Chapter 2: Across Worlds

The scent of dampness and food waste hit my nostrils the moment I woke up. The unpleasant aroma clearly didn't sit well with me, causing me to half-open my sticky eyes, not even attempting to return to sleep. "Did the cat make a mess?" I irritably speculated a few times while raising my torso, but what I saw washed away my anger, replaced with bewilderment.

The world seemed to have lost all its sounds as I, blankly staring at one spot, tried to reconstruct the chronological sequence that brought me to this place. Not even the dark chill and the unpleasant odors could distract me.

"All right, all right," I finally realized, settling into a cross-legged posture. "I must absolutely be on that bench, right? It can't be that I passed out in some alley, and... summer? This can't be... " Once again, I fell into a stupor, sequentially rubbing my eyelids with my palms, trying to understand... just to understand, to grasp onto something in my head.

It seemed like I had slept too much because my head was pounding, and my consciousness was stuck in a syrupy, sickeningly sweet and viscous state – an unpleasant feeling. But even the headache couldn't prevent me from feeling the strange changes in my surroundings and in myself, and they were by no means insignificant.

Starting with my vision after reopening my eyes, ending with my body's balance when I stood up, attempting to shake off the mental fog for greater brain productivity.

My eyes suddenly made the world remarkably sharp and bright, one might even say magical. "Or was the environment itself always so bright and magical, and I'm just perceiving it with fresh eyes after losing consciousness? Doesn't seem likely..." Even the issue wasn't the contrast with my previous slightly dimmed vision. I simply perceived the details of absolutely everything I saw abnormally well, noting any minutiae in the surroundings. Every even inconspicuous object like small stones on the ground, the texture of the gray brick walls at some distance, minor abrasions and scratches on a square trash can, and even small creatures like cockroaches, ants, and mosquitoes with gnats nearby. Even in such a dark place, it wasn't a problem as long as I focused my gaze, and everything became clear as day.

"No, this isn't the same world. It has to be something about my eyes, but what the hell? Am I going crazy or... a lucid dream!" A joyful realization struck me. "It makes perfect sense."

I had watched many videos and read numerous articles about this phenomenon in the past. They often talked about how in a lucid dream, the entire world is vividly bright. In my childhood, I had tried numerous times to reach that state to fulfill my wishes, even if only in the world of dreams. It seemed that the meteorite had greatly assisted me in this endeavor. After all, I survived, and the shockwave couldn't kill me. There simply can't be any other explanation. Life after death? Nonsense!

Nevertheless, I decided to test it. Casting a gaze upon my hands, I concentrated all my attention on them: seconds, minutes — nothing happened. I could only make out the patterns on the skin but found no abnormalities with my fingers.

Next was the English inscription on the trash can, which logically meant "garbage." I looked away for about ten seconds and then returned my gaze. No changes were visible.

And the last check among those I could remember. I pinched myself on the arm, and even though it did hurt, I didn't pay it much attention. Yes, this indicated that it wasn't a lucid dream, but the essence of it was something else right now.

I had been too focused on memories and thoughts about lucid dreaming, neglecting the peculiarities of my body. Firstly, I stood up with an unusual ease and didn't experience any dizziness or momentary darkness in my vision as I usually did when getting up abruptly after waking. "Normally, if I get up suddenly right after waking up, everything briefly goes dark, and sometimes I might even get lightheaded, but right now, I feel remarkably fresh. It's as if I've become a robot. There's no other way to describe it," I agreed with my own statement while performing some light stretches, consisting of jumping in place and swinging my arms.

"My hands..." I looked at them with great interest once again. "They've definitely shrunk, losing a lot of muscle mass," I concluded after feeling them with my other hand. Looking down, I noticed that my body had similarly become smaller, with less flesh. "I'm definitely in a child's body."

Another detail related to my body was the clothing. "I don't remember this at all, and I certainly don't wear something like this," I said as I examined myself. I was wearing a dull blue yukata adorned with dragonflies, or judging by the slightly different shape and the blue belt on it, it was a kimono. As far as I remembered, these are the Japanese robes that are easy to wear as everyday clothing, with a length that practically reaches the ankles and a dense fabric that allows for comfort.

