The edge… the pain… blood spilling from my throat… and the growing despair… in the end I simply opened my eyes again.
I don't know at what moment I fell asleep. The rough bed, which could just as well have been a piece of cardboard, had been my companion this first "night."
I was in a room with rusted walls; after returning from death, I tried to calm myself, but this simply… is unbelievable.
—Good morning, human —Axio said with acidity, floating above my head—. You took your time.
—How long did I sleep? —I asked, still lying in bed.
—In human time, who knows, but you did sleep about 12 cycles, that's quite a bit.
"Damn it, even time isn't normal here." I tried to get my bearings by looking outside, but the room was completely sealed, except for a door that I assumed led to the complex.
Getting lost in the implications of that…
—Get up, human, I'll give you a quick tour before you get another chance to die… —it said, opening the door with a snap of its little paws.
Honestly, I didn't have the strength to stand up, but I gained nothing by staying locked between four rusted walls. The Nexo, or at least the Metal floor where I was staying, consisted of long corridors of black metal that seemed rusted, although that "rust" glowed like fluorescent lights that made it look alive, shifting in shape and intensity at every moment, as if it breathed or reacted according to the mood of the room.
After walking down a long corridor that felt endless, I began to feel uneasy, seeing nothing but an extensive liminal space. Without realizing it, I was already panting.
"When did I start running?" I thought, turning around only to see, terrified, the door to my room just a few steps away from me.
—Hehe, did you have fun? —the insufferable creature asked, floating happily in front of me, with arrogance.
—Am I nothing more than a clown to you?
—No, if I wanted to see clowns I'd look for others far more interesting. A few cycles ago we had Grimaldi—shame he didn't make it past Cancer. At least Grock is still around, though I doubt he'll dare challenge the Pisces floor hehe —it said as if contemplating human lives were nothing more than a pastime.
Once again, with a snap of its little paw, the corridor crumbled like particles of sand, dazzling me as a new place emerged.
Before me stood an entirely new structure, an area we could call "communal." My vision couldn't see the end of the room; above us, the ceiling—still rusted metal—glowed like the night sky. Long tables, made of the same metal as the walls, stretched across the width of the complex and, at the sides, enormous windows opened onto a dreamlike landscape: a spectacle of dancing lights made up of hundreds of thousands of thin threads of water that traced different constellations in an absorbing void.
"Are we in heaven? No, impossible… if anything, it would be hell."
With each step I took, I became more convinced that this place was simply terrifying and, at the same time, beautiful, as if it were an old hotel that in its prime had been the height of beauty and spectacle, but in the end was abandoned by history.
Lost in the window, I ignored the most terrifying point of this room…
The infernal bustle moving from one side to the other was indescribable, like the entrance to some entertainment center or, better yet, a "history otaku convention."
—Axio… everyone here are heroes of history? —I asked, looking outside.
—Heroes? Well, it depends. Metal is the lowest rank of Nexo 0.1. There are only minor heroes, those with very recent stories or not worthy enough to advance through the complex, unless they're the occasional straggler from higher ranks who lost on the upper floors and have to climb back up from zero.
I couldn't stop thinking about the obvious… how this place filled up, why everyone here looked like a medley of costumes from ancient eras all over the world: Native Americans, medieval soldiers, mingling with modern soldiers, gladiators, Latin American indigenous people, and some who seemed to be simple villagers.
Without a doubt, this place gave me those vibes—the vibes of a university "cafeteria." I clenched my hands unconsciously, trying to avoid overanalyzing things; after all, understanding the Nexo wouldn't solve my situation.
—You're not thinking of going out for a little dip… are you? —Axio said, holding a curious bowl decorated with small fish, from which it slurped a long noodle.
For some reason, seeing the little creature fervently sucking that noodle reminded me that, in fact, I hadn't felt hungry since I arrived. Not only that: I didn't feel the need to go to the bathroom or even to… breathe.
In the Nexo I didn't feel my lungs filling with oxygen; I saw my chest rise and fall, but this wasn't accompanied by the sensation of muscles working.
—Axio… —"I don't feel anything," I considered telling the axolotl, who looked at me mid-bite.
I didn't mean it figuratively; it was literal. I felt as if my sense of touch and smell had disappeared. At the sight of the bowl I lunged toward it, but Axio simply vanished and reappeared in bubbling particles behind me.
—I see you just realized… —it commented while slurping even more intensely.
—Hey… where did you get that? —I asked breathlessly… figuratively.
—Nah, don't even think about eating. You're bankrupt, Mr. Nobody.
Harsh words, filled with a catastrophic reality.
—Hey, kid!
A masculine and resonant voice reached me. I recognized it instantly—of course I did. The tone was infinitely more jovial, but without a doubt, it was the bastard who crushed my team, the guy with the bull.
When I turned around, I felt my heart trying to escape. Advancing cheerfully was a mountaineer, axe in hand and reddish beard hiding his huge smile.
At his side came… an Apache… one I would never forget. He had a somewhat aged face, Native American clothes covering his entire torso and legs, proudly carrying a small feather ornament in his long black hair.
His eyes, black as night, settled on me. I could tell: he was noticeably ashamed.
Both approached me. My legs moved on their own until my back hit the window.
—I'm glad to see you alive —the mountaineer said, extending his free hand to me—. Nice to meet you, I'm Paul Bunyan.