[???]: "His name is Julius Rogers. Ambulance was called by his mother when he suddenly collapsed in the kitchen of their home. Known diagnoses of Glioblastoma, history of roughly two years."
The coarse, urgent echoes of voices within the ambulance's confines bleed through Julius's ears as he transfers in and out of consciousness on the stretcher.
[Julius]: {What happened? Hello? My mouth won't open... Why can't anybody hear me? What's happening to me?}
[???]: "He's likely suffering from herniation. What the hell are you doing?! I told you to go faster, we're losing him!"
Julius's sight darkens at its edges, his eyes fluttering ever so slowly on his expressionless face. The shouts of paramedics go almost completely unheard over the abnormal beeping of Julius's heart monitor and the sounds of heavy tires flying over asphalt.
A loud rumbling builds in Julius's head, slowly blocking out more and more sound; the roar of an ambulance's engine, the desperate vociferates of paramedics, and eventually, the loud, insistent beeping that matched Julius's heart rate.
The rumbling was unbearable, and it continued to grow louder and louder with each painful second that passed. He tried to scream, but no sound came out, no matter how hard he tired. He lied on the uncomfortable cushioning of the stretcher, and felt the tears fall down his cheeks as his vision continued to dissipate, folding under the weight of his eyelids.
[Julius]: {Mom? I was right next to you... Where did you go? Please come back to me. I'm scared.}
With the minuscule amount of strength he has left, Julius finally gives in to his body's wishes, and shuts his eyes willingly.
Every cell in his body feels as if it's suffocating, the air turns watery and thick, and all sensations slowly seep out of his being. He sinks into what feels like water, surrounded by a bottomless ocean, devoid of light.
The deep rumbling has reached a searingly painful volume, ringing in his head. Hurting him. Grasping him. Judging him...
He has no strength to speak, merely left to sink further and further into the water, all remnants of the ambulance now gone, replaced by a lonely ocean bearing a familiar sensation. It's what he was used to feeling... Empty.
All sense of time was lost, but right as the deafening pressure in the back corner of his head reached its peak... It stopped, leaving nothing but a comforting silence within the dark liquid.
What followed was a strong pull, forcing him upwards and into a light that blinded him, and sent a powerful shock to his core.
His strength grew. As slowly as it was, it grew, and his vision was quickly shifted into a brightness that could rival the sun, a warm white light that spoke to him no words, yet he understood it, and he gave himself to it.
---
[???]: "Hello~? Hello? Can you hear me?"
The sensation of the water quickly fades, and he feels himself lying on cold hard stone, the sharp sound of someone snapping their fingers filling his ears, coming from right in front of his face.
Julius's brain finally registers the new strength that he had suddenly regained, along with the shocking pain all throughout his body, causing him to shoot up and snap his eyes open.
[Julius]: "AGGHHHHH!"
[???]: "GYAAHHH!"
He hears a startled feminine voice as he clutches his chest, holding the fabric of his hospital gown tightly as his rapid breathing starts to slow. He remains on the ground, slowly taking in his unfamiliar environment.
Julius sits on the stone floor of an alleyway, surrounded by crates of various sizes, and high walls made of the same stone as the floor, reinforced with wooden beams in several locations; however, the most notable feature was the two individuals in front of him.
Two girls that stood at a cautious distance away from Julius, one that looks to be around his age, nineteen, and wore a mean face, and one much younger that hid behind her, being held with a protective grasp, still startled from his scream.
[Julius]: "Ah-... Huh? W-Where... Where am I?"
[???]: "A-A-Are you okay mister?"
As Julius's body relaxed and the pain subsided, his vision slowly came back to him, allowing him a better look at the girls.
The older one wore a black and white maid dress, and had messy, medium black hair. She had deep blue eyes, but adopted a fierce and cautious expression that looked out of place for her beauty.
The younger girl wore a white dress with a light pink trim, but the material and style was foreign to him, almost east-Asian in aesthetic. She had medium length blonde hair, and bright brown eyes that sparkled, along with having a much kinder expression, filled with concern.
