Foreigner

I’ve been lost walking in the darkness for a while now. I couldn’t see what was ahead, nor what I was leaving behind. After my encounter with the divine figure, I’ve been having the urge to walk towards something or somewhere. Several thoughts have been racing ever since.

Did I really die? Was this all there was to the afterlife? Not that I was complaining, since my expectations were being burned for eternity. If there is a place beyond this, have I been absolved of all my sins then? Did that figure that showed itself to me absolve me? If so, that brings me to another question, which was, if I am not in hell or heaven, was I in purgatory?

I stopped walking, standing in the middle of nowhere.

It certainly felt like I’d just woken up from a very long nightmare, unless I’m still dreaming? What’s the point of all this walking if I’m dead, anyway? It’s not like I need to look after my mental health now that I’m in the afterlife… Wait, can a spirit even go crazy?

I scratched my head. “Tsk, whatever! Might as well find out what I’ve been picking up on.” I picked up the speed and began running towards the source of what I’ve been drawn to.

As I kept running, something far ahead in the darkness seemed to get closer and closer. It was the silhouette of a person! Someone other than me was in here. Seemed like they saw me as well, but they didn’t start moving, which frustrated me.

I’m giving it my all, sprinting to you. Why not do me the courtesy of at least walking towards me?

As I got closer and closer, I got to the point where I could analyze their features. He was tall and had short brown hair. What was notably weird was that he wore a suit of armour, just like fantasy characters in fiction or actual knights in Europe.

Did the guy die during a cosplay convention or something? What’s with that getup? I thought to myself.

Finally, I’ve closed the distance to the point I could almost make out his face. While squinting, I could see his mouth moving. Was he saying something?

“I’m sorry,” a voice then spoke directly into my head. “I’ve already expended too much of my strength looking for you whilst maintaining my matter in this void that I couldn’t even properly greet you. However, seeing you was enough for me to know that while you’ve experienced the dark side of life, you are also not a stranger to the comfort of pure good light. Seeing how capable you are as a person has calmed the worst of my fears. Thank you, and please take care of them.”

Was that his voice? Did he say mana? He’s sorry? Dark side and good light? What the hell is he on about?!

He smiled at me, turned, and began walking the other way.

I gritted my teeth. “Hold up, you-you bastard! Are you mocking me or something!” I shouted, “Just wait there!”

He didn’t stop and continued to walk as if going on a stroll into nowhere. It was weird. He was getting farther and farther walking than I got closer sprinting with all my might. I was desperate to talk to someone — to him. Anyone who could explain what was going on! Am I dead or alive, and I knew he held the answers. But he was getting away. It was like I wasn’t even moving.

When he disappeared off into the distance, the air I was stepping on cracked, letting in beams of light. Before I could completely process what was going on, the cracked void shattered.

Am I really dead? Where was the road to hell that I always expected would greet me straightaway the moment I kicked the bucket? Was I absolved of all my sins? When did I ask for forgiveness? When was I forgiven?

My eyes open wide. I immediately sit up, gasping for air to fill my lungs, coughing uncontrollably. Once I’ve gotten my breath back, I took deep breaths, enjoying the sweet scent of life. I let a few minutes pass to sort out my thoughts, calming myself.

So… I really survived. I thought to myself, sighing in relief. I remembered the weird dream I had. A divine being and a cosplayer. It was a weird dream. Was it a dream?

I leaned back on my hands, stretching my arms and neck. It felt like I’d been asleep for a while. I wondered if many days had passed since the ambush. When I looked up, it took me a few moments to analyze my surroundings and finally notice my peculiar surroundings.

Wait… where the hell am I? Am I inside some tree… or under it?

I guessed that I had been taking shelter here, resting on a long gray blanket, which caught my attention. I ran my hands across the blanket. It wasn’t particularly smooth, but rather coarser than the texture of silk. The blanket was embroidered with a yellow symbol — a lantern hanging from the hilt of a sword embedded in a flower… This isn’t a blanket, it’s a cloak.

Whoever helped save me from the ambush is the owner of this cloak. I’ve got to thank them.

A glimpse of myself caught my attention, and that’s when I realized something had changed.

Where were my clothes? Whose pants were these? Someone had bandaged my abdomen. I carefully placed my hand on my side, lightly patting for the wound, but it was a wasted effort because it was gone. Speaking of scars, I have fewer than I should have on my skin; some, despite being big, I don’t remember ever earning. And regarding my skin, my skin tone was lighter and younger. I was also definitely in excellent shape, more than I remembered. More questions riddled my mind.

“What the—” I instinctively caught the words that were coming out of my mouth. That wasn’t my voice. I sounded younger, more youthful and healthier compared to my coarse throat and lungs due to excessive smoking.

I quickly ran outside the tree. I needed fresh air, to see the outside. Something just didn’t feel right. As soon as I did, I was greeted by a makeshift camp. I was inside a forest filled with tall trees. I heard voices, so I followed them. As I tread carefully, I rounded the corner of a tent silently. Various people crowded the area, and none of them were Japanese.

What the heck? Foreigners?

The way they were dressed was weird, too. The aesthetic reminded me of Western fantasy movies and TV shows. Especially since some wore armour and helmets similar to the medieval period of Europe, as well as carrying swords sheathed on their hips. If there was anything I was sure of, they weren’t wearing modern clothes that came out of a manufacturing factory. Where the hell was I?

