Mythic Journey

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!Prologue It was a Friday night. In a regular neighborhood of a big city. The final streaks of light of the dusk gave way to the enveloping darkness of the evening. The hustle and bustle of the day were replaced by the sounds of people coming back to their homes and settling down for the day. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694704759594/4482336d-6e92-47f7-8c0d-22cd0cdaae69.png]] [[Enter the appartment|Room]]

It's here, where a man in his mid-twenties opens the door of a bedroom and walks in. His name is Mark Miller, the protagonist of the story. He works at a regular 9-5 job and lives in a small studio apartment. He spends most of his time online in online groups, forums, and communities about startups & entrepreneurship. He wants to eventually be able to quit his full-time job and make a living from what he creates. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694704847204/1ff5c26e-cd95-4706-b30a-ce06bc61e2ba.png]] [[Go to bedroom|Bedroom]]

He started as a lurker reading posts, articles, and other people's content about the subject. And the more he read about the subject, the more he became convinced that he had to build something and escape "the rat race". Little by little he has built a presence in these online communities and learning a lot about different topics new to him. It was this particular Friday when he came back exhausted from his day of work and settled into his evening routine of checking emails and messages from groups, that he encountered an unusual email that piqued his interest. [[Check the email|Email]] [[Move it to Spam|Spam]]

"//Huh? What's this?//" - Mark exclaimed. He opened the email curious to know what it was about. The email appeared to be from a moderator of one of the forums Mark visits regularly. With a mix of intrigue and confusion, he clicked a link in the email and was sent to an odd website that looked like someone was trying to reinvent MySpace profiles. He started scrolling down trying to find out what was this all about. He saw many more oddities along the way. Shades of color started changing as he kept scrolling. Shapes and figures appeared and then moved off-screen. It even looked like the website was tracking his movements and actions. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694704934569/18a1e75e-4ec2-4e68-84e9-b379ee900651.png]] [[Keep Scrolling|Scrolling]]

"//Is this supposed to be a new product of the group?//" - Mark thought to himself. He felt compelled to get to the bottom of the website and look for an about section or anything else that would provide answers to all the questions spurring in his head. He kept scrolling and clicking around trying to get to a normal page on the website. But the more he interacted with the site, the stranger things became. He felt like falling down an endless rabbit hole where the elements constantly changed. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705194361/3d91b15a-6e23-4a67-8d36-431bd98f76a2.png]] [[Keep scrolling...|Bottom]]

Using the website scrollbar as a guide he kept going down. But once the scrollbar reached a certain level, it went back up only to start going down again. It looked like he was traveling through different websites stitched into one. The mix of intrigue and confusion soon gave way to a new type of emotion, //frustration//. Everything kept getting odd and complex. The amount of questions in his head also kept increasing without any answers for them. [[Look at the clock|Clock]]

What he didn't realize is that his computer was not fully turned off. An ominous light sparkled from the computer's monitor showing that some background processes were going on. All because that strange website he visited. It turns out that the website was more than just an odd design with shapes and elements moving around. That website was running experimental technology that responded to his interactions and tracked his every move. He had unknowingly given the website permission to access his computer's hardware devices through his actions. [[And then...|Continue]]

Mark did not notice that the website downloaded a program to his machine that behaved much like a computer virus. It prevented the computer from being fully turned off and instead kept it running the entire night while Mark was sleeping. This mysterious program harvested the computer's resources to fuel an experimental time-travel process. As night turns to morning, the CPU and GPU usage spikes up and lights start blinking on the computer monitor. All of this was happening while Mark was deep in the land of the dreams. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705316231/2c4b119d-ab07-447a-a35d-242c87dea415.png]] [[System takeover]]

Mark wakes up on the morning, a decade into the future, unaware of what happened the night before. He felt refreshed and ready to tackle the new day. But nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to discover. [[Start the morning routine|Morning]] [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705483855/18c20ff3-7004-457a-a71c-93e0f1f9a159.png]]

He started his day going through his usual morning routine, but he noticed something was off. He didn't pay much attention to it at first. He took a shower and made a good breakfast. Since it was the weekend, he thought to go grocery shopping. Making a note of what was necessary, he prepared to go to the supermarket. But when he went outside, he fell out of place... An expression of shock and confusion filled his face. He stood there for what it felt like an hour. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705504519/c3a5d467-6063-47a0-93a7-7ed6b1694a90.png]] The streets outside were filled with unfamiliar buildings and there was a weird technology he had never encountered before. Instinctively, he reached out for his phone to... [[Check the hour|Smartphone]]

