...

The first thing that hits my mind is the sound of movement, as every footfall occurs, the ding rings throughout my mind. My eyes soon adjust to the darkness of the alleyway, as I quickly notice that on either side of me stand stone walls acting as foundations for the overhanging walls and roofs which end up leaving the alleyway in darkness. In front of me, boxes and barrels clutter the alley, and the smells that come with them are unpleasant. As my mind adjusts to these new surroundings, questions begin to arise. Where am I? How did I get here? Where is Sophie? I can feel the thumping as my heart tries to leap out of my chest. My breathing begins to quicken as the surroundings continue to baffle me. "What are you doing in my alley, boy?" I look toward the sound and can make out the appearance of a rough-looking man. I am quick to reply.

"Uh, sorry, but where are we?"

"Huh, where are we at, you ask? You're in my alley, and unless you want to get it, you better scram."

"No, what city are we in?"

"Clderia, even I know this."

"No, what? Which country are we in?"

"Boy, are you trying to pull my leg? You better not be, cause you're gonna regret it."

"No, no, honestly, are we still in North America?"

"You must have had a brain problem. Should have gotten rid of you young, but I ain't never heard of no North America. We are a part of the Empire."

"What? Can you explain, please?"

"Ha ha, boy, my patience is gone thin. This is your last chance. You better run, or I am gonna make you regret making a fool outta me."

The man responds by pulling out his fists and staggering towards me. My flight response kicks in as I run towards the other exit. I can hear the man knocking things over as he runs towards me. As the light becomes clearer, I can hear him stopping. I run out of the alley as quickly as I can. As the light reaches me, what enters my eyes makes me stagger. A bustling sea of people and animals fills my vision. The sounds of talking and movement quickly enter through my ears, the clip-clop of horses making their way across and the carts rolling right behind. The cobbled roads stand beneath the movement, always there yet left among the background, quick to overlook. As I take in the sight, my brain begins to spin. This does not make sense. The view baffles me. No cars, phones, or even electricity. The people themselves are wearing simple clothes, these clothes are not modern. Nothing is modern... Honestly... am I on Earth?

I stand there for a while, letting my eyes wander across the crowd and what lies beyond. Above the rows of medieval-looking homes stand towers of great heights, they dot the surrounding skyline as the only things that rise above the streets. My thoughts start to slow, my mind relaxes. This is not Earth. This is a new world, a medieval one. Okay, hmm, what do I know so far: this is land contained within the Empire, it is medieval, and this seems to be a large city called Clderia. What don't I know? How did I get here, where are my friends and family, where can I get food, water, and sleep, etc. My mind processes this, and I come to a swift conclusion. I need information. My plan is quick to form, I will ask someone for help. My eyes begin scanning the crowd, looking for a potential target, and soon I find one. An older man leading a horse this way, as he swiftly comes closer, I call out, "Hey good sir, I was wondering if you could listen to me and answer a few of my questions." He looks towards me before sighing, "Sure, I guess."

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"Where are we really?"

"I don't know what you're really asking, but we are a part of the Empire. We are in Clderia, which is, of course, the first line of defense against the lands of the West."

"What is in the lands of the West? What do you need to defend from?"

"You're not from around here, are you?"

"Uh, no, I find myself traveling through here."

"Well, okay, if you say so. To answer your question, the West is the home of the savages, a nuisance that continues to be a thorn within our Great Empire's side."

"Well, thank you for telling me, but if I may ask, if I am looking for knowledge, where should I go?"

"If you're looking for knowledge, you'd best head to the Great libraries of Clderia. Hey, listen, I must have been heading on my way, so let me say goodbye now."

"Okay, well, uh, goodbye and thank you for telling me all this stuff."

"No problems... no problem at all."

As the old man continues on his way, I think about what I have learned. But before I can, a thought arises... I need somewhere to sleep and eat, money, I need money. Where is that man? I need to ask him. My eyes wander around the passing crowd, but I cannot spot him. Hmph, well, I guess for now, I need some knowledge. The sun looks to be pretty high up, so it's as good a time as any to go searching for the Great Library of Cledria. My mind whirs as I think, those towers are probably important, so I might as well head towards them for now. As I start to move East in that direction, sounds from the bustling streets continue to bombard me, languages spoken leaving me in the dark, animals neighing, and people shouting. But I am quiet and observant. When I can, I will ask a random person for some directions. The first is a drunk, his response is throwing a bottle at me before I run away, a little boy is next, and he leaves almost as soon as he comes, and afterward, I feel lighter, for some reason. The others are simple workers who help give me insight into Cledria. As I walk, the tower slowly becomes closer, and I soon arrive in an open square with the tower rising far above me. Market stalls are spread throughout the open area, but I ignore them and head straight for the wide oak doors of the tower... As I enter the hall, a cool breeze brushes past me, which is a nice change from the heat outside. I look across the hall and spot a person behind a table, so I make my way over to them. "Good afternoon, can you help me, please?" I ask. The response comes as the person looks up at me, "Yes, I can help you. Please be quick, what do you need?" I think before speaking, "Where can I go to read some books?" Annoyance flashes across his face, "To the right, through the doors, turn left, and walk up the stairs. You will find it eventually. Now, can we be done already?" My reply is quick to come, "Thank you for helping me, goodbye." No response comes. I walk towards the doors and follow the instructions, heading up the stairs. The doors soon arise before me, and I swiftly open them, revealing rows and rows of books... I am ready for this world.