(KOTG) Ch 1: The Jobless Man, A Glowing Ceiling!

Thron tugged at the collar of his shirt, glancing nervously at the reflections in shop windows as he walked down the street. Today was make-or-break, and he knew it. The job he was interviewing for wasn't exactly glamorous—dishwasher at a little diner on the outskirts of town—but right now, it felt like the most important opportunity of his life.

After five failed interviews, each one chipping away at his mom's patience, this felt like the last chance to prove he could be more than just a freeloader. The lectures about responsibility and the threats of eviction loomed over him like a storm cloud, especially when she'd given him that final warning this morning. "If you don't land this, don't bother coming home."

He felt a strange, dull ache in his head, which was only adding to the stress. He rubbed his temples, willing it to go away. But instead of fading, the pain sharpened, and then an image began to form in his mind—one that he couldn't ignore. A woman. Her features were hidden in shadows, but he could tell she had short hair, framing a silhouette that seemed to to have all the right curves. A strange sense of calm washed over him, and then, he heard her voice echo softly in his mind.

"I await you."

The words were both soothing and confusing. He blinked, shaking his head as he tried to make sense of it. Who was she? Why did she keep appearing in his mind, lingering like a haunting memory he couldn't place?

"Whatever," he muttered, pushing the thought away. Today wasn't the day to get lost in strange visions. He had to stay focused on the interview. He was so close now.

Arriving at the diner, Thron took a deep breath before stepping inside. The place was small, with chipped tiles and faded posters on the walls, but it was busy, and it had the comforting hum of people who needed simple, honest food. A woman at the counter glanced up, a no-nonsense expression on her face.

"Thron?" she asked, looking him over.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied, trying to mask the nerves with a polite smile.

"Sit over there," she instructed, motioning to a booth near the back. Thron obeyed, slipping into the seat and waiting as she came over with a clipboard and a pen. She introduced herself as Marla, the manager, and wasted no time diving into the questions.

"So, tell me why you want this job," Marla asked, staring him down.

Thron shifted in his seat, choosing his words carefully. "I, uh, need a steady income. I've been looking for a job for a while now, and I want to start proving I'm responsible. I can handle long hours, and I know I need to pull my weight."

She jotted something down, then looked back up at him with a raised eyebrow. "Any experience washing dishes? Or working in a kitchen?"

"I've helped out at home, but no, not professionally," he admitted. "But I'm a fast learner, and I don't mind getting my hands dirty."

Marla nodded, though her expression didn't give anything away. She asked a few more questions, drilling him on everything from his availability to his ability to handle high-stress situations. She even asked him what he would do if a customer complained, which threw him off a bit, but he managed to pull together an answer about staying calm and taking complaints to his supervisor.

The whole time, he could feel the weight of each question, the weight of his mom's words from that morning, and the weight of every rejection letter he'd received. He wanted to get this right. He needed to.

Marla looked at him one last time, tapping her pen against the clipboard. "Alright, I'll be in touch. But I'll tell you now, you did well."

Thron couldn't help the wave of relief that washed over him. Did well. Those words had been so rare in his life lately. He thanked her, feeling a genuine smile spread across his face as he left the diner. Walking down the street, he felt lighter, like he was already one step closer to getting his life on track.

"Finally, things are looking up," he murmured to himself. And for the first time in a long while, he really believed it.

That evening, he sat in his room, staring up at the ceiling, picturing what it would be like to tell his mom that he'd gotten the job. She would be proud, he knew it, and maybe she'd even start trusting him again. The thought was like a warm light, pulling him out of the dark place he'd been stuck in.

But then, something strange happened.

The ceiling above him started to ripple, as if it were made of water. His heart skipped a beat. "What the...?"

Before he could process what was happening, the ceiling faded away entirely, replaced by a shimmering blue portal. His stomach twisted in terror, but before he could scream, he felt a powerful force tugging him up. He clung to the bedframe, trying to fight it, but it was useless. The force pulled him into the portal, and he felt himself falling, tumbling through a vortex of light and color.

"Shit!" he cried, flailing as everything spun around him.

Then, as quickly as it had started, the motion stopped. He blinked, his vision slowly coming back into focus. He was lying on his back, staring up at the sky—except it wasn't the familiar sky he knew. Massive trees surrounded him, their trunks thick as houses and stretching upward until their tops disappeared into a green mist.

"What...where am I?" Thron whispered, fear prickling along his skin.