The material of this clothing is of very high quality, and the yukata fits comfortably on my body, almost as if I was born wearing it. It's so comfortable that I can hardly feel it. Apart from the yukata, the only visible clothing on me is my footwear, specifically wooden clogs with a small heel known as "geta" or "zori." Not the most comfortable shoes, in my opinion, but it's better than walking barefoot on cobblestones and asphalt.

In an attempt to find out if there was anything else under the yukata, I tried to loosen the belt, but when I realized it was securely fastened at the back, I discarded that idea as not the best course of action. I doubt I could put it all back together on my own to make it look decent. So, for now, let that remain a mystery.

After examining myself, I decided to leave this place and assess the surroundings. I still don't know why I suddenly became a child and ended up in an unfamiliar place right after a meteorite fell on me. I have some fragile hypotheses, but honestly, I don't know what to believe in, what's more real. Did I die from the meteorite and suddenly become a child? My brain simply can't process all of this because the circumstances and their outcome are so improbable that I don't know what to think about it. If I had died, why am I still thinking? And to wake up in my past, which I don't remember, next to a garbage dumpster – it's just something out of the ordinary.

"...I must take a look at myself!" A nagging idea popped into my head. "Maybe?" Quickly examining my hand, I noticed that the skin was far too fair, almost pale. My skin is slightly darker than this. My other hand reached up to my head and touched my hair, which was much softer than I'm used to, and the short hair was not characteristic of me at this age. "In my childhood, I could easily pull down the hair on my forehead and see its color, but... wait!" Pulling a strand of hair to its maximum length, my keen vision caught the edge of the white tip. "I'm a blond! This body is definitely not mine," I quickly concluded. Or someone decided to play a prank on me and doused me with a whitening agent or some other substance, but that's unlikely. There's no skin irritation, so the prank scenario is ruled out.

And my voice... it's different. I can't remember exactly what it was like in my childhood, but it's definitely not this deep. "Ah, oh, la-la!" Making various sounds, I tried to either hear or understand my voice, but I quickly gave up on the futile attempt. I'd need a recorder for this.

I also needed a mirror, a phone, or at least a material that reflects light well, or a puddle as a last resort, to get a definitive answer. But for that, I needed to leave this place.

I didn't want to be drenched in the smell of this place and spread the stench around. After stepping out of the dark alley, I found myself on a fairly bustling street. The unusual brightness of the sun after being in the shade startled my eyes, causing them to tear up from the surprise. A sneeze escaped from my mouth, but none of the passersby paid any attention. Many of them simply ignored me, continuing on their way. Since they didn't bother me, I decided not to engage with them and just observe the surroundings.

There was a lot to explore here. The architectural style, at least of this street, was European, but not modern. People's clothing was also not what they wear today. The overall atmosphere somewhat resembled Europe from the late 19th or mid-19th century, or thereabouts (I'm not an expert in this area). The sunny day added a touch of surrealism to everything happening.

"Wow... what nonsense," I muttered, putting my hand to my face, feeling like a lost kitten. "I just... I don't understand!" Irritated, I growled to myself, while simultaneously trying to relax. Panic and anger wouldn't help. First, I needed to calm down and figure everything out.

To start, I needed to gather information through a simple walk, which eventually bore fruit. The language of the local people was immediately understandable to me, and I knew it well – it was English. Not surprising, given the circumstances.

I knew English reasonably well, at least well enough to understand what people were saying and to engage in a conversation. But now, for some unknown reason, it had become familiar to me. As if someone had implanted this knowledge into my brain, and I must say, it's a rather pleasant yet strange feeling, much like an epiphany that sometimes occurs in everyday life. It's as if you knew something but had completely forgotten it, and then suddenly, some trigger forces you to remember what was lost, and you're shocked but satisfied, accepting it as a given. Perhaps it's somehow related to my new body, but I can't be completely certain of such statements.

The next step was to engage in conversations with the locals and inquire about various things, which led me to the Onibus Station, named after the city itself.

From the words of the residents, I learned that the country, or rather the kingdom, I found myself in was called "Fiore," located on the western part of the continent "Ishgar" with a population of seventeen million. The year I was in was 778, which didn't mean much to me. But despite all the information I gathered, the most interesting conversation clarified the situation a bit, finally convincing me of where I was.

