Prophecy is a rare talent, granted only to a select few by the River God. The ability to glimpse the future, by cssical definition, implies a linear and well-defined path. However, if one could truly know the future, even for a moment, it would mean that destiny is predetermined and immutable.

  The truth, however, is far more complex. Time flows like a river, but it is not a straight and unalterable course. Instead, it is a meandering current that curves around isnds of primordial Chaos and Entropy that taint the very fabric of our existence.

  The gift of prophecy is unique in that those who possess it can see many, but not all, possible threads of the future. With their own will and agency, they can eliminate unwanted paths, thus serving the temple of the God of the Wend and Way. In this way, the oracur visionaries can guide the course of events towards a more favorable outcome.

  — On the Prophecy of the Gods by Gideon de Savia, 376 AC.

  The next day, I was jolted awake by shouting. One of the guards slid a tray of food into my cell. My stomach rumbled as I picked up the meal. The tray had a crudely carved wooden bowl filled with some sort of thick gruel. I hesitantly tasted the liquid, uneasy at the meaty chunks within. The fvor was bnd with the texture of chewed, salty cardboard, but I still hungrily slurped down the rough repast. It was my first “civilized” meal in this new world.

  The meal did wonders for my mental state. For better or worse, I had encountered civilization. According to my Identify spell, the inhabitants were human, and being fed at least meant they were not pnning on killing me—at least not immediately.

  Despite my recent “cultural exchange” with the locals, I was, for some bizarre reason, cautiously optimistic. I felt, or rather hoped, that there was at least a little room to maneuver and improve my fate. This was a very different situation from killing murderous amphibious fish. Yet, humans could be every bit as cruel as monsters. I remembered yesterday’s savage beating and swore vengeance against the men who had found me.

  I now had the chance to review my situation and take stock. The previous day was just an unskippable story event. After a good rest, my Health had been restored to just a little under my maximum, and my Mana and Stamina were both full. I noticed that, likely due to the beatings and forced march, I had gained a point of Constitution.

  Almost automatically, I cast Heal, a habit ingrained from a lifetime of pying online role-pying games to maintain my Health. This time, the familiar sensation of magic enveloped me with a new twist. The movements and sensations were slower and stronger, like water building up pressure behind a dam. A warm pulse flowed through my core, unlike any previous casting, leaving me feeling a little tired when the spell finally ended.

  You have learned Silent Casting (lvl.1)

  So instinctive was my casting that I had forgotten to say, “Heal,” the verbal component of the spell. I had simply willed the spell to be. Wonder filled me as I considered the implications of this new ability, a potential ace in future encounters. They would be unaware of what spells, if any, I was going to unleash upon them. However, I did note that this method of casting took a little extra time, perhaps a few seconds—an eternity in combat.

  “Carpe Diem.” One of my father’s familiar quotes rose unbidden to my mind. It meant “Seize the day,” and I intended to take full advantage of my situation, despite the dire straits I found myself in. Stealthily, I moved to the bars of my cell, checking that no guards were watching my next move.

  I decided to train my body while waiting for my Mana to recover. I began a series of exercises: jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, and even using the barred window frame for pull-ups. Every time I lifted myself up, chin above the shutter’s bottom ledge, I caught a glimpse of the small square outside, now empty, and the main thoroughfare that ran alongside it.

  I continued to push myself until my Stamina reached zero, arms screaming with effort. Still straining with all my will, I tasted blood at the back of my throat as I finished my st pull-up. Panting heavily, I realized I had pushed myself so hard that I had caused some damage to my Health, dropping by a single point.

  Resting and allowing my Stamina to recover, I seized the opportunity to sharpen my mind. I sat cross-legged atop the straw heap, closed my eyes, and delved into a reflective exercise, scrutinizing my actions in this world so far. What could I have done differently? What crucial lessons had I gleaned?

  Taking a deep breath, I plunged deeper into my past, attempting to summon long-lost fragments of information from half-remembered lessons. I pondered a host of topics, ranging from mathematics and science to economics, history, astronomy, and religion.

  I drew upon my mental faculties to focus on the realm of science, reexamining what I knew about atoms, particles, charge, and bonds. These were the very building blocks of the material world I once knew, and I worked diligently to reinforce my previous knowledge and understanding.

  And for my tireless efforts, I was to be rewarded.

  You have gained 1 Intelligence.

  The notification fshed across my mind, and I ughed with pure joy. The local culture I had encountered was nowhere near as developed as my own world. As a student in the modern world, I stood upon thousands of years of accumuted knowledge and wisdom. What was taught so casually in a cssroom would take me far beyond the schors of this small settlement, perhaps even of this world. I realized that I might have finally found my edge to surviving in this cruel pce.

  Throughout the day, I continued in much the same way, training both my mind and body in the cell, thankful for the security of its walls. During my training, I gained a single point each in Constitution and Strength.

  Every time a small voice urged me to lie down and take a rest, I thought of Bogurchu and the scarred man. Remembering the touch of his fingers across my face brought a shiver of revulsion, and I redoubled my efforts. My body was becoming stronger, my limbs felt more powerful, my movements more graceful, and my breathing a little more steady when I pushed myself to the fullest.

  However, the most striking change of all was in my mental faculties. As my Intelligence attribute grew, I found that I could recollect things more clearly, and concepts I had been taught but did not fully understand came more easily to me. This allowed me to increase my Intelligence attribute further, which propelled even more crity of thought.

  Breathing deeply, I settled myself. If Intelligence was learning, knowledge, and retention, then Wisdom must surely be the correct application of that knowledge. With my newly sharpened intellect, I recalled the parables of Aesop and the dialogues of Pto, who urged the pursuit of virtue as an intrinsic good, and the probing inquiries of Socrates, who challenged citizens to examine the moral foundations of their beliefs. Yet I did not stop there; I considered Aristotle’s notion of the “golden mean,” where moral virtue lies between excess and deficiency. There, I was reminded of how the Stoics—Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius—advised the cultivation of inner fortitude and rational discernment in the face of life’s hardships. I even reflected on Confucius’s emphasis on proper conduct, an Asian line of philosophy that I usually had no truck with, and the noble aims of cultivating benevolence and righteousness. As I situated these arguments within the tapestry of my own new reality, I saw more clearly, if ever so slightly, man’s pce in the universe. And as the day turned to dusk, I was rewarded for my efforts with a notification that I had gained a point in Wisdom.

  Opening my eyes, I noticed that at some point during my meditations, a new tray of food had been delivered. Checking the contents, I saw what looked like the sorry remains of a root vegetable pced in with my gruel. I had to take sustenance wherever I could find it, so I promptly devoured my meal, leaving the tray by the entrance to my cell. It would do me no favors to antagonize my jailers by making their job more difficult.

  The idea of pnning some sort of daring escape at this stage struck me as simirly foolhardy. My encounter with Bogurchu and his men had left an indelible mark of fear on me. I made excuses to myself, doubting I would st long on my own in this high-level zone. I decided to py it safe and wait for the next story event on this quest arc. For now, I needed to improve myself and get stronger.

  With the pale moon of this world casting an argentine blue light into my cell, I continued my mental training well into the night, when my thoughts started to drift towards my past. I remembered that it was likely my ex-girlfriend's birthday today, and I silently wished her the very best, wherever she may be. I wondered if time flowed differently in this world compared to my old one; for all I knew, the days were longer here, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of time. But I was wise enough now to know it was neither of our faults that things had ended the way they did.

  After all, life and circumstances could turn anyone into a monster.