Chapter 2: Unknown Dispositions

[AKI'S POV]

"AKARI!" I screamed, waking me up from my slumber.

I was out of breath with sweat dripping down from my forehead. I felt sick to the stomach as if I was going to vomit anytime soon. I immediately sat upright and clutched my chest—my heartbeat was frantic. I took a deep breath to calm myself down and looked at my shivering hands.

It looks...normal?

I flinched with profound confusion and remembered the vivid memory of my skin burning off of me. I turned my hands front and back. There was no trace of any injury. But the smell of burnt flesh lingering in my nose tells me that what happened to me and Akari was real.

We were burnt alive and we certainly died.

But...how? How am I still alive? Why am I uninjured? I can't seem to wrap my head around the logic of what's happening.

Suddenly, I remembered the threatening aura of Destiny and what it told me: 'I'll end your lives in this world and transfer you to a new universe—one where you and your sister can acquire skills beyond your imagination. But of course, this generous act comes with a price.'

"Akari! I need to find her," I whispered to myself as I hastily removed the blanket that was covering me and stood up from the bed.

My brows furrowed when I noticed what I was wearing—a beige worn-out dress that reached past my knees. Despite its obviously low quality with a few loose ends here and there, the dress still looked aesthetically pleasing. The skirt of the dress was in a cool brown tone while the top that overlayed the corset that clung to my torso was beige. On top of this was a red lining of cloth on my waist which extends to a bow at my back.

What in the world?

I looked around while struggling to reach for my back and loosen the ties of the corset. As I was trying to reach for the thread that bound it, I noticed that I'm in what appears to be an old beaten down wooden house. It was mostly in the color of a faded brown, while some are darker than others due to varnish. I tumbled a few steps back because I lost my balance while trying to pull on the threads and loosen the corset. As I walked, I observed that some of the steps I took corresponded with a squeak from the flooring.

Man, this house is substandard. I hope this is where Akari stayed too to make finding her easier.

The room I was in wasn't big. It was merely 15 feet in both length and width. Though, I must commend how the furniture was placed around her. The bed and the door were placed on opposite sides to give more space whenever someone comes in. The bed was nothing special—a typical rectangular wooden frame with bedding filled with cotton and bird feather. Adjacent to it, at the side of the wall, is a small circular table with a reasonably sized mirror and a few scattered pieces of paper. I walked closer towards the table—slightly noticing myself in the mirror and seeing how my jet black hair complimented the dress.

I placed my hands on the table as I intently stared at myself in the mirror. Time to come up with a game plan.

I took some deep breaths to calm myself down before thinking. "First things first, I CANNOT make a scene in this place. I don't know where I am or what this place is. I need to stay calm and avoid signs of panic. The most logical thing to do is to subtly look for Akari while stepping on eggshells."

"Next, when I encounter a stranger, I need to feign ignorance. No hints whatsoever towards who I am. This makes escaping easier with Akari," I whispered to myself while coming up with various tactics in case something goes wrong on my end.

"Lastly, do not hesitate to kill anyone who tries to harm me or Akari," I said as I finished loosening my corset.

After successfully loosening my corset and finally being able to breathe, I looked for any kind of footwear and found a pair of wooden slippers underneath the bed. I immediately walked out of the room after putting it on.

To my surprise, I saw a little girl carrying a silver medium-sized bucket filled with frothing milk.

"H-Hello?" She shyly greeted me as I looked at the froth on the milk with a bit of disgust.

I didn't mind her greeting as I massaged my forehead as I asked, "Where am I?"

I glanced over the entirety of the house and as I figured, it was a one-story building but big enough to house a family of 4, perhaps. The house was horizontally rectangular with my room being adjacent to another one at the house's left side. Directly in front of my room was the kitchen composed of two stoves, one sink, and two bizarre green boxes.

I walked closer to the girl to ask her more questions but such an action only made her flinch. "Y-You're in the outskirts of C-Ceravis, the royal capital of the East Kingdom of Panolethria," she slowly answered in a low voice.

