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In the middle of a dense forest with towering trees, a teenage boy with black hair hid behind the trunk of a large tree. His sharp eyes were focused on a rabbit not far away. Slowly, he took an arrow from the quiver on his back. The teenage boy, using his bow, carefully aimed at the rabbit. His companions, concealed not far away, watched him closely.

The silence of the forest enveloped the scene as he released the arrow. It sliced through the air and hit the rabbit precisely. Caelan let out a sigh of relief.

"Nice shot! Caelan's aim is really spot on!" one of the hunters said excitedly.

"You're really good at archery, Caelan," said Vlad patting him on the shoulder. Vlad was the leader of the hunters in Mitra Village—a large man with a broad build, long, wavy light brown hair that fell down his back and chest, blue eyes, and a straight, prominent nose.

"He's also skilled with a sword, and the traps he taught us have been a huge help. They've made it easier to catch more animals," added Ron. Ron, with his blue hair, was one of the first people Caylan had met.

"Who would’ve thought that ropes and a few bent sticks could be so effective at catching animals in the forest?" said another village hunter.

"I taught them how to make traps for catching animals. I learned this skill by watching a video on social media where a man demonstrated how to make traps. I became interested and tried making them with my grandfather when I visited him. We succeeded in making the traps, but we didn’t catch a single animal since there were hardly any in the forest near my grandfather’s place. It’s nothing like the forests here, which are full of roaming wildlife. Who would’ve thought that a skill I once thought was useless would become so helpful now?"

Caelan smiled faintly as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "I'm just happy to help. Besides, I’ve learned a lot from all of you too."

Vlad nodded approvingly. "You're a quick learner, lad. It’s hard to believe you’ve only been here for three months. It feels like you’ve been part of this village all your life."

Three months. That’s how long it had been since Caelan woke up and was found by Vlad and the hunters of Mitra Village in the middle of the forest. The village had taken him in, given him shelter, food, and guidance. While part of him wanted to explore beyond the village and find answers, he couldn’t bring himself to leave just yet. The people here had saved him, and he felt an obligation to repay their kindness.

Besides, the world outside the village was mysterious. Traveling without sufficient knowledge or preparation could be dangerous. Over time, he had learned enough to hold basic conversations. Through gestures and bits of broken words, he had managed to learn parts of their language.

Though his progress in learning the language was impressive, he still struggled at times with more complex phrases or the local dialect. But he was learning quickly. His days were spent helping the village however he could—joining the hunters, gathering herbs from the forest, planting crops in the fields, and studying their language.

"Okay, that's enough for today," said Vlad while looking at the animals we had caught.

"But it's still too early. What if the village chief scolds us?" said Ron.

"We've already caught a lot today. The village chief won’t get angry, and we still have traps scattered in the forest. We just need to go back for them tomorrow," said Vlad.

"That's right," agreed Vlad. "I also need to fix our roof," said one of the village hunters.

Ron didn't complain because the other village hunters agreed.

One by one, the village hunters picked up the animals they had caught, each carrying their own.

I approached Vlad to speak with him. "Oren, you all go ahead and head back to the village I'll just go somewhere I said.

Hmm, Vlad paused for a moment and nodded. "Alright, just be careful on your way back to the village."

I watched as the village hunters left, each carrying wild animals on their shoulders. Once they were out of sight, I walked in the opposite direction through the forest, heading to its more secluded part. I arrived at an area of the forest filled with wildflowers and surrounded by tall trees. The light filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patches of light. This was the spot where the village hunters had found me. I kept returning to this place, spending time there in the hope that some portal would appear to take me back to my home, but I was always disappointed.

After spending more than an hour in the spot in the forest where I was found, I decided to head back to the village. The sun was still high, so I thought of stopping by Celia's house, the village chief's daughter.

"Good afternoon, Caelan," Celia greeted me with a smile.

"Good afternoon," I replied.

"Come in, come in," she said. I entered Celia's small house and saw her two children seriously writing.

When they saw me, they quickly stood up and ran toward me. "Brother Caelan! Brother Caelan!" they called out to me.

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"Kids, don’t bother your brother Caelan. Go back to what you were doing," Celia scolded her children. Reluctantly, the two went back to their work.

"Caelan, sit down," said Celia.

I sat at the wooden chair with Celia and her two children. She handed me a piece of parchment and a pen that looked like a chicken’s feather. "Here, copy this," she said.

"Okay," I agreed.

Celia taught the children and the elders who wanted to learn how to read and write. I learned that the literacy rate in this world was very low. Only the children of noble knights and wealthy merchants could afford an education. Since I came from a world that valued education, I was trying to learn not just their language, but also how to read and write.

"Caelan, stay for dinner," I heard Celia say. "I heard you all caught a lot during the hunt today."

