Light appeared before anything else came into view.
Here begins a shift - not frost-laced voids, now light rests gently. Stone pathways hold the day's quiet warmth. Reflection moves slowly across ancient surfaces.
Stillness took hold. Not even a breath broke the quiet.
Empty, his thoughts had vanished without trace.
Afterward, recollections began to reappear.
The pain.
The blood.
A weight pressed against his ribs, each breath coming slower. Air grew thin while his lungs fought for more. Tightness spread across his front, resisting every attempt to inhale fully.
His last words.
Dad…
Arian rose upright without warning.
Without delay, his hands swept over his torso - touching collarbone, biceps, throat - as though checking for certainty. The motion followed an invisible cue, deliberate yet urgent, tracing skin like a signal meant only for him. Each point of contact held weight, not by force but focus, revealing neither fear nor relief. Instead, it suggested recall: muscle remembering command before mind caught up.
"…I'm not dead?"
A light pressure came from his hands upon the chest. Then followed a stillness, quiet between motion.
No wound.
No blood.
Normal breaths moved through him.
Beating, his heart continued.
Fast, but alive.
"…What?"
A glance downward preceded his swift movement toward the coat lining. His hands moved before thought caught up.
A chill met his fingertips. The object lay still beneath them.
A small object.
Arian removed it from where it was kept.
A necklace.
A single beam of light caught the surface of the small metal charm on the necklace. Upon noticing it, memory returned without warning.
"This…"
It was the necklace that his father gave him before his mom died.
The piece around his neck when life ended. What remained was a chain, once worn without pause. It rested there, fixed beneath quiet hands. A shape left behind after breath stopped. Metal that stayed long after skin cooled.
His eyes widened.
Then suddenly -
"SO DOES THIS MEAN I'VE BEEN SUMMONED ACROSS THE UNIVERSE TO ANOTHER WORLD?!"
From his lips came a sound that filled the empty road. Loudness carried it far beyond where he stood.
Not a single person moved forward anymore.
A figure moved forward, basket in hand, eyes fixed upon the other. Stillness followed his gaze.
A child was gently guided aside by a passing woman. The movement came without warning, subtle yet clear.
Arian didn't notice.
Quick breaths followed the sudden thump inside his chest.
"This is it… right?"
Faster than expected, he rose to his feet, eyes scanning the area as energy built within him.
Stone buildings.
Wooden signs hanging above shops.
Fashion choices resembling costumes from an old historical film were seen on several individuals. From another angle, garments appeared to echo styles long gone by. One might notice how attire brought images of ancient times into the present moment. Clearly, clothing carried a sense of distant eras. In such cases, modern dress gave way to something far more traditional.
Far away -
A figure moves along, a blade at his side. His steps follow the path without pause. Upon his waist rests cold steel, carried like weight of routine. The hilt catches light once, then shadow again. Not speaking, he passes through dust and silence both.
His finger moved toward the man with deliberate slowness.
"…Yeah."
He nodded seriously.
"Yeah, this is definitely another world."
A sound left his throat, sudden, odd. It broke the silence like a stone dropped in still water.
"I actually did it."
The necklace lifted a little in his hand.
"So this is a miracle, huh?"
He glanced up at the clouds, briefly. The air above held still, then.
Blue.
Clear.
Endless.
"I died… and got a second life."
The fingers closed harder on the small hanging object.
A silence came after.
"…Then maybe I can become someone different from the failure i was."
Someone better.
Someone who wouldn't fail.
A person capable of extending toward -
It was then his voice dropped a little.
"…Dad's expectations."
A hush carried along the pavement. Breeze traced lines between buildings. Air slipped past lampposts without sound. Motion wandered where footsteps fade.
Arian paused, then drew air slowly into his lungs.
The deep, terrifying voice that seemed to echo inside his soul.
"It is time to repay the debt you owe."
A cold chill ran down his spine.
"…Debt?"
He didn't understand what it meant.
"Alright."
He started walking.
If indeed this place belonged to a different realm, comprehension had to come before anything else.
Footsteps echoed while dawn lifted behind rooftops. Light spread across streets when shadows pulled back. Movement returned where silence had rested through night.
