A few hours had passed since Callum showed Sabrina and Nicholas the cemetery. He learned their names when the brother was having a panic attack, needing to ask his sister what to call them.

When Callum diffused the fight, he was stunned to realize he could understand the two, which explained his long pause before answering the brother. As the idea that he might truly be in a different world began to take root, a spark of excitement ignited within him. He imagined the wonders that awaited him and the thrilling possibility of wielding magic.

Then I’ve gone and ruined it.

It might have been because he hadn’t talked to anyone for 98 years, but Callum forgot his boundaries. He kept asking the two without thinking much about what he was saying.

Callum still felt sorry asking them about the abandoned settlement, which is the same settlement where he is right now. He could only watch from the sidelines as Sabrina’s older brother wailed at the deaths of their parents. Sometimes, when his screams grew in pain, Callum’s guilt grew with it. Yet, what’s done is done.

He sat on one of the few remaining benches in the village, overlooking the rows of stones he’d laid a few days prior. He kept his attention on the siblings as they prayed near one of the stones.

Although Callum still retained all of his memories from his past life, he lost his inhumane ability to remember details after his revival. Yet, even so, Callum tried his best to remember each corpse as he put them to rest. Hence, when the two siblings gave him a description of their parents, Callum was happy to oblige.

While the two were busy mourning their village, Callum thought about what had happened for the past few days, specifically, what he’d learned during those days.

First was his revival. Callum vaguely remembers what he did to bring himself to life. The last memory he had was using his ocean of mana to make his heartbeat, and that was where it ended. He’d already deduced that the barren wasteland he woke up in resulted from his resurrection, yet he didn’t know how it worked. The only explanation he had was magic, however, his gut tells him that there was more to it than meets the eye.

Second was his uncanny ability to sense things around him. Even now, he could still see everything that was five feet away. If he focused enough, he could see the minuscule fibers of the grass beneath his boots, yet with more detail, his brain felt the strain. He came to the conclusion that because he’s alive now, his soul has to comply with his body’s limits. The brain can only hold so much information at once, and its ability to sense everything in a mile radius means using more brainpower than it can provide.

Speaking of his body, Callum noted how durable he is. He’d always considered zombies and other undead creatures fragile, but not in his case. He’d fallen from a 30-foot drop from a cliff, and all he got out of it was a few scratches and bruises. His undead disposition seems like a blessing in many cases. He doesn’t need to sustain himself like before when he was human, nor does he need to sleep. However, he does know his limits, and breaking his limits means uncaging the beast within—his hunger.

Thinking about it made Callum’s heart race. He’d never felt so out of control when his hunger took over. It’s like he’d been possessed, his undead instincts overwhelming his reason until his stomach had been satiated. It made him scared, scared of the possibility of losing himself and killing innocent people around him. Even a glance at the two people near him made his stomach rumble, and it was only a matter of time before he succumbed to hunger.

But that’s not going to happen.

Callum reassured himself.

There is a way to divert his hunger elsewhere. One which he had used to stop the fight between Sabrina’s brother and their pursuer. He had an inkling that his anger wasn’t wholly himself, his undead side had fueled some of them to make him lose control. Yet, there was something inside which he used to stop it. Something which unlocked a power he didn’t know he had. Though he couldn’t tap into it after calming down, Callum knows he could do it again.

His eyes traced his cloth-covered hands, trying to find the power that might answer all his problems. He had salvaged a wrecked shirt from the village before to hide his unnaturally white skin. Although he could have opted to show it and explain that he had a case of albinism, Callum still feared people would know his secret.

He has no idea what humans would think when they learn he’s an undead. Maybe the masses see them favorably, but he wouldn’t take his chances. One small slip-up could spell his doom. If not through death, then through his identity.

“I never did ask you your name.” A man’s voice inquired.

Breaking out of his musings, Callum lifted his head to see Nicholas approach him.

“Callum,” He answered.

“Nicholas.”

