Chapter 3: Fate

Amidst the calm and peaceful atmosphere of a park with a lake, an unknown object hurtled down from above at astonishing speed.

“Owhhhhhhh, fuckkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!”

A voice, filled with panic and distress, emanated from the falling object. In the moments just before it was going to slam into the body of lake, a pair of wings unexpectedly sprouted from their back.

[SPLOOSH]

It crashed into the body of water with a resounding impact, sending waves shooting outward like a shockwave, disrupting the tranquil surface. The echoing sound reverberated through the surrounding landscape. After a momentary recoil from the force, the water settled back into its serene state.

A figure emerged from the depths of the lake, swimming steadily toward the shoreline. As the figure reached the coast of the lake, it climbed out of the water. It is a man, appeared to be in his mid-20s.

“Ahh…shit…I did not form my wings in time.”

The wings on his back gradually began to retract, blending seamlessly back into his body. With a curious gaze, the man examined his clothes, now thoroughly soaked from the unexpected encounter with the lake.

“Aw, man, do they even have any manners?! There are stuffs that you just don’t do with teleportation magic!”

The man grumbled irritably as he removed his boots, pouring out the excess water inside it. He proceeded to remove his wet clothing, one at a time – the gloves, the jacket, and the shirt. With twists and squeezes, he tried to remove the water that had soaked his clothing.

“This should be dry enough.”

The man, thinking his clothes were dry enough, put them back on. However, he was wrong, they were still too wet to be worn comfortably. His left eye twitched in annoyance.

“Screw it.”

The man stood upright and closed his eyes. With a snap of his fingers, he uttered a word:

“[Hellish Discharge]”

Suddenly, vibrant purple and violet flames erupted from his body, enveloping him entirely. The flames seemed unaffected by the dampness of his clothes, effortlessly burning through the water, and gradually drying up his attire, restoring him to his original appearance.

Satisfied that his clothes were now dry, with a wave of his hand, the flames that was engulfing him vanish in an instant. He then patted his clothes to ensure they were free from any residual moisture, while scanning his surroundings to get a sense of his location.

“This is…this is……”

The man looked around his surroundings.

“Actually, where the fuck am I?”

Spotting a glimmer of light further ahead, the man sneakily moved away from the lake, heading toward the park’s road. Hesitating to step onto the illuminated pavement, he sought to remain unnoticed and avoid the light. He walked through the park grounds, following the path with bushes bordered between him and the road. The man stayed alert, hoping to catch a glimpse of his surroundings for any clues that might help him figure out his location.

After walking for a few minutes, the man stumbled upon a forked road with a sign between the separated paths. He walked towards it to read the sign.

“[ ⇧ 15th District]”

“[14th District ⇨]”

Unable to understand where is this going to guide him to, the man decided to take a quick look behind the sign as well.

“[⇧ 13th District]”

“[⇦ 14th District]”

“Well, this is nice, I’ve got no idea where I am. Guess I’ll just head to [14th District].”

In the glow of the streetlight, the man’s presence became evident. The man had dark red colored hair, with stripes of white colored hair running down his left bangs. 

The man’s complexion boasted a warm, sand-toned hue, while his eyes, were light burgundy color. His attire comprised a tight sleek black sleeveless tank top, accentuated by a dark purple jacket tied casually around his waist. Clad in the tight tank top, the man’s well-defined physique was visible, showcasing an athletic build that exuded strength and dexterity. On the right side of his waist, he carried two swords resembling katanas without its handguard. Completing his ensemble were long black pants that flowed effortless into a pair of dark brown leather boots.

Not long after continuing on his path, he came across a young man who appeared to be around 19 years old. The late teen was walking in an unsteady and imbalanced posture, swaying as if he was about to fall down, only to regain his balance again. It was obvious that the young man was drunk.

The man tapped lightly on the young man’s shoulder to notify him of his presence.

“Hey, you. What’s this place?”

“Huh – *hic*”

The young man turned around to face the person who tapped on his shoulder. Upon seeing the man’s striking and unusual attire, his eyes widened in awe.

“Brooo, what are you wearing? That’s so cool, bro.”

“Can you tell me what is this place?”

The young man was so fascinated by the man's attire that he didn't hear his question. Instead, he started inspecting and touching the man's outfit with curiosity.

“Awe – *hic* some costume, man. Are these swords real? Nice katanas – *hic*”

“Wh – what? Stop touching my stuff and answer my question. What is this place?”

Stuttered in his words at first, the man quickly became annoyed by the young man’s impolite touching. He firmly grabbed the young man’s arm and repeated his question.

“– *hic* calm down, bro. You must be *hic* in character, I can act along with you. You are in a park, the Park of Sunnyvale~~”

The young man made an exaggerated gesture and spoke in a dramatic manner.

“Park of Sunnyvale? Whatever, just tell me what continent am I on?”

