Chapter 9: Chapter 9

• 3^rd Person POV

That man’s brain twist and turn as fast as he can, her question echoed in his mind. He tries digging deeper to his memory. Remembering the place he worked, what type of job he has, the city that he lives, universities and studies that he did. Knowledge that he has regarding ‘Earth’ surges within him.

But… never once, he can remember his name, his family, the faces of friends or people he encountered.

He tries and tries, backtracking all that he knew in his mind. Searching for any kernel regarding his name or meeting with a family member. All of it came as blurry or straight up faceless humanoid in his mind.

The surge of calmness intensifies upon him thinking about those faceless humanoids that he interacted back in Earth. Yet, he kept pushing through to the back of his memory.

Until he reaches a certain memory, where he entered a small familiar & nostalgic cosy home. Upon seeing the glimpses of that memory though, a sharp onset of headache suddenly overwhelmed that man.

“Little lad?”

The female Watcher looked at the figure in front of her as he just stood there seemingly perplexed & in a daze unable to speak for few seconds after hearing her question. Then…

All of a sudden, the little boy fall forwards as the watcher quick reflexes hastily caught the fainting lad in front of her.

“OI! LAD”

*THUD*

As his figure land on her arms, she noticed other things as well.

(“He’s so light…”)

The watcher thought of that as she quickly identified the pulse that the boy have on her arms. Although it is incredibly faint, she managed to find it and looking at his breathing pattern. It is stable, concluding he’s only fallen unconscious she hauls that boy to her shoulder then turn around while carrying him.

(“I better carry him to Cecilia”)

She raise her hand and made a hand gesture towards the topside of the stone gate where a male figure as tall as she that went unnoticed by that boy appears and nods in reply to that gesture.

“HURK-!”

He uttered a loud grunt as his muscles bulges upon operating the heavy machinery that control the large gate. The sounds of chain rattling accompanied by the opening of the gate reveals the other side of that mysterious wall.

A settlement with tents as houses are revealed and the female watcher entered the place.

At least, that man found a civilization even if he’s not conscious enough to see it.

--

*Mutters* *Mutters*

Voices can be heard around him as he regains his consciousness.

(“Who?”)

There are multitude of voices interacting back and forth as that man slowly focuses on what they are speaking. Slowly and surely, he begins to understand the conversations.

“Where did you find him?”

This voice is much calmer and softer in tone compared to what he heard when he’s in front of the large stone gate.

“I found him standing at the back gate. He looked normal albeit the strange looking garb he wore before finally fell unconscious after I asked few questions to him. He also have facial characteristics similar to those of Eastanians.”

This voice is the one he recognize well, the large lady he had seen that leap from that extreme height without hurting herself.

“Hmm… I see… I’ll discuss with my husband on this, you are free to leave and thank you for bringing him here”

The unknown voice declared, and the female watcher left the hut.  After the watcher left though, the unknown voice begin to speak as if directly towards him.

“Since I know that you’re awake. So, why don’t we talk a bit more?”

She spoke with absolutely certainty to the lying man in front of her.

That man internally jolted upon hearing that from the unknown voice.

(“Since she already knew, might as well”)

He decided to stand up but still closes his eyes to avoid any suspicion regarding the strangeness in his eyes. That is when he noticed that it appears his robe have been taken off and he still wear his pyjamas.

He’s thankful that he decided to close his eyes since he presumed that he still wear his hood. He then begin to speak replying to the woman’s question.

“Uhm... Hello... “

He uttered weakly. The woman then replies.

“Well, nice to meet you little boy. I’m Cecilia, the doctor in this place. May I ask your name?”

Cecilia curiously looked at the man’s face. His facial features bore resemblance to Eastanians that had moved here a year ago.

But they haven’t been informed or receive any information regarding arrival of any more foreigners, so this is certainly an odd turn of events.

Meanwhile, even though that man couldn’t biologically break a sweat. He metaphorically did upon hearing the question coming from her.