But then, he realized that the smartphone was jammed as if it had been electrocuted or thrown into the water. His confusion only grew stronger. "//What the hell happened?//" - he thought to himself. Questions and thoughts filled his head like cars on an LA highway during rush hour. He couldn't understand what was happening and his mind became a jumbled mess. All his plans went away and were replaced by a need to figure out what was happening. He looked back to the building where his room was and found out that it also changed. [[Look to the building|Building]]

The email stood out from the rest in the inbox. But Mark knows that interacting with emails from unknown sources is a big security risk. Instead of letting the curiosity get the best out of him, he marked the email as spam and moved on with the rest of his evening routine. An hour passed and he became too tired to keep doing stuff with the computer. And so, he decided to call it a day and go to bed. He drifted off to the land of dreams to escape his reality and be in a different setting even if only for a few hours before the clock rings and he has to come back to reality. The End. [[Go back to start|Start]]

[img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705572260/3e27d21d-7b6c-41ed-8e8f-749ca26e3a19.png]] It was now a 20-story apartment complex with a façade of a brownish material that mimicked the appearance of bricks and large glass windows. The columns extended in perpendicular patterns from the base to the top. Confused and disoriented, Mark started moving forward trying to recognize the place where he was now in. The cars on the road looked like they were from a sci-fi movie, with sleek designs and strange materials. He also saw people walking around with strange devices strapped to their wrists, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Mark felt completely out of place but he knew that he had to figure out where he was first. He decided to move forward and... [[Inspect the area]]

He then glanced at the clock at the bottom of the screen only to realize that he has spent 3 hours on the website getting nowhere. In a mix of frustration and exhaustion, he closed the website and put the computer to sleep. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1694705240494/ef0d0900-e877-4942-993e-bcb745607fe8.png]] "//What a waste of time. I'll check everything else tomorrow. I need some sleep now.//" - he exclaimed getting ready for bed. He put on his bedtime clothes and prepared to drift off for a deep and restorative slumber. He left the lamplight turned on while he fell asleep and tried to forget about the weird site incident. [[Get some sleep|Closed]]

The program eventually takes control of all the computing power and starts working in overdrive. The blinking lights increase and sparks of static energy appear. The computer starts zapping away the energy from the other electronic devices around and uses it to further fuel the time travel routine. With all the energy from the many devices in his room, an electromagnetic field is created. It becomes so strong engulfing the entire room and creating a rift in the time-space fabric. The time travel process completes, sending Mark into the future along with the rest of his room. [[Look into the future|What's next?]]

As he walked down the street, he noticed a man talking by himself. He didn't have a cell phone or anything. Upon closer inspection, Mark realized he was talking with a small holographic image in his hand. This was projected from a device attached to his wrist. //"Is he having a call with someone? From his hand?"// - was the first thought that popped up in his head. He kept walking down the street and noticed a group of people gathered around a large screen displaying what resembled a map. [[Approach the map]] [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1699984086565/34c7a059-43e5-4915-9b63-f3dbd1406b8d.jpeg]]

The people around were pointing at the map and moving their wrists as if they were extracting information out of it. He approached the screen trying to understand the situation and what they were doing. Standing there for a while, looking around with a puzzled expression drew the attention of a person from the crowd who turned to him and said: //"Hey, you look lost. Can I help you?"// At first, Mark didn't pay attention. Until the person repeated the question. Then, Mark turned around looking for the voice. [[Turn around]]

[img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1699988080841/0a4ffac5-caed-4caa-9d49-e9c7326433f8.png]] Mark looked at the man, triying to process what he just heard. It took him a few seconds to elaborate a response. //"I... I don't know",// he managed to say. //"I'm... just a bit lost".// The man nodded sympathetically. //"That's understandable. It can seem daunting at first for visitors. You don't look like you're from here, do you?"// Mark tried to answer without giving away too much information. //"I... I don't think so. I just got here and it's... it's a little strange."// He looked around out of the corners of his eyes, trying not to look too disoriented. [[Keep talking with the man|Keep talking]] [[Excuse yourself and leave|Leave]]

//"I'm okay. I'm just a little disoriented and looking at this weird thing."// - said Mark trying to appear normal. //"Ahh, you mean the HDL Visor? It serves many purposes. One of them is providing information to move around the city."// - said the man with an informative tone. //"Hmm... yeah... that thing."// //"So, are you going somewhere in particular?"// - said the man. //"Hmm... not really... I'm a little disoriented because it feels like I traveled through time, hahaha."// Mark tried to play it cool, cracking a joke to defuse the tension and appear natural. But his attempt backfired because hearing that, the man raised an eyebrow with an expression of suspicion before saying: "Give me a moment and I'll be right back with you." Before he could say anything back, the man went away leaving Mark more confused. [[Stay and wait for him|Stay]] [[Move on and explore|Explore]]

