The young man's eyes slowly fluttered open as he found himself in a familiar vehicle, but unfamiliar location. Rubbing the sleep from his emerald green eyes, he brushed the stray strands of his ink black hair out of his eyes and took in his surroundings.
The more run down buildings of the neighborhood he had been in before were now replaced with well kept shops, bright signs, and the hustle and bustle of a populated city teeming with life.
In front of the vehicle he was in was a rather quaint sign that read "Luna Caffè", with the "C" being a crescent moon.
"Well, here we are. One of my favorite shops in New Ohio. I hope you slept well, let's head in and get you some food."
As the young man drank in the sights of the city, the older woman broke him out of his reverie as she spoke to him, unlocked the vehicle, and brought him in.
The two were quickly seated, and before long a delicious meal and two coffees were placed on the table, an Almond Mocha for the young man and a Toffee mocha for the woman.
The young man took a sip of his coffee, delighting in it's taste, before speaking up.
"So, how does the process work?" The young man, Buford, asked.
"Well, I figured based on your wariness that I'd bring the DNA testing equipment with me, rather than bring you to a scary government building, so a hair or a bit of spit into this little container, and in 5 minutes it'll analyze everything and send the results to my phone."
The youth glanced at his coffee, the taste still lingering in his mouth, and reached his hand up to run his fingers through his hair, brushing it's unkempt form into something a little less wild, before handing over a couple strands of hair that came loose from his make-shift brushing.
"Here you go, Miss Grace, and thanks, I appreciate the thoughtfulness."
"It's nothing, I could never ignore a child in need." The woman smiled, seemingly happy to be able to help.
The young man stiffened a little at being called a child.
'I feel like an asshole for pretending to be a child, but I don't know how much is safe to reveal, so I don't really have a choice here'
Wrestling with the feeling that he was taking advantage of someone's kindness, he reasoned with himself and hardened his resolve, trying to detach himself from the feelings of guilt crowding his thoughts.
'Well, I may as well eat while I wait.'
Buford wolfed down his meal ravenously, having been through quite a bit since arriving in this new and familiar-yet-unfamiliar world.
'Transmigration novels don't really portray the reality of the mental strain being thrust into a completely different world all by yourself puts on you, huh. I'm having fun, for sure, and I'm excited as hell, but fuck am I stressed.'
Watching with warm eyes, the woman let the young man finish his meal in peace, only looking away when her phone chimed, signaling she had received the results of the DNA test, prompting the young man to tense up.
'Fuck, it's really hitting me now, but this is extremely risky. I know the system says my race is human but what if the human DNA I have is different from the human DNA of this world, what if I do get dissected or experimented on or worse, locked up! Maybe they'll throw me into a gate, at least that way I could get by and strengthen myself until I could escape and be free, fuck-'
The woman, noticing Buford's panic, quickly read over the results, a frown appearing on her face.
[Buford's POV]
Catching myself spiraling, I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I take a furtive glace up and my heart drops as I see the frown on the woman's face. I slightly adjust and tense my legs, readying myself to stand and sprint. I glance at my coffee, lamenting that I won't be able to finish it, and begin formulating a plan for distraction to buy me some time.
As my instincts begin to take over, I start reaching for my cup, planning to use the ol' 'Splash and Dash' before my plan is quickly interrupted by a sad sigh, and words I wasn't expecting to hear.
"You're completely human, but... You have no relatives. I'm sorry to say this, Buford, but you don't have any blood related family at all. There's no record of you or any adoptive family in our systems either."
I freeze. Her words processing in my mind as I feel the tension leave my body, the hand that was reaching for my cup flopping down to my side as I lean back and let out a deep, relieved sigh.
"Oh thank goodness... I thought I was gonna get locked up. You really gave me a scare there." I sighed out, earning a strange and concerned look from the woman.
"Are you not... sad?" She asked.
"Well, I can't remember a time I really had a family, so nothing's really changed for me? I don't see how having one would make me any happier, or how not having one would make me any sadder." I say, my words portraying a different meaning to her than I intended them with. Given her complicated expression, she likely thinks it's amnesia, not that I lived in a different world before this one.
"Well, as I said, I'll arrange your living quarters and enough money to cover your basic costs. There'll be a little extra spending money for you as well, be sure to take care of your mind alongside your body. Aside from that, I'll buy you a phone as well as pay for the plan, and you can call me anytime you want or need something, okay? I want you to know that you're not alone."
"Thank you, Miss Grace. It really means a lot to me. I'll be sure to give you a call if I need something." I say, continuing the rest of the conversation amicably.
After about an hour of nursing my coffee while the woman makes calls and arrangements, I find myself back in the SUV, and an uneventful ride later I find myself in a simple but comfortable apartment.
"There are groceries within walking distance, and public transit is fairly simple and cheap, if you have any questions feel free to text me, I'll also have a general information guide the government made for cases like yours sent to your phone, as well as a physical copy. Take your time figuring things out, if you remember anything don't hesitate to call, and try to make some friends so you don't get lonely, okay? You can enroll in a normal school or a school for awakened depending on how you want to live your life, but remember, it's the only one you have, so live it to the fullest."
The woman gave me some information, some kind words, a suggestion, and a touch of wisdom to finish off her speech, and left me to my devices.
Despite my unique circumstances, I take her words to heart, and find my way to my bedroom to sleep. Tomorrow when I wake up, I'll think about what exactly I want to do with my second chance at life. I know a general outline, but I should put some more thought into it and formulate some real plans.
I take a quick shower, change into a pair of the clothes I was provided with, and climb in bed, letting my fatigue wash over me, and drifting to sleep as I ponder my next move, excited for the lifetime ahead of me.