“I know. Your sister told me.” Callum said, nodding towards the small figure walking behind Nicholas.

The siblings sat down beside him, both looking ahead at the farm-turned-cemetery. They sat in silence for a few seconds until Callum spoke once more.

“So…What’s your plan now?”

The brother mulled over his answer, eyes looking between his sister, Callum, and the rows of stones.

“I think going somewhere to rest would be ideal. Maybe get an inn in a nearby town.” Nicholas replied.

Callum hummed in acknowledgment, head low as he thought about what to say.

In all his years working in different states, he wasn’t prepared to console some kids who had just lost their entire village. So the least he could offer was silence.

“How about you?” the brother asked.

Callum looked at Nicholas whose gaze was still focused on the large expanse of tombstones.

“What do you plan on doing?”

“Same as you two. I’ve been wandering the forest for days, looking for a place to get my bearings.” Callum said.

“So, you’re lost?”

“You could say that.”

The wind followed after their conversation, both men looking forward as each tried to respond. In Callum’s case, his mind felt guilty bringing the two of them here. He could still vividly hear the person beside him screaming in anguish while he stood behind. On the other hand, Nicholas mulled over whether to take the man with them, yet the atmosphere grew more awkward with each passing second, making it hard for him to invite Callum on their journey. However, before each could utter another word, a small voice sounded beside them.

“I think you should come with us,” Sabrina said.

Both Callum and Nicholas looked over to see Sabrina staring back.

“We’re going to the same town, right?” she added, shrinking back from the attention she was getting.

“I don’t see why not,” Callum replied.

“It would be fun to have more people anyway.”

Although they couldn’t see his face, Callum smiled. While he still has a problem with his hunger, the notion of having someone to talk to after all these years overwhelmed his instincts.

“Looks like it’s settled then,” Nicholas said as he stood up, dusting his pants and offering a hand to Sabrina.

Callum followed their example, standing on his own and readjusting his bag.

“We’ll head to Lynn,” he added.

“Lynn?” Callum asked.

“The town I told you about.”

Nicholas and Sabrina began to walk away, but not before looking back at the sea of stones that were their friends and family. Seeing this, Callum offered a silent prayer to the dead, hoping that the spirits of their parents would watch over them while they marched on a journey towards Lynn. Even though he hadn’t been a religious man before, Callum hoped the dead could find their peace after what he had been through.

***

Night has come, and popping could be heard nearby while embers danced in the air. Callum and the siblings found themselves sitting around a campfire, the brother strengthening it by feeding the fire more kindling.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Callum’s stomach has been nagging him the whole trip, his hunger telling him to feast on anything he sees. On the way, he almost leaped at what looked like a squirrel just to quiet his craving. It was a good thing that his face was covered, his two new companions wouldn’t be so keen to see him drooling most of the way here.

While Nicholas was busy building a fire, Sabrina rummaged through their bag. She reached deep inside, searching for something, until her face lit up as she pulled out a dried piece of jerky. However, just before she could take her first bite, her gaze drifted over to Callum. Unbeknownst to him, he had been staring intently at the piece of jerky in her hands.

Looking at her palms, Sabrina smiled as she decided to give her jerky to Callum.

“Uhhh… I’m not hungry.” Callum mumbled.

“But you look hungry.” Sabrina declared.

With hesitation, Callum slowly took the piece of Jerky in Sabrina’s hand, her smile widening when Callum nodded in appreciation.

Seconds went by as Callum stared at the piece of jerky, his stomach rumbling a storm while his mind thought about showing a part of his face to eat the piece of dried meat in his hand.

“Aren’t you going to eat it?” Sabrina asked.

“I am,” He answered, feeling a hole in his face wrap and sticking the piece of jerky.

The moment the dried meat entered his mouth, Callum's stomach clenched. He chewed ravenously, savoring every salty strip as though it might dissolve before he could swallow. When the food was gone, his head snapped toward the young girl.

