Adonis's eyes blinked open to reveal a wooden ceiling that was a stark contrast to his usual penthouse view. Where on earth was he?
As he attempted to push himself up, a wave of disorientation washed over him.
His body felt weirdly frail, like it was running on empty. Plus, the air had this piney scent mixed with something he couldn't quite place, something that seemed to have a hidden buzz to it.
A young woman with slightly pointed ears and green hair appeared beside him. Her violet eyes were filled with worry.
When she gently touched his forehead, there was a faint, barely noticeable glow coming from her fingertips.
"You're awake," (that Women)
she said softly, but with a hint of amazement in her voice.
"That's...surprising."
"Where am I?"
Adonis croaked. His voice sounded rough, like he hadn't used it in ages. And moving felt like pushing through molasses.
The woman's eyebrows shot up.
"You don't remember? You were found in the Silverwood Forest, out cold. Your Qi was so faint, we could hardly find it." (That women)
Silverwood Forest? Qi? This was definitely not his neck of the woods. An uneasy feeling grew in him.
he couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of trick or maybe a side effect from whatever he'd been injected with.
"Who are you?"
he managed to ask, sounding a bit more stable.
"I'm Lyra, from the village of Eldenwood," she said,
gesturing to the plain room around them.
"This is my place."
While Lyra tended to him and filled him in on this new world where everyone had this energy called Qi.
Adonis's confusion began to morph into a detached curiosity. It dawned on him that being reborn came with a pretty big catch.
"Everyone's got Qi," (Lyra)
lighting a candle's flame without even touching it.
"It's what lets us do stuff and, for some, use magic. Those with a bunch of it are the big shots, the world's movers and shakers." (Lyra)
The look she gave him was a mix of pity and astonishment.
"You, though, you barely had anything. Five units, Faelan said. It's a miracle you're alive."
Adonis felt like he'd been punched. Five? That explained why he was always tired and feeling so weak. In a place where Qi ruled, he had basically nothing to work with.
"You didn't have anything on you, no ID or anything,"
Lyra went on.
"And the way you talk...it's like you're from another world."
Adonis took a moment to think. Telling them he was a rich guy from another planet seemed like a bad idea.
"I...can't remember much,"
he said, keeping it simple. He didn't want to bring up his sad excuse for Qi either. It'd just make him sound like a weakling.
Days went by, and Adonis, now calling himself "Adonis," started to get used to life in Eldenwood. He picked up their customs, met some of the local folks.
even learned the basics of Qi. But for him, it was like trying to pull water from a dry well. Though, someone said that he has an unusual and undescribable Skill.
What did get the villagers' attention, though, was how quickly he caught on to other things. He was a fast learner, had a knack for fixing stuff, and could come up with smart ideas without breaking a sweat.
One night, as he suggested some clever ways to bolster the village's defenses without needing much Qi, Lyra said
"Adonis, your mind is something else. It's weird. You're basically Qi-less, but you're so sharp."
Adonis just nodded
feeling the weight of his situation sink in. He realized that in this world, he was a nobody. The boredom of his old life had been replaced by the much more pressing issue of staying alive.
As time went on, weeks turned into months, and Adonis's place in Eldenwood grew into something peculiar.
He had become an essential part of the community, using his brain to boost the village's livelihood in ways they hadn't experienced. Yet, because he had almost no Qi, he was also a target of pity.
In a world where might was gauged by your energy, he was like a lamb among lions.
One fateful day, a troop of soldiers from the Kingdom of Veridia marched into Eldenwood.
Their armor sparkled under the sun, and the air was charged with Qi that was much stronger than anything the villagers had ever felt. A tough-looking commander took the lead, surveying the village with a scornful expression.
"Eldenwood,"
the commander called out, his voice echoing through the streets.
"By the will of the king, you must pay tribute. And we've caught wind of a peculiar soul in your midst, one who is...lacking in life's essence." (Commander)
Lyra stepped up, her Qi flickering protectively.
"Adonis is one of us. He's not done anything to justify your interest."
The commander snorted.
"Protection? That guy's as good as helpless. But you know what? He might be useful after all. We're in need of Slave for some projects, people who aren't distracted by all this power nonsense." (Commander)
Before anyone had the chance to respond, the soldiers grabbed Adonis. His protests were feeble, his body devoid of the Qi needed to put up a fight. They hauled him away, leaving behind a village that couldn't do a thing to stop them.
Adonis was now Veridia's prisoner. The very thing that made him an outsider, his lack of Qi, was the reason they wanted him. He was no danger to them, couldn't perform magic, couldn't fight. To them, he was just a tool, a body to be used for their own ends. They brought him to the capital and threw him into the belly of the
prison center, a cold, unfeeling place where body were prized but human feelings didn't matter.
And so began a new chapter in Adonis's life, one filled with a strange kind of purpose, but also a deep, unsettling sense of being nothing more than a pawn in their games.