Few streets stretched wide, yet movement filled them completely. Along each edge stood compact businesses - ovens baking bread, metalworkers shaping iron, cloth vendors arranging garments, while nearby stalls sent rising scents that stirred hunger without delay.
Arian came to a halt near a vendor's cart. There, skewers of meat sizzled over heat. The seller stood behind them, hands busy. Smoke curled upward between pauses in conversation. One stall among many held his attention now.
The smell was incredible.
Something stirred inside his gut. A quiet signal broke through.
"Grrr."
Around him, Arian glanced swiftly. The space received his brief but careful attention.
"…That wasn't me."
It happened again.
"Grrr."
He sighed.
"Okay, maybe it was."
A glance held too long caught the seller's attention.
"You buying something, kid?"
Arian rose without delay.
"…No."
"…Just inspecting."
"Inspecting?"
"For quality control."
A look came from the seller, fixed upon his face.
"…Get lost broke kid."
With a brief cough, Arian turned without delay. Movement followed - swift, uneasy, retreating down the hall.
"…Right."
"Still broke."
He continued wandering.
Laughter filled the air as children moved between houses. Their footsteps echoed under open skies.
Fierce debate erupted among shopkeepers about cost. Yet each held firm on their stated amount.
A single blow sent bright fragments into the air, the anvil ringing under force. Heat bent light around the glowing sheet, shape shifting beneath repeated pressure. Each impact echoed beyond the stone walls, sound traveling past still trees.
Though small in size, energy moved through its streets. Life showed itself in quiet moments between motion.
Arian observed each detail without missing a single movement.
"…Interesting."
Only steps remained when the weight shifted, pressing him toward a splintered rail by an empty road. A pause settled as wood met cloth beside stillness between houses.
From silence came clarity, one idea after another settling into place.
"If this is another world…"
Beyond that, every system carries inherent difficulties.
Its own crimes.
Its own mysteries.
Arian folded his arms tightly across his chest.
"…I think I know what I want to be."
A slight curve touched the lips. Then stillness returned.
"I want to become a detective."
Odd how well it settled into place. It carried a weight that matched the moment perfectly.
Back in his old world, he had always loved mystery stories.
Unsolved cases.
Hidden truths.
Hidden things await discovery.
Yet the light left his eyes when he turned back toward the streets.
"…Although…"
A hand rose slowly, fingers touching the nape. The movement stopped after a brief pause.
"This place is kind of small."
A place of such modest size likely saw few incidents that carried severe weight. Crime here, when it occurred, tended toward the minor rather than the grave.
At most -
Lost pets.
Drunk arguments.
Stolen bread.
"…That's boring."
Arian moved back from the fence slowly. The space between him and the metal widened. His hands left the cold surface behind. Distance grew without sound. He stood apart now, arms at his sides.
"If I want real mysteries…"
"I'll probably need to go somewhere bigger."
A large city.
A place full of people.
Full of secrets.
Full of problems.
Arian gave a small nod, almost as if agreeing silently.
"Yeah."
"That's the plan."
Fleeing its limits became his quiet plan.
Travel somewhere bigger.
Become a detective.
And maybe - just maybe -
Within silence, a murmur surfaced just prior to his arrival. Questions arise regarding its origin. That sound did not match any known pattern. Investigation begins not with proof but curiosity. Before footsteps echoed, words formed without a speaker. Clarity emerges slowly, through absence of assumption.
Excitement stirred within at the notion.
Arian moved ahead by two assured strides.
Then suddenly stopped.
"…Wait."
From stillness, his fingers began a quiet move toward the cloth at his side. The motion took shape without rush, guided by something unspoken. There, beneath fabric, came contact - deliberate, soundless.
He checked it.
Next, the opposite side.
Nothing.
Silence.
"…Right."
A silence settled where footsteps might have been. The road stretched forward, untouched by motion. Nothing moved under the pale light. Space remained vacant beyond his sight.
"I don't have money."
A weight settled in his chest, sudden. The truth arrived without warning. It stood there, undeniable.
"…Not even a coin."
A heavy breath escaped him while his gaze lifted toward the clouds. Above, the air held still as light faded into gray.
"…Being summoned to another world is great and all…"
"But could the universe at least give me a starting budget?"
Arian moved ahead at a measured pace along the roadways.