His mind screamed to feed, unsatisfied by the meager portion he was given. But reason fought back, forcing his hunger into submission until it subsided into the dull, familiar pangs he had long endured.

“You eat funny.” Sabrina giggled.

It took a while before Callum could answer, taking a deep breath before he replied.

“Really?” Callum asked.

Sabrina nodded enthusiastically, having been entertained by Callum’s animated way of eating. Seeing the girl smile made Callum relax, his racing heart slowing down until it was back to beating once a minute.

“Why do you cover your face though?” Sabrina inquired, eyes filled with childish curiosity as Callum thought of an excuse.

“It’s, uhhh, because…” Callum drawled.

“Stop that, Sabrina. Can’t you see he’s uncomfortable?” Nicholas scolded.

He walked over to them, dusting off his hands as he came to a stop beside Sabrina.

“But I’m just asking a question!” Sabrina insisted.

“Which is rude. You can’t just ask him for his secrets. We already told you this.” Nicholas said, his hand finding its way toward Sabrina’s head, giving it a small pat.

“I know,” Sabrina murmured, her head low.

“I’m sorry.” She added.

“There’s nothing to feel sorry about,” Callum smiled.

“I keep my face hidden because it’s too ugly.”

“Really? Can I see it?!” Sabrina asked excitedly.

“Sabrina,” Nicholas said in a warning tone.

With a sigh, Sabrina went back to their bag, her little hands searching for another piece of jerky.

“You know, you don’t have to humor my little sister,” Nicholas said.

“It’s no biggie. Besides, it’s good to see her smiling after what you two have been through,” Callum replied.

“Yeah,” Nicholas murmured.

He sat down beside Callum, a small smile on his lips as he watched Sabrina's face light up after finding her morsel.

“Thank you…by the way. For, you know.” Nicholas mumbled.

“You don’t have to thank me. If anything, I should say sorry.”

“For bringing us there?”

Callum nodded.

The fire crackled as Sabrina took out a blanket inside their bag. They watched her get comfortable near the fire, yawning as she lay on her side.

“We’re gonna go back to our village one way or another. It’s much better to see it sooner rather than later,” Nicholas added.

Now that he was near, Callum could see Nicholas clench his fist in his senses. It seems he’s still having a hard time coping with losing his village, and Callum could relate.

When he was alive, Callum saw his father as his support. He was the pillar who gave Callum everything. His confidence, pride, everything that made Callum himself—it was all thanks to his father. So when that one support was suddenly gone without a trace, he felt like he’d lost everything. It might not be on the same level as losing your whole village, but the loss he felt resonated with what Nicholas and Sabrina are going through.

“You hungry?” Nicholas asked.

“Not really,” Callum answered.

Nicholas’s eyes raised in skepticism. He’d just seen Callum hungrily devour the strip of jerky Sabrina gave him, so without much preamble, Nicholas fetched another ration and gave it to Callum.

“Aren’t these supposed to be yours?” Callum questioned.

“We can’t just have our savior starve while we indulge ourselves. Besides, we’re near enough to Lynn. There’s much better food in a proper town than what we have here. So don’t be shy and eat up.” Nicholas insisted.

Callum mumbled his thanks with a shrug, slipping the strip of jerky through a gap in his face wrap. Hunger surged again, but this time he was ready. He clamped down on his instincts, wrestling his undead nature into submission as he chewed. He savored every piece of meat, appreciating the salty flavor of jerky which he had long forgotten after his death.

“You really do eat funny,” Nicholas remarked.

“In what way?” Callum asked.

“Well, I’ve never seen anyone eat something while masked before. Not even the guards in Orth would eat while wearing their helms,” Nicholas replied.

“Orth?” Callum inquired.

From what he’d gathered from Nicholas, they were in a region called Halsinn in the kingdom of Faunnir. The Orth that Nicholas was talking about is a city two towns over. Nicholas said that the trip would likely take weeks, but a carriage would cut the travel time to about 4 days. Not only that, but a town next to Lynn has a train that carries them to Orth.

