[Location: Camelot – Forest Outskirts, Dawn]
When I woke, the first thing I noticed was the cold.
The second was the smell — damp earth, pine, and smoke.
I blinked up at a canopy of dark trees, the morning light bleeding weakly through the mist. My body felt like it had been used as a lightning rod.
So, I'd survived the jump. Again.
I pushed myself up slowly, my muscles protesting. Blue lines pulsed faintly under my skin — the residual hum of Quantum Mana. Stable, but weak.
"Okay," I muttered. "Definitely not New York."
The air here was thicker, heavier with something that wasn't quite mana but close — older, primal. My quantum field was already adjusting, trying to match the ambient energy.
A distant horn echoed through the forest. Horses. Voices shouting.
Not the friendly kind.
I staggered to my feet and stumbled toward a ridge. From the treeline, I could see a stone city in the distance, walled and massive — its towers glinting in the morning sun. Beyond the walls, banners flapped crimson and gold.
Camelot.
I actually laughed, half in disbelief.
"So that's where I landed. Great. Magic outlawed, people burned at the stake, and me glowing like a lantern."
[Location: Camelot – Forest Path]
The shouting grew closer. I ducked behind a fallen log just as a group of armed men rode past — guards in red cloaks and polished armor, swords gleaming.
One of them dismounted, inspecting scorch marks on the ground where I'd woken. "Looks like witch fire" he said. "Tell the prince we've got another sorcerer in the woods."
"Fantastic," I whispered.
I waited until they rode off, then slipped deeper into the trees. My mana reserves were unstable; if they found me now, I wouldn't even be able to defend myself.
After what felt like hours, I stumbled into a small clearing — a stream running through it, sunlight scattering off the water. I knelt, cupping some in my hands, and caught sight of my reflection.
The blue glow under my skin had dimmed to a faint trace. Good. I could pass for normal again… at least for now.
[Location: Camelot – Lower Town, Noon]
By the time I reached the outskirts of the city, my legs were ready to give out. The streets were alive with merchants shouting, blacksmiths hammering, and children darting between carts.
It was almost peaceful — until I noticed the gallows.
A crowd had gathered around a wooden platform, where a man stood bound, shouting defiance as guards prepared the ropes.
The herald's voice rang out:
"By decree of His Majesty King Uther Pendragon, the practice of sorcery is forbidden! The accused is sentenced to death for crimes against the crown!"
The crowd cheered. The rope tightened.
My stomach turned.
This world feared magic — hunted it.
I turned away, pulling the hood of my borrowed cloak lower. If they ever found out what I was...
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
I collided with someone — a boy, maybe my age or a bit younger, carrying an armful of books. Half of them hit the ground.
"Sorry," I said, kneeling to help. "Didn't see you."
He sighed, brushing dust off one of the covers. "It's fine. Just another normal day being the town errand boy."
He looked up — sharp blue eyes, dark hair, a kind of quiet intelligence behind them.
Something clicked. I knew that face.
Merlin.
[Location: Camelot – Alleyway, Moments Later]
We ducked into a side street to get out of the crowd. He glanced at me curiously. "Haven't seen you around before. You new to Camelot?"
"Something like that," I said carefully. "Just passing through."
"Bad time for travelers," he muttered. "The king's men are arresting anyone who so much as sneezes funny."
"Yeah," I said, trying not to glow. "I noticed."
Then, as if the universe had a sense of humor, a loud crash echoed from the main square — a cart had overturned, spilling fruit everywhere. People shouted. The chaos distracted the guards.
But in that moment, I felt it — a flicker of magic.
Subtle. Untrained. Raw.
I turned to Merlin. His eyes widened in panic.
"You—" I started.
He grabbed my arm, dragging me down the alley. "Don't say anything!" he hissed.
I didn't need to. His mana signature was like a beacon in my field. I could feel it — unrefined, wild, but powerful.
And for the first time in this world, I didn't feel completely alone.
[End Scene – Camelot, Twilight]
That night, I followed Merlin to the royal physician's chambers, where he worked as an apprentice. I introduced myself as "Ren, a traveler looking for work."
Gaius, the old man, eyed me suspiciously — probably sensing something he couldn't name.
But Merlin vouched for me. And for now, that was enough.
As I helped him stack potions and grimoires, I whispered under my breath, testing a containment rune from Balthazar's teachings. The magic flickered faintly — weaker here, suppressed by the kingdom's laws.
This world didn't just fear magic. It rejected it.
But suppression didn't mean absence.
I looked out the window at the sleeping city of Camelot, its torches glowing like stars against the stone.
Somewhere beneath the fear, the magic of this world was still breathing.
And I was going to learn how to make it mine.