"Ugh."
I groaned as I opened my eyes. Everything was blurry, my head felt like it was spinning, and the world around me slowly tried to come into focus. A dull, persistent ache throbbed at my neck, a grim reminder of the claws that had torn into me just moments ago. It wasn't the worst pain, but it sure made me wince every time I tried to breathe too deeply.
Where the hell am I?
I tried to move, but my body felt like it was made of jelly—weak, stiff, and sore, like I hadn't used it in days. As my surroundings began to make sense, I realized I was lying on cold, uneven stone. A shiver ran through me, and I pushed myself up, my legs shaking as I forced them to hold me steady. The space around me felt… off. It was dim and heavy with the kind of atmosphere that made you feel like something was lurking just out of sight, waiting to pounce.
The air was thick, stale, almost suffocating. I could make out rough stone walls around me, and faint beams of sunlight managed to sneak through small cracks high above. It felt like some kind of cave or dungeon.
I shook my head, trying to shake off the fog clouding my mind. What the hell just happened? The last thing I remembered was that creature—the massive black monster, its claws around my neck, squeezing the life out of me in a heartbeat.
But now… I was alive.
A flicker of panic surged through me. The memory of dying felt so fresh, so real. My heart started pounding in my chest, and I staggered forward, my legs unsteady, my head reeling from the confusion.
Did I somehow survive? Was this all just a dream?
The darkness felt like it was pressing in on me, but then I noticed something in the distance—a glimmer of light. Weak, faint rays cutting through the gloom. Maybe it was an exit. Relief flooded through me. Whatever this place was, I needed to get out. Maybe I'd find some answers on the other side.
"Finally, I can get out of here," I muttered, my voice rough, barely audible. The ache in my body wasn't gone, but it was manageable as I pushed myself forward, my steps more confident.
The light grew brighter as I got closer, and my pulse quickened with anticipation. Every part of me screamed to get out, to see what lay beyond. But as I stepped into the light, everything screeched to a halt.
I froze.
My breath caught in my throat as my eyes took in the scene before me, wide with disbelief. I blinked twice and rubbed my eyes—hoping it was some kind of illusion. But no. It was real.
I was standing at the edge of a huge underground area, with a massive hole in the ceiling above. Beams of light poured down, illuminating the ruins below. The sight was surreal. The place felt like something straight out of the video games I used to play.
I pushed forward slowly, despite the pain in my legs. I didn't care. I had to move. As I walked, more of the ruined structures came into view. Strange, cryptic symbols were etched into them, almost glowing in the light. It all looked… ancient. Like something that had been lost to time.
What the hell is all this?
I shook the thought off and kept moving through the ruins. That's when I saw it—a strange white glow coming from deeper inside. Curiosity got the better of me, and I followed the light. Before I knew it, I was in this huge open space surrounded by broken walls.
In the middle, there was this round, table-like structure. The floor underneath was covered in some kind of weird symmetrical carvings. Nearby, a giant metal door loomed, and that same glowing symbol from earlier was etched onto it—triangular with lines running through it, pulsing with that strange white light.
I couldn't look away. It was like something was pulling me toward it. A warmth spread through my chest, like hot water flowing inside me.
I clutched my chest, the sensation growing stronger.
"Huff… Huff…"
Breathing got harder. My lungs felt like they were on fire, and I dropped to my knees, still gripping my chest. After what felt like forever, the pain slowly faded, leaving me breathless but still standing.
I shakily stood up, trying to steady myself. The glow had stopped, and the heavy metal door creaked open with a groan that echoed through the space.
I limped forward. The table in the center had water on it, so I reached out to touch it, leaning in to get a closer look.
Then my heart stopped.
"What the hell!?"
I stumbled back, falling onto my ass.
'Who is that?'
I stood up slowly, hands shaking, and looked into the water again. Dark auburn hair and dirt streaked across a sharp jawline. Green eyes—emerald eyes—staring back at me. Eyes that weren't mine. No matter how I looked, that face wasn't mine. It was way too good-looking to be mine.
I touched my face, and sure enough, the reflection mirrored my movements.
"What the hell is going on?" I muttered, rubbing my throbbing head.
I exhaled sharply and pushed myself up, moving toward the big metal door that was now wide open.
After getting past the door, I kept walking for what felt like forever. Eventually, I reached the exit. When I stepped outside, the bright sunlight hit me right in the face, blinding me for a second. I raised my arm instinctively to shield my eyes and slowly let them adjust.