[Julius]: "I was just in an ambulance... Where am I? Please tell me!"
Julius's expression was of genuine confusion, his voice taking on a desperate tone, clearly dazed from his unfamiliar environment and the feelings it brought upon him. But it would seem as if he were the foreign one, as the taller girl moved to further shield the younger one from him.
[???]: "He's probably just a drunk, don't bother with him."
[Julius]: "Hah... Huh?"
[???]: "But he seems really confused, maybe we should help him, even just a little bit?"
[???]: "No. We're still missing a few supplies that Miss Astoria asked us to get, we can't waste time on every alcoholic we find in alleyways."
Julius's mouth was left agape, speechless at their quick dismissal of his distress. The younger girl showed a face of guilt, but quickly agreed with the other, still clinging to her arm as they walked off, heading into the light at the end of the alleyway.
[Julius]: "Hey, wait... Where are you going?"
He could hear the muffled sounds of countless crowds just beyond the alley, and the light of the blue sky still hurt his adjusting eyes as he held up a hand to block it out, watching the two girls disappear into the light.
[Julius]: "Wait, I need help... Just wai- Agh!"
A loud thud is heard as he collapses back onto the ground after attempting to stand, his legs still sore and numb. Desperate tears fall down his face as he grits his teeth, holding onto his thighs that throb with pain.
[Julius]: "What's... What's happening to me... Where am I?"
Using leverage from the uneven stones on the wall, he pulls himself up off the damp floor and leans against the building, slowly taking step after step towards the alley's exit.
His feet feel heavy, taking several times more effort to lift them off the ground, but he focuses all his power into the act of walking, holding onto the wall as he moves.
The incoherent voices and shouts of crowds grow louder as he inches closer to the street just beyond the light, and with every step, he regains a sliver more strength, allowing him to walk faster.
[Julius]: "Just a bit more. Please, I need help. Anyone?"
His hand comes up to shield his eyes from the immense brightness as he reaches the end of the alleyway, and he leans against the edge of the wall, waiting for his eyes to adjust. But once they do, his eyes shoot open as another wave of nausea and confusion shock through him.
The alley opens up to a small street, pathed with bricks and stones, lined with stores, popup stands and cafes. The buildings looked as if out of a medieval era, and varied in size, with some reaching up to three stories tall, easily obscuring most of the sky. Countless people flood the main pathway, all wearing different colored clothing, with different styles.
But amidst the heavy crowd, Julius's eyes took note of the individuals themselves. Most were human, but nearly half of them were not. Demi-humans, a universal name for humanoid species with non-human features, such as fur, animal-like ears, muzzles, feathers, scales, tails, claws, and other bestial traits.
Julius unshielded his eyes as they adjusted to the light, and brought his hand to his mouth, holding it tight as his stomach churned, lightheadedness flooding his system.
[Julius]: {Where the hell am I?! Stone roads. Strange clothes. Animal people?! This can't be real.}
He stood still for a moment, contemplating walking among such individuals. Sliding his hand off the brick wall, he felt strong enough to now walk on his own, or at least limp.
He hastily shuffled out of the alley and onto the road, weaving through the crowds that all seem to have their eyes on him.
"Hey, is he okay?"
"What's that guy wearing?"
"He looks ill."
"Stay near me, that guy could be trouble."
[Julius]: {No... Why does everyone think I'm such a monster. Look at yourselves!}
His mind spirals and he almost trips with every step, desperately trying to escape the eyes of those around him, and failing miserably.
He stumbles around dizzily, shoving into several people as he tries to keep his balance with his head spinning.
[Julius]: "I'm... I'm so sorry!"
Julius's eyes finally plant themselves onto another alleyway, this one bigger than the last. He slowly drags himself through the cautious mass of people that avoid him, finally reaching the other side of the street and collapsing against the wall.
Every movement felt like a marathon, and he quickly accumulated sweat, wiping it from his forehead with the cloth of his gown.
