I woke up with a throbbing headache.

The bed was hard, like cobblestones on my back. The sheets were scratchy as sand, yet damp in my sweat. I tasted wine in my throat. Every inch of my body begged for hydration. I wasn’t sure if my stomach wished to puke or eat. My limbs squealed and skin itched, struck by the fate of resting on this awful mattress.

I groaned, then sat up and squinted my eyes.

I was a dead man awake. Quite literally. I was never supposed to wake up. But there I was, feeling like crap now in a totally different reality.

A moldy smell filled the candle-lit room. Colorless carpets covered the wooden floor, and no wallpaper protected the scratched-up walls. The bed was a simple pallet of hay encased in a wooden box and covered with a ripped linen sheet. A nightstand stood next to it, carved out of unsanded prickly wood. Everything was far cruder than anything I’d seen at Grandma’s.

So… This was the bedroom of my “fix my life for free” reincarnation in a comfortable world. Somehow, I wasn’t impressed.

For a moment, I thought Shiela had tricked me. There was no way this world was above average in living conditions, as she had promised.

Then I remembered the stone age on Earth lasted for well over two million years. Who was I to know how many worlds were still stuck gathering pebbles for weapons?

Shiela had appeared so excited to send me off for new adventures. Was it too early to regret accepting her offer?

Flakes of straw stuck to my dad's Metallica shirt. My belongings were transferred with me—my shoes and denim shorts; even my mini sling bag was loaded with whatever little I carried along (an empty canteen, a half-eaten snack bar, and my hotel keycard).

A familiar feeling pushed at my thighs from inside my pockets. My phone, my wallet, and my wireless earbuds were right where they always sat. Shiela hadn’t taken them away from me?

Surprised, I pulled out my phone and held down the power button. The phone buzzed, and, to my amazement, it turned on, as if nothing weird had ever happened.

I stared at the home screen in awe. The phone had no signal, nor internet, but I hadn’t expected it to work at all. The text app had even saved old text messages from when it was still on Earth.

The phone also told me I had missed sixteen calls from Joseph.

Well… I thought, emotions unable to form. It would make sense for Joseph to call me. He did send me a call every night to make sure I hadn’t committed unspeakable crimes on my own body.

I stared at the screen for a short while, head numbing. Then I spotted something amongst the saved texts. A voice message from Joseph was delivered to my phone at eleven past eight. Just hours after the jump.

My heart raced as I stared at the message. I was afraid to open it. For my sanity, I should have snapped my phone in half right there and then.

But perhaps, for one last time, I could hear my brother’s voice?

A noise from outside snapped me to reality. Doors creaked open and thumped closed underneath me. Muffled chatter sounded through the floor. Someone made a joke. The others laughed. They stomped around, filling the whole building with noise.

It dawned on me that not one familiar face would be found in this new world. I was afraid I would soon need to talk to people. I wasn’t ready. My head couldn’t bear its own company right now. How was I supposed to talk to total strangers from a different world?

I listened with dread as a pair of footsteps made their way upstairs, toward my room. A knock came on the door. I flinched and, in a panic, put my phone in my pocket. Holy hell. This was really happening.

I considered closing my eyes and faking sleep in hopes of gathering my thoughts. Instead, I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath to calm my heart. “Come in.”

The door opened. An old man revealed himself at the doorstep. A very, very, odd-looking man. “You’re awake,” he said.

I gaped at him. This was not in a million years what I would have expected to see.

I knew Shiala told me magic and fantasy existed in this world. Naturally, appearances would differ from culture to culture, and especially from world to world. But despite the warning, I couldn’t help the surprise. The man wore a light battle vest underneath a blue and gold jacket; something I would have guessed to see on a medieval noble, though the jacket had lost some of its color. A large greatsword, hilt adorned with jewels, was strapped to his belt in a scabbard.

He was stocky and muscular, way more buff than me despite his age. His facial features were sharp, and his hair was full of graying hair. The few wrinkles on his forehead didn’t make his appearance any less awe-inspiring. I guessed most women on Earth, even women way younger, would consider this old man attractive.

He also reeked of alcohol. Cheap, yeasty ale.

