Chapter Text
I woke up in the middle of an endless wasteland.
There were no cities, no people-only a vague, dark forest stretching to the horizon. The leaves rustled in the gentle wind, but the air felt different. Heavy. Strange. Something about it made my heart beat faster. This wasn't Earth. It was something new, something unknown.
I couldn't remember how I got here. The only thing I could recall was the conversation with the wizard. The magic, the words I didn't understand, and the feeling of something greater pulling me into this world. But now, here, everything was confusing. What was I doing here? Why?
Suddenly, a figure appeared between the trees. A tall man with a face that radiated determination and strength. His eyes were like black holes-burning. I felt every part of my body tense up. This man was dangerous. Very dangerous.
"What are you doing here?" The man's voice was cold, yet penetrating, like a sharp sword. I barely managed to open my mouth, but was interrupted by his next words.
"You don't belong here." The man took a step closer, his gaze burning through me, and I stepped back in panic, though I wasn't sure if I could move. I couldn't explain how I was here, what had happened, but every movement he made felt like pressure on my chest.
The stranger closed the distance, grabbed me by the shoulders, and slammed me hard against a tree, causing a few leaves to fall at the same time. I felt the cold bark, but couldn't react or avoid the impact. His face was so close that his breath almost blended with the air I was inhaling.
"Speak!" the man hissed, filled with malice and fear.
"Who are you? You have no weapon, yet you stand in the middle of a battlefield! I swear, if this is some trick by the Vorgari... I'll-" The man cut himself off, his gaze never leaving mine.
"Answer me, damn it!"
I tried to look away from his stare, but the taller one pressed me harder against the tree, leaning in closer.
"You're not getting away if that's what you're trying to do. You'll explain yourself now, or..." The words trailed off, a threat emanating from every fiber of his being.
"I don't know why I'm here!" I managed to speak, my voice trembling with tension. "I don't know how I even ended up here. I just... I just woke up and found myself in this place." I tried to explain.
"Soobin, enough. He's not a Vorgari." A group of boys emerged from the bushes, probably having just arrived, one of them holding a long stick with strange markings drawn on it.
The man looked at me with a murderous glare, but seemed to hesitate for a moment. He wasn't ready to believe me, but he wasn't ready to kill me either. He snorted, raised his hand, and stepped back, releasing his grip.
"Hello, I'm Beomgyu. These are Taehyun and Kai. We're from the kingdom of Morvalis. Which kingdom are you from?" The boy shoved Soobin away from me, trying to give me some space.
"I...uhh...Earth?" I answered uncertainly, and the boys exchanged looks.
"Ah, Soobin, congratulations. The old man was right. The war will repeat itself." Beomgyu sighed, rubbing his temples.
"So, do we take him with us?" Taehyun asked, to which Soobin nodded reluctantly.
"We'll take him to your grandfather. He'll know what to do." Beomgyu said, looking at Soobin with a heavy smile that didn't reach his eyes. I staggered from the impact, but managed to stand up, still uncertain.
"What does all this mean? What do you want from me?" I spoke, confused, all eyes on me.
"You're safe now. We'll take you to the king, and there, we'll figure out why you're here." Beomgyu smiled kindly, pointing in the direction I should go. Despite my uncertainty, I stepped forward, feeling Soobin's sharp gaze digging into the back of my head. Asshole.
We started walking in silence.
The path was narrow, and the air felt heavier with each step. I couldn't shake the feeling that everything around me was foreign, like I didn't belong here. The forest seemed endless, with shadows stretching long into the distance. I could hear the distant calls of creatures hidden in the trees, but I didn't dare ask about them. The boys weren't talking either, and I felt the weight of their gaze on me, especially Soobin's.
Every now and then, I would catch him looking at me from the corner of my eye, his face a mixture of confusion and wariness. It made me uncomfortable, though I couldn't explain why. Beomgyu and Taehyun walked ahead, speaking quietly to each other, but I didn't hear enough to understand what they were saying.
"So, uh... where exactly are we going?" I asked, breaking the silence. It felt strange to speak after everything that had just happened, but the tension in the air was suffocating.
Beomgyu glanced back at me, his expression still guarded. "To the kingdom of Morvalis. You'll be safe there. The king will know what to do."
"Morvalis?" The name sounded unfamiliar, and I didn't know how to react. Was that the kingdom these people were from? But why would I be heading there?
"So... I'm not really from this world, am I?" I asked, trying to make sense of everything. I had no idea where I was, or how I had ended up here. It was all too much, and I felt my mind racing.
Soobin turned to look at me, his eyes intense but unreadable. "You're not," he said, his voice softer than before.
Nothing felt right. Not the air, not the land, not even the people. It was all too foreign. But the way Soobin spoke, so calmly yet with an unspoken urgency in his eyes, made me feel like maybe, just maybe, they had answers.
We walked for what felt like hours, the forest gradually thinning out until we came to a clearing. In the distance, I could see a large, towering structure. A castle. I stared at it, feeling a strange pull in my chest. Something about it felt familiar, like I had seen it in a dream or heard stories of it before.
"That's the palace," Beomgyu said, as if reading my thoughts. "The king will be waiting for us. You're not the first outsider to appear here, and you won't be the last. But you're the one we need answers from."
I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Me? Answers? What could I possibly know?
As we drew closer, Soobin stayed near me, his presence almost overwhelming. It was like he was protecting me, but I didn't know why. There was something about him that made me feel both drawn to him and uncertain at the same time. I could see how hard he was trying to keep his emotions in check, but I couldn't help but notice the way his eyes flickered toward me with every few steps.
"We'll be inside soon," Soobin said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, still unsure of what awaited me inside that castle. Whatever it was, I knew it would change everything.