1 Waking up

*flashback*

A 16-year-old boy walked down a small alleyway of his quiet neighborhood, deserted by its inhabitants. This was his last day in the Zeyllish country, Zeylland, before they had to move again to hide. He walks while looking around, burning the scenery into his memory.

He doesn't know when he can come back to this place. They've been here for about a year, and now they have to move again, just when he had started to feel comfortable.

The weather was so cold that day. He was wearing a thick brown coat to protect his body from the unforgiving cold temperature, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck that slightly covered his mouth and nose.

If on a typical cold day, he would prefer to relax at home with a glass of hot chocolate and warm himself in front of the fireplace. But today was his last day in Zeylland, there was no way he could just stay at home.

His footsteps stopped when he saw a shabby, old-fashioned shop that he had never seen before. It had been a year since he lived here, but he had never seen it the store.

The store looked like it was about to collapse anytime. Driven by his curiosity, he walked towards the old store. The bell on the door rang when the door was opened by him. The interior of the store was so much warmer than the streets. "Good evening," said the boy while closing the door.

"Welcome, young lad," replied an old man who emerged from behind a pile of goods. The old man looked like he was around seventy years old, almost all of his hair turned white. The old man was wearing many layers of long-sleeved old clothes, making him look shabby.

"I didn't expect there will be a visitor coming with today's horrendous weather. It's been awhile since the last time, I have got a customer." The old man then chuckled while he dusted a few things that look antique.

The boy smiled sheepishly at the old man and said, "Today is my last day here, my family and I have to move tomorrow."

"Oh? Try to look around then, is there anything that catches your eye?" The old man smiled at him then began to move a few things around.

Then, the boy started looking around; all the things in this place looked old and antique, but nothing caught his attention. He is not a fan of antiquities. Instead, he prefers high-tech things. He came here out of curiosity and planned to leave soon after, but an object hanging on the wall caught his attention.

"Ah... you have good eyes there, I really love that pocket watch. Unfortunately, the pocket watch is not working anymore," said the old man regretfully. The boy took a closer look and touched the pocket watch, then he instantly pulled his hand back as if his fingers were burned.

Actually, he felt his fingers being electrocuted as he touched the watch and he felt a tug in his heart. When he looked at the watch again, the pocket watch is actually working.

"If you like it so much, take it... consider it as a gift from me, as a remembrance... Oh! as an amulet maybe." The old man joked and laugh loudly. "After all, that watch is broken, no one wants to buy damaged goods, right?" said the old man again with a laugh that was not as loud as before and shook his head as if it was a funny thing.

The boy picked up the watch. It was actually working; the silver colored pocket watch have roman numeral dials on it. It looks old and slightly damaged; the chain was not really long either. The boy then looked at the old man with a look of confusion.

"But this watch is working," he said hesitantly. The old man stopped laughing and looked at the boy "Really? Give it to me."

The old man's eyebrows furrowed, after examining the watch, the old man let out a regretful sigh. "You are such a lucky young lad, I have told you that I'd give it to you, and I can't take back my own words. You have to take care of it. Take it, and go home now before it gets any colder." The old man said as he takes hold of the boy's hand and put the pocket watch in his hands, then he began to push the young lad towards the door.

"Shoo Shoo~ go... It's time for me to close the shop" The old man said as he quickly closed the door in front of the boy's face. It was obvious that the old man afraid that he would accidentally give the boy any more goods.

The boy was speechless and a bit offended, but the old man really gave him the watch. So, he just shrugged and walked back home.

*End of flashback*

... ep ...

... be ...

... eep ...

... Beep ... Beep ... Beep ...

The beeping sound of an ECG machine pulls Alfizar's consciousness to the surface. It sounded faint, and he could barely hear it with his pounding headache. His body feels weak and heavy, but also warm at the same time.

He feels so weak, as if he had not moved at all for a long time, to the point that his body feels stiff. He could feel an air being blown into his nose, he took a deep breath slowly to fill his lungs- "Ugh... Cough! Cough!" His throat was very dry; his vision was blurry, but he could make out the white ceiling and maybe a closed window from the corner of his eyes.