My eyes shot wide open. "WHAT?" Hearing that made me feel as if ice-cold water was poured down on me. That's not a place in Earth!

Destiny wasn't joking when it came to transferring us to a new universe.

I looked around to find the door which could lead outside. I ran past the door adjacent to my room as I figured it would just lead to another room and might even cause more problems. I gazed to my left and saw the kitchen; to my right, I saw a big circular dining table with 4 identical chairs. Then just a few feet past it was another door that probably leads to the third room.

"Finally!" I victoriously whispered to myself as I placed my hand behind my head and lightly chuckled. I found the door leading outside—it was just in front of the room. But the one that really screams 'Look at me! I'll lead you outside' was the small note stuck on the door which reads 'Always be careful when going out.'

I sighed and plopped my shoulders down. "Well, frantically looking for the door was embarrassing," I noted to myself as I turned the doorknob.

Once outside, a cool gust of wind greeted me, blowing the hem of my skirt ever so gently. I placed my hand on the front of my skirt to keep it in place while surveying the area with my eyes.

For a few moments, my heart was struck with awe and bewilderment. But the fierce desire to find my sister kept me grounded.

I walked around as I investigated the area more. I know I need to find Akari as soon as possible but if I don't know or understand where I am, then how can I ensure a proper escape plan?

As I was secretly plotting out my schemes, I noticed that was on top of a hill. This area was a pure grassland adorned with a few stray trees here and there. Escaping could be a chore here since gravity will be greatly pulling as done. Every step would be crucial or else we'll risk tumbling down and getting injured.

Moreover, there was a townscape where every house and infrastructure looked like they were miniature figures for dwarves. The reason for this was the distance between this hill and the town. I'd say it's a good 6 kilometers—a bit skewed due to the elevation of the hill.

The townscape was stereotypical—a flourishing town encircled by 30-feet-tall walls with a huge town gate that monitors who enters and leaves the place. Then to add more security, four pillars were stationed on the walls, with some people guarding on top of it. I couldn't really make out what those buildings were for or who those people were since they were almost ant-like to me due to distance.

Another breeze flew past me, ruffling my hair and lifting my skirt subtly. My attention got shifted elsewhere. I squinted my eyes a bit as I perceived a tall infrastructure looming in the town, carefully hiding behind the clouds. After seconds of observation, I realized that it was a castle! Now, this—this was not a typical castle.

In terms of construction, it was somewhat humble. I expected something grander than this—something painted from a child's storybook. But no, that was not the case for this towering structure. The castle had a square-like base in the middle with four cylinder-like pillars guarding it on all four sides. The pillars were all connected by footbridges, making it easier for the guards to travel.

"This will become a tough nut to crack. I hope we aren't labeled as fugitives or aliens," I thought to myself as I looked at the castle's striking feature.

It's barely noticeable but there seems to be a form of unique transparent barrier over it—I was only able to see it due to its glistening reflection against the sun. On top of this is the huge black dragon roaming around the area as a patrol. Even from a distance, I could clearly distinguish its sharp claws and fangs. Its wings were also powerful—with every flutter and flap, a blow of wind enough to sway the branches of trees comes.

Transcending the protective walls of the townscape were grasslands with countless bushes and trees. Unlike the grassland here on top of the hill, the one below seemed more ominous with several people trying to fight something behind the bushes. There was nothing special about the grassland on this hill—it was bland and uneventful as it extends as far as the eye can see with nothing but a few bushes and trees scattered around.

No soul was to be found on top of this aside from me which is a benefit for me. This makes combat less likely.

I was clenching and de-clenching my hand as I overanalyzed every bit of this place. I was too busy trying to theorize where Akari is and how I could reach her that I tilted my head in confusion as soon as I spotted a tall oak tree standing a small distance away from the house.

I didn't have weapons with me so I made sure to creep slowly and with caution. There was a person lying underneath there—the first adult I saw.

"Please be someone non-threatening," I repeated whispered to myself as my house pounded with nervousness.

As I got closer, I realized that it was Akari!

"A-Akari..." I stuttered due to shock and relief.