The world swam back into focus with a jarring clarity. One moment, Kael was experiencing the exquisite agony of… well, never mind. The next, he was lying face down in damp earth, the air thick with the scent of pine and something else, something ancient and… magical. He groaned, pushing himself up on trembling arms. His head throbbed, and his vision blurred.
"Where… where am I?" he muttered, his voice hoarse.
He looked around. He was in a forest, unlike any he had ever seen. The trees were impossibly tall, their branches intertwining to form a dense canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. Strange birds chirped in the distance, their calls unfamiliar and unsettling. The air hummed with a palpable energy, a sense of… power.
"This isn't… Cleveland," he muttered, stating the obvious.
As he struggled to his feet, a figure materialized before him. It was a woman, radiant and ethereal, with eyes that seemed to hold the wisdom of ages. She smiled, a gentle, knowing smile that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Welcome, Kael," she said, her voice like the chime of distant bells. "You have been given a second chance."
Kael blinked, trying to process what he was hearing. "A second chance? What… what happened? Am I dead?"
The woman chuckled. "Let's just say your previous existence reached a… premature conclusion. But the Pattern has chosen you for a purpose. You have been granted three wishes, the power to shape your destiny in this new world."
Three wishes. The words echoed in his mind. Three wishes! The possibilities were endless. His mind raced, conjuring up images of wealth, power, and… other things.
"What kind of world is this?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"This," the woman said, her eyes sweeping across the forest, "is the Wheel of Time. A world of magic, prophecy, and eternal conflict."
Kael's eyebrows furrowed. "The Wheel of Time? Like… the books?"
The woman smiled again. "Indeed. You have been granted the opportunity to live within the pages of a story you once read. But be warned, Kael, this is not a game. This is reality. And your choices will have consequences."