The scent of coffee with microwave popcorn popping along with the aroma covering the place.
Another Tuesday and another late night over her laptop screen debugging lines of codes that always seemed to refuse to cooperate. Her back ached from hunching, her eyes burned from all the work and looking at her screen for hours.
Anya, a software engineer with a penchant for oversized hoodiesband addiction to reading online wuxia novels. She often wondered if she had chosen the right oath for her future like where was the epic adventure? Hidden powers? The dramatic declarations of destiny? She always felt like she never really belonged anywhere.
She was just going to give up and fall asleep on her pillow but a flicker caught her eye, not on her screen but on a old cheap digital clock next to the laptop yet it stilled flickered. The numbers were weird they pulsed with and odd ethereal glow. 11:11pm she rolled her eyes while she scoffed.
"Probably a power surge or has my brain finally short circuiting" she sighed but then the glow intensified casting strange, dancing shadow on her wall "What they..." She looked at the shadow until a low hum filled the room, glowing steadily louder with vibrations shaking the cheap particleboard of her desk.
Any was bewildered from what is happening as the lights coalescad forming a shimmering iridescent portal directly infront of her, she could only look at it all she felt scared, confused but her heart was beating for weord reasons she doesn't know.
It pulsed with all the colors of a nebula swirling like its inviting her through yet it was also terrifyingly unknown to her. Her first thought is she should leave the place but then she thought of her favorite novels "No way this can't be... It couldn't be real..." She whispered to herself.
Before she even could process everything a jolt like static electricity magnified a thousandfold that shot through her. The hum became a loud roar, the lights blinding her which she quickly covered her eyes but her vision swam swirling around, the familiar confines of her apartment started melting away into a kaleidoscope of so many different colors. She felt a strage yet bizarre sensation like she was being stretched thin almost making her nauseous but then snapped back into place.
Darkness and Silence not even a single sound.
When Anya eyes fluttered open but its wasn't to comforting for her, if bland, ceiling of her apartment but Instead she was staring up at a cenopy of deep violet leaves with dapple moonlight. The air was crisp and cool it carried a scent of exotic blossoms, a ge tle breeze passed her rustling the leaves like the wind was creating a soft melody.
She just looked up at the leaves that is until she sat up abruptly with her mind racing with questions like the portal and the hums, she looked around and knew that this wasn't her apparent it was almost like she got sidnapped and was left in some weird place.
Then panic, cold and sharp threatened to overwhelm her first she was at her apparent next thing she was here. She pushed it down forcing herself to take deep breaths to calm down her heart then she observed her surroundings, she was in a first unlike any she has ever seen before. Giant trees their trunks where some how impossibly wide reached towards the sky studded with three luminous moons that felt like it was casting an eerie, silver glow.
She just realized that her clothing felt different when she looked down her clithes were different, her ratty hoodie and comfy sweatpants gone the clothes she had on is different. In their place she wore a simple dark tunic and trousers made of surprisingly durable soft fabric cliched at the waist with braided cords. On her feet were sturdy leather boots she limes leather clothing making her look cool, she pared herself down checking for any injuries on herself bit found nothing which made her feel lighter but just an overwhelming sense ig displacement.
"Um excuse me is anyone here?" She said her voice was raspy it basically echoed swallowed by the immense forest surrounding her.
When Anya didn't get a reply she cleched her first she wanted this to be a dream or nightmare but reality hit her. She was in some cultivation world that she always enjoyed reading but the question was what kind of world was she in and more importantly she had no idea what to even do next? She was just a software engineer not some kind of survival expert but suddenly being thrust in to a realm of martial arts any mystic energies.
"I dont know if I should feel excited or afraid maybe even worse" she muttered to herself a wry, slightly small escaping her lips "Maybe all of them" she put her hand on her head almost feeling a headache.
The a faint rustling which caught her attention. Her heart leaped into her throat , she wasn't sure if it was a friendly creature or something worst then friendly.... She quickly scrambled to her feet, her eyes darting nervously from the rustling sounds.
From the shadow a figure emerged. Small but graceful, with long silver hair that cascade down her back almost shining like the moon but what caught Anya attention was the girl's her eyes a striking shadow of crimson, glowed with an internal light. She wore a elegant martial robes of deep blue with hints of silver and on her hip a sheathed sword its hikt was intricately carved.
Anya froze her breath caught, her throat dry this woman she looked like she'd stepped out of one of her favorite novels, Powerful, Beautiful along with sick grace but also terrifying.
'Woah wifey alert!!' She thought to herself.
Then the silver haired woman's gaze at Anya cool and appraising but a small almost imperceptible frown shown on her face which made Anya nervous like a predictor eyes its prey.
Then the woman spoke "Another one" the woman murmured, her voice like slim but cold at the same time carrying a faint echo and authority power "At that even from a different world no less" She inspected Anya again.
Anya's heart was racing with confusion. Another one? Different world? She knew that this woman knew what was happening. She was a native mostly a cultivator and this was her chance.
'Alrighy lets do this' She didnt want to miss this chance.
Taking a deep breaths, Anya straighten her shoukders and back trying to project a aor of confidence that she absolutely coukd not feel in the moment "Excuse me, coukd you... perhaps explain to me on whats going on and where exactly is 'here'?"
The silver haired woman's crimson eyes narrowed slightly witha hint of something unreadable in their depths.
"I see you have many questions, little one" she said her voicestill smoothed but with undoubtedly of authority and power that se t shivers down Anya spine "I also have a few questions of my own" The woman told Anya.
She took a step closer , her presence radiating a calm Authority. Anya took a step back her body went tensed ready to bolt any moment thought she had no idea where to run to.
"Welcome to The Azure Dominion" the said to Anya with her crimson read eyes looking at her which made Anya feel like a ant.
The world shifted around her Anya life of a software engineer, her anxiety and her mundane routines all faded away into the background. Here under three moons facing the woman infront of her Anya felt some kind of spark that she had not realized she was missing, anticipation, Pure and Unadulterated Adventure thats she has been hoping for.
"Now, tell traveler how did you arrive here" the woman said to her.
Anya swallowed and her heart pounding on her chest a frantic rhythm. This was at her story, her new life in a different world and this silver haired enigma with crimson eyes.
Her Adventure has only begun.
A/N: Hey everyone thank you all for check this story out "Ascended Hearts and Crimson Cultivation!"