Chapter 2

If you have any questions, don't be shy to ask.

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The sun had set anew, rising up from the far horizon and up into the heavenly sky. Fluffy clouds that looked so soft and comfortable floated within the skies of blue, unable to be touched and unable to be grasped by any human reach.

How peaceful.

It was quite envious of how peaceful the sky has always ever been. Not even a single disturbance through the steady sky and vast atmosphere as wind calmly blew past through. Joyful chirps of birds resounded through the air, some of them singing within the trees for anyone's care to watch and hear.

"If only I can be as peaceful as those. If only... If only I have more coconut drink—"

The loud booming noises that came from the streets echoed through my ears, successfully halting any of my mutterings. There, roaming through the once silent and lonely streets, wanders the innumerable swarm of masses. Laughers and chatters of gibberish phrases filled the formerly calm air as each one and another, passerby socially interacted with those people they wish to engage communication with. Shops— those that were already closed just as the clock ticks for the night, and stalls— those that were already gone as the sun had once set back to the horizon, were now beaming with overwhelming costumers. It was as if a change of mood, once they were but an empty hollow shell, but now they looked as if a can packed full of sardines.

"Sardines..." A growl was heard, and yet I ignored it.

It was unfortunate, It really was.

After waking up from a long tiresome sleep, I expected to jolt up awake to face the very same dusty room I had grown accustomed and familiar with, so I can start a yet another day of the bland tormenting life I was fated to live. I would simply wake up from a dream, get up in a grumbly mood, and continue to live my life as any other people would. I would watch memes on the internet, try to see if any of those manga I keep my eyes tracked onto have released a new chapter, and just continue life. Yet expectancy, had shoot back with the differ; expect the unexpected and the unexpected shall happen. And thus, it did.

It was not a dream. Never has been, and never will be.

The event that transpired yesterday was not a dream. It was never the work of some illegal drug that someone unconsciously shot towards me, never the work of schizophrenia that shifted my view of the world if I ever have one, never the playful but troublesome prank created by the trickster of a mind, and never the work of a reality game show to which I might've been put in a land with countless of cosplayers. It was never yet one of those lucid dreams many people on the internet keep shoving to my face, nor is it some of those distant memory way back within my past that I greatly want to forget. No, it was not an awful prank of the mind, nor is it a work of an illness. Never would, and never will.

It was.... Real.

The coconut juice incident, the ridiculous imposible dimensional transportation, the ragged clothes I wore, the weird clothing people used, the tower, the language, the panic attack, those just to name a few. And then, my family... So when I woke up laying not on the room I have grown familiar with but to a wooden bench in the middle of a park, the first thing that I did, was scream. Even if it was I that started it, it truly was ear deafening much to even my own sense. I screamed my frustrations, heartbeat reaching an astonishing world record breaking speed, and roared my horror as I started a yet another panic attack. If there was any passerby to ever pass the park, I was sure that they may have been creeped out by me. Luckily, no-one did, or so do I thought as there was none, not even a single soul, was there to be seen on that point of time. It's either that or I was just too paranoid to think about it.

What should I do? What could I do? What am I going to do? Those questions raced across my mind. I am so lost in thought that my ability to decide for my own sake fell down tremendously. I don't know what to do and where I will go, how I will live with this and how I will survive, what would happen now and what danger may cross paths with me.

It really was frustrating, brain-racking, and hard to cooperate with. It took me an hour and a couple of minutes just to calm myself down, to relieve myself and scold my own consciousness and note to my mind that whining would do nothing good. It would only bring headaches. Yet, even to this point of time, there was still the lingering sense of dread and panic as the question remained unsolved.

"What should I do?"

I have lost the ability to do anything I can ever think of. It's all useless, all the actions I can ever think of is all useless and cannot be done without the very essence of interaction. And that, is communication by understanding one and another. In order for someone to communicate, one must understand what the other was saying and vice versa, not just by understanding the message and feedback both party were exchanging but to also understand the language both were using to speak.

And language.... is not a very good thing for me to dive into.

The fact that I don't know how to speak in this world's language, goes the same as to how I cannot understand what this world's interpretation of people are speaking of. From the words written on many sign boards that were placed through various of places, to the posters and texts plastered across many of the cobblestone made walls. I don't understand all and any of it. Which means only one thing,

"I'm fucked."

