Chapter 4

Lucious woke up with a jolt, feeling disoriented and confused. as he tried to get up, he stumbled and fell to the ground. as he looked around, he realized that he was in a small room, nothing like the grand bedroom he was used to.

as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings, he suddenly realized something terrifying - he wasn't in his own body anymore. he felt like he was in a nightmare, a strange and confusing dream that he couldn't wake up from.

He tried to remember what had happened, how he had ended up in this strange body. But everything was a blur, a jumbled mess of memories and emotions that he couldn't piece together.

Lucious stumbled towards the door, feeling weak and unsteady on his feet. As he opened the door, he saw a woman standing in the doorway, her eyes filled with tears.

"Lucy?" the girl whispered, her voice choked with emotions. Lucious felt a pang of sadness as he saw the tears streaming down the woman's face.

Lucious felt a strange mix of emotions - confusion, fear, and a deep sense of sorrow. He didn't know who Lucy was. but he knew that the woman mention him. He didn't have hearth to push away the woman's embrace, but she held on tightly, since she unwilling to let him go.

Lucious couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness in his heart. He didn't want to scare her, but he couldn't help the situation he found himself in. He tried to speak, but his voice came out soft and timid.

Lucious was taken aback by the girl's reaction. He didn't understand how a stranger, a little girl no less, could be so overjoyed to see him awake. He felt a sense of guilt that he couldn't explain, as if he had let her down in some way.

"Thank the heavens above! You're awake!" the girl cried, as her arms around him in a more tight embrace. "I was so scared that you would never wake up."

Lucious was taken aback by the girl's reaction. He didn't understand a little girl no less, could be so devastated. He felt a sense of guilt that he couldn't explain, as if he had let her down in some way.

As the girl pulled away from the hug, Lucious realized that she was only a child, no older than thirteen or twelve. He couldn't help but feel a wave of sadness wash over him.

He looked around the room, trying to find any clues or hints that could help him make sense of this new reality. But everything was so different, so unfamiliar.

"I found you in the forest, unconscious." The girl tried to contain her emotions as she ask why I went to jungle or more precisely the original body.

"I don't...I don't remember," Lucious stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what happened."

The girl's eyes filled with tears again, and Lucious felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He didn't want to upset her, but he couldn't help the situation he found himself in.

"It's okay," the girl said, her voice soft and comforting.

Lucious felt a sense of relief at her words, but also a sense of despair. He didn't know how they would figure anything out, when he couldn't even remember his own name or why he was in this strange body.

The girl sat down next to him on the bed, her small hand reaching out to hold his. Lucious felt a strange sense of comfort in her touch, as if it was the only thing grounding him to this new reality.

He looked down at their intertwined hands, studying them closely. His hands were smaller and thinner than he remembered, with delicate fingers and smooth skin. He couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the sight of them, as if they were foreign objects.

The girl watched him, her eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle.

Lucious looked up at her, studying her face. There was something familiar about her, something that tugged at his memories. But he couldn't quite place it.

Lucious nodded slowly, still lost in thought.

"Now let's get you something to eat. You must be starving."

Through a small hallway and into a small kitchen, where she began to prepare a simple meal of bread, and fruit. Lucious watched her carefully, trying to absorb every detail of this new reality.

As she finished the meal, the girl turned to him with a smile. "Here you go. I hope you like it."

Lucious nodded, still feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened. He took a small bite of the bread, savoring the taste. It was simple but satisfying, and it made him realize how hungry he was.

As he ate, Lucious studied the girl's face once again. There was something about her that seemed so familiar, yet he couldn't quite place it. He wanted to ask her more about himself, about his past, but he didn't know where to begin. He didn't want to upset her by revealing that he couldn't remember anything.

As they finished their meal, the girl suggested they take a walk outside. As they wandered. Lucious found himself lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something important, something that would help him make sense of this strange new reality.

As they walked around the town, Lucious couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the sights around him. The buildings and architecture looked like they were from a bygone era, a time of knights and castles. It was as if he had been transported back in time.

The people they passed by were dressed in clothes that looked like they were from the medieval period. Lucious felt a wave of confusion wash over him. He had never seen anything like this before. Was he in some kind of historical reenactment village?

As they continued their walk, they came across a large building that stood out from the rest. It was made of stone and had a large wooden door. The girl seemed hesitant to go near it, but Lucious felt drawn to it. He wanted to explore, to see if there were any clues that could help him remember.

