"The world needs you to come back!"
The words rang through the room, sharp enough to tear Rune from sleep.
"What?" He pushed himself upright, heart pounding. "Who's there? If you're here to rob me, go ahead. I don't have much anyway."
Silence.
Rune scanned the darkness of his bedroom. Nothing moved. No shadow out of place. No sign of anyone else.
'Did I leave a video playing or something?'
'Maybe my computer's on autoplay.'
He swung his legs out of bed and headed toward his desk.
The voice came again.
This time, from behind him.
"Please. We need you to return. What you did is coming undone, and only you can stop it."
Rune spun around, breath hitching. His hands came up instinctively, muscles tensing as he braced to strike the first thing that moved.
"What…" His voice wavered. "What are you?"
In front of Rune was the outline of a figure, blurred on all the edges. He was unable to make out any distinguishing features, but somehow she felt familiar to him.
"Aurea…even though I can not see you, I know your name is Aurea."
The figure perked up, almost sounding excited and relieved at the same time. "I really found you. I have been searching for you for hundreds of years, my sweet sweet $%#@.."
As she said that last word, a loud buzz pierced Rune's head. Pain seared throughout him; it was a name he could not hear.
"AHH! Stop stop, what was that?" He grabbed both sides of his head, reeling in pain. "How do I know your name?"
"What are you doing here? Searching for me? I must be going crazy."
"Yes, that is it. I have finally lost it."
The figure took a more serious tone. "I see, causation will not allow me to tell you everything. I am the last remnant of a fallen god from a world that is without a pantheon."
She pauses, hints of sadness fill her words. "One remaining god seeks to twist the world to his own ends, invites humans to the world and gives them power to reach his goal. Like baiting mice with cheese."
"So wait. You want me?" Rune said slowly. "Me... To go to another world and take on a god."
He let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
"This has to be a joke. I'm no one. Just a normal 20 something office worker living in a crappy apartment."
"You are so much more than that," the god replied, her voice calm, filled with a quiet reverence. "And that is exactly why I need you."
She did not hesitate further.
"I need you to come to this world and remember. Who you were. Who you are. Only then can things be set right."
"Not to be rude, but you're trying to bring a human to your world. You're making promises and offering things just like the god you are saying is evil."
As he spoke against the idea, her words continued to spiral through his mind.
Something about them felt like they were genuine.
The idea that he could be more than he was. The lingering question of how he knew this god's name. And perhaps most unsettling of all, why he trusted her.
The doubt remained.
But so did the pull.
This was a god from another world, asking him to come save it. What person would let this opportunity pass by?
"I assume you can't tell me much more due to the causation thing you mentioned. But what do I need to do if I go to this world?"
"You must get stronger and awaken your memories. It will be a struggle though. In this world, the Unnamed God has made it so people no longer age, and revive in his temples when they die."
She stopped, wondering how to word the next part.
"You will be the exception to this. Since I am bringing you there, you will be outside of his influence. You will be the only being in the whole world whose death is final."
"So let me get this straight," Rune said quietly. "I need to remember. Get stronger. Stop the plans of some all powerful god."
He let out a short breath.
"And I'll be the only mortal in a world full of immortals."
Something stirred deep within him.
An old sense of wonder. Of excitement.
The entire proposition was absurd. His life as it was now hadn't been good, but it was safe. As he looked ahead, there was only one answer he could give.
"Let's do this," Rune said. "Take me to your world."
"Ha! Of course you of all people would leap at something that sounds impossible," the voice laughed. "Very well. I will take you there right now."
The tone shifted, growing heavier.
"Know this. My power is weak. I will not be able to speak with you again for some time. Seek the dungeons. At their ends, you will earn the qualification and draw closer to the truth."
Light gathered.
Particles formed around Rune, drifting upward as his body began to feel lighter, as if the world itself was loosening its grip on him.
His form started to fade.
"Wait?! Wait! Let me put clothes o…"
His bare feet landed on a rough wooden floor. Torch light flickering on the walls around him.
"On! Let me put some clothes on!"
His sentence finished, but he was no longer on earth.
"Oh hohoho, the ghost said she'd bring me a guest for my inn, but she never said he would come half naked!"
Rune turned around to see a man in his 50's standing behind him at a counter, staring at him.
"Inn? I am in an inn? I apologize, I do not have any money on me."
The old man just smiled, a half crazy smile. "Do not worry traveler! For that ghost was one of the nice ones! It paid for your stay for a week. Food included! Isn't that great? Most ghosts round here don't pay. And you will be my first living guest in a long while, most folks don't want to stay here."
Rune just shrugged. 'I am not even going to ask him why, I think I can guess. This man is a bit…off.'
As Rune thought those words, the old man reacted, turning his head with an almost sad look on his face.
'There is no way he can read minds, right? Get yourself together Rune.'
"Um… do you have any spare clothes?" Rune asked. "It seems your ghost brought me here while I was sleeping."
"Clothes are easy," the old man said cheerfully. "I can give you a spare set of mine."
Rune winced at the thought of wearing the old man's clothes.
"The...ghost you mentioned told me to seek the dungeon, can you point me there tomorrow?"
"I can send you there, it isn't far outside the city." He brightened suddenly. "Oh. You know nothing, do you? She told me you were summoned from another world, like so many others."
He gestured vaguely around them.
"This city is called Precipice."
The old man paused, his expression drifting as his thoughts wandered off in several directions at once.
Rune waited. Then cleared his throat.
"Um. The dungeon?"
"Oh yes, yes!" the old man said, snapping back to attention. "It's about an hour's walk outside of town. Not many people go there."
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Even though they revive after death, no one wants to remember being eaten alive. It tends to leave an impression."
He smiled, as if sharing a pleasant secret.
"But you can make a very good profit there. Monster parts fetch a high price precisely because of that."