Jason opened his eyes.
His head ached. His body felt strangely light, as if he couldn't even feel his own weight. He was lying on a hard bed in an unfamiliar room. The air smelled different—not the sterile scent of a hospital, but something herbal, like from forest or field of flowers and weed.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the window—and his breath caught.
The sky…
Three moons floated in the vast expanse, and on the eastern horizon, two suns were rising: one blindingly white, the other a deep crimson, like molten metal. Their light blended in an eerie way, painting the clouds in unnatural hues.
"Where am I?"
Jason tried to recall his last memory, but only fragments surfaced. The laboratory. The experiments. Energy research. An explosion… Heat surging through him…
He sat up sharply, his heartbeat quickening.
"Am I dead? Is this the afterlife? Or…"
Voices murmured behind the door. The language was unfamiliar—sharp, rhythmic sounds, like the whisper of wind that blowing through the stone cave.
"I don't know this language. This wasn't on Earth…"he thought even though he know 15 different languages from earth and know how sounds many others.
A knock. The door swung open.
Two figures entered.
The first was an elderly man, tall even with a slight hunch. Dark blue hair, pitch-black eyes that seemed to pierce right through him. A white robe draped over his shoulders.
Beside him stood a young woman, around twenty-five. Silvery hair cascaded down her back, and crimson-red eyes observed him with cold, unreadable curiosity. She stood motionless, like a statue, her face betraying no emotion.
The old man spoke.
— €~*]+*|]]…
Jason frowned.
— What? I don't understand…
The strangers exchanged glances. The man spoke again, but Jason still couldn't make out a single word.
— I don't understand you, — he repeated, shaking his head.
The older man studied the young woman beside him and muttered something. She gave a silent nod and left the room.
The man gestured for Jason to sit while he took a seat in the chair by the wall.
— Alright… now what? — Jason muttered, watching him.
The old man began speaking again.
"If only I could understand him… Otherwise, I'll break my head trying to learn this language."
And then…something click in his hard
— As I was saying, my name is Quaston. I don't know where you're from, but it's clear you are neither from our country nor this continent. If you understand me, nod.
Jason froze.
He understood the words.
His eyes widened.
— I… I can understand you! How is this possible?!
— Oh? So you were just pretending you couldn't? — Quaston chuckled. — Don't scare an old man like that. I was about to call the knights to check whether you were a spy.
— A spy? Do I look like a spy?
— A true spy is supposed to not look like one, — Quaston noted.
— Fair point…
— Back to business. Please state your name and surname so I can record your details.
— Ah… Right. My name is Jason. My surname… I don't remember. Sorry.
— You don't remember? Hm. Either you have amnesia, or you're hiding something.
— Honestly, my thoughts are a mess right now, and if I hiding something that even from myself — Jason admitted. His mind was racing, tangled in a web of confusion.
Where was he? How did he get here? And why could he suddenly start to understand a language he had never heard before?
— I understand your confusion, — Quaston nodded. — A new place, an unfamiliar environment… but I still need to ask you a few questions.
— Sure. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish.
— Excellent. This won't take long. First, how do you feel? Any pain, dizziness?
— No, just mentally exhausted from all this. I need time to gather my thoughts.
— That is… quite surprising, — Quaston muttered. — One more question. What race do you belong to?
— What do you mean? Isn't it obvious? I'm human, do I look like monkey or dog?
— I don't mean that way, — Quaston shook his head. — You resemble a human, but… a normal human wouldn't have survived a fall from the height of the clouds. Are you a half-dragon? No, that doesn't seem right—you have no scales on your neck. A half-demon, perhaps? No, not that either… Then what are you?
— Wait… What are you talking about? Half-dragons? Demons?! That's just mythology!
Quaston gave him a puzzled look.
— Mythology? Have you been living in a cave? Even people who live in the caves or mountains know our world is full of different races—humans, demi-humans, elves, dragons…
Jason's thoughts spiralled while Quaston was keep counting different races of intelligent human- like creatures.
Everything inside him flipped upside down. And at that moment, he finally understood: this was not Earth.
— No… No… This must be a hallucination… How is this possible?!
— You seem unsettled. Here, drink this, — Quaston pulled a small glass bottle from his robe and handed it to Jason.
— What is this? — Jason eyed the strange purple liquid with suspicion.
— A herbal tonic. A calming potion. It will help clear your mind. And no, it's not poison, if that's what you're thinking.
Jason stared at the bottle.
What the hell is going on here…?