The red moon burnt like a flame, hanging over us all far above the city, casting its villainous gleam across the streets That night. Still amid the dusky glow, little blue stars twinkled faintly: pinpoint sparks that provided a fragile sort of peace. In the night wind came a strange odour that was keen and unfamiliar, causing Lucian to wonder.
He stayed by the window, looking up as silence closed in. No voices, no distant noises of any kind: only the steady thump of his breathing and heartbeat in his ears. For a moment he wasn't sure if this was still all a dream, one of those charging illusions that dissipated with daybreak. But the reality wouldn't fade. He was here, awake and stuck in a body that wasn't his.
Against another wall was an aged wardrobe, having a mirror nailed to its door. He approached and the reflection belied what he had already dreaded to be true. A stranger stared back at him: his own blue eyes reflecting dimly in the dark, messy black hair skimming over his ears, and a face he'd never worn. The face on the mirror was that of Kyle Xirius.
The house was owned by Kyle's family. Beyond the window, Lucian might glimpse buildings huddled in alongside Shrie's main street, a residential neighborhood on the city's eastern edge. His second-floor apartment towered over the streets. His neighbor in the adjacent room was Kyle's older sister, Isabelle. A bit down the hall, the storage room awaited, locked and hidden from sight, its contents unknown.
Kyle's mother, Nana Xirius, raised her two kids by herself after the death of her husband seventeen years ago. The man was pronounced dead in a work-related accident, though Nana never truly accepted it. She stayed for the sake of her children, carrying both parents and working twenty-four hours a day to sustain them.
Lucian remembered being pulled into this body. Only three hours ago, Kyle was killed. The memory was hazy, but the fact of it was not. The person who killed Kyle also brought Lucian here.
He clenched his fists. If he could go back to his home planet, it would be by solving this case. A strange thing happened to him—he did miss the familiarity of his old video RPG games. If this life here was going to be the new reality, then unearthing the truth behind Kyle's death could be his quest.
Back on Earth, Lucian's reality had been condensed. He returned home from work each night, locked himself in his room, and dived into games. It was his sanctuary from boundless pressure. Weeks passed before the glow of a screen, overtime eating away at his hours, pay never commensurate with the toil. Job hunting in his town was a farce, vacancies nothing but fabrications, so he grinded it out in silence and let the frustrations seep into the games. Typically he played until hunger pained him, too absorbed to notice.
Today, none of that mattered. The world beyond was altered. Technology lagged far behind; even telephones were to be seen only on selected streets or in the possession of the powerful in the kingdom of Weart. The discovery disturbed him. He shifted back in the chair and clasped his palms together, holding back an agitated sigh.
"Why here? Why me?" His voice was growing in anger, and the stillness was shattered. "Damn it!"
The scream sounded off the walls. From the left side of his room there was the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs, thudding hard enough to tighten his chest. Sweat broke out on his forehead as his eyes were fixed on the door.
It creaked open stubbornly, vibrating the frame. A young woman stepped in. Black hair fell about her shoulders, blue eyes stared at him unwavering.
"Why are you shouting in the middle of the night?" Her voice cut through the air like a shard of ice.
This was Isabelle Xirius, who was five years older than Kyle. She worked for an agricultural company based in central Shrie, and she earned just enough to take care of herself and her family. The urban life was becoming more expensive every year, and her mother's salary alone never would have been able to sustain them. Isabelle had shouldered her own share of the burden.
Lucian's eyes chilled under her scrutiny. He searched for words, finally managing, "I… it's nothing. Just a nightmare."
Her brow arched. His tone was off, not her brother's. Isabelle inched nearer, suspicion flickering in her eyes. Lucian's throat shut as he swallowed the knot, but he sat still, faking calm.
A shrill scream sliced from the floor below before she could question him further.
They both went in the direction of the disturbance. It was their mother, Nana, returning from work at her friend's shop in the evening. Isabelle left her questions in the lurch and departed.
Lucian let out the pent breath. He trailed into the stairs, faltering when the window groaned open behind him. The wind shoved against the shutters, producing a high, shrieking squeal. He crossed over, shut it, and turned again.
From the steps he caught a glimpse of his sister and mother already talking downstairs. For whatever reason, seeing it made him feel warmer. Something about this family bond touched him, though it wasn't actually his. A small smile touched his lips.
"Kyle," Nana called out softly, noticing him standing on the steps. "What's wrong? You look distressed."
Snapped out of reality, Lucian rubbed his forehead and muttered something incoherent before vanishing into his room. Uncomprehension befogged his mother's eyes, and Isabelle's suspicion grew sharper.
Later, after Nana had gone to bed, Isabelle returned to the stairs once more. She rapped on Kyle's door. Silence. After a series of knocks, she turned the doorknob herself.
The room was empty.
Her chest tightened. She ran down the corridor and checked the bathroom, and it was open but vacant. A shiver ran up her spine. For one moment she had imagined her brother abducted by something ethereal.
Bringing herself to it, she returned to the room. To her amazement, Kyle sat at his desk as if he had never left. A pen moved across paper. Isabelle's breath caught.
"Where have you been, Kyle?" she panted, trembling in terror.
Lucian gazed up, startled. "Be? I've been right here the whole time. I'm writing a job application." He held up the letter in his hand.
Isabelle extended her hand and snatched it quickly, scanning the words. It was written with Kyle's name and skills spelled out in careful detail. Her eyes narrowed, but doubt filled her head. Perhaps she was imagining things.
"I must be too exhausted," she grumbled, handing the letter back. With no more said she went off to her room in an agitated mood.
The moment the door was closed behind her, Lucian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He put the letter down and produced another sheet, prepared to write his real aims for this world.