The sun shone in as Ladar opened his eyes. "Noooo! The light! I am melting! Stop it…my eyes are burning!" Ladar exclaimed while laughing at himself. He looked at the window and remembered he was not in his room. He started to recall yesterday's events as he noticed the sun shining through emitted a bluish light. He remembered reading about this in science class. The sun must be a dead sun at its neutron stage; what Earth would call it is a "pulsar star." He now knew for sure he was in another world. Although he did not know what this world called its "star or heat source," that did not matter. He would call it "Sun" because that felt familiar to him.
Shaking Ladar out of his thoughts, a knock was heard at his bedroom door. "Prince Mogar, may I come in? I have brought a washcloth and basin with warm water for you." "Enter." Ladar replied. He wasn't sure why he said it with such an authoritative tone. His old self would have said, "Sure. Come in."
The maid he saw yesterday entered with her head down and approached Ladar. She brought the basin closer to the bed so she could transfer Ladar to the bathtub more easily. She lifted the covers and said, "excuse my rudeness. I will be taking off your clothes for you." Ladar yelled in shock, "What?! No! I can do it myself. You can leave!" The maid looked at him in confusion and replied, "my prince, you can't use your legs, and I fear you might drown yourself if the abdominal pain suddenly returns." Ladar couldn't argue with that logic and blushed in embarrassment. The maid undressed him and got him into the makeshift bathtub.
"You can hand me the luffa, and I'll wash myself. Just stand near the door in case I call for you. You don't need to help me with every little thing." The maid smiled at Ladar's orders and did as instructed. As the maid walked towards the door, she said, "I'm sorry if this is impertinent of me, Prince Mogar, but I'm glad you are finally awake and acting more like yourself." Ladar replied in surprise, "what do you mean?" The maid felt embarrassed for speaking out of turn and said, "I'm sorry if I've offended you. I'm just glad that you have finally returned to us after 2 years of fighting for your life. And, you had always hated when other people did things for you. So, you sounded a lot like your old self." Ladar had more questions about why he was "fighting for his life for 2 years" but instead asked the maid, "what is your name?" The maid's eyes shot up and looked at Ladar with surprise, "although I am unworthy of having my lowly name know, people call me Sonia, your highness." Ladar looked at the maid with an upset expression, "don't call yourself 'unworthy' or 'lowly!' You are important and valuable in your own right." Ladar was reminded of how he felt when he was with his mother. He felt lesser than and unworthy of love or her affection. He hated seeing other people being put down because he was once made to feel the same way.
Sonia, the maid, blushed and thought to herself, 'Prince Mogar isn't what people said he'd be like. He is caring to even someone of a lover class. He is so magnanimous and embodies the noble blood of our great prophet.' Ladar noticed Sonia blushing and quiet, so he changed the topic. He asked Sonia, "could you tell me more about myself? I fear I lost most of my memories."
Sonia started talking with excitement, "Of course, your highness! As Magi Cornelius mentioned, you are Prince Desser Mogar! You are part of Arch-Magi Ladar Mogar's direct descendants. Only direct descendants can get divine revelations from Brutreq and guide this nation to greater GLORY! That's why anyone who is a part of Arch-Magi's direct descendants will also become prophets and rulers of this great country! That's what Brutreq wills!"
Ladar ignored the insane ramble Sonia spewed. Instead, he focused on his name in this new world…Prince Desser Mogar. It felt foreign and yet a part of him. Also, why did their Arch-Magi have the same name as him? Ladar then said, "Where is this…Arch-Magi?"
Sonia's expression saddened, and she replied, "we don't know. He disappeared 420 years ago. He left his son a book and a kingdom that we call the Kingdom of Mogar. Many say that Brutreq took him back to his realm so that he wouldn't suffer the pain of death."
Ladar stayed silent and pondered to himself: 'So, I am a sacred figure to these people. That explains their reverence to me and why Magi Cornelius was upset when I referred to their "great prophet" without a title. Anyway, it seems my name here is Desser…Although it is a strange name, it feels natural to hear it. Could it be that the body he's inhabiting is influencing his emotions?'
"Desser…Desser…De—Maybe I should accept that's my new name…." Ladar didn't realize he was talking out loud.
"My Prince, are you okay? What do you mean by a 'new name'?" Sonia asked.
"Don't worry about that! Bring the mirror closer to me." Ladar ordered. Sonia brought the mirror over to him. Ladar saw in the reflection someone who looked exactly like him from Earth. However, he looked malnourished with dark circles around his eyes and very long hair. He started thinking about everything that had happened and that he had seen. Maybe accepting the new world will be difficult, but Earth never felt like a place that accepted him either…
Again, Ladar spoke his thoughts aloud, "Prince Desser Mogar…could this be another chance or another nightmare?"