- Well, that was a close call, if it wasn't for my little gift it would have been all over by now. - A familiar voice speaks to the confused Apollo, it's Tan.
- What, not you again!!! - The stressed Apollo responds, with a touch of anger and fear.
- Haha, I like that reaction, in fact, I'd say you got a little used to this place last time you almost peed yourself.
He realizes he's in the same dark place as the first time he met this being... Although now he doesn't feel the same heaviness as before.
- I guess it's something normal after you experienced "death" for the first time. - Tan says it mocking him, she smiles and shows those empty eyes again.
- What do you mean "death"? Apollo, in shock, remembers everything that happened moments before he found himself here.
He looks back down at his abdomen and notices the hole in the shape of a cut from the monster that had attacked him.
He feels his blood pressure drop rapidly and....
- AAAAH!!!- Apollo screams, waking up with a jump, it seems that he was lying down, he desperately lifts his shirt and is relieved to see that everything is normal and even manages to catch his breath.
W-was it all a dream?
- Hey, hello? - says the voice of a girl a few meters away from Apollo.
Apollo stands admiring her for a moment, she is tall, red-haired, short-haired, wears a waterfall braid, has blue eyes and the pupil is star-shaped, she has freckles that go from her nose to her cheekbones, Apollo is stunned.
- Weirdo... REIN, YOUR GUEST IS AWAKE - The girl calls someone with a shout.
A very tall man enters the room, it's the same one Apollo saw before he fell unconscious.
- haha, hello stranger, it seems that you are already well after the encounter against the beast, now I would like to ask you some questions in exchange for the fact that I already saved your life - expresses the man with a smile, he looks quite friendly, although seeing his beefy body intimidates a little.
Apollo goes limp for a moment after nodding his head shyly.
- B-but before that, where am I, and who are you?
- Right, where are my manners haha, the name's Reinhardt, a humble farmer, and you are in my home, the young lady who was here a moment ago is named Emma, by the way did something happen? She seemed upset.
Apollo lifts his shoulders, expressing unfamiliarity.
- Man of few words huh, hehe well, now it's my turn, where are you from and who are you? I don't sense any magic in you, and you don't look like you're from Mirai either because of your features.
Mirai? I don't know a place with that name, I think the word is Japanese, the truth I don't even think I'm in my world, that beast and these people's eyes and their arm....
- I... I am Apollo and I am from- he stops in mid-sentence, it seems as if he forgot what he was going to say.
Where am I from, how did I get here?
Apollo has the feeling of forgetting, he tries to search his mind, but it's as if he has gaps in his head.
- I-I'm not from here, that's for sure, I don't even know where I am or why I'm here, I just remember waking up in the middle of the trees," says Apollo with a worried look on his face.
Reinhardt stares at him for a moment, trying to understand Apollo's situation.
- Mjm, it sounds like someone hit their head, you wouldn't have anything to do with...?
- Rein, the old man is asking for you" interrupts Emma who came back into the room.
- Aaahh... bad timing, but what can I do, Emma takes care of our dear guest in the meantime, who knows what he might do hahaha- He says it with a smile and in a mocking tone, not sure if he actually distrusts Apollo.
Reinhardt proceeds to leave the room, meanwhile Emma is watching with a bit of disgust at Apollo from a distance, who is sitting on a bed.
- Apollo, right? You're lucky Reinhardt found you, otherwise anyone else would have killed or imprisoned you by now.
Apollo is startled by Emma's words - And-and why is that?
- You're not from here, plain and simple- Emma answers looking menacingly at Apollo, the stars in her eyes light up.
- Well, I don't detect any magic in you, and you don't have any body enhancements either, I doubt you can do anything with Reinhardt or me here - She says it losing all sign of danger in her - By the way, how are your eyes now? They were bleeding when you arrived.
I remember the pressure of my eyes when I was attacked, I felt like they were going to explode.
- This, by any chance, don't you have a mirror, I'd like to check, heh heh... - says Apollo shyly.
Emma extends her hand towards Apollo, out of nowhere a circle that seems to be made of energy appears levitating above her palm, from it a hand mirror comes out and the portal closes.
- Here you go - Emma says while offering the mirror to Apollo.
This is... definitely not my world
After being amazed at such power, Apollo takes the mirror and looks into his eyes.
- what?!
His eyes are no longer black, for some reason the iris is silver now.
- Is everything all right? - asks Emma.
This is unexpected, but on second thought, I like it, and it's the most normal thing that has happened to me since I arrived.
- N-no nothing I thought I would look much worse hahaha- replies Apollo with a fake smile.
- Aha... sure... - Emma answers, it seems that he doesn't fool her - anyway, what do you plan to do now?
Apollo stares at her with confusion.
- Ahh... you lack memory, stranger, and without magic, how did you get to Elend?
- Elend? - Apollo ask in confusion.
- Well... it seems that you really don't know anything," Emma lets out a sigh and begins to explain to Apollo.
- Right now we are in Espoir, one of the 3 great Kingdoms, on the outskirts of this kingdom is Elend, an uninhabitable area for intelligent races like us due to the kaijus (monsters) created by "Abundance", the creature that Rein saved you, was one of them.
That monster.... didn't the kaiju kill me?
Apollo grabs his chest.
I have no damage or scar, but it felt so real, I thought I died then....
While they were talking, Reinhardt comes back into the room.
- I'm back youngsters, looks like no disaster happened while I was out haha- Reinhardt says with a good mood.
- Boy, I know you must still be confused, but I need to ask you a favor- Reinhardt starts to get a little serious and approaches Apollo.
-I need you to take me to where you woke up when you came to our kingdom, there's something I need to confirm.
Gulp