As they approached the building, Lucious felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he had been here before.

"What is this place?" Lucious asked, his hand resting on the wooden door.

"It's the castle," the girl replied softly. "It's where the Lord and Lady of the town live."

Lucious felt a sense of shock. A castle? Lord and Lady? This was all too much for him to process.

As they entered the castle, Lucious was greeted by an older woman, dressed in a gown that looked like it was from the medieval period. She looked at him with suspicion, as if she didn't trust him.

"Who is this?" she asked the girl, eyeing Lucious up and down.

"He's...he's a friend," the girl replied nervously.

The older woman looked at Lucious again, and he felt a shiver run down his spine. He couldn't explain it, but he felt like he was in danger.

"Come with me," the older woman said, leading them down a corridor.

Lucious felt a sense of dread wash over him. What was going on? Was he in danger? And who was this woman who seemed to know so much about him?

The woman led Lucious and the girl through the castle's grand halls and into a large room with a table at the center. Sitting at the table were a man and a woman who looked to be in their mid-40s. They both stood up as Lucien and the girl entered the room.

"Who is this?" the man asked, looking at Lucious with curiosity.

"He's a friend, Father," the girl replied, stepping forward.

"You survived?" the man said, incredulous.

Lucien was taken aback. "Survived what?" he asked.

The man looked at Lucious again and seemed to recognize him.

"Lucien, is it not?" the man said

Lucious nodded slowly, unsure of what was happening. The man and woman exchanged a quick glance before the man spoke again.

"Your grandfather was the village chief and a good friend of ours. He perished in a recent monster wave" The Lord explained.

Lucious felt his head spin as he tried to process everything that was being said. but he had never imagined that it would lead him to a castle with a Lord and Lady who knew about his grandfather.

The Lord noticed Lucious' confusion and continued, "We were surprised to see that you survived the monster wave."

Lucious couldn't believe what he was hearing. His grandfather was a village chief and a great leader? He had always known that his grandfather was important to him, but he had no idea that he was so highly respected by others.

"I...I don't know what to say," Lucious stammered.

The Lady stepped forward and placed a hand on Lucious' shoulder. "We understand that this must be overwhelming for you, but we would like to offer you a place here in our castle. You can stay as long as you need and we will do everything we can to help you."

Lucious watched as the Lady's expressionturned from sadness to anger. She turned to the girl, who looked down at the ground, ashamed.

"You went out alone again, didn't you?" the Lady said sternly.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

The Lord spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. "You know we only want what's best for you, our dear daughter. We cannot risk your safety by allowing you to wander off alone. We must make arrangements for knights to accompany you on your travels."

The girl nodded, looking up at her parents with a mixture of sadness and acceptance.

Lucious was taken aback by the exchange between the Lord and the girl. He couldn't believe that she had put herself in danger by wandering out alone without any knights to protect her.

As the conversation went on, Lucious found himself feeling grateful that he wasn't a part of the girl's original family. It was clear to him that being a princess came with its own set of dangers and responsibilities that he wouldn't be able to handle.

He watched as the girl hung her head in shame, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her. It was clear that she had made a mistake, but he could tell that she had done it out of a desire for freedom and adventure.

After the Lord and Lady finished scolding the girl, they turned to Lucious and apologized for the way he had been treated upon his arrival. They explained that they had been on high alert due to recent attacks by monsters in the surrounding areas.

As they spoke, Lucious couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder at the grandeur of the castle and the wealth of the Lord and Lady. But at the same time, he couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't belong here.

Lucious felt like he was intruding on a private family matter and didn't know what to say. He had never seen such a display of authority and protection before.

Lucious listened intently as the Lord and Lady continued to speak, but his mind was wandering. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that he was in a castle, surrounded by royalty. He had never even imagined being in such a place, let alone being welcomed as a guest.

As the conversation came to a close, Lucious found himself being led to a lavish guest room, complete with a four-poster bed and a roaring fireplace. He couldn't believe his luck. The bed was soft and comfortable, and he sank into it gratefully.

As he lay there, he thought about his own life back in the village. He had always been known as Lucious, but now, for some reason, he was starting to think that Lucien sounded cooler and more fit for the current him. Maybe it was the influence of the castle and its grandeur, but the name Lucien seemed more fitting now.