Asiel Lumaric, age seventeen.
Eyes… tired. Always tired.
For most, seventeen is a season of first loves, reckless adventures, and dreaming without limits.
For Asiel, it was equations. Always equations.
He sat hunched in his small apartment, lit only by the pale glow of a desk lamp. His laptop, charging silently beside him, displayed a half-written assignment. The thin notebook in front of him was filled with numbers, formulas, and scribbled corrections. The kind of work that drains the spirit more than it trains the mind.
On the shelf above him, a single book stood out.
A black-covered book—its pages worn at the edges as if it had been read many times before. A relic of a dream he had once chased.
He glanced at it now and then, his pen hovering mid-air, before forcing his eyes back to the equation. "Not now," he whispered to himself. "Dreams don't pay rent."
Outside, the night was silent. Inside, the air was still.
Until the world shook.
It began as a faint vibration beneath his chair. Then—
BOOM.
The apartment roared like a beast waking from centuries of slumber.
Books crashed from shelves. The laptop slid off the desk with a thud. The walls groaned as if about to snap.
An earthquake. A big one.
"Asiel!" a neighbor screamed somewhere beyond the wall. But he barely heard it—his eyes were fixed on that black-covered book.
He pushed away from the desk, heart pounding. "I have to take it—!"
The floor buckled.
The ceiling cracked.
The room became chaos.
Asiel lunged forward, fingertips brushing the book's spine—
And then the world fell apart.
The twenty-story building crumbled, concrete folding like paper. Screams were swallowed by the dust.
When the dust settled, rescuers pulled 201 survivors from the ruins.
Twenty-nine were gone.
One of them was Asiel Lumaric.
Under the crushing weight of steel and stone, his breaths came slow, painful. Regret filled him more than fear.
If only I had chased my dreams… if only I had lived for myself…
His vision dimmed. Darkness came.
…Then light.
A soft breeze brushed his cheek. Grass rustled around him, glowing green beneath a sky too bright to be real. He blinked, sat up—his wounds were gone, his body whole.
"What…?" he whispered.
And then—
A shadow swept over him.
He looked up.
A dragon—vast, scaled in silver—glided across the sky like a living storm. Its wings carved through clouds, its roar shaking the air.
Asiel's jaw dropped, his heart pounding with something he hadn't felt in years.
Wonder.
"DID I… REALLY COME TO ANOTHER WORLD?!"
His voice echoed across the endless field.
The dragon's shadow faded into the horizon, leaving only the sound of wind brushing over grass.
Asiel turned slowly, taking in his surroundings. A vast, beautiful grassland stretched endlessly in every direction, the blades swaying like waves beneath the sun. Far behind him, mountains stood like distant guardians, their peaks dusted in white.
The cool breeze carried a freshness he had never tasted before—so pure it made his lungs ache in the best way possible. "So… this is air without pollution…" he murmured, almost laughing at the thought.
Ahead, not too far away, a silver ribbon of water glimmered under the sunlight. A river, cutting through the land, with a narrow dirt pathway running alongside it. On the far side, a forest loomed—its green canopy dense and inviting.
For a moment, he simply stared. Then he grinned.
It had been years—years—since he'd felt this free. Dropping to the grass, he rolled down the gentle hill like a carefree child, laughter spilling from his lips. When he reached the bottom, he lay on his back, eyes tracing the fluffy white clouds drifting lazily above.
"This sky…" he whispered, "I could stare at it forever."
The warmth of the sun, the caress of the wind—it was too much for his tired body. His eyelids grew heavy. "I'm… feeling sleepy…" he muttered, and before he knew it, the world faded into soft darkness.
When he awoke, the sunlight had shifted. Blinking against its brightness, he smirked. "So it wasn't a dream after all." He stretched, yawning deeply. "The sleep here… was way better than my cozy bed back in that cramped apartment."
He slipped on his black leather slippers and dusted himself off. "Well… sleeping out in the open isn't exactly smart if creatures like that dragon exist here."
Still, a laugh escaped him. His gaze drifted to the dirt path by the river. "Hmm… no creature other than humans would make a path like that. Or… maybe something else did. Who knows?"
Hands in his pockets, he began walking toward it, thoughts turning over like gears. "If there are humans here… there might also be creatures that eat humans. As for dragons… well, if they did eat people, that big one would've had me for lunch instead of flying past."
His eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the forest ahead. "So… what are the possibilities?" he whispered. "And how long do I have before I find out?"
Asiel's gaze drifted to the river, its gentle flow glistening under the sunlight. The water was crystal-clear, moving in a slow, serene rhythm that almost felt alive.
He knelt by the bank, cupped his hands, and took a sip. Cool. Fresh. Unsalted. "Mountain water," he muttered. "If I follow it upstream, it'll probably end in some freezing peak… and in these clothes, I'd freeze to death before I got there."