“Cillian, the awakener from distant lands, correct?” the old man asked, looking at me as if I had hit my head. “I was told of the immense potential you possess, outlander. Do you recognize who I am?”

It took effort to look into his eyes. The headache wasn’t helping, and the smell of alcohol made me want to crawl away and hide.

“Sorry, I don’t think I recognize you,” I said as respectfully as I could. “And immense might be a stretch.”

The old man frowned. “My informant made sure to boast about your awakening, but they didn’t care to inform me that their precious boy is from a totally different country.” He grabbed a chair and sat in front of me, ale-flavored breath escaping from his mouth. “I’m the Guild Master of this town. The regulars call me Huss. You might as well be a regular, looking at how you’ve spent three days sleeping under my roof.”

My brain struggled to process the information. “Three days? I slept for three days?”

“Three days under my roof. You could have been gone for weeks for all I know. A coma is a common response for a recent awakener.” Huss cast me a sideways glance. “Is it true, then? You have grown mana chords, as my informant claimed you had?”

I smiled awkwardly, unsure what to say. Shiela had told me to let fate guide me, but she hadn’t prepared me for nonsensical questions. “It’s my first day in the country,” I said. “Magic is a foreign concept to me.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Huss appeared concerned, perhaps disapproving, not slightly supportive as Shiela had promised of her guide. “A man has been blessed with a power princesses are jealous of, and he doesn’t have a clue on what’s happening around him. How is that possible?”

My lips twitched. Was this truly the right man? “I apologize for the odd question, but does the name ‘Shiela’ ring any bells to you?”

“My informant called herself Shiela, yes,” Huss said with a frown, as if I wasn’t taking him seriously. “Her letter asked me to treat you well. Could have paid me for it, at least. But hell, if it wasn’t my job to look after people with pebbles in their heads.”

“Who brought me in?” I asked. “Or did I appear in your bed out of nowhere?”

Huss raised his eyebrows. He rubbed his forehead before his frown turned to genuine concern. “That’s weird… I never used to have a bad memory. It’s been a busy week. I can’t remember it all.”

What the hell? I thought. Did I have the wrong man? Huss mentioned Shiela’s name, had he not? Had the Goddess washed the memories of an ordinary man and made him believe I was someone important?

“We have more important topics to talk about right now,” Huss said. “Do you need a drink? The ale is fresh from the brewery.”

“I’m good, thanks,” I said.

Huss nodded. Then he walked out of the room, leaving the door open. I began to sweat.

A few minutes later, he came back with two large pints of ale.

Note to self: never use sayings with people from different cultures.

Huss handed me the drink, and my once sharp skills as a negotiator told me I had no choice but to accept the courtesy. I didn’t know what kind of ale it was, but the particles swimming in the liquid didn’t look appetizing. I took the ale and cried inside, pretending to sip it.

Huss took a large gulp of his drink. He burped, then said, “Truth be told, you’ve put me in a bad situation, outlander.”

“Um, I apologize,” I said. “I’ll pay for the three days if you allow some time.”

“No, money is the least of our worries,” Huss said. “This might sound slightly crazy, but listen carefully. Three of my best customers have been offered a mission. A huge one. Big enough that King Xastur himself is paying the reward. And it seems Prince Vitek is involved too. No matter how clueless you are, you should see how insanely important this mission is, and what the payoff will be. The King never offers missions to adventurers. This is the exact jackpot youngsters dream of, yet would never get the chance to chase.”

He looked away and tapped his fingers on the table, as if wondering if he should be saying anything at all. “Now, I can’t tell if old age has been getting to me, as I truly don’t remember why I thought this was a good idea, but I recommended you for the mission. As my fourth best customer.”

My mouth hung open, brain struggling to process what the hell was going on. “May I decline?” I asked.

“Your informant told me you have the potential to learn Sacred magic,” Huss said. “As crazy as it sounds, you could be fit for the job, assuming you are smart enough.”

I sat in disbelief. Things were moving too fast.