Once I could see again, I realized I was standing in a massive forest. Huge trees towered over me, their yellow leaves drifting down like autumn's slow, inevitable fall.
'Where the hell am I?' I thought, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. My face wasn't mine, my body wasn't mine, and there was one more thing…
'Why the hell am I naked!?'
It hit me all at once. I was standing out in the open, completely exposed, and I hadn't even realized it before. But now, it was just ridiculous.
I massaged my forehead. "Sigh." Okay, two things: figure out what the hell is going on, and find some clothes. The cold wind bit at my skin, reminding me just how urgent it was.
-Grrrrrrrrrrr…
Oh yeah, and I needed food too.
I trudged through the forest, trying to make sense of my situation. A few rabbits and birds crossed my path, but I had no idea how to catch them. I probably scared them off more than anything, running around naked like a crazy person.
"Huff… Huff… Nothing. I got nothing."
-Step. Step.
The sound of footsteps behind me made me freeze. My heart raced as I turned, ready to face whatever was coming. In my head, I braced myself for a wild animal, maybe a wolf or something.
But no. It wasn't an animal. Two humans stepped out of the trees. Both were wearing brown cloaks, hoods low over their faces. One had a bow slung across his back, arrows hanging from his side. The other had a lance with a sharp steel tip.
"Who are you?" One of them asked his voice low. It wasn't English, but somehow, I understood him perfectly.
"M-Me? I got lost..." I stammered.
The men eyed me carefully, their gazes sharp. An awkward silence stretched between us. "Uh... Can you help me?" I asked, breaking the tension.
They exchanged looks before nodding, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
Relief washed over me as I cautiously took a step forward.
"Stop!" the guy with the spear ordered, raising his hand.
I froze right where I was. The archer dropped his cloak, revealing a tough face with brown eyes and black hair. He wore leather armor beneath the cloak, and a dagger hung at his side. With a look of mild disgust, he tossed the cloak at me.
"Do you have no shame? Put some damn clothes on," he muttered.
"Thanks," I mumbled, quickly wrapping the cloak around myself.
"So… who are you?" the guy with the spear asked again, pulling his hood back to reveal his face. He looked a lot like the archer like they could be brothers. "And why were you naked?"
"My name's Lucian," I replied, feeling a little weird. "I got lost in the forest."
He raised an eyebrow. "And the naked part?"
"A wild beast chased me... tore my clothes off," I lied, trying to sound believable.
"I see," he grunted, rubbing his chin like he was deep in thought.
Before I could explain any further, the archer stepped closer, eyes narrowing as he studied me.
"Wait! Did you say your name was Lucian?" His face was suddenly inches from mine, and I was caught off guard by how intense his stare was.
"Y-yeah," I stammered, startled by his sudden closeness.
"Emerald eyes..." he whispered, his expression changing. He turned to the other guy. "Oi, Hans! This is our Young Sir from the Whiteclark family!"
"Whiteclark? What?" I started, confused, but before I could finish my sentence, both guys dropped to their knees.
"I, Hans, greet the young lord of the Whiteclarks!" the spear guy said.
"And I, Giles, greet the young lord of the Whiteclarks!" the other guy echoed.
"Hey! What the hell is going on?" I blurted out, totally lost. "Why are you kneeling?"
"We couldn't possibly not greet the young lord of the Whiteclark Duchy!" Hans said, still bowing his head.
'Young lord of the Whiteclark Duchy?' I thought, a wave of confusion crashing over me. So... this body I'm stuck in... belongs to the young lord of Whiteclark Duchy? I facepalmed, my mind spinning from the shock. I was beyond exhausted.
"But, Young Lord, if you don't mind..." Giles, the guy with the bow, spoke up, lifting his head. "Why are you out here, far from the estate, without any knights?"
"I told you, I got lost, didn't I?" I replied, my hand still covering my face as I tried to wrap my mind around everything. It was starting to sink in—this wasn't my world. It was like something straight out of a medieval fantasy novel.
'Transmigration?' I thought. Sure, this would've been cool if it wasn't happening to me. What the hell even triggered this? But one thing was clear: I was dead on Earth. And now, I was in this bizarre new world, wearing someone else's body.
'Neo… Uncle, Aunt…' My family's faces flashed through my mind. Were they okay? Had they been affected too? I shook the thought away, trying to stay positive. They had to be fine.
"Young Lord?" Hans's voice brought me back to reality.
