When the young girl opened her eyes, the world slowly came into focus. A blue void first flooded her vision, followed by the sensation of the cold floor beneath her. At first, a deep, rumbling voice filled her ears. After that it sharpened, cutting through the air.
"Finally awake, young lady. I've been waiting for you."
Her eyes widened as they fell on the radiant figure of an old man with white hair. He appeared ancient, his beard reaching all the way down, nearly sweeping the floor as he moved. For a moment, she wondered if she had somehow reached heaven. But no, she hadn't earned any virtue to deserve that.
The old man cleared his throat loudly, and the sound echoed across the empty sky.
She looked at her hands, every finger in place, nothing missing. Her toes too. Realizing she wasn't dreaming, after all of that she decided to speak finally.
"Where… am I?"
The old man seemed to have expected the question. "I was waiting for you to ask," he said. "Welcome to the Survival Game of the Chosen Cities!" His voice boomed, grand and theatrical.
Was this a dream or something?
"A… game?" she stammered, trying to process it. She scanned her surroundings, but there was little to see - except something ahead that caught her eye.
"Come with me," the old man said, before another coughing fit shook him.
The girl rose heavily from her spot, shuffled her feet, and approached the old man, scanning him from head to toe.
Then she followed him, questions racing through her mind. They reached a massive game setup. The game board was partitioned into square segments, each featuring a different city's name.
"This die will decide your fate!" he announced, spreading his arms like a showman. His voice was so loud it made the hairs on her arms stand.
"Wait! Tell me about the game!" she demanded.
"Very well," he said, turning toward her. "Here you'll see the cities. Roll the die, and you'll land on one of six. That city will shape your destiny. Your task is to build it, grow it, and fight the enemy cities."
The girl listened attentively.
" Enemies.. so I'm not the only player. Good - being alone would be boring."
"Take a closer look at the cities - uh… landing on the City of Flames isn't ideal - uh… actually, the Ice City suits you, with your blue hair," he said hastily.
The old man was right. Perhaps she was an Ice Princess in this strange new world. "And what does the winner get?" She asked impatiently.
The old man's eyes gleamed. He snapped his fingers once. The game setup vanished, replaced by mountains of gold, piles of jewels, and heaps of pizzas.
"All of this will be yours… almost forever," he said, his tone sharp.
"Almost?" she asked, taken aback.
The old man ignored her and produced a sheet of paper from nowhere. "Sign this contract, then roll the die," he said, suddenly serious. "You wouldn't want to waste my time."
Resigned to her fate, the girl picked up the pen and signed. There was no returning to her normal life anymore, after all. Learning the rules would be hard, but it was better than dying. She would survive. No matter what, she had to cling to life.
After signing, she asked again, "Why did you say 'almost'?"
The old man responded only with a cough and a serious glare. Deflated, she rolled the die. It spun endlessly across the floor, refusing to settle. She waited, and waited, and waited for a long time, but the die refused to stop.
Then a crashing sound erupted behind her. Turning around, the girl froze. The old man lay on the ground, one hand on his chest, eyes wide and white.
"Oh no…" she whispered. "What happens to the game now?"
The old man was no longer breathing, and his heart had stopped beating.
Before she could get an answer, a deep thud echoed. Than darkness swallowed her, leaving only the sound of the die clattering on the floor.