Darkness.
Heavy, suffocating, and warm like soil packed over a coffin.
He wasn't sure how long he floated there—adrift in pain and silence—but something eventually pulled him back.
He noticed the warmth first.
A fire.
The soft crackling near his feet told him he was close to it—maybe too close. The heat licked gently at his skin, not enough to burn, but enough to remind him he wasn't out in the cold forest anymore.
He was lying on something soft. Not a bed, but softer than dirt.
Blanket? Maybe straw under a cloth?
Still, no ropes. No restraints.
They didn't tie him up.
That was either good news…
Or they thought he was too weak to run.
He stayed still.
He didn't move.
Not even a twitch.
His eyes were closed, but his ears were sharp.
Breath steady. Too steady.
It wasn't normal, but he had gotten used to it—this strange calm that came over him ever since he woke up in this world. Like something inside him had flipped off the panic switch. He didn't understand it, but it was the only thing keeping him alive so far.
He listened.
There were voices. Not far.
A woman's voice—soft, but angry.
"You hurt the kid too much. How could you do that?"
Then came a voice he recognized. The man from the village. The one with the sword.
"I thought he was one of them. And I didn't hurt him that much—he passed out on his own."
He kept his breathing flat, body still.
The woman's voice again, quieter this time, but sharper.
"Well, he wouldn't just do that. He must be exhausted."
A pause.
Then:
"What's a boy like him doing in a place like this, anyway?"
Another pause.
"He looks like he's only sixteen or seventeen."
They fell quiet again.
He opened his eyes—just barely—trying to get a better understanding of his situation.
They were in a small camp, nestled in the middle of the forest. No walls. Just tall trees and flickering firelight. A few rough bags sat near a log.
He shifted his gaze, slow and careful, trying not to draw attention.
Then—
A voice, low and steady, came from right beside him.
"You're finally awake."
His whole body tensed.
That voice came far too close.
He turned his head—sharply this time.
There, just across the fire, sat an old man.
Broad shoulders. A weathered face carved by time and hard work. His hair was mostly black, streaked with thick lines of gray, pulled back loosely. A short beard framed a strong jaw. His eyes were sharp—but not cold.
How had he not noticed him before?
He was right there.
The boy didn't answer immediately. His body was stiff, still aching from earlier.
The boy didn't answer immediately. His body was stiff, still aching from earlier. He gritted his teeth.
He looked around him—better this time.
He saw the two that were talking earlier. They were a bit far from the fire. A man and a woman. Their faces were clearer.
He looked again at the old man, who was still staring at him.
"I'm not from that village… I was just passing," the boy said, trying to be diplomatic first. Not like he had another choice.
The old man looked at him, then sighed.
"Of course we know that. Why do you think you're still alive?"
The boy just stared at the man quietly.
The old man looked at him, then pointed toward a flat rock nearby."You can have a sit."
He stood up and walked over, settling onto the rock himself with a slow grunt. Then he turned his head slightly, eyes scanning the forest beyond the trees."So, tell me… what's a kid like you doing in a place like this?"
The old man's voice was steady as he reached into the chest pocket of his coat and pulled out a small metal bottle. He unscrewed the cap, the faint scent of alcohol drifting out.
The boy wasn't sure what to say...
But he spoke anyway.
"I woke up this morning to find myself in a pit full of dead people… I don't remember anything else about what happened."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the man with the sword rushed forward, excitement in his steps.
"A pit full of dead people? Did you hear that, Captain?" he blurted."It's where they throw the ones they experiment on! We could find something valuable!"
He was nearly bouncing with energy, eyes gleaming.
But before he could go further, the woman stepped in—quiet and fast.
She grabbed his arm from behind and pulled him back slightly."Let him talk to the kid first," she said, calm but firm.
The man grunted but backed off, pacing a few steps away while muttering something under his breath.
The boy was still staring at the excited man, but slowly turned his gaze back to the old one.
The old manmet his eyes without blinking, his expression unreadable."I'm Elric," he said simply.
He tilted his chin toward the other two by the trees."That one with the sword is Clyde. He's a fine swordsman, though a bit too eager for his own good. And the woman next to him is Grace."
Then his eyes came back to the boy."Now, kid... tell me. What's your name?"
The boy hesitated. A small wave of tension rolled through him.
He didn't answer right away.
A name?
He searched for one in his head. Searched hard. But all he found was a strange emptiness—like pages torn from a book.
His fingers curled slightly.
"I… I kind of don't remember," he said, voice low.
Even as he spoke, he didn't understand why he was telling the truth. Why he wasn't lying. It would've been easier.
"I don't remember a lot of things since I woke up in that pit."
"You don't remember, you say?"Elric raised the metal bottle to his lips and took a long sip. The firelight caught the edge of it, reflecting briefly in his eyes.He swallowed, then added, "But you do realize you're wearing a bracelet, right? Why don't you just check?"
"Huh..."The boy blinked, thrown off. He glanced down at his wrist.
Yeah. He had noticed it before—sleek, smooth, metallic. But when he checked earlier, it was blank. No writing. No symbols. Nothing. Just a strange metal band clamped tight around his skin like it belonged there.
Still... now that Elric mentioned it, he looked again.
Then he noticed something else.
As Elric lowered the bottle back to his lap, the boy caught a glimpse of his other wrist—just a flash—but enough to see the same kind of bracelet. Except Elric's had a different hue to it. Slightly darker. More mechanical. There was a faint glow along its edge, like a sleeping circuit.
'Could this bracelet be some kind of device?'The thought hit him hard.
His fingers moved to the bracelet on his own wrist. He touched along the surface—slowly at first, then more deliberately. Searching for a seam, a button, anything.
It felt smooth.
Cold.
But nothing happened, no matter how he touched it.No lights. No symbols. Nothing.
He frowned. Confused.
Elric was staring at him now—eyebrows raised, mouth slightly open."…What are you trying to do?"
The old man's voice was somewhere between confused and concerned. Then, after a pause, realization dawned in his eyes."Oh."He sighed.In that moment he realized, this kid has some real brain issues.
How could he not know how a bracelet work.
The boy said nothing—just stared back at him, hand still on the bracelet.
Elric rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"You don't have to touch it. You just have to think. Say 'status' in your head or something simple like that. It'll do the rest."
The boy blinked.
He looked back down at the bracelet.
Just think?
He took a breath."Status..."Then again—more focused."Status..."
The moment the thought fully formed in his mind, something flickered.
It appeared right in front of his eyes.
[name: ...]
...