I couldn't move for a few minutes.
Did I really fall?
I checked, by looking to the clouds to make sure I fell from the sky.
Maybe there was some kind of elevator, which now disappeared?
Or some kind of floor?
How is this even possible?
Where is this place?
I had so many questions. But I had to start somewhere somehow.
So, I decided to look around.
I stood up. The pain immediately went away. All I could see was, that I was apparently on a field filled with green grass.
Four steps away behind me, there was a big tree.
A few miles away there were some cottages and more trees.
Where the blazing hells am I?
I looked down at my feet.
I wore shoes, which seemed to be in an old style but were made finely.
It seemed noble.
Right next to my shoes there was a book. To be more specific, it was the fantasy novel I read.
Why is that here?
Neither my smartphone nor my bag were to be found. I slightly panicked. I looked at my body.
A navy blue dress? I have to admit, this dress is gorgeous.
When I wanted to take a look at my hair, I suddenly got a headache.
"Shit"
I saw things I never had witnessed.
A big mansion, noble dressed people, much more people, some other things and last but not least, I saw a baby.
Whatever that meant, I couldn't decipher if it even had an order, the things I just saw. It was too much.
Wasn't I just in the book store?
How am I supposed to go back?
Suddenly, it was completely silent. The wind and the leaves of the tree right behind me stopped blowing.
A couple of seconds of overthinking went by as I heard horse steps.
What if I get caught?
Or should I go to them?
What if that is just a horse alone passing by?
For whatever I hoped for, I automatically closed my eyes.
I was now behind the tree. I had so many questions, but no answers.
My promise.
The promise I made for the boy, that I would see him again, so that we could talk and laugh and maybe even eat together, popped up in my mind.
I didn't even get to know his name. He actually could've been good friends with Luca. Something about him reminds me of him.
What if I really can't go back?
What if I'll never see my aunt, the boy, Luca or Saffiya again?
Even though I don't like them it doesn't mean I don't like Luca.
He never chose to be born in such a family. Although he has loving parents, and gets the love I also could have received, I couldn't get mad at him.
I couldn't even get to know the staff that much like I did with Saffiya. All the hard work in schoo—
Wait.
Why is it so silent again.
Are they gone?
I stopped my breathing. I was so scared that I might get caught for no reason. My back was facing the tree, so that I wasn't able to see where the sounds came from. I could hear my heartbeat pounding louder than anything.
A squirrel.
There was a squirrel running through the field. I let out a sigh, relieved that it was just a squirrel.
"Good thing I woke up right next to a tree"
"You just woke up next to tree?"
"Yes that's what I'm hoping for"
"Ah, I see"
...
Then it hit me.
Holy shit.
The voice came from right behind me.
It wasn't me...
I wanted to scream. But I couldn't. I was trembling, my heart pounded even louder this time. I was sweating.
Slowly I turned to my right.
There was a man towering above me.
He was one step away from me, leaning against the tree.
"My, my. What do we have here", he said smirking.
I looked at him.
Directly I closed my eyes, hoping that he might be a hallucination or something.
Hoping that all of this is a dream, I made a reality check. I opened my palm—still not opening my eyes— pointing my finger against it.
It was real.
I did it multiple times.
It is real.
Think faster what could I d-
"Lady Zephyra", the man said.
I slowly opened my eyes, just to see that he's talking to... me?
"What?", I asked, not sure if he talked to me.
"We've been searching for hours to find you", he said.
"Did you just call me 'Lady Zephyra'?", I asked, still not sure what was just happening.
"Wait. Did you hit your head Lady? Are you injured?", he asked.
While he asked me I took a look at him, trying to identify who this person might be.
He was pretty tall, he wore something like an uniform. He had wide shoulders, and his dark blue hair was parted in the middle. Dark blue? Is that his natural hair colour?
He had light purple eyes, shining through the light.
Honestly, if this is some kind of play, it's certainly not funny.
He was quit handsome.
"The grand duke is waiting for you, my Lady", he said.
His ears got red.
Oh I startled him, I guess I stared too much.
"The grand duke?", I asked, still not getting what he meant.
"My Lady, let me just check, if you really have some injuries."
He started to touch my head. As if his touch triggered me, I suddenly got headaches.
"Argh!", I screamed.
"My Lady? Are you okay?", he once again asked while panicking.
I tried to reassure that stranger, that I was fine.
I suddenly saw something again, this time it was much clearer.
The purple eyed man standing right next to me laughing, talking to me.
Us playing with swords..?
My vision became blurry, I became dizzy.
Just who is this man?
Where am I?
And what are those things I'm seeing. Maybe they are—
"Lady Zephyra, please answer me!"
There was a loud beep sound.
I closed my eyes.
Zephyra?
Beep
I woke up breathing heavily.