Prologue

Tick. Tick. Tick.
The rhythm of a grandfather clock thundered in Jonas’s head, rousing him to awaken.
He groaned. “Where…?” To his shock, a blank void welcomed him when he opened his eyes. Whiteness as far as his eye could see. “Where am I…?”
He couldn’t see his body, yet felt the sensations of moving it. He felt his head turning, hands waving, legs pumping, but why couldn’t he see them?
Something was off. Something was wrong.
A spectrum of color bloomed in front of him, soft and vibrant. “Welcome, Jonas, you’re finally awake,” said a voice through the void. Jonas couldn’t tell whether it belonged to a man or woman, but there was a strong sense of calm to it.
“Where am I?” he immediately shot back. He tried to match the other voice’s composure, but his growing anxiety got the better of him.
“It’s perfectly reasonable for you to be upset right now, but please, remain calm,” the voice urged. “I’m sorry to tell you this, Jonas, but: you’ve passed away in a car accident.”
A fragment of Jonas’ memories flared up in the fog of color, a video clip of his final moments. It showed the interior of his truck. There was a thunderstorm at the time, rain pelted his windshield in heavy spurts. He remembered driving down Interstate-30, eastward to Dallas, then his tires lost grip, and…
…and then he woke up here.
“S-so, are you God?” Jonas choked out. “Is this Heaven or something?”
“Not exactly. I’m not God, but I am someone who watches over the passing over of souls. I’d tell you my name, but it won’t matter: once you leave this place, you’ll forget about our little encounter.”
“What do you mean? What even is this place?”
“This place has many names,” said the voice, “but you know it best as ‘Purgatory’. This is a holding place for souls awaiting judgment. You’ve died so suddenly, I couldn’t help but take pity on you. From here you have two options: continue on through the afterlife as normal; or, be reborn in a new world.”
“Why can’t I just return to Earth?” Jonas asked.
“Once a soul has passed, it can’t be returned. It can only move on to its final destination. Fortunately for you: you get a choice in this. This is a rare opportunity, Jonas. Think wisely.”
Jonas went silent for a moment. The void continued to echo with the ticking of a clock. A new life, or no life at all. Putting it like that, the choice was obvious.
“So, what kind of world d’you have in mind?” Jonas asked.
“I’ve chosen a world I believe best suits your interests,” the voice said. The reel returned, this time playing an entirely different scene. Jonas couldn’t believe his eyes: a world of anthropomorphic animals! Wolves and foxes, cats and rabbits, banding together to explore unknown lands and fighting dangerous monsters.
“This world is called ‘Theria’,” the voice explained. “It is a world where animals have taken over the role of humans. A world of adventure and exploration. A world of lost riches, and guardians who refuse to relinquish them. I wish I could go into more detail, but we’re running out of time. Have you made a decision?
At first Jonas was anxious over the thought of death, but that video collage sealed the deal for him. Whoever this voice was, it was a voice after his own heart. Without hesitation, he answered, “I wanna go to Theria.”
“Before you do, there’s one last thing I need to mention: once you’re reborn, your memories of your previous life will be erased. Your friends, your family– all gone for good. It’s unfortunate, but this is to help you ease into the transition. Are you sure you want this?”
“I’m sure.”
“Okay. Then I wish you well on your new journey. Goodbye, Jonas.”
Jonas didn’t have a chance to reply back in kind. Before he knew it, his consciousness faded, and the void turned to black.