"Yeah?" I answered, lowering my hand from my face.
"What should we do now?" he asked, looking at me expectantly.
I thought for a second. "Hmm…" What should I do? An idea popped into my head. "Hans, Giles, take me back to the estate. I'll make sure you're both rewarded for your help."
They glanced at each other, then nodded in unison. Hans stood and gestured to the path they came from. "Then follow us, young lord. Our cart's not far from here."
"Thanks so much," I said, feeling a bit relieved.
"You don't have to thank us, young lord! We're the ones honored to help you!" Hans said, waving it off.
"Shall we go, then?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, let's go."
I followed them through the forest. The walk was quiet but not uncomfortable. About ten minutes later, we reached a cart hitched to a black horse with white spots. It stood still under the trees, looking calm.
I stepped closer to the horse and gently ran my hand along its neck, brushing its coarse hair. I've always been a sucker for animals. Back on Earth, I had a dog when I was nine, and losing him left a pretty deep scar. The horse nickered softly, clearly enjoying the attention. A faint smile tugged at my lips.
"Oh! She likes you, young lord," Hans commented, noticing the horse's reaction to my touch.
"Is that so?" I asked, still stroking the horse's neck.
"Yes, she usually doesn't let anyone else pet her other than me," Hans replied with a mischievous grin. "One time, she even kicked Giles in the stomach."
"Pfft…" I snickered at the mental image. I could already picture Giles' face as the horse delivered its well-deserved kick.
"Hey, bastard! Why are you mentioning that?" Giles snapped, clearly embarrassed.
The two of them started bickering like children, grabbing at each other's collars, and arguing over the details of the horse's bad behavior. It took a moment of me putting a hand up to get them to quiet down, but eventually, they settled. After that, we climbed onto the cart. Hans took the reins while Giles and I sat in the back, facing each other.
The ride was surprisingly comfortable, and the banter continued, though more relaxed. I mostly stuck to asking questions about the world I was now stuck in. I had no choice, really—I couldn't exactly tell them the truth that I wasn't the Lucian they thought I was. Inside, I was still me, Lucian from Earth, trying to grasp onto any shred of understanding in this new reality.
From the conversation, I gathered some useful tidbits. We were in the Kingdom of Calonia, a massive territory on the continent of Atlan. The kingdom was ruled by King Marciel Thorne, known as the Frost King, and it was divided into three major duchies. The first, the Whiteclarks—my current family—specialized in wind magic. Then, the Corallias, who controlled water magic. Lastly, the Blackstones, masters of earth magic.
About an hour later, we finally arrived at the Whiteclark estate. It was enormous, with towering walls, all emblazoned with the family crest—a white hawk with wings spread wide, clutching a white blade and shield in its talons. The sight was impressive, to say the least, and it hit me that I had just walked into the heart of a noble family I knew nothing about.
As we neared the entrance, a guard stepped forward, holding up a hand to signal us to stop.
"Halt," the guard commanded, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "State your purpose."
Hans, ever unfazed, replied coolly, "Sir, we are here with Young Lord Lucian."
"The Young Lord!?" the guard's voice rose in surprise.
His face shifted from uncertainty to shock as he finally recognized me. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Hello," I greeted awkwardly, trying to maintain some semblance of composure despite the growing discomfort.
The guard immediately turned, calling out to someone inside. "Jacob! The young lord is back! Inform His Excellency and Her Excellency, now. Hurry!"
Another guard darted off into the estate, presumably to spread the news. The remaining one approached and, with a formal bow, knelt before me. "I, Landon, greet the Young Lord."
"Yes, yes, please stand up. It's awkward for me," I muttered, feeling the weight of all the attention.
Landon stood but his face remained tinged with concern. "But, sir, where have you been? The Duchess has been worried sick, and knights were sent out to search for you."
"I just got lost in the forest," I explained, trying to keep things simple.
"Lost?" His brows furrowed as he clearly didn't buy it.
"Yeah," I nodded, gesturing to Hans and Giles. "These two found me and brought me back."
"I see..." Landon muttered, but his worry didn't seem to fade. His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed my cloak. "Then, sir, why are you… naked with only a cloak to cover you?"
"About that—"
"LUCIAN!"
Before I could finish, a woman's voice screamed my name from behind me. I barely had time to react before she rushed at me, barreling into me with surprising force. The world spun for a moment as I hit the ground with a thud. I tried to make sense of the sudden impact, but before I could even process it, everything went dark.