BZZT BZZT! The deafening sound of my alarm clock blasted right into my ears. Hgnhgh… as I sat up in my bed, still groggy, I rubbed my eyes, still blurry from sleeping. As I put on my glasses, I'm able to see my blue and white checkered blanket more clearly.
I glance out the window beside my bed.
The same view of a residential street lined with houses and apartments which I've seen every day for the past 4 years falls into sight. Over the course of my college career, I've grown more and more fond of this city, and the people I've met along the way and made friends with. It made me kind of sad that today would be one of the last days here… I pick up my phone to take a look at my schedule for today.
A habit I had ever since I moved to Yokohama for my college education. My eyes go wide and I nearly start choking for air when I notice the event I set for today. The blue tab on the calendar in black text reads: Class visit to Kewashiyama Historic Museum I hop out of bed and scurry over to get dressed and run out the door, no time for breakfast or anything. If I missed this event, the chance of graduating would be gone, and all the work I put in these past four years would be for nothing. I ran like an olympic runner the moment I set foot outside of my apartment door. Several heads turn, and I hear a few "watch out!"'s as well, which I offered a mental apology to as I sped through the streets.
After about maybe 10 minutes of running, I finally arrive to the same school I've been going to for the past several years, New Yokohama University. It was a beautiful 3-storey brick gothic-revival style building, with a black tiled-roof, with stained glass windows. There was a German-style clock which sat on the central tower. The front campus was a giant open space inlaid with real stone tiles and lots of oak and cedar trees.
It was like stepping back in time whenever you went there. Panting, and out of breath, I walked towards the huge crowd surrounding the buses. The moment my professor, Matsushima-sensei, a man with balding black and slightly gray hair saw me. I heard him say "good, looks like we can finally head out.. Alright everybody, it's time to leave!" He hopped off
of his stool, and walked over to the bus. Everyone else including me followed suit. I let out a breath of relief as I sat down on one of the bus seats. "Thank god I made it…" I murmured as I looked out the bus. I feel a tap on my shoulder. I see a short-haired red-headed guy with green eyes, wearing a navy blue hoodie, and black jeans. It was my life-long friend, Hiroki, the dude I've been hanging out with ever since primary school. He grins. "Wow, someone almost missed
the trip… " I narrow my eyes at him in a judgemental glance while leaning back in my seat. "I don't want to hear it from someone who nearly failed middle school. How you got into NYU is beyond me." " Oh hey now… don't be like that~! I tried just as hard!" I look out the window at the cityscape of various shops and offices quickly slip away. "Still though, even 4 years later, it's still so hard to believe that I've gotten to where I am now, with you too of course… " , "Say, Kawai, remember Kawano-san from back home?" "Hm? Yeah.. she looked after us when our parents were at work, right ? Why do you bring her up now ?" "Eh.. just kind of reminiscing about the past.. The next big stage of our lives is about to start.. I guess you could say I'm looking back at the past.. How far we've come… It's hard to believe that it's been only 9 years since we've left home." "It's nearly been a decade.. Wait, hey Kawai , are you listening? You've fallen asleep! *sigh* Oh well, I'll just wake you up when we arrive.." … I feel someone shaking me. As I wake up, I see Hiroki in front of me. "We're here man, let's go !"
As I step out of the bus, I see a modern building , about 5-storeys high which was mostly steel frames and tinted glass behind a toll gate, with an LED sign right by it, with the words "Yokohama Kewashiyama Central Historic Museum . The surrounding area outside of the museum area was mostly taken up by a park and residential blocks. "Listen up everybody!" Everyone's heads turn to Matsushima-sensei. "As you know, you all are about to graduate from college, and as this class is an elective, it is one of the most important classes you will take. This trip experience will be crucial to your final exam, so you'd better pay attention! Any funny business, and I'll have you sent straight home, so act appropriately."
"If nobody has any further questions, then let's get moving already." As I walk in, warm air blasts onto my face. Everywhere I look are historic displays excavated from all over the world… Africa, the Americas, Europe, and even here in Japan. My eyes went wide in excitement. "Hey
Hiroki, check this out, this is ama- huh? Hiroki ? aghh.. where did you run off to this time…" One moment Hiroki was walking beside me, and now he ran off somewhere. Classic Hiroki… he was always a bit of a playful troublemaker, doing stupid things like this. "You never change, do you.." I mutter to myself. I slink away from the crowd to look for him.
I look everywhere and anywhere he possibly could be, when I hear his voice.
"Psstt, Kawai, c'mere ! I found something cool !" As I glance over to another corner, I see him motioning over to me. "Hiroki, what are you doing there ?? we'll be booted from the visit!" "Ah c'mon! It's fine!" I walk over to drag Hiroki away back to the class, but as he was stronger, he pulls me in. "Yo, check this out, it's like some kinda stone slate.. No idea what it says though…." The characters carved into the slate are ones unlike anything I've ever seen before.
I scratch my head. "I can't make heads or toes of this thing… Wonder where it came from.." Although I originally came with the intent of getting Hiroki back to the main crowd, curiosity took over. I lean in to take a closer look. The moment I do however, a strange shadowy, almost purple tendril-like swirl of mysterious energy swirls over me and Hiroki. I hear him shout out "AGH-WHAT THE HELL IS THI-". Suddenly his voice goes silent, as does everything else. I'm enshrouded in darkness. What I feel is a strange mixture of fear and confusion. Everything feels so tight, I can't move my body, when suddenly I gasp for air.