Huss gulped down his beer. Half of the pint emptied at once. “I still have my doubts that a male could have—” He burped. “—earned any magical powers at all. In all my years as the Guild Master, not one man has ever cast a spell at me. They say that a male awakening with magic powers is as rare as a Krose woman being born with proper common sense. But right now, I have no choice but to believe you will grow to become the most amazing mage to ever live. Your muscles certainly fit the description of a mage.”

“Could I hear what the job is, at least?” I asked.

“Darko will tell the whole group when you’re together,” Huss said. “He’s the leader of the party. Your future boss. His group has been waiting downstairs. They’re good men, and they’ve got the skills. They’ll accept a talented beginner, but they won’t accept weak wills.” He paused for a moment, then took another gulp of ale. My pint was still full.

“If you truly feel like you can’t do this, I can find someone else,” Huss said. “But there’s a reason I said this is a bad situation. I promised Darko I found someone with the power of Sacred magic. To break my word would screw them over. Their departure would be delayed further. They could even lose the job entirely if they don’t find someone as talented.” He looked me in the eye, waiting for an answer.

Is this the part where I say yes to the desperate request? I thought. Surely, there was a better man for the job.

Yet, Shiela had told me to follow fate. I was hesitant to decline any offer to avoid straying off the path. Huss’s request must have been what Shiela set up for me. The adventure to save my stupid head from its own worries.

But what if the urge to decline was my real fate, and I would break off the path by forcing myself to accept the offer?

I didn’t know. I really didn’t know. “I’m in, I guess.”

Huss grabbed my hand and grinned. “Perfect. Prepare your best introduction, and don’t make a fool of yourself. Show that you are in control, even if you truly don’t understand a thing. Youngsters today can be apprehensive if they see weakness.”

I smiled awkwardly, a dreadful feeling gripping my stomach. What had I gotten myself into?

“Darko’s mages will get your mana chords properly analyzed to see what kind of magic you’re truly capable of,” Huss said. “I’m sure Remy’s heart will explode out of her chest when she sees a man with mana chords. Get dressed and haul yourself downstairs.”

Huss made his way to the door. At the doorstep, he looked over his shoulder. “If you play this right, the responsibilities could turn into the chance of a lifetime. If I was thirty years younger, I would have dumped the love of my life for the glory of this mission. I’m glad you took the chance.”

He closed the door with a little too much force. The candle’s light went out, and I was left in the cold dark room. My thoughts were a total mess as I stared at the shape of the door, my eyes unfocused. I let out a confused whimper of laughter. This whole situation was ridiculous.

A mission from the King himself? I thought. No way. If this was Shiela’s impression of an easy satisfying life, I wanted the hard one back. Shouldn’t an adventure start with low-level jobs, like finding a lost cat? I wasn’t ready to get out of bed, let alone serve a damn medieval King.

I had a headache. I slept poorly. All around, I felt like total crap. My head was already dizzy, and the thought of going downstairs to meet this group—to pretend like I knew what I was doing as Huss asked—only added to my urge to puke.

Darko’s group, whoever these people were, needed a fourth member. That implied there were already three people downstairs. Three total strangers I would need to introduce myself to. If they were anywhere as demanding as Huss, I would die from the conversation alone.

I stared at the dark ceiling, trying to come up with solutions. Dammit, dammit, dammit. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t know a single goddamn spell, and Huss already put pressure on me to perform. I felt like a lost child in an unfamiliar forest. This wasn’t impostor syndrome; I was literally told to play the impostor.

The negatives of the situation outweighed the positives, and by a lot. Why should I drag myself downstairs, only to be embarrassed and potentially laughed at? What reason did I have to try my best in this nonsense situation?

There was no reason. I couldn’t find one good excuse why I, logically thinking, should care about going downstairs and talking to people.

However, even with all of that in mind… I knew I wouldn’t have the balls to stay in bed. If my past life had made anything clear, ignoring problems was never the right option.

Groaning, cursing, and all around wailing inside, I forced myself to stand, and I made my way to the door. I hated everything about this, but I knew that if I stayed in bed and gave up, I would feel a million times worse.

[Cillian Bermeyer]

[Level one]

[Recent awakener]

[Abilities: Fireball, Carillia’s assistance]