You step out through the mysterious door and immediately find yourself surrounded by a dense canopy of coconut palms and leafy oil palm trees. You look down at your hands and realize you are decked out in full armor, a heavy hood casting a shadow over your face.
Under the scorching sun, a patrol of the Sunda Empire marches nearby. Some of them are chatting idly, clutching spears and shields, their heads encased in iron helms.
Before they can spot you, you scramble up the trunk of a palm tree. The air up here feels fresh against your face. Peering through the treetops, you take in the breathtaking scenery and the vast sky. In the distance, a palace towers above everything else—the heart of the Sunda Empire.
Below, the crunch of heavy footsteps approaches. You press a small mechanism on your wrists. From both arms, hidden blades spring forth with a sharp metallic ring.
You drop from the tree, your feet landing squarely on the shoulders of two soldiers. They collapse instantly, stiff and silent. You retract your blades without a word.
But the silence doesn't last. The other troops spot you.
You scramble for an exit, sprinting forward as the Sunda Empire soldiers scream for reinforcements. They are closing in from all sides. You dash toward a massive tree, scrambling up its trunk and swinging on the thick, tangled vines. You move fast, swinging from one vine to the next.
Below, soldiers chase you on foot, hurling spears that whiz past your head. Some even take to the trees to pursue you.
You keep swinging until you realize you have run out of vines. Ahead of you lies only a river with a violent, rushing current. You glance back; the soldiers are relentless.
You turn to face the drop and take a deep breath. Grabbing the last available vine, you swing hard, launching yourself into a perfect front flip. You slice through the water's surface, disappearing into the depths. The soldiers skid to a halt at the riverbank, losing your trail as you drift with the current.
They fan out to search for you, but you are already gone.
Feeling safe, you surface for air and drag your waterlogged body onto dry land. You keep running, though your breath is coming in ragged gasps.
The path ends abruptly at a steep cliff where the river plunges down into a roaring waterfall. You trigger your hidden blades again, driving them into the dirt to anchor yourself as you slowly climb down the precipice. It is a long way down, but you push through the exhaustion.
Sweat drips down your face. Your lungs burn.
Your spirit is willing, but your body is failing. Just as the ground seems within reach, your vision swims. Darkness takes you, and you collapse.
---
You open your eyes slowly. Your vision is blurry at first, but it soon clears. You are in a wooden house with a roof made of rice barns. A cup of steaming liquid sits on a small table beside your bed.
You look behind you as a rickety wooden door creaks open. A man with jet-black skin and no shirt approaches. He wears a hat covered in chicken feathers, and his body is covered in strange, temporary tattoos.
He sits beside you. "You are awake? Come outside. We are having a small celebration for the New Sun offering."
You raise an eyebrow. "New Sun?"
Without explaining, he gently guides you out the door.
"Hewahunja! Hewahunja! Hewahunja!"
A group of tribe members chants, dancing with strange, jerky movements. They smile, holding each other's shoulders as they circle a roaring bonfire.
You frown, confused. Their clothes match the man who brought you here. He gestures for you to join them.
Reluctantly, you approach. The tribe members stare at you with odd expressions until your guide speaks to them in a language you don't recognize. They simply nod in unison.
The man motions for everyone to sit. The heat of the fire warms your shivering body against the cold night air.
One of the tribe members hands you a grilled fish on a stick, practically forcing you to take it. You nod your thanks and take a bite. The aroma is intoxicating, and the taste is unlike anything you have ever eaten. Starving, you devour it quickly.
But then...
A low, guttural growl echoes from the darkness. A bear.
The man who guided you jumps up, pointing at the huts and shouting orders. The tribe scatters, fleeing into their homes and leaving you alone by the fire.
You drop the fish and instinctively flick your wrists to deploy your hidden blades. Nothing happens. They are gone.
The growl gets louder.
The tribe members re-emerge, now armed with primitive stone spears and wooden shields. Their eyes are sharp, their demeanor changed entirely.
"Sorry for the delay, there was a glitch in your Animus. Are you alright, Swan?" a woman's voice suddenly rings out inside your head.
You sigh heavily.
"I don't think now is the best time to ask that."
"Just stick with the simulation. Keep adapting to Sunda Land."
"Fine."
From the shadows, a massive bear steps into the firelight, its eyes glowing a menacing red. The tribe readies their weapons.