Lam stood rooted to the spot, his heart hammering a frantic rhythm against his ribs. The armored figure loomed before him, his presence filling the small store with an oppressive weight. The dim light glinted off the polished metal of his armor, and the faint clang of his every step echoed through the silence.
Unlike the menacing aura Lam had initially perceived, the man in armor now looked cautiously at him. His gloved hand, still gripping the hilt of his sword, remained sheathed, but the weapon hung loosely at his side, a silent threat nonetheless.Lam felt a primal fear grip him. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but his legs felt like lead, refusing to obey.
A desperate urge to call for help welled up inside him. He reached for his phone in his pocket, his fingers fumbling with the familiar device.
Just as he was about to call the emergency number, the man's voice boomed through the store, laced with a deep, gravelly tone. "Don't move!"The sword shifted slightly in his hand, the tip pointing directly at Lam.
Panic threatened to consume him, but a flicker of defiance sparked in his chest. He wouldn't go down without a fight, even against a man clad in armor and wielding a weapon from a bygone era.The tense standoff continued for several agonizing minutes.
The silence stretched, punctuated only by Lam's ragged breaths and the faint hum of the fluorescent lights. Finally, the man in armor lowered his sword a fraction, his gaze holding Lam captive.
"What is this place?" His voice rumbled, the words unfamiliar yet strangely understandable.Lam, momentarily bewildered, stammered, "This... this is a convenience store."
The man's brow furrowed beneath his helmet. "Convenience... store?" His voice held a note of confusion, as if the concept was entirely foreign to him.
Seeing the man's genuine bewilderment, Lam took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "It's a place... a place where people can buy things they need," he explained tentatively.
The man listened intently, his posture rigid. "Buy things?" he echoed, his voice softer this time.Lam nodded, a sliver of hope flickering within him. Perhaps communication was possible after all. He pointed at the shelves behind the counter.
"We sell food, drinks, everyday items..."The man's gaze scanned the shelves, his expression unreadable. He then gestured towards the brightly lit displays filled with colorful packaging. "These... what are these?"
Lam sighed in relief. He started explaining the purpose of each item, from chips and candy to toothpaste and cleaning supplies. The man listened intently, his brow slowly relaxing.
Lam gestured towards the row of white boxes filled with fine crystals. "This is salt," he explained, picking up a box. "It adds flavor to food and helps preserve it."
The man in armor reached out a gloved hand, hesitantly touching the box. He looked at Lam with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
Lam continued, pointing to another shelf. "And this is sugar," he said, holding up a bag of granulated crystals. "It makes things sweet. People use it in baking and drinks."
The man's eyes widened slightly behind the visor of his helmet. He seemed genuinely fascinated by these everyday items, so different from anything he had ever seen.
Reaching another shelf, Lam picked up a jar filled with reddish flakes. "This is paprika," he explained. "It's a spice made from peppers and adds a smoky flavor to food." He grabbed a couple of other jars, displaying them. "Here's cinnamon, for a warm taste, and cumin, for a more earthy flavor."
The man's gaze darted between the various spices, his surprise growing with each new explanation. Finally, he spoke, his voice laced with disbelief. "Are these... are these only for nobles in this place?"
Lam blinked, surprised by the question. "No, no," he chuckled. "These are for everyone. You can buy them with money, just like anything else in the store."
The guy was confused. He put down his sword because he realized that it was unnecessary. The other person he was talking to wasn't armed and looked so weak that even a child from his village could easily take him out. "Money? What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.
Lam stared at the armored figure, a wave of disbelief washing over him. This man, clad in steel and wielding a sword, had no idea about money? Where in the world could someone like this come from?Gathering his thoughts, Lam tentatively asked, "You... you don't know what money is? Where are you from?"
The man hesitated, then spoke in a low voice. "I come from Alexia," he said, a name that resonated strangely in Lam's ears. "It's a kingdom"
"A kingdom?" Lam echoed, perplexed. He had never even heard of a place called Alexia, let alone a kingdom. "But how did you get here?"
The man's expression grew troubled. "I... I don't know," he admitted. "I was traveling through a dense jungle when I saw a strange door appear. Curiosity drew me to it, and when I opened it, I found myself here."
Lam's mind raced. A door appearing in the middle of a jungle, leading to a convenience store? This whole situation felt like something out of a fantasy novel, yet here he was, face-to-face with the living embodiment of it.
"So... you're saying you just walked through the door?" he asked, struggling to grasp the concept.
