Prologue: Alex - The Awakening

...

...where am I?

"Any change, Seira?"

"No, I'm afraid not, sir."

Who was that? What is this?

I tried to move, feel, open my eyes, anything; but I was lost inside my own body. I felt like I was caught in the dreamless state between sleeping and waking, when you were aware of what you were doing but didn't feel like you had any control over it.

But then...I heard something...voices. Not with my ears and not with my mind...more like something was trying to tell me someting through my soul itself. Something that was somehow already part of my being, and yet locked away.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this, but I suppose I'll have to take you by force!"

"YUSEI!"

Was that a memory? I didn't know, I couldn't remember anything. A vision of the future?

Yusei? What did that mean?

"Alexandra..."

That wasn't the maliciously kind voice that I had heard only moments ago. This voice was pure, warm, ringing, like golden wind chimes. The feeling of safety wrapped itself around me like a warm blanket. I knew whoever it was meant me no harm.

I tried to reply, "Who are you?" but my voice ignored my command. Instead, I simply thought it; it was a bit difficult to keep focus long enough to do even that.

Who are you?

"One who would help. Alex...your friends call you Alex, do they not?"

Friends...? I don't know...I don't...I can't...remember anything...

"I know, child...I'm only sorry I can't tell you more...that is another's job."

I wanted to hear more, but I could feel myself slipping further towards consciousness.

"But I can tell you this; what you are waking up to is not where you belong..."

W-wait! What am I waking up to? Who are you?

"All will be revealed in time, child..."

The voice was gone as suddenly as it had appeared; I felt a chill as the warm feeling suddenly left me.

I heard a woman gasped. It sounded distant, like hearing a voice in a dream moments before waking.

"Sayer! A change has been detected in the test subject's body!"

Test subject? Was that me?

I heard footsteps, as if another person in the room was running over to the woman.

"What is it?" a male voice asked frantically.

"See this wavy pattern? It's likely the subject is communicating with the Spirit World!"

"Really?" the man asked, as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. There was a pause, and then he continued, in a much more mellow voice, "Well, then, it seems that all of our research up to this point hasn't been in vain after all..."

All the talking was pulling me further into consciousness. I knew I was awake now, but still lacked the will to open my eyes. I could hear the beeping of machines and, overhead, a steady hum - an air conditioner?

"Okay, that's enough for today, Seira," the man said. "Maybe it's time we put this one to work for us..."

He sounded - I didn't know. I couldn't determine whether his intent was good or bad. I felt...neutral, towards everything, if that made any sense.

I finally cracked my eyes open and was greeted by the glare of a fluorescent light. My head pounded, and I ached all over. Quite unintentionally, I groaned.

"Oh!" the woman, who I presumed was named Seira, gasped. "The subject's eyes have opened!"

My vision finally focused, and I could see that I was lying in a capsule-like bad in a dim room filled with blinking machines and monitors. Going back and forth between looking at me and typing data on a control panel furiously was "Seira", a young woman - maybe twenty? - with short burnt-orange hair and brownish-gold eyes, wearing a curious robe-like uniform with a long-sleeved shirt and pants underneath it. Staring at me almost eagerly was a man with flippy auburn hair wearing a black shirt and green vest.

"When she is able to walk," the man commanded Seira, "take our little protege to her room. But make sure that no one, and I mean no one, finds out that she is not a psychic duelist. If anyone else finds this out, our secret could be leaked to the outside world."

"Yes, sir," Seira replied, bowing her head a little.

With that, the man turned and strode out the door.

"how do you feel?" Seira asked me with a kind smile.

"Sore," I groaned. "Where am I?"

"You're in the Arcadia Movement headquarters, of course!"

"...Okay, you lost me at Arcadia."

Seira laughed.

I really didn't see what was so funny about the situation.

"Don't worry, I'll explain later. Rest for now. Once you regain your strength, I'll show you to your room and you'll meet your new teammates."

I was insanely confused, but I just nodded and forced myself to relax. (Wow, what a paradox.)

Arcadia Movement...

Just for the record, if you've read my story "iChooseYou!" there's a character named Alex in that story, too. The Alex in THAT story is a self-insert. The Alex in THIS story is not - she's a totally different character, personality wise. I just used the name Alex for my character when I played the video game and it would feel weird to use another name for her in this story. Just clearing that up!