(“Guh... That question again... I should make up a name for now...but why I couldn’t remember my real name though? It’s definitely strange”)

He asked that to himself and begin to try making up a new name. The calming sensation helped tremendously in keeping his mind from overthinking. Then suddenly, as if light bulb appeared on top of his head. He remembered the writings on the archway when he entered the mysterious tower.

He then announces his new name.

“I am... Astra. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cecilia. Uhm... Do you know where this place is?”

(“I hope it isn’t rude of me to begin asking back”)

He’s hoping that he didn’t make her angry.

While Cecilia widened her eyes upon hearing that man spoke in full sentences especially in their own language.

It took Cecilia 6 months to completely learn Vogun's language when she moved with her husband even if she’s hailed as a genius in Etude. Yet a young looking Eastanian here can speak it eloquently. There’s no chance that he’s born here, knowing that the watcher doesn’t recognize him. The fact that everyone’s here knows everyone helped in identifying foreigners.

Cecilia wonder, he has a soft & calming way of speech that’s unnatural for a young lad. At first, she thought the person in front of her is around 12 years old. But judging by that tone and way of speech, probably much older.

But his question is still made Cecilia perplexed.

(“He doesn’t know this place. Almost everyone in the entire world knows”)

She also notices that Astra, never opens his eyes in which, she commented.

“Before I answer your question Astra... Are you perhaps blind?”

Her questions have an undertone of worry making he remembered his experience when he enters a healthcare setting.

“Yes, I am blind.”

He lied.

“I see... I’ll answer your question”

The scribbling sounds continue as she speaks.

(“It seems like she’s recording something, probably my health record?”)

He thought remembering the same way that doctors type things in their computer whenever they talked to a patient. Until his train of thought is interrupted when Cecilia’s answer his question.

“You are in the village of Vogun, that lies in Airun continent.”

Almost immediately, Astra raised his brows in confusion.

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(“What the-? What place is that? Airun continent?”)

The reality of that he’s not in Earth sinks in deeper than before. As Cecilia continue to watch Astra's reaction.

(“Hmm... Very peculiar. I’ll asked the Eastanians if they recognize this person”)

She reminded herself to ask the Eastanian group that frequently ‘volunteer’ themselves to hunt beasts in the Hunter’s guild as she asked again.

“May I ask your age?”

“I’m 26 years old”

Her eyes twitched for a second upon hearing the answer.

(“Whoa... That’s certainly way off than my predicted age.”)

She internally commented while writing the information on a piece of ‘treated' vellum paper.

“Um... Mrs. Cecilia. This would be a weird question, but do you know today’s date?”

He mumbles the last part, but she caught that as she replies.

“Its Second Luminas’ Light, the 16^th”

Upon saying that though, she quickly catches the surprised expression etched on Astra's face.

(“Where’s Monday, January? Who’s Luminas? Why there’s light on dates?”)

Those questions popped in his mind many times. But its interrupted when Cecilia abruptly say.

“It seems that you came from a faraway place.”

His expression begins to calm down as he silently nod. Agreeing with her statement

“I see... “

(“There are indeed more mysteries in this world even if I have learned a lot”)

Cecilia pleasantly thought as she scribbles every detail she can find, to put on her patient record.

She then rolls them up and tied the scroll using a simple looking ribbon as she wrote a big name of Astra before putting it on a shelf. In there lies, several scrolls with big names on them as if this is where she stored all the information regarding the patients she has seen. Cecilia turns around and spoke to Astra once more with reassuring tone.

“Well, I’ll assign a helper with you. In the meantime, please stay in Vogun. It is the safest place compared to the deserts outside”

Astra nods remembering the roaring voice that he recently heard when the unknown teleportation moved him in this new place.

She gently said that while thinking on her mind.

(“I’ll quickly go to the council and tell my hubby about this”)

“Black!!”

She yells and unintentionally startled the young man.

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

Not long after though, after she yells that colour. Sounds of footstep can be heard as Astra assumed that another figure has just stepped in even though he cannot use his eyesight at the moment.

“Mrs. Cecilia, can I have my robe back?”

She heard that as she replied.

“Oh, sorry. Here you go, the material of that robe is quite expensive, so I put it aside, so it doesn’t get damaged. Also these are your belongings as well.”