“Hahaha – *hic*, nice acting. You are in Canada, North America.”

“Canada? North America? Is this place not Ceania?

“Seenia? – *hic*, I don’t know wh –”

“Are we not on Agromoth?”

“Hahah – *hic* nope. You are on Earth, milord.”

The young man said jokingly, assuming that the man was just role-playing a character.

“But seriously though, your costume is awesome, but what character are you cosplaying?”

The young man continued to ramble on, talking to himself. The man paid little attention to him after he was told that he was in a place he had never heard of or recognized.

Is the young man lying to him? Trying to make him confused so that his guards were lowered.

Without a moment’s hesitation, the man once again sprouted his wings that was previously seen when he was falling down from the sky. The wings grew out from his back, gradually increasing in size as if they were growing. Unlike the wings of a bird, the wings bore a closer resemblance to those of a bat.

The young man's eyes widened in a mix of horror and surprise. The sudden shock caused a jolt to his system, and he couldn’t hold back the urge to vomit.

“Urgh, uwaurgh!!!” The young man vomited.

He now understood that the person standing before him was not merely cosplaying or roleplaying as a character from movies or drama series. The individual's very existence embodied the essence of a fairy tale come to life.

The man spread his wings wide apart, and with one powerful flap, he lifted himself off the ground and ascended into the sky with incredible speed. The gust of wind generated by his wings knocked the young man off balance, causing him to plop down on the pavement.

Hovering from high above, the man gazed across the city's vast expanse. A mesmerizing array of lights adorned the horizon, casting a vibrant glow upon the streets. Neon signs, car lights, and streetlamps painted the urban landscape with colors. Majestic skyscrapers stood tall, towering over the bustling scene below, where cars and pedestrians moved like busy ants.

“Wha…what is this…I’ve never seen –”

“Just where in the hell did I got teleported to…?”

Having confirmed that he was nowhere near a location he was familiar with, the man flew back down to where the young man stood.

The young man, now sobered up by the wind and the obviously otherworldly being in front of him, shook uncontrollably from the shock of what he had just witnessed. He remained in the position where he was pushed off balanced by the force of the wind. The young man tried to speak, but his sentences kept getting stuttered.

“You – you are…no – not…norm…n – normal?!”

“Hmm…so I am considered strange here.” The man thought to himself.

From the young man’s reaction, the man deduced that beings like him were likely a rare sight or possibly non-existent in this place. Seeing the young man in a state of terror, the man attempted to calm him down.

“Boy, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Grimzna. What’s yours?”

“P – Pie – Peter. Peter!”

“Alright, great. Peter, do you know where you live?”

“Yes – yes, w – why?”

“I’m going to need a place to take shelter while I’m trying to figure what’s going on, so if it’s all right with you, can I use your place?”

“Su – sure!”

“Great! Lead the way, Peter.”

Peter tried to stand up, but his legs felt like jelly. His body was still struggling to process the shock he had experienced.

“It’s fine, boy. Just stay put, you remember where you live, right?

Peter's head bobbed so rapidly in response to Grimzna's question, as if his life depended on giving the right answer. Grimzna then placed his open hand in front of Peter’s forehead and spoke the words:

“[Detect Thoughts]”

Unsure of Grimzna's intentions, Peter froze and remained silent.

“Think about how we can reach your house from here, Peter.”

In the blink of an eye after Grimzna spoke those words, his mind was flooded with vivid visions, revealing the exact path they needed to take to reach Peter's house.

“Now picture your house and anything that helps you identify how close you are to home.”

From Peter's perspective, his own thoughts were in shambles and lacked clarity. However, for Grimzna, it was as if he could access every single detail with ease, like flipping through slides in a presentation. Grimzna knew precisely which path they needed to take, having gleaned information about Peter's house, its house number, and nearby landmarks from Peter's thoughts.

Finished with his action, Grimzna instructed Peter to wrap his arms around him so that he could carry him steadily.

“Hold tight, you will fall if you let go. We are going to fly over there.”

Upon hearing those words, Peter instinctively tightened his arms around Grimzna, ensuring a secure hold. Grimzna, in preparation for their flight, quickly flapped his wings, clearing away debris and leaves around him. With a powerful upward thrust, they ascended into the sky, soaring above the ground.

Grimzna's strong wings allowed them to cover a vast distance in mere seconds, a journey that would have taken a four-hour walk. As they approached the house that matched the one he saw in his vision, Grimzna indicated the direction by gesturing with his head.

“That’s your house?”

“Ye…yes.”

Peter's house was a typical suburban two-story residence.

“There’s 2 floors, which floor is your room on?”

“2nd.”

Grimzna soared through the air, gradually reducing his speed as they approached Peter's house. With a gentle descent, he landed on the rooftop just above the porch, with Peter still holding onto him tightly.

