Silence.
It was a strange silence. A frightened one. A silence that didn't belong to me, yet had fallen on top of me like a slab of concrete.
I tried to remember the last second before this void, but the thought shattered before it could fully form. Only fragments remained, splinters of a reality that made me want to scream: the pressure of ropes digging into my wrists, the stale smell of dampness mixed with my own sweat, and those laughs... low laughs, heavy with an intention that made me wish my heart would simply stop beating.
Hands. Too many hands. And then suddenly... this nothing.
Now I lay beneath a huge tree, its branches shielding me from the sun as if fate had whimsically decided I deserved a shitty little break. The hill was gentle, the grass rippled in a wind that smelled like flowers instead of death, and the sky... the sky was such an insultingly perfect blue that it made me sick.
—Very sunny. Few clouds. Too much wind —I managed to say.
It was the only thing my head could piece together. The confusion weighed on my chest like molten lead. My body wouldn't obey me, stuck in a "there" that no longer existed while my eyes stared at this idyllic "here." Until my stomach decided it had had enough of the inconsistency.
I threw up.
It was a violent, acidic stream that burned my throat, leaving my mouth bitter, full of bile and a shame I didn't know where it came from. I stayed there on my knees, staring at my hands.
I was wearing my black blazer, now wrinkled and stained with dirt. My white shirt had the buttons open, probably from a run my mind had decided to erase to protect me. The gray tie hung loose and crooked, like a forgotten noose around my neck. It was the same outfit they had... the one I was wearing before. My black hair fell over my eyes, sticky with vomit and sweat.
I was a black stain of modernity and trauma on a field of flawless green.
—Ugh... disgusting. Where the hell am I? —my voice came out broken—. What am I doing on a hill? Did I pass out? Am I already dead and this is the heaven of idiots?
I shouted it with the force of someone expecting to be told this was all some sick joke. But the only thing I got was movement.
A few meters down the hill, a traveler walking along the path stopped dead in his tracks. He wore a rough cloth robe and carried a leather satchel that didn't match anything I'd ever seen outside of a nerd convention. He stared at me like I was some kind of evil apparition or a complete lunatic.
And then he started walking toward me. Slowly. With his hands outstretched.
—Hey, kid... are you okay? —his voice sounded strange, but the intention seemed like "help."
Panic shot up my spine like an electric shock. Help. Outstretched hands. Ropes. Laughter. My brain didn't process "good Samaritan," it processed a threat.
<< Maybe he wants to kidnap me again. >>
Without thinking, I jerked backward in a spasm of pure terror. I scrambled to my feet and ran down the hill as fast as I could, away from that man, straight toward the darkness of a distant forest. My legs burned, the wind slapped my face, and my tie whipped against my chest, reminding me with every strike that I was still trapped inside this body that only knew fear.
—SOMEBODY HELP ME! —I screamed into the void—. THEY WANT TO RAPE ME! THEY'RE GOING TO KILL ME! HELP!
I tripped. A treacherous rock cut off my escape. The world flipped violently and I landed on my back, the impact knocking all the air out of my lungs. I lay there gasping, watching that guy approach step by step. His hands were still stretched out, his gaze fixed on me.
What does this lunatic want from me? Why is he looking at me like that? Disgusting... please, not again.
The fear transformed into something far more acidic: disgust. A revulsion that burned my insides even more than the bile.
I saw the guy there on the ground after his "strange" chase. Without thinking twice, I planted my foot straight into his face. Feeling the resistance of his skin against my dress shoe gave me a momentary satisfaction, a spark of
control in the middle of this delirium.
—Disgusting... stay away from me —I spat, my voice filled with visceral hatred—. Why are you coming at me like that? If your intentions to hurt me aren't obvious enough, at least try to hide that psychopath face.
I was about to say more, to dump all my frustration on that guy, when something crossed the sky. A sharp sound, a meow that seemed to fall from the clouds, tore through the air.
—MIAAAOW!
Before I could react, an animal of questionable origin —a cat that looked like it had eaten too much or a spirit with way too much confidence— fell straight onto the stranger's head. The impact knocked him out of my sight and sent him rolling a couple meters to the side.
I froze. Just imagine the scene: a minute ago I was being "hunted," I was perfectly comfortable under that tree... and now this.
—What did I tell you about leaving like that and chasing people just to scare them?
—the animal started talking, floating or moving with irritating calm—. Renii, behave. You could get us into serious trouble if you run into someone a thousand times stronger than you and pull that kind of prank on them.
The creature was scolding the guy. I wouldn't blame it; if I were that animal, I'd scold my friend too if he went around scaring peo...
WAIT. THE ANIMAL TALKS?
—What... what... what's going on here? —my brain short-circuited—. Why is that animal of questionable origin talking? And now that I think about it... why are you wearing such weird clothes like you're some character from a damn MMORPG? What the hell are you people?
I stood there pointing at them with a trembling finger. My blazer, my tie, my kidnapped-guy logic... none of it worked here.