She took a piece of clothing & transparent jar filled with white looking pearls near the bedside table and placed them close to Astra as he feels his surrounding before grabbing the robe and wear it.

Took him several trials and errors until he finally wears the robe correctly while closing his eyes. Upon pulling down the hood down though, he finally opens his eyes.

Astra is greeted with a strange sight, currently he is in a room that is made by some kind of leather that’s dyed green. It reminds him of tents but much bigger than what he had seen before.

The scent of herbs and medicine permeated through the air & wafted to his nose as he is looking around the room.

(“This place looks like barracks.”)

Rows and rows of bed littered everywhere but most of them are empty & accompanied by a small bedside table and the only one that’s currently filled is his bed. There’s also a long table to the side with several miscellaneous items on top, including a scale. Its probably used to measure medicine before being applicated to the patients.

He continues to scour around the area while hiding his eyes from being seen by anyone until his gaze landed on the person he was talking to.

An average built woman, probably around 160 centimetres or above. Mid-fifties in age with blonde hair and striking blue eyes. She has small glasses with chain attachment dangling on her neck. Currently she’s standing nearby his bed, wearing green robe that is smelled like mashed herbs.

Her wrinkles show how much she’s been smiling, and her tanned skin indicate how much the exposure to sun she had. Although she’s led to believe that Astra is blind, she cannot help but still unconsciously give a warm and comforting smile to him.

(“That’s the doctor, then who just entered when she called that colour?”)

That’s when his view lands on the one standing behind & beside her.

A tall young-looking man, much taller than Cecilia probably around 2 metres in height or more but not as tall as the lady that he had met in front of the gate.

He has short black hair and strange metal collar locked around his neck. With dull-looking blackened eyes staring right at Astra but feels like he’s not seeing him as if he’s in a constant dazed look.

That man is wearing green tunic and brown pants that’s quite flowy in term of looks until Astra's gaze landed right on his chest where the tunic's revealed something.

A strange looking mark is etched on the surface of that person's skin. Resembling a five-headed dragon with its wings unfurled in an intimidating pose that would strike fear to the ones that watch it.

The colour of that mark is pitch black that seemed to consume every light that comes in contact with it. Like it is made with shadows clustering together.

Upon looking at it longer, Astra felt something icky bubbling up in him.

A feeling of disgust. As if that mark irks him to no end, a desire of wanting it gone begun to be greater and greater as milliseconds passed

It is so overwhelming that the usual calming sensation surged to him with no avail. As it reaches the apex, Astra vision goes black.

(“Hate, Hate, Hate, Hate, HATE, HATE!”)

His mind is overwhelmed with that feeling as he immediately reaches out his left hand towards the person that Cecilia called ‘Black' right towards that mark.

Cecilia who’s sensitive to the flow mana immediately noticed the change that’s immediately happened to Astra as she sees that man extending his left arm to Black.

The air itself vibrates as she felt her skin tingling with energy giving her Goosebumps. Tell-tale signs of magic are being used especially a powerful one. She looked at her patient whose expression darkened into more serious approach contradicting the way he spoke calmly when talking to her.

“Astra!?”

She spoke trying to gain Astra’s attention hoping to break whatever it is going on but before Cecilia tries to use the words of disruption. It is already too late.

Astra spoke a single word.

“B̷̝̱̠̠̘̯͓͊̈̈E̵̼͔̣̪͑G̶̖̳̞̤̫̣̞̅̓͆̄͛O̴̦͙̩͈͇̙͕̾̋̒̄͝N̵̮̊̔Ē̸̲̦̞͛͋͝”

Strange to hear the voice that Astra makes when he uttered that word. She heard that word clearly and it rings in her brain yet, she cannot understand it.

The word that he said, resembles those of Cecilia’s Westanian although in Etude's dialect yet... It is still unknown language one that she never heard of even with the accumulated knowledge that she has learnt in that place.

The air sparks & tingle with loud thunderous sounds echoed in the healer’s tent after that word uttered, a large silver coloured ring appeared surrounding the mark. While Black the recipient, did not react at all merely staring forward with his dull black eyes.

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