“You can release your hands now, Peter.”

Peter, feeling safe, released his tight grip and hopped onto the rooftop. He quickly made his way to his bedroom window and tried to open it.

“It – it’s locked. Damn it, Melissa must have locked it.”

“Melissa?”

“Ye – yeah…she’s my sister. We had a fight, and she loves getting me in trouble when that happens.”

“Huh, interesting.”

“We’ll have to figure out how we can get in without getting spotted.”

“I can deal with that.”

Grimzna, with his right hand, formed it into a sign, resembling a hand seal. He whispered under his breath:

“[Silence]”

In an instant, Peter found himself in complete silence. The usual sounds of insect chirping, his own breathing, and the rustling wind—all vanished. It was as if the world had turned mute, or more accurately, he had become deaf.

Peter observed as Grimzna transformed his index finger and middle finger into sharp blade-like points. With his transformation, his fingers resembled a pair of thin scissors, perfectly suited to fit through the small gap between the windows.

Grimzna slid his transformed fingers into the opening and effortlessly cut through the lock that secured the window shut. As the lock gave way, he smoothly opened the windows, allowing both of them to enter the house. Peter followed closely behind Grimzna, intrigued by the unusual display of Grimzna’s abilities.

Intrigued and excited by Grimzna's extraordinary abilities, Peter attempted to speak, but no sound escaped his lips. Sensing Peter's desire to communicate, Grimzna quickly made a hand gesture, signaling him to stop talking before he disabled the magic spell that had rendered the area silent.

Grimzna repeated the hand sign once more, and the sound of the world returned to normal. Peter, now realizing that he could talk again, whispered in an excited tone.

“Oh my god, what was that? Was that like magic or something?”

“Yes, it was magic.”

Peter's curiosity and excitement couldn't be contained, and he continued to bombard Grimzna with an endless stream of questions.

“Alright, kid. Stop with the questions. Before I answer any of yours, I need you to answer some of mine first.”

“Okay okay, what do you want to know?”

Grimzna posed his questions with directness and purpose, expecting clear and straightforward answers.

“First, tell me about your world. What is it called?”

“Earth.”

“Earth? Doesn’t that mean like dirt or something?”

“Yea…Yeah…….it does.”

“What is the name of your nation called?”

“My country is called Canada.”

“Does the concept of magic exist in your world?”

“Well, yes, but –”

“Are there any others that may look like me or possess abilities like mine in your world?”

“No.”

“Do you have a map of your world? It’s fine if it’s not exactly accurate or outdated.”

“Yeah, I have it, it’s on the wall.”

Peter pointed to the poster on the wall, drawing Grimzna's attention to it. As Grimzna approached the poster, he noticed its detailed and precise map, unlike any he had seen in his own world. While Peter continued to ramble on with his questions, Grimzna tried to focus and study the world map intently.

Grimzna struggled to bring his mind to focus with Peter whispering his questions next to him. Growing impatient with Peter's constant rambling, he firmly instructed him to sit on the bed so that he could answer his questions properly.

Upon hearing Grimzna's instruction, Peter quickly kicked off his shoes and hopped onto his bed, making himself comfortable. Excitedly, he began to ask his questions.

“Okay okay, so tell me –”

Before Peter could finish his sentence, Grimzna swiftly made a hand gesture with his right hand and whispered:

“[Sleep]”

Without any delay, Peter immediately fell asleep like a log on his bed, snoring loudly.

Finally, a moment of inner peace, Grimzna thought to himself. He continued to study the world map poster, diligently memorizing the shapes, names, and territories of each country depicted on the map.

From the pocket of his jacket, Grimzna retrieved a rolled-up piece of parchment that resembled a rough sketch of a map. He carefully pinned it against the wall next to the detailed map poster. His gaze darted back and forth between the two maps, comparing their features. Both maps bore no resemblance to each other; each seemed to depict a distinct and separate place.

With the room now quiet, Grimzna's keen senses picked up on the subtle sounds that were previously drowned out by Peter's whispered rambling. A constant ticking sound somewhere in the room, he noticed the clock hung above the door, the needle ticking steadily as it completed a full circle around the clock face. Curious, he began counting the seconds it took for the needle to make a complete round.

“60, same as my world.”

Although he had been transported to a different world, some similarities still existed between his world and this new one, such as their shared concept of time. Grimzna audibly released a sigh.

“I will need more information to figure out the mess I am in…”

“I’ll ask the kid tomorrow when he wakes up. For now, I’ve got to get some sleep.”

Remaining vigilant, Grimzna locked the door to Peter's room before preparing to rest. He positioned himself on the floor, sitting down on the floor with his back against the wall opposite Peter's bed. Taking off the swords from his waist, he placed them beside him, leaning them against the wall.

“I hope libraries do exist in this world…”

Grimzna mumbled softly as he slowly drifted into a sleep.