"Mmmhhmmm…" I stretch my arms as I wake up, rubbing my eyes. I turn to face my clock."…Where's my clock?" I mumble to myself.
I glance down—It's the orb. I thought it was just a dream…
It's red. Bright red. But for some reason, I feel calm while looking at it—like I'm staring at myself in a mirror.
I take a deep breath and glance around. A cave. Small. Cramped. Near one side of the wall, there's a little pocket in the stone… a bed, maybe? Awkwardly made from a pile of leaves. It doesn't look that great, honestly.
I feel like it'd look better if the bed were made of those big tropical leaves… the kind you could actually lie on. But what if… what if it closed around the person sleeping in it? Like a protective cocoon.
Then I scoff. What am I, in Avatar or something?
Still, I can't help it. I close my eyes and let my mind run wild with the idea.
I sit quietly on the orb, lost in thought—then it hits me. The situation I'm in. I open my eyes again, ready to take a better look around—but I freeze.
The bed… it's changed. It's now made from the exact leaf I just imagined. A large, round leaf now sits where the messy bed was—thick, calming lines running across its surface. It looks soft… like it could curl around someone the second they lay in it.
"How… how is that possible?" I whisper to myself.
I glance down at my hands—They're see-through. Faint. Almost like mist.
But before I can react, I see it. A creature. Black fur. A lopsided grin. Sharp teeth.
I stumble back, startled—but then I freeze. In midair.
"Am I… floating?" I mumble, twisting slightly to move myself. Somehow, I manage to drift back and settle on top of the core.
I turn my gaze back to the creature. It looks like a monster. Wild and unnatural. But all I feel from it is… joy. Pure, overwhelming joy.
It stares at me like I'm everything it's ever wanted to see. And for some reason… I don't feel afraid.
Meanwhile, the creature's mind races:
Master is awake. I'm so happy.
"Ooo! Master's looking at my cave! He's looking at my cave!" the creature thought, practically bouncing in place. Yay! Master is finally awake! My work paid off! I did good!
It turned toward the cave, eyes wide with joy—watching the figure sitting atop the core.
Then it saw it. Mana. A gentle stream, faint but real, flowing from Master into the messy pile of leaves near the wall.
The leaves shifted, shimmered—then pulled together, twisting into one large, round leaf. Smooth. Strong. Protective.
The creature stared, heart pounding with excitement. It knew exactly what it was. A gift. A gift from Master. Of course it was.
With a wide, toothy grin, the creature turned back to face its master—radiating pure joy, like a child who had finally been seen. Its eyes sparkled with devotion.
Master is awake. Master saw my cave. Master gave a gift. It could barely contain the happiness surging through its small, strange body. Everything it had done… it was worth it.
I freeze as the creature looks at me. Its eyes are wide, shining with something that should be unsettling—but somehow… it isn't.
I don't know why, but I feel like I can talk to it.
"Who… what are you?" I ask quietly, trying to suppress the fear creeping up in my chest. My voice wavers, just a little.
But the creature doesn't move. It just stares at me—like it's waiting. Like it's listening.
"I don't have a name, Master… nor does my species," the creature says, its voice low but brimming with fervent devotion.
"So… where do you come from?" I ask, clinging to my curiosity to push the fear aside.
"I come from you, Master," it answers without hesitation. "You made me in your slumber… to awaken you."
"…Huh? Wait—wait, wait, wait—how does that even work?" I ask, doubling down on my curiosity to shove the fear out completely.
And in the back of my mind, a stray, unfiltered thought slips through:I'm a boy… right?
The creature looks at me, its head tilting slightly as if the answer should be obvious.
"You used your mana to make me, Master," it says, voice soft but certain—like it's simply stating a fact of the world.
"…How long ago was that?" I ask, my voice quiet.
I'm not sure why I'm playing along—but something tells me I should. I mean, I have no idea what's going on… and until I do, pushing this creature might not be the smartest idea.
The creature smiled, its eyes shining with that same intense, fervent light.
"A week, Master," it said in a low, worshipful tone, each word soaked in devotion. "And the whole week, I have been bringing mana-rich things to Master… to wake Master."
Its voice doesn't waver—it believes every word with absolute certainty.
…Did that creature just say a week?So I've been asleep for a whole week in this strange place?
That's… a lot to process.
"Was I safe?" I ask softly, pressing my fingers to my forehead as I rub my temple.
"Of course, Master," the creature replies, its voice unwavering and filled with reverent devotion. "I would never let anything harm you, my Lord."
I close my eyes and keep rubbing my forehead, thinking back on everything so far.So, I made this guy out of mana...I changed what I can only assume was his bed with what I guess is my mana.Does that mean I can create things—or change things—with my mana however I want?Wait, wait, wait... am I a... am I a—
I look down at the red, warm, comfortable orb.Is this me? Am I a... a... a dungeon core?
I smile, a silent grin curling on my lips.I think I'm going to have a very fun life from now on, I think to myself, gently resting my hand on the red sphere.