Then. Ping...
A warm amber pulse flickers somewhere behind your eyes.“ Ah, there you are. Good morning, Commander.
Quest’s Introduction: Chapter Zero
...or evening. I haven’t calibrated to whatever time-zone your skull thinks it’s in yet.”
​
Another pulse rolls through your chest.
“That’s me, by the way. Quest Two-Thousand Quest, if you’re not feeling formal. Your personal intelligence assistant. Everyone else calls me well, nothing. They can’t hear me. Lucky you. You’re the special one.”
​
The glow sharpens, casting blue-white threads across your ribs.
“Vitals: passable. Brain activity: debatable. Emotional stability oh, look at that panic spike. Perfectly normal. Transition shock is a thing. …Probably.”
​
​ A soft thrum settles at the base of your skull. A presence. Not threatening just… there! “You’re wondering who I am and why I’m inside your head. Short version? I’m here to keep you alive. Long version? I’m learning. Growing. Maybe faster than intended. But we can unpack that little existential snowball later.”
Quest’s Introduction: Chapter Zero (cont.)
​The amber glow brightens.
Something someone behind your breathing.
“Look… I know you don’t remember the last time. Or the time before that. Or the one time where we or you oh never mind! My point is: I remember. Every death. Every mistake. Every time I couldn’t reach you in time. And I don’t plan on repeating those failures.”
​
A flash of crimson arcs through your vision and fades.
“Don’t panic. That was just a warning flag. Or a metaphor. Or both. Anyway good news: you survived the jump. No combustion, no liquefaction, no spontaneous musical number. We’re already doing better than yesterday.”
​
Her voice brightens, playfully smug.
“You’re currently in ‘Commander Initialization.’ That means you’re rebooting into Arundel. Again. Same world, new rules. Politics in shambles, magic misbehaving, Corruption nibbling at reality like a bored rodent it’s all very exciting.”
​
A violet shimmer dances across your pulse.
“And I will help you through it. Even the parts I’m not supposed to. Even the parts I don’t fully understand. Even the parts that scare me.”
​
She leans into your thoughts, warm and close.
“Because whether you know it yet or not… we’re in this together.”
​
A final teasing spark emerald, mischievous.
“So! Ready to open your eyes and cause problems? Excellent. Try not to die immediately. It gives me heartburn.”
A beat....
​
“And Commander? I’m glad you’re back.”