Ezekiel stood atop the tallest building on Floor 2. He had no reason to live anymore. His sister had just died, and his parents had passed long before her.She had always been frail, but when she contracted White Eye, he hadn't been nearly as worried as he should have. He had survived it himself with only two days of mild sickness. He assumed she would too.But she didn't.She died in his arms.
Of course he blamed himself. There was no one else left to blame.
Just before he stepped off the edge, he muttered a question to no one in particular.
"Who am I? After I die, will anyone remember me once they burn my corpse? I doubt it. And honestly, I don't think I want them to. Why would I be worth remembering?"
He stepped off the building and closed his eyes as the wind rushed past. But as he fell, a sudden surge of energy overwhelmed his body. His eyes flew open. A pale white light had begun to wrap around his arms.
Before he had time to react, he crashed into the ground.
To his surprise, he was still alive.
His head pounded like it was about to split open, but aside from the dust and pain, he was fine. No broken bones. No blood. Nothing fatal.
"I think I just awakened Spira," he said quietly.
As he lay there in the small crater, a group of people began to gather around him. They were probably scavengers, hoping to loot whatever they could from his body.
Ezekiel slowly stood up, the white glow still shimmering faintly around him. At the sight of it, the scavengers froze for a moment before turning and fleeing.
"Explorer!" someone shouted."There's an awakened one on the lower floors!"
They disappeared into the shadows, and Ezekiel stood alone in the dust, alive when he should have been dead.
Ezekiel frowned as the energy began to disperse. As the last shimmering traces of Spira faded from his body, unrelenting pain took their place.His body was being rebuilt.
He had heard stories about how many Abyssians like himself died during this stage of awakening. But somehow, he knew he was not going to be one of them.
Agony tore through him as his muscles ripped and reformed. He could feel every fiber of his body being reshaped. It felt like he had thrown himself into fire, his nerves burning with every second. Still, he held on. Losing control could mean death, and he was no longer sure that was what he wanted.
When the pain finally eased, he collapsed to the ground. His strength vanished, and his consciousness faded into darkness.
When he awoke, he found himself in a room he did not recognize. The bed beneath him was far too soft and clean to belong to an Abyssian. As he sat up and looked around, he realized he was in a real house. The ceiling above him was lined with glowing runes, casting soft light across the room. Sitting across from him was a man in fine clothing, clearly someone of wealth and status, watching him silently.
"So, my guest of honor is finally awake. Do you have a name, young Abyssian?"
Ezekiel instinctively reached for the gun he usually kept holstered at his hip, only to remember he had left it behind in his home before attempting suicide. The man simply smiled, clearly amused by the sudden hostile reaction.
"Who are you, old man, and where the hell am I? More importantly, how did I get here?"
The man's smile faded. He tapped his cane on the floor with a sharp click.
"I believe I asked for your name. I'll answer your questions once you answer mine."
Ezekiel scoffed, turning fully to face the man as he sat up.
"I'm Ezekiel. I'm from Floor Two. Now answer my question, old man."
A grin returned to the man's face, replacing his earlier look of irritation.
"After you passed out, presumably from awakening Spira, the guards heard someone shouting about an explorer and came to investigate. They brought you up here, and since I was nearby, I decided to take you in. This is Floor Fifteen, in case you hadn't noticed."
Ezekiel ran his hands over his face, overwhelmed.
"Floor Fifteen? Holy shit. I've never been past Floor Six. Am I going to get arrested or something?"
The old man let out a deep laugh.
"Of course not, my boy. Now that you've awakened, you could easily become an explorer. If you choose to walk that path, I would be more than happy to sponsor you, provided you work for me, of course."
Ezekiel raised a hand and sighed.
"Wait. I need time to process all this. Everything is moving too fast. First, what's your name, old man? Second, why would you sponsor me? You don't know anything about me. Third, I don't know the first thing about Spira. It's basically impossible to see or study in the Abyss. And finally, what happens if I say no?"
The man smirked.
"My name is Griffen. Please, call me Mister Griffen. I want to sponsor you simply because you seem interesting, and I am hardly short on money. I happen to be the richest man on this floor. As for learning about Spira, that can be arranged in the snap of a finger. And if you choose not to become an explorer, well, while I would never fault you for that decision, I suggest you enjoy trying to leave this manor after I inform the guards you trespassed in a noble's home. I want you to understand that the truth won't matter."
Ezekiel frowned and looked up at the ceiling.
"I get it. Either I work for you, or I get arrested and die in some mine on the wild floors. I guess there's not much of a choice. If I die, it's not going to be in a mine. But I don't want to work for you either, old man. Still, I'm not seeing any way out of this."
Griffen Smiled. "I'm glad you're quick on the uptake young Abyssian."