[Julius]: {Is this why everyone is staring at me? These clothes?}
Looking around once more, he notices an open door further down the alley, with subtle cheers and voices coming from within, along with a small group of people out front, laughing to each other.
Once again using the wall to ease his movement, Julius edges closer to the door, stepping back slightly to look at the wooden signs nailed to the wall next to the entrance.
[Julius]: {I've... I've never seen this language before in my life. I can't even read it.}
The sign may as well have been scribbled on for Julius, none of the symbols and lines meant anything to him. But with nowhere else left to go, he walks inside.
The wooden floor squeaked as he stepped on it, and his eyes widened further, his knees almost buckling as he held tightly against the door frame.
Inside the room was a small, tavern style bar, with wooden tables scattered heavily around him, and every seat was already taken, the bar filled primarily with demi-humans, mostly lizard people.
[Julius]: "Hah..."
His voice is rough with disbelief, and one of the lizards seated near the door notice him, turning in his chair.
[???]: "Hey kid, you alright? I'm almost done kickin' these guys' asses, you any familiar with poker? Hop in on the next hand."
The man's voice fell on Julius like a heavy weight, and he once again brought his hand up to cover his mouth, with the other clinging to his stomach as the nausea reaches a peak.
Without answering the man, Julius turns and runs out of the bar, tripping over and landing against the wall just outside near the group of people.
[Julius]: {This is crazy! I... I've gotta be dreaming or something right? Wake up... Just wake the hell up already! This isn't funny! Wake up!}
Julius stumbles down onto all fours next to the boots of a woman in regal clothes, lined with black fur and feathers. She turns to look down at Julius along with the rest of the group, all watching and laughing with cruel amusement as one of the men speaks.
[???]: "Look at this guy. Too much to drank pal?"
The group bursts into laughter, and as another wave of disbelief and nausea hits Julius, he clutches himself as he throws up against the wall, his mind spinning with confusion and fear.
[???]: "Agh! Watch my boots you drunk!"
The woman's voice is harsh and clear, hitting Julius hard with guilt as he weakly covers his mouth.
[Julius]: "I'm so sorry... I... I don't know what's going on with me."
His voice cracks with desperation, and more confused tears fall down his cheeks, already red from his previous emotional breakdowns.
[???]: "Try drinking less, asshole."
[Julius]: "I didn't drink anything... Please... Can you help me? I think I'm lost."
Julius's attempt to crawl back onto his feet is cut short as the hard feeling of leather strikes him in the face, a kick that knocks him back onto the ground with a scream of pain.
[Julius]: "Aghh! Hey! Stop! Wait!"
[???]: "You fucking brat, how dare you ask a woman of my status to help a drunk like you! The hell made you think I'd wanna touch your filth?!"
Her voice leaks with venom as she takes a step closer, her friends covering their faces to hide their enjoyment of the cruel act.
[Julius]: "I'm sorry! I didn't know who you were... Please."
She grits her teeth hard as her eyes flicker with annoyance and superiority. Julius holds his hand against the dirtied mark on his face as he tries to shuffle away on the ground.
[???]: "Tch, how dumb can you be? Fine, if you really have been living under a rock your whole life, allow me to introduce myself."
She takes a pride stance and places a hand on her chest as she smiles with a sense of dominance.
She wears layered black and red clothes with fur linings, resembling a sort of altered, fancy kimono. She has long brown hair and shimmering orange eyes.
[???]: "I am Tahlia Cavalvero, one of Cataphrania's highest ranking trade managers! Now you best carve that name into your head, you delusional brat."
Her prideful stance faltered as she threw another insulting jab at Julius, but nothing she had told him made sense other than her name, and that fact was clear on his face, plastered with confusion.
[???]: "Hey boss, this dude's dressed all funny like. You should see what he's got on him."
Taking a moment to glance back at the group, she returns her gaze to Julius with a dark gleam in her eyes, grinning menacingly.
[Tahlia]: "That's true, I don't think I've ever seen clothes like that before. So, what about it kid... Got anything valuable on you?"
[Julius]: "Wait, what? No, I don't have anything... Why?"