It surprised Callum to know that the world he was in had trains. From what he’d seen, he thought that he was in the medieval ages, where steam power was not yet discovered. However, the discovery that there are trains in this world meant that civilization is much closer to the one he grew used to on Earth.

Hearing about trains, Callum grew more excited. He doesn’t even feel his hunger anymore, his mind fully occupied with images of exploration and adventure. So, for the next few hours, Calluma and Nicholas talked. It wasn’t until the moon was at its zenith that Callum finally saw the biggest evidence that he was not on Earth anymore.

Above him were two moons, each in their crescent shape. Not once during his time had he noticed it. He had only seen a single moon at the time, the other hidden until it revealed itself now. With a smack to his forehead, Callum groaned and chuckled, surprising his companion.

“What is it?” Nicholas asked.

“Nothing, just looking at the stars,” Callum replied.

Now that he thinks about it, he could have used the stars to know he was in a different world. The constellations that he knew before were clearly not up there. Not only that, but the sky looks more lively than the one back on Earth.

In the back of his mind, Callum hoped he could find a compass, or something resembling it. Maybe, there’s a northern star here too, that would surely help with navigation.

“You know, for someone who looks old, you have the same amount of knowledge as a five-year-old,” Nicholas noted.

Hearing that, Callum grew anxious. His comment was not too far off. Callum had been thrust into this world not knowing anything about their culture. It was just a few minutes earlier that Callum learned about the kingdom he was in. Additionally, for the last 98 years, Callum didn’t catch a whiff of society. Not once.

So, with quick thinking, Callum thought of an excuse.

“Well, see. I don’t remember much of my past anymore,” Callum said slowly.

He held his hands together, stopping himself from fidgeting or showing any sign that he was lying. If anything, Callum remembers everything in his past, courtesy of his once-a-year regeneration as a corpse.

“You forgot?” Nicholas questioned.

“The last thing I remember was waking up in the middle of the woods with nothing but my name,” Callum explained.

He elaborated, telling his story from when he was revived as an undead. Of course, he kept his undead disposition a secret. Instead, he created a lie where he was just a human who had lost his memory, butt-naked in the middle of the woods. He told Nicholas about how he came upon their village, his journey so far, up until he met them.

“So, you’ve forgotten everything?” Nicholas asked again.

“Yep,” Callum agreed.

“What about that power you showed us before?” Nicholas inquired.

“What power?” Callum asked in confusion.

“The one where you make people kneel,” Nicholas said.

“I’m…still trying to find out. It just kind of happened,” Callum explained.

And it was true. Callum has no idea how he did that. He could only guess that magic was at play, but without knowing anything about how this world works, Callum was left in the dark.

The conversation continued until it died down, and the sounds of fire crackling and chirping crickets accompanied them. Looking to his side, Callum could see Nicholas yawning, his eyes tired yet determined to stay awake.

“You should go to sleep,” Callum said.

“I can take the first watch.” Nicholas offered.

“You’ve been awake since I met you, and I know you’re as tired as your sister.”

“It’s fine. I can skip a few hours of sleep.”

“Just get to sleep,” Callum ordered.

He patted Nicholas on the shoulder twice before standing up, watching him relent from Callum’s gaze and lying down on the forest floor. Seeing this, Callum took out a blanket from his bag, throwing it over to the lying man in front of him.

“Use it,” Callum said, walking away to a nearby tree before Nicholas could say anything.

The night wore on as Callum watched the two sleep. Now left in silence, Callum felt his hunger more prominently than before.

“I should hunt something for tomorrow morning,” Callum whispered.

With those thoughts, Callum sat down and released his senses. With each use, Callum grew more comfortable with the copious amount of information being fed to him. He learned that having something he could focus on helped lower the pain, his intent a key in controlling this ability.

His stomach was still hungry, and he was determined to catch something for breakfast.