The warmth of the sun was disorienting, almost suffocating after the cold, oppressive air of the dungeon. Aidan squinted, shielding his eyes as he stepped into the bustling marketplace. The sights and sounds hit him all at once—laughter, chatter, haggling, the shuffle of footsteps against cobblestones. For a moment, he froze, overwhelmed by the sheer vibrancy of it all.
Stalls lined the streets, their colorful awnings swaying in the breeze. Vendors called out enthusiastically, advertising their wares. The aroma of baked bread, fresh fruit, and roasted meat wafted through the air, teasing his senses. Aidan's stomach growled loudly, reminding him just how long it had been since he'd eaten.
"Bread! Freshly baked bread!" a vendor shouted, holding up a golden loaf that looked almost heavenly. Aidan's feet betrayed him, pulling him unconsciously toward the stall. The scent teased his resolve, promising comfort after days—weeks?—of dungeon misery.
"No," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Focus. Priorities." His hand instinctively patted his tunic pockets—one, two, three, four—but they all came up depressingly empty. Not that he'd expected a dungeon to leave him with pocket change.
"Fantastic," he grumbled, forcing himself to step back. "Four pockets and not a single coin to my name. Stranded in a magical world and broke. This just keeps getting better."
He turned away reluctantly, his stomach protesting the decision. "Forget the bread," he muttered. "First, figure out where the hell I am."
---
Eiden's Life
Before Aidan could gather his bearings, a sharp voice cut through the crowd. "Eiden! There you are!"
Aidan froze, his heart skipping a beat. Eiden? He turned toward the voice, spotting a woman weaving through the crowd toward him. She had a sharp, angular face framed by dark brown hair pulled into a messy braid. Her piercing green eyes locked onto him with an expression that was both relieved and exasperated.
"What are you doing standing around? The editor's been waiting, and you're—you forgot your notes again, didn't you?" she said, stopping directly in front of him.
"Uh… notes?" Aidan said weakly, his thoughts scrambling.
"Yes, notes!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "Honestly, Eiden, how do you manage to keep your job? If I didn't drag you everywhere, you'd be wandering aimlessly until next week."
Before Aidan could respond, the woman grabbed his arm with surprising strength and started pulling him forward. "Come on," she said, her tone sharp but not unkind. "The editor's waiting. You're lucky you're charming, or you'd have been fired ages ago."
"Editor?" Aidan repeated, stumbling after her. His eyes darted around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings as his pulse quickened. Eiden? Notes? Editor? None of this made sense, but he wasn't in a position to argue—or escape.
---
Hollow Pines Chronicle
The woman led Aidan through winding streets that grew quieter with each turn. The lively chaos of the marketplace faded into cobblestone alleys lined with modest stone buildings. Eventually, they stopped in front of a small, ivy-covered structure with a wooden sign that read: Hollow Pines Chronicle.
She pushed the door open and gestured impatiently for Aidan to step inside. "Well? Go on. And try not to embarrass yourself this time."
"Right," Aidan said, forcing a nervous smile. "Sure."
The interior was cozy but cluttered, with stacks of paper and books scattered across every surface. Ink pots and quills were balanced precariously on desks, and the faint smell of parchment and candle wax filled the air. At the far end of the room, a man sat hunched over a desk, scribbling furiously. Round spectacles perched on his nose, and ink smudges stained his fingers and sleeves.
"There you are!" the man said, looking up with a grin. "I was starting to think you'd gotten lost again."
Aidan forced a laugh. "Yeah, sorry. Got… sidetracked."
The man chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Figures. Got your notes? I want to run the story by you before we print."
"Notes," Aidan repeated, stalling. "Right. About that…"
The editor raised an eyebrow, his grin fading slightly. "Don't tell me you lost them again."
"Let's call it misplaced," Aidan said, trying to buy time. "Why don't you remind me what the story's about? You know, just to jog my memory."
The man sighed, shaking his head. "You and your scatterbrain. Fine. It's the follow-up on the Hollow Pines ruins. You know, the strange light the villagers saw last week?"
Aidan's heart sank. "Ruins? Light?"
"Don't play dumb," the editor said, frowning. "You're the one who brought the story to me. Said it was some kind of ancient dungeon waking up."
The dungeon. Aidan's grip tightened on the crystal shard hidden in his pocket. His mind raced. "Right, of course," he said, forcing a smile. "Ancient dungeon. Got it."
The editor studied him closely, his gaze narrowing. "You alright, Eiden? You're acting weirder than usual."
"I'm fine," Aidan said quickly, standing. "Just need some air. Be right back."
---
Aidan's Escape
Aidan stepped out of the Chronicle building, leaning against the wall as he tried to calm his racing thoughts. His gaze swept the quiet street, but the world around him felt no less surreal.
"Okay," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "What the hell is going on? I'm in a town that knows about the dungeon, they think I'm someone named Eiden, and now there's talk of a strange light?"
He pulled the crystal shard from his pocket, its faint glow steady and calm, as if mocking his chaotic thoughts. "If this is your doing, Rei," he muttered, "you owe me answers. Because none of this makes sense."
The shard gave no response, its glow unchanging. Aidan sighed, slipping it back into his pocket. "Great. Guess I'll have to figure it out myself."
---
Digging Deeper
As Aidan wandered back toward the marketplace, his thoughts kept returning to the editor's words. Strange light. Ancient ruins. Dungeon waking up. The connections were too strong to ignore, but the bigger question gnawed at him: why did these people think he was Eiden?
And more importantly, how did they know about the dungeon?
"Alright," Aidan said to himself, his resolve hardening. "Time to dig deeper. If this town has answers, I'm going to find them. Starting with this so-called Eiden."
He glanced back toward the Chronicle building, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Let's see what kind of mess you've left me in, Eiden."