1 Who Am I?

Cold. Everything was cold.

The light was the first thing that pierced through the protagonist's consciousness, a hard, artificial gleam that blazed from above, unblinking and harsh, casting spectral silhouettes of unfamiliarity around him. It illuminated an unfamiliar environment, advanced and sterile. Sharp lines and gleaming surfaces, everything was constructed out of a material that appeared like silver but was as cold as ice. It shimmered under the harsh light, an alien elegance that was as beautiful as it was disquieting.

In the heart of this cold world stood an altar, like a monolith rising from the polished ground. It was alien in its design, haunting in its presence. Etched onto its surface were strange symbols, convoluted and intricate. The symbols shimmered, their edges lustrous under the glare of the harsh light, pulsating with an unspoken energy, the language of a world far removed from his understanding.

His heart pounded a tattoo of panic against his ribs as his eyes widened, a prickle of cold sweat running down his spine. 'Where am I?' he wondered, his mind whirling with confusion.

Then, he felt the floor beneath him. Hard. Glassy. It was chilling against his skin, the cold seeping through his tattered and dirty clothes. His body felt leaden, aching in places he didn't even know could ache. Pushing against the floor, he tried to sit up, muscles screaming in protest. His head spun, his vision momentarily clouded as dizziness washed over him.

His breath hitched as he finally pushed himself into a sitting position. His eyes darted around, attempting to make sense of the alien world he found himself in. It was like he had awoken in the middle of a dream, yet the biting cold that bit into his skin was all too real. His thoughts were a frantic maelstorm, spiraling into chaos as he tried to understand, to remember, but nothing made sense. All he knew was the icy fear that twisted in his gut, the stark realization of his loneliness in this advanced, unknown world.

'What is this place? Who am I? And why can't I remember?' His self talk in his mind was becoming a litany of questions, desperate, confused. As the cold world remained silent around him, he could hear his own fear, echoing back at him from the sterile silver walls. He felt more lost than he ever had. The sterile environment was silent, indifferent to his confusion and mounting panic, leaving him to grapple with his disorientation and burgeoning fear.

His gaze skittered away from the eerie silence of the room, drifting closed as he tried to quell the riot of his thoughts. His mind, though, was far from silent.

What was that sensation? It prickled at the edges of his consciousness, like a whisper of static, an unseen magnet tugging at his awareness. He found himself unable to resist the odd allure, his thoughts veering toward it, drawn in by an invisible force.

Concentrating on the sensation, he let himself sink into it, falling into the dark abyss of his own mind. And there, amidst the obscurity, a card emerged. It was not a card of paper or plastic, but one formed out of pure energy, hovering weightlessly in the dark space of his mind. Strange symbols adorned its surface, their intricate design mirrored those etched into the strange altar.

He squinted mentally at the symbols, their alien script foreign yet fascinating. The card pulsed, each beat sending ripples of energy coursing through the stillness, its vibrant energy a stark contrast against the cold sterility of the world outside.

'I don't understand,' he thought to himself, the disquiet growing in him. His mental fingers reached out, passing through the pulsating energy of the card. It was solid and insubstantial at the same time, like a holographic image that refused to be touched.

His fingers recoiled back into the safety of his consciousness, the symbols and their mysterious energy leaving behind a bitter taste of more questions than answers. 'What is this?' he mused internally, a mixture of confusion and curiosity dancing in his thoughts. The card remained aloof, the symbols inert but inscrutable. It felt like a key without a lock, a mystery wrapped in an enigma.

His eyes flicked open, the harsh reality of the cold, sterile environment snapping him back into the present. His heart pounded against his ribcage, the rhythm echoed in his ears. The mystery of the card nested in his mind, but the world around him continued its indifferent silence.

And there he was, lost in the middle of an advanced world, the strange symbols of the altar staring at him with a mute plea, the pulsating card in his mind echoing that plea with an even more profound silence. His mind was a warren of questions with no answers in sight.

Just as he was about to plunge back into the puzzle that was the energy card, a sound echoed through the silence. The unmistakable whirr of a door opening. The cold, harsh light flooded in from the open doorway, casting long shadows.

In stepped a figure. A boy. No, a young man, about his own age but slightly shorter, with a shock of hair as black as his own, eyes a mirror of his. The similarity was uncanny, like looking into a slightly distorted mirror. His heart lurched. A brother? He didn't remember having a sibling, but here he was.

"Hey, you're awake," the young man's voice was a mixture of relief and worry, tugging at the corners of his consciousness. His eyes had a warmth to them, a softness that contrasted sharply with the cold sterility of the surroundings. Despite the obvious similarity in their features, a sinking feeling gnawed at him. This familiarity was foreign, like a book he'd read but couldn't remember.

'What's going on?' He found himself questioning his own thoughts. 'Am I dreaming? Or worse, have I lost my mind?'

"Are you alright?" His brother asked, voice brimming with concern. His eyes, so like his own, scanning his face for any sign of distress.

There was an odd comfort in the young man's presence, a vibe of protectiveness that enveloped him like a blanket against the cold reality of this new world. The way he moved, the way he spoke, it was evident he cared for him.

Yet, something felt off. His memories felt muddled, mismatched. He was sure he was from Earth. His memories were of Earth, not this cold, advanced world. So, how did he end up here? And how did he have a brother he didn't remember?

Confusion wrapped around him like a shroud. But despite the sea of unanswered questions, the arrival of his younger brother, or at least someone who claimed to be, provided a small beacon of hope in this icy, unfathomable world. Perhaps, this was the beginning of understanding, the first step in solving the mystery that his life had become. As he stared at his supposed brother, he found his determination solidifying. He was going to get to the bottom of this, starting with the young man in front of him. He had to.