Luckily for Vinny, he wasn't wearing a robe or anything that could slow him down. Running in one of those would've been a nightmare, or so {Vinny}'s memories suggested. Apparently, the guy had a habit of missing trains himself.
The abandoned mansion lay on the rural outskirts east of Marcain, while Vinny, or rather, this {Vinny}, lived downtown. Thankfully, he'd remembered that in time; otherwise, he'd have been sleeping under the stars.
Damn this situation! First, I end up in this weird world, and now I have to sprint to catch some stupid train! The train had only been built hastily in the last three years, yet it turned out surprisingly efficient, especially for travel between districts. People on the city's edges had begun favouring it over carriages, since it was cheaper and more comfortable. The price alone was reason enough for most citizens to switch. Wasn't {Vinny} supposed to be some famous doctor? Why don't I have a single coin in my pockets!?
The abandoned mansion stood near the town of Brainlow, known as a stopover and trade hub along the train's route from eastern Marcain, through its centre, to the western end.
Vinny squeezed through the crowd on the platform, everyone jostling to board. He could swear the train itself was moving from how people were pushing. Why is it so packed today? {Vinny} doesn't remember it ever being this crowded. Just as he considered climbing over people's heads to force his way in, a voice called from behind him, "HEEY! Doctor! Over here!"
Normally, he would've ignored it; he wasn't a doctor, after all, but his body turned instinctively toward the sound. Near a train cabin stood a man in his forties waving his calotte to get Vinny's attention. He's... I can't remember him.
The man stopped waving once Vinny turned his way, confirming he was indeed the one being called. Vinny hurried over. "You're late, Doctor! If I'd known you'd take this long, I'd have rented a private carriage," the man said, settling his cap on his thick grey hair. Before Vinny could even react, the man disappeared into the train. "Come on! It's about to leave!"
Vinny followed him inside, confusion clouding his head. Before he could even try to dig into {Vinny}'s memories again, they were both seated in a small compartment as the train began to move.
The middle-aged man let out a long sigh of relief. Vinny sat opposite him, praying to remember who he was, and praying harder that the man wouldn't ask questions he couldn't answer.
"So, Doctor, have you made your decision?" And there it is, the death sentence!
"Uh... ahem, I'm not really sure what you're talking about..." Vinny had no idea how long the trip would last, maybe hours, so he figured the fewer lies he told, the better his chances of surviving the ride.
"Eh? Was it really that bad? I was sure Harald would agree to any price..." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Not what I meant, but perfect! Vinny cheered silently.
"I think I'm just a bit tired. I'll take a nap," Vinny said quickly, before the man could start another conversation. He wasn't confident in his ability to improvise till the end of the trip, and honestly, he was mentally exhausted, so it wasn't really a lie.
"Hm? All right, suit yourself," the man replied with a mildly disappointed tone. He'd be bored, clearly.
Vinny leaned his head against the window, opening his eyes every so often to watch the scenery, vast fields stretching as far as he could see. Okay, let's review. I was at home, touched that mirror, and ended up in this body that happens to look exactly like mine.
Right, no clue what any of that means. He was actually starting to drift off, but forced himself to stay awake. The last thing he wanted was to open his eyes in another stranger's face.
Even {Vinny}'s memories are blurry. What happened to him anyway? Did we switch bodies? That'd be a nightmare! He's surely freaking out right now!... and I'm not far behind! The less he knew, the worse this whole thing started to feel. Come on, brain, you've got to have something useful in there!
He strained to recall the day's events, but his own Earth memories seemed to smother everything else, and {Vinny}'s were a chaotic jumble, like puzzle pieces from different sets. Fine, let's work backwards. I left the abandoned mansion after being in the basement. When did I even get there? Harald's impatience stands out for some reason... which means I couldn't have been there half an hour at max. Did this man come with me? Or after? Morning's a blank... and last night's gone too...
Vinny sighed internally. Maybe seeing familiar things would jog his memory; seeing Harald's face earlier had sparked something, even if briefly. All right, let's improvise with minimal risk.
He shifted in his seat, pretending to wake up, stretching his arms. "Funny how sleep runs away the moment you come knocking," he said with a rough chuckle, scratching his head and forcing a smile.
"Haha, happens to me too. Every day I swear I'll nap after finishing the garden things, and next thing I know, I'm up all night walking around," the man replied, shaking his head in amused sympathy.
"...By the way..." he continued, eyeing Vinny up and down, as if studying him.
What? Why that suspicious look?
Did I say something weird?
Maybe {Vinny} usually talks differently?