"Yes, that's why we came back early," I replied.

"I’ll cook some grilled venison and potatoes. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat the bread," Celia said with a laugh.

In the end, Celia noticed that I didn’t really like the bread. The taste and texture were completely different compared to what I was used to, but the bread here was made not for flavor, but to ease hunger.

"Thank you, then," I said, feeling a little embarrassed

Later, as the evening drew near, Celia's husband, Lyro, returned from the fields.

“Thank you so much for the delicious dinner,” Caelan said as he stood to leave. “I’ll be sure to stop by again soon.”

"You're welcome," Celia replied, her smile genuine. "Feel free to visit us anytime."

Lyro added with a nod, “Good night, Caelan.”

"I appreciate it.Good night," I said as I headed toward the place I was staying, located at the farthest edge of the village.

While walking, I noticed that almost no one was outside anymore. Most of the villagers were in their homes, and the surroundings had grown quiet.

When I reached the far end of the village, I saw a small wooden house. It was old, with tall trees standing behind it. Its rustic wooden walls seemed to blend into the surrounding nature. Despite its age, the roof still looked sturdy. This house had once belonged to an elderly couple who had passed away due to old age. Their only son, a young man, had left the village to move to the largest city and become an adventurer. However, years passed, and he never returned, leaving the house abandoned.

Who would have thought that after living in a grand and luxurious mansion, this would now be the place I call home in the village? Caelan let out a bitter smile. Never had it crossed his mind that he would one day live in a house like this. Truly, fate has a way of playing games.

Caelan walked back to the small, old house.

Upon entering, he was greeted by a deafening silence. The dim light coming from a small magic stone was just enough to let him see his surroundings. In this world, magic stones served as a source of energy.

There were different types of magic stones, obtained from monsters defeated inside dungeons. Their price depended on the type of monster they came from, with the most expensive ones being found deep within dungeons.

Caelan knew how valuable such stones were to ordinary people and felt grateful to the village chief for giving him one.

Caelan was preparing his bed when he heard a soft knock at the door.

He walked over to the small window and peeked at the visitor. He saw the familiar long blue hair tied in braids. Opening the door, he was greeted by Anna, a young girl around his age. She was beautiful, with round green eyes that gave her an innocent and kind look. Anna was Ron's sister, one of the village hunters.

"Good evening, Caelan," Anna greeted, her cheeks flushed from the cold evening air. "I brought some boiled potatoes. I wasn’t sure if you had dinner yet," she added, offering him the plate of potatoes.

Caelan smiled gratefully, feeling touched. "Thank you, Anna. You didn’t have to go through all this trouble—it's late, and you came all the way here," he said, his voice filled with appreciation.

"It’s nothing. Our house isn’t that far," Anna replied with a shrug, trying to brush it off. "I stopped by earlier, but you weren’t home."

"Oh, I was at Celia’s house earlier," Caelan explained.

""You’re asking her to teach you how to read and write again."" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah," he answered, smiling shyly.

Anna sighed softly and looked down, her expression tinged with sadness. "I wish I knew how to read and write... I would’ve been the one to teach you," she said quietly, her voice thick with regret.

Caelan immediately shook his head. "No, you and Ron have done so much for me already," he said. "You’ve helped me more than enough, especially when I was new here."

Anna’s face brightened, her eyes lighting up with a smile. "Really?" she asked, clearly pleased by his words.

He nodded, his smile sincere.

"You’re so hardworking, Caelan," Anna said, admiration evident in her voice. "I’ve never met anyone as determined to learn as you. Most of the men here would rather focus on swords or bows."

Caelan chuckled lightly, looking a little embarrassed. "Well... I guess I just feel like I need it to survive here," he replied, his tone modest. He didn’t want to explain how deeply he understood the value of knowledge.

Anna gave a small nod, still impressed. "Well, you’re doing great," she said with a soft smile.

"Thanks, Anna," Caelan said, his gratitude clear. "I should probably let you go now."

"Alright, I’ll head back," she said, her smile still lingering. "Take care on your way home, Anna."

"I will," she replied, giving him a final wave before turning to leave. "

I watched as Anna walked away. I didn’t bother to escort her since the village was safe, and there was no danger. Once she was out of sight, I went back inside and placed the plate of potatoes on the table.

This was my new life—a simple and quiet existence in a village that had accepted him as one of their own. But even though he felt welcomed by the people of Mitra Village, he couldn’t help but feel sadness and think about his family. How were they doing now? How had they taken his sudden disappearance? Were they still searching for him to this day?

"Mom, Dad, Leyla, Cain, Grandfather—I miss all of you so much," he thought.

That’s why I need to keep going and find a way to return.

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