The thrill of moments prior had dissolved into something less intense. Now, attention shifted toward an issue requiring immediate handling.
Money.
Or more accurately -
The absence defines it entirely.
Into the emptiness of his pockets went both hands. A sigh followed after.
"…What am I supposed to do without money?"
Footsteps made soft sounds on the uneven stones beneath them.
"How do people even live in a world like this?"
Food.
Clothes.
A space exists for rest.
Money stood behind each one. Payment formed the base layer.
"And how am I supposed to travel to another city?" he muttered.
Across the busy street, his eyes moved without focus.
There he looked, eyes settling on figures moving past - men carrying bows, hides slung behind them like shadows. From a distance came the faint creak of leather and wood. Not close, yet near enough to notice the dust stirred underfoot. One stepped forward, then another, shapes outlined against the pale sky. Hides swayed with each stride, uneven but steady. The silence between him and them stretched, unbroken by speech. Light fell across their shoulders, sharp at the edges. Movement continued without pause, direction unchanged.
"…Should I just go into the forest and hunt something?"
A figure ran through thick brush, hands empty. The creature ahead moved fast, silent. Without tools or aid, pursuit continued across uneven ground. Breath came hard under gray sky light. Distance between hunter and hunted stayed unchanged. Moments passed like this - no advantage gained.
"…Yeah. That would probably end with me getting eaten."
Arian exhaled once more, then continued forward.
A shape near the pavement drew his gaze while he moved down a different road.
A narrow storefront fits into the space between taller structures on either side. Between those, it holds its place without drawing attention. Though modest in size, it remains noticeable by contrast alone.
The window display was strange.
Books.
Strange bottles filled with glowing liquid.
Small crystals.
Strange items appeared, resembling implements of old. Some bore shapes suggesting purposeful design. Others hinted at forgotten uses through their form. Each carried an air of mystery about its origin. Their presence raised questions without clear answers.
Above the doorway rested a plank of carved wood.
The problem was -
Arian found the words impossible to understand.
"…What does that say?"
Strange symbols filled each letter, none recognized at first glance.
Not a single one resembled those who speak English.
Or Japanese.
Yet nothing matched what lay before his eyes.
"…Great."
His fingers moved to the base of his skull, pausing there. A pause came before the motion began again.
Just then, past the doorway, walked a pair of men murmuring between them. His thoughts paused midstream.
"…Did you hear the news?"
"Hear what?"
"Someone from the lord's family died."
Arian froze slightly.
Instantly, his hearing grew more alert.
A frown crossed the face of the second man. Unexpectedly still, he blinked once.
"What? Are you serious?"
"That's what I heard this morning."
"That's strange… which one?"
"I don't know exactly. But people are saying it wasn't natural."
Frowning came to the face of the second man.
"…You mean murder?"
The first man lifted his shoulders slightly, then let them fall without a word.
"Maybe. Or poison."
"That's dangerous talk."
"Well, it's just rumors."
Footsteps echoed softly as they moved forward, voices growing quieter with each step. The air carried fragments of speech, thinning under the weight of space between them.
Arian remained in place without speaking.
"…Interesting."
A thought arrived without warning. It settled into place.
Wait.
Everything spoken by them was clear to him.
Every word.
"…So the language is the same?"
Back toward the marker over the doorway his gaze moved. The letters hung still in the air, fixed above the entrance.
"But the letters aren't."
From a quiet start, his mind reached the answer without delay.
"I can speak the language…"
"But I can't read their writing."
Arian nodded slowly.
"…That's inconvenient."
Yet onward he moved, driven by wonder.
The man turned the handle, then moved into the store.
A chime, tiny and metal, sounded near the door. Soft noise followed each arrival.
A faint trace of dried leaves mixed with the scent of aged pages within. Somewhere beneath it lingered a quiet mustiness, uninvited yet familiar. Dust settled where air barely moved. Each breath carried traces of time left undisturbed.
Along most of the walls stood shelves packed with books. Neat rows of glass bottles, filled with brightly colored liquids, rested upon wooden tables.
A few containers gave off a soft glow.
Arian blinked.
"…Magic."
An aged figure was positioned beyond the counter, his gaze calm, strands of silver pulled neatly back. Stillness marked his presence, yet warmth shaped how he appeared.