There was a second of silence. Then Renii and the animal looked at each other. And burst out laughing. A mocking laugh, irritating and dripping with superiority, filled the air of the hill.
—HAHAHAHA! Did you hear that? —Renii laughed from the ground, pointing at me—. He called you an "animal of questionable origin"! He doesn't know what you are either! HAHAHAHA!
The creature didn't stay quiet. It puffed itself up a little, looking at me like I was the one speaking in riddles.
—Did you hear that? —the animal commented, throwing the mockery right back—. He said strange words... "MMORPG." And he's wondering why I'm talking. As if that's the weirdest thing he's going to see today.
They looked at me like I was the circus clown. Me, who ten minutes ago had been praying for my life, was now the punchline for a guy in a robe and a talking cat. How pathetic. Truly pathetic.
<
—I'm dead, right? —I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Renii and the animal were still laughing at my traumatized face. Every word I said seemed like a joke to them. They didn't believe I meant it seriously.
—Kid, do you really not know where you are? What world are you supposed to be from? HAHAHAHA! —Renii said with an annoyingly superior tone.
<
That question hit me like a hammer. I went quiet, and the possibility that I was no longer in my world began to suffocate me. My vision turned gray in an instant. I started trembling; my legs went weak and my shaking gaze searched for an escape that didn't exist. I wanted to run, but where? If they were right to laugh, then the strange one was me. I didn't have scars, not a single scratch, even though a moment ago I felt like I was being murdered.
—Hey... do you believe in travel from other worlds? —I asked, with a seriousness that cut through the air.
Everything around me fell silent instantly. Only the breeze could be heard moving Renii's brown hair and the animal's gray fur. The hill rippled in silence. Their gazes stayed fixed on me, heavy, serious, stripped of all laughter.
<< Why did they go so quiet? I just asked a question.>>
—Uh... did something happen? Why are you looking at me like that?
You can imagine the face I made. Nervousness ran up my spine and the atmosphere became so serious that suddenly I missed the laughter. Had I brought up something serious or just something too weird? Maybe they really thought I was the freak here.
Renii opened his mouth, breaking the silence that had become unbearable.
—Hey kid, why are you asking that? —he finally said.
All the attention settled on me. It didn't feel like a good thing, more like I had said something terribly wrong. Was it the way I spoke? Or maybe the way I looked at them? I understood nothing. The tension felt heavier every time the wind blew dramatically through the scene.
—It's because I come from...
As I tried to finish the sentence, a violent sickness twisted my stomach. Something told me, indirectly but painfully, that I shouldn't finish that phrase. It was as if saying my origin out loud would trigger something terrible. The accumulated exhaustion, the shock of reality, and the fear hit me all at once. I went pale. The world started spinning and my strength vanished.
As I fainted, I managed to hear the animal's voice.
—I think you shouldn't be so hard on the kid —the animal commented as I collapsed—. I don't think he knows how to handle a situation like this. Maybe he's a new adventurer. When I met you, you were just like him, Renii, wasn't that the case?
I felt that before I could fall backward and crack my skull against the ground, someone caught me. It was a quick gesture, a kind of protective hug. It was Renii, grabbing me to keep my head from hitting the ground. It was the last thing I remembered before the darkness swallowed me completely.
Renii lifted me and slung me over his shoulders, carrying me like a bundle or a sack of potatoes.
—You're right, Alele —Renii said in a guilty tone as he started walking—. I should stop playing with people like that. The kid was just scared and I teased him until he passed out. I went too far... way too far.
Alele, with a look of disgust, answered immediately.
—"Too far" is an understatement. At least he didn't get hurt. Let's take him to the village; he doesn't seem to be from around here. Maybe he comes from a country where animals don't talk.
They stood there, confused, with me over Renii's shoulder. Renii walked with steady steps carrying me while Alele flew beside him, escorting us toward the village in a silence broken only by the wind.
<< Am I really dreaming or is all of this real? >>
That was the question hammering inside my skull in the darkness. I still couldn't explain many things: the teleportation, the change of worlds, or whatever the hell this phenomenon was called. But the most important thing was the cultural shock. My clothes, this blazer and this tie, were relics from a world that now seemed light-years away. Maybe when I wake up I'll be back home. If all of this really is a dream...
Or so I thought.
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my bed. I was lying in what looked like a wooden cabin. Next to the bed, on a rustic-looking chair, there was a glass of water and some candles lighting the room with a warm, flickering glow. The bed, mysteriously, was far too soft; it wasn't uncomfortable at all, which was suspicious for a place that looked so old.
But even though everything was nice and cozy, what I had right in front of me was ridiculously inexplicable.
Renii was in the middle of an open war against that annoying animal over what looked like a piece of chicken. They were shouting all over the cabin, throwing insults at each other like a father and son fighting over the TV remote.
<< I really wanted to wake up and not be here. This confirms my theory that this is real and not a very long dream >>.
