New beginning
Mason. A boy with brown hair and green eyes wakes up, his eyes slowly opening as the morning sun glimmers into them. He gets out of bed and goes through his routine, taking a shower, brushing his teeth, and getting ready for school.
As he walks out the door, he unknowingly leaves behind the lunch his mother made for him before she left for work. Next to it sits a sticky note that reads: “Put it in your bag so you don’t forget it!” But with an assignment on his mind, he forgets it anyway.
On his way to school, he takes the usual tunnel through the suburbs. It curves slightly to the left, making the inside pitch black, but it’s never scared him. He walks through it like always and eventually reaches school.
He meets up with his friends, and they walk together, talking about their girlfriends. He’s never had one before, but he nods along, pretending to understand.
When he gets to class, he checks his things, books, pens, pencils, and suddenly realizes something.
“I forgot my lunch!”
Without hesitation, he rushes out of the classroom and sprints back toward the tunnel, heading home. But as he runs through it, something feels off. The tunnel seems longer than usual… like it’s stretching.
He keeps running.
Eventually, he sees the light at the end, but the closer he gets, the more confused he becomes.
When he finally reaches the other side… everything is different.
He’s no longer in the suburbs.
Instead, he stands in the middle of a medieval kingdom, surrounded by humans, beast people, elves, dwarves, and even lizard men walking through the streets.
Overwhelmed, he drops to his knees, staring at everything around him, trying to process what he’s seeing.
His voice trembles as he stutters,
“A-am I… in another world?”
He rubs his eyes in disbelief. The boy slowly lifted his head, his breath still uneven.
The noise of the town wrapped around him, voices, laughter, the clanking of metal, merchants shouting deals across the street. It was overwhelming… but real. Too real.
People walked past him like he was strange.
A tall man with wolf-like features laughed loudly with a group of armored soldiers. A pair of elves whispered to each other as they passed. A short, stocky dwarf pushed a cart filled with glowing stones.
The boy swallowed hard and slowly stood up.
This… isn’t a dream... I'm not dreaming, am I?
He dusted off his clothes, adjusting his school uniform out of habit. It suddenly felt out of place, too clean, too structured compared to the rugged, fantasy-like clothing around him.
“…Okay,” he muttered to himself, trying to stay calm. “Don’t panic. Just… figure it out.”
He began walking.
Each step felt heavier than the last, his eyes darting everywhere—taking in wooden buildings with hanging signs, market stalls lined with strange fruits and shimmering objects, and weapons that looked like they belonged in a video game.
People glanced at him.
Not quick looks... long ones.
Some stepped aside as he walked past. Others lowered their voices.
“…Why are they staring…?” he whispered.
A woman bowed her head slightly as he passed.
He froze.
“…Huh?”
Before he could process it...
“Excuse me, young sir!”
A voice called out from behind him.
He turned.
A well-dressed merchant approached, his robes layered with fine fabrics, rings glinting on nearly every finger. His sharp eyes scanned the boy from head to toe, but there was no confusion in them.
Only interest.
And respect.
The merchant gave a small, polite bow.
“I must say… I don’t believe I’ve seen a noble of your standing in this district before.”
The boy blinked.
“…A noble?”
The merchant smiled faintly, gesturing toward his uniform.
“That attire… pristine stitching, unfamiliar design, and clearly crafted with precision. Not to mention your composure despite standing alone in a commoner’s market.”
The boy opened his mouth… then closed it.
He thinks I’m… important?
“I-I think you’ve got the wrong—”
“Ah, modest as well!” the merchant cut in smoothly, clearly misreading him. “A rare trait these days.”
The boy’s confusion only deepened.
The merchant stepped slightly closer, lowering his voice.
“If I may be so bold, young sir… would you be interested in conducting business?”
“…Business?”
“Yes,” the merchant said, eyes glinting. “I deal in rare items, information, and… opportunities. And someone of your status could benefit greatly from what I have to offer.”
The boy hesitated.
Everything in him screamed that this situation was insane.
But at the same time…
Information.
That’s what he needed.
Where he was. How to get home. What this place even was.
“…What kind of business?” he asked carefully.
The merchant’s smile widened, just slightly.
“Why don’t we discuss that somewhere more… private?”
The sounds of the busy town seemed to fade for a moment as the weight of the situation settled in.
The boy took a breath.
He didn’t belong here.
But right now...
This might be his only lead.
“…Alright,” he said.
The merchant turned, gesturing for him to follow.