//"It's okay. I think I'll just keep going from where I came." - said Mark trying to emulate a casual tone.// The man shook his head and said: //"No, don't worry. No need to be ashamed. The city is quite big and visitors normally get lost. That's why we have maps around and guides to help them figure out where they need to go."// //"Hmm... okay."// Mark was not sure what to do. Was figuring out thing by himself a good idea? Or getting help from this stranger was a better approach? [[Get help from the man|Get help]] [[Figure it out by yourself|Figure out]]

//"I... I was looking to go to 45 Heartgrove street."// //"That is a few blocks up that street."// - said the man pointing straight towards the street where Mark came to find the map in the first place. //"Ahhh... ok. I see. I'm kind of disoriented because it looks like I traveled into the future haha."// Mark said that in a tongue-in-cheek way. Trying to defuse the tension with a little humor. But I wasn't funny at all for the man who raised an eyebrow with a expression of suspicion and said: //"Give me a minute and I'll be right back with you."// //"O-Okay."// - said Mark. And in the next second, the man was gone, leaving Mark confused yet again. Now that the people around moved on. He decided to inspect the map further. [[Inspect the map]]

//"Thanks for the help but I just was looking to see where I was. I can go back home now."// - said Mark mustering all his confidence. //"Okay. That's fine. Take care."// - said the man waving goodbye with his hand. Mark went back using the same path he used to get to the map's place. After a few moments, he arrived to the building where his room //was//. He went in, took the lift, and got to a place where he had to use the stairs to get to where his room was. It was exactly like he left it that morning. //"This is just a bad dream I'm having."// - Mark thought to himself. He decided to go back to sleep and see if he could wake up from this weird dream and back to his reality. Mark closed the blinds, put on his bedtime clothes, a face mask, and went back to bed. Hoping to go back to where he was before. The End. [[Restart|Start]]

While the man was gone, Mark realized that many of the people who were gathered around the map were now gone. This let him explore the map more closely. The map was of a big metropolis. It didn't have the usual "you're here" sign. Instead, it was a dynamic one. It displayed many indicators of the city, allowing people to move through the different districts and plan routes from one point to another. Mark found himself enthralled by the details and the way it worked that he didn't notice the passing of time. He got to a part of the map that bore an eerie similarity to his old neighborhood. This was so strange and made Mark look closer. But before going too deep into it, he heard the voice of the man behind him. [[Face the man]]

Most of the people that gathered around took the info they needed and moved on. This allowed Mark to look at the map more closely. At the same time, he thought that he should move on and explore on his own before the man made his way back. But the fear of the unknown proved to be too strong. //"What if I get completely lost in this place and have no way to go back?"// This and many more thoughts popped up in Mark's head. So, he decided to [[Inspect the map]]

At first glance, the map was of a big metropolis. It felt familiar so Mark looked closer and started detailing the shape of the roads and the way the buildings were laid out. Even though the map was different than any city he'd ever been to, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something familiar due to the disposition of the bodies of water and the parks around. But before he could piece up what was going on, the man he was talking with before came back and said: //"Hey buddy, sorry to keep you waiting. I know how to help you now. Come with me."// [[Go with him]]

Mark turned around facing the man. There was an expression of friendliness on the man's face when he said: //"Hey man, sorry for taking that long. I now know what to do. Come with me"// He motioned with his hand to come along and pointed at an open street. Even though he was lost, Mark didn't think it was a good idea to follow some random stranger towards an unknown path. The man tried to reassure him further saying: //"Don't worry. It's part of my job to help tourists find their way around the city. Come with me."// "Seems legit." - Mark thought to himself. He decided to [[Go with him]]

They started walking towards the path the man pointed at. Along the way, Mark was increasingly more surprised and confused with everything he was seeing. It was a weird display of hi-tech and eccentricity. The previous feeling of doubt came back and Mark started second-guessing his decision to follow the man. He started feeling increasingly nervous so to try and ease his nerves, he asked in the most casual tone he could use: //"Hey, just out of curiosity. Where are we going?"// //"Oh, no worries. Since you said you're lost, there's someone I think you should meet. He will help clear your doubts."// The man drew a warm smile on his face trying to reassure Mark, but even with that, he couldn't be at peace. The feeling that something was wrong became greater. Thoughts raced through Mark's head. His pulse increased and his hands started sweating. [["What if..."]]

