Zayan sat quietly on the wooden slab, observing his cell out of boredom for perhaps the 5oth time. The guard observed every action of the boy. Soon, two figures entered the prison, and a voice sounded, “Has he done anything noteworthy?”. The guard who was observing Zayan turned towards the voice and answered, “None. He has done as told and has been sitting there for a while now.” pointing at Zayan. “Then there is no need to act for now. Tell him to sleep and we shall test him tomorrow.” The voice ordered.
Zayan was having trouble understanding the words at first due to a language barrier. Yet, his comprehension of the language kept growing as the voice and the guard kept talking. Zayan understood the fact that he was now capable of basic communication with the people here but why he could do so—he had no idea.
This world was made from the subconscious of Zayan, which had developed over years of reading fantasy in which there was no language barrier for those that reached a world. This became a fact, an unbroken rule of this world and hence he could comprehend the humanoid being’s language. If he were to speak to any humanoid creature, there would be understanding.
The guard did as he was told by that voice earlier, making sure that Zayan understood him. The guard then went out of the prison and locked the door.
That night, Zayan remembered his mother and his world. The peaceful city, his friends fooling around. He hoped that they were fine, tears forming in his eyes. “Please! Just be fine. I want nothing else for you.” He thought unable to even scream away his thoughts due to fear of these untrusting people. The whole night ended with him hoping for the people dear to him to be fine while trying to remember the part of his diary where he wrote about “prison escape if caught”.
The sun was high in the sky when Zayan heard the lock of the prison being opened. He glanced towards the prison door, his eyes meeting the village elder’s gaze through the wooden bars. Behind him stood two guards—the ones guarding the cell at night, their faces a mixture of suspicion, curiosity, and a bit of fear.
The elder stepped closer, just outside the bars, studying Zayan for a long silent moment before speaking. “Who are you, and why did you come from the forest?”
Zayan remembered that this was the voice he heard at night. He straightened up, hoping his tone would reflect his sincerity. “My name is Zayan. I don’t know how I came here. I… was somewhere else, and then suddenly, I was in that forest. I just kept walking until I couldn’t go any further.”
The elder’s brow narrowed as he listened, his eyes analyzing every word spoken. “You say you don’t know how you came here. Do you expect us to believe that?” His tone was the same, but an untraceable hint of curiosity had formed.
Zayan nodded, choosing his words very carefully. “It sounds unbelievable, even to me. But it’s the truth. I don’t know what happened, but I found myself alone in a place I’d never seen before.”
The elder considered his response, his expression as unreadable as a face carved on stone. He gestured to the guards to step forward near the cell which they did while keeping their focus on Zayan to see if he pulled anything suspicious. “Fine. You may speak with my guards for now, but remember that any sign of threat will be taken very seriously. This village values its safety above all else.”
Zayan nodded twice, understanding the elder’s caution. One of the guards was a man with a scar along his jawline to above his ear. In the path of the scar, no hair was present but the skin was a bit lighter. He took a step forward and looked at Zayan from up and down. “You don’t seem like the type of humans we’re used to seeing come from the forest.” He said, his voice gruff but not unkind.
Zayan met the guard’s gaze and tried to explain himself. “I’m not from here. Where I come from, people live in… towns, and cities, surrounded by tall buildings, not forests or villages like this one.”
The second guard, a younger man—probably in his early 20s—with dark, curious eyes, tilted his head. “Towns? Cities?” he repeated, the words he had only read in books but never seen. “How do people survive without a forest? What do they hunt, or gather?” He asked.
Zayan shook his head. “They don’t hunt much where I’m from. Food is mostly grown on farms or raised in different places, and then it’s all brought to the towns. There are stores—places where you buy what you need.”
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The elder listened, his expression shifting to one of fascination mixed with doubt. “So, you live without relying on the land itself?” He spoke. While talking the elder thought “The place he is from seems different from this world entirely. Not even the capital was like that when I came here with my parents. He speaks of tall buildings, but even the castle was only 5 floors tall. The way he speaks suggests that the tall buildings he is speaking of are at least around 10 floors tall. This world he talks of is much more advanced in terms of technology than ours. And by the way he is speaking, I can be sure that he is telling the truth.”
