Origins: The Absolute

Prologue: 13

I woke up in a dimly lit room, my head pounding with disorienting throbs. The surface beneath me was firm yet oddly comfortable, and as my vision cleared, I realized I was lying on a sleek, metallic bed. The room was unlike anything I had seen before: a strange blend of sterile technology and eerie, unfamiliar aesthetics. Soft, ambient light emanated from the walls, casting long shadows that seemed to dance with an unsettling life of their own.

I tried to sit up but was immediately met with resistance. Glancing down, I saw that my wrists were encased in metallic bracers, their dull silver sheen reflecting the ambient light. The suit I was wearing-some kind of skin-tight, high-tech battle suit-was also unfamiliar. Its material clung to my body, feeling almost like a second skin, and was lined with intricate patterns that pulsed faintly with energy.

Before I could fully process my situation, the door at the far end of the room slid open with a hiss. A figure walked in, tall and imposing, with an air of familiarity that sent a jolt of recognition through me. It was him.

"You," I said, my voice coming out hoarse. "What have you done?"

He ignored my question, his gaze cool and assessing. "The bracers are made of pure Elrandium. Your abilities are neutralized for now."

A surge of anger and fear welled up inside me, but I forced it down. "Where am I? Why am I here?"

"Follow me," he instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument. With no other option, I reluctantly slid off the bed, feeling the cold floor beneath my bare feet. The bracers were heavy, a constant reminder of my captivity.

He led me through a labyrinth of corridors, each one more alien than the last. The walls hummed with a low, resonant energy, and strange symbols flickered across their surfaces, vanishing as quickly as they appeared. My mind raced with questions, but I knew they would go unanswered.

We finally arrived at a large, circular chamber. The room was vast, its ceiling arching high above, adorned with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and change as I looked at them. Eleven other beings were already present, each one strikingly different from the next. They ranged in appearance from humanoid to utterly alien, their forms varying wildly in size, shape, and composition. Their eyes locked onto me with a mix of curiosity and wariness.

One of them, a being with a crystalline visage and a fluid, shifting form, spoke up. "Is this 13?"

"Yes," he replied, his voice steady. "She is 13."

A ripple of acknowledgement passed through the group, and I felt their scrutiny intensify. They didn't use names-only numbers. I glanced at the crystalline being who had spoken; was that 5?

The unsettling calm of the chamber was shattered by a sudden, thunderous presence. The air grew heavy, charged with a palpable tension. I turned to see a mountainous figure entering the room, towering over everyone else. The sheer power radiating from him made the others instinctively kneel and bow, their heads lowered in deference.

I remained standing, unable to force myself into submission. The figure's gaze settled on me, his eyes like burning coals in a shadowed face. His voice rumbled like distant thunder. "12, you have done splendidly."

12; it was him. The man who had brought me here. The others had already dropped to a kneeling position along with a low respectful bow.

The figure's gaze didn't waver, his attention now fully on me. "And you must be 13."

I met his eyes, refusing to look away despite the overwhelming pressure of his presence. A flicker of something...approval, perhaps...crossed his features.

"Kneel," he commanded, his voice reverberating through the chamber.

The weight of his command bore down on me, but I stood my ground, my knees trembling but locked. I could feel the bracers on my wrists tightening, a physical reminder of my powerlessness, yet a spark of defiance burned within me.

The room seemed to hold its breath, the silence stretching on as I faced the towering figure, finally, I fell to my knees.