Just as Emil fell asleep, shards of foreign memories pierced his brain. But, Emil slept soundly thinking it was just a dream. His heartbeat rises. Higher. Higher. He instinctively woke up again. Clutching his right hand to his chest, feeling every beat of it. He reviewed the "dream" he had.
This world is surely not a fragment of Earth. Emil paused. He looked under the bed, remembering that a small case was under it. Aha! There it was, an old hard case, made of light but thick brown with black leather on top. Emil clicked the latch of the case that holds it close. There, it's open. Papers unfolded upon opening the case, some looked like some kind of certificate belonging to Lugira Mifyor.
Emil dug some more in the case, papers with writings about 'Arcanthys History', herbology, and some random scribble. Beneath all the papers, symbols that resemble ancient Egyptian symbols were engraved on the case. Emil ran his fingers through the symbol. Nothing. What could he have expected?
Lugira Mifyor… that must be this boy's name. Emil scratched his head. He stood up, now properly he scanned through the whole bedroom. With a clearer mind and better understanding he looked back and forth towards his left and right, thinking which piece should he go first. The closet? Or the table? He sighed, focusing his mind on the table to his left. He stood up, slowly walking towards the table. Emil doesn't want anyone to be disturbed or alarmed just because he doesn't know what is going on.
Unnecessary attention is bad.
Emil sat down again in front of the table. The atmosphere felt clearer and the haziness from his previous panic dissipated. More entry journals are scattered on the table. All with dates Emil can't understand. He looked to his left, an hourglass but the sand seemed to move slower than what he used to see back in his hometown in Florida. Beside the hourglass, a gas lamp is standing, Emil reached out for it. The gas lamp's contraption is familiar, just like what he had used back on Earth for his heavy military missions. One pump, two pumps.
Then, Emil flicked a gear, fire. The room lit up a bit more. Emil lifted the lamp across the table, he can read much better thanks to the gas lamp.
Emil examined all the journal entries. The days are the same format with Earth's, but it looks like the month always ends on the 28th day. The papers had about 3 months worth of writing, some short, some long. Beneath all the papers, a calendar. From judging the last journal entry and the calendar, today is supposed to be the 4th day of Athereon which is the 7th month of the year of the 500th year of the flamepact.
Grasping this much information from these journal entries, Emil couldn't be more thankful.
Lugira Mifyor, is a graduate in Lanor'k City Basic Academy, it's an academy that teaches basic living such as farming, cooking, money, and history. His family was able to apply Lugira for schooling because his twin was able to have a scholarship, which lessened their financial burden. His mother is a farmer, and his father is a city patrol guard, which made them enough just to get by everyday.
Emil sighed at the family situation. This shouldn't be a household condition to any kid. But at the very least, Lugira's family can afford to send them to school for education. On the left side of the drawer, under it a drawer is slightly opened. Emil pulled the drawer wider so he could investigate more. It was more or less empty, but for Emil, it seemed off. The drawer felt extremely heavy. It raised Emil's suspicion, he pulled it back and forth. And unsurprisingly, there was a movement beneath the drawer, as if it had a secret compartment under. Emil patted softly inside the drawer, The wood slightly tilted. A hidden compartment is present just as he thought. He pried open the compartment, and a book was unraveled.
Magic Scroll Activations
Reading the words Emil was left dumbfounded. Did it really just say 'Magic Scroll'?
Emil couldn't believe it, so he opened the book. The book illustrated a very intricate and detailed explanation on how magic scrolls work.
"So magic… works here? In this world?" Emil stammered. Keeping his voice low. What the hell? Not only am I transmigrated, it's also a world where magic is real?
But why is the book hidden? Is it forbidden here? These questions floated in Emil's mind. The time flew while Emil was reading. The more he read, the more he got curious about this world's magic and wonder.
Half-way of the book, Emil looked back at the window. The light casted from the moon was replaced by a brighter object. The sun is rising and he didn't notice it. He stood up, realizing that he had just spent about 3 hours just reading the journal and the book.
The sun glimmered as it was rising. The sky was something he had only seen on occasion, it was pink with hints of blue hue. Emil wandered, Will I be able to go back?
But then again, there's no people left to be with back on Earth. His mother and father died when he was in the army. He never got married, no kids. Is this some twisted faith playing on Emil's mind right now?
Emil stood up, opening the window and letting the morning breeze come in. He breathed deeply. The sun seems bigger here too, and unlike Earth's it doesn't hurt as much to stare at.
He plopped back again to his bed, sighing. The curtains wave as the cold breeze crept inside the room. He looked back and forth at the ceiling. Why am I here?
He snuggled into the pillow, it was as soft as any pillow can be. He put his hand up in the air, still not believing what was happening.
Tak… tak… tak…
Slow and light footsteps arose from outside his room. He stood up slowly. And crept his way to the door. He opened the door slowly. He instantly recognized the figure outside to be Lugira's mother. He panicked, he looked around the room and saw what mess he had made. The lamp is still burning, the papers are all scattered, the case under his bed was opened just like bandits raided his things. He sighed. Lamp first.
He quickly grabbed the lamp and blew the fire. Next was the book, he made sure that the book was kept back to the secret compartment in his drawer. Then he looked at his bed, he slammed all the papers and certificates back to the case and closed the latch. Emil felt like he was back in the military doing the daily bed check. His heart beat fast. He exhaled heavily, making it obvious that this boy's body didn't do much of an exercise.
Just when he sat back on the bed, a soft knock hit on the wooden door of Emil's room.
Knock… knock… knock.
"Lugi, your father's here from his work. And the breakfast's ready." Lugira's mom said in a calm but neutral tone.
Emil stood up, walking closer to the door, he put his ear on the door, making sure that Lugira's mom was at least a few steps away. He opened the door slowly, seeing his mother walk towards a big rounded table, where a man was sitting across. It was Lugira's father.