'Where is this?' He blinked his eyes to clear his vision, he turned his head to look at the window, despite his stiff neck. The curtains were drawn and tied, the windows look homey. From the look of it, it was either dawn or dusk. Light blue wall... looks nothing like a hospital. 'What had happened?' He doesn't remember getting hurt, the last thing he remembers was-

The crackling sound of the door pulls Alfizar out of his train of thought. He turned his head to where the sound came from, there is a figure standing in front of the door looking at Alfizar with his eyes widened in disbelief then turn into joy. The figure was about 180 cm tall, black hair slightly past the earlobe, black eyes were staring at Alfizar with a surprised and happy look.

His well-built body was covered by a white shirt and gray cardigan. This young man is Henry Rozar, the only son of his late father's secretary, who was actually his distant maternal relative, but still a family member nonetheless.

But in his eyes, Henry is his brother, a precious family member. Alfizar was startled by his own thought.

"Thank God! You're awake!" A smile spread across his face, as he swiftly approached Alfizar's hospital bed. The scar that should have been on his right eyebrow now disappeared... Scar? 'What scar?' His face looks the same as he remembers, but... he felt it was wrong... Henry's face looks... brighter? No... Younger? But this is the very same face he always looked at every day, before today. The black eyes that were filled with joy now turned into a worried look. "Alfi? Are you alright?"

"Water- Cough! Cough!" His voice sounded raspy. Henry wasted no time to pour him a glass of water and helped him drink it with a straw. "Drink slowly, don't choke."

"How do you feel? Tell me, where does it hurt?" Henry asked in worry as he put down the glass on the table beside the ECG machine. Then he pushed some button to adjust the hospital bed and assisted Alfizar half-sit up comfortably.

"My body's hurt all over," Alfizar said. His neck feels looser. "What had happened?"

"You don't remember? Tell me the last thing you remember." Henry took a chair near the bed and sat down on it.

"I... I remember going out for a stroll around our house area because we are going to move the next day." Having just woken up make his head a bit muddled, just remembering the last event already gave him a headache, he massages his own temple to ease the pain.

"That's right... You were out, but you didn't come back home for dinner. We got worried, so we began to look for you, and we found you under the ruins of an old house after searching for over 26 hours," Henry said with a grim expression.

It's turns out that they looked for him for hours... When they found him, his condition wasn't good. Now that he said it, Alfizar finally noticed the bandages on his body and the cast his left leg was in. He really doesn't remember anything like that at all. Then he realized something.

"Wait a sec... Old house? That old shop? How is that old man?" He asked in panic.

Henry looked at him with an odd look in his eyes, then shook his head, "It's not a shop, but an old abandoned house. You are the only victim there." Henry chalked it up as 'He just woke up from a coma this is normal.'

"So... How long did I sleep? And where is this?" Did not want to be considered weird, he then asked something else.

"Ah, you were unconscious for over a month. After a week at Zeylland Hospital, we decided to move anyway. So, we are here as planned, this is your room." Henry said with a toothy grin.

It was a shock for Alfizar to be comatose for over a month. He already knew that they are going to move to Rulid city, the capital of Reapdawn Country. But to move while in a comatose state... How much trouble had he brought to his family? He sighs internally, then his eyes drifted back to his casted leg.

"Ah, about your leg. You see, when we found you, you were almost buried to death by the ruins of that abandoned house, and some of the debris got your bone cracked." Henry smiled to reassure him. "Don't worry, a month have passed and the doctor said your bone is healing nicely. It won't be long before you are up and running again. At least you still have your leg here, be glad it wasn't amputated." Henry laughed at his own joke.

"It's not funny, Henry." If only he has the strength, he would definitely chop off the head of this so-called brother of his.

"Where is Uncle Zio and Aurin?"

"They are out doing grocery. Should be home anytime now. Why don't you rest while I ask the cook to make something to fill your stomach?" Henry said while rearrange the hospital bed for Alfizar to lay down. Then he left with an "I'll be back soon" He smiled and closed the door.

He drifted off while waiting. That was when he was assaulted by an unwelcomed nightmare.