“Yes.” Zayan spoke, “It’s… very different from here.” He paused, watching the guards exchange glances before continuing. “In my world, forests like the one I walked through are usually protected, and no one lives in them. They’re not as dangerous as the one I just left either.”
The guards leaned closer, their curiosity clearly increasing and the younger one asked. “What about the people? Are they as strange as the ones we sometimes see coming from that forest?”
Zayan paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. “I don’t know what type of people you speak of. But I assume that they are dangerous and violent if you are so wary of them. In the place where I come from, people are usually peaceful. They don’t… attack each other for no reason. There are rules and laws to keep people safe.”
The elder’s eyes narrowed. “Rules and laws,” he murmured, the words he had heard while still in the capital. “But even with such ‘laws’, can people be trusted? What would happen if someone chose to ignore them?”
Zayan glanced towards the ceiling, recalling times in his world when laws weren’t enough to prevent harm. “There are still bad people, yes. But most people try to follow the rules. There are also people called police, who keep everyone in line and help if there’s trouble.”
The guards looked at each other, both fascinated and unsettled by the strange concept the boy spoke of. The elder’s expression softened slightly as if his stone-carved face was melting away, though caution still lingered in his gaze having grown from harsh experiences.
After a moment, the older guard with the scar spoke again, his gruff voice quieter. “It’s weird… people coming from the forest usually reek of chaos and violence. Yet you talk of a peaceful world.” He shook his head as if he couldn’t accept this difference.
Zayan felt the weight of their stares and he said in a slightly trembling voice “I… I don’t know what kind of people you’ve seen, but… but I don’t mean any harm. I just want to understand what happened and—if possible—find a way back.”
The elder folded his arms while studying Zayan. “Tell me.” He said slowly, “What would you do if you were allowed to leave this cell?”
Zayan was taken aback by the question he hadn’t thought he would be asked. “If I were released… I’d like to understand this place better. I… don’t know where ‘here’ is, and… I don’t know how to survive here. I need to learn how. But… if there’s a way to go back, I’d want to find it.”
The younger guard tilted his head and spoke in a soft yet still cautious voice. “How can we trust you with freedom here, though? What would keep you from attacking us once you are out?”
Zayan met his calm and sincere gaze. “I’m alone, and I don’t even know what dangers this place holds. I’d simply be foolish to try anything dangerous. I just want to survive, and I’m hoping you’ll help me learn how.”
The elder’s stone-like expression softened as he nodded acknowledging Zayan’s intelligence. “You seem honest. But in times of caution, kindness brings more harm than good.”
Zayan had understood the elder’s cautious approach and replied accordingly. “I can’t blame you. If I were in your position, I’d feel the same.”
The elder appreciated Zayan’s honesty and quick understanding, “You’re young, but you speak with wisdom. I’ll allow you to speak with the guards more freely. In time, we’ll determine if you’re truly safe for our people.”
For the rest of the day, the guards took turns speaking with Zayan, asking him about his world and his experiences in the forest. Zayan described the forest in detail, telling them of the steel-plated creature he had encountered, and how he had barely managed to avoid other dangers. He also spoke of the strange people he’d seen hunting the wolf-like beast in the forest, though he hesitated to share his fears about them.
The younger guard asked curiously, “Where you come from, do you have creatures as large as this… steel-plated beast?”
Zayan shook his head answering, “No. Animals where I’m from are… much smaller. Nothing like the creatures here—maybe just the shape. The one I saw could have crushed me if it had wanted. Thankfully, it was asleep.”
The two guards exchanged glances, happy at having learned new things. The elder listened silently from a distance, his gaze thoughtful as Zayan narrated his journey. The more he spoke, the more the guards began to see him as a lost boy than a potential threat.
As the evening was nearing, the elder approached Zayan one last time. His face had a faint trace of warmth. “I will allow you out of this cell tomorrow if you are ready to abide by our rules and stay within the village. But know this, our people do not take well to strangers. You will need to earn their trust yourself.”
Zayan felt thankful and spoke. “Thank you. I won’t cause any trouble.”
The elder returned to his stone-carved face. “Rest well, Zayan. You’ll get your chance soon.”