Chapter 1: A Dream… A Weird One.
Charles was exhausted. The day had been a whirlwind thanks to final exams at university, but now that he was home, to unwind, he'd spent the night playing a video game on the hardest difficulty setting.
The last thing he remembered was flopping onto his bed, controller still within reach, before shutting his eyes to sleep.
His mind had been gearing up for the next exam he'd face tomorrow—completely unprepared, of course—but now...
"Huh? Where am I?"
Charles snapped his eyes open and found himself on his knees, a damp rag in his hand and a bucket of water by his side. He was wearing a white tunic, slightly grimy at the edges, and the background noise was... chaotic.
There were shouts, cheers, and the sharp crack of something breaking.
Charles blinked, bewildered. He glanced around and realized he was in a narrow hallway with worn stone walls.
A few meters ahead, the hallway opened into a wider area where people sat in stands, all fixated on something he couldn't see from where he was.
The ground trembled faintly, and a splash of water rained down from above, hitting the floor.
Charles looked up. There was an elevated platform—like some kind of arena—and water kept dripping from its edge.
"The winner of the match is Kael Cole!" a deep voice boomed from the platform, amplified by the echo of the place.