Leaning closer, he peered into the surface—and for the first time since waking here, saw his reflection. The same black hair. The same dark-toned skin. The same face…
But when he touched his cheek, something felt different. He ran his fingers across his skin, brows raising. "…My acne's gone?"
A short laugh escaped him. He picked up a smooth stone from the bank and flicked it into the river. It skipped twice before sinking, sending ripples across the glassy surface.
That motion… it stirred something. A memory.
A simpler time.
His lips curved into a faint smile—
Then the memories came rushing in, heavy and unwelcome.
The dust. The screams. The black-covered book he never reached.
The smile vanished, replaced by that same dead, unreadable expression.
"…It's all gone now," he whispered. "Should I be happy… or sad? I don't know."
Shaking his head, he exhaled sharply. No. This isn't the time.
"I'm in another world—a world with dragons. There's no room for happiness or sadness right now. I need to understand this place… fast. If I want to survive."
That was when he heard it.
Creak… creak…
Wood turning. Wheels rolling.
He froze. Instinct sharpened his senses.
"…A cart?"
The sound was exactly as he remembered from his old world. He spun toward it—then quickly ducked into a thick patch of bushes.
Peering through the leaves, he spotted it: a wooden cart, its baskets filled with bright, ripe fruits. A horse pulled it steadily along the dirt path, its hooves muffled by the soft soil.
On the driver's seat sat a man in plain clothes, reins in one hand, posture relaxed.
A human.
Asiel's heartbeat quickened. "It's a human… but I should wait."
The man yawned casually, guiding the horse at an easy pace.
Asiel narrowed his eyes, a faint grin forming.
"Yeah… it's a human for sure."
Asiel's mind raced. Maybe they don't understand my language… but if that's true, I shouldn't sound unfamiliar. I'll just act like I can't speak much.
He stepped out from the bushes and ran to stand in front of the cart, raising a hand.
The old man pulling the reins startled, eyes widening.
"P-Please, sir, don't rob this old man! I don't have much money!" he blurted, voice trembling.
Asiel froze, eyes wide. Oh, crap… he thinks I'm a thief?! Wait—
His thoughts caught on something.
I understood him. If I understood him… maybe he'll understand me too.
Bowing slightly, he spoke, "I apologize for startling you, dear sir. You have nothing to fear—I am not a thief. But before anything, may I ask your name?"
The old man relaxed, letting out a slow breath. "You seem to be a well-mannered person. My name is Harold Wain. And what's yours, child?"
"I am Asiel Lum—" he stopped mid-word, thinking quickly. My family name might be useless here. "…Asiel. Sir, my name is Asiel."
He hesitated, then continued, "I was wondering… could you be kind enough to tell me where you're going with those fruits and vegetables?"
Harold chuckled. "You speak like a noble, boy. No need to be so formal with this old man. I'm just a simple farmer—drop the 'sir' and call me Harold."
"As you wish, sir Haro—Haro… ro…" Asiel stumbled, scratching his cheek. "Ah, sorry, sir, but I was taught to respect my elders, so I can't just call you by name. How about… Grandpa Harold? Would that be fine?"
For a moment, the old man blinked in surprise—then burst out laughing.
"Oh my! Calling a stranger like me 'Grandpa'… haha! Even my own children don't give me that kind of respect." He smiled warmly. "Tell me, Asiel, do you need something?"
"Yes, Grandpa," Asiel said with a small nod. "I was wondering… could you take me along with you, wherever you're going right now?"
Harold tilted his head, then grinned. "Why not? Come aboard."
"But… I don't have money to pay you," Asiel admitted.
"Oh, there's no need for that!" Harold waved the thought away. "After all, you're my first unofficial grandson—I wouldn't charge you a single coin."
A smile spread across Asiel's face.
"Let's go," Harold said, flicking the reins. "I'll take you to Lagunica."
The cart creaked forward, wheels rolling over the dirt path as the horse trotted steadily along. Asiel climbed onto the wooden seat beside Harold, feeling the warmth of the sun on his back and the gentle sway of the ride.
For the first time since waking in this strange land, he felt… safe.
They passed the river, the forest slowly shrinking behind them as the horizon stretched ahead. In the distance, faint shapes began to rise—a cluster of rooftops, chimneys puffing white smoke into the clear sky. Beyond them, tall stone walls glimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Harold's voice carried over the wind. "That's Lagunica. Not the biggest city in the kingdom, but it's home for me."
Asiel narrowed his eyes at the distant gates. So that's my first step into this world…
He didn't know yet—
That the moment he set foot inside, the wheels of fate would begin to turn.
[End of Chapter 1]