Except when I do, it's not the same warm air of the museum building. My lungs are pricked by an ice-cold wind. When I take a better view of my surroundings, I'm not in the museum anymore, or Yokohama itself for that matter. Before me I see a rocky valley, covered in snow. Countless seemingly leafless trees dot the landscape, As well as strange blue shrubbery, flowers with white stalks, orange petals, and glowing light blue center
The sky is foggy gray and clouded, the sunlight barely piercing through the clouds. "Where the fuck am I…" I murmured as I slowly got up.. I scratch my head. "Guess I can only go forwards at this point.." I shout out loud, "HIROKI! WHERE ARE YOU??" "HIROKI ARE YOU THERE ??" No matter how much I shout or attempt to call out to him, No response comes. As I continue walking, looking for Hiroki, the cold gets to me. I start to feel dizzy, and I fall over and black out.
I wake up in an unfamiliar bed , looking up at an unfamiliar ceiling of wood. I hear a crackling flame on the other side of the room, near the entrance, to which the door was left open to the unforgiving cold. I don't know who brought me here, but I'm thankful to them for doing so, had it not been for my mysterious savior, I would've frozen to death.. After a few minutes, a man wearing a dark green winter cloak, with a brass brooch, leather boots, and thick black woolen gloves.
He appeared as a young man, with a white beard and short hair, blue eyes, and light skin. "Ohoh? It looks like our guest is awake! Thank goodness we were able to save you in time, you would've died had we left you out there a minute more! Literally !" He lets out a rather loud and hearty laugh. "Uhmm…. Excuse me… where exactly am I ?" The man clears his throat. "Ahem- this, is the Trafsing Household ! The home of my beautiful wife, daughter and I !" " Oh and by the way, my name is Venarate, Venerate Trafsing ! How about you ? What's your name young man ?" "My name is Sano, Sano Kawai.."
He raises an eyebrow. "Sano you say… that sure doesn't seem like a local name to me ! Or maybe your parents moved here, to Nenuvis before you were born ?" He scratches his chin in contemplation. I raise up my hand. Umm excuse me, Trafsing-sensei, what is Nenuvis ?" "Huh? What do you mean, it's the kingdom you're currently in… Nenuvis, Kingdom of Ice and Snow, land of the god Aldafadr.. Come on kid, you should at least know the bare minimum about a country if you plan to live there… ai yai yai…"
He shakes his head in disappointment . "Come on, there's no way such a place exists, I've looked at world maps and NEVER once seen any country with this name… I've studied ancient history for four years straight!" His disappointment shifts to worry. "Just how hard did you hit your head back out there ?" "Aghh! Forget it! It's not worth arguing with you.. But that aside, thanks for helping me out… back there, I felt like I was on the verge of death."
"Heh, you WERE on the verge of death !" He looks like he's about to burst into laughter. I give him a sharp side eye. "This isn't something to joke about, you know…"
Standing in the doorway which lead to the dining room was a woman, with a low loose ponytail, set to the side. unlike Venerate, she was a brunette.
Her eyes were a warm amber coloration. Her face was round, yet somewhat defined. She wore a red tunic, stitched with tree-leaf patterns, light blue cloth trousers, and a pair of woolen and fabric slippers.
"Don't you mind my husband, he likes to joke around a lot. Simply pay him no mind.." He sits up and walks over to her, and puts a gloved hand on her shoulder. " By the way, this is my wife, and the mother to my daughter, Agloria !
You may not believe it, but she was the one who carried you over here. She's one tough woman you know." With a smile she waves. Nice to meet you, my name's Agloria ! From the bed, I awkwardly bow my head. "U-uh, yeah, nice to meet you too. My name's Kawai, Kawai Sano." She sits down on a stool near the archway. "Still though, I was a bit shocked to see you just laying sprawled out over the ground… it's not every day you see someone knocked unconscious on your daily stroll.. It was quite shocking… " she said with a thoughtful look plastered on her face. She glances over at my t-shirt and cargo trousers.
"Those are some unique clothes you've got there, are you a performer ? If so, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place, hehehe.. There's absolutely nothing out here in the mountains, except for us that is !"
" Your husband mentioned you have a daughter earlier, where is she ? I haven't seen her at all. She's working right now in the village which isn't too far from here.. She should be back in the next 30 minutes or so…" Venarate leans in, eyes burning with passion "Sano-kun! Are you trying to get to my daughter ? You little rascal! It won't be that easy!"
"Aghh, relax, I couldn't care less about her right now ! I'm still kinda dazed you know !" "hahaha, yeah yeah, I know, I'm just messin' with ya' !" Agloria shakes her head. "There he goes again with those, jokes, if you can even call them that.. But then again, that's part of why I love em' ." She slaps him on the shoulder playfully. "Anyway" he says. "You just hang in tight
there kid, we'll let you stay with us for the time being until you can get back on your feet again".
A wide grin stretches across my face for some reason. Whether it be pride or something else, I don't really know. "Thanks for letting me stay here ! 'ppreciate it !"