***

"A wizard? What are you talking about?" a somewhat elderly lady in distinctive clothing asked skeptically, without feigned interest on her face. There were too many coincidences, and I wanted to be absolutely certain.

"Well... a wizard, from a wizard guild. I see them quite often. They like to dress strangely, so I thought you, young man, might be one of them. Sorry if I was mistaken."

"But you don't like to dress strangely..."

"No, not at all. I'm really a wizard, but I haven't joined a guild yet. As you can see, I'm still young, and I'm just planning to join one, but I don't know my way around very well because I'm not a local. Could you tell me where the nearest guild is?"

"I was right! Oh my!" she enthusiastically replied to my tales but realizing she had gotten a bit carried away, she toned it down. Just a bit. "So you mean Fairy Tail! It's one of the strongest guilds in Fiore. You haven't made a mistake; it's in the neighboring city, Magnolia. If you want to go there, you should head to the Onibus Station in that direction," she said, pointing with her hand towards a fairly prominent building in the distance, answering my remaining, less significant questions.

"Thank you so much; you've been a great help," I smiled broadly, making a slight bow as a sign of gratitude. Eastern-style clothing is still noticeable here, and it's best not to stand out for a while.

"You're welcome, young man. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything else; I'm happy to help," she replied to my gratitude, watching my departing figure with her gaze.

***

So, what do we have? I somehow ended up in the world of Fairy Tail. Though I remember little from this anime, it's impossible not to recognize such obvious names and architecture. If I had any doubts when I heard the names of cities, countries, and continents, terms like wizards, magic guilds, and Fairy Tail confirmed my location. I have no idea what's happening, but I have no choice but to accept it and adapt to the circumstances. Maybe I'll learn the truth later, over time, but first and foremost, I need to ensure my survival, and I know how to do that – "I'll head to Fairy Tail."

I have no money, no spare clothes, and no deeper knowledge. I'm essentially a homeless child, so there's only one place where even a homeless child like me could be taken in.

I'm confident in my competence to be there, as my eyes are definitely not like those of a regular human, even in this magical world. They are too different from everyone else. The number of visible details and the quality of the information I receive are beyond human capabilities. Even now, after a couple of hours of use and active adaptation, I can't fully get used to them. It also seems to me that the more I look and focus, the more improvements I experience. It's definitely not normal, but it's what will potentially give me a temporary home. Still, I'd like to stay there longer because Fairy Tail is the place where I feel most confident in this world.

A person, like any creature, seeks comfort and safety, and I'm no exception. So I need to figure out how to get to Magnolia. I could theoretically walk along the railway, but it's fraught with dangers. Starting from the train, which could run me over, for example, on a bridge where there's not enough space, to dangerous animals, and dark wizards with bandits.

"I have no choice. The only way is to sneak onto the train and hide in the toilet, locking myself inside. Even if they find me and kick me out, I'll be able to reduce the distance I have to walk, and that's better than walking the entire way."

Having devised a strategy, I joined the line to buy a ticket inside the station, waiting for my turn. The line was relatively empty, so I wouldn't have to wait long. In the meantime, I scanned my surroundings in search of clocks and train schedules, but couldn't find anything inside the building.

"Hello, I'd like a ticket to Magnolia for the 14:30 train, please," I heard the words of the man in front of me. He was buying a ticket, handing a 1,000-unit currency note to the cashier, waiting for the cashier to take it in exchange for the ticket.

"A ticket to Magnolia for the 14:30 train," the cashier repeated the words of the buyer after accepting the money, so as not to make a mistake himself and receive a denial in case he misheard. "That will be 150 jewels, please," he handed the man the ticket along with the change, and then I retreated. I didn't need anything else from the cashier.

Then, from the same man who bought the ticket, I learned the time, and it turned out that I had exactly thirty minutes left until the train. I didn't know my seat, so I had to follow the same man who had led me to the first platform, where there were clocks and train schedules on one of the walls.

"Well, all I have to do now is wait for the train, and then, I'll see how it goes."