[Tahlia]: "Nothing huh? Well, you know, anyone can just say that they have nothing, but actually have something. I'll just have to check for myself, ya' know?"
Tahlia approaches Julius with slow, heavy steps, each one creating a loud clunky sound that resonates through Julius's head as he tries to crawl backwards away from her, pleading against the entire situation.
[Julius]: "Wait, stop! Please!"
Tahlia's steps are cut short as a low-pitched noise flies past Julius's head, and a blinding eruption of embers explode between them, causing the two to cover their faces from the heat and groan out of surprise.
[Tahlia]: "Agh, what the hell!?"
Julius's eyes widen as the sudden blast of flames disappears, leaving a black scorch mark on the ground in its wake.
[Julius]: "Ahhh!"
Julius falls further backwards on the ground, turning to plant his back against the alley wall as he turns to look for the source of the sudden explosion.
At the entrance of the alleyway, the two lie eyes on familiar faces: the two girls that found him when he awoke in this new world.
The younger girl has her arms outstretched in front of her, residual embers floating around her hands. The older girl stands closely behind her, gritting her teeth in annoyance with a crate in her arms.
[Tahlia]: "Tch, it's Muriel's girl. And she brought her servant, how nice. The hell do you two want?"
Julius watches with an open mouth, his mind still reeling from the burst of flames, his eyes glued to the scorch mark on the ground as the older girl spoke.
[Julius]: {What the hell... Where did that fire come from? I felt it fly right past my head.}
[???]: "That boy could be of use to Miss Astoria, so back off and let us take him."
Tahlia places her hands on her hips as she looks at the two girls with an unimpressed expression.
[Tahlia]: "Oh~? What kind of use, hm? Anything to do with these silly clothes he's wearing? You gonna sell him off or somethin'?"
The girl dressed as a maid stepped closer, seeping with intimidation, with the younger one following closely behind her with a determined face.
[???]: "Only you would think of such cruel trade methods Tahlia. Miss Astoria's wishes are not to be shared with her rivals... So go bother some other poor loser."
With another step, the maid held her intimidating stance, holding the young girl close that generates a hot aura, distorting the air around her slightly, catching Julius's attention, his eyes widening at the foreign sight.
A man from the group behind Tahlia takes a tentative step closer, leaning in to whisper his concerns.
[???]: "Boss... That girl is young, her magic can't be that strong. Why don't we just take them head on? There's more of us here than them."
[Tahlia]: "It's not Muriel's kid I'm wary of. The taller one with black hair... She bears an Aspect."
Upon hearing that one word, the man tightens up and shuffles back into the group as Tahlia bites her lip in thought, her eyes flickering between the two girls and the heavy breathing mess that sat against the wall below her, shaking slightly as he looks between the two quickly.
[Tahlia]: "Fine. You can have him... For now. Come one, let's go."
Tahlia turns dramatically, flicking her loose clothes as she leads her group to walk off, glancing back at them with hatred and annoyance. Once she is out of sight, Julius eases up, even if only slightly, turning to face the girls that approach him.
[???]: "You owe us. Now get lost and don't go causing any more trouble."
Another shade of confusion washes over Julius's face, his mouth falling open once more, seeing a seemingly similar reaction from the younger girl.
[Julius]: "Wait, what? What about me being of use, or whatever?"
[???]: "We saved you from getting robbed, or maybe even worse. Can't you just be grateful?"
[Julius]: "I-... Yes, I am grateful, thank you so much for that, but..."
[???]: "But what? We don't need to help you with whatever it is you want from us, why should we get any further involved?"
[Julius]: "Please! I'm so confused... And lost... I have no idea what happened to me; one moment I was in an ambulance, and then I was here, in the alleyway, with you two. All I ask for is some guidance, I need to know where I am."
His voice grows louder with desperation, and the maid glances back at him with sharp eyes, her back turned to him. The younger girl stands closer to Julius, positioned between the two.
[???]: "Please~ Lucille? Why can't we just help him, we already have all the stuff we needed, let's just take him back home."
