LIGHT

I felt like someone was shining a flashlight in my eyes all of a sudden and wondered if the pod hadn't worked. As I lifted my hands to protect my eyes I realized it had, in fact, worked just fine. I held out my hands and marveled at the detail as I flexed my fingers. For a moment I was lost and then the world changed. Instead of in a spaceless white light, I was looking in a mirror except I didn't see anything for a moment. Then I saw me, every little fucking detail of real me. There was no gauze to hide the wounds this time. I was just floating in some sick joke as it I still had legs. My body was scarred and bruised, my hair was gone and I could hardly recognize my own face. I had never been one to flinch away from shit but looking at myself in that moment I felt it all again, the longing, the loss, and the understanding it wasn't going to just change.

"If this is a new way of helping me get over shit I am not sure I buy into it," I said looking around the room. As I did it seemed like detail came into focus and a figure stepped into view dress as a short but stout male tailor. "It is the first step in a very long path Rye. You know who you are, but who do you want to be?" The tailor asked. "Who are you," I asked not quite ready for his question. "The tailor, I tailor things," Said the rather fucking smug tailor. "Ah," I said, did you read my mind. "No of course not but I am dress as a tailor and most I have been through this enough times I like to try and predict and anticipate user responses," The tailor said. "Wait, hold on if I ask if you are an AI will you just say you guessed that one too. Also are you an AI?" I ask. "Yes, and Yes," the Tailor says moving behind me so his reflection is mine.

"The name of the game is reflections, the person you are here is a reflection of who you are or want to be." The Tailor says. "Some wish to be strong," The Tailor says as my reflection changed into a large muscled orc-like man. It didn't make sense but I could feel the body as I moved my arm around. "Some wish to be fast" The Tailor continued as my body yet again changed into that of a sprinter. Before I could even register this he said again "Some wish to be different" and my body changed again into that of a tall female elf. I reached my hand up and as it brushed my face I felt baby smooth skin under my fingertips. For a moment I froze and then my body snapped back to what it really was

"The choice is as always yours I just help tailor it so what do you want?" The AI asked looking up at me in the mirror