—You damn rat, give me back my drumstick! —Renii shouted, red with rage—. That's mine, bastard! I'll cook you if you don't drop it! You already ate animal food, so why the hell do you want more? Don't you ever get tired of stuffing your face?
The animal didn't back down either, making indignant noises while guarding the prize with a ferocity that didn't match its size. The spectacle was so absurd that, for a moment, I forgot my life had gone to hell. There they were, the "wizard" and the "animal of questionable origin," welcoming me to my new pathetic reality with a fight over food scraps.
—Huh? Did you just call me a rat, you bastard? —the animal snapped with a shrill, offended voice—. I'll eat you if you keep bothering me like that. Just because I'm a spirit under contract with you doesn't mean I can't eat you without killing you, IDIOT!
Renii, with an even more serious and mocking tone, stood up in front of it. He set his own drumstick aside on a plate, like someone preparing for a duel to the death.
—Oh yeah? Then get ready, because I'm going to burn you and eat you myself —Renii declared.
The animal, which also had a piece of meat of its own, didn't step back an inch. It looked just as annoyed.
—Come here, you useless damn wizard —the creature challenged.
<< This is stupid... each one had their own piece, why were they fighting if they already had theirs? >> I commented in my head as I watched them sitting on the bed with a face of absolute bewilderment. It was that typical expression you make when you don't know what face to make in front of something so absurd. It was already strange enough that an animal could talk and fly; fighting over a chicken leg while already having one of their own was the final straw.
<< The duty of winning that piece of chicken is stronger than the duty of stopping such an epic battle >>.
Sarcasm. That's the only word to describe this ridiculously annoying situation. I lay back down, turning my back on them. If they got too annoying, I thought to myself I'd throw a fireball at them, even though I knew I couldn't even lift a spear.
Suddenly, the cabin started to shake. An intense flash and a wave of heat forced me to lift my head. There it was: a massive fireball, so huge it almost filled the entire room, held in Renii's hands.
—RENII! What the hell is wrong with you?! Control yourself! —I shouted on the verge of collapse—. I'm here! Are you trying to kill me or what, you bastard? If this place explodes I don't even have money to fix the damage, and I don't even know how the hell money works in this world!
No one paid attention to me. The animal's shouting was louder.
—COME ON, THROW IT! I'LL EAT THAT GIANT BALL! —the animal challenged—. You're no match for me! Do it! After I eat the ball I'll kill you!
This was getting out of control.
The boy in the blazer felt an invisible pressure pushing him backward. It was the pure energy the boy in the robe was pouring into that incandescent sphere, a mass of heat devouring the oxygen in the room. The animal, far from scared, was screaming at him to throw it with suicidal eagerness.
Everything was going from bad to worse. The situation was deteriorating with every passing second. It was obvious: someone was going to die at any moment, and the leading candidate to inaugurate this world's cemetery was him.
At that moment, the wizard threw the fireball.
Time slowed. The young man watched the sphere advance centimeter by centimeter, lighting the veins of the wood with a scarlet glow. He squeezed his eyes shut until it hurt, refusing to see his own end. He was going to burn to death in a filthy cabin. What complete absurdity.
At the same time, the animal opened its mouth ridiculously wide, dislocating its jaw to receive the impact. It launched itself at the fireball with unnatural greed.
The young man waited for the pain. He waited for the fire. But nothing happened.
<< What the hell just happened? >>
When he opened his eyes, he found a grotesque sight. The animal had swallowed the fireball little by little, but the process had transformed it. Now it was a swollen being, a gray and shiny ball of fur that looked like it would explode if you poked it with a needle.
—YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! —the young man shouted, his voice echoing off the wooden walls—. I thought I was going to die! What's wrong with you psychos?
He jumped to his feet, adrenaline turning into a liquid rage that burned in his chest.
—You idiots! If the room exploded, I don't even have a single cent to fix the damage and you're joking around! I don't even know how the damn money works in this crazy world!
In a burst of pure frustration, he slammed a punch straight into the animal's swollen belly.
The silence that followed was sepulchral. Not because of his shouting; it was the panic reflected in the eyes of both the wizard and the animal at the exact same moment. He had hit it just when the creature hadn't finished processing the magic inside its body.
—What the hell is going on, let me go! —the young man roared when the wizard jumped on him with unexpected strength.
—You idiot, you hit him before he finished swallowing the magic! —the boy in the robe shouted in genuine panic, shoving him under the bed to use the frame as a shield.
The animal, seized by desperation, let out a high-pitched scream. It tried to escape through the window, jumping onto the desk, but it was useless: it was so fat from the chicken and the contained energy that it got stuck in the frame, struggling helplessly.
Suddenly, the room turned blinding white.
<< Well, I haven't even been here a full day and everything's already a disaster >>.
The last thing heard were his own screams, followed by a detonation that shook the foundations of the village. Throughout the entire town echoed an explosion so absurdly ridiculous it sounded like a planned attack.