The man shrugged, the movement somewhat awkward in his heavy armor. "Perhaps magic is involved. I am not a magician, but all I know is that one moment I was in the jungle, the next, I was here."
Lam stared at the man, his jaw slack. Magic? The word hung in the air, heavy and unbelievable. He'd grown up surrounded by screens and gadgets, not fantastical spells and portals. Yet, here stood this armored stranger, claiming he'd stumbled through a magical doorway.
"Magic?" Lam scoffed, a disbelieving laugh escaping his lips. "You're telling me you used magic to get here?"
The man's shoulders slumped slightly. "I cannot prove it," he admitted, his voice laced with a hint of sadness. "I am no sorcerer, merely a knight."
Lam still wasn't convinced. Magic was the stuff of fairytales, not reality. He crossed his arms, studying the knight. "Alright, then," he challenged, "show me some proof. Cast a spell, make a rabbit appear, anything."
The knight shook his head. "I cannot. As I said, I am no mage."
Lam sighed, frustration building. This was all too bizarre. He wanted answers, not cryptic pronouncements about magic. "Whatever," he mumbled, dismissing the impossible for now.
Moving on, the knight's gaze wandered back to the shelves. "So, about these items," he began, his voice regaining its previous curiosity. "Can I buy some?"
Lam perked up. Maybe they could put aside the magic debate for later. "Sure," he replied, gesturing towards the counter. "But you mentioned not having money..."
The knight reached into a pouch hanging from his belt and pulled out a handful of coins. They clinked in his palm, catching the light. Lam's eyes widened as he recognized them. These weren't your average quarters and dimes. These were intricately designed gold and silver coins, the likes of which he'd only seen in history books.
"These should suffice, wouldn't you say?" the knight inquired, holding out the coins.
Lam's mind reeled. Gold and silver coins? Did this guy belong to some kind of historical reenactment group? But the armor, the talk of magic, it all felt far too real.
Hesitantly, Lam reached out and took one of the coins. It felt heavy and cool in his hand, engraved with an emblem unlike anything he'd seen before.
A strange sense of wonder bubbled within him. Maybe this knight wasn't so crazy after all. Perhaps there was more to the world than he ever imagined."
Uh, yeah," Lam stammered, forcing a smile. "These will definitely do. Let's see what you'd like to buy..."
Lam watched, mesmerized, as the knight, carefully packed his meager purchases – salt, sugar, cinnamon, and a single chocolate bar – into a worn leather pouch. The total cost came nowhere near twenty dollars, but Lam saw no reason to stop him.
The knight hefted the pouch onto his shoulder, a hint of a smile playing beneath his visor. "Thank you," he said, his voice gruff but sincere. "This… convenience store… is a marvel. I will not soon forget it."
Lam managed a weak nod. This encounter had shattered his world view, leaving him with a head full of questions and a heart pounding.
The knight turned towards the door at the back exactly where he come from, Lam follow him closely. As the knight reached for the handle, A wave of fresh, humid air washed over Lam, carrying the unmistakable scent of damp earth and vegetation. He peeked through the doorway, his jaw dropping slightly.
Lam felt a shiver run down his spine. This wasn't a prank, an elaborate costume party. This was real magic, a portal hidden behind a door in a convenience store. the knight, the knight from another world, had stumbled upon it by chance.
"My name is Heinz," the knight said, extending a gloved hand. "And you?"
The sudden formality caught Lam off guard. "L-Lam," he stammered, taking the hand in a shaky grip. He was still processing everything, the magic, the other world, the fact that he was talking to a real knight.
Heinz smiled, a genuine warmth radiating from his eyes. "Thank you, Lam," he said, his voice sincere. "For your help, your patience. And for showing me this... wonder."
He turned back to the doorway, a hint of longing in his gaze. "I hope to return one day," he said. "Perhaps then, I can show you some magic in return. True magic."
Before Lam could even process the offer, Heinz stepped back through the doorway. The light dimmed, and the sound of the forest vanished. Lam stood alone, the silence of the store pressing in on him. He reached out, his hand hovering over the smooth metal of the doorknob, a sudden urge to follow Heinz gripping him.
But a wave of fear washed over him. What awaited him on the other side? Could he even return? He wasn't a knight, a warrior like Heinz. He belonged to this world, the world of fluorescent lights and endless aisles.
The encounter with the knight in armor had turned Lam's night shift from tedious to extraordinary.