Chapter One

He woke terrified. His final moments on the bridge flashing through his mind in an instant; the delayed shock of the truck’s impact finally registering. The fact that his memories cut to black instantly after filling him with a dawning sense of horror.

A sense which wasn’t helped by the fact that he couldn’t feel his arms and legs.

‘I’m paralyzed’, he thought, after a few moments of desperately trying – and failing – to thrash his body around. ‘I’m in the hospital and I’m paralyzed. The truck crashed into the safety railing and it broke my spine.’

He tried to stifle tears and stop himself from crying out at the thought, before becoming even more horrified when he realized that they weren’t coming. He didn’t feel liquid begin to creep in at the corner of his eyes or sense deep, racking sobs trying to claw their way out of his diaphragm.

He felt empty.

‘What happened? How badly am I hurt? Why can’t I see anything, why can’t I feel anything? AmIinacomaisthiswhatacomafeelslike!?’

His thoughts spun in circles while he tried desperately to hold himself together. Unfortunately, each method only left him spiraling further and further out of control.

Trying to take long, deep breaths alerted him to the fact that he wasn’t actually breathing in the first place. Attempting to center himself by focusing on the feel of the hospital bedsheets only made him more aware that his sense of touch had joined sight in taking complete leave of his body.

He was about to collapse into full hysterics before he realized he had at least one sense still remaining. In the distance, cutting through all his manic thoughts, he could just make out a slight pinging noise. He instantly focused the entirety of his being on the sound; grasping onto it as if he feared without it his mind would fly away entirely.

At first, he thought it might be a piece of medical equipment, perhaps a monitor for his heart or lungs. It didn’t take long for him to dismiss that idea though. The noise was too deep and too wet. After that, he considered a saline or plasma drip as the culprit, before similarly dismissing the idea out of hand. It was too loud. Echoing around the room. The distinct sound of water droplets impacting metal.

There were no rattling carts and beeping machines. No walking conversation between nurses and orderlies while they checked charts and refilled medications. No happy music over the intercom announcing a new child born into the world.

Only the steady echoing drip. Occasionally followed by the slightest blowing of what might be a feeble breeze.

His hysteria from earlier began to fade away. Replaced by a terror far more primal.

Because he wasn’t in a hospital.

He was blind and mute and paralyzed. And he wasn’t in a hospital. He was in a wet, cavernous room with no sound nearby signifying people.

He felt a despair deeper than he had ever known existed begin to seep into his body. A horrifying acceptance which killed all thought of struggle or concern.

Because he was going to die here. Alone and afraid. The only mercy given to him the fact that whatever had destroyed his body, had also killed off his ability to feel pain.

The only thing that he could do was wait to bleed out or suffocate. Hope that he wouldn’t be forced to linger. Forced to sit here, stuck, alone with himself.

Robert Stadler quietly resigned himself to die.

Ding!

Congratulations!

As a sapient lifeform of Seraphia who has recently reached their coming of age, you have been blessed by access to the system and the opportunity to choose a Class!

Classes will become available upon acquiring the necessary skills and attributes required for the Class in question.

Classes and their skills will level separately from both your Species and any Skills you naturally obtain.

Once chosen, your Class will become permanent. Forever changing you, Mind, Body and Soul. Additional Class Slots may be acquired at higher Species Evolution.

Please choose wisely!

Currently available Classes:

None

Open Status Page?

Yes – No

If the ringing sound surprised him, then the sudden appearance of floating blue windows in his otherwise blank vision left him dumbstruck.

For a moment he felt a surge of hope. The evidence that one of his deadened senses was coming back online hit him like a sudden blast of dopamine. One that faded rather quickly once he read the messages and his brain had a moment to register the insanity of the situation.

After which, it briefly ground to a halt.

‘…What?’ Was his first coherent thought following the freeze. Followed shortly after by considerations of near-death psychosis or shock-related hallucinations.

‘Or maybe I am in a coma and my subconscious is trying to make my existence more… palatable.’ Bob thought. Briefly ignoring the ridiculousness of the idea as his non-existent eyes stayed locked on the words in front of him.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

He stared at the window for a few seconds more before deciding he really didn’t have anything to lose. Especially when the alternative to playing along – even if this admittedly might be a trauma induced delusion – seemed to be sitting alone in a damp room deprived of all his senses.

He’d take an order of delusion, thank you.

He was a bit worried about how he was supposed to interact with the windows, given his current lack of usable appendages and vocal cords, but it seemed able to read his intentions and eager to please; closing the previous windows and opening another to show him his status screen.

Name: Robert Stadler

Title: (None) +

Species: Lesser Mimic (F) +

Class: (None) +

Level: 1

Health: 1/1

Mana: 48/48

Strength: 1

Dexterity: 1

Constitution: 1

Intelligence: 48

Perception: 1

Willpower: 18

Species Traits: +

Class Skills: +

Obtained Skills: +

Blessings: +