He was falling.
The wind tore past his face, cold and sharp, and the world above and below him was nothing but endless clouds, pale and rolling like an ocean of mist. Rain or was it ice? spattered across his skin, stinging. He tried to move, to grab something, anything, but there was nothing. Only emptiness. Only falling.
A scream formed in his throat, but the air swallowed it before it could escape. His stomach flipped, panic clawing at him. Where… where was he? This wasn't the city he had known. Not the streets. Not the life he remembered.
His hands flailed through the air. Every motion met cold resistance, yet no surface appeared. The clouds stretched endlessly beneath him, glowing faintly silver in the strange light that had no source.
Then everything went black.
When he opened his eyes again, the world was smaller, enclosed. The ceiling above was low and wooden, and the air smelled faintly of ink, dust, and old parchment. His body felt… wrong. Heavy, yet unfamiliar. He flexed his fingers, only to realize they weren't his.
A sharp voice cut through his confusion.
"You're finally awake?"
He turned slowly. Across the small room stood a boy, slightly older, sharp-eyed, with a commanding presence that suggested he was used to authority. Arms crossed, leaning casually against the doorframe, he watched him carefully. "Don't just lie there staring. We have things to do today, you know."
"I… I…" Words stumbled from his mouth, awkward and strange. Not his voice. Not his body. Panic clawed at him again.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… strange. You look… different. Maybe you finally slept enough?"
Different? The thought twisted in his mind. He remembered falling through endless clouds… then waking up here, in this foreign body. No one else around him would know, no one could. The secret was entirely his.
The boy stepped closer, leaning on the doorframe. "Come on, get up. Breakfast waits, and I don't want you wasting the day lying around. You've had enough rest, Klin."
The word Klin struck him like a hammer. Klin… That must be his new name in this body. His heart skipped, then thudded painfully. He repeated it quietly under his breath: "Klin…?"
"Yes," the boy said, a faint smirk crossing his lips. "Don't look so lost. You've been sleeping like a log. I'd almost thought you were trying to disappear on purpose."
Klin tried to sit up properly, his body stiff and unresponsive. Everything felt wrong the muscles didn't move the way he wanted, the hands felt alien, even the reflection he caught in the small mirror across the room was not his own. A pale, angular face stared back, sharp brown eyes, framed by dark hair slightly longer than he was used to.....
"You're staring too much at yourself," the boy said, chuckling softly. "Focus. Today's important. We have errands, lessons, and then…" He hesitated, then waved a hand.
"You'll see."
Klin swallowed hard, trying to process it all. Lessons? Errands? What is this world? His mind raced, struggling to anchor itself. But one thing was clear he couldn't act confused in front of the brother. Not if he wanted to avoid suspicion.
"Just… tell me," Klin said, his new voice trembling slightly, "who… who am I? What what's going on?"
The boy tilted his head, studying him with sharp, calculating eyes. "You're Klin, the second child. You don't need to worry about our… parents. They're gone. That's all you need to know for now. I've been looking after you while you slept."
Klin blinked. Second child… parents gone… looking after me… The words spun in his mind. His old life felt distant, unreachable, a dream fading at the edges. He had no choice now but to adapt or be crushed by the expectations of this strange, unfamiliar life.
The brother clapped a hand on his shoulder, firm but not unkind. "Come on, get dressed. Breakfast won't wait forever. And don't think you can skip your duties the servants already whispered about you being late."
Klin's chest tightened. He was trapped in this body, in this life. Yet somewhere, deep inside, a spark of curiosity flickered. This world was strange, foreign, and dangerous… and yet, it was real. Every sound, every smell, every movement of the brother in front of him reminded him of that.
The brother glanced at the clock. "I need to leave for work. You can't just lie around all day. While I'm gone, go to the market and buy food for tonight's dinner. Follow the main roads don't get distracted."
Klin nodded slowly, trying to memorize every detail: the route, the instructions, the voice of the brother. "Okay… I understand."
The brother smiled, satisfied, then picked up his coat and opened the door. "Good. And Klin… be careful. This world isn't as simple as it looks.
As the door closed behind him, Klin stood frozen, heart racing. Market… errands… brother… parents gone… sister… somewhere… The weight of this new life pressed down on him, heavy and unavoidable. Every step in this body, every action, would have consequences.
Yet somewhere, deep in his mind, a spark whispered: this was only the beginning.