I really am fucked. Down to the deepest hole that hell awaits for me. With no other way of interaction, I cannot ask for information, and with no information, I will have no other way to gain income, then with no income there will be no food. No food, means starvation, and starvation means death.

*grooo~~~*

The growl that happened moments ago resounded once again, and to where it came from is none other than my empty hungry stomach. The deep empty pit of void where all edible substance drops down into.

"I'm hungry." I muttered to myself, looking at the vast amount of people that walked passed by as I watched from the shade of an alleyway provided by two large building structure. "So much so to survival, huh? What a laugh."

I am hungry, I have yet to eat from yesterday and even until now. My lil' bro stomach had begged me all day long, to feed him with atleast a single grain of small rice so that he can rest in peace; yet I cannot do anything of that, not even if it was but a tiny grain of rice. I lack the source of food to fill my own appetite, I lack the source of water for me to stay hydrated; for me to even live with this much of time without any food or water, I consider this a curse among blessing in disguise. But I guess I'll still have a few more days before finally succumbing to starvation. This is still but the second day after all, and the second is yet the beginning of the end, my pitiful death.

However, there is one solution to this problem I have noted in my mind. And that is,

"To steal and run the fuck away." I mussed to myself, staring at a blonde short boy being dragged by a tanned woman with revealing outfit, so much so that I have mistaken her for a stripper than a proper humanoid being. "How the hell would I even do that?"

From the entirety of my life, I haven't tired stealing something that wasn't mine at all, even for once. I have met and known some people who do, but have never done it myself. To take something that wasn't mine and use it for my own personal gain, it left a dirty taste to my own conscience. While I can be bad mouthed as always, I am by no means an asshole. I have these tingling sense of empathy to those that I did wrong and wouldn't be able to sleep thinking about it. I am a man that dreads in regret, while if I want to do something, there's always the fear of me doing repulsive action to others and that I would forever regret that choice. Regretting that I have submitted late for my school project is one of the few thing I can think of similar to that.

My point is, I can't do it. I was unable to convince myself to steal something I do not possess. My conscience was just too much for me to consider.... That, is how I do it in the past; now however, is a completely different case. If I don't do it, then I'll starve to death, but if I do made it, I might have the chance to survive— although with the bitter taste of disgust crawling into my very own spine and would fuck my mind off. There are a lot of do's and dont's, what ifs and what's not, what will and what will not, why do and why do not, what the hell's and what the fuck's, why yes and why not—

"Damnit, I'm overthinking again." I grunted to myself, breathing in and out so that I could calm down for a moment of second, "Let's just... Take a walk."

It was already taking a toll to my mental state even before actually starving to death, how surprising. Not really. I'll just need to calm down my nerves, something I currently am having trouble with even if I tried so much to do so. Perhaps it is already the paranoia hitting me dead on with it's danger? Or perhaps I was already getting crazy? That, I don't know.

"...how troublesome..."

*grooo~~~*

"...really, troublesome."

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[ POV: ?????? ]

I don't know what to do, nor do I know what to feel. One moment I was walking along with the others, and then suddenly I was all alone in the swarm of heavy masses that walked back and forth. It felt like I was being squashed by a boulder, the amount of people walking pass by is just as overwhelming as it had always been.

"Puwaahhh!" I shrieked and gasped for air as with a strong push, I managed to get out of the said cage of human crowd. "I...made it...yes."

I made it out, finally. As I gasped for air, I took note and searched of the surrounding. Captain was not here, teacher is nowhere near as well, I cannot see any of my companions and do not know where they currently are. For all I know, we are supposed to be heading towards the Goibniu familia to appoint a restoration and provide reparations for some of our fellow members' broken weaponries. Something that would cost a lot of money— no, lot is an understatement. I am told that we need an extremely high amount of money, something that even to this day brings shivers down to my spine.

"There!!" I announced happily to none but myself as I noticed the familiar blond hair I grew accustomed to. Her golden long hair, coupled by her otherworldly beauty, it's no doubt; it's her—

"?!"

My suddenly ears perked up, eyes suddenly widening, as an unfamiliar sensation suddenly washed over across my chest. Now this is new even for me, I don't know what it is but it felt very reminiscent to... rage and sorrow? I don't even know myself. As without my consent, my sight was forced to shift towards my far right. There, I heard a series of soft rumblings, so soft yet so clear that with no other question left to be said it was clear that it was coming from that direction.

