Ibeos: What If? "Lost in My Own Fantasy"

Chapter 5. Glimmer of Hope

In the solemn grandeur of the council chamber, the air hung heavy with the weight of deliberation. After hours of intense discussion, the head councilor, her voice resonant and clear, broke the prolonged silence. "The council has reached a decision," she began, her eyes sweeping across those assembled, "to grant Jane the opportunity to substantiate his extraordinary claims. He will lead an expedition to unearth truths that may reshape our understanding of Greca's past and help fortify us against the encroaching Demon Realm. This decision is not made lightly, but with a cautious hope that his unique insights are indeed the keys to our forgotten histories."

I felt a surge of exhilaration mixed with a heavy dose of trepidation as her words moved through the chamber. This was my chance to validate the bizarre circumstances I found myself in and, perhaps more importantly, to prove to this world—and to myself—that I wasn't completely losing my grip on reality. The usual dry air of bureaucracy in the chamber today crackled with a palpable sense of anticipation.

As the council members began to disperse, a diminutive figure approached me. Clad in green scholarly robes and with orange fur, his twitching tail and easy grin betrayed his excitement. His capuchin-like features identified him unmistakably as an Apeling.

"Well, it seems you're officially the bridge between myth and reality now," he joked, clapping me on the shoulder with a gentle thud. "I suppose it's time we started preparing."

I blinked, caught off-guard, and managed to say, "And you are?"

"My apologies for not introducing myself sooner; I'm Thilo, delighted to meet you... creator," he said, extending his tail in greeting, which I hesitated before shaking, amused and slightly bewildered by the gesture.

Half joking, half desperate, I mumbled, "Technically, I'd be considered the Overseer," my stomach knotted as a long-forgotten failsafe idea surfaced. Looking up, I called out somewhat hopelessly, "Zedeth, I know you can hear me, if you are watching right now, please send me home?" Thilo's expression turned quizzical as I waited in vain. "Right, it never worked for Ranpo, why would it for me? But wait, Ranpo is timeless. If I can just reach Orphea..." My words faded under the weight of Thilo's intense stare. "Sorry, just thinking aloud."

"No, please, continue!" Thilo encouraged. "At first, I thought you were just an eccentric, but speaking of Zedeth and Ranpo as if they're old friends? I've devoted my life to studying the Era of Unity, and everyone dismisses it as dull history, but not you."

"Thilo, I cannot express this any clearer. And at this point I've already made my claim to the council that I am the creator of this world so I really have no anonymity left. But I really am this world's creator. It sounds crazy, I know. We're on this journey to prove my sanity, but I really doubt they'll ever fully accept me as anything but a delusional historian."

"I believe you," Thilo interjected earnestly.

"What?"

"Yes, that's why I advocated to assist you. Your attire alone is testament enough," he pointed out, eyeing my worn pineapple Hawaiian shirt and gym shorts.

I looked down at my tattered and dust-covered shirt and gray shorts, remnants of a world so starkly different from the one around me. "I guess it does stand out a bit," I muttered, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.

Thilo's laughter was a light, musical sound that seemed to echo playfully around us. "Just a bit," he agreed, still grinning. "But more than your clothes, it's what you know. You talk about Zedeth and Ranpo not as figures in a history book, but as if they were old friends. That's something no simple historian or fanatic could replicate."

"You aren't far off," I admitted softly, my thoughts drifting to friends who had once brought these characters to life in our campaigns. Realizing that while I knew them, the people of this world were their own. Zedeth was not my brother roleplaying as an elven bladesinger, he was a man who actually lived those adventures. The dissonance made my head spin.

Thilo's enthusiasm seemed to swell as he contemplated the possibilities. "Just think of the possibilities, Jane! As the creator, your insights could redefine our understanding of historical events. Your presence here might be the greatest discovery since the unification of the realms!"

I raised my hand, asking for a pause. The weight of my predicament anchored me more than Thilo's soaring theories. "Chill Thilo. While I appreciate your excitement, I'm still trying to wrap my head around not ending up in a cell permanently. Let's keep our focus on proving these claims first, so I can avoid a future in the loony bin."

Thilo blinked, his smile faltering as he realized his enthusiasm might have gotten the better of him. "Right, of course," he chuckled sheepishly. "I do tend to get carried away. It's not every day one meets the creator of their world, after all. Let's dial it back and focus on the immediate future."

"Planning the expedition details might be a good start," I suggested, trying to steer our conversation towards more practical matters.

"Absolutely!" Thilo agreed, quickly regaining his composure. "We should gather all necessary information and resources. After all, preparing well could make the difference between validating your claims and... well, the less desirable outcomes."

With a lighter tone, he added, "And let's try to keep the historical revelations to a minimum until we're sure you're not going to be branded a heretic, shall we?"

I couldn't help but smile at that, his humor a welcome respite from the gravity of my situation. "Sounds like a plan, Thilo. Let's get to it then."

Together, we made our way out of the council chamber, the echo of our steps a stark reminder of the reality that lay before us. As we walked, the weight of what was at stake settled over me, but Thilo's presence—a bridge between my fictional past and my all-too-real present—offered a glimmer of hope. Perhaps, with his help, I could navigate this strange new chapter of my life.