James is an average 5'9", 20 year old male with brown hair and brown eyes. His build is unremarkable and a pair of circle wire rim glasses sit low on his nose. His hair is basic and considering his insecurities regarding his stocky and average build he is often wearing simple clothes, like a hoodie and jeans.
James wanders down a side street of Galla, Virginia. The day is overcast and dull and so abandoned he wouldn't be surprised to see a tumbleweed cross his path. He was on his way to Florida for the holidays, driving from D.C. He considered taking a plane but decided the cost would set him back considerably. He figured a road trip could be therapeutic, nice scenery and plenty of quiet alone time. Unfortunately for him his car had other plans and had broken down before he could even escape the state of Virginia. The shop told him it would take at least three days in order to have a new transmission installed, considering his car was so old they had to special order the part.
He sighed at his misfortune and continued on his path, looking for something to pass the time before he had to make his way back to a cheap motel he had booked for his stay. A shop caught his eye as he stopped to push up his glasses for the forth time on his walk, he would need to get those tightened when he arrived in Florida. With he vision corrected he could make out the shops small sign above the door that read: The Magic Potion. The shop was overly gaudy and seemingly out of place in the low traffic town, its paint fresh and green among a sea of grays. Deeming it the first interesting time killer he had come across he ventured inside. The opening of the door triggered a faint jingle despite no visible bell. As the door shut behind him he was immediately exposed to a warm and lavish interior, completely saturated in the scent from incense burners dispersed throughout the aisles.
No attendant greeted him, prompting him to begin browsing. He had no intention of purchasing anything but moreover he didn't even understand the function of the majority of the trinkets he came across. He made his way through the aisles, picking up and investigating random baubles and toys. Some were simple spinning tops or pendulums while others seemed to operate in ways James couldn't comprehend. One such object was fully black cube that was set in a bowl continuously rolling around with no sign of slowing down. One vial James picked up nearly burned him and the liquid inside was a deep purple, a small hissing sound was emitting from the vial. He put that one back on the shelf as quickly as possible.
By this time James had walked down nearly every aisle and was approaching the back corner of the store, he caught the sound of a fire crackling and turned the corner to see a sitting area in front of a lively hearth. Sitting in an armchair casually reading a tome larger than James' had sat an oddly familiar man, simple and unremarkable in looks wearing clothes that would seem more fitting on a mannequin from an old English museum. The man glances up from the book and gives a wry smile in James' direction.
He glances down at a pocket watch before returning to his breast pocket. "Perfectly punctual as always, James."
James froze, utterly stunned by the man's unearthly knowledge of his name.
"Close your mouth or else you'll catch flies, boy." The man spoke before rising from his chair, surprisingly taller than he had seemed whilst seated. "You know the drill, look to the door, then we may begin again."
James was completely caught off guard and backed away, glancing towards the door in case the seemingly psychic man decided to take a more threatening approach. However, James was shocked to find that when he looked to the door it was gone. In it's place were instead hundreds of aisles lined with more knick-nacks like before only multiplied by hundreds. James suddenly felt very out of his depth.
"Where am I?" James asked, dreading the reply.
"I really wish you'd at least try to remember. Alas, you never do." The man said, beginning to walk in the opposite direction of where the door used to be, apparently deeper into the stacks. He made a gesture with his hand as if expecting James to follow, and despite his better judgement, he did. "You failed last time, like every time before that, and are back at square one."
"I failed . . . ?" James questioned. Once again cursing his past self for not booking that flight, no matter how much it would have set him back. "I don't understand."
"No, you never do. I am Athair, and you are James. That is all that is important, the trial begins again." Athair mused.
"Trial? Like a judgement?" James was more confused than ever.
"More like an experiment." Athair came to a halt in front of a door. Opening it to a room that James couldn't quite see into. "We shall begin."
"You're crazy if you think I'm walking into there with no information." James said, his confusion briefly giving way to anger.
"Of course, James." He gave a mischievous smirk. "This is simply MY exit." He said before stepping inside and shutting the door in a manner that allowed no time for complaint from James.
"What?!" James exclaimed as the door vanished before his eyes, leaving way to dark wood walls. He did a quick 180 to scan for an exit but was met with a completely different interior than what he had previously walked through. Laid before him was a brightly lit room with one door on the other side. Above the door sat a plaque featuring the words, "Choose 1".
Before James sat 6 different items upon small pillars. He had no clue what he had just signed up for, however in his gut he knew he wasn't prepared.