Elric slowly opened his eyes, only to immediately squeeze them shut again as intense light flooded his vision. The brightness was overwhelming, almost painful after what felt like an eternity of darkness.
"Shit," he muttered, his hand instinctively moving to shield his face.
After giving his eyes a moment to adjust, he tried again, opening them more cautiously this time. But even prepared, what he saw nearly blinded him—though this time not because of any light source.
Gold. Everywhere his eyes could reach was gold.
Starting from his bed frame to the ornate furniture scattered around the room, even extending to a small mirror mounted on the wall—everything that could possibly be adorned with gold had been covered in it. The metal gleamed in the light streaming from somewhere above, creating an almost oppressive atmosphere of wealth and luxury.
As he stared at the excessive display, an answer came to his mind unconsciously, pulled from the fragmented memories he'd inherited from his clone. Something about mana passing through gold more efficiently, making it valuable beyond mere aesthetics.
He also noticed that his thoughts were remarkably clear, as sharp and focused as they were in his main body back on Earth. Even small memories could be recalled with perfect clarity, perhaps even better than in his original form. The integration between his two selves seemed to have improved during his week away.
Before he could ponder this further, his hand moved unconsciously toward his chest. A vivid phantom pain lingered there, the memory of cold steel sliding between his ribs so visceral he could almost feel it again.
But when his fingers touched the spot, he found smooth, unblemished skin. Not even a scar remained to mark where the assassin's knife had pierced his heart.
Still, he could feel his heart beating beneath his palm, steady and strong. Alive.
After carefully moving his body around, testing his limbs and joints, he felt no discomfort whatsoever. The weakness that had plagued him before the assassination attempt was completely gone.
But as his awareness expanded beyond his own physical condition, confusion set in.
Where was he?
Even with the inherited memories now accessible, he definitely remembered that this wasn't the room he'd been staying in during that first week. And thinking carefully, there were no memories related to this chamber either. It was completely unfamiliar, unknown.
An unknown room meant potential danger.
Had he been kidnapped? Even though he'd seen some knights arriving before he'd lost consciousness, he didn't actually know the full strength of that assassin. The man had been skilled enough to infiltrate a royal castle and reach his chamber undetected. Getting kidnapped after the fact wasn't entirely out of the possibility.
Elric quickly became alert, his mind shifting into a more analytical mode as he began assessing his situation.
He started examining the room more carefully. Despite being luxurious, with an enormous bed and expensive furniture, the chamber was closed off from all sides. Not a single window broke the monotony of the golden walls. Only one door connected it to the outside world.
However he looked at it, this wasn't a normal room. It resembled nothing so much as a very fancy prison cell.
So the possibility of him being held here against his will didn't seem out of the question.
His mind raced through potential scenarios. Whoever had him likely wanted something. Ransom was the obvious answer—a prince would be worth a considerable sum. Or perhaps they wanted to force political concessions through him, using him as leverage against the kingdom.
Should he try to escape? No guards were visible inside the room, but they were probably waiting outside. Looking down at his small body—This body was only sixteen, not fully grown—he knew his limitations. Let alone fighting a trained knight, he probably couldn't beat even a normal adult in physical combat. He hadn't trained in either world, never developed any martial skills.
But strangely, he didn't feel anxious about his situation. Maybe because this wasn't truly his real body, or maybe because his primary goal was finding information about his mom's illness. The immediate circumstances of his captivity mattered less than gaining access to knowledge about mana and healing.
Still, it would be extremely difficult to find information while under constant surveillance. If he was being held prisoner, his captors would monitor his every move, restricting his access to libraries or scholars who might answer his questions.
So he still needed to attempt escape if the circumstances permitted.
A plan began forming in his mind.
First, he needed to prepare. Elric grabbed the pillow cover and carefully wrapped it around both his feet, securing it as best he could. This would reduce the sound of his footsteps slightly, but more importantly, if he somehow managed to escape, it would be better to run with covered feet than barefoot across whatever terrain lay outside.
Next, he needed a weapon. Something he could use to defend himself or create an advantage.
He scanned the room carefully, evaluating every object for potential usefulness. The furniture was too heavy to wield effectively. The bed frame was bolted down. But then his eyes settled on the large mirror mounted on the wall.
That could work.
But first, he needed to assess what waited outside.
Elric approached the door cautiously, stopping a few feet away rather than pressing his ear directly against it. He stood there quietly, controlling his breathing, letting his mind adapt to the silence.
And after a moment, he heard it—steady breathing coming from the other side of the door.
Only one person, and judging by how low and rhythmic the breathing pattern was, they probably weren't moving. Most likely standing guard in a relaxed posture, not expecting any trouble.
After determining the outside situation somewhat, Elric quietly backed away from the door and moved toward the large mirror on the wall.
He didn't bother questioning why there was an enormous mirror in what was essentially a prison cell—perhaps his captors wanted him to maintain appearances, or maybe the room had been hastily repurposed. Either way, it served his purposes.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered the mirror's frame was made of solid gold. Excessive, ostentatious, and fortunately not secured very well to the wall. With careful effort, he managed to lift it free from its mounting without making much noise.
The mirror was heavy, but manageable for what he had in mind.
Elric carried it carefully to the bed and placed it face-down on the mattress. He covered it with additional bedding, wrapping layers of fabric around it to muffle what came next.
Then, positioning himself carefully, he raised his knee and brought it down hard on the covered mirror.
Crack.
The sound of shattering glass was muffled significantly by the layers of fabric, but still audible in the quiet room. He froze immediately, listening intently for any reaction from outside.
Footsteps? Voices? Any indication the guard had heard?
Nothing.
It seemed the room's soundproofing was quite good—probably designed to prevent anyone outside from hearing what happened within, which now worked in his favor.
After listening for a long moment and confirming there was no response, Elric carefully unwrapped the bedding to reveal the shattered mirror beneath. Dozens of glass shards of various sizes glinted among the fabric, their edges sharp and deadly.
He selected one of the larger pieces, roughly the length of his palm, with a wicked point and sharp edges along both sides. Carefully, he wrapped one end with strips torn from the pillowcase, creating an improvised handle that would protect his hand while allowing him to grip it firmly.
A makeshift weapon, but better than nothing.
Elric stood up from the bed, testing the weight and balance of his improvised glass dagger. It wasn't ideal—fragile, likely to break if it struck anything too hard, dangerous to himself if he wasn't careful. But it was sharp, and it gave him at least some means of defense or attack.
A sharp look flashed through his eyes as he stared at the door. His heart was beating faster now, adrenaline beginning to flow through his system as he prepared for what came next.
Time to find out exactly where he was.