Chapter Text
“I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival.”
At first, there is nothing.
Then, right before your gaze, the scenery starts to drip into view. Bit by bit, the murky shades of indigo and onyx solidifies to become a solid landscape of nothingness stretching in all directions, far beyond the horizon if it even existed at all. You can’t really call it a ‘sky’ or the ‘earth’, it just… is. You find yourself standing on a circular plane of inky blackness; without a body, without memories, but with one piece of critical knowledge:
You didn’t intend to come here. But nevertheless, you wanted to be here.
You are not alone. Standing before you is someone you don’t feel any familiarity with, so that must mean he’s a stranger to you. He is clad in clothing that is both impeccably tailored and oddly mismatched; a dark trench coat drapes his entire body from shoulder to ankle, mostly obscuring the red robes he has donned on beneath, accented with golden cloud patterns. A wide-brimmed fedora sits atop his head, and his clasped hands are covered by a pair of maroon gloves.
And perhaps the oddest aspect of his appearance is the mask he has obscuring the top half of his face, its artificial wrinkles clashing starkly with the youthful complexion below it.
He had been the one to speak, and as if he can sense you are done taking everything in, he continues speaking. “Allow me to introduce myself,” he says, head dipping in a bow. His voice is rich and silky, settling over you like a luxuriously thick blanket. “I am the Storyteller.”
You don’t doubt it. He certainly has the dulcet tones of one.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance. I shall be your guide going forward.” This Storyteller rises from his bow, his lips curved into a small smile. Despite his elderly mask already carrying a benign expression, you have a feeling that he isn’t faking his friendliness. “Now, then. Before we begin our story, there are several things I must bring to your attention.”
He waves his hand through the empty space next to him, making it ripple like a lake’s surface. That is already mystical enough, which only makes it even more amazing when an image materialises in that space. It shows… text on a red-and-white themed website?
“This story employs a unique format compared to the traditional storytelling method on this medium. While most published tales here utilise tools such as ‘Next Chapter’ and ‘Chapter Index’ to progress through the story...” The Storyteller raises a finger. “You will not be required to use them at any point.”
He pauses to give you a moment.
Then he continues, “In order to progress through this tale, you simply need to select the inserted links at the end of every chapter. Be sure to heed this instruction, lest you find yourself lost in the following chapters’ lack of order.” He gives a vague wave downwards at his shoes. “You will see an example of this at the end of this.”
Strangely enough, you understand what he is saying despite not seeing anything on the ground.
“Yes, links are very important to this story. They are what will guide you along, whether it’s to the next point in this tale or to an extra tidbit of information.” He nods sagely. “Links are not just relegated to the end. Occasionally, you may find one in the middle of chapters as well, and as for where they will lead you…”
His smile turns a touch wry.
“Well, that is up to you to discover. But fear not; none of them will prove treacherous to your devices,” The Storyteller says with a shallow incline of his head. “You may still choose to disregard my words, but be warned that much of this story’s identity will be lost on you, and you may find whatever enjoyment you can get out of this tale to be dampened. After all…”
“Connections are something everyone treasures, whether they realise it or not.”
Before you can wonder what he means, the Storyteller continues.
“Other minor, but no less important functions are the ‘Kudos’, ‘Bookmark’ and ‘Comment’ options found at the end of every chapter. They are ways for you to show your appreciation to the author, as they do not gain any monetary benefit from sharing this story, as per the medium’s rules.”
Another swipe of his hand, and the image suspended in mid-air changes in a series of ripples. Now you see a row of white buttons with different text imprinted on them.
The Storyteller explains each button in turn. He first gestures at a button named ‘Kudos’, which has a heart next to it. “‘Kudos’ is the easiest way for you to show that you like the story. Think of it as a silent compliment, if you please.”
Next is a button named ‘Bookmark’. “‘Bookmark’ allows you to stow this story away in your personal library, next to other tales and novels you had taken a liking to. You may even leave a short note in this ‘Bookmark’, although do note that authors have the ability to view what you say by default. If you would like to hide notes made in your ‘Bookmark’, be sure to select ‘Private Bookmark’ on the bottom left corner after you click on ‘Bookmark’.”
The last one is a button labelled ‘Comments’. “‘Comments’ allows you to share your thoughts on the story with the author. Quite a useful tool, no?” the Storyteller muses. “Gone are the days of published reviews in newspapers and word-of-mouth. Here, you are able to directly contact the author to share the highest praise and the harshest criticism, all in the same tiny box. Usually, the allowance of criticism in particular varies from author to author. But… I have a feeling this author welcomes it with open arms.”
You somehow sense he is giving you a wink.
“There are other essential quirks attached to this story, but I will explain them only when the time is right. You may refer to the accompanying ‘Files’ to refresh your memory should you need to.” He starts to carry on, but catches himself as if something had just occurred to him. “Ah… There is one more thing I wish to confirm before we continue.”
His smile doesn’t dim, but somehow, you feel like a live current of electricity is running through you. If you still had a body, you would be standing straighter now.
“As you know, this story involves two very different casts of characters from two very different worlds. If you have come here of your own volition, that must mean you are familiar with at least one of these worlds. Please, tell me…”
“Are you familiar with the world inhabited by humans and monsters? It is full of peculiar creatures of every shape and size imaginable, all capable of wielding powers as naturally as we breathe, and they have forged close bonds with humans across many regions. You might equate them to the animals in your world, but each and every one of these monsters have personalities like you and I, able to love and hate just as we do.”
[Yes.]
[No.]