Warmth showed on his face right after spotting the other. Immediately, a quiet smile formed.
"Welcome to my shop."
Quietness marked his way of speaking, yet warmth came through clearly.
"This is a store for books and magical potions."
A slight motion of his hand indicated the shelves.
"Is there something you're looking for?"
Arian hesitated.
"Uh… hello."
Inside his head, panic started forming.
Curiosity brought me through the door just now.
Why I came inside?
How does one respond at a moment like this?
Only by holding his breath did he keep still. Calm came through clenched teeth. Stillness followed tension. Control arrived late, yet it arrived.
"Well… um…"
At that point, a question of value came to mind.
"Sir… where is the nearest large city?"
For a moment, the shopkeeper looked at him closely.
Slowly, his gaze traveled over the fabric of Arian's attire.
"…You're a traveler, aren't you?"
He smiled faintly.
"Your clothes look quite unusual."
Arian rubbed his scalp, uneasy. His fingers moved without purpose. Silence stretched between gestures. The moment held still.
"…Something like that."
A slight dip of his head suggested acceptance, though the reply offered little clarity.
"Well then."
A small shift of weight brought his shoulder toward the countertop. The edge met him halfway. Wood pressed into fabric. A pause settled there. Stillness followed.
"The nearest large city from here is Khaenri'ah."
Again came the whisper of that name, unspoken yet clear. Quietly, it lingered inside his thoughts. Without sound, he shaped its letters once more.
"Khaenri'ah…"
The shopkeeper continued.
"It is one of the three great cities of the kingdom."
Arian's eyes widened slightly.
"Three great cities?"
"Yes."
Yet… he said, with caution.
"I wouldn't recommend traveling there right now."
Arian shifted his gaze upward. Head angled slightly sideways.
"Why?"
"There are problems on the road recently."
A faint gesture came from his hand, aimed just beyond the glass where peaks blurred into haze. There, far off, rose the edges of land meeting sky, framed by the pane's boundary. Shapes lingered in the air, soft yet clear, held within the stillness of view.
"The only route to reach Khaenri'ah from here is through the mountain range."
Arian turned where he looked.
Mountains.
Tall.
Dark.
"And I wouldn't recommend crossing them alone," the shopkeeper added.
"Why not?"
A shift came over his face, seriousness taking hold. His look deepened without warning. Quiet intensity settled in where lightness had been moments before.
"Monsters."
Arian blinked.
"…Monsters?"
"Yes."
"There are creatures roaming those mountains."
His voice dropped a little in volume.
"Creatures ranked as Demon-class."
Arian's eyes sharpened.
Hmm…
So monsters have ranks in this world.
Useful details were shared earlier. Information had value.
A quiet shift brought him nearer. The space between them changed without sound.
"Which rank are they?"
Calmly came the shopkeeper's reply.
"Third rank."
Arian nodded slowly.
"Understood."
Despite his complete lack of awareness about the true risks involved.
"Thank you for the information."
A gentle smile appeared on the face of the shopkeeper.
"You're welcome, traveler."
Arian tilted his head slightly before moving toward the door. The exit drew him forward without hesitation. Step by step, he closed the distance in silence.
A fresh chime sounded when his foot touched the pavement.
The sun of the afternoon began its descent through the sky.
Arian remained still before the storefront. Stillness marked his posture near the entrance. There, he waited without motion nearby the doorway. His presence lingered in silence just outside. Quiet filled the space around him at the threshold.
"Khaenri'ah… huh."
A single among the trio known widely.
There, his eyes moved slowly to the far peaks.
"That's where I should go."
Weight settled into his limbs without warning.
Arian yawned.
"…I should probably - "
For just an instant, he let his eyelids fall shut.
Then suddenly -
His sentence stopped.
Again, his eyes opened.
"…What?"
He looked around slowly.
The street.
The buildings.
Just like before, everything appeared unchanged.
Yet a sense of unease remained.
Arian frowned slightly.
"…Wasn't I just standing in front of that shop?"
He turned around.
A chill began where warmth had been. His chest carried something unfamiliar.
"…Wait."
The volume of his speech decreased a little.
"Wasn't I just standing in front of the shop just now?"