The camp’s discourse created an ensemble of voices. They weren’t speaking Japanese, but the foreign words that were being spoken and crowding the ambience were coherent to me. I could understand their language.

They were arguing about something I couldn’t quite understand, huddled around a crate and going back and forth. One person, a red-haired man with a ponytail, slammed his fist on the crate and snapped at the men opposite him.

“We’ve already lost half of the lord’s personal retinue sent to fight this beast. Some of our garrison, along with the monster hunters, have been killed. We’re simple city guards, and we can’t handle this by ourselves, Matrius! Don’t be stubborn. There’s no shame in turning tail and coming back stronger with reinforcements.”

The other man with short blonde hair, I assumed to be Matrius, replied calmly. “Dieter, we know how dangerous the situation’s gotten. But it is our duty to save the Earl and his men trapped inside the ravine. We spend more time arguing here than coming up with a plan to kill that devourer and save the Earl.”

Another man with long black hair that reached his shoulders stammered. “Matrius, that devourer out there isn’t just a normal stray; it’s the alpha of a pack. Not only is it stronger, faster, and bigger than normal, but it also carries that deadly venom that destroys a man’s soul, leaving the body alive but an empty husk.”

Are they acting?... is what I would’ve thought had they been speaking Japanese, but not only weren’t they, I could also understand them word for word.

“None of that matters, Haephir! We came here to accompany and support the Earl, his retinue, and the monster hunters. With the monster hunters wiped out and the Earl’s personal soldiers wounded and trapped with him in the ravine, we’re the only hope he’s got.”

“But why hasn’t it chased us down?” A man blurted out from the crowd.

“From what I know, it only focuses on one target at a time unless you get its attention.” The long-haired man, Haephir, explained. “It obsesses over its target that it’s willing to let others run away until its first target is finally dead. Right now, it’s fixated on the Earl or one of his men, so it’s busy trying to weed them out of that tight space.”

Dieter, the red-haired man, began. “Matrius, nearly everyone in our subjugation unit is dead. The reason only a few of us city guards died was because only a couple of us were told to join the hunt. Most of the guards stayed here in the camp, keeping watch.” The group grew silent. Dieter rubbed his eyes, frustrated. “We can’t just throw ourselves at that monster blindly. We’ll all die a meaningless death that way.”

Dieter fell back into his seat, his head leaning into both of his palms, held up by his elbow on the crate. “Aelius got stung by the tail.” Dieter said, “It was supposed to hit me, but that dumbass pushed me out of the way and took the venom for himself, and now his body still breathes, but by all intents and purposes, he’s dead!” Dieter looked up to meet Matrius’s eyes. “I want to kill this devourer just as much as you do, but as it stands right now, it’s a suicidal endeavour.”

As I continued eavesdropping, a mirror caught my attention from the corner of my eye, sitting on top of a small stool beside the tent. My mouth opened, stupefied by the reflection. I walked towards the mirror and picked it up. I held it up, looking into it, staring at the man who stared back.

Who the hell are you?

My mind was in chaos. Was this some sort of prank? I pinched my face, pulling on the skin. This was some sort of mask. It had to be, but it wouldn’t come off, and the pain was real for me to still be dreaming.

Wait, I recognized this face. I didn’t get a clear look at him, but it does resemble him. He’s- I’m the cosplayer that was in my dreams!

I gathered my thoughts and calmed down from a total breakdown, even though I was still bewildered. Then I noticed something odd. It was suddenly quiet. Soft murmurs and the sound of replaced the loud arguing and debating the campfire’s cracking. That’s when I noticed I had stepped out from behind the cover of the tent. Everyone’s eyes were on me.

Dieter stood from his seat and slowly stumbled his way towards me. “Aelius?” He muttered, “Is it-is it really you?” His voice was breaking as he talked. He sped up his walking. “You’re alive, your soul’s fine… But how?”

I slowly backed away as he got close to me, putting a hand up. “That’s close enough, mister…” I slowly dragged the words that came out of my mouth. My voice really was different. I didn’t know what was going on, why my voice and face were someone else’s.

He sounded like a crazy man approaching me, spouting nonsense. Of course, I got a little wary and on guard. But the name Aelius, I could’ve sworn I heard that name mentioned before, somewhere. As I thought about it calmly, a revelation struck me. The divine being, my death, the vessel and my soul are receiving a second chance. I’ve been reborn as this man in my reflection.

So… I did die after all, and now I’ve been reborn. I thought to myself.

“Is everything alright, Ae-?”

Out of nowhere, a roaring howl erupted from the forest. My body froze, paralyzing me on the spot. It wasn’t just me, as everyone around me was frozen still. The group’s reaction was mixed; some showed determined faces, while others succumbed to terror.

What the hell was that sound?

Haephir wavered. “Aelius is still alive. That mutt’s noticed and is coming to finish the job.”

Matrius shouted orders, gaining everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone, no more discussing. We don’t have a choice but to fight now, so compose yourselves. You are the proud guards of Dumanos! Stand and fight, everyone, so that we may all go home!” His words rallied everyone to a war cry.

Explosive steps were getting closer and closer. Everyone began arming themselves, some pulling out the swords on their hip, along with a shield, while others held spears. I turned to face the direction of the thundering noise that shook the ground. Slowly backing away, I prepared myself as to what in the hell was charging towards us, or if what Haephir said was true, what was targeting me.

Suddenly, the trees that covered the direction I was looking at exploded with tremendous force as a monstrous creature lunged out of the bushes and towards me.

Eh? What the fuck is that!?