Or is it his posture? His attitude? Damn it, of course! He's likely supposed to be a young, smart, slightly arrogant doctor! I completely forgot!
"Did you forget your bag somewhere?" the man asked with genuine confusion. "Sorry if that's intrusive. I wasn't going to mention it, but it's hard not to notice."
Vinny's mind just froze. Questions piled up faster than he could process them, and he stared back with a stiff smile.
A bag? What bag?
Does he mean the one with my stuff?
Is that why my pockets were empty?
Did I leave it in that basement?!
"Or maybe Mr Warleen doesn't have a session today?" the man guessed aloud.
Warleen? Warleen! The name was a key turning in a rusty lock, and a flood of disjointed facts about the man spilt into his mind; a flash of memory shot through Vinny's mind, finally, a rush of clarity and relief.
"Don't scare me like that, ol' Geffrey. I almost had a heart attack." Vinny slumped in his seat, all his previous tension slowly melting away. The memories were still foggy, but he had enough to work with now.
Warleen Redmane, a wealthy man in his fifties, runs a heavy machinery company. Apparently, I, or rather, {Vinny}, am his personal doctor, though I've no clue for how long. Geffrey is his head servant and gardener. I don't recall everything, but he's a good man. As for Warleen, just random, fuzzy images.
"We were supposed to have a checkup today, but he postponed it till tomorrow. And I didn't bring my bag," Vinny said, hoping that was right. Luckily, it was, his memory whispered 8 a.m. for the appointment.
"Ah, good. I'm sure the master will reward you handsomely once he's fully recovered. And he'll enjoy mocking those church healers hahaha," Geffrey said, a cheerful grin lighting his face.
I'm getting a bad feeling about this Warleen guy. Just hearing his name irritates me. And tomorrow's appointment? That's a disaster waiting to happen. I barely know basic medical facts! I need to find a way to dodge it, without raising suspicion. Especially if I really am as famous as Harald said.
And what's this about 'Church healers'?
Shapes began to appear in the distance, catching Vinny's eye. He leaned closer to the window to get a better look. "Looks like we're near Marcain. Heading straight to your clinic, I assume?" Geffrey asked, pulling the curtain aside for a second. The train sped along at nearly a hundred kilometres an hour, so the trip from the outer fields to downtown barely took an hour.
A soft breeze from the tiny gaps in the window carried the city's scent inside, stirring something like nostalgia in Vinny's chest. "Yeah... I think so," he murmured, watching the buildings race by. The railway cut through the city in a straight line, dividing it cleanly in two. The decision had caused controversy, but it was solved somehow.
"This is my stop. See you tomorrow! Oh, and don't forget your ticket," Geffrey said, handing him a small slip before stepping off. If memory served, the Redmane estate was just two blocks from this station, about a ten-minute walk.
"Oh, great. This day keeps getting better," Vinny muttered to no one in particular. He glanced down at the ticket, probably paid for by Geffrey, unless there was something else Vinny had forgotten. Probably not.
The train's route was simple enough: from the east side of the city, past the Tree Street, over the Reil River, through the Gold District, the city's heart, where Vinny apparently lived. He barely noticed the beautiful scenery outside, too busy planning his next move.
Before he realised it, the train had stopped again, this time, in the Gold District.
He grabbed his ticket and joined the line at the station office, where tickets were checked after disembarking. Hardly anyone ever skipped paying; the fare was cheap enough, though overcrowding was always a problem in Marcain.
"Ticket and ID," said a plump woman behind the glass, not looking up from her nails. ID? Why didn't Geffrey tell me about this? ...That's supposed to be basic knowledge, right?
"...I'm sorry, ma'am, I don't have any ID on me... but I do have my ticket."
"No ID? Then pay the fine at the penalty desk," she said lazily, lifting her head, then freezing mid-motion, hand flying to her mouth. "Oh! My apologies, Dr Vinny! Please, go right ahead. So sorry for the misunderstanding!" she stammered, hands clasped in an awkward bow.
Vinny had been preparing to turn on the tears and beg, but apparently, fame had saved him. Long live reputation! As he passed through the gate, he could feel eyes following him and whispers spreading among the crowd.
"So that's him? He looks younger than I thought."
"That's the miracle doctor?"
"His reputation's been exploding ever since that incident..."
Now, where the hell do I live again?
Vinny drifted through the streets, half lost, half familiar with everything around him. With each turn, he felt a strange mix of recognition and wonder. He passed by a few shops and familiar signs, pieces of a puzzle falling into place. Before he even noticed, a small smile had crept across his face, the first genuine one since he'd woken up in a stranger's body, in a stranger's world.