THE URBAN PHOENIX: Arthur Salvatore's rise from the ashes.

CHAPTER 6

HIS EYES OPENED slowly. His vision was blurred as he tried to sit up but felt a sharp pain jolt on his side. He gasped and laid back down as a nurse hurried in.

"Lay back down," she snapped.

"Where am I?" Arthur asked, twisting his neck to look around.

The nurse propped her hands on her supple hips and stared at Arthur, "You are in New City Hospital. A good Samaritan brought in your broken body." She picked up the chart beside his bed and looked at it, then she adjusted the drip that ran into the veins of his right hand.

Arthur looked around. The monitor beside his bed was beeping at steady intervals. "What happened?" Arthur asked.

The nurse scoffed and walked out without answering. She could not see any reason why she was assigned to look after the scrawny-looking young man.

"Excuse me, miss," Arthur called to her just before she walked out. "Who brought me here?"

"You will know soon," the nurse snapped. "Now, go back to resting, and do not disturb me. I have much more important things to do than to watch over you." She walked out and closed the door behind her.

Arthur closed his eyes. He was feeling an aching sensation in his left side but he was afraid of the nurse's tone, so he decided to endure and let the pain lull him to sleep.

THE VOICES FLOATED around in his subconscious and slowly, he woke up again. Beside his bed was a round-looking man with beards, chubby cheeks, and kind eyes.

"Finally, you are awake," the man said happily.

Arthur groaned.

"The nurse says you are not still allowed to move much," The man rushed forward.

"Who are you?" Arthur asked weakly.

"I am the one that found you after the accident," the man said. "My name is Williams. Williams Baker."

Arthur nodded, "Thank you. I am – uh… My name is –" his mind was totally blank. He blinked rapidly like that was going to refresh his brain. "My name is…"

Williams sat, leaning forward slightly, waiting. But when he noticed that Arthur was having problems remembering, he sighed and said, "Don't push it. The doctor said since you have been out for so long, that it was only normal for you to have some memory disturbance."

"Out for so long?" Arthur asked, "How long was I out?"

Williams waved it off. "Almost a month. 3 weeks and 3 days to be precise."

"What the hell?" Arthur struggled to sit up again.

"You have multiple broken ribs. You're going to hurt yourself," Williams said. "What do you remember from that day that the accident happened?"

Arthur grimaced his face in concentration, but it was like there was a large hole in his memory.

Williams sighed, "It's alright. I'm sure it'll all come back." He stood up and started to walk out but then stopped and dipped his hand into his pocket. "I have been waiting for you to wake up before I gave this to you." He dropped a gold and black obsidian necklace on the bedside table. "It looks pretty solid and expensive," He noted. "I found it on you after the accident. Your unconscious body still clutched the necklace very tight. I also found this."

Williams dropped a tiny scrap of paper beside the necklace. "Most of it was soaked with blood and torn, but j managed to save this piece. It felt like a very high-quality paper and looked like part of a letter. I could not get all the pieces, but I saw this."

Arthur picked up the necklace strangely. He did not recognize it or what it meant, but there was a sense of familiarity between the both of them and gently and with difficulty, he put it around his neck then he picked up the thick little parchment of paper. It was truly part of a handwritten letter. On the piece that he held, there were two words scrawled across; Dear Arthur.

He looked up, "Who do you think this Arthur is?"

Williams gave a sad smile and said, "I think that Arthur is you. You are Arthur."

Williams walked out and closed the door gently behind him. Arthur could not stop his mind from wandering and thinking, trying to remember and know what the remaining content of the letter was. He subconsciously rubbed the black obsidian pendant as his thoughts drifted.

A FEW MONTHS later, Arthur was discharged. Willams had taken care of the hospital bills. Arthur still had no recollection of his memory, just his first name.

When Arthur had asked why Williams was being so nice, Williams had simply shrugged and given a cryptic answer about how it felt good to do good to other people.

It was not until Arthur was discharged and moved in with Williams that he found out that Williams was lonely and was just looking for a friend – and that was what Arthur became.

They became closer than brothers.

As Arthur healed and got stronger, he helped Williams in his grocery store and they became even closer.

One night, Arthur remained at home because he had started feeling a dull ache in his leg, so Williams went to the store alone but did not come back.

That made Arthur so worried that night that he ignored the ache and went out searching for his friend. He treaded the normal path to the store but didn't see Williams when he got to the store. Then he reversed his movement and instead followed an alleyway which was shorter, but darker and lonelier. As he was walking through the dark alley, he had different bad thoughts.

Suddenly, he saw a dark shape, lying prone on the floor. He recognized the sweatshirt as that of Williams and he rushed forward to see what was happening. He saw that Williams was bleeding from a stab wound in his stomach.

"Williams…Williams…" Arthur cried. "Stay with me!"

Williams muttered something incoherent.

"Somebody help!" Arthur yelled into the night. "Help!"

There was no answer or reply as Arthur felt his friend's pulse slow and his body turn cold as Williams died in his arms.

Feeling lost and depressed, Arthur staggered to his feet, and with tears blinding his vision, he left Williams's body on the alley floor and made his way to the highway express.

"What is there to live for?" He asked himself. "Maybe I am just bad luck!" He cried even more.

"First I have an accident that makes me lose my memory. I don't even know my last name.

Now the only friend I have had in months and the person who took care of me when I was at my lowest is dead. Killed by some alleyway thieves. I should just kill myself."

He walked on the highway. Hoping he would have like a repeat accident where a car hits him hard. He hoped he would die this time. But because of the late time, the highway was almost deserted, only the golden brown streetlight and the staggering Arthur.

He walked over to the rail of the bridge, preparing himself to jump Overboard. He swung his leg over the rail, a small mechanical beep froze him in his track

[System activated]

A voice said in his head.

[Host found >> Arthur Salvatore]

[Compatibility >> 50.5%]

[Rank >> Lowest-level pauper]

"What?" Arthur asked. "Who's there?"

"A system has been activated for you, Mr. Arthur Salvatore," A mechanical voice said.

"Salvatore? My name is Salvatore?" Arthur muttered to himself. Even though he didn't understand what was going on or who was speaking to him, he was happy he finally knew his surname.

"A s-system had b-been activ-activated." The voice repeated. It sounded like a broken record.

Arthur paused, looked around, and asked, "What do you mean by this system?"

"It is a cultivation system that allows you to lev-level up as you acc-accomplish different tas-tasks," It said.

"Why is the voice cracking?" Arthur thought to himself.

"Compatibility level low. Very low."

"What?"

"For each task that you complete, the Compatibility level will increase as your status will too," The voice explained. "For any task uncompleted, there will be a punishment and the Compatibility level decreases. If it d-drops further than 48 percent, it could be life thre-threatening."

"Huh?"

"Organ failures. Internal bleeding, A-and a painful, ho-horrific slow death!"

"What? I don't want any of this!" Arthur yelled. "Get out of my head!" He slammed his fist repeatedly into his forehead. "Get out of my head!"

[Compatibility level >> 48.8%]

"Compatibility level is decreasing. Don't you want to regain your memory?" The voice asked. Arthur paused. "When you reach a level, the system will help your memory."

Arthur was conflicted and scared. And a little doubtful. But he was curious.

[New Task >> Survive the night]

"What? Survive the night?" Arthur muttered to himself. "What does that even mean?" He turned and it immediately dawned on him what it meant.

A gang of 5 men were stepping out of the shadows. The streetlight cast a glint, the reflection of a metal sharp knife.

"Oh, shit!"