like thunder against his hollow form, each crack along his body showing that he might shatter before reaching his destination.
He suddenly tripled in speed and arrived in the blink of an eye.
What he thought was just a speck of light turned out to be one huge glowing planet. The sheer size of it dwarfed the world he had come from, making it look like a joke.
The ethereal light coming from it truly made it worthy of its name.
Divine World, huh.
Spaceships? Something resembling them, at least, flashed here and there around the planet at tremendous speeds.
The whole place looked like something out of a fantasy land.
When he landed on what he could only call a platform, menacing Minotaur-like guards stepped toward him and surrounded him.
The platform beneath him glowed with lines of gold—veins of divine energy pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Ha, another one? I thought there weren't gonna be any more for the year."
The one on the left barked, his eyes never leaving the other guard. His nostrils billowed smoke with every word he let out—as if Thorian wasn't even worth a glance from his existence.
"I dunno, but it's here, so we'll put it with the rest. Let's just do what we know best."
This one stared straight on with what could only be called hatred. He towered over Thorian, making him seem like nothing.
Thorian didn't like that. He felt vulnerable.
The guard gathered his staff and started prodding him.
"Move along now. We'll take you to where you start. If you achieve victory, you can move on to the next floor. Great, right? Miss Allora is such an angel."
His voice was dripping with reverence.
---
Thorian still hadn't collected his thoughts.
"Allora? Who was that?"
He didn't know, but the way their eyes shined and their voices layered in respect... it was as if she was some kind of god.
This was not what he expected for his second chance at life.
He'd honestly been thinking sunshine and rainbows—and instead, he got guards that looked like Minotaurs and was being herded toward what he could only call a colosseum.
Haaa... what a joke. It is a joke, right?
---
The guards continued pushing him forward through the gates and into a side room where there were more specks—hundreds of them in a line.
But there was something that didn't look like it belonged.
In front of the line, a holographic screen displayed different player models flashing through the air.
Thorian watched as a speck of light went up to the screen. Thirty seconds later, a new form stood where the light once was—a warrior with a tall body, crude armor, and a determined look on his face.
Thorian was pushed forward to the console.
For a moment, he wondered if he'd truly escaped death—or just found a crueler version of it.
---
"Pick now."
The guard who had nothing but hate in his eyes was now looking respectfully at the screen.
"You only get one chance. Pick wisely—the Goddess grants you a chance."
Thorian was still confused, but he could only assume he was to pick a body.
As soon as he made contact with the console, words thundered through his head from what he could only describe as the Goddess he had met when he died.
---
"Welcome! Welcome to the Divine World!
Here, you get a second chance at life—be grateful. But in exchange for that, you will participate in my game!"
"One hundred floors. One hundred trials.
Complete them all, and you can be freed.
Fail…"
"Hahaha! Then die and join me here FOREVER!
Now, with that said—pick your body, and do it quick! I give you thirty seconds...
Failure to pick, and you will be auto-assigned.
Good luck—and I'll see you on the next floor... maybe."
---
Thorian couldn't believe his ears.
He didn't want this! He wanted to scream What the hell?! but his body had no mouth, and his thoughts didn't seem to come across.
The big, bright red number flashing down from 30 made him realize this was all too real.
He quickly flicked through the options and picked one close to his original appearance—human, around twenty, somewhat handsome (if he said so himself), and fit.
He could feel himself changing as he picked it; the sensation was euphoric, his senses returning—
and then he was there, human again.
It felt strange to be able to move again. And when he was back in a human body, his emotions flooded in once more.
He still couldn't believe he'd been betrayed by his fiancée and his brother. The grief threatened to shatter him again—until he focused on his new body.
He clenched his new hands into fists and swore, never again.
Never again would he let someone take advantage of him like that.
As he stood there trying to come to terms with his new form, he realized this was real—and that meant the trials were too.
He stood up straighter and felt the clothes that had appeared on his body.
There, at his waist, was a leather belt, and dangling from it was a long, rugged dagger.
He gripped the hilt in comfort. This was something he knew from hunting—something familiar.
He took one deep breath and steadied himself, ready for what was to come.
He was going to survive by any means necessary.
And he was going to win his freedom back, no matter how long or what it took.