Chapter 1: The Gate (Patreon)

I was hiking in the Black Forest in Germany, looking at nature, and trying to stop my mind from going round and round in circles without success. Everything around me was beautiful; it was early autumn, and the leaves had just begun to turn, so the trees were mostly green with yellow and orange decorations, but it wasn't enough to get me out of my head. At 37, my life had fallen apart. I was at a crossroads, trying to decide my future direction and trying to come to terms with my wife's death and the fact that my life had been shattered.

I didn't want to go back to the hospital where I used to work, since I continued working there so she could work in the same hospital as her father to help them mend their relationship, but without her, I had no place there and didn't want it either. My desire to practice medicine was still present–I discovered I enjoy helping people. I didn't trust or like them on a personal level, but I did like to help them; it made me feel accomplished.

Money was important to me, a remnant of my childhood in foster care with nothing, but finding a new job was proving to be a challenge. My father-in-law, with his extensive network across the US, had tarnished my reputation, making it difficult for me to find work in my field.

Perhaps, a new beginning in Europe or Australia? I've heard of their need for doctors. Could this be my chance to rebuild my life, to find a new purpose?

Then, a peculiar sensation stirred in the depths of my mind, a subtle but undeniable pull. It wasn't a call, per se, but a connection, a tether to something unknown. It was an odd and unfamiliar feeling, as if a thread linked me to SOMETHING. I tried to dismiss it, but it persisted, growing stronger with each attempt to ignore it.

With a newfound resolve, I decided to confront this mystery head-on. I was in a safe place, on a well-trodden path of a popular hiking trail near town. How bad could it possibly be?

I concentrated to zero in on the feeling, and it was coming from my right, not from the trail. After a short deliberation, I decided the underbrush wasn't too bad and started following the feeling.

After about twenty minutes, I arrived at a location that looked exactly like everything else, but I knew that was the place. There were some trees, a couple of giant boulders on a rise, and an endless underbrush—basically, nothing.

Hmm, I feel stupid now. There's nothing here.

But the feeling persisted and was stronger than before. It intrigued me, and I decided to investigate. I walked around the right-hand boulder, and the feeling disappeared when I was behind it. Odd. Walked back, and it returned. I walked around the left-hand boulder, and the feeling faded. Walked back, and it returned.

I'm losing my mind.

As I walked between the boulders, it felt as if I was passing through some sort of force field.

Before I had a chance to try to understand what happened, I felt an intense pain in my head. I dropped to my knees and hyperventilated. The pain was like a ball of fire that was growing and growing. Then, a line of fire connected to my diaphragm, and a new ball of fire started growing there. I screamed from the pain and fell on my side. The line of fire moved to my navel, and a new ball started increasing. Suddenly, lines of fire shot to my hands and legs and every finger and toe.

I blacked out.

I woke up in the fetal position on my side and just lay there, waiting for the pain to hit again, but nothing happened. Without opening my eyes, I examined my body, and everything felt fine. Actually, it was better than fine. My body felt better than I had felt in a long time. Taking off my backpack, I laid on my back, enjoying the absence of pain and the general feeling of well-being I missed. During my wife's last months of life, I took care of her at home and was afraid to sleep in case she needed me. After she died, I had trouble sleeping, so I was constantly feeling weak, tired, and ragged.

When I opened my eyes, it was night, but not dark. From my prone position, I looked at the sky, and a big moon was hanging above me. It was HUGE. Wow. I moved my head to the left, and there was another, smaller moon.

Wait, what!?

I sat up in shock, rubbed my eyes, and looked again—still two moons. Closed my eyes, shook my head, and looked again—still two moons. I fell back on my back again.

I closed my eyes to process and noticed a red blinking light on the right side of my field of vision. Opened my eyes—still two moons. Closed my eyes—blinking light.

I'm losing my mind!

I opened my eyes again—two moons, but now I saw that the blinking light was still there, with my eyes open. I tried to touch it—nothing. Turned my head from side to side, still there, moving with my field of vision. Tried to contact it with my mind, and text started scrolling in front of my eyes.

Innate ability detected [Gate Traveler].

Huh?!

The text disappeared, and a new text appeared.

No Class or Profession detected

"What do you mean, no profession detected? I'm a doctor, goddammit! I heal people!"

__________________

New Class unlocked: Gate Traveler

Would you like to take the Class [Gate Traveler]?

Y/N

__________________

I'm definitely losing my mind.

Since I had nothing to lose, I tapped YES with my mind like before.

I felt immense pressure in my head and blacked out again.

When I came to again, it was light. Was it morning? I didn't know. I looked at the sky—one sun. Good. There were no shocks there, at least. Rechecking myself, I saw that all was fine. There was no change in the physical feeling this time, but a new feeling was inside my body. A new, indescribable awareness stirred within me. Something new I couldn't describe. Like a new energy that was a part of me, and for the first time, I felt whole. All my life, I had a strong, hollow feeling inside me, like something was missing. For a while, I even tried to smoke pot to make it go away, but it didn't help. I always thought that I felt that way because I never knew my father, and my mom died when I was little. Now I understood I was missing this something in me—whatever this was.

I just sat there and basked in the feeling until I noticed the red blinking light again. I tapped it with my mind like before, and a new text appeared:

_________________

Class: Gate Traveler Level 0

Gates to the next level (1/1)

Level up

+1 to all stats, +5 free points, +1 ability point

Class: Gate Traveler Level 1

Stat Points: 5

Ability Points: 1

Gates to the next level (0/3)

_________________

I just sat there and stared at the text.

After a few minutes, I realized I was hungry and thirsty. I inspected my backpack and found that all my belongings were intact inside. Two granola bars, a bottle of water, a book, a dead phone, and a jacket. No matter what I tried with my phone—nothing, dead as a doornail. After eating and drinking, I thought about what to do next.

The thing called me a "Gate Traveler," so I guessed the stones I passed through were a gate. Looking behind me, I saw two large round stones with a flat top resembling giant tree stumps made of stone. I still had the feeling that helped me find the gate on the other side, so I guessed it was still active.

Can I go back?

I stood up and touched the stone, and again, a text appeared:

_______________

Travelers Gate #468217258

Destination: Earth/Gaia/Terra

Status: Unintegrated

Mana level: 3

Technology level: Low

Threat level: Humans–moderate. Other beings–very high.

______________

I sat down again to process. A portal to another world—specifically, back to Earth in this instance.

Mana level? Technology level low? Why low? Other beings? Holy shit, other beings! Aliens!!

Before I could hyperventilate, I sprang to my feet and dashed through the gate, racing back to Earth.