[???]: "You want to take him back to Miss Astoria's home?! That is completely out of the question, we don't even know this guy."
[???]: "Why not? He doesn't seem dangerous at all. Besides, Lawrence is there, it's the safest place."
[Julius]: "Um, thank you? Please, I really don't ask for much. I just need to know where I am, then maybe I can work something out, and I'll be gone."
The maid crosses her arms, remaining silent for a moment in thought before letting out a long sigh of defeat.
[???]: "Fine. We'll take him back to Miss Astoria and get her opinion on this."
[???]: "Yay! Thank you, Lucille, thank you! Come on mister, get up."
Julius pours his returning strength into standing up, stretching his arms as he rubs his face, feeling the hot, red mark from where Tahlia had kicked him.
The maid turns to face them, leaning her back against the stone wall, keeping a close eye on Julius, fully aware of the distance between them, allowing him to sense the protective nature in her demeanor.
[???]: "My name is Lisa Astoria, and this is-"
[???]: "Lucille. Just Lucille. You'll refer to me as that."
[Julius]: "Ah, right... Well, it's nice to meet you both, my name is Julius, but you can call me Juli or J, I don't mind."
He chuckles softly, a small attempt to clear the uncomfortable atmosphere. Lisa smiles brightly and takes his hand from him, shaking it quickly.
Her hand is hot, and the sensation causes his mind to wander back to the flames, followed by the embers that swirled around the very hand that he was shaking.
[Lisa]: "It's nice to meet you too Juli!"
As she finally let's go of his hand, Lucille guides her and Julius out of the alley, walking in between the two.
[Julius]: "It's nice to meet you too Lucille."
[Lucille]: "Mh... So, what's with those clothes? Can't say I've ever seen anything like them before."
[Julius]: "A-, ah... Um, they're from the ambulance I was in, I guess."
[Lucille]: "You say that word a lot, what it is?"
Julius walks slowly next to the maid and looks at her with a confused expression, unsure of what to say under such strange questioning.
[Julius]: "An... Ambulance? It's like... The thing that drives hurt people to a hospital."
Lucille's eyes remain locked onto him with a soft expression displaying further confusion. Lisa leans forwards to look past Lucille at Julius, eager to listen in on the conversation.
[Lucille]: "Never heard of it."
[Julius]: "Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised about that, there are much stranger things I've seen in the past hour."
[Lucille]: "Mh."
[Julius]: {She doesn't talk much, does she. I guess I can understand why she's so against me joining her, I'm just some random guy, and this Astoria person she works for sounds pretty high-class, I wonder what she's like.}
As soon as they reach the main path, Julius covers his face from the light again, but his eyes adjust much quicker now that he has regained some strength. The two girls lead him onto the street, pathed with a much smoother and whiter stone.
[Lisa]: "Huh? Juli?"
Lisa and Lucille stop as they glance back at Julius, staring up at the sky with his mouth open in shock. Surrounded by humans and Demi-humans, Julius has his gaze on something else for a change, and collapses to his knees as he stares up.
[Lisa]: "Julius! What's wrong?"
Lisa places a concerning hand on his shoulder, but all he can do is let out a soft sigh of disbelief. Far down the road that Julius kneels on, is a colossal palace, made of white bricks that shine with the morning light, reflecting an ethereal glow onto the entire kingdom that surrounds him.
The inner palace's towers reach the clouds, topped with red stone and wood, an impossibly large structure that captures his entire being.
[Lisa]: "What's wrong Juli?"
The kingdom that encircles the palace is gargantuan, and split up into rings, each divided with a large wall of precise, black rock. The road that they stand upon is lined with main stores, covered in signs, unreadable to Julius's eyes, and easily just one of thousands of streets.
[Julius]: "Where... Where am I?"
[Lisa]: "That's a silly question. You're in Cataphrania. The magic capital."
Julius slowly turns his head to Lisa, who stands just inches away from him, still offering a supporting hand on his shoulder. He stares at her with a look of utter confusion and entrancement.
[Julius]: "H-... Huh?"
---