“This way, young lord.”
The boy paused for just a second… then stepped forward.
And followed. The door shut quietly behind them.
The noise of the marketplace faded, replaced by a calm, dimly lit room lined with shelves, each one filled with strange items. Bottles of glowing liquid, ancient books, small artifacts that hummed with faint energy.
The merchant walked ahead, confident, composed.
“Please, make yourself comfortable, young lord.”
The boy hesitated, then stepped inside, his eyes scanning everything.
“…What is this place?”
“A place where truths are uncovered,” the merchant replied smoothly. “And where potential… is revealed.”
The boy frowned slightly but said nothing.
He needed answers.
The merchant turned, holding a small velvet box in his hands. He opened it slowly, revealing a crystal... clear, faintly glowing, no bigger than the palm of his hand.
“This,” the merchant said, “is a mana crystal.”
The boy leaned in slightly.
“It allows one to measure magical capacity. A simple test. Even children use it.”
“…And what do I do?”
“Just place it upon your hand,” the merchant said calmly. “Let your mana flow naturally. The crystal will react accordingly.”
The boy hesitated.
Mana…
He didn’t even fully understand what that meant.
But… if this world ran on it, then maybe...
“…Alright.”
He reached out.
His hand hovered over the crystal for a moment… then gently pressed against it.
For a split second...
Nothing happened.
Then...
CRACK!
The crystal vibrated violently.
The merchant’s eyes widened.
“…Wha...?”
CRACK! SHATTER!
But it didn’t just break.
It didn’t splinter.
It didn’t fracture.
It...
Collapsed.
Silently.
The crystal disintegrated into fine dust, slipping through the boy’s fingers like sand… until nothing remained.
The room went completely still.
The boy slowly lifted his hand, staring at it.
“…I didn’t even do anything…”
The merchant didn’t respond.
He couldn’t.
His eyes were locked on the empty space where the crystal once was.
“…Impossible…”
His voice came out barely above a whisper.
“That crystal… was designed to withstand even high-ranking mages…”
He swallowed hard.
“Even the most powerful wizards… can only crack it.”
Silence filled the room.
“…But you…”
The merchant took a slow step back.
“You didn’t break it.”
His voice trembled.
“You erased it.”
The boy felt a chill run down his spine.
“…What does that mean?”
The merchant didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he quickly turned and moved to a nearby shelf, pulling out another device, a more complex crystal, this one embedded in a metallic frame covered in inscriptions.
“…We’ll need a more advanced test.”
The boy watched nervously.
“What does that one do?”
The merchant steadied his breath.
“This will determine your magical aptitude.”
He placed it on the table between them.
“Affinity for elements… abilities… rare traits… even those only spoken of in legend.”
The boy stared at it.
“…And it’ll tell you everything?”
“Yes.”
“…Alright.”
He placed his hand on it.
For a moment...
The crystal glowed.
Symbols flickered across its surface, rapidly, violently shifting from one to another.
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Earth.
Lightning.
Light.
Darkness.
The merchant’s eyes widened again.
“…All elements…?”
But it didn’t stop.
The symbols began changing faster.
Stranger.
More complex.
The merchant stepped closer, his breath catching.
“No… those are...”
Space distortion.
Matter manipulation.
Matter creation.
Teleportation.
Time manipulation.
Abilities whispered only in ancient texts.
Lost.
Impossible.
Forbidden.
“…This can’t be real…”
The glow intensified!
Then...
CRACK!
The second crystal shattered.
Pieces fell to the table, lifeless...
The room fell silent again.
The merchant just stood there.
Frozen.
“…It..... broke?…”
His voice was hollow.
“I couldn’t even finish reading it…”
The boy slowly pulled his hand back.
“…So… what does that mean?”
The merchant looked at him.
For the first time...
There was no confidence in his eyes...
Only fear.
“…It means…”
He hesitated.
Struggling to even form the words.
“…I have no idea what you are.”
The boy’s heart pounded.
“…That’s not reassuring.”
The merchant let out a slow breath.
“The only thing I can say with certainty…”
He glanced at the dust of the first crystal.
Then at the shattered remains of the second.
“…Is that your mana…”
He paused.
“…Is beyond measurement.”
Silence.
“…Infinite,” he finished quietly.
The word hung in the air.
Heavy.
Unreal.
The boy stared at his own hand again.
“…Infinite…?”
Nothing about this made sense.
But one thing was clear—
He wasn’t normal here.
Not even close.