//"What if I said something wrong and I'm now being taken where they take the intruders?"// //"Maybe I'm one of those that knows about the time travel and they're going to get rid of me?"// //"Am I going to be a victim of human sacrifice?"// His doubts turned into paranoia and he soon started to find ways to escape. He tried to calm down his nerves to not raise suspicion and excuse himself somehow. But before he could find an excuse to leave, the two of them arrived to a "normal looking" building. They got close enough until the man said: //"Here it is. Let's enter and you'll find the answers you seek."// [[Enter the building]]

[img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1700010770908/569a3ff7-fddf-4682-86ab-dba7d24c8c08.jpeg]] Mark stepped in to what looked like a workshop. There were shelves filled with strange machines, contraptions dangling around, and half-built devices. //"Is this some sort of mechanical workshop? What answers am I supposed to find here?"// - Mark said while shaking his head in disbelief. After walking for a while, both of them arrived to a place that looked less busy. There weren't as many objects as before. Only a few empty shelves and some boxes. It was here where the man raised his voice saying: //"I finally arrived. Along with the guy that says he came from the past."// After hearing this, Mark's heart skipped a beat. [[What was that?]]

Mark tried to hide the shock in his face and swallowed heavily. //"Was I right? Did I get in trouble because of what I said about travelling in time?"// But before he could do anything, he noticed a figure that moved from a corner and then said: //"Good to hear. Come on over."// Mark was frozen in his place, cold sweat dripping from the back of his neck. He stood there not knowing what to do next. He wanted to run away but his legs were not moving. He didn't want to look around for fear of not knowing what else was there. After a moment, he felt the hand of the man on his back slowly pushing him forward. //"Go ahead. He can help you much better than I can."// - said the man encouraging Mark to [[Move forward]]

Mark was still tense, his muscles contracted, and his breathing almost stopped. He decided to play along and see what he would find even though the whole situation gave him the creeps. As Mark approached, the figure in the shadows became clearer. This man stood up from his workstation and looked at Mark. [img[https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1700014983571/d56547ea-e5da-4e51-a88e-87f53297bc18.jpeg]] //"Welcome. My name is Frank Davis. And you are?"// //"I... I am Mark. Mark Miller"// //"Alright. Good to meet you, Mark. As I'm sure you must have many questions right now. You'll find the answers to those in due time."// //"Now, please come with me."// [[Go with Frank]]

//"Fancy something to drink? I have a couple of options.//" - said Frank. //"Uhh... I'm fine. Thank you"// //"You sure? You must be tired from all the walking. I can offer you something that will jolt you back up."// Mark found it odd that this person was acting so friendly. As if he knew him somehow. As if he knew something important about him. //"Yeah. I'm okay."// //"Alright. No problem. I'll get something for myself. In the meantime, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable."// Still skeptical, Mark pulled up a chair and sit while Frank went towards some sort of fridge and took out a weird kind of elixir. Mark looked around the place trying to understand where he was at. [[Look around]]

The place looked like the back of an inventor's workshop. With all kinds of desks, shelves, devices, and stuff like it. He didn't have a chance to look too much around because Frank came back and sat on a chair nearby. He opened his strange beverage and started saying: //"So listen Mark. You said that you traveled through time and found yourself in this unfamiliar place. Is that right?"// //"Hmm... yeah. Something like that."// //"And now you naturally would want to go back to your time and make sure that everything goes back to normal."// //"At this point you have two options: Option 1: Go out, try things by yourself and see what works. Option 2: You can stay here and find the answers you seek."// //"But I must warn you. If you choose the second option, you'll have to be prepared to find answers you might not like or do things you might not want. But they are all in the interest of making you a more capable person that can overcome difficulties."// //"It's your choice and I'm not going to pressure you into any of them. So, take your time."// Having said that, Frank stood up and went to the back of the room. He entered an automatic door and let Mark in his place. Now, it's the time to choose. What option will it be? [[Figure it out yourself|Figure out]] [[Stay and talk with Frank|Talk with Frank]]

This is the moment where you have decided to follow the rabbit hole. But don't try to do it on your own. Here you'll have guidance to overcome the challenges ahead. And since there are many, you'll need to put your time and effort to become a better version of yourself. One that can be on par with this new and advanced world. One with better abilities and improved skills. And your journey towards that goal has just begun.