…up…
…ake…
WAKE UP
Jet bolted upright at the voice yowling in his head, slapping his hands over his ears in an ineffective move to block the sound.
“What the—” The rest of the sentence died on his lips as he took in the room – completely unfamiliar – and his clothing – nonexistent. On the heel of those observations was the realization he didn’t remember anything. Anything except his name, another name imbued with a strange sense of reverence, and being yelled at by what sounded like a very loud cat.
Ding! “Welcome to Godville, Hero.” A professional-sounding voice came from a box on the wall. “You have been brought here by your Deity to glorify Their Name through your heroic deeds. Please retrieve your Diary and exit through the door.”
“I’m what now?” Jet stared at the box, but it didn’t reply. “Hello? Hellooooo?”
With the continuing lack of an answer, he looked around the room again. A small book with a pen tucked into the spine – some sort of journal, it looked like? – was lying on the ground next to him. Besides that, he was entirely bereft of possessions, memories, or reasons for existence… other than a strange compulsion to go find some sort of task to accomplish and the strong need for a stronger drink.
Go and glorify Me, my champion.
The words vibrated through the floor, rising up in a written echo of dust. Jet flung himself down and covered his head in his hands, then peeked out cautiously as the dusty words dissipated. “…Is that you, Almighty One?”
Silence.
“You know,” he tried, “I’m not exactly equipped for adventuring. Maybe if you gave me a sw—”
Ding! “Welcome to Godville, Hero.” The same voice came from the box again. “You have been brought here by your Deity to glorify Their—”
“All right, all right!” Jet flung his hands in the air, trying not to think about the sad state of his wardrobe. “I’m leaving. Glorifying with my deeds by walking out the door.”
Suddenly, a sense of warmth enveloped him, filling him with a sourceless strength and encouragement. Standing up with a new sense of confidence and purpose, Jet Shadow stepped out into the world.