Aster, with his improvised shoes on, began to walk through the thick forest.
Along the way, he found curious plants—varieties that even a biologist like him couldn't identify. Some even sport colors that should be impossible to come about naturally, like metallic gold, silver, and pure black!
More questions appeared in his head as he continued walking. However, he can't be distracted just yet. With burning resolve, he continued treading forward, avoiding unknown—potentially perilous—plants as he went onward, being careful not to lose his bearings.
*Huff!*
He took in another large amount of air before holding his breath again. Although he was keeping a natural pace to avoid losing his breath, he still ended up gasping a few minutes later.
"Although... I shouldn't tire myself," he muttered as he placed a hand against a tree, waiting for his breathing to settle. "Each extra breath I take is a few minutes of my life lost, after all."
He never once forgot about his inborn disease, a malady that steals life from him with every breath he takes. Recalling it right then was enough to send him into a melancholic mood.
"You promised you'd find a cure for me." Aster bit his lips, recalling the faces of his parents, who bid him farewell with tears before he was frozen in time.
Noticing that he was getting sidetracked and his mind wandering, thinking about "useless" things, he shook his head before glancing forward with a determined look in his eyes. "I'll head to civilization first. Everything else comes after that!"
Reaffirming his resolve and gathering his breath, he continued to walk onward.
He focused solely on taking one step after another, at a pace that he wouldn't get tired of, no matter how slow. As such, by the time the sun had set, he was still within the forest.
"Shit! I can't see a damn thing!"
He cursed as he continued walking forward, only relying on his trusty sense of direction.
About two hours after sundown, something finally caught his eye. A shining orb beyond the thick forest ahead flashed for a moment. It was a thing he wouldn't be mistaken about, light of civilization!
Although he was excited, he didn't change his pace and continued. It was another fifteen minutes before he finally burst through the forest and saw the scene ahead of him in full.
A metropolis, surrounded by tall, sturdy-looking metal walls. Neon signs floated around, flying as they released bright lights in a bid for attention. On top of the towering structures that reached for the heavens, there were lighthouse-like beacons that flashed constantly.
But that wasn't what caught Aster's attention.
"Those are… flying cars?!"
The objects he caught sight of, zipping across the sky at blinding speeds, were cars with no wheels! They looked amazing, like straight out of fantasy, enough to make Aster doubt if he was dreaming.
He pinched his sunken cheeks and even his skinny thighs. However, the pain he felt was telling him that everything he was seeing was real. "What the hell did I get myself into?"
He wondered if—like in the novels he liked to read before—he got sent to another world, an isekai, and received superpowers. However, he quickly denied that possibility. He was nothing but a normal boy, rife with problems and filled with ambitions that were impossible to fulfill.
"First, let's head there."
Of course, his priority didn't change. He started walking, staggering with his tired legs, and heading one step at a time toward the large metal gates of the metropolis.
Powerful spotlights fell over him as he approached, close enough that sensors on the walls could detect him. Aster closed his eyes in surprise. He squinted as he covered his face with his arm, trying to block the blinding rays.
"H-Hello?! C-Can anyone hear me?!"
Aster raised his voice as loud as he could. "I, I'm Aster Mistral! I'm lost, and I need help! Someone, please…!"
*SQUEAAAAAK!*
At that moment, a small service door beside the large gate opened while releasing a metallic noise. From within, two men wearing something that shouted "We're the police!" that he could recognize, despite it being his first time seeing such a design, carefully approached.
Seeing the black object in their hands, Aster quickly realized they were armed. In panic, he raised both arms to appeal that he wasn't someone dangerous and was unarmed. When they reached a distance where they could be heard, one of the two raised their voice and called.
"You! Turn around, kneel on the ground, and state your purpose for coming here!"
The voice sounded almost feminine, but Aster could tell that the speaker was male. He quickly followed instructions and gulped nervously before shouting back in reply.
"M-Mister Officer, I'm Aster Mistral! I came here to look for help!"
Footsteps approached him as he kneeled down on the dirt, coming from either side. The two officers split up and carefully approached Aster, ensuring he didn't make any weird moves.
*BEEEEEEP!*
"This is PO2 Helvetica. We found a young human male before the gates. He doesn't look armed and is like skin and bones. Asking for further instructions, over."
The same man who asked him questions started to talk through a radio, which was clipped to his long, sharp ears. Aster couldn't confirm it, however, since he was facing the other way. He didn't dare turn his head and waited for the officers to give their orders.
A short bout of silence spread before the same officer who spoke let out a soft sigh and answered back.
"... Alright. We'll take him in." He muttered in his androgynous voice before shouting over. "You, place both hands behind your back. We'll be restraining you, but this is just SOP and not because you're under arrest. Please cooperate."
"..."
Aster had no choice but to accept getting handcuffed in order to be brought in for questioning, even though the thought of it horrified him. He was too "weak" to resist authority in his present state, and it would only worsen his current situation.
He slowly placed both hands on his back, arranging them to make it easy to handcuff. A set of footsteps came closer soon after.
Then, with a single touch, a light humming sound echoed, telling Aster that the handcuffs were applied properly. It wasn't the hoops and chains that he was expecting, however, but more like two dark-blue bracers kept together by a powerful electromagnetic force, glowing lightly.
"Restraining completed, senior! *Snort!*" the man who cuffed him announced with a short nasal sound at the end of his sentence.
Turning around, with the other person's support, Aster was surprised; he had thought he was being looked down on and sneered upon. Although it was dark and the floodlights were making their faces dim, he couldn't be mistaken about what he saw.
The one to his right, the androgynous-sounding man who was helping him up, had pale-white skin, gold hair, and sharp ears. He was extremely similar to the elves he had read frequently in novels.
The other, however, had a wide, furry face, with two big tusks rising from his lower jaw. He had a big, wide nose with two large holes—practically a humanoid pig!
"An elf and... an orc?!" Aster muttered in shock.