"...eh?"

I caught a glimpse. A glimpse of brown silhouette suddenly vanishing within the waves of crowds. It's odd, very odd. It felt very familiar yet I don't even know why. It was fast for me to clearly see, too fast to comprehend even, but I was sure it came from there. I don't know if it came from the brown silhouette or perhaps the horde of crowds, but I am convinced that It really came from that direction. I'm sure of it.

"...how weird—"

"Lefiya."

I shot up straightforward and straighten up my stance as I heard a familiar monotone voice calling out my name, so much so that it felt like the owner of the voice lacked any kind of interest. Tilting my head to the left, I came face to face with the golden beauty of sword herself. The famous Sword Princess of Loki Familia, Ais Wallenstein, my fellow familia member.

"A-ais-san."

"Are you alright, Lefiya?" Ais-san asked in concern, although her face did not show any of the signs, her soothing voice was enough of a proof for that matter.

"I-I am fine, A-ais-san." I stuttered, nodding in confirmation as she returned the action of nodding her head.

"Alright, then let's get back. Captain and the others are waiting for us."

Glancing back to my right as I started following Ais-san, I am still in wonder what this sudden feeling was. Those mumblings, those whispers, and the brown silhouette that was too fast for me to clearly see. Many questions dwelled into my mind, but at the very moment, Ais-san shall lead the way.

How strange this turn of event have truly become...

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[ POV: Roneru ]

Alright, now I'm lost.

I thought venturing this place would be a good idea to calm down my mind. But boy, oh boy, did it turned out to be the worse. For the 7th time of the day, I truly want to curse at my own choice of decision. So much so that I want to punch myself bad enough in the face for making such a dumb and idiotic decision knowing the fact that I neither know where or what this place is. Not only that, but the turns and curves each alleyways leads to were much more confusing and frustrating than simply being lost in a pack of crowd.

"Where...??"

Darkness embraced all that I can see, cold wind blowing up in my face as I tried to figure out which place and where to am I supposed to take so I can leave this dark place I currently am in. The endless blue sky had been long since gone, now replaced by the infinite void of abyss as the once majestic sun was now replaced by the ominous glowing sphere that is the moon. I can't see anything, not even the glow of lamps were there to lighten up my path. Wherever I currently am, it must be a sheltered alleyway, a place void of light and covered up windows.

I took another step forward, and panted under my breath. I'm tired, very tired. My legs are getting weak and my body began feeling sore. It was hard to balance myself, ragged breath escaping my lungs as my feet felt like it had yet to take rest for weeks. It was hard to maintain my focus, it felt like I could drop dead anytime soon. The fact that I currently am feeling light-headed did not help a single thing, the same goes to my itchy eyes as it began to very much annoy me. I swallowed up a slump of my saliva, if only I can get out of this place. If only...

"..?!"

Pain erupted to my body, my head felt as if being gnawed and crushed by a heavy weight that is my tiredness, my legs felt weak and however I tried to force it to hold, it failed to do so. Let the bodies hit the floor, and the floor will face no-one but I. Before I even knew it, my body came crashing down to the ground by tripping from what felt like a hard stone brick. I fell to the ground, and yet I did not bother to try and even get up. I cannot move, I'm too tired.

My stomach rumbled in hunger, my lips grew dry from thirst, and I cannot do anything to relieve those needs. It's hopeless, I don't have anything in possession. No food to eat, no water to drink, no home to stay. I felt... Miserable. It's as if all life had finally left me, I can't do anything to support my needs, nor do I have the strength to do it. If I won't die from being killed, I'd die from hunger and dehydration. I doubt I can even do anything at this point.

"F...food...w..water..." My eyes felt heavy, my breath grew ragged. I can feel my eyes slowly closing as I took a yet another dry gulp. I'm tired. No matter how I so desired to move forward, I cannot, do not, and will not move. It was as if my body had finally shut down.

*eek!!*

I heared an earful screech followed by something small crawling within my body. What was that? A rat perhaps? Or something else? I do not know, nor do I care.

My eyes are dropping low, and it's getting dark. I'm sleepy...

A small nap—

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—perhaps?